34. Why Do You Think I Put It On?
Why Do You Think I Put It On?
Doug
‘Douglas.’ My sister smiles up at me from her position behind her desk, and I nod.
‘Breanne.’
She stands to hug me, and I sag, realizing how much I need the contact.
‘How’d it go, honey?’
I slump into the chair opposite hers. She arranged a meeting with a lawyer friend of hers from college, so out of courtesy, she’s the first one I want to talk to about it.
‘Great.’ I blow out a long breath, relief pouring from me. ‘She was amazing. I need to fix up my housing situation because she thinks the courts may still feel Bo is better off in Jessie’s house than Mama’s, but with everything else, she thinks I have a shot, Bree.’
‘Of course, you do. You’re an incredible father.’ I see the tears welling in her eyes. I love my sisters so much, and they adore their niece.
‘Thank you for helping me out with this.’
‘Always, honey. Anything.’ She smiles, genuine in her love for me, and I nod.
From Bree’s office, I head home to shower and debrief Mama, Merv, and Zoe, who stopped by before work. Since Jessie picked Bo up on Monday night, I’ve hardly heard from her, although Bowie always calls to say goodnight before she goes to bed. We live less than ten minutes from Jessie’s place, but walking into the lion’s den at bedtime is not an option. Depending on her mood, once Bo is asleep, Jessie would be on me one way or another like a bitch on heat or just a plain bitch, both unwelcome, so the calls have to do.
I sit on my bed and wait for the call, my smile picking up when it comes.
‘Hi, Daddy,’ she says, all tucked up in bed with her ugly-ass gibbon stuffed toy. She loves the damn thing and has since the second she saw it in the zoo gift shop when she was two.
‘Hi, honey. You all ready for bed?’
She smiles and nods her head, snuggling Gibs closer under her chin, and my heart melts. Man, she’s adorable.
‘Okay, sweet girl, close your eyes and have the sweetest dreams, okay? I love you.’
‘Love you, Daddy,’ she says before bringing her mom’s phone to her pouty little mouth to give me a kiss, and I laugh at the loud, exaggerated mmmmwahhhhh sound she makes.
‘Goodnight, Bowie.’
She passes the phone to Jessie, and her face unexpectedly fills the screen. She usually cuts the call as soon as I say goodnight.
‘I’m taking her out of town this weekend,’ she says without so much as a hello.
‘Where?’ The hackles on the back of my neck rise up as she glares at me like I don’t have a right to ask.
‘Myrtle Beach, to my friend’s place.’
I’m surprised she didn’t try to start a fight over me asking her where.
‘You’re staying with her, right?’ Last time she took her to a friend’s place out of town, Bowie came home to me in tears because her mom had dropped her off with a woman she didn’t know and disappeared for twenty-four hours.
‘Yes, I’m staying with her, Doug. Jesus. She was safe with Carrie-Ann, and you know she was.’
I bite my tongue. I’m not getting into it. Play the game, Doug.
‘I’m not fighting with you, Jess. As long as she’s safe and happy, I’m good. You know that.’
She presses her lips together, then offers me a small nod before cutting the call. And just like that, we’re done talking about it.
I make my way downstairs to find Mama and Merv cleaning up the kitchen, singing along to the music as they laugh and dance together while they work. I can’t help my smile. I love that my mom managed to find love again after Dad died.
‘Hey, you two crazy kids. I’m heading out. Don’t stay up too late, and stay out of my liquor cabinet.’ I joke as Merv spins my mom around, making her squeal, and I suspect the door on that cabinet may have already been opened.
‘You got it, Papa,’ Merv says with a wink.
‘You have fun, baby,’ Mama practically sings, and I laugh, shaking my head as I leave and head toward the only place I want to be.
‘You’re here.’
Cara’s wide smile lights up the night as she opens the door in paint-covered denim dungarees with a black tank underneath. Her hair is pulled up into a messy and sexy-as-hell bun at the back of her head, and she is covered in specks of dark green paint. Her music is loud, and I can’t help but laugh.
‘What the…Did you get any on the walls?’ I joke as I step inside and lean in to kiss her. How does it feel so normal with her? So casual, after practically no time?
‘ Ha, Ha, ’ she exaggerates. ‘I am a messy painter. I am well aware. I have also, maybe, possibly had a couple of glasses of wine.’ Oh , I see it now, the pink cheeks and slightly glassy eyes. My girl is tipsy.
‘Let me see what mess you made.’ I hold out my hand and let her lead me up the stairs into the guest bedroom that she’s turning into a library.
‘Oh,’ I’m surprised to see she got the whole room painted, and she has not done a bad job, despite her inebriation. ‘This looks good.’ I love the rich green color she chose for the walls.
‘Really, you like it?’
She holds her hands together behind her back and gazes up at me expectantly, and fuck me, she’s sexy and cute rolled into one. Not to mention, I love the way her stance pushes her tits up and out.
‘Yes, Cara. It looks really good. It’s going to be amazing to see it all come together.’ She gifts me a beaming proud smile, and she might as well have punched me in the gut. ‘Did you eat?’
She shakes her head, no. ‘Not yet. I got busy with this and just forgot.’
‘Okay, as much as it pains me to tell you to do this alone. You go shower, and I will get a head start on some dinner. Sound good?’
‘You showering with me sounds better.’ She’s getting ballsy. I love that, and I have to fight with everything I have to ignore that look in her eyes.
I step closer, reaching up to pull the hair band out of her hair so it tumbles down her back. Gathering it up in my hand, I pull, tipping her head back enough that her mouth is just beneath mine.
‘I told you. I’m going to give you everything you need.’ Her eyes flare, and I see the bob of her exposed throat as she swallows hard. ‘First, that’s food.’ I wink as I release her hair and grab her shoulders to turn her around before giving her a gentle shove toward the door and smacking her ass as she heads into her bedroom. We’ll have to deal with all the painting equipment later. I have to figure out what I’m going to cook that’s quick so I can get this woman beneath, or better yet, on top of me.
‘Smells good in here.’
I turn from the stove, where I’m flipping the chicken ready to top the salad I put together.
‘It’s nothing fancy.’ I smile, taking her in. She has on pajama pants and a slightly cropped, oversized t-shirt. It shows a little skin around her middle, and my mouth practically waters with the need to taste her. ‘ Goddam , look at you. Get over here.’
She offers a coy smile as she walks toward me, and I back her up against the island, kissing her once before lifting her up to sit. She parts her thighs automatically, making room for me to stand between them as I push my fingers into her still-damp hair and kiss her like my life depends on it.
‘Is this my playlist or yours?’ she asks breathily as I break the kiss, and I grin. I love that we have the same taste in music. I leave her sitting on the island and turn back to the chicken, turning off the heat and pulling out the salad dressing.
‘It’s mine.’ I slide my phone across the countertop, unlocking it so she can scroll the playlist. ‘Choose the next song,’ she grins, and I arch one eyebrow, ‘be careful now. Whatever you choose will set the tone for the rest of the night.’
She picks up my phone as I dress the salad, glancing up at her what feels like every few seconds to enjoy her facial expressions as she scrolls.
I’m surprised when the song she chooses is slow, and it takes a second to register what it is: Walking After You by the Foo Fighters. I raise my eyes to meet hers and hold her gaze as her shoulders raise a little, and I see the questions she’s not asking. Is this too much? Is this too serious? Hell, no.
I drop the skillet back on the stove and lift her down to standing before taking her in my arms.
‘Dance with me,’ I say softly, and she smiles.
‘I can’t dance.’
‘Because you’ve never danced with me.’
I bend to kiss her, taking her mouth with mine as I move our bodies to the music, the words impacting me like never before. I’ve listened to this song a million times, but never have I heard it like this. Never have I heard it with the woman I can’t pretend I’m not falling in love with in my arms.
‘This is our song now,’ I say close to her ear, loving the way she shivers as my breath tickles across her skin. ‘You know that, right?’
Her arms come up to wrap around my neck, and she leans back to look into my eyes.
‘Why do you think I put it on?’
Fuck, me… ‘You don’t mind cold chicken, do you?’ I narrow my gaze, and she laughs, and that’s the green light I need to kiss the hell out of her, picking her up and wrapping her legs around my waist as I carry her to the living room, never taking my mouth from hers as I lower our bodies to the sofa.