Hard to Love (27 page)

Her cries got louder and her hips ground against mine. She was close. With one hand still playing with her clit, I used my other to massage one breast, pinching and rubbing her swollen nipples.

Her hips
shot off the bed
and h
er raspy voice moaning my name sent me over the edge. I pumped twice more and climaxed, leaning over her to whisper loving endearments while I came.

We made love twice more and then called for delivery, refusing to get
out of bed even while we ate
—
sushi of all things. Alexa had promised I’d like it, and surprisingly it actually wasn’t half bad. Once we finished, we lounged in the center of the bed, unwilling to leave each other
’s
arms.

“How could I be
enough for you
, baby
?
You deserve the world.
My own parents didn’t even want me,” I asked, tracing a single fingertip over her
naked
hipbone. I’d
denied
her request to get dressed after
the last time
we
’d
made love
.

She leaned up on her elbow to look down at me. “Your parents missed out on an amazing man. And as far as you not being good enough…” She shook her head. “Think about the
unconditional love you have for Lily. She may
have her challenges
, and you probably never envisioned caring for a six year old at your age, but to you, she’s perfect.”

I knew she was right. I’d take a bullet for Lily. And I felt the same way about Alexa.

“You might not have been who I ever pictured myself with, but you’re exactly what I need
—
someone I can let loose and be myself with. Not some uptight, suit-wearing douchebag who
’s
only hanging around in the hopes of impressing my father to secure his next promotion.”

“True.
That’s not me
.
” 

“And I love that about you. I love knowing that you
’d stand up to my parents
—
or anyone
,
for that matter
—
to make sure I was happy.
”

“Hell
,
yeah
,
I would.”

I tucked
Lex
under my arm and held her until her breathing became deep and even.
I hadn’t
ever
spent the night away from Lily,
b
ut knowing Sophia was sleeping over
at my place
,
and
that Lily was safe
—
and most importantly
that I had Alexa back
—
I fell into an easy sleep, feeling
happier and more complete
than
I ever had
.

*****

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” I asked Alexa as she crawled across the cab of my truck and
o
nto my lap.

“
Shh
. I have an idea,” she murmured against my neck. Having her straddling my hips in that little black skirt sent a wave of desire through my system.

“No fair, baby. I don’t have room to touch you.” I gripped the arm rests on either side of
her,
caging her in against me
, but
still
letting her have her way
.

She lifted her chin and caught my eyes, confidence and desire blazing in
those
blue depths. “Hush. I was once told you liked sex in the cab of your truck.”

A low rich chuckle tumbled from my lips.
That’s what this was?
“Used to.
Pre-Alexa.”
Or P.A., as we’d taken to calling my life before her. I was not fucking her in my truck. Sure it was dark out and the parking lot was mostly deserted, given the hour, but Alexa deserved more. She deserved everything.

She grinned at me, nestling herself in even
more snugly in
my lap. “Yes, but you
came
out dancing with my friends tonight even though I know you hate loud clubs, and I want to reward you.” She rocked her hips against the front of my jeans, the friction of our bodies demanding attention.

I took her chin in my hand and kissed her mouth. I did hate dance clubs, but getting to watch Alexa dance in a miniskirt and heels and
feeling her
grind up against me all
night,
well let’s just say I was no martyr. It had also helped that we’d seemed to bridge the gap between our friends, inviting several of her friends and mine out together.
Sort of our first real coming out as a couple.
And to our surprise, everyone had gotten along well. Even Tyson and I had buried the hatchet between us.
It appeared s
ome had gotten along better than others
, too
—
case in point, I was pretty sure
Ian
and MacKenzie were currently en route to his place.

I couldn’t help but smile, because this was exactly what we’d been doing for the past month
—
her introducing me to the things in her world and
me
introducing her to mine.

Alexa continued to watch me, her expression curious, her mouth curving into a mischievous smile.

“Not here. Not in my truck, baby. Let me take you home where I can fuck you properly,” I kissed her, nipping at her mouth.

She grinned and shook her head. “I’m not breakable, Cade. You don’t have to treat me like a princess. I want you.”

“Cupcake…” my voice came out in a half moan, half whisper.

She worked her hands in between us
,
unbuckling my belt and tugging
down
my jeans. God, I was completely at her mercy. She owned me. And the gleam in her eye and smile twitching on her lips told me she knew it.

“I think I need to remind you…” She
tugged my boxers down just enough to free my cock
. “That this belongs to me.” She angled herself closer, grinding against me so I could feel
just
how damp her panties were. 

Fuuuuck
.
“Oh
,
it’s all yours, cupcake.” I tugged her panties to the side, running my thumb along her swollen lips. Knowing she was ready, I thrust my hips up, meeting her wet heat with gentle thrusts. She whimpered and writhed, adjusting to the fullness as I slipped inside. I clenched my jaw to keep from crying out when her impossibly tight, warm channel sank down on me.

“Every inch, mine,” she whispered.

“Yes, yours.”
I kissed her passionately while she increased her speed.

Alexa cried out and pressed her hand against the window, smearing the steamed-up glass with a handprint. If it wasn’t obvious what was happening in this truck before, it certainly was now.

Her whimpers grew more insistent and I knew she was close. I never had to ask her anymore. I could always tell when she was about to come and timed my release accordingly.  She raised and lowered herself on me while repeatedly moaning my name like it was her mantra. It was fucking hot.  She tossed her head back, moaning low in her throat and rode out the pulsing orgasm I could feel squeezing me. I gripped her hips, pumping hard and fast, and quickly followed her over the edge.

After, I cradled her to my chest, holding her while our
heartbeats slowed and breaths mingled
.  “I love you, cupcake.”

“I love you,
Caden
,” she murmured, her lips pressed against my neck. 

Epilogue

Alexa ~
Eight
months later

“That girl’s a fish
—
look at her go,” my dad
chuckled
, squinting into the
sun
.

Watching Lily splash around in the pool was my new favorite way to spend a Saturday. I had grown up in this pool, on
the
patio of this Country Club, but somehow watching Lily enjoy it was even better than my own memories.

My mom was in the pool
with
Lily, since trying to keep
her
out of the water was like
trying to keep Cade from calling me cupcake
—
it was
a lost cause.

I looked across the terrace to find Cade
returning with lunch
. He set the
foam
boxes on
the table between my father and
I
, before dropping a kiss on my lips and settling in the lo
u
nge chair beside me.

“What’s for lunch?” my dad asked, addressing Cade.

He chuckled.
“Burgers.
What else?”

It had becoming a running joke between
them
. When my m
om wasn’t in the pool with Lily
and was the one to order lunch, she’d come back with salmon salad or something equally as foreign to Cade and Lily’s palates. They were good sports about it though, just like my parents were when Cade came back with cheeseburgers for everyone. It was like we were all learning to exist together. Even my dad had cut back on working Saturdays in the summer to spend the days with us here.

Things had changed considerably over the past several months since I graduated from nursing school. Most notably, Cade had won my parents over.
It hadn’t been easy at first, but Cade had persisted.
He’
d
started his own success contracting company, and sought my dad out
for financial
advice, which he was all too happy to provide, seeing
as
finance
was his favorite topic.
My dad in turn referred him to several clients for remodeling projects
—
wealthy
people at the country club
—
and Cade’s business had grown considerably in a short time. Most of all, it gave him a boost of confidence, and forced any lingering worries over money from his mind.
It was nice to see him a bit more relaxed because of it.

A
nother
big part of
my parents
coming around
had to do with little Lily
—
she was just so loveable. Though my mom never seemed the grandmotherly type, she’d begun coming
over
several days a week to pick up Lily. It was nice to see my mother have someone in her life to devote attention to
, rather than sitting alone in their big house
.

Cade had begun helping my dad around the house with odds and ends, my fat
her gaining a healthy respect for
the
self-taught
skills Cade
possessed
. Of course we’d conveniently left out Cade’s brief stint as a porn
star and though his video
s
were still online, we doubted my parents would ever discover them.

The biggest chan
g
e came last month when
Cade sold his g
randparents
’
little house, and I
sold the condo my parents had bought for me a few years before, and together we bought a house halfway between both our places. It was
in
the same school district for Lily and still close to the hospital, where I now worked full
time.

My dad grabbed a towel for my mom and Lily’s pink hooded towel that had her name embroidered along one side
—
a gift from my mom
—
and helped them from the pool.  

I took the opportunity to inspect Cade. His eyes were glued to me too.

Cade in a pair of navy swim trunks slung low on his hips was enough to make me want to drop my bikini bottoms and wade out in the water with him for some underwater action, spectators be damned. But of course, I didn’t. I just clenched my thighs together, knowing that when we got home from the pool, Lily would be
exhausted and
ready for a nap and Cade and I could disappear into our room
for some
alone
time
.

“Later cupcake,” Cade whispered as if reading my mind. “Now eat. You’re going to need your energy
for what I have planned
.”

I stifled a gasp and grinned up at him. I was his, completely.
Body, heart and soul.
And I wouldn’t want it any other way.