My Soul Laid Bare: Book 4 (The Soul Keeper Series)

by Solis, Melissa

  My mind remains elsewhere for the rest of dinner, and by the time we arrive at the festival, I’m kicking myself in the ass for not realizing Brennen was playing games with our hearts long before I was ever possessed– snapped– went coo coo for Cocoa Puffs, whatever the hell happened to me that caused me to lose it. The other part of me is kicking myself in the ass for ruining our first date. Cat is special and I should be treating her like a princess tonight, not wallowing in misery.

  True to my prediction Mia and Maci take off toward a group of girls I recognize as their best friends. “Keep your phones handy and I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave…and stay together.”

  “Alright Mister, now that we're finally alone, I think it's time I exacted a little payback for the way you've practically ignored me tonight,” she says with a smile on her face. She slips her hand into mine and tugs me toward the carnival.

  “Cat, I'm really sorry. I sort of had this revelation at dinner that... You know what? It doesn’t matter because it's in the past.”

  “You're darn right it's in the past. There is nothing you can do to change it, but I'm here with you. I'm living a million miles from home, here with you tonight, and I am hell bent on having a good time. So, please step up and take your punishment like a man.”

  I glance around and see where she's led me. Flashing lights twirl around a sign that reads, “One dollar a throw” with a giant tank of ice cold water waiting for its next victim like an inky black water grave. She fishes a twenty dollar bill from somewhere inside her bountiful bosom and slaps into the man's hand. Shit!

  The man dressed in a dingy white shirt and coveralls waves his arm for me to follow him up the stairs dramatically as if he we're turning letters on The Wheel of Fortune. Cat releases my hand, and a smile crosses my face even though I know I deserve a fate far worse than this tonight. Getting plunged into an ice bath by her almost feels like foreplay. I have a feeling Cat always comes out on top. Maybe that's how she got her nickname. I pull off my boots and trudge up the stairs to sit on the round circle, spring hinged to give way when she hits the bull’s-eye.

  “Hey Cat, you ever play softball?” I ask trying to gauge her aim.

  “Nope.” She winds up her arm and chucks the first ball. It pings the metal backboard just shy of the bull’s-eye.

  “You ever shoot a deer?”

  “Nah.” She throws again and it tips the sign. I brace myself for the release, but it wasn't hard enough.

  “Did I mention I was sorry?”

  Her brows peak up, and she narrows her eyes on me. With all of her anger and adorable scrunched up nose, she fires again and misses completely. She stomps the ground and begins tossing every ball at the sign as fast as she can. I've hurt her. I never meant to hurt her, yet I've gone and done just that once again without even being aware of the fact that I had. Finally by pure luck, she hits her mark, and the seat releases me into the tank. The water seizes me by my man parts and chills me to the bone. I break the surface, and the man in coveralls helps me out of the tank. He tosses me a towel. I dry my face off while Cat looks at me with a satisfied smirk on her face.

  “I promise. You have my full attention from now on. I'm sorry I let you down tonight. I've been a shitty date.”

  She stares into me as if she could read every thought in my head to decide for herself if I'm telling the truth. “It's alright Sam. I'm sure you can find a way to make it up to me.” She flashes a gorgeous smile at me, and I feel like the luckiest man on the planet right now. To be half drowned by Cat Emerson is a privilege I would gladly pay the toll for each night, if it meant getting that smile to come across her face.

  “Now that I'm soaking wet and barefoot, what game should we play next? I hear there's a tar and feathering booth on the next lane over, should you want to add some stickiness to the situation,” I say holding my boots in my hand looking like a six foot tall wet rag.

  Cat gives a soft laugh and runs her fingers through my dripping wet hair as the wheels spin in her head. “Hold that thought.” She leads me to the main street and as much as I hate to admit it, I'd be willing to follow Cat anywhere she wants to go tonight. Life with her would never be boring. I can bet my life on that. There is a small market set up in this section - booths from all walks of life selling apple butter to glow sticks and loads in between. She stops at one that has some gaudy Fourth of July board shorts and purchases them with matching flip flops. Oh hell no!

  She stuffs the items into my hands as if she has solved the problem. “Um Cat, what's their return policy?”

  “All sales final man,” the teenager working the booth calls out.

  “Sam you have a patriotic duty to wear these today. You were born on the Fourth of July, and I bet not once have you ever had those beautiful butt cheeks decorated with both stars and stripes simultaneously. Now go make your country proud and put these on.”

  Her voice is dripping with sarcasm, and she lights up my face once again tonight. I cock my head to the side and agree to don the worst outfit ever just to make her happy.

  “I'm parked in that field just over there. It’s dark enough, so come cover me.”

  We dash across the street and into the grassy lot. I shield myself with the door, and Cat turns her back as she stands in front of me while I peel off my soaked jeans and underwear. I slip into the shorts as quick as I can manage. When I turn around, I catch her just turning back from taking a peek at my bare bottom. My face fills with heat knowing she's curious about my body. I toss my wet things in the back of the truck and pop the tailgate down.

  “Do you want to sit out here with me for a little while? I have a cooler full of Cokes.”

  “Sounds like fun to me.” She smiles coyly, and my hands slide around her waist to help her hop up to the tailgate. I grab my guitar from the back seat and take it out of its soft cover. She grabs a couple of ice cold drinks from the cooler, and I sit beside her. I play a few notes to check the tuning.

  “I didn't know you played the guitar. I love that about you.” Her eyes are full of admiration and loyalty. If I would give Cat the chance, she'd treasure my heart and care for it forever. I just intrinsically know this about her. I can't explain how.

  I play a song I just learned this summer. It's called “It Sure'd Be Cool if you Did”, by Blake Shelton. It reminds me of Cat and her fearless ways. I want to make up for being such a clod earlier. Cat's face lights up as I play, and I'm dying to share an agonizingly slow first kiss with her. After the song, I put my guitar aside and turn my body to invite her into my arms. She scoots in resting her back against my chest and everything about her makes me want to cover her in kisses.

  I slip Cat’s hand into mine, and that same surge fills me with a sensation I’ve never felt. It’s as if I need to touch her, like all the time. I wonder if she feels it too. She turns her face up towards mine, and I lower my head so that I'm just inches away from her sweet soft lips. Fireworks scream through the sky and explode into dazzling displays of reds and blues above our head. Cat is my personal explosive device. She has the power to detonate my heart tonight if she chooses to. She's dazzling and glorious like a sparkler lit up and burning brightly. She has captivated me.

  I finally close the gap between us and move over her lips just barely brushing mine with hers. Her hand slides up to my face, and I kiss her achingly slow. I want this feeling to linger for days. I want Cat to dream about this kiss for an eternity. My hands hold her close to my chest, and hers move through my hair. My tongue sweeps over hers, and I'm lost in a sea of emotions. This is an entirely new feeling. I've never felt this way kissing anyone, even Brennen, and the revelation of this is life changing. Maybe she wasn't the girl of my dreams. Maybe my heart led me down the wrong path for a reason. I don't care to dwell on it because Cat's sensual mouth melding with mine is euphoric. We could be out here for days like this and never come up for air or food. I deepen the kiss to let her know I'm all in. Her hands find their way under my shirt and caress my heated skin. The
combination has me longing for more, and I think she feels the same way. But my sisters keep crisscrossing my thoughts, and I know I'd better check on them. I slow things down with Cat, so that we can finally pry our lips apart. Her gaze washes over me, and I can see the longing in her eyes. I am falling for her hard and fast.

  I take my phone out and shoot both of them a text asking if their ready to go. It's after nine, and the festival is about to end soon. Cat traces swirls along my knee before her hand wanders up my thigh. God, I hope they reply yes and soon. The evidence of Cat's touch is become increasingly difficult to contain.

  “Do you want to grab a snack while we wait for them?” she asks. I nod as she takes my hand and jumps down from the truck bed.

  “What's your poison? Fried Twinkies? Chocolate dipped bacon? Turkey leg?” She laughs probably never experiencing the calorie laden carnie food America has to offer. I stow my guitar and we take off back to the carnival.

  The dulcet aroma of funnel cakes wafts through the air along with the scent of her shampoo again. I bury my nose in the top of her head as we wait in line and plant a kiss there. The streets are filled to capacity, and all I want to do is be alone with Cat again and soon. It’s like now that I’ve finally let her in, I can’t get enough. Cat is a buzz of caffeine through my veins, a jolt of lightening to my brain. I’m finally awake and aware of the life that’s been happening around me while I slept in that damn coma of heartache for so long.

  She orders beignets from a French bakery stand, and Mia finally texts back. They are in line for one last ride. She asks that we meet them by the Zippo. Cat takes me by surprise as she pops a beignet in my mouth covered in powdered sugar. I bite down on the pillow of softness and think about how it compares to her plush lips. She sweeps her lips across mine and cleans a stray plume of sugar from the edge of my lip. My body aches to be closer to Cat, and I hate that she pulls away a second later.

  A local band is playing Zydeco music as we pass by. Cat pulls me in for a closer look and then onto the dance area marked out with a rope line. She moves against me, teasing me with her soft silky dress and her skin now set to fire under this Texas heat wave.

  “You are not like anyone I've ever known,” I whisper next to her cheek. She replies with a coy smile that is my undoing.

  I crash my lips over hers and pour out a kiss so sweet and pure she won’t think twice about my past or the certainty of our future. Her body sinks into mine, and my hands rub along her back aching to touch her bare skin. I finally manage to pry my body off of hers, which wasn't an easy task.

  “I think we'd better get my sisters before they spot a skinny jean wearing cowboy-wanna-be and Face time stalk him.”

  “Your sisters deserve more credit than you give them. They are actually quiet demur when the opposite sex is concerned.” I let her have her point. Little does she know I know those girls are hiding far more than they let on. They are sneaky little things, and I probably should have kept more of an eye on them tonight. They are starting to have a figure, and if I'm noticing, I'll bet the farm other boys their age are too.

  Mia and Maci spot us as they get off the ride. Their hair is windblown and wild. It makes me and Cat laugh as they walk over to us.

  “What are you wearing? Oh my gosh! Let's get out of here before someone sees me with you dressed like that!” Mia's words bursts out sounding genuinely concerned that the fashion police exist and are on their way.

  “So did you kiss her yet?” Maci chimes as she approaches. I cringe not knowing where this girl gets her manners from.

  “If I did, do you think it would be very gentlemanly of me to tell you?”

  “Geesh! You sound like Dad.”

  I take Cat's hand and that buzz surges between us like the low hum of a bug zapper waiting for any form of life to pass through the barrier. The charge is building, and it feels like my blood is set to effervescent. I rub small circles over her shoulder as we drive just to have an excuse to touch her.

  The girls fall asleep on the way home, and I stop by the house to drop them off before I take Cat home. Mia secretly likes to be carried inside and acts like she's dead to the world when the truck reaches the house. Maci groggily treads up the stairs and to her room. I hike the ninety pound girl over my shoulders as if she were a bale of hay and carry her up to her room and ease her onto the bed. “Night sis.” She kicks off her flip flops, and I cover her with the blanket. She used to always try and sneak in my bed when she was three and four. I always wondered why it was me and not Maci. I miss these shared moments of little joys we had together.

  I pop in my room for a moment and grab a few foil packages just in case. Not that I expect anything will happen tonight, but I'd rather be prepared if it does begin to sway that way.

  Cat's jamming out to classic rock in the truck, and I laugh when I open the door getting blown away at the noise level.

  “This song is one of my all-time favorites. My dad used to play the CD over and over in car,” she admits. I get a kick over the way she says car. She has a passionate soul about life, horses, and I'm dying to know everything else she's fired up over.

  I take the long way around to her house trying like hell to prolong our date, but is seems like we still arrive at her home too soon. I help her out of my raised truck and hold her hand all the way to the door. “I had a really good time with you tonight,” I say pulling her in by the belt loops so that her waist is just inches from mine. I catch a sigh leaving her lips, and I don't think she wants tonight to end either.

  “Me too. I hope we can go out again soon.” Her hands slip inside my shirt telling me she's definitely not ready for me to leave yet. She runs her nails up my back, and I melt into her. I kiss her neck and hover over her ear. She lets out a soft sound that sends waves of sensation to my lower extremities. “It's so hot out here. I think it’s time for a swim,” she says sounding breathless. She pours a kiss over me that starts off slow and then deepens into something involving hands exploring like they were lost bloodhounds trying to sniff their way home. She feels the square packages in my thin shorts, and I cringe hoping she doesn't get the wrong idea. She fishes them out and displays them like a deck of cards in her hand.

  “Sorry, I ...”

  “Don't apologize Sam. I'm just glad you finally know what you want.”

  “I want you Cat.” My admission comes out sounding as sincere as I meant it to. Slowly I see it hit home in her eyes.

  I hear kick off her shoes and unzip her dress. She tugs my lower lip with her teeth teasing me to join her in stripping down out here right under the unnatural glow of the yellow porch light. The lake is right behind her house. As soon as she's naked, she runs to the small dock, and I hurry to catch up. Just as I round the corner I catch a glimpse of her beautiful bare flesh being swallowed by the navy lake. She emerges from the water with her hair slicked backed, and water dripping from her nose. I run down the small hill in my shorts kicking them off just before I jump in after her just as naked as she is. It feels wrong, yet it feels so right. She moves over to me, and we collide in a wave of heated kisses. Her small hands move over my bare buttocks and shocks me. It's strange being so intimate with someone who isn't Brennen.

  The summer night is clear, and out here in the middle of sixty acres, every star is visible. I glide through the water on my back as she uses me as a floatation device. It's so quiet it out here. The only sound is the gentle lap of the water moving through my hands and the cicada humming in the trees. A falling star shoots across the sky, and Cat points at it in awe.

  “Come on inside and we can rinse this lake water off ourselves.” she suggests. I’ve never showered with a woman before, and after this, I may not ever want to shower alone again. Cat scrubs my chest with her body wash and fingernails. She makes sure every inch of me is as clean as a whistle. I get the idea and repeat the process on her. The whole while all of this touching has made the sensation between us enter a new high. I know she feels it too. She towels off my body as I wrap
another towel around her back pulling her in with it. We move to her bed. I grab the packages along the way.

  Cat is so beautiful lying under me. Her eyes tell me she wants this, she wants me in every way I’ll give her. I run my hands over her body letting my fingers gently bite at her flesh. I ease over her lips basking in their softness. It’s as though they were made for me. We drown in each other, and I never want to come up for air. All I want is this girl… this moment… to last forever

  Later that night, she lies over me and traces my collarbone with her tongue. I let out a low groan. Making love to Cat was perfect. It was magical, like nothing I ever expected. I’m falling for this girl - hard. We’re plummeting through the clouds like a speeding train dropped from the heavens. I kiss her tenderly as I run my hands along her back. She’s still astride me, and it’s a memory I want to burn into my brain so I can relive the beauty that she emanates every waking moment even when we’re apart.

  “Are you sure that was your first time?”

  “Yeah. Why?” I half laugh out.

  “Because that was amazing.” She smiles that dazzling sleepy eyed smile and melts my heart while boosting my ego simultaneously. Yes Cat Emerson is just the girl I need at just the right time in my life.

  “You are amazing. You make me feel things I never knew existed,” I cringe at how amateurish my words just sounded.

  She laughs and gyrates her hips over my most intimate parts. “News flash, this has existed for a very long time.”

  A smile blooms on my face that is not going to leave for a very long time. “Not just that, I mean when I touch you, it’s like were magnetized. Do you feel that too?” Maybe it’s just a one-way street. Maybe Cat just goes around from ranch to ranch stealing all the young men’s hearts, and I was just another stop along the way.