Page 31 of Unearthed Dreams
Their conversation faded as I made my way upstairs, straight into my Pepto-Bismol bedroom. I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, letting my backpack slide to the floor with a thud. My whole body was still humming from Kai’s words.
God. How was I supposed to do...that... here? In my childhood bedroom with its stupid pink walls and the teddy bear collection Mom refused to let me get rid of? With my entire family right downstairs?
I flopped face-first onto my bed, groaning into my pillow. Twenty-two years old and I’d never... The heat crawling up my neck had nothing to do with embarrassment this time. Just the memory of how Kai had looked at me while describing...
A knock at my door made me jump so hard I nearly fell off the bed.
“Charlie? Honey, are you sure you’re okay? You seemed a little flustered down there.”
I pressed my face harder into the pillow. “I’m fine, Mom!” My voice came out muffled but steady. “Just tired from work!”
“Well, if you’re sure...” She paused. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
Oh God. If she only knew what I was actually thinking about right now...
“Thanks, Mom! Really tired though! Goodnight!”
Her footsteps retreated. I rolled onto my back, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that had been stuck to my ceiling since middle school. Between my legs, that dull ache was getting harder to ignore.
Start with your fingertips. Light touches. Teasing.
My hand slipped beneath my waistband, hesitant at first. This felt different than my previous fumbling attempts at self-pleasure. This time, I had... instructions.
Slide them through your center. Feel how wet you are.
I followed his directions, breath catching as sensation bloomed under my fingertips. Heat pooled between my legs as I realized just how... ready I was. Just from his words at the bar. Just from the way he’d looked at me. My other hand gripped my pillow, muffling any sounds that might escape. The last thing I needed was another concerned family member at my door.
Slow circles. Build the pressure gradually.
My movements grew more confident as tension coiled tighter in my core. I bit my lip, thinking of Kai’s hands, his voice, the way he’d...
A door slammed downstairs, and I froze. But the house settled back into quiet, and I let out a shaky breath.
Find that sweet spot.
When I found it, my whole body jerked. The sensation was almost too much, making my toes curl against the sheets. Ipressed my face harder into the pillow, trying to muffle the small sounds.
When it feels too intense, when you’re right on that edge…
Everything was building, the pressure almost unbearable. My thighs trembled as I chased that feeling, remembering how Kai’s voice had dropped even lower as he’d given this final instruction.
Don’t stop until you come apart.
Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me as I buried my face in my pillow, trying desperately to stay quiet while my whole body trembled.
Well... homework completed.
And yet, instead of satisfaction, all I felt wasmore. More want. More need.
I wanted so much more from Kai Callaghan than a fantasy.
Chapter Twelve
KAI
The July sunbeat down mercilessly as I watched another godforsaken small-town parade wind down Main Street. For the second year, I’d been strong-armed into manning the festival beer tent instead of running my actual bar. Something about “community spirit” and “civic duty”—as if closing Callaghan’s on what could’ve been my most profitable night of the summer somehow proved my dedication to Sable Point.
The cheap plastic counter of my makeshift bar was already sticky with spilled beer, the surface wobbling every time I wiped it down. Sweat trickled down my back, and the heavy scents of kettle corn and grilled meat from nearby stands hung thick in the humid air. At least the kegs were still cold. Small mercies.
