Caden: Ride with Me

10. 10

As the evening wound down, Olivia, her parents and siblings managed to get Lainey and Jared loaded into a car and gone, they were headed to a hotel in Bismarck for tonight then off to Florida for a week for their honeymoon. After that the party broke up rather quickly.

She and Caden weren’t the last to leave but there were only a few vehicles left in the parking lot as they walked out to his pickup, her hand curled around his arm as they strolled side by side.

“Thanks again for doing this for me,” Olivia said.

“I’m glad I did. It was fun. Are you done for the night, or could I take out for something? Dessert, coffee?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m about done for tonight. It’s been a long day and my feet hurt.” She had a couple things in mind she’d like to do with him, but they weren’t things she wanted to be seen doing, at least not in public. She couldn’t imagine her mother’s reaction if word got back to her. Though she’d done well, and had been very gracious when she’d met him. Hadn’t even blinked at his tattoos, much less shot Olivia the questioning look and later cornered her to grill her about what was she thinking like she’d expected.

When they reached the truck, he once more helped her into the seat before going around to his side and climbing in.

“Back to your place it is,” he said starting the truck. They didn’t say much on the trip.

Her mind was still on the wedding. Well, split between that and how to ask him in once they got back to her place. She didn’t know how he would respond, but she had been careful to have a couple of sips of champagne as they made toast early in the evening then stick to water or soda for the rest of the night. Olivia couldn’t recall if she’d already told him she wasn’t much of a drinker, but she’d noticed him watching what she’d drank all night. Not that she was worried about him, but she didn’t care for the effects of alcohol. And she didn’t want him to use that she’d been drinking as an excuse to deny her once they reached the house.

“What are you thinking?” His words startled her.

“Not much, why?”

“You’ve got a mischievous smile that’s got me worried about what you’re up to.”

“Nothing nefarious. I promise.”

She saw him glance at her in the dim glow from the streetlights before turning his gaze back onto the road. When they pulled up in front of her place, it took her a moment to register their arrival. By the time she did, Caden had gotten out and come around her side. He helped her down and while it was an old-fashioned gesture, she appreciated it because her heels made it difficult to get in and out of the lifted pickup.

Olivia wasn’t surprised when he walked her to the door, from what she knew of him, he would, and she’d counted on it. She unlocked the door then turned to him. A breeze blew through sending a shiver through her.

“You’re cold. You should go inside,” Caden said, a gentle smile curving his mouth.

“I will but I don’t want to go alone. Come inside with me.”

“I’m not sure if I should.” He glanced at the door then back toward his truck. “Are you sure you want this? I didn’t miss the unhappy looks your mom gave me when she thought no one else was looking.”

Olivia rolled her eyes and laughed. “I knew how Mom would react and I don’t care. She doesn’t run my life or make decisions for me. I do that. And I have no doubts. I want to see where this is going.” She reached up and grabbed a fist full of his shirt just below the collar then tugged him down until she reach him as she stretched up to kiss him.

His mouth moved against hers and she quickly lost track of what she was doing. Her other arm found its way around her neck. His arm snaked around her waist and tugged her close.

She didn’t know how long they stood on the porch like that but when he broke the kiss, she stared up at him for a moment, breathless.

“Let’s get inside.” His words reminded her where they were. She didn’t bother turning around or even looking at what she was doing as she reached back, opened the door, and tugged him inside with her.

Once inside she leaned back against the closed door and gazed up at him.

“Finally, I’ve been waiting for this all night.”

“Waiting for what?”

“To get you all to myself.” She slid her hands down the front of his shirt. Smoothing the fabric as she went. “You look nice tonight. Did I remember to tell you that?”

“I think you did.”

She looked up and met his gaze, his eyes had grown dark, and his smoldering look sent heat pooling low in her belly.

“I still think you look amazing, even after all the dancing and partying.” He ran the back of a finger down her cheek.

“As great as you looked tonight, I think I know how to make you look even better.” She ran a finger lightly along his neck, above his collar.

Caden stared down at her one brow quirked as he waited for her to tell him how.

She flicked open his top button, then the next one.

“I loved what little I saw of your tattoos.” She flicked the next button open. “I want to see more. I want to see and touch them all.” She looked up at his face to find him watching her, one corner of his mouth lifted, and his eyes gone to a deep, dusky gray as he watched her.

“I’m good with that.” He leaned close propping one arm against the door over her head.

His breath feathered across her neck, sending a shudder through her that left moisture gathering at her core.

Another button, she ran a finger down his chin, along his neck and down his chest, frowning when she encountered soft fabric instead of the skin she expected.

“Do you want to do this or maybe take it somewhere else?” His voice had gone deeper, though it was barely more than a breath as he dropped his head to nuzzle along the side of her neck.

Olivia’s breath caught. She glanced down to find her fingers had found a t-shirt under his dress shirt, then her gaze flicked back to his face.

“The bedroom.” She had to swallow and try again. “Let’s go in the bedroom.”

He didn’t wait for her to say more, instead he bent at the knees, wrapped an arm around her middle and swung her up into his arms. “Tell me where.”

She directed him to the bedroom where he lowered her gently to the floor then gave her a searing kiss as his hands smoothed over her nearly bare shoulders. He slid the thin straps of her dress off, then reached around to lower the zipper at her back.

She tugged the tails of his shirt from his slacks, eager to touch him. To get her hands on his skin. She felt driven by a desperation she couldn’t recall having ever felt before.

Clothing disappeared, hands and lips found skin it had never explored before. They spent the next hour with few words other than directions or pleas for more, then exclamations of completion.

Olivia lay back on the bed, breathing heavily but sated. Caden rolled away and stood.

“Stay,” she said, reaching for him.

“All right, but I need to clean up. Bathroom?”

She pointed to the bathroom door on the opposite wall from where they’d come into the room, not sure her muscles would let her stand yet, much less move that much.

He was gone for a couple minutes then came back and helped her move beneath the blankets instead of on top of them. It didn’t take long until she drifted off to sleep, content to lay in the warmth of his arms.

Olivia woke slowly the next morning. Aware first of being surrounded by warmth, then of the band of what seemed to be steel wrapped around her middle. She lay still, wishing her brain worked better in the mornings, then remembered the night before. The wedding, dancing with Caden, his bringing her home, and her tugging him inside after kissing on her doorstep.

Caden. It was his arm wrapped around her. She smiled to herself as she remembered the night before. The way he’d touched her and made her feel. As if she was the most precious thing on earth, at last in that moment.

She lay there a moment, wondering how long he would sleep, then if she could slip away without waking him. She needed to use the restroom, then she wasn’t sure if she wanted to come back and start all over what they’d done the night before or get some coffee first then kiss him awake and maybe have a replay. Either way she’d have to make a decision soon as her bladder started screaming at her.

It took a little maneuvering, but she managed to slide out from under Caden’s arm without waking him. She went into the bathroom first, then stood in the doorway watching him sleep for a moment before deciding to make coffee first. She’d drink a little then bring him a cup. That way it would seem like she was being sweet and nice rather than to try and have her way with him.

Olivia picked up his dress shirt and slipped it on her shoulders buttoning only the button between her breasts as she went into the kitchen.

She started the coffee pot then pulled a few things out for breakfast while she waited for it to brew. Maybe she’d take him breakfast? No. that wasn’t a great way to start a relationship, if that’s what this was going to be. If you started with breakfast in bed, some men expected that to continue and that would never happen. She didn’t mind making breakfast on weekends, but he’d have to come join her in the kitchen to eat it.

Forgetting what she’d been planning, Olivia put her favorite cast iron skillet on the stove and lit the flame before she laid several strips of bacon in it to cook. That started, she took down a bowl and put together the batter for pancakes.

She’d just poured the first pancake onto the griddle to cook when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her middle and warm breath feathered along the shell of her ear.

“I’m not sure there’s anything better to wake up to than breakfast, but if there is, it’s breakfast cooked by a hot woman wearing my shirt.”

Olivia tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder for a few seconds while he nuzzled the bend of her neck. She could get used to the way he made her feel. The thought flashed through her mind to wonder if feeling like this was why Lainey had married Jared, but nearly as fast as the thought appeared, it was gone as Caden’s hands slid down her sides then smoothed up under the hem of his shirt, along her legs then up to her hips. She couldn’t miss the hard length of him pressing against her rear as he tugged her against him.

“My God, woman. You’re going to make me insane if you keep this up.” His voice had dropped to little more than a growl as he squeezed the cheeks of her ass then let her go, stepping away.

Olivia immediately missed his warmth. A pop from the skillet in front of her reminded her she was cooking. She quickly flipped her pancake, it was a little dark but not burnt. Not yet. Turning her attention to the bacon, she pulled the finished rashers off and added a few more to cook before moving back to the pancakes.

Once she had things set for a moment, she turned to where Caden was standing next to the coffee pot, sipping a cup.

“What do you like on your pancakes? And do you want eggs to go with them?”

He shook his head, his gaze never wavering from where he leaned against the bar on the other branch of the L and watched her. “No eggs. I don’t like them, but what do you have for the hot cakes?”

“I have a lot of things that could be put on them. Powdered sugar, syrup, jam, peanut butter, apple butter, regular butter.” She quirked one corner of her mouth at the way his eyes widened at her list. Before he drew himself together to answer, she turned back to the stove and checked the pancake on the griddle. It wasn’t quite ready to flip yet.

“Apple butter? I don’t know if I’ve ever tried that. What is it?”

“Do you like apple sauce?”

Caden frowned. “Yeah, but I’m not sure I’d want it on my pancakes.”

“It’s a thick apple sauce with seasonings in it too.” She flipped the pancake, turned the bacon then went to the refrigerator and pulled out the jar of apple butter she’d helped her mother make last fall. “Grab a knife or spoon from that drawer.” She motioned with the jar before she set it on the counter. “Then spread a little of this on a chunk of that pancake and try it.” She slid the plate she’d intended to stack finished pancakes on toward him and pulled down another to put the next one on.