Against Me (Cedar Tree Book 3) (21 page)

Instantly my blood boils, I shoot up out of my chair and bite out, "My Katie."

The surprise is evident on Gus and Neil's faces, but I don't back down. Slowly realization dawns on Gus and he raises his hands. "Absolutely and without a doubt she is yours."

Neil's head swings back and forth between us in confusion until he finally rolls his eyes and focuses back on his computer screens.

The raw feelings of possessiveness and sudden jealousy surprise me and I can't help wonder if my friendship with Gus will withstand the changes.

"Go get some rest, Caleb," he says with a hint of sadness in his eyes, "tomorrow is moving day."

After a quick shower I slide in behind Katie, who hasn't moved a muscle since I put her to bed. Pulling her body carefully to mine she lets out a little sigh from between her pouted lips and one of her hands searches around blindly until it finds mine, and she pulls it up and rests it clenched in hers between her breasts. That's how I fall asleep, wrapped around her soft, warm body with my nose buried in her neck, breathing in her unique citrus scent.

Sometime in the early morning hours I wake up to find myself on my back with Katie draped over me and my hands holding on to her juicy ass. How or when that happened during the night I have no idea, but having her front plastered to my chest sure has peaked the interest of certain parts of my anatomy. The only offensive thing is the nightshirt she is wearing which I can't wait to get off her. I start sliding my hand over the soft globe of her butt to the curve of her spine and under her shirt. She moans softly as I trace my fingers lightly over the skin of her back, taking the hem of her shirt higher. I stop my track suddenly when I encounter the first of the bandages I now remember dot the upper half of her back, and Katie emits a soft grunt of protest.

"Don't stop," her sleepy voice cracks as she mumbles against my chest. "Please."

"You're hurt,
Yázhí
," I whisper in her hair, "we can wait."

With my dick throbbing from the close contact with the source of all my erotic fantasies for the past few years, on top of my morning wood, I gingerly slide myself from under her body. On my way to the bathroom I give her half exposed butt-cheek a nibble, leaving her grumbling in the sheets. After relieving myself and pulling on some track pants I head to the kitchen for some much needed coffee.

It may be early yet with the sun just starting to rise, but we have to pack. I'm determined to get us settled into the barn by sundown and yesterday was a total loss in terms of prep so we need an early start. I'm just sipping on my first cup when Katie rolls in, her short hair sticking every which way and a scowl on her face, pointedly ignoring me while she makes a beeline for the coffeepot.

"Come kiss me, little one," I coax only resulting in a loud snort.

Minx.

"Katie. Need a kiss, babe."

"Well crud. That's just too damn bad, Caleb. You got me all worked up in bed just to leave me hot and bothered, so I don't particularly feel in a giving mood right now."

I have to bite my cheek not to chuckle at her sour mood. I've observed Katie long enough to have seen just about every side of her, but this pouty mood is new, and fucking cute. The moment she puts the coffee pot down I grab the back of her chair and swing her around, caging her in with my hands on her armrests.

"Kiss," I demand, but when she rolls her eyes at me I pick her up under her arms and lift her on the counter, moving between her legs. One hand on her butt, sliding her toward me and the other on the back of her head so she can't turn away.

"Kiss," I repeat.

"Manhandling me is not gonna make me feel more amorous, Caleb. You had your chance."

Stubborn woman. If we weren't on a time constraint I'd continue playing with her, but with a full day ahead I need my fix, so I take it. I lick her tightly closed lips with the tip of my tongue, but it isn't until I lightly pinch her butt that she opens her mouth in protest and I can slip in. The moment I taste her, the world settles around me and it's the damnedest thing. I would do anything for this woman, anything to make her life complete, because she already has done so for me.

Small hands that were propped against my shoulders to ward me off, slowly relax and slide up and around my neck, winding their way into my hair and Katie's tongue begins a languid and erotic tangle with mine.

"Can't anybody find a bed here? Jesus. What's in the water here in Cedar Tree? Maybe I should move here to get some action, everyone else seems to."

I am instantly aware of my half-naked ass sitting on the kitchen counter as Neil barges into the guesthouse. Caleb just chuckles. He would,
ass
.

"Troops have arrived. Go get some clothes on, babe." He orders as he lifts me back in my chair. Bossy much?

Christ, I'm in a mood today. Don't know whether it is the after effects of yesterday's events or whether I'm really that ticked off at being worked up and then left cold. I just feel out of sorts. I really don't feel like hanging around with the guys in my shirt and barely there panties, so I go and get dressed. Not because Caleb said to, but because I want to.

Cleaned up and in my now familiar get up of comfy yoga pants and for today a man's flannel shirt, I head into the kitchen only to find Gus has joined.

"Morning, Gus," I smile at him, but other than a rather curt "Katie", I'm not getting much. What the fuck is up with that? Tension seems a bit thick, especially between him and Caleb. When I catch Neil's eyes, he just rolls his. Guess I'm not the only one noticing.

"Ok, tell me the plan," I ask, as I finally take a sip of coffee from the mug Caleb just hands me.

"Neil and Gus are going over now to meet up with Clint to finish installation of security. In the meantime you and I pack up our belongings here and head over to Emma who is apparently waiting with breakfast for us. These guys have already been fed."

"Cripes, you guys are early."

"No rest for the wicked," Neil quips," and besides, you guys are all like bunnies anyway, everywhere I turn. Doesn't matter what time of day or night; someone's going at it. I'm starting to feel seriously deprived. And what the heck is with the kitchen counter?" The baffled look on his face is hilarious and instantly has the rest of us laughing hard, immediately breaking the tension that lingered in the room.

"If you have to ask, you're not ready to go there yet, grasshopper," Gus chuckles, slapping him on the back, "let's get going and let these folks get ready before my Emma gets impatient. She feels the need to feed."

There isn't much to pack. Most of what I own is still in a storage unit in Grand Junction and although I've gotta figure out eventually what to do with that, for now I won't have to worry about it. Other than clothes, toiletries and my laptop, there really isn't anything else. It's much the same for Caleb, although he still has a furnished rental place somewhere. I never paid much attention to be honest.

Just half an hour after the boys left, we are sitting in the kitchen with Emma, having another coffee and eating a massive breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh muffins and orange juice. The woman is nuts. I swear she must've been up at four AM to be able to get this spread on the table. It's only nine-thirty now.

"Emma, this is delicious," I say around a mouthful of blueberry pancake, "but I have to admit, part of me is glad we won't be this close anymore 'cause I'd grow to massive proportions under your watch, I'm afraid."

A growl and a tap to the back of my head lets me know Caleb is not pleased with my observation.

"Really? You wouldn't be able to do your caveman thing and haul me off everywhere if I were twice the size now, would you?"

"Katie..." The low vibration in his tone should be warning that his patience with my irritable self is coming to an end, but I don't care and Emma only seems amused with our back and forth.

"I'll be big as a house before you know it, Caleb," I can hear a whine in my voice and shocked I snap my mouth shut before more slips out. My fork clatters to my plate when I suddenly realize the source of my unusual crankiness with utter clarity. My eyes slowly creeping up to where Caleb's black t-shirt ends and that delicious hollow right under his prominent Adam's apple where I like to nuzzle begins. With a finger crooked under my chin, he lifts my face so I'm now finding myself looking in his deep hazel ones. The gentle warmth I see there tells me he is aware of my little revelation; maybe even experienced it at the same time I did. When those last words tumbled out of my mouth.

Without taking his eyes off me Caleb says to Emma, "Thanks for breakfast, Ems. Beautiful, as usual. I think we'll wait for the boys in the guest-house."

"Absolutely," I hear her say, before Caleb wheels me out of the kitchen, out the door and down the path.

"I don't get it," I mumble with my face pressed to that delicious spot on his neck I was ogling moments before. Caleb has me out of my chair and on his lap on the couch seconds after we walk in the door, apparently his preferred position for conversation, and if I have to admit, it's fast becoming mine too. "How is it possible to suppress something that momentous from my mind? Pregnant, Caleb? Me. It's just hitting me now. Actually no, that's not true. It hit me yesterday in the hospital when they asked if there was a possibility and I answered yes, but somehow I managed to push it away. What kind of person does that?"

"Someone who's been uprooted, almost run off the road and shot at perhaps? Someone who has always had a tight reign on her life and her surroundings, who suddenly finds herself at the mercy of circumstance and needs to compartmentalize a few things to get through yet another trauma? Honestly, little one. Give yourself a break."

Still disappointed in myself, but hearing what he says and feeling a little better I slip my arms around his waist and give a little squeeze.

"When do you think we'll know for sure?"

"Not really my area of expertise, but when is your period due? If it doesn't show, that should tell us something, right? Or we could get an over the counter test?" he says with an eyebrow raised.

"Anyone ever tell you, you can be a bit of a smartass, Mr. Whitetail? Not due my period until sometime next week, but they've been a bit wonky since my injury. Don't ask me why."

"Picking up a test then. And wonky? Is that a scientific term, Ms. Acker?" he counters with a smile on his face.

"Whatever. You're a pain in my ass," I grumble.

"I like your ass. Plan to tap that ass."

I turn to him with my mouth open in mock disbelief. "Oh Em Gee! For your information, I like your ass too, but if you don't watch it, you'll end up with my footprint all over it."

The world suddenly rights itself again when Caleb throws his head back and belts out his beautiful laugh.

B
liss.

Breathing in the fresh air, while sitting out here in the early morning sun that is slowly warming the day ahead is simply bliss. A quiet little void for me to collect my thoughts and reflect on the last few days that have whipped by since we moved into 'the barn', as everyone now calls Caleb's new home.

I know Clint's crew will be arriving in an hour or so, they've been putting finishing touches on the laundry room down here and the elevator shaft, and are ready to move it upstairs and start roughing in the plumbing and electrical. After that Caleb wants to take over and get his hands dirty.

So far we've been preoccupied with furniture arriving. The huge natural leather sectional sits proudly in the great room across from the fireplace. It's still rather pristine looking, but is supposed to weather and age with time, giving it an interesting rugged and natural patina. The kitchen island boasts four dark metal stools with seats and backs in the same leather as the couch and a rustic looking long knotted kitchen table and chairs sits in front of the sliding doors.

The last thing to arrive yesterday had Caleb almost as giddy as a kid at Christmas. We've spent our nights here on a couple of mattresses borrowed from Arlene, since Neil moved into the guesthouse right after we came here, but they were about five inches short for Caleb's long frame. With me sharing the bed, he hasn't had the luxury of lying across the bed diagonally so his feet ended up dangling off the end every night. Apparently that is not conducive to a good night's sleep. When the bed arrived yesterday afternoon, he literally dropped everything he was doing to put his baby together.