Chapter 5
Caleb
She says, "No, stay," and my world shifts.
I was halfway to the door, trying to be decent. Trying to give her space. Her skin’s still damp, wrapped in nothing but a towel, curls dripping down her back, and her eyes… Christ. Her eyes are liquid fire.
"You sure?" My voice is lower than I meant. Rough. Gravelly. Wrecked.
She nods. No hesitation. No doubt. Just certainty. "I'm sure."
It takes everything I have not to grab her and claim her right then and there. Because I know what this is. What she is. Not a hookup. Not some fleeting thrill. I’ve never been into those, never had one. Never wanted anyone enough to cross that line. Until her.
She’s the girl you lock the world out for. The kind you protect. The kind you keep.
But she’s standing in front of me like she belongs to me—and my restraint is hanging by a damn thread.
I lock the door.
The silence is thick. Stretched tight like a live wire between us. She doesn't move. Neither do I.
Then she breathes—really breathes—and says softly, "You came for me."
I nod. "Of course I did."
Like there was ever a question.
The towel shifts with her movement, slipping just enough to show the bare curve of her hip. My hands curl into fists at my sides.
"You looked like you wanted to kill him," she whispers.
"Because I did."
She bites her lip and my control unravels another inch.
"Come here," I rasp.
She crosses the room barefoot, slowly, and I swear she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Not because she’s trying. But because she’s not.
I raise a hand when she reaches me, giving her one last chance to back out. One last breath of space.
"If you don’t want this, say so. I’ll walk out that door and never cross the line again."
Her voice is quiet, but sure. "I want this."
That’s it. That’s the match to the fuse.
I cup her face, my palm against her flushed cheek, and tilt her mouth to mine. The kiss is slow, deep, reverent. Like I’ve waited a lifetime for her—and maybe I have.
She melts into me, fingers gripping my shirt, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us. I can taste her breath, the sweetness on her tongue. I can feel the heat of her skin through the towel. It’s barely holding together. So am I.
She shifts against me, and I feel her—all of her. Soft curves pressed to my chest. Bare thigh sliding against denim.
I growl into her mouth.
"You feel that?" I murmur, my voice low and harsh against her lips. "That’s what you do to me, Sunshine."
She gasps.
I lift her effortlessly. Her legs wrap around my waist, and I carry her like I was meant to. Like her body was made to fit against mine.
We slam into the doorframe of her bedroom.
She laughs, breathless. I groan.
"Small place," she teases.
"Big man," I growl.
"Modest too," she adds, grinning.
I lay her gently across the bed, kneeling between her legs. Her towel’s already slipping, clinging to her breasts by sheer will and a bit of luck.
I hook a finger under the edge and tug it free. Slowly. Reverently. My breath catches in my throat.
"Fuck," I whisper. "You’re perfect."
She blushes. Tries to cover herself with her hands.
"Don’t." I still her. "Don’t hide from me. You’re mine. Every inch of you."
The look in her eyes—like she’s never been seen before—shreds me.
I strip slowly. My shirt hits the floor. Her eyes follow every inch I reveal like a prayer. I drop my jeans. Her breath hitches.
"Jesus."
"That a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Definitely a thing," she says faintly. “A very big thing.”
I kiss my way down her body. Her neck. Her collarbone. Her breasts. She trembles under me, hands threading into my hair.
I slide lower. Press kisses to her stomach. Her hips. The insides of her thighs.
"Caleb," she whispers.
I groan at the sound of my name in her voice.
When I finally taste her sweet pussy, she cries out, hips jerking up.
My hands lock on her thighs, holding her open for me.
I take my time. Learn every sound. Every twitch. Every breathless moan.
When I find her rhythm, I push her there, relentless.
"I can’t—"
"Yes, you can," I growl. “You’re gonna come for me, Sunshine. Right now.”
I suck her clit just right, and she breaks apart. Shaking, sobbing my name like it’s the only word she knows.
I crawl up her body, kiss her deep, and let her taste herself on my tongue.
"You okay?" I whisper.
She nods, dazed. "Better than okay."
I don’t rush. I position myself between her legs and slide the head of my cock through her slick heat.
Her eyes go wide.
"This is gonna be slow," I warn. "Tell me if anything hurts. I’ll stop. I swear."
She nods. Breathless. Beautiful.
I push in. A little. Then more. She gasps. Her nails dig into my arms.
"Look at me," I say. "Stay with me."
She meets my eyes. And fuck, the trust in them nearly destroys me.
I ease in deeper. She stretches around me, tight, hot, clenching like a vice.
"You feel like heaven," I grit out, barely holding on.
"It’s... intense," she breathes.
"You’re doing so good. So good for me."
I bottom out with a growl, my forehead resting against hers.
"I need a second," I whisper.
She nods, clutching my shoulders.
I start to move. Slow at first. Deep, steady thrusts that make her moan and arch beneath me. Her legs wrap around my waist, drawing me closer.
"Caleb," she gasps. "Don’t stop."
I won’t.
I can’t.
I drive into her with everything I’ve got. Controlled. Focused. Possessive.
She meets every thrust, chasing it. Needing more.
"You’re mine," I growl into her neck. "No one touches you. No one sees you like this but me."
She whimpers. "Yours."
"Say it."
"Yours. I’m yours, Caleb."
My rhythm stutters.
I reach between us and circle her clit, fast and firm.
She cries out, her walls clenching, her body trembling beneath me.
And that’s it.
I drive into her hard one last time and come so deep I see stars. My body shudders with it, sweat dripping, heart pounding.
I stay there—inside her, on top of her—just breathing.
Her chest heaves against mine. Her fingers trail up and down my spine. I roll us gently so she’s tucked against my chest, wrapped in my arms.
Neither of us speaks.
We don’t need to.
She fits there. In my arms. Against my chest. Like she was meant to be there.
And I know two things, crystal clear.
I’m never letting her go.
And if anyone ever tries to hurt her again, I’ll burn the world down before I let them get close.