Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
I knocked on Caleb’s door at exactly six o’clock. It swung open to the sight of him in a pair of hip-hugging jeans, a dark blue shirt, and a white apron around his neck. Why did he always have to look so sexy? Especially when I felt like I was having a bad hair day.
“Please, come in. Make yourself comfortable,” he said as I walked into his home. The walls were painted a stark white, with all-black furniture. It had a sharp, masculine feel.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, walking to the kitchen.
I followed him. The black-and-white theme continued here. He had all dark appliances and cabinets. Even the dining room table and chairs were black. His countertops and walls were all light. The only splash of color came from a bowl of red apples sitting in the center of the table.
I looked up at him and remembered that he had just asked me a question. I knew how he felt about me not answering him. “I’m sorry. I’d like a glass of water, please.”
“Coming up,” he said, opening a cupboard and pulling out a glass. He filled it with water and handed it to me.
“Thank you.” I took a sip. “Do you need help with anything?”
“Nope. If you want to take a seat at one of the plate settings on the island, dinner will be done shortly.”
I did as he asked and quickly discovered just how enjoyable it was to watch him cook.
He had two pans filled with delicious-smelling foods sautéing on the stove.
He was chopping up some fresh peppers on a cutting board.
The oven light was on, so I assumed something was in there as well.
He moved between each area with such grace, like a dancer, and his muscles flexed with each movement. It was mesmerizing to watch.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to have to postpone our meal,” he growled a few minutes later.
“Why?” I asked, sitting up straighter. Had I done something wrong? I didn’t want to disturb him while he was cooking. I thought I had been doing a fine job.
“Because I’m going to have to take you to my bedroom and have my way with you.”
I felt my cheeks heat at his statement. No one had ever said something like that to me before. As much as I wanted to take him up on it, I was hungry.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize my watching was a distraction for you. I’ll look away,” I declared, focusing my gaze on my plate.
He chuckled. “It’s not. Just the way your entire attention is on me, and you sit up a little bit every time I stir something. You look so eager to discover. I hope you have that same thirst in the bedroom.”
“Based on the last couple of days and how much I enjoyed our time together, I’m guessing I will.”
“I think you’re right.” He reached over the island and grabbed my plate. “I’ll serve you.”
“Works for me. Thank you.”
It took him less than a minute, and he returned my plate piled with food.
“This all looks delicious,” I said, placing my napkin over my lap and reaching for my fork. I held off taking a bite, waiting for him to take a seat.
“I hope you like it. I made shrimp Alfredo with diced peppers, and garlic bread.” He took the seat next to me.
I skewered a couple of noodles and a shrimp onto my fork and slid it into my mouth.
“Oh my gosh,” I moaned as the buttery sauce danced across my taste buds, followed by a hint of garlic.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed as I took another bite.
I definitely wasn’t being the most ladylike right now, but it had been a minute since my last home-cooked meal. I had always wanted to learn how to cook, but never took the time to do it. As a result, sandwiches, canned soup, frozen entrees, or just simple take-out dinners were my staples.
“Good,” Caleb responded with a smile.
We ate in silence for a couple of minutes, but it didn’t feel awkward—at least, not to me.
“Would you like to start talking about our relationship now, or wait until after we’re finished, Theresa?”
“I’d like to wait, please,” I said, taking a sip of my water.
“Okay. Can I get you anything else to drink?”
“No, thank you. What I have is fine.”
He nodded. “What did you think of southern Illinois?”
“I liked it. Things were cheaper down there, and I’ll never complain about warmer weather.”
“Yes, their climate is nice down there. The only thing I don’t like about it is that they get more ice than we do up here.”
“Ugh. That has to be brutal.”
“It can be,” he said, taking a bite of his food. “From my understanding, it doesn’t happen regularly. They also don’t have the infrastructure to handle snow since they get less of it.”
“I was surprised by how windy it was when we were down there,” I said. “I thought Chicago would be windier.”
Caleb took a sip of his beer. “I’m going to sound like a historian here, but I promise I’m not. Chicago wasn’t called the Windy City because of wind, but because of the politicians in the early twentieth century.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Politicians back then told voters what they wanted to hear on issues. So, their positions would sway back and forth based on who they were talking to. The term Windy City got coined because of it.”
I laughed. “They don’t sound much different than those in our local government today. It seems like everyone will change their positions to best serve themselves.”
Caleb shrugged. “I don’t think they’re as bad as they used to be. Then again, I wasn’t around, so don’t quote me on that.”
“How did you find out this information? I’ve been here for almost ten years and never heard it.”
“It’s in the book, Devil in the White City. Have you read it?”
I shook my head. “It’s on my list of books to read, but I haven’t gotten to it yet,” I said, making a mental note to put it at the top of my list.
“You have to. It’s a fantastic tale that focuses on two men.
The first being H.H. Holmes, one of the first documented serial killers in the United States.
The second being about Daniel Burnham, one of the lead planners of the World’s Fair when it came to Chicago in 1893. If you want, you can borrow my copy.”
“I’d love to,” I said, taking the last bite of food on my plate.
“All right. Let me go grab it,” he said, standing up. “Since you’re done, why don’t you head back into the living room and take a seat?”
“What about the dishes and cleanup?” I didn’t want to be a rude guest.
“They can wait,” he said, shrugging. “Go on. I’ll be right there.”
“Okay,” I said, looking around the kitchen. I wished he’d at least let me help with putting the food away or something, but I didn’t want to disobey him in his place.
I walked to the living room and took a seat on the black leather couch. It was smooth and cool to the touch.
“Here’s the copy. No rush getting it back to me,” he said as he walked into the room, handed me the book, and took a seat next to me. He was close, but not so close that we were touching.
I chuckled at the cover.
“What?”
“Even your books go with your condo color scheme,” I said, noting that the front of the book was a black background with a magnificently lit white building behind it.
“When I moved in, my interior designer asked me what theme I wanted. I told her I didn’t particularly care, something classic, yet basic. This is what she came up with,” Caleb said as he looked around his place.
“I’m not against it, for the record. I just find it funny that the cover happens to go with your aesthetics.”
“Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I like to redden bottoms here. The red of a freshly spanked ass is the bit of color this place needs.”
“Do you bring women up here often?” I knew this was none of my business, seeing as we weren’t dating, but I wanted to know. I didn’t like the thought of him bringing someone else here to play with. When did I get so possessive?
“No. In fact, it’s probably been about a year since I last did.”
I was surprised at his admission. I would think a man like him could get a new girl up here every weekend.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I got busy with work. It took up all my time and energy to grow the company to where it is today. Everything else fell to the wayside.”
“Is that why you like to punish your assistants? So you get a little bit of playtime at work?”
“No, Theresa.” He did not seem amused by my comment. “As I’ve told you twice now, I apply that method because it’s the one I’ve found to be most successful at stopping repeated mistakes.”
“I can understand why.”
Before we took things further, I had felt guilty for messing up. After getting punished, I felt better, but it cemented my resolve to try even harder. I had hated feeling like I left Caleb down. Plus, my bottom was still a bit sore, a reminder of my mistake.
I squirmed on the couch, remembering being over Caleb’s lap. The physical part of the punishment hadn’t been unbearable. It had led to some amazing sex afterward, and that was a lot of fun. There were some perks to my punishment.
“Not all pain is unpleasant, as you learned this weekend,” he said, with a glint in his eyes.
“True. So, what’s next for us?”
“That’s up to you.”
“What I’d like is to keep being your executive assistant, punishments and all.”
He smiled, and it made me break out in a grin. “I’m glad you feel that way, Theresa, because I feel the same. You’ve done a wonderful job so far, and the system you’ve implemented to organize my files has been a gamechanger. You’re a valued part of my company, and I don’t want to lose you.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling a burst of pride.
“Is going back to being my assistant all that you want?”
“No.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve been with others before, but I’ve never engaged in a kink relationship.
It’s something I’m interested in and have read about, but I never pursued it.
I’d like to try having one with you. Plus,” I felt my cheeks heat up at what I was about to say, “you’re Caleb McDuffie.
Any woman would be lucky to be able to go out with you. ”
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Is that the main reason why you’d want to do this?”