Chapter 23 #4
There’s no malice in her voice, but there is a hint of jealousy.
Coming from her, I know it’s based on how unlucky in love she’s been.
But it’s reflected tenfold in the gazes of the other girls near us, and it makes my insides twist unpleasantly.
This is one aspect of being with Caleb I know I’ll never grow accustomed to.
The never-ending interest. It’s not like I don’t see his appeal, so maybe it’s hypocritical of me.
Doesn’t make being blasted with blatant envy any more enjoyable.
“Can I have your car keys? I’ve got to grab my bag.”
Cassie nods, pulling them out of her pocket. “You’re leaving already?”
“Soon, I think. It’s a three-hour drive.”
Cassie tosses the keys to me, and I fumble a catch. Hand-eye coordination is still not a strong suit of mine.
“Thanks.”
I weave through the crowd and head into the house. It’s practically empty now, either the allure of food or of Caleb’s arrival drawing almost everyone outside. I find Cassie’s car among the maze of them and then realize I’m not going to be able to get the trunk open.
Huffing out a sigh, I unlock the car and climb over the backseat, tossing my duffle bag into the middle and then rolling over the seat. I land in a heap.
When I emerge from the car, Colt is standing in his driveway, grinning.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“The hordes of people you invited to this party blocked Cassie’s trunk in,” I explain, shoving some hair out of my face and straightening my dress.
“Talk to your boyfriend about it. I invited like forty people. Caleb draws a crowd.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “I know.”
Colt eyes me curiously, but says nothing else as he holds a hand out to me. “Here. I’ll put this in the trunk. Through the back, like a normal person.”
I roll my eyes and hand it to him. “Thanks. I’ll be right back. I’ve got to give Cassie her keys back.”
I head back into the house, emerging out onto the back deck seconds later.
Things seem to be winding down outside. There are still plenty of people milling about, but all the food and drinks have disappeared.
Colt planned for the party to end at ten, and it’s nearly eleven now. I find Cassie and hand her keys back.
“Have fun.” She winks at me before giving me a quick hug.
“Thanks,” I reply. “I’ll see you soon.”
Caleb’s easy to find; he’s in the midst of the largest crowd of people. I don’t attempt to approach him, just stand on the periphery until he spots me and walks over. He takes a while.
“Why do you look all…rumpled?” he asks, wrinkling his brow when he reaches me.
“Rumpled? What do you mean?” I reply, as though I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“You look like you were just making out in the backseat.”
“Funny. That’s exactly what I was doing,” I reply, smirking.
Caleb looks completely unconcerned. Despite the distance that usually separates us, fidelity has never been a concern of mine. I don’t think it’s one of his, either.
“Did you fall or something?” Caleb persists.
“Of course not.”
“You’re not the most coordinated, Lennon.”
I gasp. “How dare you?”
“If you don’t tell me, then I’m going to assume it’s super embarrassing. Like the time you spent fifteen minutes trying to hit a baseball in gym.”
“It was ten! Half the class couldn’t hit the ball!” I protest.
Caleb just raises both eyebrows.
I sigh. “Cassie’s car is boxed in. I had to climb across the rows and into the way back to get my duffel bag out of the trunk. In my dress,” I admit.
Caleb’s laugh is loud and genuine. It both eases the fist around my heart and tightens it.
The sound of his amusement settles me. It makes me believe what we have is special and solid and worth fighting for.
It also makes me worry that a long-distance relationship can’t last forever and that some other girl will be listening to his laugh one day.
I force both extremes out of my head as we exit the backyard and approach the SUV loitering outside the front door.
“Finally!” Luke bemoans when we appear.
“Where’s Jake?” Caleb asks.
“Looking for you two,” Colt responds, rounding the back of the car and hauling himself into the driver’s seat.
I make a beeline for the door behind his. I’m eager to depart, both tired and excited. Caleb climbs in after me, and Luke snags shotgun. I snuggle against Caleb as soon as he settles in the seat beside me, and he chuckles.
“What chance is there I’m not going to have to carry you into the cabin when we get there?”
“Nonexistent,” I mumble, already closing my eyes.
Jake’s voice joins the din of Colt and Luke arguing about what music to play in the car, and that’s the last thing I register before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
* * *
I wake up slowly, blinking at the darkness as I try to figure out where I am and what woke me.
I roll over, squinting at the sliver of light as it grows in the doorway.
“Yeah, okay,” Caleb is saying.
Someone responds, too quietly for me to hear. I think it’s Colt.
Then there’s more light, as the door opens wider.
I sit up in bed. “Hey.”
Caleb grins lazily at me, leaning against the doorframe. “Hey.”
“What time is it?”
He steps into the room, shutting the door behind him. “Late.”
After a few seconds of rustling, the mattress dips. My arm reaches out, searching until I encounter warm skin. “We’re here?”
“Uh-huh.” His hand lands on my hip, tugging me closer into his body. “Sorry I woke you up.”
“Are you?” I whisper.
Caleb rolls over me, supporting his weight with both elbows. My eyes have adjusted to the lack of light, so I can see his lips curve upward. I feel his chest rumble with a laugh. “Not really.”
His lips land just above my collarbone, brushing a light kiss against the sensitive skin. My breathing becomes rapid and my heartbeats quicken. No matter how many times Caleb touches me, I always react like it’s the first time.
It’s a sensation I can’t become accustomed to.
Caleb’s mouth moves higher, up the side of my neck and along my jaw. All I can hear in the dark room is our breathing and the quiet rustle of the sheets.
I moan when his lips finally land on mine, the blankets slipping off the bed as I wind my legs around his waist. I don’t even notice the loss of warmth, just appreciate the new freedom of movement.
Caleb continues kissing me until my lips are swollen and my breathing is ragged. I can feel his erection growing against the inside of my thigh, teasing me with the promise of pleasure.
“Caleb…” I run my hands up his shoulders and into his hair, pulling gently at the strands as I wriggle impatiently. The persistent, heavy throb between my legs is impossible to ignore.
He tugs up the dress I’m wearing, running a warm hand across my stomach and up to cup my breast. I gasp as his mouth lowers, his tongue tracing tantalizing patterns across the newly revealed skin. My stomach clenches as a flush works its way across my overstimulated body.
We both groan as he pushes inside of me. I can’t see more than the shadowy outline of his body, and it feels like my other senses are all heightened as a result. His skin feels warmer and his cologne smells stronger and the stretch as he fills me is consuming.
“Fuck.” The husky rasp of his voice as he thrusts is an aphrodisiac. Low and intimate and a little shaky. A tone I’ve never heard him use with anyone else.
The rest of what he whispers is lost in the meeting of our lips and the movement of our bodies. Pleasure builds to an almost unbearable pressure and then finally shatters, crashing over me in powerful tremors. I feel him swell inside of me as he finds his own release.
I’m tired and satisfied, sinking into the soft mattress beneath him. Caleb doesn’t move away, running his hands across my bare skin like he’s trying to rememorize every inch of me.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“Love isn’t a big enough word, Len.”