Page 22 of Caleb's Salvation
“See, you don’t even like it,” Caleb said clearly bothered by what I was doing. And if I knew something bothered Cal, then I was hell bent on doing it. Because getting a reaction from him was better than what I usually got, which was stony silence.
“I’m trying to give it a fair chance,” I said.
Another sip and I felt the foam hit my lip. I put the glass down and licked at my top lip where it tickled.
“It’s not that bad,” I said, looking at Caleb directly.
Only he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at my lips instead. His eyes shuttered, dark and focused.
“Did I miss a spot?”
His hand reached out and, for a second, I thought his thumb was going to brush away whatever I’d missed. An intimate touch to be sure and I didn’t even realize I was leaning into it, until suddenly he was standing, his chair flipped over.
“I’m leaving. Angel, figure out a ride back for you and Daniels. Daniels, make sure she doesn’t drink more than a few sips. She’ll get drunk without knowing it’s happening.”
“What about me?” I asked, looking up at him exacerbated. “What are my orders?”
“Leave Alaska.”
I shook my head. “Not happening. Next?”
He didn’t say anything after that, just left without another word.
“Vivienne…” Eli started, but I held up my hand.
“Don’t make excuses for him, Eli. I’ve been doing this with him for months. I know the score.” I stood and pretended to brush crumbs off the apron I was wearing so the guys wouldn’t see the rejection in my eyes.
“He’s just…” Eli said, trying again to explain Caleb’s behavior.
Only he didn’t need to. It was evident to anyone who watched us what was happening. I was the one with the crush. I was the one who was just waiting for the slightest hint from Caleb to fall into his arms.
And Caleb pretended to want nothing to do with me. Beyond that he wanted me to leave the state. Which, in a way, told its own story.
But I had two things he wasn’t counting on: patience and stubbornness. By a mile.
In fact, tonight there had actually been a little progress. I was the only one, after all, who knew how he liked to touch me on the inside of my wrist. Knew that what looked to be a casual hold was anything but.
No, I wasn’t the only who knew that. Caleb knew it, too.
He just needed time.
And when it was winter in Alaska, it felt like there was nothing but time.
* * *
Later that night
Cal
I let the hot water hit my back and braced both hands against the shower wall. I looked down at my engorged cock and told myself the suffering was necessary. That I couldn’t touch myself with her in my head. The feel of her skin still on my fingers.
I tilted my head back and wondered, for the thousandth time, what it was about her.
She was young, which wasn’t my thing. In fact, I considered most older men with younger women on their arms to be pathetic. Because, of course, the woman was on his arm only because of his money or his position. Not for who he was as a person. Because it didn’t make sense.
Ty and Vivienne made sense. Only the second that thought entered my head, I wanted to punch the shower wall hard with my fist. Crack my knuckles, break something so that I could feel the pain inside me outwardly.
Still my erection didn’t subside.
