“Is that a problem? You’re the one who wants to sell it so you can move on with your life, so here’s your chance. Contact the realtor first thing in the morning.”
The tightness in my chest makes breathing a nearly impossible task. “I thought we agreed to remodel the house first.”
What are you doing questioning her? Just agree and take your win where you can get it.
Her chin quivers. “Plenty of people put houses on the market while they are in the middle of construction. We can just have the realtor share the renovation mock-ups Ryder sent us, along with the blueprints.”
Her plan is logical and foolproof, yet the look on her face has me questioning the whole thing.
If you tell her about the inheritance, you’re not only letting your brothers down, but yourself too.
It’s one thing to fail myself, but to risk everyone else’s future, including Iris’s, isn’t worth it.
I release a pent-up breath. “I’ll contact the realtor and the rehab facility early in the morning.”
I’m not sure if leaving before the end of the summer is a possibility, but I will call Leo before to find out how or if that could affect the will.
Hopefully not. I’ve already spent a good portion of my summer here.
She blinks twice. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
I’ve never been more sure of anything. Getting sober was always the end goal, and Lana encouraged me to find a way to get there sooner.
“Yes. There is nothing I want more for myself than a future with you.”
She bites down on her bottom lip. “It’s not just me anymore. Cami and I are a package deal.”
I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her flush against me. “You and Cami aren’t a deal. You two are a lottery jackpot, and it’s time someone treated you both that way.”
38
ALANA
I stare at Cal, processing everything he said. I’ve never had anyone speak about Cami and me the way he does. His words make my eyes water, the tears from before threatening to come back with a vengeance.
You and Cami aren’t a deal. You two are a lottery jackpot, and it’s time someone treated you both that way.
My whole heart feels impossibly full and ready to burst. I want to believe what Cal says. That he will get better. But I can’t deny the tiny shred of doubt worming its way through my happiness, threatening to poison it with my worries.
As if he senses my thoughts, Cal tucks his fingers under my chin and lifts my head. “I know you don’t trust me. Not fully at least, and I don’t blame you one bit. So, push me away. Get mad at me for drinking. Ice me out because you’re afraid of letting me in again. Do whatever makes you feel safe, happy, and in control.
“But just know that whatever you do won’t change the fact that I will keep fighting for us and the future I know we can have. The one we deserve to have. Whatever you do won’t stop me from getting help. Just like it won’t stop me from wanting to be a part of Cami’s life in whatever way I can, even if we aren’t together. From—”
That’s it.
Watching Cal love my kid to the point of wanting to stay in her life regardless of our relationship status is enough to snap the last bit of restraint I have.
I cut him off with a searing kiss. A kiss I pour all my feelings into. Excitement. Fear. Adoration.
Cal matches my desperation, his lips teasing me until I’m wild for more. A tingle spreads down my spine as he slides his fingers through my hair and tugs me closer. His lips press against mine and match my pace, turning my world upside down from all the different sensations overwhelming me.
Everything about our kiss is amplified as we reacquaint ourselves with what we like.
The brush of his tongue against mine, light and teasing.
My lips ripping away from his solely so I can pull his shirt over his head and run my hands down his chest.
His stubble scraping against my neck as he sucks on the sensitive skin below my ear, bruising it with the harsh pull of his mouth.
At one point, he lifts me up and carries me to the bed without breaking our kiss. I straddle his thighs and deepen it. One quick grind of my hips against his straining erection causes him to release the sweetest groan, and I soak it up, drowning the sound with my lips.
He only breaks contact for a moment to remove my sleep shirt from over my head. His hands never stay in one place for too long. They glide over my body, teasing and touching until I’m grinding against his thick length in a frantic search for release.
Desperation for more of Cal makes me impatient. The combination of my body pressing against his and my random burst of strength throws him off-balance, and he falls backward, taking me with him.
Our lips break apart, and I pepper his jawline with soft, quick kisses.
“Lana,” Cal moans.
I shift my attention to his neck. My lips trail down the curve, sucking and nipping at his skin until his fingers dig into my ass. The bite of pain is intoxicating. Thrilling. Addictive.
He threads his fingers into my hair and holds me in place.
“What?” I suck harder, marking his neck with the memory of me.
“Hold on a second.” He tugs on the strands, pulling me away from his skin.
“Why?” I whine. “Do you want me to stop?”
He shudders beneath me. “Fuck no, but I want to make something clear.”
“What?” My eyelids shut with a sigh.
He squeezes the back of my neck. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I roll my body over his and press down hard against his thick length. “Does that clarify your question?”
“I want to hear it.” He presses his hands into my ass, trapping me on top of his erection.
Heat pools in my lower belly. “Yes. We’re doing this. But if you screw up—”
One moment, I’m on top, but in a single second, I find myself with my back pressed against the mattress and Cal looming above me, his gaze wild with hunger.
A hunger for me.
“Screwing up is inevitable, but I promise to make it up to you every single time.” He tugs my underwear down my legs.
“How so?”
“Like this.” He rips my thighs apart before trailing the sensitive flesh with light pecks. Slowly, he kisses his way toward the area begging for his attention, only to retreat. His mouth returns to my other thigh, repeating the same torture all over again.
I shimmy my body closer to his mouth, only to earn a low chuckle.
“I’m not about to rush this when I have six years to make up for, Lana.”
“Make up for it later,” I groan.
He traces a path from my clit to the place desperate to be filled. His tongue sinks inside, teasing, taunting, and testing how my body responds. Whenever I react a certain way, he repeats the same move before attempting something else.
My entire body feels like it is being engulfed in flames.
The world explodes around me as Cal amplifies the pressure building inside me with a few flicks of his tongue. I reach down, desperate for some kind of release. My attempt is cut off the moment I touch my clit. Cal slaps my pussy.