Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
MIA
Stripping down to nothing, I slowly slide open the glass shower door to stick my hand into the water to check the temperature. Caleb is getting Tella into bed and anticipation has been building in the pit of my stomach all evening after we were at the farm.
I hadn’t originally planned on spending the night, but since Caleb has an early morning skate tomorrow, it makes more sense to just stay here. Not to mention the promise Caleb made to finish whatever it was that we started at the farm earlier this afternoon.
As much as I want to initiate things and go to him, I know I can’t.
I know that he needs to be the one who decides this is what he wants.
Caleb’s still fighting something inside of himself and I won’t be the one who pushes him too far.
I need him to be the one to tell me what it is that he wants or he needs.
He’s not fragile by any means, but I know he doesn’t trust anyone with his heart. And I’m not asking for it, even if he’s been slowly creeping into mine. My heart crawls into my throat at the thought as I take a slow step into the shower and pull the glass door shut behind me.
Falling for Caleb Ford was not part of my plan.
Hell, not falling for him was part of my plan.
An emotionally unavailable man is the last thing I want.
But falling for him was beyond my control.
There was nothing I could do to stop it from happening and now here I am, hanging onto every single word he says to me like it’s a promise or a prayer.
The water pelts my body and I tilt my head back, letting the hot water rush down the length of my hair. I know I can’t get hung up on anything that happens between Caleb and me. It’s a recipe for disaster and I need to remind myself that to him, this is just sex.
There’s no way it could possibly be more to him.
Grabbing some shampoo, I work a lather into my hair, pushing the negative thoughts from my mind as I scrub my scalp and rinse it out.
Whatever this is with Caleb, I knew what I signed up for the moment we kissed.
I don’t regret that at all, even if I know my heart will be the one to suffer in the end.
I finish washing my hair, applying conditioner next before I grab my washcloth and work a lather into it with some body wash. I start to scrub myself, my mind drifting back to earlier in the day. The way Caleb looked at me, the way he pulled me aside and kissed me in the barn.
He’s been driving me insane and dare I say, I’m loving every minute of it. No one has touched me the way he does—with such a tenderness coupled with an intensity that has my toes curling.
Warmth spreads through me and as I run my washcloth between my legs, a tingling sensation breaks out through my body. A shiver trails down my spine, my nipples instantly hardening as I let my eyes fall shut, imaging Caleb when he was between my legs in the kitchen.
I slowly circle my fingers as the memory washes over me. He touched me like he was a skilled musician, like he was trying to figure out the exact keys he needed to hit to make my body play his melody. Like he wanted my pleasure to be his and only his.
There’s a soft knock on the bathroom door and for a moment, I think I’m hearing things. My body stills, my hand still between my legs as I look over at the door. My breath catches in my throat. I’m silent, waiting to see if I hear it again.
And then the knock sounds again, a little louder than the first time.
My heart stumbles over itself, knowing damn well that he can hear the shower running. Curiosity washes over me, my stomach doing a somersault. “Come in,” I call out to him, my voice hitching a touch higher than normal.
The door quietly opens and Caleb steps in. The fog that’s built in the shower creates a film on the glass, making it impossible to fully see him on the other side.
Tension hangs heavily in the air, so thick that it wraps itself around my body. A shiver trails down my spine as the outline of his body turns to face the shower and leans back against the counter.
Heat creeps up my neck, spreading across my cheeks as I can feel his eyes staring at me though the fogged glass. Can he see my hand between my legs? Does he know I was thinking about him and touching myself?
I slowly pull my hand away, ignoring the throbbing between my legs. “What are you doing out there?”
He’s silent for a moment. “What are you doing in there?” He counters, his voice gruff.
I swallow roughly, my face burning. “Showering.”
“Don’t lie to me, pup,” he says, his voice low.
“I—” My voice catches, heat coursing through my veins as my clit throbs, desperate for attention. “I was just washing my body.”
“Yeah?” he asks, his voice rough. He pushes away from the counter, stepping closer to the door. “From where I’m standing, it looked like your hand was lingering between your legs.”
My heart pounds erratically against my ribcage.
“Were you touching yourself?”
I inhale sharply, goose bumps erupting over my skin.
“Who were you thinking about while your hand was between your legs?”
I swallow again, my nostrils flaring. “You,” I admit.
He groans, the sound subtle, yet I feel the way it vibrates against my eardrums. “Tella’s asleep,” he tells me, his voice low. “Come to my room when you’re done,” he says, desire woven into his words. “And don’t touch yourself anymore.”
My heart skips a beat, my stomach doing another flip as moisture builds between my legs and it isn’t from the water rushing down my body.
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
He doesn’t say another word before he slips out of the bathroom.
His words echo in my brain and I quickly rinse the soap from my body and the conditioner from my hair before getting out.
My movements are rushed as I dry my body and my hair, running my hair brush and products through the long strands.
Anticipation builds in the pit of my stomach and I exit the bathroom, not bothering to change into any clothes as I clutch my towel around my body and pad down the hallway to Caleb’s room.
His door is left ajar and I slowly push it open, slipping into the darkness of his room before I close it behind me. He stands across the room, the top half of his body is naked and his arms hang by his sides as he stares out the window at the night sky.
I take a few steps into his room, pausing to watch him for a moment, drinking in the sight of him as the moon casts its light across his body. He slowly turns around to face me, his eyes raking up and down the length of my body.
“Come here,” he murmurs, his voice gentle, yet demanding as his gaze fixes on mine from across the room.
My heart quickens and my feet immediately move without my command, closing the distance between us until I’m standing directly in front of him. He dips his chin, staring down at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine as his breathing picks up.
Lifting a hand, he slides it along the side of my face, fingers diving through my damp hair as he moves to cup the back of my head. “It feels like I’ve been waiting an eternity to touch you,” he breathes, his face dipping down to mine. “It’s been utter torture.”
“So stop wasting time,” I breathe, his mouth sweeping across mine. “Touch me, Caleb.”
A low groan sounds in his throat just as his lips crash into mine. He kisses me slowly at first, his lips soft and gentle against mine as he breathes me in. There’s a tenderness, as if he’s caressing my tongue with his own. Like he’s afraid he might break me.
And then I reach for his hand, covering it with my own as I lift it to the top of my towel. His moan vibrates through my body as I use his hand and tug on the fabric, letting it fall away from my body and to the floor.
His hesitation vanishes and his hand drops down to my hip, pulling my body flush against his and kissing me with an intensity that has my core melting.
He holds me close to his body, mouths fused together as he spins me around. His leg presses between mine as he pushes me backward until the backs of my legs meet his bed. Sliding his hand around my lower back, he guides me down onto the bed, shifting me to the center of the mattress.
His mouth leaves mine and we’re both breathless as he stares down at me.
His eyes search mine as a fire burns brightly in his irises.
His lips part as if he’s going to say something, emotion washing over his expression, his eyebrows tugging together.
A ragged breath escapes him and his mouth drops back to mine again.
There’s something else lingering in his kiss this time. Something deeper than the lust, deeper than the desire. He doesn’t give me the chance to try and decipher it as his tongue swipes across my lips and then he’s pulling away again.
“Look at you,” he murmurs, fingers trailing down the length of my body as he slowly lifts himself off the bed.
“I can’t get enough of you, pup.” He lets out a ragged breath as he walks around the side of the bed, his fingers trailing along the insides of my thighs.
“You’re all I think about. All I see. And seeing you like this .
. . I’m fairly certain you’re going to be my undoing. ”
I can’t look away from him. Electrical currents roll through my body in waves, every nerve ending lighting on fire beneath his touch.
He walks over to his nightstand, pausing before he slowly flicks on the light.
“That’s better,” he murmurs, hooking his fingers beneath the waistband of his pants before he drags them down the length of his legs.
Stepping out of them and his boxer briefs in one fluid movement, his cock hangs heavy between his legs “I want to be able to see you. I want to watch you while I make you come.”
He moves to the end of the bed, pushing my legs apart as he drags the tips of his fingers over my flesh. “But first, I want you to show me how you were touching yourself in the shower.”