30. Bailey
CHAPTER 30
Bailey
I ’m entirely in my feelings as I process how Caleb — in front of his friends, the people closest to him — claimed my daughter as his. No questions about it, called her his daughter. He’s brought so much into our lives. A new friend group that’s more like family. His family has embraced us wholeheartedly, and he makes me feel safe. He brought us into his home after one of the worst experiences of my life. I don’t think I could love this man more.
Needing to show him just how much he means to me with more than words, I change into black lace lingerie after I finish my shower and stand at the foot of the bed. Caleb steps into the room. His eyes hungrily eat up the sight of me, and it sends a thrill through me.
His pupils dilate, and he licks his lips as he takes measured steps towards me. My chest is rising and falling so quickly I can feel the hem of the babydoll grazing across the tops of my thighs.
“Fucking hell,” he rasps as his finger reaches out and trails the edge of the fabric covering my breasts.
His slight touch sends goosebumps across my skin. I watch as his eyes trail the movements of his finger. His pupils ar e so large I almost can’t see the steel grey anymore.
“What do you want to do?” I ask breathlessly.
His eyes snap to mine, filled with hesitation. “I’m not going to do those things. I don’t want to cross a boundary that will scare you.”
His features soften as he says that, but I know deep in my bones this man would never hurt me. In the same way I know the sun will rise tomorrow, that two plus two is four, and I need oxygen to breathe, I know Caleb will never hurt me.
Resolved, I say, “What do you want? I trust you.”
He stares at me intensely before he gives his head a slight shake. He opens his mouth, and I blurt, “Pineapple.”
His brows draw together in confusion.
“My safe word. Pineapple. I promise that if something goes too far, I’ll use my safe word.”
His eyes widen, and I reach across my body, slowly pushing one strap of the babydoll down.
His eyes are stuck to the movement.
“Please, tell me what you want.” My voice is soft, and it seems to snap something in him.
His hand comes to my neck as he grasps it, not tightly, but in a possessive manner that sends heat radiating through me and has my pussy clenching.
He brings his mouth to my ear. “I want you naked and on your knees while I see just how well you take the biggest cock you’ve ever seen. I want to watch your pretty lips stretch around me as I fuck your mouth until I hit the back of your throat. Then I want you tied to my bed, spread eagle, so you can’t move while I eat your pretty pussy.”
My head falls back as I picture it.
“I want you so on edge that the moment I thrust into your tight little cunt, you come for me. Then I want to flip you over and spank your ass until it’s covered in my pink hand marks. I want to fuck you so hard you can’t walk. I want you screaming my name so much you won’t remember your own. I want you to know that you’re mine.”
I’m soaked. The way he growls the word mine has me questioning my sanity because I’ve never wanted to be possessed the way I want Caleb to possess me.
I squeeze my thighs together, trying to quench the ache between them. I can feel my arousal on the inside of my thighs. Fuck, it's embarrassing how turned on I am just from his words.
His teeth scrape my ear lobe. “Does that make you wet, Bailey?”
I’ve lost the ability to speak, so I nod. When he pulls back, I lift my head to meet his gaze. His is hungry. No, it’s ravenous.
Not wanting to wait any longer, I throw the babydoll over my head and push my panties down before dropping to my knees in front of him. I reach for his jeans, undoing the button and pulling the zipper down.
“So eager,” he says, and my mouth waters as I slowly pull his jeans and boxer briefs over his ass and watch his cock pop free.
I grip the base in one hand, lean forward, and lick him from base to tip. He groans, his hand coming to my hair. His words about fucking my mouth come back to me. My hand meets his on top of my head as the other finds his thigh, and I relinquish control to him.
He tightens his grip on my hair. “If it’s too much for you, tap my thigh twice,” he says.
I nod as much as I can, and his hips thrust forward.
He truly fucks my mouth. My hand goes back to his base, working what I can’t with my mouth. When he hits the back of my throat, he slows.
“Relax for me, baby.”
I do exactly as he says and I’m able to take more of him. I feel him coming undone as he thrusts faster and incoherent noises leave him. I move my hand from his thigh to his balls and roll them once. That’s his undoing. He thrusts a few more times as he empties his release down my throat.
When he’s done, he removes himself before reaching down and lifting me into his arms. He kisses me as my legs wrap around his waist and he walks us to the bed. When he places me on the bed, he does it softly, with reverence. No matter the situation, this man makes me feel like I’m the most precious thing in the world.
He retreats to the closet and comes back with four ties. The knowledge of what he’s going to do with those only turns me on more. I hurriedly scurry to the middle of the bed and position myself so he can wrap the ties. Lying spread eagle like this is exposing. My every extra ounce of fat, every stretch mark, every flaw is there for him to see. But with Caleb, I don’t feel self-conscious or unsafe. I feel worshiped. Desired. Coveted.
He takes his time wrapping the ties around my wrists, securing them to the bed frame before doing the same with my ankles.
When he’s finished, he stands at the end of the bed and slowly removes his clothes. I watch with bated breath as he exposes every carved muscle of his chest. As he finishes shoving his jeans off, I take in his massive, muscular thighs.
This man could easily overpower me, but knowing he never will fills me with a sense of power I never knew I could feel. One simple word, and he would stop. Knowing that with one word, this could all end makes me feel more powerful than I ever have in this life.
Caleb crawls up my body slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. When his face is level with mine, his lips crash into mine. His kiss is all-consuming. I pull at my bindings, wishing I could wrap my arms and legs around him and pull him closer. But something about him being in complete control makes th e kiss that much hotter.
I melt into the bed, and he follows me down. His hand comes to my hair as he adjusts my head, allowing him to taste more of me. When his lips leave mine, I’m breathless. His lips are soft as they trail down my neck, over my breasts, and across my stomach until he reaches the apex of my thighs. I sigh as I lift my hips, looking for his mouth. He places soft kisses from hip to hip before his tongue finally tastes me. I’m so on edge, so built up, that the single sensation of his tongue over my clit has me moaning his name.
His tongue works fervently, bringing me to the edge, and as soon as I’m about to come, he stops. I groan, needing to fall over the edge, needing to come, but he refuses. His mouth returns, and he continues to work, licking and tasting. Each movement of his tongue has my body tightening. I pull at my bindings as I moan his name.
When I’m on the cusp of an orgasm, he pulls away, this time kissing up my body. His teeth scrape over my sensitive nipples. I hold my breath as the sensation rushes through my body. He continues to drag his lips up my body until he’s hovering over me.
“You’re so beautiful, all pink and wound-up for me,” he murmurs against my lips before kissing me. I taste myself on him, but it doesn’t matter. All I want is that connection to him. His hand comes to my breast, and he gives it a squeeze before pulling my nipple. My chest thrusts up to meet his hand, but I don’t find release.
He smiles as he grips his cock in his other hand and uses the tip to play with my sensitive clit. I’m panting as I watch him. Positioning himself at my entrance, he thrusts inside me in one motion, stretching and filling me completely.
I shatter.
My pussy tightens around him as I grip my bindings as best I can to ground myself. It doesn’t work.
Caleb fucks me through my orgasm. His face in the crook of my neck as he murmurs, “Such a good girl, taking my cock like this,” and, “So fucking sexy.”
But the words that send me into my second orgasm, so intense that tears fall, are, “Mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to protect. Mine to love.”
He kisses me passionately through the orgasm. I ride it for what feels like forever. I’ve never come so intensely. It’s as though every ounce of stress has been removed from my body. I’m limp. He pulls out of me and unties my hands and feet before helping me roll onto my stomach. He lifts my ass and thrusts into me. I grip the sheets, tears still staining my cheeks, but I find the strength to meet his thrusts.
His hand comes down and meets my ass, sending a shockwave of pleasure through me. It only takes three spanks before I’m coming again. He has to hold my hips as my legs give out from under me. My orgasm sends him over the edge, and he calls my name before he collapses on top of me.
He catches his breath and moves to lie beside me, tucking my hair behind my ear. His gaze is heistant. Mustering all my strength, I move closer to him, throwing my leg over his and bringing my hand behind his neck. I pull him in and kiss him. It’s nothing like the kisses we shared during sex; this one is more emotional. I kiss him slowly, savouring him. He kisses me back just as softly.
“I love you,” I whisper against his lips.
He smiles against mine, whispering back, “I love you more.”
We lie like that, kissing each other and whispering I love you for a few minutes before he rolls off the bed and picks me up. He carries me into the washroom, settling me on the counter before drawing a bath. I use the bathroom before we settle in the warm water. His thumb skates in slow movements over my stomach and it lulls me to sleep.
I barely wake up when Caleb lifts me out of the tub, dries me off, and carries me to bed. As I’m drifting to sleep again, I think I hear him whisper, “I’m going to marry you,” before placing a kiss on my temple.
I n the morning, I wake to an empty bed. Climbing out, I wrap my robe around me before making my way downstairs. The sound of Caleb in the kitchen has me smiling. That man is mine. I’ve never been so proud to be able to say that about a man, but with Caleb it’s like I’ve landed a prize I never thought I’d get.
Before I step into the kitchen, Charlie says, “I have a question.” She can’t see me from here, so she must be talking to Caleb.
“Okay, what’s your question?” I can hear him cutting something.
Charlie doesn’t say anything for a minute, and when she does, her voice is soft. “Yesterday, you said you love Mommy.”
I hear him place the knife down and his feet move across the floor before the sound of a chair being pulled out travels through the air. I press myself against the wall and listen with bated breath.
“I do love your mommy, and I love you too,” he says. Hearing those words from him will never get old.
“You do?” Charlie’s voice is so hesitant. It breaks my heart knowing she questions his love, and I know it stems from her father.
“Yeah, I do. Charlotte, I will spend the rest of life showing you how loved you and your mom are.”
I can hear the shuffling of a chai r again.
“Charlotte, what can I do so you know I love you?”
I love that he communicates with her like she’s a person who can think for herself. Not many people would ask that question, let alone ask a child.
“I don’t know,” Charlie says.
“What about a hug?”
She doesn’t say anything, but I assume she nods because I hear her get out of her chair. Deciding I’ve done enough snooping, I step into the kitchen and call, “Good morning.”
Caleb’s still holding Charlie in his arms as he smiles at me and says, “Good morning.” Placing a kiss on the top of her head, he asks, “Do you want to go see your mom?”
She holds on to him for a few more seconds before she walks up to me and hugs me tightly.
“I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you more, Baby Girl,” I say, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. Caleb sits and watches us before coming over and kissing me.
“How’d you sleep?” he asks.
“Like a baby.”
“Good, well, I’m making breakfast, so I hope you’re hungry.”
I grin at him. “Ravenous.”
He returns to his cutting board and the fruit he was cutting while Charlie and I settle at the kitchen table. Caleb brings me a cup of coffee with a chaste kiss before giving Charlie her orange juice and kissing the top of her head.
As Charlie draws, I think about all the times he’s kissed the top of Charlie’s head or ran his fingers through her hair. Every time he’s kissed me just because he was nearby. He makes us breakfast every morning and makes sure Charlie and I are properly bundled up before we go outside. Caleb shows his love through acts of service and physical touch.
I’m an emotional wreck as I hold back my tears. I’ve cried more being with him than I did during the entirety of my relationship with Derek. But these tears aren’t sad. They’re freeing tears because I know I’m safe. That Charlie is safe. I can show my feelings around Caleb, and it won’t feel like the world is crumbling around me because he’s right there to hold it all for me.
After breakfast, Caleb says, “So, I was thinking we could go to the aquarium today.”
“Yay!” Charlie cheers.
“That sounds amazing. Charlie, why don’t you head up and get cleaned up and changed, okay?”
She slides out of her chair and says, “Okay, Mommy,” before running upstairs.
As soon as she’s out of sight, Caleb lifts me out of my chair so that I’m straddling his lap. I giggle as he moves me. My arms instantly go around his neck, and I get settled in his lap. His arms wrap around me, and he grabs my ass, making sure I don’t fall.
“Morning, beautiful,” he says as he brings his lips to mine.
I grin back. “Morning, sexy.” I lean in and kiss him.
“I hope you don’t mind me planning this little family outing,” he says, and my grin gets wider. I’m glad he planned something for all of us to do together, and him calling it a family outing makes it so much better.
I shake my head, and his smile begins to drop, but my words bring it back. “Caleb, I’m glad you planned something. You wanting to do things with us will never upset me.”
Giving me another kiss and a slap on the ass, he says, “I’m glad. Now why don’t we go upstairs and change so we can take our girl to the aquarium.”
I shuffle off his lap and run up the stairs, Caleb right on my heels giving me love taps on my ass the entire way up, causing me to giggle.
I can’t pinpoint when it was exa ctly or how long it took him, but Caleb, at one point, started slowly moving my things from the guest room into his. When he does laundry, he does both of ours, and he started putting my things away in his closet.
I make my way into the closet and undo my robe, hanging it beside the door. I turn to grab a bra and panties. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Caleb leaning against the door frame, watching me.
“Can I help you?” I ask, amused.
“Nope. I’m just enjoying the view of my very sexy, very naked girlfriend.”
I chuckle as I put on my bra and panties.
“What’s the laugh for?” he asks, his voice sounding annoyed.
“Because I know that only half of that statement was true.”
I pull on a pair of jeans and a red, long-sleeved shirt. When I turn to him, he looks angry. I’ve never seen that look directed towards me before.
“Bailey, please don’t tell me I only meant half of what I said. I meant every word.” He stalks towards me, grabbing my hand as he places it over his very hard cock. “This is what you do to me. This is the reaction I have to you. If you don’t want to believe the words, believe this very physical proof.” He leans in close, his breath dusting over my ear, sending goosebumps across my skin. “Next time you think I don’t find you to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, I’ll bend you over and fuck you so hard and long that your pussy will never forget just how much I crave you.”
He palms my ass and pulls me closer. “This ass is fucking sexy as hell. It gets me hard every time I see you dancing in the kitchen while you clean.”
He drops to his knees in front of me, pushing up my shirt. He kisses my stretch marks. “These show me your strength and sac rifice to grow our beautiful girl.”
Standing up, he grabs my breasts and says, “And don’t get me started on how much I love these. In fact, I plan on fucking these tonight just to prove to you how much I love them.”
He kisses me and steps back as if he didn’t just say life-altering things to me. He then hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his sweats and pushes them down his legs, his erection springing free. I stare at it, licking my lips, which causes a guttural groan to escape Caleb.
“Baby, if you keep doing that, we won’t be leaving here anytime soon, and we promised our girl a trip to the aquarium. So, get your sexy ass out of the closet while I get changed, so we can leave.”
I nod and quickly shuffle out. Caleb smacks my ass as I pass him.
In Charlie’s room, I find her wearing a shirt Caleb got for her for Christmas. It’s pink, and the front says Ice Princess . I smile at how she went straight for a shirt he got her.
“Baby girl, you ready?” I ask, leaning against her doorframe. She looks up at me while putting her socks on.
She nods. “I just need my shoes.”
“Okay. Let’s go downstairs and put those on so we can go see the fish.”
She hops up, and we make our way downstairs. As I finish putting on our shoes, Caleb comes down the stairs. He moves with precision as he takes each step. I watch the flex of the muscles in his thighs. When he reaches the bottom, he smirks, and I know he caught me checking him out. He ensures both Charlie and I are properly bundled with gloves, scarves, and toques before we head to the truck.
Arriving at the aquarium, Charlie insists on holding Caleb’s hand, and he smiles as he takes hers. He holds mine with the other, and we get in line to purchase our tickets. I go t o reach for my wallet, but his hand instantly goes to mine and he gives me a hard stare and shakes his head.
“Bailey, you’re with me. When you’re with me, my girls don’t pay. I’ve got it.”
He taps his card before grabbing my hand again. When we step inside the door, he shuffles us off to the side quickly. His hand leaves mine, and his arm wraps around my middle, pulling me in close. He looks down at Charlie with a soft smile, then back at me.
He speaks to both of us. “I don’t want you two to need, want, or worry about anything. That means, when we go out, I pay. You need something, you tell me, and I’ll get it. I will always take care of my girls. I promise you that.” He looks down at Charlie, his arm dropping from around my waist as he crouches in front of her. “Charlotte, my Little Bear. You know you can always count on your mom, but I want you to know you can come to me with anything too.”
She nods and wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him. “I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you more, Little Bear.”
Of course, this conversation is happening in the middle of a very public place and I’m now on the brink of tears.
He stands up and pulls me into him. His lips dust over my temple. “I want to take care of you. You’re not on your own anymore.”
He kisses me softly, and we move towards the entrance for the tropical fish. As we get closer, Charlie pulls her hand free and starts to run forward.
“Charlotte,” Caleb calls, and she stops in her tracks and turns to him with a perplexed look. He never calls her by her full name.
He crouches down. She steps closer, and Caleb takes her hands.
“We’re going to set a couple o f ground rules, okay?” he asks, and she nods.
“I want you to have fun today, but I need to know you’re safe. There are lots of people here. You don’t have to hold our hand the whole time. You’re a big girl, but we need to be able to see you. So you can’t run too far ahead. You need to make sure you can see us too. If you can’t find us, you find someone wearing a uniform that says security or a blue shirt with the aquarium logo and you have them call us and we will be right there. Okay?”
She nods again, and he leans in and kisses her forehead.
“Okay, let’s go see some fish.”
She grins, turning and making her way to the tank filled with blue fish. Pressing her hands to the glass, she stares inside with a look of pure joy.
A fish swims towards her, and her eyes light up. Bouncing on her toes, she turns towards us. “Daddy, it’s Dory. Come see Dory.”
I freeze. Is Derek here? And if he is, how did he find us? My head swivels, and my eyes are peeled, looking for that familiar frame of the man I used to love. Charlie, impatient, runs up to us, grabbing Caleb’s hand and pulling him. “Daddy, come see Dory.”
All the emotions that rush through me at once are overwhelming. Relief that Derek isn’t here. Love for my daughter and the relationship she’s built with Caleb. Gratefulness to Caleb that he’s been such an influence in my daughter’s life. Joy that we have a man in our lives who genuinely cares for both Charlie and me.
A tear runs down my cheek, and I quickly brush it away before going and joining them in front of the fish tank. Charlie drags us around the entire aquarium, making sure we see all her favourite things. When we finally finish our rounds, we stop for a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant. On our way home, Charlie begs us to watch Finding Nemo , and Caleb, bei ng the softy he is for her, agrees.
We spend the rest of the day as a quintessential family day, and as we sit eating dinner, I realize the three of us do make a family. Caleb has made me feel safe when I wasn’t sure I ever would in a relationship again.