Caleb’s eyes flicker down to my lips, and that’s all it takes.
I don’t know who moves first, but before I can stop it, his mouth is on mine, and my fingers are grasping at the front of his shirt. Then his arms are around me, strong and strangely familiar.
Every one of my senses heightens, overwhelmed by the touch and his proximity.
It’s reckless and dangerous even allowing myself to be this close, but no part of me wants to pull away.
So I kiss him back.
The anger, the hurt, and the betrayal slip away, melting away just like the rest of the world.
His lips are soft, desperate, and he cradles my face in his hands like he’s afraid of breaking me. It’s too much. Too incredibly perfect.
Piece by piece, I give in, indulging in something I should never want.
And the moment he lifts me, carrying me toward the bedroom with a kiss—it feels like a plea, an apology, and a claim wrapped in one.
It’s everything I shouldn’t want, but I don’t stop. I don’t even consider it.
Caleb makes quick work of the distance, bringing us to the bedroom in what feels like a blur of movement.
My breath catches as I’m pressed back against the wall, and his lips are on my neck, making my eyes flutter shut. His body presses against mine, letting me feel just how badly he needs this.
It’s overwhelming, clouding my judgment and making me focus on nothing but this moment. On the way, his hands roam my body while he mouths at my neck and shoulder.
The smallest voice in the back of my head tells me to stop this. To pull back and remember everything from before. But the bond is louder. The tether is practically on fire, begging to be nurtured, and begging not to be ignored a second longer.
I want to believe I’m stronger than my urges, but I’m not.
We’re all hands, heat, and labored breathing as Caleb keeps me pressed against the door before he pulls me away from it, aiming for the bed. His lips are on mine again the rest of the way, hardly letting either of us breathe while I’m lying across the sheets.
My head spins as he deepens the kiss, surrounding me so completely like he can’t stand the thought of letting me get away, or of ever stopping. All I can think of is him, and the way his mouth claims as much as it offers me bliss.
“Tell me you want this,” Caleb rasps against my lips, fingers just barely slipping beneath my top like he can’t help himself. “Tell me I’m not the only one losing my mind.”
Before I can think twice, the words are escaping my mouth, sealing my fate.
“I want it… I want you.”
He pulls back just enough to look down at me, eyes nearly turning black with lust, making him look impossibly attractive, as if he wasn’t already before.
His eyes rove over my face, making me feel so exposed and vulnerable, yet seen all at once.
Then, something in him cracks. Like a switch has been hit, and he’s prepared to succumb to the beast inside him.
And even if I never intended to give in to it myself, I’m just as ready.
Caleb kisses me harder, pouring everything into it without restraint. His hands move more deliberately, pushing my shirt up to expose more of my skin.
Instinctively, I want to shrink within myself and to hide away. But Caleb doesn’t give me the chance to.
Not while he kisses along my stomach, unfazed by the parts of myself that usually bring me embarrassment.
His hands move up as he does, moving fabric and absorbing himself in every inch of skin he comes across. He does it all without hesitation, making my head spin.
“You’ve been driving me crazy ever since the ceremony,” Caleb confesses, easing my bra down while his lips reach my neck and he cups my breast greedily. He suppresses hissatisfaction as best as he can, but that low vibration reaches me anyway. “I don’t know how I resisted you this long.”
His full, undivided attention on me, sending ripples of pleasure through my body, stops all thoughts from forming in my mind. My skin feels hot, overloading my senses in a way only he ever has.
