Chapter 9 #3
Nobody recognized us here, we could have been tourists for all they knew. We sank into a booth, and as the waitress came over and took our drink order, I sat back, knowing I was going to get the same burger I always did.
“Do you come here often?”
I shook my head. “No. I mean, probably as often as I go to any of the places in Cage Lake. I cook for myself, even though I’m not great at it.”
“I like to go to all of the places in Cage Lake. It’s home.” She sighed. “And frankly, I want to make sure that the residents knows that the resort is a huge part of the town, and I want them to be happy with us.”
“I get you. Not everybody was excited to have such a large and exclusive resort right at the edge of Cage Lake. It helped with sales tax, but it increased property taxes.”
“And it brought in people they didn’t know. I know the cabins on the west side and the lake, and the river, all had tons of tourists, but we brought in even more.”
My lips twitched. “You said we.”
“I know that you Cages own the place, but I think of it as mine.”
“I think of it as more yours than mine, Scarlett. We both know that.”
Before she could say anything, the waitress came, and we each ordered. She got the club sandwich with French fries and a side of ranch, and I got the burger, also with a side of ranch.
“I love that you got French fries and not a side salad.”
“I’m still in that greasy mood after the wine last night.”
“Is there a reason you were drinking so much?” I held up my hand. “Not judging. Just wondering.”
She stared into her water and pressed her lips together. “Just everything all at once. My dad, Ronin, trying to increase revenue at the resort, you, and my mom having a panic attack.”
There was so much in that statement, I didn’t know where to begin, so I did the one thing I wasn’t good at.
I just spoke.
“You’re doing fantastic at the resort. I’ve already told you that, and the family believes the same.
If you weren’t, you know Aston, Flynn, and James would say something about it.
Hell, Blakely’s job is to cut pieces that aren’t pulling their weight.
And to push money into places that help others.
It doesn’t matter that you guys are friendly, she’d can you if you weren’t doing the job. ”
“That makes me feel better.”
I shrug. “I’m not in the family business, but I get the family business, if that makes sense.”
“What would you do with the Cage Enterprises if you had a choice?”
I shuddered. “Me in a suit, having to work around people all day? No thank you.”
“I don’t know, you would look quite nice in a suit.”
“You like the way that I look?” I teased, my voice low.
“You already know that, or I wouldn’t be here.”
“So you just like me for my looks.” I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but it was fun. Different.
“Your personality is a little gruff, so it has to be.”
“Touché.”
“I like wearing a suit and working at the resort. It is customer service, but it’s also a strategic business. It gives me so many things to do.”
“And all the better for me because that means I don’t have to have any part of it. Unless it’s coming to annoy you.”
“So you do come into the resort to annoy me?”
I shrugged and changed the subject. “Is your mom okay?”
She sat in silence for a moment, and I wondered if I had said something wrong. The waitress bought our meals, and I waved her off when she asked if we needed anything else and then nudged Scarlett’s plate to her.
“Don’t answer if you don’t want to. Eat your fries before they go cold.”
She dipped a fry in ranch and took a bite, moaning.
“That is so good.”
“Right? But you’re going to need to stop moaning. Just saying.”
A pretty blush slid over her cheeks, and she finished the fry. “My mom is an agoraphobe. We’ve been careful about the word, but her therapist is using it now. So is she. We’re trying to figure out what we can do to help her, but it’s out of my control, and I hate when things are out of my control.”
“There’s nothing I can do to help with that, or anything to say to make it better.
But if you need me, you let me know. Okay?
Even if I’m being an asshole, I’m not going to let your mom feel like she’s alone.
” Scarlett’s eyes filled with tears, and I cursed under my breath. “I’m sorry. I’m pushy, ignore me.”
“You’re only pushy when it comes to putting me where you think I should be, but you stand back and watch every other time. I didn’t realize you were so nice.” She said nice like it was a bad thing, and frankly it was in this case.
“I’m not nice. I’m just a Cage. And not my dad.”
“That reminds me, what are you doing with the Ackerson place again?”
I sighed and dug into my lunch as I told her my plans. My family didn’t even know my full plans, but now that Scarlett did, it was like a weight off my shoulders.
And when she smiled and gripped my hand, I thought that maybe I was doing the right thing.
After we finished our lunch and paid, we got on the bike and headed toward Cage Lake, along the winding roads. When I stopped at a park bench so she could stretch and we could walk into the park area where I knew there was a small waterfall, Scarlett slid her hand into mine.
“I think this was a date, Hudson. And I don’t date anymore.”
I squeezed her hand and pulled her towards the bike.
“I don’t date anymore either. I don’t know what this is.”
“Just don’t not date anyone else when you’re not dating me. Okay?”
My eyes nearly crossed as I tried to figure out that sentence. “Okay. I can do that.” And then my lips were on hers and there was nothing else.
She groaned against me, her hands going up my jacket and shirt to slide over my skin. I cupped her face, deepening the kiss, needing her close.
“We should stop,” she whispered, but then kept going.
I continued my exploration of her body with my hands, cupping her breasts underneath her shirt, and then sliding my hands down her sides and up. When my fingers slid over her nipples through her bra, I let out a soft groan.
“I knew these were pierced,” I whispered.
“Twins, I guess,” she said with a wink.
“You’re a twin. I’m a twin. That’s a lot of twins.”
“Shut up and kiss me,” she muttered.
In answer, I crushed my mouth to hers and pressed her back to the bike. With an idea, hoping like hell I didn’t break anything, I lifted her up and sat her on the bike.
She let out a moan and continued to kiss me as I explored her body with my hands. I let my palms slide down, my fingers playing with the button of her jeans. When she moaned, arching her back to me, I undid the button and slid down her zipper ever so slightly.
“Hudson!”
“Shh. Just let me.”
She kissed me, arching for me as I slid my fingers underneath her panties. She was already soaking wet, and I groaned.
“Scar, baby, you’re killing me.”
“If we break this bike, I’m not buying it.”
I smiled against her lips as I flicked my middle finger over her clit.
“Deal.”
She melted in my hand, panting, as I slid two fingers into her wet cunt. The walls of her pussy squeezed around me, and I continued to pierce her, slowly, since her jeans were slightly restricting for my hand.
“You’re going to need to rock on my hand. Go slowly so you don’t knock over the bike. Is that okay? Can you do that, Scar?”
“Hudson. Please.”
I smiled again and continued to slide my fingers in and out of her, using my palm to grind against her clit. And when she came, her lips parted, her eyes darkened, and she gushed over my palm.
I took her lips in a kiss, continuing to ease her down her orgasm, knowing that I was in for a long ride home.
Riding my bike down the winding roads back to Cage Lake with a raging hard-on might kill me. But she wasn’t ready yet, and frankly, anybody could drive by at any moment.
When she finally slowed her breath, I slid my fingers out of her pussy and sucked them into my mouth. Her eyes widened, and I grinned before licking her wetness clean from my skin.
“So fucking good.”
“I can’t believe you just made me come on the back of your bike.”
“It’s a first for me too.”
She narrowed her gaze at me. “Really?”
“There’s been a few firsts for me, Scarlett. And I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
“That makes two of us.”
She looked down at the clear evidence of my erection, but I just shook my head and kissed her softly.
“Let’s head back before it gets dark.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to ride straight with that third leg of yours?”
I barked out a laugh and maneuvered so I could get on the bike in front of her. It wasn’t easy, but we made it work.
“I’ll do my best. Now hang on.”
She laughed as I leaned down to get both of our helmets, and we got situated. And then I started the bike, and we were off.
And I knew I was one step closer to my obsession when it came to Scarlett Blair.
And with our luck, we’d both end up hurting in the end. But with her taste on my lips, I truly did not care in that moment.