They polished off their midmorning snack, and got back to work staining the boards. They finished by ten after eleven, much to Max’s delight. And when Caleb handed him fifty bucks, he stared at the money in open-mouthed shock.
“I appreciate hard work, so that’s a bonus for working your tail off. I plan to give your mom what I owe you to stick in the bank, but the extra is just between us, got it? For the fair today.”
“Got it! Thanks!”
“And hey, I’m planning to take you, your mom, and Emma to the fair tomorrow for a few hours, if that’s all right…?”
“That would awesome! The fireworks are tomorrow night. Can we stay for `em?”
“Absolutely. No way I’d want to miss the fireworks.”
He dropped Max off at home, and since Lauren was in the middle of a hair appointment, he told her to give him a call later. Caleb had a few stops to make, including a couple of service calls, and giving an estimate on a kitchen remodel. He stopped at Hutch’s for a cheeseburger, visiting with the old man for a while before heading home. After a quick shower, he settled in to study for the electrician exam.
As he strode through the house, book in hand, a nagging doubt crept into his mind. He tried to shake it off, but suddenly found himself full of uncertainties. A ready-made family…was he crazy to even consider it? He’d never expected to fall so hard and fast for anyone, let alone a woman with two kids—one with major anger issues thanks to a father who, in Caleb’s opinion, should be sitting in a jail cell for abandoning his children.
Caleb slapped the book on the kitchen table and plopped down on a chair. Doubt and confusion warred within him until he thought his brain might explode. He was simply over-thinking it, that’s all. He’d known Lauren and the kids less than a week, for crying out loud. Nothing to get worked up over. He hadn’t even decided for sure if he wanted to stay in Redemption.
The doorbell rang. Caleb blew out a hard breath, loath to answer it. He wasn’t exactly in a mood for company. With reluctance, he shoved back from the table and headed for the front door.
* * *
Standing on Caleb’s front porch in nothing but a mid-thigh length black trench coat and a pair of red stilettos, Lauren immediately second-guessed her ridiculous plan the moment her finger pressed the doorbell. Crap…maybe if she hurried she could get the hell out of there before—
The door swung open and there stood Caleb, his expression priceless as he took her in from coifed head to painted toe. “Am I dreaming?” he teased, leaning back against the doorjamb with his arms crossed.
“Yes. Yes, you are. Now close the door and go back to sleep.” Good Lord, the man was gorgeous in his snug-fitting white T-shirt tucked into a pair of well-worn Levi’s. Barefoot and freshly showered, with his tousled hair slightly damp and smelling of masculine spice, she swore he could have stepped right off the cover of a magazine.
Taking her all in, he gave his head a shake, as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. “I have to admit, you…dressed like this, was the last thing I expected to find on my doorstep.”
Her face flamed. “Seriously, what do you say I jump back in my car and race home, and you pretend you didn’t just witness my total humiliation?”
Caleb straightened. “Not a chance.” He grabbed her by the hand, hauled her inside, and promptly shut the door. “So…what brings you by?”
Somehow he managed to ask the question with a straight face, the shit. “Avon calling.”
At that he laughed. He reached out and fingered the collar of her coat, which she had clutched in a tight fist. “I’ve never had a woman stop by to seduce me before.”
“I suppose that’s good to know.” Christ, just grow a pair already and do what you came here to do.
“You completely naked under that coat?”
He looked about ready to rip it open and find out for himself. The thought sent all her pink parts into overdrive. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and struck what she hoped was a sexy pose. “May-be.”
“What do I have to do to find out?”
“To be honest, a drink might help. Got any wine?”
He thought about it for a moment, then grasped her hand and led her into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, pulled out an unopened bottle of white wine and handed it to her, then grabbed two glasses from the cabinet above the sink and a corkscrew from the drawer below it. Without a word, he led her down the hall to the third room on the left. A bedroom.
“Yours?” she asked as she looked around with interest. The room, done in shades of blue, with a beautiful pine, six-drawer side-by-side armoire and matching panel headboard was quite masculine in tone. But the room seemed to be missing the usual personal bric-a-brac you would find in someone’s bedroom. Just a couple of framed prints on the walls and antique looking water bowl and pitcher set on top of the dresser.
“The guest room. I’ve been sleeping in here since…I returned home.”
Home. Lauren’s hopes soared. That he still considered Redemption home was definitely promising. “And the bed’s made. I’m impressed.” Great, direct his attention to the bed. Now that’s all he’ll be focusing on.
You came over in a thong and high heels to seduce him, dumb ass. Isn’t the bed what you want him to focus on? And if his initial reaction was any indication, his mind’s been focused there since the moment he opened the front door.
She delicately cleared her throat. “Is there something wrong with your own room? Or did your mom remodel it into a den or something?”
“No, it looks pretty much the same as when I left: posters all over the walls, shelves full of signed Packers paraphernalia.” He grinned. “A stack of nudie mags under my bed.”
Lauren rolled her eyes.
He set the glasses down on the nightstand and took the bottle from her hand. “So…who’s watching the kids?”
“My neighbor, Carrie.” Lauren sat down on the edge of the bed and squeezed her thighs together. Her trench coat billowed slightly. After a quick glance at Caleb, who had deftly worked the cork from the bottle, she pressed it down and crossed her ankles. Good Lord, you’d think she was a virgin the way her nerves were getting to her. Take a deep breath and relax. You want this—you want him.
Caleb handed her a glass of wine and sat down next to her. They both took a couple of sips. Lauren watched him from her peripheral vision while feigning interest in the painting over the bed. She could feel the heat of his gaze as if it were a living thing, consuming her from the inside out. Miracle she didn’t burst into flames.
“I don’t know what it is you do to me, lady, but I swear I’m as anxious as the first time I had a girl alone in my room.”
“Really? Not me, I’m cool as a cucumber.”
Caleb chuckled. “What a pair we are.” He drained his glass, and then poured himself another. Guess she wasn’t the only one with unsteady nerves. He gulped down half the second glass, twirled it around in his hands a few times, then finally turned to face her. “I’ve wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he gave his head self-deprecating shake. “Sorry. That sounded a whole lot better in my head. Talk about pathetic clichés.”
“Actually, it was the most romantic thing any man has ever said to me. My ex wasn’t one to waste words, and sadly, he was my first. And my only.” She took another sip of her wine before casting him a sidelong glance. “Now who’s pathetic?”
Caleb took her glass from her hand and set both on the floor. “You’re beautiful, smart, funny…any man would be damn lucky to have you. And you deserved a helluva lot better than an asshole like that for your first.” He cupped the side of her face and gently traced the hollow of her cheek with his thumb.
Lauren’s eyes drifted shut as the tenderness of his touch nearly overwhelmed her. Amazed by how much she’d come to desire this man, and to trust him, she leaned into his strength, absorbing it like a dry sponge. It had been so long since she and John were intimate, but as anxious
as she was right now, there really was nowhere on earth she’d rather be.
“You okay?” he murmured, his warm breath whispering over her cheek, causing goose bumps to break out across her heated skin. “If you’ve changed your mind, if you’re not ready for this, I’ll understand.”
She turned slightly, just enough to meet his gaze. “No, I want this. I mean, I’m the one who…” She waved a hand at herself to make her point. “It’s just been awhile, you know?”
He traced the line of her jaw, the column of her throat. “Believe it or not, it’s been awhile for me, too. In fact…” His words trailed off, and he hung his head for a second. “Damn. I don’t have any protection.”
“I do.” Her cheeks grew hot as a slow smile spread across his handsome face. “Carrie stuffed a few condoms in my hand as I was leaving.”
He leaned in and kissed her, a slow drag of his lips across hers. Lauren pressed against him, eager for his touch, wanting this man so badly she was practically shaking with need. Throwing caution to the wind, she disentangled herself from his arms and stood up, ready to shed her coat—along with her inhibitions.
Caleb leaned back and held her gaze, his smile reassuring. She smiled coyly, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as she slowly unbuttoned her coat and spread it open before letting it drop to the floor. Standing before him in nothing but a pair of red stilettos and a lacy red thong, Lauren held her breath as he raked his gaze up and down her slightly trembling frame.
“My God, you’re stunning,” he said, rising to his feet to stand before her. Caleb drank in the sight of her, his gaze so hot it literally warmed her from head to toe. He grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and yanked it over his head, tossing it on the floor beside her coat.
Having Caleb semi naked as well helped to settle her nerves a bit, and she eagerly reached out to trace a finger over his tight abs. “You’re pretty spectacular yourself.”
He stepped closer and cupped both of her breasts in his big hands. Lauren’s head fell back and her eyes fluttered shut as he teased and molded, her nipples tightening into pebbled peaks. A soft moan escaped her as heat flooded her core and her entire body sizzled to life.
“God, how I want you,” Caleb admitted in a low tone as he slipped an arm under her knees and swept her off her feet.
Lauren felt faint with desire. And not simply because it had been forever since she’d had sex; since she’d felt loved and cherished. The need to feel a man’s arms around her, to feel him buried deep inside her, had lain dormant for so long she’d almost forgotten what it felt like—until the incredibly sexy Caleb Hunter appeared on her doorstep and sent her libido into a tailspin.
“You okay?” he whispered, gazing down at her with concern. “Feels like I lost you.”
“Sorry. I’m fine, please continue.”
He chuckled, a sexy masculine rumble. “Yes, ma’am.”
She tunneled her fingers through his hair as he spun them around and carefully laid her on the bed. He stretched out beside her, his head propped on one hand while the other moved over her body in almost worshipful fashion, tracing the curves of her breasts, the flare of her hip, the smooth line of her legs. He gently stroked his way back up, past the apex of her thighs, brushing against the golden curls—making her breath catch—before leaning in to dip his tongue into her navel.
Lauren clutched the bedspread beneath her in a death grip to keep from catapulting off the bed. Every inch of her hummed with anticipation as he slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of her thong and slowly peeled the tiny scrap of material down her legs. She lifted her feet so he could remove them, expecting him to slip her stilettos off as well. He didn’t. Instead, he climbed off the bed and stood before her as he grasped the button of his jeans.
Lauren watched with feminine appreciation as he unbuttoned his jeans and slid the zipper down, slowly, as if giving her one last chance to back out. But thoughts of fleeing had long since dissipated, and all she longed to do was strip those jeans off him herself and have her way with him.
A shameless floozy only in her own mind, however, she settled for merely ogling him as he worked the well-worn denim down his muscular thighs and legs. He dropped them to the floor and kicked them aside. The proof of his desire swelled unmistakably behind his boxer-briefs. A slow throb flared to life in her lower belly as he yanked them off and freed his hard length. Her heart thudded crazily as she took in his powerfully built arms and shoulders, his broad chest, lean abs, and those thickly muscled thighs. He truly was the most amazing man she’d ever laid eyes on.
Caleb lay down beside her, gathering her in his arms again and molding his hard frame against her soft curves. He stroked a hand down her back as he reclaimed her mouth. His hot tongue plunged between her lips, exploring, searching, demanding yet coaxing.
Lauren twined her arms around his neck and opened to him completely—her mouth and her body. She hooked one thigh over his and met the thrust of his tongue with equal fervor. Caleb held her so tight it was a miracle she didn’t snap in two. His spicy masculine scent invaded her senses, wafting around her like a heady summer breeze, full of promise and scorching heat.
He broke the kiss and rolled her onto her back, his eyes simmering with desire as he leaned down to kiss her cheek, trailing a searing path along her jaw, down her throat, nipping at her shoulder before continuing onward. He slid one hand beneath her and palmed her butt, squeezing gently, drawing a ragged groan from deep in her chest.
Oh, God, she was so wet, so ready for him. But Caleb wasn’t through playing, and he positioned himself over her, stroking a flaming path from her backside, over her thighs and belly until his warm palm settled over her aching breast. Desperate to feel his hot mouth on her tender nipple, she silently urged him on, threading her fingers though his hair, arching into him with a soft moan.
Thankfully, Caleb needed no further coaxing. He leaned in and tongued her nipple, sucking the sensitive pink flesh into his wet mouth, dragging his teeth over the pebbled tip, then blowing softly as if to soothe the pain. After paying homage to both breasts, he looked up, and the intensity in those mesmerizing brown pools nearly stole her breath. On instinct, she let her thighs fall apart, and that was all the invitation necessary. Caleb smoothed his hand over the flat plane of her stomach, through the golden thatch of curls at the apex of her thighs, until his fingers found her swollen pearl.
With a soft purr, Lauren arched into his hands, spreading her legs for him, giving him full access to her body. He captured her lips again, devouring her mouth with masterful thoroughness, as his fingers circled and stroked, rubbed and caressed, driving her to the brink of explosion. She gasped into his mouth when he finally sank two fingers inside her.
She tore her mouth free, her breath coming out in ragged pants. “Caleb, I’m…I’m so close…too close...”
“Let it happen, sweetheart,” he whispered back, his voice ragged. “Let me pleasure you. God, you’re so damn beautiful.”
As she blossomed under his masterful touch, Lauren felt beautiful. She cupped his five o’clock shadow-roughened face with both hands and pulled him to her, needing to feel his lips on hers as he drove her to the gates of insanity.
Lauren loved to kiss, and Caleb certainly didn’t disappoint. He slanted his mouth across hers, the rhythm of his tongue matching his magical fingers, stroke for delicious stroke.
Feverish with need, her skin grew taught as every pleasure point in her body throbbed for release. Her hips moved, rising up to meet his sexual onslaught. He suddenly broke the kiss and crouched down to draw one of her nipples into his hot mouth. He suckled it, hard, and that was all it took for Lauren to reach climax. She cried out, digging her heels into the mattress as she moved her hips in frantic rhythm with his fingers. Once the last tremor rolled through her, she collapsed into the mattress with a lusty sigh. Slightly embarrassed by her enthusiastic display, a self-conscious laugh quickly followed.
Her laughter turned into a squawk as Caleb flipped the
m over and settled her astride his hips, his steely erection nestled snuggly against her backside. He grinned with masculine satisfaction. “Liked that, did you?”
Chapter Ten
Lauren propped her hands on his chest and gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Eh. It was all right.”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “Damn, darlin’, I thought you were going to bring the roof down on us.”
Her cheeks flamed, but that sassy spirit he’d come to love shined through when she tweaked his chest hair.
Love? Ah, shit… Could it be? After all these years of managing to avoid a single attachment, had he fallen in love in just a matter of days? Was that even possible? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman this much…maybe never. His need for her was a little overwhelming, to say the least. He’d lusted after his fair share of women, sure, but lust had never felt like this before. And he hadn’t even made love to her yet.
Damn, there’s that L word again.
Wiping all thoughts from his mind but one, Caleb reached up and cupped her breasts, caressing her soft, supple skin, teasing her nipples with his thumbs, watching the succulent pink tips tighten into needy buds. Having gotten over her initial nerves, Lauren arched into his hands with a hearty moan and wiggled her sweet ass against his straining erection.
He gave her nipples a playful pinch. “Careful. As turned on as I am, I’ve got about five minutes for you, tops.”
Lauren laughed, and his gaze centered on her delectable mouth. He gripped her hips to hold her still. She leaned forward to rest her elbows on his chest and nip at his chin, lifting up to free him so that his sex was now sandwiched between them. “That long? Oh, I think I can get you there faster than that.”
“Someone’s awfully cocky,” he drawled, sliding his hands down to her shapely backside. He squeezed, eliciting a sexy little gasp from her, then kissed her hard, bringing one hand up to palm the back of her head and hold her steady while he plundered her mouth.
Welcome To Redemption: Series Collection (Books 1-6) Page 8