Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CALEB
Any logical thought evaporates my mind when my hands reach for the sides of her face as I lift myself from my lounge chair.
Mia reaches for me, her hands grabbing at my sweatshirt as I slip my hands behind her head, my fingers plunging through her hair.
It’s so soft and slips through my fingers like water.
Mia leans back, tipping her chin up to look at me with lust filled eyes. I pause to take her in. A ragged breath escapes me as I take my time to search her irises. Looking for any sign of hesitation.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I murmur, my voice barely audible as my gaze drops down to her plump pink lips with their perfect Cupid’s bow.
“No,” she breathes before she glides her tongue along those perfect lips to wet them. Her hands push up the bottom hem of my sweatshirt, and I suck in a sharp breath when her fingers dance across my flesh, sending goose bumps up my torso. “We probably shouldn’t.”
My eyelids fall shut, a groan vibrating in my throat. There’s no place for rationality right now. If I’m going to live my life, I can’t second guess every move I make. That defeats the whole purpose of just living. I take another slow deep breath through my nose to try to calm myself down.
Opening my eyes, they immediately meet her hooded gaze.
“Fuck it,” I growl as I lower my mouth to hers.
She inhales sharply and there’s a moment of hesitation as I begin to move my lips against hers before she responds.
She works her lips against mine, kissing me back as her fingers continue to trail along my skin.
I inch closer, lips locked together as I begin to lower her down onto the lounge chair until she’s lying flat on her back.
I crawl over her, settling between her legs as my tongue slides along the seam of her mouth.
Mia doesn’t hesitate this time and they immediately open, granting me access inside.
Warmth builds in the pit of my stomach and I feel blood rushing between my legs, my already hard cock throbbing against her center. I can’t help myself as my body reacts to the warmth between her legs. A low moan sounds from my chest and I shift my hips forward, pressing my erection against her.
Mia nails dig into my back, biting into my flesh as she moans against my mouth. Her tongue is like silk, tangling with mine as she winds herself inside the fibers of my very being.
She kisses me with an intensity that has my toes curling, body trembling. The cool air of the early morning skates across my skin, a stark contrast to the heat blooming inside my body as she pushes my shirt up farther.
As her hands move up along my shoulders, I break apart from her, coming up for air as I rock back to sit on my heels.
Mia’s breathless, her hair splayed out around her head, the bottom of her shirt pushed up above her belly button.
I stare down at her before pulling both of my shirts off and tossing them onto the ground beside us.
“Should we go inside?” she murmurs, lifting herself up as she reaches to touch my stomach. A shiver dances down my spine, more goose bumps breaking out across my skin as she trails her fingers along the ridges of my abdomen.
“Are you cold?” I ask, my eyes slowly searching hers. “We can go in if you are.”
She drags her top teeth over her bottom lip. “Not so much anymore.”
The corners of my lips twitch. “What are we doing here, pup?”
“I don’t know,” she replies. She’s out of breath but her fingers slip beneath the waistband of my sweatpants. Her lips tip up in a coy smile. “What do you think we’re doing here?”
My cock twitches in my pants. “Whatever feels good,” I tell her, my hands dropping down to her stomach as I mimic her, pushing her shirt farther up. “I’m—uh—” I pause, running my tongue over my top teeth. “It’s been a long time since I’ve—”
I pause, the words dying on my lips because I can’t bring myself to speak them out loud. Not now, not here. It will only sever the moment and I’m not letting that happen.
Call me selfish, but I’ll deal with the feelings that come with this afterwards.
Her smile softens. “No one is in a rush, Caleb,” she says softly, her fingers abandoning my waistband. She rests her hands on the tops of my thighs. “I think it will be better for both of us if we just take it slow.”
“How slow?” I ask as I begin to lower both of us back down onto the lounge chair. Her hands creep up to my body, circling around my back, nails raking along my flesh.
“We don’t have to decide right this second,” Mia says, her eyes searching mine. “If it begins to feel like it’s too much, we can stop.”
I hover above her, taking her in. She’s so beautiful lying on her back, her hair like a halo around her head, the light emanating from the pool making her glow.
She stares back up at me without regret or judgment.
She’s being genuine and considerate of my situation.
Honestly, after knowing her only a short time, I wouldn’t expect anything different.
Mia Landry is steady and strong, caring and kind.
She doesn’t waver and I find solace in that predictability.
Unable to hold off any longer, my lips crash into hers.
Mia holds me close, bending her knees and caging my hips in with her thighs.
One of my hands makes its way down to her thigh, gripping her through her sweatpants as I slide my other along the side of her neck, plunging my fingers through her silky hair to cradle the back of her head.
Mia kisses me back with a tenderness that mixes with a blazing heat, seeping through every cell in my body.
Her nails dig into my flesh again but it feels so good.
Her thighs tighten against me as her tongue dances with mine.
I breathe her in, savoring the way she smells, the way she feels, and the way she tastes, just like this, lost in this moment with me.
My cock strains against my pants, throbbing as I lower my hips and press against her.
Mia lets out a soft breathless moan when I grind against her clit.
I swallow the sound, pressing harder into her.
One of her hands moves up my neck to the back of my head to pull me down more, her tongue sliding over mine.
The way she responds ignites a fire inside me.
It spreads rapidly through my veins and I can’t help but wonder how she might look coming undone beneath me from my touch.
“Fuck, Mia,” I groan against her mouth, pulling her bottom lip between my teeth as I clamp down. She whimpers, lifting herself up against me. I release her lip and run my tongue over the indents I left in her flesh.
Releasing her hip, I glide my hand along her torso. My fingers dive beneath her shirt and slide up until they graze the underside of her breasts. I suck in a sharp breath and hold it as my thumb caresses her soft, supple skin. My cock throbs at the knowledge that she’s not wearing a bra.
I pull back from her so I can search her eyes, desperate for her words. Her eyes shine through the darkness, and she licks her lips again. “Is this okay?” I ask, my voice low and hoarse.
She drags her teeth over her bottom lip, nodding as she stares up at me. “Yes.”
“Tell me what to do, pup,” I say, my voice gravely.
Her slender throat bobs. “Touch me, Caleb.”
A low moan vibrates in my chest and I slowly slide my hand up and over her breast, appreciating its fullness in my palm as I cup it. She stares up at me through a hooded gaze, lips parting as a shallow breath escapes her when I brush the pad of my thumb over her nipple.
“Oh,” she breathes out. My heart stutters in my chest from that soft sound falling from her lips.
I move my thumb again in a sweeping motion over her tender flesh.
Mia shivers, her hands drifting along the waistband of my pants as her gaze burns into mine.
I drag my forefinger along her skin, stopping to pinch her nipple with my thumb and pointer finger, rolling it between them.
“Caleb,” she moans, withering under my touch as she begins to push her fingers a little farther beneath the waistband of my boxer briefs.
Warmth builds in the pit of my stomach and goose bumps break out across my skin as the tips of her fingers graze my flesh, creeping closer to my throbbing erection. “Is this okay?”
A shiver travels down my spine as she pauses and waits for my response. “Yes,” I admit, my voice thick with lust. “Go lower, pup. I want you to feel exactly what you’re doing to me.”
A quiet laugh falls from her lips as her fingers travel lower, her hand pushing farther into my pants.
Her warm palm sends an electrical current through me as she grazes my cock.
She pauses, a sheepish grin dancing across her lips.
“You too,” she murmurs, sliding her other hand to mine that lingers on her chest. She wraps her delicate fingers around my wrist. “I want you to feel what you’re doing to me. ”
My cock throbs as she releases my wrist and I begin my descent down her abdomen.
I slip it beneath the waistband of her sweatpants, and push beneath the elastic of her panties to find her soft, hot flesh with my fingertips.
Her eyes are locked in on mine, her lips parted as she pants just from my fingers at the top of her mound.
I slip my hand between her legs and drag my fingers against her pussy.
“You’re so wet,” I growl at the moisture collecting on my fingers. I tease her clit, moving past to linger against her center. I could push my finger inside and feel the depths of her. Feel how tight and wet and warm she is inside.
I can’t take my eyes off of her, my body still as I watch the way her throat moves as she swallows. Her eyes widen a little, her pupils dilating and nostrils flaring as I give in to the temptation, slowly pushing a finger inside of her. Her cunt constricts around me.
My heart pounds against my ribcage as I focus on how tight she’s wrapped her hand around my cock. The tips of her fingers don’t touch around my girth. “Goddamn, Mia, I want to feel my cock inside of you.”
“I—I don’t know.” She pauses, a breathy laugh escaping her. “You’re big. Like really big.”
“Don’t worry, pup, you’ll be able to take it,” I growl, pressing against her center as she slowly slides her hand down my length and back toward my groin again.
“Not now though,” I tell her, my eyelids fluttering shut as I revel in the way she feels, stroking me in such a teasing way as I lazily push my finger in and out of her.
“I want to have an entire night to take my time with you. I want to taste and touch every inch of your skin. I want to fuck you until we’re both satiated. And then I want to fuck you again.”
The gentle breeze drifts past us and a wind chime sounds in the distance.
I freeze. They sound just like the ones Amelia had hanging on the front porch of our old house.
I stare down at Mia, my heart crawling up my throat, my cock throbbing as I feel a cold sweat rolling over me.
My lungs constrict as panic licks at my veins.
She said we could take it slow, that she felt it would be best for both of us, yet here I am with my fingers inside of her and her hand wrapped around my cock.
This is too much, too fast. And I’m a fucking asshole for letting it go this far.
Mia’s eyebrows pull together, her hand releasing me as she pulls it out of my pants. My face screws up and a ragged breath escapes me as I drag my fingers from her. “Hey,” she says softly, her hands coming up to cup the sides of my face. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry,” I say in a rush, lifting myself from her, reaching for my shirts as I sit back on the edge of the lounge chair. “I—” I pause, closing my eyes as I drag my hand down my face. I blow out a deep breath. Shame washes over me at the way I just pulled away from her.
“Caleb,” she says quietly, sitting up as her eyes search my face. She reaches for me, her hand wrapping around mine as she gives me a gentle squeeze. “Please don’t apologize, unless you didn’t actually want to do any of that.” She swallows roughly. “I think we both got a little carried away there.”
“No, I did,” I say in a rush to assure her. The last thing I want is for her to question any of this because of my inability to get my shit together. “I don’t know.” I let out a breath, frustration washing over me as my gaze drops down to her hand on mine. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“And that’s completely fine,” she says with a tenderness that seeps into my soul. She gives my hand another squeeze. “You don’t have to know what you’re doing. I meant what I said, about not being in a rush. You’re setting the pace here.”
“I just let myself get into my head sometimes,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Sometimes it’s like a goddamn prison in there. I forget about things and then as soon as I’m reminded, it’s like I’m trapped again. Paralyzed almost.”
“I got you, Caleb.” She releases my hand and inches closer, her leg brushing against mine. I turn my face to hers and she stares at me with an intensity that has my heart beating harder inside my chest. “If you get lost in your head, I’ll come find you.”
Emotion lodges in my throat. I stare back at her, then brush the hair away from her face. “Yeah?”
A tender smile lifts her lips as she slowly nods. “Yeah.”