With Cara next to him, she invaded his personal space. Cara’s scent, a new warm, musky fragrance, cocooned him in a sexual haze. It was a miracle he’d been able to focus on conversation with the hard-on he had beneath the table. Faith and Ethan seemed happy to be out for grown-up time, so they ordered a bottle of wine and lingered over drinks, dinner, and dessert.
By the time they headed back to Cara’s, Mike realized he’d had a genuinely good time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone on a regular date with another couple and was even more shocked to discover that not only had he liked it, he wasn’t itching to get back to New York or his solitary life.
All he could focus on was getting Cara into bed and keeping her there.
Ten
For a night that had been a roller coaster of emotions, Cara ended up having a really good time. She’d adored Faith’s baby, the sweet, innocent smell providing her with unfamiliar warm fuzzy feelings floating in her brain. Then she’d looked up to see Mike staring at her with a hot but unreadable expression on his face, and if she hadn’t handed the baby back to her mother, Cara might have ended up letting a deeply buried yearning creep inside. She couldn’t afford to think about things like babies, family, or even long-term relationships. The very thoughts were anathema to her on a normal day, but with Mike in her life, they were downright dangerous.
She’d been grateful when Ethan said it was time to go, and they’d said their good nights to Tess and Rosalita and headed off for dinner, just the adults. Cara had relaxed and let go, drinking more wine than she was used to, and even now, on their way home, she still felt a happy buzz.
Mike pulled into the driveway of her condo and cut the engine of his truck. Before she could focus, he’d come around to her side and opened her door. She fumbled for the seat belt, the fuzziness from the wine making her fingers less than nimble, and she couldn’t suppress a very un-Cara-like giggle.
“Let me.” Mike immediately leaned over her and unbuckled the seat belt with one easy click, releasing her.
She turned to hop out of the high truck seat and came into direct contact with his hard body, and his large hands came to her waist. It was all she could do not to lean farther into his warmth and the intoxicating scent she’d come to associate with Mike.
Instead of stepping back and giving her room to climb out, he lifted her out of the seat and deliberately allowed her body to feel the hard length of his as he lowered her to the ground.
She teetered a bit on her heels and wrapped her arms around his neck, telling herself it was so she wouldn’t fall.
“Cara,” he groaned, burying his face between her neck and shoulder. “Sitting so close to you at the restaurant, your bare thigh touching mine, your sexy scent distracting me, I’ve been hard all night.”
Her body clenched tight at his blunt words, and she let out a moan, arching her hips into him and tangling her fingers in his hair.
“Inside,” he said, grabbing her hand and heading for the door. “Keys?” He held out a hand.
She fumbled opening her purse but found the set and handed them to him so he could unlock the door faster than she ever could, and they stepped inside.
Between the rush of cold air and the desire flooding her veins, she’d more than shaken off the effects of the wine, but she was more than happy to let him take the lead. For one thing, he was hot doing it, and for another, as long as he wasn’t telling her what to do in every other part of her life, she’d cede control in the bedroom. When she’d decided that, she had no idea. But this was Mike. He liked to be in charge there, and she liked to give him what he wanted. Who cared as long as it worked?
And when it came to this, they definitely clicked.
She shucked off her jacket, letting it fall to the foyer floor. Next she bent over to remove her boots, only to feel Mike’s hand slip beneath her skirt and find the lacy Victoria’s Secret panties she’d chosen, knowing he was staying over.
His hand caressed her ass, and heat flooded her everywhere.
“Cara, baby,” he murmured, his voice rough.
But his words stopped her cold and she whirled around to face him. “Baby?”
Realization dawned, and he narrowed his already dark gaze. “Okay, that’s it.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the couch, settling her on his lap. “The word obviously slipped out of my mouth. Again. I need to know why you react the way you do.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Tough.” He lifted her hand and pressed a hot kiss against the rapidly beating pulse point in her wrist. “Now tell me so I can understand and we can get past it,” he said, his tone implacable.
He wouldn’t give her an out, and she blew out a frustrated breath. “Look, I know I’m being ridiculous.” Because Mike used the word as an endearment.
And other people used it too, as a joke or a friendly comment, and Cara snapped at them every time. Sam and Dare thought she was a feminist, and she didn’t bother correcting them. Nobody had ever pushed her about it before.
“I didn’t say you were ridiculous. I just want to know why it bothers you.” He kept his hand intertwined with hers.
“Fine,” she snapped, feeling cornered. “It’s what my father says to my mother. Baby, bring me a drink. Baby, get me the newspaper. Baby, stop being such a goddamned drama queen. Baby, shut the fuck up and cook dinner.” And Baby, you need to listen when I tell you to do something before he let loose with his fists.
Beneath her, Mike stiffened at her words, then finally forced himself to relax. “Thank you for telling me,” he said at last.
She heard the heartfelt sentiment behind the words. “Guess I’m more screwed up than you thought, huh?” She managed a laugh she didn’t really feel.
“No more than me, baby.” Before she could react to the word, he’d lifted her hand and run his tongue over her sensitive skin.
She shivered, feeling the cool trail of moisture all the way to her core, and she unconsciously wriggled deeper into his lap, seeking pressure where she ached the most.
“Notice that?” he asked.
All Cara felt was a pure shot of desire. “Notice what?”
He chuckled. “Desensitization to the word. I’m going to work at it until every time you hear baby, you think of me doing something wicked to your body and the bad memories no longer resurface.”
“You think you can accomplish that?” she asked in a husky voice, unbelievably touched by his response.
He shrugged. “I hope so. I know it’ll be fun to try.”
He blew on the damp skin of her wrist and with an answering sigh, she shifted positions until her thighs bracketed his and her sex came into direct contact with his erection.
“See?”
She laughed.
He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, the pressure light at first, teasing her with soft kisses and leisurely licks of his tongue. He didn’t let up. She wasn’t sure how long they remained that way, kissing, nibbling each other’s mouths, fondling one another over their clothes. All she knew was that this kind of foreplay wasn’t something the guys she’d been with usually indulged in, not when sex was the end goal. But Mike didn’t seem in any hurry to get to the finish line, since he was clearly enjoying this and so was she.
He cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing and plucking at her nipples through the bra and the silk, until they were hard peaks. Only then did he lean down and suck one rigid tip into his mouth. A wave of sensation struck and she felt the pull as if he were suckling on her bare skin. She arched her back and he bit lightly. More excitement whizzed through her, moisture seeped into her panties, and actual tremors shook her body.
He slid a hand beneath her shirt and into her bra, tweaking her other nipple with his thumb and forefinger. All the while, he continued to torture the first breast with long delicious pulls and mini love bites, reading her body and what she needed with perfection. Soon she was writhing against his erection and feeling an ever-increasing arousa
l beating at her harder and faster.
Mike lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “Let go, baby,” he urged before returning to his task. He pinched with his hand, bit with his teeth, and white-hot bursts of light shimmered around her as her orgasm exploded. She was lost, rocking against him, when suddenly he grabbed her hips and held her tight, keeping his hard, hot length against her as she came and came.
Afterward, Cara discovered she hadn’t been the only one to climax, and Mike mumbled something about feeling like he was seventeen again. Laughing, they’d moved from the couch to the shower where she’d washed him thoroughly, learning his body in a way she’d never done with another man. He’d reciprocated the favor and they fell into her bed, damp and clean, but she was nowhere near exhausted.
“Mike?” she asked at the same time he pulled her against his gloriously naked body.
“Yeah?”
“You tired?”
In response, he flipped her onto her back and pinned her arms over her head against the mattress. “Are you?” he asked, staring into her eyes.
She shook her head, and a sexy grin edged his lips.
“Okay then.” Mike let other parts of his body talk for him, sliding his erection back and forth across the lips of her sex.
“Mmm,” she said, moaning at the intimate friction that felt so good.
“Like that?” he asked, doing it some more, his penis coming into direct contact with her sex.
“Oh, yes.” She threw her head back and moaned.
He shifted until he held her wrists with one hand and slid his free one between their bodies, positioning himself at her opening. “You ready for me, baby?”
Cara thought she purred.
In the back of her mind, she knew what he’d called her, but now that she’d told him the truth, the word had lost its former power. This wasn’t a man demeaning her and making demands. This was a man looking to thoroughly ravish her.
She bent her legs in welcome. Mike’s eyes darkened and he thrust deep, wholly possessing her.
“Holy shit.” His entire body shuddered.
She understood. She felt him everywhere, filling her up inside while his hot body blanketed her outside. And then he began to move in a sensual glide as he picked up rhythm and tempo. Holding on to her wrists, he still managed to drive into her harder and faster each time. It didn’t matter that she’d just come a little while ago; he played her body that well and soon she was on her way once more, waves rushing at her from all sides as the pleasure grew.
She met each thrust with wild abandon, relishing the feelings he inspired. The way he covered her with his body caused a building friction to grow with each slam of his erection thick and full inside her. Her orgasm started as a slow tingle deep but when he came, shouting her name, he threw her up and over.
Wave after wave overwhelmed her. “Oh, oh, oh, God, Michael, harder!” She barely recognized her hoarse shout.
Somehow he heard. He obeyed, pistoning into her over and over until the dizzying waves subsided and he fell over her, crushing her into the mattress.
She didn’t think she could move. Didn’t want to. When Mike rolled off her, easing himself out of her, she felt the loss. Then he shifted positions and suddenly pulled her against him tight.
“Night, baby,” he murmured. And fell asleep.
Mike awoke feeling…different. Something had changed last night; he knew that even before opening his eyes. He lay on his back, his usual sleep position, Cara sprawled over him, her head on his chest, one leg wrapped around his. No feeling of suffocation in sight despite the fact that they’d connected last night. Really connected.
Like most guys, Mike considered himself an expert on sex. What went on between him and Cara went beyond. Each time they were together, something profound shifted inside him. He didn’t know what it was, and he wasn’t about to go looking into it either. That might send him running.
And he wasn’t ready.
He lifted a long strand of her jet-black hair and ran his fingers back and forth over the long strands, thinking. She was more wounded than he realized, more self-contained. She didn’t ask much of him and seemed surprised when he did something that affected her emotionally. At first he attributed it to her feelings about him—she didn’t expect much of him and wouldn’t ask for much either. Only now he was beginning to wonder if she didn’t expect it of anyone.
Which spoke more about her issues than it did of his. Interesting. The more she withheld, the more he wanted to know. And the more he knew, the more he wanted. Definitely not his usual M.O.
She stirred in his arms, and he suddenly found himself looking into her big blue eyes. Not a bad way to wake up. “Morning.”
She smiled. “Morning.”
His phone rang, muted from being in his pants pocket, but he heard it just the same. “I should check that,” he said with regret.
“And I should look at mine. You kept me so busy last night I didn’t think about it.” Her cheeks turned pink at the admission.
He grinned, feeling an absurd amount of pride at the notion that he’d been that distracting. “Okay, check your phone and meet me back here for a morning quickie before you have to go to work.”
She groaned at him, but the flicker of excitement in her eyes told him she’d be completely willing.
He rose and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Erin,” he said. “I’ll call her later.”
“Oh, no,” Cara said. Obviously she’d missed more important calls than he had.
“What’s wrong?”
“Three missed calls from Havensbridge.” She hit a button and put the phone to her ear.
Mike tried not to focus on her naked body while she was obviously upset, but he couldn’t turn away. She had the most gorgeous curves along with toned muscles from working. Womanly despite the hard demands of her job.
“What do you mean, Daniella left?” Cara asked, her voice rising.
Mike tossed his phone onto the nightstand and came up beside her. She listened and finally spoke. “Yeah. I understand. Call me the minute you hear something. Thanks.” She disconnected the call and threw the phone onto the mattress in frustration.
“The woman you’ve been worried about?” Mike asked.
She nodded, the pain in her eyes unmistakable. “She left the shelter late last night. Just walked out and didn’t tell anyone where she was going. Dammit!”
He eased her onto the bed, but she remained stiff and unyielding. “Cara, calm down and talk to me,” he said in a firm voice, in order to get through to her.
“One of the other girls said she tried to call me and I wasn’t there for her. I let her down. Now she probably went back to her ex. There’s nowhere else she’d go. Her family doesn’t live near here.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Mike had never been good with female waterworks or theatrics, except this wasn’t any of those. Cara, like Erin, didn’t cry easily. These tears were heartfelt and real; he felt like a hand was squeezing his chest as he brushed the moisture with his thumb.
“For all you know, she wanted to tell you but nothing you said could have made a difference.”
She swallowed hard. “You don’t know that.” She pulled in a shuddering breath. “But thanks for trying to make me feel better.” She forced a smile he knew damned well she didn’t feel.
“Don’t.”
She blinked at his rough voice. “What?”
“Don’t hide your feelings from me,” he said, surprising her and himself. “You’re hurting. I get it, but I won’t let you pretend that you’re fine. Not with me.”
She hiccupped and her body shook, but she didn’t reply. Instead she pulled herself together before his eyes and for some reason he didn’t understand, it bothered him that she wouldn’t lean on him.
“What’s your plan?” he asked, instead of pushing her.
“Work. What else can I do? She’s not a missing person; I can’t force her to come back to the shelter. If I follow her home, I might p
rovoke her ex. I have to trust she’ll come to me if she needs me. Assuming she lets herself trust me again.” Cara shook her head in frustration. “I have to shower and get to work.” She pulled out of his arms.
He let her go, sensing nothing he said would help her now. She started for the bathroom, leaving him feeling useless and uneasy at her withdrawal. The door shut behind her and he left her alone, knowing she needed time. He kicked back on her bed, bracing his hands behind his head, determined to ignore the sound of running water. The thought of the water sluicing down her back and over her skin. Naked skin.
She finally opened the door, steam coming out of the bathroom along with the enticing warm scent that only served to arouse him more. She stepped into the room with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her, her damp hair falling over her shoulders.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey.”
“Sorry I took it out on you.” Her somber expression offered all the apology he needed.
He held out his hand. “Come here.”
She eased into his arms and curled up against him. “I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’m afraid that when Daniella’s ex sees her again, he won’t welcome her with open arms but closed fists.”
He brushed her hair off her face and tucked her beneath his chin. “You can’t take on the world’s problems. No matter how much you want to.”
She let out a heartfelt sigh. They sat that way together in silence that was…easy and right.
“Thank you,” she said, quietly but with real meaning.
“You’re welcome.”
She blew out a long exhale and curled more tightly into him, her guilt and fear painfully obvious. He wished he could take it away, but he couldn’t. Instead he’d be here for her now, and if Daniella surfaced.
His biggest fear wasn’t that she’d come to rely on him. No, his worry was that when he finally faced the fallout from Simon and Rex Bransom’s past, he’d be the one needing and relying on her.
After the call from the shelter, Cara arrived at work in a bad mood, one that remained for the rest of the week. Though she still volunteered at the shelter, Daniella’s absence gave her a stomachache, and she couldn’t help but worry about her. Mike began instituting changes in their schedules, so she was on her own for daytime shifts. Not having a partner made her more aware of everything going on around her, and though the downtime was harder, the job became more challenging, the decisions her own.
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