LIA SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDED my dad’s question. I’d been waiting for the answer myself and was disappointed when she managed to get away with not answering it. Letting it slide, I grabbed her hand and led her to the table.
“I am so happy that we are all here together!” Charlotte exclaimed. She was such a bubbly person. It amazed me that she and my dad ever thought they could be a match. But surprisingly enough, she pulled Dad out of some of his rigidness, which was a huge feat. She did it with a smile too. The woman was made of tougher stuff than Mom or I ever possessed. That’s for damn sure.
“So, Charlotte?” Lia asked. “I hear you are Steve’s assistant. Is it difficult working together?”
Charlotte giggled at Lia’s question, causing everyone to smile. The woman’s laughter was infectious. “Steve can be a controlling grump sometimes.” She winked at him. “But he learned from the get-go that I wouldn’t have any of it. We actually had a screaming match in his office my first day, but then one thing led to the other and voila! We’ve been inseparable ever since. He still has his moments, but I just hit him over the head with a file to knock some sense into him.” She smiled over at him.
Dad had a look I’d never seen on his face before—complete adoration. This woman did something to him and it was definitely for the better.
Lia’s phone chimed and she pulled it from her purse to read the text. I could see her poor attempt to mask the distress the message had caused her. She quickly put the phone away and began drinking wine like it was water. As soon as we were alone later, I was going to drill her about who messaged her. For obvious reasons, I’d thought this dinner would be awkward for me, but she was the one looking uneasy.
After dinner, the girls went into the kitchen to clean up while my dad and I went into the den. He poured me something a little stiffer this time.
“She seems like a great girl, Cale.”
I couldn’t hide the grin on my face. She was definitely great despite her secrets. “Dad, she makes me feel alive. I can honestly see a future with her.”
“Well, son, for the first time in my life, I know what you mean. Char is wonderful. I love that woman. She doesn’t know it yet, but I am going to ask her to marry me soon. I’m waiting on the jeweler to finish her ring. It made me realize how unhappy I was with your mother. Speaking of, have you heard from her lately?”
I sighed because the subject of my mother was one we hated. Both of us had felt abandoned when she’d left. “Not in at least a year. And honestly, I am not really that broken up about it.”
“Yeah, me neither,” he agreed.
I pushed the subject in a different direction. “Dad, that’s great news about you and Charlotte. I wish you two the best. She seems like a perfect match for you.”
The smile on his face made me realize that this was real. He definitely cared for that woman, and she was changing him for the better. For once, I felt happy about where my relationship with my father could go from here.
The women walked in a little while later. Charlotte poured Lia some sort of girly-looking drink while Dad refreshed mine and we all headed to the sofas to talk. Sitting next to Lia, I took hold of her hand and slid it into my lap. She was getting really giggly, and I had a feeling that it was because she was a little tipsy.
When Charlotte and Dad started discussing one of his clients, I took that moment to whisper to Lia. “What’s up, babe? You started acting funny after that text. Who was it?”
She smiled at me and slurred, “Looks like our good ol’ boy Sam has my number too. He can’t wait to see me.”
“Shit, Lia! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” I demanded, trying not to raise my voice.
“I didn’t want to ruin dinner, Cale. It’s not like he’s putting roses on my car or trying to burn us alive. He’s just trying to intimidate me.” The simple and unaffected tone of her voice wiggled its way under my skin. Fucking Sam was doing this to her.
My dad interrupted our conversation. “It’s getting late, guys, and it’s a long way back. Please, why don’t you stay the night? The guest room is made up and ready.”
Feeling the effects of the alcohol, I didn’t think it was a bad idea. “Sure, Dad. That sounds great.”
“What about work tomorrow?” Lia asked.
“Text Ben and tell him you’ll take a day of vacation. I’m sure he won’t mind,” I assured her.
“Well, we’re going to turn in for the night. How about breakfast at seven before Char and I go to work?” Dad asked.
“Of course, Dad. I think Lia and I will take a walk before we go to bed. Do you have a spare key for me to get back in?” I questioned.
He walked over to a cabinet and brought a key to me. “I don’t need it back,” he said, winking before heading off to bed with Charlotte.
Lia and I fetched our jackets before she followed me out of the house to my truck. I found the blankets I’d left in there from our camping trip and handed her a pair of rubber boots. They’d be a little big, but there was no way she could walk in her heels given her current state and the location of where we were going.
“Hell no!” she exclaimed. “Your choice in shoes is awful!” She stomped down her foot in a sort of tantrum over the whole thing and lost her footing, nearly falling due to her inebriated state.
Luckily, I was there to steady her. She started giggling and kicked off her shoes, finally conceding. After taking the boots, she slipped them on and modeled them for me, causing me to laugh at her. Hand in hand, we walked several blocks to the old, familiar field I used to love so much. When we got to the spot Madison and I used to visit, I spread out one of the blankets for us to sit on.
She sat down and mischievously pulled a bottle of liquor from her coat pocket. “I snagged something from your dad’s bar,” she snickered, unscrewing the lid and taking a huge swig.
I started chuckling, because in that moment, I was flooded with the fun memories of Madison. “Hand it over,” I demanded, taking it from her so I could drink from it as well. I sat beside her and stretched the other blanket over our legs.
As we talked, we passed the bottle back and forth. I told her stories about Madison and she laughed so much that she had tears in her eyes.
“She smoked inside the school?” she questioned, completely shocked.
I laughed at the memory. “Yep, and not just in the bathroom like a normal person either. No, not Mad. She smoked wherever the hell she wanted. When the teachers would go ballistic and give her detention and shit, she’d say, ‘I have an addiction,’ like that made it okay.”
She suddenly became very sullen and her eyes glistened. “I bet you miss her so much.”
Oh, my sweet, sweet Lia. “Yeah, I do. She was my best friend, my only real friend.”
She reached over and touched my face, intently watching my expression. When she licked her lips, my eyes darted to them, making it impossible to look away. I leaned forward and pulled her bottom lip between my teeth, causing her to gasp. Sucking on her lip, I threaded my fingers through her chocolate brown locks.
Quickly, she wrenched away from me. “I went to that college until the incident that changed my life.” Her voice was sober with her proclamation.
When she began to tear up, I placed a thumb over her lips. “Shh. Everything’s okay, Lia. I’m proud of you for opening up to me about something, even as small as where you went to school.” Honestly, I felt like it was a huge step forward in our relationship.
I leaned forward and met her lips in another moment of passion, showing her with my tongue just how proud of her I was. Gently, I pulled her top off over her head. She smiled as she reached over and started unbuttoning my shirt. Once finished with that task, she slid the shirt over my shoulders, jerking it off all of the way.
I slowly eased her to the blanket. Her body shivered in the chilly October air. I covered her with my own body and began placing kisses all over her torso, focusing on her breasts. Lazily, I pushed a bra strap off her shoulder and kissed her there. My dick thickened when she moaned at the intimate touch. Seeing that she liked it, I did the same to the other side, garnering a similar reaction for the both of us. Slipping my hand up underneath her, I single-handedly unhooked her bra and slid it off her.
Leaning over her, I began tonguing her breasts with slow, purposeful movements. She writhed beneath me, enjoying the touch. I blew a hot breath of air on her chilled skin before sucking a nipple into my mouth and bit just hard enough for her to yelp in surprise but definitely not pain. I kissed her lower and lower each time until I made it to her belly button. I pushed my tongue inside and teased the flesh until she started to giggle uncontrollably, obviously very ticklish there. Laughing, I sat up and began to unbutton her jeans. I unhooked them quickly and eased them down her legs so that she was in nothing but a scrap of pink panties. God, her body was so fucking beautiful.
Slowly, I removed her last shred of clothing and stuffed them in the pocket of my jeans. She laughed at me until I removed my own jeans. Her smile dissolved into a smoldering look of desire as she eyed my naked body. I pulled the blanket over us for warmth even though we were both hot for each other. Hovering over her, I kissed her deeply, causing her to tilt her pelvis up to me. Her body was begging for me—so needy for me to take her.
Not one to disappoint, I positioned myself at her entrance and slowly slid myself in, making sure she was ready for me. When I easily made it all of the way and she moaned in pleasure, I began the rhythmic pounding we were so good at. With each thrust, her whimpers became louder and louder. The way her tight pussy gripped my cock had me struggling not to burst my climax into her. But as our kisses became harder and more urgent, I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long for her. My girl was getting close to her orgasm. As she neared the edge, her eyes fluttered shut.
“Oh, God, Cale!” she screamed, convulsing around me. Her fingernails clawed at my back as she deliciously tightened around my cock.
At the sound of her screaming my name, I also came, spilling into her hot and furiously. I continued pumping into her until I had emptied all I had to give and her aftershocks had stopped.
“Fuck, woman!” I growled, pulling out of her and pecking her on the lips.
The smile on her face was the most beautiful one yet. Here, under the stars in the chilly October air, I fell one hundred percent for this girl.