While It Lasts (Sea Breeze 3)

“I wish I were more like you,” I said before I could think about it.

Cage’s eyes really did go wide with shock this time. “What?” he asked.

Shrugging, I dipped my head back to wet my hair and slick it back out of my face. “You heard me. You accept life and your mistakes and you go on. I don’t do that well.”

“Don’t say that Eva. You don’t want to be anything like me. I’ve done some f**ked-up stuff. Made some really bad decisions. If I hadn’t had Low there to keep me grounded, who knows? I’d probably be in jail by now.”

Low? As in Willow the redhead? So, she was his girlfriend? If Low had been the one to keep him from completely screwing up his life then why the heck was he flirting with Becca Lynn and me? The old me would have stormed off in a huff. I didn’t want to do that now. Josh would have run after me and tried to fix whatever was wrong. Cage wouldn’t do that. He would expect me to tell him what was wrong with me. He wouldn’t run after me. Cage York didn’t run after women.

“Does Low know that you flirt with every attractive female you come in contact with?” I asked, trying hard not to sound jealous. Because I was not jealous. I was not.

“Hell yeah, she knows.” He replied. The confused look in his pretty pale blue eyes changed to understanding. “Oh wait, you think Low and I have a thing?” He let out a loud amused laugh, “Not even close. Low is engaged and it ain’t to me.”

What was an engaged woman doing changing his sheets and bringing him towels? “She’s awfully helpful when you need her. Does her fiancé know this?”

Cage smirked, “Yeah, he knows. When he got Low he got her best friend too. Low and I grew up together. We both had shitty families in an even shittier part of town. We watched out for each other. We were each other’s family. She’s the only family I got.”

My heart ached a little at the picture he’d just painted with so few words. Two kids who only had each other. No parents or siblings to love them. I remembered Low’s sweet smile and confused expression when I’d been so rude about the sheets. She probably thought I was a complete bitch.

“Oh,” I replied. “I didn’t realize that. I thought she was one of your many beck-and-call girls.”

Cage roared with laughter, “Please don’t ever let Low hear you say that. She’d go all redhead spitting mad.” He took a step toward me and his cocky smirk returned. “You think I got beck-and-all girls?” he asked

I raised one eyebrow and returned his stupid smirk, “I know you have beck-and-call girls. Guys like you have them lined up and waiting.”

Cage took another step toward me, “You think you have me all figured out, don’t ya?”

I nodded and clenched my fist to keep from reaching out and touching his nipple barbell now that it was so close to me. So very tempting.

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

“Like what?’ I asked, needing to get my mind off his nipple and abs so very close to my hands.

“Like the fact I think you’ve got the prettiest damn eyes I’ve ever seen. I think about them way too often. Or that I told Low about you. I never tell Low about girls. They’ve never been important enough. And that Sunday night was the best f**king night of my life even if your drunk ass probably can’t remember it.”

“Oh,” was the only response I had. My heart was beating so hard in my chest I wondered if he could hear it.

“Speaking of engaged females,” Cage picked up my left hand where my ring finger was now bare. I’d taken it off when I was drunk and tucked it away in my purse. Wearing Josh’s ring while I drank tequila shots and danced in a bar just felt wrong. I hadn’t put it back on.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me too,” I murmured.

Most guys would press for more. But not Cage. He just accepted what I wanted to tell him and didn’t ask for what I wasn’t ready to give.

Cage’s chest was so close to me now it brushed up against my breast. I gave in. I couldn’t help it. He’d just said I had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen and that sleeping with me was the best night of his life. Reaching up I brushed my thumb over the small silver bar. Cage’s pec muscle jumped. I took that as encouragement. I ran my fingertip around it slowly. His chest began rising faster with each quick intake of breath. Knowing that I was affecting Cage gave me an odd sense of power. His touch was the one that always sent me into a tizzy. It was nice to reverse the roles.

“You really like that nipple piercing, don’t you?” he said in something close to a growl.

“Mmmhmmm, I’ve never seen one before. I like it a lot.”

“I’m not complaining. If it fascinates you that much, I’ll go get the other one done too.” His breathing was jagged.

The naughty girl inside me, that I honestly didn’t know existed, bent my head down and looked up at him through my lashes as I flicked it with my tongue.

“Ah, shit,” he whispered but it almost sounded like a moan.

Encouraged by his response I flattened my tongue and ran it up and over his hard nipple.

Cage

Nothing. Absolutely nothing I’d ever experienced was as hot as Eva licking my nipple like it was a damn lollipop. She had my dick so hard there was no way I was going to be able to get rid of this thing without some relief. Cold water wasn’t going to be enough this time. I was going to need some serious private time real f**king soon.

“Can I watch you get the other one?” she asked, staring up at me with those eyes of hers through heavily lidded lashes. Damn. What had she just said? I couldn’t keep my train of thought straight.

“Huh?” I managed to ask.

She began placing small kisses around my pec. “Can I go with you when you get the other one done?” she asked with her lips against my chest.

“Baby, I’ll let you sit in my damn lap if you want to,” I replied.

She giggled and her sexy little tongue went right back to flicking the barbell. I deserved a damn award for not having her perky titties out of that bikini top and giving her ni**les the same attention she was giving mine.

“I’d like that,” she whispered.