~
Calvin waited for her in his room, stretched out on the bed with his arms behind his neck. He looked up to see Caledonia framed in the doorway, clad only in his oversized shirt. She was flushed pink, soft and warm from the shower, damp hair coiling around her face. His breath hitched in his throat.
“Do you have a washing machine?” she asked. “I really need to clean my clothes.”
He nodded, his mouth suddenly dry.
She held up her raw elbows. “Do you still have those bandages?”
“I thought you said you were okay!” he cried, sitting up in dismay.
She smiled. “It’s no big deal.”
Caledonia sat on the edge of the bed, waiting as he left and returned with the bandages. He carefully applied them, his handsome face serious, black coffee eyes filled with tenderness and concern. She watched him, overcome by his expression.
“I love you,” she finally said, with absolute certainty.
He put the box down and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips. She responded, surprising him by threading her arms around his neck and melting into his lean, hard frame. He couldn’t resist taking her in his arms and laying her back on the bed, his hand behind her head. He lowered himself down onto her carefully, kissing her again as she let her palms glide slowly over his back. She could feel his muscles knotted with restraint as he hovered over her.
“I love you … I love you … I love you,” he groaned, pouring out his feelings into her ears between kisses. He couldn’t believe how good it felt to say it out loud, and she could see the colors of his aura strengthen and deepen each time he spoke.
“I love your eyes,” he said, kissing each one of her lids. She writhed underneath him, getting to know the way his hard muscled body felt pressed against hers.
“I love your hair.” He brushed it back from her face to kiss her again, making her sigh into his mouth. Their passionate colors rose and blended, and she matched him kiss for kiss, never wanting him to stop.
She felt suspended, tension coiling in her belly as he stroked her body with a confident touch that made her tremble. She kissed his neck, brushing her smooth cheek against his rasping stubble, discovering a sensitive spot at the base of his throat that made him shudder.
Despite her inexperience, she was pleased that her touch could get such a strong reaction, and she wanted more. She gripped the bunched muscles in his back, her body rising to meet his, pushing him past the limits of his restraint. He sat up and removed his shirt in one sweeping motion, taking hers off next and descending upon her again, his chest brushing against hers.
A surprised gasp escaped her lips at the skin to skin contact and he froze. “Are you okay?”
She answered him with a kiss, and soon they were both completely swept away, bodies entwined. He was overwhelmed by the sensation, the scent of her hair, and the silken softness of her skin.
He lifted a shaking hand to smooth back her tousled curls. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, catching her breath. “Completely.”
The Athena Effect Page 39