Game Saver (11 page)

“Colorado originally.”

I drop my hand to Abi’s shoulder and give a gentle—hopefully reassuring—squeeze.

“Mom, leave the poor woman alone,” Callie says, narrowing her eyes.

Mom’s face goes pale, and she lifts her fingers to rest over her heart. “I’m sorry, Abi. I didn’t mean to—”

With perfect poise, Abi doesn’t miss a beat. “It’s perfectly fine, Mrs. Carsen.” She reaches back and rubs my hand on her arm. “You’re just being a protective mother. My mom has four sons, and I’ve witnessed her carry out many a Spanish inquisition.”

My eyes bug out, and Callie’s mouth drops open. Abi just handled my mother.
Like a pro.
That’s definitely earned her more than one orgasm when we get home.

My mother plasters a polite smile on her face and rallies in the face of what to anyone else would be certain mortification. “It sounds like your mother and I have something in common then.” Her shoulders relax, and her eyes drift to the other side of the room. With a short wave to someone, she looks back to the table. “If you’d excuse me, duty calls. I look forward to seeing you again, Abi.” Mom turns towards me. “Caden, remember to move around the room and be seen talking with your father.”

I clench my jaw at the not-so-subtle reminder to play the dutiful son. “I will,” I reply tersely.

“No need to be unsociable. Tonight has been a big night for your father. You and Callie need to support him. We all do.” Having delivered her veiled scolding, she nods and walks away.

“How are we even related?” Callie mutters under her breath before leaning towards Abi. “You are my new favorite person.”

“Hey, I thought I was?” I say in mock offense, clutching my chest with my hand melodramatically, earning a snort from the two of them.

“Let me guess—both of your brothers say that? Because all four of mine fight to be my favorite.”

“Cameron doesn’t care if I think he’s my favorite or not—he says it’s just fact.”

“Sounds like my younger brother, Cohen. He plays the baby card all the time.”

“Are the others older?” Callie asks. For some reason, my sister quizzing Abi doesn’t grind my gears one bit.

“Jamie’s thirty-two and is a boat captain. Jaxon and Bryant just turned thirty and are a photographer and assistant professor respectively, and my younger brother, Cohen, is twenty-five and is an EMT.”

“Wow, your parents were keen.”

“They should’ve bought a TV for the bedroom after the twins,” Abi replies matter-of-factly, and Callie’s eyes go wide before all of us burst out laughing.

“Oh I like her, Cade. You should keep her,” Callie says off-hand, and I chuckle.

Abi lets it roll straight off her, like everything else that’s happened tonight, and gives me yet another reason to expend effort later on when we’re alone and naked. “I think it’s more me
allowing
him to keep me. Can’t make it too easy for them, can we?” she adds with a wink.

“Oh I
really
like you now,” Callie says before looking up at me. “Can you help me up? I need to go find my husband and make sure he’s not being inducted into the old boys’ club.” I move towards her and gripping her hand and, holding on until she’s standing steady beside me. “Abi, we should have lunch one day. I’ll fill you in on all the things my brothers got up to growing up.”

Abi smiles brightly up at her. “Sounds great. Get my number from Cade.”

“I will do. Goodbye, little brother,” Callie says, leaning up to kiss my cheek. “Hold on to her, Cade,” she whispers in my ear before waving at Abi once more and walking away from us.

“So, father, mother, and sister out of the way—now I just need to meet the other half of you,” Abi says as I sit back down next to her.

‘Cameron’s back in two months. You can meet him then,” I reply, and her lips part before a slow-growing smirk appears.

“Awesome. I can’t wait to judge which of you is the hottest Carsen male. I might even put together a panel of judges. I’m sure Dani, Mia, and Amy would all jump on board.”

Wanting—no,
needing
—to shut her up before she says anything else, I hook my hand around her neck and tug her close, crashing my lips hard on hers until she sags into me, her fingers gripping my jacket tight as she holds on for dear life.

When I finally let her up for air, she stares at me for a moment, her eyes glazed over. “What was
that
for?”

I shrug and grin. “Just felt like it.”

“Feel free to feel like it more often then.”

“Will you dance with me?” I murmur in Abi’s ear. We’ve been here for three hours and already Thomas has taken Zoe, Callie, and Abi for a whirl on the dancefloor. Now that the night is winding down, I’m not leaving without getting a turn.

Taking a quick scan of the room, I see Noah and Zoe swaying together to a Michael Bublé song, and Thomas chatting to my father and his cronies at a table across the room.

Abi takes a sip of her wine as if to mull over my question, and damn she looks sexy while she does it. A playful smile tugs at her lips as she puts her glass down on the table and turns her body towards mine, placing her hand on my upper thigh and squeezing gently. “I thought you’d never ask, Dr. Carsen.”

Pushing my chair back, I stand and hold my arm out, grasping hold of her fingers the moment she puts her hand in mine and leading her through the tables and onto the dance floor. Wrapping my arms around her, I lift our joined arms up and run my other hand around to the small of her back, resting my splayed fingers there. I hold her close, and we start moving side to side, my body aching to draw her in close and feel her body against mine. I watch her, our eyes locked together, as I let the music score through me.

“I’ve had a good time tonight, Cade,” she says softly.

“It’s been a hell of a lot more enjoyable having you here.”

“They’re not that bad . . .”

“Wait until I get a phone call tomorrow once they’ve run a background check and found out you don’t have high-society family roots.”

“You’re kidding?” She gasps, her body tensing.

I drop my mouth to the apex of her neck and shoulder and place a gentle kiss on the bare skin there, flexing my fingers on her back. “Maybe, but I don’t give a fuck about any of that.”

At my words and the touch of my lips, her body melts into mine.
Fucking brilliant.

“Your sister is awesome. She’s down to earth, just like you.” The last bit of tension I was holding in my shoulders ebbs out of me when she says that. I didn’t want my parents and their ‘scene’ to sway Abi’s opinion of me. “Even your mom finding out about me was entertaining. I’m glad you invited me.”

“I’m glad you came,” I murmur against the side of her head, my mouth now resting against her temple as the song changes to one by Norah Jones.

“You’re an enigma, Cade Carsen.”

“A good one I hope.”

“You’re definitely not a product of the environment you were created in.”

“Told you that.”

“I like it.”
Fuck that feels good to hear from her.
“Although I’m not sure how good I am at mother-buffering. I didn’t even see the sneak attack coming.”

I bark out a laugh and draw the attention of others dancing around us including Noah, who smirks at me before spinning Zoe away in another direction.

“That’s okay. We can test out your ability to ward off
my
sneak attacks later on.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she says and unable to stop myself, I cup her cheek in one hand and gently brush my lips against hers, briefly engaging my tongue and relishing in the whimper that escapes her mouth when I deepen the kiss.
Decorum be damned.

The night has been far more enjoyable than it would’ve been without her here. She may have been doing me a favor by coming along as my date tonight but the more time I spend with her—and not just while having out-of-this-world sex—the more I’m finding out about her. After tonight, Thomas’s words from last week ring around my head more than ever.

It might not be about the
amount
of time you have to spend with someone that matters. Maybe who you spend it with and what you do with the time you have is what counts more than anything.

When Cade leads me towards a waiting limo, my entire body becomes alive with anticipation. All night, ever since I opened the door to him, he’s been stoking the already blazing fire that’s always sizzled between us.

The moment he closes the car door behind us, the energy pulsating around the vehicle threatens to engulf me, and I
know
that tonight is gonna rock my world if the orgasm—or orgasms—I have coming my way don’t kill me first.

“I’ve always had this fantasy,” he says as the limo pulls away from the curb.

“Hmm?” I hum, struggling to sit still on the leather seat. I turn towards him, lacing my fingers with his and looking up at him.

He moves our hands to my lap, his fingertips brushing the inside of my knee, and never have I been more thankful to wear a dress with a mid-thigh split. My eyes drop to his arm and watch the achingly slow rise of his hand as he draws soft circles against my skin, inching our way beneath the fabric. He lets go of me and I hold my breath, thinking he’s going to stop. Then he puts his palm back on top of my hand, directing me like a marionette and guiding our fingers higher . . .

“I never got to make full use of the limo on prom night,” he says, and my head snaps up.

“Really?” I ask, my high-pitched voice not hiding my surprise.

“Nope,” he replies with an easy grin. “The girl was my sister’s friend, and she wasn’t about to let a dorky geek be her first.” He presses down, digging my nails into the soft skin of my inner thigh and causing my lids to grow heavy with the deep hunger his touch evokes.

“Most guys hope to get laid on prom night.” I widen my legs to give him—and by design, me—better access. I drop my cheek to his shoulder, lifting my chin to rest my lips against his rough jaw.

“Wanna fool around then?” I ask, knowing full well that we’re going to do a
lot
more than make out. Maybe not on the way home, but it’ll definitely give me more of what I’ve been craving all night. Being with Cade but not able to be
with
him was a new experience, but the longer the night went on, the more comfortable and ‘normal’ it seemed. Like this wasn’t a fake relationship or a mother-buffer assignment. It was like this could be a real thing, two adults who had a one-night stand and found there was more between them.

“Nobody’s going to be fooled when they hear you scream as you make yourself come.”

All I can think is
I hope the seat is waterproof,
because there’s no way in hell my dress is gonna control the flood when the dam breaks.

“You were fucking magnificent tonight. You had everyone eating out of the palm of your hand.”

“Even you?” I ask, murmuring the words against his jaw, relishing the feel of my hand—getting ever-so-close to the point of no return between my legs.

“You’ve had me at your bidding since the moment our eyes met at the bar.”

Ovaries, boom!
“Are you at my bidding now?” I ask roughly, nipping his jaw before placing a wet, openmouthed kiss in the same spot.