Chapter 24
twenty-four
. . .
Cage
Brinkley
Are we all avoiding the topic because we’re afraid of Cage?
Finn
Definitely.
Georgia
I’m not afraid of Cage. But I know he doesn’t want to talk about it.
Hugh
He’s definitely closed-lipped about it.
HE IS ON THIS FUCKING THREAD. What are you talking about?
Brinkley
It’s a group text. Of course, you’re on it.
You’re talking about me like I’m not here.
Finn
Hmmm… I wonder why we’re afraid of you. You’re the only one who texts in all caps.
Hugh
Just worried about you, brother.
Why are you worried about me? I’m. Fucking. Fine. And I wanted to write THAT in all caps, but I didn’t, for fear of you calling in the National Guard.
Georgia
But you did the period after every word, which was very effective.
Finn
Only you can appear pissed off in a text message.
It’s a gift. And I’m not pissed. THIS IS MY NORMAL STATE.
Brinkley
I’m not afraid of you, so I’ll say it. Presley is leaving in two days. You spend a lot of time together, so you must feel something about it.
Hugh
We’re here for you if you want to talk about it.
What is there to talk about? I knew she was leaving. We had a plan, and we stuck to it. That’s it.
Finn
We’ve got openings for extras at Big Sky Ranch. I had no idea you were such a good actor. Do you want me to throw your name into the hat?
Why can’t you just accept that I’m okay?
Brinkley
Why can’t you just accept that you’re not?
I scrubbed a hand down the back of my neck. Fucking Brinkley never knew when to stop pushing. None of them did.
Hugh
It’s okay to not be okay. You know that, right? We all see how you are together, so we know it’s going to suck when she leaves. That’s all it is, brother. We’re worried about you.
Georgia
I’ve cried twice today thinking about her leaving, and I don’t see her as much as you do. So I know it has to hurt.
Finn
Weren’t you the guy who told me to stop being a with Reese? So, apparently, you can dish it out, but you can’t take it? I’m here to call you out on your bullshit, just as you would for me. STOP BEING A PUSSY AND TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL.
I’m not being a pussy, you dickwanker. Nothing has changed between her and me.
I admit it. But at the end of the day, it’s not about admitting it.
I think we both know it. But we have different lives, and mine is here with my daughter, and hers is in New York, conquering the world.
I would never ask Presley to give up her dreams for me.
So, can we stop analyzing it now? I’ve got bad luck when it comes to love.
There’s no sense wallowing. Shit happens.
I got to have these last few weeks with her, and it’s been fucking amazing.
Never thought I’d get that much, so I’ll take it.
And my daughter fucking loves her and will probably be as devastated as I’ll be when she leaves.
There. Now we’re all fucking cleansed. Can we stop talking about this now?
Georgia
Honest and vulnerable. I’m crying.
Brinkley
This is big. Huge. Impressive. You love her enough to put her needs first.
Finn
I’ve got to tell you… I did not see an emotional confession coming from you in my lifetime. Kudos, brother. I still think you should tell her. I know you think she knows, just like I thought Reese knew how I felt, but saying it can be pretty freeing.
It can also put a lot of pressure on her. I’m not looking to guilt her into a life she doesn’t want. Trust me, she knows how I feel.
Hugh
I like seeing this from you, brother. Good shit.
I’m glad you’re all so pleased. Love sucks. Thanks for the pep talk.
Finn
You still have Maxine. She’s never leaving Cottonwood Cove, and I don’t think she’s ever planning to leave your house.
It’s coming to an end. She’s destroying my house. She can get out of her playpen now. She chewed up part of the throw rug in the family room. She dug up some plants. She needs to go back home.
Brinkley
Hey, can I just throw something out there regarding Presley?
I’d expect nothing less. I asked to stop talking about it, and you want to ask more questions. Shocker. Fire away.
Brinkley
What if you guys have two homes? You live half the time in New York and half the time here? Like Lincoln and I do?
You don’t have children. Gracie can’t be attending school on two coasts.
She needs stability. And I don’t even know that Presley wants this package deal.
We don’t talk about the future because we know this is temporary.
She’s looking forward to going back to her life, and it’s one that we don’t fit into.
So, no sense in pushing something that won’t work and setting myself up for rejection.
Brinkley
Let me noodle on this.
Please don’t. Let me enjoy my last two days with her, and then you can all analyze the hell out of me after.
Hugh
We’ll be at your house with a case of beer, and you can wallow as much as you want to, all right?
Finn
We got you, brother.
Georgia
You know alcohol is a depressant. He’ll feel worse the next day.
Hugh
That’s kind of the point. You get loaded. Feel worse. Wallow. And then move on.
Great. Looking forward to a miserable week. I have to go. One of Mr. Wigglestein’s baby mamas is ready to give birth.
Finn
It’s the circle of life. It makes me emotional.
For fuck’s sake.
Brinkley
So deep, Finny.
Hugh
You are all over the place lately.
Finn
It must be the pregnancy hormones. You know I’m having a baby, right?
I barked out a laugh, which was probably why he said it. I turned off my phone and got back to work. My siblings were good at dragging shit up that I didn’t want to think about.
No sense in getting worked up now. Time was ticking, and I would deal with the repercussions later.
We’d finished dinner, and Presley sat on the bathroom floor with me while Gracie splashed in the tub. Tomorrow night, Gracie was going to sleep at my parents’ house so we could spend our final night alone together.
But tonight, Presley had requested that we just stay here, the three of us. She loved my daughter, and it meant the fucking world to me. Presley used the suds to gather all of Gracie’s hair and make a big cone on top of her head, which had them both laughing hysterically.
“We get to spend all day tomorrow together, too. Right, Presley?” Gracie asked.
“Of course. We’re going to take the horses out one last time and paint, and you said you wanted to play in the garden, too. That sounds like a dreamy day.”
“And then you and Daddy are going to have a big people’s night tomorrow before you leave, and I’ll be with Grammie and Poppy.” Gracie’s eyes watered as she looked between us.
“You love going to Grammie and Poppy’s,” I reminded her.
“I know. I just don’t want to say goodbye to Presley.”
It was interesting to me how honest kids could be. They didn’t think about how their words affected others; they just said what they felt. And it was like a shot to the fucking heart because I felt the same way.
When it all came down to it, I didn’t want to say goodbye to her either.
“Goodbye doesn’t mean forever. It just means I won’t be here every day. But you can FaceTime me whenever you want. And I’ll be back for the opening in a few months.” Presley’s eyes were watering now, too.
This was too much.
Too heavy.
“You’ll be okay, I promise,” I said abruptly, and they both looked at me like I had three heads. “Come on. Let’s get you dried off. It’s time for bed.”
“Can Presley stay and tuck me in?”
I reached for the towel, turning my back to both of them and squeezing my eyes closed. How the fuck was I going to get her through these next few days when I was miserable myself?
Before I could answer, Presley spoke.
“Of course, I’ll stay. I’d love to tuck you in and get some sweet snuggle time.”
“Yay!” Gracie cheered, and I rolled my eyes because we were just getting in deeper and deeper the closer we got to her leaving.
My daughter insisted on having Presley dry her off and help her into her nightgown.
Once her teeth were clean and her hair was brushed, they both climbed into Gracie’s little bed, where Presley read her a few books, and then my daughter wanted to talk about the books because she was dragging shit out.
I left to clean up the dishes from dinner, and when I came back, they were both sound asleep.
Presley was lying on her side with Gracie pressed to her chest and her head tucked beneath her chin.
I flipped the light off but stood in the doorway, staring at them. The light from the moon was shining through the opening between the curtain panels, providing just enough light to make out their silhouettes.
Bob Picklepants moseyed right past me, moving at a snail’s pace but finding the energy to jump up onto the bed and curl up at their feet.
As if he wanted to be as close to all that goodness as I did.
Maybe the lazy bastard was smarter than I’d given him credit for.
I made my way out to the kitchen and took Maxine out back, and when I stepped back inside, Presley was standing there smiling as I put the pig back into her playpen for the night. It was the only time she didn’t try to escape.
“Hey,” she whispered. “Sorry that I fell asleep for a little bit. Her bed is so cozy.”
“You don’t need to apologize. Bob’s probably devastated that you left,” I teased, as I pressed her back up against the counter. My hand spread across the side of her neck, and I kissed her hard.
Her hands were in my hair, and our kiss was feverish and out of control. Hell, I just needed to savor every last minute with this woman. I could feel the walls closing in around me, and I just wanted more.
I gripped her ass and lifted her up onto the counter before pulling my mouth from hers. Her hands were on each side of my face.
“I should head home. I’ll be back early, though. I promised my parents I’d have breakfast with them and then do a quick walk with my dad. And then I’m all yours for the rest of the day and night.” She waggled her brows.
We were cautious not to have sleepovers when Gracie was home, although, at this point, there were a ton of other things I’d let go too far, so I didn’t know why we’d stuck with that rule.
“I want to make you feel good first,” I said, and my hands slipped beneath her long, cream-colored skirt, and my finger slid up her lean thighs. I stopped at the edge of her panties and ran my thumb over her lace-covered pussy. She gasped as her hooded gaze found mine.
“I thought you’d want to wait until tomorrow night.” Her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
“I need to make you feel good, Raven.” I slipped my fingers beneath the lace to find her soaked, and I hissed, squeezing my eyes closed as I tried to tamper down my raging erection.
Her legs fell open, and she tugged my mouth back down to hers.
I slipped one finger inside, and then a second, as her walls tightened around my digits.
I thrust in and out as my lips meshed with hers.
She rocked against me and groaned. I slipped my fingers out, moving both hands to each side of her face as I took in her wild, dark eyes filled with need.
I pushed her legs farther apart and took the dainty lace between my fingers before tearing it in half, giving me better access.
I pushed her skirt all the way up and buried my face between her thighs.
I thrust my fingers back into her as my mouth covered her clit.
She leaned back on her elbows and bucked against me as her breaths filled the air around us.
I replaced my fingers with my tongue, diving deep into her heat, and my thumb pressed into her clit, just where I knew she needed me.
“Oh my god, Cage,” she panted, and it was the hottest sound I’d ever heard.
I moved faster, sliding in and out of her, as she tugged at my hair and ground up against my face.
Harder.
Needier.
More.
And then she exploded, her walls tightening around my tongue, as she went over the edge. I held her there, savoring every last bit of her sweetness.
Once her breathing slowed, I pulled back and helped her sit forward, tucking her wild waves behind her ear.
Her gaze searched mine. “Thank you. How about I return the favor?”
She jumped off the counter and led me to the pantry, pulling the door closed before she was on her knees. She unbuttoned my jeans and pulled the zipper down, shoving the denim along with my boxer briefs down my thighs, allowing my cock to spring free.
She looked up at me and licked her lips, and I tangled my fingers in her hair.
She teased the tip of my dick, swirling her tongue around in circles before wrapping her mouth around me.
She was warm and wet, and she knew exactly what I liked.
She took her time while I fucked her mouth and set the pace.
Her hands were on my ass, taking me deeper.
I was doing all I could to hold on and savor it, because I knew it would never be better than this.
“Fuck, Presley,” I whisper-hissed and tugged at her head to give her warning that I was going to come.
But she stayed right there as white lights exploded behind my eyes, and I pumped into her mouth and groaned as I came so hard I couldn’t see straight.
When she finally pulled back, she looked up at me and smiled.
Our gazes locked as I stroked her hair away from her gorgeous face.
Because this wasn’t some stupid fling or friends with benefits.
I loved this woman fiercely.
And I knew she loved me, too.