Chapter 8 #2
I’ve always prided myself on being an astute, careful driver, but when Caleb sits next to me and runs his hands across my thighs, up my stomach, and pinches my nipples, I nearly run off the road.
And when his hand tries to drift to my stiff cock, I merely glare at him.
It’s amazing we make it to the aquarium in one piece.
It really is only because of my amazing skills.
When we finally arrive, and Caleb steps out of the car, I take a deep, shuddering breath.
The way he touched me, the way his fingers roamed. Oh fuck.
I inhale deeply once more and then step out of the car, putting on an air of nonchalance when I’m very much affected.
So much so that I have to hold my breath when he stretches his arms above his head and I see a sliver of his stomach.
Fucking hell.
“Caught you looking,” Caleb says, bumping my shoulder.
I clear my throat, saying nothing, admitting nothing.
He huffs and eyes me for a long moment before tugging his hat down over his head, almost as if he’s trying to hide himself from me.
For someone so open, I’m not sure a hat is going to cut it.
And fuck, he looks good right now, in those torn jeans and the white t-shirt.
I want to slip off each piece of fabric with my fucking teeth. And I never put things in my mouth.
But I want to with him.
“What?” he asks as we step toward the ticket booth.
There are so many people here, and I step a little closer to him, our hands and arms brushing.
“Nothing,” I reply before adding, “You’re like an overeager puppy.”
He winks at me. “Didn’t hear you complain earlier.”
I can’t help but grin when he says that. “If you must know,” I say softly, “I was thinking how handsome you look today.”
His chest puffs out slightly. “That so, Mr. Cristian?”
“Yes, that’s so.”
“You know,” Caleb says, his voice low, “I always thought you’d like someone who dressed more like Magnus.”
Oh, if he only knew.
If he only knew what I thought I knew before meeting him.
I hum under my breath. “I like the hat. It…does things to me.”
His eyebrows rise with that. “That so? Tell me more.”
I glance away and add, “I think you should wear it next time we’re alone.” Then I lean over and mutter, “Backward and with you completely nude.”
Caleb lets out a low groan, and it moves through me, making me shiver slightly. But it’s our turn to step up to buy the tickets, and I see Caleb out of the corner of my eye, placing his hands over his crotch. He’s not discreet at all.
When I tap my card against the reader, Caleb says, “I’ll pay you back for the ticket.”
“I have more money than I know what to do with. It’s my treat.”
Caleb peers over at me. “Does this make me your sugar baby then? Should I call you Daddy?”
I roll my eyes and hand him his ticket. His fingers slide against my palm as he takes it.
Little tease.
We walk into the aquarium side by side, catching up with Sem, Luke, Mal, and Bree, who are all chatting in the lobby.
“Alright, they made it,” Sem says and slaps Caleb on the back before fist-bumping me. “Where to, Mal?”
Mal lights up like a child on Christmas, his face brightening as we step inside.
We wander through a few exhibits, stopping to look at the colorful sea life through the glass.
Soft blues and greens ripple around us as we watch schools of neon fish dart through seaweed and coral.
Jellyfish drift like orbs, their tendrils almost hypnotic.
I spend far too much time reading the signs explaining what we’re looking at.
Caleb spends far too much time looking at me.
As I lean closer to the glass, Caleb lingers beside me. I feel his gaze on me, his eyes slipping across my body like a caress. It’s warm and deliberate, like he’s running his fingers over my skin.
I can feel his gaze.
I can feel him.
Fuck. The feelings he’s sparked, they aren’t embers anymore. They’re flames, impossible to ignore.
He steps back, and I feel his absence. He’s speaking to Bree, their voices low. I try not to look, but try desperately to listen. Not that I can hear anything.
But then suddenly, Caleb nods, and he’s moving toward me, his arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me into him. His head rests on my shoulder, his lips kissing my neck.
I stiffen for a moment, the touch so unexpected. But he leans in, his voice brushing against my ear, his whisper soft and unsure.
“I want to hold your hand.”
My heart stutters before slamming back to life. When I finally manage to breathe, I whisper back, “You can. If you want.”
He kisses my neck once more, right above my frantic pulse, before stepping to my side and holding out his hand. Open. Waiting.
I stare down at it. I shouldn’t. But I do.
I slip my fingers into his hand, and his curl around mine, like it’s the easiest thing he’s done all day.
For a long moment, we just stand there, hand in hand, watching the jellyfish drift around us.
“Just so there’s no confusion in the future,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing lightly against my knuckles. “I always want to hold your hand, Whit.”
Oh god.
I let out a weak breath and nod.
“Okay.”
Caleb grins, and then the moment is broken.
He tugs me forward, leading us out of the jellyfish exhibit and to a place where we can pet stingrays.
We step into a wide, open room centered on a shallow pool.
Inside, I can make out two giant stingrays that glide across the sandy bottom, their tails flicking back and forth as they move.
A cluster of children crowds around the edge, leaning so far forward, their hands trailing in the water, eager to touch.
It makes me nervous.
That can’t be sanitary.
“Come on,” Caleb says, his hand squeezing mine. “You going to pet one?”
“No,” I reply. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“They’re slimy. I’d prefer not to.”
“Come on. New experiences stretch you.” When I don’t budge, Caleb leans into me slightly, his eyes twinkling. “For me, yeah?”
I stare at him for a beat. I’ve already stepped so far outside of my comfort zone since meeting him. What’s one more small step? For Caleb. For him.
“Fine.”
Before I can overthink it, I squeeze between two children who are splashing in the water. Leaning down, I stretch my hand into the cool water.
One of the stingrays sweeps by, and my fingers slide along its slick back. It’s softer than I expected, almost like velvet.
Still slimy, but kind of cool.
When I pull my hand out, dripping wet, I stare at it. My heartbeat sounds loudly in my ears, like I did something far braver than stick my hand in some dirty water.
“Good enough?” I ask.
Caleb bites his bottom lip, and I see his eyes flashing. “Yeah, babe, that’s good.”
I find my cheeks heating at the term of endearment, and I rush to the sink to wash my hands.
When I turn back around, Caleb is on his knees, chatting with two children beside him, both of his hands in the water, the stingrays swimming by languidly.
He’s not bothered by this at all.
He’s too good for you.
I know that, but let me have one good thing for as long as I can.
Just as I think that, my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I pull it out and glance down, seeing my father has messaged me.
All the warmth of the moment evaporates. It’s replaced by a cold weight settling in my stomach. I hate that he’s interrupted this, that the courage I felt earlier has been overshadowed by him.
A moment ago, touching a stingray felt daring, and holding Caleb’s hand felt brave.
But now…
Now I feel hollow. In this moment, I feel like folding in on myself, like I’m nothing but small and weak.
“Your dad?” Caleb asks, jarring me from my thoughts. I shove my phone back in my pocket and shake out my hands.
“Um…yes. Did you wash your hands?”
“Yeah, I did. What did your dad want?” he asks, clearly not wanting me to steer the conversation in a different direction. It would be so easy if he’d let me. But I know that’s not fair, not after everything.
Not after letting him in the way I have.
“The same thing he always wants.”
“And that would be?”
I can’t tell him. Not now. Not when I have…this with him. It would ruin it all.
“I have…commitments, and he’s making sure I’m following up on them.”
His head cocks, his beautiful blue eyes meeting mine. “What kind of commitments?”
I can’t look at him when I say this, can’t bring myself to voice the truth. It’s ugly. It hurts.
“There are things that I just can’t divulge at the moment.”
He huffs. “Why? They top secret or some shit?”
My eyes close, and I let out a shaky breath. “Caleb, there are things in motion that I just don’t want to talk about. I’m sorry.”
He’s quiet for a moment, mulling that over, but then he sighs, “Yeah. Okay. I’ll let it go for now.”
I expect him to be angry with me, but instead, he just runs his palm down my arm and links his fingers with mine.
I don’t deserve it, but I take it. Greedily. Like a starving man.
We spend the rest of the day drifting from one exhibit to the next, my hand tucked into his. By the time we step outside, I’m feeling more relaxed. Like the message from my dad never happened.
I can at least pretend it didn’t.
We grab sandwiches from a beachside deli and walk out onto the sand. I can smell the salt of the ocean, can feel the damp air hitting my exposed skin. I don’t want to sit down on the sand without a blanket or chair, but I was brave earlier. I can be brave again.
And I’m rewarded for the effort because once my ass hits the dreaded sand, Caleb crawls between my legs. My hands go around his waist as we watch Sem, Luke, and Mal race into the water, shedding clothes as they go.
“They’re going to get arrested,” I say, wondering if they’re going to pull their boxers off as well and go completely nude.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
Caleb laughs. “Told you people go to jail when they hang out with them. But nah, they’re keeping their boxers on. No public nudity. Not here. We do have standards.”
He looks windblown, cheeks flushed from the sun.
I can’t help but lean forward slightly and brush my lips against his temple.