by Terri Osburn
“Sure,” she said, the word clipped and hiding little of the turmoil churning through her system.
Would giving in really be the end of the world? Where was the harm in having sex with her husband? Even if she intended for him not to be her husband much longer. They were only dating. Dating couples had sex all the time.
Another stretch of silence before Caleb asked, “Was it really that awful to dance with Cooper?”
Holding her tongue, Snow shook her head in the negative, keeping her face turned toward the passing hickory trees. She needed them to be home so she could lock herself in the bathroom and attempt to drown the desire coursing through her.
Caleb made no further attempts at conversation until they’d parked in front of the old garage outside the apartment. As Snow reached for her door handle, he stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “Hey. Nothing has to happen tonight that you don’t want.”
Her heart cracked in that moment. She’d never wanted anything so much, or been so certain of impending danger in her life. Caleb had made his intentions clear back at the bar, and she’d said nothing. Hadn’t reminded him of their deal, or ended the dance when the evidence of his condition had become obvious.
“I’m scared,” she admitted in a voice she didn’t recognize. Why would she admit as much out loud? Maybe all the lust that had been building over the last week had addled her brains. Of course, he didn’t know what she was afraid of.
Instead of reassuring her, or offering his own fears, Caleb exited the Jeep with a sigh. Snow cursed her stupid mouth seconds before the passenger door opened and Caleb extended a hand without speaking. With a shuddering breath, she slipped her fingers into his palm, thankful yet leery of the warmth and strength she found there.
Silly ideas bubbled to the surface. If only she could keep her hand there all the time, locked in Caleb’s steady grip. If only they weren’t doomed from the start.
When she stepped out, Caleb didn’t move, locking her body between him and vehicle. He tilted her head up with one finger beneath her chin and brushed a curl off her forehead. “What are you afraid of, Snow?” he asked, his blue eyes unreadable in the darkness.
“We haven’t figured out our future yet,” she said, being as honest as she could without revealing her true feelings.
“Forget the future,” he said, trailing his thumb along her bottom lip. “Tonight is about two people who like each other a whole lot taking their relationship to the next level. Nothing more than that.”
The knot in her stomach loosened, replaced by a growing heat lower down. “Another do-over?” she asked, amazed she managed to utter the words while he looked at her like that. Like she was the only woman in the world he would ever look at.
His mouth tilted up on one side. “Yeah,” he said. “Another do-over.” Her hand in his, he led her through the garden gate. On the porch, he turned before opening the door. “To be clear, there’s nothing I want more than to get reacquainted with every curve and delicate crevice on your body, but I’m serious when I say you call the shots here. I told you before, we were never just sex to me.”
The words were like a muzzle for the voices in her mind. Snow laid her palm along his jaw, the porch light allowing her to see the honesty in his gaze. She nodded her understanding, but he continued to ignore the key in his hand.
“But to be fair, we were really, really good at it.” The half smile was back, and Snow considered jumping his bones right there on the porch. There was no reason to deny herself this man. If she had to give him up, at least she would have evenings like this to get her through the long, lonely nights ahead.
“Caleb McGraw, if you don’t open that door and take me to bed right this second, I may never speak to you again.”
The key was in the lock before she could blink. “Yes, ma’am.”
Caleb’s heart threatened to beat out of his chest. So many nights he’d dreamt about this woman. Woken sweaty and shredded and longing for the real thing. Now, here she was, ordering him to make love to her.
If this was nothing more than another dream, he was going to be furious when he woke up.
They took off their shoes by the door, Snow’s coming off first, but instead of moving into the apartment, she waited for him. Caleb made quick work of his boots, never taking his eyes off her. When she put out her hand, he took it and let her lead him to the bedroom. She moved like a woman who knew what she wanted. A woman who wanted him.
He’d had no idea what to say to her in the Jeep, as the girl in his passenger seat seemed like a stranger there for a few minutes. So he’d gone with his gut, assuring her that they didn’t need to have sex tonight.
By some miracle, he’d said the exact right thing.
When they entered the bedroom, Snow dropped his hand and turned on the light next to the bed. He liked the idea of getting to see her as they did this. Snow stopped beside the bed, a look of uncertainty in her amber eyes. As if she’d run out of confidence on what to do next.
Pulling her close and dropping his hands to the small of her back, he said, “You’re perfect,” before taking her mouth with his. He could taste hints of the peach cobbler she’d had for dessert and the strawberry in her lip gloss. For months after she’d left, Caleb couldn’t even look at a strawberry without experiencing an intense surge of longing.
She opened to him with complete surrender, a moan of pleasure escaping her throat. He knew exactly how she felt.
Caleb had decided, when this night finally came, that he’d go slow and make the most of every second, but Snow’s moans turned to bites as she tugged on his shirt with great determination.
“Off,” she said, breathless and impatient. “This needs to come off.”
He pulled the cotton over his head, happy to oblige, and reveled in the feel of her slender fingers gliding through the thin hair covering his pecs. Snow took his mouth again, straining against him as if she couldn’t get close enough. Another sensation he understood well. Drawing the burgundy sweater over her mass of dark brown curls, Caleb threw the garment onto the floor and filled his hands with black lace. He rubbed his thumbs across her nipples and felt them pebble against the delicate material.
“God, I’ve missed this,” she said, climbing onto the bed on her knees. She kissed him like a drowning woman fighting for air, then pulled back. “Am I going too fast? Because this doesn’t feel fast enough for me.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Like I said,” Caleb answered, joining her on the bed, “you’re in charge tonight. We can go as fast or as slow as you want, but if you keep looking at me like that, this could go faster than either of us would like.”
Snow giggled. “Then we’ll have an excuse to do it again.”
“Oh, we’ll do it again,” he said, taking her down to the mattress. “I promise you that.”
Chapter 16
How had she slept next to this man six nights in a row and stayed on her own side of the bed the whole time? Sheer stupidity was the only answer she could think of.
And then Caleb’s lips trailed down her neck and she stopped thinking altogether.
One black strap slid down over her shoulder as his mouth traveled to the swell of her breast. The warmth of his breath sent shivers down her spine as he slowly eased lower and lower. If he didn’t move things along, she feared she might die right there, clinging to his shoulders and melting in a ball of fire.
“Caleb, please,” she murmured, arching her back.
“Please what?” he said as the other strap descended down her arm. “Tell me what you want.”
She hadn’t realized that when he said she was calling the shots, that he expected her to actually call the shots. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what she wanted.
In frustration, she pushed on his shoulder. “You know,” she said, her nails digging into his flesh. Why hadn’t she taken off the damn bra with her shirt? S
he needed his lips on her. His teeth driving her crazy. She needed to get them out of these clothes.
Leaning on one elbow, Caleb pressed her curls back from her face and waited. What was he waiting for? Snow opened her eyes to see him staring back at her, desire evident in his gaze.
“Tell me what you want,” he repeated. “Take the lead.”
The man could steer her around a crowded dance floor, but now he wanted to follow. This wasn’t how things had been between them. He’d always taken charge in the bedroom, and Snow didn’t see any reason to complain when he sent her soaring every time.
But then she realized what he was giving her. She was a woman in full control. She ran her own business. She’d built her own life in a new town. She was in charge, and Caleb understood what all of that meant to her. Now he was giving her the reins to control him.
The surge of power from that thought alone threatened to send her over the edge. She couldn’t stop the smile that curved her lips. “I want your mouth on my breasts,” she said, her voice weaker than she liked. With more authority she added, “But first, I want you naked in my bed.”
The admiring grin he flashed felt like a well-earned reward.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his lower-than-usual voice vibrating through her body. Cool air drew goose bumps along her flesh as Caleb crawled off the bed, never taking his eyes from hers. With slow, deliberate movements, he undid his jeans and slid them down his powerful thighs. Grasping the headboard for balance, he pulled them off, taking his socks with them. His full arousal was evident behind the black boxer briefs.
“Wait,” she said, before he could push the underwear over his hips. “Let me.” A tiny voice in Snow’s brain screamed, What are you doing? but she stayed the course, scooting to the edge of the bed. “Come closer,” she ordered, and Caleb did as asked without complaint.
She explored him first through the cotton material, fascinated by how easily she could make him moan. The sound was like a drug, and she wanted more. Much more. With a hand on each hip, she slid the waistband down to reveal the vee that made her mouth water. By the time the elastic reached mid-thigh, Caleb was trembling and a glance at his face revealed his struggle to hold on.
Once the briefs fell to his feet, Caleb shifted as if to join her on the bed. “Not yet,” Snow said, her hands on his hips.
In a strained voice, he said, “I thought you wanted me naked in your bed.”
Trailing a finger over the front of his thigh, she said, “I’ve changed my mind.”
She could have sworn she heard him say, “Oh, God,” as she took him in hand, but Snow was too focused on her target to be sure. He was hot and pulsing, and she realized she’d never done this with the lights on. Never explored him at her leisure. There was so much she’d been missing out on.
When she kissed the tip, his knees nearly buckled. “Snow, please.” It was Caleb’s turn to beg, and she decided he was probably right. This would be better with him lying down.
Scooting back, she dragged the covers down, and without a word he joined her. “Where were we?” he said, sliding a hand across her stomach.
“Where was I, you mean.” Snow pushed him back with one finger on his shoulder and then scooted down on the bed. “You don’t mind, do you?” she asked, glancing up from the middle of the mattress.
With a gleam in his eye, Caleb said, “I’ve created a monster, haven’t I?”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He shook his head. “Something tells me it’s a very good thing. I’m all yours, darling.” His hands slipped behind his head as a smug expression crossed his face.
Snow had a sudden urge to hear him beg once more.
She kissed the tip again, then trailed her tongue down to the base. Caleb’s gasp made her smile, but she didn’t hesitate in taking him completely. She didn’t need to see her husband’s face to know the smug look was gone.
His hands gripped her hair as she began to move. Hips rose as she set up a rhythm and his breathing grew jagged and thin. When she cupped his balls, a deep growl echoed around them and his hips drove up harder. Keeping her mouth on him, Snow undid the front clip on her bra and tossed the garment to her left, not caring where it landed.
The taste of heat and salt and man filled her senses. On her knees now, Snow dug her nails into Caleb’s tight ass and increased her intensity. She knew he was on the brink of snapping when Caleb pulled her up his body and said, “Now.”
He rolled her to the side and had her jeans and panties off within seconds. Part of her wanted to order him back to obedience, but the truth was, she couldn’t wait any longer either. When Caleb leapt off the bed, she yelped.
“Where—” she started to ask, but saw him pulling something from his bag. Now? Now was the time he had to get something out of his bag?
Caleb returned to the bed with several condoms, tossing all but one on the nightstand. Tearing the package open with his teeth, he cooperated without argument when Snow took over and slid the sheath into place.
“I thought I was in charge,” she teased, relishing the feel of him hot and naked against her.
“I tried,” he answered before taking her mouth at the same moment he slid a hand between her legs. When he found her hot and ready he mumbled, “Thank God” against her mouth as he drove into her.
Snow’s entire world lit up at the same moment her eyes snapped shut and her body lit on fire. She stretched to accommodate him and the whole planet fell away. There was nothing but her and the man clenched between her thighs. She’d feared this wouldn’t be as good as it once was, but she never dreamed it could be this much better.
“Oh, Caleb,” she said as her hands slid down his sweat-slick back. “Oh my.”
She felt him nod in silent agreement, his forehead pressed to hers. Snow kissed his chest and his collarbone, the base of his neck and his strong jawline. His brittle scruff scratched her delicate skin, but she didn’t care. So long as she had him in her arms, and in her bed, Snow didn’t care about anything else.
The thought sent a brief shiver of panic through her mind before she shut it down. This wasn’t about losing her will to her libido. This was more than that.
“Snow,” Caleb said, her name like a prayer on his lips. She looked up to see him watching her, his shoulders strained. He was holding back. For her.
The look in his eyes told her everything she ever needed to know, and Snow handed over her heart as she always knew she would. Tightening her knees against him, she lifted her hips, meeting him stroke for stroke. They were kissing wildly, biting and nibbling and increasing the pace until Snow didn’t know if she could take any more.
With one last powerful drive, Caleb’s head dropped to her shoulder as a guttural sound ripped from his chest. Snow was cresting the wave as Caleb shuddered against her. As they went over the edge together, she was already looking forward to the next round.
Caleb struggled to hold his weight on his arms. He didn’t want to crush Snow, but his muscles were on fire. As was the rest of him.
“I hope you don’t mind if I catch my breath before we do that again,” he said, rolling onto his back and pulling his wife with him until she lay sprawled along his front. “I’m more out of shape than I thought.”
Snow blew a mass of damp curls off her forehead, then dropped her chin onto his sternum. “If this is out of shape,” she said, “I’m not sure I could handle you fit.” The source of his ego jolted against her stomach, resulting in one raised dark brow. “Someone’s caught his breath already.”
He laughed, which threatened to throw her off him. Caleb caught Snow under her arms and pulled her higher on his chest. With a deep sigh of satisfaction, he twisted a curl around his finger. “I missed you,” he said in lieu of the other three words brimming to get out. A temptation that took him by surprise.
There was no doubt that he cared for, and physically w
anted, his wife. They’d exchanged “I love yous” after their nontraditional wedding, but neither had ever made the declaration in a moment like this. A moment, he now realized, that really mattered. What would she say if he spoke the words now? She’d pointed out that their future was still undecided. Bringing love up at a time like this would get her thinking, and that was the last thing he needed.
The precariousness of Caleb’s position bore down on him. She’d run from him once, and there were still no guarantees she wouldn’t call things off for good. He could refuse to accept her decision for only so long. Eventually, if she really wanted out, he’d have to honor that.
And doing so would tear him apart.
Feeling vulnerable wasn’t something Caleb had much experience with. The morning he’d awoken to find Snow gone was the last time he’d felt anything akin to the uncomfortable frisson of fear currently poking at the back of his eyeballs. He’d determined right then and there that once he found her, she would never leave him again. A bold decision for someone who clearly had no more control over his wife than he did over the weather.
He didn’t then. And he didn’t now.
Which put a remarkable amount of power in his wife’s dainty little hands.
“Earth to Caleb,” Snow said. “Did I fry your brain?”
Shaking his head, he dropped the curl to wrap his arms around her. “Singed maybe,” he joked, sliding the previous thoughts to the back of his mind. “The last thing I want to do is get off this bed, but there’s something I need to throw away.”
Her face scrunched up in the cutest way. “You go do that,” she said, shifting herself onto the bed. Lying on her side with her head balanced on her hand, she said, “Don’t take too long.”
As ordered, Caleb crossed the short distance to the bathroom, tossed the condom into the trash, and pranced back to the bed. “Move over, woman,” he said, climbing under the covers.
As she was still on top of them, Snow looked at him as if he’d forgotten something.