The Higher You Fly Page 17

  "Caiden?" she said, reaching down and stroking his hair.

  Not letting up, he added a finger and stretched her opening. She throbbed. From between her legs to the top of her head, he’d brought her to where she’d do anything to have him take her to an orgasm.

  Her hips rose and fell on the mattress. Her breasts spilled out toward the sides of her body and trembled with the vibrations coming from within her. “Please...”

  He moved up her body and latched onto her nipple, drawing the bead deep into his mouth. His cock strained between her thighs, and he thrust his hips, letting the length of his hardness slide against her. She moved with him, trying to force him inside of her but he kept moving, denying her, denying him.

  Last night when he'd carried her in from the porch, they'd both been in such a hurry and uncontrollable. This morning, he had all the time in the world, and she was willing to wait if it meant the pleasure would never stop.

  When she whined, he moved up her body again, hovering over her. She swallowed. Her eyelids heavy, she could do nothing more than gaze into his eyes. Eyes that told her everything would be okay, to trust him, to let him in.

  She ran her hand down his face, over his whiskered jaw, and stretched her body underneath him. The heightened arousal he brought out in her made her greedy.

  "Good?" he asked.

  She hooked her foot behind his calf. "Wonderful."

  He picked up the condom lying on the bed and straightened without leaving her. In seconds, he had himself covered and repositioned between her legs. Holding himself, he rubbed the tip of his cock in her wetness.

  She moved under him, trying to situate him inside of her. He leaned over, sliding his hands underneath her shoulders until he cradled her head, keeping eye contact with her.

  He plunged his cock inside of her and held himself still. “Feel us?"

  "Yes," she whispered.

  “This feeling, like we're made to be together? Trust it,” he whispered back, slowly moving his pelvis back and forth.

  She trembled hard enough her chin trembled, and she stuttered when she said, “I-I'm trying.”

  He moved his hips. Slow and short to start out. She tightened around his width, and he lowered his head, nibbling along her bare neck. He lengthened his stroke, caressing her body. She arched against him. He thrust balls-deep, and she moaned.

  His breath warmed her face. She raised her chin to find his lips. A soft moan escaped her throat. His lips parted hers, and his tongue stroked her tongue. She basked in the flurry of sensations and lapped insatiably on his lips.

  Her core tightened and pulsed as he took control until she had no doubt that he was in possession of the kiss.

  Strong, dominating, and demanding. He took all the liberty he knew she’d give him without asking. Her womb convulsed. Only Caiden could turn a kiss into something more powerful than sex.

  She slanted her mouth, and he kissed her with the desperation of a man seeking reclamation.

  His lips consumed hers, his tongue slid in and out, dancing over and around. She held on tight, lost in the pleasure that had lain dormant since he’d left her.

  Courage.

  Daring.

  Brave.

  He wanted her, needed her, and in return, she was sane, wild, and dreaming again.

  Caiden pulled back, bracing himself on his hands, driving himself in and out, in and out of her. She bucked below him, more alive and connected than she thought possible. Her reality better than any of her fantasies.

  This was her Caiden, and if possible, he was more skilled, more patient, more demanding than before.

  She clung to him, spiraling higher and higher. The first spasm of her orgasm caught her off guard. Her head lifted as her body strained and she bit into his shoulder, constricting underneath him. Wave after wave of pleasure.

  He thrust, held himself deep inside of her and grunted his climax. In her subconscious mind, she smiled over the pure exaltation that came over his features as she let herself enjoy each after-jolt of her orgasm.

  He pulled out of her, took off his condom, dropping it in the wastebasket beside the bed, and then cradled her in his arms. She held onto him, wanting him to stay in her bed with her forever. Wrapped together, he placed soft kisses across her forehead. She tried to bring logic into the last twenty-four hours.

  The only thing that made sense to her was that it was finally their time. Their time to be together. Their time in the cabin. Their time to share a love that started so many years ago.

  "Okay?" He smoothed the hair out of her face.

  She pulled her head off his chest and laughed softly. "That doesn't even have to be asked."

  "I mean, are you okay? If I'm remembering right, that was four times since last night. I don't want you getting sore." He studied her closer. "You need to tell me if it's too much."

  She kissed him, lingering on his lips. "You took my virginity when I was sixteen, Caiden. I can more than handle sex with you."

  He hooked her neck, keeping her close. "But, there's a lot of years I don't know about, not that I'm hedging. There are some things you can keep to yourself. I just want to know if you can handle me because there's going to be more."

  She kissed him again. "More sounds wonderful, but right now, I'm starving."

  She sat up, pulling the sheet over her breasts. There had been men in her life, long after she'd left the clinic, but none of them were Caiden. She tried to find that connection with others, searching for contentment, but she never found fulfillment with anyone else.

  What she'd lacked with others was hope. She went in expecting nothing, so it was okay when she walked away from them and love never entered her mind. She had already found the man she'd wanted in Caiden and because it was impossible to be with him while he was incarcerated, she'd saved her hope for him. Eventually, she realized being without Caiden meant she'd live a loveless life, and she stopped hoping. Eventually, working on her jewelry brought her the most enjoyment. Her heart had gone dormant.

  "I'll start the coffee for you, and then I'm going to jump in the shower." She dropped the sheet and picked up his shirt. "I'll leave your shirt on the bathroom handle."

  "You're stealing my shirt?" He rolled to his back and crammed the pillow under his head. "I rather have you naked."

  "Ha." She wrapped the edges of his flannel shirt around her, thankful for the length of the material almost hitting her knees. "I don't think so."

  He raised his brows. "You were naked in bed in broad daylight. Last night we had the light on."

  "Sure, because I was lying down." She removed clean clothes out of her dresser and glanced behind her. "You remember a young, firm body. Now, gravity hates me when I stand up."

  "You're kidding me," he muttered.

  She flipped the back of the shirt over her butt, giving him a peek. "I'm almost thirty-eight years old, and it shows."

  "There's nothing wrong with your ass, woman." He threw the pillow at her and rolled into a sitting position, grabbing for her.

  She dodged his hands and escaped to the door. Over her shoulder on the way to the kitchen, she said, "I'm not the only one who has aged. You've gotten slow, old man."

  Prepping the coffee maker, she bit down on her lower lip to contain her happiness. Then, she went and showered. Her normal routine of dressing, drying her hair, putting on makeup ended up rushed because all she wanted to do was get back to being with Caiden.

  She returned to find him in the kitchen, looking in her cupboard. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of him with no shirt on, wearing only his jeans and boots. His body had changed over the years, too. While she'd gained more weight in her butt, her breasts, and fought the soft tummy which made her picky about what type of jeans she bought to fool others into thinking she was younger, he only got better with age.

  His lean body now had muscle and the spattering of hair she remembered on his chest had filled in. He'd aged, bringing a maturity to the way he moved that could only be explained as conf
ident and sexy. It was no fair how women battled getting older while men embraced their changes. Even the touch of gray sprinkling his beard and hair looked gorgeous on him.

  He turned in her direction. "What do you eat for breakfast?"

  "The bars on the second shelf." She stepped up beside him and stretched her arm above her head. "I've got coconut with chocolate, cranberry with chocolate, and apricot with chocolate. Which kind do you want?"

  He picked up the box and put it back in the cupboard, shutting the door. "Nobody should eat that shit. Put your coat and boots on, we're going out to eat."

  "But there's food here." She moved over to the next cabinet. "I've got oatmeal and a box of Frosted Flakes, too. Though, it's eleven o'clock, and almost lunchtime."

  Caiden patted her butt and walked past her, scooping his flannel shirt off the table. "We'll get lunch at Rail Point, and then I'll bring you back to the cabin."

  She followed him to the front door, stopping to put her boots on. "Do you have to go to work later?"

  "Yeah." He grabbed her coat and held it open for her.

  "Oh." She slid her arms into the sleeves. "I was hoping you'd stick around today."

  He zipped up his jacket. "You're not going to work on your jewelry?"

  "I was thinking of taking a day off." She grabbed her gloves out of the basket on the floor. "I can pick up tomorrow with a clearer head."

  He paused at the door. "You're tired."

  Of course, she was tired. She'd only received cat naps all night between making love with him. She smiled up at him. "I have too much on my mind, and it takes all my concentration to work on the garnets. They can wait until tomorrow."

  He nodded, not questioning her further, and opened the door. She grabbed her purse and walked outside, blowing her breath out and watching the cloud of white hover in front of her face. In the daylight, she got her first view of the fireplace Caiden bought her and the thin layer of ash from last night's fire. The wooden rocker, a Mission style that went perfectly with the log cabin.

  Caiden locked and shut the door. She moved to the steps, and he put his arm around her shoulders. Together, they walked along the path in the snow.

  "Want to come hang out at the gas station after lunch for a couple of hours?" he asked.

  "I can do that?"

  "Sure."

  "Yes, I'd love to be with you today." She reached up and held his hand on her shoulder. "What are your plans for tonight?"

  "I'm hoping when I bring you home, you'll ask me to spend the night." He stopped at his truck. "Do you think that's going to happen?"

  "Yes." She grinned, climbing through the driver's side of the truck, and scooted across the bench seat.

  Caiden slid behind the steering wheel. "Then, we'll stop at my house before we leave town and I can grab some clean clothes."

  "You're okay with everything?" she asked, needing to make sure they were doing the right thing.

  "Everything?"

  "You know, sleeping with me."

  He rubbed his lips together. "Honestly?"

  "Of, course."

  "I sleep better with you than I do by myself," he said. "I'm talking shuteye, not sex."

  "You usually don't sleep well?"

  He shrugged. "While incarcerated, it was hard to sleep. I got into a habit of staying up most of the night. But, with you, I sleep."

  "Good," she whispered. "I'm glad."

  Filled with plans and looking forward to a day spent with Caiden, she settled in her seat and looked out the passenger side window. She couldn't stop smiling.

  CHAPTER 28

  Truth is everybody is going to hurt you: you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for. —Bob Marley

  The cashier from the gas station stood in the doorway of Caiden's office. Earlier, Jolene had learned her name was Samantha. She'd worked for Caiden for three years.

  Jolene stood at the filing cabinet, inserting receipts into the proper account folders and studied Samantha. It was the third time the employee walked up to the office and even though she brought the register tape up to Caiden, she never once stepped foot inside the room.

  Caiden rounded the desk and took the paper roll. "Thanks."

  "Welcome." Samantha dropped her gaze and backed away before turning and hurrying down the stairs.

  The friendly woman who'd helped her the first time she'd walked into the gas station failed to carry her outgoing personality away from the counter. Samantha appeared shy, almost scared when dealing with Caiden. Even the delivery man who'd dropped off the inventory sheets after stocking the beverage coolers never entered the office or spoke more than four words —See you next week.

  "Let's call it a day." Caiden leaned over her back and kissed the crook of her neck. "Ready to leave?"

  Putting the last receipt in the file, she shut the drawer. "Yep. I'm all done here."

  He handed her coat to her and shrugged into his. "Are you looking for a part-time job?"

  "No." She laughed, knowing she'd go crazy after more than a day of filing and dealing with the payments from the credit card companies.

  "Damn," he muttered. "I liked the idea of having you as my secretary."

  She grinned, loving that idea, too. But not at the gas station. In the comfort of her home, she'd serve him whenever he snapped his fingers.

  He led her downstairs and out the back door to his snow-covered truck. She gazed up at the sky. The weatherman had been wrong. The off and on flurries ended up being constant snow.

  Caiden opened the door and handed her his keys. "Hop in and warm up the truck. I'll clean off the windshield."

  Inside the cab, she leaned over and started the truck, then sat back and put her seatbelt on. Caiden used the sleeve of his jacket to swipe the glass. She rubbed her hands together to keep warm. He never talked much about what he'd made of his life after being released from prison, besides the basics, and she'd learned a lot today. There was more to running a gas station than making sure the pumps worked, and providing customer service at the cash register.

  The community used the mini store inside the station to pick up milk, bread, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. Travelers stopped and asked for directions and bought junk food off the shelves to supply their trip. Young kids from town bought out of the to-go warmer, and despite the freezing temperature, almost fifty percent of the customers walked away with a Slushie cup in their hand.

  Caiden no longer worked at the gas station like he had years ago. He was a business man.

  Through the busy day, Caiden had succeeded to run every aspect of the business from upstairs in his office. She viewed no friendships with his employees or the customers. Even when the gas deliveryman came to fill up the underground tanks, Caiden switched off the pumps from inside the office and had the company send the bill online.

  He kept to himself. His solitude was not something new. He'd been a loner when he was younger, mostly because he felt others treated him unfairly for being poor and living above the bar. She reached out and turned the heater vent away from her, feeling warmer. To her, she saw a wonderful person who cared deeper than most and was fiercely protective.

  Caiden opened the door and jumped inside. "The snow doesn't look like it's going to stop soon. We'll swing by my house, and I'll run in and grab some clothes while you stay in the truck and keep warm."

  "Okay." She stroked his jean-covered thigh. "I'm glad you're spending the night."

  He pulled out onto the road. "Us going forward is a good thing."

  "Is that what we're doing?" she asked.

  Caiden glanced at her, searching for her answer. Feeling claustrophobic bundled up in her coat inside the truck, she looked away. She wanted a relationship with Caiden. She did.

  Having him in her life was scary. She sighed. Not scary when he was with her, but there would come a time when she wouldn't go to work with him, and he wouldn't stay at the cabin while she worked on her jewelry. It only took one thing for her heart to shatter. An argument. A misunderstand
ing. A push of boundaries.

  She had zero confidence in herself to heal should that happen. It'd taken her almost two years to get out of the clinic after her heart broke the first time, and no matter how many times she tried to figure out if she could've changed her reaction to him going to prison, she'd lost her ability to see reality.

  "We sure in the hell are together, Jolene. If you believe otherwise, I'll keep talking until you understand what is going on between us." His eyes softened, belying the tension around his mouth. "I get that this might feel new to you, but that's because we both are living different lives and have to figure out how we can be together. We haven't changed."

  "We've changed," she said softly. "You can't grow up and have an independent life without becoming a different person. Even if we had been together, age and different phases in life come into play and make us who we are. That's why the divorce rate is so high compared to...a hundred years ago."

  "You're making shit up."

  "No, I'm not."

  He turned off the main road, went up the viaduct to High Street, and pulled in front of his house. Leaving the engine running, he turned his attention to her.

  "I'm not going to waste any more time. I want to be with you." He opened the door. "I'm going to do my best to convince you to trust me until you don't have to make a choice and everything we're doing feels natural and right."

  "Caiden?" She planted her hand on the seat and leaned toward him. "I do want you."

  "Then, it's a done deal." He leaned forward into the truck and kissed her. "You and me. Nobody else."

  She kissed him back. "Go get your clothes."

  "Will do." He shut the door and jogged up the stairs to his house.

  She sank back in the seat. Her mind fast-forwarded on everything. Being together, she could handle. It was making it permanent that made her question what would happen, and no one had the answers. Even if she wasn't dealing with baggage, nobody knew the future.

  Then, there was the fact she owned the cabin, which was Caiden's dream, too. The thought of him going home to his house, alone, filled her with guilt. It probably killed him every time he walked out the door and had to leave her place. It would sadden her if the roles were switched and it was her that had to walk away to a house in town.