Up and down he went as he cooed, “You feel so right.”
A wave of heat moved through her body as he kissed her neck and moved faster and harder until she was clawing his back, screaming his name, and falling into a deep abyss she hoped she’d never come back out of.
Ethan’s dick felt the wash of wet heat that came from her body as she gave him what he’d craved since the first time he’d met her. His cock exploded into her, mixing with the juices he’d made her release. It was official. They’d made love, consummating a real relationship. One that he never saw coming but was damn glad had.
Chapter 38
Small waves lapped at the shoreline as Cait threw a Frisbee into the ocean. “Get it, Toby!” she shouted as Phoenix’s black lab took off to retrieve it.
Cait laughed as Phoenix came up behind her, picking her up and twirling her around. “He loves you too, Caity-cat!”
Her bare feet touched the sand as he let her down and turned her in his arms to face him. His lips met hers as he just couldn’t seem to get enough of the young woman who’d stolen his heart entirely.
When his only companion for the last few years, his dog Toby, had instantly fallen in love with Cait, he’d known he had someone special. And he was aware that she had to leave the next morning to get back to school and her real life. Phoenix was missing her already.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with just as much desire as she had the night before. They both let out long sighs when the dog dropped the Frisbee at their feet and yapped up at them to pay attention to him.
Cait reached down and ran her hand over his head as they ended their kiss. “Toby, do you want me to throw your toy again?”
A couple of quick barks let her know that was exactly what he wanted. Phoenix bent over, picking up the flying disc and handed it to her. “Let it fly.”
Cait tossed it out into the water as she said, “Man, I’m gonna miss him.”
“He’s going to miss you too,” Phoenix said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “We both will.”
“Like we talked about,” she reminded him. “You set up the ride, and I’ll come see you every weekend that I can get off.”
Phoenix wasn’t happy with their arrangement. It wasn’t going to be enough for him, and he knew it without a doubt. “You should think about transferring to a college here. You could stay with me and …”
She reached back and ran her hand over his cheek. “That’s sweet of you. But I want to stay where I’m at. MIT is the perfect college for me, since I’m majoring in food engineering. You can understand that, can’t you?”
“I can,” he said then turned her around to face him. “You can understand that I want you around, right?”
“I do,” she said then kissed him again. The fact was she wanted him around too, but had no idea how their worlds could be combined.
The day went by with them playing in the surf with his dog and lying on the sandy beach, exchanging kisses and hugs. Everything felt sweet and extraordinary. Neither wanted it to stop, but both knew the weekend would end and reality would set in.
When the sun set, finding the couple still on the beach, Phoenix let his thoughts be known. “Cait, I’ve been thinking. That’s pretty much all I’ve been doing today. And I believe that you and I can make this work. I mean really make it all work.”
“I think we can too,” she agreed. “We’ll figure things out. I’m sure.”
Leaning over her, he rolled her onto her back, making her giggle as he moved his body over hers and the dog began to bark at him. “Toby, be quiet! I want your new mom to hear this loud and clear.”
Cait ran her hands over his clean-shaven face. “Hear what?”
His eyes were pools of dark chocolate, conveying more to her than his words ever could. She saw the love in them. She felt loved in his arms. And she knew he wanted nothing separating them. But she didn’t know how that could be changed. She had school, end of story.
“Come with me tonight to Las Vegas. Marry me tonight, Cait.” He didn’t blink as he waited for her answer.
“Tonight? Get on a plane and go to Vegas and marry you tonight?” she asked to be sure she’d heard him right.
He nodded and waited as Toby watched her too. Both of them wanted to keep her in their daily lives. Both were waiting to see if she’d accept that role.
Cait’s head swam with what he wanted. Only a day ago, he’d been set on making her not see him as husband material and there he was asking her to marry him right away. But there still was the distance thing to think about.
“Phoenix, getting married won’t stop the fact I have to finish school. And there are no companies here for me to work for,” she told him.
“We’ll work that out as we go. And I want you to finish school. But mostly, I want to change your last name.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips. “I want to make you mine in all ways, Caity-cat. Will you marry me?”
Her heart was racing, and she was unsure if it was because it wanted her to say yes or was trying to tell her things were moving way too fast. But then her mouth opened and the word came out, “Yes.”
Phoenix found himself laughing as he got up and pulled her up with him. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to his house, Toby following along, yapping up a storm. It was as if the dog understood that Cait was going to be a part of his family too.
As he took her to the house, he said, “We’ll go to Vegas and make it legal tonight. Tomorrow we’ll take another private jet back to Ashby and start looking for us a home. In the meantime, we’ll stay at the bed and breakfast. And you’ll quit the job at the pub, because my money will be your money.”
Cait stopped breathing as that reality settled into her brain. “Phoenix, I’ll be rich like you?”
“You will be rich like me, Caity-cat.” He kissed her again. “But let me tell you something, I’ve never felt wealthier than I do right now, knowing you want to be a part of me forever. It’s worth more than all the money in the world.”
Things didn’t feel real to either of them, but they forged ahead anyway. The euphoria kept them moving on. It would either be a love affair to end all others or a tragedy worthy of writing about. Whatever their future was, both were excited about and willing to take the risks that came with it.
Chapter 39
“What do you mean, stay here, Griff?” Jess asked as she rolled over in his bed and looked at him.
Griffin pushed her hair back off her face as he told her once more, “I want you to stay here, Jess. Live here with me. I can honestly say that this place has always been my home, but it’s never felt more like home until I brought you here.”
“How could I stay here?” she asked. “I have school and work, Griff.”
“You can change schools. We have lots of colleges here where you can continue with your animal biology degree. And as far as work goes, we could give you an internship with Montana Matrix which will give you tons of experience working with animals. You’d get a better education here, anyway.” He ran his hand over her cheek that was pink where his beard had rubbed it. “So say you’ll stay with me, baby.”
“What would your family think, Griff?” she asked as she looked into the hazel of his eyes and saw pure happiness in them.
“This place is monstrous. Mom, Dad, and my younger brother are the only ones who live here. And I know they’ll all love you. And you want to know the best part?”
She laughed at how enthusiastic he was. “What’s the best part?”
“The best part,” he said as he pulled her close to him, “is that I get to have you in my bed each night and work with you each day too. It’s been forever since I was interested enough to put actual work into the company. But with you by my side, I think I’ve found interest in it again.”
“I’ll have to talk to Dad,” Jess said. “Those student loans are …”
He kissed her to shut her up, making her quiver as she felt his cock thump against her. When he en
ded the kiss, he said, “As part of the internship, we’ll pay off those loans, and we’ll pay for the rest of your college, Jess. There’s absolutely nothing to lose by accepting both of my offers. The first, being my girl and moving in here with me. The second, taking the job. We pay our interns. We aren’t like other companies who pay little to nothing.”
“Money, a good man, and an education?” she asked. “Did I die and go to heaven?”
“Nope, just Montana,” he answered with a chuckle. “So can I take that as a yes, baby?”
“I’d be an idiot to turn all this down, wouldn’t I?” she asked him as she moved her body as close to his as she could get it.
“You would,” he answered as he eased her onto her back, covering her with his body.
“I’m no idiot,” she whispered. “Internship or not, I’d be a fool to turn down the offer of being your girl, Griff.”
With a smile, he kissed her, sealing their deal. She’d be staying; he’d have his first real relationship. He’d thought he’d be more afraid to make such a commitment. But with Jess, it was as easy as riding a bike.
His only worry was how her family would take the news that he’d taken the baby girl of the family away with him.
Chapter 40
Ethan and Kel pulled up in front of her family’s home right at dinner time. A cab was dropping Phoenix and Cait off and behind that was a town car that was about to drop off Jess and Griffin. All were back home as promised when they left. All had big news to tell.
It was Kel who spotted the rings on Phoenix and Cait’s fingers. She grabbed her sister’s hand as they met at the front door. “What’s this mean?” Kel asked.
Phoenix smiled as he said, “I think you know what it means, Kel. We’ve just come back from Vegas.”
“No!” Kel shouted, and then the front door opened.
Their father stood at it, wearing nothing but a pair of gray-striped underwear and a white T-shirt. “Home so soon?” he asked as he backed up so they all could go inside.
Kel walked in first and kissed her father’s cheek. “Are we interrupting something, Dad?”
“No, why do you ask that?” he asked as he made his way to his recliner.
All his daughters and all their men had made it inside and found their mother coming down the dark hallway. “I have a pot roast and potatoes almost ready. How were your weekend dates?” She stopped short as she looked at Cait. “What’ve ya done?”
Cait smiled and held up her left hand. “Phoenix and I got married last night.”
Mrs. Flannigan felt faint with her daughter’s news and landed on her bottom on the staircase. “You’ve what?”
Mr. Flannigan turned down the television and asked, “What’d you do to your mother?”
“Tell your father, Cait!” her mother shouted.
“Dad,” Cait said as she and Phoenix walked up to him.
Phoenix put his arm around her shoulders. “Mr. Flannigan, your daughter and I got married last night in Vegas.”
Mr. Flannigan sat still and blinked with the news. “Married?”
“Married, Dad,” Cait said.
“But you share a bedroom with your sisters. What’re they supposed to do now?” he asked, as he seemed more than a bit confused.
“Um, we have news too, Dad,” Kel called out.
“Not you too, Kel,” her mother whined. “You’re the level-headed one of the bunch.”
“No, we didn’t get married,” Kel told her mother. “But we are going to move in together. As a matter of fact, Ethan and I are going to be staying at the O’Toole’s Bed and Breakfast while he looks for us a house here in town.”
“Then I suppose you and your husband can sleep in the bedroom and we’ll put Jess on the sofa until you two find your own home,” their father said.
“No, we aren’t staying here, either,” Cait said.
Phoenix added, “We’ll be at the O’Toole’s as well while we’re looking for a suitable home.”
Jess looked up at Griff, then whispered, “Should I tell them about us?”
He nodded. “Might as well get all this out in the open, baby.”
“Mom, Dad,” Jess said, taking their attention. “Griff and I would like to spend the night here. Will that be okay?”
“I don’t like it!” her mother shouted. “Not one bit!”
“Now you’ve gone and made your mother mad,” their father groaned.
Mrs. Flannigan began her sermon, “My youngest wants to bring a man to sleep with her in the bedroom she’s shared with her sisters since she was born. My middle daughter has eloped with a man she barely knows, and who we know next to nothin’ about. And my oldest and most trusted child is moving in with a man, to live in sin. At least Cait’s married to her man. What have I done to deserve this punishment, Lord?” She looked up and raised her hands as if asking for help.
“This isn’t about you, Mom,” Kel hissed. “Can’t you tell any one of us congratulations?”
Jess stood still and quiet, but Griff thought their news should be out in the open so the parents could deal with it all. Much like one rips a bandage off to deal with the pain all at once. “Um, just to let everyone know what’s going on here with us,” he said as he pulled Jess closer to him, wrapping his arm around her, tightly. “Jess is going to change schools and come live with me in Montana. She’s going to take an internship with Montana Matrix, my family’s company.”
“No!” her mother shouted and got up. “She’s a baby! She can’t go!” She walked straight up to Griffin, shaking her finger. “You cannot have her!”
Jess was red with embarrassment. “Stop, Mom! Damn!”
With the curse word hanging in the air, Mrs. Flannigan went red in the face and walked silently to her husband’s side. “Fix this.”
Her husband looked up at her and shrugged. “They’re grown. What would you have me do?”
Kel went to her mother and pulled her in for a hug. “Mom, this is all great news. Your daughters have all found good men. Great men, actually. And what’s more is they’re all financially stable. You don’t have to worry about any of us.”
Ethan came to Kel’s side, adding, “We’re more than financially stable, Mr. and Mrs. Flannigan. All three of us are billionaires. And the debt of their student loans will no longer be a burden to you.”
Phoenix pulled Cait along with him as he stepped forward. “Along with that taken off your plate, we’d like to buy you a new home for your thirtieth wedding anniversary that Cait told me was coming up this year.”
Griffin saw an opportunity to win some brownie points and pulled Jess to step up with him as he said, “And Jess and I want to give you both new cars for that prestigious thirtieth anniversary. Not many make it that long. It’s a great achievement and deserves great gifts.”
Jess gave him a smile that told him she approved of his gifts. And all thought things were going well as Mr. Flannigan began to laugh. “Really? No more student loan debt? A new house and cars? Really?”
Mrs. Flannigan pulled away from Kel and left the room in tears. Silent tears, the likes of which none of her family had ever seen. “My God, we’ve killed her,” Kel whispered. Then she ran after her mother, who’d gone up the stairs to her bedroom.
Kel tapped at the closed door and got no answer. So she went in anyway. She wasn’t going to let a rift grow in their family merely because all the sisters had managed to find love at the same time.
She found her mother lying face down on the bed. Placing her hand on her mother’s shoulder, she said, “Mom, I know this is a lot to take in all at one time. We’re all leaving the home you made for us. A great home that we’re all thankful for having come from. We’re thankful for you and Dad and all you’ve done for us.”
“Then why are you doing this?” her mother mumbled as her face was buried in the mattress.
“Because we’ve all found love, Mom. Why else?” Kel kissed her mother on top of the head. “I’ve never felt happier. Doesn’t that count for so
mething?”
She rolled over to face her daughter as she asked, “Don’t you recall what happened the last time you put your faith in a man, Kel? It ended with devastation. Live at home, let the man get himself a place, and you two can date and see what happens. What will people say to two of my daughters living in sin? One here and one so far away?”
“I waited before, and I lost my man, Mom. I don’t want to lose Ethan, and I don’t want to wait to start our life together,” Kel told her.
“Then tell him to marry you,” her mother snapped. “Let him know that you’re not a piece of trash. Make him marry you if he wants the goods. Why buy the cow …”
“When you can get the milk for free,” Kel finished the term her mother used often. “You see, Mom, times have changed. I don’t want to make Ethan marry me. If we decide to marry down the road, then that’s our decision to make. I don’t want to marry a man just because you think society dictates that.”
“So I am to hang my head in shame when I see anyone?” her mother asked. “Is that what you want me to do?”
“I can’t not live my life the way I want to just so you feel like you can hold your head up. That’s your thing to work out, not ours. Not many see living together as shameful anymore, Mom. For a lot of years now, it’s been considered something that was okay to do. Even smart, for some couples.”
Her mother sat up, suddenly and took both of her hands. “Promise me that you’ll get married before you have children. I think I can accept this if you promise me that!”
Kel stood there staring at her mother. And it hit her just how much she and her sisters had done as their mother had said to. All three of them had wanted to live in the dorms when they started college. All were told they couldn’t. It was dangerous.
Kel recalled a time when Cait had wanted to take a job close to her college in an upscale restaurant that used cutting-edge equipment and products to make their meals. Being as that was Cait’s passion, she had wanted to get some insight into what people would eat and not eat. But she was told that would take away from their restaurant, and it would be selfish to do such a thing.
Hacked For Love & The Dom's Songbird: A Billionaire Romance Collection Page 102