I stepped into the shower and just stood there with one hand on the tile, helping me stand upright, the water beating down on me.
The next thing I knew, there were hands on me.
I turned around to find Cherry in the shower with me. Naked. She was gentle as she rubbed a sudsy washcloth over my back and chest. I hadn’t realized how banged up I’d gotten helping people clear up debris, but the aches were starting to settle in as the hot water, and her gentle touch relaxed the tension from my body. Even though I knew I’d have bruises and scrapes from the day, I didn’t really feel anything but her touches. She numbed the pain for me.
She had me lean over a little so she could wash my hair, dirt and debris washing down the drain. Once she had me completely clean, Cherry shut off the shower and toweled me off with the same careful, gentle hands. With a playful swat on my ass, she sent me toward her bed.
I didn’t argue with her. I wanted to take time to appreciate her being naked, but I didn’t have any energy to spare. I was lucky to make it to her bed. I flopped down, my eyes already drifting shut.
A couple of minutes later, she pulled the blankets over us and spooned in close to me. I could feel all of her delicious curves and realized she’d crawled into bed naked with me. We were both a little damp, but it didn’t matter. She held me, her slow even breath and gentle hands lulling me off into a dreamless sleep.
I didn’t know how long I slept, but I woke up completely disoriented until I saw Cherry laying across me.
I was in her bed. We were sleeping together. Naked.
Even though the thought registered, it didn’t feel sexual to me.
My body hurt. I’d overexerted myself for sure, but there had been so much that needed to be done. Luckily, by the time I decided I needed to rest, the worst of it was over. I glanced around for a clock but didn’t see one. I wasn’t about to wake Cherry—I really enjoyed waking up with her plastered over me. The steady rhythm of her breath was relaxing, and the way her long brown hair curled over my chest was too much to give up.
I wondered how Karina was doing. I knew I needed to get up soon to call the hospital. Even as dead tired as I’d been, I knew my phone hadn’t gone off since I’d arrived at Cherry’s, which meant there was no news. I hoped that meant she was stable, that she wasn’t getting worse.
Cherry stirred. She turned her head, and her eyes met mine. “You’re awake. You should sleep more.”
“I’m okay.” I traced my fingers over her back, not actually keeping her pinned, but hoping the touch would keep her where she was. “I need to check on Karina soon. I’m sorry for showing up the way I did last night. I probably should’ve just gone home.”
“Are you kidding? You were in no shape to be home alone. I’m glad you came here. You looked half dead.”
Before I could respond, my stomach growled loudly.
“When was the last time you ate?” she asked.
“I don’t even know. There wasn’t a lot of time. I know they had sandwiches at some point.” I really couldn’t remember when or where that was. I just moved from scene to scene.
“I’m going to make you something to eat, and you should probably drink some water. I’ll bring you your phone, so you can check on Karina, but you’re staying in this bed.” Cherry rolled over me and got up.
My gaze fell on her round ass. She grabbed a robe from the floor and wrapped it around her before I could get a really good view of her naked. Flashes of her in the shower came to me. I still wasn’t feeling up to anything, but I really enjoyed that she’d grown comfortable enough to be in bed with me naked. Part of me wished she was comfortable enough to just stay naked. I’d been enjoying the view.
She grabbed my phone and handed it to me before she busily moved around the kitchen.
I called the hospital and talked to one of the nurses. Karina was doing better, but she still hadn’t woken up. I could go in and visit her soon. I let out a sigh of relief. If she was doing better, there was a good chance she would wake up. I didn’t want her to wake up alone, though. I just hoped it would be soon. The brain surgeon thought everything went well, but it would really depend on when she woke up to see how well she really doing.
I set the phone on Cherry’s nightstand just as she was heading back to me with a plateful of food. “I can come eat at the table.”
“I’m not always going to be so lenient on you eating in my bed, so you should really take advantage of such a privilege.”
I chuckled. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to let me do a lot of eating in this bed. But I promise, it won’t produce any crumbs.”
Cherry’s face flushed with heat. “Damon!”
“I’m just saying.” I snagged a chip from the plate and waggled my eyebrows at her.
“Any news on Karina?”
“The nurse said she came through surgery well. Her vitals are strong. She just needs to wake up now.”
“Okay,” Cherry sighed. “I hope she does soon.”
“Me too.”
“Where’s her family?”
“She lost them when she was young. I’m kind of the closest thing she’s got.” I sat up and draped the sheet over my lap. “She’s like a sister. I don’t know what I’m going to do if she doesn’t make it.”
Cherry handed me the plate and crawled onto the bed next to me. She stole a chip while I dug into the meaty sandwich. As soon as I took a bite, I could tell being hungry was why I woke up. My body had rested, and now it needed nourishment so it could finish healing. I inhaled the sandwich quickly. Cherry just sat quietly with me.
“That was great. Thank you. Clearly, what I needed.”
“Do you need more?”
“No,” I shook my head. “I’m okay. What time is it?”
“About three in the afternoon.”
“I’m screwing up your sleep schedule.”
“I was up all night. I couldn’t sleep without knowing you were safe. I just can’t believe what happened to Karina.” She took the plate and set it next to my phone on the nightstand. “I was afraid you were going to end up trapped in a building or something. I cleaned at the bakery until I couldn’t anymore. But when I got home, I couldn’t sit still. So, I just unpacked for a few hours until you showed up.”
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
She shrugged. “You need someone worrying about you.” She leaned into me and rested her head against my shoulder.
“It doesn’t suck, that’s for sure.”
“Any sign of Michael out there?”
“No. I didn’t even think to check if he made it home safely. I suppose I should do that. He didn’t bother you at all?”
“I haven’t seen or heard from him since he fell down the stairs. You don’t think he was more injured than we thought, do you?”
“No. And if he was, I don’t think he would’ve left the storage room.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, tugging her a little closer. The robe slipped, and I could see her naked shoulder. Now that my body had rested some, the peek of skin distracted me a lot more.
“Could we watch a movie or something? We shouldn’t sleep so much more that we completely flip our schedule upside down.”
“I don’t have a lot of movies. Michael got most of those, but we could see if there’s anything on TV.” She grabbed the remote and flipped it on, surfing through the cable guide until she found a movie we both agreed was watchable.
I didn’t really care about a movie. I just wanted to sit with her. I didn’t have a lot of energy in me to talk or really think much. We piled up pillows, then she snuggled in against me. Her fresh scent filtered up to my nose as her warm body pressed against mine. The robe had shifted enough I could feel her naked skin against my own.
Cherry wiggled against me, her leg drifting over mine. Her thigh grazed my cock and balls, springing them to life, then I felt her tits press against the side of my chest.
“Cherry…” I said, warning in my voice.
She purposefully rubbed her thigh back and fort
h.
I grabbed her thigh, and as I moved to flip her on her back, I spread her legs wide, so I could put myself between them. She looked up with me a triumphant smile as I settled between her naked thighs. My cock fell against her pussy, and she gasped, arching beneath me. I could feel her wet, hot need against my shaft.
“Someone has been thinking all sorts of naughty things if they’re already this worked up,” I smirked at her as I shifted my hips back and forth, sliding my cock through her wet folds.
“That someone would be me. You’ve been naked in my apartment for hours, and I haven’t been fully able to enjoy it. We both needed to rest, but I’m hoping now you’ve rebounded enough, we can fool around a little before you leave.”
“A little? Honey, I want to fuck you until you can’t keep your eyes open.”
Her lips parted in a wide “o” that reminded me of how hot she’d looked, taking my cock into her mouth. I rocked my hips harder, soaking my dick on her cunt as her eyes fluttered closed and a sexy moan escaped her lips.
Cherry wrapped her legs around my hips, pulling me in tighter against her.
I kissed her hungrily, plunging my tongue into her mouth like I wanted to do with my cock in her pussy, and pulled the robe out of the way completely so I could feel all of her. Her full breasts were soft against my chest, but her nipples had tightened into little points, begging to be played with.
I kissed down her neck, along her collarbones, then down to the valley between her tits. I wrapped my hands around the ample globes and ended with a pinch on her nipples. She hissed and arched roughly against me, filling my hands with more of her.
I took my time pleasuring her, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and the way she reacted to each touch, kiss, lick, and stroke. Her body was so responsive, so needy for my touch, I never wanted to stop.
By the time I got between her legs, she was clawing at the sheets, trying to anchor herself as I slid my tongue through the folds of her pretty cunt, ending with a twirl around her sensitive clit. She exploded on my tongue, flooding my mouth with wet, hot need, and I couldn’t stop lapping and licking her.
She finally sagged to the bed, her body flushed pink and her perfect, full tits rising with each panted breath.
“I don’t have any protection on me, babe…” God help me, I hardly cared. I wanted my cock in her tight pussy, bare, so I could feel all of her.
“I’m on the pill,” she murmured. “And Michael and I never went bareback. I had my check up three months ago, and I’m clean.”
I buried my face into her neck and groaned.
“Cherry, you have no idea how fucking hot that is.” I couldn’t resist, not after she gave me the go ahead. I reached between us and guided my dick inside her. Her pussy gripped me and pulled me deeper. Cherry clung to me, her body quivering.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded, chewing on her lower lip. “I just… it never… just don’t stop.” Her words came out in a rush.
As we laid there together connected, I didn’t want to move. I wanted this moment of connection with her to last. I looked down at her and gently stroked her hair, then traced my thumb over her cheekbones, down her jaw, and back up over her ripe mouth. I followed the motions with my lips, needing every ounce of her responsiveness.
Eventually, our bodies took over. We rocked together, pushing us both toward a climax I was sure would be better than any I’d ever had before. Being inside of her made me feel weak. Being together felt like everything. What could possibly be better than this? She was open and needing me. I was connected and needing her.
We came together harder and harder, our bodies slapping together, but our eye contact remained. When she came, her legs tightened around me, leaving me buried inside of her. I came hard, spurting burst after burst of cum deep into her.
Part of me wished we weren’t so new, that we’d been doing this together for months—years. That we could move on to the next thing—marriage, children. I could see all of that with Cherry, and I wanted it so badly, I could taste it.
My heart ached for more as I laid spent over her gorgeous body.
I rolled over eventually, bringing her with me, so she was sprawled on top of me. She laid there holding me, her head over my heart.
“Cherry?”
“I love the sound of your heart.”
Eventually, we drifted back off to sleep. When we woke up, we had another round of sex. I didn’t want to get up and leave, but I had things I needed to check on, and I didn’t want to leave things hanging. No matter how much my body wanted to, I couldn’t just stay in the bubble of Cherry’s apartment—of hot sex and need—all the time.
I got dressed. Cherry did too, much to my chagrin.
“You could just stay here naked, waiting for me.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “You could just stay here naked with me.”
“Touché. All right, I’ll check in before it’s too late. Get some sleep.” I kissed her and ran my hands over her body one last time before I left. I could’ve spent days there, just devouring her body, over and over again, making her come all over my tongue until she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Yeah, yeah.” She smacked my ass as she sent me out of her apartment.
I headed out into the evening to make sure Jubilee Falls was returning to normal after the storm, but Cherry Maraschino was never far from my mind.
7
Cherry
Since I couldn’t just stay naked in bed with Damon, I headed back to the bakery to assess the damage with a clear head. The café portion was still in shambles, but at least the broken window was secure. The kitchen was spotless again, and all the debris had been cleared out. I’d wiped down all the chairs and tables and returned them to their spots. I would have to replace a few of the cushions, but overall, the damage had been minimal.
I’d cleared out the food that had gone bad and got a new delivery. I was hoping I would be able to open up again tomorrow. Not having any revenue was going to be hard to recover from, but at least I had a nest egg I could dip into if needed. It would cut into saving up to buy a house and start a real life of my own, but Cherry Blossoms was worth it.
Of course, after the day we’d had, I wondered if I needed to open up my plans to include Damon.
There were so many things to consider. Damon and I had just started something. I kept thinking about our time together, and while the sex was amazing, I loved that he let me take care of him. He wasn’t a macho asshole who brushed off being cared for. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t cared for me as well. It was nice, being able to take care of each other.
“Cherry?” The familiar sound of Poppy’s voice filtered in through the back. She popped through the swinging doors.
“Hi, Poppy.”
She ran into my arms and squeezed me tight.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. We drove by this place yesterday, and it looked so terrible. And when you told me you’d been in here, I couldn’t believe you were in one piece.”
“I’m all right, really.” I hugged her close, then pulled away to look her over. Thankfully, she looked like the same, chipper Poppy.
“What do we need to do to be able to open again? I miss baking so much!”
I chuckled. “I was just going to do a couple test batches and make sure all the equipment is in working order. I’ve been missing baking too.”
“Great!” She moved around the kitchen, grabbing all sorts of bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients. “I’ve been working on my Donut Day recipe. I think it’s really good.”
I grabbed supplies of my own and stood next to her at the counter. Within fifteen minutes, flour, sugar, and milk were flying around as we had mixers turning and stirring our creations together, trying to get the perfect mixture of flavor—not too sweet, not too grainy, lots of fluff and moisture. There were so many things to consider and balance, but when you hit it all just right, a recipe could really sing.
Poppy turned on the radio, s
o we had music to listen to as we baked. She sang along to an upbeat pop song as she cracked another egg into her batter.
I started to feel myself step back into my normal rhythm, not thinking about anything but baking and creating. As I mixed ingredients together, the tension of the past few days wilted from my shoulders. My hips swayed to the beat as I danced all over the kitchen, turning on ovens and the fryer, and getting out more bowls to make frosting.
Poppy was singing at the top of her lungs to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ when my cellphone chirped from the counter. Grabbing it, I headed into the café so I could hear whoever was on the other end. I hadn’t even bothered to look at my caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Maraschino? My name is Officer Norris. I’m calling from Jubilee Falls Hospital.”
Instantly, I thought of Damon. Something had happened to him. I knew it wasn’t safe for him to be out there. But that didn’t make any sense. Why would anyone know to call me? Unless Officer Norris was one of his friends, and Damon had been talking about me. The thought warmed me more than it should have.
“What happened?” I burst out.
“Mr. Michael Grove had this number in his phone as an emergency contact. He’s been admitted to the hospital.”
Confusion flared inside of me. Why did Michael still have me as an emergency contact? At least it meant Damon wasn’t the one hurt.
“Is he okay?” He wasn’t my problem anymore, but I didn’t want to be a complete bitch.
“No, ma’am. He’s been severely beaten. Would you be able to come down here?”
The conversation between Damon and Michael flashed into my mind. Did Damon do something to him? Was his past not as far behind him as he made it seem?
“Oh, I suppose I can. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” I hung up the phone and went back into the kitchen. I turned down the music, and Poppy kept singing for a moment until she realized she was unaccompanied.
“Whoa. What’s going on?”
“I have to go to the hospital and deal with something. Would you watch the bakery while I’m gone?”
For Love and Donuts Page 9
