She sucked in a quick breath and he lifted his lips, smiling into her face. His arms banded tightly around her back, and he pressed her forward until their lips met once again. Taking over the kiss, he angled his head as he plunged his tongue inside, memorizing the feel and taste of her.
Forcing his thoughts to come from the head on his shoulders, he mumbled, “I don’t want to make any assumptions. You’ve had enough people make decisions for you. I only want to do what you want.”
She leaned back and her eyes twinkled. With a slight curving of her lips, she whispered in return, “I’m right where I want to be. I’m doing what I never thought I’d have the chance to do with you… truly, the only man I’ve ever wanted to be with.”
He shifted forward, and her hips stayed pressed against his as she clasped her legs around his waist. He stood with her in his arms and carried her to the bed.
As he slowly lowered her feet to the floor, she grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt and tugged it upward, exposing his tattoos and the scars on his chest. His chest was covered in angel wings coming from a heart, his scars bisecting off-center. The words I Had Wings written in script were at the top of his chest. His arms were covered in tattoo sleeves and words were written on his side. He watched her gaze move over his tattoos before landing back on his eyes. His hands moved to the front clasp of her bra, and with a quick flip, it fell behind her.
He palmed her breasts, flicking his thumbs over her hard nipples before drawing her closer, their naked chests pressed together as he kissed her once again. His hand fisted in the long, silky strands of her hair, holding her close and angling her head as he devoured her lips in a hard, demanding kiss. His tongue moved over hers and he swallowed her moan.
She began to squirm, and he knew she was seeking friction, sure that if he slid his hands down her pants, he would find her slick with need.
Cas moved his fingers to his pants, unzipping them quickly before he jerked them down. While he pulled off his boots and socks before kicking his jeans to the side, she quickly peeled off her pants, sliding her panties down.
His body was on fire with need, and from the look in her eyes, she felt the same. His erection free, he palmed himself as she turned and jerked the coverlet to the foot of the bed. She bent, her perfect ass tilted into the air facing him.
What little blood was left in the rest of his body rushed to his already erect cock as his gaze locked on her ass. She flipped around onto her back, propped up with her forearms by her side on the mattress. His gaze moved from her face down to her sex and back up again, settling on her breasts. She was a gift, and he was awed and humbled at her desire for him.
Putting a knee to the bed, he crawled over her body, bending to suck one rosy-tipped, hard nipple deeply into his mouth. She fell all the way to her back, taking him with her as her fingers clutched his shoulders. Moving between her breasts, he suckled, laved, and nipped. One hand slid between her legs, entering her slick folds. She was so primed and ready, her hips began to undulate as he finger-fucked her while still sucking on her breasts.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders, the slight sting of her fingernails only making his cock harder. He felt her inner muscles clench, and she cried out his name as her release shook her body. Slowly dragging his fingers out, he lifted his head, peered down at her, and sucked her juices from his hand. He memorized the taste of her on his tongue, wanting to never forget this moment.
Her body appeared sated, but as her gaze watched his fingers move in and out of his mouth, she shot up, flipping him to his back, straddling his hips. His hands moved to her ass, and he kneaded the perfect globes as her hair created a dark curtain around them when she bent to kiss him. Knowing she would taste herself on his tongue, he was not surprised when her moans intensified, and her core began to rub against his aching cock.
A groan slipped from his lips, but she must have heard the agonized tone because she leaned up, her brow scrunched, staring at him.
“Fuck, Bianca, I don’t have a condom with me.”
She sat straddling him, her eyes working as her teeth nibbled her bottom lip. “I’m on the pill, and I’m clean. I haven’t been with anyone in… well… a couple of years.”
He could only imagine that with everything she had dealt with — her dad, stepmother, and stepbrother — she had not found anyone to be with, she had often been lonely. As much as he hated that for her, he could not help but choke down a roar that he would be the first to give her pleasure and own her body after a long drought.
“I’m not a monk, babe, but neither am I a dog. I haven’t had sex in months, and I’ve always gone wrapped. I had a physical six weeks ago, and I can show you the results. Got ‘em on my phone.”
“You’d never lie to me.”
He held her gaze, her words scoring through him. She gave them freely, no hesitation. She was right… he would never lie to her, but her trust hit him in his heart. “Damn right,” he claimed, his voice raspy with emotion.
Her lips curved, slowly at first until she was full-on smiling, and she lifted her hips until his cock was at her entrance. His hands clutched her hips, and his fingers dug into her ass. Letting her control the movement, he broke out in a sweat, his need pulling at him.
She slowly lowered her body, sheathing him as her sex accommodated his erection. Watching her carefully, he noted a slight wince cross her face, soon replaced with a look of pure pleasure. He wanted to plunge to the hilt, thrust to ease the need, howl with desire. Holding on by a thread, he sucked in a deep breath, letting it out only when she had lowered so that she was fully seated.
Bent forward, her hair once more falling in a black silk curtain, she began to move up and down, finding her rhythm, and he knew he had found Nirvana. She alternated between slow and fast, rocking as her breasts bounced.
When she seemed to tire, he took over, thrilled to have given her control but now desperate to give what she needed and take what he could not wait to have. With a quick flip, she landed underneath him, and with his weight resting on his forearms, he began to thrust fully, reaching as deep as he could inside her warmth.
Her legs wrapped around his waist, her heels digging into his muscular ass, urging him on. Not needing the encouragement, he nonetheless loved her enthusiasm. His chest brushed against her nipples, and he memorized the expression on her face… wonder, pleasure, happiness.
As their bodies came together, he leaned down and captured her mouth, his tongue emulating the movement of his cock. Her warmth enveloped him as the friction built. He knew he was about to come but wanted her to come with him. Grinding his pelvis against her clit, he elicited delicious moans from her as she writhed beneath him. Her inner walls began to tighten around his cock, and she threw her head back, crying out his name for the second time.
Feeling the heat roar through him with his final thrusts, he powered through his release. Dots of light appeared behind his eyelids, and he panted, unable to suck enough oxygen into his lungs. Her arms and legs continued to clutch him tightly until he slowed his movements, barely moving to the side as his arms gave out from underneath him. Side-by-side, heartbeats pounding together, legs tangled, they lay for a long time. Neither spoke, and he was sure that he had no coherent thoughts as he continued to breathe in everything that was Bianca.
As their bodies finally cooled, he lifted his hand, threaded his fingers through her hair, and brushed it away from her face. Leaning closer, he kissed her lightly, then grabbed the blanket, jerking it up to cover their bodies. They lay, staring silently at each other for a moment, their warm gazes and soft smiles saying everything.
“I still remember the first time I saw you,” she whispered. “You were sitting under some trees. I had never seen anyone whittle before and didn’t know what you were doing. But when you looked up at me, even though I was only eleven, I thought you were the prettiest boy I had ever seen. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me to just get lost.”
“Truthfully? I thought about it, but there wa
s something about you that made me answer your questions and talk to you. I don’t know, just something about you pulled me in. I figured as soon as you told your father that there were eight teenage boys living across the street, he’d warn you away.”
“I think as soon as my dad met Miss Ethel, he felt that I’d always be safe there. And I was.”
“None of us would’ve ever let anything happen to you.”
“I know. When I was there, I always felt like I had seven big brothers. Seven brothers and one hero just for me.”
He sighed and swept her hair from her forehead. “Babe, I’m no hero. I’m just a man.”
She cupped his jaw, her thumb gliding over his stubble, and whispered, “Cas, to me, you’re the hero of my heart.”
The air hung heavy between them, the long-ago past mingling with the here and now. Her gaze drifted over his chest and arms, and she trailed her finger over the ink. “Tell me about your tattoos… tell me their meaning.”
He watched her finger as it moved over his skin, the heat from the single digit searing his blood. Licking his lips, he glanced to his left arm and shoulder, saying, “This is a tribute to my fellow soldiers… my brothers in arms.” He tried to see his tattoos through her eyes, hoping that she could understand their significance. “This arm has Miss Ethel’s roses, a tribute to my family… both my parents and the family she gave me when I was alone.”
She raised up on one arm and trailed her fingers over the words on his side, reading them. A gasp left her lips as her gaze jumped to his face. “Oh, my God… your poems. I remember this one. It was about your family. Oh, Cas, I loved this one.”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat as she stared back, tears forming in her eyes. ‘I can’t believe you remember it.”
The air, still thick with emotion, clung to them. “I remember everything, Cas. Everything.”
He rolled her underneath his body again, cradling his hips between her thighs, and she encircled his waist with her legs, once more accommodating his body into hers. He felt it and prayed she did too… pouring his feelings into their lovemaking.
Later, once more sated, he cradled her close.
15
Cas woke an hour later, immediately aware of the warm body in his bed, not surprised they had fallen asleep. Smiling, with the scent of Bianca’s floral shampoo filling his senses, he pulled her in tighter.
He thought back to their joining, the memory better than anything he could have imagined. So focused on each other, they existed in their own little world as they had made love.
She stirred, her eyes opening slowly, a smile spreading across her lips as she sat up. Kissing her lightly, he said, “I still need to feed you.”
As they rose from his bed, she looked around and exclaimed over his boring bedroom furniture. “I can’t believe you haven’t put some of your own creations in here!”
He shrugged. “This has just been a place to sleep. I haven’t had a reason to put anything special in this room.” He watched as she bent to grab her clothes from the floor, appearing to be comfortable in her nudity which he loved. Averting his eyes as she dressed to keep from wanting to throw her back onto the bed, he jerked on his boxers and jeans.
Once dressed, he gave her a tour of the rest of the upstairs. The master bedroom contained a large en suite bathroom, with double sinks and a glass block shower as well as a soaking tub. The hallway led to three more bedrooms and another large bathroom.
Peeking in each room, she said, “This place is huge.” Turning to him, a curious glint in her eyes, she stated, “This is a house for a family.”
He looked at her and his voice caught in his throat. “I didn’t want to keep moving around. I knew I wanted to be in the country, so when I was ready to buy a place, I wanted to buy one that was big enough, fix it up the way I wanted, and then one day, when I had a family, I wouldn’t have to move.”
“You wanted what your parents had,” she said softly, her expression gentle as she reached out and held his hand. Her gaze drifted around the rooms, and she nibbled on her bottom lip as thoughts moved behind her eyes.
He wondered what she was thinking but remained quiet, giving her a chance for her thoughts to flow.
“Did you… um… build it with someone in mind?”
He heard the tentative tone in her voice and shook his head. “There’s never been anyone special for me. I’ve dated but never any one person for very long. I suppose, as soon as I could tell there was no long-term possibility, I ended it.”
She turned and faced him fully, still nibbling on her lip. “How could you tell?”
He thought about the few women he had dated, only two for any length of time. “I dated one woman for a few months, but she didn’t care for the creative process of woodworking. She became increasingly irritated at the amount of time that it took away from her. Being a mechanic was okay because I came home at the same time each day and then could focus solely on her.” Lifting his heavy shoulders in a shrug, he said, “I get it. I really did—”
“No,” Bianca exclaimed, her hair moving with her head as she shook it back and forth. “She would never have been right for you. Your creative desire just bubbles from deep inside. To try to keep you from your woodworking and carving would be like telling a painter that they can’t paint.”
“Or telling a writer that they can’t write,” he added, his lips curving.
“Exactly!” Her penetrating gaze hit his face. “Was there anyone else?”
“There was only one other woman that I saw for several months, but she didn’t enjoy reading. I mean, that’s cool, but any time I would mention something that I was reading, she would roll her eyes and claim that it was boring.”
Eyes wide, Bianca shook her head again. “You’re so much better off without them.”
They walked slowly down the stairs, hands still clasped together, and at the bottom, they stood in the hallway between the great room and the dining room. A sigh slipped between her lips, and she asked, “What did they think of your house?”
Stepping closer, he said, “They were never here. I bought this place after them. I knew that if I built the home the way I wanted it, that would also help me know when I found the right woman. It would be someone who understood me.”
Blinking as though in surprise, she said, “But this place is beautiful! It’s perfect and I don’t see how any woman would not like it.”
He lifted their hands that were clasped and placed hers over his heart, pressing her fingertips to his skin. Lost in her gaze, he smiled. “That’s what I was looking for. Someone who felt the same way about it as I do. A house in the woods, big enough for a family, waiting to be filled with love.”
He watched as she sucked in her lips. Her eyes searched his for a few seconds, filling with something undefinable before darting away.
Moving into the kitchen, they worked side by side, fixing a simple meal with Princess wandering between their legs. As they sat down and began eating, he asked the question that had been on his mind. Swallowing, he asked, “What about you? Anyone special?” As the words left his mouth, he realized how vulnerable they made him feel, which in turn made him realize that she had just put herself out there for him when she had asked the same question.
He could not help but breathe a sigh of relief as her head slowly shook back and forth.
“I didn’t date in high school,” she admitted, “mostly because it was an all-girls high school. I simply never had the opportunity to meet anyone. Lionel and Lucille had done a number on my self-esteem, so I wasn’t exactly putting myself out there, either. The idea of ridicule was overwhelming. So, I spent most of my time in my head, creating the characters in my life that I wanted to be with, then putting them down on paper.”
His heart ached for the lonely teenager that she described, and he reached out his hand and gently squeezed her fingers. “What did they do?”
Her gaze drifted out the window and she sighed. “Lucille was so needy… she had
to be the center of attention, and if she did not get it, then she was just plain mean. I swear, I think her mirror was her best friend, as much time as she spent in front of it! She had to be the most beautiful, and to make sure she felt that way, she constantly told me I was too skinny, or my complexion was splotchy, or my hair was limp. She encouraged me to dress in drab, ill-fitting clothes. She said it was so that I would not draw undue attention to myself since I was so unfortunate looking, but I think it was just because she did not want any competition.”
Shaking his head, he wished he had Lucille in front of him now to let her know exactly how he felt about her cruel words said to Bianca.
“And Lionel? After he was… um… rebuffed by me, he also joined in with the ugly taunts.” She looked at him and added, “I know you’re wondering why I didn’t talk to Dad about this.” Shrugging, she said, “He traveled so much, and when he was home, I just wanted him to be happy.”
Continuing, she said, “Then I got sick, and to be honest, for a long time I thought little of anything but getting better. I admit that college was my chance to spread my wings. I attended some college parties, met some guys, finally lost my virginity… or rather, I should say I chose to give it away. He was a nice guy, but even then, I knew it was not forever. I didn’t go crazy in college, but I certainly realized that was the first time I felt like I was experiencing life since I had been in California.”
“I’m glad you had that,” he said. “Everyone should have a chance to experience some life out on their own, even when they’re young and foolish.”
She nodded her agreement. “When I got out, Dad was sick, and I had little time to experience anything other than helping him and all the emotions that swirled inside.”
“It’s weird. I want to say that I’m sorry you never met anyone special or had anyone to share your life with, but then I’m also selfish to say that I’m glad. If you had, you wouldn’t be sitting here with me right now.”
Cas: Heroes at Heart Page 12