by Nikki Ash
I’ve kicked Gloria out of my dad’s house and put it on the market and sold all of his vehicles, donating all the profits to the charity Bentley and I started. It is another jump up from the one he started to help pay for the MMA classes Cooper runs. We’re working together to build a sports complex next to the gym for kids to come to instead of going home alone. They will be able to participate in a variety of sports and have a safe place to go to instead of running the streets. We’re still in the planning stage but it’s going to be cool as hell once it’s done.
My next step is to deal with Gloria’s strip clubs since Gloria didn’t take Jason’s advice and has made it clear she is going to take me to court for ownership of the clubs. Turns out she owns two clubs, one of which is right here in Vegas on the strip. I’ve shut them both down for renovation with paid leave for all the employees while we go to court. I could have closed them down, but I felt bad leaving so many people without an income. Plus, I had Liz take a look at the books and my dad was right, they turn a nice profit. Until it gets sorted out, the court has put a freeze on all things club related. Because Jason was the attorney for the will I need to find a new attorney to represent me in court.
I have also been attending physical therapy with Kayla for my shoulder. I won’t be fighting in the upcoming UFC fight anymore, which sucks, but I do plan to fight again in the future. No longer needing the money definitely changes my outlook on life. I can see myself taking a step back from fighting for a bit. I have spent so many years focusing on my dream I didn’t realize how much I was missing from life. I’m enjoying my time with Marco and Hayley.
There’s been so many times I have wanted to take things further with Hayley, tell her how I feel, that I want more with her, but felt it was best to wait until I’m no longer handicapped. So today when the doctor took my cast off and put me in a removable walking boot jokingly saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day,” it hit me that today would be the perfect day to tell Hayley how I feel.
I tried to find a restaurant to take her to, but of course they were all booked for the holiday. I definitely didn’t think this through. Then as quick as this was all handed to me, it was taken away when she walked out of her room in a sexy-as-hell red dress and fuck-me heels. I almost came in my pants from just looking at her. The way the dress swoops down just low enough to show the outline of her amazing breasts, and how it’s formfitting enough to show her perfect curves that I want to grab ahold of in bed as I make love to her while she’s wearing nothing but those damn heels.
Then it hit me, she didn’t know I planned to take her out, which means the dress wasn’t for me. So who is it for? And like the devil himself heard my question, there was a knock on the door, and on the other side was my friend Alex. Shit! How the fuck did I not see this coming? I tried hard to think if Hayley had mentioned Alex before and I am pretty damn sure she hasn’t. Other than the one night I saw his text, he never got brought up again.
I wanted nothing more than to slam the door on his face, but Alex is a good guy, and he didn’t do anything wrong. If I’m being honest neither did Hayley, but she could have mentioned dating him during one of our nighttime conversations. Did she purposely keep this from me?
When she went to put the flowers in water I watched her fine ass sway to the kitchen and wanted to tie her up in my room and never let her out. Needing to know if my feelings for her were one-sided, I cornered her in the kitchen. I know she felt something for me before, but she hasn’t acted on those feelings in months. Maybe she no longer wanted me. But when I pressed my body up against hers I knew damn well she wanted me just as bad as I wanted her. And when she described Alex as nice, I knew I had her.
I’m not going to lie. I’m new to this dating shit. I have no idea what to do. I’ve had sex hundreds if not thousands of times over the years, every single time not by choice. I had a girlfriend once. I was thirteen and we went to the skating rink. I asked her to be my girlfriend, she said yes, we kissed on the lips a few times, wrote a couple notes back and forth, and a few months later I was taken out of school to watch my mom die.
Now I’m in my room while Hayley is on a date and I have no clue where to go from here. I know Kayla is probably on a date with Bentley, but fuck it, she’s the only person I can ask about all this.
“Hello?” she answers the phone on the second ring.
“Are you busy?”
“Caleb? What’s wrong?”
“Are you busy?” I ask again.
“No, Bentley and I are picking up the kids from his parents’ house. They were going to keep them overnight, but Faith is teething and is super-fussy, so we decided to call it a night after dinner. Everything okay?”
“Did you know Hayley is dating Alex?” My question comes out a lot harsher than I intended, but of course Kayla doesn’t miss a beat. It’s quiet and then I hear laughter over the phone.
“Yes, I know they’ve gone on a few dates, but I don’t think she is really into him.”
“I don’t know how to do this, Kayla.” We’ve had a few discussions since I opened up to Hayley. Kayla always knew something was up, but I confirmed her suspicions one day during physical therapy. She knows I haven’t been with anyone since my last night in Boulder when I fucked Norma before moving to Las Vegas.
“Well, I’m assuming you aren’t referring to not knowing how to have sex…” She laughs and tries to play it off with a cough successfully lightening my mood.
“I watched her leave with Alex on a date. Shit, Kayla. I didn’t think it was possible to feel so jealous of another man.”
“Well, you have to tell Hayley that, silly.”
“That’s it? Just tell her how I feel? What about the fact I’m living here still?”
“Hayley is a grown woman, Caleb. You both put Marco first. Just tell her how you feel and see where it goes. I have Marco for the night, so maybe tell her when she gets home from her date.”
“Okay…”
“And Caleb? You can’t hold it against her if she’s slept with Alex. She doesn’t know how you feel.”
Oh, fuck! I didn’t even think about the fact she’s probably slept with Alex. Would I hold it against her? No, I wouldn’t. But it still sucks thinking about the fact he has had his hands all over the body I should have claimed months ago.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I say before hanging up.
I consider texting Hayley there’s an emergency to get her to come home but decide against it. I’ll just wait until she gets home and speak to her then.
After about an hour I say fuck it! And shoot her a text.
Me: You should come home.
Hayley: Everything okay?
Is everything okay? Technically it is… but also technically it’s not because she’s out on a date with another guy. I don’t want to worry her, so I go for vague.
Me: Yeah, but we need to talk.
Hayley: About what?
Me: About the fact that I saw you calling out my name while fingering yourself in Boulder, yet you’re on a date with a guy who isn’t me.
Straight forward much? Yeah, but if I’m going to go in, I might as well go all the way in. I stare at my phone, waiting for a response that never comes.
Chapter Seventeen
Hayley
Alex and I are at dinner, and I should be focusing on him, but instead my attention is on Caleb… His lips touching my neck, my earlobe, and the way his body touching mine sent shocks of pleasure straight to my core. We’re finishing up our dessert when Caleb sends me a text telling me to come home because we need to talk. At first I was worried it might be something serious and then my curiosity got the best of me. When I asked him what we needed to talk about I didn’t expect the text he sent.
Luckily Alex was in the bathroom because having to explain the wine that shot out of my mouth and all over the table would have been awkward. I can’t believe Caleb saw me that night in the hotel room. My eyes were closed and thinking back I thought I heard something, but I was so caug
ht up in imagining it was Caleb getting me off I didn’t even think about it.
I don’t even know how to respond, so I put my phone away knowing I’m going to end things with Alex. I should have ended things sooner.
“Is everything okay?” Alex asks, sitting back down.
“Yes… No… I’m not really sure. Caleb needs to talk to me. I need to go home tonight. I’m sorry.” I leave out the part about him letting me know he watched me finger myself while calling out his name.
Alex’s look of disappointment solidifies my decision to end things tonight. I don’t want to lead him on.
“Alex, I have had a lot of fun with you, but I don’t think it’s going to work out.”
He gives me a small smile and nods. “Yeah, I kind of figured that when I picked you up tonight.”
I raise a brow in confusion.
“Hayley, I knew you had a thing for Caleb but I still took my chances. I saw the way you acted around him. It’s obvious something is going on between you two. And by the daggers he was shooting at me tonight, I would say it’s no longer one-sided.”
“I’m so sorry. I honestly don’t even know what’s going on.”
“It’s okay. You’re an amazing woman. I can’t blame the guy for wanting you.” He gives me a wink and it gives me a sense of relief things aren’t ending on a bad note.
Alex pays the bill and drops me off at home. As he walks me to the door like the perfect gentleman he is, I notice a car sitting a few houses down. It’s an expensive vehicle, and while this is a nice neighborhood, this car looks to be worth more than even the houses are worth. It clearly doesn’t belong here. I look closer and notice two dark shadows inside. This horrible feeling of being watched again comes over me, but I shake it off.
Alex gives me a small kiss on my cheek and says goodnight before walking back to his car. I wait until he takes off before I go to unlock the door. As I place my key up to the lock, the door swings open and I am met with Caleb’s beautiful blue-grey eyes glaring at me.
“You didn’t text me back,” he growls.
My eyebrows shoot up making it clear I am not okay with how he is speaking to me. He closes his eyes briefly and when he reopens them, his eyes have lightened a bit taking the grey away. He’s no longer towering over me, but has slouched a bit calming down.
I look back to make sure Alex is gone and notice the expensive car still sitting down the street. Maybe I should tell Caleb—it’s probably nothing but what if it’s something?
We’re both standing in the doorway with the door open but he moves over to let me inside the house. When I walk through and turn around to face him he’s right up against me. His mouth is so close to mine, it takes all my willpower not to reach up and kiss him. Then I remember about the car.
“Hey, without being obvious open the door back up and look down the street to the right. There’s a car sitting on the side of the road. I don’t think it belongs there.”
His eyes widen and he swings the door open. “I don’t see anything.”
I look outside to where the car was, only it’s gone. I know I wasn’t seeing things. “It was just there. It looked like two people were just sitting in the car. It gave me a bad feeling, like I was being watched.”
Caleb closes the door again. Grabbing my hand, walks us to the couch, and then gripping my sides, pulls me into his lap. I’m so shocked he’s not only touching me, but that he has pulled me on top of him, I’m having trouble speaking.
“Is this the first time you’ve felt like you were being watched?”
I think about it for a second and remember when I was at the gym recently and had the same feeling. “No, I felt it before but didn’t really think much about it. Do you think someone could be following me? Who would do that?”
“I found a note the day we came back from Boulder warning me to drop the charges. You need to be careful. Please don’t leave the gym by yourself. Have someone walk you out. Don’t be on your phone while walking to your car. Pay attention around you. Hector and Santos, the guys who were threatening Marco, are still out there, and remember how they threatened you before… insinuating they would accept you as payment. I’d hope they aren’t stupid enough to come around with the trial coming up and their friends all in the spotlight but you never know.” I didn’t even think about the fact that Hector and Santos weren’t the ones arrested because they weren’t there the night all that shit went down. Because the cops have nothing on them but Marco saying they sell drugs, they can’t arrest them. They need more evidence to build a stronger case against them.
“Okay, I’ll be careful,” I promise.
Suddenly feeling shy sitting on Caleb’s lap, I lift up to climb off him, but he grabs my hips to keep me in place. He doesn’t say anything for a good minute. He just rubs circles into my flesh with his thumbs while searching for something in my face, I don’t know what. I look down and notice when Caleb pulled me on top of him, my tight dress had nowhere to go but up and my panties are visible.
I try to get off Caleb once again to pull my dress down, but before I can, he glances down to see what I’m looking at and then licks his lips at the sight in front of him. This whole scene is so confusing. Caleb has never wanted me. Whether it was when we kissed once at the club or when it was just a small pat on his leg, he always made it clear I’m not who he wants. I know a lot of it has to do with what his stepmom did to him. He’s told me so himself that he needs to be in control, but over the last few months if he wanted me, he would have done something about it, right? Until today I thought Caleb didn’t view me as anything more than a good friend, but now his actions are telling me otherwise.
I need to just let him take the lead. If he needs to be in control I need to let him be. The thought of Caleb controlling me causes the area between my legs to clench.
He feels my thighs tighten and raises a brow. “You didn’t respond to my last text.”
Oh my God, he is actually going to bring that up. Okay, then. “What would you like me to say? Apparently you saw it all, so you know I was getting off while thinking about you.” My neck and face warms at my admission.
Caleb studies my face for a few seconds before he whispers, “I want you.” Those three words make me want to jump this man. They make me want to take his dick and put it in me and ride him, but I choose to stay silent only nodding once in case those three words are asking for permission. I need him to know he can have me.
Gripping my ass with his hands, he picks me up. My ankles link together around his waist and he walks us to my bedroom never taking his eyes off me. He lays me on the bed and steps back, bringing his hands to his face. He scrubs his hands up and down his stubble… out of confusion? Frustration? I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going on in his head.
“I have no clue what to do with you,” he finally says. I’m not sure what he means by this. He’s told me he’s had sex with hundreds of women, surely he knows what to do.
“Do you like it soft or rough? How do you want it? Do you like it missionary or from behind? Fuck! I’m going to mess this up.” I see the frustration in his eyes. It’s never been in his control. He’s always been told exactly what to do. He doesn’t know what to do if someone isn’t telling him, yet he needs this to be in his control. My heart breaks for this grown man who looks completely lost.
I sit up and pat the bed next to me, giving him a small smile. He crawls up the bed and lies next to me, so we’re both lying on our sides facing each other. “I want it however you want to give it to me. We don’t have to have sex tonight. Let’s just take it slow. You lead and I’ll follow.”
He nods slowly and swallows loudly. Taking my face in his hands, he brings his body closer to mine so we’re lined up against one another just barely touching, and then brings his lips to mine for a small kiss. He doesn’t take it any further, leaving his lips on mine, and I let him figure out what happens next. This is definitely a test to my restraint.
After pulling back, he drags his
thumb across my bottom lip and smiles. “That’s the first kiss I have had willingly since I was thirteen.” My heart cracks, but I keep myself composed. I remind myself he doesn’t need my pity.
He brushes his lips against one once again, only this time his tongue pushes against my lips seeking entrance. I part my lips slightly, welcoming him. My one hand is propping my head up and my other is holding the sheet to remind myself not to jump him.
Our kiss deepens, and it feels like it goes on for hours. His tongue entwines with mine. He tastes like the mint toothpaste I always see on his bathroom sink mixed with Patron. He must have had a drink while I was out. I think back to my date. It seems like it ended days ago, yet it couldn’t have been more than an hour ago. At some point Caleb’s hand moves from my face to my ass, and he tugs me toward him. We’re close enough that I can feel his hard length pressing up against me. I don’t make any move except continue to kiss him back, and he is an amazing kisser.
Caleb’s lips break apart from mine and then he rolls me to my back hovering over me. He looks lost in thought for a moment, almost like he’s in pain, but then he seems to snap out of it, coming back to me. My lips feel numb from the excessive kissing we’ve been doing. His hands are resting on either side of my face, as he peppers small, wet kisses all over my face, on both my cheeks, on each of my eyelids, my nose, and my chin. Then he moves to my neck, kisses the same throbbing pulse point he did earlier tonight in the kitchen.
“I love the way you taste,” he whispers into my ear causing my legs to tighten. Because he’s situated between my thighs, he feels them tighten and chuckles softly. He goes back to kissing my neck, and then kisses my exposed collarbone and shoulder. I’m so turned on, I’m afraid I’m going to combust.
I think he’s going to go to my breasts next, but he doesn’t. He bypasses them altogether and goes straight to my feet. On his way down, he sees my dress back over my waist, so he pulls it back down over my panties. He takes each of my heels off, throwing them to the ground and then kisses my big toe. I want to pull it back out of embarrassment, but I don’t. I remind myself he needs to be in control.