“You’re all knotted up, baby,” he murmured, his voice quiet and low, like he was talking more to himself than to me.
His hands moved lower, along the slope of my back, his thumbs brushing along the sides of my ribs before sliding down again. He didn’t pull at the blanket or uncover more than what I’d already given him. But his touch...it was everything. Careful. Intentional. Devoted.
My lashes fluttered closed as I sank deeper into the feeling of it. Every pass of his hands seemed to reach something beyond muscle, like he was untangling more than just the knots in my body.
When he reached the middle of my back, his hands paused, heat radiating through his palms. His voice was quiet. “Can I go lower?”
My answer came out soft but certain. “Yes.”
The blanket shifted slightly as he tugged it down just a few inches, exposing the top of my hips. His thumbs kneaded slowly along my waist, then my hips. Every time his hands glided over my skin, my breath grew a little shakier. He adjusted, working down my legs. He massaged my calves first, then back up my thighs. His thumbs traced my thighs with measured pressure, skimming close enough to make my pulse quicken. He didn’t intentionally do it, and that only made me want him more. A small moan slipped out of me, quiet and unguarded.
He froze, hands still. “Too much?”
My fingers curled into the sheets. “No,” I whispered, breathless. “Not enough.”
Caleb’s breath stilled just slightly, the air between us shifting. “Yeah?”
I nodded into the pillow, then turned my head just enough to see him. “I want more. I need you.”
He stared at me for a moment, like he was looking into my soul. He leaned down, his lips brushing the top of my thigh. “Whatever you need.”
I rolled onto my back slowly, the blanket still draped across my waist. He reached out as if to help but didn’t pull, just waited. I let the blanket fall on my own. I didn’t feel the urge to hide.
“I want you to touch me,” I said quietly.
His eyes darkened, but his hands stayed gentle. He bent forward, his lips pressing to my stomach, then lower, tracing soft paths across my skin. Every touch, every brush of his breath, sent warmth spilling through me until I couldn’t tell where his touch ended and mine began.
Caleb shifted to the edge of the bed before quickly tugging me towards him. His hands moved on my thighs as he smiled up at me. “You are so beautiful, Rae,” he whispered just before his mouth was on me in a way that made the world blur. The first brush of his mouth drew a sound from deep inside me, quiet but desperate.
He took his time, learning what made me gasp, what made my fingers clutch at the sheets. Every motion was patient, each one meant to pull me closer to that breaking point. He didn’t stop when my body started to tremble, didn’t stop when I whispered his name. He stayed with me through every shiver, every breath, coaxing me higher until I finally let go, the room spinning and quiet except for the sound of us breathing.
When I opened my eyes again, he was watching me, his expression soft in the dim light.
“Come here,” I whispered, needing him closer than he already was.
He moved up the bed, his hand finding mine as he kissed me. The taste of him, the warmth of his body against mine, it all blurred together. I pulled back just enough to look at him, to let him see me.
“I want you, Ranger,” I confessed as my hands slipped under his shirt. “All of you. Right now.” As soon as his shirt was gone, I reached for his pants. He had changed into soft flannel pants after his shower, and I couldn’t get the knot undone. My hands were shaking a bit because of how badly I wanted him. Caleb helped undo the knot and soon there was nothing between us. I felt the heat of his body against mine immediately, as well as how badly he wanted me.
“Lie back,” I said. My voice shook, not from nerves, but from wanting him in a way my brain had never let me before.
He blinked once, maybe surprised, but then he gave me that soft smile. “Yeah, baby,” he murmured as his thumb brushed over my cheek.
He eased back, lying on his back, relaxed. I straddled his hips carefully, my thighs trembling slightly. I felt exposed, but not unsafe. Never unsafe with him.
“Oh, wait. I need to grab a...” He started to reach for the nightstand, but I placed my hand on his arm to stop him. “Caleb, wait. You don’t need to do that. I was in my head the first time and forgot to say anything. I’m on birth control. I was forced to take it, and it became routine, so I just continued.”
His eyes searched mine for a moment before I leaned down and kissed him. As I sat back up, he followed, continuing our kiss. I playfully pushed him back before I placed my hands on his chest to steady myself, feeling the steady rise and fall beneath my palms. My breath came slow, uneven, my eyes moved down his body before finding his again. “I’ve never been on top before,” I said quietly. There wasn’t shame in what I had admitted, just truth. “It wasn’t really something I ever got to do.”
His warm hands slid to my hips, grounding me in a way words never could. His gaze held mine. He gently squeezed my hips slightly before moving them over my thighs. “You’re in charge now,” he said quietly. “Take what you need, Sunshine.”
Something inside me loosened. I leaned down, kissed him, and everything that followed was slow, steady, and real. Not about proving anything, not about forgetting, but about remembering what it felt like to want and to be wanted without fear.
My lips parted on a soft breath as I steadied myself over him, my hands resting lightly on his chest. For a moment I just breathed, letting myself feel the warmth of him beneath my palms. Caleb made a low sound the second I touched him, deep and quiet, and it gave me enough courage to keep going. I moved slowly, guiding us closer, letting my body adjust. The first bit of pressure pulled a gasp from me, my breath catching before I could stop it. Everything about this felt intense and overwhelming in the best way.
I placed my hand more firmly on his chest, using the steady beat under my palm to anchor myself.
Caleb’s hands settled at my hips. “Nice and slow, baby.” His voice was soft in a way that settled something deep inside me.
