Page 52 of Too Close To Call

“Tor, you’ve been there for almost four weeks. Do you want to wait four years hoping for a different answer? You may never get the one you want. Can you live with that? You’re the most confident person I know in everything but knowing you are loved by others. You could never step into a stunt or race car the way you do without being confident in yourself. But when it comes to love, it’s like you have a short in your wiring. How’s that for an analogy you’ll understand?”

“Weird, but I get it.”

“You deserve to be loved, Tori. You deserve to find happiness.”

Carina is much more intuitive than I give her credit for. She got it right in one. Those are issues I constantly struggle with. Probably stemming from my mother leaving me. “You’re right. But not anymore. At least I’m working on it. I never want Daisy to question if she’s loved or if she’s enough. I’m not my mother’s daughter. I’m my father’s daughter and he loved me fiercely. Daisy is going to grow up and know that she can do whatever she chooses to do.”

I thought Case loved me just as hard. Am I wrong?

Carina chuckles. “I know she will. How could she not with a mom like you?”

I hear the stairs creak. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you on Saturday if I don’t talk to you before then.”

Case swoops in and scoops me up from bed and throws me over his shoulder. I squeal and laugh as I slap his back, my conversation from only a few moments ago a thing of the past—and we aren’t thinking about the past.

“Breakfast is ready,” he announces and puts his hand on my ass to hold me in place.

“I can walk, you know,” I point out, but I don’t really mind the way he loves to touch me.

“I know, but I like this better,” he replies, his hand squeezing my butt cheek to prove his point.

When we get to the kitchen, he lets me slide down his chest and I can tell how excited he is as my shirt rides up. I feel his length against my stomach, ending up notched between my legs. “I thought we were eating.”

He bends and takes my mouth. A moment later, my shirt goes flying. He skims his knuckles down my neck, over my collarbone, and down to my breast. He starts to lower his head, but pauses to look up at me with naughty eyes. “Oh, we are. I’m going to have my favorites.”

He latches on to my puckered nipple with his mouth and gives a gentle tug.

I sigh and thread my fingers through his hair. He leans me back against the countertop and I hiss from the coolness of the granite against my feverishly hot skin. Moaning, I arch into his touch.

His eyes catch mine and this is one of those times I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the emotion I see there is love. It’s how he used to look at me as if I’m his everything.

He trails his hand down my stomach and finds me wet, hot, and oh so ready for him.

“You make me crazy, Tor,” he whispers against my skin as he follows the path his hand took with his lips.

I moan again when he enters me with his fingers and then gasp his name when his lips close over the swollen bud. He sucks harder and works me faster until I feel the tingles of my approaching release.

“That’s it, baby,” he urges me, and then returns to lapping, sucking, and fingering me until every nerve in my body vibrates. “Fly, baby. Feel what I’m doing to you. Every nip of my lips and every time I plunge my fingers into your pussy and touch you.”

To prove his point, he does touch me in the exact place he knows sends me over the edge. This time is no different. My core tightens and grips his fingers and I pulse against his mouth again and again as I fall over that magnificent edge and straight into oblivion.

He continues to kiss me, down there, until I come back to myself. I push him away and stagger to roll off the counter and then fall to my knees.

“Tori…” he starts to say, but I cut him off.

“My turn,” I say and fumble with the button of his shorts. Once I have it open, I push them to the floor and his cock springs forward and right into my waiting hand. He groans and I look up into his dazed eyes as I lick around the head of his cock like it’s my favorite flavor. It is.

“Mmmm,” I say just before taking him in my mouth. Gripping his ass, I pull him closer until he hits the back of my throat. I’ve never been this brazen before. Taking charge and taking what I want is a heady feeling.

Case sinks his hands into my hair and pulls me against his stomach, and then tugs until his cock slides over my tongue and the tip is at my lips. I pull him back in and he thrusts his hips and growls when he hits my throat again. Over and over, we work together until, with one last thrust, he explodes and screams my name.

I can’t help but wish he’d have said something more.

* * *

Later that morning, we’re walking on the beach hand in hand like it’s any normal day when, in fact, it’s the last Thursday I have on the island. It could be the last Thursday I have with Case.

“Tonight is the family cookout. Do you want to go? We don’t have to, I mean since you’re leaving in two days. They would understand if we didn’t come.”

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