Page 89 of Before You Can Blink
Stepping closer, I licked a path up her neck until my mouth came to rest beside her ear. “I’m only giving you the thrill you’re after, baby. Now peel those panties down your thighs and try not to think too hard about how, at any given moment, I can sneak up behind you, flip up your skirt, and bury myself deep inside that tight wet cunt of yours.”
She fisted the fabric of my shirt, her sharp gasp splitting the air. She might’ve started this little game, but I came to play. My days of competing might be behind me, but my drive to win had never dulled. Not even after all these years.
“I’m waiting.” My palm came down on her ass.
With shaky fingers, she did as I asked. When she handed over the damp scrap of cotton, I brought it to my nose, inhaling deeply. The scent of her arousal clung to the fibers, and I groaned.
Memories of how much fun we’d used to have together—how hot and frequent the sex had been before life got in the way—came rushing back to the surface. I was more than ready to stoke the embers of our forgotten intimacy into a roaring inferno that burned down everything around us.
Wouldn’t be a half bad way to go.
Chapter 19
Jett
Age 42
November
WithDaisyandmeseated at the table, Aspen paced the kitchen floor. She’d asked to speak to us after dinner, and Tripp had been all too happy to run off somewhere on the ranch with Penny to give us this private moment.
“You’re wearing a path in the hardwood, sweetheart,” I teased, hoping it would prompt our daughter to spill whatever was weighing on her mind.
Aspen stopped the restless motion but kept wringing her hands. Eyes fixed on her feet, she said, “I got into college.”
Chest swelling with pride, I slapped my thigh. “Damn right, you did!”
My ass was halfway off the chair on my way to give her a congratulatory hug, when she added, “In California.”
I froze, my gaze shifting toward Daisy, who gave the tiniest shake of her head, indicating she was equally surprised by this news.
Swallowing roughly, I dropped back into my seat.
“California?” To my knowledge, our girl had applied to the University of Oklahoma. The plan had always been for her to stay local, with Norman being less than two hours away by car.
Nodding, Aspen chewed on her lower lip. “SoCal University in Los Angeles, to be exact.”
“Los Angeles,” I choked out. Small town life was all she had ever known. The big city would chew up a sweet, trusting girl like Aspen and spit her out.
“I know what you’re going to say. That it’s too far and you’ve only got enough saved for in-state tuition.”
Well, shit. I hadn’t even considered the higher cost.
“But I’ll cover the extra with student loans and pay them back myself.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Aspen, you shouldn’t be rushing to put yourself into debt when your mama and I have tuition covered.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Only if I stay in Oklahoma for school.”
“Do you have any idea how long it’ll take to pay off those loans?” My voice rose, along with my desperation to make her see the type of hole she would be digging for herself—one that could easily be avoided. “For a decade or more, you’ll be handing over most of your hard-earned paycheck, forced to scrape by living on what’s left.”
I opened my mouth to say more, but Daisy placed a hand on my forearm and squeezed, sending a silent signal for me to stop so she could address our daughter. “I think your father’s only trying to understand why you’ve never mentioned anything about going to college on the West Coast before now. If you’d have told us, maybe we could have adjusted our plans, found a way to support you as best we could.”
Aspen’s blue eyes flashed to mine before shifting to focus on her mother. “I was worried you’d try to talk me out of it.”
Damn straight, I would have.
“I don’t like the idea of you all alone in that big city,” I spoke my concerns aloud.
