He shook his head and leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips. “This fucking mouth is the sweetest I’ve ever tasted.”
“Taste it again.”
In a blink he flipped me on my back and cradled my face in his hands. His lips pulled mine in between his and he swept his tongue over the seam before entering my mouth. My center clenched and breathlessly we pulled apart.
“I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. Ever.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” I went in for more truth.
“I... want to.”
In the depths of his honey colored gaze, I saw the distance creeping in. A wall began to drop, closing off his emotions. I knew the look, because it was the same loneliness that had stared back at me in the mirror all those years.
“Then do it.” I whispered, desperate to keep him talking.
“You make me want a lot of things, Leah. A lot of things I swore off.”
“Tell me what you want, Chad.”
“You.”
“You have me.” I paused searching for more. “You have me in every way you want.”
He dipped in and kissed me tenderly again, pulling my lips and grazing his teeth against my flesh.
Our words danced all around love, but I needed to hear him say it. I hadn’t planned on having this happen right now, but he brought it up and I couldn’t let it lay.
“When we’re back in Dallas, then what? Are we going out as a couple? Date like a normal couple?”
“The selfish answer is I’d rather have you all to myself.” He suddenly hopped up and reached for my hand. “Come on. There’s a kite in my Jeep.”
He changed the course of our intimate moment. We were done for now, but tonight, hopefully he would be in a mood to talk more.
The winds were strong enough for him to effortlessly fly the large bright multi-colored kite with a long tail of circular bubbles rippling in the air. It whipped around at first, then gracefully flew in the sky.
The day passed by and as we started to leave for the day, Garrett asked if we all wanted to order pizza for dinner. I nodded because even if we shared time with the gang, we were going to get our alone time.
“Walk with us,” Brooke and Avery called to me.
Chad kissed my lips softly. “See you in a minute. I’m going to walk with the girls.”
Chad and Garrett loaded up in the Jeep and Stone and Savannah drove the golf cart.
“Sooooo, do you guys want to know a secret?” Avery beamed.
“You guys are moving to Dallas so we can all be closer?”
“You know Stone won’t leave Houston. He loves it here. Guess again.”
We shrugged and Brooked beamed, “Tell us!”
“We’re going to start trying for a baby.”
“Oh shit, so are we! This is crazy. Gammy is going to go absolutely nuts when she finds out.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m happy for you. Chad adores Savannah, so I know he’ll be excited.” I smiled happily for them.
We made our way home, talking the entire way before bidding our see you later. Chad was handing the towels over the outdoor shower.
“What are you all smiles about?” he asked.
“Hmmm. They didn’t tell me it was a secret.”
“This sounds like possibly trouble.”
“Double.”
“I’m lost.”
“They’re planning on trying for a baby.”
“Who Brooke or Avery?”
“All of them since your brothers play a significant role in this.” I giggled.
He laughed a happy chuckle for a short second and then it fell flat until it faded away into silence.
“Are you not happy about it?” I asked as we climbed the stairs to the deck.
“It’s their business. Kids change everything though. Glad it’s them and not me.”
“Someday you want kids, right? I mean you’re terrific with your niece.”
“That little girl is a slice of heaven but she’s not mine. I don’t want that kind of responsibility.”
“Someday you might change your mind.”
“Doesn’t fit with my lifestyle. Most nights I’m good to be home by ten. I often work weekends. I travel. Sometimes I drink a Scotch before noon, and when I want something, I get it. So no, I won’t change my mind.”
Yet he cleared his schedule and put everything aside for me.
He spent the last five days not giving a damn about any facet of his tycoon life. Not once had he drank before noon. Not once had he worked more than a couple hours, and this weekend had been spent on the beach, having a great time with his family, and filling the room with his signature deep throaty laugh.
All the while, Chad helped me discover who I was, he didn’t even know he hadn’t discovered himself.
Chapter 34
“How about we not go to Stone’s? I want you for myself.” Chad held me against his body while we lay on the sofa.
“Avery texted a few minutes ago. They’ve already ordered and bringing it over to eat.” His fingers toyed with a strand of my hair, curling it around his finger and letting go only to repeat the gentle caress again and again.
“I don’t want to share my time with you tonight.” He let out a groan.
“We’ll eat, make up some sort of excuse of having to get up early in the morning.”
“We’re not kids. I’ll tell them to leave.”
“Don’t be rude.”
“That’s not rude. Telling them I want to go upstairs and fuck you nine ways to Sunday would be a little bold, but I would never do that—mainly because Savannah will be there.” He laughed.
“Why did Garrett and Brooke decide to leave tonight?”
“Brooke said her mother didn’t sound right on the phone and she wanted to go check on her. A couple of years ago, she had a heart transplant.”
“I hope she’s okay.”
“Yeah, I do to. She’s close to her mom.” He caught his words and whipped his head up to see my reaction.
“I’m fine. I’ve been close to mine my entire life,” I said with a little sarcasm.
I started to get up, but Chad caught my hand and held me in place. He cupped my face and kissed me softly at first and in a blink, it turned aggressive and needy. His tongue slid over mine and I clenched his hair in my hands.
“God, I want you,” he whispered.
In a quick move, I climbed on top of him straddling his thighs and dipped down to kiss him again. He made me feel as though I floated on clouds and together, we surpassed perfection.
Grinding myself into him, “This is a little foreplay for later.”
“What time are they coming over?”
“In about fifteen minutes.
“Fuck it. They can wait. I’m going to make you come,” he ground out, partially taking my shorts down my legs and ripping my panties off.
I moaned and nearly came apart right then when he wrapped my hair around his fist and pulled my head back in an almost rough way, but not painful. My insides clenched and turned to mush.
“Hurry,” I called out breathlessly.
He pushed two fingers inside me, and I bucked against his thrusting and squeezed my eyes closed. I heard his gritty chuckle but lost all sense of hearing when he added another finger and began sensually fucking me and swiping his movements over my G-spot.
My body was an inferno and I ground hard against his hand.
“Oh my God, I won’t last long.”
“Come. Come for me, Leah. Let me hear your beautiful cries.”
Lost in shudders, I came apart contracting and clenching in a hard-blissful climax. I didn’t even know I cried out his name until he whispered in my ear, “When you grind out my name like that, I want to be buried so fucking deep inside you.”
Quivering, my head fell back, and I let out a sated sigh.
“Tell them to go home. Screw not being rude. Tell them I need
you to fuck me… how did you say? Nine ways to Sunday.” I giggled.
He playfully popped my behind, “Go upstairs and change before I do that.”
“We eat. We visit for fifteen minutes. We find an excuse,” I teased reaching for the ripped scraps of lace laying on the floor.
“I’ll make some tea… with blue balls.” He glared at me with a lopsided grin.
Upstairs, I sat at the vanity and put my hair in a messy updo and applied a little make-up. My reflection in the mirror whispered, “You look just-fucked and they’ll know.”
I pursed my lips and whispered back. “I don’t care. I love the just-fucked look.”
A faint echo of laughter filtered through the bathroom window. It was low and I recognized Chad’s deep tone.
It was one of the most soul cleansing sounds the world had to offer.
Choosing a pair of denim shorts and a pink tank, I darted down the stairs. Before I rounded the corner, Stone’s scoffing tone stopped me in my tracks.
“You still not owning up to it?”
“What am I supposed to be admitting?” Stone slammed his fist down on the table.
I stood frozen in place. Eavesdropping was wrong on so many levels, but there wasn’t anything mighty enough to pull me away from the snarky conversation taking place between Stone and Chad. My heart raced and I heard heavy footsteps cross the living area to most likely the kitchen.
“You’re falling for her!” Stone challenged him.
My lungs contracted down constricting the air and my heart raced in my chest. I’d forgotten all about the moral compass of right and wrong, and kept listening ignoring the twinges of guilt.
“It’s not like that. Leah’s complicated and screwed up. She’s an obligation. I owed it to Harry to take care of his daughter. And that’s all she is to me!”
His words were like a fatal stab to my heart.
“Really?” Stone let out a sigh. “Why lie, Chad? You could tell me it’s none of my business or to fuck off, but you don’t have to lie. You think I, or all of us for that matter, don’t see how you look at her.”
“The four of you watch too many of those horse-shit happily rom-com ever after movie channels. That may be yours and Avery’s life, but it sure as hell isn’t mine and Leah’s. I don’t want any of that fucked up shit.”
“What the fuck ever. Either you keep lying to me, or lying to yourself, but I call bullshit. She’s not your charity case.”
“I never said she was a charity case. She’s a member of the Lonestar family and we take care of family.”
“You sleep around with your baseball family now?”
“Drop it Stone. I don’t owe you any explanations and it’s none of your damned business. We clear?”
Loud hard footsteps crossed the room followed by a hard slam of the door. I stood there in the painful silence before racing up the stairs. My world had tumbled down around me, and I felt as though I were going to be sick.
My chest heaved taking in gulping breaths.
What a fool I’d been.
An obligation.
A piece of ass on a crazy getaway trip to the Gulf coast because he owed it to Harry. The sex was a bonus.
This had apparently been a one-sided emotional ride and I had no one else to blame for the fucking heartbreak. This was a nightmare, I’d authored. I created this hellish pain ripping through every piece of my body.
Reaching behind me, I locked the master bedroom door and placed my palms against the cool wooden surface at my back. Every word my father had spoken haunted me, reminding me of exactly the kind of man Chad Mitchell was. My dad knew, because all these years he’d seen the bachelor life Chad had led.
My knees felt like they were going to give out, but I pushed away from the door, knowing I had to get the hell away from him. Tears flowed down my cheeks and I didn’t bother to wipe the streaks from my face.
I made the request for an Uber and in a matter of minutes, I had transportation on its way and a flight booked from Houston to Dallas. My fingers trembled as I called Carli. Her voice alone was going to send another rush of tears streaming down my face.
“Heyyyyy,” she belted out.
“I’m coming home, Carli. Don’t ask any questions, because… I just can’t.”
“Holy shit. You know I’m here for you, Lee.”
“I’ll be all right or least I will be. Listen, an Uber is going to pick me up in fifteen minutes and I’m flying home.”
“What time will you arrive at the airport?”
“Midnight-ish.”
“I’ll be there to pick you up. And you tell him I’m going to cut off his balls. You tell him that, Lee.”
My voice cracked big time. “See you soon… and thanks friend. I love you big.”
“Love you big.”
There wasn’t anything to pack because none of these things were mine. Everything I needed to take with me fit inside my purse. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I wanted to cover my ears so I wouldn’t have to hear him laugh while I sat falling apart waiting for my transportation.
Nausea rolled through my stomach and my heart felt undeniably shattered. Across the room, I saw my reflection in the mirror and let out a sarcastic sigh.
Minutes ago, I was ready to fight for us with everything I had. Now I faced the reality of the ending of us.
And it hurt so fucking bad.
I didn’t know how long I numbly sat there in my own pool of heartbreak in an almost catatonic state, but the vibration from my phone pulled me out of it. I read the text alerting the arrival of the Uber lighting up the screen.
I shoved on my sunglasses to cover the puffy, red. glassy mess hidden behind the dark lens. Then took in a deep breath, slowly exhaled and then rushed down the stairs before Chad intervened. When I stepped outside, Chad and Stone were relaxed in the chairs with their feet kicked up on the deck railing.
He glanced over his shoulder and I watched his smile fade when he saw my purse hanging from my shoulder. God he was so… perfect. I didn’t know how to not love him, or even how to stop loving him.
The sound of the car horn below filtered in the air and Chad abruptly stood. His jaw ticked and his expression darkened in a scowl.
“Leah? What are you doing?”
I forced a tight smile and held my shoulders high and squared. That alone needed an Oscar because I didn’t dare allow him to see my brokenness.
“I can’t thank you enough for… everything. You’ve been a real lifesaver and I’ll never be able to pay you for your kindness.”
“Where are you going?”
I looked around for any sign of Avery or Savannah and I was thankful they were nowhere in sight. “I’ve decided to go home tonight.”
“What the actual fuck? Don’t you think we should have talked about this before you made the decision?
Stone stood. “I’m going to leave you two alone.”
“No. Please stay. My ride is waiting.” I reached up and kissed Chad softly on the cheek. “I’ll see you around. Maybe at some of the games.”
His face fell and my vision clouded with tears—tears I refused to let him see. I grabbed the rail and started to dart down the stairs.
“I’ll have the helicopter brought over and we can go back tonight,” he whispered.
“That’s kind of you. But I already have a flight booked and if I don’t go now, I’m going to miss it. Take care. Stone, please tell Avery and Savannah goodbye for me.”
Stone had walked to the other end of the deck to try and give us some privacy since we stood partially at the stairs and blocked his only way to leave.
I waved a trembling good-bye and before I rushed down the stairs, his still expression caught me off guard. As I sat in the backseat of the car and we made our way down the street I closed my eyes. Behind my lids, the pain on his face made me almost feel like having the driver turn around. But anger stopped me from doing something stupid and foolish. He’
d made it clear I was an obligation.
And I was no one’s obligation.
I’d been such a fool, falling in love with a man that was so easy to love but didn’t love me in return—and had warned me from the beginning.
Powering off my phone, I tossed it in my purse and for the almost two-hour drive to the airport I compared us to no more than a couple in a sad movie with a terrible ending.
And I had no one to blame but myself.
Chapter 35
Eight days and seven lonely nights had passed. I traced my finger over the picture of Chad on my phone wishing we could have been more. I missed his smile, the sound of his laughter, and mostly the way he looked at me as if I belonged to no one else.
Changing my phone number had been the right thing, because if he called, I would have dropped everything and slept with him. It was so easy to want him. Adding his name at the gate to restrict him from entering was also the right thing because if he were to show up, I didn’t possess the willpower to not fall under his charm.
He’d only wanted sex, and I’d fallen in stupid crazy love.
During the long nights that never seemed to end, he was there. I closed my eyes and saw the honey flecks in his eyes, felt his breath on my skin, and his whispers in my ear. Every time, I sat straight up in the bed covered in perspiration calling out and reaching for him, only to have the stillness and eerie silence remind me it was only a dream.
Carli spent the first night with me, but I made her go home the next. She and Dad had my new number, and I supposed he shared it with Anita. He hadn’t dropped by, only because I threatened to add his name to the visitor restriction at the gate if he did.
Until today, day eight, Dad was at my front door holding Chinese take-out. I hadn’t told him anything other than I’d come home and still needed time, but he took one look at me and put two and two together. I expected him to tell me he told me so, but he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t mention Chad’s name at all.
“Sweet and sour just like you like.” He held up the to go sack with the logo printed on the outside of the best Chinese in town.
Keeping Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers Book 3) Page 24
