Chapter Six
Present day
Callie opened the door to Cash the next afternoon. It was only three o’clock, and he was early. Her heart quivered as she saw him on her doorstep, looking gorgeous in a pair of boots, faded jeans, and a soft T-shirt. Why was she suddenly noticing how good-looking he was every time she saw him? “Hi! Come in. I’m not quite ready to go.”
He eyed her as he walked into the house. “You look fine like that.”
“Pfffft. You know I can’t go out looking like this.” She touched a hand to her messy bun.
“So I should come back in two hours, then?”
That wasn’t the first time he’d teased her about being high-maintenance. She lifted her chin. “Okay, you know what? I will go out like this. No makeup, hair a mess, wearing cut-off sweat shorts…sure, why not? My mama would have a fit if she saw me, but we’re not likely to run into her at Joe’s Tattoo Parlor—”
A bark of laughter escaped him.
“On top of which, she’s going to have a fit anyway when she sees the tattoo.”
“She’s not going to see much of it, where you’re planning to put it. Or is that the idea…hide it from Mama? Maybe you’re not such a badass after all.”
“Ha. Actually, I’ve changed my mind about where I’m going to get the tattoo.”
“Oh yeah?” His gaze flicked to her boobs, then back up right away. Her skin heated everywhere.
“Yes. I’m going to get it on my finger.” She pointed to her right middle finger just above the knuckle. “Here.”
He nodded and reached for her hand. When he closed his strong, tanned fingers around hers, her belly fluttered. “How big?”
“Just tiny.” She drew her left index finger over the spot.
“That’ll actually look real pretty,” he said slowly.
“Thank you.” She paused, looking down as he continued to hold her hand. “I’m going to put off the piercing, though.”
He dropped her hand, and his gaze snapped up to hers. “Piercing?”
“Yes. Maybe an eyebrow piercing. Or a little diamond stud in one nostril.”
“The piercing would be less permanent than the tattoo. Just sayin’. If you change your mind, you can take out the little ring or whatever and let it heal up.” He fixed his gaze on her. “The tattoo is permanent.”
“I know.” Again, she firmed her jaw. “That’s why I want one. I want a permanent reminder that I’m stronger because of adversity.” Then she beamed at him. “Hey, be glad I’m not getting a tattoo that says ‘Marriage—the leading cause of divorce.’”
He shook his head, smiling. “Thank fuck for that.”
“Or, ‘I’m only upset I’m not a widow.’”
His smile became pained. “Callie.”
“Hey. You have to keep a sense of humor. Right?”
“Right.” He paused. “You know this is gonna hurt, yeah?”
She clucked. “Seriously? You think a little prick is going to hurt more than a big prick?”
His lips twitched, and he looked at his boots. “Good one.”
“Sorry. I know he’s still your friend and partner.”
“Hey, I’ve called him worse names in my head. Actually, to his face, too.”
Her eyes widened. “You have?”
“Hell yeah.”
He met her eyes and held her gaze steadily. Her belly muscles tightened. Finally she said, “You don’t have to take me to get this done.” Her smile faded. “Especially if you don’t approve.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Hey, it’s none of my business if you get a tattoo or not. It’s your decision. I just want to make sure you don’t end up with some kind of monstrosity or an infection. At least I know Mystic Tiger is clean and everyone is competent.”
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
An hour and a half later, Callie walked out of Mystic Tiger with a bandage on her finger, her hand throbbing a little, kind of like a mild burn. On the sidewalk in front of the shop, she let out a little whoop of triumph and pumped her left fist into the air.
Cash lifted an eyebrow at her.
“I did it!” She grinned. “That was awesome! See how tough I am?” She gave his upper arm a punch, a little awkwardly because it was her left hand.
“Always knew you were strong, darlin’. Just hope you don’t regret this in the morning.”
She snorted. “Regrets are for horseshoes and hairdos.”
He choked on a laugh as they walked toward his truck.
“It hurt while he was doing it.” She winced. “But it got to be kind of fun to see how much pain I could stand.” Weirdly, she’d gotten almost high, like she was floating. And even more weird? She felt turned on. Her inner thighs rubbed together as she walked, and her girl parts tingled. Whoa. Her entire body was sensitized.
“Should I take you home?” He jingled his keys. “Or you want to go get dinner?”
“Hmm. Dinner sounds good, actually. I don’t think I’ve eaten all day.”
“What?” He glared at her.
“I was too busy baking. I had a couple of cookies.” She shrugged. “But although I may have been willing to go to a tattoo parlor looking like this, I’m not willing to go out for dinner this way.”
“We could go back to your place so you can change.”
She remembered last night and running into that client and his wife, who’d been clearly curious about why she was with Beau’s business partner. “Nah. Why don’t we just pick up something and take it home to eat?”
After a short pause, Cash said, “Sure.”
In his truck, they bickered over sushi versus pizza versus tacos. In the end, Cash let her have her way, and they drove to Tokyo Sushi in Rice Village.
After they ordered, Callie wandered back outside and onto the sidewalk. The late-afternoon heat surrounded her, and she strolled down the street, checking out the cute little shops. She loved the Village, with its eclectic mix of boutiques and eateries. She passed a little wine café she enjoyed, then a shop where she liked to buy yoga clothes. She paused in front of a building that was now vacant and studied the For Rent sign in the window. She tilted her head, unable to remember what used to be in this location. She pressed her nose to the glass to peer in, but it was hard to see anything.
“What are you doing?” Cash’s deep voice behind her made her jump.
“Just nosing around. Do you remember what used to be here?”
“I think it was a coffee shop.”
“Oh, that’s right. I wonder why they closed down.”
He shrugged. “I think they’ve been closed a while. Come on, let’s get our food. It’s probably ready.”
They picked up their huge platter of assorted rolls, along with tempura vegetables and edamame.
At home in her kitchen she pulled out a container of food and set it on the island. “We’re never going to eat all this.”
“Don’t underestimate my appetite.” He patted his flat abs.
“Oh right. The winner of the Omega Chi taco eating contest. How could I forget?” She was oddly distracted by the sight of his hand on his abs, and that tingling between her thighs was still there. Her gaze wandered over his torso and then lower to his low-rise jeans that were well worn, especially over the bulge behind his fly. A quivery sensation rippled through her belly.
He grinned. “To this day, nobody has beaten my record.” He lifted the plastic lid off a platter, then his smile faded as he saw where she was looking. His eyes went heavy-lidded, and a muscle twitched in his jaw.
Callie’s face heated at being caught ogling him. Tension arced between them as they stared at each other, the moment dragging out a little too long.
She whirled around to pull two plates from a cupboard. The air in the kitchen had gone static, and her lower belly tightened. “Want a drink? Beer?”
“I could go for a beer.”
She opened the fridge and retrieved one, grabbing one for herself as well.
Cash cocked an eyebrow as she handed him the bottle. She shrugged. “What, I can’t drink beer?”
“You can drink whatever you want, darlin’.”
She tilted her head. “Damn right I can.” She didn’t have to drink white wine and cosmos and ladylike martinis. She’d drink Maker’s Mark and Shiner Bock anytime she wanted.
She handed him a set of chopsticks and pulled her stool up to the island. Soon their plates were loaded with dynamite rolls, tempura yam rolls, and tuna maki. “Mmm. This is so good.” She closed her eyes as she savored the bite of wasabi mingled with the sweet shrimp and creamy avocado. She opened her eyes to find Cash gazing at her instead of eating. “What’s wrong?”
That static electricity buzzed between them again.
“Nothing.” He picked up a roll and dipped it into soy sauce, then popped it into his mouth. “How’s your tattoo feel?”
“The tattoo feels fine…but my body still feels…weird.”
He frowned. “Your body feels weird?”
“Yeah.” She poked another piece of sushi, not meeting his eyes. Her lower belly ached with need, her breasts felt heavy, and her nipples tingled. She was so frickin’ horny she was starting to worry she might jump him. And that would be a disaster of epic proportions. The idea almost made her shudder, and yet…it also turned her on even more. Because Cash was hot.
Lord have mercy.
She shoveled in more sushi, then her sinuses started burning and her eyes watered. She choked. “Damn!” She coughed again.
Cash rose from his seat. “Okay, darlin’?” He moved behind her and patted her back. “Need a Heimlich?”
“No,” she wheezed, coughing more. “Too much wasabi.”
“I’ll get you some water.” He strode over to the fridge and returned with a bottle of water he’d already removed the lid from. She accepted it and gulped the icy liquid. “Whew.” She blinked her wet eyes. “I’m okay.”
“Good.” He patted her back, and she sucked in a long, slow breath, easing into his touch. She turned her head just slightly to look up at him.
His dark beard stubble looked so good on him. His eyes were crinkled at the corners with concern, and she wanted to touch her tongue to the small mole right in front of his left earlobe. She swallowed.
Her body tingled everywhere, and she still had that lovely floaty feeling. “I think I’m drunk,” she murmured.
Cash’s eyebrows pulled together. “What? You’ve barely touched your beer.”
“I feel…weird. Spacey. High.” She paused. “Turned on.”
He choked. “Uh. I think it’s the endorphins. From the pain of the tattoo.”
“Oh.” She cocked her head, still looking at him, her body thrumming. “I like it. But…I need…”
Their eyes locked. Cash went very still, his hand on her back, warm and strong. “What?”
Callie slid off the stool, her body brushing against his, went onto tiptoes, and touched her lips to his. “Sex,” she whispered. “I need sex.”
She gripped his T-shirt in both hands and pulled herself closer, pressing against him. He inhaled sharply, and his hands went to her hips. “Callie…”
Her eyes drifted closed, and she pressed her mouth to his. “Mmm.”
A groan rumbled in his chest as she licked his bottom lip, then kissed him again. And he kissed her back, his mouth opening. He took control of the kiss immediately, and her knees went weak. She clung tighter to him as her head spun, exploring the inside of his mouth with her tongue, electricity zipping through her body when he slid his tongue into her mouth.
He tasted delicious, and his lips moved on hers, firm and warm and perfect. His hands gripped her hips, fingers digging into her buttocks, and he pulled her against him. He was hard.
Oh sweet hopscotching Jesus, he was so hard. She whimpered and tipped her pelvis against him, then slid her arms around his neck, fingers slipping into his thick hair.
“Callie,” he groaned.
“Mmm.” She nipped his full bottom lip, stroked it with her tongue, then kissed his stubbled jaw. “Cash. Kiss me.”
“Fuck.” But he did it, arms now going right around her, crushing her against his big, hard body. She wanted to climb up him and get even closer. She rubbed her aching breasts against his chest and found his mouth again in a long, deep kiss.
Need zoomed low in her belly, a hot pressure coiling inside her. She needed more, needed him. “This is crazy,” she whispered against his jaw. “I’m dying for you.”
“Callie.” He tried to pull back. “We can’t do this.”
She gazed up at him, her heart thudding, her inner muscles quivering. “Why not?”
“You know why not.” His voice sounded like he’d swallowed crushed glass. He closed his eyes as if he couldn’t look at her.
“You kissed me.”
“Fuck.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Callie.” His body trembled under her hands. “Don’t do this to me.”
She moved against him, rubbing against his erection. “Cash…please…”
He drew in a sharp breath. “Jesus.” With a groan of surrender, he clasped her waist, turned, and lifted her onto the kitchen island. Then he shoved her plate of sushi aside and stepped between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him to bring him close against her throbbing center and grabbed his shoulders again.
His hands slid into her hair and twisted in the long strands, tugging deliciously on her sensitive scalp. Sensation slid down her spine, tension aching in the small of her back.
“Jesus, you’re hot,” Cash muttered as he nipped at her lips.
“Please. Oh God, please.” She’d never felt like this before, like she needed an orgasm so badly she was hurting, a deep, pulsing, biting desire.
She rubbed against the hard bulge behind his jeans, and he made a noise that sounded wild and hungry. “Careful, darlin’.” He sucked briefly on her bottom lip.
“You need it, too.” She moved against him again. “We both do. Please.”
He groaned and rubbed his nose alongside hers. “Callie…”
“Do you have a condom?”
“Christ.” He took a deep breath. “Are you sure?”
“I’m dying here, Cash.”
“Ah fuck.” He reached for his wallet, pulled out a small package, and tossed the wallet aside.
She reached for his belt buckle and got it undone, then lowered the zipper of his fly. Spreading the sides of his jeans, she sucked in a shaky breath as she saw his erection outlined behind cotton boxer briefs.
The loose low-rise jeans sagged on his hips, and she curled her fingers into the top of his briefs and tugged them down, too. His cock sprang up, enormous, flushed, and beautiful. She stared, her entire body pulsing.
She swallowed as she watched him suit up with the latex. Her inner muscles tightened, and heat spread from her core through her body in waves. A craving like she’d never experienced made her tremble with want.
“Now you, babe.” He reached for her hips. She pushed her hands against the marble to lift her butt off the counter as he pulled her shorts and panties down her thighs. She kicked them off when they were at her ankles, the stone cold against her heated flesh as she lowered herself back down.
When he repositioned himself between her thighs, his gaze dropped there, and her insides quivered at his heated study. His large hands eased her thighs farther apart, and liquid fire flashed through her veins.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, his eyes heavy-lidded. “So pretty.”
His thumbs brushed her outer lips, and she let out another soft cry of need. Then he slid his hands up her abdomen, under the tank top. He found her breasts and gave them a gentle squeeze through her bra. Pleasure rippled through her.
“Fuck yeah. More beauty.” He pushed the tank top up, and she helped him get it off over her head. Her racer-back T-shirt bra wasn’t sexy, but he seemed to like what he saw as he studied the curves of her breasts in the low-cut opening. He cupped them again, almost reverently, and she took in the taut lines of his face, the wet fullness of his bottom lip, his flushed cheeks and dark eyes, and a thrill ran through her that he was as affected as she was.
Her skin tingled everywhere, and now she was naked and he was gloved up, and she wanted him inside her. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, so she shoved his T-shirt up over his chest and wriggled closer.
“Hang on, baby.” He unfastened the front opening of her bra and pushed it off. Once more he cupped her breasts, rubbing the heels of his hands up over her hard nipples. She pulled her shoulders back to push into his palms and moaned.
His hand dropped to between her thighs, and her body jolted at his touch. “Just making sure you’re ready.” He drew his fingertips through her folds, and she knew she was slick.
“Truth?” she murmured, curling her fingers around the back of his neck. “I was wet when we were driving home.”
“Fuck, Callie.”
“Yes, please.”
His lips twitched as he reached for his cock and directed the head of it to her softness. She scooted her butt closer still to help him, and then he was pushing inside her. Her head fell back at the intrusion, a swift burn flashing through her. “Big,” she gasped. “You’re really big.”
“You’re really tight.” His jaw tensed, and he slowly eased in deeper. “Holy hell.” A rumble rose in his chest. “This is gonna be fast.”
“That’s okay.” Now they were plastered against each other, skin to skin, her arms and legs twined around him, and she found his mouth again in a hot, yearning kiss. Pleasure expanded inside her from the pressure of his cock filling her. His hands slid under her butt and tilted her pelvis, and she found the right position where her clit was rubbing against him.
“Oh yeah,” she gasped. “Right there. Oh Jesus…yes. Yes. Fuck me, Cash.”
Their lips barely touched other than the whisper of short, panting breaths, and they gazed into each other’s eyes in a shockingly intimate connection. This man…oh God, this man…
Everything wound tighter and tighter into a sharp peak of near pain, and then she shattered, shuddering and pressing through her climax. Pleasure washed through her, tingling down her thighs all the way to her toes until she was limp. Cash’s eyes fell closed, his face grew tight, and his hands gripped her ass. Guttural noises rose from his throat, and then he came, too, in hot, weighty pulses inside her.
“Jesus,” he whispered a moment later, touching his lips to hers. “Jesus Christ.”
She drew a breath in through her nose and pursed her lips into a gentle kiss against his. “Yeah.”