19
Luke
I wanted her. There was no two ways about it.
Taking a swig of my beer, I watched as Cara laughed with Lucia near the house, feeling the overwhelming need to take her inside and find a private place so that I could feast on her body. Never had I felt that type of need so strongly before.
“God, I wonder if I ever looked like that.”
I turned back to an amused Jacob, who was pulling the burgers off of the grill, though there was already a shitload of food on the outdoor kitchen counter. “What?”
Jacob chuckled, closed the top to the grill and wafted away a plume of greasy smoke, nodding toward the women. “It’s written all over your face. You want her. Cara.”
“Of course I do,” I said in a light tone. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Well I’m more partial to my wife,” Jacob laughed, handing off the plate of burgers to one of the guys from the team. “But yeah, I can see why you are attracted to her.”
I shifted my stance and took another swig of my beer, wondering if she was feeling the same about me. We had damn good chemistry together and had she not found the yearbook the other night, I fully believed we would have slept together then. Somehow, though, I knew even if we had, it wouldn’t have been the last time. Cara was more than just a one-night stand.
“You know I think Cara digs on you,” the football star continued as he drew a long sip off his bottle of water. “You’re the first guy I’ve ever seen around her. And she wouldn’t keep you around otherwise.”
I damn well better be the last. The thought came out of nowhere. Was I ready for that? Hell no. There were still too many secrets left, secrets that I didn’t want to share, but eventually they were going to bubble up to the surface. I wasn’t ready for commitment, right?
That thought stuck with me throughout the entire evening and as we walked out together to our respective rides, our bodies close but not touching each other. “Well I hope Lucia hired a cleaning crew to clean up that mess,” Cara said as we reached her car. “A pregnant woman doesn’t need to be doing all of that.”
I turned toward her. “I’m sure Jacob will take care of it. I overheard him telling her she needed to sit down and put her feet up as we were leaving.” Actually the man had demanded it.
“So,” Cara said, looking around. We were amongst the last to leave, the sun starting to dip low in the sky. Tomorrow was Sunday, my chill day where I normally geared up for the long back-breaking workweek ahead and recouped from a hangover. “I guess I should be heading home.”
I stepped forward, feeling that it was either now or never. Either she was going to turn me down flat or I was going to be spending my Sunday with her. I gently placed my hands on her hips and pulled her toward me, seeing the flare of heat flash in her eyes. “Do you want to head home alone?” I asked softly. “Because I sure as hell don’t want to.”
She bit her lip, her inward struggle clear as bells on her face. I knew what she wanted, but the question was would she take that leap.
“We will be good together, Cara,” I added, reaching up with one of my hands to brush her hair out of her face. “Let me show you. Don’t deny yourself.”
Cara looked up and I could see the swell of desire in her eyes. “You better follow me then,” she breathed.
I leaned down and brushed her lips with mine, feeling what was to come start to build up within my body. It was going to be fucking good, there was no doubt, but a piece of me was worried that it might be more than that. Cara had touched me on every level I never thought possible, hell, even making me think that I could have a long-term relationship. That was enough to make a man concerned, more so for me. “Your place?” I said gruffly as I straightened, my cock straining against my pants.
She nodded and fumbled with her keys, finding the right button to unlock her car as I walked stiffly to my truck and climbed in, anticipation drumming through my blood.
The ride to her apartment was short but excruciating. The whole drive I played out in my mind what I was going to do to her. How I’d peel her clothes off one by one, making her go into a frenzy, almost making her beg for it. The sight of her office building couldn’t come too soon.
Pulling the truck beside her car I managed to adjust myself so that my need wouldn’t seem so obvious. She looked nervous as she climbed out, but with a simple caress of her lower back her smile turned mischievous.
We entered her apartment and she took a moment to put down her keys on the hallway table. “Would you like a beer?” she offered, kicking off her sandals. I took a look around her place, seeing the way she had tried to make the apartment different from the standard four beige walls that normally dominated rented apartments; vibrant colors were splashed all over the place.
I didn’t answer her, instead shutting the door and striding over to her, my hands going to her hips as she stood in front of the fridge. Pressing against her, I breathed in the scent of her shampoo.
“I don’t want a beer, Cara. And I don’t believe you do, either.”
Her body trembled against mine as I slid my hands up her sides and around the front of her shirt to cup her breasts. I could feel the outline of her hard nipples under my touch and felt my own body stir as a result. “You want me just as much as I want you. Don’t you?” I asked softly, massaging her breasts with aching slowness. “Don’t you?” I asked again, and squeezed a little harder.
“Oh, god, yes,” she breathed, sagging against me. “That feels so good.”
I grunted in response, enjoying the simple caress just a little too much. “Damn, if you’re not careful I’m going to take you right here.”
Cara stepped out of my touch and turned, looking me up and down with a critical eye. “You need a shower first.”
I looked down at the clothes I’d changed into after the game, confused.
“You’re dirty,” she explained.
“Oh, really?”
She nodded and bit her lip. “Filthy.”
I gave her a slow grin. “I will if you scrub my back.”
“I’ll go run the water,” she said with a heated look. I let her pass and shoved a hand through my hair, watching her sashay down the hall and disappear into what I assumed was her bedroom. The sound of the water started a minute later. This was going to be a slow, agonizing death.
My phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my pocket, frowning as I saw the number, the area code very familiar. My finger hovered over the green button before I swiped the red one, rejecting the call. I wasn’t in a mood to deal with that shit right now. And definitely not now with Cara presumably getting very naked in the next room.
I gave her a few moments before I started to strip off my clothes going down the hall, the sound of the shower growing louder as I reached where she disappeared. Her bedroom was twice the size of mine, with a nice balcony that partially overlooked the parking area and a pond on the backside of the apartments. I took a moment to look at the king-sized bed with a slow smile, liking the fact that we wouldn’t be squished into a twin or something crazy like that. I planned to have her wiggling all around those sheets tonight.
Shucking my shoes, I pulled off my pants and threw them on the floor before striding naked to the bathroom, the steam from the hot water already coating the mirror. She had one of those new stone shower stalls, with a clear door that only showed me her silhouette, but my cock still hardened at the sight, knowing I was about to see her naked.
Opening the door, I stepped in and closed it behind me, my body brushing across her backside as I climbed in. She turned and I feasted my eyes on her wet, naked form, enjoying the sight of her full breasts and tapered waist that trailed down to a sparsely covered mound that was a mere shadow between her luscious legs. “Mmm,” I said, reaching for her. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
She swiped at my hands and grabbed a washcloth from the shelf, already lathered with soap. “First we wash; let’s see how long you can go without touching me.”
&n
bsp; She was killing me. I held up my hands and she applied the soft cloth to my skin, her hands steady and slow as she circled it across my chest.
“God you’re like a rock,” she said softly, dipping down to my abdomen. “Construction is good for you.”
“That’s not all that’s hard as a rock,” I said playfully.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she replied as her eyes, unable to resist, flicked down to my waist. Her pupils’ dilated a fraction and she wet her lips.
“Like what you see?”
“Shh.”
Her torturous motions with the cloth had me wishing she would drop it a bit lower.
“Topside is done. You might need to travel south of the border. I heard it’s even dirtier down there.”
Her lips turned slightly upward as she dipped slightly lower, the cloth barely brushing against my swollen head. I groaned and closed my eyes, the anticipation killing me slowly. It had been far too long since a woman actually took the time to explore my body. Most of my hook-ups from the bar were frenzied fucks.
When her nimble touch gripped me hard, I nearly sank to the floor of the shower, dimly aware that I was hanging on for dear life. I wasn’t going to blow my load now, not without being buried deep inside of her.
“Mmm you were right. So hard,” she said, causing me to open my eyes. Cara was now on her knees in front of me, streams of water cascaded down her hair and over her face. I watched as she took me into her mouth, and it took everything I had not to explode right there in the blissful warm hole of her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the head of my cock slowly.
I gripped her head and lightly pushed her to take all of me, groaning as she did with ease. “Shit,” I said, my hand fisted into her wet hair. “That’s it, baby, take it all.”
She moaned and the vibrations nearly made me lose it again. I hissed and gritted my teeth to hang on just a little bit longer. She felt fucking wonderful, her mouth wrapped around my cock and I didn’t want to stop her now. But I needed to be inside her, spread-eagle and taking every inch.
In a flash I had her on her feet and out of the shower, leaning her against the counter… just how I wanted her the first time. Her hand went out to the mirror to brace herself. The smear of her hand swiped away the condensation to reveal our reflection.
I took one look at her through the mirror, keeping eye contact and drove into her hard. She screamed my name as I grabbed her shoulder, my constraint nearly gone. She arched against my cock and I felt the heaviness start to build, knowing that I was going to have to make it up to her later.
“God, yes. Fuck me,” she moaned as I pistoned into her again, giving her everything I had without bursting at the seams.
“Your tight little hole is mine.” She panted and I reached around to flick a finger against her very swollen clit. She was so close, her body opening up to me, to every stroke as I pounded into her.
She gripped the side of the counter and forced herself back onto me, needing more of me inside her.
Her orgasm started to vibrate around my cock, dangerous flutters of her walls that pulsed and caused my toes to scrunch up.
With my jaw clenched I gave her two final hard jackhammers of my cock then let myself be overcome with a roaring feeling of bliss as I poured myself into her with a grunt. For a moment I felt slightly dizzy, my legs shaking at the force of my own orgasm. Damn it hadn’t been that long, but for some reason, I was acting like it had been years. She pushed against me and I slid out of her, our wet bodies making puddles on the tile floor.
Cara turned around, her perky full tits swinging with the motion. The flush of her cheeks told me all I need to know; she’d fucking enjoyed it. But then her eyes fell onto my cock, her expression changing to dawning horror. “What?” I asked immediately. “What is it?”
“You didn’t. No, oh god,” she gasped, her hand going over her mouth.
I looked down, seeing my cock starting to wither under her gaze. What the hell was she talking about? Then, it hit me. Damn. My eyes flew up to hers and I could feel the unease slide over me like a thick blanket. “You’re on the pill, right?”
She nodded jerkily, but her expression didn’t make me feel any better. “I-I do take them, but I’m horrible at remembering.”
I ran a hand over my face, the smell of sex heavy in the air. I knew exactly what she was thinking; I could have just gotten her pregnant. With my kid.
20
Cara
Shit. What had I done?
I looked at Luke, feeling those old teen-age worries bubble to the surface, haunting me.
He looked as worried as I felt, a weird expression on his face before he turned back to cut off the water and grab the towels that were set out. “Here,” he said roughly, pushing one on me. “Let’s get dried off and then we can talk about this.”
I swallowed hard, taking the towel and wrapping it around myself, my hands trembling slightly. When was I going to learn my lesson? Yeah I was on the pill, but I was my own worst enemy when trying to remember to take them. And often I threw away more packs than I actually took.
Since I wasn’t having sex, it wasn’t a big deal. But now it was scary as hell. Luke rubbed at his skin roughly before securing the towel around his waist, hiding what I had enjoyed mere moments beforehand.
I stood awkwardly wondering what we should do until he sighed and walked out of the bathroom, his shoulders tense. I followed and found him sitting on my bed, patting the area next to him. “Come here, Cara. We don’t need to freak out about this okay?” I did as he asked and sat beside him, surprised when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and drew me close. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay. I swear it.”
I hated that my eyes started to sting at the threat of tears that were due to appear at any moment. Maybe he didn’t think it was a big deal, but it was a big deal to me. In a moment of passion, I had potentially put myself right back to that day so long ago, the fear and anxiety of what was going to happen buried deep inside of me.
“How do you know that? You can’t guarantee anything of the sort.” I asked softly.
He hugged me close, his warmth seeping into my cold body. “Because I’m not the asshole from years ago, Cara. If, and that’s a small if, we actually did conceive a baby tonight, then I’m not leaving. I’m not abandoning you, no matter what we decide. It’s not the end of the world, I promise.”
His words flowed over me, not really sinking in at first. But as I digested them, running them over in my mind, it was strange to realize that I actually believed what he was saying for I doubted that he was the type not to say something and not mean it. But I’d fallen for that trap before hadn’t I?
Rubbing a hand over my face, I stood, forcing everything back into my little box for now. I was freaking out over something that may or may not have even happened. One step at a time. Only time would tell that and I couldn’t worry about it until that day happened. And in the meantime there was the morning-after pill, wasn’t there? For the tiniest maddening second the thought of taking that pill churned my stomach.
Gripping the towel around me and feeling a bit ashamed of my reaction, I looked at him, giving him a half grin. “I freaked out a bit there didn’t I?”
“A little, but it wasn’t all on you…” he said and leaned in to kiss my cheek.
“So, um, I’m going to get dressed and order some pizza. Sound good?”
His expression relaxed, no longer so serious and he nodded. “Sounds great, as long as there’s no pineapple on it.”
“I can’t promise that,” I said with a laugh.
My legs felt like rubber as I walked down the hall. My chest was tight, my cheeks flamed at how crazy I had reacted. I was an adult, a successful woman and no longer some kid who didn’t have two pennies to rub together.
If I did happen to get pregnant, I was strong enough now that I could deal with it. The position I was in now was nothing like I was in all those years ago. I was going to be just fine.
&n
bsp; After locating the menu of my favorite pizza place, I called in an order and then skirted into the spare bedroom when I kept the majority of my clothes. Yanking open the drawers, I found a comfortable T-shirt and a pair of running shorts and slid them both on without any undergarments. Screw it. I wanted to be comfortable. Plus, I didn’t want to face Luke just yet. I needed a moment.
Taking a deep breath then letting it out slowly, I felt ready again. I found Luke standing in the kitchen, a beer in his hand. He was only wearing his jeans, slung low on his hips and my mouth watered unexpectedly as I took in his beautiful form. If I had to have a baby daddy, I had picked a good-looking one at least. I shook my head, my thoughts laughable. Who the hell compared guys as baby daddies at my age?
He turned and I gave him a smile. “Pizza should be here shortly.”
“Here,” he said, handing me a beer already opened. “Thought you might need this.”
I took it gratefully, taking a sip before clearing my throat. “Listen, I’m sorry about how I reacted back there. I-I guess today’s events kind of heightened my emotions a little.”
He leaned against the counter, looking far too comfortable in my kitchen. I could imagine us there, making a meal together with his grin warming me to my core every single time. It was a scary revelation.
“You don’t have to keep apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s fine really. I didn’t take it personally. And I know coming face to face with the people raising your kid had to be difficult.”
I nodded, taking another swallow of my beer. I hadn’t expected to be confronted with his parents so soon or that we’d end up being best of friends or anything but I had been a little taken aback by his mother’s strong negative reaction to me. I understood, but I didn’t at the same time.
The Curve Ball Page 12