The Wild Card, page 25
“Look at us adulting.”
“You’re a good influence on me. And I’m sorry… for pulling you away from the clubhouse, those guys… acting like you’re mine. There’s no excuse, but I saw red, and I just wanted to get out of there, but I wanted you with me.”
I smile. He has no idea how much he’s killing me. “I’ll always be here for you. But next time, maybe just say, ‘Hey, Callie, let’s get out of here. Alone.’”
He nods. “I will.” We stare at one another for a beat until he breaks the silence. “How about we order in and watch the finale of that show you love?”
“No sex lesson?”
He shakes his head. “Tomorrow—morning—but tomorrow.”
I laugh and lean forward a bit to get my phone out of my back pocket so I can order takeout.
“You’re the bravest person I know,” he says before kissing my neck. “You just charge headfirst into unknown territory.”
My fingers sink into the hair at the back of his head as he sprinkles kisses along my neck.
This feels like something different than what we’ve done thus far. This intimacy and sharing our trauma and wounds are going to get me in trouble. But it’s all in the name of love for our baby, right?
CHAPTER
FORTY-TWO
Callie
I’m ungodly hot, and my eyes slowly drift open, looking around to get my bearings. A heavy arm is swung around my waist, and a hard body is pressed against my back. Oh… Foster.
We must have fallen asleep after eating and watching the final episode of Southern Charm.
I shift, but his hand presses gently on my stomach, nudging me to stay where I am.
This is bad. Like, really bad.
He nuzzles into the crook of my neck. “That was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.”
“We should probably go to our beds,” I say, slightly panicked by this intimacy and the way I love being this close to him.
What would it be like if this were my life?
“Nah, I’m good where I am. You’re like my real-life teddy bear.”
“Um… not a compliment.” I roll onto my back so at least I’m not feeling his morning wood pressed to my ass.
A low chuckle leaves him. “Sorry, it happens.”
But even with me moving, he only scoots closer, his hand tucking under my ribcage and pulling me closer to him. His mouth finds my neck, and I tip my head to the side without even thinking about it, giving him better access.
A low sound leaves him, as though he’s relieved I’m offering more skin. Foster slides his hand along my waist, his palm warm through my shirt, and holds me close, but does nothing else.
My body is like fifty live wires, and I’m aware of every single place we’re touching.
His kisses are slow, but after a few minutes, they’re delivered with more intent.
“Tell me what my lesson is,” he whispers.
“Have you ever just made out with a woman before?”
“You’d be my first,” he murmurs against my neck, and my back arches.
My eyes slip open, and he lifts his head, his gaze on me. Making out might quickly end up with us having sex.
“How about you learn about erogenous zones?”
He’s found my neck and just under my ear, and I’m already half panting. I’m not sure what shape I’ll be in after I show him the rest.
“I’m an eager student.” He props himself up on his elbow. “Point to one.”
“First, I’ll let you choose. Front or backside first?”
He hums, and I swear I grow wet just from that noise. “Backside.”
I roll onto my stomach. The couch is squishy enough that it’s not pushing up or digging into my tummy. It remains the best couch ever.
“You’re going to undress me as you explore my body.”
“Sounds amazing.” His large hand cups my hip. “Point me in the right direction.”
I tap the back of my neck, sliding my hair to one side.
“Hey, that’s my job.” He tugs away my hand. “Don’t make me tie you up.”
“Oh, we’ll get there.”
His deep chuckle rings out behind me. “I hope so.”
His fingers slide into my hair, so it falls off one shoulder, and although I know he’s going to do it, when he presses a soft kiss to the back of my neck, shivers race up my spine. The kiss lingers. He’s taking his time, kissing only an inch over.
“This good?” His voice is low and rough as he continues placing feather-light kisses, each one warmer and softer than the last.
My breath catches, and my eyes drift closed. “Perfect. Move to the sides now and use your hands to skim your fingers or knuckles along my skin.”
He slides his hands under the hem of my shirt, his fingertips gliding up my ribcage, and I squirm under his touch.
“You like that.” It’s not a question but more a confirmation of my body’s reaction.
“I do.” I let him keep kissing me there because I love having the back of my neck kissed. “Now you’re going to slide my shirt up and kiss down my spine. Don’t forget your hands need to be doing something too. And no groping me. Try to think of how it might feel to me, not you.”
“Hey, no judging something before I even do it.”
I giggle, but then he shifts so that he’s partially draped over me, keeping his weight from crushing me. His hands slide under the hem, bringing my shirt up as he runs his nose along my spine.
Holy shit—he’s a fast learner.
I lift my torso so he can push my shirt up, and then with his help, I slide my arms out, and he tosses it on the floor.
“I feel like it’s too early to remove a piece of clothing,” he says.
“Are you complaining?”
“Hell no. But when do I get to unhook the bra?”
He chuckles as though he’s not serious, then his lips fall to the top of my neck, and he trails them down my spine. I moan, my breath stuttering the farther down he goes, and when he’s right above my pant waistband, I want to say fuck it, just have sex with me—but that’s not the point of this exercise.
Instead of asking about continuing his path down, he shifts and runs kisses up the side of my body, his hands sliding ahead of his lips, grazing my side boob.
“You can unhook my bra, but you’re going to do it and leave my bra on for a few minutes.” God, this whole thing now feels like a lesson in patience for myself.
Foster’s hands slide up either side of my torso, and he unhooks my bra with more ease than I’d like. I’m smart enough to know that he probably mastered that move at a young age.
“Now I’m going to roll over, and you’re not going to remove my bra, got it?”
“You don’t have to sound so mean.”
I laugh and roll over, but as soon as I see the heat in his eyes, my laughter dies. It’s clear I’m not the only one who is turned on right now.
“Did you know that blue is my favorite color?” His eyes fix on my nipples poking through the see-through blue material of my bra.
“Mine too.” I stare into his blue eyes.
He sits on my legs, not putting his entire weight on me, and his calloused palms run up and down my ribcage. His hands are so large that his fingers are splaying all the way to my sides. His thumbs tease the bottoms of my breasts, and I suck in a sharp breath.
Foster’s gaze bounces around from my face to my breasts to where his hands are splayed over my skin. “You have no idea how beautiful you are.”
“I don’t mind you telling me.”
He smirks and lifts the edge of my bra, testing his touch on the underside of my breast.
“Did I tell you that you could go there?”
“Sorry. It felt natural. Should I not go on instinct?”
I slide the strap off one arm, then the other but keep the bra covering me. “Your instincts are good. Surprisingly.”
I giggle, and he pinches my nipple through the fabric.
My giggle morphs into a moan. “Kiss my stomach and travel upward.”
I tilt my head, and he bites his bottom lip, sliding down and settling himself on his stomach, kissing my small belly first. The space between my thighs is humming, begging for some attention.
“Now come up as slowly as you can. You’re going to leave my bra on. You can use your lips, your tongue, your fingertips, but that’s it.”
His tongue slips out, and he trails it over my belly button and up to my breasts. He takes the strap of my bra between his teeth and pulls it off my body so that I’m completely exposed. Continuing up the valley of my breasts, up my throat and over my chin until his lips are hovering above mine.
“I don’t think I told you to remove my bra.”
“Again… instincts. And I really wanted to have my face between your tits. Sorry, not sorry.”
Before I can respond, he presses his lips to mine, the kiss like a caress until he slides his tongue through my parted lips. Even then, he doesn’t fight for dominance, doesn’t try to control it. He lets our kiss ebb and flow naturally.
My hands run through his hair. One thing I absolutely love about kissing him is weaving my hands through his thick head of hair.
Foster lifts his mouth and trails down to my collarbone. “Where to next, professor?”
“You’re going to feel me through my pants. No going under the waistband yet, and you’re going to keep kissing me the entire time. Remember, the slower the better, the gentler the better. You have to warm up the engine before we can kick it into high gear.”
“Got it.”
We continue to kiss, our mouths melding together as his right hand travels down my body until he reaches my hip. He runs his palm all the way down my outer leg, sliding to the inside and back up at a painfully slow, delicious pace.
Thank God I’m wearing yoga pants.
He runs his thumb along my clit, and I close my eyes, the sensation after all this foreplay nearly making me come.
I pull my mouth from his. “Okay, you can go under now.”
“You said not yet.”
“I lied.”
“Either I’m a fast learner, or you’re an excellent teacher.”
“The latter. Please, Foster… now you need to read that if you don’t get me off in the next ten seconds, you might lose your chance.” I’ve never been this hot and desperate in my life. “Just slide your hand down and use your thumb on my clit, but use very little pressure at first.”
His fingers tiptoe up until he reaches my waistband, then he slips his hand underneath, but not under my panties.
“I need your fingers on me.” There’s a begging note to my voice now.
“We’ll get there.” He bends over and sucks on my nipple.
My back arches off the couch. “Foster…”
He moans and pulls my nipple between his teeth. He touches me over the fabric of my panties, and I want to scream and tell him to give me what I want. That we’re long past the teasing stage. But fuck, it feels so good.
He brings his other hand up, running his thumb along my bottom lip, and I nibble the pad of his thumb.
“You’re so hot. I thought about nothing but fucking you all day yesterday.”
“Keep talking. That’s perfect.”
He pushes the tip of his thumb into my mouth and applies more pressure on my clit. “This good?”
A moan is my answer, then I suck on his thumb.
“My instincts are telling me to suck your tits. What do you say?”
I nod, more noises falling out of me. He bends and sucks, dragging my breast into his mouth. Oh shit, it feels so good.
“I’m thinking I should use my fingers now. Slide them into this wet, needy pussy. Sound good?” He slides my panties aside.
“God yes. One first, not all three.”
His mouth moves up to mine, and I grab the back of his neck, bringing his mouth down to mine. There’s no softness, and he pushes one finger in while still massaging my clit.
He groans, a deep, desperate sound. “You’re soaked.”
I pull him back down to kiss him more because I’m almost there. I’m so close. “Another.”
Foster pushes a second finger inside me, using his knowledge from when he went down on me to angle them perfectly.
I lock my hand on his wrist, taking no chance that he’ll stop. And I come explosively fast—my entire body tenses, my pussy clenching, my torso jolting. All I see is black and stars until it washes over and out of me.
I open my eyes to find him staring at me.
He slips his hand out of my pants, and I’m about to tell him to lick me off his fingers, but he does it anyway. I’ve never been more ready for round two so fast.
CHAPTER
FORTY-THREE
Foster
“So you’re coming in too?” Callie’s head tilts as we approach the hotel.
It’s my day off, and I figure why not go with Callie to this podcast appointment? This is the third one I’ve arranged for her, and I wouldn’t mind seeing how it all comes together.
I had her text Lex the address to meet us here, but I’ve been keeping who the guest is, or guests as it were, a surprise.
“Yeah,” I say.
“You’re not just walking with me here?”
One thing I’ve learned about Callie is that she asks a lot of questions when she doesn’t know what’s going on.
“Yes. Now don’t make me ruin the surprise.”
The doorman for the hotel holds the door open for us, and I wave her in first.
We head to the venue area. I follow the signs to go where I was instructed. There’s security outside the room, but I give them my name, and they check their list.
Lex comes up next to Callie. “Hey, this is weird. What are we doing here?”
“Hey, Lex.” I nod to her. “She’s with us too.”
The guy nods and tells us to follow a woman who he waves over. She leads us into the event space that has been set up for the show.
“Holy shit, you got us into Iron Ink?” Lex’s voice is loud but impressed. “I love this show.”
We’re kept offstage, and I watch Frankie Owens walk around the set, checking out the tattoos the contestants did, pointing out what’s good and what needs improvement. She’s a little cutthroat compared to her husband, Jax. He usually offers friendly tips and is always more complimentary than judgmental.
Jax notices me standing behind the cameras and gives me a little nod.
“Do you know him?” Callie asks in a low voice, so we don’t get in trouble.
“He’s your guest. And so is his wife.”
Her mouth falls open. This is why I wanted to be here with her. Because I knew she’d be impressed, and part of me wanted to see her reaction.
I grin at her. “I don’t let just anyone ink me.”
“Yeah, but… they’re, like, famous. I heard their daughter, Jolie, is better than both of them.”
As if summoned by Callie’s declaration, Jolie steps onto the set. She doesn’t have a single tattoo, but she’s definitely the artist most celebrities gravitate toward these days.
The show ends, and Jax puts his arm around his wife’s shoulders and turns her toward me.
Frankie’s eyes light up. “Foster Davis!”
“Oh my god, I was not prepared for this,” Lex whispers, grabbing Callie’s arm. “She’s so hot.”
“Frankie Owens. Still making artists second-guess their calling, I see,” I say.
She laughs and hugs me with a pat on the back. “Do you want shitty tattoos on your skin? You should be thanking me.” She eyes Callie, then Lex. “Which one is Callie?”
Callie raises her hand. “Me. I’m sorry to interrupt—”
“We’re done for the day, but we’ll be back at it tomorrow. Jolie has a private client right now, so you only have Jax and me.”
“You’re icons.” Lex’s eyes are wide, and she appears a little star struck.
Frankie laughs. “Well, thank you, but it wasn’t always like this for us.” She turns around and waves Jax over.
He joins our little group, giving me a handshake and a once-over. “What are we doing today?”
“Ah, not until the season is over.”
“Callie?” Jax looks right at her as if he’s done his research and knows exactly who she is.
They shake hands, and Lex can barely control herself when I introduce her.
“I have an idea. I’m starving, and I’ve yet to have Chicago deep-dish pizza since we’ve been in town. Would you mind walking, having lunch, and then we can walk it off and finish the interview? I don’t want to change whatever plan you had.” Frankie directs her question at Callie.
“I’ll take whatever you’ll give me. Honestly, I’m just so grateful you agreed to this.” Callie’s brown eyes sparkle. It’s likely not a great sign how much I love being the one who put it there.
Frankie laughs, and Jax joins in, putting his arm around his wife. “Please, we’re just normal people. Our friends from Clifton Heights would tell you we’re not anything big. One of our friends married a prince, so… we’re small potatoes.”
This is why I thought they’d be perfect. They tattoo some of the biggest celebrities in the world, but they’re also self-made. Plus, they didn’t have it easy in their younger days.
Lex gets them set up with microphones, and Callie decides she’ll interview Frankie on the way to the restaurant and Jax on the way back.
Jax and I hang back on the walk to the restaurant, letting the girls do their thing.
“So… a baby?” Jax says.
I nod. “A baby.”
“Crazy. You knew her before?”
“I’m friends with her brother. Hayes Carlisle.”
“Oh yeah, you brought him by once.”
Probably.
“Feels like a real grown-up move. And here I thought you were calling for another tattoo.”
“Maybe after the season. I’m trying to help her get some celebrities on her show. Her podcast is gonna be huge soon, so you should be thanking me for getting you in so early.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
