Need You Now (Love in Unknown)

by Lunsford, Taylor M.

  Caine reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, which turned into him cupping her cheek. His thumb rubbed circles on the flesh, sending tingles of awareness through her body. "You were six and I was ten. Can you use your genius powers to guess what movie we're going to see tonight?"

  She frowned at him, searching her brain. Realization dawned on her, and a smile stretched her lips. The reason her dad had brought them out here was because the drive-in was hosting a special screening that the boys had been clambering to see. "Star Wars? We're seeing Star Wars?"

  “Yes, ma’am.” Caine wove his hand in some sort of signal. A few moments later, a light flickered on the screen and the iconic score trumpeted through the sound system. "Here, lie back, sunshine. The pillows aren't just here for atmosphere."

  Arm wrapping around her shoulder, he eased her back. Head cradled in the crook of his shoulder, she settled in without protest. It felt right, letting him hold her as he had so long ago. At six, she’d convinced herself he was either a knight in shining armor or a prince, straight out of one of her fairytale books. At eighteen, he’d been everything she could have wanted in a first boyfriend. At twenty-eight, she didn't know what to do with him.

  “You confuse me, Caine Maddox," she whispered after several minutes. "I can never find my balance around you."

  Instead of responding right away, he kissed her temple. "Join the club. What's between us goes a lot deeper than either of us is used to, Mel. Why don't we just enjoy the ride and see where it takes us?"

  Such an easy thing to say…Such a hard thing to do.

  “I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I seriously suck at the whole trust thing these days." She propped herself up to look into his face. The blue light from the screen etched shadows across his handsome face. Reaching up, she ran a hand through his silky hair.

  He didn’t smile. His lips found the palm of her hand. "I know, sunshine. Trust takes time and effort. And patience. Don't know about you, but I think what we have is worth exploring."

  Her chest tightened almost painfully. "My brain says run, but my heart says to try."

  “I know you rely on your brain a lot and it doesn't lead you wrong. But in some situations, the heart knows better." He threaded their fingers together, palms kissing. "Please, Mel. I missed you. So much. Just give me a little time to prove to you how different things will be."

  Those blue eyes held her captive. Every dream and plan she'd imagined for them all those nights she’d stayed at home, missing him while he was at boarding school, rushed back to her. She loved Gage and Micah and growing up with them had been great, but when Caine left everything felt...incomplete. That feeling had gone away when they were together in college. Even without their brothers, her life seemed to click into place again. When they broke up, it all felt apart. Now, all she could see in him was sincerity. They had a lot of issues to work through, but that history was worth it. "Okay," she whispered.

  Caine cupped the back of her head and guided her down until her lips met his. Unlike their last kisses, this one started slow, gentle. The sweetness of it made her ache almost as much as the passion had.

  For a few moments, the kiss remained simple. Just his lips on hers. Impatient for a better taste of him, she traced his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. Eagerly, his lips parted, his tongue darting out to meet hers. He filled her senses, blocking everything else out. The tangy masculine flavor of him danced across her tongue and went coursing through her veins. A slow, steady throb built inside her. It seemed like all he need to do was touch her and she wanted him beyond anything else in the world.

  After a little while, he carefully rolled her over, taking control. His hand slid up her side to cup her breast. Once again, the lace of her bra gently chafed the sensitized skin of her breast. Her nipples tightened, begging for attention. Gentle kneading wasn't enough. "Touch me, please."

  Caine smiled against her lips. "What, like this?"

  Thank God for a low-cut neckline. A lightly callused hand found its way into the cup of her bra to tease and tug and torment her. She moaned, arching into him. He kissed his way down her neck and along the neckline of the dress. Just when she expected him to ease the dress off her shoulders and give her aching breasts the attention they craved, he pulled back. A wicked smile lit his face.

  Mel tried to tug him up, but he shook his head. Broad shoulders edged her thighs apart. "Such pretty legs. Shame to hide them with this dress," he murmured.

  Before she could respond, he'd flicked her skirts up and began kissing his way up her thigh. He let out a little growl. "Been shopping, have we?"

  “Thought you might like those.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as he pushed the lacy barrier aside. It started off easy at first. His fingers danced over her folds, playing her body like a mandolin. Slowly, he slid one finger then two into her, then out again. Leaning forward, he blew on her overheated skin, parting her curls to see better. Then his lips were on her, suckling, licking, driving her absolutely crazy. When that clever tongue of his found her clitoris, she knew she was lost.

  “So sweet. So wet.” The words sent knives of pure pleasure through every cell in her body. "Come for me, sunshine. Let go."

  Mel fought it for as long as possible, wanting to prolong the deliciousness, but her traitorous body gave in and pleasure rocketed through her. Biting her lip, she kept from crying out, but it was a near thing.

  Smoothing her panties and skirt back in place, Caine took her in his arms again. She felt the hard ridge of him pressed to her belly and she started to reach for him, but he stopped her. "No. Not tonight."

  “Why not? Can’t I return the favor?” It would be one thing if they hadn’t already had sex, but after last week, she didn’t see why he would hesitate. Even after that fairly spectacular orgasm, she still wanted him. The idea of licking him like he had her sent little aftershocks through her.

  Caine chuckled. “Believe it or not, I had planned to take things slow. Romance you a little before the seduction.”

  “That’s what you call taking it slow?” If that was slow, she’d love to see fast.

  He groaned. “You distract me. Always have. I can’t seem to think straight and I let things go further than I planned to. One taste of you and I lose my head. But tonight is supposed to be about you and romance, not me and my libido.”

  Mel smiled up at him. “I know. I just think we should have a fair, equitable relationship.”

  “As much as I would love that, I have to say no. This is our first date, after all. I know you’re not really that kind of girl.” The cheeky wink he gave her went straight to her heart. Man, she was so screwed.

  Chapter 12

  Caine met his brother coming out of Town Hall Monday morning looking a little grim. “Rough day?”

  “Stupid judge. Let a guy off with a warning on his third DUI. Had to arrest the guy again last night.” Gage shook his head. “Makes it difficult to do my job when the judge gets lazy.”

  They started walking side by side, a habit they’d developed when either of them needed to let off steam. As they walked, Caine began to notice people they passed turning and looking at him, then whispering to their friends. At first, Caine shook it off, reminding himself that people in town always liked to talk about the Maddox boys. But it persisted, and the looks he received ranged from disgust to amusement.

  He turned to his brother. "Have I missed something? Do I have toilet paper on my shoe?"

  “You worked at home all yesterday, didn't you?" Gage guessed, his shoulders slumping a little.

  “Yeah. What happened?” A bad feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. It was serious gossip if Gage knew about it. The police chief tried to keep himself separate from rumors, just to be on the safe side. At most, he checked Merna’s Matches in the morning to make sure his latest rendezvous hadn’t made it on the radar. Gage took pride in his ability to outsmart that stupid blog.

  Gage glared at a group of old women as they passed,
heads together, eyes darting in their direction. "Apparently, people started to put two and two together when you and Mel were looking a little cozy in the dugout on Saturday. Some people saw you go pick her up afterwards. All of that got back to Merna's Matches and rumors started flying. So now, you guys are the new headline of the Unknown social page."

  “Shit.” Caine sighed. “I’m an idiot. I wanted to make a statement, but I’d hoped Merna’s would be a little slower than this. Mel hasn’t even told her mom or Micah yet.”

  “What, that you've started dating? Or any of it?"

  Caine purposely changed directions when they started down the street in front of Carr's Cakes. Micah had looked plenty pissed Saturday night when Mel hustled him out of the apartment. Best not to run into him for a few days. "Any of it. She never told them that we dated in college, so they don't know that we've gotten back together."

  “Well, the whole town knows you're together now." Gage said the words with a hint of disgust. They both resented town gossip, especially since it always seemed to cycle back to focus on their family. Made life difficult, especially when their father couldn't keep it in his pants for more than a few weeks. Even if he was the most powerful man in Unknown, Joe Maddox couldn't intimidate people into ignoring the fact that he tried to sleep with anything in a skirt while ignoring his wife. The newspaper predecessor of Merna's Matches blog had a field day every time their dad slipped up.

  “What are they saying, exactly?” The last thing he needed was for everything to get twisted against Mel. He knew the Baseball Mom Fan Club would be pissed. He didn’t want any of the vitriol that he and Caine saw heaped on their dad’s flings to be sent Mel’s way. If anything, he had hoped that letting everyone know that she was his girlfriend would make things easier for her in town. The women of this town could either be their greatest advocates or drive them apart. He’d seen it happen over and over again to other couples.

  Gage hesitated. Not good. "It's all mixed. Some people are thrilled to see you dating a local girl. Most of Emma Carr's cronies are ecstatic. But there are some women, especially the ones our age, who are bitter. Your fan club's all been holding out hope that you'd come to your senses and sweep one of them off their feet. The worst are the ones who teased Mel when we were kids. There's a lot of speculation about how the town geek managed to land the most eligible bachelor."

  “A blind man could see how.” Caine scowled. “Stupid, nosy idiots.”

  Mel was everything a man could want in a woman. Beautiful, smart, compassionate. Sassy and sexy as hell. Just the thought of her stirred something deep inside him, made him want to run up to her apartment and wrap her in his arms. He wanted the town to back her, to be on her side. She’d grown up here. Her family had been a part of the town for almost as long as his. Why couldn’t everyone just accept her as she was?

  “Caine, you know I'm glad you're happy and everything, but I've got to tell you, I'm worried, too." Gage looked up at the sky, the sun breaking through the shady trees along the sidewalk. "Be careful with her. For both your sakes. The last thing I want to do is have to see her fall apart if y'all split up."

  He’d known being the intermediary would be hard for his brother, but he hadn't thought too much about it. "I can't speak for her, but I'm in this for as long as she'll have me. I'd never hurt her, Gage. Never."

  “You might not. But they would.” He nodded toward a group of women, all around the age of thirty, huddled together talking.

  Caine’s mind went back to the clinic and her car. Someone in town didn't want Mel here. But he refused to let her go. He'd just have to make sure everyone knew that she wasn't going anywhere because he needed her too much.

  #

  Monday afternoon, Mel rushed around trying to leave the office early. Her mother had sent a text telling her dinner was at six and she better not be late. Quite honestly, she was surprised the summons hadn’t come sooner. She seriously doubted her mom didn’t know about the date with Caine. Gage had texted her just after lunch to give her the heads up that it had spread beyond the confines of Merna’s Matches into The Piece of Gossip of the week. Gossip— the one thing she hadn’t missed about Unknown. It might not have been nearly as bad without Merna’s Matches. Still, she should have been prepared for it. Dating the mayor, who also happened to be a member of the founding family, wasn’t exactly laying low.

  The phone rang as she shut down her computer for the day. Great. Maybe it was a patient and she could put off this dinner for a little while. “Unknown Clinic, Dr. Carr speaking.”

  “You bitch. Stay away from him. Leave town now. Or else."

  She immediately slammed the phone down. Again? Really? At least this time it seemed to be about Caine. The voice sounded a little different than before. Maybe it was just one of the Fan Club. Lord knew they’d given her enough death stares when she drove by on her way to work this morning. Still, these phone calls were getting seriously old. She made a mental note to casually bring them up to Gage and see what he could do. Maybe. Or she could always change her number. That at least would save her from the overprotective smothering that was bound to happen the second she told him.

  Shaking off the unsettling feeling that always lingered after the creepy calls, Mel drove to her mother’s house, ready for the inquisition. “Hello?” she called, letting herself into the big kitchen. Savory scents of homemade mac and cheese filled the air, drawing her in. “Anybody home?”

  Her mother’s graying head popped around the corner. Mischief twinkled in her hazel eyes. “Well, if it isn’t my daughter, the mayor’s girlfriend. I feel so honored to be graced by your presence.”

  “Very funny, Mama.” Mel went over and kissed her mother’s cheek.

  Emma reached up to thump Mel on the back of the head. “Now, I want to know why I had to hear that my sweet daughter was dating Caine Maddox from the darn internet? I expected better from you. Especially since I’ve gone to all the trouble to arrange these dates for you.”

  Mel winced. Okay, she probably should have said something about the date to her mom. But telling her mom would have meant dealing with the confusion that she just couldn’t shake when it came to Caine. Even now she was trying to find her way out of the tangled emotions. Still, the time for avoidance had passed. Best to lay it all out, once and for all.

  “I’m sorry. Really I am.” She did her best to look contrite. “I’ll tell you and Micah everything over dinner. Promise.”

  Micah came in just then, Jax trailing behind him, face buried in his video game. “Hi, handsome,” she said, pulling her nephew into a hug and making him squirm. “Is that mac and cheese almost ready? I’m starving.”

  Her brother just grunted and went to pull the dish out of the oven. Guess somebody still wasn’t too happy with her. Oh, well. He’d be even less happy once she told him that this wasn’t the first time she and Caine were in a relationship. Good thing the roof was pretty secure, because Micah’s temper might blow it off before the night was over. Mel helped her mother set the table and poured iced tea for the adults before taking the seat in front of the window that had been hers all her life.

  “Now tell us everything.” Emma nodded after everyone had been served. Jax had been allowed to keep his game on while he ate this once so the adults could talk without interruption.

  Mel rolled her head around her neck. Time was up. She chose her words carefully, hoping that she could gloss over some things for her mom’s sake. “It’s a long story, Mama. But the first thing you should know is that Caine and I have dated before. At Brown. It wasn’t a big deal. Just a really casual thing between friends.”

  Micah’s jaw tightened, but he went on stoically eating his dinner. Uh-oh. A slow boil was always worse than a quick outburst with him. She’d lay bets that her brother picked up on what she meant by that last bit, but hopefully her mom wouldn’t.

  Hurt flashed in Emma’s eyes. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Scared, I guess. It all felt a bit like a dream.” S
he took a bite of her dinner, buying herself a few seconds to find the best way to explain. “I was in a big city, away from everybody I knew. Then the guy I’d idolized for years found me and wanted to be with me. I knew if I told you, Micah and Dad would have freaked out. Said he was too old, too experienced for me. In hindsight, he probably was. But I wanted him. And I think I liked the whole secret aspect of it."

  “Damn right I would have been concerned,” Micah said. “Still am. He might be one of my oldest friends, but he’s still a Maddox, Mel. You know what his family’s like.”

  She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. If you'll recall, he's also someone we've known forever. Someone you used to think of as your best friend."

  “Why did you end things?” Emma asked, no judgment in her voice. Her mother always waited to hear all of the facts before expressing an opinion.

  Mel took a deep breath, deciding how much to tell them. She felt a large twinge of guilt, knowing her mom would be hurt by some of what she had to say. “We got together February of my freshmen year. I enjoyed being with Caine, but we were so different. Dad…Dad found out when he came to pick me up from school in May. We talked and he made me see that Caine was just a distraction. He was good to me, but not good for me.”

  “Did you transfer schools because of him?” Her mother’s voice was faint, her brows furrowed. “You told me it’s because you didn’t fit in at Brown.”

  “That was true. Everyone I knew at Brown, I knew because of Caine and they were all so superficial. And UNC was a much better choice for me.”

  “But why did your father keep it from me?”

  Mel’s heart clenched. She couldn’t tell her mom the real reason her dad kept this from her, not even now. The pain of it would be too much for her. “I asked him to. I was embarrassed. You both raised me to wait to be with a man who I loved and who valued me. Back then, Caine was the opposite of that. And I didn’t want you to think any less of him either.”