A Fair of the Heart, Welcome To Redemption, Book1 (11 page)

Lauren twined her arms around his neck and
opened to him completely—her mouth and her body. She hooked one
thigh over his and met the thrust of his tongue with equal fervor.
Caleb held her so tight it was a miracle she didn’t snap in two.
His spicy masculine scent invaded her senses, wafting around her
like a heady summer breeze, full of promise and scorching heat.

He broke the kiss and rolled her onto her
back, his eyes full of promise as he leaned down to kiss her cheek,
trailing a searing path along her jaw, down her throat, nipping at
her shoulder before continuing onward. He slid one hand beneath her
and palmed her butt, squeezing gently, drawing a ragged groan from
deep in her chest.

Oh, God, she was so wet, so ready for him.
But Caleb wasn’t through playing, and he positioned himself over
her, stroking a flaming path from her backside, over her thighs and
belly until his warm palm settled over her aching breast. Desperate
to feel his hot mouth on her tender nipple, she silently urged him
on, threading her fingers though his hair, arching into him with a
soft moan.

Thankfully, Caleb needed no further coaxing.
He leaned in and tongued her nipple, sucking the sensitive pink
flesh into his wet mouth, dragging his teeth over the pebbled tip,
then blowing softly as if to soothe the pain. After paying homage
to both breasts, he looked up, and the intensity in those
mesmerizing brown pools nearly stole her breath. On instinct, she
let her thighs fall apart, and that was all the invitation
necessary. Caleb smoothed his hand over the flat plane of her
stomach, through the golden thatch of curls at the apex of her
thighs, until his fingers found her swollen pearl.

With a soft purr, Lauren arched into his
hands, spreading her legs for him, giving him full access to her
body. He captured her lips again, devouring her mouth with
masterful thoroughness, as his fingers circled and stroked, rubbed
and caressed, driving her to the brink of explosion. She gasped
into his mouth when he finally sank two fingers inside her.

She tore her mouth free, her breath coming
out in ragged pants. “Caleb, I’m…I’m so close…too close...”

“Let it happen, sweetheart,” he whispered
back, his voice ragged. “Let me pleasure you. God, you’re so damn
beautiful.”

As she blossomed under his masterful touch,
Lauren felt beautiful. She cupped his five o’clock shadow-roughened
face with both hands and pulled him to her, needing to feel his
lips on hers as he drove her to the gates of insanity.

Lauren loved to kiss, and Caleb certainly
didn’t disappoint. He slanted his mouth across hers, the rhythm of
his tongue matching his magical fingers, stroke for delicious
stroke.

Feverish with need, her skin grew taught as
every pleasure point in her body throbbed for release. Her hips
moved, rising up to meet his sexual onslaught. He suddenly broke
the kiss and crouched down to draw one of her nipples into his hot
mouth. He suckled it, hard, and that was all it took for Lauren to
reach climax. She cried out, digging her heels into the mattress as
she moved her hips in frantic rhythm with his fingers. Once the
last tremor rolled through her, she collapsed into the mattress
with a lusty sigh. Slightly embarrassed by her enthusiastic
display, a self-conscious laugh quickly followed.

Her laughter turned into a squawk as Caleb
flipped them over and settled her astride his hips, his steely
erection nestled snuggly against her backside. He grinned with
masculine satisfaction. “Liked that, did you?”

Lauren propped her hands on his chest and
gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Eh. It was all right.”

Laughter rumbled in his chest. “Damn,
darlin’, I thought you were going to bring the roof down on
us.”

Her cheeks flamed, but that sassy spirit he’d
come to love shined through when she tweaked his chest hair.

Love? Ah, shit… Could it be? After all these
years of managing to avoid a single attachment, had he fallen in
love in just a matter of days? Was that even possible? He couldn’t
remember the last time he’d wanted a woman this much…maybe never.
His need for her was a little overwhelming, to say the least. He’d
lusted after his fair share of women, sure, but lust had never felt
like this before. And he hadn’t even made love to her yet.

Damn, there’s that L word again.

Wiping all thoughts from his mind but one,
Caleb reached up and cupped her breasts, caressing her soft, supple
skin, teasing her nipples with his thumbs, watching the succulent
pink tips tighten into needy buds. Having gotten over her initial
nerves, Lauren arched into his hands with a hearty moan and wiggled
her sweet ass against his straining erection.

He gave her nipples a playful pinch.
“Careful. As turned on as I am, I’ve got about five minutes for
you, tops.”

Lauren laughed, and his gaze centered on her
delectable mouth. He gripped her hips to hold her still. She leaned
forward to rest her elbows on his chest and nip at his chin,
lifting up to free him so that his sex was now sandwiched between
them. “That long? Oh, I think I can get you there faster than
that.”

“Someone’s awfully cocky,” he drawled,
sliding his hands down to her shapely backside. He squeezed,
eliciting a sexy little gasp from her, then kissed her hard,
bringing one hand up to palm the back of her head and hold her
steady while he plundered her mouth.

As their lips and tongues mated, Lauren
shifted to the side and wrapped her fingers around his erection.
She caressed his hard shaft, learning every inch of him with gentle
strokes. Caleb traced a hand down the silky flesh of her belly,
loving the way she shivered at his touch. He found the swollen nub
between her plump folds again and reveled in her sexy gasp as he
caressed her, wanting her to climax again while he was deep inside
her.

She pulled back and held his gaze, all traces
of humor gone from her eyes. “Make love to me, Caleb. I want you…so
much.”

Christ, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t think.
All he knew was this powerful need to love this beautiful woman.
“Condoms?” he managed to choke out.

“Left-hand coat pocket,” she purred against
his throat.

He leaned over, snatched up the coat, and
quickly dug the condoms from the pocket. All four of them. Seemed
as if Carrie was good to babysit for quite a while. Thank you,
Carrie. He tossed three onto the nightstand, and quickly tore the
fourth open.

Quickly sheathing himself, Caleb rolled over
and pulled Lauren into his arms, claiming her lips, desperate to
bury himself between her thighs. She kissed him hungrily, hooking
her left leg over his hip as she curled her fingers around his
throbbing shaft and guided him to her welcoming heat. Caleb needed
no further coaxing. He positioned himself at the opening of her
body and slid into heaven. They came together hard and fast, their
bodies growing slick with perspiration as they strained together.
Lauren wrapped her legs around his hips, her heels digging into his
ass as she met him thrust for thrust, those sexy gasps mingling
with his guttural moans of pleasure.

Wrapped in her velvety softness, a flood of
emotion suddenly seized him. Caleb buried his face in the crook of
her neck and moved inside her with long, deep thrusts. He wanted,
more than anything, to please this incredible woman, to completely
rock her world.

Lauren clutched his back as she rose up to
meet him, whispering barely intelligible words of encouragement as
Caleb drove inside her with hard, swift strokes. She cried out, her
inner walls clenching around him, her fingernails raking his back
as she gyrated against him. Lauren’s climax triggered his own
release, and Caleb came with a raw, drawn out groan.

Once their bodies cooled and their breathing
slowed, Caleb rolled to his side and pressed his lips to her
temple. She snuggled deeper in his embrace and sighed. A very
contented whisper of sound.

Caleb grew pensive as a fresh wave of
confusing emotions washed over him. He adored this woman; his
attraction to her was undeniable, beyond compare. He’d also grown
quite fond of her kids and had started to bond with both of them.
But Christ, that brought him right back to his earlier misgivings.
They’d only known each other such a short time. And though his
heart was urging him to stick around and take a chance, his head
reminded him of just how disastrous this could be if things didn’t
work out.

Lauren pressed her hand against his chest,
right over his heart, and Caleb heaved a silent, heartfelt sigh.
Whatever his decision, he’d have to make it soon. Because the last
thing he wanted to do was leave three broken hearts behind if he
ultimately decided to head back to Chicago.

Or would that be four broken hearts?

* * *

“Wow, it’s even busier than last year,”
Lauren announced as they strolled along the bustling fairway the
following evening. Game operators beckoned them forward with
promises of giant stuffed toys and other prizes. Screams and
laughter could be heard from all around as people enjoyed the many
rides and attractions the fair offered. The air was ripe with the
aromas of every kind of food imaginable, from brats and deep-fried
cheese curds, to elephant ears and candy apples. And Lauren’s
personal favorite—fresh, buttery caramel corn.

“Yep, sure is packed,” Caleb said, sounding
oddly disinterested. He’d seemed preoccupied from the moment he’d
arrived at her house. Well, if she were being honest, he’d seemed
preoccupied as he’d walked her to her car last night after several
hours of lovemaking. Lauren had blamed his less than enthusiastic
send-off on the late hour and physical exhaustion, but now she
wasn’t so sure as doubts started to creep into her head.

“Momma, cot’ candy, cot’ candy!” Emma
insisted, bouncing in her stroller as they passed a vendor selling
the fluffy, sugary clouds.

“Which color do you want, punkin?” Caleb
asked as he pulled his wallet out.

She pointed to pink, and squealed when Caleb
handed her the sweet treat.

“Thank you,” Lauren said, trying not to worry
over his distant attitude.

“Like I said, the day’s on me.”

His smile seemed genuine, and Lauren took
heart. Maybe the fair reminded him of his mother, she thought as
they continued down the fairway.

She had just placed Emma on a kiddie ride of
slowly spinning airplanes when Max showed up, his arms full of
carnival loot.

“Look at all the stuff I won!” he exclaimed,
beaming, happier than she’d seen him in months.

Lauren’s heart swelled with relief as she
approached him to surreptitiously sniff for cigarette smoke. All
she smelled was the caramel corn he had clutched in his hand. Max
loved the stuff almost as much as she did. He rolled his eyes when
she reached in for a handful.

“Here, you can have the rest if I can have a
funnel cake.”

Lauren grinned. “Deal.” She accepted the
small paper bag. “Why don’t you run your stuff home before your
arms fall off? I’ll buy you that funnel cake when you get
back.”

“Cool.”

Lauren watched him the entire way until he
stuck his key in the back door. Living directly behind the
fairgrounds was a blessing in Lauren’s eyes, although at night it
could be an annoyance, especially when she wanted to get Emma to
sleep.

Once the ride came to a stop, Caleb plucked
Emma from the tiny airplane and lifted her up on his shoulders.
Lauren smiled up at them. What a truly heartening picture they
made. Except when she met Caleb’s gaze, he cleared his throat and
looked away. Lauren was almost sure she saw uncertainty in his
eyes. Or was that...regret?

“How `bout we get something to eat when Max
gets back?” he suggested.

“I’cream, I’cream!” Emma demanded, bouncing
on his shoulders.

Caleb chuckled as he set her back in her
stroller and buckled her in.

Max came running up, panting. “Okay.” More
panting. “Ready for my funnel cake.”

Lauren laughed. Caleb cocked a brow and she
explained, “Last year, Max waited until the last minute to buy one.
They ran out of batter and closed the stand before we got
there.”

Caleb clapped Max on the back. “Well, we
can’t let history repeat itself, so let’s go. My treat.”

“Cool!”

“And I’ll split an ice cream cone with Emma.”
Lauren wheeled the stroller around and the four of them walked back
toward the line of concession stands.

Lauren got in line at the custard stand and
smiled with pleasure when she recognized Tara Russell walking down
the fairway with Sugar, her brother Charlie’s Great Dane. “Tara,
over here!” Lauren flapped her arms to get her friend’s
attention.

Tara heard her, but searched around for a
second before spotting them. She steered Sugar their way, and
Lauren couldn’t help but laugh as the dog snorted up crumbs the
entire way.

“Hey, Lauren, I’ve been meaning to stop in
for a trim.”

Lauren let out a wistful sigh. All that
beautiful silky black hair and Tara wouldn’t let her play with it.
“Someday you’re going to let me do more than just take a half inch
off the ends.” With a raised brow, she took in Tara’s odd choice in
clothing and her multitude of tattoos. Daisy Dukes and a chain
wrapped around her waist? “You guys celebrating Halloween in July
this year?”

“What?”

Lauren grinned. “Between the Haunted House I
saw on the way in and your costume, I don’t know what else to
think.”

“Ha, ha, funny. I’m working the tattoo booth
later.”

“Ah, well, that makes more sense.”

Tara rolled her eyes, and then smiled down at
Emma. “Hey, Emma, is Mommy getting you some ice cream?”

“We share it,” Emma explained, holding up a
bandaged hand. “Owie.”

“I see that.” Tara glanced at Lauren. “What
happened? Is she okay?”