One Day in Apple Grove(88)

She kissed him, pouring all of the love inside of her into him, to help him heal. “So yeah, I’m not seeing things from your perspective, but I think I get it.”

Everything inside of Jack felt too big to put into words, but he had to let her know what her words meant to him. So he ignored the pain shooting through his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet and kissing her while he spun them around in a circle.

“You’re making me dizzy!” she squealed until he stopped spinning. With a hand to her head, she motioned toward the back door. “Should we tell them about us?” He eased Cait out of his arms, but he kept a hold of her hand.

Walking inside, he said, “Mom, Dad.” He paused until they were both looking at him, “Cait and I are seeing each other.” He brought Cait’s hand to his lips and brushed the back of it with a kiss. “We’re in love.”

His father looked at his mother and shook his head. “We’re not blind, Son.”

Jack grinned. “She’s been staying here with me, helping me take care of Jamie.”

His father seemed to be fighting the urge to smile. “You don’t say.”

“Now, John.” His mother gave him a look. “Don’t tease. These two have been through enough today.”

“Do you want us to stay with friends, so you can have the house to yourselves?”

“No!” Jack shook his head. “This is your home.”

His dad drew his mom to his side and shook his head. “It used to be. You bought it when we retired, remember?”

“Why don’t you and Caitlin tell us how you two started dating?” his mother said, tugging on his elbow. “After all,” she continued, “you two have known each other all your lives.”

Jack looked at Cait, relieved to see her soft smile. He held the back door open and called Jamie. When the little dog scampered inside, he said, “It all started when a little black ball of fuzz ran out in front of me on Eden Church Road.”

***

“Your parents are great, Jack,” Cait said as she snuggled against him. Unable to keep her hands to herself, she trailed the tip of her finger from his breastbone to his navel, dipping it in and then drawing circles across his abs.

He grabbed a hold of her hand to hold it still. “I think so too.”

When he let go, she slid her hand over his hip around to his backside and squeezed.

“Woman, you wore me out,” he groaned.

“Really?” she asked, slowly working her hands up from his backside to his waist and then back down to grab hold of his cheeks while she pressed a kiss over his heart. “Well, I guess if you’re too tired…”

She found herself on her back, looking up into his dark and desperate sapphire eyes. “I can see I’ll have to try harder tiring you out.” He slid his hands to her wrists and pulled her hands over her head. With a wicked smile, he dipped his head and traced a path from the hollow of her throat down to her navel.

“Jack,” she sighed, quivering from his touch.

“Mmm…not now,” he grumbled, “I’m busy.” He dipped the tip of his tongue into her navel and then drew a circle around it before continuing along the path that would lead him to wild honey—and a taste of heaven. He looked up and locked gazes with her. “I forgot to have dessert.”

Caitlin bucked beneath the ministrations of his talented tongue and wicked lips. Just when she was certain she’d reached her limit, she lifted her hips up off the bed, driving his tongue deeper, and herself over the edge, free falling into madness.

She could hear his soft chuckle and felt the bed shift, but she couldn’t move; her bones had liquefied. When his hands released her, he stroked his hand across her shoulders and down her arms to link hands with her.

“And now for the good part,” he rasped, plunging into her life-giving warmth. “Open your eyes, love,” he urged. “I want to watch the way they glaze over when I take us over the edge.”

She slowly opened her eyes and let them focus on the face of the man she loved to distraction. “I don’t think I have anything left to give.”

His hips shifted from side to side, undulating before pinning her to the mattress, wringing the last ounce of pleasure from her, sipping from her lips to muffle her cries of ecstasy.

He wrapped his arms around her and rolled until she was on top. Sliding one hand down to cup her curvy backside, he kept the other one around her back, pressing her against his heart.

As she drifted off to sleep, she murmured, “I love you, Jack.”

The last of the knots in his gut loosened, and he told her what was in his heart. “I love you back, Cait.”