by MK Meredith
He had no idea if she’d ever been to the movies before, but this was better than any theater he’d ever been to.
Bel caught his eye over her head. He mouthed the words thank you, and she responded with an easy shrug.
By the end of the movie, Cleo had opened up about a boy at school she had a crush on, the teacher she thought had the coolest clothes, and that science was her favorite class.
Bel had such a gentle way of coaxing the information out.
She was genuine, sincere. There was no pretense about her.
“Can I come again some time, Miss Bel?” Cleo popped up onto her knees with a hopeful expression.
The woman he couldn’t get out of his mind tilted her head to the side as if in consideration.
“Well, I think I’d be super sad if you didn’t. We’re friends now, don’t you think?”
Cleo nodded, her hair falling in her face. She tucked it behind her ears with sticky fingers, and a few strands pulled back out as she dropped her hands to her lap.
“It’s almost time to go, Clee. We have to get you home in time for bed. School day tomorrow.”
The look of disappointment killed him, but she didn’t argue.
That was worse. She was resigned to her fate. A fate she’d never asked for.
Picking up candy wrappers, Cleo seemed to be thinking hard about something. “Uncle Jimmy, you really like Miss Bel.”
“I do.” The answer was out of his mouth before really thinking about it.
“And Miss Bel, you really like my Uncle Jimmy, right? I mean you were at his house; you like his photographs.”
Bel looked at the child out of the corner of her eyes. “Yes, I do.”
“Good! You should get married then. You both already said I do!” Her giggle echoed against the night sky as she clearly thought she was hilarious.
Jimmy winced at how close she’d come to his own musings. A quick glance at Bel confirmed his fear.
Her cheeks were pink, and she busied herself righting the pillows then folding the picnic blanket.
“Okay, okay, kiddo. Clearly, you’re drunk on candy. Say thank you so I can get you home.”
She frowned and scuffed a foot against the grass carpet but did as she was told.
“Thank you, Miss Bel. This was the best.”
“My pleasure, sweetie.” Bel squatted in front of her. “And I meant what I said. We’re friends now. If you ever need me, I’m here. Okay?”
A decisive nod confirmed agreement, then Cleo threw her arms around Bel’s neck.
She held the little girl, giving him a watery smile that went straight to his heart. There was no explaining the appreciation he had for the impromptu movie night. His niece didn’t get special things like that. At least not with her own mother.
He tried to do fun things with her, but there were only so many motorcycle shows she could handle.
“Let’s go, Clee.”
“Okay, okay…” As they moved to step through the door to the stairwell, Cleo swung back around. “You should think about it, Miss Bel.”
“Think about what?”
“Marrying Uncle Jimmy. He needs someone to take care of him.”
Jimmy guffawed. “What the hell, Clee? Get outta here.” The last thing he needed was Bel worrying about him trying to tie her down with marriage. Especially since the thought had crossed his mind once or twice, but not necessarily for the right reasons.
He watched Cleo’s shiny curls bounce as she hopped down the stairs.
Except if it was for his niece, there was no bad reason.
CHAPTER 14
Bel stared out her window over the trees and off to the blue waters of the Pacific, counting her blessings for bringing her to such a wonderful place. She loved Malibu, her apartment, her work—as a matter of fact, her meeting with the psychology department that morning had gone much better than she’d expected.
Of course, her happiness had everything to do with her circumstances and not the larger-than-life man who had steadily wound his sweet, chivalrous soul and strong muscles around her helpless heart.
There was nothing more touching than seeing him sing along to the musical Cleo had picked out for the movie. She couldn’t remember a movie she’d enjoyed more.
Her phone buzzed.
As she swiped through to her messages, her grin grew wide, and her heart filled.
Cleo had been taking advantage of their new friendship and texting non-stop. Bel couldn’t remember having more fun conversations. Her little friend was bright and witty, and she couldn’t get enough. It always humbled her how some people rose above life’s challenges with such strength.
Slipping her phone into her pocket, she closed the lid on a container full of steak skewers, then slid it into her insulated backpack. A giddy rush of excitement spread through her as she headed out the door to meet Jimmy.
She tried to put Cleo’s teasing about marriage out of her mind, but it kept niggling at her how quickly Jimmy tried to change the subject. Of course, he’d been caught off guard as much as she’d been. The idea was completely ridiculous.
She stepped out of her building and spotted him. With his hip hitched up on his motorcycle seat and his legs crossed at the ankles, he looked sexier than ever before.
She sighed appreciatively as she drank him in. His biceps bulged, making the tattooed waves look more like those at Mavericks near Half Moon Bay, and the mischievous grin he flashed her way had butterflies erupting in her belly…again. Would she ever get used to being around this man? In his presence, she constantly felt like a sex-starved woman.
She raised to her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Good morning.”
Jimmy yanked her to his chest and dove into a kiss way too hot for the dry hills of California. Her body responded to his taste, and for a split second, she considered ditching her whole idea of surprising him with a picnic and having her way with him up in her apartment.
When they came up for air, she asked, “What was that for?”
“There doesn't have to be a reason for me to want to kiss you, Bel.” His voice was low and gritty with desire, a sound that alerted her body to the potential of more pleasure.
She gripped his arms, testing the firmness of the meat beneath her fingertips. “I like the way you think.”
Gathering her hips against his own, he pressed his arousal against her lower abdomen. “There is no question that I like the way you taste and look and—”
On a high she’d never felt before, she slammed her lips against his before he could finish his sentence, making a few demands herself with her tongue. When his eyes were hooded and glazed over with passion, she drew back and gave him a playful tap against his cheek. “Don't just stand there, Mr. Callahan. We have places to be.”
He cleared his throat and pinned her with a narrowed gaze. “You’re playing games with the master, Miss Cutler. If you're not careful, you're going to lose.”
She laughed as he handed her a helmet. “Lose? If losing ends up with you and me naked, I can’t wait to be the biggest loser in history.”
With an appreciative grin, he took the bag from her with a grunt. “Jesus, Bel. What do you have in here?”
“It's a surprise.” She winked as he tied it to the back of his bike.
They both climbed on, and she wrapped her arms firmly about his waist.
“Where to, professor?”
“Escondido Falls.”
Jimmy revved the engine, and the bike sprung to life beneath her, matching her own excitement. He spoke to her through the helmet headsets. “Escondido Falls, huh? I think you've got the hiking bug. I wonder what could have caused that?”
The chuckle that followed left her heart pitter-pattering from the memories. “Just drive,” she answered.
The trip was a beautiful winding path into the hills. The rugged landscape raced by, and the vibrations of the bike lulled her into an unexpected comfort. With her chest pressed to Jimmy's back, she felt warm and content and safe. A
ll the things she yearned for just like everyone else.
Also, everything she feared growing accustomed to. That kind of expectation was dangerous.
With their destination coming into view, she tapped his arm and pointed to where she wanted him to stop. She was almost sad the ride was over until it hit her that the ride was never really over.
Not when she was with Jimmy Callahan.
He’d found his way right into her heart, and whether it terrified her or not, she didn't see how she'd survive if he found his way out. That was the worst thing of all when it came to falling in love.
Such an insidious addiction.
“Where’d you go?” He had his hand out, waiting for her helmet, but she was still sitting on the bike, staring at the now empty seat in front of her. With a few blinks, she yanked herself from her thoughts and lifted the helmet from her head.
“So, what are we doing here?” he asked.
Bel grabbed the backpack and slid it onto her shoulders.
“Give it here, I’ll carry it,” Jimmy said.
She raised her brows at him. “So can I. Besides this surprise is for you.”
“For me?” For a moment he looked completely shocked, and it turned her inside out.
“Yes. A surprise. You know what those are, don’t you?”
He rubbed a hand across his chest with a small nod. “Yes, I'm aware, smartass.” Scuffing his boot against the ground, he said, “But it's not something that’s usually done for me. Ever…been done…for me.”
Her heart squeezed at the thought of him as a young boy. Any young man who’d never had something as simple as a picnic planned for him—or an impromptu movie for that matter—hadn’t ever truly felt loved. The fear of letting him down struck quick, and she threw a hand out. “Don't get too excited. This isn't a huge surprise…just something simple and fun. A way to say, thank you.”
He raised a brow. “Like the other night with the movie and popcorn for Cleo?”
She shrugged. “She needed to be a kid. It was something I liked to do with my dad and Gage. No big deal.”
“A very big deal.”
Her chest flushed under his praise.
She directed him toward the path and took the lead. “This way.”
“So, we're hiking?”
She winked over her shoulder with a nod. “Looks that way.”
“Smartass,” he repeated in a low grumble under his breath.
“I love it up here. My dad used to bring Gage and me after our mom left.” The thought of her mother settled heavy in her heart, but she pushed it away with practice.
“The sound of the falls, the hints of green dotting the terrain, life pushing its way through the hard rocks and dirt. This is where warriors meet.” She shook her head at the whimsical thought. “At least that's what I always thought as a little girl.”
“Warriors, huh?”
There was no mistaking the humor in his voice.
Giving him a narrowed look, she said, “I wouldn’t test me. I’m tougher than I look.”
“No argument there.” He swatted her butt.
With a yelp, she swung around. “Hey!” But she couldn’t help the laughter or the lightness that flowed out of her.
“I brought us a picnic.” She turned and walked backward for a moment. “When you took me into the hills on the hike that ended at the natural spring pool? It reminded me of this place and that I haven't been back in a couple of years.”
She looked around at the foliage and the path worn down by hundreds of other people seeking an outlet to fuel their happiness.
“Shame to have missed this beautiful place.” Jimmy fell into step next to her and took her hand. The gesture was one of the most romantic things anyone had ever done.
She shook her head.
“What…you don't want to hold my hand?”
She immediately sent him a look of shock. “Of course not. That's not what I'm thinking at all. I'm pleasantly surprised. It's a very sweet gesture coming from my giant of a man covered in tattoos who rides a motorcycle, and if I am guessing correctly, has spent more than one night in jail. You’re an anomaly. And I’m touched.”
He stared at her as if he wanted to bare his soul.
For a split second, she was afraid he would…as much as she was afraid he wouldn't.
“And what, a big rough man doesn't want to hold the hand of a beautiful woman that he cares about?”
She led the way up a few rocks conveniently placed by Mother Nature like stairs and weaved around a scraggly bush that threatened to catch her in the face.
“So, you do care.”
The snort that Jimmy released made her turn around, and she suddenly found herself swept up into his arms with his mouth on hers.
It was a delicious moment.
Nothing but the gentle twitter of a few birds and the burst of flavor from his mouth. His hand found her breast for a gentle squeeze, and a moan slipped from her lips before she could stop it.
The sound must have gone right to his head because he squeezed her tighter, deepening the kiss. Then with a low groan of his own, he pulled back. “Too much of that, sweetheart, and we're not gonna get very far. And you’re right. I am your giant of a man.”
As far as she was concerned, it had already been too long since she’d felt his weight atop her and the heat of him deep inside. Grabbing his hand, she yanked him up the path, over some rocks, up through a few bushes, and over another hill.
“Bel, hold on. I thought on a hike, we were supposed to take in the surroundings. You know, soak in it all and enjoy yourself.”
She threw him a we’re about to have fun smirk. No man had ever brought such carefree and playful moods out of her. “And I plan on soaking up every second.” She ducked into a secluded little cave in the side of the rock of a dried-up waterfall. Then, slinking her arms around his broad shoulders, she whispered, “Wrapped around you.”
The joy in Jimmy’s chest almost brought him to his knees.
Or maybe it was the fine ass pinning him to the cold cave wall. In that moment, he wouldn’t have cared if it were a bed of nails. He’d do anything to keep her right there.
With him.
No one had ever made him feel so cared for, like he mattered. He could get used to it.
The way Bel operated left him unbalanced.
He didn’t deserve her, but damned if he didn’t want to.
Sliding his fingers into her hair, he let the heat of her seep into his fingers as he massaged her scalp. She tasted of fruit and spice and everything he’d ever dreamed of.
“God, woman.”
“I need you, Jimmy.”
There was something in her voice, fear, desperation. Neither of those emotions made sense coming from her. She was the strongest woman he’d ever met and the last person who he’d ever think would suffer from feelings of desperation. But whatever it was, he wanted to soothe her, to care for her and show her how much she truly mattered.
“I’m right here. Always here.” He crushed his mouth against hers, lifting her up and holding her tight. He lowered to an edge cut in the side of the rock wall, moving her to stand between his legs.
Easing back, he tugged her arms down to her sides. “Don’t move.”
With a look of curiosity, she did as she was told. He loved her adventurous side. A side he’d wager she never knew existed.
He trailed his fingers up the bare skin of her arm until he reached the short capped sleeve of her button up. Tracing the horizontal stripes in the fabric, he ran his finger across her chest to the buttons, grinning as she shivered.
One button, then two, revealed the red weaved pattern of her bra underneath.
“Fuck meeee,” he breathed.
“Yes, please.” The look in her eyes was pure invitation.
His bark of laughter echoed off the walls. “You never cease to amaze me.”
“Amaze, me, Jimmy.” She kept her hands at her sides, leaving herself open and willing to his touch, his
gaze, his whim.
He left her shirt hanging open, delighted to find her bra had a front closure. With a few moves of his fingers, the material released and sprung back from her pert breasts. Her nipples begged to be savored, but first he wanted to look at her, feel her beneath his fingertips.
So, he did just that, enjoying the silk of her skin, the ridged peaks of her desire.
Her breathing grew shallow and rapid. “Jimmy…”
He drew his fingers down to her cargo shorts. With a snap and a zip, he was pushing them over her lean hips to reveal a matching pair of red panties. As sexy as they were, they had to go, too.
No doubt, her lingerie made his mouth water, but now he was ready to feast.
On a groan, he took a nipple into his mouth as he kneaded the sweet flesh of her ass. Feeling her in his hands, against his skin, her scent, her weight…she was his greatest adventure of all.
Her hands fluttered at her sides. “Jimmy.” Her voice begged him for more.
“Don’t move. This is all mine.”
“I can’t—”
“You can,” he commanded.
Holding her by the hips, he slid his tongue down her abdomen and swirled her navel. After he’d explored her dips and planes, he bit her hip gently, following with a lick of his tongue.
Her shiver was his greatest reward.
Pushing her shorts and panties down, he said, “Lift your leg.” He directed it to the ledge next to him, leaving her open for him.
With the lightest touch, he slid the pads of his fingers along her folds. She was slick with heat and wanting.
“Oh my God.”
“There you go again.” He chuckled.
He dipped his head, taking his fill of her unique flavor. He suckled and laved at her clit, loving how her body trembled under his tongue and hands.
His own body strained with the urgency of release, but this…this was all about Bel.
She may have wanted to give him a surprise, but he had a few of his own in mind.
“Hold on to my shoulders.”
She did, leaning into him and tilting her hips.
With one hand stabilizing her, he caressed her with his mouth, then slid two fingers into her with slow pressure. Her body squeezed against his fingers, and his damn cock almost exploded with jealousy right then and there.
