4. Chapter 4 Zoe
Chapter 4: Zoe
D inner was torture. Delicious, tantalizing torture.
Across the table, Caleb sat, looking unfairly handsome in his black fitted Henley. Every time he caught my eye, he'd give me that slow, knowing smile that made my insides melt. How had I never noticed the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he grinned? Or the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed?
I was hyper-aware of every movement, every glance. When his foot brushed against mine under the table, I nearly choked on my wine.
"You okay there, shortcake?" Caleb asked, his voice low and amused.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine. Just went down the wrong pipe."
His grin widened. "Sure it did."
The waiter arrived with our meals, momentarily distracting us. I'd ordered the salmon, while Caleb had gone for the steak. As he cut into it, the muscles in his forearms flexed, drawing my attention to the tattoos peeking out from under his rolled-up sleeves.
"You like the tatts?" Caleb asked, catching me staring.
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. "Just admiring the artwork. When did you get those, anyway?"
He shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "A while back. There's more where that came from."
The thought of Caleb with hidden tattoos sent a thrill through me. "Oh really? And where might those be?"
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I plan on showing you very soon shortcake.”
I bit my lip, trying to suppress a grin. Two could play at this game. Slowly, deliberately, I took a bite of my salmon, letting out a soft moan of appreciation. Caleb's eyes darkened, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth.
"Something wrong?" I asked innocently.
He cleared his throat. "Nope. Everything's great."
The rest of the meal passed in a haze of loaded glances and 'accidental' touches. By the time we finished dessert - a decadent chocolate lava cake that Caleb insisted on feeding me bites of - I was groaning in sheer sexual frustration.
As we left the restaurant, Caleb's hand found the small of my back, guiding me through the crowded ship. His touch, even through the fabric of my dress, sent sparks shooting up my spine.
"So," he said casually, "what now? It's still early. We could check out one of the shows, or hit up the casino with Jake?"
I looked up at him, mustering my courage. "Or we could find somewhere a little more... private."
Caleb's steps faltered. "Yeah?"
I nodded, heart racing. "Yeah, but not our suite in case Jake comes back."
His grin was downright wicked. "I think I know just the place."
He led me through the ship. I had no idea where we were going, but at that moment, I would have followed Caleb anywhere.
We ended up on one of the lower decks, in a quiet corridor lined with lifeboats. Caleb glanced around, making sure we were alone, then pulled me into a shadowy alcove between two of the boats.
"Caleb, what-"
My words were cut off as he pressed me against the wall, his mouth capturing mine in a heated kiss. I melted into him, as his hands roamed my sides, leaving trails of fire blazing through my body. When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing heavily. Caleb rested his forehead against mine, his eyes dark with desire.
"God, Zo," he said. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"
I smiled, running my hands up his chest. "Why don't you show me?"
He groaned, capturing my lips again. This kiss was deeper, hungrier. I felt like I was drowning and I never wanted to come up for air.
Caleb's mouth left mine, trailing hot kisses along my jaw and down my neck. When he reached the sensitive spot just below my ear, I couldn't hold back a moan.
"Shh," he murmured against my skin. "We don't want to get caught, do we?"
The thought sent a thrill through me. We were in public, technically. Anyone could walk by at any moment. It was reckless and stupid and incredibly hot.
Caleb's hands found the hem of my dress, slowly inching it up. "Is this okay?" he asked, his voice rough.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He grinned, dropping to his knees in front of me. The sight of Caleb kneeling there, looking up at me with those intense blue eyes, nearly undid me on the spot.
He pressed a kiss to my inner thigh, just above my knee, then slowly worked his way up. Each touch of his lips sent jolts of electricity through me. By the time he reached the edge of my underwear, I was trembling.
"Caleb," I whispered, my voice pleading.
He hooked his fingers in the waistband of my panties, sliding them down my legs. I stepped out of them, feeling exposed and exhilarated.
Caleb's hands gripped my hips, steadying me. "Hold onto something," he murmured, before burying his face between my thighs.
I gasped, one hand flying to his hair while the other gripped the life raft beside me. His tongue was doing things to me that I'd only dreamed about, drawing patterns that made my knees weak.
As he worked, I bit my lip hard, trying to stay quiet, but it was a losing battle. Caleb seemed determined to wring every possible sound from me, alternating between long, slow licks and quick flicks that made me see stars. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, he slid two fingers inside me. The combination of sensations pushed me over the edge, and I came with a muffled cry, my body shaking.
Caleb worked me through it, his movements gentling as I came down from my high. When I finally relaxed, he pressed a soft kiss to my inner thigh before standing.
"You okay?" he asked, his eyes dark as they roamed over me.
I nodded, still catching my breath. "More than okay. That was... wow."
He grinned, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”
I pulled him down for a kiss. I could taste myself on his lips, and it sent a fresh wave of heat through me. My hands found his belt, fumbling with the buckle.
Caleb caught my wrists gently. "Zo, wait. We don't have to-"
"I want to," I insisted. "Unless, you don't want to?"
He groaned, resting his forehead against mine. "Trust me, I want to. I want you to touch me so much, but this is about you Zoe. Let me pleasure you for now.”
I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I owe you one mister."
Caleb's eyes darkened. "I'll hold you to that."
We took a moment to straighten our clothes and catch our breath. As reality started to set in, I felt a bubble of laughter building in my chest.
"What's so funny?" Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow.
I gestured around us. "This. Us. I mean, did you ever imagine we'd be doing, well that, next to a lifeboat?"
He chuckled, pulling me close. "Can't say it was on my cruise bingo card, no."
We dissolved into giggles, the absurdity of the situation hitting us. Here we were, two adults who'd known each other for years, fooling around like teenagers on a school trip.
As our laughter faded, Caleb brushed a strand of hair from my face. "No regrets?"
I shook my head. "None. You?”
"Only that we didn't do this years ago," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
We made our way back to the main areas of the ship, trying (and probably failing) to look inconspicuous. As we walked, a thought occurred to me.
"Hey, Caleb?"
"Hmm?"
"You never did show me those other tattoos."
He grinned, a promise in his eyes. "All in good time, shortcake. All in good time."
We reached our cabin, and Caleb took me to my small private entrance. An awkward silence fell. Part of me wanted to invite him in to my room, to finish what we'd started in that alcove.
Caleb seemed to sense my hesitation. "I should probably head back to my section. Jake might be wondering where I am."
I nodded, relieved and disappointed in equal measure. "Right. Jake. We should probably talk about how we're going to handle that."
"Tomorrow," Caleb said, cupping my face in his hands. "We'll figure it all out tomorrow. For now, let's just-"
He trailed off, leaning down to kiss me. It was softer than our earlier kisses. When we parted, I felt a little dizzy.
"Goodnight, Zo," Caleb murmured.
"Goodnight," I whispered back.
I watched him walk away, admiring the way his shoulders filled out his shirt. Just before he turned the corner, he looked back, flashing me that heart-stopping grin.
Once inside my room, I leaned against the door, letting out a long breath. What a night. What a completely unexpected, incredibly hot, potentially life-changing night.
As I got ready for bed, my mind raced with questions. How would Jake react? What would happen after the cruise? Were Caleb and I really ready for a relationship, or was this just vacation madness?
But as I climbed into bed, my body still humming from Caleb's touch, if nothing else, I thought with a grin, the rest of this cruise was certainly going to be interesting.