17
Out of breath, I look down at myself. With Caleb”s curls in my hands, I am sitting on his face. Oh my God, never before has a man licked me like this. What he did with his tongue, with his mouth, was... sensational! Just as I try to slide off him, he lifts me off himself. I stand there with trembling legs, watching him, a grin spreading across his lips. Then he rises, never taking his eyes off me, and kisses me. He smells of sex, of me. “And now, round two,” he says with a husky voice, grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder.
“Caleb!” I exclaim in surprise, to which he responds with a smack on my bare ass. “I”m not done with you yet,” he declares, leading me to the stairs and carrying me up to his bedroom. There, he places me on the bed and takes a step back. As he unbuttons his shirt and slowly sheds each piece of clothing, he devours me with his gaze. And I do too, take in his body. His broad chest, the defined abdomen, and the powerful legs. To further stoke the flames, I let my hands wander down over my breasts and between my legs. “Fuck, Emma,” he growls, pulling off his black boxer shorts. My smile turns into a lascivious grin. Insane - that”s what I call loaded! He gets into bed and approaches me. His hands replace mine, brushing gently like a wingbeat from my stomach upward between my breasts. Then he tugs at one of my nipple piercings - sending a hot surge between my thighs - and comes over me. Leaning on his left forearm, he uses his knee to push my legs apart, while I take the opportunity to touch him. From the massages, I”m familiar with his body. I know his muscles are firm. Yet, he feels different now, somehow more intense. My fingers glide over the smooth skin of his chest, while his heat scorches my body. “I quite like these,” he whispers, running his free hand over my pubic area, where he plays with the piercings. “And this one here...” He inserts two fingers into me, triggering a wave of desire. “...I”m dangerously close to becoming addicted to.” With that, he withdraws his fingers, puts them in his mouth, and sucks my wetness from them. I impatiently bite the inside of my cheek, unable to wait any longer, eager for more of him. So, I reach for his cock and spread the pre-cum I find there over his tip. This makes him sharply inhale. Before I can let my hand wander down his shaft, he reaches down and holds me back.
“If you don”t want me to lose control and fuck you harder than we both might like, you”ll stop that,” he warns, visibly trying to restrain himself. It”s hard for me to suppress a grin. Caleb raises his arm over my head and retrieves a condom packet from his nightstand. “Oh, the gentleman is prepared,” I remark. But Caleb says nothing in return, only lustfully gazes at me as he impatiently takes the condom from the packet and rolls it on. Barely having it on, he positions his tip at my entrance. His impatience is almost palpable. But I too can”t wait to finally feel him. So, I wrap my legs around his lower back and tease him to finally take me. “I”ve waited for this too long,” he murmurs. A hoarse moan escapes my lips as he swiftly slides into me. My muscles wrap around him, eagerly welcoming him. “Fuck, you”re so tight,” he gasps, before starting to thrust into me at a brisk pace. I let go, surrendering to the moment. My body and desire take over, urging my hips towards him hungrily. I pull his handsome face down to mine, kissing him, while my fingernails trace paths across his back. We spur each other on, rolling over the bed in our passion. At times, I”m on top, riding him, and then I”m beneath him, as he thrusts deeply into me. At some point, I turn him one time too many and we tumble along with the sheets out of the bed. I want to get up, climb back on, but Caleb won”t let me. Instead, he presses me onto the cool hardwood floor. His strong hands grip my hips as he thrusts into me relentlessly. His expression is marked by lust. I can feel he”s on the edge. That”s why I slide my right hand between my legs and rub over my swollen clit. I feel the metal of the piercing, adding an extra level of stimulation. Closing my eyes, I savor the signs of the orgasm slowly building within me. Caleb groans roughly above me, sending a cool rush of air over my stiffened nipples. That does it for me. The world around me shatters as I cry out Caleb”s name once more during an earth-shattering climax. It seems to push him over the edge too. I feel him bury himself in me one final time, with a guttural sound. His cock twitches and pulses as he comes. I observe him, watching the tense expression melt away from his sharply defined features. His face softens, and a contented gleam lights up his brown eyes. He looks incredibly handsome.
“What”s going on? Why are you smiling so mischievously?” he asks, gently brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. Oh, I hadn”t even realized I was smiling at him.
“Well,” I say, “I was just thinking that we should have done this sooner.” To emphasize my words, I engage my lower abdominal muscles around his intimate area.
“Indeed,” he agrees, lowering his lips to mine with a grin. His kiss is tender, sending a delightful shiver down my arms and legs. Our moment is interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing downstairs.
“That must be my dad,” I explain, gently pushing Caleb away. While he removes the condom and slips into his boxers, I head downstairs where my phone has just fallen silent. The fog in my mind is slowly clearing.
“What”s wrong? Are you already leaving?” he asks, surprised, as he follows me and sees me getting dressed. “I thought you were going to stay the night.”
“Another time, gladly. But I have to get up early tomorrow, I have a massage appointment at nine,” I reply. Even though I”d like to stay, I need some time to process what I just did. It”s not that it felt wrong, no, it was amazing. But for the first time in my life, and consciously at that, I broke one of my most important rules. I slept with a man just because he turned my head. Normally, I take ample time to get to know the guys I let into my pants. Often, it becomes clear after just a few days what idiots they are. Like Jester. But with Caleb, it was different. I came here already with the thought of sleeping with him.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” he inquires as he accompanies me to the door. My phone, which is ringing again, beats me to the answer. I pull it out of my pocket and glance at the display. It”s Mom. Damn, I forgot to call her and let her know I arrived safely in Portland. I dismiss the call and look up at Caleb.
“I”m sorry, I have to go,” I say apologetically, standing on my tiptoes to give him a farewell kiss on the lips. Before I can pull away and leave, his hands cradle my face and hold me back. Shoulders raised; he kisses me again. But unlike mine, his kiss is intense, with tongue, almost taking my breath away. When he finally releases me, my knees are weak. “Well, then, see you tomorrow,” I say a little dazed and step into the hallway. Then I make sure to get away before I change my mind and stay.
Back home, I send Mom and Riley a message – letting them know I”m doing well. Then I plop down in front of the TV with Dad. When he asks where I”ve been, I say I was with Mandy. He doesn”t need to know about Caleb just yet. Not until I know if there”s anything serious between the center and me. Lost in thought, I stare at the TV with vacant eyes for a while before retreating to my room. I lie awake almost the entire night, sorting through my thoughts like large stacks of paper, shuffling them back and forth, weighing what”s right and what”s wrong. Was it a mistake to get involved with Caleb so quickly and sleep with him? Who knows if he”s serious about us, if I can trust him. Just before dawn, my eyes finally close.
When my phone alarm wakes me up at seven-thirty, I surprisingly feel refreshed. And more than that, I can”t wait to go to work and see Caleb again. While I hop in the shower, I go through the thought stacks from last night once more. I”ve decided for myself that it was okay to sleep with him so soon. What I feel for Caleb, I”ve never felt for any other man before. What”s between us is unique. And for that very reason, I”ve decided to open myself up to him without reservations. I know it makes me vulnerable. After all, I don”t know him that well. It”s entirely possible that this is all just a game for him. But I”m willing to take that risk. Besides, there”s this quiet feeling in my heart that tells me Caleb feels the same way.
After a breakfast where I let Dad fill me in on what he”s been up to over the holidays – he was either at home or with Bill – we head to the ice rink. My first appointment today is at nine with Byers. Since I”m fifteen minutes early, I don”t go straight down to my massage room. Instead, I glance at the ice rink. Who knows, maybe I”ll be lucky and run into Caleb. As far as I know, he often trains around this time. Unfortunately, the ice rink is deserted, so I head downstairs disappointed. On the stairs, I”m considering whether to send Caleb a message when I hear his voice.
“No, Jessica, that changes nothing,” I hear him say in exasperation. Jessica, his ex? I press myself against the staircase wall and peer around the corner in the direction of his voice. Sure enough, I spot Caleb and his ex-girlfriend a few meters further down the hall. He has his arms crossed over his chest and looks standoffish, while she holds her folded hands against her heart. She looks up at him with a pleading expression.
“Just tell me what I can do to get you back to me. Please, Caleb, I need you,” she pleads, reaching out a hand to him, but he backs away.
“Please understand. There”s nothing you can do.”
“But, Caleb, if you just give me a chance, it could be like it was before and...”
“Damn it, Jess!” he cuts her off harshly. “How many times do I have to tell you? It”s over between us. I don”t want this anymore! Get that through your head.” With that, he pushes past her, trying to leave her behind, but Jessica clings desperately to his arm.
“You can”t do that, Caleb. That”s not fair, please, I...” Shit, Jessica spotted me – and now Caleb too.
“Um, hi,” I greet them awkwardly, approaching the two. “I”m sorry, I didn”t mean to interrupt.”
“But you did,” the blonde hisses, glaring at me through teary eyes.
“She didn”t,” Caleb interjects, disentangling himself from his ex-girlfriend, coming towards me and pulling me into his arms. As he greets me with a kiss, I hear Jessica audibly inhale in anger behind him.
“Well, well,” she sneers maliciously. “So, Durand was right after all. You did manage to seduce the bitch.” Her insult prompts Caleb to release me and turn to face her.
“You should be careful with your words,” he warns her in a tone that even makes me feel queasy. Then, he wraps his arm around my back like a protective shield and pulls me possessively close.
“Oh, is that so? Well, I”m more of the opinion that this little doll here should be the one on the lookout. Specifically, who she gets involved with.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. This woman must be out of her mind!
“No, it”s an advice. Even if you probably don”t deserve it.” She wrinkles her nose and looks down at me in disgust. “You should know, masseuse, that Caleb only stays with women as long as they”re useful to him.”
I feel him tense at her words.
“You better leave now,” he growls.
“No, I”ll go when I”m finished here. This man here...” Jessica, accusatorily points her finger at Caleb. “...Only uses women for his own purposes. Thanks to me, he managed to get onto the team. As soon as he had a secure position, he dropped me like shit. He doesn”t care about anyone else”s feelings. For him, only one thing matters: his success.” What?
“That”s not true,” he grumbles over me, but Jessica ignores him and continues, “Maybe you should consider what advantage he”s hoping to gain from you.”
She adopts a pitying expression and shakes her head regretfully. “Whatever it is, I can promise you one thing: once he”s achieved his goal, even if it”s just to get in your pants, he”ll disappear. Believe me, you”re not doing yourself any favors with this man. With him by your side, you can only lose.”
Her gaze returns to Caleb. She loses some of her maliciousness and takes on a somewhat sorrowful expression. Then, she passes us without a word of goodbye and disappears. I”m so taken aback that I can only blink up at Caleb. His gaze is fixed on the stairs, down which Jessica has just vanished. A muscle twitches in his jaw and there”s a look of intense hatred burning in his eyes.
“What did she mean by that?” I need to know if this was just the accusations of a jealous bitch or if I”ve really gotten involved with a selfish jerk. With his lips pressed into a line, Caleb shakes his head. What is it? Is it a no-that”s-not-true shake or a what-have-I-done shake? Confused, I extricate myself from him and head down the hallway towards the massage room.
“Emma, wait,” I hear him behind me.
“I have a massage, Caleb. We”ll talk later, when you’ve figured out what you want to say.” With quick strides, I turn the corner and see Byers waiting outside my room. “I”m sorry, I”m late,” I apologize to him.
He waves it off. “No worries, I just got here.”
As I retrieve the key from my bag to unlock the door, Caleb catches up to me.
“Emma, let”s talk about this,” he urges.
“As I said, I have work to do.” I smile at the defender and hold the door open for him.
Before he can enter, Caleb grabs him by the upper arm and holds him back. “Hey man, do you think we could switch appointments for once? You can take mine at ten.” Byers furrows his brow, looking puzzled between the two of us.
“Sure,” he eventually says, shrugging. “I”ll just train first and get the massage afterwards.”
“Thanks, I owe you one.”
Byers heads off, and Caleb ushers me into the room. As he switches on the light and closes the door behind him, I put some distance between us by stepping behind the massage table.
“So?” I ask, crossing my arms. “What”s the deal with Jessica”s accusations?”
Caleb sighs. “How much time do we have?”
“An hour.”
“Okay, that”ll have to do.” And then Caleb tells me his story. I learn that he”s been playing hockey since childhood, that the sport was the most important thing in his life for a long time. He explains that in Two Rivers, the town he”s from, there was no opportunity for him to showcase his talent. I find out how he met Jessica. Initially, he was actually only interested in getting close to her father. So, in that regard, she didn”t lie. He also tells me how Jessica fell in love with him, and how he couldn”t bring himself to leave her when he achieved his goal and made it onto the team. Caleb is brutally honest. He talks and talks, and the longer I listen, the clearer two things become to me. Firstly, even though he tries to sugarcoat it, he did use this girl for his own benefit. And secondly, he really wants me to believe that he”s not a bad person. Obviously, he feels more for me than I realized. But is that enough for me? No. Even if I”m infatuated with him, I can”t change who I am. I want nothing to do with people who exploit others for their own gain. Even though Caleb insists time and time again that he”s changed, I don”t believe him. Once an asshole, always an asshole, I think.
“Emma, please say something,” he pleads softly, after finishing and I”m silently staring at him. There”s a vulnerable look in his brown eyes that cuts right to my heart. Even though I know I should, I can”t bring myself to completely end things between us. So, I say, “You should go now. I need time to think.” Caleb is in the midst of running his hand through his hair in a desperate gesture when there”s a knock at the door. Byers sticks his head in.
“The hour is up, it”s my turn,” he says, coming inside. “And no, Whyler, don”t even think about sending me away again. I need my massage, right now. Got a date later.” While the defender takes a seat on the massage table and circles his tense shoulders, Caleb continues to look at me expectantly. I know he can”t accept my decision, but that”s what he”ll have to do. He exhales sharply through his nose and glances resignedly to the side when he realizes I won”t give in.
“Please, for my sake,” he says icily, turns on his heel, and leaves. He doesn”t even look back as Byers calls after him, “Hey, Whyler, don”t forget Toby”s birthday party tomorrow night! Eight o”clock at the Brillant!” My heart feels like a lump of lava. Oh God, I want to cry.