Page 84 of Grit
“Good.” He lifted his head, snapped her bra back into place, and pulled her shirt down.
Melissa blinked. “What?”
“I want you thinking about my mouth on you for the next few days until I see you Thursday night.”
“What?” She kicked at his leg, but he dodged her, laughing. “You’re mean!”
“Just a little.” He bent over her and took her mouth again. “But I love kissing you. I could kiss you for hours.”
“I love kissing you too.”
His smile was slow and he felt it down to his bones. “We’re gonna be fine, Miss Melissa Oxford. After all, you always know where you are.”
She put her hand on his cheek. “You think so?”
“I know so.” He turned his head and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Do you know what you want yet?”
“Do I have to know right away?”
“No.” He smiled a little. “I know what you need.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh really? What’s that?”
“I’ll tell you Thursday.”
Cary openedhis computer up after Melissa left. Abby was getting out of school soon, and Melissa wanted to check on the workmen for the bunkhouse before she had to pick her up. She also needed to help her mom create a plan for the evening farmers’ market on Thursday.
Where they would share a booth.
And then they’d share a bed.
About damn time. Though his dick wasn’t complaining. It was feeling very happy just then. So happy, Cary wanted to take a nap on the couch in his office.
He didn’t. He looked at his financial portfolio and picked up the phone that he’d put on hold when he heard someone walk in the office. He’d thought it was Phil.
It wasn’t.
He dialed his broker again, waited a few rings for her to pick up. “Paulette. Sorry about that. Had an unexpected meeting. What did you find out?”
While he was talking with Paulette, he brought up a picture he’d taken at Abby’s birthday of Melissa and Abby laughing and pointing at the camera. He hit Print from his phone and was waiting for the printer to warm up.
“Okay, I understand that, but how long would I have to pay it back?”
He waited for the printer to finish before he grabbed the paper. It wasn’t the best quality, but it would do until he could get a proper picture of the three of them on the wall.
“Ten years is more than enough. Would there be an early-payment penalty of any kind?”
He folded the white edges back, took two blue pins from the corner of his corkboard, and stuck the picture of Melissa and Abby to his wall.
“Okay, cool. Fax the application to me. If I don’t end up needing it, that’s fine. But it’ll be there if I do. How long?”
He stood and surveyed the new faces on the corkboard.
“Sounds good. Call me when I need to sign something.”
Most of the pictures were of his workers. Luis, Shannon, and David at the company barbecue. Phil and his clan at the family trout derby in Lower Lake. Someone had caught a picture of Cary at the top of a picking ladder a few years ago. There was an old picture of his mom and dad standing in front of a tree laden with oranges, posing in their 1970s finery. His dad was even wearing a hat.
I miss you, old man.
