Chapter 26
brOOKE
Cade and I saw each other twice more during the summer—once for game night with Bryan and Nic—and each time I felt like I had to drag myself away from him. Stolen nights and brief weekends were never enough.
We’d made it to late July. His summer training program was ending soon, and he’d be leaving Boston and returning to San Diego. I got reservations for us at a steakhouse on the pier for his birthday, inviting Whitney, Bryan, Nic, and Owen to join us.
When Cade’s familiar car pulled up in front of the duplex that Sunday, I barely let him get out of the door before I jumped into his arms. God, I’d missed him, and I took a deep inhale of his scent.
He was wearing dark jeans, nice sneakers, and a solid tee, and I swear he looked good enough to eat.
He still hadn’t let me touch him the way he’d touched me, and it was driving me mad with desire.
I wasn’t sure my hormones had ever reacted this way for a man—actually, I was sure they hadn’t.
Whit came to the doorway with Ivy in her arms.
“Okay, you lovebirds,” she called to us. “Let’s get this party started. I’m starving, and I can’t keep this one out too late.”
Echo and Maple greeted each other in a flurry of tail wags. I think they’d missed each other’s company, too.
Cade knew Owen would be meeting us at the restaurant, but I’d invited Bryan and Nic as a surprise.
I knew Cade had updated Bryan on our new status as a couple.
They had decided to ride in with Owen, so when we arrived at the restaurant, Owen, Bryan, and Nic were already there.
Beaming a self-congratulatory smile, I noted Cade’s shock at seeing Bryan and Nic waiting for us.
We all exchanged hugs, and my heart suddenly felt full at seeing everyone together.
Together we made the perfect little friend-family.
Cade had told me he didn’t want a gift, but after we ordered our food, I placed a small gift bag in front of him.
“Happy birthday,” I said with a soft smile. The group around us echoed the sentiment.
Cade reached into the bag and pulled out a simple silver photo frame. I’d printed a picture of us from the aquarium, a selfie where we were grinning like loons in front of the seals.
He kissed my temple. “It’s perfect,” he said in my ear.
Nic squealed from her seat, swatting Bryan’s arm. “I told you for years they’d be perfect for each other. I knew it!” she announced to the group.
“You did,” he agreed, smiling fondly at her.
Nic continued. “I was faking when I told that Brock guy that I liked his and Brooke’s names together. Blegh,” she stage whispered. I could barely hold back my grin.
A couple hours ticked by with food and laughter. Cade’s hand found my knee under the table, tracing leisurely circles that drove me wild.
He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “It’s torture being this close to you,” he confided. “All I want to do is touch you.”
My body felt warm all over. I wanted him touching me, too.
When dinner was over, Cade stood first, then reached out a hand to help me up from my chair.
A prickle of defensiveness hit me in the chest.
“I can do it, you know,” I said quietly, only for his ears.
His hand on my chair, he leaned down until his breath brushed my ear. “I know you can—you’re impossibly strong. But you’ve been sitting for a while. Let me help. It’s easy for me, and it helps your joints. Why wouldn’t I want that? Plus, it’s good for my White Knight syndrome.”
He winked and I shook my head as I held back a grin, but I took his offered hand and let him help me from my chair.
Is this what it was like to be taken care of? Without the guilt of feeling like a burden?
We gave goodbyes and hugs to Bryan, Nic, and Owen, and headed back to the duplex. When we crossed through the living room, Whit gave me a conspiratorial wink.
“Goodnight, you two. Happy birthday, Cade.” She and Ivy slipped into Whit’s room and shut the door.
We let the pups out, got them settled, then took turns brushing teeth.
It felt utterly domestic and completely right.
While I was brushing my teeth, he had changed into his sweats—those damn gray ones again.
As I watched him, standing at my sink with his perfect sweatpant-clad butt, I felt a pang of sadness that he’d be leaving the next day.
I could see this little routine becoming a daily thing for us—if we lived in the same place.
Still, I was determined not to let tomorrow’s worries dampen tonight’s mood.
When he left the bathroom, I changed into a simple knit tank nightgown with a low-V front. Returning to the bedroom, I motioned to his sweats.
“You love to torture me with these,” I remarked, sliding my finger across the top of the waistband.
“Glad you like,” he grinned. “I aim to please. Speaking of which—” He kissed me, hard, leaving me gasping for breath after we separated. His fingers traced the neckline of my nightgown.
“I missed you, B. Been wanting to do that all night.”
“I missed you, too. So much.” I explored his pecs, his abs, his back. “Can we lose this shirt?” I asked, smiling up at him sweetly.
“Can’t say no to that look,” he said, taking a step back and yanking his shirt over his head one-handed.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said coyly, admiring the view. I took a moment to fully ogle his body. “I can’t believe you’re real sometimes,” I told him, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Very real, and very much yours,” he assured me, placing gentle kisses on my lips, my cheeks, and down my neck. My body tingled at every spot he kissed and touched, and for once they were good tingles, my thoughts wholly on the pleasurable sensations coursing through my body.
I let my hands roam his back, dipping lower over his sweats.
I never knew I had a thing for butts, but his was spectacular.
Then I slid my hands in front, outlining the ridges of his erection forming beneath the fabric.
That was spectacular, too. There wasn’t a thing about his body that didn’t make me feel hot all over.
“B—” he said between kisses, his voice slightly breathless, “I’ve been dreaming about tasting you for weeks. Can I?” he asked.
My hands stilled.
“I’ve never, you know . . . finished that way.” I bit my lip uncomfortably. “I just don’t want to disappoint you.”
“Babe,” he said in a chiding tone, shaking his head. “You could never disappoint me.” He reached up and gently pulled my lip from between my teeth. “I’ll tell you what. You give me a few minutes to try some things out, and if it’s not working for you, you let me know. Sound good?”
Nerves fluttered in my stomach, but I nodded and settled back onto the bed, legs out in front of me and my upper half resting on my elbows.
He kissed the inside of my bare knees, and his eyes looked heavy with desire in the dim light of my bedside lamp.
He gently slid the hem of my nightgown up around my waist and placed a kiss to my hip bone.
“Stay with me, B . . .” he instructed. I slid my hands into his hair, allowing the wavy texture to tether me to reality.
Already his hot breath on my skin was teasing me and making me squirm.
His movements were torturously slow and purposeful, and I felt the expectation build inside me.
He placed his arm across my waist, gently anchoring me to the bed, then he kissed me once over my underwear.
He reached up and slid them off me completely, eyeing me hungrily.
“Just tell me if I need to stop,” he said, eyes on my exposed flesh. “Tug my hair when it feels good.” And then his mouth was on me. I nearly bucked off the bed, but his forearm across my hips held me in place. His eyes flicked up to mine and he grinned.
“So.” Kiss. “Responsive.” Kiss. “And so.” Kiss. “Delicious.”
His tongue dove in.
I frantically tugged his hair. My god, is this why women enjoyed this?
He was masterful with that tongue. I’d never felt this much pleasure.
It was almost—too much? And he genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself, which took away my self-conscious feelings.
I loved how his voice would turn into a gruff rumble between my thighs, and his sexy mumbled words only heightened my arousal.
I felt my climax high up in my belly. My legs twitched, changing the angle slightly to enjoy the friction against his face.
“You don’t have to come like this,” he explained, pulling back momentarily. “Just let me enjoy myself for a bit.” His words made me squirm all the more.
Ironically, removing the pressure to finish heightened my pleasure even more. My fingers dug into his scalp, and soon we found a rhythm, his tongue slipping between my clit and the warmth below.
Then his nose nuzzled into my clit, his hand reached up, and he tugged a breast free of my nightgown, tweaking my nipple.
“Oh my—oh my—”
I shattered without warning, crying out as his tongue lapped up my climax.
He laid his head on my stomach while I came down from my high. I rubbed circles on his temple, needing to maintain contact.
When I’d recovered, he came up to my level at the head of the bed, presumably to cuddle me to sleep.
I had other plans, though. This man had shown he could seduce me and take care of me, and I wanted to do the same for him.
I needed to make him feel the same desperation I’d been feeling. I needed to watch him fall apart.
I slid my hand along his stomach, tracing the light brown hair leading under the waistband of his sweats.
He stilled my hand. “You know you don’t have to—”
I met his eyes. “I want to.”
Sliding his sweats down slightly, I freed him from his boxer briefs. He was magnificent, like everything else about his lean, muscled body. My eyes connected with his as I took one long luxurious lick up his length. He shuddered, which made me feel drunk with power.