30. Fun Time Over?
Fun Time Over?
Cara
Oh. My. God …
My heart races, my chest rising and falling, my skin burning hot as Doug presses his lips to my thigh, then my hip, as he makes his way back up my body.
I’m floating. I mean literally. I’m certain of it. My soul must have just left my body and is somewhere up in the rafters, still trying to make its way down. At the very least, I must be levitating a few inches above the mattress because I can’t feel it under me. I can’t feel anything except total ecstasy and desire for the man now smiling down at me like the cat who got the cream.
I giggle, unable to stop myself. ‘You don’t need to look so smug.’
He laughs. ‘I do, actually. You comin’ like that is a thing of beauty, and I’m the only man to witness it. Smug is exactly how I should look.’
I grin and run my fingers over the curve of his biceps, laughter subsiding, making way for yet more desire for this man.
‘So, what now?’ I ask quietly, and he lowers, pressing his body into mine as he grips under my thigh with his hand and pulls it up, his erection pushing into me just a little, making me gasp.
‘I told you. I said I was going to go down on you, make you come, then make love to you.’
I gasp as he pushes in a little more, my lips parting, my breath quickening once more.
‘Do you want me to stop?’ he asks softly, stilling above me, never breaking eye contact, and I shake my head, no.
‘Make love to me.’
Doug’s eyes close for just a second before he opens them and lowers to kiss me, driving into me fully, swallowing my gasps as he takes me to places I don’t think I’m coming back from, and I hope I never do.
My eyes aren’t open when I find myself smiling at the weight of the arm draped across my waist. They flutter open with the need to look, to see him in my bed. The sun isn’t quite up yet, but the dawn breaking reminds me I need to sort out some blinds or curtains.
Doug stirs behind me, and his arm tightens, pulling me tight against his body as he presses his lips to my shoulder. I couldn’t keep this grin off my face if I tried.
He groans sleepily as I push my bare arse back a little.
‘Mmm, I could get used to this.’ I stroke my fingers along his forearm. You’re not the only one, Douglas Campbell. ‘Ugh,’ he growls and moves away, and I turn to look at him, confused. ‘I need to pee,’ he snaps like it’s the biggest inconvenience ever, and I laugh, then watch his naked and very lovely arse as he heads into the en-suite bathroom.
Honestly, I need to go too, but I’m suddenly very aware of my nakedness. I look around the floor, and it’s either my dress or his t-shirt, so I get out of bed and grab the shirt, pulling it on and inhaling his scent as the bathroom door opens. I meet his hungry gaze as his lips part, and he takes me in.
‘You’re wearing my shirt.’ He steps toward me, and I straighten.
‘I felt very, very naked.’ I grimace, and he smiles.
‘You were very, very naked, and I like you that way, but you in my shirt,’ he pulls me hard against his body, his hands roaming the skin underneath, ‘Jesus Christ. You’re sexy.’
‘Stop it,’ I push him away, smiling as I hope I managed to sound playful. ‘I need to go too.’ I nod toward the bathroom, then step away and close the door, leaning back against it for just a moment, unable to quite believe this is real.
I go to the loo, brush my teeth and put on some deodorant. We showered together again last night, and that time he took full advantage of the close proximity, pressing me against the tiles and sliding into me again. My body accepted him willingly then. Now though, I can definitely feel the after-effects. I’m sore, not an unfamiliar sensation after sex given that I was doing it all wrong before or letting it be done all wrong, I suppose. But this is different. Not that I’d realized it at the time, but before Doug, after sex soreness meant my body hadn’t been prepared, it meant I’d been subjected to an unsatisfying, more often than not, painful experience. With Doug, the soreness is a reminder of the way he worships my body, the way he touches me and pulls sounds from me that I never imagined I would make.
Heat rises up my neck, pinking my cheeks as I turn and open the door finding him sitting up in my bed, scrolling his phone. He raises his gaze to find me, and a lopsided smile creeps across his lips.
‘You took your time,’ he drawls as I walk slowly toward the bed.
‘I was assessing.’
He holds out his hand for mine, and I take it, letting him pull me gently toward him. I kneel on the bed beside him, and he eyes me curiously.
‘Assessing what?’
I can’t help but grin. ‘The way my body feels.’
A flash of concern narrows his gaze as he sits up, bringing his face close to mine.
‘Are you okay? Did I hurt you?’
I shake my head, no. ‘I am sore, but it’s not a bad sore. I like it.’
‘Cara, I didn’t mean to…’
‘You didn’t hurt me, Doug. You made me feel better than I’ve ever felt.’
Without warning, he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me across his body until, somehow, I’m lying on my back gazing up at him.
‘That was smooth.’ I giggle, and he laughs.
‘I have my moments.’ He leans in to kiss me briefly before pulling back. ‘Do you have plans today?’ I shake my head, no, and he smiles. ‘Come for a drive with me. I need to take you somewhere.’
‘What about Bowie? And if Jess…’ He shakes his head, cutting me off.
‘Bowie is with her mom. We’re going out of town, away from them all, and, technically, it’s work.’ My confusion must be clear because he chuckles as he lowers to kiss me again. ‘We have some decisions to make, things to get for the house. We need to go furniture shopping, pick out your guest bathroom, and get you some drapes for these windows. We can go shopping, call it work, then get some lunch, and I can hold your hand the entire time.’
Well, that sounds nice.
I smile, nodding my agreement as he lowers again, and this time, soreness be damned, I wrap my arms around his neck and let him know he’s exactly where I want him to be.
I’m happy.
That’s the only thought in my mind as I sit next to Doug in his truck, and he drives us toward wherever he’s taking me. The sun is high in the beautiful blue sky, music we both love is playing from the car stereo, and my hand is in his, his fingers linked with mine and resting on my thigh, calm, casual, bloody lovely.
He seems so different today, more relaxed. His shoulders have loosened and dropped a little, and there’s a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and a lift at the corners of his mouth. Is that because of me? Is he happy too?
As if he can hear my cogs turning, he glances my way, his soft smile now a beaming grin, and my heart skips in my chest. God, he is beautiful.
‘What are you looking at?’ he asks, still grinning.
‘I was just wondering about you.’
‘Me?’ He concentrates back on the road.
‘Yeah, just wondering why you’re smiling so much today.’
‘Ah,’ He checks his mirrors, then turns the wheel and pulls into a car park I hadn’t seen coming, then into a space, and stops the truck before turning to me. ‘I’m smiling so much today because there’s this girl who has been driving me wild for weeks, and today, I get to hold her hand and kiss her without worrying about a damn thing. I’m smiling because I’m happy.’
My matching expression lets him know the feeling is mutual, and he nods to the door.
‘Come on. You have a toilet to pick out.’
I laugh and follow him out of the truck. Shopping for a bathroom suite may not sound like the most romantic thing in the world, but I’m giddy.
‘This one?’ he asks, smirking, and I glare at him.
‘It’s green.’
‘It’s… avocado. Avocados are fashionable.’
I laugh. ‘Not in my guest bathroom.’
‘ Boring. ’
It’s been like this the whole time. He’s been playful, silly, and fun. A side I haven’t seen. I’ve seen the grumpy arse I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about and the caring, sweet man who was desperate to apologize to me and who set up a beautiful first date in my home. I’ve seen the sex god who knows exactly how to make me see stars, but this, the funny, playful man trying to encourage me toward the bright pink bathroom suite, like a glamourous assistant on a nineties TV gameshow, he’s new, and he’s wonderful.
‘How’s your chicken?’ he asks, a playful soft smile on his lips. One that’s been there all day.
‘Delicious,’ I say as I steal a fry from his plate, and he glares at me.
‘I’m enjoying today.’ He grins, and I nod.
‘Me too. You’re fun.’
‘Why do you say that with surprise in your eyes?’ He laughs and takes a bite of his burger.
‘Because you were so grumpy when I met you.’
He suppresses a laugh as he swallows, then picks up his napkin to wipe his mouth.
‘Well, I hadn’t had sex for years. I was backed up.’ I laugh loudly now and pick at the remnants of my fried chicken. ‘Truth is, I have been pissed off for a really long time. Since my dad died, I guess. It got back on track for a while when I left town, and then Bo happened, and I’ve been dealing with Jessie’s bullshit for so long, back in a place I didn’t want to be, not doing the job I wanted to do. It ate at me, and I only had enough patience to hold it together when Bowie is around. Not that I have to try around her.’ I can’t help but swoon at the expression on his face, so full of love for his wee girl. ‘She’s the only good thing I’ve had for so long.’ He reaches over and pinches my last onion ring, then winks at me. ‘Now, I have you.’ Yes, you do.
I’m contemplating how to respond when Doug’s phone buzzes on the table, and I glance down in time to see Jessie’s name just as he scowls and snatches it up to read the message.
‘Fuck’s sake,’ he growls, and I pull on my jacket.
‘Fun time over?’ I ask softly, smiling slightly, and he meets my gaze.
‘I’m sorry.’
I shake my head. ‘Don’t be. You have to do what you have to do.’ And right now, he has to be a dad.