Cedric’s hand reached past me and up to caress his sister’s cheek. “Callie, are you having fun with Allison?” he asked as he stepped aside, letting us pass down the hall into the living room.
“Bettina, Callie wanted you to see this,” I said.
Cedric’s mother, who was heavy into conversation, Caleb and the company all 236/727
clapped unanimously at the sight of Callie on top my shoulders.
I then sat down on the couch so that she could climb off of me. It felt as though the weight that lifted off my shoulders transferred to my chest with the way my heart was pounding.
Callie and I walked back over to her room and Cedric was sitting on her bed, waiting for us.
Callie grabbed her iPad and sat next to her brother as he put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. My heart hurt with a bittersweet joy at seeing how tender this masculine man could be with his sister.
Bettina had said just to let Callie have some down time with the iPad for the rest of the night until bed.
I sat down on the other side of Cedric and as always, I was intoxicated by the smell of him. Aside from a brief moment during 237/727
our car ride, we had never been this physically close to one another.
After a bit of silence and both of us pretending to be transfixed on the video Callie was watching, Cedric turned to me. “Allison, I don’t know how I had no clue you were working here,” he said looking straight into my eyes.
I cleared my throat. “I haven’t mentioned to your mother that we had met each other, Cedric. I wanted to prove myself with your sister, without coming in with any expectations. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be good at this and didn’t want it to reflect poorly on you if it didn’t work out. I was told I would be working with someone named Calista before I came here. I know you referred to Callie in the car that night, so I didn’t realize until later on that first day when your mother used the nickname, that she was actually your sister.” 238/727
Cedric nodded, looking over at Callie for a few seconds and then turned back toward me. “It seems to me you’re doing an awesome job. I don’t think I have ever seen my sister this content.”
I smiled. “Thank you, that means a lot.” It did.
Cedric didn’t move his eyes from me for even a moment. “Are you still working at the diner?”
I
cleared
my
throat,
becoming
nervous at the intensity of his stare. “Yes, this is my second job. I am still working with another young man as well after the diner on the days I don’t see Callie.” Cedric nodded slowly as if to think about what to say next, then looked up at the headboard collage and flashed a smile at back at me. “So, you must have wondered what the Anderson Cooper fixation is all about,” he said laughing.
“Yes! What is that all about?” 239/727
Cedric shook his head in laughter. “No one can figure it out exactly. We think he might remind her of our dad, because of his white hair, maybe she misses him. But since she can’t tell us what she’s thinking, for the most part, no one knows for sure. A friend of a friend is his agent and I got her that autographed picture.”
“That’s very sweet…I wondered how she got that.” We laughed together until that dissipated into more staring.
Just as I was getting lost in his eyes, the light in Callie’s room started to flicker. It was almost as though the Awkward Gods were trying to intervene and save me from imminent death.
Then, the lights went out completely.
Here I was, sitting on Callie’s bed, next to Cedric, listening to the Wheels on the Bus song in the dark. I certainly could not have imagined this night ending up like this, 240/727
not in a million years. But I knew I never wanted it to end.
“Ohhhhh…kay,” I said and we both laughed at the sudden darkness.
Callie remained unphased, the light of her iPad the only illumination in the room.
“Hang on, I’ll be right back,” Cedric said as he got up.
Cold air replaced Cedric’s warmth as he exited the room.
I didn’t want him to leave my side, even for a second. After being near him again for only minutes, I wondered how I would survive staying away from him ever again after tonight.
I shouldn’t have been having these thoughts, knowing he has a girlfriend but I can’t help being so attracted to this man. The resilience I had to stay away from him last time was nowhere to be found tonight.
I wanted him…badly.
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And this beautiful man was so sweet to his sister. I would give anything to be with someone like him, to be with him in that way…to go with him, wherever he is going tonight.
Get a grip, Allison.
Cedric returned with a new light bulb and began twisting Callie’s light fixture off.
As he replaced the bulb, the light returned. It was brighter than before. He seemed to be having issues with securing the fixture back over the light.
As he struggled with it, his white cotton shirt rode up high as he lifted his toned arms and… holy hell… I could see almost half of his bare right side torso. I was stunned to see a large tattoo there. As I suspected, it seems Blue Eyes does have a wild side.
I hadn’t thought it was possible to be more turned on by Cedric, but seeing this took it to a new level. It was hard to make out the image, but it seemed to be a cross 242/727
with roses on a vine with thorns wrapped around it and the word ART in the middle.
Not that I was looking closely or anything.
Was he an artist? Art. Interesting.
“Ok, got it.” Cedric smiled as he finally twisted the fixture successfully and stepped down.
The curtain to his sexy side tattoo peepshow had officially closed.
“Let there be light,” I said. What a dork I could be sometimes.
Cedric sat back down in between Callie and me. This time, the side of his leg was pressed up firmly against mine and I immediately felt my underwear getting moist from the heat of his touch. His leg was not brushing against mine, it was pressing against me.
He was deliberately sitting as close to me as possible and it made me crazy.
“Allison, can I tell you something?” he turned to me, his icy eyes were piercing into mine again and I started to sweat.
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I barely got the words out. “Sure,” I said.
Just when Cedric was about to speak, Bettina entered the room and we both turned towards her in unison.
She smiled at us curiously. “I see you’ve met my son Cedric. He surprised us tonight.”
“Yes.” I smiled nervously offering nothing more.
“Allison, I was just going to say you could leave anytime you want, but if you two are chatting, feel free to stay as long as you like. Bruno just left. Maria and Kurt are staying for more pie and coffee,” she said.
“Mom, I’d love some coffee…Allison?” Cedric turned to me, his eyes seemingly urging me on me to stay.
“Sure, coffee would be great,” I said.
“Cedric, you come into the kitchen in about five minutes, it’ll be ready then,” 244/727
Bettina said as she walked away back to her guests.
Just then, Caleb appeared at the door. “Sorry I didn’t get to spend much time with you little bro. I have to head back to Cow Hampshire.”
“Bye, buddy,” Cedric said as he stood up and they clasped hands. I saw Caleb give Cedric a knowing look. He was definitely thinking something was going on between us. I just couldn’t figure out if he was encouraging it or not, given his brother had a girlfriend.
Caleb reached for my hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Allison.”
“You too, Caleb,” I said as I shook his hand goodbye. His hands were strong and firm like Cedric’s.
Caleb shut the door behind him, which hadn’t been closed entirely all night…until now.
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Cedric returned to his seat next to me on the bed and the sexual tension was almost unbearable. This felt all sorts of wrong, especially with Callie sitting there next to us.
Then again, the only naughty things actually happening were in my head; we weren’t actually doing anything wrong.
He turned his beautiful blue eyes toward mine again, “Allison, what I wanted to say before was—”
The door opened suddenly and in walked Bettina with two coffees. She knew how I liked mine since she often made coffee for me when I worked in the afternoons. She handed me a cup and handed Cedric his and left without saying a word, just smiling, as we thanked her.