North, p.15
NORTH, page 15
“Oh, God Kane!” She cried out, desire and passion threading through her syllables.
“You feel so fucking good, North.”
Wrong.
Sick.
Twisted.
The voice chanted in my head over and over while I fucked her. I hated it. It was a devious forked-tongue liar. Loving her wasn’t wrong and fucking her felt so damn right.
I drilled into North, scooting the table backward. The legs barked in protest. My balls were heavy as they slapped against her ass but I felt them getting ready to seize up. My climax was building rapidly.
“Touch your pussy for me, Shortcake. I want to watch you play with your clit while I fuck you. I’m about to come and I want to make sure you do too.” I looked down at where we were connected. I stared at the way her slick pussy glistened.
She moved in circles around her pretty clit until an orgasm rocked her. She pulsed around my cock and I groaned, shooting into her. I was being reckless as hell and I knew better. If I didn’t get myself under control I was going to knock her up.
The thought sobered me, clearing way in my mind for me to see things as they really were. I’d fallen for North and I knew it. Having a baby with her wasn’t reckless at all. It was right. It was what I wanted. What about North though? What if she wasn’t ready for a kid?
With a dry mouth, I looked down at her. “North, I want a family with you. I mean whenever you’re ready. It’s no pressure but…”
“Really?” Her wide eyes and big smile sated my curiosity. She wanted the same thing. I saw it sparkling through her energy. “I want a family with you too, Kane.” She reached up and kissed my lips slowly, sealing the deal. A sigh of relief pushed through me.
“I’m so glad I took dinner out of the oven before you came home. It would’ve been burnt to a crisp by now.” She tossed her long hair to one side and combed through the wild strands with her fingers.
I stared at her transparent panties and smirked.
“God, I’m going to have to shower before E and Mel come over.”
“I can help you with that,” I said, flashing a lopsided grin.
“I bet you can. Can you carry me up the steps since you’ve rendered my legs useless?” When she looked at me like that, I’d do whatever she asked.
I washed her in the shower, making sure to shampoo her hair. It was so intimate and private. Even more so than the insane way we fucked on the kitchen table. There was something quietly beautiful about the way she trusted me, the way she blossomed for me. Only me.
“Hey, can you plug in the hairdryer for me?” North sat on the side of the bed wrapped in a dark green towel running a brush through her rapidly curling red hair. Freckles dusted her shoulders, faded at her throat and gathered again on the tops of her breasts.
When did she grow up like that? When did her breasts become so full and perky? When did her hips round and her thighs thicken?
The scent of cherries hovered in the air tart and sweet just like my Shortcake. I wanted to thread my fingers through her hair and suck on her lips, stealing her moans and consuming them like candy. She was buzzing through my veins.
North, North, North…
“Kane, my hair is going to dry curly if you don’t give me the hairdryer.” She stormed past me but I snagged her elbow before she got to the bathroom.
“Leave it curly. I like it.” I kissed her cheek and pulled away to look at her.
“You like my hair curly?” Her eyes were big and brilliant like a thunderstorm on a sunny day. They were storm cloud gray and sky blue. I loved watching them twinkle with wonder.
“Yeah, I do.” I guided her to the mirror with my hands on her hips. The top of her head only reached my chin.
“I like it straight.” I noticed the uncertain wobble in her voice.
“I love you the way you are. Curly red hair, freckles on your lips, long slender lines.” I dragged my finger down the slight curve of her waist through the towel. “Perfect pale skin.” I swept her wet hair to the side and bit her neck eliciting a sharp gasp. I watched her eyes close as she soaked in my words. “Open those eyes, beautiful. I want you to see all this art.” I stroked her high cheekbones, her chin, her forehead, and the bridge of her nose. “You are flawless, North Fitzgerald. God hasn’t painted anything as beautiful as you since he put you on this earth.” The longer her hair dried, the curlier it got and it reminded me of why I called her Shortcake.
Downstairs, the doorbell rang breaking apart my worship at the Church of North. I tapped the tip of her nose and smiled. “I’m gonna answer the door. Take your time getting ready. I’ll set dinner out.”
“Kane, what is that in your pocket?” North laughed a little gesturing to my pants. I looked down and laughed, running my hand over my beard.
“What? This?” I pulled her cute pineapple panties out of my pocket, dangling them on my pointer finger. “This is my trophy from earlier.” I bunched them in my palm and buried my nose in them.
“And what exactly did you win?” She laughed.
“I won your cum all over my cock.” I winked at her and she pressed her hand to her chest before swallowing. The way she reacted to me was a drug. I had to pull myself out of the bedroom before I took a hit and got high on her.
Before I opened the front door, I shoved North’s panties in my pocket again and found my composure. I welcomed Elijah and Melanie inside and into the kitchen.
“Where’s North?” Melanie asked, looking around.
“She just got out of the shower so she’s getting dressed. Did you have a chance to talk to her today?” I asked, grabbing beers for all of us.
“I did and she seemed like she was listening. I do think she needs more girl time though. She’s craving it. That’s one of the reasons she wants to make this friendship work. Honestly, Kane after speaking to North today…I don’t think Sierra deserves her as a friend. She’s a sweetheart.”
A genuine smile curved my lips. I was glad someone else saw how big North’s heart was. Sierra saw it too and that’s why she walked all over her.
“There she is,” Elijah stood and hugged North when she walked into the kitchen. “What’s up girl? Where is my mocha?”
“At Starbucks.” She smiled sweetly then moved to hug Melanie.
We settled into dinner with the same easy laughter we were used to. Elijah teased North until she flipped him off and Melanie offered to represent North if she had to kill him for being too annoying. I was around my people. They poured into North and me. I wondered if she noticed that she didn’t need to chase Sierra’s friendship because she had friends of her own.
At the end of the night, North and I stood side-by-side at the door waving to Mel and Elijah, watching them get into the car. Once they pulled off, we retreated into the house and cleaned the kitchen.
“This is like a dream,” she said before closing the dishwasher. “I never thought I’d ever feel this level of joy.” She blinked, her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
“Why not?” I asked. I put away the leftovers and closed the fridge door. She answered with a shrug. “Come on, Shortcake. Talk to me.” I leaned against the wall and crossed my legs at the ankle.
“I always thought life would be hard and toxic.” No matter how much she tried to blink away the tears, they still rolled down her cheeks. “I felt like there was no way to escape it. Fate is fate.”
“North, come here.” She walked over and leaned against me while I wrapped her in my arms. “Your mother’s life is not your fate and it never will be. She sentenced herself to a toxic life but you’re not her. You’re a blank canvas. You can have whatever you want. That includes happiness. That includes friends. It includes you pursuing your dreams. Like maybe culinary school.” I curled my fingers around the back of her neck and held her gaze. “Whatever you want, you can have it and I’m going to help you get it. We’re in this shit together.”
Tears trembled in her eyes.
“You think I could go to culinary school?”
“Fuck yes. You’re the most amazing cook. You’ve spoiled me and put a few pounds on me.” I patted my stomach and watched North laugh through her tears.
“Thank you for believing in me, Kane. It’s a weird feeling but I like it.”
“I’ve always believed in you, Shortcake.” I wiped her remaining tears and she nuzzled against my hand.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you but I’m more than grateful. I don’t know how Mom mistreated you.”
“Your mother was fighting demons bigger than our marriage. She couldn’t give me anything because she didn’t have anything to give.”
“Kane, I know how this is going to sound but…” Her hands slid over my shoulders then down my arms. “Do you love me like you loved Mom?” I saw the regret in her eyes the moment the question left her mouth.
I sucked in a long breath and pushed my fingers through my hair. “No. I don’t love you like I loved Izzy because you’re not Izzy. You’re North. I couldn’t ever love anyone the way I love you. You’re my partner in every fucking way. Words are useless when I try to describe how I feel…but god, I am so in love with you it hurts.” My heart thundered in my chest singing songs and writing sonnets about the love I had for North. I wished I could crack my ribs and show her the work of art she created in me.
She hugged me so tight I felt the air leave my lungs. I smoothed her curly red hair back and kissed her forehead. “Now, go get your ass in bed…naked. I’m going to make a call and I’ll be in there.” I slapped her ass and sent her to the bedroom.
I headed up after her but I went into the art studio and sat on the stool in front of my latest piece for Mr. Chandler. A rainbow of hues stared at me in the form of downy feathers flying through the air. It was one of my favorite pieces. It had motion, clarity, and detail down to the finest strand.
“Mr. Kane Fitzgerald. How’s everything?” Mr. Chandler asked with a smile in his voice.
“Everything is perfect. The painting is done and dry. I was calling to ask when you wanted to come by the gallery to pick it up.”
“I’m out of the country right now so I’m going to pick it up next month. I’ll email you a few dates and we can settle on something.”
“Sounds good, sir. I’ll be looking for that email.”
“Thank you for everything Kane. It’s been a pleasure working with you. You’re a brilliant artist.”
“I appreciate that, Mr. Chandler.”
After I ended the call, I took a few more minutes to look at my painting. Soon, it would land me the biggest commission I’d ever seen at once. It would catapult my career and put my name in places I’d never dreamt of. I was already looking forward to my future. Knowing I had North beside me to celebrate my wins made the victories that much sweeter.
…
CHAPTER 15
The soft warm kisses on my breasts moved down to my stomach, then my navel. I moaned, pushing my hands above my head, stretching and bending. What kind of dream was this? I’d take a dozen of them every day.
I cracked open my eyes and looked down at a head full of loose mahogany waves between my legs. A smile found my lips just before I pushed my fingers through Kane’s hair.
“Good morning, Shortcake.” He pinned my knees to the side and feasted on my pussy without another word to me. His lips and tongue probed, licked, and sucked until I was consumed with the orgasm building inside me.
I tossed my head back into the plush pile of pillows and bucked my hips against Kane’s mouth, fucking his face until I came. I came so hard I lost a few of my senses. I could only see stars against a black sky and only hear the thump of my heart.
Kane’s name still managed to roll off my lips though. I cried out until it was a chant filling the air. Until I could see and hear again.
He didn’t give me much of a reprieve before his long, thick cock eased into me, spreading my body until it fit him like a glove. My legs draped over his broad shoulders while he hammered into me relentlessly.
I felt like one of his paintings. He took his time with me, loving me in different colors until I was perfection. Until I reflected the light inside him.
“I love you, Kane,” I whimpered when he drove deep inside, flooding me with pleasure.
“I love you too, North. You are so fucking gorgeous.”
I moaned when his mouth connected with my nipples. “So mine,” he growled before squeezing my stiff pebbles between his teeth.
“I’m yours,” I panted. I clutched a fistful of his silky hair while his mouth made magic on my skin. The sounds that man could extract from me were unholy at best. The two boys I’d fucked before Kane were forgettable. I couldn’t remember the way they felt or smelled or the way they made me feel but Kane?
Oh my god.
He made me feel everything. He made me feel beautiful despite the ugliness in my past. He made me realize I was worthy in the face of my crippling self-doubt. No one made me feel the way he did. Making love to him only seared those feelings deeper into me.
Kane was in my bones.
“Fuck, I’m gonna come,” I moaned. My nails sank into his glistening olive skin and my legs locked behind him, urging his cock deeper inside of me.
“Goddammit, Shortcake. I can’t keep coming in you like this. But fuck, your pussy is so perfect.” His hard dick twitched between my walls before he shot his load. I trembled beneath him milking his cock dry. I wanted every drop inside. The last thing I cared about was getting pregnant. Was having Kane’s baby really that horrible? The thought of a mini version of us made my heart sing.
Jesus, I was twisted for wanting to have his babies. I was still calling him Dad last year. Shit, last week he got a piece of mail that addressed him as the parent of North Fitzgerald.
“You still picking Sierra up?” He quizzed after he slid out of me taking the warmth with him.
“Yeah. If things between us don’t change I think this will be her last visit. I’m tired of draining myself and not getting anything in return.” A gorgeous smile found his full lips and his eyes crinkled in that delicious way that made my belly flop.
“Listen to you. That’s what I like to hear.” He reached over and squeezed my nipple sending zips of energy through my body.
As much as I wanted to lie in bed beside him all day, I had to pick up Sierra. Hanging out with her this weekend was my last attempt at salvaging our friendship.
…
When I pulled up in front of the tall brick building, Sierra was already waiting for me with a bag slung across her body. When she saw the truck slow to a stop, she grinned at me then hopped in.
“It took you long enough. Daddy let you borrow his truck again.” She gave a knowing look that made me shrink in my seat.
“I have enough saved up to get a car so I’ll probably treat myself for my birthday next month.” I noticed the instinctive way my hackles rose when Kane was mentioned. I wondered if I’d been purposefully ignoring red flags like that during our entire friendship.
“Starbucks must be paying you good. I still can’t manage to save up for my own car. Then again, I don’t have a father letting me live with him rent-free. It’s not really free though, is it?”
I hated her insinuation. It made my fucking skin crawl. Heat prickled the tops of my cheeks as I drove away from Delta.
“I’m not fucking Kane to have a roof over my head and he’s not my father so stop calling him that. If you want to keep taking shots at me then you can stay right the fuck here in Delta for all I care.” I pulled the truck over to the side of the road and looked at Sierra with a blank expression.
Her mouth opened then closed but no words came out. I folded my arms across my chest and waited for her to say something one way or another. I was fed up.
“North, why are you being so dramatic? I was playing around with you. You know that.”
“I don’t know that. I don’t want to defend Kane around every corner with you. I trusted you enough to tell you about us and you’ve been throwing jabs at me every chance you get. It’s not cool, Sierra and I don’t want to deal with it.”
“Okay, shit. I won’t say anything else about you and Kane.” She held her hand up and rolled her eyes like I was inconveniencing her by voicing my issues.
“Thank you,” I snapped before pulling off. The ride back to Telluride was bone dry and quiet.
There was no sign of Kane when we got inside the house but maybe it was for the best.
When Sierra and I went to my room, she sat on the bed and stared at me while I straightened things up. I found myself walking on eggshells out of fear of what her next judgment would be.
“Hey, North.” Her voice was quiet and gentle, stopping me in my tracks. I looked at her for a few beats waiting for her to say something hurtful or bitter.
“Yeah?” I folded my arms and raised a brow in anticipation.
“I’m sorry for talking shit about you and Kane. I didn’t mean to upset you. I guess it feels weird to hear about you in a relationship and it’s definitely strange that it’s your dad.” She paused. “I won’t say another petty thing, I swear.” She placed one hand on her chest and the other hand in the air.
An apology?
I wasn’t expecting that.
“You’re…sorry?” I asked in disbelief. I almost laughed at how out of the blue it was.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was being a bitch.” She stood and held her arms out. “You forgive me?” She rushed me with a hug and I stood stiff as a board, blinking my eyes. I was fully prepared to distance myself from her and here she was making a complete turnaround.
“I forgive you,” I stammered, rubbing her back.
“Good. I can’t imagine having you be upset with me. That shit shook me on the way here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so mad.” She pulled back and looked at me with a smile and something else in her brown eyes that I couldn’t place. I ignored the twist of my stomach and chalked it up to residual exhaustion from holding up a one-sided friendship for so long.
Once she apologized, Sierra seemed to have her head on straight and I was grateful. We fell into an easy conversation about the same old bullshit happening at the steakhouse then I offered to show her around the house since I didn’t get a chance to the last time she was over.
