He watches me like he’s memorizing everything.
And I let him.
Because for the first time in my life, someone seesme.
“I’ll be downstairs,” he says.
“No,” I whisper. “Stay.”
Chapter 5
Caleb
Shesays,"No,stay,"and my world shifts.
I was halfway to the door, trying to be decent. Trying to give her space. Her skin’s still damp, wrapped in nothing but a towel, curls dripping down her back, and her eyes…Christ.Her eyes are liquid fire.
"You sure?" My voice is lower than I meant. Rough. Gravelly. Wrecked.
She nods. No hesitation. No doubt. Just certainty. "I'm sure."
It takes everything I have not to grab her and claim her right then and there. Because I know what this is. Whatsheis. Not a hookup. Not some fleeting thrill. I’ve never been into those, never had one. Never wanted anyone enough to cross that line. Until her.
She’s the girl you lock the world out for. The kind you protect. The kind you keep.
But she’s standing in front of me like she belongs to me—and my restraint is hanging by a damn thread.
I lock the door.
The silence is thick. Stretched tight like a live wire between us. She doesn't move. Neither do I.
Then she breathes—reallybreathes—and says softly, "You came for me."
I nod. "Of course I did."
Like there was ever a question.
The towel shifts with her movement, slipping just enough to show the bare curve of her hip. My hands curl into fists at my sides.
"You looked like you wanted to kill him," she whispers.
"Because I did."
She bites her lip and my control unravels another inch.
"Come here," I rasp.
She crosses the room barefoot, slowly, and I swear she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Not because she’s trying. But because she’s not.
I raise a hand when she reaches me, giving her one last chance to back out. One last breath of space.
"If you don’t want this, say so. I’ll walk out that door and never cross the line again."
Her voice is quiet, but sure. "I want this."
That’s it. That’s the match to the fuse.
I cup her face, my palm against her flushed cheek, and tilt her mouth to mine. The kiss is slow, deep, reverent. Like I’ve waited a lifetime for her—and maybe I have.
