Still the One (5 page)

want to disappoint you. Besides, he knows Creigh and I love Halla and we‟re in a

position to care for her.”

“And do you?” Roland‟s gaze probed Dean‟s intently. “Care for her?”

Dean knew the other man wasn‟t asking to be annoying but to reassure

himself of something he already knew. That and the respect he had for Roland were

the only two things that kept Dean from blasting the older man for the idiotic

question. But just so there wouldn‟t be a single doubt, he answered in a way he

hoped would clear up any misgivings once and for all. “She might be your

granddaughter by DNA, but she‟s my daughter by choice.”

Roland nodded his head and smiled softly as if he‟d already known the answer

and was pleased by it. “And that‟s what makes you a hell of a man.” Roland stood.

“Your father would be proud of the man he raised. As proud as I am to have you

raise my granddaughter.”

Roland‟s words touched Dean in ways he knew he could never describe. There

wasn‟t a day that didn‟t go by when Dean didn‟t think of his parents or wonder how

life would have been different had they lived. To have the man who knew his father

best say such a complimentary thing made his heart proud. Dean rose from the

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27

couch and placed his hand on the older man‟s shoulder. “My father isn‟t the only

man I take after, Uncle Roland.”

Roland‟s smile grew wider. “And on that note, I‟m going to go.”

“There‟s no rush.” Even though Dean wanted nothing more than to be alone

with Creigh, he wanted things to be square with Roland.

“I disagree. Sharon‟s waited long enough for a grandchild, and my son‟s waited

long enough for a dressing down.” Roland gave Dean a quick pat on his shoulder,

then headed toward the door with Dean at his side. On his way out, Roland paused

and turned back to Dean. “I expect you to bring my grandchild
ren
around more

often, son. We‟re not getting any younger, you know.”

The plural word moved him, and the emotion evoked had Dean clearing his

throat before he spoke. “How about next weekend?”

“Sounds good. Good night.”

“Night, Uncle Roland.” Dean watched Roland until the other man got into his

car and drove off. A burden Dean hadn‟t even realized he was carrying drove off

with him. The truth was in the open now, and they were all finally free.

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Lena Matthews

Chapter Three

Creigh stood at the window and watched as Roland‟s car drove away. It didn‟t

take a rocket scientist to figure out why the older man was here, especially a rocket

scientist who eavesdropped from her perch at the bottom of the stairs for a few

minutes while the men talked.

Anxiety made her stomach feel as if it were filled with lead. Sighing, Creigh

shook her head and closed the blinds. Just when she thought she‟d made peace with

things, reality reared its ugly head. Halla by definition of her name and birth was a

gift. One Creigh would never regret for as long as she lived, but every gift came with

a price. A price someone had to pay, and unfortunately it appeared as if Roland and

Sharon were the ones footing the bill now.

The sound of her bedroom door opening, then closing again alerted her to

Dean‟s presence. “Sorry that took so long.”

“You‟d think by now the encyclopedia-selling people would get the hint.

Wikipedia is the bees knees; paperbound is just so 1990.”

“It wasn‟t a traveling salesman. It was Roland.”

“I know.” Mustering her courage, she closed the curtains, then turned around

to face Dean. She wiped her damp palms on the floral baby doll nightgown she‟d

slipped on while she‟d been waiting for Dean. “Is it safe to say the cat‟s out of the

bag?”

Dean gave a slight nod as he slipped off his shoes. “It‟s safe.”

“And Roland is…” She let her voice trail away as she waited for him to fill in

the blanks.

“Understandably disappointed.”

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29

“In us.” In me, she added to herself, looking away.

Dean lifted her chin until she was once again peering into his eyes. “A little bit

in all of us for keeping him and Sharon in the dark, but I think overall he‟s more

happy than sad. Everything is going to be okay. Trust me.”

“Not everything,” she said softly. “Think Trace is going to be upset his parents

know?”

“Think I care?” His voice was filled with thinly veiled contempt.

Creigh‟s lips twitched in amusement. Leave it to Dean to sugarcoat things.

“No. Not in the slightest.”

Dean moved his fingers from her chin to gently caress her cheek. “See, you

know me so well.”

“I do,” she agreed without hesitation. “Better than anyone else in the world.”

Dean placed his hands on her hips and peered down at her with a hungry look

in his deep green eyes. “You do, do you?”

From the way he was staring at her, touching her, Creigh knew the

conversation about Roland was over and done with. It was time for them to pick up

where they‟d left off in the kitchen. A thought that made not only her heartbeat pick

up, but her pussy dampen as well. “Yes, I do.”

“Okay then.” Dean leaned down and gently sank his teeth into the slender

slope of her neck, turning her into a mound of putty in one single nip. When she let

out a little moan of delight, he chuckled against her skin, then licked at the imprint

of his teeth before trailing his tongue up to her ear. “Tell me what I‟m thinking

right now.”

“That we‟re done talking about Trace.” He took her lobe between his lips and

suckled it a bit before sinking his teeth into it. The hint of pain was far

overshadowed by the full-on blast of pleasure she received from what he was doing.

He pulled back and stared down into her eyes. “Done talking…period.”

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Lena Matthews

“Period. Really.” Creigh licked her lips. She liked the way this was going, but

she wanted to get the rules clear at the beginning. “No words. Like „oh, don‟t‟ or

„stop‟?”

“Those dirty words or any other words that can be made to sound sexual are

acceptable. Moans and pleas as well. That is,” he added in a teasing tone, “if you can

remember how.”

“I remember dirty.” She nodded. “Dirty is good.”

“Filthy is better,” Dean murmured. “Especially when it spills from between

lips as sweet as yours.”

“Or from a mouth as sexy as yours.”

“Think my mouth is sexy?”

“I think everything about you is sexy.” Creigh slipped her hands under his T-

shirt and stroked her fingers against his hard muscles.

“Let me help you out there while you tell me what it is exactly you like about

me.” Dean pulled the thin material over his shoulders, off his body, and tossed it

carelessly to the floor. “Better?”

“Much better. Now where was I? Oh yes, I like your chest.” She caressed the

feature she‟d mentioned. “Your rock-hard abs, and I especially love this little line of

dark hair you have that starts just below your belly button and disappears beneath

your jeans.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes.” Lowering herself to her knees, she went to town on the button and

zipper of his jeans. Her quick, motivated fingers made fast work of freeing his

straining erection, then slipping his pants down just a little bit past his buttocks.

While maintaining eye contact, she took his jutting erection into her hand and

licked his glimmering crown. “Your cock.”

Dean ran his fingers gently over her hair. “Lucky cock. Lucky me.”

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31

“No, Dean”—she stroked her fingers up and down his dick, marveling as she

always did at the beauty of his pale shaft in her darker hand—“lucky me.”

She shot him a wicked smiled before engulfing the head of his cock and taking

him as deep into her mouth as she could in one fell swoop. Dean let out a sharp

breath, a noise that only served to spur her on. After pausing for a few seconds, she

slowly began to ascend, releasing him an inch at a time from her mouth until just

the crown remained, then slowly sinking down once more. She took her time—

wanting the moment to last almost as much as she wanted to drive him out of his

mind with pleasure.

“Stop teasing me,” he ordered in a hoarse voice, “and swallow my dick down

your pretty little throat.”

Yes, sir
was right there on the tip of her tongue, right next to his shaft, but

Creigh decided to take the road that would reward them both and kept her smart-

ass remark to herself. Instead she put her mouth to good use.

Taking hold of his erection again with her hand, she began to steadily stroke

the base of his shaft as she worked her mouth up and down the top half of his dick.

On every other upward bob, she would pause for a few seconds to swirl her tongue

around his leaking tip or rake her teeth gently over the head of his cock before

plunging forward once more.

“Jesus Christ.”

She alternated between deep plunges, shallow sucks, and fist-tight strokes to

keep Dean on edge. Everything she did, every move she made all had one goal in

mind. And that was driving Dean out of his. After finding her rhythm, she closed

her eyes and opened herself up to receive the sexual high she got from orally

pleasing him.

“Fuck. Fuck,” he gritted out as he placed his hands on the side of her head.

“Fuck, baby…just let me. Just let me fuck your face for a bit. Let me lead.”

Without opening her eyes, she did exactly as he asked. She relaxed her jaw but

kept her lips round and ready as he powered his hips back and forth. With his

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Lena Matthews

hands holding her tight, she was powerless to do anything but what he demanded,

and she loved every second of it.

Creigh knew there were women in the world who didn‟t enjoying giving head.

Read about them. Saw them on the TV. But for the life of her, Creigh didn‟t

understand them. Lord knew, she wasn‟t one of them. Not only did she thoroughly

love making her husband insane with desire, she honest to goodness became

aroused from the act. Even now, she was highly tempted to work her hand between

her legs and finger her wet pussy until she came. But before she could act on her

desire, Dean tried to call a halt to things.

He released his grip on her hair and groaned, “Enough.” But she wasn‟t done

yet. Yes, she enjoyed following his lead, but she also loved sucking his dick and she

wasn‟t ready to finish. Besides, she knew he wasn‟t either. Dean‟s mouth said one

thing; the precum leaking out of his cock said quite another. Creigh was more intent

on listening to the latter—since it coincided with her desires—and continued to

deep throat his shaft.

Not one to be ignored, Dean reached down and wrapped his hand in her hair

and pulled her forcefully off his cock. “I said enough, cara. I‟m not wasting my seed

in that talented little mouth of yours. Especially when I can spill it in your sweet

pussy instead.”

Her moan of disappointment mingled with the one of pleasure she let out from

the feel of his hands gripping her hair so tight. Giving head had always been a turn-

on for her, but added to the dominant way Dean took charge flat out did it for her.

Creigh had yet to be touched, but she was seconds away from coming. Hungry for

another taste of his thick dick, she licked her tingling lips for just a drop more of his

salty flavor.

“Look at you. On your knees licking your lips.” Dean pushed his pants down

completely and stepped out of them. “Such a dirty little girl.”

Her face warmed at his words, but it didn‟t stop her from responding. “Your

dirty little girl.”

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33

“Damn straight,” he growled. “Get up on the bed, doggie-style, with that sexy

ass of yours pointing toward me.”

“Not coming makes you grumpy?”

“Being sexually frustrated and you not obeying isn‟t helping the matter. Plus

the longer it takes you to comply, the harder I‟ll have to punish you.

Interest piqued, Creigh tested out the word on her swollen, overworked lips.

“Punish?”

“One smack. Two smacks. Thr—”

Eyes wide, Creigh rose on shaky legs and hurried to do as he commanded. She

could tell from the sound of his voice that Dean had finally reached the end of his

rope. “Okay, okay.”

Even though she‟d acted fast, he‟d reached eight smacks before she was on the

bed. “Eight. That‟s not good; now get off the bed.”

“Get on the bed. Get off the bed. Make up your mind.” She did as he ordered,

complaining the entire time. She wanted to fuck, not play Simon Says.

“You shouldn‟t toy with me, cara.” Dean‟s husky voice betrayed his desire.

“Now drop your gown. I want to fuck you, not Laura Ingalls.”

Creigh glanced down at her nightie and frowned. “It‟s not Laura Ingalls. It‟s