Chapter 45
Rae
“How about I work onthose sore muscles now? Would you like that?” We’d sat back down at the table and talked for a bit after cleaning up after dinner.
Gosh, would I ever, but he must be tired and sore, too. “Are you sure? I don't want to—”
Caleb put his hand up to stop me. “Nope. None of that. My girl will not be thinking my offer to give her a massage is an inconvenience for me.”
His girl. I would never get tired of hearing that.
“Okay, okay...Point made.” I laughed and rolled my eyes. Caleb stood and offered his hand to me before leading me to our room.
The light in the room was low, warm, and honey-soft from the lamp on the nightstand. I took off everything but my undergarments and turned to see Caleb staring at me with his eyes wide and mouth open some.
“Wha—? Should I not have..?” I reached for my pajama pants.
Caleb was next to me within half a second. “Rae, stop, honey.” He turned me to look at him. His hold on my arms was firm but not controlling. I looked at his eyes and I knew one thing for sure. Caleb loved me.
I’d seen videos or photos of grooms seeing their brides on their wedding day. They would cry at the sight of them. I had wished that someone could love me like that, but I never got that from Ethan, not even in the early days of our relationship. But here I was, with Caleb holding me and looking at me the way I had longed for.
“I thought clothes would get in the way, but then I realized I should have asked. But...” I got lost in the look on his face and didn’t finish my thought. As if he knew what I was thinking, Caleb finished it for me.
“They do get in the way.” He flashed me a mischievous smile. “And you realized you don’t have to ask with me, and don’t have to be anything but yourself with me?” His voice was low and had a slight rasp to it.
Desire flared immediately, like a small fire doused in lighter fluid. It was like an immediate switch. While I had been so unbelievably attracted to him before and felt the pull to him that I felt right now, nothing had felt like this before. Even though we’d been together before, I had to force my brain to listen and not put walls up. Now, it was like my head finally caught up with my heart. I wanted him so badly, right now, forever, in every way. The heat inside me only grew more intense.
“Hey, where did you go?” I heard his voice, like it was far off in the distance, and it made me snap back to reality. His arms were wrapped around me, and our faces were inches from each other’s.
I focused on his face again. “Sorry, I got lost in thought. Don’t worry, though, they were good thoughts.” I gave him a little wink and smiled.
“Okay, good. I was wondering.” He returned the smile. “Let me help take away this tension,” he said with that rasp that had started the thoughts I had. The tension he spoke about was not the one I was thinking of.
I removed the rest of my clothes, giving Caleb a mischievous smile as I did so. I could tell he was trying so hard to keep his composure. I lay face down on the bed, completely bare beneath one of the flannel blankets, the edge tucked under the curve of my hips. My hair had air-dried into soft waves after my shower, a few loose ringlets fell against my cheek.
The mattress moved as he climbed onto the bed behind me, carefully straddling my thighs. I could feel the weight of him, solid but gentle. He moved my hair off my neck and leaned down to kiss my skin before whispering that he loved me. He smelled like the warm scent of whisky and coffee, the smell that had become familiar and safe.
I closed my eyes as Caleb picked something up off the nightstand. The sound of his hands rubbing together filled the quiet, and then the first touch of warmth spread across my back as he pressed his palms to my skin.
He didn’t rush. His hands started at my neck and moved to my shoulders. Each movement was slow and steady, working out the knots I’d earned from hours of lifting, sweeping, and bending, the kind of soreness that ached with movement. His touch was firm and warm, and I felt like I was melting with every touch. A low breath escaped me before I could stop it. The tension I hadn’t realized I was still carrying started to unravel beneath his hands.
