Cal comes explosively, his guttural groan echoing in the kitchen as I wrap my legs around his waist, holding him against me. I rest my head against his neck, breathing in the strangely comforting scent of him.
I’m lying to this man about everything about myself.
And it’s still the safest I’ve ever felt.
We stay like that for a few beats, until he slips his hands under my ass, and carries me down the hallway. Part of me wants to tell him that I hid in his closet, that I’ve gone through his sock drawer, and that I watched him in his most intimate time with himself.
And I got off to it.
But then he might kick me right back into the cold, and that’s way more terrifying than continuing my lie.
He carries me through the master bedroom to the bathroom, balancing me as he kicks on the water. Only once we’re under the streaming hot water, does he set me down. The warm water hits my skin in way that causes me to close my eyes, and Cal stands behind me, pressed against my back.
“Tell me about you,” his voice comes out gruff, as he reaches around me, grabbing a bottle of soap. “You’re from Dalhart?”
Right. Dalhart.
“Yeah,” I hate myself as the lie slips. “My biological father split when I was toddler. I don’t even know him.” That’s true.“My stepdad adopted me, but he was, uh…” My voice trails off, as Cal starts to massage my shoulders, lathering the soap.
“What did he do?”
I swallow hard, my mind fighting between the now and the then. “He was heavy handed. Mostly toward my mother. He didn’t do it often, but he was…cruel.” The trauma pours out. “He made me believe that all men were like that.”And that we had to lie to survive—about how much we spent, where we were, and how we felt.
My mother mentally broke, I ran, but Cade eliminated the problem.
I squeeze my eyes shut.We abandoned him.
“You got out,” Cal’s voice anchors me back in reality. “Of the house?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “Then I went to college, had a couple of bad relationships, and decided I’m never doing that again.”
He chuckles. “I get that.”
“My last boyfriend, almost fiancé,” I tell the truth, “Was just like my stepfather.”
He runs his hands over arms, as I shudder. “And so why are you here?”
I tip my head back, catching my breath as I meet his blue eyes. “Because I already know you’re nothing like them.”
His jaw sets under the stream of hot water. “I can’t make you that promise, Jen.”
My heart skips a beat, because his lack of promiseisthe evidence. “That’s okay.” I spin around, and stand on my tiptoes, pressing my mouth to his.
Cal kisses me back, his strong hand resting at the base of my neck and his thumb stroking my skin. His cock has already gotten hard again, but he seems to ignore it as he breaks away. He grabs the shampoo and lathers it in his hands, taking the time to wash my hair and engrain all his scents in me.
By the time we step out of the shower, I reek of Calvin Bradford.
“Here,” he tosses me one of his white T-shirts, which I happened to already know is in the second drawer.
I take it from him and pull it over my head, my damp hair soaking it. He pulls on a pair of boxer briefs, and then grabs a remote. He flicks on the TV on the dresser, and then plops down on the bed.
“I never thought you’d be the type to just…watch a movie.”
He rakes his fingers through his hair and grins. “Oh? So I’m not a normal person?”
I laugh, letting myself relax into this fantasy. “I wasn’t sure, if we’re being honest.” I climb into the bed beside him and curl into his chest, knowing this is all too fast and risky. But there’s something about him that, despite those things, feels…safe.
And that’s exactly why I pass out before he even turns on a movie.
