Attached (Coronado Series Book 3) (14 page)

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Birdie handed Cary a glass of wine. “Travis told me that you know Catalina and teach at the same school. What a small world. It must mean that you two were destined to meet.”

“Maybe. The way we met was crazy, and a little destiny might’ve been involved. He’s a little intense and overwhelming, though, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for all of his attention.”

“They seem to come that way. My husband didn’t give me a moment’s peace until I agreed to marry him. I only wanted to have a short meaningless affair with him, and I was engaged and married within a couple of months. Don’t get me wrong…I loved most of it, but it was like being in the middle of a tornado. I think he moved in after the first week, but that had something to do with the limited time we had because he was going to be deployed.”

“How did you handle it?”

“Sometimes I handled it well, and sometimes I didn’t. I was in a serious car accident a couple of weeks after I met him. I was given the opportunity to face my feelings, and I did. I let him in.”

“Were you scared when you told him?”

“No, not at all. It was the easiest thing I ever did. What do you think about Travis?”

“I have no idea. Actually, that’s not true. I do have an idea, and it is scaring me to death. I’m not ready to look at my feelings too closely.”

“Well, just leave them where they are. Look at them when you’re ready. You have all the time in the world.”

“I bought a house and it is being redone, and Travis invited me to stay with him this summer. I think I might.”
 

 
“That should give you a chance, to see how you feel.” The phone rang and she went to answer it. She had an animated conversation in Italian and then in English. “That was Rory, and she’s not feeling up to coming over tonight. She’s very close to her due date and is ready for those twins to be born. I told Max to come and get me if she goes into labor. We have been on baby watch all week. I’m going to be their godmother, and I can’t wait to meet them.”

“I should call Catalina and tell her that I came home early. Maybe after the babies are here I can talk her into a road trip. We could become Thelma and Louise and drive across the country and go to bars and dance.”

“That sounds like fun. I may ask to join you two for a weekend. Let’s just skip the part about driving off the cliff.”

They were laughing when Mark and Travis walked back in. Travis looped his arm around Cary and kissed her head. “What are you two laughing about?”

“I told Birdie that I was thinking of inviting Catalina on a road trip and we talked about going with a
Thelma and Louise
theme for the trip.”

“I thought
we
were going on a road trip.”

“I can take more than one road trip.”

The doorbell rang, and they were saved from further discussion as Ed and Amelia walked in. They had Lilly with them. The dog looked at everyone before settling herself by the door. Amelia smiled at Birdie. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought Lilly. I was at work all day, and I didn’t want to leave her home alone,” Amelia said.

Birdie walked up to the dog and waited for Amelia to give the friend-command and then bent down and petted her head. “I love this dog. She can come anytime she wants.”

Mark walked up to the group. “Hi, guys. Glad you could join us.” He took Birdie’s hand. “Baby, do you want a dog?”

“I might, but I don’t need a dog that’s so highly trained. I just need one to hang out with and warn me when someone comes to the door.”
 

“I think we should get one. Let’s talk to the woman who trained Lilly and see what she has. I would feel better if we had a dog keeping an eye on you.”

“Oh, goody, another layer of security. Just what I wanted.”

“You can never have too much security, there is no such thing.” The men all nodded at one another in agreement, while the woman shook their heads at them.
 

“I’m sorry,” Birdie said. “I didn’t introduce Cary to everyone. This is Ed and Amelia. I went to school with Amelia, and she’s the one who took all of the beautiful photographs on the walls. Ed works with Max and is retired from the Teams. I set them up about six months ago, and as you can see, it was a complete success.”

Ed looked at Mark. “She’s going to tell this story to everyone as many times as she can….isn’t she?”

“Probably. Just let her make a toast at the wedding. That could give her the satisfaction she’s looking for.”

“Watching people in a happy relationship is all I need. That and cooperation when I suggest a match.”

Mark laughed and hugged his wife. “We know baby. Don’t worry. I reminded everyone of that all the time.”
 

Cary looked around at the beautiful home and noticed the photographs. “Amelia, I love your work. Do you sell commercially?”

“Not really, but you can come to my office sometime and look through my files, and if you see something you like, I’ll have it printed for you.”

“Thank you. I would love that. I have a new home in Ocean Beach, and I think this is just what it needs.”

“Let me get dinner finished,” Birdie said. Everyone relax, and we’ll eat in about twenty minutes.” Mark followed her back into the kitchen and took a moment to kiss his wife before he went out to the barbeque. Cary noticed them kissing and felt a moment of longing. There was probably something deep inside her that wanted what they had. She just never really allowed herself to think about it, much less dream that it was possible.

CHAPTER TEN

The next morning, Cary and Travis lay against one another, limbs entwined, breath mingling as they started the slow assent into wakefulness. It was the moment of consciousness that allowed people the most clarity. Seconds before you became fully conscious, the truth of the world almost seemed like it was at your fingers.
 

Travis felt her skin against his and took a full breath filled with contentment. Why did this woman fill him so completely? He couldn’t recall a time in his life when he felt this peaceful. It wasn’t in his nature or his life’s circumstances.
 

Yet lying in bed, tangled among the sheets and blankets with Cary, he had found his home and a small measure of peace. They’d known each other a week, and apparently that’s all the time he needed to fall in love. He opened his eyes slowly, looked at the sun filtering through the shades and noticed how it made a pattern across the bed. He wanted this moment to be burned into his memory as the moment he realized that he loved her. Her body started moving against his as she began waking up. Her natural instinct was to plaster herself against him, which told him more about how she was feeling than any words that came out of her mouth. What she wasn’t ready to admit in person, she willingly admitted with her body when she was unconscious. He felt like this was the bigger truth, because her mind was asleep and wasn’t able to deny what was happening between them. He let his mouth run against her cheek as he kissed her gently.

Opening one eye, she smiled at him as his hand ran against her skin. “Mr. Mathers, what are you doing?”

“I’m enjoying myself and trying to take advantage of your semiconscious state.” He rolled her on top and made sure that she was positioned so that he could slide into her easily. Her hips opened up, and her legs fell on either side of him as she rested her head against his chest. He wondered if she could feel his heart beating madly against his chest. In one swift, hard thrust, he entered her and discovered that she was still creamy from their lovemaking last night. This was the state he wanted to keep her in: sated, happy and ready. “Now you’re on top and you didn’t have to tie me up to do it. Have at me baby and I’ll follow your lead.”

Cary lifted up a little and tried to figure out how she found herself lying on top of Travis with him buried balls-deep inside her. “What do I do?”

“Do what feels good. Just follow your body. It knows what to do.”

“I don’t think it knows what to do.” Rising slowly, she leaned her hands against his massive chest and found herself smiling at the way it felt. She adjusted herself and wiggled her hips against him. She watched a drop of sweat roll down Travis’s cheek. “Am I hurting you?”

“No, baby, it’s just sweet torture.” He ground his hips against her and watched as her eyes closed and her lips parted. He wasn’t going to last long, so he needed to get her to start moving. He placed his hands on her hips and lifted her up and then let her come back down slowly. A slight flush spread across her cheeks as she tilted her hips back and forth. He watched her repeat the motion and smiled up at her as she did it.

“I had no idea. This is so much fun.” She laughed as she leaned down and kissed him, and she continued to move her hips up and down slowly. Leaning down, she kissed him again and felt him thrust heavily into her. She let his mouth go as she sat up and let the most exquisite pleasure race over her limbs as she moved herself on and off him with purpose. She tried to keep her hands on his chest, but they started to slide as he became slick with sweat. She almost slipped off and started laughing as she felt him grip her hips.

“Stay up there baby….I’ll hold you. Keep riding me….Don’t stop.” He watched her smile as she moved up and down without thought or awareness. She had finally let go and was following her body’s pleasure. Seeing himself disappear inside her was making it hard for him to hold on to his control. He could tell that she was close, so he let his fingers run against her and felt her immediate response. Just like that, she convulsed around him, and he felt her hard pulls as he pushed his hips into her and emptied himself inside her with a shout. His mind shattered as he blacked out for a second with the pleasure of his body. He felt Cary collapse against him as her breath brushed against his skin. He tightened his hold so she wouldn’t slide off and felt her let out a giggle as she lay against him. “So it was fun?” he asked.

“You’re the best combination of sexy and fun.”

“This has never happened to me before, and we should stay right here for the next several months.” He held on and was finally able to take a full breath and noticed that she was very still on top of him. He lifted his head and looked down, and she smiled into his eyes.
 

Resting her head against his chest, she felt his heart beat against her own. It felt like they were completely in sync, and she wondered why it had happened with him. He was such a big man, and not just in a physical sense. He had a big brain and a big personality and also a big stubborn streak. He carried an aura of power with him and seemed strong and durable. She had never been around a man who was so strong-willed. She was used to her students and her friends, but this big alpha male wrapped around her was a whole new species.

“Are you thinking that you want to do it again?”

She tried to roll over but had to wait for him to loosen his grip. When he finally released her, she rolled over and looked at him. “If I want to be able to walk today, then I don’t think I do.”

“Walking is overrated. Let’s just stay in bed and keep doing it.” He lifted his head and pressed his mouth against hers. “Again and again and again.”

She kissed him back and felt his hand run against her skin. Why was her traitorous body responding again? It felt like he held the magic key to her body, and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it.

He felt her body respond to his touch and knew he was the luckiest man in the world. Her mind could deny what was going on, but her body couldn’t. He would just need to keep reminding her body until her mind let him in and her heart opened up to him.
 

He rolled on top and slipped in before she could protest. “Let me in sweetheart. I promise you’ll love the next thirty minutes.”

“I’m not going to last thirty minutes.” She felt him move slowly against her, and her pleasure was on the edge of pain. She was so sensitized to his touch that she could hardly stand it. But at the same time, she felt her nerve endings explode in pleasure. “It’s too much.”

He rested his head against hers and moved his hips slowly in and out. “I think you can take it. Doesn’t it feel good? You feel so good to me-you’re so warm and tight. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything better.” He kissed her behind her ear, ran his mouth against her neck and felt her buck against him as she called his name and came all around him. He let himself go right along with her and for the second time that morning saw stars behind his eyes. He collapsed on top of her and waited for consciousness to return. He might have lost all of his brain cells. His certainly lost his heart.

He finally registered that Cary was pushing against him. He rolled off her, heard her take a big breath in and then heard her stomach rumble.

“I guess I’d better feed you. I’ll jump in the shower and then make you breakfast.” He kissed her hard, rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom. She watched him get into the shower, rolled on her stomach and put her face against the pillow. How in the world was she going to survive this man?
 

She got up, went into the other bathroom and got herself together a little before she went to the kitchen. She made the coffee and wiped the counters, and while she waited, she checked her phone and noticed that Adam had sent her the bid. He asked if she would be available to meet with Chad to go over materials for the job. She looked at the bid, agreed with what he’d come up with and sent it back with her e -signature and confirmation that she would meet with Chad. She would call him in a little bit and see where he was going to be today so she could get a check over to him.