Carae's Touch (Long Line of Love, #4) (20 page)

He came to an abrupt stop. Carae sat astride Blazer, smiling at him. "Don't look so surprised, sweetie. While you were sleeping the sleep of the sexually sated, Blazer and I were getting better acquainted." She paused. "You were sated. Weren't you?"

"Oh, yes."

"Good."

"And you?"

She nodded, smiling at him.

"I'm delighted to hear it." He mounted Blazer, settling behind her. "How would you like to spend the rest of the night?"

"It's been a long, eventful day. I want to go home and just relax."

"By home you mean to my place. Yes?"

"Yes," she said.

They made the return drive to his condo in silence. When they arrived, the aroma of food greeted them. Frowning, he walked through the condo to the kitchen where he saw several warming trays on the kitchen island. A folded piece of paper rested on the top.

He opened it, smiling as he read.

Randall told me you went for a ride. I thought you might be hungry when you returned. Enjoy. Croft.

"Something smells wonderful," Carae said, entering the kitchen.

"Complements of Croft," he said, lifting the lids. "Let's see. This looks like...Fish Milanese...this is some type of Cornish Hen...a steak dish...roasted vegetables...and chocolate cheesecake of some sort. Hungry?"

"Starving," she said, getting plates from the cabinet. "Bancroft is priceless. I just might have to turn my romantic attention to him." She laughed. When he didn't respond, she turned to look at him. "I was joking, Brandon. You must know that I have no more interest in him than he has in me."

"He's a far better catch than I am."

She shook her head. "Not for me. For me there's only one Grayhawk worth a second look and I'm looking at him now."

He stroked her cheek. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so grateful you feel that way."

"I do. Now let's eat and then I want to fall asleep in your arms."

"Is that all you want to do in my arms?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "That's all."

"Why?"

"Because you never use a condom."

"I will if you insist."

"You're supposedly a reasonably intelligent, educated man. I shouldn't have to insist."

He couldn't argue with her logic. "I'll use a condom."

"Not tonight you won't."

Great. He had another long, sexless night to suffer through.

They took their food out to the balcony.

He turned on his stereo and they ate in silence. Afterwards, she smiled at him. "Dance with me, sweetie?"

"My pleasure," he said rising and urging her to her feet.

She melted into his embrace, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.

Mindful that they would not be making love that night, he took care to keep his lower body from intimate contact with hers. They danced until she yawned and burrowed closer. "Let's go to sleep, sweetie."

Although sleep was the last thing on his mind, he nodded and they went inside to his bedroom. He took a quick, cool shower before joining her in bed wearing a pair of pajama bottoms.

The moment he settled beside her, she cuddled close, laying a hand almost possessively on his chest while keeping her body pressed against the side of his.

Damn it was going to be an endless night. Long after she slept, he lay awake beside her. When the desire to make love to her proved difficult to overcome, he slipped out of bed. Getting a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he went to sit on the balcony. Staring up at the stars, he allowed his thoughts to turn to Rissa. After what felt like a long time, he realized that the pain that usually overwhelmed him when he thought of her was bearable. As was the pain of knowing that she had been unfaithful after they'd agreed to see each other exclusively.

He inhaled slowly. Losing her didn't hurt as much as it used to because of Carae who made him long to love again. He lay back, closed his eyes, and slept.

* * *

S
heenea. Wake up. Please.

Carae came awake with a start in a moonlit room. It took her a moment to realize she was in bed alone and what had awakened her.

Sheenea. He needs you. Go to him.

"If you're going to wake me up, the least you can do is remember my name. It's Carae. Not Shee...whatever you called me."

Sheenea. It's an endearment the Grayhawks use for the special women in their lives. I've mentioned it to you before.

"Whatever. What do you want now?"

He needs you.

"Did you ever stop to think or care about what
I
might need?"

If you love him as I think you do, then I know you need him. There's no conflict except the ones you make.

"I make? Excuse me? I'm not the one who refuses to talk about my past or who keeps insisting we're incompatible all while wanting unprotected sex."

If you weren't important to him, he'd use protection.

"So he claims."

I need you to tell him that what happened to me wasn't his fault.

"Tell him yourself."

I would if I could. Your happiness with him may depend on your telling him that he misunderstood what I was trying to say when I died.

"He doesn't want to discuss you."

Insist that he listen to what you have to say. But before you do, love him as only you can.

"If you think you can convince me to—"

I'm not trying to convince you of anything you don't already know or believe. You know he needs you. Go to him. Love him. Not because I ask you to, but because you want to.

She couldn't argue with the truthfulness of the statements because she did want to. Sighing, she rose.

Before you go, I need you to find the right moment to tell him something very important.

"No."

Please. I'm not asking for myself. I'm asking for him and for you. Tell him and I think it will make a difference in his willingness to open up to you and admit how deeply he loves you.

"If he loves me, why won't he just come out and say it?"

He loves you but he needs your understanding.

"Just how long are you planning to haunt me?"

I'm not haunting you. I'm trying to help him and you.

"Help me? I don't think so."

You're wrong. I do want to help you because I know he loves and needs you. I want him to be happy and I know he'll be happy with you. When he is, I can finally rest in peace. I can't do that while he's still miserable and hurt. You can make him happy and content. Go to him and tell him he misunderstood me. Please do it for all our sakes.

"S
weetie? Wake up, sweetie."

Brandon woke to find Carae straddling him on the moonlit balcony. He frowned. "What's wrong? Did I wake you? Was I having another nightmare?"

"No. You didn't wake me."

"What are you doing out here, Carae?"

She stroked a hand down his bare chest. "What are
you
doing out here?"

"Sleeping."

"Why?" She reached behind her to place a hand over his cock and balls.

He removed her hand and held it in his. "You said you didn't want any intimacy."

"That didn't mean I wanted to sleep alone. I didn't. In fact, I'm not in the mood to sleep at all now." Pulling her hand free, she massaged his cock and balls.

He inhaled slowly. "And I'm not in the mood to play games with you, Carae. First you don't want sex and now you do? Why don't you tell me what you want in plain English?"

"I want what I have from the moment we met...you...intimately."

"That's not what you said earlier."

"Earlier? You want to talk about earlier when you had sex with me and then slept so long I thought I'd killed you?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry if I frightened you, but I didn't have sex with you. I made love to you. You're old enough to know the difference."

She took his hand and placed it on her breasts. "Why don't you demonstrate the difference for me? You say you made love to me earlier. Why not have sex with me this time?"

"Because it's never just sex with you, Carae. You're far more than just a warm, willing body to me. You always have been and you always will be."

"Oh...Brandon...sometimes you make me feel so special to you."

"You are very special to me."

"Show me." She leaned down, pressing her breasts against his chest. "I need every hard inch of you inside of me," she whispered against his mouth.

He cupped a hand over her hair and kissed her slowly, taking the time to savor the taste, texture, and feel of her warm, moist lips. Sliding his other hand down her back, he slipped it under her nightgown, allowing him to palm her firm, round cheeks.

Rotating her lower body so that her ass rubbed against his groin, she sucked at his tongue for several sweet moments before abruptly pulling away.

If she'd changed her damned mind again...He opened his eyes as she slipped her hands into his bottoms and drew out his cock.

She looked up at him seconds before rubbing her cheek against him.

Oh damn. With his cock only inches from her lips, his heart beat increased.

She kissed the head of his shaft before slowly swirling her tongue around it. Trailing the tips of her nails around his balls, she gently drew the head of his shaft into her mouth.

Oh...fuck. It had been nearly four years since he'd felt the lips of a woman he loved wrapped around his cock. The first sweet sucking motions of her mouth inflamed his senses and totally enchanted him.

He closed his eyes, losing himself in the pure enjoyment of her mouth and tongue working a sweet magic on him. As she drew him in deeper and sucked with increased fervor, he felt his climax rapidly building. Along with the pleasure, came a closeness he'd never experienced before. A surge of guilt stabbed through him as he admitted what he felt surpassed anything he'd experienced with Rissa.

Seconds before he was ready to come, he released his grip on her head and attempted to withdraw from her mouth. She endeared herself to him further by gripping his hips, drawing him back between her lips, and holding him there as he shot burst after burst of seed against her tongue.

When he realized she'd started to gag, he eased his hips back and slumped against the lounger. He lay still for a few moments, taking slow, deep breaths, while trying to shake off a feeling of total elation. She lay in his arms with her lips against his ear, her heart thumping.

He inhaled slowly, pulling her close. "Damn...give me a few moments and then I'll return the favor."

She shook her head. "No. The only thing I need you to do for what's left of the night is hold me. I didn't really expect to like sucking you, but I did and that's all the satisfaction I need for now. Let's go back to bed so I can fall asleep in your arms."

Although he felt so sated, he longed to fall asleep on the balcony, he urged her to her feet and got to his. Taking her hand in his, he led her back to his bedroom. They tumbled into bed together. Holding her cradled on his chest, he struggled to stay awake until her deep, even breathing told him she slept peacefully.

He woke just after dawn, took his cell phone onto the balcony, and called Layton. "I know it's early and you usually spend Sundays at home, but I really need to talk to you sometime today if you can manage it."

"Benai and Randy are coming over to spend the day," he said of Randall's wife and son. "I'll be free after breakfast. Do you want to come here or shall I come see you?"

"Carae is here."

"Why not come for lunch? I'm sure Tempest and Benai will be happy to keep her company while we talk."

"Thanks."

"Do you need to talk to me solo or—"

As a family, the Grayhawks didn't generally keep secrets. "I don't mind if some of the others are there."

"I'll see you both around one or so?"

"Yes."

After he hung up, he went back to bed and fell asleep next to Carae.

C
arae woke just after seven the next morning feeling conflicted. She longed to wake Brandon and tell him what Rissa had asked her to. Instead, she went into the living room to call Caren. She listened with an aching heart as Caren told her they'd just learned that she couldn't get pregnant. "Oh, Ren. I'm so sorry. What can I do to help?"

"At this point, there's not much anyone can do except pray for a miracle."

Hearing the pain in Caren's voice, made her ache. She shook her head. "Actually, I can do a little more than that."

Caren was silent for several moments. "If you mean what I think you do—"

Carae took a deep breath. "I do."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You haven't asked. I'm volunteering."

"Are you forgetting that Alan is an old-fashioned guy who insists that a baby should be conceived in what he calls the only natural way? That's something I can't do."

"But it's something I can do...if you're both willing."

"What about Brandon? Surely he'd object."

"He has no standing to object. If you two can handle it, I'll do it."

Caren was silent and Carae could almost envision her sister shaking her head. "I think asking you two to make love would be asking too much. I—"

"Making love? Oh, no. I didn't say anything about our making love. I said I'd be willing to have sex with him."

"That's what I said."

"Oh, no, I wouldn't let Alan make love to me. But to help you, I'd have sex with him."

"And what's the difference?"

"The difference? Oh, there's a world of difference between the two. When a man makes love, he wants to linger and dive deep, exploring all your nooks and crannies before filling them to the point that they're overflowing with his seed. And when it's over, he likes to linger inside you, kissing and touching you and whispering to you, sending chills of delicious aftershocks all through you until he finally deflates and slips out of you. But even then he holds you and caresses you until you fall asleep, more in love with him than ever.

"But when a man has sex with you, all he's interested in is getting in, busting a nut, pulling out and rolling over and falling asleep. That's what I'd be willing to let Alan do to help you. The other experience I reserve for Brandon and Brandon alone."