12. Bailey
CHAPTER 12
Bailey
I n the morning, I’m woken up by Charlie climbing into bed beside me. She bounces on her knees as she says, “Mommy, you need to get up. Someone is at the door.”
I groan and roll towards her, pulling her down and into my body to stop the shaking of the bed. She wiggles in my hold. “Mommy, someone’s at the door. You said I can’t open it until I’m a big girl. You need to open the door.”
I groan, knowing my relentless daughter won’t stop anytime soon. Rolling out of bed, I grab my robe then head downstairs. Charlie follows happily behind me. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, I hear the knocking.
“I’m coming,” I grumble.
I grumpily pull open the front door and see a smiling Caleb on the other side. I slam the door closed and lean my back against it.
Why is he here? I can’t face him after he listened to me last night. He’ll get the hint and leave, right? I saw him and closed the door. That’s a universal sign for I don’t want to see you . Right?
“Mommy?” Confusion is all over her face .
“Yeah, Baby Girl?”
“Why did you close the door on Caleb?”
I don’t know how to explain this to her, so I say, “Why don’t you go into the kitchen, and I’ll join you in a bit.”
She gives me a quizzical look before she turns and leaves. My daughter is too observant for her own good, and pretty soon, it’s going to bite me in the ass.
Another knock on the door. “Bails, I’m not going to leave, so you might as well open the door.”
I bang my head on the door a couple of times before reaching back and rubbing the spot. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. Making sure my robe is tied tightly, I pull open the door and plaster on a fake smile.
“Hi, Caleb. What are you doing here?”
He gives me a stupid shit-eating grin that says he remembers last night as much as I would like to forget it.
“I thought I’d bring you and Charlie breakfast,” he says as he holds up a brown takeout bag. His eyes rake up my body, pausing slightly at my chest and, likely, my nipples poking through the thin fabric.
I eye him, wondering what he’s getting at. His smile just gets bigger, and I huff. Charlie saw him, and it would be more difficult to explain why I sent him away than it would be to put on my big girl panties and invite him in. I open the door more and usher him in. He steps inside before toeing off his shoes and making his way into the kitchen. Charlie calls his name the second he appears in the entryway.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before following behind him. I beeline to the coffeemaker, putting on a pot while Caleb and Charlie chat at the kitchen table. Heat surrounds me as Caleb leans around me, and goosebumps scatter across my skin from his proximity. He grabs plates for everyone and takes them back to the table. I press the last button on the coffeemaker when I hear my phone alarm going off upstairs.
I turn and mumble, “I’ll be right back,” as I escape upstairs.
Making it into my room, I close the door, grab my phone, and silence the alarm. I grip my phone as I stand in the middle of the room, trying to figure out how I’m going to get out of this mess I’ve created. I decide the first thing I need to do is change into more appropriate clothes. Once I’m changed, I head back downstairs and see Caleb not only got us breakfast and set the table, but he’s poured Charlie a glass of orange juice and each of us a cup of coffee and set the milk and sugar on the table.
My insides twist and turn as my mind races. As much as I’m embarrassed about last night and want to protect both mine and Charlie’s hearts, I can’t help but admit this man is chipping away at me and my shell is beginning to crumble. I want to walk over, kiss him, and say thank you for all of this. I want to open up to him and tell him my entire life story and believe he will hold it all safe.
I slide into my seat and smile at them. Charlie and Caleb continue their conversation as Caleb pushes the milk and sugar my way and they begin to eat. I make my coffee and take a deep sip, savouring the taste on my tongue. I eat and listen to the conversation. When Charlie is done, she asks if she can be excused before carrying her plate to the kitchen counter, leaving Caleb and me alone.
I avoid eye contact, picking at my food and sipping my coffee. He leans in close, his hand reaching forward and tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
“I kind of wish you had kept the robe,” he says softly.
My cheeks warm as a blush fills them. When I still don’t meet his eyes, he puts two fingers beneath my chin and lifts my head, forcing me to make eye contact with him .
“Bails, you’re embarrassed, aren’t you?”
I nod.
“Don’t be. Last night was hot. I’m glad it happened.” He leans in so close that his lips brush over the shell of my ear. “Do you know how hot it is knowing you think of me when you get yourself off?”
I shiver.
“Would it make you feel better knowing I think about you when I jerk off? That I think about you on your knees and your pretty lips wrapped around my cock. How good I know you’re going to taste on my tongue and how hot and wet your pussy will be when I finally get to have you. Bailey, this isn’t one-sided.”
He pulls back and continues drinking his coffee like nothing happened. My entire body is flushed, and I feel like I’m about to start sweating. I think I might need to change my panties after breakfast because the images his words created in my head have me wet and wanting to beg for all of it. I’ve never been one to want to give a blow job, but I’m sitting here wanting nothing more than to get on my knees and let this man use me for his pleasure. I squeeze my thighs together, trying to quench the ache growing between them, but it does nothing.
I take a long sip of my coffee to try to wet my suddenly dry mouth and throat. This man does things to me that no other person ever has, and I’m completely speechless. I finish my breakfast and take our plates to the sink, rinsing them before putting them in the dishwasher. When I close the dishwasher, I feel Caleb behind me. I turn to face him, and his arms go to either side of me, caging me in.
“Let me spend the day with you two. I want to spend time with you. No expectations.”
Before I can think, “Okay,” escapes my mouth.
He smiles before leaning down. “Good,” he whispers across my lips before he place s a soft kiss on them. He pulls back and asks, “So, what are the plans for today?”
“I have to go grocery shopping and Charlie needs to go to the mall and grab a gift for her Secret Santa at school. I need to meal plan for the week, do laundry, make sure Charlie has done her homework, call the mechanic and schedule my oil change and tire rotation, and clean the house,” I ramble.
“Okay, so it sounds like we have a full day. Why don’t you call your mechanic while Charlie and I review her homework?”
I nod, and he calls Charlie into the kitchen and asks her to bring in her homework. While they do that, I grab my phone and call the mechanic and schedule an appointment for next Saturday morning. I smile as I watch how good Caleb is with Charlie as they go over the letters she has been working on at school.
When I’m done making my list, we all bundle up and head outside. Caleb insists on driving, so he buckles Charlie in his truck before helping me up into the passenger seat.
We head to the mall first, not wanting groceries to sit in the car for too long. He pulls into a parking space near the front of the mall, and we all hop out. Charlie begins to walk towards the mall, and I sternly call her name. She stops and turns to me.
“Yeah, Mommy?”
“What have I said about parking lots and cars?”
“To always hold an adult’s hand,” she mumbles.
“Are you doing that?”
She shakes her head before walking up to grab Caleb’s hand. She’s obviously annoyed at me, probably for correcting her in front of Caleb, but as long as she holds one of our hands, I’m happy. Caleb gives me a warm smile and reaches his free hand out for me. I hesitantly place mine in his, and he gives it a reassuring squeeze. Together, we walk into the mall and head into the closest stor e that I think may have something Charlie can take to school.
We wander around looking at different things, but nothing catches either Charlie’s or my attention. On our way out, I stop at a glass showcase and take in a beautiful gold locket on display. I’ve always loved the idea of wearing a locket with pictures of those you love most in the world in it, but I’ve never been able to afford one I’ve liked. I hold back a groan as I see the price of the one inside the case. $250.00. Yeah, that’s a no. Not this close to Christmas. I can’t afford to splurge on myself like that. I walk away from the case, and we make our way through the mall. Charlie and Caleb spot the Build-a-Bear and both beeline for the store.
I know this bear is going to cost me a lot.
When I make it into the store, they are browsing the different animals. Caleb shows her the ones from Star Wars and is shocked when she says she hasn’t seen it. He decides to make one for himself too and chooses a brown bear, and Charlie chooses a cow. I stand back as they go through the whole process of having them stuffed, whispering a wish to the animals’ hearts, and then dressing them. Charlie helps Caleb pick the clothes for his bear, and they name them. Caleb keeps his name a secret, and Charlie names hers Princess.
When they finish, I join them at the register, pulling my card out to pay for Charlie’s, but Caleb pushes my hand away and tells the cashier to put them together. I try and protest, but Caleb just looks at me and says, “Bails, you’re not going to change my mind, so arguing over this is pointless. Let me buy her the cow.”
I see in his eyes that he’s serious.
“Fine,” I huff. I let him pay, but I’m not happy with it at all.
When the new Build-a-Bears are in their little houses, we find a store to quickly grab Charlie her Secret Santa gift before we make our way back to the tr uck and head to the grocery store.
When we get to the store, Caleb grabs a cart and follows behind me. I have a very specific way I do my shopping. I start with produce, grabbing everything and putting it in the top part of the cart. I then move to the meat department at the back, then to the dairy, and then up and down every aisle.
When I’ve grabbed everything, the cart is overflowing and I have to say I’m glad Caleb is here because this would take me multiple trips inside when we get home. He and Charlie decide to be in charge of bagging, and I watch as he teaches her that the heavy stuff needs to go in first.
They load the cart, and I pay for the groceries before we head back to the truck. When we get home, Charlie grabs the two little houses and runs inside after I unlock the door. I grab a handful of bags and make my way inside with Caleb following. Everything gets placed on the kitchen counter, and I turn to go back to the truck, but Caleb stops me.
“Bails, I’ve got it. Why don’t you just start putting everything away, and I’ll bring it all in?”
I nod and get to work, putting everything in its proper place. When I finish, I go into the living room and find Caleb and Charlie cleaning up and putting her toys away. Caleb somehow has a thing of Lysol wipes and is wiping down my coffee table, side tables, and even the window sill.
I think I may start crying. I’ve never had this kind of help around the house without begging for it, and even then I almost always had to do everything myself. I return to the kitchen, lean against the fridge and take deep breaths, trying to centre myself again. When I open my eyes, I meet Caleb’s assessing gaze.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He steps forward, and his hand comes up to my face. “Bailey, you keep thanking me for things I’m choosing to do. I want to help you. I don’t wa nt my presence in your life to make it more difficult. I want to make it easier.”
His words are my undoing. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss. I kiss him hungrily, trying to show him just what he does to me. I lick the seam of his mouth, and he moans into mine, granting me access. I’ve never taken control of a kiss like I am with him, and it’s invigorating. He kisses me back, meeting my tongue stroke for stroke. I could fall into him and this kiss for the rest of my life.
A crashing sound from the other room has us pulling apart and running into the living room. Nothing looks broken, but I head straight for Charlie.
“Are you okay, Baby Girl?”
She nods. “Yeah, I just put the jeep in the box,” she says.
I turn and see her Barbie Jeep stacked on top of all her other toys and figure she just threw it in and that was the crashing sound.
“Mommy, I’m hungry.”
“Okay, what do you want?”
She holds her finger to mouth like she’s thinking; I have no idea where she got that from. “Grilled cheese and tomato soup,” she says.
I pat my thighs before getting up off the floor. I turn to the kitchen, but Caleb stops me.
“Why don’t you go do the laundry you said you needed to do and I’ll make lunch?”
“I’ve got it,” I say.
“I know you do, Bails, but let me help. I make a mean grilled cheese.”
He grins, and I relent. I make my way upstairs, gathering both Charlie’s and my laundry before heading downstairs to the laundry room. After I’m finished, Charlie and I play in the living room while Caleb makes lunch.