24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cora
“Sweetheart, it’s almost ten,” Kaison says softly, waking me from sleep. Not a single part of me wants to get up.
“Am I awful for wanting to sleep more?” I mumble.
I feel his lips on my cheek. “Your father is safe where he’s at. You need to take care of yourself, too. Sleep as long as you want.”
I cuddle closer to him. “K.”
Seconds, and I’m back to sleep.
When I wake later, I’m alone in bed. I roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. From the corner of my eye, I see light peeking in through the cracks in the curtains. Turning my head, I see the red glowing numbers of the clock telling me it’s two in the afternoon.
I feel guilty about sleeping, for not going to visit my father the minute I could, but something about knowing he is safe where he’s at has me not feeling like I need to rush to him. He’s in good hands. I don’t need to watch him right now. Someone else is doing that. I can take time for myself. Even if it’s just this once.
My father can’t stay at the hospital forever, but it’s a relief that he’s there now. Which only makes me feel more guilty for feeling that way, but it’s been so long that I could just… relax. If the hospital needed something, they’d call. And it’s not that I’m not going back at all, I’m just taking my time to do it. Because that nurse was right—I need to take care of myself too. Kaison has been saying it too. Dad was also right—I need to live my life. Seems I’m the only one wrong here.
Having this small taste of freedom, as awful as that sounds because I shouldn’t need to feel free from my father, is making me realize how badly I need it. I’ve never slept in anyone else’s bed before. That’s a strange thought, but it hits me as I lay here. I’ve only ever slept in my bed and on the couch. Maybe my father’s, when I was little. I’ve never spent the night at a guy’s house before, either.
I get up and go to the door, pulling it open, but stopping halfway. I bite on my bottom lip, wanting to enjoy this bit of time I have. I may as well make the best of it, right?
It’s only two. Visiting hours are over at eight. I have plenty of time to eat, find something to wear, and make it to the hospital. I grip the hem of the t-shirt and pull it over my head, tossing it to the floor. Then I pull the door the rest of the way open. God, I hope Kaison doesn’t have any visitors.
I walk into the main room. The living room is off to the left and the kitchen to the right. Just as I step out, looking both ways to see where he is, the bathroom door is pulled open, steam billowing out around him. He’s in nothing but a towel that’s wrapped tightly around his waist. My god, this man is drop dead sexy.
The tattoos. The damp hair. The water droplets dripping down his body. His abs and that sexy V thing. His arms and broad shoulders. Even with that bruising all around his shoulder, and the big white patch covering up his wound. He’s like a bear in human form, and my god, it is so hot.
He freezes when he spots me, eyes going wide. A grin splits his face.
“This is a nice surprise,” he rasps out.
“I agree. Though, I think it’s a little unfair.”
Kaison smirks, gripping the edge of the towel and slowly pulling it. It unwraps, then slips off him and drops to the ground. He’s already semi hard, and that really turns me on.
“Better?” he asks smugly.
“Much.”
He takes a step towards me. Then another. I do the same, and we meet in front of the couch, reaching for each other at the same time, our mouths meeting. His hands are on my ass and I’m leaping into his arms, wrapping my legs around him.
He spins us, then drops onto the couch, pulling me onto his lap so his erection slides along my center. Kaison groans against my mouth, rocking his hips against me until he’s lifting me and lowering me onto his cock. I whimper as he pushes inside me, forgetting how big he is and how this position isn’t something I’ve done in a very long time. I don’t remember ever liking it, but the way I’m pressed against Kaison, the way he’s pulling me up and down, the way he’s moaning beneath me and doing everything that shows me how much he likes it… I realize I love this position. It feels good, but more than that? I’m making him feel good, and that is what I really like.
“You feel so good,” he says, moving his mouth to my neck.
He slides his hands to my hips as he kisses along my chest, and I dig my nails into the back of his neck, careful for his shoulder, not wanting to irritate the wound, as I ride him.
“So do you.”
“I want this with you all the damn time,” he rasps out, nipping at my neck. “Just stay here. Don’t go.”
“Okay,” I find myself saying, which is crazy.
All of this has moved so fast. I mean, just yesterday I was saying I wasn’t going to date him at all. Now I’m saying I’ll move in with him?
Kaison flips us so I’m on my back and he’s above me, but he moves down my body, latching onto my clit and sucking. His fingers slip inside me, and he slowly fucks me while licking me, and I don’t last even a minute before I’m coming. It’s embarrassing. I’m still pulsing when he slides back inside me, slowly grinding into me, his hand on my hip holding me in place. He fucks me harder, faster, a little out of control.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful. So sexy. So fucking tight around my dick. ”
He shifts, putting one foot on the floor, which helps him go even harder. I drag my hands up his stomach and over his chest, holding on to him as he fucks me.
“I’m going to come. Fuck, I’m coming.”
“Yes, yes, come for me,” I whine.
He slows, then stops, grunting out his release and pulsing inside me. It’s only when he rests his body on top of mine that I realize we didn’t use protection. And funnily enough, I’m not panicking about it.
“Have you thought about the home for your father?” Kaison asks on the way to the hospital.
“A little.”
“What are you hung up on?”
“Guilt, I think. I can’t seem to get past that part of it.”
“Even after what your father told you? The conversation you had?”
I sigh, looking out the window at all the trees going by.
“I don’t know why,” I finally say. “The thought isn’t as bad as it was. I mean, it’s almost four now and I’m only just going to the hospital. Taking time for myself today wasn’t as hard as it’s been in the past.”
“That’s a step in the right direction,” Kaison says, taking my hand .
“But I only have three days to decide.”
“No, you have three days to decide on this place. There are other places. You just may have to wait a while.”
He always knows the right thing to say to make me feel better.
“I like the idea of knowing someone who knows the director. And not that I know the doctor well, but he’s dealt with my father a few times in the ER. I know him better than I know some others. I don’t think he’d send my father to a terrible place. It feels right, but there’s just something… stopping me.”
“You know it’s not permanent, right?”
“How do you mean?” I ask.
“Cora, if you have your father go there and you don’t like it, you can take him home again. This doesn’t have to be a forever thing. It can be a one day at a time thing. If you take this spot, you can give it a few weeks or months and see how you feel. See how he does.”
“I hadn’t thought of that…”
And I hadn’t. Why not? Why did I think this would be a set in stone thing, where he goes and that’s that? I have no idea, but this sudden realization has me feeling even better.
“How do you always say the right things?” I ask Kaison.
His response is to kiss the back of my hand.
Today wasn’t horrible. Maybe I could take one day at a time. If the guilt eats me alive, I’ll go get Dad. I lift my phone from the console and take the card from my pocket to dial the doctor.
I see Kaison smiling from the corner of my eye, and I know that no matter what I do, he’ll be by my side. That makes all of this much easier, too. Why did I think the opposite? Why did I think everything would be easier without him?
“This is Dr. Norwood.”
“Hi, this is Cora Davies.”
“Hello, Cora. How are you?”
“I’m okay, thank you. So, I thought about your offer, and I’d like to accept the room for my father.”
“I’m so glad to hear it. I truly think your father will do well there. I will get your information over to my brother and he’ll call you within the next day or two. Is this the best number to reach you?”
“It is, yes. Thank you so much.”
“Of course. I’m glad I could help.”
We end the call and as I put my phone back in the holder, I can’t help but smile.
“You did good, sweetheart. And I’ll be here if you need me.”
“Are we moving too fast?” The words kind of just come out. We were talking about the stuff with my father, and now we’re talking about us.
“Do you think we’re moving too fast?” he asks.
“On the outside, I’d say yes, but it doesn’t feel like it. This all feels… right.”
“Funny, ‘cause those are my thoughts exactly.”
“It doesn’t bother you what people may think?”
“Hell fucking no. ”
I laugh, glancing at Kaison’s phone when it starts to ring. He answers it, putting it on speaker. Which, for some reason, has me relieved. It shows me he has nothing to hide.
“What’s up?”
“Just wanted to let you know the guys are dropping everything off at your place.”
“Not there right now, but Snapper knows where I keep the spare.”
“No problem. How’s everything? How’s your girl?”
I smile at those words, turning away to hide my pink cheeks. His girl, huh?
“As good as can be. On the way to see her father.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
He ends the call, putting his phone down.
“Your girl?” I ask, chewing on the side of my cheek.
He grins at me. “That okay?”
I take his hand. “More than okay. Who was that?”
“Coyote. He’s the Prez. Been acting fucking weird, too. Normally we’re at each other’s throats, but he’s been real fucking nice the past couple of days.”
I shrug. “Maybe he had a change of heart.”
Kaison barks out a laugh. “Nah, no way.”
“You never know.”
“I know him, and trust me, he ain’t having any changes of heart or epiphanies or anything else.”
“Whatever you say,” I answer with a smile.
Whatever you say.