Lovely (36 page)

I pull her into an embrace. “Thank you, Mom.”

Cara and I approach her front door, our arms linked together, her head on my shoulder. I feel so much lighter now. Colt’s home, and while he still needs radiation treatments, the doctors said his prognosis is really good. For the first time in a while, I feel like I can breathe. There’s so much to be thankful for.

I bend down and surprise Cara by lifting her under her knees and carrying her inside, her head falling back as she giggles, both calming and exciting me at the same time.

“Ash! What are you doing?”

She’s kicking her legs in a frenzy and I grab her ass. “I’m carrying you over the threshold,” I murmur in her ear.

I guess that turned her on, because she tangles her hands in my hair and pulls me in, her tongue everywhere inside my mouth, fervent and wanting. I love every part of Cara, but I especially love when she sets herself free.

We fly up the stairs and once inside her room, I set her on her feet, letting her body slowly slide down mine so she can feel how hard I am for her. I hear her gasp as my cock pushes up against her. “I’ve missed you so much,” I moan. “It’s been a whole week, you know.” My lips move to her chin, trailing slow kisses down the smooth skin of her neck, shivering as she makes a noise low in her throat. “I want to be inside you …”

She whimpers and my lips continue their sensuous torture of her heated skin. I shift the spaghetti strap of her dress down her arm so I can lick a path across her shoulder blades. When my lips meet her skin, she trembles, her body crackling with hunger. Her fresh scent falling under my nose drives me crazy and I breathe deeply, desire consuming me. I come back up to claim her mouth, twirling my tongue around hers, tasting everything she has to give … and I want it all.

She backs up and shimmies her dress down, tossing it aside. I drink her in, my eyes roving the length of her body, feasting on the sight of her bare breasts and her sexy, purple lace panties. I lower my mouth and take her soft, pink nipple between my lips, nibbling on it until it puckers and peaks beneath my tongue. Cara pushes her breasts forward, her head rolling back, soft moans leaving her perfect lips. My hand makes its way down between her legs, pushing her panties aside.

A low rumble leaves my chest. “God, Cara, so wet.”

“Hmmm …” She starts rubbing herself against me, making every inch of me harden further, my desire to be inside her now frantic.

“Come here, tiger,” I say, my voice raspy, and we make our way over to the bed. “Lie back.”

She drops onto the bed and wiggles herself toward the pillow. I pull my shirt over my head and step out of my jeans and boxers. She slips her fingers into the hem of her panties and pulls them off.

I climb over her, letting my eyes roam up and down her body. “You are so fucking beautiful … and
I
am so fucking lucky.”

Cara’s eyes are dark and stormy again, her body shivering with want. “I want to feel you, Ash, just you, skin against skin.”

“But Cara, I …”

She kisses her finger and places it to my lips. “I’m on the pill … it’s okay.”

“I want you to know I’ve always used protection and I’ve been tested …”

She silences me with a kiss. “I trust you, Ash, and I want this.”

Keeping my eyes on hers, I grab my pulsing erection and tease her, biting back a moan when I feel her shudder beneath me. I soak the head of my cock with her wetness before entering her slowly, savoring feeling her for the first time, really feeling her. With nothing between us, I thrust in and out of her, reveling in her warmth and the sweet whimpering sounds leaving her parted lips. She pushes her hips up to meet mine, our bodies and our breathing intertwined, and I can no longer feel where she starts and I begin … we are one, mind, body, and soul.

“God, Cara, you feel so warm and tight,” I groan.

We find the perfect rhythm as I rock back and forth inside her, sweat pouring off of us, my muscles tightening with hers. Sexy noises of arousal gush from her lips, making me impossibly harder. Bending down, I crash my mouth to hers, stealing all her breath, her moans, until finally, with one last thrust, we come together.

I roll off of her, exhausted, the weight of everything that’s gone on in the past couple of weeks dragging me into a well of sheer exhaustion. Pulling Cara as close as possible, she drapes her arm over my chest and I rest my head on hers, whispering my deepest thoughts into her hair. “I’ve never felt this close to another person in my entire life, Cara. You own me … mind, body, and soul.”

The last thing I remember, the thing that lulls me to sleep, is Cara’s whisper.

“I love you, Ash.”

The weeks following Colt’s surgery have been happy ones. He’s doing really well and Cara and I are closer than ever. I can’t seem to get enough of her. Even if she just sits and reads poetry to me, it’s all I need.

I pick Cara up from the library after my last class. I don’t ever tire of looking at her. She has a huge smile on her face and it completes me. “Hi, baby.” Giving her a quick kiss, I take her hand in mine. I gaze at her, strands of her hair blowing in the breeze as she lifts a finger to pull it from her lips. “So, what do you want to do?”

She’s smiling up at the sunshine. “I actually have some studying to do for my Child Psychology class. But I’d love it if you’d walk me to my car.”

“Sure,” I say without hesitation.

As we’re walking, I take periodic glances over at her. Her eyes are closed, taking in the sun, her long lashes fanned against her face, her lips turned up in an
all is right with the world
smile. Her dress is blowing up gently, revealing her tanned legs.

The calm feeling I have from watching Cara disappears once we get to her car. Tomorrow’s Friday and she’s leaving for San Jose to visit her aunt and I’m really going to miss her.

She shifts her eyes in my direction, noticing my grimace. “What’s wrong, Ash?”

I back her up against the car, taking both her hands in mine. I don’t want to sound like a lovesick fool, even though I feel like one. “I’m just going to miss you, that’s all. I’m not going to see you until Monday. That’s four days, you know?”

She runs her tiny fingers across my hand, back and forth, without looking up. “I’m going to miss you too, Ash.” She grins and kisses my hand. “You know what they say … absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Makes what grow harder?” I tease, pushing my groin against hers with a devilish smirk.

She giggles and shoves me away, blinking from the bright sun.

“Come here, baby.” I lift her chin so I can meet her eyes. “Will you call me when you get there tomorrow?” I ask her, anxious to make sure she arrives safely.

She raises her head up and moves her lips over mine with such tenderness, sliding inside to stroke my tongue with hers. “Of course I will.”

I hear her sigh into my mouth and smile. Those little sounds of hers are so hot. I give her one last kiss and tug her against me before I let her go.

Grabbing her backpack, she opens the car door and pauses. “I’m bringing my camera with me so I’ll have lots of pictures to show you when I get back,” she says excitedly, flashing me one last smile before climbing in. “I love you, babe.”

“I love you, too, beauty. Be safe, and don’t forget to call me.”

She blows me a kiss and I watch her drive away, unmoving until I no longer see her car in sight, only the trail of hearts she leaves behind.

The house is empty and quiet when I get home. I throw my backpack on the coffee table and make my way into the kitchen. I grab a couple of slices of bread, take the peanut butter and jelly out of the fridge, and slap together a sandwich. Pulling open the dishwasher, I take a clean glass and fill it with water, grab a plate and stride upstairs. As I’m eating my sandwich, I can’t help wonder what Cara’s doing. I miss her already.

I trade my jeans and polo for a pair of sweats and a clean t-shirt. I pull out my iPod and earphones, stick the buds in my ears and lay back on the bed. I spring up, remembering to grab my cell phone off my desk and sit it next to me, just in case Cara calls.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, I wake up in darkness and a pool of sweat. I glance at the clock and it says 10:00. I had an awful dream that Cara’s plane crashed. Quickly, I nab my phone to see if I have any missed calls or texts from Cara, but nothing. I’m not sure what gets into me, but I have to see her again. Hopping off the bed, I pull a hoodie on, grab my shoes and keys and head out the door to her house.

The house is dark when I arrive and I don’t see Cara’s light on. I spot a tiny pebble on the ground and throw it up to reach her window. She doesn’t respond, so I pick up a slightly larger one, fling it behind me, and pray I don’t break her window. This time, I actually hear it tap against the glass. My heartbeats are hard and fast, I’m hoping no one in the neighborhood mistakes me for a prowler and calls the police. When I turn back around, I see a dim light and Cara standing at the window. It occurs to me that Nadine probably isn’t home and all I had to do was ring the doorbell.
Duh
.

She slides the window open, a confused grin on her face. “Ash, what are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you,” I say, attempting to be as quiet as possible.

“Hold on,” she says and disappears from the window.

I stand in the middle of the lawn until I hear the latch to the front door and see Cara standing there in her tank top and shorts. Jogging over to the door, I lean down and kiss her nose.

She rubs her eyes and wraps her arms around me. “Are you okay?”

“I just had to see you.” I take a moment to memorize her—the deep brown of her eyes, the way her lips curve up in the corners, the angle of her cheekbone, every single detail of her face. “Yeah, I just … I had to see you one more time before you left.” I cup her cheeks and draw her lips to mine before backing away. “I love you, baby. I’ll see you Monday.”

I don’t bother heading over to the library today because I know Cara won’t be there. Instead, I make my way across the parking lot to head right to class.

“Hey, Ash!” Jason shouts, and I slow down until he catches up with me. He throws his arm around my shoulder. “Hey! I wanted to see what you and Cara are doing tomorrow night? Maybe we can double date or something?”