Page 44 of Brighter than the Boss
He nuzzled his face down into my neck, no small feat given the height difference. Then his lips grazed my skin and I forgot all about teasing him. His teeth nipped and I formulated a plan for leaving the party early. His tongue slid across the same spot and I was willing to drop all pride and climb up his body right there in front of everyone.
Pulling back just as I was about to hook my arms over his shoulders and make a leap for it, the smile I'd been hoping for originally was finally on his face.
"Remember when we demonstrated Jiu Jitsu for Shasta?" At my dazed nod, he continued. "You smelled like sugar cookies and I wanted to taste you so badly. I don't know how you do it, but you taste like cookies too. I want to lick you everywhere, Sunshine."
"Cheese and crackers, Cain..." I muttered, ducking my head and burying my face in his chest. We needed to leave. Now.
His laugh rumbled through his chest and though I didn't appreciate that my embarrassment was causing so much levity, I didn't care. I just wanted to be alone with this big man on his knees before me, worshipping my body like he did last night and this morning.
Ignoring my obvious need, he steered me back to the party, grabbing me a drink and even dancing with me to a slow song. It was terribly romantic there in the dark, under the white lights and the flickering flame. My tender, little heart fought to keep from melting.
I had to be realistic. I couldn't fall for him yet.
Not this soon.
* * *
The liquid was cold on my heated skin, dripping down my body as I lay motionless. Anticipation made me twitchy, which led to more drips tickling their way over my skin.
He'd asked so nicely, how could I say no?
Which was how I'd ended up on my bed naked, spread eagle, watching a naked, aroused Cain stalking around my bedroom, a glass bottle of amber whiskey in hand. His eyes were more intense than I'd ever seen them, his gaze trained solely on my body. He'd wanted to share a drink with me when we'd returned from the party and let Chili out. Then that devious smile had appeared and he'd given me orders like he assumed I'd jump to carry them out. Quite like a well-trained seal.
I'd been about to protest with a barking noise (I do the best barking seal impressions) when he'd dropped the smile and said please, just short of the line of begging. No woman on earth could have resisted that. Go ahead and judge me. I really didn't care because I was looking at a naked specimen of a man and he was all mine.
"Mmm. You have no idea how beautiful you look right now, Sunshine."
Satisfied with his bartending skills, he placed the bottle on my dresser, grabbed protection, and climbed onto the bed by my feet. His head dipped down, just inches from my body.
"Remember not to move."
More damn instructions. I'd have to have a talk with him about that habit.
Later. Much later.
His tongue slid up my leg as he lapped up the whiskey. Everything tickled; his tongue, his five-o'clock shadow, the whiskey still dripping slowly. And then the tickle became a surge of sensation, flooding through my body as he licked me clean, no trail left unfollowed. He never lingered, instead taunting me with quick flicks of his tongue in some areas and then a long, thorough lapping that made my eyes roll back in my head.
I writhed and wiggled. Gasped and panted. He shushed me repeatedly as he moved about the bed. Between his tongue and the sight of his strong muscles shifting as he leaned over me at all angles, I was certain of one thing: I was forever ruined for other men. My body and brain wanted him always. But my heart was the holdout. If her walls fell, I'd be ruined, totally lost to Cain forever.
And given his demons and his track record, falling for him this quickly would be the most irresponsible thing I'd ever done.
But as he slid inside me, his mouth sealing to mine in an urgent kiss, and then later as I whispered his name while he shouted mine, I heard the first bricks fall.
* * *
"Why did you go off by yourself at the party?"
We were spooning in my tiny bed, his arms wrapped around me tight as I closed my eyes. I needed sleep, but I needed to understand him more.
His breath blew across my hair and his whole body stiffened. I found myself stroking my fingertips down his arm without even thinking about it. Somehow, it had become my mission to give him all the affection and encouragement he'd clearly missed out on when he was younger.
The stiffness remained, but he didn't retreat, choosing to answer me, though I sensed the words didn't come easy.
"I just couldn't help comparing. I mean, here you have two parents, happy and in love. Absolutely elated to tell everyone that they're bringing a new human being into the world. A circle of friends to help them and be there for that child." He chuckled darkly, the lonely sound raising the hairs on my arms. "Hell, I couldn't even get my parents to meet me, let alone give a shit about me. Figured my pity party wasn't appropriate for the moment and I took myself off to the side."
He shrugged, like what he said wasn't a huge deal, like the deep emotions were silly. We both knew they were anything but. He'd been hurt, the wound open and fresh, even after all these years. Reminders of love and family all around him, year after year, had festered, to the point that even if the wound closed, he'd have a permanent scar. But a scar was livable. The question was, could he close the wound?
I patted his arm, my heart racing, my mind made up. I had an idea. A crazy one.
