“Let me clean this up,” I muttered at the mess of Caleb’s slick on his thighs and my hands.
When I returned with tissues and a damp cloth, Caleb stayed still and let me clean him.
“How do you feel?” I asked calmly.
“Like I just died,” he said with a laugh.
“I’m serious, Caleb. Do you feel sated at all?”
“Oh, uh. Yeah, I do,” he said, smiling. “For now, at least. But the first day is always the worst. I should be able to deal with it myself with some toys.” His eyes flickered away and he bit his lip shyly. “Unlessyouwant to do this again.”
“We’ll see,” I said, but a panicked feeling rose in my chest. I had no intention of having sex with him again. In fact, I wanted to leave his room as soon as possible without arousing his suspicion.
He frowned a bit as I got up and wiped my pants clean, but he didn’t say anything.
“If you’re fine by yourself, I think I’ll tend to some work,” I told him.
“Yeah, that’s okay,” Caleb replied. He hesitated, then added awkwardly, “Thanks for… this.”
“You’re welcome,” I said.
I turned stiffly and left the room, closing the door behind me without another word. Eager to put some distance between us, I hurried back to my own room. Now that my lust had faded away, the haze in my mind cleared and I was left with the strange feeling eating me up inside.
I liked sex with Caleb. More than I should have, even for an alpha around an omega in heat. The thought terrified me. The protective instinct that I’d felt during the attempted robbery was back in full force, laced with a layer of care. That’s what I’d experienced during sex.
It was dangerous. I couldn’t let it continue.
I couldnotfall in love with Caleb. I refused.
But one night of sex, with a condom, was fine. I repeated that in my mind, over and over, until I half-believed it. It was fun while it lasted, but it was over now.
Ithadto be.
