Jaden was more of a thinker, and he loved animals. All his life, from when he was a little guy, he’d loved animals. Every birthday was animal themed, his room had animals on the wall, and he was still slated to be a zoologist. I thought it was pretty cool myself, but then I wasn’t a sixteen-year-old-wanna-be zoologist in a high school filled with alpha males. “Jaden would like to work in a place like this someday.”
Karen put her hand on Jaden’s shoulder. “Yeah? That’s great! I’ve always loved animals, but I don’t have a head for science. And I think it would be too hard for me. I’d want to have them all live in my house with me.”
Jaden latched onto the subject. “It is hard sometimes. I volunteer at the SPCA as part of a school program, and I beg Ma to let me bring home animals at least once a week. So far we just have one dog.”
Ethan added to the conversation, more animated than he’d been so far that day. “She’s a really cool dog, though. She’s part sheep dog. Her fur’s so shaggy, sometimes you can’t even see her eyes, but she gets around just fine.”
The rest of the day went along in a similar fashion. Even though Jaden was my brother and not my son, I got a sense of what things could be like as a family with Karen. It was miles away from my life so far, but I liked the feeling of being part of a unit.
I’d spent so much of my life apart from everyone. When you played hockey like I did, it was your life. I even lived with my coach for a while when I was training up in Canada before I hit the big league. Being in a family setting again, walking Jaden and Ethan through the zoo with Karen’s hand wrapped in mine felt right.
The Saturday before we were leaving for Dallas, Karen and I hosted a barbeque at my place. We commandeered a section of the beach by putting out multiple chairs and blankets. Next to that, we put up a volleyball net. There were already pits marked out in the sand with poles in place, so we just needed our own net. I made the kids wake up early to secure the court closest to the house.
“How do we put up the net?” Jaden had it in his arms, still perfectly tied right out of the box.
“I don’t know. Go look at the posts. Figure it out, you’re smart kids.”
Jaden and Ethan grumbled as they made their way out to the beach. I wondered if I was ever like that. At their age, I was playing hockey every waking moment that I wasn’t in school. Come to think of it, I’d spent my sixteenth summer in Canada. And had loved every minute of it.
The kids had the net up and all the chairs and blankets strewn around our spot by the time Karen showed up with Jody and company in tow.
“Hi, Babe.” Karen kissed me while Jody glowered disapprovingly behind her. I gave her ass a tight squeeze, simply because I could and Jody was watching. Neither one of us was ever going to give the other a break, I don’t think.
“Hey, Sweetheart. What did you bring?”
“I have about four pounds of potato salad, a ton of pasta salad with salami like you asked for, and a cucumber and onion salad. Lacey made baked beans and deviled eggs.” She handed me not one of the platters, but Addie. “Here. Take her while we bring the rest of the stuff in.”
Jody continued to glower at me while I cooed to his little girl. She gifted me with a big, toothless grin and bubbles. “You like me, don’t you, honey? Yes, you do.” I blew raspberries on her stomach, making her squeal in delight.
“Don’t drop her, Booker.”
“No dropping the baby. Check.”
“I’m not kidding, Booker. Be careful with her.”
“Come on, man. Lighten up, will you? It’s a picnic. Enjoy it. Just give it a try. I swear it won’t hurt.” He didn’t exactly smile at my razzing him, but his frown evened out a little.
“What can I do?”
“You could check the volleyball net if you don’t mind. The kids put it up earlier, but I haven’t had a chance to see if it’s going to stay put yet.”
“Sure.” He snagged a beer out of the cooler on the way out, and I was alone with Addie. She sure was a cute little thing. I could see me and Karen having a few of these. I didn’t care where they came from either. Black, white, Hispanic, it didn’t matter to me. As long as Karen was happy, I was up for anything. I could even see us adopting some older kids maybe. Who knew? We hadn’t discussed kids yet. Sometimes I felt like I was jumping the gun.
I was busy talking to Addie and disengaging her sticky fingers from my hair when I heard the door open again. Karen caught my eye, took in the picture of me playing with the baby, and gave me a disarming smile that warmed me clear across the room.
“You look like a natural.”
“Me? No. I haven’t held too many babies, but this one likes me.” Addie took that moment to slap me on the nose. “Ow. See?” I laughed at her and she laughed back, moving her arms frantically up and down. I was quicker this time and she only bopped me in the chin. “Lively little thing.”
“Here, Cage. I’ll take her.”
“No, that’s okay.” Then I smelled this god-awful stink. I looked into Addie’s angelic face that was contorted with concentration and realized what she was doing. “You know what? You can have her. She’s doing her business. Holy hell. How can something that cute stink that bad?” I passed her off as quickly as I could and got the hell out of there. I was sure Jody could use my help out in the clean, fresh air.
***
Karen
I had Addie all cleaned up and smelling like a little lady again in no time. It was a double-edged sword, being with my tiny niece. She was such a reminder of what I was unable to do anymore. Holding her was getting easier, although I still got a pang in the pit of my stomach watching Lacey hold her. Maybe someday I wouldn’t feel that anymore.
Lacey was still putting food away when I got back to the kitchen. “My little niece is all nice and fresh again.”
“Thanks, Karen. So you and Cage sure seem to be fitting together nicely, huh?”
“We really are. We’ve only had one argument and it was a small one.”
“Yeah? What were you arguing about? If you don’t mind me asking.”
I could feel my face getting flushed. I looked outside to make sure everyone was well away from the house and was pleased to see the guys and the boys hitting the volleyball around. “Well, Cage had decided he wants to wait until our wedding night to be intimate.”
Lacey was shocked into silence as her head spun around to stare at me with eyes wide open. After a second, she found her voice. “Come again? Cage? Cage Booker? The guy who oozes sex wants to wait? How is that possible?”
“He says that I’m worth the wait and he wants it to be perfect, but Lace—I don’t want to wait. I’m healed now. One hundred percent. I’m good to go, and Jesus …have you seen the man? And when he touches me, well, I can’t think of much else.”
“Then just seduce him. Do you need it to be perfect the first time? Although really, what’s the definition of perfect?”
Even though my cheeks were still going up in flames, I told her the truth. It was nice to empty my naughty brain to someone. “Perfect right now would be the back of that door and about sixty seconds. Maybe less. I can’t wait another month. You know how all the boys in high school would say they’d die if they didn’t get it? I think there might be some truth to that. I’ve never been so…so…”
“Horny?” She snorted when I nodded my head yes.
“I’m telling you, I can’t take it.”
“When is everyone else due to arrive?”
I looked at the clock on the stove. “In about an hour and a half, why?”
She shrugged. “No time like the present. Call him in here. I can give you sixty seconds.” She laughed at my expression. She couldn’t be serious. “Karen. If you want him that badly, call him in here. Take him into his room, slam him against the door and have your way with him. There’s plenty to entertain us for a while out there. I can keep us all occupied.”
“You’re serious.”
“Hell yes, I’m serious. We girls have to stick to
gether, and right now, I see a girl in need. Serious need.”
Before I’d agreed, she went out and yelled for Cage to come back in. She went out as he slipped in.
He had thrown off his shirt and was slick from playing out in the sun. He looked unbelievably sexy. I didn’t have to fight with my brain a second longer. “Come here, please.”
I took his hand and led him up to his room.
“What are we doing?”
“Shut up.” I slammed the door shut harder than I’d meant to, causing a picture to fall off his bureau. The lock clicked closed with a turn of my hand and I was on him. My lips slammed against his while my hands slid across his gorgeous, naked, sweaty chest.
I pulled back just long enough to sling my shirt over my head. Next I flung off my bra, watching Cage’s eyes widen with each piece of clothing gone. Not even thinking about my new scars or anything else, I dropped my shorts and my panties. Once I was completely naked, I plastered my body against his again, reaching for his shorts.
“Whoa. Wait.” He tried to push me back. “Let me look at you.” I slipped my hand inside his shorts and grabbed his cock. It only took three strokes to have him pulsing in my hand. “Fuck. Karen, slow down.”
I couldn’t get to him fast enough. I wanted him inside me more than I wanted my next breath. “No. Shut up and take me. We can save making love for the wedding night.” I tried to push his shorts down, but he grabbed my arms to stop me. “Cage. I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to explode! Now. I need you now.”
“Aw, hell.”
We could hear noises beyond the door, but I didn’t care. “Ignore that.” I pulled his head down to mine and captured his lips again in a searing kiss. We heard more noises from outside.
Cage lifted his head up to listen. I reached down and freed him from his shorts, pleased to feel the moisture already beading on the head of his cock. “I said ignore it.”
“Yes ma’am.” In one swift move, Cage lifted me up and helped me wrap my legs around him. He backed me up against the door and entered me with one well aimed thrust. “Did we talk about this? I’m clean. I have a clean bill of health. I was checked for everything when we got together. Okay?”
“Jesus Christ, Cage. Yes. I trust you. Now please. Less talking, more fucking.” I swiveled my hips taking him deeper, eliciting a moan from both of us. I was a heartbeat or two away from shattering. I wanted him too badly and for too long to have needed much warming up.
“You have to slow down or I’m going to come, Karen.”
My hips were moving faster against his thrusts. “Now, Cage. Ah, God, now!”
He continued to thrust into me, his breathing growing more and more ragged. I could tell he was holding on by a thread. I felt my newly healed muscles begin to tighten around him. It was euphoric. In the back of my mind I’d been afraid I’d never have another orgasm. I couldn’t have been more wrong. “Yes! Oh, God. That’s it. Just like that. Yes.” I flew apart when I heard him groan, banging my head back against the door. He slammed into me once, twice, groaning louder each time until he slowed and eventually stopped, just holding me up against the door.
“Jesus. I’m shaking.” He was. He was shaking all over. I was feeling pretty smug.
“So, you’re not mad I jumped you?”
“Mad? No, that’s not the word I’d use.” He slid slowly down to the floor, still inside me with my legs still wrapped around his waist. It was getting a little uncomfortable, to be honest.
“I need to get up.” I started to unwrap my legs when his arms banded around me.
“Wait. Just a second.” He buried his face in the crook of my neck, still breathing hard. “Thank you.”
“You’re thanking me? It’s me who should be thanking you. I don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no again. I mean it.”
He looked up at me and brushed my hair back, fingering the thin scar on my face. “Thank you for not being able to hold back. Thank you for wanting me. I’ve never felt like that before.”
“Surely women have gone nutso over you before, Cage.”
“Never like that. That wasn’t just sex, Karen. We may have did it in less than two minutes up against the door with people just outside, but we did not simply fuck. We made love.” He winked at me in that way of his. “We made love hard and fast, but make no mistake, it was still making love—and it was incredible.” He kissed my nose and then helped me get up.
When we made our way back outside, I saw that Vlad and Zoe had arrived with Crystal and her best friend. They were batting the volleyball around with Jaden and Ethan. Off to the side, I saw Lacey trying to catch my eye.
“Well?” I wasn’t close enough to hear her, but could read her lips well enough. I made eye contact with her and mouthed “thank you”. She laughed, drawing Jody’s attention.
Jody gave Cage the evil eye as we strode up next to the group. “Where’ve you been, Booker? We’re looking to start a game here. You can have the kids.”
Cage was strutting like he’d conquered—well, me. And he had. Or I had him. Whatever, it didn’t matter. “Sure, LaGrange. I’ll take the kids. There’s nothing on the planet that could dampen what I’ve already experienced today. Bring on whatever you’ve got. Hell, I’ll even let you win.” He gave me a toe curling kiss and took his spot on the other side of the net, grinning like a goddamn fool.
Best picnic ever.
***
Cage
At the end of the kids’ visit, I was ready to get rid of them. I enjoyed having them, really, but Karen and I didn’t get another minute of alone time. And since I had a small taste of what was to come, I was getting more frustrated by the day.
It was so much worse since our quickie in my bedroom. My nerves were stretched about as tight as they could go, I think. If I didn’t have her beneath me soon, I didn’t know if I’d make it. You know guys can die if we don’t get to have regular sex, right?
We were waiting by the boarding gate for our flight to Texas when I noticed Karen wringing her hands. The boys were busy staring out the window at the jets coming and going. “Hey.” I clasped her hand in mine. “Are you okay?” I’d never given it a thought, but maybe she was afraid of flying.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” She looked past me out the window. Now her free hand was fidgeting with her skirt. Yeah, and about that skirt. I wanted her back in her pants. I thought she looked hot in her yoga pants? Well, fuck me. You should see her legs in that skirt. Ugh.
“You can’t keep still. Are you afraid to fly?”
“What? No. I guess I’m just nervous about meeting your mother. It’s not every day I meet the mother of the man I’m going to marry. What if she doesn’t like me when she meets me in person?”
She couldn’t be serious. “Not like you? How could she not like you? She already likes you. I think you’ve talked to her more than I have in the past month.”
“I know, but it’s different going to her house. Meeting her in person.”
“Karen, one look at me and she’ll never have anything but happy thoughts about you.”
“One look at you? Why you?”
“Look at me. What do you see?” She looked at me and smiled. Her hand squeezed mine, and her eyes got bright.
“I see you, Cage. I see a man who cares for me. I see a man who takes care of his family, and I see those lines around your eyes that you get from smiling and laughing.”
“Yeah. Would you say I look happy?”
She tilted her head, not understanding where I was going with this. “Yeah. I’d say you look happy.”
“Well, you’re the reason I’m happy. You put this look on my face. Once my mother sees that, she’s all yours. You’ll have her wrapped around your little finger like you do me.” She did, too. Totally wrapped. Already I can’t remember what it was like without her. All those countless women. The amount of sex I’d had that meant nothing. It was amazing how much better everything was with her than it was without her. I had no idea life could
be this good.
Satisfaction pursed her lips. I could tell her feelings for me were intensifying. If I was very lucky, she’d fall for me like I had her. I knew she cared for me. Loved me even, but I wasn’t sure she was in love with me yet. I was going to do my damndest to make that happen, though. I was hoping my mother could push her in that direction.
Chapter 26
It was after dinner time by the time we pulled into my mother’s driveway. The stucco and brick house looked just like all of the other houses around it. My mom lived in one of those cookie cutter housing developments. Her house was one of the first things I bought for her with the wealth I’d acquired from being a hockey player.
I had wanted to get her a bigger place with security on the premises, but she wanted to live like ‘regular people’, as she called them. She’d never forget how we grew up so poor that we couldn’t use our electric most days, or even the washing machine. She worked her ass off taking care of us after my father left. She never complained, but as I got older, I’d notice her looking at the housing developments just like the one she lived in now with longing. They were modest ranchers, but it was all she ever wanted. So that was what I bought her. Unbeknownst to her, I had just about everything upgraded before she moved in.
“And there she is.” Ma was running out of the house before the car had even come to a complete stop. She spared a quick hug for Jaden and Ethan before making a bee line for the passenger door.
Karen was smiling as she took in my mother’s appearance. She was a tiny little thing. Karen would tower over her. If my mom was the five-foot-one she claimed to be, I’d eat my hat. Her wispy, auburn curls were long and held back in a banana clip from the eighties. Her clothing was reminiscent from the eighties, also. She insisted they would be back in fashion soon.
“Oh! Look at you, sugar! You’re beautiful.” Karen got out of the car and Ma grabbed her hands. “Oh my. You are a tall drink of water, aren’t ya?” She put her tiny arm around Karen’s waist and turned toward me. “Aren’t we just the cutest? And we’re almost the same height!” She giggled like a school girl and ushered Karen into the house.
Cage's Misconduct (NHL Scorpions #3) Page 23
