by Mignon Mykel
Caleb must have seen the grimace on my face because he pointed at my shoes. “Take off your fucking shoes, Sydney.”
I wanted to be pissy and stubborn, but my feet hurt so I toed out of them. They may have only been an inch, but without them, I certainly felt much smaller.
“I just want to go home,” I whispered into the room, no longer looking at Caleb, but with my face turned toward a wall, staring at…nothing.
I wanted life to be normal. I wanted to meet Caleb and for him to say no to the show but yes to coffee. I wanted a regular boy meets girl scenario where cameras and attention whores weren’t around.
If I stayed…
Frick.
I hadn’t even truly met the other girls yet, and I knew that the days I was here, however long that may be, were going to be absolutely freaking hellish.
The suite was silent.
You could hardly feel the gentle swaying of the ship, but I could feel the hurt radiating off of Caleb. Because of it, I wrapped my arms around me to try and ward off that chill. I didn’t mean to hurt him.
Who would have thought I could hurt a man like Caleb?
Finally, Caleb stepped back. “Then tell Tony. I’m sure he can get you off the ship somehow. We’re at sea tomorrow so it may be the following day, but… Whatever, Sydney.”
Even his voice was cold.
I risked looking up at him just as he turned to head toward the stairs. He kept his head held high, his back rigid, as he climbed the stairs. I watched until I couldn’t watch any more.
I wanted to put space between us.
I think I just did.
…and it wasn’t as comforting as I wanted it to be.
Caleb
I’m not sure I ever experienced a high that fell as hard and quickly as the one I was just on did.
I was so fucking ecstatic to see Sydney, to hold her, to spend time with her. I didn’t care what strings Tony pulled or how she got there, I was just so glad she was there.
But then that? What just happened downstairs?
Fucking knife through the heart, that’s what that was.
I reached the loft bedroom and stripped myself of my clothes. Out of decency for someone being in my suite who obviously didn’t want to be, I kept my boxer-briefs on. Looked like the only thing hugging my junk tonight would be my Under Armour.
I fell into bed, not caring to pull the covers down and around me. I could feel the heat radiating off my body from the anger, no, embarrassment, of just now. I slipped my hands behind my head, linking my fingers, as I stared up at the ceiling.
I shouldn’t be, but I was listening for Sydney. Listening for her movement.
I wanted to know the exact moment she called Tony. I wanted to hear what she had to say.
I wanted to listen to her walk out the door.
Because when she walked out the door was going to be the pivotal moment in what she and I had. Or what I thought we had, but she obviously hadn’t been on board with.
God damn, if this was heartache, this ache in my chest and the rampant thoughts in my head, I didn’t wish it upon anyone. Go figure, the first time I decide that I love a woman, and it’s not returned.
Fuck this monogamy shit. The bachelor lifestyle suited me just fine.
“Caleb.”
It was whispered into the room. I rolled my head in my hands so I could look down my nose toward the stair clearing.
Sydney stood there with her hands clasped in front of her.
“I’m sorry.”
The words weren’t spoken much louder than my name had been.
Still, I didn’t say anything. I was done opening my mouth and letting flowery bullshit fall out.
She chewed on her lower lip but her eyes never left mine. She stared at me a while before taking a deep breath and pulling back her shoulders. “Everything is just really sudden, and it scares me. What I feel for you, it terrifies me, Caleb. You and I are just so incredibly different and you could have—”
I had a feeling I knew where this was going and as badly as I wanted to be an ass, I wasn’t about to listen to her put herself down. I pushed myself up to sit and interrupted her. “Do you not think it scares me, too? Hell, Syd, I laughed at my dad when he told me to keep my mind open; that it was possible to find someone you could love for a lifetime in such a small span of days. I asked you to give me a chance. That’s me being the weak one, not you. I was prepared to walk through this show just so I could get to the other side. I was going to get on the first flight to Utah and find you when all was said and done. You are who I want, Sydney. You are.”
Though there were a number of feet between us, I could see her eyes fill with tears. “Fuck.” I swung my legs over the bed to walk toward her, but she held a hand out to stop me. Her other hand rubbed at her eyes.
When she put her hands back down, she shrugged in an almost defeated fashion. “Then what do you want from me?” Her voice was still soft, but it no longer held the detached hurt.
“I just want to spend time with you, Chief.” I almost stopped the nickname from coming out, but I decided to let it slip. And here I was, about to be the shmucky in love guy, but I didn’t care. “Come lay down, Syd.”
I pulled the covers down beside me and watched her. Watched to see if she’d turn and leave after all, or if she’d give in to what we both wanted.
Thank God it was the latter.
Her bare feet on the lush carpeting of the bedroom loft were whisper soft. It was almost as if she floated toward me.
When she started to sit on the bed, I reached out to tug at a piece of her romper. “You gonna be comfortable in this?” Shit, that probably came out wrong. “I’m just saying maybe you’d be more comfortable in just your bra and panties.”
She shifted a little as if uncomfortable before swinging her legs up. Apparently she wasn’t taking off her clothes. She looked over her shoulder at me before laying down, her back to me and her legs pulled up in that way that presented her ass. Damn, I’d spoon her all night if she’d let me. Maybe do some sexy spooning too.
“I’m not wearing a bra,” she finally said.
I groaned. “Fuck, Sydney.”
“They didn’t warrant a need for a bra, Caleb.” She sounded a bit huffy but I knew if I chuckled, any leeway I was currently making was going to go out the door, fast.
Instead, I shook my head to myself and lay back down, pulling the covers over us both. I drew her close to me, right against me where I wanted her, and settled in for the rest of the night.
Sydney moved to put her hands under her cheek, but other than that movement, she was silent and still. I tilted my head in so I could rest my forehead to the base of her neck, my nose pressed just above the middle of her shoulders. I took in a deep breath of Sydney and finally felt at peace.
When I felt Sydney relax into sleep, I let myself fall, too.
Everything would be figured out.
Everything could only go up from here...
Sydney
Day 5 of 21
I can’t say that I’ve ever slept with someone where the two of us wake up in the exact same spot, same position, time after time. But every time I sleep in Caleb’s arms, it’s as if neither of us want to expend the energy to move.
Yes, this all scared me. Everything with Caleb felt so natural and comfortable, but I knew who I was and who he was. My life took such a huge turn over the course of a week, and I wasn’t entirely sure it could continue moving in a positive direction.
But surely it meant something that I was so incredibly comfortable with Caleb.
I turned in Caleb’s arms to watch him sleep but was surprised to see his eyes already open and on me.
“That’s creepy,” I said, my voice croaking slightly from lack of use. I kept my head on my pillow and my hands clasped between the two of us.
Just like he kept his hand on my hip.
I liked that he liked having his hands on me.
Something else that scared me.
But then again, the more I thought of it, maybe what he and I had didn’t scare me as much as it confused me.
He ignored the comment. “You should take your hair out. You’ll end up with a headache.” His voice didn’t hold the same grittiness as mine, making me feel like he had been watching me sleep for a little while.
“It’s fine.” I lived in messy buns. I could feel when the tension headaches were coming; I generally just ignored the signs. My hair was fine for now though.
“Besides,” he said, going back to the previous conversation, “what’s creepy is taking pictures of people when they’re sleeping.” He lifted a brow and it looked like he was fighting a side curling of his lip.
At first I was confused, to be honest, but then it dawned on me. “Ah, the pictures.” I nodded a few times. “You look younger when you sleep.”
This time, he nodded a few times before shifting slightly. His hand moved from my hip to my lower back, pulling me in just a bit more. “So what’s your plan for today? Are you going to talk to Tony?”
I could see the weariness in his green eyes and hated that I put it there.
I shook my head ever so slightly.
“I’m sure I have to integrate myself with the girls. It won’t be long until Tony’s hunting me down, I’m sure.”
“Unfortunately.”
We just lay there in silence then, eyes on one another. Deciding I had enough with the distance, deciding that I was going to go with the flow, I stretched my legs down before pushing my foot through his knees, intertwining our legs. I kept my hands clasped between us, however.
Taking the cue, Caleb moved his hand from my lower back to brush a fallen lock of hair from my forehead. “Do you think I could kiss you now?” His eyes were on his hand in my hair but eventually they dropped to meet mine.
I couldn’t stop my grin at the boyish charm in his voice. “Yes, Caleb, you may kiss me now. Morning breath, be damned.”
He swept his hand down the back of my head to knead gently at my neck as he chuckled, meeting me halfway. When his lips fell upon mine, I let out a small sigh, my eyes closing in bliss. But when his fingers moved down my neck toward my shoulders, I whimpered slightly and he stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“My neck is tender.” I had a feeling I had a decent sunburn. I looked to my arms and only saw a pinkish tan, but it was always my shoulders that got the brunt of it. With the traveling and going straight to my meeting with Mr. Sorenson, sunblock had been the very last thing on my mind yesterday.
Caleb frowned and moved his hand so he could pull down the shoulder of my romper.
“Fuck, Syd,” he cursed.
Yep. Sunburn.
As he started to get out of the bed, I reached for his hand. “It’s fine, Caleb. I promise.”
“You gotta put something on that, Syd baby. Surely there’s aloe or some shit in the bathroom.”
“Later.” I was begging him to stay. I needed his lips on mine. I was finally ok with the turn of events the last day had taken, and I didn’t want him to go away for one moment.
We only had so much time…
I tugged on his hand again and his frown turned into a brief scowl before he sat back on the bed. “Kissing can wait, Chief. That,” he pointed to my exposed shoulder, “cannot.”
“Just one kiss.” I let go of his hand to hold up a finger.
He drew his lips into a tight line and I thought for sure he was going to say no. He surprised me though, when he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, putting his hand safely on my fabric covered back.
He kept the kiss closed-lipped and sweet. He pulled back slightly before going back in, nibbling on my lower lip. I opened my eyes slightly to watch him and was slightly, just slightly, taken aback to see he was watching me. When he saw my eyes open, he kissed me again and ran his tongue over the seam of my lips. At the urging, I opened my mouth to welcome his tongue over mine.
Rather than become a feverish kiss, a kiss that was full of angst and love and everything else that made up hot, sexy kisses, Caleb kept this one soft and sweet. His tongue ran over mine almost lazily, and between his tongue and the slight movement of his hand on my back, the kiss was lulling.
I tried bringing myself closer to him, needing to be as close as possible without actually being one. Caleb seemed to understand.
Not breaking his mouth from mine, he moved us so he was laying back on the bed and I was draped over him. He gently repositioned my hips until my open, but covered, core ground over his groin.
He wasn’t hard yet, but I could feel the telltale signs of his swelling as I rotated my hips over him. Caleb groaned against my mouth before locking his hands over my lower back, just resting them there.
I wanted his hands moving, though.
I broke the kiss to push up against him, my hands over his bare, muscled chest. Damn, I loved his chest.
I ground myself against him, the fabric from my romper and his briefs in the way from what I really wanted.
“Syd,” Caleb groaned below me. With a grin, I slowly moved over him again. His dick had gone from soft over his thigh, to hard and angled toward his hip. I walked my hands down his chest as I pulled away from him. Straddling his thighs completely now, I pulled the elastic from his briefs down, freeing his cock. It bounced back with the pull of fabric but bobbed up toward his belly button, now fully erect.
I tugged on the fabric more to try and pull them off him but Caleb’s hand trapped my wrist. “We don’t have time, Sydney.”
“Then we’ll make it quick.” I leaned down to press a soft kiss just below the ridge of his swollen head.
“Fuck, Syd.”
He let go of my wrist and I finished my task. I knelt to the side of him and when I reached his feet, Caleb helped toe off the fabric from his legs. I grabbed his hardness but before I could lower my mouth to him, he covered himself.
“Caleb,” I groaned. What the fuck now?
“Get undressed.”
I sat back on my knees and raised my brows at his demand. “Excuse me?”
“I want you right here,” he said, putting his hand on his stomach. “I want to get you off while you’re doing the same.”
I had never sixty-nined. To be completely honest, I had always been afraid that as I got closer to coming, I might accidentally bite down on the dick in my mouth, so it wasn’t something I had ever really wanted to do.
But with Caleb…?
Yeah, I wanted to do it.
I stepped off the bed and lowered the sleeves of my romper, allowing my bare breasts to free as my arms came out of the fabric. I saw the pain in Caleb’s eyes, but was thankful he didn’t put a stop to this.
Someday maybe I’d give him a sexy show, but I just wanted my clothes off. I pushed the fabric down my hips, taking my lacey panties with them, before stepping out of the offending clothes. Just when I thought he wasn’t going to say anything though, Caleb murmured my name. His eyes were fixed on my shoulders.
“I’m fine, Caleb.”
Without hesitation, I crawled back on the bed and pushed past any fear, swinging a knee over Caleb’s chest, putting my wet core right above his mouth.
“Goddamn, Sydney,” he groaned, thankfully over his conscience. It seemed that when in the moment, Caleb was only ever able to push out my name with some swear word attached to it but I found that I lived to hear the words.
His big hands cupped my hips and he pulled until I could feel his breath intimately close to me. I wanted to squirm. Feeling his breath on my wet core… Shit, I was close to coming from the barely there contact.
I sat there, my heart pounding as need and anxiety coursed its way through my blood. I needed his mouth on me. I was anxious for him to start.
“Put your mouth on me. Suck my cock into your mouth.”
Again with the demands.
The previous times we were together had some dirty talk, but Caleb was amping up the game right now and fuck if it wasn’t turning me on tenfold
.
I did as I was told, dropping my open mouth over him, sucking him in as far back as I could. I sucked as I pulled back and just as I got to his head, just as I sucked a little harder, Caleb put his mouth on me, running his tongue from my clit to my opening.
Rather than clamping down like I feared, my jaw dropped open and my eyes squeezed shut. Caleb’s cock fell from my mouth and I dropped my forehead to his thigh. I could feel more than hear him chuckle under me.
“C’mon, Syd baby. Work with me here.” His thumbs dug into my hip bones, not uncomfortably, and he re-angled my hips so he could move to suck and lap at my clit. His nose so close to my wet opening almost bothered me, but not enough to stop.
Putting on my big girl panties, I tried to divert my attention from the pleasure I was feeling down there, and channeling it into working Caleb over.
He was expertly sucking and lapping at me; I was going to do the same to him.
I moved him back into my mouth and sucked at his head as I squeezed and pushed my fist up and down over his length.
The problem was I was so close. Too close. And I wanted Caleb to lose control with me. I dropped my squeeze down to the root of him, squeezing him between my thumb and index finger and trying to stretch my fingers down to run over his balls.
And the true crux of it all…
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, before dropping down to take as much of him as I possibly could. When the head of him hit the back of my throat, my eyes teared as I fought my gag reflex, but still I heard his shout below me.
“God fucking damn, Sydney!”
His hips flexed below me, his cock pulsed harder in my hand, and I could feel the oncoming stream of cum.
Caleb grunted but then got back to work, sucking hard on my clit and letting go of my hip with one hand so he could reach between us to find a nipple and squeeze.
Hard.
And just like that, I was coming along with him.
Caleb
Sydney lay on top of me, upside down. Her knees were still on either side of my shoulders and her head on my hip. I grinned. She was so damn short.