Back for You (5 page)

“Well, you sounded pretty drunk when you called me last night.”

Shit. Fuck. Damn.

Her stomach plummeted and then threatened to empty its contents in what
would have been the final humiliating straw.

Through sheer determination, she forced her stomach to settle down. She
cleared her throat, clinging to the highly improbable hope he was talking about
something else. “Last night’s call?”

His eyes twinkled, and mischief etched every line of his features.
“You’re not going to get out of it that easy, Thea. I know you remember calling
me last night. And I know you remember
why
you called. I also know I’ll
never forget it. Hell, my cock’s still half-hard just thinking about it.”

Her insides fell as if she’d just hurtled down a hundred foot roller
coaster drop. There was no easy way out of this one. “I didn’t know what I was
saying.”

Okay, that was lame.

“Your red face says otherwise. You remember and you meant every word of
it. Why are you fighting this? I’m here and I want us to get back together.”

Just like that. “Are you kidding me?”

His gaze intent, he gave one slow shake of his head. “Not even close.
What’s the problem? You afraid to own up to last night’s invitation?”

She shook her head. “I told you, I didn’t know what I was saying.”

He just looked at her, which made her feel kind of stupid. Her temper
rose. Did he really think she was the kind of woman to let a man treat her the
way he had ten years ago, and then just let him come back and sleep with her as
if nothing had happened? “Screw it. I wasn’t going to tell you this but you have
it coming.”

Instead of being taken aback by her outburst, he nodded. “Let me have it.
It’s long overdue. I know I deserve it.”

“You sure as hell do.” Her mind raced with all the things she’d wanted to
say to him over the years. He’d been the love of her life, her first real love,
and he’d smashed her heart into smithereens when he’d up and left. Now was her
chance to let him have it.

Yes indeedy, now was the time.

Huh.

She stalled, shocked to realize that when it came right down to it, years
of hurt, anger and insults faded away and compressed into just one thing she
really needed to know. Had always needed to know. “You know, Cain, I’m not an
idiot. I understand why you wanted to have adventures and travel the world. We
were both so young. Way too young to settle down. And I was stuck here helping
dad out with the bar. But the thing I can’t forgive, or forget is how you were
able to cast me off without a backward glance.”

He flinched as if she’d struck him. Satisfaction washed over her as she
watched him grasp for words.

“Do you deny it?”

He shook his head. “That wasn’t how it was at all.”

“You could’ve fooled me. You didn’t even have the decency to tell me to
my face you were leaving. You sent me a note. A goddamned
note
. It was
like a slap in the face. It couldn’t have been more obvious you didn’t love me
or care about me at all. Nor did you respect me, or what we had.”

If possible, Cain looked even more stricken than before. “I’m so sorry Thea.
I never meant to hurt you. I was a total jerk and handled the whole thing wrong,
but that’s not how I meant it.”

She shoved out of her chair and stood, leaning forward with her hands
splayed out on the desk. “So then, tell me how it was, Cain. What did I miss?”

He looked away, the muscle in his jaw working hard. For a long moment he stared
at the ceiling as if seeking direction from a higher source, before finally
meeting her eyes again. “The note wasn’t about you. It was about
me
. I
left a note because
I
couldn’t tell you in person.
I
couldn’t
face you. There was no way I could’ve looked in your sweet eyes and told you I
was leaving. I knew if I saw you again, I’d never be able to leave. And if I
didn’t leave I would’ve ended up resenting you and the fact that I’d stayed.”

Stunned, she didn’t move or say a word. Of all the things he could have
said, she’d never imagined this, and she worked hard to make sense of it.

When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “I was afraid of becoming
like my father. My whole life he resented me and my mother for tying him down
and keeping him from his dreams. He didn’t even try to hide it. He wanted to
see the world and for a while my mother tried to accommodate him, moving from
place to place every six months to a year, but she finally got fed up. When he
wanted to leave Forsythia Falls she refused to move again. So dad left and
never looked back. I didn’t want to do that to you or to any kids we might
have.”

His sincerity was palpable, touching her in ways that surprised her. Something
profound eased and shifted deep inside. She felt herself softening, and it was
so weird and unexpected it totally threw her.

She remembered Cain at that age, and how much he’d hated that his father
had abandoned him and she knew he wasn’t exaggerating or making it up. Fear of
becoming just like his dad was what had always motivated him. She didn’t doubt what
he said for a second. “I’m sorry you grew up that way, Cain. I really am.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. And I’ll say it as many times
as you need me to say it. I handled everything all wrong and I can’t ever take
it back.”

“Yeah, you’re damned right about that.” But in the knowing, the sting
she’d felt all these years ratcheted back to a dull roar instead of the blaring
brass band it had been up until then. It was still there in the background of
course. No doubt always would be. But it no longer felt like it was right there
in her face, rubbing her heart and her pride raw.

“I’m not proud of the way I handled the situation.”

“Well, thank you for that at least.”

He reached across the desk and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her
ear. “Then let’s get past this. Please. I can’t make up for what I did. I was too
young and too stupid to appreciate what we had, and I didn’t want to make the
same mistakes my father had. I handled it all wrong and I know it, but I never
stopped caring about you. All these years have gone by and nothing’s changed
for me. That’s why I’m back.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “You came back to make amends. I can understand
that.”

“No. I’m back because I still love you. I’m back for
you
. To win
you back.”

Her self-preservation sirens screamed a shrill warning. “That’s not going
to happen.”

Disappointment, sharp and stark, swam across his face. “You won’t even
give me—
us
—a chance.”

“We had our chance. We’ve both moved on.”

“And you no longer have any feelings for me?”

She forced out the lie. “No, I don’t.”

“Bullshit!”

Her gaze snapped to his. “It’s not bullshit. It’s the truth.”

“After last night’s call, you’re still trying to sell that load of crap?
Sorry, I’m not buying.”

“Last night I was drunk. Sue me. I was horny, I have needs. So what?”

“That’s not it. You know we had more than just chemistry. We could have
something good together if you give me a chance.”

She gritted her teeth, and clenched her jaw. “Fine, you want a chance?”
There was one sure-fire way to drive home the point that this was just about
physical needs.

She stepped around her desk, and stopped in front of him, enjoying the
freeing feeling of control that washed over her. She needed to be in charge,
and putting him in his place was one really good way to do it.

She flicked open the top button of her light blue sundress, seizing
Cain’s undivided attention. Fleetingly, she wished she’d worn sexy lingerie
today instead of a plain white bra and panties but, oh well. There was nothing
she could do about it now. Besides, she didn’t need sexy lingerie to grab a
man’s attention.

Cain’s nostrils flared. His hungry gaze was glued to her fingers as they
released the next button down, revealing a nice view of her cleavage.

He swallowed, and fierce heat joined the hunger in his eyes.

“What’s the matter, Cain? Cat got your tongue?”

She flicked the third button free before running her finger down into the
vee of her ample breasts. His mesmerized fascination had her all but purring.
“See anything you like?”

He growled. His gaze shot to hers, no doubt trying to read her, before
jamming it back down to her breasts. “I’ve always liked everything about you.
You know that.”

Another button released. “Yes, I have a vague recollection of that.”

And another.

With confident fingers, she separated the two halves of her dress,
shrugged it down to her waist and then shimmied her hips until the light cotton
fabric gently drifted down to her feet.

“The real question is—” she ran a finger down his T-shirt covered,
oh-so-ripped abs to the waistband of his jeans, “—do
you
still have the
right stuff for me?”

Lust ripped through Cain’s entire being, starting at the top of his head,
and lancing its way straight to his toes. It landed with a double thud in his extremely
interested dick.

Not that he was surprised by his immediate raging reaction to Thea’s
seduction routine. She’d always affected him this way. From the very first
moment he’d met her, he’d found her irresistible.

Even in a plain white bra and panties, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever
laid eyes on. “There’s more to us than just sex, Thea.”

She tossed him a half shrug. “I just thought it might be nice to go down
memory lane together. You know, with one final fuck. That is if you’re up for
it.”

Disappointment speared through him. She was going to pretend this was all
about sex. A part of him wanted to call her on it but then, maybe there was an
advantage to not pushing the issue right now. Maybe he could reach her heart
through sex. Maybe if she remembered how good they were in bed she’d remember just
how much she’d loved him and what they had.

Thea’s eyes twinkled with sultry promise. “And lookie here—” he fought
for control as her fingers continued past his waistband and skimmed over the
bulge in his jeans, “—I guess you are at that.”

Fuck.
He grabbed her hand away from his straining cock. “You’re
playing with fire, darlin’. Watch out you don’t get burned.”

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle anything you throw my way. Maybe
you’re the one who’s worried you can’t keep up. Or maybe you’re worried
you’ll
get burned.”

“I didn’t come back to town just for a quick fuck, Thea.”

“I didn’t say anything about it being quick.” She rubbed up against him
and his heart nearly stopped. “I had something a bit more marathon-like in
mind. You were always so good at taking your time.” She peeked up through her
lashes, her very evocative pout a temptation all on its own. “I hope that
hasn’t changed.”

Her obvious ploy to work him up didn’t fool him, but boy, was it working.
This was Thea’s way of staying in the driver’s seat. Of that he had no doubt. She
was determined to make it just about sex. What she didn’t realize was he was
just as determined to make it more. He wanted them to be together again, and if
it meant playing along with her little sex games, that’s just what he’d do.
With a few of his own very important adjustments.

He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the floor. With a
squeal of surprise, she wrapped her legs around his waist in a move as familiar
as it was welcome.

Even through all the unwanted barriers separating their flesh, her
scorching heat pressed against his erection. He couldn’t hold back the groan of
pleasure. “I can outlast you, darlin’. But you’d better watch out, I’ve learned
a few things along the way. You sure you can handle me?”

A split-second of doubt flashed across her beautiful features before she
wiped her expression clean. “Bring it on, big boy.”

Hunger roared through his veins. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

He captured her lips in a devastating kiss meant to tease, to seduce, to gain
her complete surrender. And surrender she did, her lips opening to the demands
of his seeking tongue, mimicking the ultimate capitulation he sought as it
tangled with hers.

This was so much more than a kiss, it was a battle of wills. A battle for
domination, to determine whose agenda would be the one to triumph. Their lips
ate at each other while he carried her to the desk, enjoying the feel of her lush
ass filling his hands.

One handed, he swiped the desktop clean, then set her down on the edge,
giving him easy access to her delectable body. Running his hands up her thighs
as he took in the vision before him, he planned just how he’d kiss every inch
of her soft flesh until she writhed in ecstasy and begged him for mercy. His
cock jerked in anticipation.

God, he’d missed her so damned much. Everything about her—being with her
like this, for sure, but even just talking to her, seeing her easy smile, and sharing
her infectious joy of life. For so long, all he’d had were his hot fantasies
based on their time together. They’d never been enough.

His gaze latched onto her breasts, remembering the sumptuous feel of them
beneath his tongue, filling his hands, cushioning his body. As if reading his
mind, she reached behind and unhooked her bra, letting the straps slip off her
shoulders.

Accepting the silent invitation, he whisked the lacy lingerie down her
arms, and threw it over his shoulder, drinking in the delicious sight. She’d
been beautiful ten years ago, but she’d filled out since then, her curves
becoming more womanly, even sexier now than before, which was saying something.
His heart pounded furiously in his ears just thinking about kissing her sweet
flesh again. The reality would be enough to make his dick explode.

Her nipples peaked under his heated gaze, calling out for his touch. He
reached out to answer the unspoken call, and froze. Loud voices moved down the
hallway past her office.