23. Cat
23
CAT
The smell of bacon and coffee woke me from sleep. The other half of the bed was empty, but Vince couldn’t have been gone long because his side of the bed still smelled like him. I climbed out of bed in search of him. I made a quick pit stop in the bathroom to brush my teeth and fix the disaster that was my hair, pulling it into a ponytail.
I wandered out to the kitchen to find him drinking coffee while standing shirtless by the stove. He looked up at me as I walked closer.
“I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, but bacon from the freezer doesn’t cook as fast.”
My heart melted a little bit. I had never had anyone make me breakfast in bed before.
“There’re a few items in the freezer, like this bacon and a frozen loaf of bread, but the fridge is empty aside from condiments, so we’ll need to either hit up a store today or get some groceries delivered. Until then, you get bacon and coffee.”
“Breakfast of champions,” I declared.
“You say that now, but there’s no creamer for your coffee.”
I mock gasped and put my hand over my heart. “ Are you trying to kill me?”
He walked closer to me and pulled me into him. “ Maybe I’ll just have to give you CPR and kiss you back to life.”
His mouth touched mine, and I could tell he had already had a piece of bacon from the taste in his mouth.
I pulled back and smiled at him. “ If this is going to get more heated than that, I will need caffeine.”
“Have a seat. I’ll get you a cup and some bacon since this is ready now.”
I sat at the barstool in front of the island and began to sip the coffee he brought me. It was strong without the creamer but tasted fine once I put some sugar in it.
“What’s on tap for today?” I asked, not sure what we were allowed to do now that we were hiding out.
“After breakfast, we’ll get the grocery situation taken care of, and then I need to cut some more firewood before we run out. Do you need to get some work done, or are you up for a walk on the trails?”
“I’d like to get a few emails sent, but I can do that while you take care of the firewood. I’d like to walk the trails and see the property. Maybe look for some of those wildebeests this area is known for.” I raised my brow knowingly at him.
He chuckled as he brought me some slices of bacon and plain toast. We ate in companionable silence.
An hour later, groceries were taken care of, and I was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, sending emails to clients and getting my calendar squared away for the next month.
As I typed, a loud cracking noise made me snap my head toward the window. Outside , I saw Vince chopping wood, his movements effortlessly stealing my focus. Before I knew it, I was up and moving closer, unable to resist the scene unfolding before me and needing to get a better view.
He was bent over a large stump, positioning a chunk of wood on top. The sun shone brightly, and though the day was mild compared to the recent cold, it couldn’t have been warmer than fifty degrees. Still , Vince clearly felt the heat. He wore cargo pants and an unbuttoned red-and-black flannel shirt, revealing his bare chest—broad, muscular, and utterly captivating.
As I stood there, staring at the supreme display of masculinity, I was pretty sure I felt my ovaries spontaneously combust.
Just then, his eyes found mine through the window. A provocative grin overtook his face as if he knew my impure thoughts. I shook myself out of my stupor and returned to my seat. I needed to focus—on work, not on Vince’s Greek god statuesque body.
* * *
After his foray into lumberjack mode, we decided to walk the property so Vince could show me around.
“I know you were looking forward to hiking with Ruthie and Ellie , but hopefully this makes up for it a little,” Vince had said.
It did. Mostly because the landscape was stunning. There were two narrow gravel trails that led through some beautiful forested areas full of pine trees. The creek was not very big, but it ran the entire length of the property. It had a rock and pebbled bottom, so it was crystal clear water, and the sound it made as we walked by was so peaceful.
We came back to have some dinner and had planned to just relax for the remainder of the evening.
I’d settled onto the couch with a book in my hands and Harry in my lap when Vince came into the room saying goodbye to someone on the phone.
I looked up to see him wearing nothing but swim trunks. His glorious chest and arms were on full display.
“Your phone call go okay?” I asked.
Parker had called him twice while we were out on the trail, so Vince called him back since he assumed it was important.
“Yeah, they moved the court date up for one of my skips, and he wanted to go over a few things. I told him we were up here and I’ll meet with him when we got back.”
I nodded, almost relieved that it wasn’t more bad news.
“Join me in the hot tub,” he suggested.
“I don’t have a bathing suit,” I countered.
“Technically, you don’t need one since it’s just you and me up here, but I knew you’d say that, so I grabbed the spare one my sister keeps up here,” he said, tossing small items of clothing in my lap.
I looked down at them, realizing it was a skimpy string bikini. Practically speaking, the strings could be adjusted to accommodate different sizes, but the suit itself would not cover much. This was two sizes too small—and that was being generous. This definitely wasn’t going to cover much up top, not to mention the bottoms would be like a perpetual wedgie every time I moved.
“Vince, your sister is a few sizes smaller than me,” I pointed out. “ This triangle top would look like a single tortilla chip covering me.”
He snorted then grinned lasciviously at me. “ Then don’t wear it. Here’s a towel for you. Meet me outside.” He tossed a towel in my direction and walked over to the door that led to the deck.
Normally, I would have just worn a sports bra and maybe some underwear, but I didn’t bring the former, so it would be weird to wear my underwear with nothing on top. I grappled with what to do but ultimately decided I wanted to use the hot tub, so I put on the minuscule bikini, because it was better than nothing. I grabbed a second towel from the hallway closet for good measure and tried to cover myself up as best I could.
I pulled my hair up into a high bun so it wouldn’t get wet, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and made my way to the door.
I finally walked over to the hot tub, Vince was already sitting in it. Fully covered up with a towel draped over my shoulders and another wrapped around my waist, I set the water down on the table beside the hot tub. I climbed the few stairs up to the water then quickly removed the bottom towel and threw it on the table as I stepped into the water.
“What are you doing?” Vince asked, likely curious about my weird behavior.
I didn’t respond right away but instead lowered myself into the hot tub with my towel still wrapped around my top half as long as possible until I slowly sank into the water. Then I set the top towel down on the table next to the other.
I looked at Vince to see him grinning at me as though he thought I was cute but ridiculous.
“Your sister is a lot skinnier than me, which means her string bikini is way more indecent on my body, and not exactly flattering,” I explained to him.
“I happen to like your body. A lot.” He prowled over to the other side of the hot tub where I was sitting.
“I’m not saying I hate my body, Vince . I’m fine with it. I just have parts I wish weren’t as big. My love handles, which are more like full-blown grab bars, and my butt could use a little less cushion. Both of which are way too big for this scrap of fabric.”
Vince growled. “ Your body is fucking perfect.” He grabbed my hips, sliding me forward to a squat position flush with his chest. “ Your curves inspire my fantasies on a daily basis, woman. There is not one single thing I would change about you, and if you lose these curves, you’re going to make a grown man cry.”
“Vince…” I chuckled nervously and shook my head.
“Babe, I don’t want my hands to be bigger than a woman’s ass. I want something to hold onto when I’m touchin’ you. You have more than a handful of everything. Hips , tits, ass, all of it. And I fucking love it.”
My mouth popped open at his words. Did he seriously just say that?
“You don’t believe me?” I bit my lip instead of answering him.
“Let me show you how much I love these curves.”
He lifted me and tugged me forward so I was straddling his lap. Then he pulled my hips down as he thrust up, grinding his now very hard cock against me.
“You feel that? That’s what your curves do to me,” he conveyed. “ My body craves you. It’s even worse now that I’ve been inside you. My body knows how good you feel, and it wants to be in you all the damn time.”
Desire pooled inside me, listening to his words. This man was great for my ego, that was for certain.
His hands drifted from my hips up my sides, brushing the side of my breasts, which made my nipples harden instantly. Then he moved them up to my neck before he grabbed my face and pulled me down for a kiss. This was no soft kiss. This was hard, with purpose, and meant to convey his desire.
One hand stayed against my cheek. The other roamed back down to my bikini bottoms. The back of his fingers slid between my legs. His mouth went to my neck and peppered it with kisses while his fingers now roamed underneath the thin fabric of the suit. A whimper escaped me as I ground into his fingers, my body desperately needing more.
He began to suck on my neck, right on a pulse point. At the same time, slid his finger inside me, and I nearly shot off his lap. Hunger and lust rushed through my body as I moaned loudly.
His finger slid out, and I instantly felt bereft.
“Are you sore?” he asked.
My brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders. I couldn’t speak, so I simply shook my head.
“Need the words, babe,” he pressed.
“No,” I croaked. “ Not sore,” I responded as I ground myself back down on him, trying to give him the hint.
“My Kit - Cat is greedy.” He slid his finger back inside me and kissed me hard.
A second finger joined, and I felt my orgasm build. God , what this man did to me. He moved his hand from my cheek to the triangle top and slid it over just enough to reveal my nipple, which he began to twist slightly with his talented fingers.
His mouth detached from mine, but before I had a chance to miss it, he latched on to my nipple, and began to enjoy it like an ice cream cone.
I moaned loudly as I arched my back, pressing my chest harder into his mouth as my body needed more. His fingers still worked inside me, stroking me, building my pleasure. In the next instant, his thumb swiped across my entrance, and I exploded. Noises escaped me as my vision blurred. I crumbled as my orgasm broke through me.
“Vince,” I panted as I collapsed forward onto him.
“God, there is nothing better than watching you fall apart in front of me.”
I heard him say the words but couldn’t really focus on their meaning, as my brain still was not back to one hundred percent.
I felt amazing, but I wanted more. I wanted Vince inside me. I wanted to make him feel as good as he made me feel.
I leaned back and put my hands on his face. “ I want you inside me again.”
I kissed him and ground my body against him, causing him to moan against my lips.
I slid off him momentarily as I moved my hands from his face to my hips and pulled at the strings of the bikini, releasing them and lifting the bikini above the water for him to see.
“Christ, woman,” he said, his voice sounding strained. “ Get back over here. Now .”
“So bossy,” I teased.
I yelped as he grabbed my hips and pulled me back down to straddle him. Then , his mouth was on mine. It was a hard kiss, full of heat and hunger. I stroked his chest and shoulders as he ravaged my mouth.
Abruptly, his lips left mine, and I may or may not have whimpered at the loss. He grabbed his phone from beside the hot tub, which had both buzzed and chirped several times.
“Grab your towel and get in the house,” he commanded. Gone was the playful Vince from seconds ago.
“What?” I asked, confused about his sudden change in demeanor.
“Get in the house now. Someone’s on the property. Camera alerts just pinged on my phone,” he said as he lifted me off him and pushed me toward the towels.
I grabbed the first towel I could reach and tried to cover up as well as I could in haste. Panic rising in me, I dashed into the house, racing back to the bedroom to put on some clothes.
Vince was right behind me, putting his clothes on as well, then grabbed his gun from the nightstand.
“Stay here, keep your phone in your hand, and do not leave the house,” he instructed before he exited the room, closing the door behind him.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. I finished putting my clothes back on as quickly as I could then made my way out of the bedroom, both tense and distressed about the abrupt end to our evening.