by Sierra Hill
Maybe it’s high time I consider my own needs for once. When I’m with Cade, I’m happy. He gives me the strength and support I need – and is my solace. I’m not like my mother, who relies on jerks who use her, leave her and hurt her. Cade only wants to be loved in return.
Instead of returning the love, I’ve pushed him away, unaccepting of the love he’s so freely given.
I jump off the bed and search the floor for my flip-flops. Finding them, I slide my feet in them and then look around for my purse. Just as I’m about to ask Mica if I can borrow her car, I see her keys in her outstretched palm.
“Gracias, amiga.” I smile and place a kiss on the top of her head.
“You’re welcome. Now go get that boy and tell him how you feel, because double-dates will be pretty awkward if you don’t.”
A bubble of laughter hitches up my throat and I head out the door in search of the man I love.
Chapter 28
Cade
“Fuck you, Edwards. You’re a motherfucking douche. You ambushed me on purpose, fucker!”
Carver and Lance have been playing Call of Duty all morning, yelling at each other and being fucking numb nuts together. Nothing unusual there for a Sunday morning. Things started off semi-quiet earlier, the only noise coming from Mica in the kitchen with Lance. That guy is going well above his normal means of wooing to get that girl.
It reminds me of the effort I put in with Ainsley.
Fat lot of good that did me. Fuck. Now my mood is tanking even more.
I’d woken up with a raging hangover and a headache that’s crushing me blind. And all I want is to go back to bed and find Ainsley waiting there for me so I can wrap her up in my arms and make my problems disappear.
But her absence is the problem. And it can’t be solved when she is the only answer to the equation.
Ainsley feels that the only way to fix her problem (which is all in her head, if you ask me), is by eliminating the X and Y from the equation entirely. But logically, if you want to solve the algebraic equation, you have to solve for Y. And the answer lies with both of us – together - we are the linear equation.
I find my way into the kitchen to grab some coffee and some aspirin when a soft knock sounds at the front door.
“You guys expecting anyone?” I yell from behind the couch and they both shake their heads and continue their loud-ass playing.
I glance down at my attire and shrug my shoulders. If someone dares to make an unannounced visit on a Sunday morning before noon, they’d better expect to find us in our loungewear. Otherwise known as basketball shorts and no shirts.
Holding the coffee mug in one hand, I turn the knob with the other and wrench it open.
There standing before me is the most perfect, beautiful sight in the entire world. Everything around me is drowned out – the noise of the video game, the sounds of Carver and Lance yelling at one another – everything else is non-existent.
We stand there staring at each other for several minutes. Hell, it could be hours. All I know is that I can’t take my eyes off her. And she seems to be just as entranced with me by the way her eyes dip down my chest, over the bulge that is starting to tent under the scrutiny of her gaze, and then back up again to my lips.
“Maybe I should charge for the show.”
“Huh?” She asks, flustered and embarrassed as a red streak blossoms across her cheeks. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you to answer the door half naked.”
“And I didn’t expect to answer the door to find the girl of my dreams standing here.”
I might be laying it on a little thick, but fuck it. If I’m only given this one last chance, I’m gonna make it count. I’m gonna pull out all the stops, say exactly what I feel, and go hard in the paint.
Ainsley steps forward but I don’t make a move to retreat or move aside. She’s inches from me and I can smell the sweet orange-blossom of her shampoo. I drag in a deep inhale and let it go just as she lifts herself up on tiptoe, grabs the back of my head and pulls me down into a scorching kiss. She tastes like cinnamon and coffee. The kiss doesn’t last long enough, much to my chagrin, but gives me ideas of dragging her into my bedroom and stripping her naked.
But I don’t want to foul out too early, so I take what she gives me and hope there’s more of that to come.
I finally concede and step back to allow room between us. She glances up through her thick lashes, the sapphire so intense it makes me breathless. Or maybe that’s just from her kiss.
“Can I come in and talk?”
Playing it casual, trying to act cool, I throw my arm out in the direction of my bedroom, prompting her to lead the way. Inside, my heart is thundering, beating a hundred miles per hour against my rib cage. She can probably see it if she looks closely enough.
We head back into my bedroom, passing the guys who give me sideways glances. Lance throws out a “go get her, tiger”, which Ainsley quirks her eyebrows at. I shrug and keep on walking. Nothing is going to stop me until I have her behind closed doors. And at that point, it’s debatable whether I’ll ever let her back out.
Once inside, instead of sitting down on the chair or the edge of the bed, Ainsley walks over to my bureau, her back to me while she runs a hand over the numerous awards and trophies I have on top of the furniture. My curiosity is at an all-time high and my patience is running out fast. My brain is just trying to keep up with what’s going on.
“Remember the first time I was here?”
My cock perks up. Indeed, he definitely recalls every time she’s been here. But that first night, my birthday party, was a very good night. She allowed herself to open up to me that night. She was fun, was cool with my stupid friends, and seemed to have a good time.
“Yeah, of course I remember. It was our first date. I had to coax you to come over.”
“Maybe I’m a little stubborn…”
I harrumph. “Ya think?”
She turns with a big smile on her face. It does something crazy to my stomach, which has been in knots since she arrived.
“That night…I didn’t sleep with you. But I wanted to really bad.” She says with a sheepish expression, as she glances coyly at the floor through her long lashes. “But I didn’t want you to think I was like any of your other girls. I wanted you to know that I was different and didn’t just want you for your basketball celebrity. I wanted to distinguish myself as somebody more than just a groupie.”
Moving forward, I take her wrist and gently yank her into me so that our torsos touch. I feel the small pebbles of her nipples against my naked chest and my cock decides he wants off the bench.
“Ainsley,” I say with gentle assurance. “You’ve always been different than anyone else. Never did I once think of you as a groupie. I was the one who chased you, not the other way around. I knew you were special from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
She laughs. “I know. You were extremely tenacious.”
I stroke the inside of her wrist with my thumb. It’s soft and smooth.
“And I got what I wanted.” I kiss her hand.
“You did,” she agrees. “But then I realized being different in your world can cause problems. I don’t have the same time to allocate to going to parties, and joining you on the road for away games. Or even coming to watch every home game. I have responsibilities that interfere…my sister…”
“She needs you,” I interrupt, walking her back toward the bed so we can sit. “I understand that, baby. And I want to be there for you and Anika. You need someone to take care of you, too. I want you to let me do that for you. And for some reason, you have it in that beautiful, stubborn head of yours, that I need to party-out the rest of my college life…well, I don’t. Sure there might be some fun events in the coming few months, and if you schedule time to attend with me, that’ll be awesome. But if you can’t, then I’d rather spend a night in with you over a night out with a bunch of people I don’t care about.”
She drops her chin, but I tip it back
up. I place a gentle kiss on her lips to show her how much I truly mean it.
“I just don’t want you to get to the end of this school year and look back with regret because you missed out on it because of me.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I tug her into my neck so she has no choice but to lay her head against me. Our hearts beat in rhythm. It feels right. Perfect.
“Listen to me, Ainsley, because I’m only going to say this once. The only thing I would ever regret is losing you. When I look back at the last few years, before I met you, I can’t believe how empty my life was. It was filled with endless parties, girls, fans, and basketball. But none of that really made me happy. It all leaves a bitter aftertaste. That’s because the sweetest thing I’ve ever had is right here in my arms. And now I’m kind of hooked on your sweetness.”
Her small hand runs the length of my chest, circling its hard planes, dragging her fingernails across my bare abs, as I feel her warm breath flutter across my skin on an exhale.
Without Ainsley, my life would be meaningless. If we were opponents on the court, I know we’d be evenly matched. And unlike basketball, I want our game to continue forever. That would be the sweetest thing ever.
“I want you by my side, forever and always, baby. I love you.”
She smiles, the one that lights up my life.
“I love you, too, Cade.”
“Good,” I say, stunning her when I flip her back onto the bed so she’s flat on her back. A giggle erupts from her chest. “Now, let me taste some of that sweetness again.”
The End
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Although completely fictional, the premise of this book came to me a few years ago while I was visiting my late uncle before he passed away. He was well into his nineties, but due to the limitations he lived with, my aunt had to arrange for his round-the-clock care. I’m so thankful that I could visit him several times while he lived in the adult-family care facility prior to his passing. It was during those visits that I witnessed firsthand the tremendous amount of effort the nursing home staff had to give their residents on a daily basis. Some of the staff were exceptional, others not so much. But for the most part, they treated my uncle with the dignity and respect he deserved. So for that, I thank all those working in this very underappreciated field. These individuals in your care rely on your service, dedication and help as they live out the remainder of their lives.
This book is dedicated to my Uncle Burt. I miss him every day and cherish the time I had with him.
Simon Forsberg (Cade’s fictional grandpa) is named after my late father-in-law, Sam. He taught me how to play cribbage and always offered me a “beer and a bump” when I lost to him afterward. Sam did such a wonderful job raising his youngest son - my husband – to be a kind, generous and thoughtful man. So for that, Sam, I thank you. Rest in peace.
Thank you to my author PA, Keyanna Butler, The Indie Author’s Apprentice. She’s just fabulous and has provided me with amazing support and assistance throughout the last few months. I love her bubbly personality and creativity. She’s just ‘awesome sauce’.
To the WOTR crew, Jillian Jacobs, Angie and Melinda from Twinsie Talk Book Reviews – I’m so blessed to have found you all and been invited to attend the inaugural author con in Illinois this summer. I learned so much from so many of you and had a lifetime of fun. Way to Rock the Boat, ladies! Hope to see you all again in the future.
To my girlies, Stephanie Elliot and J. Nathan – two authors extraordinaire and my good friends. Thank you, as always, for your wisdom, encouragement and support. Love you both.
Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours – you’re the best! Always on top of things and so professional.
Thanks to Jeff and AnnMarie for allowing me to give a shout-out to their Tempe pizza shop, Hungry Howies. Next time I’m in town, I’ll stop by and have a slice!
Leigh, my librarian editor and lifelong friend of my niece, Steph, thanks for helping me out on such short notice. I appreciate it! You done well, my girl.
And to all the readers who have read my books, either on purpose or by accident, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. Thanks for taking a chance on this indie author and encouraging me to continue to pursue my passions. If you liked this book, I’d be forever grateful if you’d place a review on the site that you bought it, or Goodreads.
Xoxo – Sierra
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Since writing and releasing her first book in 2014, Sierra has found her creative passion writing about the fictional characters that live inside her brain, who constantly shout for their own love stories to be told.
Sierra frequently indulges in what some might consider to be an unhealthy dose of reading, dark chocolate goodies, and way too much coffee. She hates cold weather, scary movies and reality TV shows, and frequently finds herself traveling around the U.S. to see her favorite musicians.
Sierra resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of twenty years and her long-haired, German Shepherd. She is currently working on her next book.