“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. I realized I wasn’t just staring, I was puppy-dog eyeing him.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna have to pull over and spread you on the backseat.” His voice was low enough that I almost didn’t hear it.
I blinked, swallowed, and turned my head to look out my window. I didn’t want him to see me flushed. But, I was sure that my heaving chest was giving me away.
“What’s in Belleville?” he asked, changing the subject. Thank God.
“My mom’s house. It’s sold, so I need to sign the paperwork.”
“You need to?” he asked.
I hadn’t told him about my mother. I nodded. “She died last month.”
“Oh, shite. I’m sorry, Emery.”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m okay. It’s just the last thing I need to take care of.”
“Is that woman in the photo of your on your laptop?”
I smiled. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“She was a beautiful woman. I see where you got that from.”
I blushed again. Why do I keep blushing? This man had his eyes, hands and lips everywhere on my body last night. “She was.”
My phone alerted me where we were to go. I turned the app off. I knew where I was now. “Turn left at the next cut off,” I instructed. “You’ll see a gas station on the left, then it’s another five miles past there.”
Caid smiled and nodded. As the truck slowed he reached over and took my hand in his. Little electric shocks splintered through my skin. He squeezed tighter and I threaded my fingers with his leaving his thumb free to circle my thigh.
He was turning me on with the slightest touch. We passed a park and I almost asked him to pull over so he could carry out with his threat of spreading me on the back seat. It was only a little over twelve hours since I slept with him, and I craved it again like a junkie.
“There,” I whispered, pointing to the street sign. “Meadow Street, number two-eighty.”
Caid cranked the wheel and turned. He drove one-handed very well. We pulled up behind a car parked outside Mom’s house. It was Mr. Walter’s.
“You okay, love?” Caid asked.
I smiled. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
“I’ll stay out here,” Caid said as he killed the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Kay,” I said, letting go of his hand and climbing down and out of his truck. My legs felt like jelly as I walked up the steps and onto the porch. The front door was open and I heard a deep voice inside.
Tears pricked my eyes the instant I stepped into the house. It was empty. Not a stitch was left. Not her kitchen table, her chairs, the sofas or the big mirror that hung near the staircase.
“Emery?” Mr. Walter’s stepped down the stairs with his hands outstretched, he shoved his phone in his pocket.
I hugged him. “Hi, Mr. Walters.”
“Good to see you. How was the drive?”
I smiled. “It was okay, thanks. My old car finally gave out on me though. I had to call a friend.” I pointed my thumb out the open front door toward Caid’s black truck.
Mr. Walter’s raised his eyebrows and sighed. “Well, are you ready?”
I nodded. “Let’s get it done.”
He started walking back up the stairs and I followed. Part of me wondering why we were going up there.
“There was no mention of what to do with the contents of this room, Emery,” he said, stepping into my old bedroom. “We didn’t know what to do with all of your things.”
I smiled looking at the walls, the bed, and the pictures. “I forgot all about it. I’ll take care of it, Mr. Walters.”
“Okay, sounds good. Take what you like and leave whatever you want us to donate. As for the paperwork, it’s downstairs on the counter. Just a few John Hancock’s and it’ll be done. I forgot to tell you how much it sold for.”
I didn’t care about the money. No amount was worth what this house had held in love and memories.
“Seven hundred and forty-seven thousand. That’s before the commission for the broker, of course.”
“Of course,” I said. “How much do I owe you, Mr. Walters?”
He shook his head. “Not a dime, Emery. I did what Amelia asked me to. She was a good friend for many years. It was the least I could do.”
I thanked him again and hugged him once more before we left the room. I signed the papers in the kitchen and said goodbye as he left. I told him I would clear out the bedroom and lock the door when I was finished.
The new owners were coming on Monday. This was my last time being in the house I lived in for twenty years. I climbed the stairs and stood in my mom’s old bedroom. It was empty. That’s when it hit me. I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
I let the tears fall on my skin as I felt like a little girl. Lost. Empty. Like the house. I didn’t want to be without her. I was mad that she was gone. How was I supposed to live the rest of my life without the love and care of my mother? Her presence was what moved me, what kept me going. Forget Matt. I could marry again. I would never get another mom.
I wiped my hot tears away from my face as I tried to compose myself. I felt hands on me as I knelt. Caid’s hands, I could tell the familiar heat and tingle.
“Shite, Em, are you okay?”
I sniffled and turned into his chest, burying my face.
“I’m here, I’m here…” he whispered as his caressed my hair with his hand.
I lifted my face to see that my mascara had leaked onto his white shirt. “Sorry,” I said softly. “I got makeup on your shirt.”
Caid laughed quietly. “Don’t you worry ‘bout that. What can I do for you? Do you want me to give you a minute?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay…thank you. I just need to use the bathroom.” I wiped my face as I walked away, hoping he didn’t notice what a mess my face must have been. I splashed cool water on my face, hoping to alleviate my puffy eyes and reddened cheeks. When I left the bathroom Caid was leaning up against one of the walls in the hallway.
His hands were shoved in his pockets and he smiled at me. “Is that your room?” he motioned at the door across from where he was standing.
“Yes,” I said. I was wrong when I said this house only held good memories. There was one bad one. I took Caid’s hand and led him into my room. I wanted to erase that memory. The one of Matt and the way he stole my virginity in such a selfish way. Caid’s touch would obliterate that in a heartbeat.
“I want you, Caid,” I said. “I want you touch me.”
There was something in his eyes. Hesitation maybe. He raked his fingers through his dark hair and stared at me. “I don’t have any condoms, Em.”
“Kiss me then. I just want to feel you.”
His hands flew to my face as he pulled my mouth to his. The powerful manner of his assault was enough to turn my legs to goo and I melted down onto my bed. I didn’t care how he touched me, I needed him in any way I could get him. My hands roamed to his shoulders, gripping his muscles and pulling him against me. It wasn’t close enough.
I yanked his shirt up and he lifted for me to take it right off. I gasped as I took his chest in once more. How could I have forgotten in less than a day how perfect he was? I don’t think I’ll ever get used to his flawlessness.
Caid pulled my tee up my body and planted wet kisses on my chest, across the top of my bra, over each breast. He nuzzled his face between the swollen mounds and groaned. Sitting back quickly, he stood at the edge of bed.
“I can’t. I’m sorry…”
“W-why?” I asked, my voice small.
“Because I can’t just kiss you. I want to slide in that body so badly. God, I don’t think you know what you do to me.” He turned and ran his hands through his hair again. The muscles in his back strained as he lifted his arms up. It was then I saw the fire tattoo. It started just above the waist line of his shorts. A red dragon breathed fire up his spine and the flames licked over and around ea
ch of his shoulders. It was magnificent. My fingers itched to touch it.
If we were going to do this. Whatever it was. I needed to open up a little more. I swallowed some courage and opened my mouth. “Caid,” I said. “I can’t have children. You don’t need to wear a condom.”
Caid hung his head and shoved his hands into his pockets again. When he turned around I could see his chest rising and falling heavily with his staggered breath. His emerald eyes blazed as if he was having some sort of internal battle with himself. He opened his mouth and licked his bottom lip. “Promise me something, Emery.”
Anything. “Okay…” I agreed.
“Promise me that you’ll always be honest with me. No matter what.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “I promise, Caid. I hope you would be the same with me.”
He came to me, fast and powerfully. Tearing my shorts from my body and pushing his own down in a frenzied rush. “I want to taste you so bad, but I need this first.”
“Take it,” I breathed. “It’s yours.”
What?
Oh, shit.
He growled as he held his erection between my legs, his mouth dropped to my breast the instant his cock charged into my body. My body lifted up, pushing my breast deeper into his mouth. His tongue swirled and sucked. A pop of suction came as he left one and moved to the other, taking a tight pink nipple into his teeth. He flicked and rolled it with his expert tongue.
My soft muscles clamped down around him as I felt and took in every single inch of him. His balls slapped against my ass as he drilled harder and faster. The sound of skin on skin, slick from our mixture of dewy pleasure.
By his ragged breathing I knew this wasn’t going to last long. I wasn’t sure if I was ready yet, but I didn’t want him to hold back on my account either. So, I reached down between our bodies and slowly circled my throbbing clit with my fingers.
“Oh, Christ,” Caid rumbled. “Don’t fucking stop doing that, Em. That’s so goddamn sexy.”
I held him by his nape and pulled his lips to mine with my free hand. I claimed his mouth and explored every delicious surface in his mouth. I couldn’t get enough. I was addicted.
The build was like a pot of boiling water, ready to steam over the edge and I cried out into his mouth that I was going to come.
“Do it, baby. Come for me,” he commanded.
With his words, I unravelled like a ball of yarn. Like a rocket set off into the night sky, bursting as it collided with a star. I panted and breathed heavily as I tried to regain my sense of sight. My eyes were clamped down so hard all I could see where surges of light behind the lids.
Caid dropped his body down to mine, I didn’t care if his weight was smothering me. I loved the way he felt on top of me.
“Mmm,” he groaned as his orgasm shuddered through his body. Sweat trickled from his head as he laid it beside mine and buried it into the bed beneath us. I felt his Adam’s apple on my shoulder, and the vibration from his rumbling.
The fire on his shoulder was right in front of my mouth. I pressed my lips into the tattoo, to his skin. I let my tongue run slowly along the black and red ink and closed my eyes as I tasted the salt of his sweat and the succulent essence of what was Kincaid Burke.
Chapter Ten
Friday, July 12 — 6:30 pm
I placed the last box into the back of Caid’s truck and he closed the tailgate. I took three boxes full of items from my bedroom. Some photos, a few trinkets that I had collected over the years. Medals and one trophy from when I played on the girls’ volleyball team in high school. Everything else; my bed, dresser, desk and chair could go to charity. I tossed the sheets into a garbage bag and stuffed them into a box. I wasn’t going to donate them, but I would wash them once I got back to Chicago.
“What’s in there?” I asked, pointing to a large plastic box in the bed of his truck.
“Well, what I had planned for you this weekend, actually.” Caid dipped his head to kiss me. “Unless you just want to head back to Chicago.”
I regarded him intently and smirked. “Just want do you plan on doing with me?”
“Mean and awful things, remember?”
“I hope so.” I placed a chaste kiss on his lips before giggling and walking around the side of his truck to get it. I smiled and quietly said my goodbye’s to my mom’s house.
No “till later.”
Not this time.
Despite the loud rumble of Caid’s truck I heard the growl in his stomach from across the cab. “You’re hungry,” I said.
“Well, I forgot to eat earlier.” He grinned. “You just wanted me inside of you too badly.”
“Caid!” I covered my face. “As I recall, you didn’t put up much of a fight. Besides, there wasn’t anything in that house to eat.”
“There was.” He bit his lip and his nostrils flared. “I may just have to pull over before I starve to death.”
Oh, my God. He wasn’t talking about real food. He was talking about me. I gaped, unsure of what to say.
“I’ll just have to gorge myself on your sweet pussy later,” he said.
“Oh, my God, Caid. You can’t say things like that to me.” I blushed and looked out my window. “You’re too much.”
“I thought you liked my dirty mouth.”
Damn, do I ever. “I do…” I breathed.
“Well then, what’s the problem, love?”
I tried to stifle my smile, but I failed miserably. There was absolutely no problem whatsoever. We both knew it.
“Hey, a Big Boy! I haven’t had that shite in ages.” Caid flipped on his signal switch and turned into the parking lot.
Fleeting memories of Matt passed as I leaned my head back and fell a little crazy for Caid. He looked so young and spirited; so happy, and I ate it up.
He parked away from all of the other cars in the lot, probably afraid someone was going to scratch his beautiful machine. Caid ran around the front of the truck and opened my door for me, ever a gentleman.
His hand entwined with mine and I snuggled my face into his thick arm as we walked up to the entrance of Big Boy. The air conditioning in the restaurant was like heavenly escape from the thick and humid evening air.
I felt like a teenager again. All stupid and silly with…feelings. We found a booth and sat down. When the waitress approached us, I knew her face right away. She was the same girl from Rosemary High that held the door open for me on the last day of school.
“Hi, Mrs. Morgan,” she said, emphasizing the Morgan. Her eyes darted to Caid and she grinned. It just made me want to slap her smug little face. “What can I get you guys tonight?”
I expected Caid’s hold on my hand to tighten when she spoke, but it didn’t. He knew I was divorced, and I promised I would always be honest.
“It is Finn now,” I leaned in to read her nametag. “Andrea. Miss Finn. We’d like to see the menu’s first, please.”
Andrea smirked and placed the menus she already had in her hand on the table. “Drinks?” She asked.
“Pepsi,” Caid said, not looking at her.
“Same,” I answered and smiled. Little bitch, I muttered to myself.
The look on his face told me he wanted to say something, but didn’t.
“A student of…my ex-husband’s,” I said.
“Oh, that ol’ arsehole, eh? Well, I wonder what got her knickers in a snit…”
I rolled my eyes. I wondered if Matt had slept with her too. I wondered if the pregnant blonde was the only one. My stomach turned. I bet she wasn’t.
“Speak of the fucking devil,” I whispered and sunk low in my seat.
Matt walked in. Like my world needed to have a wrench thrown in the gears at that moment. He wasn’t alone, either. He had mommy-and-belly in tow.
“Emery.” Caid’s deep voice rumbled across the table top.
My eyes darted back to his beautiful hues of green. “I’m here.”
“Good.” Then he squeezed my hand. “Ol’ arsehole?”
I
nodded.
“Well, imagine that. Want me to slide in beside you and show him what is no longer his?”
Hell yes I did. “No, it’s okay. Really.”
Matt and Baby Mama sat a few seats down. I didn’t even think they saw me. The girl from the school/waitress emerged again, this time donning a scowl on her face, which told me right away that he must have slept with her too.
“Here you go,” she said, setting down the Pepsi’s with a little force. “Have you decided what you want?”
“A smile would be nice, love,” Caid said, flashing her his megawatt smile.
She melted and blushed.
I smirked. Can’t have this one, little girl.
“Sorry, it’s been a long shift. What can I get you?” her tone softened with his combination smile and accent.
“I would like to have, Andrea,” he pronounced her name like it dripped sex. “The Best Cheeseburger on the Planet.”
“O-okay,” she stuttered. “And what about you Mrs. Morg—Miss Finn?”
“I would like to have,” my eyes flashed to Caid’s then back to her. I licked my lips and pulled my hand away from his, bringing it to my hair to run my fingers through it. “That new one. You know, that Big. Irish…”
Forget Caid making her blush. I just turned her into a lobster in two seconds flat. Andrea scrawled something down and bolted to the kitchen. I smiled at my little moment of confidence and sipped my Pepsi.
“The Big Irish, eh?”
Fuck.
I blinked. His tone was forbidding and delectably wicked. I knew what I had just started. And I loved every second of it.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound blasé. “It’s some new sandwich. Nothing special. I just thought I’d give it a whirl.”
Caid moved from his seat and over to mine before I could catch my breath. He took my face in his hands and kissed me. I tasted the bubbles from the carbonation of the Pepsi on our tongues. I touched my fingers to his jaw and traced the stubble. Imagine my trepidation when I heard a familiar giggle. Preggo’s giggle, to be exact.
I pulled my lips away from Caid’s and touched my mouth.
“He knocked her up, didn’t he?” Caid asked, brushing his thumb along my lip.
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