Blood Rose

by P. T. Michelle

  While the provocative sensuality of “I Wanna Kiss You All Over” by Exile washes over me, I nod my appreciation of the era he chose. Thunder rumbles way off in the distance, but all I feel is the electricity sparking between us as Calder lightly traces his fingers down my arms. Capturing my hands, he lifts them and locks my fingers behind his neck, then settles his hands on my hips. His gaze never leaves mine as he pulls me flush to his body. Aligning my body with his, he begins to move our hips in a slow, sexual roll as we turn to the music.

  The tiny hairs on my arms stand up as the evocative words combine with the warm summer air teasing my skin like a lover’s breath. The carnal look in his gaze leaves me breathless right before he lowers his lips to my jaw line. Kissing and nipping at my skin, my handsome husband spins me around at a bone-melting, jaw-grinding pace.

  I hold back my sighs of pleasure, not wanting to miss any of the arousing words of the song as his fingers flex on my hips, directing me to his every whim. I let my head fall back when his hot mouth slides to the hollow of my throat. All the while Calder’s hips fuse even closer with mine, mimicking exactly what he wants to do to me. My insides melt and I twine my fingers in his hair, clasping him closer. This leisurely, sensual seduction is wrecking havoc on my nervous system, yet I love it so very much.

  True to the song he chose, his lips explore every part of me.

  As he kisses my shoulder, I exhale a gasp of excitement when the zipper on my dress slowly slides open. We never stop moving to the sexual beat and with each undulation of my hips, my dress moves on its own down my body.

  The moment the cloth hits my feet, Calder doesn’t miss a beat. He keeps us skin-to-skin as he lifts me out of the dress and turns just as the song “Heaven” by Bryan Adams begins to play.

  I don’t care that I’m half naked out in public. I’m being masterfully seduced by the man I love. This…truly is heaven.

  The moment he pops the hooks on my strapless bra and it falls to the floor and the heat of his chest fuses with mine, the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. I moan as my sensitive nipples brush against the bit of hair on his hard, muscular chest. The song’s seductive words completely pull me in and I whisper in a husky voice, “I can’t stand it. Kiss me, Calder.”

  He cups my jaw and just when his mouth covers mine and his tongue slides deep in aggressive dominance, warm raindrops hit our faces.

  Calder starts to pull back, but I push up on my bare toes. My fingers dig into his scalp and I pull him closer to deepen our kiss.

  Rumbling his approval, he palms my ass with one hand and the other cups the back of my head as he plunders my mouth with a primal kiss that feels both territorial and deeply emotional.

  With each drop of water that hits us, our hands move faster, along with our breathing. “Fuck! I wanted this to last longer,” Calder rumbles against my mouth, even as he pops the side strings on my flimsy underwear with quick flicks of his wrists.

  “I’m so ready, the rain hitting us will feel dry in comparison,” I ramble as I undo his pant button and yank down the zipper.

  Calder chuckles and wraps his arms tight around me. “God, I love you.”

  Thunder rumbles much closer now. I cup his jaw and stare into his handsome face as drops of rain run down his forehead and along his nose. “I’m not going inside. Want to roll the dice with me?”

  A sexy grin tilts his lips before he sheds his clothes, then tugs me down onto the round lounger. Pulling me close, he hooks a leg over mine. “You wanted to make love above the city.” He presses a lingering kiss just under the curve of my jaw and I tilt my chin up so I can feel the full heat of his mouth. It’s such an arousing contrast to the fat, cooling raindrops hitting our skin. “Never say I don’t deliver in spades, Raven mine.”

  Folding my arms around his neck, I kiss his mouth, then whisper against it, “You always deliver. On so many levels.”

  The haunting song “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley starts playing just as Calder tugs my damp hair back to allow him fuller access to my neck. I smile that the sexual undertones in the song mirror our current activity and wrap my legs around his hard body to encourage a deeper connection.

  Calder lowers his head to my breast and sucks hard on my nipple, then does the same to the other one before lifting my thigh higher up his back as he slides inside me.

  Mewling my pleasure, I dig my nails harder into his shoulders as he presses me deep into the cushions. With the music teasing our ears, the storm heightening our passion, and the rain fusing our bodies together, I enjoy the intimacy of his purposefully slow possession. The unhurried movement of his hips against mine feels deeply soulful, communicating textured layers of emotive feelings.

  I gasp, my toes tingling and muscles tightening as my ecstasy builds.

  Lightning flashes, and even though it’s in the distance, I feel the electricity scatter along my skin. My pulse jumps with the impending danger. My breathing ramps and deep in my chest my heart races as my orgasm unfurls through my body. I shake as the tempest rolls through me, sending electrical currents to all my erogenous zones. When I cry out, my elation elevates at the sound of Calder’s masculine groan. “Holy fuck, Cass!” as he climaxes right along with me.

  We both lay there spent, our beating hearts making my whole body vibrate in time to their rapid pace. As the rain dies down and the storm moves away, in the pocket of silence the provocative song coming to an end leaves behind, I realize that Calder and I just reached a level of intimate completeness we never have before in our lovemaking.

  Maybe it’s because we’re newly married. Maybe it’s because of the storm and the danger its arrival evoked. All I know is, I’m so speechless that I kiss my husband’s neck as I try to gather my thoughts.

  Calder must’ve felt the same because he rolls us onto our sides, then tucks my back against his chest, his left arm wrapping around my waist to lock me against him.

  The steamy night air dries our skin quickly as he traces his fingers along the curve of my shoulder, then down my arm to lace his fingers with mine.

  Smiling, I fold our hands toward my mouth and kiss his wedding ring. “Just so you know…we are so having sex outside more often.”

  Calder’s chuckle vibrates against my back. “Bash mentioned renting a big place on the beach in Martha’s Vineyard in September. Maybe we could sneak off before sunrise for some lovin’ on the beach.”

  “Hmmm, sounds gritty,” I say, snickering.

  “You have no idea, wife.” Chuckling, he draws me even closer, his voice dropping to a purr in my ear. “I really fucking love saying that.”

  Nodding my agreement, I lift his hand and run my finger over his ring. “When I couldn’t find a ring that fit what I wanted, I had this one specially made for you. Did you figure out why yet?”

  Calder spreads his fingers to stare at his ring. “It’s classy but very masculine. I love it, Cass.” Turning his hand over, he looks at the back. “Going to tell me what I’m looking for?”

  “Take it off,” I say, grinning.

  Calder does as I suggest and squints as he stares inside the ring. “Is there an inscription that I’ll need a black light to read?”

  I laugh. “No, but that would’ve been amazingly cool if I had done that.”

  “It’s probably too dark out here for me to see it.” He turns the ring around, staring at all sides.

  When he starts to put it back on, I take his ring and roll over, facing him. “Oh no. You’re going to figure this out, Mr. Master Puzzler.”

  Calder’s brows pull together with my challenge and he takes the ring and really inspects it. When he pushes on the edge with his thumbnail, his eyes light up that the platinum band moves apart from the main ring. Using both thumbs, he gently nudges the center ring down from its snug fit in the center of his titanium ring until he separates the two.

  Lifting the platinum ring up, he reads the black inscription on its side. “Always my Master Puzzler.”

  “Turn it around,” I say, ges
turing for him to flip the ring.

  When he does, I point to today’s date inscribed in fancy script. “Not only is it sentimental, but…ahem, you’ll never forget our wedding anniversary.”

  “No worries there, angel. This date is etched in my memory. I love my wedding ring’s uniqueness, but you’re what makes it truly special.” Calder slides his ring back on and leans on his elbow to kiss my nose. “Thank you for agreeing to share the rest of your life with me. And for being Rose’s mom. You’re the best mother, which doesn’t surprise me one bit.” He tucks a damp strand of my hair behind my ear, his thumb tracing my jawline. “You are the love of my life, Cass. I wouldn’t want to travel this marriage, kids, and whatever-comes-next road in life with anyone else by my side.”

  My chest tightens with emotion as I cup his hand and press it against my jaw. “Mrs. Calder Blake and mom to little Rose are the best titles in the world. I love everything they represent: love, loyalty, family, but more than anything, this is what I love most about you both.” I curl my finger to entice him closer. The moment he leans in, I pounce on him, throwing him back onto the cushion. “You’re all mine!”

  “Who knew you were such a possessive minx,” he says as he quickly rolls me under him.

  I fold my arms around his neck and look up at my wedding ring before I pull him close. “You might be the Master Puzzler, but I’m the cunning Raven. I will always keep you on your toes.”

  He quickly nips at my shoulder, a pleased purr escaping his mouth as he kisses the pain away. “I’m sure you will, but that doesn’t change the fact you will also always be Raven mine.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Calder

  Trying to get Rose to stay in a stroller by the front door while her mother is fussing with new picture frames she’s arranging on the mantel in our penthouse seems pointless.

  “As long as Rose sees you buzzing around that mantel, she’s not going to stay in her stroller without a fuss.”

  “Don’t give her a choice.” Cass doesn’t even look my way as she tilts the antique style frames this way and that, then moves the tallest frame from the end of the mantle to the middle. “She will only pitch a fit about it if you react. She knows she has you wrapped around her little finger.”

  I stare down at Rose, who’s grabbing at the strap belting her into the stroller with a look of angry frustration on her tiny face. “Stay, Rosebud.”

  “She’s not a dog,” Cass says, laughing.

  I quickly glance at my phone for the time. “Let’s go, Raven mine. I want to make it to the airport in plenty of time. We don’t know what traffic will be like.”

  “Talia and Sebastian won’t leave without us, Calder. That’s the great thing about owning your own plane.”

  Rose keeps straining to see her mom, so I push the stroller over toward Cass. The tyke instantly stops fussing, a smile lighting her sweet face the moment she can see her mom. “See, problem solved.”

  Cass glances over her shoulder and smirks at Rose clapping her hands. “Yep, she’s got you right where she wants you.”

  Grunting, I look up to see what she’s doing and my gaze instantly focuses on the tall picture frame. It’s a photo of my parents dancing on the beach. My mom is mid-spin, the loose sand kicking around her bare feet as she laughs up at my father. I’m instantly transported back to that day, and the sound of my mom’s laughter and dad gently chiding her to pay attention to his instruction makes me smile. The photo’s in a softer focus than I remember, but the softness gives it a throwback, nostalgic feel that makes you want to know their story.

  When I move closer to inspect the photo—that I’d torn to bits as a child after my mother died—I realize that whatever Cass used to hold the pieces together not only made the tear lines disappear, but gave the photo its old-time look.

  I quickly scan the other pictures. There’s one of me as a kid fishing with my father, one of Cass with her sister as teens, another of Cass’s parents giving Rose a sweet kiss on either cheek. The next one is of Cass and me on our wedding day. One of Cass and Talia at college graduation, and one of Cass, Rose, and me at a BBQ that Bash and Talia hosted at their Hamptons home a couple weeks ago. All have the same artistic flair coating the photos, making the obvious love of family in them timeless.

  “You asked me how I knew about your parents’ favorite song.” Cass’s ponytail swings as she points to the photo of my parents on the beach. “It was written on the back of this photo.”

  “Sneaky,” I say as I wrap my arm around her waist. “They were so happy that day. It was truly one of my best memories. Thank you for rescuing it.”

  Rose starts to fuss, so Cass unstraps her and lifts her up on her hip. Taking the photo of my parents down, she shows it to Rose. “These are your other grandparents, little Rose.” She looks at me. “What would they have wanted to be called as grandparents, do you know?”

  I start to shrug, then remember what I’d called my father’s parents. “Papa Jack and Mama Becca most likely. Yep, that’s what they would’ve gone by.”

  Nodding, Cass holds the photo closer to Rose. “Meet Papa Jack and Mama Becca. They loved your father so much and are sad that they didn’t get to meet you, Rose.”

  Rose smiles and flattens her hand on the glass, smudging it with her fingerprints. “Pop-pop.”

  Cass and I laugh and I lift Rose into my arms, smiling at her expressive face. “Close enough, Rosebud.”

  Cass puts the photo back on the mantel without wiping the glass. “I wanted them to be the first to know.”

  Bouncing Rose on my hip, I glance her way. “Know what?”

  “About their grandbaby.”

  Smiling, I tickle Rose’s belly, loving the sound of her squeals of laughter. “I think the smudges Rosebud left behind clued them in.”

  Cass brushes Rose’s dark curls back from her face to kiss her forehead. “Yep, little Rose leaves a bit of herself behind wherever she goes, but I was actually referring to their newest grandchild.”

  My heart jerks and I snap my gaze to hers, my arm pulling Rose closer. “Are you serious?”

  “Surprise!” She spreads her hands and nods, her smile wide. “Apparently not worrying about getting pregnant was the magic formula.”

  I step close and fold my arm around her, kissing her temple. “I told you it would all work out.”

  She snorts and looks up at me. “Because you have the answer to everything?”

  “I do.” I flash a cocky smile. “It’s called the magic touch.”

  “Gah, only you would interpret my comment that way.” Pursing her lips in amusement, she wraps her arm around my waist. “In seven and a half months, we’re going to have two little Blakes to shower our love on. My parents are going to be ecstatic!”

  “I can’t wait to tell the gang when we get to the beach,” I say, unable to stop grinning.

  Cass quickly shakes her head, her brow furrowing. “Not yet, Calder. I won’t feel comfortable telling others until we’re past the twelve-week mark. With my tilted uterus, my pregnancy is more precarious.”

  “Not even Talia?”

  She squeezes my waist. “This is our family secret for now.”

  Nodding my understanding, I hold her gaze. “Make sure your doctor appointments are on my calendar.”

  “It’s not necessary for you to—”

  “I will be at every single one, Cass.”

  Emotion flickers through her brown eyes. Just as she starts to speak, Rose pats both our faces, chirping, “Mama, Dada.”

  “Awww, sweet baby.” My wife takes the baby and tucks her little face against her neck, then looks at me, worry creeping into her expression. “I hope everything will be all right.”

  “It will be.” I run my fingers down her ponytail, then rest my hand on the back of her neck. “But no matter what happens, I’ll be there every step of the way.”

  She looks up at me, relief filling her gaze. “Thank you for being strong for both of us.”

  “Ga
ther round, girls.” Wrapping my arms around them, I kiss Cass’s hair and whisper against her ear, “I love you, angel. So fucking much.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Calder

  Ben sets a cooler of beer down, then plants his beach chair next to mine in the sand. Handing me a beer, he sits and twists the cap off his own. “So how’s fatherhood?”

  I instantly jerk my gaze his way, thinking Cass might’ve told him about her pregnancy, since he is kind of the family doctor. But Ben’s looking at Rose as she squeals with happiness while her mom and Beth swing her feet in the bubbling surf.

  I nod toward the massive sandcastle he and I just built together with Rose and twist off my own beer top. “Nice design. Did they teach sand art in med school?”

  When Ben snorts, then shifts his gaze to me and I see his question’s sincere, I look at my family and smile. “It’ll change the whole way you look at your life, that’s for sure.”

  “I want to be a part of her life, Calder.” Ben brushes sand off his knee, then rests his wrist on it as he squints against the hot sun. “She’s my sister too.”

  “That’s good.” I watch Beth capture Rose in her arms, then begin to spin, moving faster with Rose’s excited giggles.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ben frowns, his gaze straying to Beth. “Are you ever going to tell Beth the truth?”

  Beth has watched Rose for us a couple of times, and I’d bet a hundred bucks she has already asked Cass when we’ll need her help again. Once she finally slows to a stop and starts to hand Rose to Cass, I watch my wife turn our daughter and set her upright on Beth’s hip. The moment Cass begins talking in earnest to Celeste’s sister, I look at Ben.

  “You will be involved in our daughter’s life. Her birthdays. Important milestones, etc. The uncle who listens to her complain about her parents. That’s what godparents usually do.”