Chapter Eight
Caleb had witnesseddeath on the battlefield. He’d looked true evil in the eye during more than one undercover operation. But he had never known what real torture was until today, when he’d forced himself to stop after giving Leah that first climax. Putting a stop to their erotic underwater play wasn’t the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, but it sure as hell felt like it.
Right now, as he watched her pull her shorts up over her wet underwear, he had to fight the urge to rip those clothes from her and indulge in every fantasy he’d had over the past year. Feeling the way her body had closed around his fingers, so snug and warm, made the erection he’d barely been able to control start to grow yet again.
This was torture. Total, complete, unmitigated torture.
But he would do it all again in a heartbeat, just to see that glazed over look in Leah’s eyes. It was the look of ultimate pleasure. Pleasurehe’dprovided. Caleb knew if he gave her the time she needed, he would eventually experience all the pleasure for himself.
The temperature had dropped a couple of degrees, and a slight wind whistled through the trees surrounding them. Caleb glanced up just before pulling his T-shirt over his head.
“The sky isn’t looking all that happy,” he said.
“Not at all,” Leah agreed. “It’s time for us to head back.”
She took him by the hand, and together, they started back the way they’d come. Thick raindrops began to fall as they navigated the trodden path through the forest. By the time they reached the campgrounds, the rain had turned into a steady downpour.
Caleb and Leah jogged to their cabin, laughing as they finally ran up the steps.
“We could have swum in our clothes for this,” Leah said as she shook water from her arms.
“Nah. I much prefer our other swimming attire,” Caleb said. He laughed at the rosy tint that instantly colored her brown cheeks. “God, I love making you blush,” he said. “Come on, if we shower and get dressed we can make dinner. I hear Chef Meg is making one of her signature dishes.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “Besides, I think we used up enough energy to earn another dessert, don’t you?”
That got Caleb the result he’d been aiming for. That stain on her cheeks grew even darker.
An hour later, he and Leah were seated at a dining table in Birch House with Abigail and Joel. Caleb wasn’t the most observant person in the world when it came to these things, but evenhecould see there was something going on with their table mates. The two seemed unable to stop smiling at each other.
Apparently, Leah noticed it too.
“Okay, one of you will have to spill it,” Leah said. “You two look entirely too happy right now.”
“We are,” Abigail said. She looked over at her husband, exchanging the kind of sly, secret smile Caleb had seen his friends share with their girlfriends. Reaching over and taking Joel’s hand, Abigail’s face beamed as she blurted out, “We’re pregnant!”
Leah clapped her hands together and brought them to her chest. “Congratulations,” she said. “That’s wonderful.”
Caleb glanced over at her. Her smile was genuine, but he was sure he heard a note of something else in her voice. Longing? Regret?
As he continued to watch Leah throughout dinner, there was no doubt that there was a wistfulness in her words that hadn’t been there before.
After they were done, he and Leah returned to the cabin. She was first to take her shower. He went in after her, taking longer than usual. He needed the extra time to mull over all the thoughts going through his head.
There was still so much up in the air. He no longer questioned whether Leah was over her ex-fiancé. She was through with Derrick. But was she ready to move forward with him? She’d allowed things to go further than Caleb had expected earlier at the waterfall, but that didn’t mean she was ready to take that next step.
But she would be ready eventually. He felt it in his bones.
This might be their last night at Camp Firefly Falls, but Caleb was determined that it wouldn’t be their last night together.
Yet, a part of him was still unsure of what awaited them when they returned to their everyday lives. Leah said one of the things that scared her was how easily she could see herself falling for him, but after being hurt in the past, she was afraid to fall in love again. Convincing her that it was okay to take that leap would be Caleb’s main goal once they returned home.
He exited the bathroom and found Leah sitting up in bed with her head leaning against the rustic headboard. The covers were folded at her waist, leaving her upper half bared to him. Her slinky camisole with its thin, spaghetti straps revealed so much of her enticing skin. Her eyes were closed but Caleb knew she wasn’t sleeping.
“You okay?” Caleb asked.
“Umm-hmm,” she murmured, her eyes still closed.
He debated whether or not to bring this up, but it had nagged him since dinner. He walked over to the couch, sat down, and clasped his hands between his spread out legs.
“Be straight with me, Leah. Are you really okay?” Caleb asked.
