“Da, was Ma’s hair blonde or brown?” Isla chirped out.
I stumbled in my footsteps. We were yards from the school, other families milling at the gate. Taking Isla’s small hand, I led her a few yards away.
“Blonde, like ye. Why are ye asking?”
“We did a class on gen…genets.”
“Genetics?”
“Yes! Ma must have had blue eyes, too, but really, I should have brown like yours.” She gazed up at my black hair and dark eyes.
“She did, I mean does.” My heart thudded. My mouth dried.
Isla didn’t remember her ma, hardly surprising, and although I’d expected questions, I was in no way prepared to answer them. She was only six. No, near seven.
Even so, I thought I’d have more time.
“We’ll have a proper chat about it at home. Look.” I gestured at the school. “Everyone’s going in. Ye better hurry.”
“Bye, Da!” She flung her arms around me then ran to join the end of the line of children from her class.
I moved to the gate and waited for a moment, watching her.
Isla looked just like her mother. Even had one or two of her mannerisms, which could only come from her genes. The family history that could one day hurt her.
That could make her despise me.
Guilt choked me. The crocodile of kids filed inside, and I just stood there.
“Mr Ross?”
I glanced to find Una, the school head, yards away.
“Did ye need to speak with me?” she asked.
“Naw. I’m going. Just keep her safe, aye?” I had no idea where the request came from.
The teacher’s face crinkled in concern. “Safe? Of course. Is there something I need to know?”
Isla’s school had locked doors, strict rules, and passwords for collecting kids, CCTV covering the entrances. I’d assessed it any number of times.
But this threat today came from within. There was nothing I could do to protect my daughter from that.
“I…need to go.” I muttered an apology, ducked my head, and left.
At home, I had the rest of the morning free. There were jobs to be done at the cottage, a loose shelf in Isla’s room, a radiator that wouldn’t heat, so I buckled my toolbelt around my waist and set about my tasks.
An hour later, a light knock at my door interrupted my work.
Without even rising from my crouch, I knew the identity of my caller.
Cait McRae haunted my thoughts more now than ever. I’d waited on her, but the need in me had risen to insane proportions. I was barely keeping a lid on it and relied on my cast-iron will to stop from marching to her house and demanding more.
I’d half expected her to come home with another guy, killing dead my infatuation.
I stood and dragged my shirt off my hot body but left the toolbelt over my jeans. Then I strode to open the door.
Cait peeked at me, her hands in the pockets of her floral dress. She went to speak, swallowed, then tried again, her gaze stuck on my chest. A faint blush stole up her throat.
Frustration felled my defences, and I reached out and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind us. Then I released her and waited, folding my arms.
“You’re busy,” she said.
“I’m not.”
“I should be working, but…”
“Ye want something from me?”
Her throat bobbed. “I do.”
The room spun around me. All I could see was Cait. So pretty. The more I knew her, the lovelier she became. Whatever she needed, I was ready.
“Spit it out, woman. Make your demand and I’ll answer.”
She toed the floor. “Can we go to your bedroom?”
Fuck. I tilted my head, surprised. “Ye want me? In a bed?”
Every wish I’d made regarding the woman had just come true.
I continued, not intending to make this harder for her, especially considering I was already hard and more than ready to go. “We’ll go to yours.”
“Why not here?”
“I’ll be able to smell ye after, and it’ll drive me mad.”
Her cheeks flamed, but she nodded and turned. We were inside her place in seconds. Cait disappeared into the hall. I strode after her and closed us into the bright room.
She sat on the edge of her bed. Her hands shook.
Ah Christ, she was nervous.
I drew the gauzy curtains and dropped my toolbelt to the rug with a thud. Cait watched me, no attempt at seduction in her, but fear plain.
I didn’t want her to be frightened of me.
There were any number of ways I could go about this. Knock her onto her back and take control like in the forest. Or a gentler, slow easing into sex.
Maybe neither of those were what she sought.
After a beat, I sat beside her then shuffled back, lying out on her mattress with my eyes closed.
Cait’s breath hitched, and she shifted her weight. I imagined her looking me over, my bare upper half ready for her examination, my jeans tented from where I was hard for her.
She didn’t speak, so I explained. No need for misunderstandings.
“I imagine ye never had a man in your bed. I’ll keep my eyes closed,” I promised. “Put a blindfold on me. Do whatever ye want to me. Ask whatever ye like.”
Rustling sounded, and she moved on the bed. The room was warm, but I suppressed a shiver.
“Talk to me, Cait.”
“Can I really blindfold ye?”
“Aye.”
Soft material landed on my face, a scarf, I guessed, and I raised my head to let her fasten it.
“Can I touch ye?” she asked.
I wanted to tell her if she didn’t, I’d go insane, but in this new scenario, she didn’t want the hunter. She wanted permission to play with the wild animal she saw in me.
She needed a safe body.
I simply inclined my head in the positive, my breath held.
Careful fingertips landed on my forearm and traced through the black hair. They ran up my biceps and gripped the hard muscle, testing my strength.
I drew my arms over my head, resting them on Cait’s soft pillows.
Every nerve ending stood to attention, awaiting this woman’s moves. My cock throbbed, and the anticipation hurt.
Cait followed my arms back to my linked hands, then into my hair. She drew her nails over my scalp. I hissed, enjoying the sensation far too much.
She ghosted over my features, stroking my beard, then both of her hands landed on my chest. With the lightest touch, she pressed on my nipple.
Pure shock zapped me.
I stifled a groan, but my muscles tensed.
Cait stalled. “Is that…? Did I…?”
“Naw. It’s nice.” What a fucking weak word.
She made a pleased sound.
“Use your mouth,” I suggested.
Her breath played over my skin, then Cait’s hot mouth replaced her fingers. She licked me then hummed. “Salty.”
From where I’d built up a sweat. Damn. “I can shower,” I muttered.
“Don’t.”
She licked me again, the end of her tongue glancing over my nipple. And again. That tiny sensation became my world. I groaned, unconcealed this time, and Cait increased the pressure. She swapped sides, using her thumb to work the nipple she’d left.
I’d never cared much for foreplay, not the receiving of it, but Cait’s careful exploration was the sexiest experience of my life.
My breath hitched, but I held my position. She kissed my chest, while I slowly went crazy from holding back.
It was too important that she own this.
For one, I had no clue what I was doing besides being here for her. I hadn’t been involved with a woman for the longest time. Cait had come to me for a second go, which changed us from a one-off to…something else.
I should be over the fucking moon that she’d selected me, but a low warning still sounded in my mind.
I didn’t care about being used.
I just had to keep emotions from the fray.
Surely no challenge for a man used to exerting control over every part of his life.
Her ministrations continued, and my hunger grew. Cait pressed her lips to my cheek then turned my head to do the same to below my ear. Then she sucked my earlobe.
“Fuck,” I bit out, almost goddamn dizzy.
“Did I hurt ye?”
“No. I just had no idea that was a pleasure zone.”
“Neither did I.” She pulled away and paused. “What do I do now?”
“I told ye, anything. Take off your dress.”
“I already did.”
Ah Christ. She’d been in her underwear the whole time? My cock leaked, painfully enclosed in my jeans.
“Undress me.”
Her hands traced over my abs and down my happy trail to my waist, then undid my buttons and zip. My cock strained to greet her, and Cait hummed again.
“Can I get ye completely naked?”
“You’re killing me. Aye, woman.”
Her musical laugh had me pressing my lips together to stop from grinning. Sex had never been so much fun, and we’d not got to that part yet.
God, I hoped we’d get to that part.
Cait moved off the bed then stripped my jeans and boxers.
I lay there, bare and proud, jutting out for her.
“Do ye have condoms?” I asked.
“I do.” She left the bed again, and a drawer opened then closed. Plastic wrap crinkled, and then foil tore. “I’ve never put one of these on before.”
“Roll it down me, but make sure ye leave a gap at the end.”
Cait seized my cock. I’d been expecting the contact, but after all the attention she’d given the rest of my body, I was primed beyond belief. I jerked, my legs bowed out and my heels pressing into her quilt. My action dislodged Cait’s hold.
“Christ.” I barked a laugh.
She giggled. “Trying again.”
This time, I locked my jaw.
I expected the condom to be rolled on, but instead, Cait’s tongue slid over my engorged cock. “Fuck,” I yelled, then fisted the blanket beneath me and turned my head. Heat drove through me.
I needed to see her do this. Wanted to witness her mouth on me in this way. But still, under the blindfold, I kept my eyes closed, the darkness adding to the sheer erotic scene.
All I could do was feel. Her fingers indenting my hip and thigh. Her hair tickling my skin. The warmth of her tentative blow job. Maybe her first. Urges to fuck her mouth came at me again and again.
My breathing came ragged.
Cait took me deep into her mouth.
My balls tightened.
“Stop.” I pressed the heel of my hand into my eyes. “Any more and I’ll come. I dinna want to do that yet.”
“But ye liked what I was doing?”
What a question. My restraints broke. I reached for her, blindly seeking her hand. Then I linked our fingers and wrapped them around my cock, crushing hard.
“Fuck me, Cait,” I begged.
The longest moment in the history of time passed. I’d made a mistake. Blown it. Scared her.
Then Cait threw her leg over mine and climbed on top.
