16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Thea
M ind-blowing. It’s the only word I can think of to describe what happened between Cary and me at Carina Cove. And I have been thinking about it a lot since it happened—basically nonstop. I feel like a teenager high on hormones for the first time. I should be thinking about all the reasons this is a terrible idea. There are so many other things to consider, I just can’t pull myself out of the best-orgasms-of-my-life haze to care.
I’ve gone as far as making up a fake reason for him to be at RED today. Josh could have handled the breakfast and lunch shifts on a Monday by himself. Even if it is our first day open since Hazel and Owen passed, he could have handled it alone. He’s done it before.
Travis’ absence wasn’t so much a problem as it was an excuse. In forty-eight hours, I’d managed to fall so deep into the Carrington Grant hole that I am already shifting my life around looking for ways to see him again.
This. Is. Bad.
Running—almost literally—into him yesterday was a shock. I’d never expected him, or anyone else for that matter, to be on that trail. It’s not somewhere locals or tourists usually venture out to during the fall and winter months. During the summer, sure. Maybe even spring. But usually, I’m able to be out there by myself and get carried away with my thoughts. Running has always been the best thing to clear my head and after everything that happened after the charity event and then my conversation with my mom, I’d needed some clearing.
Now, I’m even more confused. Not that anyone could tell by the way I’m practically drooling while watching him cook right now.
How could I not though?
Even if he wasn’t hot as hell, he also went out of his way during the lunch rush to have food sent to me in my office. Making sure I’m fed with some of the best food I’ve ever tasted only makes him more attractive.
I need to stop before someone sees me ogling him. The rest of the town still thinks Ripley and I are madly in love. Our fake dating stunt was never an issue before, but now it feels dirty. I’m scared someone is going to see the way I’m looking at Cary and think I’m stepping out on Rip. This town is entirely too small for me to get labeled as a hussy, even if it is a misunderstanding.
Fortunately—or maybe unfortunately, it’s hard to say—the booth I’m sitting in rolling silverware gives me the perfect view of the kitchen. I know it makes me look suspicious. Monday is my inventory day, so I should be in the back counting and placing my order for anything we’re low on. Two of my servers have already asked me why I’m out here and not doing just that. And as if my sins aren’t grandiose enough, I lied. I told them I did it throughout the week since we were closed. I one-hundred percent did not do that. It’ll bite me in the ass come Friday if I don’t find time to do it at some point.
Cary’s making me irresponsible.
The look on his face as he concentrates on plating the dish he’s about to serve shouldn’t be a turn on. He’s so serious with his furrowed brow and his sharp eyes; his concentration is solely focused on the dish in front of him. The way he delicately sprinkles the garnish from up above, his fingers rubbing against each other as it falls—the muscles in those damn forearms rippling with the movement—shouldn’t make me wish his fingers were on me. His hair is pulled back in his usual top knot, and God, I’m desperate to see it loose and around his face again so I can run my hands through it. Nothing about watching him work should make me wish I was on my knees in front of him returning the favor from yesterday. And yet…
I’m startled by a voice, pulling me from my inappropriate thoughts. “Thea.” The voice belongs to Travis who wasn’t supposed to be here for another two hours, or so I thought.
“Travis.” I turn my phone over to see the time. “I thought you couldn’t come in until three?”
He’s already pulling his apron from his bag, wrapping it around his waist, and tying it in place as he speaks, “The sitter was able to come early. I felt terrible leaving you hanging again, so I rushed here.”
I set down the silverware I’m in the middle of wrapping as I shake my head. “You didn’t have to do that. I had Cary come in to help Josh in case we got busy since we were closed all last week.” I pause as an idea starts to form in my mind. “However, this is great. I have some paperwork and business things he and I need to go over today, so this works perfectly.”
Travis nods then walks toward the kitchen; he isn’t a man of many words unless the topic is his daughter, Melody.
“Travis, wait!” I say to stop him. “How’s Melody doing?”
The smile that lights his face at the mention of his daughter warms my heart every single time. I swear she’s the light of his life, no one could convince me otherwise. “She’s much better. The doctors kept her Saturday night, as you know, and gave her some IV fluids. By yesterday morning, she was a lot better, so they discharged her. Then she woke up this morning back to normal, acting like nothing happened.” He laughs as he says this.
“Kids are resilient that way. I’m really glad she’s feeling better though. I was worried about you two,” I reply with a small smile. I start to clean the mess I’ve made and gather the silverware I’ve wrapped into the bin we keep it in for the servers. As I slide out of the booth, Travis walks the couple of steps over to me and places a hand on my shoulder.
“Thank you, Thea. I appreciate how much you care. It really means a lot.” Then he stalks off toward the kitchen.
I take a deep breath to get my emotions under control. The employees here are like family. That’s the atmosphere we wanted to cultivate when we reopened as RED. We never wanted anyone to feel like we didn’t care or that they were just here for a paycheck. Every time I’m reminded that we accomplished creating that kind of culture, it makes me so fucking proud.
I stand up from the booth and hand the bin to our server, Tiffany, as she walks by. The idea I have is… more than a little inappropriate and never something I thought I’d do at my place of work, but here we are. If I think much more about it, I’ll change my mind, so I hurry and make my way back to the kitchen to find Cary. I push through the swinging door, letting my eyes wander until they land on the man who’s been invading every one of my thoughts since yesterday. The second I see him in full chef mode, my resolve sets in.
I walk toward him just as he’s garnishing another plate, doing the thing with his fingers again, instantly making me wet. Those fucking forearms are going to be the death of me.
Thankfully, Travis is already talking to Josh, so I don't need to explain to Cary that he’s no longer needed in the kitchen. I place my hand on his arm once I’m close enough, then stand up on my toes until my mouth is close to his ear. I whisper low enough so only he can hear me, “Meet me in my office in three minutes.”
I look back over my shoulder as I walk away, and he’s already removing his apron with a smirk on his face.
Knock, knock, knock.
I jump up out of my chair and open the door as quickly as I can. I poke my head out and look around, making sure no one else is paying attention. Then I reach out my hand, grasp the shirt at his chest in my fist, and pull him into the office, quickly closing the door behind him.
“Thea, what the—” Cary starts, but I don’t let him speak. If we talk, I might change my mind, and I really, really don’t want to change my mind. I slam my lips against his. This isn’t a sweet or seductive kiss. It’s messy and hungry. It takes no time at all for him to catch on, and his hands are instantly wrapping around me and pulling me closer.
After a few seconds, and knowing I may lose my nerve if I don’t escalate this quickly, I pull away from him. “As much as I’d love to keep kissing you, I have a favor to return.” My voice is filled with lust, and the moment the words leave my lips, his eyes darken a shade. They remind me of a stormy night over the ocean, bolts of lightning striking down from the sky.
“Fuck, baby,” he breathes out as I unbutton his dress pants. I hold his gaze, my bottom lip caught between my teeth, as I slowly pull the zipper down, reaching in to feel him already erect through his boxer briefs. The moan that escapes his lips as I wrap my hand around his base sends a chill down my spine. I give it a small squeeze, feeling it harden more in my grasp then pull away.
Bringing both my hands to his chest, I push him roughly against the door. The movement elicits a playful laugh from Cary. “Where is this coming from, Lemon?”
My lips pull into a smirk as my hands slowly drag down his body, feeling the outline of his abs through his shirt. When I land on his hips, I shimmy his pants down, my body moving toward the ground with them. With my knees planted on the floor, I look up at him through my lashes and put my hands back on his waistband. He brings his hand to my mouth, running a thumb along my bottom lip while his fingers curl under my chin. He applies just a hint of pressure, pushing my head back so my chin is tilted up toward him.
“Open up, baby.” His voice has a husky edge to it now. I do as he says, opening my mouth for him, and he pushes his thumb in, pressing down on my tongue. “Now suck.” The command would bring me to my knees if I wasn’t already on them.
I hollow my cheeks around his thumb, my eyes closing shut with the sensation. He groans as I suck and run my tongue over it. His other hand finds its way into my hair, wrapping my ponytail around his fist and pulling at my scalp. The burn brings a moan out of me.
He jerks his thumb out and pulls my head back to look up at him. “Pull out my cock, Lem.”
I waste no time pushing his boxer briefs down his thighs and freeing his cock. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in eight years. People can say what they will about dicks, Cary’s is goddamn beautiful. He’s not massive in terms of length, a solid seven inches. But those seven inches are gloriously girthy and veiny with a glistening pink tip. Seeing him again brings back all the pleasurable memories of our past together.
I stroke my hand over it from root to tip, giving another small squeeze when I get to the head. As I run my finger over his slit, I lick my lips thinking about what I’m going to do. I lean in toward him, his fist still wrapped around my ponytail, and run my tongue up the underside of his cock. There’s a thump that fills the room as he leans his head back, eyes closed, hitting the door.
“Goddamn, I missed your pretty fucking mouth.” His voice is so raspy now it almost doesn’t sound like him. I bring my lips to the head of his cock, wrapping them around him and running my tongue over the tip to taste his pre-cum. His moan is verging on too loud, so I squeeze his outer thigh before popping off of him.
“If you can’t be quiet, I’ll have to stop,” I warn. He shakes his head in response as I wrap my lips back around him. I hollow out my cheeks as I suck, getting a rhythm going. His moans have quieted some, but the closer I get to deep throating him, the more frequent they become. Drool slips from the sides of my mouth and lands on my legs. Cary always loved it messy.
He pulls on my ponytail again, eliciting a burn in my scalp that makes me groan just as he’s hitting the back of my throat. “Fuck, fuck, fuck , baby. Keep going just like that.” His words are making me soaking wet. I can’t stand the ache in my core any longer, so I pull my hand from his thigh and reach under my skirt that’s already hiked up my legs from sitting this way. I push my lace underwear to the side and start circling my clit to try to relieve the building pressure. This was supposed to be about him, but I’m burning up from how turned on I am.
Watching me, he says, “Fuck, yes, baby, get yourself off with me.” The sight turns him on even more because he takes over and starts thrusting into my mouth harder. He knows how much his dirty talk and possessiveness turns me on. I squeeze harder at his base with my hand as he pushes in and out of my mouth at the same time that I apply a bit more pressure to myself.
I gag as he hits the back of my throat and holds himself there for a few seconds. The sounds filling the room are obscene, but that just makes me more desperate for release. Cary’s getting rougher as the seconds go by, signaling he’s close. All I can think about is how turned on I’ll be tomorrow knowing my throat is sore from taking his cock so deep. The thought sends me over the edge, my orgasm hitting me hard. I moan around his dick again, and that must be the last straw for him.
“I’m about to come, Lem. Shake your head yes or no if you want it.” Of course I shake my head yes. I’ve never once pulled my mouth away when he came before. I pull my hand from under my skirt and place it back on his thigh so I’m ready for it. “That’s my good fucking girl.”
Fuck. He knows how much I love praise. I swear to God, you’d think nothing had changed between us. Spurts of hot cum hit the back of my throat. I swallow him down greedily, not wanting one drop to escape my mouth. He pulls out, giving me a moment to catch my breath. His breathing is so heavy I don’t think he’s come down just yet. I take the moment to run my tongue over his shaft, cleaning the remnants of his release.
Once I’m done, he’s pulling me up to my feet and crashing his lips onto mine. While he’s still kissing me, he takes my hand and pushes it under the hem of my skirt. His lips pull away from mine just far enough to speak. “I want to taste you again, Lemon. I want you to go back to work with both of us on your tongue.”
The mouth on this fucking man.
I push my lips back onto his as I do as he says, gathering my release on my fingers and bringing it back up to him. He grabs my hand in his and places my finger in his mouth then licks it clean. Once he’s deemed it spotless, he places my hand on his shoulder and goes in for another deep kiss.
The kiss continues, tasting ourselves, our tongues dancing their familiar dance. I don’t know how long it’s been, and I honestly don’t care. I’d stay in this small office the rest of the day if it meant I was with him like this.
The knock on the door makes me jump, and I clasp my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming which only makes Cary silently laugh, his broad shoulders bouncing. I bat his arm as I say, “Who is it?”
The voice from the other side is my server, Tiffany. “Sorry to bother you, Thea. A man named James Elsher is here to see you and uh… Cary too, if he’s still in there—I mean here! He said he needs you guys to sign something.” The deed. We knew this was the week it was supposed to go through, but we assumed we’d need to go back to Southbury to handle it.
“Yes. Yes, of course. Let me umm… find out where Cary is, and I’ll be right out. Thank you, Tiff.” I’m already straightening my skirt while Cary pulls his boxer briefs and pants back up.
“I’ll let Mr. Elsher know,” she says back before we hear her walking back down the hall. Once she’s far enough away, I feel like I can breathe again. The possibility of getting caught shouldn’t thrill me the way it does. I’ll dissect that another day.
“That was…” Cary starts.
“Irresponsible?” I attempt to finish for him.
“Hot as fuck,” he corrects me.
I roll my eyes as I laugh at him. Thankfully, I keep a small mirror in my desk drawer. I'm sure my hair needs readjusting since he had it wrapped around his fist for the last fifteen minutes. After a quick glance, I realize I need more help than this tiny mirror can offer.
“I’m going to run to the restroom and… clean myself up,” I say. He chuckles at that, and I shoot him a glare.
“I’m perfectly capable of cleaning you up if you need assistance.” His charming smirk reappears. Jesus . I’m not sure how I’ll survive this man.
“Nope. No. We have someone waiting on us.” The look he gives me is downright adorable like he’s actually upset that I said no. “Don’t look at me like that.”
He gestures to the door, waiting for me to exit. I reach up and give him one more kiss before slowly opening the door to make sure no one is in the hallway. I slip out and head for the bathroom to clean up the mess he caused.
I catch my reflection in the mirror as I’m washing my hands, noting how rosy my cheeks are. Shit. I look freshly fucked. How am I going to seem casual in front of everyone? I dry my hands off and exit the bathroom. As I get closer to the dining room, I hear Cary and Mr. Elsher speaking to each other, though I can’t quite make out the words.
As I round the corner, Cary says, “Ah, there she is! Thea, Mr. Elsher is here with the paperwork for us to sign and to congratulate us on our new partnership.”
Reality hits me in the face as I remember that Cary now owns fifty-one percent of RED, and he’ll be going back to Seattle soon. I plaster a smile on my face so he doesn’t see the dread welling in my stomach.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Elsher. Can we show you around? If you’re a bourbon man, I’d love to introduce you to our house bourbon called RED. It’s distilled right here on-site.”
He nods his head enthusiastically. “I would love that, darlin’.”