Page 10 of Taylor
Chapter Three
Taylor
“I’m goingto leave you two to it,” Lilly says when she finishes the coffee she brought up for both of us about thirty minutes ago. Lucas may be in charge of the twins, but I can see Lilly twitch every time the sound of their cries carries uphere.
“Thank you,” I say. “For taking mein.”
“Always,” she says before disappearing behind the closeddoor.
“Why didn’t you tell me any ofthat?”
“Why would I? It’s not like I enjoy talking aboutit.”
“I get that, but you could have told me. I could’vehelped.”
“How?” Iask.
“No idea. But I’d bewilling.”
“You shouldn’t be. No one needs to get in the middle of this. He did this to me,” I say pointing at myself, “Someone he brought up almost as if I was his own child. I can’t even imagine what he might do to someone he doesn’tknow.”
“I’m so sorry,Tay.”
“What for? None of this is your fault. I should be thanking you. You looked after me, brought me here when I demanded you doso.”
“Of course,” he says, but I’m distracted from his eyes when I feel his hand touchmine.
When I look back up, his expression has changed. His eyes are darker and he’s biting down on his bottom lip. A bolt of electricity rushes though my aching body and suddenly my bruising is longforgotten.
“Caleb?” I question, but it’s the wrong thing to do because he blinks at hearing his name and moves away from me. “I need to shower,” I say, attempting not to make a big deal out of whatever justhappened.
Caleb moves so he’s sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me. He puts his head down in his hands and lets out a huge sigh. I roll over on to my side and place my hand on hisback.
“What’swrong?”
“You. You’re what’s wrong. You have this ability to mess with myhead.”
Thankfully, he’s facing away from me so he can’t see the shit-eating grin that spreads across my face at hisadmission.
“Is that so?” I say as I run my hand slowly down his back. I don’t miss the goosebumps that prick his skin before he jumps up and away fromme.
He turns slightly as he heads towards the bathroom, and my eyes lock onto his tented jogging bottoms. My smile widensagain.
He manages to play it so cool almost 100% of the time, but there are these little moments where he allows me to see what it is he really wants but is too scared toadmit.
When Caleb re-emerges from the bathroom, he seems to have himself in check a little. It’s my turn now to be sitting on the edge of the bed, which I’m grateful for because it means I get a chance to have a good look athim.
The waistband of his boxers sits well above the low hanging waistband of his jogging bottoms. His chest is perfectly smooth and tanned with muscles and lines in all the right places. I run my eyes up over his chest until I reach his face. His hair is flopping forward over his forehead. It brings back memories of when I found him half dressed before going out in London. He grabs his t-shirt from the chair in the corner of the room but looks up at me before putting iton.
His stare is intense, but I don’t get a chance to try to figure it out because hespeaks.
“Do you need help…you know…getting to theshower?”
I ache like a bitch but I’m sure I’ll be fine. A little bit of help might be nice,though.
“That would be good; thankyou.”
I watch as he drops his t-shirt back to the chair before walking towards me. I make trying to stand up look harder than it actually is and lean on him a little more than I need to as we walk slowly towards the ensuite.
