by Ivy Jordan
“There’s no one else here,” she whispers.
“I rented the place out. Didn’t want to share you with anybody.”
Her mouth gapes open. “That must have cost a small fortune, Cade. Are you nuts?”
I shrug. “Maybe, but it’s worth it.”
“And, all these flowers,” she muses. “They’re so beautiful.”
I don’t tell her, but I ordered these three weeks in advance. I wanted everything just right. We are surrounded by roses, daisies, lilies, everything. There are more at my house. A waiter appears to fill our wine glasses and a second waiter appears placing plates of appetizers before us.
“I called ahead, told them what we wanted,” I told her. “I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s perfect, Cade. No man has ever done anything like this for me before.”
“You’ve been with the wrong kind of men.”
“I’m seeing that now,” she laughs. “Seriously, though, while I do appreciate every bit of this, you don’t have to do all of this.”
“I want to. I’ve never wanted to for anyone before. I know it’s extravagant, but I like doing this for you.”
Just then, the string quartet I arranged begin to play and fill the room with beautiful music.
“I suppose there are certain charms to dating a former big shot football star,” she says, her eyes twinkling.
“Lots of charms,” I wink in reply.
We sip our wine and enjoy the appetizers as Serena tells me about some of her recent research. I listen, hanging on her every word as she details a new planetary system her research team has come across.
As our plates are cleared for the next course and our glasses refilled, Serena looks around expectantly. “I’ve never been to a restaurant like this before,” she admits. “Do they have one of those tasting menu things? I’ve never done one of those before.”
I nod. “They do. One of the best in town, actually.”
Her eyes light up with excitement as the waiters reappear, each carrying a covered silver tray. They set them down next to us, and I nod at them. They whip the covers off and exit just as Serena starts to giggle and then bursts out laughing.
“Fried chicken? Is this for real, Cade?”
“This is for real, Serena. Only the best for you, and I happen to have it on good authority that the chef here is from the south and has the best family recipe for fried chicken, passed down generation to generation. And, you once told me that your last meal on earth would be fried chicken.”
“You remember that?”
“Of course. I pay attention to everything you say and do.”
She stands and comes around to me, placing her hands on my shoulders and leaning down to kiss me, a soft brush of her lips against mine. “Thank you, Cade.”
“For what?” I ask as she sits back down.
“For being you,” she smiles. “Now, should we eat?”
“Dig in.”
***
We go straight to my place after dinner and I lead Serena to the kitchen. She sits at the table as I take off my suit jacket, laying it across the back of a chair. I pull a slice of cheesecake from the fridge and bring it over to her and sit down. I spear a piece of the dessert on a fork and lift it to her lips. She smiles and lets me feed it to her. We trade bites until it is gone.
“Cade?”
“Yes?”
“Where have you been all my life?”
I chuckle. “Hey, you’re the one who snuck out on me three years ago.”
“Way to rub it in, Thomas.”
“You’re here now, though.”
“I am. And, you will never know how much I wish I could go back and change that decision. I’m so happy to be here with you, Cade.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Serena,” I tell her softly, reaching out to push a piece of hair behind her ear. She stands and moves toward me, sitting in my lap. Her face lowers to mine and our lips meet. It starts out gentle, but soon her hands are unbuttoning my shirt and our tongues are dancing together.
“I have a gift for you,” she whispers in my ear. “And, I think we’ll both really enjoy it.”
Chapter 26
Serena
Cade leads me into the living room, where he clicks a button on a remote and soon the room is filled with music. He takes me into his arms and we move against each other as we slow dance around the room.
His hand moves over my ass, and his hard length presses against my thigh. I grind against it, savoring the friction as our lips meet again. Cade’s hand moves up my back and tugs the zipper of my dress down. I step back from him and let the straps fall down my arms. The dress falls away from my body, pooling at my feet. I step out of it, completely naked except for my heels.
“Damn,” he whispers as his eyes roam all over me. “You had nothing on under that dress all night?”
I shook my head side to side and turned up one corner of my mouth into a sly grin.
“Good thing I didn’t know that,” he offered.
My skin heats up from just his look and he steps toward me, shamelessly grabs my ass with one hand to pull me close to him. His other hand slides down my front and his index finger grazes my sensitive slit. I inhale sharply and buck against his hand, desperate for more of him.
“You’re dripping wet,” he says hotly in my ear.
“I have been all night.”
He takes my hand and leads me up the stairs without a word. He discards his dress shirt and loosens his belt when we reach his bedroom. In record time, he’s stripped of his clothing down to nothing but his boxer briefs. He sits on the edge of the bed.
“Come here,” he commands.
I move closer to the bed and he lays back, so I climb up beside him, moving to lie down next to him, but Cade stops me. “No, right here,” he continues, patting his chest.
I blush. “But-”
He cuts me off with a dangerously sexy smirk. "No buts. Come sit on my face, Princess."
I crawl up to him and straddle his chest, and he licks his lips in anticipation. He grabs my hips and rolls my body forward, placing feather light kisses on the inside of my thighs.
"Cade," I beg, my legs shaking with anticipation.
"Serena," he returns with a playful smile. "Would you like me to give you the best orgasm of your life?"
"Yes, please," I respond.
"Your wish is my command."
He pulls me forward, his eyes looking up to meet mine. I try to focus on the sensation, on the moment, on his breath against my inner thigh, ghosting over my core when his eyes close and his tongue as it touches me.
"Oh my God," I breath out as he flicks my clit with his tongue before sucking it in his mouth.
"Yes, my child?" he returns, opening his eyes to look at me with a teasing grin.
I slap his shoulder. "Shut up and do that again."
He chuckles as he goes back to it, licking and sucking with renewed enthusiasm as I moan with pleasure. His tongue dips into my center before he licks up my pussy and swirls his tongue around my clit, then tugs with his teeth.
His name comes out as a moan when he slides one finger inside me as he continues to suck my clit. My hands go to his hair, tugging as I grind against his face. My legs quiver as his tongue moves left and right over me.
“Cade, oh God, Cade.” I am so close, and I know he can sense it as my body tenses and I feel the wave build. He pulls his finger out of me and shoves his tongue deep inside, lapping up every bit of my juices as I cum, screaming his name in pure ecstasy.
I close my eyes and wait for my heart to slow and my breathing to go back to normal. When I open them, Cade is watching me. "Was it the best orgasm of your life?" he asks with a smirk.
"Pretty close," I say as nonchalantly as I can manage.
"Guess I'll have to try again," he winked.
"Cade!" I laugh, lifting off him. He pulls me down beside him and kisses me. I taste myself in his kiss, and I don’t care. I am completely turned on, and I want
every inch of Cade Thomas.
I shimmy out of his hold and stand. “I think it’s time to get those off you,” I say, pointing at his boxer briefs. He hurries off the bed to stand with me, and I hook my thumbs in the waistband and drag his underwear down torturously slow. Cade’s impressive dick juts out at me, and I lick the tip, reveling in the way his breath hitches when I do.
When I straighten, I move forward, forcing him back until his knees hit the mattress. I give him a light push and he falls onto the bed.
"You're the devil, aren't you?" Cade asks as I move over him on the bed, wrapping my hand around the base of his shaft, twisting my hand up softly and stroking him.
"Maybe," I wink, pushing my hair to one side and taking him in my mouth.
"Shit!" he hisses, hips arching when I grab his balls. "Serena, that's not fair."
I pull my lips off his cock with a pop. "Who said anything about fair?"
He sits up, grabs me around the waist, and flips me onto my back as he rests on his forearms over me. "I will cum like a fifteen-year-old boy if you keep doing that," he warns as I reach between us to get my hands on his dick again.
“That could be fun, though,” I pout.
He stands and lifts one of my legs, caressing down my calf and unstrapping one heel and then the other. He turns to set them aside, and I sit up to admire his ass. He catches me looking when he turns back around.
"Like what you see?" he asks with a pose.
"Very much. Especially those thighs and that ass."
"What about my dick?" he continues, crawling back up the bed.
"I'll let you know if you're any good with it after you fuck me."
He grins wickedly. "I don't believe you’ll be disappointed, ma’am." He reaches for me, parting my folds and slicking his fingers. His thumb flicks my clit, and I let out a gasping moan.
Cade puts an arm under me and flips me onto my stomach, nudging my knees apart with his; I raise up into them, my ass high in the air. He slaps my ass, the sound echoing through the room, and I whimper as he leans over me, resting his chest on my back and kissing my exposed neck.
"You're fucking gorgeous. I hope you know that."
I look over my shoulder at him with what I know is my sauciest smile. “You’re pretty hot, too.”
"Yeah, I know," he answers as he straightens. I laugh at his cockiness, and it turns into a moan as he lines up to push inside me. He fills me slowly, and when I think I can’t possibly take any more of him, he pushes in one more inch.
"Holy fuck," I breathe out. "Your dick might be the best part of you."
He licks up between my shoulder blades before biting me gently. "Your pussy ain't so bad, either," he says huskily, pulling out and slamming back in. I let out a pleasured scream.
He wraps a hand around my hair and tugs my head back. We kiss sloppily as he fucks me, and I feel his dick throb inside me when I reach around to stroke my clit, moaning into his mouth. My pussy tightens around him, and Cade lets go of my hair, replacing my hand with his own as he strokes my clit and brings me to climax.
I yell his name as the wave crashes down and my vision is filled with spots. Cade wraps an arm around my middle to hold me in place, and I push my ass into his hips. The sound of our skin slapping together fills the room as I grind against him. He mumbles my name over and over, and I feel him twitch as his orgasm slams through him and into me.
I collapse to the bed, and Cade falls against my back, trying to catch his breath. He lays there, inside me, for a moment before he pulls out and rolls next me, pulling me into his arms to hold me. After a few silent minutes, I kiss his cheek before I get up to use the bathroom. I don’t bother to attempt to cover myself and I hear the bed shift, so I know he has sat up to watch me go. I put an extra wiggle in my step just for him.
When I come out of the bathroom, Cade is still gloriously naked, but he has a bottle of water that he passes to me when I sit down beside him. We cuddle up beside each other, my legs tangled with his, and he flips on the TV. At the end of the movie playing on the screen, Cade gets up and slips on a pair of underwear. He grabs a shirt from one of his drawers and passes it to me. I smile as I slip on the men’s V-neck shirt and lay back down beside him. He switches off the light and puts his arm around me.
“Goodnight, my beautiful Serena,” he whispers into the darkness.
“Goodnight, Cade,” I respond. He kisses the top of my head, and I lay there listening to his breaths even out. There is a slight glow to the room from the clock beside his bed, and I turn my face to look at him sleeping.
I wasn’t looking for a man when Cade turned back up in my life, and I certainly never thought I’d be in this place with him now, considering our one night three years ago. I know I owe him the truth about Alan, but I am so afraid to lose him. He is everything I've ever wanted, and everything I didn't know I needed. So instead of being brave enough to tell him to his face, I whisper the words on my heart to him as he sleeps.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Cade Thomas. I only hope one day you’ll love me back.”
Chapter 27
Cade
Three days after Valentine's Day, I meet Tyler for lunch. I’ve been waiting to talk to him about what’s going on between me and Serena, and I can barely contain myself, but somehow, I manage until after our waitress walks away with our orders.
“I think I’m in love with Serena,” I blurt out to him as he lifts his beer to his lips.
He stops mid-drink. “I’m sorry…what?”
“I think I love her, Ty.”
“I take it this means your over-the-top romantic Valentine's plans went well?”
“Better than I could have ever hoped. Dude, she’s perfect. I swear. I’m just… I have never been this happy.”
“And, you think you love her?”
“I don’t know how else to explain this feeling. How did you know with Tamara? I mean, you’re high school sweethearts. You’ve had the same woman in your bed for years, how did you know she was it?”
“We were high school sweethearts, but I was no angel, trust me. I messed around with a lot of girls before I met Tamara our senior year, and I had to fucking beg to get her to even consider going out with me. But she put her trust in me, and I never messed it up.
“At the time, I thought I needed to mess around, sow my oats so to speak, and not settle down too young. But when I met Tamara, I felt different about her. And after we went out and I got to know her, I knew. It just felt right. I had guys telling me to just keep her as a fling when they saw me starting to get serious, and I almost listened to them, but in the end, I followed my heart, and it was the best thing I could have ever done. You gotta trust your gut, so if you think you love her, go for it.”
“The other night, I think she thought I’d fallen asleep, but I heard her whispering, and so I listened. She said she thinks she’s falling in love, too. I almost told her then, but I didn't want to scare her off.”
“I promise you, Cade, once you listen to your heart, you’ll be at your happiest. Just think about that feeling you had when you finally kicked Josephine out of your life for good. Now imagine that tenfold when you tell Serena you love her for the first time. It’ll be worth it, trust me.”
I nod as Tyler continues. “I knew you were serious about her, I just didn’t realize you were this serious. So, when are you proposing?” he jokes.
“I don’t think we’re there yet, but one day. I’m definitely ready for this to be serious, have her and Alan move in with me, but I think she still has issues about her ex that might be a stumbling block for us.”
“Alan’s dad?” he asks.
“Yeah. She’s never really told me anything about him. She changes the subject whenever the topic starts to veer in that direction. I don’t know who he is, but I’d love to meet him and wring his neck for fucking her over. At the same time, I’d like to thank him for being a screw up so I can have her in my life.”
Tyler laughs. “If I’ve lea
rned anything over the years, it's not to push when a woman doesn't want to talk about something. When she’s ready, she’ll share it all with you. Until then, you just gotta show her that you’re the right guy to have around her son. Be a good influence and all that, you know?”
“I know,” I nod. “I adore Alan. He’s smart as hell, cute, and man, put a football in the kid’s hands and he’s got talent to spare.”
“Sounds like Serena isn’t the only one you’re falling for,” Tyler laughs. “Seriously, though. If you need us, Tamara and I will double date with you again. You know, talk you up, sing your praises. Not that it sounds like you need the help.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Ty. I appreciate you listening today, and the advice.”
After lunch, I head home for a few hours before time to go to Serena’s for dinner with her and Alan. Since she busted my “home-cooked meal” a few weeks back as take out, she’s had me over at least once a week so we can cook dinner together. It’s been surprisingly fun to cook with her, and I’ve even learned a few things, too. But I still count down the time until I can see her.
***
I’m greeted by Alan at the door, who opens it, grins at me, waves, and then turns and runs toward the kitchen. I follow him.
We are making carbonara tonight and as I look over the ingredients she has laid out, I glance at Alan, who is now in the other room, and then I look back to Serena.
“He’ll eat this?” I ask her, gesturing to counter.
“Oh yes, he loves carbonara. Surprised me the first time he tried it. I mean, most kids love spaghetti, and Alan does, too, but carbonara is his absolute favorite food right now.”
“Is that bacon?” I ask as I point at the meat on the counter.
“It’s pancetta, otherwise known as Italian bacon. And, that block of cheese is Romano. Now, can you get the pasta boiling while I start frying the pancetta?” she asks with a smile.
