Sometimes It Lasts(Sea Breeze #5)(23)
“Hey, baby, have fun today?”
She sounded out of breath. “Yeah. I enjoyed girl talk. Have you had a good day?”
“Missing you. I’m glad you had a good time with the girls though.”
She stopped what she was doing and took a deep breath. “Gah! I need to be in better shape,” she huffed. “I miss you too. Only two more days,” she said.
“What are you doing?” I asked as she continued breathing hard.
“Hauling feed bags. Daddy needed to go lay down. His head was hurting and he was really pale. I’m helping Jeremy so they don’t get behind and Daddy doesn’t think he has to work extra hard tomorrow.”
Hauling feed? What the f**k? “Eva. That feed weighs fifty pounds a bag. You don’t need to be hauling f**king feed! Where’s Jeremy? Put him on the phone.” I had to get home to her. I couldn’t leave her there without me. This crazy shit would happen.
“Jeremy is dealing with two cows that got out of the fence down in the south end of the pasture. He doesn’t know I’m doing this. He doesn’t even know daddy had to go lay down. So chill out. I got this. I’ve hauled feed bags before. It’s gonna rain soon and I don’t need hundreds of dollars of feed getting soaked.”
Fuck. Fuck. Damn. I hated this.
“It has to be ninety-five degrees today, Eva. You don’t need to be out in the heat doing that shit. Please go inside and wait on Jeremy.”
She laughed softly into the phone and my insides melted. Just hearing her laugh made me feel better. Even if I wanted her to stop moving bags that weighed too much in the damn heat. “I’m fine, Cage. I do not break that easily. Besides, I only have one bag left to get to the safety of the barn.”
I was calling Jeremy tonight. He and I needed to go over what was safe for Eva to do and what wasn’t. Better yet I’d get him alone this weekend and make it real clear. “Leave the last bag for him.”
“Did you call me just to fuss at me about working or did you have something else to talk about?” the teasing in her voice eased my temper. I missed her so damn much.
“I actually did call you early for a reason. I have a team thing tonight that the Coach called. It’s at his house. We’re discussing the summer season and going over game footage of teams we need to beat. I could be late. I wanted to hear your voice and let you know where I was and that I love you and I’m not blowing you off for a damn party.”
“I’ll miss talking to you before I go to sleep but I’m glad you’re getting to spend time with your teammates. Have fun tonight. Call me when you can tomorrow.”
“I love you, and I’m counting the hours until I can hold you again,” I said picturing her all sweaty in those cut off jeans and a tank top I knew she was wearing right now. She would even have on her work boots, which were sexy as hell.
“I love you too. Always.”
Chapter Ten
EVA
I sat on the porch, watching the driveway for Cage’s headlights. Dad had gone to bed an hour ago and Jeremy had sat out here with me for a while. He had just left to go home. The barn bedroom was ready this time. I’d put sheets on the twin mattress and pillows and a blanket. I’d even made sure we had towels and soap for the shower. Daddy would take his pills to help him sleep and he’d be asleep all night. But even if he wasn’t I knew he looked at things differently now.
He wanted to know I was safe. That I had someone to love me and protect me. He also knew I had chosen Cage. I didn’t tell him we’d be in the barn tonight but I knew he had probably guessed. When he didn’t say anything about it before he went to bed I figured that he had accepted it.
I had shaved my legs and all the other areas that needed attention. I had even given myself a pedicure and manicure. I straightened the yellow sundress I was wearing and smiled. I couldn’t wait to see Cage’s face when he realized I wasn’t wearing panties.
Two bright headlights turned down the dirt road leading down to the house and all other thought left me. I jumped up from the rocker I was sitting in and took off running. Cage’s car came to an abrupt stop in the driveway and his door flew open as he jumped out. His tall body had barely gotten out of the car when I flung myself into his arms and burst into tears.
I hadn’t meant to do that. But I couldn’t help it. He was here. I was glad I hadn’t put on anything other than waterproof mascara and some lip gloss. Cage’s arms tightened around me and he held me against his chest.
“You feel so good,” he whispered huskily into my hair. “Missed you so bad, baby.”
He pulled back enough so that he could bend his head down and capture my lips with his. I leaned into his kiss and savored it. The minty taste on his tongue was delicious. He was delicious. I moved my arms up to his chest and buried them in his hair. Cage dropped his hands to cup my butt. He froze and then ran his hands over the outside of my dress before slowly pulling the dress up until his hands were on my bare bottom.
“Damn,” he growled, breaking the kiss and looking down at me. “You’re not wearing f**king panties.”
I smiled up at him wickedly. I knew this would excite him. As if we needed any extra excitement. Just seeing him and feeling him was making me crazy.
“Barn, now,” he said in a low rumbled bending down to pick me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and realized this might have been a mistake. The hardness in his jeans rubbed against me and I cried out. It had been too long.