by Ivy Jordan
“Thank you, Cade. I've enjoyed tonight, too.”
I reach over and grab the arm of the chair she’s sitting in to pull her chair closer to me. She laughs that mesmerizing laugh of hers as I do. When she right next to me, I lean in, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her laughter fades, and our eyes lock. Cupping her chin in my hand, I move in, brushing my lips over hers as her eyes flutter closed. It's whisper soft to start, but I can feel the flame start to burn as she kisses me back. I feel her tongue dart out across my bottom lip, and I give her the access she seeks.
When we pull apart, the air is charged around us, and I say exactly what's on my mind.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since you sat next to me at the bar. And, I’ve wanted to take you to bed since the moment you smiled at me, but I don't want you to think I'm just being a horny dude.”
“I don't think you're just a horny dude,” she whispers.
I push back from the table and flick off the heater before grabbing her hands and pulling her out of her chair. I lift her easily, my hands on the back of her thighs and her legs wrapped around me.
“Tell me no,” I say to her.
Instead, she says exactly what I want to hear.
“Yes.”
Chapter Eight
Serena
A thrill shoots through me when Cade makes his admission, and when he lifts me up, the feeling only intensifies. I surprise myself when I say yes. I've never slept with a man I've just met, never had a casual fling or one-night stand.
There is something about this man, though, a tenderness in his eyes that shines with the genuine admiration in his words mixed with some sort of sadness he doesn't explain. I want him, even if only for one night before I go back to my reality tomorrow.
He kisses me under the moonlight, and I squeeze myself to him a little tighter. He carries me inside and sets me down just inside the door.
“Are you still sure?” he asks. I can only nod – my mouth has gone dry and words completely fail me. He takes my hand and makes for the stairs where I wordlessly follow.
When we enter his bedroom, the only thing I see is the ginormous, plush bed dominating the room. “That’s a big bed,” I say to him.
He chuckles. “I’m a big boy.”
Immediately, my eyes drop down to the crotch of his pants and then back up to his face, where he just watches me. There is silence for a minute where neither of us moves, and then Cade is advancing on me. His lips find mine, and he moves us closer to the bed, stopping when my backside bumps the mattress.
His hands move down my arms and to my hips before running up my sides, fingertips just grazing my breasts. His kisses move to my neck and my hand slides to his belt. I tug it loose and pull his shirt free, slipping a hand up his stomach to a rock hard chest. Cade pulls back and reaches behind him, pulling his shirt off in one swift motion.
“Jesus,” I swoon. The man is incredibly built, with wide shoulders, arms that look like they were sculpted from marble, and the abs. Holy hell. I count eight leading to the best V-shaped cut of a man’s hip bones I’ve ever laid eyes on. He stands there with a sexy smirk.
“See something you like?” he teases.
“Mm-hmm. But I’m going to need to see more to be sure. You know, for scientific reasons.”
He laughs. “Let’s see what we can do about that,” he says huskily. He pulls me close again and carefully unbuttons the buttons to the silky blouse I had chosen to wear. He pushes it off my shoulders and takes care to put it aside, instead of dropping it to the floor. Cade pushes his jeans down to his ankles to step out of them, kicking them away and leaving him in only black boxer briefs that leave almost nothing to my imagination.
He makes quick work of my bra next, tossing it aside. His head dips to capture a nipple in his mouth, and my head falls back. “Cade,” I moan as he switches to the other breast, teeth grazing, nipping, and teasing me. "Mmm.”
He puts one arm around me while the other hand moves south, and he unbuttons my jeans, slipping a hand inside my panties and cupping me. I know he feels how wet I am through my panties. I squirm against him, desperate for the friction, and groan when he pulls back. He pushes my jeans off and trails kisses down one thigh and back up the other. I kick my pants away as he moves forward, and I sit down on the bed, legs spread for him to step between. He hooks a thumb on either side of my thong, and I lift my hips as he pulls the fabric away from me. I scoot up the bed toward the pillows, completely exposed to him as he stands and looks at me.
“You’re gorgeous, Serena.”
I blush and start to say something when he grabs my ankles and pulls me toward him. I yelp with surprise at the action, but melt into his touch as his fingertips trace my inner thighs, up and down, closer to my clit with every pass until – finally – he lightly touches my labia.
I sigh and move my hips upward with a silent cry for more. His fingers brush over my heated flesh, becoming slick with my wetness. Cade slowly lowers himself to kneel and runs his tongue along my thigh, blowing a cool breath over my pussy as he passes to lick my other thigh. I’m squirming for his touch as he makes a second pass back. His hands slide under my ass, and suddenly, his tongue is on me.
He makes slow, lazy circles around my clit, building in tempo, sensing my need. I moan when his tongue moves down my slit. It flicks my clit again, and I reach for him.
“Cade,” I beg.
“Not yet.”
I can only whimper in response.
He sucks my clit between his lips, pressing his tongue hard against me. I tug his hair, urging him up, but he continues with his sweet torture. He sucks, pulling me deep into his mouth and then releasing, moving his mouth down, circling with his tongue.
One of his hands moves to hold my hip, and he uses the other to ease a finger inside me, working in and out. I feel the waves of pleasure building inside me, right there on the edge, waiting for Cade to push me over. He puts a second finger in me, and I move against his hand. His mouth seeks my clit, sucking and teasing.
“I’m so close, Cade,” I whimper. “Please.”
His fingers move harder, faster, and he presses his tongue flat against my clit while my body tenses and an orgasm rips through me. I call out his name as he rides it out with me, bringing me back down to the most glorious headspace I’ve ever known. He stands and watches me breathe heavily for a moment. I motion him toward me as I move back up his bed. He takes off his underwear so I can settle my gaze on what is easily the largest cock I’ve seen in person.
He moves over the bed and joins me, propping himself up on one elbow beside me. I move in, taking his bottom lip between mine and sucking. He moves so his mouth covers mine and rolls me on top of him. I straddle his waist, his cock brushing against my inner thigh, sliding across my wet opening.
“I want you inside me, Cade,” I say, rubbing myself up and down his length.
He twists and reaches for a drawer on the table beside his bed. He reaches in and roots around a minute before cursing loudly.
“I’m on the pill.”
“I don’t normally. I mean, I’m clean. I just had a physical a few weeks ago.”
“Me, too. Well, I mean, it's been awhile, but I’m clean, too.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod, considering I can count on one hand how many men I’ve been with. “I’m sure.” I grab his cock and slide my fist back and forth over it. He groans and grabs me around the waist, flipping our positions so he’s on top, the head of his dick teasing my entrance. He kisses me, and I swear it is the most earth-shattering kiss of my life. When he thrusts inside me without warning, my back arches and we both moan. He fills me in a way no man ever has before almost to the point of pain, but not; it's nothing but pleasure.
“Oh God, Cade,” I moan as he glides in and out of me. He groans as I wrap my legs around him, heels digging into his ass, urging him on. His thrusts increase, and his thumb comes in contact with my clit. My back arches again and my hips come off the bed,
colliding with his. I bite my bottom lip, but he catches my mouth in a kiss.
“Scream my name,” he commands, beckoning my orgasm from me. I come undone under him in seconds, calling his name.
My body shakes, waves after wave of pleasure tearing through me. I can feel his dick tighten then his orgasm wracks his body. He groans my name, and I reach for him, pulling his face to mine and kissing him until he collapses on top of me. Our hearts race as we lay there, and when our breathing has come back to normal, he rolls off me.
He disappears into the bathroom, and when he comes back he has a warm washcloth, taking great care to clean me up. I go into the bathroom to finish and when I come back to his room, I start to head for my own clothes when he grabs my hand to stop me.
“No point of clothes when we’d just take them off again. Come lay down with me.”
He pulls back the covers on his bed and climbs in, tugging me down with him. I wasn’t planning to spend the night, but the sight of a naked Cade in his soft sheets and plush blankets was enough to tempt me. I climb in beside him. He pulls me close, and I lay my head on his chest and snuggle into him. It’s the safest, most comfortable feeling I’d ever felt next to a man.
We don’t say anything, just breathe until our breaths even out and we both fall asleep.
Chapter Nine
Cade
I am dreaming about her the next morning, and I wake with a smile, rolling toward the woman I shared my bed with. I haven’t slept so well in I can’t remember how long, and I’m hoping we can get in another round before breakfast.
I’m about to say good morning, but the words die on my lips when I find my bed empty. I sit up and look toward the bathroom, but the door is open. Looking around, I see her little pile of clothes is missing, and I hop out of bed to head downstairs.
“Serena?” I call out as I go into the kitchen. She isn’t there, so I move to all the other rooms on the first floor and then make a sweep of the second floor. As I head back down the stairs, I catch sight of a lime green post-it note on the front door.
Cade,
Thank you for last night. I had a wonderful evening. Best date I’ve ever had. I hope you manage through your midlife crisis and find whatever it is you’re looking for.
Serena
I’m pissed off that she snuck out sometime during the night. I haven’t been this attracted to a woman in years, and now, I don’t even have her last name.
I head into the kitchen for something to eat, thinking about whether I should track her down. She mentioned that she’s a professor at USC and even one of the classes she teaches. Plus, she’s a sexy as sin astrophysicist; there can't be that many of them in town.
Except... She could have left her number on her note if she wanted to. I made it clear I was interested in her, but she snuck out. I gave her what I thought were two mind-blowing orgasms, and still she left. It’s obvious from our conversations last night that she’s not a for a good time call kind of girl; she’s a monogamous, steady, relationship kind of girl. Maybe all she wanted was a quick, fun romp. I certainly delivered on that.
Even though I wanted desperately to get to know more about her, she obviously didn’t, and I have to accept it was a one night only deal. She got what she needed, I got a night with her, and I can respect that. She’s a woman who knows what she wants, and I guess I’m not it...no matter how earth-shaking those orgasms were.
It was one of the better nights of my life and even though the odds are I won't see her again to tell her that, I hope she knows it. Because if I ever do see her again, I’ll do whatever it takes to have her again.
Chapter Ten
Serena
Ashley is dancing from foot to foot with excitement, but I feel nothing but impending doom.
It’s been three weeks since the night I met Cade, three weeks since I snuck out of his house at four in the morning to avoid going any deeper down the rabbit hole. We move in two very different worlds – the size of his house had made that clear – and he was very obviously at a crossroads in his life, unsure what to do or where to go next.
There’s only one problem: I’m late. Hence the reason my sister is excitedly skipping around my apartment as we await the results of a pregnancy test I just took.
“I’m going to be the best aunt ever,” Ashley says. “It’s going to be so cool. I can take the baby to the park and play on the swings without people looking at me funny.”
“We don’t even know if I’m pregnant or not. I could’ve missed my period for any number of reasons.”
“Says the girl who had a one-night stand of unprotected sex.”
“It wasn't unprotected; I’m on the pill.”
“Tell me about Cade,” she insists.
“I've told you about Cade.”
“Tell me again. He sounds like a grade A piece of man meat.”
I roll my eyes and sigh, thinking about him again. “He was very good looking,” I allow, knowing full well that Ashley’s assessment is spot on.
“So then, why did you sneak out? You said he was very charming.”
“He was. He had all the right words and meant them. And yes, he was incredibly handsome, too. But that can't be it.”
“You don’t know if that was it; you left a fucking post-it note.”
“He was a confused businessman, Ash, in the middle of some midlife crisis. He doesn't know what he wants next in life. I don't want to be with someone who doesn't know what they’re looking for. I want to be with someone who is sure of himself – sure of me, and wants to be with me.”
“Just because he is confused about his career doesn't mean he would have also been confused about you. He could have chosen you without hesitation. You could have, at the very least, had some fun for yourself for a while. No one is saying you had to marry the guy.”
“You know that isn’t my thing.”
“Fun isn’t your thing? Serena, who are you kidding?”
“Look, can we just focus on one thing at a time? There’s only a minute left until the test is done.”
“Are you ready for whatever it says?”
I take a deep breath. “Yes. I didn’t think I was ready to be a mom, but this feels so right and if it’s positive... I’m looking forward to pregnancy.”
“And Cade?”
“What about him? He didn't sign up to be a father. I told him it was fine, that I was on the pill. Granted, now I might be a statistic of women who get pregnant while on the pill, but I’m not going to bother him; it's my mess.”
“Well, I do think he deserves to know, but no matter what, I’ll be here for you.”
“Thanks, Ash. You’re a good sister.”
The timer on my phone rings, and we look at each other. Ashley grabs my hand and squeezes as I pick up the plastic stick. I look at the little pink lines and then at Ashley, turning it toward her.
Positive.
Chapter Eleven
Cade
Present Day
“You never have time for me,” Josephine complains in my ear through the phone, and I suppress the urge to let out a guttural scream in annoyance.
“Not that it matters at this point, but I saw you last night and the night before, Jo.”
“I didn’t see you for a whole week before that,” she whines. “I think that’s what our problem is.”
“I was out of town. I had a job,” I state matter-of-factly.
“Your job is talking about football. I’d hardly call that a job.”
It takes everything in me to keep from throwing my phone into the wall across the room with the same force I once threw a football.
“Well then, you should pick your next boyfriend based on his job so that he has one you find acceptable.”
“Next boyfriend?” she scoffs. “I already have you.”
“No. You don’t have me, Josephine. I told you last night – I’m done.”
“I know you weren’t serious, Cade. This is us. We break up, we see other people for a week, and
then we make up. Rinse and repeat. It’s cute, the press loves it.”
“I don’t need that kind of gratification, though. And, I was very serious last night. Our cycle of breaking up and making up is ridiculous and I’m over it. We always end up back here because it’s all we know. I don’t love you, and you don’t love me.”
“Don’t be silly. Of course, I love you, Cade,” she says in a tone that isn’t even remotely believable.
“No, Josephine, you don’t. You love the idea of love, but you don’t know how to love. You parade me out when you need press, like I’m a trophy. I’m not a trophy. I’m a person. I’m a man, and I want a woman I can relate to, one I can share my life with. That’s not you.”
“What you need is someone that keeps you relevant,” she says snidely. “You commentate about a sport you don't even play anymore. No one talks about you, not since the Condors drafted that hot shot rookie quarterback who is making everyone forget who Cade Thomas ever was. Face it: you are a washed up has-been. A loser.”
“Right, I’m a loser that holds multiple records, not only in the NFL, but in college football, too. Hey, maybe I can add a new one: record number of times to break up and make up with the same girl for five straight years,” I laugh. “If anyone is a loser, it’s the actress who makes less money than the retired jock who gets paid to talk about football once a week.”
“You asshole!” she yells into the phone. “No one who is anyone is going to want you, Cade. I’ll be living the life, and you will have no one. No one, do you hear me?”
“I’m afraid I do, even if I don’t want to. I think I’ll remedy that. This conversation is over,” I say calmly.
“One day you’ll regret this!” she spews.
“I doubt it, Josephine. In fact, I have a great idea. Let’s never speak to each other again. Doesn’t that sound great?”
“It sounds perfect,” she spits with venom in her voice. “And when you come crawling, begging me to take you back, I’ll just laugh in your face.”
