Leah sat up so that he could see her. Really see her. She took his hands in hers and rubbed his calloused palms with her fingers.
“Caleb, I won’t even pretend to know what you’re going through. There are horrible people in this world, and all I can do is be grateful that there are people like you who are strong enough to go out and fight them. I’m ashamed at how blissfully ignorant I am of the kind of horrors you have to face every day.”
“Don’t be ashamed,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I do it, so that the rest of the world doesn’t have to.”
“Exactly. You put your life on the line—you put your own peace of mind on the line—so that the rest of us can have peace. But you should also recognize that you can’t save everyone. Mistakes are made. And, yes, I know the stakes in this particular event were high and the results devastating, but think about how many other cases you have been on throughout the years where you did catch the bad guy before he was able to harm others.” She brought his fingers to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss on the tips. “How many more cases will you have in the future where you will save a child or a young teen from a life so horrible that my brain won’t even allow me to imagine it?”
Leah cradled his strong jaw with her palm. “Because of people like you in this world, the rest of us can sleep more soundly at night. What you do? What your colleagues do every single day? It’s more than most people can even fathom. Don’t walk away from that, Caleb. I’m selfishly asking you not to walk away. The world needs you to continue being a hero.”
Gratitude and regret coalesced in his soulful brown eyes. He pulled in another deep breath and slowly released it.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he finally said. “I knew I wasn’t going anywhere even before I came here. I just needed some time away to get my mind right before I go back out into the field.”
“Is this weekend helping with that?” she asked.
He brought his hand up and captured the back of her head. “So much more than you’ll ever know.”
Caleb pulled her to him, crashing his lips against hers. His tongue quickly entered her mouth, sweeping inside, tangling with hers in an erotically intimate kiss that set off every single one of her nerve endings. Over and over again, his tongue plunged and retreated, lighting Leah’s body on fire.
He captured her hips and moved her so that she straddled his lap, her tender center coming into contact with the thick bulge straining behind his zipper. Leah’s body moved on its own accord, rocking frantically against him, seeking that friction—needing it. She rubbed her breasts against his chest, her sensitive nipples tightening even more with every erotic brush.
Caleb dipped his head and sucked on her nipple through the fabric of her shirt and bra. He gently bit at the tip. The sensation shot straight to that place between her legs that ached for his touch. God, she wanted him to touch her.
She ground her hips against him and bowed her back, reaching for relief.
Caleb seized her lips again, plunging his tongue inside, swirling it around hers. One hand sought her breast, while the other clamped on her ass and squeezed, holding her body still as he pumped his hips up and down.
Leah had never been so close to coming while being fully dressed.
“We can’t do this out here,” Caleb whispered against her lips. He trailed his tongue across her jawline and down her neck. “Let’s go inside.”
Leah’s body screamed yes, but her mind drew to a halt.
Nothing in this world would be easier than following Caleb into their cabin and falling into bed with him. But the ramifications of such a momentous decision would stretch far and wide.
This would not be casual sex. Taking this next step would mean committing to more than just a night full of undoubtedly the most pleasure she’d experienced in ages. She couldn’t just walk away, not after everything they’d shared.
Was she ready to take this leap so soon after breaking off the shackles of her relationship with Derrick?
No. Leah knew she couldn’t dive right back into a relationship, no matter how badly she wanted to turn her body over to Caleb’s very capable hands. She just couldn’t do it. It was too soon.
“Caleb, stop,” Leah said. She pushed at his shoulder. “Please. Stop.”
She could see his pulse beating in his neck. Desire blazed in his potent gaze.
“What’s wrong?” Caleb asked.
“I—” Leah started, but she could not find the words to explain.
“You’re not ready,” he said for her, dejection bruising his voice.
Her shoulders slumped with disappointment. “I’m so sorry,” Leah whispered.
“You don’t have to be sorry.” He placed the gentlest kiss on her forehead before lifting her from his lap. He captured her chin between his fingers and kissed her again, on the lips this time. It was soft and sweet and achingly tender.
“I understand,” Caleb said. “I have to keep reminding myself that you were engaged just a couple of days ago. I’m not going to push you to do anything you’re uncomfortable doing.”
Relief replaced her disappointment. “So you do get it,” Leah said.
“Yeah, I get it.” He brushed his fingers along her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. Not this weekend, or in the weeks and months to come. When you are ready, I’ll be here.”
He helped her up from the bench and together they went inside, Caleb taking up the spot on the couch while she settled into the bed. But it was a long time before her mind allowed her to drift to sleep.
Chapter Seven
Caleb peered over his shoulder to make sure Leah was out of sight as he picked up the smooth piece of amber-tinted dolomite limestone. He stuffed the mineral rock in his pocket and dusted his hands on the front of his cargo pants. Today’s activity was a scavenger hunt in the woods that surrounded the campground.
They’d arrived at the Boathouse this morning to find Katherine and Geoff decked out in safari gear, complete with wide brim hats and backpacks, and more energy than Caleb could muster even after the two cups of coffee he’d gulped down at breakfast. Couples were tasked with finding items that best described their significant other. There was very little to work with outside of twigs, leaves, rocks, and dirt, but Caleb was determined to impress Leah with his finds.
He quickly discovered that his biggest challenge would be keeping Leah’s prying eyes away from those finds. Although, to be fair, he’d been just as cagey when it came to trying to figure out what items she’d been able to hunt down. They’d both kept each other on their toes, trying to outwit one another.
Caleb spotted her pale pink shirt a few yards away and quietly crept up on her. He leaned forward and whispered, “What you got there?”
Leah yelped and spun around so quickly she nearly lost her footing.
“Watch out,” Caleb said, catching her by the elbow.
She jerked away and quickly tucked her right hand behind her back.
“Dammit!” she said before she burst out laughing. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Just getting you back for sneaking up on me a few minutes ago. You didn’t think I’d let you get away with that, did you?”
Her devilish grin summoned ridiculously inappropriate thoughts. Not that he was surprised. Caleb had come to realize that there was nothing he could do to stop those images from jumping to the forefront of his mind. She had a knack for bringing out his inappropriate side.
He snaked his arm around her, reaching behind her back, but she dodged his hold.
“Don’t even try it,” she said. “We’re not supposed to share until we’re back with the others.”
“Why can’t I get just a quick peek?”
“Because that would be cheating,” she said.
“It’s not cheating. Just hedging our bets,” Caleb said. He dipped his head and brushed his lips against her neck. “But I think you misunderstood just what it is I want a peek of,” he said in a deliberately seductive voice.
Caleb heard leaves crunching a second before Leah did.
“We’re going to get caught,” she husked out in a breathy voice.
“We’re newly engaged, remember? Whoever catches us will understand.” But Caleb backed away just before the Korean couple from The Bronx broke through a thicket of shrubbery. He remembered the husband, Siek-Jin, but Caleb couldn’t remember the wife’s name to save his life.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the wife said.
“That’s okay. How are things going, Jeong?” Leah asked.
That was it. Jeong and Siek-Jin. The Paek’s. Leah was a helluva lot better at remembering the names of the couples at this weekend’s retreat than he was.
“You guys having any luck with the scavenger hunt?” Caleb asked.
“Not really, but we’re still having fun. We’re heading back now. Katherine and Geoff wanted us all to meet up again at eleven.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Leah said. She looked at Caleb. “We should probably head back to base camp as well.”
Caleb gave her a look that told her that she’d gotten off easy this time. They only had one full day left. He was now determined that they get a chance to fool around in the woods.
The rest of the couples were already waiting at the tables that had been set up just outside the archery area. One by one, they described their finds. They were basically all the same: rocks, leaves, and the occasional bug. One husband had unearthed a rusty tin can, but instead of likening the can’s deep reddish brown exterior to his wife’s hair, which is what Caleb would have done, the guy got a slap for comparing it to her psoriasis.
Amateur.
When it was his and Leah’s turn, Caleb gestured for her to go first. She stepped up to the table.
“Let me say that this was much harder than I thought it would be,” Leah started. She placed several leaves, a branch, and her cell phone on the table. “First, I chose leaves to represent Caleb’s perseverance. Even though the leaves go through different stages, turning brown and eventually falling, they always come back strong. The leaves can weather just about anything.” She looked over at him. “Just like Caleb.”
A heavy weight clutched his chest in a vise grip. Caleb couldn’t find the words to describe it. He wouldn’t even try.
“The branch reminds me of his ruggedness and strength.” She bent the spindly branch back and forth. “It may not look like much, but it can endure a lot and still won’t break.”
Finally, she picked up her cell phone. “I don’t know if this really counts, but I had to take a picture of a tree trunk because it, above everything else, is the best example of Caleb. Tree trunks are solid and steady, and carry a lot on their shoulders. I don’t know anyone else in the world who carries more on their shoulders, yet is able to withstand it and continue to thrive.”
The other couples applauded. All Caleb could think to do was connect his lips with hers. He had to swallow past the lump in his throat before he was able to speak. “Thank you,” he said.
“Okay, Caleb, it’s your turn,” Katherine Mumford said. “Good luck topping what your fiancée just did.”
“Impossible,” Caleb said. He took a deep breath and pulled out a bright yellow Canada Lily and the limestone. “The reason for the flower should be obvious,” he started. “I looked for the most beautiful one I could find because, for me, there isn’t anyone more beautiful in the world than my fiancée.” Several of the men groaned, while the women sighed.
“He stole my line,” Joel said, to which Abigail responded by pinching his arm.
“I picked up this piece of limestone for the same reason,” Caleb continued. “It caught my eye when the sun reflected in the little crystal flecks. But there’s more than just beauty to be found in this rock. There’s a toughness here. A strength that can’t be crushed, no matter how hard you try.” His gaze locked with Leah’s. “I thought about how much this rock has endured in the centuries it’s been on this earth, and just look at it. It’s still here. It’s still beautiful.”
Tenderness shimmered in Leah’s eyes as she walked over to him and linked her hands behind his neck. She pulled his head down and crushed her lips to his.
“Katherine and Geoff should use you two in their advertisements,” someone called out.
Leah laughed against Caleb’s lips. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” she said.
They moved off to the side as the two remaining couples described their scavenger hunt finds. Leah stood in front of him, and Caleb wrapped his arms around her waist. To anyone looking, they probably appeared to be the most content couple in the world, but Leah’s hesitancy last night still gave him pause.
He didn’t want to rush her, but Caleb wanted to take that next step so badly he could hardly stand it. This went far beyond just sex. He wanted her to trust him enough to give herself fully over to him. He wanted her to feel safe enough to share every part of herself—mind, body, and everything in between.
He wanted her to love him.
Caleb knew it was ridiculous to expect love to come any time soon. This thing they had going was too new. But that didn’t stop him from craving it all the same.
Once the scavenger hunt had concluded, Caleb and Leah headed for a quick lunch at the Grub Shack. Leah insisted on sharing one of the camp’s pastry chef, Allison Nelson’s, amazing desserts. Even as someone who wasn’t a huge dessert fan, Caleb had to admit that it was worth the drive up to the Berkshires just to sample Allison’s confections.
Leah stuck the spoon loaded with salted caramel mousse into her mouth and slowly pulled it out. Her pleasure-filled moan caused the front of his pants to grow tight. Caleb couldn’t have contained his groan if he’d tried. He didn’t try.
“What was that?” Leah asked.
“Nothing to see here,” Caleb said. “Just me on the verge of dying of lust while you lick that damn spoon.”
“Oops. Sorry,” she said. But the sexy, mischievous grin she sported belied her words. “You have to admit this dessert is amazing.”
“Not as amazing as watching you enjoy it.”
She rested her elbow on the table and held her chin in her upturned palm. “You do realize you’re too sweet for words, don’t you?”
“I try,” Caleb said.
“You succeed.” But then her expression sobered, and in a soft voice, she said, “It scares me.”
Caleb’s head reared back. “Why?”
Leah shook her head. “Forget I said that.” She attempted to stand, but Caleb caught her arm. “Don’t walk away. Talk to me, Leah.”
Just then, Denise Rollins, along with her husband—whose name escaped him—walked up to their table. The two had participated in this morning’s scavenger hunt.
“I just have to say that you two are so inspiring,” Denise said. “Phillip and I were just talking about how much we see of our old selves in you. It’s only been six years since we’ve been married, but we’d already started to lose some of that magic. Seeing the way you two get along has been a great reminder.”
“Thank you,” Leah said, her smile strained.
The moment Denise walked away, Leah said, “You know what? I don’t think I want to participate in this afternoon’s activity. Let’s do something else.”
Caleb knew exactly what she was doing with her swift subject change. Allowing her to get away with it went against his investigative nature, but pressing her to explain what she meant by those three words might send her running.
It scares me.
What about him scared her? It didn’t make any sense.
Caleb decided to let it pass. Despite the fun they’d had these past couple of days, he was still on tenuous grounds when it came to Leah’s heart. He didn’t want to do anything that would encourage her to
guard it from him.
He followed her out of the Grub Shack to the walking trail that led to the woods where this morning’s activity had taken place.
“Where are we going?” Caleb asked.
“To look for the falls,” she answered.
The waterfalls. He’d forgotten all about those. Leah had mentioned finding the falls that the camp was named for as one of her must-dos for the weekend.
“Do you have any idea where you’re going?” he asked.
“A vague one,” Leah said. “It isn’t on any official map, but I looked it up online and wrote down the markers that other guests have said to look for.” She pointed straight ahead. “And there’s the huge tree that split up and got back together again.”
Just ahead was a thick hemlock with a trunk that seemed to split into two about ten feet up, then entwined again toward the top. It wasn’t until they got closer to it that Caleb realized it was two trees growing very closely to one another.
“It’s as if the two trees have gone through Katherine and Geoff’s program,” he said.
“It’s the perfect metaphor. Starting out together, growing apart, and then finding their way back to each other.” She looked over at him and smiled. “Come on, the falls shouldn’t be much further.”
As they soldiered on through the forest, Caleb could hear the sound of rushing water getting closer and closer. Leah walked several feet ahead of him. A few minutes later, she stopped and gasped. Caleb rounded the copse of trees and a trio of waterfalls came into view.
Leah clasped her hands to her chest. “I can’t believe we found it.”
The waterfalls were nice, but nothing to write home about. Having visited Niagara Falls several times, this seemed like a trickling faucet in comparison. But it was worth the journey just to see the delight on Leah’s face.
Caleb came to stand alongside her, took her by the hand, and gingerly started down the rocky path toward the water’s edge.
Mr. Right Next Door (Camp Firefly Falls Book 6) Page 10