She trembled, unable to look anywhere but at him, not having any reason to look anywhere else.
“Plus,” he said, “I think they were impressed with how hard we worked to re-open. Showed everyone I’m not such a slacker, after all, I guess.”
“No one thought that—”
“Yes, they did. It’s sort of the rep I’ve had since high school. But, Candace, we’re going to take it slow this time, okay? So you don’t get scared again. There’s no rush…unless you want there to be. You call the shots. I just want to know that I’ll see your face at least once every day. That’s my one requirement. I need my sunshine.”
“I think we can manage that,” she said. She stroked his ringless eyebrow meaningfully. “But tell me this isn’t permanent.”
“Hell no. Are you kidding? I thought it might be important to show you that I’ll try to fit in your world as best I can. You do so well at fitting into mine.”
“Good. Because the piercings?” She leaned closer, putting her lips so close to his ear she knew the breath of her words tickled it. “They get me hot.”
“Fuck,” he groaned. “Keep that up and I’ll pierce myself shut.”
“Well, don’t do that. I like you the way you are.”
His lips smoothed over her forehead. “Yeah?”
“Oh, yes. And if you don’t kiss me soon…”
“Mm. What are you going to do?”
“I have no idea, but it won’t be pretty.”
“Everything about you is pretty.” As gentle as the breeze, his lips skimmed down her nose and landed simply, beautifully, on her own. His thumbs stroked her cheeks as she opened to him, wishing they didn’t have to go back in there, wishing they could go straight home so she could love him all night long. But they had that to look forward to.
As they walked toward the house hand-in-hand, he sighed. “I hope this doesn’t turn out like Meet the Parents on steroids.” Candace cracked up laughing as he went on. “Your folks don’t have an urn containing mortal remains anywhere near the dining area, do they? Can I ask your dad if I can milk him?”
“Brian!” She smacked him, getting hysterical now.
“Maybe I’ll go out on the roof to sneak a smoke and damn near burn the house down.”
“You haven’t started smoking again, have you?!”
“Well damn, you’ve only put me through the wringer these past few weeks. Can you blame me? Don’t you still love me?”
“I’ll love you no matter what,” she said sincerely.
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m joking, I haven’t had a single drag, and I gotta say, if I made it through this without lighting up, I’ve got it kicked. Hey! I babysat the other night.”
He looked so excited and proud about that, she wanted to eat him up. “You did!”
“Yep. My little nephew. I got puked on, peed on and fussed at, but I also got smiled at a lot too. That was cool. I think he likes me.”
“Aww, that’s sweet. We should keep him one night and let Evan and Kelsey go on a date.”
“I’m making strides and all, but I don’t think they trust me enough yet for that.”
“Maybe they’ll trust me.”
“I don’t know. I’m not so sure I do.”
She looked up at him incredulously. “What?”
“You came over here thinking you were meeting up with some other dude.”
Mouth dropping, she stopped in her tracks. “I did not! I came over here for dinner with my parents, that’s it. Believe me, they’re constantly foisting guys on me in one situation or another, it’s not anything new. I just ignore it as best I can.”
Brian caught her by her chin and put his lips close to her ear. Anticipation shivered through her, her arms going around him by instinct. “I’m kidding, sweetie. But I can tell you now, those days are over.”
Oh, thank God for that. She certainly wasn’t going to bemoan their passing.
Chapter Twenty-three
“Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod…”
“Candace, relax.”
“I can’t!”
“Breathe, honey.”
“Screw your breathing. I’m doing nothing but breathing.”
“It’s too much. Slow and deep, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You’re going to be fine.”
She tried to obey, but ended up covering her face with her hands as Brian moved into position over her. “No. Get away.”
“You wanted this. You asked for it. You’re gonna get it.”
“I can’t change my mind?”
With a fond expression that looked more than a little exasperated, he glanced down at her. “Is that what you want? To get up from here knowing you let fear win out?”
She shook her head, whimpering.
“It’s going to be so fuckin’ hot. You’ll love it and you’ll want me to do more.”
Hearing him talk like that as he loomed over her started a melting in her belly. She couldn’t resist reaching out and touching his arm, trailing her hand up his elbow and under the sleeve of his dark blue T-shirt. Memories of last night shivered through her mind. “I always want more.”
“God, ain’t that the truth.” His Latex-covered hands put the clamp on her belly button.
“Ohmigod, ohmigod…”
He gave an abrupt, harsh “Shh.”
“Hold my hand!”
“I can’t, I need both of mine. But I can get you the pussyball, if you want it.”
“The what?!”
The laughter that burst out of him sent shivers through her despite everything.
“Get Starla,” she snapped. “She’ll hold my hand, and not give me any lip about it.” He rolled his eyes. She snorted and muttered, “Pussyball. Whatever.”
With a snicker, he turned his head toward the door and hollered for the other girl. Then he gave a sad shake of his head. “Fraidy cat.”
“You hush.”
He leaned over and gave her a brief, sweet kiss that had her going up in flames there on the table, even as it soothed her ragged nerves. “I’d hold your hand if I could.”
“I know,” she whispered back, just as a loud “ahem” sounded from the door.
“Am I needed?” Starla asked. She’d dyed her whole head hot pink. Candace loved it, but she’d never have the guts to do anything like that.
“Hold my hand, please. In fact, hold both of them.”
Laughing, she moved to Candace’s other side and took both her hands into her warm ones. “Don’t be scared. He’s good and he’s quick. The guy who did mine seemed to take for-freaking-ever.”
“Great.”
“I’m going to tell you to take a deep breath, and let it out,” he said. “When you do, I’ll push it through.” She didn’t want to look down at what he was doing, she just felt him moving the clamps on her belly button. And damn if she didn’t want to arch up into his hands, but she couldn’t very well do that now. Maybe she shouldn’t have requested Starla’s assistance, after all. Suddenly, all movement paused.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No.”
“Deep breath.”
Oh, God. She took the plunge and drew it in, knowing there was no way out now. She could hold it until she was blue in the face, but eventually, she’d have to let go.
“Let it go, baby.” The warmth and humor and love in his voice were what did it, reminding her that she trusted him absolutely. And letting go was the very thing he represented in her life. She didn’t even pause; she let the air rush from her lungs, gave it all to him. It was more of a sigh.
A sharp, precise agony flared at the site where his hands were, and was gone as quickly as it had come. “Oh,” she breathed, glad it had only lasted an instant. Brief as it was, it left her shaken, a bizarre languor washing through her. It wasn’t unlike the moments after he’d given her a particularly strong orgasm, when she collapsed in utter bliss and exhaustion.
“She barely flinched,” Starla said proudly, letting go of her ha
nds and patting her shoulder.
Brian was still intent upon his work, threading her jewelry through the piercing. She had to grit her teeth a few times during the process, but he was quick and, before she knew it, it was all over. “There. See, you came out on the other side. Are you okay?”
She closed her eyes and smiled. “Wasn’t so bad.”
“You can lie there for a few minutes, if you want. I’ll get you something to drink.” He stripped off his gloves and trashed them. “Thanks, Star.”
“Sure thing. Congratulations, Candace. It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
The two went out, and she lifted her head to look down at the shiny silver sun winking from her belly button. It was beautiful. That he’d put it there for her made it even more so. A second later, he came back in with drinks and helped her sit up on the table before popping the tab on one and handing it to her.
“I love it,” she told him. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “Now, about aftercare.”
“Uh-oh.”
“I’m just saying. If the lucky guy happens to come along in the next few weeks, you need to be creative. Because other people’s sweat is bad, bad, bad.”
She put her arms around him, drawing him in and spreading her knees apart so he could have room. “Ooh, I think I like the sound of the being creative part.” His lips dipped in to taste hers. Once. Twice. His hands went to her hips, then slid under her baby tee.
“Can’t be creative in here, though,” he warned. “I’m a stickler for sanitation, and well, you know.”
“Later?” she whispered, nibbling his ear.
His hands stroked down to her bare thighs, fingertips teasing around the hem of her shorts. “You don’t even have to ask.”
“Brian, your mom is on the phone.”
Damn. Why didn’t he have a client under his needle right now? Then he wouldn’t feel bad about rejecting the call.
“Throw it here,” he said, finishing up sending Candace a dirty text message in reply to the equally dirty one she’d just sent him.
“Are you sexting again?” Janelle demanded. “Cut it out. Go home and do the real thing. We’ve got this.” She gave the phone an underhanded toss in his direction.
“Thanks for bellowing that out with my mother on the line,” he muttered, lifting it to his ear. “Hey, Mom.”
If there was one thing that could be said about Gianna Ross, she was to the point. “Why have you been holding out on me?”
Oh, crap. He gave a nervous laugh. “Which part?”
“Who is the blonde I saw leaving your apartment the other morning?”
He made a tsk sound. “Spying on me. For shame.”
“Absolutely not. I was driving past on my way to town. I thought I might’ve been mistaken, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t. She came out of your door.”
“You weren’t. She’s my girlfriend.”
She gasped in excitement. “A girlfriend! Never heard you commit to calling one a girlfriend. Don’t make me ask again who she is.”
“I figured you knew. Evan knows, and I was always under the assumption that you two share a brain.”
“Ah. It’s no surprise that I can’t count on you to tell me anything, but now he’s really going to get it.”
He grinned, and now that he stopped to think about it, was kind of looking forward to how happy his mother was going to be when she learned who he was seeing. “It’s Candace Andrews.”
She was silent for a moment. “Oh, Brian. Candace Andrews?”
What the fuck? She should’ve lapsed into paroxysms of joy to hear he’d fallen for someone so sweet and nice and just generally good for him. What the hell was wrong with all these people? “Don’t tell me I’m going to hear it from you, now. What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing at all. I don’t know her well, but she seems lovely. It’s the thought of dealing with her mother through the wedding and the births and the birthday parties that worries me.”
A few months ago, those words would have made him choke. Now they seemed like inevitable truths. But still. “Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself?”
“No, not at all. Mainly because I know your dad so well.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You probably don’t want to hear it, but you are so much like him that it scares me. Sometimes it takes you a while to find a purpose, but once you do, you’re unstoppable. Just like him. I knew when it finally happened for you, it would be forever. You wouldn’t let it be any other way. It’s your nature. How do you think he convinced me to move halfway around the world to be with him? The man has powers of persuasion.”
“Yeah, well. You need to behave yourself around her mother. I’ve already assaulted one member of the family. I can’t have you assaulting another.”
“Who on earth did you assault?”
“Her brother. It’s a long story. But it’s all okay now.”
“Well, that’s good. But I don’t get physical, dear. If she rubs me wrong, I’ll simply ask her how her tryst with the new tennis instructor at the country club is going.”
Brian had been strolling toward his office in the back to continue this conversation. At her words, he stopped dead in his tracks. “Really.”
“Oh, yes. So you keep that useful tidbit of information handy. Never know when you might need it.”
“So we’re resorting to blackmail now?” He laughed. “You’re slightly evil. Maybe I should’ve called you way back at the start of all this.”
His mom sighed. “Yes, you should have. Maybe you’ll keep that in mind from now on.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. Now when are you bringing her over to meet us? You realize you’re not off the hook, just because your brother gave me a grandbaby. They’re moving away. So we need to rush this along.”
He had to suppress a shudder, thinking about how close he had come to losing her. “Trust me, Mom, the last thing we need to do is rush.”
Later that night, after letting himself in to his apartment, he found her already in his bed with the covers pulled up. Ordinarily she would wait up for him until whatever time he walked in the door from work, but lately she’d been trying to get her schedule back on track. School was starting up for her soon, and she had a few early morning classes.
They both kept their own places, but in the couple of months they’d been together—finally, truly together—he thought he could count on one hand the number of nights they’d spent apart. On those nights, he’d found he didn’t sleep well no matter how tired he was. Without her tucked against him, he was restless. She’d become a very grounding, calming force in his life. The eye to his hurricane.
He showered and slipped into bed, drawing her close, though he didn’t want to wake her. Oh, he did a little, just to see what sort of mischief they could get up to, but she needed her sleep.
She mumbled sweetly and nestled against him, her backside snuggling against his groin. Of course, it responded accordingly. “Hi.”
He leaned over and placed a kiss beneath her ear. “Hi, yourself.”
“I got sleepy.” The sexy, drowsy purr of her voice didn’t bode well for his leaving her alone and letting her sleep.
“It’s okay.” He slid his fingertips very gently over the area of her navel. “How is it?”
“A little sore, but good. I love it.”
“I told you.”
“I know you did.”
“Maybe you’ll learn to listen to me someday,” he teased, and she gave his arm around her a playful smack.
“It’s like everything else in my life, I guess,” she said after a moment. “Even with you. I worry and I stress and I freak out over everything. But once I let go and get through it…it’s beautiful.”
“I’ll always do what I can to make sure it’s beautiful in the end, sunshine. No matter what it is we have to get through.” He chuckled. “And on that note, my parents want to meet you this w
eekend.”
She responded with that girly giggle that never failed to summon every iota of testosterone in his body and send it raging. “Oh, no. We’re not starting all over, are we? What if they hate me?”
“I’m really concerned that they might. I guess I’ll just have to let you go if—”
He burst out laughing as she twisted in his arms and shoved him onto his back, rising up to straddle his hips. “You deserve to be punished for that one. Severely.”
“Do your worst, baby. Please.”
She stared down at him, her pretty eyes twinkling in the dim light. “Give me a minute while I decide your punishment. It must be slow and torturous.” She ran her hands down his arms, leaning over to follow one of them with her mouth. Shit, he loved that his ink drove her so wild. It made him want to get more. And here he’d thought he was done.
She drew away, lifting so she could look at him. “Your family seems a lot cooler than mine. We should totally blow their minds. Maybe I ought to dye my hair purple, just for that occasion.”
He grinned like a fool. With each passing day, she proved more and more she was a girl after his own heart. She loved horror movies. She loved his music. His body art. She’d even get down and dirty in a mosh pit with him.
But beyond all that superficial, surface stuff, she challenged him, she drove him, she opened his eyes to everything that was beautiful in the world, everything he’d always overlooked before.
Why God had seen fit to smile upon him in such a way, Brian would never know.
Candace leaned down to nibble his shoulder, and against the softness of her coconut-scented hair, he smiled. “And there’s always that Mohawk I’ve been considering…”
About the Author
To learn more about Cherrie Lynn, please visit www.cherrielynn.com. Send an email to Cherrie at
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