“I wonder where that’s coming from; I mean, why he all of a sudden has a problem with their relationship,” Celia mumbles, wondering aloud.
“Mom says he had a hard time accepting the relationship in the beginning, but he loves her, and he grew to love Mo. I guess he’s pulling from old beliefs, I don’t know. He’s said some hateful things to Mom, too, but it’s been a lot less common now that Mo doesn’t come around. I guess it’s out of sight, out of mind.”
“I know it’s hard for you to accept the man he is today. But I want you to know I saw a lot of the man who raised you tonight. I can see why you love and respect him. He’s still there, he’s just harder to see.”
I close my eyes and let her words settle within me. I’m not sure why, but it brings me comfort. Maybe it’s nice to know parts of him, the great parts of him, are still discernable.
“With every day that passes, he slips further away. I want to spend as much time with him as I can, and at the same time, watching his mind deteriorate is killing me. Watching someone I love slowly disappear before my eyes is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Yes,” she whispers softly. “Yes, it is.”
Celia faces me, sitting on her knees, her hands on my cheeks. Her thumb rubs back and forth across my stubble, as her eyes stay trained on my lips.
“I’m sorry for all of this heavy shit. I wanted tonight to be fun, but that’s not how it turned out, did it?” I squeeze her waist gently and rest my forehead to hers.
“There were parts of tonight that were fun. But even better, tonight was real. I love being real with you, Cain.”
Before I can answer, her fingers tighten, pressing into my skin, pulling me closer. When her lips touch mine, it feels like victory. She sucks in a ragged breath as she bites down on my bottom lip. Her teeth ignite me. Her lips taunt me. Her tongue slides against mine and awakens my ever-present hunger. Her body inches closer, and I pull her to me, pressing her into my cock. I want her to know what she does to me—how fucking hard she makes me.
Her whimper turns into a faint giggle. “Well, that feels real. So very real,” she whispers as she pushes her hot, little body into mine.
“See what you do to me?” I drop my head into the crook of her neck, the hint of honeysuckle surrounding me.
The sky rumbles and drops of water splash on the back of my neck. I look up to the sky moments before it opens up, showering us with sheets of rain.
Celia screeches and covers her head, as if her tiny hands will shield her from the torrential downpour. “Hurry, Cain, we’re getting soaked!”
I throw my head back and laugh. “No worries. Cheap sugar doesn’t melt, darlin’.”
Celia drops her hands and stares at me in disbelief. “Did you just call me cheap?” She hears a rumble of thunder and throws her hands back over her drenched head. “Shit, whatever, just hurry!”
I start the boat, chuckling to myself the entire time, and drive us back to the wharf. I slowly and carefully help her out of the boat before tying it up and meeting her at the truck, where she’s squealing and doing the pee-pee dance.
“You’re killing me, Cain Bennett! Hurry up,” she squeaks, hopping from one foot to the other.
Once we’re both safely inside the truck, I grab her by the waist and slide her across the slippery seat until we’re face to face. I gently swipe my tongue across her mouth, licking the rain from her lips. “I don’t know what you’re fussing over. I like you wet.”
My words shift the mood back where I want it, and we’re a tangle of tongues, teeth, and lips once again. It’s taking all of my willpower not to peel off each layer, unwrap the present that is Celia, and bury myself deep inside of her. But I don’t think Celia’s a pickup truck lay type of girl … well, at least not for the first go-round.
Her lips leave mine, and I grunt at the loss.
“Cain … Cain?” she whispers as she dodges my advance, much to my irritation.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Let’s go home,” she says. “I want you to take me home.”
She gives me a knowing look. At least I think I know that look. Fuck, she means what I think she means, right? My heart beating out of my chest and my dick hard enough to sculpt concrete have my mind fuzzy.
“Wait, do you mean ‘take you home’ like take … you … home?” I waggle my eyebrows and widen my eyes for emphasis, hoping she gets what I mean.
“Cain?”
“Yeah?” I ask, feeling her hand lightly graze my thigh as she moves, up, up, up and wraps her fingers around my jean-covered cock.
“Start the truck.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Say You Love Me” by Jessie Ware
Present Day
I TURN OFF the truck ignition, completely clueless as to how we actually made it to her house. My foot stayed firmly jammed onto the gas pedal as she continued to stroke me through my jeans. When the engine dies, the cab is eerily quiet, other than the constant tapping of raindrops hitting the metal roof.
Celia watches the rain through the windshield and jolts at the sound of lightning. She lays her head on my shoulder and sighs. “Grams always said thunderstorms are the heavens weeping.”
Her voice is sad, reflective. Gone is the playful girl from just moments ago. I stroke her hair and lace my fingers through hers.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think we need a good storm every once in a while. Maybe the heavens aren’t weeping—maybe storms are the angels washing it all away.”
She lifts up and meets my eyes. “Washing what away?”
“The pain.” I lick her neck before nipping her softly with my teeth. I love the way her pulse dances under my tongue. “The regret.” My lips brush over her jaw, and I run my thumb over the dampened skin. “The sorrow,” I say, before pressing my lips to hers and sucking her bottom lip. She moves to deepen the kiss, and she whimpers when I deny her. I move closer, inhaling the scent of honeysuckles and raindrops.
“Let me wash it all away, Celia.”
I’m overcome with how right this feels. Everything before this—every kiss, date, girl, all of it—was counterfeit, a cheap imitation. I run my tongue over the ridge of her earlobe.
“Yes.”
I move back to meet her eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yes,” she whispers, sliding her hands underneath my rain-soaked shirt and dusting her fingertips across my stomach.
I can’t help but grin as I turn off the ignition and steal another kiss. “Again.”
“Yes.” She licks my upper lip. “Yes.” She whimpers as my thumb rolls over her hard nipple. “Yes, yes, yes.” She grips my cock and runs her thumb lightly over the tip.
And with that one touch, my restraint is gone. I swing open the truck door and drag her with me into the pouring rain. The splash of the raindrops nearly drowns out her giggles as I throw her over my shoulder and spank her ass. After taking entirely too much time digging through her purse for the keys and unlocking the door, I lower her to her feet and shut the door.
Silence hangs heavy in the air as we stare hungrily at each other. A roll of thunder rumbles above us. I want to live a lifetime in this moment—these precious seconds between anticipation and ecstasy. I watch Celia, clothes plastered to her tiny frame, her trembling hands curling around her neck, hunger mirrored in her eyes, and I know this is only the beginning.