by Nikki Ash
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 are 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 is right up against me. His mouth 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 and grabbing my hand walks us to the couch and then gripping my sides, pulls me right onto his lap. I am so shocked he is not only touching me, but that he has pulled me on top of him, I am having trouble speaking.
“Is this the first time you have felt like you were being watched, Hayley?”
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 stuff 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.
“Ok, I’ll be careful,” I promise Caleb.
Feeling suddenly shy sitting on Caleb’s lap I attempt to get off 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 hips 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 am 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 am not what he wants. I know a lot of it has to do with what his stepmom did to him. He’s told me so himself 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, and the thought of Caleb controlling me causes my sex to clench. He feels my legs tighten and raises an eyebrow. I bit my bottom lip to keep my mouth shut.
He opens his mouth to say something, closes it, and then opens it again. “You didn’t respond to my last text.”
Oh my God, he is actually going to bring that up. Ok, then. “Umm… well… what would you like me to say? Apparently you saw it all, so you know I was getting off while thinking about you.” I can feel my face getting warm at my admission.
Caleb studies my face for a few second before he whispers, “I want you.” Those three words make me want to jump this man; they make me want to take his cock and put it in me and ride him, but I choose to stay silent only nodding my head yes 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 mine. He lays me on the bed and steps back bringing his hands to his face. He rubs his hands up and down over his face… out of confusion? Frustration? I don’t know. I have no idea what is going on in his head.
“I have no clue what to do with you.” I am not sure what he means by this. He’s told me he has 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 am 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. We are 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 will follow.”
He nods slowly and I can hear him swallow loudly out of nervousness. Taking my face in his hands he brings his body closer to mine so we are 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 brings his lips back to mine, only this time I can feel his tongue pushing against my lips seeking entrance. I part my lips slightly granting him access. My one hand is propping my head up and my other hand is holding the sheet to remind myself not to jump this man.
Our kiss deepens and 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 in with Patron. He must have had a drink while I was out. I think back to my date. It feels like that 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 as he pulls me closer to him. We are 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 is in pain, but then he seems to snap out of it coming back to me. My lips feel numb from the excessive kissing we have been doing. His hands are palms down on either side of my face as he trails small, wet kisses over my face, on both my cheeks, on each of my eyelids, my nose, my chin, and then his lips move to my neck. He kisses me on the same throbbing pulse point he did earlier tonight in the kitchen, and then moves up to my earlobe giving it a bite.
“I love the way you taste,” he whispers into my ear causing my legs to tighten. Because he is situated between my legs he feels them tighten and chuckles softly. He goes back to kissing my neck, and then kisses my exposed collarbone and shoulder. I am so turned on I feel like I am going to combust.
I think he is 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 from the embarrassment of this man putting his lips on toes but I don’t. I remind myself he
needs to be in control.
“I love this color on you,” he says pointing to the blood red nail polish that matches my dress. He nibbles on each toe then moves his way up to my calf giving it a small kiss before placing my leg back down on the bed. I have no idea where this man is going to go next but I have realized once I allowed him to do what he wants how nice it feels to just let him be in control. All I have to do is lay here and enjoy his touch.
He sits up on his heels and that’s when I notice he’s not wearing his walking boot. He peels his shirt over his head leaving his amazingly hard body on display for me. I have seen him without his shirt on briefly at Kayla’s place but it wasn’t long enough to enjoy it. Since he has lived here, he has always come out of his room or bathroom dressed.
Caleb’s body is as close to perfection as it can get. He is in great shape from working out but not overly muscular. He has a tattoo going across his chest that reads Mi Vida Loca. Another one on his arm of a woman and surrounding her are clouds and roses. On his side just under his left peck says one word: Trust. His right nipple is pierced and I want so badly to grab it and pull on it with my teeth. He has perfect washboard abs I would love to run my tongue down. Just below his abs, his grey sweatpants hang low resting on his perfect hips. I have never wanted anybody as much as I want Caleb.
He crawls back up my body but instead of taking things further he lays down next to me wrapping his body around me and pulling me close to him. He grabs my leg and pulls it up and over his leg intertwining our legs together. He gives me another soft kiss on my lips and one more on my neck before speaking.
“I think I could make out with you forever.” His comment is so innocent I can’t help but laugh. This man who is obviously a sex god is perfectly content with just making out.
I point to the words on his chest. “What does this mean?”
He looks down like he needs to see the words before answering. “It means ‘my crazy life’. I got it when I first moved out of my dad’s house. I went right from under his roof to living with Bentley in Las Vegas. I got a job as a bouncer, the same club I was working at up until I got hurt. I went out with a bunch of guys who all worked at the club one night. I listened to them talk about their problems and realized how fucked up my life was compared to theirs. I met this Hispanic woman that night. After having a few drinks I vaguely told her about what happened between my dad and me. She told me that life can be crazy and all I can do is embrace it, but don’t ever let it own me. I got the tattoo the next day. The problem was, I did let my crazy life own me. I got the tattoo to remind me of what she said but instead I looked at it and allowed it to keep me from living my life. Every time I looked at it, I was reminded of what my stepmom did to me and what I had to do to all those women.”
His story is so completely heartbreaking, yet when you look at this man you see all of his strength. You would never know how vulnerable he really is.
“What about the other ones?”
“I got the tattoo of the word trust to remind me to trust, but also to remind myself not to trust too easily. My mom and sister both lied to me, and then I trusted my stepmom and I shouldn’t have. I will never make that mistake again.”
I want to ask him about his mom and sister but mentally put it aside for later.
“This one,” he says pointing to the one of the woman “is of my mom. I decided I needed something positive on my body to counteract the negative shit, so I had her picture tattooed on me. She’s surrounded by flowers and clouds because she’s in heaven.”
He brings his shoulder forward to show me another tattoo on the back of his shoulder. It’s of a young girl who is surrounded by the same clouds and flowers as his mom. “This one is of my older sister Colette. This was the last picture I have of her alive.”
I gasp at his words. How did she die?
It’s like he hears my question because he goes on to answer it. We lay in bed for what feels like hours while he rubs circles on my arms and my waist while he tells me stories of his sister and mom from when they were alive. He tells me about his sister lying and being raped and killed, and of his mom’s death and how she didn’t tell him she was dying until right before she died. He tells me how everything changed after they both passed away. I can’t even imagine going through half of what Caleb has been through. He is stronger than anybody I have ever met.
After he’s done telling me his stories he asks about my family. I tell him about my sister, her recent engagement, and how she’s my best friend, about how my parents are still married and how close we are. We have lived in Las Vegas our entire lives. I feel guilty because while my family isn’t perfect, we have never been through anything of what he’s been through. He notices my hesitancy while talking and grabs my chin for me to look at him.
“Hey, don’t feel guilty for having a nice life. Never feel bad for all the good in your life.” I continue to tell him how my mom would like to meet Marco. I haven’t seen any of them in weeks because they decided to go on a last minute trip to Seattle to visit friends of theirs. Since my dad retired last year, they have been spending their time travelling. I can’t wait for them to return to meet Marco. Caleb tells me we should invite them all for dinner. Eventually we fall asleep in each other’s arms.
Caleb
While last night didn’t exactly go as planned, I would like to think it went even better. I never felt such intimacy with a woman before, and the fact that it was all felt without even having to be sexual speaks volumes about our connection. It goes against everything Gloria tried to instill in me. I look down and see Hayley’s face mashed up against my chest. Her arm is thrown over my stomach and her tanned sexy legs are still entwined with mine. She is snoring lightly. I notice she is still in her tight red dress from last night. I almost feel bad that we fell asleep without her changing but looking at her dress bunched up at her waist giving me a view of her ass cheeks makes it worth it.
She stirs awake, rolls over onto her back, stretches briefly, and wipes the sleep out of her eyes. She is absolutely beautiful inside and out, and I know I want her to be mine. She looks down and sees her dress up and frowns before grabbing a sheet and pulling it up and over her causing me to frown.
She looks at my reaction and giggles. “Don’t pout.” She goes to give me a kiss but hesitates and backs up unsure. She doesn’t feel comfortable being the one to initiate anything because of the times I have rejected her. I want to tell her it’s ok but the truth is I don’t know if it is. I don’t know how I feel about not being the one in control. Last night I almost made love to her but then I had a flashback of a time I was with another woman and I stopped. I don’t want anything Hayley and I do to be tainted with my past.
I lean forward and kiss her. The kiss starts to build, becoming more intense when her phone rings ruining the moment. I give her one last chaste kiss on her cheek before heading to the bathroom.
“I’m going to take a shower. Wanna grab breakfast?”
“Sure, let me just call Kayla back. It’s probably about Marco since they kept him overnight.”
After I get out of the shower, I grab a towel to dry off and head back out through Hayley’s room to go get dressed and put my walking boot back on. She is talking to someone on the phone but stops when she sees me. In the past a woman eyeing me made me feel sick. I used to hate the thought of another woman using me for sex, but when Hayley does it, I don’t get the same feeling I used to get. I want her to look at me. I want her to want me. It’s a foreign concept but one I welcome.
I give her a small smile and head back to my room. After getting dressed, I hear her shower running so I grab my cellphone to see if I have any missed calls or emails. I notice an email from Jarred Harms, the prosecutor assigned to my case letting me know we need to meet to go over my testimony before we go to court. They have scheduled a court date. He also lets me know two of the men they caught are only being tried with aggravated assault and after they filed an appeal were granted bail. The other two men a
re being charged with rape and attempted murder so they will remain in jail until their hearings. I reply letting him know I can come by next week sometime. I also make note to get an alarm system installed in here. With Hector and Santos around and now the other two guys out on bail, it worries me to have Hayley and Marco out of my sight.
There’s a knock at the door and when I open it, it’s a young man holding an envelope.
“Are you Caleb Michaels?”
“Yes.”
“Sign here, please.” I sign, take the envelope from him, and open it up. It’s the court documents pertaining to Gloria’s lawsuit letting me know I have thirty days to respond or give up my rights to the clubs. I knew these would be arriving soon but it still pisses me off. I would burn those clubs to the ground before giving her ownership of them.
“What’s wrong?” Hayley comes out in tight black jeans that mold to her curves and a loose off the shoulder cream sweater making me want to kiss her exposed skin. Her hair is wet from her shower and pulled into some sort of side looking braid thing. She looks just as gorgeous as she did last night in a completely different way.
“Gloria is suing me for the clubs. I need to hire an attorney.” I sit down on the couch and she walks over to sit down next to me. “Do you want the clubs?”
I have given this question a lot of thought so I already know my answer. “Yeah, I do. Liz and I looked over the books and they turn a nice profit. While Gloria has done some shady shit behind the scenes, I have met a lot of the staff and many of these women and men need this job. I can put an end to the illegal shit she has going on and can make a steady income from these clubs. I would need to hire a new manager for the club in Boulder since I don’t want to have to fly out there often and I don’t trust Gloria, as well as find a manager for the one here once I am healed and start training again but I think it would be good.”