35. Bailey
CHAPTER 35
Bailey
C harlie and I spend the next two days as low key days at home while Caleb worked. Finn has been attached to my side the whole time, like he can tell that the emotions of the last few days completely wrecked me.
For New Year’s, we have plans to go over to Josh and Liv’s for the night. I’m not sure Charlie will make it to midnight, but Liv assured me she can always crash in one of the rooms at their place, and Caleb and I can too if we need.
Caleb works during the day but is home in time to shower before we head over there. Charlie is super excited as she bounces in her booster seat while Caleb buckles her in. When we arrive at Josh and Olivia’s place, Liv pulls me into a big hug before doing the same with Charlie. Charlie runs over to a corner where I see toys set up for her. Liv really has gone all out to ensure we feel welcome in her home and their lives.
As we enter the living room, I see the snacks Liv has spread out over their coffee table. There’s even more in the dining room.
“Are you feeding an army tonight?” I ask her as Josh comes and wraps an arm around her middle, kissing her temple. Her body relaxes into his as he holds her. Mine does the same as Caleb comes behind me, mirroring the same position. For years I’ve missed the simple affectionate touches of a man, and to have that with Caleb now means the world to me.
“My cravings have been all over the place, and I know these boys can eat me out of house and home, so I figured I’d have lots of options,” she says with a laugh.
“I remember the crazy cravings. When I was in my third trimester, I was obsessed with Blizzards.”
Olivia’s eyes twinkle as she stares at me for a second. A smile stretches across her face ear to ear as she asks, “Do you want more kids?”
Caleb’s hand moves and settles on my stomach as he leans down and kisses my temple again. The question doesn’t throw me the way it did when Sarah asked.
“Yeah, I’d like another.”
“Maybe a few,” Caleb says.
I look over my shoulder, holding eye contact with him as he smiles down at me. He’s all in, and it makes me melt for him even more. I never thought I’d feel this safe and content with a man again after Derek, but Caleb has proven to me that you can trust and rely on people. That not everyone is putting on a facade to gain things from you.
“They’d be gorgeous kids,” Olivia pipes in.
“Whose kids would be gorgeous?” Hannah asks as she joins our little huddle.
“Caleb and Bailey’s.”
“Oh, yes, they would. Those kids will grow up to be heartbreakers for sure. When are you getting started on that?” Hannah asks with a hip bump.
My jaw drops as I stare at her.
She reaches forward and, using two fingers, pushes my jaw back up. “Oh, babe, you can’t be that surprised,” she says, amusement filling her expression.
“We haven’t even been together that long. We are just settling into a life together. I think throwing a kid right into the middle of that is a little pre-mature,” I say.
Hannah’s eyes move from me, up and over my shoulder, to Caleb. “Caleb, when do you want kids?”
Hannah really has embraced the shit disturber role in this group.
Caleb’s grip on me tightens. “When Bailey’s ready. For now, we have a beautiful little girl.”
I physically melt further into him, which I didn’t think was possible.
“What did you do to him?” Grayson asks from beside me, and I jump a little, not realizing he’d joined us.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You have turned Mr. Hard-and-Doesn’t-Talk-About-His-Feelings, into”—he reaches out and moves his hand up and down in front of Caleb—“this.”
I look up at Caleb again and I’m not sure what he could possibly mean. The entire time I’ve been with Caleb, he has been completely emotionally available to not only me, but Charlie too. He has helped me process feelings I didn’t know I had buried deep down and come out the other side. He’s held me while I’ve cried. He’s listened to and communicated with Charlie in difficult emotional situations and shared deep traumas with me.
“And now you’re going gooey.” I can hear the eye roll in Grayson’s voice.
“When you find someone to love, you’ll go gooey too,” I say, my eyes never leaving Caleb.
He leans down until his lips hover over mine. “I love you, Bailey Emerson.” His breath dusts across my lips with his whispered words just before he kisses me.
“I never thought Caleb would be the soft kind,” Grayson says, and we break the kiss.
I turn in Caleb’s arms and face the group again.
“I think that’s because you lack emotional maturity,” Hannah says.
“Just wait, he’ll find a woman who brings him to his knees,” Caleb says, and I feel the chuckle that leaves him reverberate through my body.
Lifting his beer to his lips, Grayson shakes his head. “Nope, not going to happen.”
Thoughtfulness fills Olivia’s eyes as she looks at Grayson. “Why?” she asks in a soft voice.
The tension that fills Grayson’s shoulders fills the room too. A hardness fills his eyes as he looks at us. Every interaction I’ve had with Grayson so far, he’s been super laid back, always laughing and poking fun at his friends. This look in his eyes is one I haven’t seen before. The hardness carries a sense of detachment.
His voice is void of any emotion as he says, “I learned my lesson a long time ago.”
Confusion fills Josh’s face, and Caleb says, “Never say never.”
Grayson looks at Liv and asks, “Where are your brother and Zoey? I thought they’d be here by now.”
Reaching for Josh’s wrist that rests on her pregnant belly, she turns it and reads his watch. “I’m not sure. I thought they’d be here too.”
The front door opens, and in walk Matt and Zoey, both with flushed cheeks. Zoey seems a little out of breath as everyone stands watching them. She releases a breath, trying to blow the stray strands of hair that fell in front of her face out of the way.
“Hey,” Matt says with a smirk.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the large smile that overtakes Olivia’s face.
“Hey,” she says. “What were you two up to?”
“Nothing,” Zoey says as her ch eeks turn bright pink.
Matt chuckles. “Oh, when she says nothing, she means I just caught her basically dry humping some guy outside your building.”
“Zoey!” Olivia exclaims.
Zoey punches Matt in the arm. “I told you to keep your mouth shut,” she hisses at him.
“Oh, Zo, you really think I wasn’t going to watch the look on my little sister’s face when I told her?”
A saccharine smile overtakes Zoey’s face as she bats her lashes up at him. “Just remember, as her best friend and someone who grew up around you, I know all the best stories. And I also know where she keeps those ‘in case of emergencies’ photos she has of you.”
He leans down and whispers something in her ear. The blush that was only in her cheeks has now covered her entire face and spread down her neck and chest. He pulls away, smirking at her before making his way over to us. He claps Josh on the shoulder and hugs his sister before moving to the food and making himself a plate.
We all disburse and make plates or join conversations as we wait for midnight. Caleb makes Charlie a plate, and she clings to him throughout the night. She’s either sitting right beside him with a toy in hand or in his lap.
“She really loves him,” Hannah says as she sits beside me, watching Caleb and Charlie.
“Yeah, we both do.”
She nudges my shoulder with hers. “See, I told you to go for it.”
Everyone was supportive of a relationship between Caleb and me, but I think Hannah was the one that pushed it the most, telling me it was the twenty-first century and just make a move myself.
“You were right,” I say.
She grins. “I know. I usually am .”
I watch as her eyes drift to Grayson and her look changes to one of deep concentration, like she’s trying to solve some deep puzzle. Then anger takes over her expression as she shakes her head.
I notice Charlie has fallen asleep in Caleb’s arms, so I get up and make my way over to them so I can move her into one of the spare rooms. I reach for her, but his arms tighten around her.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“I was going to take her to a spare room.”
He shakes his head. “I’ve got her.”
“Caleb, you don’t have to hold her for the entire night.”
“Baby, I missed five years of her life. I missed five years of getting to hold her. I’m not missing anymore.” His words have me melting and sitting beside him.
“How are you so perfect?” I whisper.
He turns to face me. “I’m not perfect. I’ve just realized that I have everything I could ever need in the two of you, and I’m never going to take that for granted. I’m going to soak it all in for as long as you’ll have me.”
I pinch my thigh, and when the sting registers, I smile.
“This is real,” he says on a laugh.
I settle into his side, and we join back into the conversation around us. As the time hits 11:55 p.m., Caleb gently wakes Charlie.
“Little Bear, it’s almost midnight.”
She yawns and burrows into his chest as she rubs her eyes.
He slowly runs his hand up and down her back. “Little Bear, time to wake up.”
Her eyes crack open, and she looks up at him. The smile that over takes his face is blinding. How this man found Charlie and I, I will never know, but I will spend the rest of my life eternally grateful.
We all stand, and Caleb holds Char lie as we watch the the start of the fireworks at the Space Needle and prepare for the countdown. As the countdown appears in the bottom corner of the screen, we all start shouting the numbers. With each number, Caleb bounces Charlie, and she giggles. As zero comes and the clock strikes midnight, we all shout, “Happy New Year!”
Caleb’s lips immediately find mine as he kisses me deeply. When he breaks the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine and whispers, “Happy New Year, baby.”
“Happy New Year, Caleb.”
He kisses my forehead and then plasters kisses on Charlie’s cheeks and forehead, making her giggle. “Happy New Year, Little Bear.”
“Happy New Year, Daddy.”
We stand there with Caleb’s arms wrapped around both Charlie and me. The three of us are our own little family.
We say our goodbyes and gather our things so we can get Charlie home and tucked into bed. She starts school again on Tuesday, and I know I need to get her back onto her school sleep schedule. When we get home, Caleb carries her upstairs, and she climbs up her ladder and into her bed. Once she’s settled, he grabs my hand and leads me into our bedroom. He stops us at the foot of the bed and then turns to face me. Lust fills his eyes as they travel up and down my body.
He leans down until his lips are right beside my ear. No part of his body is touching mine, but the heat radiating from him and the feel of his breath skating over my ear have me wet already.
“I’m going to slowly make love to you Bailey. And then once you’ve come calling my name, I’m going to fuck you. I’m going to have you feeling me for the rest of the week. I want you to remember just how real you and I are.”
My knees almost buckle. He reaches for the hem of my shirt and slowly drags it up my body before tossing it in the hamp er outside the closet. His finger slowly and softly drags over my exposed skin, starting at the tops of my breasts before jumping down to my stomach. Goosebumps erupt over every inch of my skin.
I want more. I need more.
I reach for him, but he takes a step back.
“No, Bailey. I plan to take my time with you.”
I groan, and he chuckles. His finger resumes its movement over my bare stomach until it reaches the waistband of my jeans. He deftly undoes the button and zipper before pulling them down my legs and falling to his knees in front of me. He presses his face into the fabric of my panties, and I feel his deep inhale almost as much as I hear it. He nips me through the fabric as he growls, “Mine.”
That one word has me fucking soaked. His eyes find mine as he looks up my body while still on his knees.
“You like that, Bailey? You like being told that you’re mine? That no other man will ever touch you, or make you come like I do?”
I nod, unable to speak. I want to collapse to the floor and let this man do unspeakable things to my body. He is the only man who has ever had me this turned on. I have never craved sex the way I do with him.
His fingers find the waistband of my panties, and he pulls them down my legs slowly. He stands and reaches behind me as his fingers undo my bra. He pulls the bra off and drops it to the ground, taking a step back.
“Perfect,” he says.
My skin heats as the blush spreads across it. No one’s ever complimented me the way that Caleb does. My arms go to wrap around my stomach instinctively, but when I see the hardened look in his eyes, I keep them at my sides.
With a quick step forward, he drops to his knees in front of me again and kisses across my stomach. “Bailey, I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. How much I love your soul. Your brain. Your heart. Your body. You brought the most wonderful little girl into this world, and I hope that one day, hopefully soon, you’ll bring another little one into this world. Don’t hide your beauty from me.”
I nod, and he smiles. “Good, and now I plan to feast.”
His head moves to my centre, and my hips buck as he tastes me. My hand grips his hair for stability. I think he moans more than I do. My body tightens as I feel myself building. I’m close. I try to push his head away, but he grips my hips and holds me tight. He becomes more persistent as his tongue moves faster and his fingers join in his effort.
I come with his name on my lips as the tightness in my body fades. Caleb continues to work every last bit of my orgasm from my body until I’m nothing but limp limbs.
He slowly stands to his full height, his arms wrapping just under my ass as he takes me with him. He moves us until the back of my legs hit the edge of the bed. He tosses me onto the bed, and I giggle as I bounce. He grins at me as he reaches behind his head with one hand and pulls his shirt off in one swift movement.
I hungrily eat up the sight of him. My eyes take in each cut of muscle on his chest. He quickly undoes the button and zipper of his jeans, pushing them down with his boxer briefs. I watch as his erection pops free, licking my lips at the sight of it.
He groans. “Woman, you are going to be the death of me.”
Stepping out of his jeans, he climbs onto the bed. I spread my legs, giving him ample space. His eyes are full of heat as he slowly climbs between them until we’re eye to eye.
He holds my gaze saying, “I love you.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me, kissing him as I hook my legs around his waist. His hand comes to my hair and he fists it then positions himself at my entrance. With one swift thrust, he’s fully seated inside me. A guttural groan leaves me, and he absorbs it with the kiss.
He takes his time with each movement of his hips. His lips trail across my skin, licking and nipping, and I feel like I’m in heaven. He finds every spot that elicits a reaction from me. He continues to learn every inch of my body each time we have sex. He will be the only man to know every inch of me. To know what gets me going and what completely turns me off. The knowledge that Caleb enjoys learning with his lips, his fingers, and his eyes has me falling over the edge again.
I bite my hand as an all-consuming orgasm rips me to shreds. My heart continues to beat out of my chest as I come down from the high.
“Fuck,” Caleb groans into my neck. “You’re so fucking perfect. So fucking mine,” he growls as he gives into his release. He holds me tight as his hips buck erratically.
He pulls out of me and rolls over, pulling me with him.
I move to straddle him and kiss every inch of his stomach. “You are amazing,” I whisper against his skin before moving up to his chest. “And special.” I continue to kiss across his chest. “Cherished.” I move up to his neck. “Loved.” I kiss across his throat. “Wanted.” I move up the side of his face to beside his ear. “Needed.” I kiss his forehead. “Strong.” I move across and down to his other cheek. “Kind.” My lips drag across to his other ear. “Smart.” My lips find his. “Desired.”
He kisses me deeply. My entire body melts into his as I lie on his chest kissing him. When I break the kiss, we’re both breathless.
“What was that for?” he asks.
“You’re always making sure I know you’re in this for the long haul. That you want me. I need you to know that I feel the same. That I want to be with you. That I love you.”
I watch as his gaze softens while he looks into my eyes.
“Thank you,” he whispers.
He holds me, and I feel him harden between my legs. I push up so I’m sitting. I grin as I lift myself and position him at my entrance before slowly sinking down. I relish the feeling of him stretching me. His hands immediately find my hips. Once we’re hip to hip, he rolls us, and a small shriek escapes me.
He grabs my right leg and pushes it up to my chest. “I told you I was going to fuck you,” he says, a smirk pulling at his lips.
He adjusts the position of my leg, allowing him to hit that sensitive spot deep inside me. My eyes roll to the back of my head as he continues in hard, slow thrusts, dragging the head of his cock over that spot each time. He releases my leg and grabs two pillows, positioning them under my ass.
Once I’m settled, his hand finds my throat as he continues to fuck me. I grip his arm, not wanting him to remove it, but needing something to hold on to so I can stay grounded. He holds my eyes as his hips thrust into me in a punishing rhythm. I tighten around him as my orgasm builds again. His free hand comes and slaps against my clit, sending sparks through my entire body. My back arches off the bed as I allow the sensation to take over me. He does it again, and this time it sends me over the edge, and he falls with me.
Falling with him is such a blissful feeling. That we trust each other so fully to give ourselves to one another completely is freeing.
I n the morning, I wake to an empty bed, but with a note on the nightstand .
Good Morning, Baby.
I had to go into work this morning. There is coffee in the coffeepot, and I’ll be home for dinner.
Love you,
Caleb
I grin at the note and hold it close to my chest. Derek never would have been thoughtful enough to leave me a note if he left before me. I fold the note in half and tuck into the bedside drawer before grabbing my robe and securing it around my waist. Phone in hand, I make my way downstairs. I pour myself a cup of coffee. It’s not as hot as I’d like, so I pop it into the microwave and text Caleb.
Bailey: Thank you for the coffee. You good with BLT’s for dinner?
Caleb: You’re welcome. I’m good with whatever you want.
I grin at my phone.
Bailey: BLT’s it is.
Caleb: Ok, let me know if I need to grab anything from the store on my way home.
Charlie and I go to the park during the day. When Caleb comes home, we eat dinner together as a family and finish our night with a movie before bed.