One Call Away

by Emily Goodwin

  My breath hitches and I let my head fall forward, resting against hers. My heart is racing, and every nerve in my body is alive. I’m fucking Sierra hard, and it feels so damn good. But it’s more than a physical connection, and I’ve never felt that before.

  “Chase,” she pants, shuddering from an overload of pleasure. A guttural groan leaves my throat and I come hard, pushing my cock in deep and holding it there, buried inside her. Panting, I rest my head against hers, holding myself up with my elbows. Sierra’s breasts rapidly rise and fall and she brings her hands up to my hair. I kiss her gently before I slide out, and then rest by her side on the couch, spooning my body around hers.

  Sierra puts her hand over mine, and neither of us speak for a moment. I brush her hair aside and kiss her neck.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, so remotely far from anything I’ve ever said after sex before. Physically, I know Sierra enjoyed it; she came multiple times. But emotionally…that’s a different story and a whole new world of concern for me. What the hell is happening? It’s strange, but I like it. I like her.

  “Yes,” she whispers back, knowing what I’m asking about. “I’m better than okay.”

  15

  Sierra

  I stand in front of my dresser, close my eyes, and grab the pull. My fingers tremble and my heart aches distantly in the background. The drawer sticks like it always has, but this time it takes a little extra yank since it hasn’t been opened in so long.

  Not able to look just yet, I blindly reach inside, feeling around for the pair of cotton pajama pants hidden beneath old T-shirts. The tag pokes the flesh under my fingernail, and I know I have the right thing. I grab it, keeping my eyes up, and go into the living room where Chase is waiting.

  “You can wear these,” I tell him, extending the folded pajama pants.

  “Are you sure?” he asks softly, fingers sweeping my wrist as he takes the pants from me. “I can stay in this if it’s—”

  “No, you’re soaked from the pool. You need to change.”

  He gives me a cheeky grin. “I can get naked.”

  The heartache quiets and I smile back. “I approve of that idea.”

  “Really though…it’s okay?”

  I nod and having him care this much helps. “Yes. Jake never wore them, actually. I do a lot of online shopping since, you know, Summer Hill isn’t exactly filled with tons of stores, and these didn’t arrive until after he died. The tag is still on. You’ll have to pull it off.”

  Chase’s eyebrows push together, and I know he’s struggling to find the right thing to say. I don’t even know what I want to hear. Six months after Jake died, my mom, Lisa, and Samantha came over to help me get rid of the rest of Jake’s things. I got mad, screamed at them, and even threw a coffee mug at the wall. Having his things here made it feel like he was going to come home. I could close my eyes at night, after looking in on the open closet and see his things hanging up and pretend he was still away at school.

  That he was still alive.

  They told me I needed to get rid of his things so I could move on. I kept his favorite shirt, his Dallas Cowboys hoodie that I wore more than he did…and those stupid pants.

  “What’s with the cats?” he asks, looking down at the black pants, with multi-colored cats wearing party hats printed all over.

  “It was a joke. He always called me a crazy cat-lady.”

  Chase just nods then goes into the bathroom to change out of his wet clothes. I shake my head at myself and sink down onto the couch. Tinkerbell jumps up into my lap, immediately purring.

  “I make everything awkward,” I tell the tabby. “Should I not talk about Jake? He was part of my life, and it’s not like he’s an ex.” I sigh, rolling my eyes. “Fuck.”

  The bathroom door opens, and a few seconds later, Chase comes back into the living room. I was afraid I’d get hit with sadness when I looked at the pants that were meant for another, but right now, my attention goes to the perfect “V” of muscles on his torso and the bulge from his cock moving slightly with each step.

  I want Chase. I want to move forward with him. I want to have sex with him again because the sex we had just an hour ago was amazing.

  Dolly dashes in front of Chase, darting between his feet. Chase comes to a sudden halt so he won’t step on the cat, and to my surprise, she rubs on him. Chase reaches down and she leans into his touch.

  “That cat hates life,” I say, blinking rapidly to make sure I’m seeing things right. “I can hardly pet her half the time.”

  Chase picks up Dolly—and she’s fucking purring, that traitor. “No pussy can resist me.”

  I laugh, finding him all the more attractive. There’s something hot about a guy who can make you scream in bed and make you laugh.

  Dolly growls a second later, and Chase sets her down. “She’s a weird cat.”

  “She is. At least she’s pretty.”

  Chase sits next to me on the couch, slipping his arm around me. “I need a new book to read.”

  “Oh, right. You do. And I have one for you. It’s a romance set in the zombie apocalypse.”

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “It is. It’s a four-book series, and each book is pretty long. I’m a sucker for long books. I love the way a big, thick spine feels in my hands,” I say coyly, narrowing my eyes before smiling.

  “I never thought it was possible to get turned on hearing someone talk about a book before.”

  “Speaking of big, thick things…” I run my hand over Chase’s chest and onto his abs, feeling every ridge of muscle beneath my fingers. Chase closes his eyes and leans in, kissing me. Feeling his lips against mine not only turns me on but also makes me happy. Ridiculously happy. I have to stop kissing him because I’m smiling.

  “What?” Chase whispers.

  “Nothing,” I whisper back, wrapping my arms around him so my hands are in his hair. “I just haven’t felt like this in a long time.”

  Chase runs his hands down my back and pulls me tight against his chest. “I’ve never felt like this.” Still holding me, he lays down on the couch, bringing me with so I’m on top of him. I get comfortable, resting my head on his chest. Chase presses a kiss to my forehead. “I don’t know what you’re doing to me, Sierra, but I don’t want you to stop.”

  “I don’t want to either.”

  Chase squeezes me in a tight hug, kisses me again, and then falls silent, running his hand up and down my arm. Tinkerbell jumps up, purring loudly, and settles on the pillow above us, kneading her paws into Chase’s hair. We both laugh, and I reach up, petting the big cat.

  “Do you go to church?” Chase asks.

  “Sometimes, why?”

  “My niece is in some choir thing and wants me to watch her tomorrow. I’m not a church person. Too many rules and stipulations.”

  “You’re in the wrong state,” I joke. “I was brought up going to church. Sundays are ‘family days,’ and if I’m not in church, I get the disappointed glares from my parents and grandma during dinner. We all go over to my parents for dinner pretty much every Sunday. And by ‘we all’ I mean everyone.”

  “Do you have a big family?”

  “Maybe? I’m not sure what’s normal or not. My mom’s family is on the small side, I’d say, but they’re all up east so we rarely see them. My dad has two sisters and they both have kids, so I have five cousins.”

  “That’s a lot.”

  “Is it? And my sister has three kids—two girls and a boy—and then two of my cousins have kids, and another is pregnant right now. My cousins from my dad’s older sister are a lot older than me, like nearly ten years older and live like an hour away. I don’t see them very often. Lisa and I are the youngest.”

  “You two have always been close then, right?”

  I nod. “My aunt—her mom—and my mom are good friends. And Lisa’s older sister and my sister are friends. That’s just how it is around here.”

  “You said you have a brother that lives in Orlando, right
?”

  “Yeah,” I say, not remembering talking about Scott. “When did I say that?”

  The tiniest bit of panic flashes across Chase’s face for just a millisecond. “The other night.”

  “Oh, right. And yeah, he’s one of the few Belmonts who got out alive.”

  Chase laughs. “Why’d he move?”

  “The farm life wasn’t his thing, and he got an engineering job with Disney. He works on building rides and attractions.”

  “That’s pretty damn cool.”

  “I know! We used to give him hell every holiday to share all the Disney secrets with us, but he never did.”

  “I’ve never been to Disney World.”

  “We’ve been quite a few times. I love it. Though the last time I went…” I shake my head. The last time I went was Scott’s idea, thinking it would be good for me to get out of Summer Hill and into ‘the real world’ as he put it. I spent a long weekend with him and his then-girlfriend, ping-ponging between emotions. I’d enjoy a ride only to get off and immediately break down crying.

  “Maybe I’ll take you someday,” Chase says, pushing a loose strand of hair back and tucking it into my messy braid. “And you can show me around since you’re an expert.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “And if you wear your Minnie dress again, I’ll dress up like Mickey,” he says with a smile.

  “You have no idea how much I’d love that. You don’t happen to have a tight, red V-neck shirt, brown leggings, tall boots, and mustard-yellow leather gloves, do you?”

  “Shit, I did, but I left them behind when I moved. I knew I should have kept them. The gloves were well broken-in at this point too. Whose costume is that?”

  “Gaston, the bad guy in Beauty and the Beast.”

  “You want me to be the bad guy?”

  “Fictional villains can be rather sexy.” I laugh, bringing my face down to Chase’s. “I’ll go with you.”

  “I’d like that. But where are we going?”

  “Church, to watch your niece in the children’s choir. One of my nieces is in it too. Maybe they know—”

  Chase kisses me, and my heart skips a beat. “Sorry. I’m failing at resisting you.”

  I keep my face close to his so that our noses are touching. “I don’t mind that one bit.”

  “What do you wear to church?”

  “Most people our age dress rather casual now,” I explain. “The older crowd still puts on ‘church clothes,’ and I usually wear a dress. But I wear dresses because they’re comfortable. You could get away with nice jeans and a button-up shirt. If you want to be safe, wear dress pants with that shirt. No tie needed.”

  “Sounds good. I’m not a morning person.”

  “I’m not either. If we each set an alarm, we’ll be safe.”

  “I’m going to be tempted to hit snooze and stay in bed with you.”

  I groan, feeling heat spread inside me. “I can be easily swayed, you know.”

  “Nothing about you is easy, Sierra. And I like that.”

  I rest my head on his chest again, listening to his slow, steady heartbeat.

  “Are you tired?” he asks.

  “I should be, but I’m not. You?”

  “Same. Even if I was, I’d stay up.”

  I close my eyes, feeling my heart swell in my chest. Chase is everything I ever wanted in a man, even before Jake. The things he says, the unapologetic way he lets me know how I make him feel, the way he’s honest with me, his patience and understanding of my harrowed past, how he makes me laugh…

  “I think I hear the chupacabras in the distance,” he murmurs.

  “I do too.” I sit up, turning to the window. “Sounds like they got a kill. We can go onto the screened-in porch for a better listen if you’d like.”

  “I would.”

  We move to the back porch, and Chase takes my hand, listening to the coyotes yip and howl for several minutes before moving on, and the chorus of crickets and katydids envelope us in the night.

  “It’s so loud yet so relaxing.” Chase turns his gaze from the dark yard to me.

  “I love it. I missed it so much when I was at college I’d play those relaxation soundtracks at night so I could sleep.”

  “If I was used to it, I’d miss it too.”

  I bite my lip, staring into Chase’s eyes. His words echo in my mind, about how he never stays in one place for a long enough time for it to feel like home, and I’m hit with a sudden desperation for him to stay. I hesitate, scared he doesn’t feel as strongly as I do in this moment. I close my eyes, inhale, and slowly let my breath out.

  Three…two…one…

  “Maybe you will get used to it.”

  He steps in, angling his body to mine, and rests his hands on my waist. I hook mine over his shoulders.

  “Maybe I will.” He rests his forehead against mine, and everything stands still. He gently kisses me, then breaks away, takes a fistful of my hair and pulls it to the side, moving my head over and exposing my neck right where I like to be kissed. He bites and sucks at my flesh, and a shiver travels through me. I bring my hands down to his hips and he takes them both, bringing them behind my back. Holding my hands hostage with one of his, he plunges the other hand inside my shorts, deft fingers sweeping across my hot center.

  I moan, wriggling against him, and try to free my hands. His grip tightens, and he puts his lips back to my mouth, kissing me like his life depends on it. He rubs my clit and my breath hitches as desire winds tighter and tighter inside me. Unable to move my hands and touch him, my need for a release doubles and I’m panting, desperate for more.

  Chase circles my clit with his finger before pushing it inside me, making me gasp. He presses against my inner walls again and again, then moves his fingers back to my sensitive clit, making my knees weak. I’m getting wetter by the second, and when my muscles start to contract, Chase releases my hands. I grab onto his shoulders, keeping myself upright as the orgasm runs through me.

  Chase doesn’t let up, and it’s almost too much to handle. He hooks his free arm around me, keeping me from falling to the floor. I loudly moan and curl my fingers into his bare flesh, legs trembling. Not giving me a moment to catch my breath, he closes the distance between us, and his hard cock presses into my belly. I groan again, still feeling the effects of the orgasm running rampant in my body.

  His arms go around me and he lifts me up, carrying me back a few paces and setting me down next to the hammock.

  “Take your pants off,” he instructs, voice deep and full of lust.

  My fingers tremble and I look right into Chase’s eyes as I pull down my fabric shorts. I’m not wearing underwear, but Chase already found that out when he finger-fucked me. Still, the sight seems to take him by surprise and I think he’s going to lay me down and have his way with me right now.

  Instead, he has me sit on the edge of the hammock and he drops to his knees, putting my legs over his shoulders.

  “Lay back,” he orders, and my heart starts hammering away the moment I do. The hammock swings forward, bringing my core to Chase’s face. His tongue lashes against me and I cry out. Twisting the ropes of the hammock in my hands, I lift my head and watch Chase. Minutes later, I toss my head back as I come again, so hard it makes my vision blackout.

  This time, Chase settles next to me, gently stroking the inside of my thigh until my heart stops racing and I can breathe again. I twist in the hammock and kiss him. We’re laying sideways on the hammock, with our legs dangling over the edge. I slide my hand down Chase’s stomach, pushing the elastic band of the pajama pants out of the way. I pump his cock in my hand a few times before I move over, straddling him.

  Chase keeps his feet planted on the ground and his hands on my waist to steady me as I position his cock under me. We lock eyes as I move down, pushing his hardness into me. Chase lets out a moan, which turns me on all over again. He slides a hand up under my T-shirt, thumb circling my nipple.

  I lean forward onto him, tryi
ng to fuck him but not flip us over in the hammock at the same time. My movements are more of a grind than a thrust, but I don’t think Chase minds. His breathing quickens and suddenly he picks me up and moves us to the ground, where he lays over top of me and drives his cock in and out of me hard and fast until he comes.

  His head drops against mine. Both panting, we lay there for a minute trying to catch our breath. My wind chimes ring out around us as a cool breeze blows through the night.

  “That was fun,” I pant, curling my legs up and giving his ass a squeeze.

  “I’d do it again.” He gives me a cheeky grin and gets up, grabbing my shorts and tossing them to me. I clean myself up the best I can before I stand. We go inside and into my bedroom. Chase sits on the bed while I use the bathroom, emerging in a new pair of pajamas.

  “Now I’m tired,” I say, sitting on the bed next to him.

  “Me too.”

  “So,” he starts, putting his arm around me. “I came inside you. Twice.”

  “Oh, yeah. Um…” I stopped taking birth control after Jake died. There was no point. I’ve never had a regular cycle, and keeping track of when my period is due has fallen to the wayside with everything else going on. But I do know it’s been at least three weeks. I should get it soon. Fuck. I hope so. “I don’t have anything. And the chances or getting pregnant are against us, right?”

  Chase gives a grim nod then shrugs. “I don’t think I have anything either. And probably. Just, uh, let me know. I don’t usually do that. There’s something about you that makes me lose control.”

  I look at Chase, the man who just fucked me senseless minutes ago, and feel shy. Do I need to ask him to stay the night? Is it a given? We talked about getting up and going to church together, which implies going to sleep and waking up together, right?

  “We can go to bed,” Chase says slowly as if he’s reading my mind.

  “Do you mind if I shower first?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Okay, and I have an extra toothbrush if you need it. I’ll leave it out on the sink. The shower and toilet have their own room in the bathroom, so you can come in and brush your teeth.”