Sea Breeze 03 - While It Lasts

You’re the one who come s strutting out here in a pair of tiny shorts and screwing up my work by ogling me with your eyes. Hell , girl. You think a man can work when he knows you’re looking at him l ike you want a taste?”
    Warm pleasure from his words spread through me. He took a bite of the cake then clo sed his eyes and made a low groa n in his throat. Oh my.
    “Damn baby , that’s good.”
    Yeah, it was good. The way his jaw muscles flex ed as he chewed and his throat moved as he swallowed. I t was real good.
    “Eva,” Cage said jerking my attention off his very nice , thick , muscular neck.
    “Hmmm?” I replied
    “If I’m gonna eat this cake then you need to talk and stop looking at me like that. You keep that shit up and I’m gonna be eating you and to hell with who catches us.”
    I couldn’t help it. I giggled.
    “ Don’t laugh. That wasn’t a joke,” h e scolded, cocking an eyebrow at me before taking another bite of cake.
    I forced my eyes away from him all together. It had been two days since we’d been able to do any kind of touching. I was getting worked up very easily.
    “You got company,” Cage said , standing up and moving away from me.
    Company? Who? I jumped down and turned to look up at the driveway. My stomach dropped. I knew that car. Had she seen us? I had to get away from Cage.
    “I gotta go,” I said without looking back at him. I didn’t want him to see the worry in my eyes. If I explained it to him he’d never understand. I wasn’t sure I could explain it. I just didn’t want Elaine Beasley catching me with someone like Cage. She’d be so disappointed.
    Rushing back up the small hill toward the house I silently prayed that she hadn’t been looking out toward the cow pasture when she drove up.
    Elaine had already gotten out of her Lincoln Towncar and was headed my way. The kind smile on her face reminded me of so much. She’d been the only mom I could remember. I was so young when I ’d lost my mom. Elaine had been the stand- in while I was growing up. When I needed a mom , Josh always took me to his.
    “Hello Eva,” she said , holding her arms out for a hug. I went willingly. It always felt safe when Elaine hugged me . She smelled like springtime and cookies.
    “Mrs. Elaine, it’s so good to see you,” I replied , hugging her before stepping back.
    “Only because you haven’t been over to visit in a couple weeks. Just because Jeremy is moving off doesn’t mean you can’t come visit me.”
    Guilt settled in my gut. I hadn’t been to see her since the day I’d started lusting over Cage York. Being in Josh’s house made the fun I was having with Cage seem tainted and wrong. I didn’t want to feel that way. So , I stayed away.
    She reached down and picked up my bare left hand. “Jeremy told me you finally took it off. I want you to know I’ m glad. I loved him to o Eva , but sweetie , it was time to put the ring away.” Her voice was gentle and motherly. It was her son I’d been letting go when I’d taken the ring off but she was happy about it. How?
    “There are still days I want to go grab it and put it back on,” I admitted.
    “I know. There are days when I want to go clean his room and pull back his bed like he’s coming home to get in it.” The emotion in her voice tore at me. God, the pain was still there.
    She shifted her gaze over my shoulder toward the barn. I saw the small concerned pinch in her expression. “Eva , is that the boy who your uncle sent here to work off some trouble he’d gotten into?”
    She’d seen us.
    “ Yes ma’am,” I choked out. I didn’t want to admit this to her but what else could I do? She’d seen me sitting on that tailgate all smiles when she’d pulled up. What was she thinking? Did she think I was completely disrespecting Josh by spending time with someone who wasn’t a s good and moral as he had been?
    “You know I love you like a daughter. You a re just as much mine as Josh and Jeremy. I ’ve always worried over you and prayed over you just like I did my boys. I still do. Josh loved you so much. You were his world from the time he was just a boy. He want ed you to have the wonderful lif e the two of you had planned out. But sweetie , I can tell you that Josh would never have wanted you spending time with that boy . ” she nodded her he ad in the direction of the barn. “He isn’t worthy of you. Josh would want you to find someone who was good and stable. Someone who could take care of