“Caleb.” I hated the breathlessness I heard in my voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Picking up my girl, of course.” He winked at me. He looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes, but he was still gorgeous—and he’d still come to pick me up.
He always made me smile, made me feel special.
It was the little things he did that chipped the walls around my heart bit by bit until he had all of it in the palm of his hand.
He grinned at me boyishly. “Any new jokes for me?”
“Dammit. Stop teasing me!”
He laughed. I glared.
“Come on, Red. Don’t be mad. I really liked your joke.”
He grinned. I still glared.
“Okay, your joke wasn’t funny, but I love that you said it anyway. Come on, give me another one,” he cajoled.
“No way—”
Suddenly, the door from the garage opened. “Hey, Caleb. How’s it going?”
“Dylan! I’m great, bro. How’re you doing?”
Kara’s brother looked so different from her that no one would guess they were siblings. I watched as Caleb slapped Dylan’s back and they gave each other the man version of a hug. I let them chat while I closed up shop. By the time I was done, Dylan was saying goodbye.
Caleb turned to me. “So, where to, Red?”
I studied his face. He still looked hungover but definitely better than this morning.
“Let’s just go back to your apartment and have a quiet night tonight.”
“Aw.” He batted his eyelashes and placed his hand on his chest. “Red, are you thinking about me? I feel fine already. Just a slight headache, but it’s barely there.” He grinned, offering me his arm.
I smiled back and wrapped my hand around his strong forearm.
“We can go on a date, if you like,” he continued as we walked out. “Tell me where you would like to go. Your wish is my command.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Just home.”
He stopped all of a sudden, and I would’ve tripped if he hadn’t caught me. He smiled from ear to ear. “Home.”
* * *
We had just arrived inside Caleb’s apartment when his phone started ringing. He just stared at the screen, looking reluctant.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Beatrice-Rose.”
Beatrice-Rose. Last time she phoned, I blew up like a cheetah on crack, as Caleb had put it. Truthfully, I felt guilty. They were just friends. Childhood friends, he told me. And I had overreacted.
“Please answer it,” I urged.
He raised his eyebrows.
I bit my lip, trying to hold my laugh in. “I promise I won’t overreact this time. I feel so bad. Please.”
He nodded.
“Hello? I’m good, you? Right now?” His eyes turned to me. “Hold on.” With a quick tap, he muted his phone. “She said she’s on her way over. Is that okay with you?”
I worried my lip.
“If it’s not, I can always tell her no. It’s up to you, Red. It’s not a big deal,” he assured me, his thumb rubbing my elbow.
For some reason, I didn’t want her to come. I didn’t want… Whatever. I was overreacting again.
“No, let her come. I can just leave and give both of you some privacy. I’ve imposed on you too much already.”
“What?” He frowned. “Where’d this come from?”
I shook my head. “Caleb. Tell her to come.”
“No,” he replied, his voice emphatic. “If you feel this way, it’s better if she doesn’t.”
“Feel what way? She’s waiting.” I gestured to his phone.
He shrugged.
“Fine.” I crossed my arms. “I’ll stay.”
He tilted his head, a knowing smile on his face as he unmuted the phone and placed it against his ear again. “Okay, come on over.”
When he hung up, he curled his hands around my shoulders and turned me to face him. “There’s nothing to worry about, Red. You’re my girl.”
I held my breath as his thumb played with my bottom lip, rubbing it softly. “There’s only you,” he whispered before he dipped his head to kiss me, and all my doubts were forgotten.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Caleb
“Only you,” I told her softly, holding her face in my hands.
My thumb caressed her cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin. Her dark cat eyes were wide as they took in my face, revealing an innocence that I wanted to grab and hold on to…and keep.
Beatrice-Rose was going to be here in less than an hour, but I couldn’t stop myself from pulling Red close and kissing her lips. I hadn’t kissed her since this morning.
She was like an addiction. A drug pumping through my bloodstream.
I kissed her hungrily, my hands roaming all over her body. The dip on her back just above her ass drove me insane.
Her taste was turning me on. Her breathing was turning me on.
Her lashes fluttered as she closed her eyes, and she sighed as my tongue glided over her skin, down the long line of her neck to that sensitive spot just below her ear. When I placed my lips there, she shivered.
Damn, we had to stop.
Just a few more minutes, I told myself. But when she plastered her body against me, her breasts pressing against my chest, I lost all reason.
I plundered her mouth, exploring it with my tongue. When her tongue touched mine, I exploded. My hands claimed her body, her full breasts fitting perfectly in my palms. I wanted to see her bare breasts, to suck on them until she cried out again.
I held her close, backing her up until she hit the wall. I grabbed her leg and hooked it around my hip, grinding myself against her heat. Her hands wrapped around the nape of my neck, her fingers tightening in my hair, pulling hard enough for it to hurt. I loved it. And then she moaned. Drove me fucking wild.
“Jesus,” I said breathlessly.
I’d only wanted a taste, a sip. But now I wanted to drink. Swallow her breathy sighs. Savor her creamy skin. I was lost in her…lost in my Red.
When she bit my lip and sucked, I growled. She nibbled my lips for a few moments before biting. So fucking sexy.
“Want you so fucking bad,” I whispered in her ear.
I scooped her up in my arms, my lips never leaving hers.
The bedroom, I thought, struggling to think. Too far. I spotted the couch a few feet away and hurriedly carried her there without breaking our kiss. I roughly laid her on the cushions.
I straddled her, pulling my shirt off, and then I froze and looked at her.
Fuck me.
Her lips were red and swollen, her pupils dilated. She was half lying, half sitting up with her elbows supporting her weight as she stared up at me.
So fucking beautiful.
My eyes widened as she sat up, shyly placing her hands on my thighs.
My muscles tensed. I swallowed nervously, watching her raptly as I waited for her next move. Waiting…waiting…
I thought I’d died when she reached for her shirt, took it off.
Holy Jesus…
So lost. I was so lost in her spell… I watched as she reached for my hand. I leaned down to accommodate her as she slowly placed my hand on her cheek. She stared at me with those dark mysterious eyes, kissed the palm of my hand.
There were very few moments in my life that I knew would stick with me forever—lasting only a few seconds but irrevocably staying with me, finding a spot in my heart and burrowing in there, changing me for the rest of my life.
This. This was one of them.
I was always surrounded by people, always thought I belonged with them. I was never lonely, but I was never really happy either. I didn’t realize until now, as we stared into each other’s eyes, that I had never really belonged wit
h anyone.
Until Red. Until she came into my life.
She was home. My home.
“Caleb.” Her voice was whisper soft, a siren’s call to my senses.
My mouth opened in surprise as she placed her hand on my chest and pushed me onto my back. When she climbed on top of me, my brain stopped functioning.
She kissed my neck softly, her lips drifting down to my chest, to my stomach. When I felt her tongue flick against my skin, I nearly came in my pants.
I knew lust, had acted upon it more times than I cared to count. But this…this was something else. It was painful, almost unbearable. But it was the good kind of pain. The best kind of pain. I wanted to possess her just as she possessed me.
She was fire, and I wanted her to burn me…consume me.
Like a moth to a flame, I could not resist.
I took over, kissing her with an abandon and a wild hunger that shook me.
“Bed,” I murmured, my voice gruff and heavy. When she nodded, I stood and scooped her up in my arms, still kissing her while heading to my bedroom.
When the buzzer sounded, I nearly snarled.
“Caleb, wait. Stop.”
She was telling me to stop, but we were both still kissing each other.
The buzzer sounded again.
“Fuck.”
When she tucked her head under my chin, I closed my eyes. My body was on fire, but my heart was melting.
With that small gesture she destroyed me.
I love you.
My heart was beating like it was going to explode in my chest. I’d never said that to anyone before. Never felt it before her.
I waited for panic, fear, denial to come—but none of those did. It just felt…right. As if I had loved her from the very beginning without realizing it.
I wanted to tell her, but I kissed the top of her head instead, smelled the sweet strawberry scent of her hair. Her heart was beating fast, her breathing shallow. Her hands came up to my shoulders, shaking me slightly.
“Put me down, Caleb. Answer the intercom.”
I blew out a breath. “Damn.”
I put her down, made sure her body slid tantalizingly against mine. Her head was down, avoiding my eyes. She was embarrassed again.
It was one of the many reasons I couldn’t get enough of her. She was passion and fire one minute, shy and sweet the next.
“Hey,” I said softly, lifting her chin with my finger. Her eyes met mine, and for the second time in less than half an hour, she took my breath away.
She slays me, I thought, with just one look. One goddamn look.
She smiled at me, and then gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “Answer the intercom. I’ll just…fix myself a little bit.”
When she turned away, I reached for her arm, pulling her to my chest and wrapping her in my arms. I heard her gasp, her body tensing, then relaxing as she settled comfortably—and with sweet familiarity—in my embrace. As if we’d been doing this for a long time.
“You’re my home, Red.”
She didn’t respond with words. But her arms gently but firmly wrapped around my back. She rested her cheek on my chest, her ear perfectly aligned with my heartbeat. As if she was listening to it and found the sound beautiful, she let out a contented sigh and held me tighter.
Yeah, I realized, I’m home.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Veronica
Relax. Relax. Relax.
It became a chant as I put on a white tank top, then quickly fished out my lip gloss from my purse and applied it.
Dammit. My hair was a mess. Caleb liked to run his hands through it. It always needed a hell of a brushing after every time we kissed.
God. That had been so very, very close. I still wasn’t ready to do it with him, but I loved it when we kissed. He made me feel strange things…with his hands…his mouth… I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Focus.
I had no time to play with my hair, so I just pulled it up in a bun on top of my head.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Everything was going to be fine. It was just Beatrice-Rose. Caleb’s childhood friend. It was nothing.
I quietly walked to the living room, listening. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Caleb doing push-ups on the floor.
“Caleb?”
“Yes, baby?” he huffed, raising his head to look at me.
“What are you doing?”
He placed one hand behind his back and was doing one-arm push-ups now. He winked. It reminded me of my second day in his home, when he was showing off his arms and butt to me. It felt so long ago. I pursed my lips, trying to keep from laughing at the memory.
“You got me so hot that I had to cool myself down. Don’t want anything sticking up when Beatrice-Rose comes in, now, do we?”
My laughter disappeared. Heat rushed up in my cheeks. The things he said…
“That was the neighbor, by the way, but Beatrice-Rose is coming up now. Did you do something with your lips?”
Did he notice everything?
“And that top.” Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, still shirtless. “Red, you’re not helping.” His voice was turned low—the I’m-going-to-kiss-you kind of low.
“Caleb, she’ll be here any second!”
I picked up his shirt from the floor and tossed it at him. He caught it easily.
“So?” he challenged, stalking me. I backed away, laughing now. “Can’t I get a kiss?”
He kept on coming, and I kept on backing away. This reminded me of what had happened in the bathroom when we—
Focus!
He seemed to enjoy stalking me like this.
“Caleb,” I warned, looking behind me, ready to bolt.
He paused, blinked, and then blew out a breath. “You’re right. What the hell. Red, I swear, you’ve made me a walking hard-on.”
I rolled my eyes. “Is that all you can think about?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “If all meant you, then yes.”
When the soft knock sounded at the door, Caleb let out a sigh and put on his shirt. My insecurities fled as he grabbed my hand and led us to the front door.
When Caleb opened the door, I caught a flash of light-blond hair and a whiff of expensive floral perfume as a body catapulted through. I heard Caleb’s oof! and his hand was wrenched from mine. I turned to see Beatrice-Rose pressed against Caleb, her hands wrapped around his neck like an octopus’s tentacles. That was mean, I scolded myself. She hadn’t done anything bad to me. Not yet, my subconscious added. I ignored it.
“Cal! I missed you!” she cried out, delighted.
My insecurities came flooding back with a vengeance as Caleb hugged her back before pulling away from her. He looked at her and smiled.
“Hey, B. How are you?”
She was petite. And very beautiful, with classical features that reminded me of the princesses in fairy tales.
The first thing I noticed was her hair. It was light blond, straight as a pin, and ended just below her jawline in a perfect bob. Ruler-straight bangs framed her big blue eyes.
It was hard not to appreciate the white satin blouse she had on, with a loose bow tied around the collar. She paired it with black leather shorts that showcased long legs and a pair of royal blue pumps. She exuded class and expensive things.
I felt like a character in “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The giant, to be specific.
She placed her hand on Caleb’s arm. Squeezed. “I’m good. I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by.”
“It’s fine,” Caleb said, steering her toward me. “I want you to meet my girlfriend, Red. Red, this is Beatrice-Rose.”
Girlfriend. Just hearing him introduce me like that sent the butterflies skittering around my stomach.
Beatrice-Rose’s eyes widened as, for the first ti
me, she finally noticed me. The hand that was on Caleb’s arm fell to her side when Caleb reached for my hand again, lacing our fingers together. Her blue eyes followed the movement, and stared at our intertwined fingers.
Something there, I thought, as an emotion flashed in her eyes, so fast I wasn’t sure what it was. Then she smiled at me.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s so nice to meet you, Red. I’m Beatrice-Rose.”
She offered her hand. Her nails were unpainted but tastefully manicured. My nails were chipped and untrimmed as I shook her smooth, soft hand, and I wondered what she thought of mine, rough from dishwashing and cleaning. I didn’t like this self-conscious feeling. Didn’t like it at all. I let go as fast as I could.
“Veronica, actually,” I clarified. “Caleb calls me Red. It’s nice to meet you too.”
She threw her head back and laughed. Did I say something funny?
“Cal, remember when we were kids and you used to call me Yellow? Glad you kept the habit.”
Her hand reached for his arm again. She touched him so casually, as if she’d had a lot of practice over the years.
Yellow.
Cal.
B.
Yellow…
Caleb nodded, smiling fondly as he remembered. My stomach knotted.
Beatrice-Rose’s eyes shifted to me. “It’s my hair,” she explained, pointing at her shiny locks.
I slowly removed my hand from Caleb’s, needing some space. He noticed, a frown marring his forehead.
“I called Ben Blue too,” he said, stubbornly reaching for my hand again. I tugged, but he only held it more firmly.
I didn’t want to hold his hand. I wanted to stomp my foot and walk away…but she was there and I didn’t want to appear to be a spoiled kid.
Beatrice-Rose let out a laugh. “Oh God, yes, I remember. Our families went on a lot of trips when we were younger. We got in trouble a lot. And Ben… Well, let’s just say he was less serious at the time. He had an obsession with dyeing his hair blue.”
Caleb laughed. “Yeah. He’s too busy with work now.”
I got it. They had a lot of memories together. They were close. They had a bond.
Chasing Red Series, Book 1 Page 23