Page 71 of My Mistake To Make

‘First off, it’s not about what I want. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together. I want you to go after whatyouwant, sowecan figure out what we like. All I’m asking of you is that you trust me and you communicate with me.’

‘But I have no idea what that is. I don’t know what I like because I don’t have any experience to draw on. I’ve had exactly two orgasms in my whole life, and you gave me both of them.’

‘Come here.’ I sit back and hold out my arms for her. Relief wraps me up the moment she crawls into my lap. ‘Baby, look at me. Any man who doesn’t bend over fucking backward to make sure his partner has the time of their life in bed is a selfish prick, and I swear to god, right now, if you’re enjoying yourself, I don’t care if you’re flat on your back or swinging from the door frame. Second of all, you can trust me. You are safe with me. That means you can tell me if there’s something you want to try. I want you to tell me when you don’t like something, and I want to hear it when you do.’

‘I just feel so,god, I’m thirty, Doug, and I don’t know how to make myself...’

I inhale deeply and glance at the watch on my wrist. We have forty minutes until the guys get here. I know what I want to do, but I don’t want to rush this.

I reach up to cup her face and bring her mouth to mine, kissing her deeply before I pull back.

‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I brought breakfast, so we’re going to go downstairs and eat, drink some coffee, thenI’m going to get ready for work. You need to do something that makes you feel good today. Get a massage, get your hair done, buy some new clothes, or stay up here and investigate those toys I heard my sisters talking about.’ Her eyes widen, and I wink. ‘Whatever makes you relax, and feel good, do that. Then, once the guys leave and Bo is in bed, I’m coming back here to show you just how sexy you are.’

I kiss her again, then push her off my lap so she falls to the mattress and shrieks in surprise.

‘What are you waiting for?’ I ask as I pull my sweats back on and reach for my shirt. ‘Get your cute butt downstairs and make me some coffee, woman.’

Working on Cara’s housewhile she is here and knowing I can’t touch her or even look in her direction unless it’s to talk to her about the house is torture. Watching her leave the house in high-waisted jeans and a cropped shirt, her hair loose and wavy from the braidIput in there, is worse. Watching the guys checking her out as she climbs into her car and drives off is fucking hell on earth.

‘Ey,eyes on the job,’ I snap, and they laugh.

‘Sorry, boss, but you’ve got to admit…’

‘Don’t finish that sentence,’ I growl to the young punk grinning at me. ‘This is a job, not a bar. Keep your head in the game and your dick in your pants.’

I storm away, hating not knowing where she went and hating not being able to kiss the breath out of her before she left.

I pull out my cell, and there are two messages.

Cara:I’m heading out to meet Missy for lunch. See you later… You look good without your shirt on GC!

GC? I wrack my brain, trying to understand what she means, then laugh, loud enough to draw unwanted attention: Grumpy Contractor.

Still smiling, I click out of her message, and my smile turns into a scowl.

Jessie:I’m picking Bowie up at 5.

No fucking way. Angrily, I start to reply.

Me:No. I won’t be back from work by then. I’ll bring her home tomorrow as planned.

Jessie:Leave work early then. I’m getting her from Zoe at 5. Don’t take that tone with me!

And there it is, the warning. Thinly veiled but there,don’t take that tone with meis one step before a direct threat. I inhale and shake my head as I blow it out. Almost there. Just play her game a little longer. Knowing I’ll be with Cara tonight and every fucking night if I can help it makes this all a little easier to bear.

Me:Fine. Get her at 5.

On one hand, this fucks my plans for tonight. I was hoping to drive out and pick something up, but now I need to see my baby before she’s dragged back into the dragon’s lair. On the other, I can stay over tonight. If Cara wants me to, I can make love to her all night and sleep with her in my arms, and fuck if that doesn’t sweeten the poison.

‘Philips, right?’ I call out to the guy working closest to me. He nods his chin up and stands to face me.

‘Yeah, something wrong?’

I shake my head and walk over. ‘Nah, I just need a favor. You want to earn yourself an extra fifty bucks today?’

And just like that, all my plans are in motion.

I’m sitting on theporch when Cara gets home, shopping bags in her hands that make me curious to find out what she bought this afternoon.

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