by Tawny Weber
The women slanted curious looks their way but didn’t ask questions as they herded the kids toward the room. He did see one give another a hip bump and a giggle before glancing back and blushing.
Looked like another segment of Ocean Point had something to talk about now.
“When is this over?” Cade asked, wondering which would come first, talking himself out of sex with Eden, or exploding from pent-up frustration. If her meeting ran more than fifteen minutes, either one was distinctly possible.
“The 4H meeting?” Eden glanced back as one attendee led the goat into the room before looking at the clock. “They should wind up around four-thirty.”
“They?”
“I’m not in the 4H,” she said, her shrug a little wistful. Cade wondered why she wasn’t, since she was totally into animals. Was it anything like why she wasn’t a part of the Oceanfront snob patrol, even though she had the family pedigree to qualify?
“So you don’t have to stay?”
“I usually don’t.”
The girl with the goat and the one with the wicked hip bump both stood in the doorway, pretending to inspect the dog food display. Cade was pretty sure they were tilting sideways, considering how close they were leaning to try and eavesdrop.
“Let’s go,” he suggested, wondering if it sounded like begging to everyone else in the room or if that was just in his head.
“Go?”
“Yeah,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the door. “Go.”
* * *
“WHERE ARE WE GOING?” Eden’s nerves were jumping all over the place as excitement, fear and anticipation wound through her system. She wanted to show a little pride and pull away, proving she wasn’t a pushover. That she wasn’t going to let him give her another wildly intense, mind-blowing orgasm and then just waltz away without a word.
“Let’s go somewhere private. Your place is close,” he suggested with a wicked smile, his fingers twining through hers.
Eden glanced toward the house for a considering second before sliding her eyes to the cars parked in front of the barn-slash-veterinary-clinic-slash-4H-classroom.
The house was close. A little too close to the barn-slash-vet-clinic filled with kids and curious adults. Many of whom she was sure had their noses pressed against the window at that exact moment.
She couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed reaping the benefits of the gossips this week. Cade was better than an ad, a coupon and a social-media blitz all rolled into one. But maybe it was time for a little caution. Because it wasn’t just her reputation on the line here.
She was horribly afraid it might be her heart, too.
“How about we walk?” she countered, unable to deny herself more time with him despite the risk. She gestured to the path that traversed between both their properties. “We can take the lakeside trail. It’s always so pretty along there.”
“You want to go to the lake?” he asked, his voice dropping. It wasn’t until she saw the flash of heat in his green eyes that she remembered. If he hadn’t been holding her hand, she’d have used it to smack herself in the forehead. The lake was his spot. Initiations, sexual escapades, good times. She knew that. She’d fantasized about it so many times that the suggestion must have popped out of her subconscious.
Eden clenched her teeth in case some of the butterflies in her stomach escaped. Here it was, her only birthday wish of the last handful of years, ready to come true. All she had to do was let it.
“You sure you want to revisit the lake?” he asked, his words teasing and low. So low that he had to lean closer, so his warm breath washed over her, to deliver them.
Had he seen her all those times? Did he know she used to watch him there? Nerves flickering, Eden licked her lips. She gave him a wide-eyed look, then glanced toward the woods before asking, “What’s wrong with the lake?”
“You don’t have very good luck there, do you?”
“I beg your pardon?” What? Was he the only one who got to get lucky at the lake?
“Two years ago, I had to rescue you there, remember? Kenny Phillips was rolling naked in a batch of poison oak, trying to scare you away from sex.”
Well, there it was. Now Eden knew she could cringe and laugh at the same time.
“How do you know I didn’t scare him away from sex?” she asked, saying aloud what was usually whispered behind her back. “Word is he’s never been the same, performance-wise.”
Cade shrugged, his hand tightening as he helped her climb over a large fallen log in the path. “I don’t know what you saw in the guy, but from what I recall, Kenny never was what I’d call a go-getter. He was second string, junior varsity, class presidential runner-up. You know, the kind of guy who never could go all the way.”
Eden pressed her lips together to keep from admitting that those comments could easily be applied to Kenny’s lovemaking skills, as well. After all, she’d broken the guy’s foot. It’d just be rude to add insult to injury, even two years after the fact.
“I can’t believe you showed up when you did two years ago,” she said instead, still wondering how that’d happened. She hadn’t even known he was coming home, so it wasn’t like she’d had her rendezvous there in a subconscious attempt to send him some sexually charged message. “What are the odds?”
“I’d say the odds were pretty good since you’re my, what’d you call it? Routine rescue?”
Eden grimaced. She should have known he’d throw that back at her. But she couldn’t deny it. And, if she was honest, she didn’t really want to. It was kinda nice, having her own personal hero.
“I didn’t mean for that to sound so dismissive,” she said quietly, following the pressure of his hand as he pulled her off the path, through the overgrown—but poison oak free—grasses toward the remote lake. “I really do appreciate you being there to haul me out of trouble. Or to step in when it seems like someone’s picking on me.”
“You’re talking about the Spring Fling?”
“It was a sweet gesture,” she said earnestly. It really was. Even if it made her feel like crawling under a rock. Eden sighed. She just wished, just one damned time in her life, that someone could want her for her. Not for what they could get or out of obligation. “But it’s only going to put you in an uncomfortable position. That’s a lousy thank-you for all the help you’ve given me.”
He grimaced. He looked like he was going to say something—agree or protest, she wasn’t sure. But before he could, they stepped through the tight ring of trees to the clearing surrounding the lake.
Eden hummed in appreciation, a combination of sensual energy and relaxation wrapping around her like a sexually charged, but cozy, blanket. The setting was gorgeous. A serene blend of earth tones gave a gentle background to the mossy green water. Rocks as tall as her hip, rounded by years of weather, stood sentinel. Sunlight glinted through the overhead leaves, warming the cool glade with a soft glow.
“You’re the one who was looking uncomfortable. The gossips are a pain but you don’t have to let them bother you. Why do you deal with snobby chicks like that Janie?”
Because she kept hoping for acceptance. Belonging. History.
Since the first two sounded pathetic, she went with the third.
“My family helped found Ocean Point. On both my mom and my dad’s side, they were integral to everything, from founding the library to creating laws. My great-grandfather actually donated the land the country club is built on. That all makes me a part of the Oceanfront set,” she said. No need to add that because her family was broke, her father gone and her mother dancing on the crazy side of irresponsible, some of the set would happily ignore that history and let her fade into a footnote in the town ledger. Cade already knew all that.
“Why not just move away?”
Huh? Eden blinked a couple of times, trying to process the idea. “I can’t leave Ocean Point.”
“Why not?”
“Because this is my home.”
He just arched o
ne brow. Panic grappled and clawed its way through Eden’s stomach. Her life might not be everything she wanted, but she’d always lived it here. She might not fit perfectly, but at least her rut was dug in and familiar.
“Every place has its games and rules and drawbacks,” she said with a shrug. “But here, I know the players, I can work the rules and sidestep the drawbacks. But more importantly, there are things here worth doing all that for.”
“Like?”
She narrowed her eyes, realizing he wasn’t just being argumentative. He really didn’t see the benefits of his home town.
“Like knowing everyone, having those ties that go back. Not just to kindergarten or T-ball. But all the way back, generations. Like the familiarity of the places. Knowing where to get steak on Saturday or jam in the summer. Knowing who tells the best jokes and where to go for a good drink.” She gestured to the lake. “Knowing the best makeout places, and learning from years of experience so you don’t damage yourself while having a good time.”
As she’d hoped, that made him laugh. Cade’s entire face lit up, the remnants of anger behind his eyes fading as he looked around the lake with an affectionate smile.
“Best makeout places, huh?”
“Word is, this is yours,” she said, not only ready to change the subject, but desperate to see what kind of magic happened when the lovemaking was done right.
“You don’t say?” he asked, shifting around to face her, his hands cupping her hips and his gaze intent on her mouth. “You know better than anyone that gossip isn’t always reliable.”
“Word is,” she repeated in a whisper. Eyelids heavy, she stared at his mouth, reveling in the soft fullness of his lips and hint of stubble that kept his face just this side of pretty.
His fingers were gentle as he reached up to glide over her cheek, tucking her hair behind one ear, then leaning down to brush his lips over her jaw.
“Word isn’t everything,” he said quietly. “Gossip always skims the surface, but never touches the truth.”
“Are you trying to say the gossip isn’t true? That this wasn’t your special place?” she asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from him. Wanting him to say something, anything, that’d make her feel like she was different than the other girls he’d brought here.
That she was more.
That she was special.
But he didn’t say a word.
He just looked at her.
The expression in his eyes was intense. Like he was searching her soul. Weighing, waiting. She didn’t know what he found, or what he’d do with the discovery. Was she worthy of him, of his special place?
Nerves added a painful edge to the desire coursing through Eden. Before she could figure out what to do, find anything to say to break the tension, Cade skimmed both hands into the thick strands of her hair, cupping his fingers behind her head and angling her mouth to his.
His lips flowed, like a whisper, over hers. She barely had time for a taste before he moved on, brushing kisses over her cheek, along her jaw and down her throat.
Her system spun into overdrive, passion smothering the nerves as she melted under his touch. Her fingers tingled as they skimmed over the hard muscles of his shoulders, down his back and cupped his tight butt. His body was a work of art. One she wanted to fully appreciate this time. To study, to explore, to enjoy.
Cade’s kisses trailed along the rounded collar of her T-shirt, soft and sweet, as his fingers danced down her side, down to where the hem met her jeans. His hands, hot and powerful, slid under the fabric. She sucked in her breath, flattening her belly as his fingers pressed higher. They trailed the wide band of her bra, scraping the length of her torso with his fingernails. She shivered, her breath catching on a low moan.
Desire flamed.
Need pounded.
She grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging hard to pull the material from the waistband of his jeans. As soon as the shirt cleared, her fingers were scrambling for skin, smoothing over the hard, hot flesh of his back before skimming around to tangle in the delicious sprinkling of hair climbing from his flat belly up to a vee between his pecs.
His body was freaking awesome.
And his hands.
She moaned when he cupped his entire palm over her now bare breast. When had he unhooked her bra? He rubbed in circles, warming, caressing, tormenting her nipple into a hard pebble.
She knew it wasn’t a race, but she still hurried to keep up, angling so she could scrape gentle nails over his nipples. He growled.
Before she could take another breath, he’d stripped her shirt and bra off, tossing them somewhere toward the bushes and grabbing her by the waist to lift her high.
For a second, he just stared. His eyes were slits, passion flaming like a conflagration in the green depths as he took in the sight of her. Eden, needing more, desperate to push him over the edge, unbuttoned her jeans and gave a gentle push so they slid off her hips. They caught on her shoes, leaving her naked from the knees up except for a tiny pair of purple lace panties.
His groan was lost as his mouth latched onto her breast, his lips skating over the soft flesh to the aching tip. He sucked, hard. Her body convulsed, her core as hot and wet as he was making her nipple. There was something amazingly erotic about being so much at his mercy that she was practically floating on air.
He nipped, his teeth scraping her flesh, his mouth still sucking hard. Eden’s fingers dug into his shoulders and she gave a whimpering cry of encouragement.
“More,” she insisted. “Make me come.”
“I’m gonna make you come more than once,” he said, pulling back to stare into her eyes. The intensity of his look echoed the promise in his words.
“Big talk,” she teased.
He laughed, then set her on the ground, but his hands didn’t leave her waist. A thrill of delight shivered through her at the idea that he didn’t want to let her go, even for a second.
“Off,” he demanded, his words low.
“You first,” she shot back.
He frowned, then, his fingers tightened for a second before he released her. His clothes were tossed aside so fast, Eden wasn’t sure he had any buttons left, even on his jeans. She kicked off her shoes, toed off her socks and in the second it took her to step out of her jeans, he was naked.
She almost tripped over her pile of clothes at the sight.
“Oh, my,” she breathed. Eyes huge, she tried to take him in. He was gorgeous.
Golden skin stretched over a body that would make a goddess weep. Sculpted muscles flowed in swimmer form, wide shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist and thighs...
Her mouth actually watered.
Oh, his thighs. Long, lean and roped with tight muscles, they were the perfect frame for the jutting length of manhood waving hello between them.
Eden’s own knees got a little weak at that point.
“I guess you’ve got what it takes to live up to that more than once promise,” she observed, her tone almost reverent. Unable to resist, she reached out to run her fingers along the hard, long length of him. He hissed. She angled a wicked grin his way, then did it again.
Before he could grab her and take control, she dropped to her knees. Palms flat, she ran her hands up the back of his legs from his calves to his upper thighs, then grabbed his butt for a little squeeze. At the same time, she leaned close and blew a puff of air on the rounded tip of his erection.
He growled.
She swirled her tongue around the head, lapping at the velvety knob before sucking, just that tip, into her mouth.
His fingers tunneled into her hair, the tips digging into her scalp as if he was afraid she’d pull away.
As if. She’d just been served up a huge portion of the tastiest treat she’d ever seen. She might never be done. She didn’t think she could ever get enough of him.
Her lips tight against his flesh, she slid her mouth as far down as she could, then pulled back to just the tip, sucked, and did it
again. And again. And again.
Cade could only take so much. Flesh quivering, he shifted, stepping backward. From her position on her knees, Eden slanted him a pouty look. And why not? He’d just taken away her treat.
He bent, grabbing his jeans and digging out his wallet before tossing them aside.
“While you’re down there,” he suggested, handing her a condom.
“My pleasure,” Eden murmured with a wicked smile, sure it was going to be just that. Her eyes locked on his, she tore open the foil wrapper. Before she slid the latex over his burgeoning length, though, she leaned in for another kiss.
“You’re wicked,” he claimed, somewhere between a laugh and a moan. His fingers slid into her hair, a combination of a plea and a caress. Eden didn’t know when she’d ever felt this wonderful, this powerful.
She had her hottest fantasy, panting over her.
It was amazing.
Ready to see just how much more amazing it could get, she slid the condom over his erection. Before she could move, he lifted her off her knees and in a single fluid motion laid himself back on the grass and positioned her above him.
“You’re gorgeous,” he told her. His eyes feasted on her body as she settled her knees on either side of his hips, his hands going to her breasts like they were magnetically drawn. His fingers tweaked the tips even as his palms held the weight, cupping and squeezing gently.
Eden’s body heated, wet and needy as if every shift of his hands pushed her higher, hotter. Her hands braced on his chest for balance, she leaned over to kiss him at the same time she slowly, oh, baby, so incredibly slowly, lowered herself on the hard length of him.
He filled her.
Completed her.
Like they were custom fit, her body took him all, shivering and pulsing around him. For a second, Eden couldn’t move. She could only feel. Sensation after sensation rippled from her core to her nipples and back again.
Cade groaned.
Swallowing hard, she lifted her hips. Then slowly, twisting a little, brought them back down so her core was pressed tight against the thatch of curls at his groin.
