Caleb tugged on her, drawing her lower to his face, and worked his tongue between the slick folds and deeper into her center.
She’s soaking wet. His groin tightened in response.
He dug his fingers into her soft flesh and began lapping gently from back to front. He paused a moment to torture her by wiggling his tongue on her clit, enjoying how it made Syd’s entire body quake.
“God, I missed you,” he breathed against her, driving his tongue inside once more. He unhooked one of his hands from her and slid it up her abdomen and between her breasts, coming to rest on her throat, and with his thumb, he gently stroked the hollow.
Syd gripped the hand at her neck firmly, squeezing it and moaning softly, while she threaded the fingers of her other hand into his hair, gripping tight. Her hips rocked in time with his tongue and in moments she cried out, her whole body shuddering and contracting around him again and again.
When she was done, her knees gave out and Caleb quickly wrapped his arms around her and gently brought her to the ground beneath him. She stared at him, her green eyes cloudy in the dim light that filtered in from the street, and she smiled.
“Hi,” she breathed, the word shaky.
“Hey, baby,” he whispered back, using his hand to wipe the excess moisture from his chin. He leaned in and kissed her, lightly tugging on her lower lip with his teeth.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, gazing up at him in wonder.
“You said you needed me.”
She shook her head. “I never said that. I said I missed you.”
“You didn’t say the words, Syd. But it was there in your voice. It’s been there the past few weeks.”
She sighed and grabbed him, reeling him in for another kiss. “How do you know me so well?”
“Because I’m the best boyfriend ever.” Those weren’t exactly the words he longed to say, but they would do. Hell, he had trouble admitting to himself he was falling hard, but saying the words to her was something different altogether. He needed to get his head on straight first.
A shadow of emotion crossed her features and she furrowed her brow. “That you are, CJ,” she said slowly. “Please don’t misinterpret, I am glad you’re here, but how? How did you get here so fast?”
He nuzzled her chin while he spoke. “Do you remember last weekend, when you called me early in the morning to tell me you missed me?”
“Uh-huh.” She tipped her head back, silently urging his mouth to move to her neck.
He was more than happy to accommodate.
“Well,” he continued between nibbles, “I was so terrified that something was wrong, and I realized how it would take me somewhere around ten or eleven hours just to get to you. That was unacceptable.”
She propped herself up on her elbows and pushed him away. “Unacceptable?” she repeated quietly.
He smiled softly. “Darlin’, if something was wrong, if you needed me, I needed to get to you quicker than that. So I told PJ if he was looking for me I’d be at my place in California.”
Her eyes widened. “You were in California?”
Caleb sat back on his knees and traced his fingertips lightly along her jaw, down her neck and between her breasts, finally resting on her abdomen. “Sydney,” he whispered. “I’d do anything for you.”
Her eyes shimmered and she sat up on her knees, her left thigh pressing the seemingly ever-present bulge between his legs. She grabbed and kissed him. “Anything?” she teased.
“Anything, darlin’.”
“Then take me upstairs.”
Caleb growled in the back of his throat and got to his feet, bringing her up with him and carrying her to the stairs. She looped her arms around his neck and began lavishing any skin she found with smooches while he carefully navigated the steps in the dark.
“Happy to see me?” he asked jokingly.
“More than you know,” she answered, kissing his cheek between words for emphasis.
In her room, Caleb plopped Syd on her bed and sat beside her. There was a startled yelp followed by rustling blankets, and Puff popped out from under the comforter, an accusatory glare in her eyes. She huffed at Caleb and let loose a soft growl.
Sydney burst into a fit of giggles as Caleb tried to make amends with the nearly squashed Pomeranian.
“I’m sorry, Puff,” he said reaching a hand out to scratch her behind the ears. She pulled away from him at first and he continued, “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Black eyes never leaving his, she stretched her neck forward and warily sniffed his outstretched hand. Deciding he was acceptable, she took a couple of steps toward him, climbed onto his lap and curled into a ball, preparing to go back to sleep.
Caleb was grinning like an idiot, but gaining the defensive animal’s approval actually meant a lot to him.
“Okay, Puffy, go downstairs. Mommy needs some alone time with CJ,” she said, shrugging off the open robe.
Puff licked him, hopped off the bed and trotted out into the hall. Caleb stood and closed the door behind her. He turned back to Syd and smiled. “She likes me.”
“So do I,” Syd smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Really?”
“Come here,” she whispered, getting to her knees and crawling to the edge of the bed. She reached out and hooked her fingers into the waist of his jeans, pulling him against her. “Let me prove it.”
He raised an eyebrow and ran his fingers through her hair. “Prove away, babe.”
She met his eyes and ran her tongue across her lips.
Such a small thing, but it made him thirst for her.
She reached up and slowly began unbuttoning his white shirt. She pulled it out of his jeans and spread the shirt to either side of his torso. Her pale green eyes locked on his. She feathered her fingers down his chest, tracing the planes and ridges of muscle. She carefully peeled the shirt away from his body and raked her nails over his back, raising goosebumps.
“You know,” she said, her voice soft as she unbuckled his belt. “There’s been something”—she paused as she unzipped his jeans—“that I’ve been dying to do to you.”
In one fluid motion, she tugged his pants and underwear to the ground and he sprang free. She took his length in her hand as she slid off the bed and sank to her knees in front of him.
In an instant Caleb figured out what was about to happen, and he groaned, “Oh God.”
“Finally,” she breathed, wrapping her fingers around the base of his cock and taking him into her mouth.
It was as if every nerve, every cell, was charged.
She pulled away and took him back in again, this time slower, inch by agonizing inch. Her grip remaining firm, she pumped him steadily, swirling her tongue around the tip all the while. Caleb threaded his fingers into her silken black hair and held on, drawing in shallow breaths.
Syd moaned and the gentle vibrations of it all around his length made him shudder with delight. She continued her tender manipulation of him and he tossed his head back, closing his eyes tight, trying to fight the almost desperate urge to release, wanting to prolong the sensation. Caleb let go of her hair and reached down to caress her cheeks as she drew him deeper into her throat.
In the end, he lost the battle, and with her steadily moving her head and hand in time with each other, he let loose a guttural cry, spilling into her. She kept going, not breaking rhythm until his body stopped quaking above her.
She pulled away and sat back on her haunches. Syd gazed up at him and, smiling softly, licked her lips. “Delicious.”
He drew in a long breath. “Sydney, you’re pure evil.”
She shrugged and grinned. “But you like me anyhow.”
“Yes, darlin’. Yes, I do. You have no idea how much.” He helped her to her feet and, once upright, he wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her in to a hug.
She buried her head in his chest and sighed. “I missed you, Caleb. I really, really missed you.”
“I’m her
e now, baby,” he replied, moving her raven locks away from her neck and inhaling her scent. She slumped slightly in his arms. “You have plans tomorrow and lots going on during the week, I get that. I’m heading back to California late morning.”
She squeezed him tighter and trembled in his arms.
“Darlin’, are you crying?”
She sniffled. “I’m sorry.”
He put one hand on the back of her head, pressing her into him. “Why are you crying, Syd?”
“Uch!” She pulled away and rubbed at her eyes with her palms. “No reason in particular, CJ. I’m really stressed out about work, and about my father, and just everything. Then there’s the fact that because of everything going on in my life, I feel like I’m ignoring you, and because of that I’m going to lose you, or that I shouldn’t even be with you because it’s not fair to you,” she rambled. “And then I wonder if you’re going to get sick of me and—”
Caleb brought his mouth down hard upon hers. He kissed her roughly, desperately needing her to believe that there was no chance in hell he’d ever tire of her.
He cupped her cheek. “Syd,” he murmured. “You’re not going to lose me, and I’m certainly not going to get sick of you. It’s actually quite the opposite. I can’t get enough of you, darlin’, and I’m not sure I ever will.”
She gazed up at him, her olive eyes unreadable. She gently stroked his cheek. “I… I worry, I guess. You’re just so damn perfect, CJ. It scares me. You scare me. We scare me.”
Caleb sat on the bed, took her hand, and pulled her down to sit on his lap. He cradled her against him, running his fingers lightly up one satiny leg. “Listen, we’ll work this out, Syd. You’re busy—so am I—and it doesn’t help that we live in different countries. But even if we can make it so that we visit each other one day every two weeks, I’ll take it, so long as I get to talk to you every day, if only to say goodnight.”
Uncertainty creased her brow. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
He nodded and kissed her forehead. “I came tonight, even though I have to get back on a plane and leave you in a couple hours, didn’t I? I’ll take what I can get.”
But was he really okay with it? What kind of relationship was he setting himself up for, only seeing the woman he was courting every so often?
“It might be a couple weeks till I can see you again,” she said, her voice filled with remorse.
He admitted that it stung, the thought of her being too busy for him, but he meant it when he said that he wanted to make it work. “That’s okay, darlin’.” His hand moved up her thigh to her hip. “We’re together now. What do you say we make the most of the next few hours?”
“Mr. Jones, that’s a brilliant idea.”
He pulled her onto the mattress and reached over to turn off the light, the soft smile on her lips as he climbed atop her the last thing he saw before they were plunged into darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Okay, sis, spill it. What’s got you in such a great mood?” Theo asked, raising his eyebrows. He leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the table, dark eyes sparkling as he waited impatiently for her answer.
Syd shrugged and popped a piece of French toast in her mouth, trying not to smirk.
“Syd, come on! You’re not being fair!” he protested, crumpling up a napkin and throwing it at her.
“Not being fair about what?” her father said, walking toward the small white kitchen table. He set down his plate and sat with them. “What aren’t you being fair about, Nikki?”
She took a sip of her orange juice and waved her hand in the air. “Nothing, Papa. Theo’s wondering why I’m in a good mood. Like I’ve never been in a good mood before.” She rolled her eyes and tossed the napkin back at her brother.
“Well, Theo has a point, Nikki,” her father said, wagging his fork at her. “This whole situation has been stressful, but even so, you haven’t been acting yourself lately.”
“Yeah, well, when you figure out what ‘acting like myself’ means given said situation—you let me know.” She pushed her plate away from her, appetite suddenly lost.
“So much for the good mood,” Theo muttered, chomping on a piece of watermelon and chewing enthusiastically.
“Nikki, we talked about this already, I don’t know what else to say anymore. What you’re doing is hard, more than hard. It only goes to show how good your mother raised you, and what a big heart you have. But I told you before, you don’t have to marry him. We can find another way. I can go back to Greece and defend myself. Mistakes of my past should not be the mistake of your future.”
“Yeah,” Theo growled, tossing the watermelon rind into the sink. “And when we go to Greece I’ll show that Bacchus fucktard what it means to mess with my family.”
“Theo!” Sydney and her father cried out in unison.
“Don’t say such things, Theo! These are dangerous men!” their father yelled.
“You promised you’d stop with those thoughts!” Sydney chastised.
Taken aback by their strong reactions, Theo hung his head and muttered, “Sorry.”
Their father turned his attention back to Sydney and he took her hand in his. “I won’t be on this earth forever, Nikki. I don’t want you to be unhappy because of all this. It’s not worth it. I love you too much.”
Overwhelmed, she tore her hand from her father’s. “Papa, please. Not now,” Syd begged, rubbing at her face. “I’m trying to be happy, I’m trying to be positive. Just leave me be.”
Theo nodded toward her plate. “Hey, you done with that?”
She shoved it toward him. “Knock yourself out.” She stood and made her way out of the French doors and into the garden, walking a few yards before turning out of sight of her father’s prying eyes.
Alone with her thoughts, Syd tipped her head to the warmth of the sun. Caleb had left less than two hours ago and already she wanted to book a flight to California to be with him. They’d made love twice more during the night, finally collapsing into a contented sleep in each other’s arms. When they’d woken up they’d sat on the bed and talked and joked and played with Puff, until finally he had to force himself to leave for the airport. He’d given her one last kiss and pressed his cheek to her forehead while hugging her tightly, then he was gone.
Gone.
And all I really want is for him to stay.
Sydney sighed sadly. She had been happy when she’d first gotten here, the high of being with Caleb still coursing through her. She’d wanted to share her happiness with her father and brother, but when they’d started questioning her on her ‘good mood’, reality had come crumbling all around her, crushing her lifted spirits.
Come next spring, she was going to be married. She was going to become Mrs. Brett Hudson.
“Gross,” she muttered, sticking her tongue out in distaste.
“What’s gross?”
Syd turned around to find Theo standing behind her, head cocked slightly to the side, a confused expression on his handsome face. She gave him a small smile. “Everything. Everything’s gross.”
He gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “Even the French toast? But I made it!” he cried in mock indignation.
“Anything you cook is fantastic. Life as a whole, on the other hand, is gross and sucky,” Syd clarified.
He frowned at her.
She threw her hands up in the air. “Well, it’s true!”
Theo came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close to him. “Papa’s really starting to get worried about you,” he whispered. “I am, too.”
She reached up held one of his hands, threading her fingers into his. “I’m okay, Theo. I promise.”
He shook his head in a definitive no. “You’re not. Your moods are all over the place. One minute happy, the next minute sad, the next angry. What’s going on, Syd? Talk to me—and don’t blame it on them female hormones.”
Tears stung her eyes and she closed them t
ight, trying to rein in her emotions. One salty drop escaped, tracking a wet trail on her cheek and finally dropping off, onto his arm. He sighed and squeezed her tighter. “Let’s get out of here for a bit, okay?”
Sydney nodded, allowing herself to be led around the side of the house to Theo’s car. She waited silently while he went inside to tell their father they were leaving for a while and to grab her purse. When he returned, she got in the passenger seat of his garnet-red convertible Camaro and buckled up. She could feel her father’s eyes on her but she didn’t turn around to wave goodbye. She didn’t want him to see the pain she was sure was etched into her features.
Theo drove, unspeaking, for nearly half an hour. Syd was content to sit quietly beside him, enjoying the wind in her hair and on her skin. She closed her eyes and tipped her head to the sky. At times like this, she really thought everything was going to be okay. She was going to be happy. She was going to marry the man she loved.
Her eyes popped open as the realization hit her full on. The man she loved. Dear God. She’d fallen completely in love with Caleb.
Oh shit.
She was well aware she had strong feelings for him, but had always left it at that, never assigning an emotion to them. Now that she did, she wasn’t sure how to control it—or herself—and her spirits spiraled into that dark place again.
“See, you just did it,” Theo piped up suddenly.
“What, Theo? What did I just do?”
He parked the car and got out, moving around to the passenger side and opening her door. “You went from smiling to frowning, like that,” he answered, snapping his fingers.
She grumbled a string of curses together and he laughed. “Why are we at the park, Theo?”
He grinned, the big smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. He looks exactly like Papa when he smiles like that, she thought.
“I figured we could sit and talk a bit. That okay?”
She nodded and he draped an arm over her shoulders as they headed toward the trail that looped around a small pond. They walked in silence for a few minutes, taking in the smell of fresh spring dahlias, tulips, hyacinths and marigolds that bordered both sides of the paved pathway. Finding a small patch of grass that provided them with some privacy, they sat as the ducks, swans and geese floated around in the water.
Little White Lie Page 15