After Red dropped Syd off, he picked up dinner and headed home. Cali was waiting for him when he got there.
“Hi,” she said. “I was in the area, figured I’d stop by.” She held up an identical bag from the same restaurant he’d just left. “I brought dinner, but I guess you beat me to the punch.”
It was the little things, the ways that Cali knew him, that made him want to keep trying. “Great minds,” he murmured. Once he unlocked the door, he waited for her to go inside before he entered. “I’ll grab some plates and we can eat.”
She took off her coat and set it on the back of a chair. As he set up the food on the kitchen table, she walked up behind him and kissed him on his neck. “You’ll have plenty for lunch tomorrow,” she said, stroking his arm.
His fingers ached with a need to touch her, but he focused on the task at hand. “You know how I love leftovers.”
They sat down to eat. Regular conversation between Cali and Red was never strained. Usually, she’d start by telling him about her day and he’d finish with tales about work or other employees at the firm. But tonight they pretty much ate in silence. She picked at her food, while he focused on her; the way she hummed when she ate or glanced at her phone periodically to check her e-mail. He could tell she had something on her mind, and he wanted to ask her what was going on, but he had his own thoughts to contend with.
Syd had issued a challenge to him earlier. Could he tell Cali how he felt? What do I feel? “Cali?”
She peered up at him. “Huh?”
“Everything okay?” Yep, he was a punk.
She nodded. “Yeah. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He faked a smile.
“I feel like you’re lying,” she said. Before he could respond, she rushed on, “But it’s okay. Sometimes it’s better to be quiet, to keep things to yourself.”
His sister had made many valid points when she suggested he be honest about his feelings for Cali. But Cali was right, too. Sometimes it was better to shut up. It didn’t feel like the right time to talk about how he felt. He needed some time to think.
Cali leaned back in her chair and observed him. “Red, do you… I… miss you.”
A flush of adrenaline shot through his body at her admission. Then he asked, “Why? I saw you last night, and you left me hanging.”
She stood up and approached him slowly. “I’m sorry about that. I was… there’s really no good excuse so I won’t even try to make one up. I was wrong. This may sound totally selfish, and very inappropriate, considering our last few conversations were heavy and emotional and… I don’t know, crazy. But I want you.”
He wanted to tell her he didn’t give a damn what she wanted, thank her for dinner, and show her to the door. But his body had already responded to the bait. When she reached out to touch his face, he gripped her wrist. “What makes you think I want you?” he managed to say.
She gave him a lopsided grin. “Do you?”
Yes. Without another word, he stood up and pulled her into a kiss. It started out slow, but slow wasn’t really their thing. It quickly turned to desperate as they clawed at each other, tugging at clothes.
She finally pushed his shirt off and unbuttoned his jeans, letting them fall to the floor. His brain screamed at him to stop and end this once and for all, but he could never resist being with her.
“I hate you,” he murmured against her skin with a chuckle.
She giggled. “Shut up and let’s get this party started.”
Pulling away, he assessed her. What a difference a few minutes and several well-placed kisses made. She was a vision—cheeks flushed, eyes closed.
“Take off your clothes,” he ordered softly.
Her eyes opened. “You’re not going to do me the honors?” she asked saucily.
“Take your clothes off,” he repeated.
As she pulled her sweater over her head, he bit the inside of his cheek. Her eyes were on his as she pushed her jeans down to the floor and he groaned at the sight of her red lace underwear and black, suede ankle boots.
“Go to my room,” he commanded. When she opened her mouth to speak, he ran a finger over her plump lips. “No words. Just go.”
If she was apprehensive, she didn’t show it. Instead, she followed his command and walked toward his bedroom.
“Walk slow,” he told her when she picked up her pace.
She stopped and turned to him before continuing down the hallway leading toward his room. He followed, appreciating the exaggerated sway of her hips. Once she reached the entrance to his room, she bent down to remove her boots. He closed the gap between them, pressing himself against her butt.
Placing his hands on her hips, he murmured, “Leave them on.”
She straightened and grinded into his erection, pulling a soft moan from him before she turned to face him. She smirked as she walked backward into the room.
Red couldn’t help but smile when she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. The word “shy” was not in her vocabulary. He never had to keep her from covering herself up after they made love. She was as comfortable in her skin as he was in his. And he loved it.
The strap of her bra dangled from her index finger and she dropped it on the floor and brought her hands up to her ample breasts slowly. She pinched her own nipples until they were pert and ready for his attention, and slid a hand down over her stomach to the top of her boy shorts, which were his favorite.
She moved a finger under the line slowly.
“Stop,” he told her. “Did I tell you to take your underwear off? But you can’t resist teasing me.”
“I’m not teasing you,” she said with a smirk. “I just thought I’d help you out.”
“You know I don’t need any help.” He circled her like a lion would his prey. When she reached out to touch him, he dodged her, chuckling at the frustrated groan that escaped. “Is it so hard to give me control, Cali?” he said against her left ear.
Silence.
“No words?” he teased against her right ear.
“Red,” she whispered.
“Shhh. Lie down.”
She lay back on the bed as she was told.
“Open your legs.”
Her thighs parted on his command. He dropped to his knees in front of her and pulled off her boots. As he slid his hands up her legs, he kissed her all the way up to her inner thighs. She gasped when he nipped at her sensitive skin. Spreading her legs even more, he gently moved the thin fabric from her and ran his thumb over her tiny bundle of nerves. Her hips rose from the bed and she ran her fingers through his hair.
“Red,” she panted.
“Quiet. Or I’ll stop. You don’t want me to stop, do you?”
She didn’t answer, but her fingers dug into his scalp.
He pulled off her panties, taking in her sweet scent. Tracing her folds with his thumb, he opened her to him. When his tongue touched her skin, she moaned softly. Urged on by her soft pleas, he tickled her clit with his tongue. Her knees closed in on him as her hips continued to rise off the mattress. But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t even if he tried. She never lasted long, though. He braced a hand on her stomach to hold her down as she grinded her hips against his mouth.
“Please,” she begged.
“Come for me, then,” he said.
When she screamed out his name, shaking wildly, he kissed his way up her body to her mouth and kissed her deeply. As their tongues dueled, she pushed his boxers down with her feet and wrapped her legs around his waist.
She bit his neck as he fumbled in the drawer on the nightstand next to the bed. “Shit, Cali,” he hissed. “Condom.”
“Hurry,” she told him, nipping at his chin.
He yanked the drawer out of the nightstand and tossed all the contents onto the bed next to them. When his fingers ran across the edge of a plastic wrapper, he picked it up and shoved the drawer and everything else off the side of the bed.
She snatched the condom from him, ripped it open and put it on. When it was secure, he pushed into her slowly, grinding his teeth as she enveloped him.
“I want you, Red,” she whispered as she raked her teeth over his earlobe. “Don’t stop.”
He closed his eyes as she continued to whisper what she wanted him to do to her. He began to move inside her, pumping in and out slowly. Rubbing his nose under her chin, he hooked his hands under her knees. He bent down and pulled one of her breasts into his mouth until she groaned in pleasure.
“Faster,” she ordered breathlessly. “I need you. Now.”
“Shut up. I got this.” He bit down on his cheek. She always felt so good and he wanted to relish the time they spent like this—when she was all his. But his need for completion urged him on. As he picked up the pace, she met his thrusts until they settled into their own rhythm.
Grabbing her hands, he lifted them above her head and pushed into her deeper. When she opened her eyes, he smiled down at her. Cali never closed her eyes. Unlike other women, she wanted to watch and he loved that about her. It saved him the trouble of telling her to open her eyes. They kept their eyes trained on each other as they made love. Scraping his teeth against her ear, he gripped her bottom and tilted it up. She fell apart immediately, and he followed, sinking his teeth into her shoulder.
Collapsing onto her, he struggled to catch his breath. She ran her fingers through his hair.
“Damn,” he said. “That was…”
“I know.” She brushed her lips against his brow, then his nose, and finally his lips. She burrowed in to his side. “Did I tell you Uncle Cal was coming next week?”
“No.” She hadn’t told him, but he knew. Uncle Cal had contacted him about setting up a meeting, but didn’t go into much detail. He swept his hand up her back. “Is everything okay?”
She shrugged. “He sent an e-mail with his itinerary, said he couldn’t wait to see me, and that was it.”
He gazed down at her. Her gaze flitted across the room, never making eye contact with him. “You’re worried.”
“I don’t know. I guess. It is kind of odd.”
It was odd, considering the older man hated planes. “Well, maybe he misses you.”
“Maybe,” she said softly.
No words were spoken for a while. They stayed like that, her nestled in his arms. Making love to Cali felt right—and wrong—because he knew it wouldn’t last.
It didn’t happen right away, but eventually, she made up an excuse to leave. And he let her.