Against Me (Cedar Tree Book 3) (23 page)

I scratch his ears, which he seems to like, since he'll occasionally groan loudly, making Caleb chuckle.

"You molesting that dog, little one? Should I be jealous?"

"Perv, that almost brought my coffee back up. Knock it off." I elbow him in the ribs for emphasis.

"Enjoying the display of domestic bliss – dog and all – but let's get this wrapped up so I can get back to the office?" Joe says with a hint of bite to his voice, raising the eyebrows of both Gus and Caleb.

Alrighty then. I just smile, thinking little horrible thoughts to myself, about a certain someone who might want to get his own shit in order so he can enjoy his own version of 'domestic bliss', or maybe not. After all, he did fuck over my new friend. Great, now all three are looking at me strangely. Must be the smile that took on a hint of evil I guess.

"I may know where to find him," Caleb says from beside me, causing all eyes at the table to snap his way. "Malachi. I think I know where he is, and it would make perfect sense now."

"Where?" Gus wants to know, but Caleb shakes his head.

"Sorry, boss, not gonna share, but I'll find him and bring him in."

"What the fuck, Caleb?" Gus pushes up off the table, ready to go a round. The tension that's been swirling around these two almost to a boiling point.

"Whoa, easy there, Gus. Give the man a chance to explain," Joe tries to settle the waters.

I stay out of it, sensing I might be the source of a lot of this new friction between them. Besides, the low growl coming from Blue is enough to have me focus all my energy on keeping him calm in the face of all this negative energy.

Caleb takes a deep breath, obviously trying to settle himself before he responds. "It's obvious as you pointed out, that they're trying to use those closest to me to get to Malachi. I tell you where he is, it only makes you and yours more vulnerable."

His eyes are on Gus while he talks and I can see the anger slide out of Gus's glare with every word spoken.

"Right. See your point; don't like it, though. You go off on your own, no back up. What if we're wrong about Malachi? Things can go to hell in a hand basket. Then what?"

"If I can suggest something," Joe interjects, "there are some safety measures that can be put in place. It isn't that complicated and will allow us to find him if he doesn't check in with one of us within a certain time frame. Your Neil can work his magic with a tracker and a burner phone."

Gus nods, thinking over the possibilities while Caleb sits stoically his hand clasped over mine in my lap. I know we'll talk later and I can fire off all the questions I'm saving up for his ass ‘cause I'm just a little bit fired up myself, but not about to throw down in front of the guys. He better give me that.

––––––––

"S
o you'll never be further then two hours away from here?"

"That's as much as you're gonna get out of me, babe."

I grumble my displeasure at not getting a more specific answer and turn away, but a strong arms wraps around me and pulls me into a much bigger, harder body.

We're lying in bed after a frickin' amazing dinner of Navajo fry bread tacos Caleb put on. Gus and Joe had left after hammering out some details that gave Gus relative peace of mind over the plans to 'extract' Malachi. Neil was to plant a tracker on Caleb's body or clothes in a few places and provide him with a burner phone, so there would be no chance of a trace on his own cell. He'd come here tomorrow morning, park his truck right up by the front door so he could get in and out without anyone having a good visual from outside.

After Caleb was hooked up, he would leave in Neil's truck, leaving Neil here with me.  It's not likely they'd be tracking Neil. At least that's the gamble. Caleb says it's not too far, but he has some hiking to do so it'll take him a good five hours total at best. That is gonna kill me. The wait will be brutal, but he promised to try and check in every couple of hours, and not to panic unless I hadn't hear from him for seven hours.
Seven fucking hours.
Brutal. Which is exactly why I'm trying to get him to be a bit more specific. Not budging though...
Ass
. So I pout, and his response is to throw me over his shoulder and dump me on the bed. Guess he hopes he can sex the sass out of me. Good luck.

"Stop pouting."

"Not pouting."

"You're sticking out that bottom lip so far, it's throwing shadows on the wall, babe."

"Fuck off, Caleb," I slap his arm, but have a hard time containing my chuckle.

Snuggling a little further back, I let the comfort of his arms lull me, until Caleb's low voice rumbles in my neck.

"Want to keep you safe, little one. You gotta let me try to keep you safe."

I'm instantly sobered by the serious tone I detect in his voice, and completely alert to what he says. He’s not just talking about me. Turning around to face him, I find his troubled eyes and stroke my hand over his bristly jaw.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I..." His mouth covering mine cuts off the rest of what I want to say and my mind turn blank. When he lets me up for air, all he says is, "nothing to be sorry about."

"Well, actually. If I could've finished my thought there, I probably would've had something really sensible to add to that, but I'm afraid you kissed all the words right out of me. Except maybe I love you."

"Second time you tell me that and in case you're afraid you'll wear it out? Not a fucking chance. I'll never tire of hearing those words out of that mouth."

That mouth is receiving quite the workout right this minute and again all coherent thought disappears.

She drives me to distraction and soothes me emotionally, can challenge and match me intellectually, and fuck if there is another in existence who sets me on fire like she does.

"Love you too,
Yázhí
."

I kiss her nose, when she suddenly pulls back and says enthusiastically, "Perfect! This is actually the perfect moment I've been waiting for."

Not a clue what she's referring to I'm surprised when she pulls her wheelchair over and lifts herself in, only to come around the bed to my side.

"You've gotta sit up or stand up, Caleb. I can't do it with you laying back."

Confused, I do as she asks, and stand up as she wheels her chair back along the wall―a good 5 feet away from where I'm standing. She puts the breaks on and braces herself on the armrests, pushing herself up. I'm as excited as I am terrified and battle the urge to run and swipe her off her feet before something happens, but the determined grimace on her face has me rooted in my spot; hands clenched at my sides. She wants to show me this. It's important to her.

Slowly she straightens up on her legs, moving one arm from the chair behind her to the wall beside her and her eyes come up to meet mine. A slow grin stretches over her face as she tentatively moves one foot forward, letting go of the chair with her other hand and sticking it out to her side for balance. My heart almost stops when her knees seem to want to buckle, but she raises her chin, pushes her shoulders down and simply keeps moving forward, tiny little steps at a time.

I can't help myself, when she is just a step or two away from me I take one big one forward with my arms out and catch her around her waist, lift her up and land with her on the bed.

"Fucking hell, Katie. That's un-fucking-believable! How? When?"

Laughing through her obvious exertion, Katie hugs me tight.

"Saturday, at my session with Kendra... something clicked," she pants, "she took off the harness and had me practice without. Been doing it since. Twice this week already. I can do better with the parallel bars. I didn't think it was gonna be this hard without them," she laughs at herself. "But I did it. I wanted to be able to show you myself. Alone."

"So fucking proud of you, little one. Never doubted you, I honestly didn't, and it wouldn't have made even a hint of a difference in how I feel about you, but I am so fucking happy to see you battle so hard for something and win. You win, sweets."

The smile she throws me is brighter than the sun at noon and just like that I need inside her.

"Need you, Katie," I tell her right before I take her smiling mouth hungrily. I can fucking taste the positive energy on her tongue. I need it―need her to fill me with it so I have the balls to leave her tomorrow. I touch the connection of our lips with my fingers before tracing them down her jaw and neck. Shifting myself slightly off her without ever losing contact with her mouth, my hand follows the contours of her body, finally coming to rest on the soft swell of her stomach where I let the heat penetrate my palm. Glorious. Fucking glorious.

I treasure every inch of her as I slowly kiss and nip my way down to that warm spot on her stomach. She looks down at me, smile still on her face, but her eyes now darker; deeper. Her hand slides through my short hair.

"Where are you going?" she asks huskily.

"Shhh. I have one stop to make before I reach my destination," I mumble with my lips against her skin and my eyes fixed on hers. Her belly button is a brief distraction that almost has her giggling. A tad ticklish I find out. My lips finally replace where my hand has been resting, and just for a moment I put my cheek to that gentle rise and close my eyes, hoping.

But the scraping of Katie's fingers against my scalp and the hot, sweet smell of her arousal draw me in. One move and I'm down on my knees beside the bed, have Katie pulled to the edge with her legs held over my shoulders. Fuck. She’s a smorgasbord. As self-conscious as she was at first about her body, now she is spread eagled, pulling pillows under her head for a better view, and is licking that damn pouty bottom lip in anticipation. Short dark hair going every which way, full soft breasts falling slightly to the side as she props herself up a little and that sweet soft belly I can't fucking get enough of.

"Gonna make you come hard on my tongue, baby. You ready? Eyes on me. I need to see you."

Katie's eyes darken with lust, and she just nods.

I slowly lower my head and with our eyes connected I proceed to make true on my promise. Teasing her clit with my tongue and playing my fingers through her juices and into her pussy has her on edge and pleading.

"Make me come, honey... I need to come."

"Eyes on me, little one. Always."

Snapping her eyes open, her frustration is clear. I run the flat of my tongue in a few long teasing strokes over her clit, then finally at the same time I slide a soaking wet finger in her small puckered hole, I suck that bundle of nerves deep into my mouth. I can feel her orgasm take over in the pulsing muscles around my finger and Katie's body almost comes off the bed as she screams her release, "Caleb... Ahh!"

Holy crud. I think I blew a few blood vessels with that orgasm.

Gasping for breath I squint down to see Caleb's face, shiny with my juices and grinning wide, peeking up from between my legs.

"Holy crud," I repeat out loud, making him smile only wider as he drops my legs down and climbs up on my body, which is in no shape to move. Nose to nose now, he whispers against my lips, "Taste yourself," before sliding his tongue inside and infusing me with a heady combination of flavors; my own and Caleb's.