Lovely (28 page)

Charlie’s driveway and lawn are filled with cars when we arrive. Music thunders through the speakers, the vibrations pounding underneath our feet, bodies packed like sardines. The stench of alcohol fills the air, shot glasses and beer bottles already line the tables. Charlie even splurged for a disco ball, which hangs in the center of the living room, facets of light bouncing everywhere. When I look at Cara’s face, sparkles are covering it.

“You’re glowing,” I tease.

“I feel like I am,” she admits as her eyes make their way from mine down to her bracelet and she runs her fingers over the tiny hearts.

I reach out my hand to hers. “Let’s dance.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she flirts, a smile lighting her eyes.

We squeeze in between all of the hip grinding, and I wrap my arms around her waist and she leans her head on my shoulder.

“I love the way you smell,” I whisper, burying my face in her hair. She’s pressing up against me, and that’s when I notice something.
Fuck me
. “You’re not wearing a bra,” I murmur with surprise in my voice.

“Nope.” She grins so wide it tickles my neck.

“I think it’s time to go,” I joke, and I pull her tightly to me so I can feel her without her bra … heaven.

She pinches me in the stomach. “We just got here.” She laughs and her nose skates across my skin.

“Listen, if you’re going to pinch me, could you just aim a little lower and to your left?” She giggles and I spin her around, all the while humming lyrics in her ear. My hand leaves her waist and slowly makes its way to her face. I lift her chin and look deep into her eyes. “I am so completely and totally in love with you, Cara Hayward.”

She reaches up to trace my jaw, a sigh dropping from her mouth in a whisper. “I know.”

She goes back to resting her head on my shoulder, and I go back to being happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

As the song is ending, I feel a tap on my shoulder. “Can I cut in?” Charlie asks.

Fortunately, Cara’s mine now so I’m not as inclined to kick his ass. “Uh, I suppose. Just keep your hands to yourself, dude.”

He laughs. “Of course. Cara, may I have a dance with you?”

“Sure.” She blows me a kiss and takes Charlie’s hand.

I see Delilah grabbing a shot over by the table and barrel through the drunken crowd to get to her. “Hi, baby girl.” I glance around. “Where’s Julie? And I haven’t seen Colt and Stacy either.”

“Hey!” She gives me a huge, head-bobbing smile and I can tell she’s seriously buzzed. She downs the shot and slaps it on the table. “Julie’s in the kitchen and Colt and Stacy are somewhere sucking face, no doubt. Where’s your Cinderella?”

“She’s out there dancing with Charlie.” I grin. “I reluctantly let him cut in. Listen, I wanted to say thank you. Cara told me you helped her with the dress.”

Delilah peeks over at Cara, admiring her handiwork. “Yup, I sure did! And she looks beautiful, doesn’t she?”

I catch a glimpse of Cara out on the dance floor. “Yes, the dress makes her look even
more
beautiful.” She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and I can’t take my eyes off of her.

Delilah pokes her head around to get my attention, waving her hands wildly in front of me. “Hello, earth to Ash … I’m over here.”

I sigh, somehow managing to tear my eyes away from my beauty and come back to Delilah. “Oh, sorry.”

She clasps her hands together in front of her as if she’s praying. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” she asks in a hopeful voice, making me smile because I know my sister always wants the best for me.

I turn around again to see Cara. “Yes, I am.” I’m in so deep I don’t ever want to be pulled out.

“I never thought I’d see the day. My brother, wanting a girl for something other than hot sex.” A hearty laugh slips out of her mouth.

“Gee, thanks, am I supposed to take that as a compliment?” I pinch her playfully on the arm.

“Well, come on, it’s true. She’s changed you, Ash, everyone can see it, and I, for one, think it’s great. I mean, how long can you go on being a gigolo? Besides, she’s awesome, and I’ve become quite fond of her. In fact, I think she’d make a great sister-in-law.”

Delilah’s words make me grin like an idiot. Have I thought about marrying Cara? Hell, yes; I think about it all the time. I love the idea of those soulful brown eyes being the last ones I look into at night and the first ones I see in the morning.

Cara meets up with us and I hug her to my side. Delilah downs another shot and hands one to her, then to me. “Boy, this place is hopping.”

Cara tosses back the shot with a grimace and I laugh. “Do you want me to get you a beer, Cara?”

“Yes,” she responds, fanning her hand in front of her face as if it’s suddenly very hot in here. “I’m not a fan of hard liquor.”

I give her a chaste kiss and head down the crowded hallway until I reach the kitchen. I attempt to get to the fridge but am halted by a couple with their tongues down each other’s throats. “Excuse me,” I say loudly.

They reluctantly move out of the way and I grab a couple of beers. Turning around to leave, I bump right into a huge set of tits and when I look up to see who they belong to, I find Shelby. Her boobs are straining against a black sequined dress three sizes too tight and she looks like she could combust at any minute.

“Hey, Shelby.”

She’s still standing awfully close and doesn’t back up even when it’s clear I’m trying to move past her. “Are you here alone, Ash?”

I put both my hands on her arms to move her out of the way. “No, Shelby. I’m here with Cara.”

She purses her lips and rolls her eyes. “I don’t know
what
you see in her.”

What don’t I see in her
?

I leave Shelby behind and round the corner to find Cara. As I do, I catch sight of Colt and Stacy on the back porch practically dry humping. Her legs are wrapped around his waist and their lips are stuck together. I shake it off and turn around smacking right into Jason.

“Hey, man, I was wondering when you’d show up.”

He takes a swig of beer from a red Solo cup. “I got here a few minutes ago. Man, this place is rocking. Where’s Cara?”

“She’s in the other room with Delilah.”

Jason shoves one hand in his pocket while he takes another drink, failing miserably to conceal a smile. “Cool. I’m going to go say hello.”

We round the corner to the living room and see Delilah and Cara dancing. Jason heads for Delilah, whispering something in her ear when he reaches her that causes her to laugh and me to roll my eyes.

I set my beer down on a nearby table and grab Cara, taking her by surprise and spinning her around. She bursts out into a spell of contagious laughter and I pull her into a twirl to my chest and find her lips.

It’s getting pretty late and I’ve, quite frankly, had enough dancing. I stopped drinking hours ago so I’d be okay to drive and now I’m sweaty and hot, and Cara looks well, sexy, sweaty and hot. Pulling her close, I drop a wet kiss behind her ear and whisper, “I want in your dress.”

“Hmmm …” she purrs, leaning in, her eyes a heated dark brown, her warm breath skimming my neck. “We’re even, because I want in your pants.”

I swear my cock almost jumps out of them at her words. It’s dying to say hello. We need to find the quickest route out of here before I decide I can’t wait and find a room upstairs.

“Let’s go, loverboy,” she says in a sultry voice, tugging on my hand and dragging me along behind her.

We barely make it to the car, before her hands are all over me. “Whoa, baby, what’s gotten into you?”

“You,” she says simply, plunging her tongue into my mouth and massaging my cock through my pants.

I push her off me for just a second. “Cara, I want you, too, but not in Charlie’s driveway. Let’s go back to your house.”

She pulls me in for a heated kiss before clutching the door handle and getting in the car. “Okay, but drive quickly.”

Our hands are all over each other before we even get to the door. Her keys fall to the ground, and us along with them. Cara’s already pulling my shirt out of my pants, whining for me to hurry, laughing all the while. I can barely get her keys in the door and when I do she slams it shut behind me and all bets are off.

“Come here, tiger.” I grab her and pull her tightly against my body so she can feel how hard I am for her. Slipping inside her mouth, I get lost in the sensation and the dance of our tongues that’s become so familiar.

Her hands, clumsy from drink, move lower as she tries to unzip my pants, cackling along the way.

“What’s so funny?” I ask her, my highly aroused state making me too focused on undressing her.

“Your zipper is stuck, and I’m about to bust it open.”

“You’re such a sex kitten tonight,” I observe. “I’m seriously liking it.” I slowly glide my hand up her smooth thigh and under the silk hem of her dress. When I reach the lace of her panties, I’m greeted by wet warmth. My eyelids close and I breathe deeply. “Cara, you’re already so wet and I haven’t even touched you yet.”

“I know,” she replies hoarsely. “All I have to do is think about you. You make me crazy.”

I reach down and lift her, cradling her ass, and carry her upstairs. She rests her head against my shoulder, and I whisper, “I intend to drive you completely insane tonight.”

She’s already starting to moan and with every sound I’m growing harder. I kick open the door to her room and nearly tear it off the hinges. She starts grabbing for my zipper again and I reach for her hands.

“Slow down. We have all night and I want to savor every minute with you.” I pause as something occurs to me. “Wait a minute. Does this have anything to do with what Shelby said to you the other day?” I curse myself for bringing up her name at this moment.

She turns her head and focuses her attention on the wall, instantly giving me my answer. “I just want to be enough for you.” She says it so quietly I almost don’t hear her.

I bring her back to me, caressing her face in my hands, sweeping my lips against hers. “Cara, listen to me. It’s
you
that I want.
You’re
the one that turns me on.” I place her hand over my bulging erection and her fingers curl around it. “But, more importantly, you turn me on in here.” I move her hand and place it over my heart.

A tear slides down her perfect cheek and I reach up and wipe it away.

“You’re the only one I’ve wanted, Cara, since the moment I first saw you … It’s
your
eyes that invade my dreams,
your
body that fulfills my fantasies,
your
beautiful spirit that’s taken over my heart. It’s
you
, Cara.”

More tears start to flow and I kiss them all away. “I love you, Cara, and I don’t want to rush this … I don’t want to rush
us
. Let me love you … slowly, tenderly, reverently … because that’s how much you mean to me.”

She rests her forehead against mine and I slide my hand around to the back of her neck, urging her forward until her breath reaches my lips. I trace the peaks with my tongue, grinning when a gasp of pleasure floats from her mouth. She opens and I delve into her warmth, our tongues pleasuring one another as they curl and dance.

I leave her mouth and my tongue grazes her earlobe, biting gently, her lips parting in a whimper. “I want you naked,” I whisper against her throat.

She lets her head fall back and I lick a path down her neck inciting a tiny moan to slip out. Slowly, I reach around and take her zipper between my fingers, sliding it, and her dress, down as I continue pressing kisses to her nape. Her dress falls to the floor and my eyes rake over her body, now covered only by a pair of blue lace panties, her pink nipples already hardened with desire. I trail my tongue down her bare flesh until I cover her breast with my mouth, rolling my tongue around, flicking and sucking her tight nipple until her eyelids flutter closed on a moan and she’s aching with need.

“I want to feel you, Ash,” she pants, and I reach down and cup her ass, lifting her so she can wrap her legs around my waist.

I can feel her heat through her panties. She grinds against me and now it’s me who needs to feel her, skin to skin. I place her down on the bed and take a minute to just look at her. She’s braless, covered only by her lace panties, her tits firm and perfectly round, her face flushed with lust, her eyes hazy pools of brown. She’s perfect and she’s all mine.

“Hurry up and get naked,” she demands, panting and breathless.

I practically pop the buttons of my shirt trying to get it off and step out of my pants as fast as I can. She’s already naked by the time I make it to the bed, and as I get nearer, her scent further heightens my desire. I crawl up her body and crash my lips to hers, slipping inside of her mouth before leaving her and dragging my lips over every inch of her skin until she’s whimpering like crazy and her hands and legs can’t stay still on the rumpled sheets.

“I need to taste you,” I say, my voice low and husky.

I shiver in anticipation when I feel her body humming beneath me. My tongue moves past her belly button and reaches her upper thigh, my breath catching in my throat. She’s glistening and so beautiful. She parts her legs further and I rub her clit with my thumb, working my tongue back and forth until she’s shuddering beneath me, bending her hips into my mouth, and I know she’s close.