huffed. At this rate, I was going to have to change my fucking jeans. “That’s hardly my fault. He has a mind of his own.”
“Clearly.” His eyes twinkled. “You know what they say about all work and no play. It gives you the most horrific boner all day.”
“They do not say that,” I said with a chuckle.
And then, he cut right to the heart of the matter. “You know I’d take care of that for you. Right now, in fact.”
Suddenly it was a little challenging to get air in my lungs. It was a moment before I could look away from his mouth. Another moment before I could dispel the image of him on his knees, my dick buried down his throat as far as I could get it. He was always amazing at that. As a bonus, it really got him going. It was hard for him not to come when he got to sucking my dick and stroking his own… and just where the hell was I going with that particular train of thought?
Oh yeah, I was looking for more than a quick fuck. I was looking for something real. And I certainly wasn’t going to find that with a globetrotting photographer, who would probably shrivel up and die if he had to stay in one place for over six minutes. Been there, done that, got the engraved wedding band in the back of my closet.
This is how forever feels. Remembering that ridiculously shortsighted engraving made me wince. It also made my answer easy. “No thanks,” I said abruptly. “I’d better get going. I don’t want to keep Carter waiting.”
“Right. Carter.” He looked vaguely amused about something. “Hope you don’t nod off in your soup.”
“Cute, but I’ve had exciting,” I said pointedly. “I’m looking for something a little different this time around.”
Point for Cam. Your serve.
He stared at me for a second, and I wondered if he’d take me up on the dig. In the end, his mouth just quirked as he inclined his head in acknowledgment. “I hope you have a good time.”
“Do you?”
“Not really, but that seemed nicer to say than, I hope you have a lousy time and decide you can’t wait any longer to get laid.”
I held in my amusement, but he wasn’t quite finished. “I also hope you throw away all your principles about casual fucking and burst through my bedroom door like your name is Kool-Aid.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore. “You’re an idiot.”
“Oh yeah,” he added helpfully.
His perfect imitation of the Kool-Aid man set me off again. “I hate you.”
He smiled. “No, you don’t.”
No, I don’t. I watched him cross the yard and disappear back through the gate. But sometimes I wish I did.
Chapter 10
Journey
My father and I had a little trouble settling into a routine, which was to be expected for two headstrong people. Most of my time seemed to be spent trying to stop him from doing things he shouldn’t be doing, and there were a lot of things on that list. Some of his all-time favorites included: attempting the stairs unassisted, trying to lift heavy things, and eating foods on the doctor’s incinerate-on-sight list.
He fussed; I ignored him. I badgered; he ignored me. I cooked; he bitched about what I cooked. I hid the salt and the sugar; he returned the favor by hiding the wheat germ and the oatmeal. At one point, he got one of the grandkids to help him install DoorDash on his phone. In the comments section, he put, no doorbell, no knock, and leave it in the bushes by the road. So yes, there was a little friction, but we were making it work. One week after I picked his ornery ass up from the hospital, he was still alive and so was I.
Other than running around behind a full-grown toddler, I found myself a little restless. Being tethered to one place too long usually did that to me. I continued to remind myself that this wasn’t forever. My time in Coral Cove had a built-in expiration date, and soon, I’d get back to my real life.
It wasn’t all bad. I was enjoying all the extra time with my nieces and nephews. I didn’t get to see them often, other than on the phone screen. Kids changed so fast at their ages that missing six months seemed like three times that many. Usually by the time I rolled back into town, they had different likes and dislikes, and their previous best friend