Chapter 27 Brooke
Brooke
I turn away from the full-length standing mirror in the corner of my bedroom and grab another dress from the pile of clothes strewn across my bed.
The pile that I’ve already tried on. I feel twenty-four again, trying to find a way to make the same boring black work dress look irresistible.
Hoping that Caleb Foley walks out of the kitchen, stops in his tracks, and falls in love with me.
As I put on my blueberry stripe Nap Dress, I hear the buzz of my phone. I slide my arms through the ruffled sleeves and answer the video call. “Hey, Maddie.”
“Oh good, you’re alive,” she says, sarcasm coating her voice. “And dressed. So why aren’t you here?”
“Why aren’t I where?”
“Brooke, where the hell are you?” Jordan pops into the frame and I get a closer look at the seascape behind them. The blue sky. The sand. The sound of small waves crashing. Shit. I was supposed to meet them at the beach for pizza and wine.
“I…um…” I eye myself in the mirror, willing my reflection to provide a convincing excuse. “I can’t go out,” I say, and fake two coughs. “I’m sick.”
Jordan rolls her eyes.
“Very funny, B,” Maddie says. “Your hair is curled and you’re wearing makeup. Got a hot date or something?”
Yes, but I’m not ready to tell them that.
Caleb will be here any minute and I haven’t told them anything.
I’m not ready to tell them what will maybe—hopefully—happen tonight.
If I tell them, Jordan will uncharacteristically squeal for joy and want more details, which I do not have time for.
Maddie will drive right over and swear on her life to murder Caleb in his sleep if he so much as thinks about hurting me.
“Hot date? Me?” My attempt to be nonchalant is not convincing.
“Something came up with the Quincys and I have to run to an emergency meeting. It literally just came up when I was about to walk out the door, or I would have texted.” From my window, I see Caleb’s Wrangler pull into the driveway.
“Sorry to miss pizza and wine. Gotta go! Love you guys!” I hang up.
It’s not lying if I plan to tell them soon.
Somewhere Jordan can squeal without terrifying small children, and I can make sure Maddie has plenty of space for her emotions.
Maybe one of those rage rooms where they give you a baseball bat and protective goggles so you can smash shit to smithereens. Yes, that’s the perfect place.
I give myself one last glance in the mirror and shrug. This will have to do. My black work dress did the trick a few nights ago, maybe I don’t have to worry so much about everything going exactly to plan.
My phone buzzes twice, back-to-back.
Jordan: If you’re with who I think you’re with…have fun!
Maddie: You got some ‘splaining to do
“I know I’m not a professionally trained chef, or even a mediocre home cook…but I’m pretty sure Cacio e Pepe doesn’t have eggs in it.”
“It doesn’t,” Caleb says, standing over the stove.
“So why do you have eggs in here?”
Caleb places a kitchen utensil that I don’t know the name of on the blue Le Creuset spoon rest. With the carton of eggs in one hand, I’m on my tip toes trying to reach the bacon at the bottom of a green reusable Foley’s Market grocery bag.
Caleb moves behind me, gently grabbing my hips and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Breakfast, Brooke.” He kisses the nape of my neck.
I almost drop the bacon back into the bag at the touch of his lips on my skin.
“The eggs are for breakfast…” He turns me around and pulls me into his chest. “…tomorrow.” With the bacon and eggs in each hand, I wrap my arms around his neck and give him a playful smile.
“Oooh,” I say with a hint of sarcasm. “That’s a little presumptuous of you, chef.”
He raises a brow. “Is it?”
“Maybe. Depends on how good dinner is, I guess.”
Hands digging deliciously into my hips, Caleb lifts me onto the counter.
I squeal, eyes wide. His warm, calloused hand is on my neck, pulling my face to his.
He kisses me hard. Opening my mouth with his tongue.
I moan in return and draw him closer. Dinner is almost ready, but I’m ravenous for something else.
Without breaking the deep kiss, he takes the eggs and bacon from my hands and places them on the counter.
My hands now free, I claw my fingers through his soft, thick hair.
We’re all tongues and teeth. I keep him pulled close.
I can’t get enough of him. This need and hunger that’s been bubbling below the surface for so long is not going anywhere until it’s satiated.
Ding.
A timer for some part of our meal goes off.
Caleb pulls away slowly, dragging my bottom lip between his teeth. Ending that kiss is one of the crueler things he could do right now. My chest heaves. He’s quite literally taking my breath away. Caleb reaches to turn off the burner.
“Fuck dinner,” he breathes onto my neck. Thank god.
I wrap my legs around his waist. Resting his forehead on mine, he runs his hands under my dress from my knees up my thighs.
Goosebumps pebble my skin. He slows as he reaches the curve of my hips.
I run my hands through his hair again, and I stare into his honey brown eyes, pleading for more with heavy breaths.
He toys with the hem of my underwear and nuzzles my collarbone.
My breath hitches when he brushes a thumb over the damp fabric between my legs.
A proud chuckle rumbles from him. My head tips back against the cabinet as he places languid kisses up my neck then sucks lazily below my ear.
Heat pools in my core at every heightened sensation. The warmth of his body against mine. The pressure his fingers make against me. The taste of the IPA he’s been drinking in my mouth.
As soon as he walked in the door, I knew we wouldn’t make it to dinner.
With his nose, he pushes down the ruffled straps of my dress, peppering kisses along the way.
His thumb circles me through my underwear, over and over and over.
Teasing me so thoroughly. I need more. Now.
I grab his shoulders and grind against him.
His lips curl into a smirk. He doesn’t hesitate, pushing my underwear to the side, sliding a finger inside me.
I gasp at the relief of finally feeling that pressure, but it’s not enough.
“More,” I beg, moving against his hand. He kisses me forcefully and adds a second finger, working his fingertips in slow, measured movements back and forth inside me. This is what I so desperately need.
“Brooke,” he says, a question.
“Yes,” I pant.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Now?”
His fingers keep working in perfect rhythm. “Did you stop this from happening the other night so you could um…groom?”
I am going to have to explain an everything shower to him.
I can’t form words to answer. Not with the heat burning inside me.
Not with my cheeks flaming. “This is…nice,” he sighs, breath warm against my neck.
“But I need you to know that…nothing could ever stop me from touching you…from tasting you.”
A throaty moan escapes my lips. Words, Brooke. You have to say words. “I just wanted it to be perfect,” I say, breathlessly.
Caleb’s fingers still and he withdraws them. I feel empty. Before I can protest, he grabs my ass under my dress and lifts me off the counter. “Brooke,” he says, carrying me out of the kitchen and down the hall to my bedroom.
He puts me down in front of the standing mirror in my room. He turns me to face it and stands behind me. My dress is a wrinkled mess, straps pulled off my shoulders. My skin is blotchy and red from Caleb’s touch. I’m thoroughly disheveled.
“You.” He slowly pulls the hair off one side of my neck and kisses me in that spot below the ear. I lean into his touch.
“Are.” He fists the fabric at my waist with one hand and drags my dress to the floor. In the reflection of the mirror, his eyes darken when he finds me braless under the dress.
He groans deeply. “Fucking.” He cups my breasts from behind, thumbing my nipples.
“Perfect.” He drags one hand down my stomach and toys with my center. I lean my head back against his chest and close my eyes.
“Uh-uh,” he whispers in my ear, his voice thick. “Eyes open. Look at you.” We make eye contact in the mirror. I am stripped bare, and Caleb is fully clothed behind me. But I don’t feel exposed. Not with Caleb. I feel wanted, safe, comfortable.
He’s hard against my back. I reach my hand between us, feeling him over his jeans. The breath of his groan blowing more pleasure against my neck. The slow movements he makes bring me closer to the edge. My legs shake, I reach my free arm behind me, wrapping it around Caleb’s neck to steady myself.
“I’ve got you, Brooke,” he whispers, wrapping one arm around my middle, cupping my breast and teasing my pebbled nipple with light touches. He sucks on my neck and the burning inside me builds. Stronger and stronger. Until my legs are about to give out from under me.
“I’m…” I breathe, watching him touch me in the mirror.
“Beautiful,” he says, and release crashes over me. Waves of pleasure rolling through as my legs shudder, giving out completely. Caleb’s grip keeps me from falling. He caresses me through it, until I can stand on my own again.
I don’t have words, so I turn and kiss him feverishly.
We move to the bed and I melt into it, worn out from the pleasure.
I don’t know how much more my body can take.
Caleb reaches behind his back and pulls off his shirt with one hand.
God, that’s hot. And as I watch his toned, tanned torso—the man has abs for days—move as he unzips his jeans, I tell my body it will take whatever he gives it.
He kicks off the jeans, but not before grabbing a condom from the back pocket.
I swallow slowly as I take in his size under his navy boxer briefs.
He grins like the devil and crawls over me.
He holds his weight up with his forearms, but I grab the waistband of his boxers and pull him on to me.
“Brooke,” he brushes my lips. We’re chest to chest and it’s heaven. I move my hand between us to touch him.
“Uh-uh,” he says, flipping us effortlessly so I’m on top of him. I give him a questioning look. “Tonight’s all about you.”
“Is that what you want?” I ask.
Another devilish grin. “What I want is for you to take my boxers off and get on top of me.”
“Yes, chef,” I tease, and grab the condom from his hands. I shimmy down his body and release him from the boxers. Whoa. Boxers on the floor, I crawl over him, stopping to take him in my mouth.
“Christ,” he groans, and it makes me ache.
I’ve never had that urge to make someone come undone like he did to me.
Suddenly, it’s all I want to do. I swirl my tongue around his tip before taking him fully in my mouth again.
“Brooke, I’m trying so hard to make this last,” he says, pulling away and hooking a finger under my chin.
I’m the one with a devilish grin now. This isn’t like me. Watching myself come in the mirror. Needing to taste him. Taking the condom and rolling it on him now. But it all feels natural. Something about Caleb makes me release any inhibitions.
I straddle his thighs and grind myself against his length. It’s already earth-shattering and he’s not even inside me. Caleb takes one arm and rests it behind his head, looking like a goddamn Abercrombie model. The other grabs my hip and moves with me.
“Sorry,” I sigh. “This just feels so good.”
“Brooke, don’t you ever apologize for that. All I want is to make you feel good.”
If he makes me feel this good now, I can’t imagine what I’m in for.
I grab him and rise on my knees. His hands find my hips, nails digging in, and he lifts me. Slowly, I lower myself onto him, my breath catching as he fills every inch of me.
He rises to kiss me, grabbing my neck, hands in my hair. The shift drives him deeper. I didn’t think that was possible. I close my eyes and see stars.
Our lips crash, tongues tangling and sucking. It’s messy. It’s perfect. I rock in a steady rhythm, and he thrusts into me perfectly in time. He must do a thousand sit-ups a day.
With every beat, pleasure coils, my breath is tight and hot in my chest. He pulls my hair at the base of my neck, tilting my head back. His lips sucking below my ear. I never want this to end, but the tension aches for release.
He pulls away and I push his torso back on the bed.
“Fuck,” he moans.
I rest my hands on Caleb’s chest, and he uses his strength to thrust harder as I ride him.
Harder. Deeper. He brings a thumb to my throbbing clit, rubbing in time with movements until my muscles clench and contract around him, pulsing with the satisfaction of my climax.
As the pleasure rolls through me, Caleb’s fingers dig into my hips. He finds his release and moans my name.