“Didn’t pick you for a Queen B fan?” I say instead, biting down on the smile trying to break through. A little hint of a blush hits his cheeks but he just pouts, trying to hide his smile too. He comes up close behind me, the warmth from him seeping into me as I feel his chest brush against my back. I make a conscious effort not to lean back into him.
“Sheisthe queen. I won’t hear criticism.”
I raise my hands in defense. “Hey, no criticism here.Renaissancewas one of my favorite albums.” A sparkle hits his eye as genuine happiness covers his face.
“My personal favorite is the 2014Beyoncé: Platinum Edition, butHomecoming: The Live Album?” He shakes his head. “Never mind.” His bashful boy-ness wins out and I turn to face him. He doesn’t back up and I let him drop the Beyoncé topic. Holding the toy between us, I tell him, “I’m keeping this, by the way. She’ll be besties with Vivienne.” He winces slightly, but then starts to chuckle before heading over to the bath.
“I still can’t believethatis what you named your toy,” he says under his breath. “What name you giving that one?” He busies himself with getting the bath ready. I also hadn’t pegged him for a bath guy, but I guess you learn something new every day. I start to stroll past him into the bedroom, mulling over the name ideas for my new little friend here.
“How about Charlie?” I call out to him as I fall onto the bed, letting the toy fall to the mattress as I get comfy on the big cloud of goodness. With my eyes closed, I don’t see him butfeelhis presence in the room, and when the mattress dips from under me, my eyes blink open. He has perched himself between my legs, his hands beside my head, holding his weight as he lowers himself—still fully clothed in his suit—and lays a soft, teasing kiss to my lips.
“Charlie? Like a boy Charlie? I don’t know if I can handle you calling out ‘Charlie’ when you come.” He frowns, but I can see the amusement lining his face. I chuckle and push at his chest, making him fall beside me as I sit up on my side facing him, playing with the buttons of his slightly undone shirt.
“Charlie, as in the unicorn, because he took me right to Candy Mountain.” Caleb’s lips pop open as his eyes blow wider, the memory, I assume, hitting his mind. It takes a few seconds, but then he’s falling back, a barking laugh coming from his chest. I laugh with him at the mental image of the unicorn cartoon video. After a few minutes, Caleb’s laugh stutters out, and he wipes absently at his face.
“Oh my god,” he whispers. “That’s hilarious. Best name yet. Definitely better than Vivienne.” I smack his chest playfully and his hand reaches up to grab it, standing from the bed and pulling me with him.
“C’mon, I ran you a bath.” He pulls me into the bathroom, and I yank my hand from his when I see the fucking candles. This guy.Again?
“I can just go home and have a bath,” I say from where I’ve paused at the entrance to the bathroom. It was already late and we both needed to just sleep. The rest of the night was uneventful. Satan and his spawn stayed away from me and Caleb, and I came back to his place to get freaky, only for me to lie down and close my eyes.Just for a second, I’d said. I must have been a lot more tired than I thought I was.
His head tilts like a confused puppy before he steps into my space again, tucking a curl behind my ear, his eyes turned slightly serious, searching my face.
“Why, when I have a perfectly fine bath right here for you to use.” He starts unbuttoning his shirt.
“But…we didn’t even sleep together. And I’m really tired anyway. Don’t you want to clean up and go to sleep?” I stutter through an excuse that makes no sense. His clothes were rapidly disappearing, and all I can do is just stand there and watch him undress. Then, he’s naked as the day he was born, taking sure steps closer to me, his arrogant sex smile firmly in place as he looks me up and down.
“Iamabout to clean up. But, I’m going to cleanyouup too.” He is seriously delicious to look at, but my brain is struggling to work out what’s happening right now. He’d poured me a bath that night in my apartment, too, and lit candles. What man lights candles? Certainly none that I’ve slept with.
“You’re sleeping with the wrong men then, Rosebud.” He chuckles.Fuck, did I say that out loud?How badly had that nightmare ruined my brain?
“C’mon. It’s just a bath.” His fingers go to the hem of my T-shirt, lightly pulling, but not stripping it off me just yet. I flick away the weird feelings of doubt and anticipation that have my stomach tied in knots, the strange sensation of being nervous. I, me,theRosie Garcia, did not get nervous. Least of all for aman.It is so goddamn confusing.
“What about my tea?” I breathe. Nothing about being around him feels normal tonight.Idon’t feel normal. I don’t feel any of the things I usually feel looking at a naked man with the prospect of sex staring back at me.
“Do you really want to drink it?” He raises a brow, and I shake my head. I also can’t stand tea. But the gesture made me feel guilty for not drinking it.
My breaths come in harder and he seems to have had enough of the patient act. He yanks the shirt over my head and I’m completely bared for him, in nothing but his boxers. He gives me a once-over, his eyes turning heated as he takes in my bare chest and his boxers against my increasingly hot skin. The only sound for a few minutes is his muffled, “Fuuuuuuuuck”as he wipes a hand down his face, not even trying to hide the way he ogles me. The way he scans a path up and down my body. Like he can’t get enough, like he can’t believe what he is seeing.
My heart races, my want for him gathering as I struggle to reign in my desire. But it’s not just me needing him to touch me that has my heart racing.
It’s panic.
Yup, I’m straight-up panicking because I’m becoming obsessed with the wayhelooks at me. The impossible shade of blue that leans into purple fixates on me with that barely banked heat and a touch of longing. I want to stand here and watch him look at me for an eternity.
I want to hear his whispered words. Him calling me beautiful, calling me pretty girl, his little vixen. I want him to grab my throat and call me a good girl while he kisses me gently and teases me aggressively. And I have absolutely no business feeling any of it.
Cue full-body shiver.
“You’re keeping these,” he says, his voice having dropped an octave as he tucks a finger behind the strap, pulling and lettingit slap at my skin. His lips tip up in a satisfied smirk when he hears the rush of breath I take in, his eyes lingering by my lips. “But right now, they’re coming off, and you’re getting in the bath. Can’t kick me out this time.” Smug bastard. Obviously I can’t kick him out of his own apartment. And he knows I’m not leaving now. My pussy is basically on her knees, barking for the naked god in front of her. He leans down until our lips are barely a breath apart, and he lingers. The anticipation has shivers racking my whole body, and from the way he smiles like the devil, he notices.
“Take them off and get in the bath,” he whispers, anddamn,if the sweetness of his melodic voice deepening doesn’t have a moan nearly slipping from my lips. He lingers against my lips still, never touching, never giving in to the kiss he knows I am suddenly desperate for. But instead, he backs away and stands near the bath, still naked, and it is utterly ridiculous and distracting. And hot as fuck.
I force a swallow before hooking my thumbs in the top of the boxers and dragging them down my legs.
“Good girl,” he coos and then points a hand to the bath. “In.”
Oh, sweet heavens.When did this happen to me? I’m meant to be in control.I’mmeant to be calling the shots…why were my lady parts so goddamn excited to follow instructions, and why do I love being good, just for him?
