Chapter 24 #2
He silences my laughter with a kiss that starts gently but quickly turns fierce, demanding. His hand slides between my thighs, finding me wet and ready through the thin fabric of my underwear. The pressure of his fingers makes me whimper against his mouth.
“These need to go,” he murmurs, hooking his fingers in the waistband of my panties.
I lift my hips again, helping him slide them down and off. Then I’m completely naked beneath him, vulnerable in a way I haven’t been with anyone since... but I push that thought away. This is Caleb. This is different. This is safe.
His fingers return to where I want them most, stroking, exploring, learning what makes me gasp and what makes me moan. When he slides one finger inside me, then two, and all I can do is clutch at his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin.
“God, you’re beautiful like this,” he says, his voice rough with desire as he watches my face. His thumb finds that sensitive bundle of nerves, circling with just the right pressure, and I feel myself climbing higher, closer to the edge as little jolts of pleasure cause me to shake uncontrollably.
“Caleb, please,” I beg, not even sure what I’m asking for.
He seems to understand, though. He reaches for his discarded jeans, retrieving a condom from the pocket. I watch through half-lidded eyes as he sheds his boxers, revealing himself fully to me—all hard planes and angles, powerfully built, intimidatingly large.
He tears the foil packet open with his teeth, rolling the condom on with practiced ease. Then he’s hovering over me again, his weight supported on his forearms, his eyes locked with mine.
“Are you sure?” he asks, and I love him a little for still checking, even now.
In answer, I wrap my legs around his waist, drawing him closer. “I’m sure.”
He enters me slowly, giving me time to adjust to his size. I gasp at the stretch, the fullness, the delicious pressure. When he’s fully inside, he pauses, his forehead pressed against mine, both of us breathing hard.
“You feel incredible,” he whispers, and I can feel the tremor in his arms as he holds himself back.
“Move,” I urge him, rolling my hips experimentally.
He groans, then begins to withdraw before pushing back in, establishing a rhythm that has me clinging to him, my head thrown back in pleasure. Each thrust sends waves of sensation through me, building and building toward something monumental.
The fairy lights twinkle above us, casting golden patterns across his skin as he moves. I watch the play of muscles in his shoulders, the intensity in his face as he watches me. One of his hands slides between us, finding that perfect spot again, and I cry out as the pressure inside me intensifies.
“That’s it,” he encourages, his voice strained with his own need. “Let go for me, sweetheart, let go.”
His words, combined with the relentless rhythm of his hips and the skilled touch of his fingers, push me over the edge.
I shatter beneath him, waves of pleasure washing through me as I call his name.
He follows moments later, his rhythm faltering as he finds his own release, as he says my name over and over again.
Afterward, we lie tangled together on the blankets, my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat gradually slow. His fingers trace lazy patterns on my bare back, and I feel more content than I have in years.
“Well,” I say finally, breaking the comfortable silence, “that was definitely worthy of a hayloft romp.”
He laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest beneath my ear. “Agreed. Though I think we shocked the horses.”
I lift my head to look at him, unable to stop smiling. “The horses will recover. I, on the other hand, might never be the same.”
His expression turns serious as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Definitely good,” I assure him, leaning in to kiss him softly. “Very, very good.”
He pulls me closer, arranging the blankets over us to ward off the chill.
Outside, the night is quiet except for the occasional soft nicker from the horses below and the distant hoot of an owl.
Despite the security teams patrolling the property, despite the danger lurking in the woods, despite the uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring with the waterfall expedition, I feel safe here in Caleb’s arms.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, his fingers still tracing patterns on my skin.
“How strange life is,” I reply honestly. “A few weeks ago, I was thinking about moving back to Toronto. Now I’m involved in a century-old conspiracy, being watched by corporate goons, and making love in a hayloft with a man I barely know but somehow trust completely.”
“When you put it that way, it does sound a bit surreal,” he agrees. “Any regrets?”
I prop myself up on one elbow to look at him properly. “Not a single one. You?”
“Only that we didn’t do this sooner,” he says with a grin that makes my heart flip.
I lay my head back on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart again as the night deepens, inside our magical haven of light and warmth, I find something I thought I’d lost forever—trust, desire, and the courage to let someone in.
He moves his hand and traces lazy patterns on my bare shoulder while the other holds mine against his stomach. The lanterns have dimmed, but the fairy lights still twinkle above us like earthbound stars.
“Are you cold?” he asks softly, pulling a blanket higher around us.
“No,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to his skin. “Perfect.”
He shifts slightly to look down at me, his expression serious in the gentle light. “I need to tell you something.”
I prop myself up on one elbow, suddenly nervous. “What is it?”
“I’m falling for you,” he says quietly. “Faster than I thought possible. And it terrifies me.”
The honesty in his voice steals my breath. “Why does it scare you?”
He’s quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “Because I’ve lost people before. In my line of work, attachments were dangerous—for them and for me.”
I understand this fear all too well. “And now?”
“Now I’m realizing that not letting yourself care might be the bigger danger.” His fingers trace the curve of my cheek. “You make me want to take that risk.”
The vulnerability in his admission touches something deep inside me. “I’m falling for you, too,” I whisper. “And it terrifies me for different reasons.”
“Mark,” he says, not a question.
I nod. “I trusted him as a boss. The consequences were... devastating.”
“I’m not him,” Caleb’s voice is firm, his eyes earnest as he continues, “…and I’d never hurt you the way he did. But that’s not what I want to tell you.”