“Were you expecting someone else?’ Delaney’s voice boomed through the box on the wall, and Cara’s stomach knotted again. She pressed the button to unlock the door and invited him up. She opened the door a few moments later when he knocked and looked at him sheepishly.
“Hi,” she whispered. Again, the mocking in her mind commenced. What is wrong with you? You’ve been planning this all day, and now you chicken out? Pansy!
In an effort to calm her inner bitch, she reached out and put her finger in the waist of Delaney’s jeans to tug him closer. He moved through the doorway, smirking at her.
“Whatcha doin’, Cricket?”
She tilted her head just enough to look up at him under her lashes, deciding to play with her inveterate nervousness. In the past it had been easy to use whatever she was feeling to her advantage, at least with him. She only hoped the same was true when she wanted nothing more than to jump his bones.
“I don’t know, Del, what do you want me to be doing?” She forced her mouth into an innocent smile when she said it, hoping that she was able to pull off the shy seductress.
Delaney pushed the door shut behind him, not moving any further into the apartment. It was evident that he was enjoying her brazen attempt at seduction when instead of responding to her question, he smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
The smile was the ammunition that Cara needed. She slid her hands under his shirt and gently pushed him back against the apartment door. Because he was nearly a foot taller than her in flats, she knew she wouldn’t be able to kiss his mouth, despite the need she felt to feel his lips move under hers. Instead, she roamed her hands over his chest, and pushed the hem of his shirt up so she could kiss along his stomach.
Moving lower, she teased her tongue along his waistline. When she undid the button to his pants, she looked up to meet his eyes again. Keeping his gaze, she flicked his zipper out with her tongue and placed her teeth around it, sliding it down as she moved to a kneeling position. He changed his position by sliding his back down the door and spread his legs to accommodate her between them. He sucked in a breath of anticipation when she slid her dainty fingers between his skin and boxers, pulling him free from his jeans at the same time.
She was now toying with the end of his erection, circling her tongue over his tip.. He stifled a groan when she moved her mouth around him, pushing until she could take him no further. She stilled then, only her tongue sliding over him before she applied a sucking pressure. She quickened her pace, moving up and down his shaft. It didn’t take long before he bent his knees, cutting her off. He picked her up like she was weightless, with his hands under her arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“My God, Cara, what the hell was that?” His voice was deeper—raspier than normal.
“You didn’t like it?” She asked the question with a sneaky smile, and felt a surge of power, knowing his answer. At that moment, she could finally understand the appeal of providing oral pleasure. She could choose how quickly she ended his pleasure, or how long she prolonged the torture. She was in total control of him, and it was a heady feeling.
“Fuck, Cara. I don’t think you have to ask that.” He rested his head against her forehead, and started moving his hands down her sides to her thighs. “Are you done with your little adventure, or should I put you down?” As he said it, he slid his hand under her skirt and flexed his fingers against the skin at the back of her thigh.
She leaned in to kiss him, but paused just before she reached his mouth. With a touch of challenge in her voice she said, “Do you think you could pick up the pace?” It was like her words opened the gate to a race of passion. He crushed his mouth to hers, and flipped her around so she was braced against the door. It didn’t matter how many times he took her in exactly that position, the feel of his strength and lust for her tripped her blood into high gear. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in the kiss, their tongues tangling and mouths violently branding each other.
He pushed his hands farther up her skirt to reach her waist. When the skirt bunched around his wrists, he realized that he would have no other barriers to contend with.
‘You’re fucking killing me here,” he groaned against her mouth. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but please don’t change it.”
She smiled again and bit his lower lip. Then she dropped her head back and moaned. He hadn’t wasted any time and his erection was now pushing against her heat. She was quivering and pleading for him to fill her.
“Delaney, please. Now.”
He pushed his length into her and their speed instantly increased. He was slamming wildly into her while her limbs were tightening around him in pleasure. She raked her nails down his shoulder and over his arms as she kissed him and pleaded for more.
***
When he stilled his movements, he pulled his head back to stare at her. He needed to see her face when she climaxed. He wasn’t sure when that need would stop, but he knew that she was her most open in that moment. He needed to see that she was sure of them. And in that moment, he saw that his suspicions were true. Something had changed over the week, and like he had done for her, she was showing him everything he needed to see.
“I love you, Cara.” Before she could respond, he pushed into her again—deeper this time—and felt them both reach the edge. He pulled back and repeated the motion. That one thrust was enough to throw them over the edge they’d just reached, and Cara buried her face in his neck, biting his collar bone to hold back the scream. As it was, he could hear the high pitched squeak of her pleasure.
Chapter 26
Delany slumped against the door and rested his head against it next to Cara’s. She couldn’t see his face, but she hoped he was smiling as wide as she was, despite being pinned between him and the entry to her apartment.
“Holy shit, Cara,” he finally moaned. “Hello to you, too. I take it you missed me?”
“I don’t think you know how much.” He probably wouldn’t understand it, but she wasn’t only referring to the past week. The more she thought about him and their newly developing relationship, the more she had realized that a large part of her had been broken without him. Having him there with her, and knowing that if he wasn’t there she could depend on him to call or text and reassure her, made her feel oddly complete. And he had been right about her remaining herself; she didn’t feel like she was losing any part of her. In fact, she almost felt like there was room to be more for the first time in her life.
He pulled his head back and looked at her face, a grin breaking over his face.
“Well, you look awfully pleased with yourself. It’s good to see you smile, Cricket.”
Again, she laughed at the nickname while she shook her head at him.
“Del, when are you going to stop calling me that?”
“Probably never.” He shrugged. “I still think it fits you. And now I that I know you’re a squeaker, it’s taken on a whole new meaning.”
He winked and laughed when she smacked his shoulder. Finally he set her down, and they both set about righting their skewed clothing.
“Nice place, by the way,” Delaney joked.
“Oh, well if you think what you’ve seen is nice, you should see the bedroom.”
Before she could react to the look in his eyes, he swept her up in his arms, cradling her with an arm behind her back and one under her knees.
“Direct away,” he said. “Save the tour for later.”
“You’ve got to be joking. Not even ten minutes ago you weren’t even speaking in full sentences. Now you want to go to the bedroom?”
“I never said what I want to do in there. Maybe I just want to hold you.”
She might have been surprised and touched by his words if she hadn’t seen the gleam of wickedness in his eyes. She laughed and pointed to the end of the hallway.
***
An hour later, Cara was cuddled against Delaney in her bed while he absently played with her hair. She could t
ell he had something to say to her; he was twisting her hair in a nervous fashion that one would expect only from a woman, but the habit had always been a dead giveaway with him. She also knew that when he was this nervous about something, she would have to wait for him to come out with it on his own. She could try and convince him, but it would only make him wait longer to say anything.
“Did you eat? I know it’s late, but I can order pizza if you want.”
“It’s okay, I ate along the way. I assumed you ate with Sutton earlier.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Are you tired?” Cara was desperately trying to find something to keep his mind off whatever was bothering him, but without pushing to find out what it was, she was grasping at straws.
“No, I’m just thinking.”
“Oh, all right. Want to tell me what you’re thinking about?” It wasn’t pushing if he mentioned it first, right?
“I was thinking about our arrangement. I’m not sure it’s going to work the way we planned.”
“Oh? Are you saying you don’t want us to move in with you after all?”
“No, not at all. I think it’s the no strings part that isn’t going to work. There’re strings, Cara. We can’t hide them, and we can’t ignore them. Something is going to have to change if we’re going to live together.”
“So we stop sleeping together, right?”
“No, I don’t think that’s going to work. Clearly we can’t keep our hands off each other. I think we need to bite the bullet. I know you want me as much as I want you, so I know that goes past the physical. I think it’s time we make it official.”
“I know I’ve been fighting the commitment, but I decided this week that was foolish. I’m ready for whatever you want. Moving in together and dating might be tough, but I think we can do it.”
“Damn, woman. Sometimes you are blind. I’m not asking you to date. We’ve unofficially been dating for five years. I want you to marry me. I need you, Cricket. I need to know that I’m never going to be without you again.”
Cara sat up in the bed, and sat cross legged, staring at him. Her eyes had taken on the sheen of tears, and he could see fear. He wished that talk of marriage brought happy tears for her. He wasn’t sure what he would do if she turned him down. He gave her a moment, and when she didn’t speak, he began to panic. He sat up to face her, taking her face in his hands, his palms resting on her cheeks and his long fingers wrapping around to the back of her neck.
“Cricket, I know what you’re afraid of. I swear I won’t get bored with you, and I won’t ever stop paying attention to you. You’re right that I don’t know everything there is to know about you, and I never will. I’m going to make a point of learning something new about you all the time, because there’s no better way to show you how much I want you in my life.”
And just like that, he turned her mood around. The fear in her eyes lessened, and he could see emotion in them. He could see that she was taking in his words, but more than anything, his touch had calmed her. She had always said that his hands made her feel safe, and for the first time, he could see that was the truth.
He could see the moment she gathered her courage and made her decision. Relief flooded him when she moved, still naked, to straddle him. His hands still on her, she draped her arms over his shoulders and stared calmly into his eyes.
“You’re going to regret this, Delaney. I’m stubborn, high-strung, and essentially a basket case. You’re going to want out within the week, and you’re going to break my heart. But you have to know that I want you enough to take that chance. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours, and always have been.”
He laughed, and kissed her hard. “Cricket, what you are is unpredictable, passionate, and cute as hell. I’m never going to regret it, and I’ll spend every day holding you in my arms proving it to you—starting now.”
His fingers flexed on the back of her neck as he pulled her face to his. Crushing his mouth to hers, she could feel fiery desire laced with gentleness in his kiss. She knew that their lives together would be a combination of those things, among so many other emotions. She also knew that she was ready for it. More than anything, she was ready to spend the rest of her life with her best friend.
Epilogue
A year later…
Cara stretched out in the bed she shared with her fiancé, and enjoyed the sounds coming from the kitchen. It was one of the common days that Delaney would get up with Sutton and they would make breakfast together, cooking and dancing in the kitchen. The giggles that rang from her daughter were enough to cement Cara’s decision every day.
In the last year, Delaney had convinced Cara to move her daughter back to her home town to be with him. She had hesitated, but she also allowed herself to rely on him completely. The wedding plans were still a ways off, but they were enjoying making their lives together, and a name change wasn’t urgent.
Making her way to the kitchen, Cara smiled with the knowledge she was about to share with her little family. She went to her daughter first and kissed her forehead.
“Good morning, my little nightmare.”
“Morning, Momma! We’re making pancakes!”
“You are? That sounds yummy.” As she was discussing the breakfast menu, Delaney moved behind her and leaned down to kiss her shoulder.
“Good morning, handsome. How’d you sleep?”
“Not terrible, but you were awfully twitchy last night. Rough night?”
“I didn’t sleep the greatest, but I’m sure it will only get worse.”
Thinking she was referring to wedding planning, he nodded his head and agreed. Going back to his cooking, he responded with, “I’m sure it will be fine. How many pancakes do you want?”
“We’ll have three, and some bacon.”
“Big appetite, much?”
“I guess if I’m going to eat for two, I might as well take advantage of it while I can.”
Delaney dropped the spatula and turned to look at her.
“What did you just say?”
“I said I’m going to take full advantage of my chance to eat whatever I want, and blame it all on the baby.”
Delaney yelled excitedly and scooped her up, startling Sutton with the scene. When she screamed, too, he reached down and pulled her up with them.
“Guess what, pretty girl? You’re going to be a big sister.”
Sutton smiled and giggled, more at his excitement than an understanding of the news. Delaney had known from the moment he met the little girl that he would do anything to keep her smiling, and because of his relationship with his daughter, he knew that he would do the same for his coming child. He knew he was one of the lucky ones.
High school love doesn’t always last. But when his tiny little redhead walked through the door his sophomore year, he was changed forever. As they had said, their strings weren’t just attached, they were braided tight.
About the Author
Kaprice Potter began reading romance at a young age, starting with Anne of Green Gables. Swooning over the story of Anne and Gilbert, she dreamed of someday marrying a man that would be her best friend.
Now living in rural Minnesota with her husband and three children, she still likes to lose herself in those stories, and she has started writing them as well. And as a mother to young boys, she alternates between fear that they will be the bad boys every girl dreams of, and hope that she will be able to teach them that romance is not only in fiction.
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https://twitter.com/KapPotter
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http://kapricepotter.blogspot.com/
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