Loving Cara

  “Nope, nothing’s changed.” Ty laughs and sips his gin and tonic.

  “How can you drink that shit?” I ask him with a grimace. “It tastes like toilet water.”

  “How do you know what toilet water tastes like?” he asks with a raise of a brow.

  Fucker. “You’re an ass.” I laugh and shake my head, looking out to the dance floor to watch my girl and her friends dancing and moving about.

  “They’re having fun,” Zack comments without looking over to them, and sinks another ball.

  “Are any of us going to get to play, Z?” I ask.

  He shrugs and chalks his cue.

  Cara rushes to me and grabs my hand. “Come dance with me. I love this song!”

  How can I resist her?

  I grin and pass my cue to Ty. “Take my turn, if we ever get a turn. I’ll be back.”

  Cara pulls me out into the middle of the dance floor where the band is playing “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum. When she’s happy with our spot, she turns and presses her body against mine, loops her arms around my neck, and smiles up at me.

  “You’re too tall.”

  “You’ve had a few too many drinks,” I respond with a laugh.

  She’s adorable.

  “Here.” She pulls her arms down around my waist and snuggles up against my chest. Her cheek rests perfectly against my heart.

  Isn’t that fucking appropriate?

  I wrap my arms around her shoulders and we sway about the dance floor. Her hair smells of her usual strawberries and it’s soft against my lips.

  The lyrics of the song pull me in and I’m lost in the music and the feel of my girl in my arms.

  When it’s over, she pulls her head back and grins up at me happily. Leaning down, I kiss her lips hard and fast, then laugh when she pulls away and screams at the first few notes of the next song.

  She’s a Daughtry fan.

  Jill joins her and they begin shaking their asses and singing along, and I make my way back to the pool tables.

  “The girls are having fun.” Ty sips his disgusting drink, his eyes on the dance floor.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was checking out Cara, and I know he’s not looking at Jill. I glance back and see that Lauren Cunningham has joined the girls, dancing and swaying with the music, laughing and enjoying herself.

  Ty’s eyes are glued to her.

  “Dude, you know Lo’s married.”

  He doesn’t even spare me a glance, just takes another sip of his drink.

  “Been separated for two years,” he reminds me, and leans his elbow on the table, still watching her.

  Lauren is beautiful. She’s tall, almost as tall as Ty in her heels, with straight auburn hair and big blue eyes. She has an athlete’s body, is lean, and when she raises her arms over her head, the short halter top she’s wearing rides up to show off her abs, which are spectacularly defined.

  The girl works out.

  “Being separated doesn’t mean she’s any less married,” I murmur, and take a pull on my beer.

  Ty turns his attention to me, his face sober. “Hasn’t stopped her soon-to-be-ex from fucking anything with two legs.”

  “True.” I grimace as I think of that asshole, Jack. “Just watch yourself.”

  Ty’s jaw tightens and I follow his gaze to see that Misty has joined Lauren on the floor, dancing and glaring at Cara and Jill.

  “Why does Lo hang out with that bitch?” I ask aloud. “I don’t get it.”

  “I don’t either,” Ty agrees softly.

  At the end of the song, the band takes a break and the jukebox starts up. Cara and Jill join us, smiling and panting and not a little sweaty.

  “Hey!” Cara greets me, and kisses me soundly.

  “Hey yourself, baby.”

  Zack takes his shot and then stands, leaning on his cue, and shoots Jill a grin.

  She was watching his ass.

  “You have a nice ass, King,” Jill remarks with a smirk, and picks up her beer bottle, then frowns when she discovers it’s empty. “Well, shit.”

  “I’ll go get more!” Cara offers, and kisses my cheek before sauntering happily to the bar. I watch her move across the room and climb onto a barstool, cross those spectacular legs, showing off her thighs in that short dress, and pull her debit card out of her bra.

  “I love her storage system,” Ty remarks, making me laugh.

  “So do I.”

  “There you are!” Misty is suddenly at my side, and Ty quickly moves away from us, joining Zack and Jill on the other side of the pool table.

  Traitor.

  “Here I am,” I confirm, and continue to watch Cara. A tourist sits down next to her and smiles at her brightly. My eyes immediately narrow.

  The fucker better not touch her.

  “I was just saying to Lauren the other day, I haven’t seen you around much lately,” Misty babbles.

  “Been busy,” I respond absently, my fists clenching when the asshole tourist drops his arm behind Cara’s back. From this angle I can’t tell if he’s touching her back or just resting his arm on the back of the stool, but it’s too close for comfort.

  Cara smiles politely at him and shakes her head no to whatever he’s said.

  Good girl.

  She places her order and gestures over to me, talking to the stranger, whose smile slips for a second before he winks down at her.

  That’s right, asshole, she has a boyfriend.

  “And then she said, ‘Well, that’s just silly!’ ” Misty gives me her fake laugh and lays her hand on my forearm, pulling my attention away from Cara.

  I quickly grip her wrist in my hand and pull it away from me, dropping it at her side.

  “I’m only going to say this one time, Misty.” Her eyes go wide at the hard edge in my voice. “I am not available, and even if I was, I’m not interested. Don’t ever touch me again.”

  I dismiss her, not caring that she’s glaring at me as the crowd around us laughs, and seek out Cara once again. She’s still sitting at the bar, the tourist is grinning down at her, and they’re holding shot glasses in the air, toasting.

  Cara pounds her shot back and slams the glass on the bar, and I’ve seen enough.

  I stomp across the bar and move up beside Cara, glaring at the short, slender man to her left, who is laughing and trying to order them another shot. When he sees me, his face sobers and he grabs his beer and joins his friends.

  Cara turns to me, a smile spreading over her face when she sees me. “Hi, babe!”

  I cage her in, one hand on the bar and my other arm draped across the back of her stool. I’m not touching her as I lean in and press my lips to her ear so she’s sure to hear every word coming out of my goddamn mouth.

  “Let’s get something straight, Carolina. You. Are. Mine. I’m the only man who will be buying you drinks.”

  I hear her gasp and see the pulse in her neck speed up.

  “Josh, you’re being ridiculous. He was just a nice guy, and it was just one shot.”

  “I’m sorry, do I have this wrong?” I back slightly away so she can see my eyes. “Would you rather flirt with and get hit on by other men? Am I wrong to stake a claim? Because just a few hours ago you claimed to love me while I was buried deep inside you.”

  She frowns and swallows again, and I know I should feel like a dick for that, but I can’t bring myself to. I need to know the score now.

  “You’re not wrong,” she replies softly, and covers my hand with her own. “It felt innocent, Josh. It was just a shot.”

  “It was innocent on your part, but not on his, sweetheart. He wants in your pants. Not that I blame him.”

  “Just because he wants in my pants doesn’t mean I’d let him go there. Besides”—she smiles up at me and bites her lip, and I know she’s about to be a smart-ass—“I’m not wearing any pants.”

  I laugh and shake my head, pull her small hand up to my lips, and kiss her knuckles.

  “It made you uncomfortab
le?” she asks sweetly.

  “It pissed me the fuck off,” I reply calmly, and watch her face as I kiss her knuckles again. “I’d rather not repeat it.”

  “Caveman much?” she asks dryly, but her hazel eyes smile at me as she leans in to kiss my cheek. “I love you, babe. No creepy tourist with a shot of tequila is going to change that.”

  “Good to know,” I respond wryly, and help her gather the beer bottles and Ty’s gin and tonic off the bar, then follow her back to our pool table.

  Jill and Zack are gone, and Ty is working the table by himself, frowning and brooding.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Cara asks him. “We’re having fun.”

  “I’m having fun.” He shoots a ball in the side pocket.

  “You’re frowning.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are.” Cara props her hands on her hips and watches Ty.

  “No, I’m not,” he repeats with a half grin.

  “Why are you lying to me?”

  “Josh, do something about your girl. She’s harassing me.” He laughs and runs around the table as Cara chases him.

  “I’ll show you harassment, Sullivan!”

  “Don’t make me sue you!” he taunts her, barely evading a punch to the arm.

  “You don’t scare me!”

  “Harassment and assault!”

  As I laugh at their antics, I spy Zack and Jill out on the dance floor, slowly moving in each other’s arms. The song is slow and sexy and they are all over each other, completely wrapped up in each other.

  Jill has had a good amount to drink tonight, but Zack hasn’t had a drop.

  He leans down and murmurs something in her ear. She smiles and nods, and he clasps her hand in his as he leads her off the dance floor. As they pass by us, Z doesn’t look our way, but Jill catches Cara’s gaze and waves at her with a wink.

  Cara stands perfectly still, watching with wide eyes as her best friend leaves the bar with my brother.

  I hope he knows what he’s doing.

  “What the fuck?” Ty steps forward, as if to follow them, but Cara grabs his arm and holds him back.

  “Zack’s not an asshole,” she reminds him calmly. “And Jilly’s a grown woman. She’s fine.”

  Ty glares down at her and then sighs deeply and pulls his hand down his face. “If he hurts her, I’ll skin him alive.”

  “No, you won’t.” Cara grins at him and pats his arm soothingly. “Don’t be such a worrywart.”

  But she glances back at the door they just left from, worry of her own evident in her hazel eyes.

  “You always were a pain in the ass,” Ty mutters.

  “Yep.” Cara saunters back to me and her beer. She winks at me and takes a drink from the bottle. “Are you gonna teach me to play pool, or what?”

  My dick immediately comes to attention at the thought of Cara bending over this table and me bending over behind her.

  “Sure, you wanna learn how to play?”

  “Sure.” She shrugs and grins.

  “I’m out, guys.” Ty passes Cara his cue and gives her a hug before clapping me on the shoulder and waving good-bye.

  “Don’t go,” Cara pouts, her lips pursed.

  “No, do go.” I wave him off, ready to spend some time with my girl.

  “Rude.” She glares at me.

  I shrug and laugh. “Now I have you to myself.”

  “Okay, then teach me how to do this.” She positions the white ball on the green felt of the table, lining it up to hit a green stripe in the corner. I lean back against my stool and watch her lean over the table, her ass pulling the cotton of her dress tight, and she shoots, completely missing.

  “Josh?” She looks back at me over her shoulder.

  “Yes, baby?”

  “Help.”

  “Put the cue down, Cara.”

  She frowns and lays the cue on the table and turns to me.

  “Come here.”

  My arms are crossed over my chest, hands tucked firmly under my biceps as I lean on the chair, my feet shoulder-width apart.

  “What is it?” She comes to stand directly in front of me.

  I stare down at her for a moment, taking in her wide amber eyes, glassy from a little too much beer, and her long blond hair, tucked behind her ears now, showing off the hoops in her ears.

  “You don’t want to play pool?” she asks with a raised brow.

  I shake my head no, my face perfectly calm.

  “What do you want to do?”

  I lean in, still not touching her, and whisper directly into her ear, “I want to take you home and fuck the hell out of you all night long.”

  I pull back in time to see her mouth drop in surprise, and then she sends me a sassy smile. “What are we waiting for?”

  With a laugh, I bend down and lift her onto my shoulder, my forearm looped over the back of her thighs, careful to make sure the hem of her dress is covering all the necessary parts so I don’t have to kill anyone for looking up her skirt, and carry her out, to the delight of the patrons still in the bar.

  “Hey!” She slaps my ass and then braces herself on my hips as I slap hers back.

  “Stay still, baby.”

  “I was right, you are a caveman.”

  “At least I’m not dragging you by your hair.”

  “No, but can you still pull it later?” She giggles, earning another slap on her ass.

  “Absolutely.”

  “You sure slap my ass a lot, caveman.”

  “I fucking love your ass, baby.”

  * * *

  “What the hell are you doing?” I ask, and come to a stop in my bedroom.

  “Packing?” She glances back at me over her shoulder and offers me a small smile. “Did you get your morning chores done?”

  “Yeah,” I automatically respond, surprised the sound came out over the lump in my throat.

  She’s leaving me.

  “I took Jill to the airport this morning. Just got back a bit ago.” She’s calmly folding her clothes and placing them in a box, and I can barely wrap my mind around the words coming out of her mouth.

  “Okay.” I shove my hands in my pockets and rock back on my heels. What do I say? There’s no way in hell that I want her to go, but it’s too soon to suggest we live together.

  Although, I love having her here, in my home, in my bed.

  She belongs here.

  “Cara!”

  We both turn toward the door at Zack’s calling Cara’s name from down the hallway.

  “In the bedroom!” she calls back.

  He stomps into the bedroom, his jaw tight and hands in fists, but otherwise not showing any emotion. “Where is Jillian?”

  Cara frowns at him in confusion and tilts her head to the side. “On an airplane.”

  “She left?”

  “Yeah, her flight was this morning. She said you left before she woke up this morning.” Cara raises an eyebrow at him, clearly wanting to know more.

  “I had to be home when Seth woke up,” he mutters, and runs a hand over his head, scrubbing his scalp with his fingertips. “She didn’t mention that she was leaving today.”

  “I’m sorry, I figured you knew.”

  “Thanks.” He turns and leaves the room, and a few seconds later we hear the front door shut as well.

  “Well”—she cringes and offers me an apologetic smile—“that didn’t go well. Jill wasn’t very forthcoming about what happened last night.”

  “You can’t figure it out on your own?” I pull her against me, her stomach against my pelvis. “I could show you.”

  “Ew.” She wrinkles up her nose and then laughs.

  “That’s not what you said last night.” I slap her ass. “In fact, I believe your exact words were ‘Harder.’ ”

  “Those were my exact words?” She laughs and leans her forehead against my chest.

  “Well, it might have been something more like ‘Harder, Josh, you’re the best I’ve ever had and I can’t bel
ieve what a sex god you are.’ ”

  She’s laughing in earnest now, shaking her head and slapping my chest gently. “I know I didn’t say that!”

  “You were drunk, it’s okay.” I nuzzle her neck and laugh with her. “I love it when you laugh.”

  She pulls back to smile up at me, and my gut clenches just as it does every damn time she smiles at me like that, as if she can’t get enough of me and I hung the moon especially for her.

  She takes my breath away.

  I lean down and rest my forehead against hers and take a deep breath. She cups my face in her hand and I lean into it. “Love the way you touch me.”

  “Love to touch you,” she murmurs, and pushes her hand up into my hair, combing it through her fingers.

  “When are you leaving?” I ask softly, watching her face carefully.

  She frowns and clears her throat, almost as though it’s hard for her to get the words out. “Tomorrow after my lesson with Seth.”

  Tomorrow?

  “Why?” I ask bluntly.

  “Because my house is done, Josh. Thank you for letting me stay here, and everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” The last few words are said in a soft whisper, and her thanking me pisses me off.

  “You don’t need to thank me. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, Carolina.”

  She smiles sadly and kisses my cheek. “I know.”

  She pulls away from me and returns to folding her clothes and placing them in that damn box.

  “I’ll be back every morning for Seth’s lessons. I won’t be able to stay for lunch this week though because I’m helping out downtown with the Huckleberry Festival. I’ll be serving ice cream.”

  “I love huckleberry ice cream,” I murmur, and watch her pretty hands fold her underwear. I have to ball my fists to refrain from plucking the underwear out of her hands and unpacking the rest of her things and making her stay here with me.

  “I hate it,” she responds with a wrinkle to her nose. “It’s disgusting. I’m a chocolate-ice-cream girl, so I figure I’m safe serving the ice cream. I won’t be tempted to eat it and gain a million pounds.”

  Just tell her, you idiot. Tell her to stay. Tell her you don’t want her to go, that she is your world and you can’t imagine going one day without waking up with her by your side.

  “Cara . . .”

  She stops what she’s doing and turns to me, her hazel eyes big and smiling, biting her lower lip, and I can’t get the words out. Instead I pull her to me again and bury my face in her hair, gliding my hands up and down her back, hugging her close.