Kickback (Caldwell Brothers Book 3)

by Colleen Charles

  “It doesn’t have to end now, my dear,” he says, rubbing the inside of my wrist. My pulse hammers and I know he feels it. I haven’t felt like a woman first and a mother second in so long I can’t even remember the last time. “We could have dessert somewhere. Hit a club. Whatever you’d like.”

  I think about Atlee and Judy. I hope the older woman isn’t tied to a chair with Wonder Woman’s lasso. Even though I’ve enjoyed myself, I really need to get home and relieve her. I hate feeling like I’m taking advantage of someone else’s kindness and Judy has helped me out of so many jams since I’ve known her, I’ve lost count. There are far too many tallies on my side of the scoreboard.

  “I really should be going home,” I say, taking my hand from his and feeling a slight sense of loss. I’m warming to the idea of being viewed as a woman.

  “I really want you to stay,” he says, looming over me and moving to stand between me and the exit. Something about the action doesn’t sit well. After Ford’s lecture, I’m begrudgingly watching his actions to see if they line up with his words. Even though the tone of his voice is smooth as silk, his body language is imposing. Aggressive even. A shiver crawls up my spine, and my eyes dart around the casino, searching for the nearest escape route in case I should need it.

  “I’m afraid I can’t stay because I need to relieve my babysitter.” I drop that little bomb down on our peaceful evening, knowing now that I really do want the evening to end. Having a child is my ace in the hole, and I’m going to play it.

  His eyes narrow, and I see a flash of anger so brief, I wonder if I really saw it at all. He masks his emotion so quickly, it’s like taking a master class in manipulation. “You have children?”

  “I have a seven-year-old daughter,” I say, nodding. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

  “I see,” he says, closing the gap between us and taking my face between his hands. My stomach flips over. He’s going to kiss me, and I don’t want him to. The thought of kissing a man so soon after kissing Ford makes my skin crawl. Dante leans in, and I get a whiff of his expensive cologne that will be forever burned into my brain and not in a good way. My body stiffens. Should I run, try to break free?

  Ding! Ding! Ding!

  “Holy shit! Some lucky dude just one the hundred thousand dollar jackpot!” A man at a nearby slot machine hits the collect button, grabs his ticket as he jumps from his seat and trots off to join a huge crowd that’s gathered around an Austin Powers slot.

  “That’s not supposed to happen,” Dante mutters. He’s displeased, and I’m not sure if it’s because our almost kiss didn’t happen or because his wallet’s about to get six figures lighter. I trail after him as he moves into speak to the big winner.

  “You!” he screams, pointing at some young guy in a 49s baseball cap. “You cheated!”

  His fists tighten as he literally shakes with anger. I’ve never seen a scarier sight, and in that moment, I realize the accuracy of Ford’s warnings because I can see what the man’s capable of doing.

  Everything.

  The slot machine attendant writing on a slip of paper glances up and her eyes widen, as does the eyes of the UPS guy standing beside her.

  “Stop writing this instant.”

  Dante’s voice is so infused with ice, it could cause frostbite on my ears. The guy in the 49s hat pats the UPS dude on the back. “He won it fair and square, asshole, and I’m a fucking billionaire many times over. Don’t accuse any of us of cheating.”

  I’d know that voice anywhere because it’s haunted my dreams since I turned sixteen. He stands, looming over Dante’s six feet with a few extra inches of his own.

  “Get the fuck out of my establishment and don’t you ever come back here again.”

  We’re innocent bystanders in the middle of a stand-off of epic proportions, and the crowd holds its collective breath. My money’s on Ford. I’ve never seen him so amped up with the courage of a thousand caped heroes. It’s hot. He’s hot. I’ve never wanted him more because I know why he’s here, risking everything. He’s here for me.

  Ford’s fingers lace with mine, and I don’t stop him. I hold on tight as if we’re on a roller coaster and inching up the incline toward the first mile long drop. He’s got my back.

  “Gladly.”

  Ford gives a tiny tug, and I propel forward, the electric magnetism between us pulling me so close that I’m almost flush with his back. I’ve never seen him so casually dressed and with a ball cap covering his thick head of hair. His sneakers squeak on the marble floors as we hightail it out of there, Troy leading the way.

  “Way to draw a crowd,” Troy says once we’re safely in the VIP parking lot. He stops in front of a shiny black Bentley. I’ve never seen one in real life before, and I stare at the vehicle as if it might grow teeth and bite me. No way am I getting inside that thing. What if I do something to it? A door ding probably costs four figures to fix.

  “Wow,” I say, hissing low under my breath and staring. “Nice ride.”

  I don’t mention about how Ford just announced to the entire world that he’s a billionaire. That concept blows my mind, and I can’t even wrap my thoughts around it. I’m usually late on at least a few bills every single month. Ford could buy and sell my tiny house thousands of times over. The magnitude of it stuns me.

  “It’s not mine if that’s what you’re thinking,” he says, opening the door for me to slide in the front next to him. “Although it could be if you like it.”

  “Hey, dipshit,” Troy says, waving goodbye. “I see a taxi, and I’m going to grab it. Don’t let me rain on your parade.”

  He’s leaving us alone.

  “Why’s he running away?” I ask, knowing the answer but I want to press him for some strange reason. I want to hear him say it. That he wants me in the same way that I want him.

  “I should think it’s obvious.” He grins and gives me a sexy wink. “He wants me to be able to savor my knight in shining armor moment. Who knows? I might never get another opportunity to save a woman’s honor by winning a hundred thousand dollar jackpot inside my rival’s casino at a million to one odds and giving it to a hard working guy who probably needs it.”

  It might be a million to one that we could ever have a future as a couple. I think about the implications of those kind of odds. I’d never take that bet and neither would he.

  “Did you follow me?” I ask.

  His hand tightens on the door he holds open for me. “Yes, and I’m not going to say I’m sorry. When I talked to you on the phone tonight, you sounded like you really believed that Giovanetti was a stand-up guy. I hope now that you can see the volatility beneath the calm veneer. You could do better, Haylee.”

  “You mean that I could be with you.”

  “No, that’s not what I meant at all,” he says, scrubbing a hand down his face and over his shadow of beard growth. I hear the raspy sound, and it makes me want to reach out and touch him so I can feel the friction against the sensitive skin of my palm. I put my hand flush against my dress and wait, ignoring every impulse inside me. Because everything inside me says to throw myself at a man who never wanted me enough in return to stay and see things through to their rightful conclusion. “I know that what I did is unforgivable. I know how much you hate me because you’ve made it perfectly clear. Just please, on this subject, give me the benefit of the doubt. I truly only want what’s best for you, and he’s bad news.”

  I sigh and wonder how two people miles apart can ever inch closer toward one another. If it’s even possible after years have passed, widening the emotional gap into a gorge. After Ford slips inside next to me, I snuggle into the plush seats and glance at his stiff profile. He’s so handsome, he still takes my breath away. The only physical changes I see in him are for the better. Maturity looks good on Ford Caldwell.

  He navigates the car onto the strip, onto the I15 and then into my driveway in silence. He gets out, trots around and opens the door for me. To any outsider looking in, he’s the perfect gentl
eman, escorting his date to her door. Except for one minor issue. I’m in a cocktail dress, and he looks like he just left Gold’s Gym. Not that I mind, I’m just used to him wearing an armor of fancy clothes that effectively keep everyone at arm’s length. I’m digging this casual version.

  After turning the key in the lock and shoving the screen door open, I notice a note attached to the entrance door, and I snatch it up before Ford can see it. Atlee wanted to play with Judy’s dog, Fancy, a Yorkshire terrier, so she took her home to spend the night at their house and have ice cream with John, her husband. My empty house looms in front of me. I could ask Ford to stay. I want to ask him to stay.

  Please, please stay.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispers. I still, wondering if I even heard it or if those words are some cruel and twisted figment of my aching ovaries. Heat rises between our two bodies, his front flush with my back. His cock strains between us and my pussy clenches and floods with moisture. All I can think about is Ford Caldwell.

  I reach behind my body and stroke him through the fabric of his sweatpants, taking what I want. His hiss of breath makes me bolder, and I delight in the hard length of him straining toward my caressing hand, pulsing with an energy I can’t explain. We stay like that for tortured moments, and I don’t turn around. I won’t. Because if I do and I see anything other than desire for me in his eyes, anything that reeks of pity, I’ll lose my nerve.

  His lips reach my neck, and I jerk at the sensation. Then, my stomach free falls off a cliff.

  “Haylee, can we go inside?” His raspy voice reaches my ears, and it’s like a verbal caress. He bumps his erection into my ass, and I grind against him. “Please?”

  The pleading word is my undoing, and I shove forward, finally turning and ending up in his arms. It feels good, right.

  It feels like coming home.

  Chapter 14

  Ford

  Haylee’s hand fondles my cock, and I feel like I’m going to explode. It’s something I’ve dreamed of every night since I left her like the dimwitted, scared fool I am. But now, with Haylee touching me, everything seems new again. Fresh. Like we’re creating something alive, born of the ghosts of the past that don’t dare haunt either of us ever again.

  Her fiery blue-green eyes light up with pleasure. I remember that look, so I revel in it. I almost want to reach down and pinch myself to truly believe this is happening. We can worry about the implications tomorrow. For tonight, there’s only Haylee and me and the electricity crackling between us.

  “I’d forgotten how good you can make me feel. I’ve missed this. Us.”

  “Mmm,” she moans as I drag a finger down the column of her throat, tracing a path to one of her full breasts.

  My mouth waters at the thought of tonguing her nipple to an aching point. I watch the flesh peak under the silky fabric of her dress. For a moment, I’m pissed that she looks so damn good because of another man. Especially, that particular man. But I brush it aside. She’s mine now, and nothing is going to tear us apart ever again. I make the mistake of glancing into those expressive eyes, and I melt. Her gaze penetrates the walls I’ve built to keep from feeling those pesky emotions and everything I’ve been avoiding converges into a maelstrom of sensations I have a hard time deciphering.

  “Haylee,” I say, dragging the fabric of her dress down to expose her lacy black bra to my hungry gaze. “Where’s your bedroom? I don’t want to take you here in the foyer like some randy kid. Like we used to do out in the red rocks. Not that it wasn’t incredible but those rocks…they’re hard.”

  She laughs, a soft joyous sound, and leads the way, and I barely notice my surroundings, except for a kitchen chair that’s been dragged into the living room with ropes laying on the threadbare carpet. She must be trying to fix it because it looks to be in rough shape. I wish I could run over to Ashley and buy her an entire new suite of furniture. Hell, I wish I could buy her a whole new house that doesn’t need bars on the windows.

  She takes my hand in her small one and tugs. There’s only one hallway that contains a small washroom and what I assume are extra bedrooms with closed doors. She stops before the door at the end. I enjoy the sight of her round ass as it wiggles into the room. There’s a sliver of moonlight coming in from outside, bathing the room in an ethereal glow.

  Haylee pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, and that only draws attention to her mouth and what I know she can do with it. If high school Haylee lit my fire to a towering inferno, I can’t even imagine what grown-up Haylee is going to do to me. I might not make it out of here without my balls exploding.

  She sits down on the edge of the bed and watches me. “Strip,” she says, her voice all rasp and grit, coming alive with the same lust I’m feeling. It’s a swelling urge that pushes me forward but at the same time, wants me to stay back and savor every single sensation that I’ve craved for years.

  I pull my shirt over my head, grateful that I’ve still been hitting the gym since the move. Nix has got a trainer that comes to the Armónico three days a week, and when I can, I hit it with the two of them since it’s easier that way. I stick my fingers in the elastic waist of my pants and push them down, adding them to the pile of clothes I’m creating on Haylee’s carpet.

  She takes a long, lingering look down my naked body, stopping at my erection, which is so rock hard it’s pointing me in the face. I gasp in surprise when she drops to her knees to suck me inside that perfect mouth. Even though I’ve wanted this – I’ve fantasized about it for years – I never thought she’d go there tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about her, and she’s turned the tables on me again.

  Oh my fucking God, it feels like a sensation of memories. Only better.

  I let my head fall back so I can concentrate on feeling every single ping and tug. My fingers automatically fall into her glorious head of hair, and I let the silky strands slip through, guiding her to the pressure that’s going to set me off like a rocket.

  “You have the most perfect cock, Ford,” she whispers, voice full of a sexy grit that rockets through my body and lands in my balls, sending me into thoughts of shooting my load straight down the back of her throat. I concentrate so that I won’t. “You’re so huge and rock hard. It’s such a turn on to feel you growing even bigger inside my mouth.”

  She strokes me with her palm and the underside of her tongue, taking me to the edge of a precipice I want to plummet over. Then she stops and starts all over again. Each time the pressure builds to an almost unbearable pitch, she backs off. I’d forgotten that she already knows exactly which buttons to push. The fact that she remembers isn’t lost on me. I almost topple over, trembling on my shaky legs.

  Stabbing me with her magical tongue, she picks up the pace of her hand on the most sensitive part of my cock and licks circles around the head.

  “Haylee, you’ve got to stop, or I’m going to come.” I give her hair a little yank and force her to her feet. She’s stubborn, and her independent streak is a mile wide. Maybe after all these years, it’s more like the size of a canyon. If I don’t stop her, she won’t quit until she’s swallowed me whole.

  I finally indulge the instability of my legs, and we fall to the bed in a riot of tangled arms, legs, and lips. I unzip her dress and slide it down her shapely legs, throwing it into the pile. My hand goes straight to her heated core, slipping inside her panties to stroke her moist pussy. I moan because now I know how much sucking me off turned her on. Pushing her lacy, black thong to the side, I trace her outer lips, reveling in the wetness there.

  My mouth wants to keep kissing her, but it also wants to taste her. Have that unique flavor that only belongs to her explode across my tongue. I want her to come apart and swallow her orgasm whole.

  I snake my way down her body, only stopping long enough to unclasp her bra. I want her tits free. They’re fuller than they were before and I’ll get to them later. Now, I want to taste her so bad I can’t even stop to worship her other body parts. When I finally get
to her quivering pussy, I cup the mound with my hand, soaking in her heat. Dipping my finger into the wetness, I drag a finger over her labia, not stopping until I hear the moan that I’ve been dying for.

  Finding her swollen clit, I keep up the back and forth motion until she’s answering every stroke with a raise of her hips and a thrash of her head. It’s a sexy contrast of colors against the pillow with her hair and the crisp, white pillowcase.

  “Don’t stop, Ford. Please…I’m so close.”

  “Even if this house falls down around us, I’m not stopping,” I say, bending down to suck her clit into my mouth. Haylee’s orgasm rips through her entire body, and I stay with it, sucking her through the aftershocks until she’s as limp as a ragdoll on top of the fluffy comforter.

  “Haylee, are you on the pill?” I’ll use a condom if I have to, but the thought of being inside her bareback makes my balls tighten.

  “Yes. And I’m clean.” She licks her lips. “Are you?”

  “I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time,” I admit, not wanting to sound like the nerd I am but not caring anyway. Haylee’s already seen the real me, so I don’t have anything to hide where she’s concerned.

  “Me either.”

  My heart sings. I don’t know why it seems so important that we’re on the same page and in the same place, but it is. I position my straining cock at her slick entrance and push inside, inch by pleasurable inch, savoring the tight wetness. Her back arches and her legs fall apart, granting me even greater access. I wrap my arms under both of her smooth legs and spread her even wider, not stopping until I’m balls deep inside her.

  Even though it feels new, there’s something familiar about it too. Something that makes me braver. Bolder. I stab my way past the tight constriction of her internal muscles and she lets out a low moan as the widest part of me stretches until my body is fully engulfed in hers.