27. Keep Your Head In The Game And Your Dick In Your Pants
Keep Your Head In The Game And Your Dick In Your Pants
Doug
Leaving last night was hard. I smile up at the house in the early morning light and remember the sound of her soft breaths as she drifted to sleep against my chest. God, she was beautiful.
I told her I couldn’t stay—that I had to be there when Bo woke up, and she nodded, understanding. She smiled as I kissed her goodnight, then rolled over straight back to sleep.
I have some guys coming in today, so I need to get her out of my system before they get here. I dropped Bo off with Zoe, as she’s watching her today, and headed up here early.
Grabbing the bag containing breakfast from Merv’s off the passenger seat, I climb out of my truck and use my key to enter and find the house quiet. I leave the bag on the kitchen counter, smiling at the pie still exactly where we left it. Man, I really did fuck her in her kitchen. I wish I were a better man, one who could keep the smug bastard grin off his face at the memory, but I’m not. I can’t.
Toeing off my sneakers—my work boots and clothes are still in my truck—I head upstairs. Peeking around her door, I suppress a laugh; all I can see are two arms and one leg poking out from under the comforter. I make my way inside, sitting on the bed, and I run my fingers up the bare thigh right in front of me. She stretches out her leg as her arms reach up, and I smile. There she is.
The arms come down, bringing the comforter with them and showing me the frowning, pouty little face I like a lot.
‘You woke me up.’ Her voice is croaky with sleep.
‘I’m sorry.’ I grin as I pull the comforter away the rest of the way and crawl over her. ‘I wanted to see you before the crew arrives.’
She stretches out under me, and I look down between our bodies. Her shirt has risen up, exposing her stomach, and I can’t resist. I lower down to press my lips softly against her ribs.
She shivers, goosebumps racing across her skin, and I lower down.
‘Doug,’ she runs her fingers through my hair, and I wrap my hand around her hip. She gasps, inhaling sharply when I kiss below her belly button. ‘I need—’ I run my tongue along the waistband of her shorts, and she wriggles under me. ‘No, no, I can’t,’ She pushes me back and rolls off the bed, running to the bathroom. ‘Sorry,’ she calls as she shuts the door, and I laugh. I guess she did just wake up.
I hear the toilet flush and the water turn on, so I pull off my shirt and drop my sweats, stepping out of them and climbing into her bed.
When the door opens, and she eyes me, she catches her bottom lip between her teeth and leans against the doorframe.
‘Get over here,’ I say, making her smile, and she walks slowly back toward the bed.
‘What do you have in mind?’ she asks as she climbs onto the bed, and I smell the fresh mint of her toothpaste.
‘Kiss me,’ I demand as she settles next to me and leans back against the pillows.
‘I’m right here.’ She smiles softly, and I move over her, covering her mouth with mine.
I move to settle above her, nudging her thighs apart with mine as my tongue explores her mouth, and I find my spot between them.
Having her under me feels so fucking good. I don’t want to move, but I want her naked. I force myself back to sit on my heels, my dick screaming at me in protest, and Cara’s eyes widen in surprise.
‘Don’t think we’re done.’ I smirk. ‘I’m just going to need you to take those clothes off.’
She tries to recover from it, but I see the moment of panic that flares in her eyes. She sits up and grips the hem of her shirt as I reach out and put my hands over hers.
‘What was that?’ Her eyes come up to find mine, and I reach up to cup her cheek. ‘Baby, what is it?’
Doesn’t she want this? Now that she’s slept on it, is the whole secret thing too much for her? Jesus, did she not enjoy last night as much as I did?
‘Cara, what’s wrong?’
‘I just. I’m not…’ she swallows and lowers her gaze.
‘Not what? Honey, talk to me.’
‘Not sexy, not sexual . I’m afraid of not being enough for you.’
‘What? Cara, are you crazy? You are incredibly sexy.’
‘Doug, I’m not. I’m shy and inexperienced and pretty fucking clueless, to be honest. I don’t have the skills to keep you interested. I just, I don’t know what you might like me to do.’
‘First off, it’s not about what I want. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together. I want you to go after what you want, so we can figure out what we like. All I’m asking of you is that you trust me and you communicate with me.’
‘But I have no idea what that is. I don’t know what I like because I don’t have any experience to draw on. I’ve had exactly two orgasms in my whole life, and you gave me both of them.’
‘Come here.’ I sit back and hold out my arms for her. Relief wraps me up the moment she crawls into my lap. ‘Baby, look at me. Any man who doesn’t bend over fucking backward to make sure his partner has the time of their life in bed is a selfish prick, and I swear to god, right now, if you’re enjoying yourself, I don’t care if you’re flat on your back or swinging from the door frame. Second of all, you can trust me. You are safe with me. That means you can tell me if there’s something you want to try. I want you to tell me when you don’t like something, and I want to hear it when you do.’
‘I just feel so, god , I’m thirty, Doug, and I don’t know how to make myself...’
I inhale deeply and glance at the watch on my wrist. We have forty minutes until the guys get here. I know what I want to do, but I don’t want to rush this.
I reach up to cup her face and bring her mouth to mine, kissing her deeply before I pull back.
‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I brought breakfast, so we’re going to go downstairs and eat, drink some coffee, then I’m going to get ready for work. You need to do something that makes you feel good today. Get a massage, get your hair done, buy some new clothes, or stay up here and investigate those toys I heard my sisters talking about.’ Her eyes widen, and I wink. ‘Whatever makes you relax, and feel good, do that. Then, once the guys leave and Bo is in bed, I’m coming back here to show you just how sexy you are.’
I kiss her again, then push her off my lap so she falls to the mattress and shrieks in surprise.
‘What are you waiting for?’ I ask as I pull my sweats back on and reach for my shirt. ‘Get your cute butt downstairs and make me some coffee, woman.’
Working on Cara’s house while she is here and knowing I can’t touch her or even look in her direction unless it’s to talk to her about the house is torture. Watching her leave the house in high-waisted jeans and a cropped shirt, her hair loose and wavy from the braid I put in there, is worse. Watching the guys checking her out as she climbs into her car and drives off is fucking hell on earth.
‘ Ey, eyes on the job,’ I snap, and they laugh.
‘Sorry, boss, but you’ve got to admit…’
‘Don’t finish that sentence,’ I growl to the young punk grinning at me. ‘This is a job, not a bar. Keep your head in the game and your dick in your pants.’
I storm away, hating not knowing where she went and hating not being able to kiss the breath out of her before she left.
I pull out my cell, and there are two messages.
Cara: I’m heading out to meet Missy for lunch. See you later… You look good without your shirt on GC!
GC? I wrack my brain, trying to understand what she means, then laugh, loud enough to draw unwanted attention: Grumpy Contractor.
Still smiling, I click out of her message, and my smile turns into a scowl.
Jessie: I’m picking Bowie up at 5.
No fucking way. Angrily, I start to reply.
Me: No. I won’t be back from work by then. I’ll bring her home tomorrow as planned.
Jessie: Leave work early then. I’m getting her from Zoe at 5. Don’t take that tone with me!
And there it is, the warning. Thinly veiled but there, don’t take that tone with me is one step before a direct threat. I inhale and shake my head as I blow it out. Almost there. Just play her game a little longer. Knowing I’ll be with Cara tonight and every fucking night if I can help it makes this all a little easier to bear.
Me: Fine. Get her at 5.
On one hand, this fucks my plans for tonight. I was hoping to drive out and pick something up, but now I need to see my baby before she’s dragged back into the dragon’s lair. On the other, I can stay over tonight. If Cara wants me to, I can make love to her all night and sleep with her in my arms, and fuck if that doesn’t sweeten the poison.
‘Philips, right?’ I call out to the guy working closest to me. He nods his chin up and stands to face me.
‘Yeah, something wrong?’
I shake my head and walk over. ‘Nah, I just need a favor. You want to earn yourself an extra fifty bucks today?’
And just like that, all my plans are in motion.
I’m sitting on the porch when Cara gets home, shopping bags in her hands that make me curious to find out what she bought this afternoon.
‘Where is everyone?’ she asks, smiling as she looks over me, relaxing back on the steps.
‘I sent them all home a little early.’ I push myself up to stand and enter her space, leaning in to press a brief kiss to her lips. ‘What did you buy?’
Curiosity gets the better of me, and she smiles.
‘Nothing too interesting, just some clothes, underwear,’ she flushes pink, as though she didn’t mean to tell me that, and I arch one eyebrow.
‘You can’t say ‘nothing interesting’ and then say underwear. I am very interested in that.’ She shakes her head, embarrassed, and I laugh. ‘Damn, girl. You’re cute as hell. You know that?’ Her cheeks blaze, and I laugh but step back and pat her backside, ‘Get inside before we get into some trouble out here in the open.’
I know I’m just making it worse, but goddam, if I don’t love that shade of pink on her skin.
I sent the guys home and rushed back to make sure I was the one there to hand Bo over to Jessie, then I showered quickly and headed back up here, hoping I would still beat Cara back. Step one, done.
‘You want me to help you carry your haul upstairs?’ I ask, and she laughs.
‘It’s hardly a haul. I think I can manage.’
‘Okay then, get upstairs. You have a date to get ready for.’ Her eyes widen, and I smile, stepping closer and turning her toward the stairs.
‘A date?’ she questions. Stepping onto the bottom step and turning to me. Man, she looks pretty today. ‘But nobody can know.’
I lean in and kiss her lightly.
‘There’s no dress code at this establishment. You just need to be comfortable.’ I step forward and use my hands on her hips to encourage her backward. ‘Go, get ready. Our reservation isn’t for another,’ I lift my arm to look at my watch, just for effect, ‘forty-five minutes.’
She takes another step and smiles down at me from her slightly higher position.
‘Are you picking me up?’
I can’t keep the smirk from my lips.
‘I’ll be waiting for you right here, darlin’.’
She takes another step back, then turns and bounces up the stairs excitedly, and I turn toward the kitchen, ready to put step two into action.