Chapter Sixteen
Clark was getting too used to Anna and Louie being at the cabin. With him. Instead of working late most nights, like he had since graduating from college, he often went home early just to be with them.
Anna made him laugh. So did Louie.
On the way home, he stopped by the store and picked up a pack of chicken breasts, corn on the cob, and fresh asparagus. Since it was Anna’s long day at work, he wanted to take some of the load off her shoulders. She cooked almost every night and was hesitant to let him into the kitchen for anything more serious than coffee or cereal. Even though he was neat by nature, Anna’s kitchen was always spotless, and she didn’t take kindly to anyone who made a mess.
It was a perfect night for grilling.
When he pulled into the driveway, Louie and his sidekick were rolling in the grass. Clark smiled. Louie wore his Redhawk mask and cape. Both looked a little worse for wear. “Want to help me with the groceries, Redhawk?”
“Sure, I have superhuman strength!” He flexed his muscles. “I’ll help you, sir.”
Clark handed a couple of the lighter bags to the boy. “Thanks. I’m glad you were here.”
“I’m always around,” the kid said, lowering his voice to quote the Redhawk versus the Blot movie.
Thanks to Netflix, Clark had now seen the movie about a hundred times. At least.
On the way to the front door, Louie fell in beside him while Chewy chased after an ill-fated butterfly in the grass. “I wish the real Redhawk would come back again. It was really cool to have him at my party, but I wish he could’ve stayed longer.”
“I’m sure you’ll get the chance to meet him again soon.” Clark turned his arm over so his tattoo was hidden against his side. “Maybe he’ll come back for your next birthday.”
“That’s a long time,” Louie said.
“It’ll be here before you know it.”
Anna was in the kitchen, her ass sticking out of the fridge. He could get used to the sight of that. Yum.
“Hey,” she said. “I’m foraging for dinner.”
Clark held up the bags. “The menfolk brought vittles.”
“No John Wayne impressions. I hate them as much as I hate roses,” Anna said grabbing the bags.
“We’ll take care of the meat. You do the veggies.”
“Sounds like a deal,” Anna said. She smiled at Clark, and his heart skipped a couple of beats.
“Come on, Redhawk. You can help me.” Clark grabbed a plate and some tongs from the cabinet. “It’s never too early to learn how to grill like a man.”
After a short course in grill safety, Clark let Louie place the chicken on the grill using the tongs.
“I love cooking for my family,” Louie said.
Family. The word was beginning to sting. Itch. Especially when it came from the mouth of such a perfect little boy. Clark had never realized he wanted to be a father until he’d hung out with the boy. He’d never realized that he might be family-man material until he’d married Anna.
How the hell did I let my heart get tangled in this mess?
Louie tugged on his sleeve. “I think they’re burning.”
“Shit,” Clark said. “Don’t tell your mom I said that.” He grabbed the tongs and threw the food onto a clean platter.
Louie grinned. “I won’t, but I heard her say it once.” He gave Clark a conspiratorial smile. “Maybe twice.”
Clark ruffled his hair. “Let’s eat.”
They ate on the back porch, the light summer breeze moving through the screen. It was nice. Very nice. If there had been a photograph of the three of them, they’d have looked like the perfect American family.
Laughing. Eating corn on the cob.
Louie was just telling a knock-knock joke when Clark’s cell phone rang. “Hey, sis,” he answered.
“Jake blew the interview,” Taylor said.
“What?” No wonder his best friend had been avoiding him.
“He didn’t show.”
Clark opened the screen door and walked down the steps into the grass. “Shit. I’ll head over there as soon as we finish dinner. Any idea what happened?”
“He doesn’t appreciate you trying to decide what’s best for him.”
“But it is best for him.”
“I’m out of the mix, Clark. This is between you and Jake. But here’s a little piece of advice, maybe you should start minding your own damn business.”
He disconnected without saying good-bye.
“I’ve got to run over to Jake’s,” he told Anna. “I’ll be back later.”
“Everything okay?”
He nodded. “The job interview didn’t go so well.”
“George is meeting me to pick up Louie later. His week doesn’t technically start until tomorrow, but he asked if Louie could come over tonight, and in the spirit of cooperation, I agreed.”
“I can take him on the way.”
“He’s not packed yet. Go ahead and visit with Jake. I’ll be here when you get home.”
Clark kissed her on the head. “See you then.”
…
Even though Louie was only staying at George’s for a week, it took him nearly an hour to say good-bye to Chewy. The dog wasn’t welcome at George’s house, and Louie had a hard time leaving him behind.
Instead of going to George’s house, she’d made arrangements to meet him in the parking lot of Ingles, the local grocery store. She and Louie waited nearly twenty minutes before George swung into the space beside them in a shiny new Ford Mustang.
“Wow, Dad. When did you get this?” Louie asked, hopping out of the backseat of Anna’s car. “It’s awesome.”
Candy apple red, it shone with the last rays of the setting summer sun. George had the top down, revealing the white leather interior. Totally impractical, but totally George. She noticed there was no child booster seat.
Anna handed her ex-husband Louie’s duffle bag and the baseball glove and ball Clark had recently bought him.
“Baseball?” George asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Clark is teaching him how to play. I told Louie he probably wouldn’t get to use them at your house, but he insisted on bringing them.”
“The men in our family play football.”
Anna shrugged. “Louie likes baseball better.”
George tossed the mitt and the ball, along with the duffle bag, into the backseat of the car. “Hop in, son, check out all the gadgets while I talk to your mom.” Louie opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. “You can ride in the front on the way home.”
“He needs a seat. You can borrow mine. And he may not sit in the front.” Standing up to George felt good, powerful. Fearless.
George shook his head. “Might scratch the leather, plus we’re only going a couple of miles.”
Anna reached into the backseat of her car and handed him the seat. “I insist.”
He reluctantly took the seat and placed it on the pavement beside the back wheel of the car. “Look, I haven’t seen the PI in a while, so I called my attorney today. He’s withdrawing the custody motion.”
Anna’s heart lifted. “Really? No tricks?”
“Louie should be with you. Even though I’m not Clark’s biggest fan, Louie loves the dog Clark got for him, and he needs to stay with the two of you.”
She was afraid to say anything, scared it might make George change his mind. This was totally unlike him, and she was taken aback. “Thanks,” she muttered.
“We’ll see you next week?”
“Sounds good,” she said, walking around to the driver’s side of her car.
“Hey,” George called. “One false move, and I’ll file again.”
He might file again. Probably would. But for now, Clark’s idea, as crazy as it had sounded at first, had been successful. She was going to be able to keep her son. Tears ran down her cheeks, and for the first time in so long, she was able to take a deep breath and allowed herself to believe that everything might work out. Even though she and Clark had agreed to stay together until the custody issue was completed, only three months had passed since their wedding, and Anna knew it wouldn’t be smart to leave immediately. George would suspect the marriage was just one of convenience and drag her to court.
Part of her was glad she had a little more time to spend with Clark, but another part of her was terrified that the longer she stayed, the more difficult moving out would be. Anna had never expected to have such mixed feelings about leaving the cabin and living without Clark. Alone. Again.
Even though she had deep feelings for Clark, the custody battle had shown her that she needed to stand on her own two feet. She’d been living on the edge for too long, and it was time to restructure her life so that she didn’t live in fear and worry all the time.
There was only one long-term solution. She had to learn to stand on her own two feet and banish her fear of George, and she was getting closer to doing that.
Remembering the outfit she’d purchased at the adult store, she smiled to herself. She might as well make the most of the time she had left.
…
“What the hell were you thinking?” Clark demanded. Jake’s apartment was even more disgusting than it had been before. “That was the perfect job for you.”
“I didn’t want that job.”
“Why not?”
Jake shrugged. “Not my cup of tea. I don’t want to sit behind a desk all day with nothing but a calculator to keep me company. I’m a construction guy, not an office guy.”
Clark sat on the sofa and ran his fingers through his hair. “It is a construction job. You can’t climb ladders and lug around fifty pound bags of cement mix. Not now.”
Jake shook his head. “You and I have been friends since kindergarten. By now you should know I don’t like other people making decisions for me.”
“But you need to get out of the house, do something productive.”
“You ever been in a wheelchair?” Jake asked.
The question took Clark aback. “No.”
“Then you shouldn’t presume to know what the fuck I need.” Jake’s eyes blazed with anger. Clark wasn’t used to that. In over twenty years of friendship, they’d only had a handful of arguments. “I want to be on site, hammer in my hand, not discussing Dancing with the Stars beside the coffee machine.”
“I was just trying to help.”
“If you really want to help, then leave me alone. Stop treating me like I’m some pathetic charity case. Let me figure out how the hell I’m going to live like this for the rest of my life.”
Clark nodded. He didn’t understand what Jake was going through, and he never would. Clark couldn’t talk to him. Not now, anyway. He gave his friend a halfhearted wave and walked out the door.
When he walked into the cabin, it was well past dark and the place smelled different.
Instead of the lemony wax smell of cleaner, it was filled with some sultry scent. Powdery. Warm. Sexy. The only light was a small lamp in the living room. He tossed his keys on the table beside the door and went on a search for a candle.
Anna loved candles and sometimes left them burning. He’d told her about the dangers a dozen times.
It wasn’t in the kitchen or the dining room. It wasn’t on the back porch near the hot tub.
Maybe she’d already blown it out.
After the fight with Jake, Clark needed a shower and rest. He kicked his shoes off and padded down the hall to the bathroom. He’d talk to Anna about everything. First thing in the morning. With Louie spending a week with George, they’d have plenty of time.
Tonight, he just wanted to sleep. Beside Anna. Pretend it was real.
He felt better after a shower. The tension and worry were still there, but now he could sleep. He opened the bedroom door quietly, and the sexy smell got stronger. Candles were burning all over the room. On the dresser and on the bedside table.
The candles weren’t the only hot thing in the room.
Clark blinked to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
His cock assured him this was real.
Anna lay on the bed, her blue-black hair spread across the white pillow case. Dressed in a French maid costume. Hot as hell in July. On the equator.
Holy smokes.
“You’re home,” she said. Her voice was low and seductive.
He nodded, unable to find words. Any words.
“Why are you standing all the way over there?” She crooked her index finger and beckoned him to the bed.
Maybe convincing her to stay wasn’t going to be as difficult as he’d thought. He hadn’t planned on seducing her tonight, but now that she’d taken the initiative, Clark was all in.
There was nothing sexier than a woman who knew what she wanted in the bedroom. And with the outfit she was wearing, he was pretty certain he’d give her anything she asked for.
“Lose the shorts,” she whispered when he reached the side of the bed. She rolled over and tugged at the waistband.
“Not until you show me what you’re wearing.”
Anna smiled. “I thought you might say that.” She rose from the bed, brushing her whole body along his, causing his dick to get even harder. She smelled like powdery vanilla and the best kind of sin. Clark licked his lips. “I bought it just for you, and I thought about you when I put it on.”
She’d better have bought it just for him. If any other man saw her in this costume, he’d have to kill the son of a bitch on the spot. The dress was so short her delicious ass cheeks peeked from under the hem. Her breasts nearly spilled over the white, lacy apron.
He hoped to hell she didn’t clean houses in this dress. Well, no houses but his.
Her lipstick was glossy, and he was itching to kiss her. To taste it on her lips. But he didn’t. He wanted to make this last as long as possible.
She edged past him, rubbing her body against his, only breaking contact at the very last possible moment. He watched her slink to the corner of the room, her hips moving in an ancient, sultry rhythm. She looked over her shoulder to see him watching. He loved the way her black curls teased her shoulder blade.
In the corner of the room, standing in front of an easel full-length mirror, she turned to face him. So. Damn. Erotic. Every cell in his body was reacting to Anna. All at once. Like some kind of electric current.
He could see both sides of her. Incredible ass in the mirror and round breasts front and center.
As if the outfit wasn’t enough to set fire to the Arctic, she wore a garter belt, black fishnet stockings, and shiny black heels that made her legs look divine.
The perfect woman was standing right in front of him, and he intended to taste every inch of her. Even if it took ’til sunrise.
…
Anna intended to make this a night he’d remember forever.
The French maid costume made her feel incredibly sexy. She’d always been curvy, a serial dieter, but after looking at herself in the mirror earlier, she saw something new, an attractive woman who didn’t need to lose a pound.
It gave her a newfound confidence.
“Anything you’d like me to clean, sir?” She waved the feather duster that came with the costume.
Clark grinned. “Why don’t you start with the dresser, there?” His gaze never left her body.
“Yes, sir.” She moved so she had to bend just slightly to dust the top of the already clean piece of furniture. She felt the heat of his gaze at the hem of her dress. She liked the idea of Clark watching her. It made her feel like the most desirable woman in the world. She looked over her shoulder at him.
“That outfit is incredible,” Clark said. There was hunger in his eyes. Even though they’d been intimate plenty of times, this was something new.
“Thank you,” Anna answered. “What’s next?”
“Bedside table.” He lay back on the bed and propped himself up on the pillows.
She swung her hips all the way around the bed. “This one?”
He nodded and watched for a couple of minutes. Then he ran his hand along her thigh, following the thin strap of her garter belt. He ran his finger underneath the elastic, and she felt the heat of his skin next to hers.
“I need my pillows fluffed,” he said.
“I’m an expert at that.” She set her duster on the nightstand, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pulled him forward. Just as she reached for the pillow, he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her into him.
His lips were on fire. “God, that outfit is hot. I want to take it off piece by piece. With my teeth.” His voice was low and sexy.
“Want me to do it for you? Take it off piece by tantalizing piece?” she asked. Her lips were touching his, and he nipped at her bottom lip while she spoke.
“Yes, ma’am. I do.”
Anna rose and stood beside the bed. First, she removed the apron. She moved slowly, sensually. She’d never felt sexier in her entire life. Next came the black dress. She teased Clark by shimmying it down two inches and then pulling it back up one.
By the time she got down to only the bra, thong, and garter belt, Clark was panting. After shucking off his shirt and pants, he sat up on the edge of the bed and pressed his palm against her stomach. He moved his palm upward, lightly caressing her, making it difficult for her to remain standing.
“This comes off next,” he said.
Anna turned her back to him and unclasped the bra. She looked over her shoulder at him and bit her bottom lip. She removed the lacy push-up and let it drop to the floor. She crossed her hands over her breasts and turned around to face Clark.
He gently pulled her arms down. “Damn, those are perfect.”
He pressed her breasts together with his long fingers and leaned toward her. He breathed lightly on her nipples, causing them to ache. He tickled her left nipple with the very tip of his tongue, and she heard herself groan.
“Come here,” he said, pulling her onto the bed beside him.
She lay down beside him and delighted in the masculine hardness of his body next to hers, made more erotic because they were both partially dressed.
Clark kissed her deeply, moving his tongue with hers in a complicated dance. He broke the kiss then ran his tongue along her neck and between her breasts. There was nothing in the world but the heat of him.
A wave of exhilaration flooded her and made her dizzy.
When he took one of her nipples in his mouth, she cried out. He ran his tongue in lazy circles around her nipple while his hand massaged the other breast.
He made his way down her body, licking, nipping, kissing, all the way to her belly button. He ran his tongue along the top of her garter belt. The desire was so intense it set her teeth on edge.
“I want you naked. Except for the heels.” He unsnapped the garters and slid her stockings off. Then he unsnapped the belt, leaving only the tiny triangle of black lace of her thong. He licked her through the fabric.
“Oh, Clark,” she moaned. She was so hot she was turning into liquid. Molten lava.
He raised her hips and helped her slide the panties down and off then onto the floor. He ran his eyes over every inch of her body. “Exquisite,” he whispered.
“I want your skin next to mine,” she said.
“Your wish is my command.” He shucked off his plaid boxers and tossed them to the side.
His skin was warm against hers. She moved her body in a sensual S, loving the feel of his body next to hers.
Clark crawled on top of her. She loved the solid weight of him balanced against her hips. He lowered his head to hers and claimed her lips. The kiss made her burn with an intensity she’d never known. She was completely consumed with the soft feel of his lips against hers, and when he deepened the kiss, she thought she might unravel.
He teased her, tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue. She nipped his bottom lip, causing him to pull away with a throaty laugh. “Mmm, I like it when you play dirty.”
He worked his way back to her neck…kissing, nibbling, and tasting.
He trailed his finger between her legs, tracing it along the slickness of her, his touch light as a butterfly’s wing.
“Inside,” she whispered.
He obeyed, and she arched her back. He moved his finger in and out in of her slowly at first. Frustrated and wanting more of his touch, she writhed against him, urging him to increase his rhythm. Harder. She wanted more and more of him—all of him. When he sped up the rhythm and tugged at one of her aching nipples, she lost all control. Her body bucked against the ministrations of his finger and she moaned, voicing her exquisite passion. She was floating high above the clouds, in the outer reaches of space. When she finally returned to earth, Clark was propped on an elbow, beside her, looking deeply into her eyes.
“God, that outfit. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in North Carolina.”
“Are you making a citizen’s arrest?” she teased.
“Not until I make you come again.”
“I think I’m done.”
“I say otherwise.” After putting on a condom, he slid inside her and filled her completely.
Anna locked her hands at the small of his back and arched her hips upward. She wanted all of him. Again and again.
Clark swiveled slowly at first, rolling his hips from side to side. He gradually increased the rhythm until Anna was on the edge again.
Her release came shortly after his.
Afterward, he pulled her into his arms. Both of them were sated and out of breath.
“I want to do that every night. I love every inch of you,” Clark said.
Love. Anna’s eyes flew open.
That wasn’t part of the equation.