“Me too Rosey-Posey, me too.”
30
Back at his house, Caleb heard the shower come on and crossed to the cupboard. He fished inside for the whiskey he rarely drank and filled himself a measure. He tossed it back before pouring a second.
How the hell am I supposed to just let her walk away?
He closed the bottle, left it on the counter, and went to sit in his favorite chair. From here, he could see straight down the hallway. He mulled over his options as he sipped his drink and kept an eye on the bathroom door.
Over the last few years, he’d watched his teammates find the loves of their lives, and they had a happiness that filled the darkness of the shadows that haunted them in the night. Caleb refused to be jealous. He loved that the guys had that. He just wanted it, too. It was just his luck to find the one woman in the world who made him consider forever, and for everyone’s safety, he had to let her go.
I must be cursed, or I pissed off a witch in a past life or something.
How the hell can I let her go?
Repeating the question, even in his mind, didn’t give him any answers. He owed his allegiance to Dalton. He had a contract; breaking it would mean breaking a vow, the promise he’d given to both Dalton and to the men he served with. Around and around his brain went, trying to figure out an angle, any way that meant he might be able to have both the woman who was coming to mean the world to him and his job.
It's not possible.
You made a deal. An unbreakable promise, and Rose needs to be safe.
Everyone needs to be safe.
He knew it wasn’t possible, but knowing it didn’t ease the ache in his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his hand over his chest. His eyelids flew up at the sound of the bathroom door opening. He held his breath as Rose walked out with a towel wrapped around her. As if she felt his gaze, she turned toward him.
It will kill me to let her leave.
As if Rose heard his internal thought, she offered him a sad smile, then straightened her shoulders and dropped her towel.
Holy shit.
He dropped the glass. Spilled drinks didn’t matter; nothing mattered anymore but her. He strode toward her. “Are you sure?” The question was more of a demand. His hands clenched into fists to keep from reaching for her.
Rose moved closer and stood on her tippy toes to reach his mouth. She brushed her lips over his. “Yes. I want this. Please, Caleb.”
He scooped her into his arms and headed for the one place he wanted to be—his bed with her. She squealed when he tossed her onto it, and sighed when he claimed her mouth.
In seconds, the kiss turned into a raging inferno as each of them desperately tried to get closer to the other. It burned, scorched, and sizzled until both were breathing hard, but neither wanted it to stop.
Rose tugged on his t-shirt, rolled him over his back, and straddled him. She held his gaze and cupped her hands outside his as he grasped her wonderful breasts. Her head fell back, and she rolled her hips with a sigh.
It would be so easy to let her lead, but Caleb didn’t want for this to be over too soon. He needed to savor every last second they had together. He flipped her over and stood, promising himself it would only take a moment before he was buried deep inside her.
Words were impossible as he unbuttoned his pants. Her smile as she watched him push them down his hips and step out of them felt like a caress over his skin, and his dick filled painfully full.
Control.
He had to figure out a way not to lose it too soon.
He grasped her ankles, and Rose let out a gasp as he tugged her, stopping when her butt reached the edge of the bed. Calen held her gaze and dropped down onto his knees. Rose’s smile faded, replaced by heat and desire. It wrapped around them, palpable and intense, making his breath hitch and his balls ache.
He lifted one slender ankle to his lips and kissed it. Nuzzling, nipping, and kissing, he made his way up her legs, until he reached her hip. Then, he gently placed that leg down and reached for the other. Her sighs fed his soul, and her moans made him shudder with need. He moved her legs apart so he could see her sex.
Rose was breathless, waiting for Caleb to lower his head. When he did, his tongue swiped a lick over her clit. She fisted her fingers in the covers and moaned. He feasted on her as if he were a starved man.
Pleasure swarmed him with warmth and need as Rose arched up to meet his mouth. Worries, cares, tomorrows, and what happened next all evaporated into nothing as his entire being was focused upon Rose. On her sighs, her moans, her—just her.
He licked, sucked, nibbled, and worshipped, every stroke and touch bringing her to climax quickly and effortlessly. He hummed in satisfaction as he both saw and felt it roll over her like a wave, and he coaxed it longer, giving her more until she sobbed his name.
