I shook my head.
“That list I’ve been sharing with you, the last one was the most important.”
I thought back to the most recent entry. The vet’s office. “My heart?”
“Like I said, I’ve seen the way you can share it with others, I figured once you were willing to share it with me, this would be perfect.” He tugged at my panties, removing them.
I had shared my heart with him, which meant if after tonight we weren’t more connected, it could end up broken. But Cade seemed confident.
He studied me a second then lowered his mouth. His lips moved so delicately over mine, it was almost like he wasn’t really even there. The lighter the kiss, the more consumed I became with it. Unable to withstand the torture, I slid my fingers into his hair and pulled his mouth hard against mine. When we broke apart, both our breathing had become ragged as if we’d forgotten to breathe.
His gaze lowered, narrowing on his hand sliding between my thighs, eyes darkened, tongue grazing his bottom lip. And everything behind that carnal look was so hot, a whimper may have escaped me.
He shifted, about to lower himself down my body but I put both hands on his shoulders to stop him.
He paused.
“Seriously. I need you. Now.” I wiggled my hips, desperate to squelch the fire between my legs. I reached into my nightstand and pulled out a condom.
As he took it from my hand, he said, “You can change your mind at any time. If for any reason you feel—”
“I know.”
The condom was out but I wasn’t shutting down yet. My body was too hot to shut down. Though I feared it would happen once we started. But, if it did, I just hoped he couldn’t tell if I faked it. I couldn’t let him down after finally giving in. No matter what, I’d put on a damn good show.
His mouth returned to mine with more slow, sweet kisses that really just turned the heat up a thousand notches. How did he do this to me? It was like an insatiable urge. As our mouths moved together, I worked his boxers down.
There was rustling as he opened the condom and slid it on. I stayed focused on the kiss. And my body burned hotter. I placed my leg over him and scooted closer, aligning our bodies.
He ran kisses down my neck and back up to my ear. “I don’t need this to know how I feel about you. I’ve fallen for you, and regardless of what happens, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Me either.” And I hoped he saw beyond those two simple words. I was here to stay too.
With my hand, I glided him into position and shifted my body forward. I’m not sure whose gasp was louder, but one thing was certain: it felt fucking amazing to finally have him inside me. I took a second to enjoy him as his body inched forward, until we were flush.
He gazed down on me as our bodies fell into a steady rhythm. He bit down on his lip, and I urged him onto his back. I was still here, no doubt about it, and I wanted to prove it.
With my legs straddling him, I pressed my hands to his abs and glided up and down. His fingers skimmed over my thighs and his eyes never left me. While it should have made me nervous knowing how intently he watched for signs of me checking out, it made me hotter.
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. “Remember the dream I told you about?”
He nodded, while his teeth sunk into his bottom lip again and his gaze roamed my body then flicked back to mine.
“This is exactly it. But better.”
He released his lip, leaving it reddened and full. “Exactly this?”
“Mm hmm.” I rocked against him.
“That’s so fucking hot.”
I sat back up as he ran his hands up my hips to my waist. “But this is so much hotter.”
His dark gaze practically devoured me as he slid his tongue over his lips.
I hadn’t realized until that moment he’d been holding back. Maybe some fear he’d push things too fast or miss the moment I checked out. But right then, I watched it slip away.
He flipped us over, pressing me into the mattress, gripped my thigh and raised my leg, allowing him deeper access. I gasped, and he pulled out slightly, releasing my leg.
But I loved that he’d lost himself in me. Physically, emotionally, I wanted it all. Caution had no business wedging itself between us. Not anymore.
“Do I need to get back on top?” I teased.
His gaze lifted to mine and, as he studied me, a slow grin spread across his handsome face. He raised my leg, and thrust back into me. My back arched and I moaned, encouraging him to continue his pace. His mouth came to my chest and he ran his tongue all over me, dipping between my breasts then trailing my neck.
My brain couldn’t formulate anything coherent as it tried to keep up with the sensory overload. Mumbled words fell from my lips, my nails grazed his muscled back—probably leaving marks—as they made their way up his body. A fierce burn roared in my lower abdomen and I rolled my hips faster. My breath turned to whimpers, tempting his mouth to return to mine.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured.
And as Cade whispered those gentle words laced with profanities, I ate it up, completely in awe that this guy, this perfect person, thought I was the beautiful one.
“I’ve wanted this for so long.” His lips brushed my cheek. “I’ve touched you. Tasted you. But you have no idea how fucking bad I wanted to be inside you.” He pulled back, tucked my hair behind my ear, and stared down at me. “It was worth the wait.” Then his mouth slammed back into mine.
God, he was as sexy as he was sweet. My body spiraled out of control. The intensity consumed me, and while some tiny part recognized this was huge, most of me just wanted to get lost in it.
“Cade, oh God. I can’t—”
In the heat of the moment, when it seemed there was no way to slow it down, he did. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. But I can’t hold on any longer.”
“Then don’t.” He pushed his way back inside and brought his mouth to mine, tongues tangled. He left me gasping for breath as he moved his mouth to my ear and whispered, “You have no idea how bad I want to feel you come. To know only I can do that to you. So please…don’t hold on. Come for me, Fallon.”
Once again Cade had transformed my name into the most sensual word ever spoken. I gasped, moaned, whimpered. A slow tremble crept into my thighs and I finally threw my head back, his name falling from my lips. With my hips arched, my body ignited. Completely flammable. Cade’s touch, the match. Pleasure coursed through me, intensified by the way he drank it in. My skin tingled and flushed and I inhaled a final shaky breath.
He waited until the last quiver subsided before thrusting his way deeper. All my senses remained heightened and I bit my lip as his body tensed, every muscle accentuated, and he let himself go. It was, hands-down, the most amazing fucking experience I’d ever had in bed.
I sighed, wanting nothing more than to curl up against Cade and sleep like a satiated kitten. “That was…”
He slipped his arms around me and sprinkled kisses along my shoulder. “Perfect.”
I smiled. “Yeah. It was.”
“Guess we’re one for one.”
“Those are good odds. We should play again.”
He chuckled and kissed my nose. “How am I gonna be away from you now?”
Separating seemed hard; ten days unfathomable. It’s funny how not too long ago, three weeks seemed like an infinitely long amount of time to spend with one guy; now ten days seemed like an eternity without him.
Chapter 20
Stupid. Freaking. Alarm.
I’d always hated it for waking me up, but today I hated it for tearing me away from Cade. We woke in a rush, hastily dressed, threw my bag in his Jeep and hauled ass to the airport. The flight was too early, the airport traffic too chaotic, the parking a bitch. We’d said our goodbyes before I passed through security, and now here I was about to touch down in Denver, my stomach in one big knot.
Some sort of irrational fear had crept its way into my spine duri
ng the flight, convincing me Cade would meet another girl while I was gone. In my mind, the sex had been fantastic, best ever, why-did-I-not-know-it-could-be-like-this amazing. But since he didn’t have my hang-ups, what if he found it mediocre? Not worth all the drama I’d put him through? This morning had been too rushed for me to get a read on how he felt about it after the fact. It was easy to say all sorts of things during the heat of the moment, but what about the next day? I needed confirmation he’d found it as special as I had.
The plane bounced several times, sped down the runway then came to a halt. I waited for the aisle to clear then yanked my bag from the overhead compartment and headed off the plane.
Home sweet freaking home.
As I made my way to Dad at the baggage claim, I switched my phone off airplane mode. It dinged with incoming texts. Three total, two from Cade.
A man almost bumped into me as I slowed to read them. He gave me an ugly look as he sped past. With a mumbled apology, I moved to the side.
Cade: Call me when you land.
Brinley: Have a safe trip! Text me when you get there.
Cade: Can’t stop thinking about last night.
With a smile, I shot Brinley a quick text then called Cade.
“Hey.” His happy tone relieved me.
“I just landed.”
“I’m glad you got there okay. I’m already bored without you around. Sean’s a poor substitute.”
Sean said something muffled in the background and Cade laughed. “Sorry, man, you just aren’t as pretty.” He laughed again. “I think I made Sean cry. How was your flight?”
“Long. I’m actually on my way to meet my dad now so I can’t really talk but I’ll call you later today.”
“Yeah, no problem. Thanks for calling. I’m glad you got there safe and sound.”
Sean said something again but this time I made out a part of it. “Aww, now tell her you love her.” Followed by what sounded like kissing sounds, or maybe Cade was choking him.
Cade ignored the comment. “Call me later.”
“I will.”
There was a pause, kind of like when a conversation should be wrapped up with an “I love you, ʼbye,” but neither of us said a word.
Cade didn’t really love me, did he? Sean just liked to give him shit. And the awkward pause wasn’t because he’d actually considered saying those words, but because Sean had sort of forced the thought on him and it’s just the thing to say to people you care about who are far away. Like my parents. I never told them I loved them in high school, but now away at college I ended pretty much all my phone calls that way.
Another lady dragging a child rushed past and it snapped me back to the fact I was standing in a very busy airport. “Okay. Talk to you later, ʼbye.”
“ʼBye.”
I shoved the phone into my back pocket. Then dragged my carry-on down the terminal to meet Dad.
“Hey, short stack.”
When he first started calling me that, I used to get upset, convinced it was mean and stupid, but now I loved it. Being the oldest child meant I stopped feeling like a kid years ago. According to Mom, I couldn’t make mistakes because I was older, knew better, whatever. Which is why being away at school was nice. I had no expectations to live up to. Now back home, I had a role to fill, but the one nice thing: I’d always be Dad’s little girl.
“Have any more bags?”
“Just this.”
He raised an eyebrow and stared at my small rolling suitcase. “What are you, a minimalist now?” he asked, taking the handle of my rolling luggage and walking alongside me toward the exit.
I grinned. “College has made me more practical.”
“Ah, money well spent.” He wrapped one arm around me in a side hug. “I’ve missed you, kid. So, how was your flight?”
“Long. Bumpy.”
“I hate bumpy flights.” He shook his head. “Glad it’s over, I’m sure.”
“Yeah.” We stepped through the sliding glass door and crossed the street.
“You hungry? We can grab a burger or something before we get home. Mom’s on another health kick. She’s determined to cook kale into everything we eat.”
“Kale?”
“It’s spinach’s ugly stepsister.”
I laughed. “I know what it is, but why kale?”
“Oh, superfood? I don’t recall. I just know our dinners have been very green lately.” He unlocked the doors to his SUV. “Which means we really need a burger. We’re stopping.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t tell Mom.”
And this was why I loved my dad.
We scarfed burgers, fries, even sprung for milkshakes. By the time we were back on the road, I wanted to unbutton my jeans. Seriously, I hadn’t eaten like that in ages.
“If Mom asks, your flight was delayed.”
“Got it.” I grinned and stared out the window as we exited the highway, and headed onto the quiet city streets that led home.
“How’s summer school going? Any word on the internship job?”
“School went well, I passed my class, and I should be hearing from the hospital in the next week or so.”
“Good for you. So did you enjoy working there?”
“Yeah, I did. A lot.”
“That’s great.” He flipped on his blinker. “Listen, short stack, I know you don’t want to talk to your old man about this…”
Oh God, please don’t tell me it was the sex talk. The very, very you-already-missed-the-bus late sex talk.
He continued, “But you know Amber’s dating Cameron.”
I settled back in my seat. Maybe the sex talk would have been a better subject.
“And I asked her to not bring him around while you’re home, but she and your mom said I was being unreasonable. My suggestion was vetoed. So sorry, kiddo.” He patted my shoulder. “Personally, no decent guy would date his ex’s kid sister. I’m just hoping this is another one of Amber’s whims and it fades quickly. Of course, if I tell her that, she’ll force the damn thing to work just to prove me wrong.”
I scoffed. She would. Hell, I would.
“I’ve raised some stubborn children.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I’m hoping this doesn’t cause too much strife between you girls. You’re sisters first. Bad decisions second. Just try to remember that. Okay?”
I was so over the Cameron situation, I couldn’t care less. “It’s not a big deal. I hope she dumps him before he hurts her, but either way, I’m over him. I don’t care if he’s around or not.” The more I thought about him, the more thankful I was for having Cade in my life. My perfect guy. Everyone dulled in comparison.
“Well, good. I figured you were, but…” He turned down our street and glanced at me. “Wait, there’s another guy, isn’t there?” He grinned.
“Ugh, Dad. I’m not talking boys with you.”
“What’s his name?”
I feigned a scowl.
“Does he go to Sutton?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Where’d you meet?”
A smile cracked.
We pulled into the driveway.
“What’s he do?”
I sighed then rattled off his answers. “Cade. He’s a therapy dog handler who volunteers at the hospital where I did my internship, and he works at the university rec center.”
Dad let out a low, long whistle. “I approve.”
I rolled my eyes again. “If you tell Mom, I’ll deny everything and tell her I’ve started dating girls.”
“Your life choices don’t change how I feel about you, though your mom may be slow to come around.”
“I’m not a lesbian, Dad.”
“I’d love you even if you were.”
“Dad.” I covered my face with my hands. “This conversation is so over.”
He chuckled. “C’mon, short stack. Later, you can show me a picture of this young man or special lady in your life, that’s your choice.”
I groaned. “That was meant to deter this conversation.”<
br />
With another laugh, he hopped out, grabbed my suitcase from the back and unlocked the front door.
“We’re home,” he called out.
Mom peeked out from the kitchen. “There you are.” She tossed a dish towel on the counter and walked over, eyeing me in the process. “Well, I’m glad you’re getting enough to eat.”
Did she just say I’d gotten fat?
She pulled me in a hug. “I worry about you now that you’re out of the dorms.”
Okay, maybe she’d expected me to be withering away or something. “My roommate likes to cook.”
“Good. We should get you a haircut while you’re in town.”
“I like my hair.”
“It’s long.”
“Yeah. And I like it.”
“Looks good on her,” Dad said as he shuffled my suitcase upstairs.
Amber appeared at the top of the steps. “Hey.” She bounced down the stairs, slipping past Dad, then stopped short on the last step. “You look tan.”
“I’ve been playing sand volleyball.”
“Fun.” She smiled, revealing braces. She was tall, thin and mature in the body, but that smile…What did Cameron want with that? She was just a kid. Couldn’t he find any decent girls his own age?
Silence fell over the three of us.
It was weird standing in the house that no longer felt like home.
“Well, I’m going to unpack.” And call Cade.
Mom headed back to the kitchen. “Okay, come back down and visit when you’re done.”
“Sure.” I headed upstairs and Amber followed.
“Your suitcase is on your bed,” Dad said, passing us on the stairs.
“Thanks.”
To my surprise, Amber followed me all the way to my room and settled on my bed.
“So what’s your apartment like?” Her eyes were bright.
I gave her a brief description, hoping she’d give me some privacy to call Cade.
“I wish Mom and Dad would let me live in an apartment next year.”
“Maybe they will.” I shrugged.
She rolled her eyes. “You lived in a dorm. I’ll live in a dorm.”
“You don’t have to do everything I do.” I hung several shirts in the closet.
Just a Little Flirt Page 21
