by Kim Karr
“Cam,” she says, squirming.
Removing my finger, I ease my body back into my seat but leave my hand right where it belongs. “No one is going to know, baby. Just sit back and make like we’re having a conversation.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I can—”
I rub little circles over her clit with the pad of my thumb. I wish I could put my face in her lap and eat her like she is my last meal, attack that purple dress and rub my body all over it. Soon, I think. Soon.
“Oh, God,” she moans.
“That’s it, baby, just talk to me and let your body go.”
Her hips start rocking to the motion of my hand.
I keep going.
The bulge in my pants is going to have to wait, though. There’s no way to conceal that. Suddenly I hate that I convinced her to buy an open-top Jeep. Sorry, buddy. This is about right here, right now, and you’re just going to have to wait.
She opens her legs wider for me.
Needing to get my fingers nice and wet, I start fucking her with one finger at first. Then another, and finally a third.
Her eyes glaze as lust takes her over.
Soon, I can feel her pussy clenching around my fingers, and I know she’s about to shatter. “Oh, Cam. Oh, God. Oh God,” she moans into the car as she comes.
Ready to move this little homecoming forward, I turn to her and lick my fingers. “Now, I’m going to get us home because this,” I point down, “needs some attention.”
Running her hands over her flushed face and looking more than satisfied, she smiles at me. “I can take care of you on the way home.”
Don’t think the idea hadn’t crossed my mind. “Well, if you insist,” I tell her with a wicked grin and plant a kiss on her lips before I put her Jeep in reverse.
By the time we turn onto our street, I’m feeling unbelievable. Like on top of the world and a million bucks rolled into one. No, I feel like a man who was just crowned king over his own kingdom.
I really needed that.
Although the week was drama free, it was not stress free. My sister asked me a million questions, and I hated not telling her the truth, but I couldn’t tell her about our prick of a father, not right now when she’s on the outs with our mother. I will not leave her without a parent to turn to. I refuse to do that.
The line of cars in the driveways of both my house and Makayla’s is my first clue there’s a party going on. I point ahead. “What’s going on?”
Makayla starts laughing. “Maggie broke up with Derek, and this is her way of mourning the relationship.”
“With a party?” I ask, scratching my head.
“Well, she told me she was going to cook Indian food for Brooklyn and invite a few people.”
“A few people,” I laugh. “This might be the whole town.”
“You know Maggie—go big or go home.”
With a laugh, I drive past our houses, turn around, and then end up parking at the very end of the street. So much for getting Makayla into bed ASAP. At least I won’t have a dick of steel throughout the night.
Leaving my shit in the car, I open her door and steal a kiss before grabbing her hand. “Did Maggie finally have enough of Derek’s fucking around?” I ask.
Her head swings toward me. “You knew?”
I draw her closer. “Not for certain, but all the signs were there. Then again, she seemed cool with a no-strings relationship. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”
The sidewalk glistens with speckles of sand as we walk down it. “Yeah, well, she was ready to be exclusive, and he wasn’t, so she broke up with him.”
“Good for her,” I say.
“Oh look.” Makayla points to the red Mercedes convertible in the driveway. “Katherine is here.”
Maggie’s mother has to be one of the coolest women I know.
Makayla is excited and hurries past the open gate and into the open front door.
Hand in hand, we make our way through the crowd. Music is playing. Everyone Maggie and I work with is here. Beer bottles are everywhere. Bottles of wine, too. Quite the last-minute party.
“I don’t see Maggie or Katherine,” Makayla tells me just as we walk into the kitchen and see Brooklyn, notebook tucked in front pocket like he thought he might be able to write, with what has to be another MTV wannabe. They all look the same. You can spot them a mile away with their fake smiles and fake boobs to match. Always tan in designer clothes, they aren’t to be missed. And this one isn’t either, even as she walks away.
Brooklyn has a bowl of something nasty-looking in his hand. “What the hell is that?” I ask him.
“Curried chickpeas,” he answers around a mouthful of mush.
And then it hits me, the smell of curry all around us. “Dude, that’s just nasty.”
“No, it’s really good. Here, try,” he says, shoving the bowl my way.
I shove it right back.
Brooklyn offers it to Makayla.
She looks horrified. “Ummm…no thank you.”
That look has me cracking up. “Not a fan either?”
“No way. Just the smell alone grosses me out.”
“I think I love you,” I tell her, not realizing what it is I’ve said until Brooklyn practically drops the bowl in his hands. “I mean because you’re so much like me,” I clarify, even though it’s not true. I just love her.
Makayla stares at me.
I stare back and say nothing to smooth over the awkwardness I created.
“How about a drink?” she asks.
Me, I don’t know what the fuck to do, so like a dumbass, I say, “Yeah, sounds good.”
“Dumbass,” Brooklyn mutters.
Makayla walks over to the fridge and tosses me a beer, and then tosses one to Brooklyn. Pouring a glass of wine, she stares out the window.
“Damn, bro, I think I like her more than you,” Brooklyn says, setting his bowl down to open his bottle. “At least she knows how to handle an awkward situation. If you love her, tell her so for real—don’t make light of it.”
“You’re giving me relationship advice?”
“Yeah, I am, dude, because you need it.”
When I glance toward Makayla, she’s walking out the door.
I’m on her heels. “Where are you going?”
“I saw Maggie and Katherine in your kitchen. I’m going to find out what’s going on.”
“I’ll come with you.” I grab her hand and take the lead, using the path to get over there, which is not only faster than the beach but more private, too.
About halfway down the stepping-stone pathway, I stop and push her up against the house. “I know we never talked about what this is happening between us, and I have no idea how you feel about me, but I meant what I said. I know I played it off like I didn’t, but I did. I love you, Makayla Alexander. I love you.” I grab her face between my hands. “I love you.”
Tears stream down her face and when she says nothing, I start to think she doesn’t feel the same about me as I do about her. I put myself out there, and I get nothing. Nothing. I should be okay with it. But I’m not. I break away from her and stare at her. I don’t know why, but I start moving away from her.
She’s standing there motionless.
I keep moving.
Just as I reach the end of the path leading to Maggie’s backyard, she comes rushing for me. “I love you, too, Camden Waters. I love you, too.”
Stunned, shocked, and feeling like the luckiest guy alive, I stumble, and we both tumble to the ground. Me on my back, her on top of me—right where she belongs.
Her lips crash down to mine, and I take the back of her head and thread my hand through her hair. Teeth clashing. Lips melding. Mouths crashing.
Clapping is what pulls us apart.
We both turn our heads.
Brooklyn is standing there. “Bravo, that’s the way they do it on TV, man. I’m so fucking proud to call you a friend.”
“Fuck you,” I tell him and get to my f
eet, bringing Makayla with me.
“Anytime, bro, anytime.” He laughs and walks away.
Crying from the open kitchen window of my house takes our attention away from our admissions of love and back to where we were headed before it all started.
Makayla looks up at me, and I give her a nod. She takes off and I follow her.
In my kitchen, Maggie is looking slightly shaken and her mother is holding her hand, trying to calm her down.
“Is everything okay?” Makayla asks.
I close the door and stand behind her.
Ms. May is a beautiful woman, tall with short blond hair. And she is always dressed just to the nines. Today is no different. She’s wearing a black suit and high heels.
She smiles at Makayla. “Hi, Makayla.” She lets go of Maggie’s hand to hug her.
“Hi, I didn’t know you were coming,” Makayla says.
“It wasn’t planned. I just wanted to talk to both you and Maggie before anything is made public.”
“What is made public?” Makayla asks, her voice full of worry.
“Hi, Cam.” Ms. May waves.
I clear my throat. “Hi, Ms. May. I’ll leave you three to talk.”
“No, it’s fine. You can stay,” she says.
I look toward Makayla, and then Maggie.
Both of them nod, letting me know it is okay to stay.
“Please, sit down,” Katherine says.
Once we are all seated, she sits too. “I already told Maggie about this, Makayla. Simon Warren is in financial trouble. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I am going to stick it out with them, and that means I may have to move back to New York City.”
“Mom, I already told you, I think you should take some time to consider this. You hated it when we lived there.” Maggie’s voice is soft. “Take what I have left in my trust. You can use it to hold you over until you find a new job.”
Ms. May has tears in her eyes. “I appreciate that, but I can’t. That is your money, and someday you might need it. I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m going to be fine.”
Both Makayla and Maggie get up and wrap their arms around her. “We know you are,” I hear Makayla whisper in her ear. “You’re the toughest woman I know.”
About ten minutes later, everyone seems to have calmed down enough to head back to the party.
Makayla grabs the wine bottle she opened earlier and a Corona from the refrigerator. “Come with me,” she says.
I follow her up the stairs and into her room.
Once inside, she peels off that purple dress and then she removes her panties and bra, followed by the lei I’d given her. “This is who I am,” she says.
My eyes take her in from head to toe. “I know who you are,” I tell her.
“I like things neat. I’m quirky. I do not like to try new foods. I cross my t’s and dot my i’s, always. I have weird phobias. I always wonder what if. I hate sleeping in and like to go to bed early.”
I look into her eyes and see everything in her gaze. Fear. Hope. Pride. And love. Heat, too. That so familiar and welcome heat. I walk toward her. “I love you,” I tell her softly. “I love everything about you.”
She lets out a breath, as if she’d been holding it. “I love you, too, but I think I should also tell you I don’t think I can ever let you in the back door.”
Nothing can stop the rip-roaring laughter that bubbles out of me as I lift her and swing her onto the bed. “That’s okay, baby. As long as I can go in the front door, that’s all I need.”
She’s all I need.
23
On The Red Carpet
Makayla
It feels like all I did was blink and summer is already coming to an end.
Sales at the surf shop didn’t pan out. And even though I had enough money saved for the summer, I became more and more nervous about my future. The California carefree lifestyle must exist only in the movies. Anyway, worries are why I ended up taking the job at Gemstone Gallery. It’s not the best, but not that bad, either. I manage the business, and Eric has even allowed me to showcase a few of my own designs.
Maggie has been taking as many extra shifts at the lifeguard station as she can to preserve her trust, should her mother need it. Sadly, Simon Warren is not in any better shape than it was, even with Katherine running retail operations in New York. There’s a very real possibility that by the year’s end the company will be closing its doors for good.
Aside from that, things are going amazingly well for me, except for one small issue…I’m late.
I turn to Cam. “I can’t sleep.”
He runs his fingers through my hair with a sigh. “Makayla, baby, I love you, but you are driving me insane. The fifteen home tests we took were negative. The test at the doctor’s office was negative. Stop thinking about it. You are not pregnant.”
I rise onto one elbow. “I know, but I’m late. I’m never late. What if the blood work from the doctor’s office comes back positive? What if I am pregnant? What if they say it’s twins? Or triplets? What if we’re the next Jon & Kate Plus 8? We’re not ready for something like that.”
Cam is looking seriously ill. “Listen, go to sleep and stop worrying. Tomorrow will come soon enough and then you’ll stop all this craziness.”
Flopping onto my back, I stare at the ceiling. I know Cam is as worried as I am. He’s trying not to show it, but I can tell.
What if…I am?
What if…he can’t handle it?
What if…I can’t?
What if the fact that I want to eat pickles right now is a sign?
What if…
Early the next morning, I wake up to the muffled sound of vomit coming from the bathroom. At first I think it’s morning sickness, then I realize that would have to be me in there, not Cam.
I listen and then I hear the toilet flush and the water in the shower turn on. The water runs for such a long time that I’m about to get up and check on him when it turns off.
Minutes later, Cam comes into the dark room and slips into bed behind me, naked.
“Are you okay?” I ask over my shoulder.
He smells minty, like mouthwash. “Yeah, I’m fine. Maggie’s eggplant Parmesan must have upset my stomach. I’ll be okay.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“No,” he answers, pulling me close to him. “All I need is you.”
“I’m always here.”
“Right now,” he growls. “I want you, right now. I want to spread you open and fuck you until dawn.”
Dirty, dirty boy.
Desire explodes in my stomach as those rough words hit me. “Oh, God, Cam, me too.”
Anything to distract me.
The muscles in his upper body ripple against my body and he rolls me over so he can squeeze my breasts and bite the tips of them. I can’t help but wonder if the sensitivity I feel when he does it is due to pregnancy. Maybe my breasts are swollen and achy. I’m not sure. No, I think they are. Then he bites at my nipple again and I think no, they feel the same.
Get out of your head, Makayla. Get out of it. It’s dangerous in there. Take advantage of this distraction. I know Cam is thinking the same thing I am. If we fuck until the doctor’s office calls, it will lessen our worry.
I allow him to consume me with his mouth. Within moments, my bones feel like they have disintegrated inside his body. Like we are one.
“Do you want my cock in you?” he asks roughly.
Yes. Yes. Yes. The place between my legs burns and yearns for him. My voice is achy and needy, full of arousal. “I want you to fuck me…hard,” I breathe.
He exhales a shaky breath. His thumb scrapes my lips, runs down my jaw, circles the hard points of my nipples. “You sure?”
“Cam,” I say, my heart squeezing in need as I close my hands around his cock. “Fuck me, now, or I’ll fuck myself.”
A low, rumbling growl rips up his throat as he turns me around. “Makayla,” he rasps, rubbing his cock against my entranc
e. “I want my hands all over you, and my cock inside you, and after I make you come so hard you see stars, I’m going to run my tongue all over your hot little body, and then I’m going to rub it for hours against your clit.”
That dirty, dirty boy.
“Oh, God, Cam.” My clit throbs between my thighs as I press my ass into his cock.
“Harder,” he huskily demands, and when I ram myself against him, there’s a slight pain that soon becomes a feeling of unbelievable pleasure.
“Again?” I ask, waiting for his command.
“Harder,” he says again and this time, it sends prickles of excitement racing through my veins.
We move. Harder. Faster. More intensely than we ever have.
While one hand is squeezing my breast tight, the other is rubbing my clit. “Oh, fuck,” he cries.
“Oh, God, I’m coming. I’m coming,” I moan in unbelievable pleasure. My body is leaving this planet like a rocket and going into outer space. Comets, planets, the stars and moon are all I can see.
Before I’ve come back to earth, as promised, Cam is flipping me over and running his tongue all over my chest, licking my nipples, sliding down farther and capturing my sex in one giant swoop.
My hands on his hair press him to me.
He pushes my knees up and soon he’s lifting me with a hand on my ass. “Stay like this,” he orders.
Kegels. I’m doing Kegels.
And he’s feasting on me, licking me, sucking me.
Oh, God, it feels so incredibly good.
Like his tongue should be illegal.
As if knowing my thoughts, he runs that tongue from my sex all the way up the crease of my ass. Swirls it around and around that forbidden zone, and then licks his way back down.
Rising on his palms, he licks his lips and his eyes twinkle in mischief. “You taste so fucking good.”
My pulse is beating frantically in my throat while the heat he’s kindling inside me starts to blaze like an inferno.
Cam doesn’t hesitate as he swoops back down and sends me to Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Uranus, over and over and over.
“Cam, I can’t, I can’t, no more,” I cry out as he brings me to orgasm again.
Looking up at me, he wipes his mouth with a grin.