Kara clearly liked what she heard because she curled her fingers into his hair and kissed him,
hard
. Her lips smashed against his as she sucked his tongue into her mouth, twirling her own tongue around his.
He pulled away from her and ripped her shirt over her head, then pulled her bra cups down so her tits spilled out over the top. He leaned in and latched on to one nipple, biting into it with just enough pressure to have her gasping above him. He dropped to his knees and pulled her shorts and panties down her legs, quickly helped her step out of them, and then threw them to the side. He allowed his nose to travel up her leg and thigh, inhaling her decadent scent. Holy
fuuuck
. Her pussy was perfect. A small thatch of hair covered the top, and her musky arousal made his dick pulse almost unbearably. When he couldn’t take another second of torture, he leaned in and took one long, slow,
deep
lick into her folds.
Kara moaned above him, her fingers curled in his hair, arching her back as she pushed her sex against his mouth. This wouldn’t work. He wanted more. He wanted to see her spread out for him.
Above
him, where he could watch every time she clenched her pussy in ecstasy.
She cried out when he pulled away from her. He tongued up her stomach, in between her breasts, then around her neck. “Stay there,” he instructed, panting from his own desire. He quickly grabbed one of the stepstools they’d used while painting and brought it next to her. “Turn around, put one foot on the stepstool, then place your other knee on top of the bar.”
Kara’s face was uncertain, but she did as he said, tentatively placing one foot on the stool, then after a quick glance over her shoulder at him, placed her knee on the bar.
“Now, put your hands on the bar and bend forward. And Kara…stick that perfect ass out for me. While I have you in front of me I want to see every single inch of you.”
Kara’s arms shook, whether from nerves or her need for release, he didn’t know. But she looked back at him, her eyes scorching his; then she slowly bent forward, arching her back and putting her spectacular ass and pussy on display for him.
William took a moment to take in the view, and my, oh my, it was a
spectacular
view indeed. Unwilling to let another second go to waste, he got on his knees below her and pulled her clit into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the bundle of nerves, then pulled his lips over it, giving Kara an erotic sort of French kiss.
“Ah!” Kara breathlessly sobbed; her legs and thighs shook around his head. He deepened his kiss and grabbed her thighs with both hands to hold her up and open for his feasting.
“You’re perfect,” he mumbled between long licks and sucks to her clit and folds. She was soaked from her desire, and he loved every bit of it. “You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever seen. Come for me, Priss Pot. I want to taste your satisfaction on my tongue. Give it to me.” He pulled her clit into his mouth, and after a few deep pulls, he placed it between his teeth and gently bit down.
Kara came violently on top of him, and it was truly beautiful to witness. He felt her thighs clench under his hands, her pussy convulse against his mouth. He tasted her sweet release, savoring each drop on his lips and tongue. He continued to softly and tenderly run his tongue along her sex, gently coaxing her down from her orgasm.
William slowly got out from beneath her, all the while continuing to hold her until she regained her balance. He helped her down and then turned her to face him, moving her hair out of her face as he admired the woman before him.
Kara opened her mouth, but the sound of her phone ringing stopped her dead in her tracks. Her face went pale as she cursed under her breath. “Fuck.”
Kara’s heart sank into her stomach as she pulled into her father’s driveway. The usual suspects had begun to scatter to their houses, and her father swayed in the center of the yard, a large bottle of vodka in his hand. She stopped the car and closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose. She needed to keep calm if she didn’t want the situation to get any more out of hand than it already was.
When she’d heard the phone ring, she’d known instantly something was wrong. She’d given her dad a specific ringtone so she’d know when he called, and he only called when shit hit the fan. She’d told William she needed to leave and would call him later. What was she supposed to say?
Kara took one last breath, then opened her car door and walked toward her father, her eyes quickly scanning the lawn to make sure everyone else had left. When she got closer, she realized one of his eyes was swollen.
He must have been in a fight.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Kara…” he drunkenly slurred. “Kara, I need some money. We were playing cards, and I…”
Kara tried to keep the anger at bay when he sloppily fell to the ground, unable to finish a simple sentence. She put her hands on her hips and looked around, uncertain of what to do next. She needed to get him inside and in bed, but there was no way she’d be able to lift him by herself. What time was it? If it wasn’t too late, maybe she could call Trevor. As soon as the thought entered her head, she immediately axed it. It’d only been four days since his
proposal
, and truth be told, she was trying like hell to avoid the conversation.
“Kara?”
William’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to him, stunned to see he’d parked in her driveway and was walking toward her, eyes narrowed in concern. “What’s going on?”
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“The way you left, something didn’t feel right to me. I started to go home but couldn’t get the thought of you being in trouble out of my head, so I wanted to come check on you. What’s going on? I thought you lived next door?” William gently placed his hands on her shoulders, and it wasn’t until that moment she realized she was shivering. The May air was far from cold, but her nerves had her body shaking like a leaf.
“I do live next door. It was my grandfather’s house. This is my dad’s house…” Kara took a moment to breathe and collect her thoughts. She’d never told anyone about her dad before, and the last thing she wanted was William to think less of her. “This is my dad. He’s an…alcoholic. Looks like he had a little too much fun tonight, huh?” She tried to laugh it off, but William’s concerned look told her she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Where’s your mom?”
“She left when I was little. Couldn’t take his shit, I guess. Can you help me get him inside? If we can get him to the bed, that’d be perfect. Hell, at this point I’d settle for the couch. I just don’t want him to stay out here, and I can’t lift him by myself.”
William didn’t hesitate, and in one swift motion, he swung her father’s arm around his shoulders and hoisted him up. He practically carried him into the house, only stopping to ask where the bedroom was.
Kara watched as William took off her father’s shoes, then covered him up with the blankets. She couldn’t help but stare at the drunken, unconscious man in the bed.
That’s where I come from.
Anger coursed through her veins; the reality of the situation crashed down on her, crushing her beneath its weight. She couldn’t even paint the damn bar without being called away to deal with her grown-ass father being intoxicated out of his mind. She turned and headed for the kitchen and grabbed a trash bag from under the sink. In a whirlwind of rage, she scoured the house, looking for any liquor bottles. She threw open every cabinet she could find, the refrigerator, the freezer…anywhere he might have alcohol. She found dozens of bottles scattered throughout the house, and with each bottle she threw away, her anger slowly evaporated and left her feeling empty and devastated. She finally came to a stop at his bedroom. Her body shook from the adrenaline, and fresh tears stung her eyes and threatened to overflow.
William had done his best to pick up the room and had placed a glass of water on the nightstand. He put his arm gently around her and led her away from the bedroom and toward the front door. “He’ll be okay. He just needs to sleep it off. Can I walk you home?”
Kara nodded weakly, then closed and locked the door behind her. All it had taken was ten minutes in that damn house, and she felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach.
As if William could sense her sorrow, he grabbed the trash bag from her, then laced his fingers through hers. His large hand swallowed her smaller one, and he soothingly rubbed his thumb against her knuckles as they walked across the yard toward her house.
She could see him studying her, although he remained quiet. “I need to empty the bottles inside before I throw them out and—”
“I’ll do it,” William offered.
“Why?” her voice croaked. For the life of her, she didn’t understand why he wanted to help her. He’d seen her dirty secret, the one she worked overtime to keep hidden from those who knew her.
William stopped in front of her door and set down the trash bag. He watched her for a moment, and she couldn’t help but squirm under the intensity of his gaze. He sighed deeply, then placed his hand on her face. His fingers skimmed her cheek, then ran over her jaw and down her neck. “Because I care about you.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers; the sensation sent jolts of electricity through her body. “I can see you’re hurting, and I want to do whatever I can to make it go away, even if only temporarily. Please, will you let me?”
Kara placed her hands on his chest and leaned into his kiss. His lips felt soft and gentle against hers, his movements tender and sweet. After a few moments, she reluctantly pulled away. She needed to think, and she couldn’t do that knowing she still needed to empty dozens of liquor bottles.
Kara reached past him and unlocked the door. As she walked inside and turned on the light, she suddenly felt insecure with William seeing her house. It was sparsely decorated; she hadn’t exaggerated when she’d told him any extra money went toward renovating the bar. The only decorations were a few knickknacks her mother had left behind; for some reason beyond her comprehension, she couldn’t bear to part with them.
William followed her into the kitchen, his gaze drawn to the few pictures of her grandfather and her, which she kept on the counter. He said nothing as he set the bag by the sink, then began to pour the poison that had destroyed her world down the drain.
Kara grabbed them each a bottle of water, then sat down at her kitchen table and watched him. As much as it bothered her to admit it, she was thankful he’d shown up when he did. He hadn’t judged her when he’d seen her dad, hadn’t looked at her like she was less than he was; he’d just been there for her. Kara felt a pull in her heart when he glanced at her and offered a small smile.
Shit.
This was the man who, up until a little over two months ago, she detested with every fiber of her being. Her heart shouldn’t be feeling
anything
when she looked at him. Truth be told, she really didn’t know a thing about him.
Except for the fact that he went down on me like a man possessed.
Her face heated at the thought, and she felt a blush spread over her cheeks and neck. No one had ever,
ever
, worked her over the way he did. He made every nerve ending in her body tingle, lit every cell on fire.
“What are you thinking about over there?” William asked, his deep voice breaking into her thoughts.
“Nothing much. I was just wondering about you and your family.”
WILLIAM TURNED BACK to the sink, his stomach churning. What was he supposed to say? He couldn’t tell her everything yet, but he also didn’t want to lie to her. “My father is a developer. He’s done well for himself and our family. I work for his company, deal with the contractors, and oversee certain projects, although I’m not particularly close to him.”
“Why not?” Kara came and stood beside him.
William emptied the last bottle, then turned toward her, struck by how classically gorgeous she was. She didn’t overdo her makeup and clothes like so many women he knew. She was…just…
Kara
. Beautiful and perfect. “He and I have very different opinions on what makes a man successful. To him, it’s all about money and acknowledgment. I think those things are important, sure, but I want… He’s finally getting ready to retire, so he’ll be able to spend more time with my mom. I’m thankful for that because I know she’s been lonely over the years. He always made sure to go after what he wanted and to hell with everyone else.”
Kara stepped closer to him; her soft hands slowly traveled up his arms, as if she was studying the feel of his skin against hers. “What do you want?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” he whispered as her hands made their way to his shoulders. He wondered if she had any idea how much her presence unnerved him.
“If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?”
William knew exactly what he wanted, and that something was Kara. He wanted her every way he could have her. But it was more than a sexual desire; he wanted to make her happy. Be the reason her face lit up when she smiled or the cause of her laughter. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but the words died on his lips when she lifted her face and her eyes met his. It was too much for him, the intensity, the primal need that overcame him. Words couldn’t do his heart justice. “What do you want?” he asked instead.
Kara was silent for a moment, yet her hands had made their way into his hair, her fingertips gently pressing into his scalp. “A fresh start.”
William wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body into his. He brushed his nose against hers and whispered against her lips. “Maybe this is
our
fresh start.”
A moan escaped Kara’s throat as she stood on her tiptoes and wound her arms around his neck. Their mouths fused in a fit of lust and passion; their tongues found each other and greedily explored, reveling in the feel and taste of their kiss. As all-consuming as the moment felt, there was a softness in the air as well. A tenderness that only intensified when she stepped away from him and grabbed the hem of her shirt, then slowly lifted it over her head.