Captive Hearts

by Gina Leuci

  I hadn’t thought of it before, but the question and his pained expression couldn’t be ignored. Besides, Randy, Tom, and Greg were all listening and waiting. I lifted my chin and gave an innocent look. “Why, Caleb, would you choose your mom’s cooking over mine?”

  He closed his eyes, and I knew I had him. “Ah, Randy?” He turned to his brother in-law, “Don’t you and I…”

  Randy shook his head. “Don’t drag me into this one. It’s all you, bro.”

  I couldn’t keep a straight face, and I doubled over in my chair with laughter. Until I looked up to see Caleb looking down at me, and his expression held something more. Yes, there was amusement, but behind his eyes, there was more than laughter, there was heat. This easy comradery had turned him on.

  I sucked in my breath, as my own laughter came to a stop. His eyes drifted to my lips as my tongue slipped out to wet them, then they returned to mine, a message loud and clear passed between us. It was getting harder to avoid the sexual tension between us.

  I know nothing had happened so far only because he was a man of his word, but maybe even he had his limits. There was still a room of men still watching our interaction and Caleb, of course, was the first to take control of his emotions. He took two strides back to my desk and captured my mouth in an unexpected, but toe-curling kiss. “Not to worry, wife,” he exclaimed loud enough for the on-lookers. “I know whose bed I lie in at night.” Then he turned to his officers. “And don’t you be telling anyone I dissed our famous pot pie, either. Now get back to work.”

  Easier said than done. For either of us. The morning dragged. Several times I looked up, peering into the glass window into Caleb’s office to find his eyes on me. While his kiss had been for show, a distraction for the officers, it had licked the embers between us into a full flame.

  These casual, fun moments were rare. This town had placed a heavy burden on the both of us, and to see Caleb smile, or for me to actually laugh out loud, it hinted at the couple we could potentially be under different circumstances. And that kiss he’d planted? I ran a distracted finger over my lips. While I know he’d done it for the sake of our audience, there had been nothing casual about it. With that brief meeting of lips, I knew, without a doubt, he felt the same lustful attraction that was toying with our thin line of self-control.

  Once again, I looked up into the glass window between my desk and Caleb’s office to find his eyes on me. As I slowly moved my fingers from my lips, I could guess he knew were my thoughts had gone. I only wish I could read his mind as easily as he seemed to read mine.

  When Tom and Greg headed out that afternoon to drive patrol through town, Caleb came out of his office and passed by me, not even giving me a glance. He went down the hallway where the cells were located. He had no residents, and the only other area on that side was the closet that Hope had broken into to get Jake’s watch a few weeks ago.

  Curiosity got the best of me. I went over to the counter that housed the tea and hot water and made myself a cup. I took my time, sneaking glances down the hall. The door to the closet was open.

  I added sugar to my mug and stood at the counter, dunking my tea bag into the hot water. When Caleb exited, he held a small, brown, non-descript box. He closed the closet, locked it, then turned and saw me watching.

  And surprise of surprises, he gave a slow, sexy smile, and I was lost. When he winked, my heart caught in my throat. What the hell was he up to? But he walked by me, box in hand, and headed into his office without a word.

  The children were extra needy that night. Or maybe it seemed that way. Elena wanted to play a game; Justin was in a mood and threw a tantrum; and Shawna decided tonight was the night she wanted to potty train, so she kept asking me to go with her into the bathroom to help with her pull-ups.

  It all would have seemed normal, except Caleb had a secretive smile, and for the first time in a week, he found ways to brush up against me. His hand lingered on my shoulder, and his eyes spoke volumes. When supper was served—two completely different versions of the same meal, he gave a wicked smile and memories of his kiss earlier had me hiding my face with my hair as I ate. It was like a quiet seduction and I didn’t know what to make of this sudden turn of events.

  When we said goodbye to his family, I was a bundle of nerves. This week had brought more rain, and it was coming down steadily as we stepped outside. Caleb put a hand on my back and rushed me out to his cruiser, opening the door quickly for me to slide in. He was around and in the driver’s seat in seconds. With a quick motion, the ignition was turned on, and I got a blast of air in the face from the A/C.

  “Put your seat belt on, please.”

  I didn’t. Instead I turned to stare at him. The glow from the streetlight above shone brightly in the confines of the car. “What is with you today?”

  Caleb kept both hands on the steering wheel, facing front, almost avoiding me after an afternoon of touching me at every turn. “I was thinking we should go to The Hall tonight to listen to the band. Are you interested?”

  Interested? Loaded question. I was interested in knowing why he suddenly felt the need to touch me at every moment today when he hadn’t in a week. I was interested to know why he had a secretive smile. I was interested to know why he’d been playing with my senses for the past several hours and now wanted to go somewhere public for the night.

  “Um, sure. I haven’t spent any time with Caroline lately.” I leaned back. It was hard to know what to say when the man was a mixed bag of contradictions.

  Then he was close, leaning over me, and I breathed in his masculine scent. The stubble on his face gave him a rough and tough aura, but the laughter in his eyes showed his softer, kinder side. He reached for the seat belt and slowly pulled it over my body, his fingers skimming across my chest to secure it in place. My pulse quickened and once again, the air around us thinned making it hard to breath. Funny how he always had that effect on me. “Have to buckle up. It’s the law.”

  A second later he was driving as though he hadn’t a care in the world, In the meantime, I hadn’t recovered. A week ago, I’d practically offered myself to him, and he’d said no. Not because he didn’t want me, but because he’d made a promise. What had changed? The kiss today? That had been for show. Hadn’t it?

  We made a quick stop back at our apartment to change for the evening, and he was back to not touching me. I gave him the bedroom to change while I grabbed clothes and headed to the bathroom for privacy. I chose a simple yellow sundress with matching sandals, scooped my hair up off my neck, and ran lip gloss across my lips.

  I wanted casual, but when I looked in the mirror, my eyes sparkled and I didn’t see casual, I saw expectations. “Stop. Despite his mood, you know you can’t be with him.” I talked to my reflection. “Your goal is to find a way to get out of this Stepford town and return home, not to give in to a moment of lust.”

  I pressed my hands against my face, hoping to squash the blush that tinged cheekbones. “Even if you sleep next to the man every night and have wished over and over for a repeat of what happened two weeks ago, the answer must be no. Keep your eye on the ball, Grace. Home. Family. You can do this.”

  I exited the room to find Caleb in the kitchen. He slowly lowered the glass of water he’d been about to drink and stared at me. “You look beautiful.”

  I swished the short skirt of the dress aside and looked down. My pep talk of a moment before forgotten. I felt shy and my voice was barely more than a whisper. “Um, thank you. I picked this up the other day and was waiting for church on Sunday, but, well…”

  “I’m glad you didn’t wait. You’ll be the prettiest girl on the dance floor tonight.”

  I wasn’t immune to his husky voice. He motioned for me to head out and again, he didn’t touch me, not even a hand on my back, as we left the building.

  The moment we arrived at The Hall, Caleb was waylaid by Greg, the officer on duty, so I excused myself and made a beeline to Caroline. I needed a breather from the man’s intense, heat
ed stare. Straight and True was on fire tonight with the fast and fun songs, and Caroline and I headed out to the dance floor, without the men, to gyrate to the music and work off our energy from the week.

  Aaron was at the mike, singing a song about ladies loving country boys and I sang along, like everyone else on the dance floor, when I spun around and spotted Caleb across the room, watching me. I forgot the words as our eyes connected. The noise of the room faded, and in that moment it was just the two of us. I know the band still played, and that I moved in rhythm to the music, but when he looked at me, I felt like I was the only one in the room.

  When the song came to an end, he strode to me in a few long steps and took me into his arms. “Dance with me.” Three husky words, and I was his.

  It was like the band knew to switch to a slow song. “Let’s switch things up a bit now, folks. Here’s some Shania Twain with You’ve Got A Way.”

  The young girl with the amazing voice, who I’d discovered was Aaron’s youngest sister, Emalee, came forward and sang the love song with a voice years older than she was. Caleb moved me across the dance floor with slow, even steps, while his gaze never left mine.

  “Caleb, I have to know—” I broke our locked gaze to look around the room, “—is all of this tonight for show?”

  His eyes softened as he shook his head. “I don’t give a damn what anyone in this room thinks. Right now, at this moment, I only want to enjoy having you in my arms.”

  “Oh.” It took me another moment before I could find my voice again. “You’re different today. You’ve been so cold the past week and now…”

  “No, sweetheart,” the endearment caught me off guard. “The only thing cold about me this week has been my showers.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know how to handle that revelation. So close to how I’d been feeling, yet we’d agreed on our final destination. This, none of this, was in line with our goal.

  “Do you know why I wanted to come here tonight?” He moved across the dance floor with an easy grace while I seemed to be all left feet as I tried to keep with his rhythm in the bright overhead lights of the room.

  Why? I can’t even think straight, never mind come up with a reasonable explanation of his sudden mysterious behavior. “No. I couldn’t even begin to guess.”

  “It’s because I love to watch you dance. Here and on the baseball field are about the only time you stop living in your head, over thinking everything. Here, you give in to the music. You smile. You relax. You really do look amazing in that dress.”

  If only he knew how un-relaxed I felt right now. As I tripped over my own feet, he pulled me closer. I was aware of every inch of his body against mine. How his hand at my back burned through the cotton. How his denim-clad legs brushed against my bare legs below the hem of my dress. What had I told myself earlier in front of the mirror? Whatever it was, I’d forgotten it already.

  “Why do you keep looking at me like that, Caleb?” I pleaded for an answer.

  He gave another of his slow, secretive smiles. “How am I looking at you?”

  I knew but did I dare say the words? He spun me around to the music and I couldn’t resist the magnetic pull between us. “Like you’re undressing me with your eyes.”

  His gaze flared with an instant heat and my mouth went dry.

  “Let me ask you something,” Caleb lowered his head so he could speak in a low tone and still be heard with the music. “If I said that I’d found a way to pick up where we left off last week and still be able to keep my promise, would you walk out the door with me right now?”

  I stumbled again, forcing us both to stop. Two frozen figures on the dance floor as other couples swirled around us.

  “Um, is it even possible?” Holy crap, was it possible? Possible that tonight I would have Caleb’s lips on mine? That we’d be doing more than sleeping alone while being in the same bed?

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Yes?

  We walked off the dance floor before the song ended and were out in the rain, heading toward the car parked a block away at the station with that single word hanging between us.

  The drive back to the apartment was only a few blocks, but Caleb held my hand the entire time. A couple times he’d lift it to kiss my fingers sending swirls of heat throughout my entire body. The rain pounded down as we pulled to a stop and ran inside, laughing and swiping at our wet hair and clothes. Then the laughter stopped.

  We made it just inside the entrance before he pulled me to him and kissed me. More like ravaged me. His hand tangled in my hair as he pushed me against a wall near the stairs. The past weeks had been full of restraint, but the attraction between us went further back. Before he’d brought me to orgasm with his fingers. Before we’d been forced to marry. All the way back to that day on the ball field when we’d collided and crashed to the ground. I pushed up on my toes, meeting him and giving back what he gave.

  “I wish this building had an elevator,” he murmured as he pulled away to grab my hand. I giggled as we sprinted up the stairs.

  We brushed by another couple coming down. I know they said hello, and Caleb responded, calling them by name, but I barely noticed them, as I was too intent on what was ahead.

  Somehow, we managed to get behind closed doors of our apartment before I was back in his arms. “Sweet, sweet, Grace. Do you have any idea how difficult it has been for me to keep my hands off you? To not kiss you, because if I did, I wouldn’t want to stop?”

  I shook my head. “No. I thought… Actually, I didn’t know what to think. You seemed to manage fine. I’ve spent the week going crazy because I felt like a fool, offering myself to you last week and you were too much of a gentleman to do anything about it.”

  “Gentleman?” He scoffed as he pressed his lips against mine again for a soul-searing kiss. “No gentleman would spend every waking hour replaying the one night I did have you naked, in our bed, writhing under me, and wondering why, in all that is merciful, I didn’t take you, then and there.”

  “Oh.” That one syllable seemed to be the only thing I was capable of saying tonight.

  “I haven’t felt like a gentleman in weeks,” he admitted between kisses. His body pressed mine against the door, and I heard an urgency in his voice in between his touch. “And I have spent the last week, watching your every move, wanting to give you the world, but feeling selfish enough to consider any and all alternatives.”

  His mouth trailed down to my neck and my entire right side, from where his mouth moved all the way to my toes, tingled. I tried to maintain the conversation despite my major distraction. “Like what kind of alternatives?”

  “First, I studied the calendar Dr. Todd gave you and thought maybe we could skip having sex on the days he’d marked down as your most fertile.”

  With the way Caleb scrambled my mind with his touch, anything he said would sounded plausible. “Um, okay. Is that what we’re doing now?” I groaned as his mouth lingered a moment longer at the pulse in my throat.

  He stepped back and I would have felt abandoned if he didn’t take my hands in his. “No, I have something better.”

  It was the pride in his voice that piqued my interest. I followed him into the bedroom where he pointed toward his nightstand and the brown box he’d taken from the closet at work earlier. “Open the box, Grace.”

  Curious, I lifted the flaps and reached inside. There were two other boxes inside. I pulled one out and gasped. Condoms. Caleb had gotten his hands on condoms.

  “Contraband,” he said, giving his eyebrows a wiggle.

  Someone, Jake most likely, had packed these for the summer and it, like so many other items, had been confiscated when we arrived. Now, Caleb, the police chief who’d sworn to uphold the laws and edicts of this town, had stolen items from his own station. God bless a man of desperation.

  “You were right about that dress,” his voice was husky. “I do want to take it off.”

  I liked where this was going. “Only if you prom
ise tonight I won’t be the only one undressed.”

  He stepped closer. “I promise. And I always keep my promises.”

  Time slowed. Caleb gave me a quick kiss before heading to the window to pull the shades down. He took off his boots while I slipped my bare feet out the flimsy sandals. Caleb pulled the blankets down on the pristinely made bed before he met me in the middle of the room.

  His hands moved around to my back where he slowly slid the zipper of my dress down, while my hands unbuttoned his shirt. Every move we made was slow and deliberate, building up for more. I was nearly shaking by the time I pushed the fabric from his shoulders giving me access to kiss the center of his chest. He slid my dress off and I stood in front of him in bra and panties wanting him more than I’d wanted anyone or anything in my life.

  “I have been imagining this night for weeks,” Caleb groaned. He reached for the strap of the bra, but I shook my head and stepped back, giving him a better view as I reached behind me and undid the clasps. I slowly dropped the scrap of material as I watched the blue of his eyes darken.

  Before I knew what his intent was, he swung me up in his arms to place me in the center of the bed. He dropped his pants in a pile on the floor, and I reveled in the moment of seeing him naked. From his wide shoulders, down to his sculpted abs, down further past his narrow hips, and then to his very erect male anatomy. When I looked back up, Caleb was finishing his own perusal of my body, and our eyes did the talking. No more waiting.

  He knelt onto the bed, and finally, finally we were skin to skin. As much as we both wanted, no needed this night, it was all about taking it slow. Savoring each touch. His fingers explored, roaming from my collarbone, down to my breasts, circling and rubbing the hardened nipples. But he didn’t kiss me. Not yet.

  He wasn’t the only one exploring. My fingers followed a similar trail on his well-defined chest, exploring the curves and contours. I wanted to memorize his body. While there were plenty of condoms within the two boxes, I didn’t really believe we would have another night like this. So I would remember the feel of him, every sound. Every word he said.