Something New (Brides of Cedar Bend Book 2)

by Lena Hart

  Savvy laughed just as he pulled her into his arms. “You are one smooth operator, Damian Carson.”

  He grinned and pulled her closer as they swayed to the music. “I like to think so.”

  “So, is this officially our song?”

  “Yes,” he said close to her ear. “Nothing else seems right for us.”

  “I agree.” She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

  They swayed together to the song. She felt so right in his arms, he wondered why he hadn’t seen that sooner. She was made for him.

  “You know what I just realized about this song?”

  “What?”

  She lifted her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I think he’s singing about orgasms.”

  Damian blinked and couldn’t contain the shout of laughter that burst out of him. “What gave him away?”

  Her smile widened. “It’s all in the words. Just listen to the words…”

  “And here I thought he just enjoyed driving off into the sunset,” he teased.

  She chuckled and rested her head on his shoulders again. “There’s nothing wrong with that too.”

  When the song ended, the DJ started with another soft and smooth song. Others began joining them on the dance floor, and Damian continued holding her and dancing to the music.

  “I want you to spend the night with me,” he murmured.

  “Okay.”

  He smiled at her quick agreement. She lifted her head from his shoulder, her expression grave.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She bit her lower lip, uncertainty plain in her eyes. “I just realized with Quinn gone and the wedding over, I have no reason to stay here. But without my car, I’m…stranded here.”

  “No, you aren’t,” he said, giving her a gentle squeeze. “I’ll set you up with a loaner, and you’re welcome to stay with me and Pops. If it makes you more comfortable, you can move into one of the spare bedrooms.”

  “You’re kicking me out of your bed?” she demanded with mock outrage.

  He returned her teasing smile. “Never. I just want to show you just how much I really want you, Savvy. All of you. Not just sex.”

  She looked thoughtful, and Damian’s heart thumped in his chest waiting for her response. The thought of her staying here, having her close, filled him with immense pleasure.

  “You said it yourself that you had no plans this summer,” he added. “Why don’t you spend it here? With me.”

  Her eyes moved over his searchingly. “And what happens after the summer?”

  “That’s completely up to you.”

  Thirteen

  “Do that again, baby.”

  Savvy rolled her hips over him, the sensual move wrenching a ragged moan from them both. She tried to slow her pace, but he gripped her hips tightly and drove deeper into her. She trembled as he thrust into her again and another moan tore from her.

  “Oh, god. Damian…”

  The pleasure racking through her body was almost unbearable, and she dug her nails into his chest. She knew she was near, felt the tremors coursing through her as her body grew rigid from the mounting frenzy.

  Suddenly, Damian flipped her on her back and moved over her. He pumped into her with deep, measured strokes. With just a few thrusts, he sent her over the edge. His face hovered over hers as he continued driving into her convulsing body. Her back arched as another intense orgasm followed and she screamed from the force of it.

  “Damian.”

  With a loud groan, he soon found his own release. His body continued to shudder above her as he pressed kisses down her neck and shoulders.

  “I love watching you come,” he said roughly, his breathing coming out harsh and labored.

  Savvy smiled lazily and ran her palms down his damp back. “I love it when you make me come.”

  He chuckled then brought his lips over hers. His tongue teased and moved along hers slowly and tenderly. Sleep beckoned her, but she fought it. Tonight was their wedding night. Real or not, she wanted to make it last forever.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued kissing him leisurely. It would be morning soon and only then would she give in to her fatigue.

  Unfortunately, her stomach wouldn’t give her any peace. It rumbled, and she realized she barely ate anything yesterday.

  When her stomach growled again, she tore her lips from his. “Damian?”

  “Hmm?” he murmured, still trailing kisses down her throat.

  “I’m hungry.”

  He froze then lifted his head, his thick brows pulling together in a confused frown. “For food?”

  She nodded, and he sighed. “Okay, I’ll see what I can find, but I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t been shopping in days.”

  He pulled away from her and rolled out of bed. He went to the bathroom, and she scrambled out of bed.

  “I’ll come down with you.”

  She didn’t know if it was the afterglow of her orgasm or the newness of their relationship, but she couldn’t bear to be apart from him right now.

  He came back out and began pulling on his boxers just as she was pulling on his shirt. They quietly made their way downstairs to the kitchen. She blushed as they passed Pops’ closed bedroom door and prayed the excitement of the wedding had turned him into an exceptionally deep sleeper tonight.

  “How do you feel about a peanut butter sandwich?” Damian asked as he pulled down a jar from the cabinet.

  “That works.”

  Savvy went into the fridge and grabbed the pitcher of ice tea. She also managed to find an over ripened but salvageable banana. She gently peeled it and began slicing it. As Damian buttered one slice of bread, she layered the bananas on another.

  “I haven’t had peanut butter and banana sandwiches since I was a kid.”

  She smiled at him. “Welcome to your childhood.”

  They ate their sandwiches at the kitchen table, the silence between them coming easy. If this was married life, she could certainly get used to it.

  Eventually the quiet was disrupted by the early chirps of the morning birds. Savvy glanced out the window and saw the sun peeking over the horizon. It was a lovely sight.

  Grabbing her glass of ice tea, Savvy headed to the door that led outside the backyard. It was locked, but she couldn’t find the dead bolt. She turned to Damian.

  “Is there a reason why this door is locked?”

  He got up and went to one of the drawers. “Pops. He tends to wander at night.”

  Savvy nodded in understanding. Where his bedroom was positioned, it was easier to hear the front door than the back one. He had thought of everything. For a moment, she wondered if these precautions were just safeguards or were they based on prior incidents. Either way, he had his hands full.

  With key in hand, Damian reached above her to unlock the dead bolt. Had she not been standing there, she would have never realized the lock was that far up. He opened the door, and they were met with a large backyard. It was uncultivated but full of greenery and potential.

  She came to stand beside him and leaned against his side. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his warmth. They stood there as the sun rose over the horizon.

  “You have a beautiful home, Damian.”

  He pressed his lips on the top of her hair. “Savvy, it’s your home now, too. I want you to feel comfortable here.”

  Until it’s time for me to leave?

  Savvy pushed the miserable thought aside. She agreed she would spend the summer with him and she wouldn’t waste that time thinking about their inevitable end.

  “I’ve always wanted to try my hand at gardening. Maybe even grow my own herbs.”

  “Are you asking if you can plant back here?” he asked with a trace of amusement.

  She shrugged. “I think it would be a fun project for me and Pops. Unless you had plans to install a hot tub or something back here.”

  He scoffed. “Nope. This landscaping nightmare is all yours.”

 
; Savvy beamed with excitement as she thought of the many things she could start planting for the summer. Things she could see bloom before she had to leave.

  “Just don’t expect me to get my hands dirty,” he added. “I got enough of that at the shop.”

  “Deal.”

  “Ooh, baby. You look good in those jeans.”

  Damian sat back on his heels and wiped the sweat from his brows. He squinted up to find Savvy handing him a glass of ice cold lemonade.

  “Enjoying the view?”

  She bit her lower lip and nodded vigorously. Damian laughed and be jerking off his gardening gloves. He took the glass from her and brought it to his lips. The sweet drink went down like ice cold heaven.

  Damian watched as Savvy walked over to Pops, whose main task had been to fill the container and water the various garden beds. She handed him a glass of lemonade and his father pulled off his hat and took a long drink.

  The past couple of weeks, Pops had jumped into the gardening project with enthusiasm and had given him a renewed responsibility that kept him occupied. Damian still couldn’t figure out how he’d let Savvy talk him into doing gardening work, but he had to admit it was nice spending this time outside together. Among the three of them, they had managed to get a lot done these past few weeks. He learned more about the pH balance of soil and seed germination than he cared to know, seeing the result of their diligent work made it worth it.

  When she returned to his side, Damian climbed to his feet and handed her his empty glass.

  “Thanks, babe.”

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for helping us back here.”

  “It was the least I could do after the miracle you pulled with the shop. I’ve never seen the place so clean.”

  She shrugged. “It was nothing. All it needed was a new file cabinet and some oil cleaner. Maybe a little bit of mopping and some air freshener. Oh, and a—”

  “Okay, I get it. The place was filthy.” He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. “And now it’s not.”

  She tried to squirm out of his arms, but he brought his hand down to her ass to hold her still.

  “Now, you’re getting me dirty,” she said, laughing.

  Damian nuzzled her neck. “And I love getting you dirty.”

  She giggled as he continued to tease her with his lips. He had never imagined how much his life would have changed with her in it. In just a few short weeks, she had managed to bring a lot of laughter and pleasure into his home. Their home. He didn’t care that their marriage had started off as a charade. She was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time and what he felt for her was real.

  “Would you two quit fooling around?” Pops called out to them. “These plants ain’t gonna water themselves.”

  Damian pulled away from her and groaned. “Coming, Pop.”

  Savvy rested her head on his chest and chuckled. “I think I’ve created a monster.”

  They spent another half hour tending to the garden until finally, Savvy called a lunch break. They entered the kitchen and on the table was a simple meal of sandwiches and salad. Savvy was determined to bring in more fresh, whole foods into their diet and he couldn’t argue with how much better every meal was beginning to taste.

  Pop pulled off his hat as he settled in one of the seats. Damian noticed the fatigue on his face and hoped he hadn’t overexerted himself.

  “You all right, Pop?”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine. Just a little warm and hungry.”

  “It’s been a long day. Why don’t you go lay down, and I’ll bring your lunch to you?”

  “I said I’m fine, boy. Now, will you sit down so we can eat?”

  At Pops’ harsh tone, Savvy paused from her task of dropping ice into three empty glasses and glanced over at him. Damian pressed his lips together. The more he pressed the issue, the more he risked aggravating his father. He let the matter drop and went to the sink to wash up.

  “Pops, no! Here’s a glass.”

  Damian whipped around to the table to see his father pouring juice in his salad and sandwich. Savvy grabbed for the pitcher, but Pops shoved her away.

  “What’s the matter with you, Janet? I said I was thirsty.”

  Damian moved away from the sink and hurried over to them. “Pop—”

  “Stay out of this, Junior.”

  His father turned wild, angry eyes toward him and Damian stopped in his tracks. He gently pulled Savvy back, giving his father space to lessen his agitation.

  “Okay, Pop. I’ll get you something to drink, but—”

  Pops slammed down the pitcher, and Savvy sucked in a breath. He wanted to assure her everything was all right, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice that lie. Nothing was all right and hadn’t been for a while.

  “I don’t want anything to drink,” Pops snapped. “I just want to eat my lunch in peace, damn it.”

  “I know,” Damian said, keeping his voice even. “I’m sorry I upset you. Why don’t I bring you a fresh plate? I think that sandwich’s kind of soggy.”

  His father looked down at his plate and nodded curtly. Damian switched plates with him, and Pops dug into his lunch. He took away the wet plate and pitcher and turned to find Savvy standing a few feet away. Her hands were locked together in front of her and uncertainty was plain in her wide eyes.

  Damian placed the items on the counter and went to her. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Everything’s all right now, Savvy.”

  He knew the importance of saying those words, even if he didn’t believe it. She needed to hear them, and if it meant wiping away her anxiety, he would gladly repeat it.

  “It’s okay, babe. Why don’t you sit and eat?”

  She glanced behind him at the counter. “Let me make you another sandwich first.”

  “It’s fine. I need to get his medicine anyway. Go eat.”

  She nodded and went to the table. He glanced back at her, wondering if it had been fair to him to ask her to stay with him this summer. She needed to put up with this, yet there she sat eating her lunch as if nothing had happened.

  With a small sigh, Damian went to his father’s bedroom and located his medicine atop the dresser. On the dresser were several sticky notes littered around. It was something his father had started several months ago, but he was surprised to see the number of notes that were now affixed on the wall and mirror.

  He couldn’t help himself from reading a few of the notes. One had the date and the words Junior got married! encircled. That made him smile, but it was fleeting. Their marriage was a sham, and their time together was only temporary. After today, he couldn’t be certain she would want stay through the summer.

  He turned to leave when another note caught his attention. There was no date on it, so he could be sure how old or recent it was.

  Lonely. Need to live life.

  Damian frowned and reread the note again. His father was never shy about voicing his wants and needs, yet he had never mentioned having these feelings. He sighed, wondering how to confront his father about this. He would soon need to, it wouldn’t go his father’s way.

  He could understand his father’s need for independence, but the chances of that happening diminished every day as his disease progressed. And as much as he wanted to make his father happy, giving him the life he wanted was beyond his control.

  Fourteen

  Some days, Savvy was amazed at how well Damian was with his father and how well he handled his role as caregiver.

  In the past few weeks, she had spent with them, Pops bad days were becoming more frequent, especially at night. Damian, however, managed those moments with ease and without letting the stress of it change his demeanor. Though, she could see the strain of it all around his face and knew it was taking its toll on him.

  Still, he never asked much of her. In fact, he tried to minimize her involvement when it came to handling Pops and his occasional agitations.

  Except, it was in her
nature to try to help. Something Damian was quickly realizing—and quite possibly resenting. Savvy tried not to let their argument this morning upset her, but she couldn’t shake Damian’s harsh words. She knew his anger came from a place of concern for Pops, but she couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t at least consider the thought of bringing Pops to a facility that could better meet his needs.

  “I’m more than capable of taking care of my dad, Savvy.”

  “I know you are, Damian. But the kind of help he needs, you can’t give him. There are plenty of places that could meet his needs. Have you even looked?”

  He shot her a hard glare. “So you want me to leave his care in the hands of strangers?”

  “No, I want you to think about what he needs and this arrangement won’t last for long. And it certainly isn’t good for either of you.”

  “Don’t assume to know what’s good for either of us, Savvy. You haven’t known us that long.”

  He wasn’t wrong about that, but those blunt words didn’t hurt any less. “That may be true, Damian, but I know misery when I see it.”

  And seeing it only made her that more determined to seek help for him. She didn’t want to go against Damian, and she knew it probably wasn’t in her place, but Damian’s anger or stubborn pride wouldn’t stop her from going out of town to visit with one of the memory care facilities she had researched.

  It was forty minutes outside of Cedar Bend and specialized in treating patients with various kinds of dementia. It was also one of the best-rated facilities around. But before she mentioned anything about it to Damian, she wanted to have a look for herself. He had his faults and may be a bit overprotective of his father, but he was reasonable.

  He also had a bad habit of putting others’ needs before his own, even if that came at a large sacrifice. It wasn’t only with Pops, but with her as well. A most recent incident involving her car. After the shipment of her car parts had been delayed, he’d driven two towns over to get the replacement she needed. She knew the repairs were expensive and she knew from the stack of bills she saw coming in that he couldn’t afford to cover it, but still he refused to take her money.