33. Cara Wants The Fingers
Cara Wants The Fingers
Cara
When I woke this morning, he was gone. I slept like the dead. No wonder, given the incredible orgasms I had last night. How is this my life?
I reached for my phone to check the time, and there was a text waiting for me.
GC: Sorry, baby. I had to get back for Bo, and I didn’t want to wake you. When you get this, I want you to let your fingers wander down your body, under the sheets, and make yourself come. You did so good last night. Now keep going. Keep figuring out what you want and need. You can tell me all about it later…
And being the good girl that apparently I am, I did just that.
I’m giddy when I get out of the shower and hear the work going on outside. I know he has a crew here today, so I can’t kiss him or talk to him in any way other than as my contractor, but I can’t wait to see him. I blast my hair dry and pull it up into a ponytail, put on a bit of mascara and lip balm, then my high-waisted black skinny jeans and a vintage Queen tour t-shirt I bought on eBay, cut the sleeves off, and cropped. I put on my chunky black boots since it’s looking like rain today and grab my leather biker-style jacket, just in case, before heading out.
Stepping out onto the porch, I scan the area. I can’t see him, dammit . I make my way down the path toward my car when I spot him laughing with one of the guys. He has on black jeans, too, today, and a faded black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up a little. I’ve seen and felt him totally naked, but, my god, he looks indecently sexy like this.
As if he can hear my thoughts, he turns and meets my gaze. The guy he’s talking to looks in my direction, too and both of them look me up and down before Doug sends the other guy on his way and walks toward me.
‘Fuck,’ he mutters quietly before glaring at me. His eyes reflect back at me, fire and lust and all the things that he makes me feel.
‘Morning.’ I smile, and he nods.
‘Mornin’.’ He glances around, and I notice him clenching and releasing a fist at his side as though forcing himself not to touch me. ‘You look so fucking sexy today.’
My breath catches at the compliment, and I have to look away from the intensity of his gaze.
‘Where you headed?’
‘I’m meeting Zoe for lunch.’ He nods just once. ‘You should get back to work.’ I try to sidestep him, and he ever so slightly stands in my way, just enough that my arm bumps his, and I freeze.
‘Did you do what I told you to do?’ he asks. His voice low and slow and so delicious.
I meet his hungry stare, then continue toward my car, unlocking it and opening the door as he turns to look at me, and I smile.
‘Twice.’
Doug throws his head back and groans as I close the door, start the car, and drive away.
‘Hey, there.’ Zoe waves and smiles as I walk into the diner to find her sitting at one of the window bay tables.
‘Hi.’ I smile as I bend down to hug her.
‘Damn, you look fine as hell today,’ she comments, making me laugh.
‘Well, thanks. You look pretty great yourself.’ She does too. Her hair is wavy, the top half-pinned back, and she’s wearing a dress. I’ve only ever seen her in jean shorts or flannel pajamas. ‘Hold on, why do you look so fancy?’
She chuckles. ‘I have a date.’
‘Ooh, do tell.’ She looks so excited.
‘He’s from out of town. I’m heading out to meet him this afternoon, so we’ll see.’ She grins, and I smile. ‘A girl’s got to get her kicks, right?’ I chew my bottom lip, unable to help replaying last night and this morning in my head, and I feel heat bloom on my cheeks. ‘What was that look? Ohh , wait, you did it, didn’t you?’ She beams and leans forward across the table toward me. ‘Yes, baby. You dirty girl.’ I can’t help but laugh.
‘What can I get you, ladies?’ Merv says, appearing at the end of our table.
‘Oh, I think Cara wants the fingers.’ My mouth falls open, and I stare at Zoe as she smiles up at her unofficial stepfather. ‘The chicken finger wrap. You said that was good, right?’ She turns her smile on me, and I want to bludgeon her with the sugar dispenser. ‘In fact, make that two. I love me some fingers.’
Merv shakes his head and walks away while I ball up a napkin and throw it at my giggling friend.
‘You’re an idiot.’
‘Maybe, but I am proud of you.’ She smiles sincerely now, and I relax. It feels so good to have a friend to laugh with. ‘So, are you doing okay? Last night was a trip.’
I nod. ‘I am. It was lovely to be honest. Your mum is so sweet, and hearing all about her friendship with mine was so nice.’
‘Crazy, though. I didn’t know we had ever even met Charlotte, so seeing those photographs was so weird. And my dad. He looked so young and spunky. I see how he hooked my mom so fast.’ She grins.
‘What did she mean when she said he rolled into town?’
Zoe leans back in her chair and grins. ‘Oh, Daddy was a biker. He grew up here but my grandma and grandpa left town when Daddy was fourteen to get him into a better school and give him a real shot at a good future, then at eighteen he like, joined this biker club or whatever. Then, when he was twenty-one, he literally rolled back into town one day with his guys. He saw Mama, and that was it. She was only seventeen, so it was a little risqué,’ she whispers the word, which amuses me since she usually swears at the top of her lungs, ‘but he just knew, you know.’
‘Wow, a biker?’
‘Well, a baby biker anyway. He thought he was badass, but he was just the sweetest man. It was the late seventies. He was rebelling.’
‘So, he just met your mum and stayed?’
‘Yeah, exactly that. He had already known her when they were kids, but then that day, he saw her, and it just hit him. He was leaning up against his bike outside the old barber shop, and she walked out of the grocery store with her arms loaded up with bags. She started to drop one of them, and he ran to catch it and help her out, and that was that.’ She looks a little sad, and I reach out to hold her hand on the table. ‘His parents had already left town and sold their house, so he got a job at the bar, and the owner let him move into the apartment above it. Before long, Mama was pregnant with me and Bree, and her daddy was pissed. He turned up, banging on Daddy’s door, saying, you’re going to have to marry her now like that was a punishment. Daddy just said, that was always my intention. Let’s get it done . So that was that. They got married, Mama moved into the apartment, and along came your new besties.’
‘That is so lovely.’
‘Yeah, they adored each other.’
‘How did you come to run the bar?’
‘The old owner didn’t have any kids. Daddy was loyal and a hard worker and came to be like a son to him. When he died, he left it all to Daddy, and Daddy left it to me, Bree, and Doug.’ Wow, so Doug part-owns the bar… ‘They have no interest in it, and I’m gradually buying them both out, but it takes time. They both wanted to just sign their shares over to me, but no, I’m not having that. Daddy left it to all three of us. They should have something to show for it.’
These three—they adore each other. It makes me a little sad I never had siblings.
‘Is your dad being a biker the reason Doug is not your typical country boy?’ I did not intend on that question to leave my mouth, and Zoe’s amused smile is exactly why.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, like,’ flustered, I try to answer without giving away what he has been spending his time doing to me. ‘He plays rock music up at the house when he’s working, and his beard and tattoos…’
‘You’ve been making a lot of notes on his appearance, I see.’ She smirks, and I feel the heat of embarrassment creep up my cheeks. ‘Don’t sweat it, honey. I know you’re hot for him, so you’re bound to look. And yes, Daddy and Doug were super close, so Doug grew up listening to rock music and working on bikes and trucks in the garage with Daddy, but don’t let him fool you. He is a good country boy through and through.’ She takes a sip of the Coke Leah placed in front of her. ‘Except when he’s dressed in leather and out riding his motorcycle, that is.’
I stare up at her, my straw held between my teeth.
‘Motorcycle?’
She smirks knowingly. ‘Yeah, he doesn’t get to ride it much anymore because he’s always got Bowie, but he loves his bike.’ I swallow hard—the mental image of Doug in a leather jacket and riding a motorbike is doing unexpected things to my lady parts. ‘Oh, goddam, I just made you hotter for him, didn’t I?’
‘What? I’m not, I…’
‘Okay, cards on the table.’ She leans forward again and glances around, then lowers her voice and speaks fast. ‘Bree and I know about you and Doug.’ I freeze, and she takes a breath before forcing out a crazy amount of words in a very short space of time. ‘We saw y’all kiss on the cameras and then saw him go into your cabin with you, and then you were sad the next day, so we made him tell us what happened, and I’m so sorry. I know he’s an idiot, but I swear he’s not a dick. He’s really not. He’s such a good guy. Please don’t hate him.’
Oh.
‘Um,’ I inhale deeply. ‘I don’t hate him, Zo.’
‘Really?’ I nod yes. ‘Okay, good because I don’t want you to hate him. I mean, I want you to like him, like really like him. He’s just so focused on Bo that it blinds him, but he’s a great guy, and I know I’m biased, but…’
‘Zoe, breathe. I don’t hate your brother.’
She takes a breath and looks relieved. ‘Good.’ Oh, I hate keeping this from her.
‘Here you go, ladies,’ Merv arrives at the table again, ‘Two chicken finger wraps.’
I can’t help but laugh, and Zoe joins me as Merv tuts, fighting his own smile, and walks away.
The rain is pouring as I head back up to the house, and I notice that the site is quiet. I park up and get out, and a dripping-wet Doug comes around the side of the house in time to meet me.
‘Hey,’ I call out as he joins me by my car and pops open an umbrella. He walks with me to the porch, and once we’re safely under cover, he puts down the umbrella and leans in to kiss me.
‘Good day?’ he asks as he pulls back, and I nod.
‘Your sister is crazy.’
I smile, and he laughs. ‘They both are, but they’re awesome.’ I concur—they are.
‘Did you have a good day? You’re soaked.’ I pull at his shirt.
‘It was rough today. I was on the roof.’ The idea jolts me, the thought of him up there any day sounds terrifying, and the idea of him up there in this weather is unbearable. ‘What? Are you worried for me?’ he asks, smirking slightly, and I shake my head.
‘No, I’m worried for my roof, big oaf like you.’
He laughs, and I can’t stop myself from stepping forward and wrapping myself around him.
‘Do you want to come in and get dry? I can chuck your clothes in the dryer.’
‘You’re just trying to get me naked.’ Well, that would be an added bonus. ‘I can’t. Jessie is coming back tonight. I don’t know if she’ll be back in time to get Bo or if she’ll be getting her tomorrow, but I need to be there in case.’
I take a breath and step back. ‘When are you meeting the lawyer?’
‘Wednesday,’ he answers without any hesitation, and I know he just wants to get this done.
‘Okay, well, you need to get back and get changed then before you catch a cold.’
‘One minute you want my body, the next you want me gone.’ He steps back and clutches his chest as though it hurts, and I laugh.
‘Get off my property,’ I call out, amusement lacing my words as he dramatically stumbles down the steps and backs toward his truck.
‘Call you later,’ he says, offering a sly wink as he climbs in, and I grip the porch railing, holding tight as happiness tries its best to burst out of me. This man is wonderful, and even if only in secret, in this little bubble we have up here, he’s mine.