by S. Nelson
“I’m not rushing out of here just because you want to leave.” I pulled a small mirror from my clutch and checked my face, making sure I looked okay. Snapping it closed, I put it away just as Cody walked up behind the impatient man standing next to me.
Ford blocked the end of Cody’s seat, and for a second, I didn’t think he was going to move, but when he sensed the other man approach, he took two steps to the side, allowing Cody to sit back down.
Cody opened his mouth to speak, but Ford abruptly turned around and left, his shoulders tense as he strode back toward his barstool.
“He seems pissed off,” Cody acknowledged, tipping his bottle of beer toward his lips and swallowing the remaining alcohol.
“He’s always like that.”
“So, I shouldn’t take it personally, then?”
“Well….” I laughed before finishing the sentence.
“I think he likes you.” A small smirk appeared on Cody’s face, and I couldn’t tell if he was messing with me or not.
“Trust me. He doesn’t. Not in the slightest.”
“And trust me. As a guy, I know these things.” He reached across the table, turned my hand over so my palm faced up and ran his finger over the sensitive skin. “And I don’t blame him one bit.”
Cody’s flirtation was more blatant that time, and while I should’ve been flattered, my eyes darted to Ford. The flare of his nostrils and the heave of his chest screamed he didn’t like Cody touching me.
Because we had no privacy from prying eyes, I decided it was time for us to leave. And while a part of me wanted to continue the date somewhere else, I knew Ford would never allow Cody and me to be alone, so it was pointless to suggest dragging out the night.
After Cody paid the bill, he ushered me toward the exit, his hand placed on my lower back until we walked outside, the evening air refreshing but doing nothing to tamp down the sudden heat that swirled through me. He handed his ticket to the valet, and while we waited, he pulled me away from the three other people outside, one of them being Ford. He made a move toward us but stopped when I threw my hand in the air. The motion had been behind Cody, so my date never saw what happened.
“I had a really nice time tonight. Do you think we can do it again?” I never indicated to Cody that our time together should end, but he was smart enough to pick up on the tension Ford gave off.
I nodded and smiled.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
With my affirmation, Cody stepped into my personal space and placed his fingers under my chin.
Without thinking, I blurted, “My sister asked me if I thought you were going to try the move on me.” Clamping my lips together out of mortification, I widened my eyes and leaned back.
“What move?” A deep crease formed between his eyes.
“I don’t know why I said that.”
“Now you have to tell me. What move are you talking about?” My silence gave him the time to think. “The one my character Tristan pulled on Ella? Is that the one you mean?” The amusement behind his eyes had me shaking my head.
“Forget I said anything.” I didn’t embarrass easily, but right then I prayed for the ground to open and swallow me.
“I can tell you this.” He placed his right hand on the back of my neck and stared into my eyes. “If we were alone right now, I’d attempt the move. But seeing as how we have an audience, I don’t think that’d be wise.”
“Me either,” I agreed.
“But I would like to give you a kiss goodnight, if that’s alright.”
“Of course.” I couldn’t remember the last time a guy asked if it was okay to kiss me. They’d assumed it was okay and dove in. Most times, I’d been as drunk as they were, so formalities like that weren’t even thought of, let alone spoken.
Cody’s mouth covered mine, the tip of his tongue drifting over my bottom lip. The kiss wasn’t short and sweet, but it wasn’t drawn out either. As our breaths mingled together, I couldn’t help but compare it to when Ford and I had kissed, the two occurrences worlds apart. While the kiss with Cody was good, it was nothing like the way Ford and I had connected.
Ours had been filled with passion, an animalistic need that overtook both of us, even though he’d broken away too soon and had said it’d been a mistake.
Several heartbeats later, Cody retreated, squeezing my hand before heading toward his car.
“Cultured,” I shouted, remembering the word I was at a loss for earlier.
He stopped as he reached for the door handle, frowning until he figured out why I’d shouted after him.
“I’ll take it.” He laughed, disappearing inside his car.
With a smile on my face, I swung my glance toward Ford, and the look on his face made my grin disappear.
* * *
Ford
Throughout their dinner, whenever she laughed at something he’d said or whenever they briefly touched, I wanted to storm over there and put the guy in his place. Put a damper on their date, so much so Cara would insist we leave because I’d embarrassed her. But I held back. Barely. Besides, I’d never hear the end of it, and quite frankly, Cody didn’t do anything to deserve my fury. He didn’t overstep like I envisioned he would. Damn Owen for getting in my head.
When their date was finally finished, I breathed a sigh of relief only to amp myself up again when the thought they might want to go somewhere else barreled in. But thankfully, Cara called it a night. I kept my distance when they kissed, but it was a struggle not to rush toward the bastard and kick the shit out of him for daring to put his lips on hers. And now all I wanted to do was go back home and pass out. Too many emotions to deal with left me exhausted and eager to end the evening.
I bounced between wanting to inquire if she was going to see the guy again and keeping my mouth shut. Such questions should remain unspoken, and even if my curiosity pushed its way to the forefront, there was no guarantee she’d indulge and answer me. Either way, I’d be setting myself up for unnecessary aggravation.
Switching through the radio channels, I came across a Sam Cooke classic and turned it up. “You Send Me” sounded through the speakers, and I looked to see if she was rolling her eyes or opening her mouth to complain about the choice of music.
But she was busy typing into her phone, the corners of her mouth turning up. My pulse pounded in my ear and a warmth flushed through me. Was she texting Cody already? Or was it someone else? Emily, perhaps? Was Cara going on and on about how wonderful her date was and that she couldn’t wait to see him again? Had they even discussed going out in the near future? My brain concocted all sorts of scenarios, but none of them were known, and she sure as hell wouldn’t tell me.
“Now this song I like,” she said, glancing over at me at the same time I looked at her.
“What?” It took me several seconds to compute what she’d said.
“This song. It’s Sam Cooke, right?” I nodded. “My dad used to play this all the time when we were kids. He likes this singer.” I remained silent, not knowing how to respond, or even if it was a statement worth a response.
Ten minutes into the drive back to the house, I couldn’t stand not knowing any longer. I told myself that the next time I caught her looking at me, I was going to ask her about Cody, or at the very least, whom she was texting. But she remained glued to that goddamn phone of hers.
Baffled as to why I cared so much, and why my thoughts had become consumed with Cara as of late, I tore into the driveway going a little faster than I should have.
“What the hell, Ford?” she shouted, reaching for the door handle to steady her.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, but I didn’t think she heard me before she hopped out a second after I threw the vehicle into Park.
Walking in behind her, I noticed all was quiet, several of the downstairs lights left on. I had no idea where Emily or Owen were, but her BMW was outside so they couldn’t be far. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was just shy of eleven o’clock, probably a r
ecord end to an evening for Cara.
Speaking of, where the hell did she go?
Rounding the corner, I entered the hallway, stepping into the kitchen twenty paces later. “There you are,” I blurted, shaking my head at my impulsiveness. Why was I speaking at all? My job was done for the night. I’d accompanied her. She’d been safe. And now we were home.
“Don’t worry, Ford. I won’t take off on you again. I learned my lesson. You made sure of that.” Her reminder of what I’d done came out of nowhere. “Besides, we’re home. Where would I go?” Her question was rhetorical, and even if it wasn’t, it’d be pointless for me to answer.
She opened the refrigerator door and leaned in, and I couldn’t stop myself from checking her out. The way her jeans hugged her ass made my dick twitch, and if she didn’t stop swaying her hips while she mindlessly looked for something in that damn fridge, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from getting hard.
“Ford!” Cara shouted, pulling me back from the devious images I’d concocted in my pervy brain. I hadn’t noticed she faced me until she yelled my name.
“What?”
“Were you just staring at my ass?”
“Of course not. Don’t be ridi—”
Her phone chimed with an incoming text, her attentiveness moving from me to her cell. For as much as I hated being caught ogling her, I hated it even more that she smiled when she opened her phone, mumbling something to herself as her fingers flew over the keyboard.
“Who is that?” Not only had I not meant to ask the question, but the tone in which I asked it was surly. Accusatory. Which was ill placed and certainly inappropriate. Why, then, did I not retract my question and walk out of the room?
“Nobody.”
“Is that Cody?” I stepped around the island and closed in on her. She looked up at me, clutched the device to her chest and retreated, but not fast enough. I grabbed the phone and looked at the text, realizing the entire time I was making a huge mistake.
“Give it back,” she demanded, tugging at my arm, but her efforts were useless. “Ford! Gimme back my phone. It’s none of your business.” She tried to grab her cell again, but I moved before she made contact.
Scrolling through her texts, I saw it was indeed from Cody. He told her what a great time he had. How he couldn’t wait to see her next Saturday. I tossed the device on the island before I became even more incensed.
If I didn’t get a hold of my temper, I was going to explode, and while my reaction didn’t make total sense to me, it would make even less sense to Cara. But I couldn’t stop myself, the words flying out of my mouth before my brain could stop them.
“You’re not seeing him again. I’ll make sure of it.”
Her eyes widened so big I thought they were going to pop out of her head. “Are you kidding me? You can’t stop me from seeing him. You don’t have the authority or the right,” she shouted.
“Oh, but I do.” My absurd demand that had come out of left field, had been fueled by jealousy but was justified when I remembered that Walter had told her and Emily they couldn’t date until the threat against their family ended.
“The only reason you were allowed to go on this ‘date’,” I said, using air quotes, “was because it was the direct result of the charity auction. But you’re not allowed to go on any more, with him or anyone else, until further notice. Your father will back me up wholeheartedly, seeing as how it was his idea in the first place.”
“It was your idea for us not to date,” she accused. And she was right. I’d made the suggestion, but their father was the one who enforced it.
Cara snatched her phone off the island and pushed past me, and for some reason I thought it was a good idea to trek behind her.
I should’ve kept my mouth shut and walked out the front door.
I should’ve let her cool off for the night.
And I certainly should’ve kept my distance and not followed her up the stairs, down the hall, and into her bedroom.
It was one of the biggest mistakes I’d made to date.
* * *
Cara
“I don’t know who you think you are,” I shouted over my shoulder as I crossed the threshold of my bedroom. “You can’t throw your weight around and forbid me from doing anything. You’re not my father.”
I heard Ford walking behind me, or should I say stomping behind me, his anger billowing off him and choking me. What I couldn’t understand was why he was so angry.
I spun on my heel only to knock right into him, he was that close to me.
“All it’ll take is one phone call from me. Then you can expect one from your father. Plain and simple.”
“Oh my God!” I tugged at the strands of my hair in frustration and disbelief. After my outburst, we stood toe to toe, quite literally, and stared at each other. It was the first time his gorgeous eyes hadn’t distracted me. “You need to leave.” I threw my hands on my hips and challenged him.
“No.” He refused to budge a single inch.
“No?”
He shook his head and arched his left brow. If ever a look was condescending, it was the one he threw me right then.
Infuriated beyond belief, I trudged toward my bathroom and just as I attempted to close myself off from him, he appeared, his hand the barrier stopping the door from shutting.
“What are you doing?” My bathroom was big but suddenly felt tiny, his presence domineering and stifling. My breath hiccupped in my chest while the ache that bloomed between my thighs, the one that had been on a low simmer since the day I laid eyes on Ford, intensified. My conflicting reactions were just that… conflicting.
Unreasonable.
Confusing.
He moved farther into the room, essentially backing me against the vanity. I had nowhere to run, and I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to. My thoughts became jumbled, and as words formed on my tongue, I choked on them, never giving them life.
Ford reached out and put his fingers under my chin, the same way Cody had done earlier, but the look in his eyes was different than what had been in Cody’s. Ford’s was predatory. Full of want, and that wasn’t me reading into something that wasn’t present.
“What are you doing?” I breathlessly repeated, not daring to make a move for fear I’d break whatever this was happening between us.
He rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip. “I hate that he kissed you,” he admitted, licking his lips while his eyes pinged from mine to my mouth and back again. Over and over. “I wanted to beat the shit out of him for touching you.” Ford’s free hand squeezed my waist before pulling me impossibly close. “I hate when anyone touches you because I can’t.” I had no idea what he was talking about because he was touching me now.
“Wha—” The air left my lungs before I could finish speaking. His breath mingled with mine as his mouth descended, his eyes searching mine, waiting for me to tell him to stop. But I refused to speak those words. The memory of our last kiss consumed me often, and I wasn’t about to ruin another one, needing to see how long our connection would last before he backed away, claiming it was yet another mistake. Even though the possibility of his denial was imminent, I threw caution to the wind and engaged, leaning up on my tiptoes and snaking my hands behind his head, brushing my chest against him.
Our kiss turned into a frenzied one, each of us trying to savor the taste of the other, our tongues dueling while our lips suckled, and our teeth nibbled. My constant ache exploded and traveled up my body, the need to be ravished by Ford uncontrollable.
He broke from my mouth and sucked my earlobe into his mouth, his warm breath fanning my neck and driving me crazy. Goose bumps broke out all over my body, and I shivered with the intensity of my passion for this man.
It drove me crazy.
It scared me.
“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, running his tongue up the side of my neck before first kissing my jaw, then the corner of my mouth. “Tell me to leave.” He placed his hands on my face and pulled back so he could l
ook into my eyes. “Cara, tell me to go,” he pleaded, his breathing choppy and ragged. His bottom lip disappeared between his teeth while he waited for me to tell him to stop. To leave. To go.
But I would never utter such a stupid request no matter how much he wanted me to.
I leaned back into him and attacked him with an intensity I didn’t even know existed within me. Gone were the memories of all the fights we had. All the times he’d overstepped and all the times I’d been rude to him. Gone were the feelings of him judging me and me lashing out at him in response. In defense. Gone was the fear he’d leave before I got the chance to explore my lust for him.
Everything faded away, leaving only the desire to give in and chase the attraction that pulsed heavily between us.
Without a word, Ford grabbed my waist and hoisted me on top of the vanity, spreading my legs so he could fit in between, the heat from his body overwhelming. Before every touch, he silently asked for permission. He arched a brow before drawing my shirt up my body and over my head. Before he unbuckled my belt, he tilted his head, his fingers resting on the metal before working it free. Before he removed my jeans, he narrowed his eyes, proceeding when my head slanted downward.
While I sat there in only my bra and panties, I felt more exposed than I ever had before, and it had everything to do with Ford still being fully dressed. My fingers played with his top button before moving to the second, then the third. When the sides of his shirt fell open, I ran my hand over his warm flesh, starting at his waist and moving up. His muscles twitched when my nails trailed over him, but he stiffened when I drifted over the scar on his lower right side.
Ford moved my hand upward and away from his healed wound, all with a slight shake of his head and a resolute expression. I never spoke as I continued to explore, the silence heightening the experience. He made the sexiest noises as my hands traveled over him, pushing his shirt from his body when I reached his shoulders. He stood before me, shirtless and glorious. I’d seen his body several times before, but not like this. Not when I was able to touch him, be this close to him. Not when I’d been able to inhale his scent while looking deep into his piercing, different-colored eyes.
