He grabbed on to my ponytail and drew my head away from him. “Holy shit, you sure are full of surprises, baby.”
I ignored him and went for his mouth again. Talking was overrated. I wanted more kissing. I wanted more of everything I knew Caleb could give me.
All it would take was one pull of his swim trunks and one yank of my suit to the side, and he could be inside me.
I groaned at the thought and rubbed my cleft over his cock.
“Ca-leb. Slo-oan,” a singsong voice called out.
It was Mary, and just like that, I was knocked back into my rational senses.
I jumped down from Caleb’s body and turned away from him, embarrassed.
I’d been like a starving woman. No, I’d been like a woman on a liquid diet who had suddenly given herself permission to eat again.
I had actually been thinking about having sex. With Caleb. Outside. At someone else’s home. I needed to clear my head.
Mary appeared at the dock. “There you two are. I saw the Jet Ski and wondered where you’d gone off to.” She tilted her head. “Did you decide to go swimming?”
“Something like that,” Caleb muttered.
“I pushed him in, and he pulled me in after him.”
Mary pursed her lips. “That’s not very nice, Caleb. Gentlemen don’t pull ladies into the water.”
She and Ted definitely treated Caleb like a son sometimes, and I had to grin.
“She pushed me in first,” he mumbled.
“What was that?” Mary asked, like she knew he was mouthing off.
“Nothing,” Caleb called back.
I tried not to laugh at him getting chided, but it was hard to resist.
“Come on in, you two,” Mary said. “We’re going to start lunch soon. You can help bring the stuff down, so we can eat.” She turned and went back up to the house.
“Okay,” I said and headed toward land. When I didn’t hear anything behind me, I swung around. “Aren’t you coming?”
Caleb shook his head. “I think I’ll stay here another minute or two.”
He looked down, and I realized that he didn’t want Mary to see his erection.
I giggled, and his head snapped up.
He narrowed his eyes. “It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny.”
“You’re lucky I really am a gentleman, or I’d drown you right now.”
I snickered. “You’d have to catch me first.” I spun around and sprinted toward the beach. I turned and finger-waved over my shoulder. “See you in a few minutes.”
He flipped me the bird, and I laughed all the way up to the house.
Thirteen
Caleb
I stewed in my sexual misery for about five minutes before I followed Sloan up to the house. I was still processing what had happened in the water as I walked up there.
She’d been like a wildcat the moment I kissed her. I hadn’t planned on making a move on her. She looked so determined and cute that I couldn’t help myself. The moment my lips touched hers, I was prepared for her to knee me in the balls.
Instead, she practically jumped me, rubbed her body against mine, and kissed me like she was running out of air and I was her next breath. I felt the heat of her pussy through the wetness of our suits, and pretty soon, I pictured her long, pale legs straddling me as she rode my cock. Hell, I thought she would have let me fuck her right then and there if I had tried.
I blew out a breath and stopped to adjust my trunks again. I needed to stop thinking about her, or I was going to walk into the house with an embarrassing hard-on. I looked up at the sky and pictured Mary’s horror at seeing such a thing. My erection slowly went down. It was time to stop thinking about Sloan.
Lunch went well. I thought it might have been a little awkward between Sloan and me, but if I hadn’t been standing in the water earlier with her body glued to mine, I would have never thought anything had happened. She either dismissed everything that had happened between us or she was an excellent actress. Either way, it was better for everyone even if it grated my nerves a little to see her so unaffected.
After lunch, the four of us went out on the boat and did a little waterskiing. I should say, Sloan and I did some waterskiing. Mary and Ted stayed in the boat.
By the time we got back to shore, it was almost time for dinner. We unloaded from the boat and headed up to the house.
“I’m going to sleep like the dead tonight,” Sloan said.
“Agreed.” I was already feeling the effects of the day wear on me, and the thought of driving home when I’d rather sit and relax weighed on my mind. I considered telling Sloan I wanted to leave now rather than later.
“I’m also starving. I think I’m going to eat four burgers for dinner.”
Mary laughed. “I don’t know if we have enough beef for that.”
Sloan smiled. “How about two then?”
“I think we can manage,” Mary said.
“Do you need help putting the boat and Jet Ski away?” I asked Ted. “Otherwise, I was thinking of using your shower.”
“I’m going to leave it out overnight. Mary and I will go out on it tomorrow. I’ll put the Jet Ski away in a bit. Unless you want to use it again?”
I put up my hand. “No. I’m done with water for the day. I just want to take a shower and then be dry again.”
“Could I get in on one of those, too?” Sloan said.
I grinned. “You’re more than welcome to join me.”
Sloan blushed.
Mary noticed Sloan’s red cheeks. “Caleb, leave the poor girl alone.” She turned to Sloan. “You can use the master bathroom in our bedroom while Caleb uses the one in the hall.”
“Thank you,” Sloan told Mary. She stuck her tongue out at me as she walked past me into the house.
“You know, I was telling Sloan that couples who tease each other are happier,” Mary said.
“Oh, yeah?”
Ted put his arm around Mary. “Does this mean, we’re not happy?”
Mary patted his hand. “Of course not, dear. I was simply thinking how perfect Sloan is for Caleb.”
I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck. “You think so, huh?”
“I do,” Mary said.
“I agree,” Ted said. “When you told me you had a girlfriend, I thought for sure you were feeding me a line of bullshit. But I like her. And I think she’s good for you.”
“Well, thanks.”
Ted slapped me on the arm. “You picked a good one.” He hugged Mary closer. “Come on, Mary. Let’s go get those hamburgers started.”
The two walked into the house with me lagging behind them as guilt began to descend on me.
I was lying to two people I loved and respected. When this whole thing had started, I’d justified it to myself because I wanted the store for good and honorable reasons. But lying to get it wasn’t honorable, and I felt like a fraud.
Sloan and I ran into each other in the hall after our showers. She was wearing shorts and a cute little T-shirt, and I tried to think about her instead of my guilt.
“Uh-oh,” she said. “What’s wrong?”
“Why would you say something’s wrong?”
“You look like you just ran over someone’s dog,” she whispered. “What gives?”
I sighed and pulled her into the spare bedroom. “I feel guilty.”
Realization crossed her face. “I appreciate it, but you don’t have to feel bad. While I don’t want to, I admit that I kissed you back.”
I frowned. “What? No. I don’t feel guilty about that. It’s probably not something we should have been doing, but I don’t feel guilty.”
“Oh. Then, what do you feel bad about?”
“For lying to Ted and Mary.”
“Oh,” she said sympathetically.
“After you went into the house, they told me that they think you’re good for me and that I picked a good one.”
Sloan beamed. “They like me.”
“Of co
urse they like you. What’s not to like?” I looked down at my feet. “But all their praise made me realize that lying to them is wrong. Even if I’m doing it for a semi-good reason.” I looked up at her. “I think I should tell them.”
Sloan took a step toward me. “No.”
“No? I thought you’d be all for it. You’d get out of any more dates with me.”
She shook her head. “Telling them now will only make you feel better. They will feel awful, and you’re certain to lose any chance of buying the store. Do you really want that other guy to have it?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“So, don’t tell them. We’ll finish our last three dates, and then we’ll break up. They never have to know, and no one gets hurt.”
“Are you sure that’s the right thing to do?”
She put her hand on my arm. “I’m positive.”
“Does this mean, you’ll make out with me some more?”
Sloan pushed me away. “Not on your life.”
I put my arm around her shoulders and led her out to the hall. “You really are a good fake girlfriend.”
“Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself.”
“I’ll take that as a maybe on making out again.”
Fourteen
Sloan
I pulled my marshmallow from the fire. “Perfect.”
“Here you go, dear,” Mary said, handing me a paper plate with chocolate and graham crackers on it.
“Thank you,” I told her and quickly stuck my marshmallow on top of the chocolate bar and in between the graham crackers before it cooled off. My first bite reminded me of what I’d been missing. “I need to have these more often.”
“They’re the perfect way to end the day,” Ted said.
“Sloan.”
I looked over at Caleb. He was smiling at me.
“What?”
He pointed to the corner of his mouth. “You have a little bit of chocolate right there.”
I used my finger to swipe up the runaway dessert. I’d also forgotten how messy they were. I looked at Caleb. “Better?”
“Yep.” He took his own bite, and the same thing happened to him.
I laughed. “Now, you have some on your chin.”
“Oh jeez,” he said. He tried to wipe it off and missed.
“Come here,” I told him.
He leaned toward me, and I got the string of chocolate off his face. I lifted my thumb to show him how much had been on there.
He took my hand in his. “Wow. Did I even get any in my mouth?”
I laughed.
Caleb smiled and sucked the chocolate off my thumb. He did it very casually, not sexual in the least.
It still made me shiver and suck in a breath.
He let go of my hand. “You okay?” He looked up at the sky. “The sun is almost set. Are you cold?”
“It can get chilly down here by the water at night,” Mary said.
“I’m okay. I didn’t even think to bring a sweatshirt since it was so warm this morning.”
Caleb stood and handed me his plate. “Can you hold this for a sec? I don’t want it to blow away.”
“Sure.”
Caleb took off for the house, and I leaned back on my chair and rubbed my arms. Despite the cold, I was still enjoying myself. It was so peaceful out.
A few minutes later, I heard the sound of Caleb returning. My back was to him since I was facing the water, so I was surprised when he set a sweatshirt on my lap.
“Here you go.”
I sat up with surprise. “Is this yours?”
“Yeah. I thought I had it in my truck, so I went to check.”
I really wanted to put it on, but I held it out to him. “Are you sure you don’t want it? What if you get cold?”
Caleb chuckled. “I’ll be fine. You put it on.”
“Thank you,” I said and quickly pulled it over my head before he changed his mind. It was nice and big and soft on the inside. Even better, it smelled like him. Something else I missed. The smell of a man.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a sweatshirt, Caleb,” Mary said.
“That’s because I don’t. Not even in winter,” he said.
My brain perked up at this. This seemed like something a significant other would know, and I hoped I hadn’t messed up by asking him if he wanted the sweatshirt. “I do tease him that sleeping next to him is like a furnace,” I said. “I never understand how someone who gives off so much heat has any left in their body.”
Caleb grinned and pulled his T-shirt away from his chest in a back-and-forth motion. “What can I say? I’m hot.”
Everyone laughed, and my possible blunder was forgotten.
Caleb patted his chair. “Come over here. Let me give you some of my heat.”
I didn’t know if it was a good idea after our kiss, but we were in front of Ted and Mary, so I got up and moved to his chair. His had a place for us to stretch out our legs. Caleb pulled me back against him and enveloped me in his arms.
I didn’t fight him or my own body. I’d had a fun day, but I’d burned a lot of energy, and I deserved to relax.
“So, when are you going to buy this girl a ring, Caleb?” Mary said.
I held up my left hand. “Yeah, Caleb, when are you going to buy me a ring?”
“I can’t afford her,” he said. “She told me she wants at least three carats.”
I rolled my eyes even though Ted and Mary probably couldn’t see me. “I do not. I just want something small. I’ve always dreamed of having a princess solitaire with mine and my fiancé’s birthstones on each side in a smaller size. I don’t need big, but I want it to be unique to the two of us.”
“That’s so sweet,” Mary said. “When is your birthday?”
“I’m February, so my birthstone is amethyst. Caleb’s is a pink stone or an opal, but I vote for the pink stone. My engagement ring will be very girlie.”
“But unique,” Mary added.
“But unique,” I agreed. “But we aren’t officially engaged yet. We’ve only been talking about it.”
“Well, when are you going to ask the girl?” Ted said.
“When the time is right, I suppose,” said Caleb. “I want it to be special.”
The conversation turned to something else, and I let my eyes drift closed. With the fire warming my feet and legs and Caleb warming the rest of my body, I was feeling pretty comfortable. The sound of his chest rumbling under my ear was lulling me to sleep.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night?” Mary asked. “I think Sloan is almost asleep.”
I smiled. “I’m awake. Just relaxing over here.”
“Would you like to stay? That’s what the spare room is for.”
I didn’t answer right away, and after a few seconds, Caleb said, “It’s up to Sloan.”
It was tempting even if I had to sleep in the same bed as him, but it wasn’t a good idea. “I probably shouldn’t. I have to get home to my dog,” I said.
“When do you want to leave?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t. Kidding. A half hour or so? Let me just lie here a little longer.”
“Okay.” He kissed me on top of my head, and I closed my eyes.
Fifteen
Caleb
“Your girl’s out,” Ted said.
I looked down at Sloan to see she was indeed asleep. “Crap,” I whispered loudly, so Mary and Ted could still hear me. “What do I do now? I suppose I could carry her to the truck.”
“Don’t do that,” Mary said. “Just lay her down in the guest bedroom and stay the night. You two can go home in the morning.”
“I don’t know,” I said. Sloan might not appreciate me bunking next to her, but I certainly couldn’t sleep anywhere else. We’d literally been talking about engagement rings an hour earlier. “Maybe I should head home now.”
Immediately after I spoke, I yawned so hard that my jaw hurt. I was beat.
“Caleb, don’t be silly. You are tuckered out.
Go to bed,” Mary said.
It was too appealing to pass up. The thought of driving home with no one to talk to sounded horrible. I didn’t know if I’d be able to stay awake.
“It’s not safe,” Ted said. “What if you fall asleep at the wheel?”
I put my head against the back of the chair and closed my eyes. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Caleb.”
I opened my eyes and lifted my head. “What?”
Ted was laughing. “Go to bed. You just fell asleep on us.”
“Okay,” I said, giving in without much of a fight.
It took some maneuvering, but I slipped out from behind Sloan, so I could stand, and then I picked her up. She shifted in my arms but stayed asleep.
I carried her into the almost-dark house. The sun had set a while ago, and the only light on was the one above the stove. I cautiously made my way to the bedroom, not wanting to hit her head on the wall because I couldn’t see well.
In the bedroom, our bags were on the bed, so I had to use one leg to kick them off before anyone could lie down. At the rate I was going, my adrenaline was going to start pumping and wake me up. I’d be ready to drive home, and I would have carried her to bed for nothing.
I also kicked down the covers enough that I wouldn’t wake her by trying to pull them out from underneath her.
When I was finally ready, I bent over and carefully set her on the bed.
And that was when she woke up.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, so I couldn’t stand up.
“Caleb?” Her voice was sleepy, and I realized she wasn’t fully awake.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Am I in bed?”
“Yeah. Is that okay?”
“Mmm … yeah. I’m tired.”
“Is it okay if I lie down next to you? I’m tired, too.”
“Sure.” She rubbed her nose against my neck. “You smell good, and you’re warm.”
Five Dates Only Page 7
