Chapter 12
chapter twelve
Brayden.
“My sister is with Nox.” Caeli’s heavy-lidded eyes shifted to Camilla’s pink Mini Cooper parked in Lennox’s driveway. I didn’t respond right away and instead focused on walking my bike to the back just beyond the wooden fence that would shield it from a street view. After I had it secured by setting the Kryptonite lock, I met Caeli in the center of the driveway, where she leaned against the side of her car, I asked, “You want to go see what they’re up to?”
She lazily shook her head then hooked her finger into the waist of my jeans, tugging me forward. She didn’t use enough force to move me but I willingly closed the space between us. When our bodies were aligned, she lifted onto her toes and pressed her mouth to mine. “I’d rather see what you’re up to.”
“I’m right here, you can see what I’m up to.” I spoke against her lips, brushing mine slowly across them.
“You’re wearing jeans. I can’t exactly see if you’re up .”
I chuckled and lifted her around my waist, turning us toward the house. She looped her arms around my neck to steady herself while I removed one hand to key the code to let us inside. As soon as we crossed over the threshold, I kicked the door closed and her back landed hard against the wall next to it.
Our kiss was wild and greedy until I pulled away, pressing my forehead to hers. “Sounds like you want me out of these jeans.”
“I do…” she rushed out in a breathy tone.
“I might be able to make that happen.”
“Might?”
I smiled slowly. “I have one request.”
She frowned and I quickly made clear, “You take yours off too and promise you won’t put them back on until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Stay with me tonight.”
She smiled, sinfully slow. “I think I can handle that.”
“Good, because I wasn’t giving you an option.” My mouth was on hers again while I clumsily but successfully managed to get us both upstairs to my room.
I gently dropped Caeli on my bed and she sank back, allowing her legs to hang over the edge while I removed my shoes, then pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side.
“I didn’t win tonight. My painting wasn’t selected to be Mira Jade’s next cover.”
“But it is on the wall in the bookstore.” They asked to keep all the participants’ creations for a month to have on display. Caeli refused at first because hers was not great but we all convinced her. “Are you disappointed?”
She gently shook her head, sporting a soft grin before her teeth raked across her bottom lip. “Are you going to be my consolation prize?” She lifted her head and offered a lazy perusal of my body.
“That depends, do you consider me a prize?”
I slowly tugged at my belt and unbuckled my jeans which I removed and tossed aside before approaching the bed. I lifted her feet one by one and removed her shoes and socks. She watched me with a lustful gaze, sitting up eventually to lift her shirt over her head.
Once she dropped it on the floor, her fingers moved over my dick through my briefs a few times before she focused her attention on the thick metal barbell that pierced through the head from the top and extended out the underside exposing a round metal ball. I groaned while the muscles in my stomach flexed.
“This is definitely prize worthy. Are you offering it to me?”
“Depends on what you’re willing to do with your prize.”
She inched forward and slipped her fingers into the waistband of my briefs and then tugged until they were midway down my thighs. My dick fell forward, hanging heavy and thick toward her face, inviting Caeli to explore.
She didn’t hesitate or disappoint and I couldn’t look away while she explored my length. Her fingers wrapped around me midway and her thumb stroked over the tip then toyed with the metal that extended through it.
I was already so hard she could barely get her hand completely around my girth but the feeling of her delicate fingers navigating over the expanse of my length had me grumbling under my breath. I thrusted my hips forward, requesting more, and she inched closer, lowering her head to make contact. Her tongue glided over the metal and swirled around the head of my dick.
“Fuck.” I expelled a harsh breath and dropped my chin while I watched her tongue making contact. She eased her mouth over me, taking me deeper until the head of my dick rested against the back of her throat. The visual of her lips spread wide and half of me hidden between them had me throbbing against her tongue.
“I know the goal was for you to receive a prize but I think I’m the one winning right now,” I murmured lowly in a deep rasp.
She smiled around me and pulled back tortuously slow. The motion granted me the intensified feel of her tongue along the underside of my dick where she made sure to pay close attention to both piercings.
“Then I guess we’re both winning.” The vibration of her voice while she sucked the tip of my dick between her lips had me expending all my fucking restraint to keep from thrusting deeper. Her tongue felt so damn good.
Caeli’s hands moved to the sides of my thighs, jerking me forward at the same time her head dipped, taking me deep again. I watched her head bob while she sucked me hard and fast. Each time my dick met the back of her throat, I braced so she didn’t gag but she pulled me closer, forcing me to fuck her mouth.
I was stuck. Couldn’t look away, couldn’t process anything but the feel of her lips and tongue. Her throat was relaxed and my dick moved deeper and deeper until my hips were thrusting hard, meeting her midway. The overloaded sensation from the feel of her lips, throat, and tongue toying with my piercings pushed me over the edge.
I came hard, with her name a growl in the back of my throat while I unloaded. The visual of her hooded eyes fastened to mine made this moment that much sweeter. When I pulled back, the sight of her swollen lips and the smile on her face had my dick growing hard once again.
“Take your clothes off,” I demanded. While she complied, I stroked my length, enjoying the visual of her removing her bra first, then her jeans and panties. My eyes lowered to the small barbells that pierced her pert nipples, exposing a contrast of metal against the rich chocolate hue of her skin.
I walked forward and gently nudged her back, flicking my tongue over each one, toying with her piercings the same way she had done to mine. She arched away from the bed, expelling a heady breath as she pressed toward me.
My mouth moved over her soft skin, sucking and biting while I pushed between her thighs, groaning deep in my throat when my dick slipped against her pussy and nudged her clit. I shifted enough for the head to go in and the feeling was so fucking satisfying.
When she lifted her legs and wrapped them around my waist, I pressed my forehead to hers and smiled. “You in a hurry?”
“Yes.”
Caeli’s pussy tightened, sucking me in past the two piercings in my frenum. She groaned when I shifted back and hitched myself forward, changing the angle before I slowly advanced, submerging myself deeper. Carefully pulling back once more before I slammed into her with one hard thrust.
“Oh fuck…” She pressed her thighs tightly around my waist and lifted her hips away from the bed, which forced me to slide in deeper. The balls of my piercing dragged against her insides, heightening my experience and hers.
My chin dropped and my gaze lowered to the visual of my dick sliding in and out of her before it flicked up to meet hers. The raw exposed pleasure passing through her expression had me thrusting harder and deeper. The clench of her pussy tightened around me, unraveling my composure inch by inch.
Fuck.
This woman had me experiencing a million fucking sensations and emotions all at once. I wasn’t sure how much more I could handle. Her body’s acceptance and resistance was a deadly combination. I fucked Caeli with a steady rhythm while the metal that pierced my dick dragged over her G-spot until she was vibrating and writhing in pleasure. Her pussy tensed and rippled around me, amplifying my own experience.
“Shit…” she panted when her body gave way, shaking and trembling through her first orgasm.
“So fucking good,” I mumbled, pushing in deeper, stretching her more. Her muscles pulsed around me to a painful degree while I delivered deep hard thrusts. With her slick walls stretched around my dick and the metal of my piercing dragging roughly inside her, she came for a second time.
I continued fucking her deep until I growled and shuddered through my own release. My breaths were ragged and labored against her neck until I found some composure. My mouth made its way to hers for a kiss. It was rushed and uncoordinated at first but transitioned into a slow sensual rhythm.
When I felt her smile against my lips and her pelvis grinded against me, my dick began to swell and harden inside her again.
“That was a good start. How about we see if we can top that,” she released, sounding winded.
Fuck, if I hadn’t already claimed her as mine this would have been the very moment I sealed the deal.
“ H ow are you still single?’
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“Yes, actually it is. You’re smart, sweet when you’re not being an asshole, and sex with you is very much better than the fantasy. Sexy assholes with top tier abilities in the bedroom aren’t typically single.”
“Aren’t they though? Men like what you’re describing have options which means they don’t tend to stay with one woman.”
Caeli tensed and I chuckled lightly. “That’s not me, I’m only stating what tends to be the norm with the type of man you described to counter your why are you single comment.”
“Then if that’s not you, explain why you’re single.”
“Honestly, because I haven’t cared enough not to be.”
She lifted her head and peered at me. “When was your last relationship?”
“A little over a year ago and it wasn’t a relationship in a traditional sense. We hung out and consistently had sex but neither of us put much focus on building anything beyond that.”
“Why not?”
I stroked my fingers up her back. “I guess because neither of us was in a space where we had the time to invest in building anything beyond what we had. I was spending all my time building Smoked & Spiced and she was finishing a master’s degree. What we had worked.”
“You didn’t want more?”
“Some days yes, others no, which was how I knew we weren’t supposed to be more than we were.” I lowered my eyes and they met hers. “When things are what they’re supposed to be, you make the time, you want the time, and you know that you’re where you’re supposed to be. That wasn’t the case with her.”
“I guess that makes sense. I’ve never dated anyone I just knew I wanted to make the time for. My last relationship was a little over two years ago and even with us, I felt content but never like he was my future.”
“And now?” I wanted more with Caeli but she had to be on the same page.
“Now, I can’t figure out what I’m missing?”
My room was dark but I could feel Caeli’s eyes on me while her fingers glided softly over my beard. Her head was resting on my shoulder while our limbs were comfortably tangled together.
“Missing?”
“Yes, with you? Your admirable qualities list far exceeds the average man, and most of that is rooted in the blissful high I’m still on from all the orgasms you just provided, so don’t let the compliment go to your head.”
I laughed lightly, smiling into the darkness. “I would never allow any of your compliments to go to my head because they’re always countered with something that has me questioning if this relationship is one-sided.”
I felt her smile against my shoulder. “This isn’t one-sided.”
“I know.” My fingers danced down her spine and she shivered before snuggling closer. “But, back to your original point, you’re not missing anything. I’m just me.”
“That’s not good enough. You check all the boxes and then some, I have to be missing something.”
“Is it really that hard for you to believe that good men exist?”
“Yes.”
“Damn then I need a list of all your exes.”
“Why?”
“We need to have a very private conversation about why the hell they got your head so fucked up that you’re holding your breath waiting for something to go wrong or be wrong with me.”
She was quiet for too long so I gently nudged her chin. “I’m joking, you can relax.”
“I’m not worried about you pulling up on my exes.”
“You should be, because I wasn’t actually joking. Especially not if they have you in your head like this.”
She exhaled a sigh and attempted to move closer. Her fingers raked through my beard again. “I believe that good men exist, clearly…” Her lips met my shoulder. “I don’t, however, believe that one exists for me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a complication according to my parents.”
The tension in her voice let me know there was something more to that statement. “You want to talk about it?”
“No…” she said quietly. “But you told me about your mother so I guess I owe you the same openness.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Caeli, but I want everything about you that you’re willing to offer, even the things you feel aren’t pleasant.”
She scoffed. “My parents certainly aren’t pleasant.” Silence surrounded us again before she finally admitted. “We were featured in Taste Divine.”
“Word? That’s good shit.”
“Very good shit.” The smile in her voice was contagious and had me smiling with her. “I sent the article to our parents yesterday and neither of them bothered to reach out to say congratulations but I’m not surprised. I didn’t expect that they would care. I hoped they would but didn’t expect them to.”
I frowned, looking down at her. “Why wouldn’t they care?”
“Because they hate that Ami and I don’t fit their ideals of what our lives should be.”
“Which is?”
“Our father is an emergency medicine physician and our mother is a human resources manager. Ami and I were supposed to be well-educated young ladies that fit the mold of their circle of friends. Neither of us wanted to be a fake socialite, so as soon as we graduated high school, we left home. Ami decided not to go to college. We both worked and I struggled through community college because our parents refused to pay for anything other than the schools and degrees they approved of. Our aunt let us stay with her because she didn’t agree with the way they attempted to control our lives. It’s how we ended up here in Caramel Cove.”
“That’s why you’re not close?”
“Yep, that’s exactly why but the crazy thing is, Ami and I started a business, a very successful one. We were featured in a very prestigious magazine as a success and not even that’s good enough. Neither of them made the effort to call to say they were proud of us or how great it is that we’re standing on our own. It’s either their way or no way. The last conversation I had with my mother she adamantly expressed how Ami and I were the biggest disappointments of her life. It hurt, a lot, but it shouldn’t have. When we were kids, we worked so hard to be perfect and there were times when I thought I was, or at least close enough to make my parents proud. But something always happened to prove that perfection didn’t exist. An A minus instead of just an A, a missed step at a cotillion ball, not being invited to a party thrown by a peer in the right social circle. My entire life I felt like I was constantly holding my breath, waiting for that one thing to happen which would disappoint them and it always came…”
“Damn, baby. I’m sorry they did that to you. It makes so much sense now.”
“What?” Her voice was tight with emotions.
“Why you compete with everything, why you’re holding your breath now waiting for something with us to fall apart. They really got you messed up like that.”
“Yeah, they do.”
She attempted to pull away but I caught her wrist and gently guided it above her head, lifting myself enough to plank my body over hers. I settled between her legs and kissed her forehead. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You should have. I am messed up. I’m a competitive perfectionist who’s flawed and imperfect, which means I’ll never measure up to the people I try so hard to be perfect for.”
“Nah, that’s not you, Caeli. You’re perfect. Every inch of you, and not by their standards, because with all due respect, fuck your parents, baby. You’re perfect by my standards and mine are the only ones that matter.”
My eyes locked on hers and she blinked a few times then turned her head. I released her wrist and gripped her chin, turning her back to me. “I mean it, Caeli. You’re perfect, flaws and all. I don’t give a damn what they think and you shouldn’t either. You have so much to be proud of and if they refuse to acknowledge how great you are, I will.”
It took a minute but she smiled, lifted her head, and kissed me. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for being the man you deserve to have in your life.”
“Is that what you are?”
“Shit, I better be because I’m the only man you’re going to have from now on.”
“That sounds very… permanent .”
“Permanent like a muthafucker. Now get some sleep.” I moved to her side and brought Caeli with me, securing her body against mine. She and I had a natural connection, mentally and physically, which had me once again making future plans with this woman. Plans that would ensure our nights and mornings were always like this.