Finding Home

34. Aubrey

Chapter 34

Aubrey

“ I ’ve been waiting all day to do this,” Caleb murmurs, as he closes his bedroom door behind him and starts stripping off my clothes like they’re on fire.

“I love you so much , ” I gasp out breathlessly, right before Caleb takes my face in his large palms and kisses me with such passion, with such intimacy and love, my knees buckle in response.

“I love you so fucking much,” he whispers into my lips.

We’ve been saying those magical words to each other on a running loop, all afternoon and evening. First, when we hugged in celebration of the judge’s ruling. And then, repeatedly, during our celebratory dinner with family and friends. Somehow, Caleb quickly managed to arrange a private room at his favorite restaurant in Beverly Hills at the spur of the moment, and we wound up having an incredible, joyful dinner party with an enthusiastic, celebratory group.

Everyone who made today’s victory possible was in attendance, plus Amy’s husband, Colin, who drove right over after his wife called him with the good news. Caleb’s three bandmates, Dean, Clay, and Emmitt, also came straight over, even though Dean was in some important business meeting when he got the news. As we ate incredible food, we replayed the day’s events for everyone, soliciting raucous reactions to all of it. And of course, everyone who hadn’t yet met Raine before the dinner party fell under her adorable spell.

Not gonna lie, I felt starstruck when Caleb’s famous friends first showed up at the restaurant. 22 Goats is one of my all-time favorite bands, and seeing the rest of Red Card Riot made my brain melt. Not to mention, seeing those three with Caleb, like I’ve seen countless times online, made me remember just how world-famous Caleb is, and that kind of messed with my head for a minute. Eventually, however, when conversation started flowing and it was clear all the rockstars at the table put their pants on, one leg at a time, I was finally able to settle down and start feeling like myself again. And from that point on, the celebration dinner was nothing but magical for me.

Toward the end of the party, Raine fell fast asleep against her handsome Dadda’s strong chest, and it was the cutest thing, ever. Of course, I snapped a heart-melting photo of the vignette for Caleb’s family photos shelf and Raine’s bedroom wall. Today’s a momentous day, after all. Another first. But when I told Caleb my intention for the one-of-a-kind photo, he insisted on taking some more with “our whole family.” First off, a photo including Miranda, my parents, and me, along with Caleb and his girl. And then, another one featuring only Caleb, Raine, and me. Be still my heart.

While posing for that second “family” photo, the one featuring only the three of us, I almost cried. Posing for that photo somehow made today’s victory feel real to me. I realized the past is finally put to rest. The future, a blank page we’ll fill in together. No more looking back. No more stressing and worrying about what’s going to happen at the hearing. No more wondering if our feelings are real and mutual. We’re officially a family now, and deeply committed to each other and our future together.

Back in the present, Caleb lays me on his bed with a hungry look in his eyes. But he doesn’t jump right to ravishing me. Instead, he fires up a tune on his phone: Led Zeppelin’s “All of My Love.”

When I visibly swoon at the song, Caleb flashes a crooked smile and says, “My daughter’s got her own Zepp song. My lady should have one, too.”

A shiver of desire courses through me. “I’ve never been someone’s ‘lady’ before.”

He laughs. “Good. ‘Cause you’re mine.”

“I want to feel you inside me, Caleb,” I whisper. “I want you to tell me you love me while Robert Plant says it for you, too.”

“Coming right up, baby.” As the song serenades me, he crawls on top of me, presses his steely hard-on into my center, and kisses me deeply. “I’d die for you, baby,” he coos into my ear. “I’d kill for you. Move mountains for you. I’ve never loved like this before. You own me, baby. My lady. My woman. ”

“I love you so much,” I choke out, feeling physically dizzy. “I love you so much.”

With a heaving chest, Caleb crouches between my legs, spreads my thighs wide, and proceeds to eat me out with so much enthusiasm, the eventual orgasm that comes is so strong and overwhelming, it feels every bit as spiritual as physical .

When I recover from the waves of pleasure and look into Caleb’s feral eyes looking up at me, I pull on his hair and beg him to make love to me. Today has been the best day of my life, and I can’t wait to finish it off by feeling my man come inside me.

A moment later, Caleb’s thick tip is lodged at my entrance. As his girth stretches me out and his length burrows all the way inside me, a deep groan escapes me—one that mirrors Caleb’s deep growl. When Caleb begins slowly thrusting while whispering the words I’m dying to hear—“I love you”—I’m rapidly transported to the brink of sheer ecstasy.

“You’re hotter than an atomic bomb, A-Bomb,” he pants out hoarsely, as our pleasure spirals into the ethers.

As my body releases, it shatters and turns into a million stars. “I love you,” I croak out, once again, as waves of bliss consume me. And much to my elation, Caleb returns the sentiment, as his body follows mine in releasing forcefully.

When his body stops bucking and shuddering, Caleb kisses me so passionately, he curls my toes. “Thank you,” he whispers into my lips. “I know what you did for me today. What you didn’t say on the stand. I’ll never forget it, Aubrey. Never make you regret it.”

He doesn’t need to tell me what he’s referring to; I know he’s talking about me conveniently forgetting that slap in Billings. And you know what? Even before Caleb made those promises to me just now, I never once thought he’d make me regret my decision on the witness stand. In fact, I’m more certain than ever that was the right thing to do. The wrong thing, yes. Technically. The same way Caleb violating the court’s order about the duck pond meeting was wrong. But sometimes right and wrong aren’t mutually exclusive, it turns out. Sometimes, you’ve got to break a rule to do the right thing by someone you love with all your heart and soul.

When our lips break apart, Caleb slides off me and onto his back next to me on the bed, breathing hard, so I press my body into the side of him and snuggle close.

“Today is the best day of my life,” he murmurs.

“Better than playing for a sold-out stadium?” I tease.

“Way better.”

“Better than winning a Grammy?”

He scoffs. “That’s not even in my top ten.” He strokes my naked back. “Actually, moments with you and Raine fill out my entire top ten now. That’s the truth. Everything else is in slots eleven through twenty.”

I kiss his bare shoulder. The man doesn’t even realize how swoony he is. How romantic. But when he says stuff like that, I feel physically dizzy with love for him.

“I need to confess something to you,” I whisper. “I don’t want there to be any secrets between us, no matter how small.” I pause for dramatic effect. “I was secretly thrilled when you slapped the shit out of Trent.”

Caleb laughs. “ Secretly ? Aubrey, I already know that.”

“Honestly, I think that’s the moment I fell in love with you, without even realizing it.”

Caleb snickers. “You talked a good game about not condoning violence at the time, but your face gave you away, sweetheart.” He kisses the top of my head. “Even if it hadn’t, when you told the story at my ‘rehab is over party,’ it was clear enough you were thrilled about what I did.”

“Oh. Well, okay. I just wanted to be sure there are no secrets between us. None at all.”

“None at all. Ever. Good, bad, ugly. I promise.”

His comment makes me raise my head for a kiss to seal the deal, and we wind up doing much more than kissing—we begin fully making out.

It’s an amazing feeling to trust him, wholeheartedly. Whatever trouble he had being a faithful partner in his only other relationship fifteen years ago, that feels like ancient history now. In fact, there’s no doubt in my mind Caleb in the present has learned from all his past mistakes, big and small. He’s grown and learned and is now determined never to repeat them. What more could I ask of him? Like the judge said today, nobody is perfect. Lucky for me, though, Caleb is imperfectly perfect for me .

“So, hey,” Caleb says. “You know how Amy and Miranda suggested we throw a small party at the house to introduce Raine to my closest friends?” The two ladies put forth the idea during our dinner party at the restaurant tonight, and I agreed it sounded like fun, even as Caleb expressed indecision.

“You’ve warmed to the idea?” I ask hopefully.

Caleb smiles. “Yeah, I think we should do it.”

I whoop. “I can’t wait to meet all your friends. I’m especially excited for Raine to meet Rocco.”

“Me, too.” Caleb bites his lip. “I’m also thinking . . . maybe we should invite Dax and Violet to the party, if that’d be okay with you.”

My breathing hitches. This is big. “Of course, it’s okay with me. I think it’s a great idea.”

“You do?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Caleb shrugs. “You don’t think it might be awkward for you to be around Violet, given my history with her?”

“Not at all. She’s been happily married with a kid for years now, and you’re with me, so I think it’s fair to say you’ve both moved on and everything that happened was for the best.”

“That’s my thinking, too.”

“Amy and Miranda are both really close friends with Violet, right?”

“Super close.”

At dinner tonight, Amy mentioned she works for Violet as her righthand woman on a couple fronts. For one thing, she helps Violet with a charity she started to help kids with cancer. And for another, she helps Violet with the administrative side of her wedding-dress design company.

“Honestly, the stuff Amy told me about Violet at dinner tonight only made me curious to get to know her. She sounds like a fascinating person. Plus, who wouldn’t want to meet the famous lead singer of 22 Goats?”

Caleb pauses briefly. And then: “Okay, let’s do it.” His naked body next to mine practically vibrates with his decision. “I didn’t feel like I could take this step before now. But being in love and happy myself, I feel like it won’t be weird now. They won’t question my motives.”

My heart soars. “I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

Caleb slides a large, warm palm across my back and pulls me close. “I’m so happy. This house finally feels like a home with you and Raine living in it.”

Fuck. Shit. And we were on such a roll, too. I know Caleb’s intending his words as a massive compliment, but they’re causing me to feel some conflicting emotions. Does this mean there’s no chance of us moving to the lake house as our primary residence? That’s what I’d prefer to do. Actually, that’s what I’m yearning to do. But, clearly, Caleb isn’t on the same page about that.

With the judge giving me temporary legal and physical custody of Raine, and Caleb mere visitation rights, I suppose I could theoretically take Raine back to Prairie Springs, any time I want, whether Caleb likes it or not. Technically. Legally. But I’d never do that to Caleb. Or to Raine. Caleb is Raine’s daddy now, and we’re a team. A family. Whatever happens next, I’m committed to deciding it together.

Surely, the time will come, sooner rather than later, for me to express my personal desire to make Prairie Springs our permanent home. I can’t imagine Caleb leaping at the idea, though, considering all his connections and business dealings in LA. Regardless, either way, I’m certain now isn’t the time to broach the subject.

“Home is where the heart is,” I say lamely, more for my own benefit than for Caleb’s. I mean, really, if it turns out I’m here in LA to stay, is that really such an awful fate? No. It’s not. I’ll be with Caleb and Raine, in a gorgeous, luxury home, right on the beach. As far as second choices go, that ain’t too shabby.

“Absolutely,” Caleb replies softly with another kiss to the top of my head. “You and Raine are my home now, wherever we are.”

Oooh, that was promising . Maybe I should broach the subject of moving to the lake house now, after all?

“Guess what?” Caleb says, before I’ve mustered the courage to open that can of worms.

“What?”

Caleb lifts the sheet, revealing his straining hard-on. “I’m hard for you again.”

I chuckle. “In world-record speed.”

Caleb waggles his eyebrows, making me giggle. “That’s what happens when a guy is madly in love, happier than he’s ever been, and lying naked next to the human equivalent of an atomic bomb.”