Without even thinking, I reach out and grip the blonde hair at the back of his neck. He wears it slightly shorter than he did six years ago, but still sexy as can be.
“I see you’re still the same smooth talker,” I say with laughter. “Good to know.”
He grips my thighs tighter, pulling me closer to him. “And you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Feeling myself come undone under his intense stare, I release his hair and reach for his hands, pulling them away from my thighs. “I’ve missed you, Cale.” I watch him with a smile as his eyes follow my movements to my hands. I squirt a handful of oil into my palm.
His eyes take on a darkened look and he grabs my hands, placing them to his chest, and holding them there. “Why didn’t you tell me you were back already?” He rubs his thumbs over my wrists, looking me dead in the eyes. “When did you get home?”
Letting out a small breath, I shake my head and begin rubbing my hands over his body while pushing him backward until he’s lying flat on his back. “Only two days, Cale.” I suck in a breath and try to hide the small moan as my hands explore every hard ridge of his chest and abs, attempting to continue his massage. God, this is torture right now. This is the kind of body that you only see in the damn movies. “I just wanted a week or so to get settled in first. No one knows that I’m back except for my family. You were going to be the next to know. I promise.”
He smiles up at me and I can’t help but to notice the way my heart skips a beat. That smile—seeing it right now is a painful reminder of what I’ve been missing for the past six years. The ache in my chest almost causes me to lose my composure, wondering what all I’ve missed while being away.
The only thing I’ve heard over the years is that he works at a bar. I don’t even know if he has a girlfriend. For some reason, I just couldn’t allow myself to know that bit of information, so I made Aspen promise to never tell me. Well . . . more like I threatened to choke the life out of her through the phone.
Now standing here, touching him and seeing his beautiful smile, I can’t help but want to know. Is he going home tonight to make love to some woman while she gets to put her hands on the places that I’m touching now? I don’t want to know!
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
A smile spreads over my face, unexpectedly from his request. It’s so big that my face hurts, but I try my best to hide it so I don’t look like a desperate loser. “Are you cooking me dinner, Chef Cale? If so, then I hope it’s better than what I tasted the last time you attempted to cook for us,” I tease, even though I’d eat dirt if it made him happy.
“Of course,” he says confidently. “And it will definitely taste damn good. I promise you that the only things I’ll put in your mouth are the things that I know will satisfy you completely and ruin you for anything else.”
I swallow hard and try not to take that comment sexually, even though my body is definitely taking it that way. “Alright.” I agree. “I’m trusting you with my mouth, so you better not disappoint.”
He lifts his eyebrows and I can’t help but to notice him harden beneath the towel, but I play it off as if I hadn’t noticed. “You have no idea, Riley. You should be careful what you trust me with.” Sitting up, he leans in and kisses me on the side of the mouth, his lips lingering for a few seconds too long. “I have an early shift at the bar today, but I’ll get your number and address from Aspen.”
“Alright.” I smile. “I’ll be here until six, but I’m free after that.”
Nodding his head, Cale jumps up from the table, allowing his towel to drop as he reaches for his clothes to get dressed. I somehow manage to turn away before I get to see what I’ve been longing to see since we were in high school. Damn, I really hate myself right now.
I hear a small chuckle from Cale before I feel his hands wrap around my waist and his lips press against my neck from behind. “Gotta go, baby. Be ready for me tonight.”
Next thing I know, Cale is out the door, and I’m standing here fighting to catch my breath. “Baby . . .” I say softly. I have to admit I like being called that by Cale. That’s definitely new.
Being back is going to be a bigger challenge than I thought . . .
THERE’S ONE MORE HOUR BEFORE my shift ends and I’m feeling so restless that I can barely pay attention to the drinks being ordered. Hemy and I are working the bar while Stone is busy with the girls on the floor. I have to admit that the dude has skills.
I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fill Slade’s shoes, but I’m pretty damn impressed at how crazy and out there he is with his abilities.
I look away from the crowd of crazy women, when I’m caught off guard with an elbow as it jabs me in the ribs. “What the shit?”
Turning beside me, I look up to see Hemy glaring at me. “What the fuck are you doing, staring off and shit? I’m working my dick off over here.”
Ignoring his ass, I quickly snap out of it and focus on the steady flow of drinks that keep getting requested, trying my hardest to not think about Riley and how fucking fantastic it felt having her hands on my body. Truthfully, I wanted them all over, but I don’t think she’s ready for that quite yet, so I’m doing my best to respect her and take things slow. Well, as slowly as I can.
As soon as I get a free moment, I pull my phone out and send Slade a quick text, asking him to get Riley’s number from Aspen. At first Slade texts back with a big FUCK YOU, before he sends another message about five minutes later, telling me he had to wrestle with Aspen to get her phone and that I owe his ass.
He’s just lucky that he’s my guy and that I know how much of an ass he is and still tolerate him. I have to admit that he’s gotten about eighty percent better since meeting Aspen, so really, I owe her.
Leaning against the register, I send Riley a text, ignoring the screaming crowd for a moment. There’s no way she’s getting out of spending the night with me. I don’t care if I have to throw her over my shoulder and handcuff her to me for the night. I’ve missed the shit out of her and tonight . . . she’s mine.
Me: Hey, baby. Where am I picking you up tonight? I hope you save room for dinner and dessert, because I’m ready to work magic with my hands . . .
My phone vibrates a few minutes later, causing me to turn away from the girl chatting my ear off at the bar. She’s still talking as I read Riley’s message.
Riley: Magic, huh? So you’re that good? ;) Don’t even answer that. I’ll be the judge of that later. Pick me up at my mom’s around seven. I’ll be ready and waiting . . .
Damn girl . . . She has no idea what she’s just started.
I adjust my cock and hope my boner will quickly go down. The last thing I need is something to set these women off. I barely make it through a shift as it is without getting attacked with a set of tits in my face. I don’t need anything slowing me down tonight.
“Are you free tonight?” Biting my bottom lip, I shove my phone in my pocket and shake my head at the girl in front of me, before letting her down as easily as I can.
“Sorry, beautiful, but I’m taken for the night.” I slide a free drink across the bar as a look of disappointment takes over her face. “The drink is on me.”
She smiles small and reaches for the drink, not doing much to hide her sour face. “Just let me know when you’re free.” With that, she turns and walks away, swaying her hips in the process. I know without a doubt that she’s trying to lure me in, but that shit isn’t working on me, especially when the woman that I’ve waited six years for is within my reach.
She’s about to finally see how much I truly want her . . .
CALE WILL BE OUTSIDE ANY minute, and for some reason that thought has me extremely nervous and sweaty. Why am I so nervous when this is the guy that I spent most of my teen years with? He’s still the same guy, except . . . he’s drop dead gorgeous and every inch of his body is covered in hard muscle that I want nothing more than to explore with my tongue.
This new desire stirs m
e up, making it hard for me to act normal and pretend that I don’t crave to be with him. It seemed a lot easier six years ago when I saw him almost every day, but after being away from him for so long, seeing him just brings back all of my old feelings on top of the ache that I felt when I could no longer spend my days with him.
I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter, Riley,” I whisper. “Just act normal.” I rub my sweaty palms down the side of my black dress and take in a deep, calming breath. “He’s still the same sweet Cale that wants nothing more than to be friends. Just friends . . .”
I hear a noise in the hallway that causes me to look up and walk toward my bedroom door. My parents went out to dinner after I told them that I had plans, so I’ve been here alone for the last thirty minutes.
“Aspen,” I call out. “Is that you? I’m in my old bedroom.”
I hurry into the hallway and slam into a hard body, almost causing me to stumble backward, but Cale catches me with a grin. His arm tightens around my waist as his smile broadens. “You look hot, Rile.” He leans in and kisses me on the forehead, before pulling me straight up and back on my feet. “You ready to go?”
I tug on the end of my skirt, pulling it down, and then smile, as Cale looks me over with wide eyes, whistling softly. “I’ve missed you, Cale. You seriously have no idea.” I laugh as he grabs my arm and spins me around as if checking me out. It’s something he used to do to me when he would first see me for the day. I know he’s doing it now to make me feel comfortable and I love him for it. It reminds me of how strong our friendship was and why I adored him so much.
“Let’s go.” He nods his head and places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me through the house. “I have dinner in the oven.”
I step outside and watch him as he locks the door and closes it behind him. “Oh really?” I smile big at the thought of Cale cooking. I thought he was only kidding. “You’re really cooking us dinner?”
He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me against him as we walk to his truck. “Hell yes I am. I owe you after all those times you cooked for me while we were hanging out at your house. At my house, I will always cook you dinner, especially if it keeps you coming back for more.” He winks and helps me into his truck.
He refuses to tell me what’s for dinner on the way over to his house, even though I made it a point to ask him every few minutes, just to see if he’d cave. I almost forgot just how strong Cale’s willpower is. He’s pretty set once he makes his mind up. He’s always been the strongest person that I know and I admire him for that, even though it sometimes has the power to annoy the shit out of me.
He jogs over and helps me out of his truck once we pull up to his house. “You’ll be spending a lot of time here, Rile, so I hope you like it just as much as I do.” I laugh and he raises a brow in question. “What? You don’t believe me?”
“What makes you think that I’ll like you as much as I used to?”
He pushes the door open and pushes up behind me, guiding my body with his into the house. His lips brush my ear. “I have a pretty good feeling,” he whispers. “You’ll like me even more . . .”
Walking around me, he throws his keys onto the kitchen island and walks over to the oven with a confidence that makes me melt. “Make yourself at home, because you’re spending the night. We’re having a movie night and I’ll take you home before eight in the morning to change for work.”
This time, I’m the one lifting my brows. “How do you know what time I work tomorrow, Cale?”
He opens the oven and pulls a pan out, setting it on the stove. “Because I asked on my way out. You didn’t think that I would be making all my future appointments without booking with you, did you? You’re the only woman that I’ll be getting a massage by from now on. I promise that.”
I swallow hard and try to keep my nerves from jumping all over the place. He has no idea what his words are doing to me. He may not be trying, but they’re definitely making me extremely hot.
I take a seat at the table when Cale refuses to let me help with anything, and within ten minutes the table is covered with food: baked chicken alfredo, breadsticks, salad, wine for myself, and beer for Cale.
Looking at all of the food makes my mouth water in anticipation. Cale cooked all of this knowing damn well that it’s my favorite meal. I’ll definitely owe him for this later and I’m positive he won’t forget to collect. It’s a good thing that I know practically all of his likes and dislikes. At least . . . I used to.
We don’t talk much until we’ve both eaten a good amount and we’re both on the verge of being stuffed. Cale must notice me slowing down, so he leans back in his chair and smiles up at me.
“So talk to me, Rile.” He takes a swig of his beer and looks at me, ready to listen.
I take another huge bite of noodles, before licking my lips and smiling up at him. “About what?” I breathe out, feeling like I’m about to pop from overeating. “About how damn delicious this food is? Holy crap, Cale. This is so good. I’m very impressed.”
He bites his bottom lip and leans in closer to me. “Told you I’d only put tasty things in your mouth.” He shakes his head with a slight smile as my face undoubtedly turns beet red. “But I want to know about you. What’s been going on? Where’s the boyfriend? Why are you at your parents’ house? That kind of stuff.”
I take a huge drink of my wine and reach for the bottle to refill it. “We broke up before I left. It’s a long story that I don’t feel like talking about right now. I’m only staying with my parents until I can find my own place. Aspen offered to let me stay there, but I don’t want to intrude on her and Slade.” I take another drink and pretend to be unaffected. “I’m sure that I’ll find a place soon and being back in Chicago will feel like home again. It will just take some time.”
He looks me in the eyes for what feels like an eternity before he speaks. “Come stay with me.”
I smile at his offer. “Thanks, but I don’t know about that, Cale. My parents don’t mind me staying there for a while. We haven’t seen each other in six years and I don’t want things to be awkward.”
I stand up and get ready to clean up my mess, but Cale stops me and tells me to leave it on the table. “I’m not worried about that mess right now. What I’m worried about is spending time with you and there’s no way in hell that things could ever be awkward between us. I don’t care if it’s been twenty years, we’re still Rile and Cale and I always have the time and room for that in my life.” He pulls me up from my chair and grabs my glass of wine. “Pick out a movie and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Are you sure you don’t–.”
“Hell no, Rile. I invited you here for dinner. There’s no way I’m allowing you to clean up.” He pulls me by the back of the neck, until our faces are almost touching. “Now go to my room and find a pair of my boxer briefs and a shirt. I’ll meet you on the couch.”
I close my eyes and nod as his smell surrounds me. He smells so damn good that I just want to snuggle into him and run my nose all along his chest and neck. “Okay,” I say softly.
Without warning, he releases my neck and walks over to the table to start cleaning up. I watch him for a second to try and imagine what it would be like living here with Cale. Seeing him every morning when I wake up and every night before bed. I have a feeling there’s no way I could handle that without wanting more. Plus, it would kill me to see him bring other girls home. Cale truly has no idea how much I care about him and I’m hoping to keep it that way.
After slipping into some of Cale’s clothes, I take a seat on the floor and search through his DVDs. I instantly spot a new comedy that I’ve been wanting to see, so I pop it into the PS4 and curl up on the corner of the couch to wait for Cale.
A few minutes later I hear Cale approaching, so I look up. Without a care in the world he yanks his shirt over his head before stepping out of his jeans, making my heart race with every movement that he makes.
He smiles at me when he notic
es me watching him. “I’ve been waiting to get out of these clothes all fucking day.” With his abs flexing, he walks toward the couch and takes a seat, practically pulling me into his lap. He reaches for the blanket on the back of the couch and drapes it over us before pressing play with the controller. “You comfortable,” he questions.
Yes . . . and no.
He isn’t hard, but feeling his dick pressed against my ass definitely steals my breath for a brief second. There were so many times in the past that I wanted to feel him against me, but was too afraid to get close to him, so I always found ways to avoid contact with his junk. There’s no way I would have been able to withstand begging him to take me, and right now . . . I’m fighting that urge.
“I’m fine.” I lie. “Just let me know if you want me to move and I will.”
He pulls me tighter against him and smiles into my neck. “I haven’t seen you in six years. There’s no way in hell that I’m letting you move away from me.”
My heart beats faster from his words and I have to admit to myself that those are the exact words I wanted to hear. Being with him feels like old times and I’m happy to see that Cale wants me around just as much as in the past. I was scared things would be different . . .
I just hope that I can keep my feelings under control before I mess up everything we’ve had over the last ten years.
RILEY FELL ASLEEP IN MY arms over two hours ago, but I haven’t had the heart to move her so that I can get comfortable. She’s sleeping like a damn baby, as if she’s completely exhausted and hasn’t slept in days. I can’t even imagine how much of an effect this huge change must me taking on her both physically and emotionally.
Everything has changed dramatically for her in the last week. Her grandmother has gone off to a nursing home, she’s packed up all of her things to move from the home she has known for the last six years, and on top of that has just gotten out of a relationship that I’m guessing was not by her choice.
Walk Of Shame Page 30
