by Shyla Colt
He shines the light in my eyes. I wince slightly.
“How do you feel?” He remains kneeling at my feet. The waning afternoon sunlight turns his black hair to obsidian. I want to test its softness.
“Sore and tired.”
He massages my upper thighs, and I moan.
“You took one hell of a fall. The image is etched into my brain. I’ll probably have nightmares about it.”
“Imagine how I feel.”
“I’m sorry, little one. Your poor body has been through the wringer. I have your water and aspirin on the table in front of you. Can you sit up and take it for me?”
Peering down into his compassion-filled eyes, I sink further under his spell. His massage moves down my body, relieving the knots and tension. I slowly turn to putty.
“Not if you keep doing that.”
He chuckles. “I think I can bring them to you.”
I’m getting off watching his large hands swallow my limbs. Unable to resist his magic fingers and the comfort he’s offering me, I relax, allowing his ministrations. The noises that leave my mouth should make me blush. But I’m enjoying it too much to care. My lids lower, and my nipples harden. I’m in trouble.
The phone rings, breaking the moment he created.
Clearing his throat, he stands. “It’s in your purse.” He brings it to me from the buffet table.
I groan at the name Mom flashing on the screen along with several texts from her.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Where are you? What happened? Why haven’t you called sooner? The hospital called and left me a message, and I’ve been waiting to hear from you since.”
“Crap. You’re my emergency contact. I completely spaced. I had a fall earlier and hit my head a little too hard. I ended up concussed.”
“And they let you leave?” she asks, fury burning in her delivery. “I’m going to get the next flight out.”
“Mom, no. I’m fine.”
“No, you aren’t. You need someone to look after you.”
“I have that.” I close my eyes and wait for the words to sink in.
“Oh.” Her tone changes.
Here we go. Time to walk the tight rope between truth and lies.
“Yes.” I peer at Caleb, who sits on the opposite end of the couch, feigning interest in a show he’s pulled up on the television. “A friend.”
“This is the first time I’m hearing about this mysterious friend.” My mom can read me like a book.
“I met him recently while I was shopping.”
“Him? You’re alone and vulnerable with a man you scarcely know?” I can hear the concern rising in her voice.
“Well, when you put it that way, I sound like an idiot.” I clear my throat. “It was his grandmother’s shop. Nona actually helped take care of me.” I’m insinuating and stretching the truth like a rubber band. I pray it doesn’t snap and sting me. If I’m lucky, Mom will let it go. “Can I fill you in tomorrow, Mom? My head is killing me.”
“Of course, sweetheart,” she says softly. “I’ll check in on you then.”
And give me the third degree about Caleb.
“Love you, Mom. Goodnight.”
“Love you, too.”
As soon as I’m off the phone, my stomach roars loudly.
“Since you’re awake now, it is the perfect time to warm up the lasagna and garlic bread. But first ...” He hands me the water bottle on the table and shakes two aspirin out into my hand.
“I hope you know you’re about to be smothered ... I mean grandmothered by Nona. She’s always wanted more grandchildren.” Smiling, he rises and walks away, leaving me a melted, confused mess.
How can the man infuriate me one minute and turn me on the next? Maybe I knocked a few screws loose? I hardly know the man. The situation is unusual and short-lived. Getting too invested is going to get me hurt.
“The food’s ready.”
Scooting to the end of the couch, I brace myself and push up. Stepping away from the sofa, I wobble, still off-kilter. Suddenly, Caleb’s in front of me, a solid mass of man, gripping my forearms.
“Whoa. You okay?”
I get my bearings and nod.
He releases me, remaining close. “You have to take it easy.” He cups my face. “I don’t want you to get hurt again on my watch.”
I glance away. “I won’t.”
“No, because I’m keeping my eyes on you.” He presses his forehead against mine.
Closing my eyes, I soak up his masculine presence and the woodsy scent of his cologne. My face warms where his hand cups it. I can’t help but wonder what the massive mitt would feel like on the rest of my body. I never knew I had a hand fetish. We stand together for a few heartbeats.
“Come on, let’s get food in your belly.” Stepping back, he pulls me flush to his side.
I look up at him.
“Can’t have you getting dizzy again.”
I go over my intense response to him as we walk to the kitchen. It’s been a while since I had a man in my bed, but this is more. It’s not just his face and magnificent physique that have me tangled into knots. It’s his way with words and how he takes care of me. The fact that I let him is a miracle. I don’t tend to be so open. After all, I was raised to be self-sufficient. The theme “it’s just the two of us” was repeated until I thought in my sleep. As an only child to divorced parents with small families, Mom and I didn’t have the luxury of a support system. Other than my best friend, Lily, I tended to be mercurial when it came to deep, long-term connections with people.
Once I was a sucker for romance. I devoured books and Rom-Coms while I waited to meet my own Mr. Right. Then I fell for a handsome, silver-tongued con man who broke my heart and my bank. Shame and anger toward the situation continue to linger. He made me distrust my discernment and sink into a deep depression. I wanted to know why I wasn’t enough. It took me back to my childhood, exasperating the issues I had with abandonment from males. The journey to loving myself adequately proved to be long and arduous.
Isn’t there a phrase for decisions made after a traumatic experience? That’s what this magnetic pull is to Caleb. The little girl in me is seeing her white knight. However, his dark hair, dark eyes, and temper are more the anthesis to the heroes in fairytales. He helps me climb onto my high back stool, and I’m back to staring at his hands as he prepares my portion of lasagna.
“Is this enough?”
I nod, unable to speak around my swollen throat. Once I get through the next twenty-four hours, things will return to normal. Is that what I really want?
“I’M SORRY, FINAL WAKE up.”
On the cusp of an intense release, I gasp as I swim to the surface, trembling as I teeter on edge. His nostrils flare. Can he smell me? I press my thighs together. The friction makes me whimper.
“What’s wrong?” He kneels beside me.
Too close.
“N-Nothing. Still waking.” I pray he mistakes my husky voice for being sleep worn. His large hands fist my crisp, white sheets. The same hands that had done deliciously dirty things to me in my sleep. I can’t get the vivid image of those pale hands running down my thigh and dwarfing my dripping cunt. I flex the walls of my pussy to try to hold off the orgasm.
“Open your eyes for me, little one.” His deep voice is an invisible touch thrumming at my swollen, needy clit.
“C-Ca—”
“Shh.”
I groan, squirming at his command.
“Eyes on me.” The deep authority has my full attention.
The light pierces my retinas, but it’s the explosion in my center that steals my sight. I grip the sheets, arching as my lips part in a soundless scream.
“Beautiful,” he whispers huskily.
Panting, I wait for embarrassment to eat me alive. It doesn’t. My lids flutter open. I gasp at the look of pure longing etched on Caleb’s features. Aftershocks continue to rocket through me. His chest rises and falls rapidly. Damn those parted, pillowy lips of his. H
is strong jaw tenses, and the nostrils on his Roman nose continue to flare.
“Romy.” He inhales sharply. “If I don’t leave right now, I’m going to taste you.” He licks his lips. “And I don’t think you’re ready for that.”
“Shower,” I squeak. “I need—”
“Right.” Rising stiffly, he stands and backs away from the bedroom, holding eye contact until he turns to leave.
Sighing, I collapse back down onto the bed. The man just gave me the best orgasm I had in months, and he didn’t even touch me. What the actual hell? It’s like he’s cast some sort of spell over me. Catching my breath, I ooze out of bed on loose limbs, strip down, and enter the en suite. The scalloped white pattern tile on the walls always reminded me of the sea. Gathering a lavender shower steamer from my glass jar on the shelf, I place it on the ground and turn on the water. I need to clear my head. The man has given me more intimacy than I’ve had with another man in years. He’s watched me come, seen me rock a silk bonnet to bed, and cared for me while I was sick. Even if it wasn’t in the traditional sense.
The hot water knocks out the lingering kinks in my back, and I step from the stall rejuvenated. I slip into a cozy, white sweater dress that hugs my curves just right. It has nothing to do with the beast of a man wandering around my house. I just want an extra boost. I tame the dark smudges beneath my eyes with a little concealer and head downstairs. The black sweater draped over his frame complements the form-fitting jeans that encase his tree-trunk legs. At five foot nine, I don’t often feel small. Next to Caleb, I’m damn near petite. It’s a rare, precious phenomenon I want to enjoy longer.
“Feeling better?” His gaze darkens as he looks over me, and he smolders like a damn male model.
“Much.” I give him a small smile.
“I made us bagels with cream cheese. I wanted to keep breakfast light in case you had any lingering nausea.”
I grab the perfectly toasted, crunchy slice of heaven from the plate and take a huge bite. I spent the previous evening grazing because my stomach was off, so this is mana from the gods. Chewing, I shake my head and swallow.
“Other than a very minor headache and a few bruised spots, I’m almost a hundred percent.”
“No more dizziness?”
“Nope. I can manage solo.”
“That’s not what I asked you.” The censure in his tone sends a thrill of excitement through me.
“You and your family have gone above and beyond. I can take it from here.”
“As long as you need me, I’ll stay.” His dark eyes are lasers seeking my innermost secrets. I glance away, unable to handle his intensity.
“The deal was twenty-four hours. We’ve exceeded that timeline. I’m sure you have more important things to do with your time.”
“Binge watching sci-fi television with a gorgeous woman cuddled up to me isn’t a hardship.”
He thinks I’m gorgeous. “I was asleep for the majority of that,” I quip.
“And yet you were excellent company.” He trails his long, elegant fingers over the back of my hand.
What would those massive digits feel like moving inside of me, reaching the places I never could?
“The holidays are a time to be with family, Caleb. I happen to know yours loves you a whole lot.”
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
“Why?”
“That’s what I want to figure out. From the second you saw me in the store, my nerve endings have been on fire. I don’t think I was the only one affected that way.”
A lump clogs my throat. The attraction is mutual. Do I tell him?
“The day is hazy to me.” Cop out.
“Ah.” He moves his hand away from mine.
Instantly, I miss his touch. Slow down. Think this through.
He steps back from the kitchen counter. “I should probably get going then and leave you to rest up a bit more.”
The wall between us is invisible but so damn tangible. I want to take back the last thing I said and change him back to the open, warm man I’d gotten to experience firsthand.
“You have the number to Bits and Bauble. I’ll be helping Nona out with a shift later tonight. Call if anything changes. I’ll check in on you regardless.”
“C—”
“Don’t waste your breath. We both know you won’t change my mind.”
“Fine.”
“Good girl.” His voice twists my inside and reignites a pulse between my legs.
I want to roll over and offer up my belly for him to scratch like a cat. Dangerous man. He makes me want to be reckless. I’ve protected my heart for so long. It’s not like he needs your money. The black Jaguar his family dropped off last night, and his career, proves that.
“I’ll allow it to give Nona peace of mind.” I lift my head, refusing to admit he has anything to do with my choice.
“Right. You’re doing it for Nona.” He smirks.
“Cocky,” I say with a laugh.
“I’ve been called that before.”
I walk him to the front door, where he shrugs on a tailored, black wool coat and leather driving gloves.
“Take it easy for the rest of the day, yeah?”
“Yes, sir.” I salute him.
“Mmm. I like that sound of that coming from your rebellious lips.”
“I bet you do.”
I unlock the door and grip the handle to keep from touching him. This needs to be good-bye. I won’t be able to push him away for much longer.
“It was an interesting time, Romy Foster. Be well.”
“You too.” I lean my weight against the door and watch him make his way to the car and get inside. My stomach lurches as he pulls away with one last wave. My vision blurs. Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?
Chapter Three
Caleb
Have you thought any more about my suggestion?
I roll my eyes at the text from my ex, Laurene, as I towel dry my hair. A stunning blonde with unlimited funds, thanks to family money, and a taste for high fashion has been texting me after months of dead air. We dated for two years, but it had never been a love match. I needed a pretty woman to be on my arm for company events and trips and the sex had been explosive. She wanted companionship and to get her daddy off her back about getting more serious about life.
I could run laps around people in court, but I could be rough around the edges in real life. It was okay to be an asshole as long as you were a glamorous one in that world. Still, Laurene had schmoozed with the best of them and helped me land profitable accounts and cases. It was good while it lasted.
Our arrangement went null and void when I relocated from New York City. The simplified life wouldn’t suit her, and with me stepping down from the prestigious company, I no longer suited her aesthetic. There were no hard feelings. Meeting Romy had further solidified I wanted more than a roll in the sheets to scratch an itch.
I responded with: I have. We’ll talk about it soon. I’m off to help Nona in her shop now.
After dressing in fresh clothes, I don the shop’s apron and hurry to my car. With just a few days until Christmas, the roads are going to be a nightmare. The parking lot is an ocean of vehicles as I pull in and join the cue circling and praying for a spot to open up. I pounce on a space, park, and squeeze out of the tight quarters between my Jag and the oversized, white truck beside me.
Walking swiftly, I make my way to Bits and Baubles. The place is buzzing with activity. A family has the cocoa station full. Everywhere I look, I see baskets packed to the brim. Pride fills me. My Nona has built a nice legacy here. Crystal is bagging and ribboning like the gift-wrapping ninja she is while Ryan rings them up. The teens work part-time during the school year and full-time during holidays and summers. I spot Nona near the new tree she placed at the site of the Tangle of Tinsel—the code we created to talk about the accident.
“Just the person I was waiting for.”
“Why? Do you need me to grab something from th
e top shelf?”
“Smartass. How’s that sweet girl doing?”
“Good. She has a slight headache and some bruises, which isn’t bad considering.”
“I agree ... poor thing.” Nona sighs. “I’ve been thinking about her all day as people come in and out. She never even got her things to set up her new place.”
“Nona. I’m always happy to help, but you seem to be fully staffed today. What did you want me to do exactly?”
“I have a special task for you. Come into the back with me, please.”
I use my height to part people like a wave, and Nona trails behind me. We move into the back area, where crafting is done in front of the shelves full of inventory. On one of the six-foot-long white tables is ornaments, twine, brown paper, and tape.
“I have a special order I need you to wrap and deliver later tonight.”
My brow comes together. “Since when do we deliver?”
“You’ll see. I know how you beautify packages, so I called in reinforcements. You just wrap them up and set them to the side for them. I’ll send ’em back here when they arrive. For now. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I salute. I’m not surprised that she wants to surprise someone. It’s just like her to create this for someone who truly needs it. Her kindness has always amazed and inspired me. Shrugging out of my coat, I sit down in the fold-out metal chair and get to work. After folding the delicate ornaments carefully in the brown paper, I seal it shut with a Bits and Baubles sticker. The door opens. I’m surprised to see the petite woman with graying, dark brown hair in a braid around her head and brown eyes that mirror my own.
“Mom?”
“Hey, Cal.” She gives me a hesitant smile. Being caught between my father and me over the years damaged our bond and their marriage. Too often, she took his side. I’m sure he felt the same. It’s a mistake she’s trying to make up for in recent years. I’ve missed our closeness. I might not be able to forget, but I can forgive.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard you needed a master gift beautifier.”
I look at the pile on my left. “Have at them.”