Athica Lane: The Carpino Series (15 page)

“Dude, I might be curious, but my wife is over the bend about what’s going on between you two.  Ever since you came looking for her yesterday, Paige won’t return any of Sophia’s phone calls.  Soph is going mad trying to figure out what’s up.  Then you two showed up together tonight with Paige looking as uncomfortable as a whore in church and you can’t keep your eyes off her.  I don’t think anyone’s wondering anymore and the women are chewing it up.”

“I’ve known her a week and her brother just threatened to lynch me.”

“Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve known Paige since she was fourteen.  I’d stand in line to lynch anyone who hurt her.  But I didn’t come to threaten you—I came to warn you about the Carpino women.  I landed myself one and she still keeps me on my toes after ten years of marriage.  Just trying to be a good friend and let you know what you’re getting yourself into,” he keeps grinning.

I look back at him, “I’m kind of getting that.”

He shakes his head, looks over at Paige with my daughter and a horde of other kids playing a yard game, “It’s hard to say, but I might venture that even though the baby of the family is the smallest, she’s got the most spirit, by far.”

I watch Paige take a sip of her drink as she tosses a corn bag toward the board, it not only misses the hole but skids off completely.  She proceeds to throw a pretend fit about the game being rigged while the kids laugh.  I add, “I think I’m getting that, too.”

“Cam,” he calls for me.  I’ve known Lanny for two years.  He’s a good man, a good husband and a good dad.  I also consider him a friend and feel I know him well.  So when he raises an eyebrow, I know he means it when he says in all seriousness, “You’re screwed.”

I look back to Paige Carpino, who’s now being pulled away by Tony’s newly-pregnant wife while the big kids start a new game, averting Cara’s attention away from Paige.  Paige is frowning at Leigh and looks frustrated as a group of women follow them around the side of the house. 

Before I lose sight of her, she glances my way and her deep brown eyes widen.  I can’t see from here, but I can only imagine the gold flecks shining bright in those big brown eyes.  I grin as she’s pulled out of my view and her frown deepens. 

Fuck, yeah.  I’m screwed. 

*****

“I cannot be-
lieve
you haven’t called me,” Sophia whisper-yells, completely angry as she makes her way to where Leigh Paige-napped me from the kids.  I thought I was safe with Cara, not to mention we were having fun playing Corn Hole.

“Most people can take a hint when they don’t get a call back, Soph.  It means they don’t want to talk to you.  So guess what?  I don’t want to talk to you,” I say, taking another sip of my fruity vodka drink. 

I’ve had a bottomless drink in my hand all night.  My sisters and cousins have been replacing it all evening, but they’ve finally cornered me.  I’m sure their plan was to get me loose lipped about the man I showed up with tonight.  All of them, Leigh, Sophia, Charlotte, Gabby, Avery, Micah and even Rosa shuffled through the grass to join us.  Damn them all.

“Tell us all about him,” Leigh says, smiling big.  Of course she’s happy.  She’s glowing, double-glowing, on-top-of-the-world-happy as she and my brother announced they’re not only pregnant, but just found out they’re having twins.  She goes on, “He’s hot.  And with his body, I’m pretty sure he could’ve been on Spartacus.”

Only because I’ve seen him in his underwear, I am witness to the fact that Cam could lay waste to most of those guys on Spartacus.  His muscles are just that fine.

I don’t get to agree or disagree because my younger cousin, Avery, who is home from college for the summer, says, “Maybe I should watch Spartacus.”

“Enough about Spartacus,” Sophia snaps.  Then like the blabbermouth she is, she puts her hands to hips and informs my family and Rosa everything she knows, “Yesterday evening, Cam Montgomery showed up on my doorstep looking pissed beyond belief and demanded to know where my littlest sister lives.  I asked him why and he said he had some,” she pauses for effect and leans toward her audience to enunciate her words, “
unfinished business
,” she stands straight to cross her arms while looking straight at me, “with you.” 

I do my best to give her a blank look but she perseveres, addressing her female spectators, “Now, I’ve known Cam Montgomery for two years.  He’s a good guy.  He and Lanny are friends.  He’s a good neighbor, not to mention an awesome dad.  He’s also a single dad with a bitch of an ex-wife who I’ve only experienced at his kids’ birthday parties, but wow, the woman is a star member of the bitch club.  That said, I’ve seen Cam pissy when it comes to his ex-wife, but nothing compared to how pissed he was yesterday when he was,” again with the pause and again with the glaring, “
looking for my littlest sister
.”

I frown, but I think I’ve had at least three bottomless vodka drinks, all I can seem to focus on is what kind of party Cam threw for his kids.  He said he doesn’t have company picnics and he doesn’t come across like a party throwing kind of guy.  He doesn’t even throw trash away very well.  Sure, he’s a guy—I’m sure Jordy’s party would be easy for him to plan.

But just as I’m wondering if Cara got a Little Mermaid party for her fifth birthday, Sophia continues her storytelling, “Since Paige took care of Noah and Cayden for us last week, she also had Cam’s two kids every afternoon since I’m watching them all summer.  So, I want to know,” she looks back to me. “How did you go from taking care of his kids all week, to him being so pissed he needed to find you when you clearly didn’t want him to find you, to showing up with him tonight looking like you’re together?  You’ve blushed about a million times and he looks like a cat who got his cream.”

I gasp and frown deeper as I hear murmurs coming from all around me, “Oh my”, “Wow”, “Really?”, “Holy shit, she finally gave it up.”

From above all the murmurs, Rosa practically yells, “I told you to keep your legs together!”

“Rosa, keep your voice down,” I caution her.

“Uh-huh,” Sophia continues louder than necessary. “I want to know, Paige Elizabeth Carpino. 
Did he get your cream
?”

“No!” I yell back.  “Stop talking like that.  It’s none of your business anyway.  None of yours,” I add, looking around at the group.

“You didn’t do it?” my sister Charlotte asks.  She’s the least of the blabbermouths of the family, but that doesn’t mean she’s gossip free.  She’s just less of a gossip than the rest.

“No,” I keep frowning and can’t help but feel my face warm from talking about this.

“But you’ve done something,” Leigh grins.

“Leave her alone,” Gabby says.  “You all did this to me last year and it’s not fun. If she gives it up, we’ll know by the look on her face.”

“Holy shit,” I mutter and take another big drink wondering if they’ll really be able to tell by the look on my face.

“What’s going on with you two?  Are you together?” my cousin Micah asks.

“I don’t know.  I think we might be,” I sigh.

“What happened last week?” Charlotte asks.

“Tell us,” Rosa demands.  “You didn’t call me like you said you would and you made me have to do the texting.  I’m not happy with you and I want to know.”

I sigh and decide to let the vodka take over, thinking it’s all for naught.  They’ll assume worse if I don’t share, so I give them the abridged edition. 

I tell them about the Wet T-shirt Contest, then meeting him at Sophia’s and realizing we knew each other from the Dr. Pepper Incident.  I explain in detail about the Sugar Daddy story, how I cleaned his kitchen, dinner, Brian, Bekki with an i, how he kisses me while pressing into things and even going out for hamburgers.  Then I tell them we had an “argument” Saturday night, but I
did not
go into detail about that particular story.  I describe how he came to my apartment, the scene with Brian and how Cam manages to apologize without actually saying “I’m sorry,” and yet it’s sweeter than the real thing.  I even told them how he spent the night, how he relaxed me, my earth-shattering orgasm and me being forced to endure boot camp this morning.  Maybe it was the vodka doing what it does best, but I also told them about his sexy talk and when I see him with his kids, it makes me weak.

I look back to my oldest sister and add, “But he did not get my cream.  Are you happy now?”

My blabbermouth sister and the rest of the semi-blabbermouths stand around me in awe, for once, speechless.  And the Carpino women are rarely speechless—it was a sight to behold.

Another moment goes by and Charlotte finally mumbles, “Wow.”

“Girlie, I feel your pain.  But, can I come to boot camp with you?  I mean, after I stop throwing up all the time,” Gabby asks.

“There’s no way Jude will let you do a boot camp,” Leigh throws at her and then looks to me.   “I’ve never liked Brian.”

“Forget about Brian and boot camp,” Sophia finds her voice and turns to me.  “What now?”

“I don’t know,” I say.  “He told me he’s taking me back to his house tonight.  He wants me in his bed to work on my muscles and relax me again.”

“She’s gonna finally give it up,” young Avery smiles at me.

“She is not,” Rosa frowns at her.  Looking back to me she says, “I know it’s not common to wait for marriage these days, I watch the television and read naughty books.  But you’ve waited this long, you need to make sure.  Don’t rush, child.  You’ll have the rest of your life to have sexual intercourse.”

I think I can speak for the rest of our group that’s under the age of eighty-five when I say—we all wince at Rosa’s clinical description of sex.  I do my best to eradicate that from my brain and think I’m not sure how much more ready one can be, but whatever.  I mean, all he has to do is touch me and I melt.  I’ve only known him a little over a week and even though I’ve never thought about giving it up to anyone, I have a feeling when you know, you know.  Three drinks into a bottomless vodka drink isn’t the time to decide, but still, Cam makes me ache in ways I’ve never ached before.

Gabby interrupts my thoughts and says softly, “My mom taught with him for a year before she died.”

My eyes dart to my cousin and I can’t help but feel a pang somewhere down deep.  Gabby lost her parents five years ago in what we all thought was a car accident, but we learned late last year their car had been tampered with by a man her dad had prosecuted long ago.  I know it’s still hard for Gabby to talk about their death, so her soft comment brings all eyes to her.  Her mom taught math at our old high school, but it never occurred to me Cam taught at Highland with my Aunt Meredith.

“Really?” I whisper.

She nods while rubbing her small baby bump and gives me a smile, “Yeah, just for a year.  He’d taught before, but it was his first year at Highland.  She liked him, said he was a good teacher and everyone was hopeful he’d be able to turn around the football program.  I guess the team sucked back then.  I still follow news from the school, he’s done well.  They even went to the state playoffs last year.”  I return her small smile as she keeps talking, “Not that you needed the approval of anyone, but I think your aunt would approve.”

“Thanks, Gabby,” I say quietly.

But before anyone can torture me further (it must be National Torture Paige Day), Cam comes stalking around the corner.  The instant he sees our group, he stops abruptly, taking us all in.  He narrows his eyes and tips his head when his bright blue ones catch mine.  All the females turn to him, Sophia looking put out, Rosa frowning and the rest are grinning like schoolgirls. 

His face relaxes into a soft look and he melts me all over again when he sexily extends his hand to me.  His blue eyes are warm and I know what he’s thinking about, what’s in store for me later, when he says in a low voice full of promise, “Time to go, baby.”

I hear a few exhales behind me and can’t help but fidget.  Oh yeah, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on to it.  Not when he looks at me like that.  I don’t even take a moment to think, to argue, to worry about the blabbermouths surrounding me.  I immediately move through the gaggle of women straight to him, giving him my hand. 

Even after my rollercoaster of a week, I think I’d let him lead me anywhere. 

“Baby, take this off,” Cam whispers in my ear as he’s leaning over me.  He pushes my t-shirt with his hands as they make their way up the skin of my back where I’m lying face down in his bed.

After Cam pulled me away from the women, we said goodbye to my parents.  They both looked at us curiously, as they would since Cam staked his claim by holding my hand.  I thought I’d finally caught a break when they didn’t embarrass or torture me like the women.  But when we said a final goodbye and Happy Birthday to my big brother, I realized today is not my day for catching a break.  Tony glared straight at Cam and said flat out, “I don’t give a fuck that you were some badass college football star and now you train up-and-coming badass football players.  You hurt my baby sister, I’ll kick your ass.”

It was awkward to say the least.  I yelled at Tony and apologized to Cam.  Tony told me not to apologize for him, he wasn’t sorry about anything.  I punched him in the arm, he leaned down and kissed the top of my head.  Then he said thanks for the cookies before giving Cam one more glare and stalked off. 

My big brother. 

Cam drove us straight to his house and I was worried the kids might not be happy about me being here.  Earlier tonight when Cam picked me up for the party, he made me pack a bag with more workout clothes and told the kids I was staying the night since he was taking me to boot camp in the morning.  They didn’t seem to give it a second thought, which I found strange.  The whole thing made me wonder if he has women stay over often since his kids didn’t blink an eye.  I decided to ask him later and tried not to think about it.

I hung out in the kitchen, or more like cleaned it since it was on its way to looking like it did last week, while Cam got his kids ready for bed.  Ariel played at my feet and John Wayne hissed at me at least three times.  I’ve decided I do not like Cam’s cat. 

The kids came in and said goodnight, Cara giving me big hugs and Jordy even gave me a one armed squeeze around the waist, which was sweet.  After putting them to bed, Cam came strolling back in the kitchen.  He asked if I wanted anything, which I didn’t, and started going through his mail.  He made small talk, asked if I was sore from boot camp and what I had going the next day.  I thought this was odd and not at all what I was expecting.

Five minutes later, he looked to the microwave checking the time and dropped the mail on the island.  He came straight to me, tagged my hand while picking up my bag and proceeded to drag me through the house and straight to his bedroom where he shut us in. 

“They’re asleep,” he muttered as he tossed my bag to the floor and started stripping out of his clothes like he did last night. 

“Are you sure?” I asked.

He leveled his heated eyes on me and said, “I’m sure.”

I don’t know how he knew since he didn’t check on them, he must have used his dad powers.  Before I knew it, he was down to his Calvin Klein’s again—navy blue this time.  He stripped me down to my panties and t-shirt before putting me face down into his big, messy, unmade bed. 

He started on my feet and went to town on my body. 

That could’ve been forever ago, I’ve lost all track of time.  I can’t decide if Cam’s massage is more relaxing or titillating, but between my bottomless vodka drink and his hands on me, my body has become one with his bed.  I’m relaxed, yet tingle every place he touches me and am hyper-alert from his body hovering over mine, surrounding me from above. 

“Lean up,” he says, not giving me a choice as he yanks my top, forcing me to lift as he rips it over my head. 

Now I’m down to my panties and my body is humming as I feel his hand on my bare back, shifting my hair to the side.  His hands come to the small of my back where his thumbs dip in my panties to deepen the massage.  He slides his hands up my sides, brushing the sides of my breasts when I feel his soft goatee and lips at the small of my back.

“Cam?” I mumble into his sheets.

“You okay?” he asks against my skin before I feel his tongue taste me above my panties. 

I’m glad I thought twice when picking out my panties while getting ready for tonight.  These are from Victoria’s Secret, black bikinis with the Victoria’s Secret Angel wings spanning my bottom from hip to hip.  They’re not the sexiest things on Earth, but I like them and think they’re cute. 

“Mm-hmm,” I answer.

“What do you need, darlin’?” he asks, his hands replace his lips where he’s working the muscles on my lower back now.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah,” he answers as I feel his lips on the nape of my neck.

I pull in a breath for courage, “Do you do this a lot?”

The moment my question comes out of my mouth, he stills.  The air in the room instantly changes.  This makes me tense and I fold my arms, pulling them into my sides to cover my breasts and move slightly to look back at him. 

He’s pressed up on both arms, on his hands and knees hovering over me and frowns, “What?”

I look away from him and across his room.  His bedroom is messy like the rest of his house.  He has big heavy furniture with a slightly distressed look to it, but all the pieces are different, nothing matches.  I like the look of his bedroom, it’s masculine yet simple, even if it is messy.  Not to mention his sheets are soft and smell like him.

“Paige?” he calls again and I look back to see his frown has deepened.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that Jordy and Cara didn’t dither when you told them I was staying.  Maybe it isn’t any of my business, but I am practically naked in your bed.  I’m sure my timing isn’t good, but I can’t help but wonder if you have women here often,” I ask. 

He narrows his eyes and gives his head one single shake.  I frown, but before I know it, he shifts and flips me to my back before I have a chance to struggle.

“Cam!” I yell and try to cover my breasts with my arms.

His hips fall between my legs pinning me to the bed and he moves my arms from in between us, pressing his chest into my breasts to cover me as he says, “Quiet, you’ll wake the kids.”

“What did you do that for?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.  He’s too big and strong, there’s no way I’d be able to get out from under him, even if I wanted to.

“Settle down,” he demands and frames one side of my face with his big hand, as if he needed to pin me further. 

I try to control my breathing from the mood change.  Thirty seconds ago my body was humming and now my heart is beating out of my chest in a whole different way.

“No,” he says.

“No?” I ask, perplexed by his answer.  “That’s it?  No?”

“That’s right.  No.  I don’t know why the kids didn’t think twice about you staying.  Maybe it’s because they like you.  Maybe it’s because they trust you.  Maybe in their little kid minds, it makes sense for you to have a sleepover since we’re all going to the same place in the morning.  I have no idea, but I was prepared for the questions if they came.  I do know for certain it’s not because they’re used to having women here.  I’ve not spent time with a single woman in their presence since their mom and I split.  So yeah, darlin’, the answer is no.”

“Oh,” I breathe in a small voice and take in the feel of him against my mostly bare body.  I hate that my voice is small, but I can’t help it when I keep on, “Are you mad that I asked?”

“No.”

“Why do you sound like you’re mad?” I ask, finding my voice again.

“You can ask me anything you want and I’ll answer.  But, baby, you have a way of breaking the moment right when I’ve got you where I want you.  You were in tune to my every touch and now look at you.  You’re wound tight as a spring.  I’d ask if you have a habit of doing this, but since you haven’t been with anyone else, I already know the answer,” he says, frustrated.

“Oh,” I say and divert my eyes from his. 

“Paige?” he calls.

“What?” I look back.

“I don’t like you looking away from me,” he says with a frown playing around his eyes.

“Seriously?  You can’t tell me where to look, you know,” I say, rolling my eyes.

Cam slowly closes his eyes and gives me all his heavy bulk, pressing me into the bed.  The instant his weight settles and I feel like I can’t breathe, he rolls and pulls me over him.  My legs fall around his hips when he brings his knees up, separating my legs and I stay pressed against him to cover my breasts.  He puts one hand to the back of my head and I feel the other come down sharply, but not quite, where it stings my ass.

“Hey!” I warn.

“Baby, the kids,” he warns in a low voice at the same time he squeezes me where I’m pretty sure he just spanked me.

“What are you doing?”

To my question, a smile slowly spreads across his face and he shakes his head, “I have no idea.”

“What?” I ask, wondering what in the world he’s talking about.

“I don’t know what to do with you sometimes,” he keeps on smiling.

“Why are you smiling?” I frown.

“Because for some crazy ass reason, I think I like it,” he answers me.

I keep frowning, “That’s strange.”

“I agree.”

“Well, now what?” I ask thinking he’s being weird and wonder if he’s always this way.

His voice dips and his smile shrinks into a smirk, “I think I’m gonna have to break out the big guns.”

“Now what does
that
mean?” I ask, my voice leaving me again.

He gives my ass another squeeze and surprises me by rolling me to my back quickly, “I’m gonna have to put my mouth between your legs, baby.”

“What?” I breathe.

“That’s right,” he grins.  “I’m gonna eat you until you come so fucking hard you won’t know what hit you.  And if you’re still awake after that, I’m gonna do it again.  Basically, you’re gonna pass out in my bed from too many orgasms.  And I promise, you’re not gonna want to get up and brush your teeth or go to the grocery store.  Now, before I peel your panties off you, do you have any other questions for me?  I don’t want you ruining this again.”

My eyes go huge and my heart is beating in a whole new way.  I try my best to think of a question—a way to stall—even though I’m kind of looking forward to passing out from too many orgasms.  I mean, it sounds way better than passing out from not being able to make it through boot camp.

“I…I can’t think of anything at the moment,” I stutter.

“You sure?” he raises his eyebrows.  “This is your last chance.”

“Um,” I bite my lip.  “I don’t think so.”

“Good.  The only thing I ask is that you try not to wake the kids.”

“Oh shit,” I mutter, closing my eyes.

Before I know it, I’ve lost his warmth and my eyes fly open.  He’s kneeling in between my legs looking down and I can’t help but cover my breasts with my arms.  Cam stops his hands at my hips and gives me two shakes of his head.  I close my eyes and drop my arms, as he slowly peels my panties off, feeling every nerve ending as he drags them down my legs.

“I don’t want you hiding yourself from me, darlin’.  I want all of you, you’ll get that eventually,” he whispers as he tosses my panties to the side.

“Okay,” I breathe and feel Cam come back over me. 

Grabbing my hands, he gently pulls my arms up so they’re bent over my head.  He kisses me as he holds my hands there and says softly, “I want you to try to hang on to your pillow, can you do that for me?”

I exhale but can’t find the words to answer, and barely nod my head.  His goatee hits my neck before I feel his lips there and he works his way slowly down my neck to my chest.  His one hand comes up to my breast and starts to tease my nipple before I feel his mouth at my other.  I groan when he pulls me deep into his mouth as his fingers squeeze at the same time. 

Then a pull.

Then a soft nip with his teeth.

Then a twist.

Holy shit.  Who knew that would feel so good.

He keeps at my breasts and intensifies what he’s doing, making it even better.  I feel his mouth let me go as he slowly kisses his way down my stomach to my pubic bone. 

Oh, my stupid heart needs to slow down.  I really don’t want to pass out before the orgasms.  That would suck and it would be embarrassing.

“Paige?” I not only hear, but feel against my hip.

“Hmm?” is all I can manage.

“You okay?” he calls up from between my legs.

“Uh-huh,” I groan.

“Baby, you need to relax,” he says as his hands come to my knees, pulling them up.

“Quit telling me to relax,” I complain, trying to focus on the ceiling.

He ignores me, his finger lightly brushing the inside of my thigh when he says quietly, “Spread for me.”

I close my eyes and groan, letting my knees fall apart.

“More,” he goes on and I feel his finger move toward the Promised Land.

I let my knees fall further and the cool air hits me.

“More, Paige,” he whispers. 

His hands come to my ankles, pushing them further up the bed.  I give up and let my legs fall as far as they’ll go.  The instant I do, the air switches from cool to cold between my legs.  When it hits me, I moan from him lightly blowing on me and can’t help it, my arms fall to my sides, fisting the bed below me.