“I figured you’d throw a ten pounder,” Caleb said. “You have nice muscle tone.”
“I’ve, um, never been bowling.”
“What? You mean, I’m going to take your bowling cherry?”
She laughed and nodded. “Go easy on me. Don’t make it too painful.”
“Oh, babe, I’m all about making it good.”
They were able to play only two games before their time was up. Caleb spent a lot of time making sure he was behind her as he helped her swing the ball down onto the lane. She liked having him behind her, his breath tickling the skin next to her ear. Caleb won, but not by a lot, and she suspected he held back since he was helping her. But they laughed, they kissed, and they had fun.
At the end of their bowling session, Caleb shook hands with the owner and he drove her back to her car. As they sat in the now dark parking lot of The Pony, he turned to face her.
“Come to my place tomorrow,” he invited.
“Why should I?”
“Do you work another gig?”
She shook her head no. “I asked to be off. You know, you’ve never asked about my work.”
“What do you want me to ask about?”
“Most men would have a hard time with the whole stripping issue.”
He picked up her hand and laced their fingers. “Not really my place, is it?” She stiffened and tried to pull away, but he held tight to her hand. “Now, don’t get the wrong idea. Do I like having men look at your body? Hell no. Do I like thinking about men touching you for the second it takes to stuff a bill down your panties? Fuck no. Am I a jealous caveman? Yes. But do I have the right to tell you what you can and can’t do, especially since you’ve been doing it for years before I met you? No, because it’s not my place to tell you what to do.”
She liked that he understood the score.
“I had a thought that maybe…”
His voice trailed off. She waited for him to finish his statement, but he stayed silent.
“That maybe?” she prompted.
“That maybe…we would become…exclusive.”
Stunned, her eyes widened until she thought she must resemble an owl. “What do you mean, exclusive?”
“There’re not too many definitions for the word exclusive.”
She shook her head. “We live in different worlds, Caleb. And I’m not just talking about state lines.”
She tried to tug her hand free, but he held it tightly.
“The only thing that matters is us.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to have to tell him. She’d never wanted to open up her past again, let the demons out. But she needed to tell him something, perhaps not all of it, but enough of it to get him to understand that this was all she had to offer him.
“I ran away from home,” she told him, trying to hold onto her calm façade. “When I was sixteen, I got on a bus and fled to my cousin’s in New Orleans. I began dancing to get money. I came to L.A. a year later and I had to make some quick decisions on how I was going to survive. So I turned to The Pony. I let guys look at my tits. I shake my ass for an extra buck. I give a ten-minute lap dance for twenty dollars a pop. And I’m damn good at it.”
“You had a shitty home.” He didn’t ask a question, only stated an obvious fact.
“You know, Caleb, that phone call you heard was the real me. Every day I have to deal with bullshit in that place. Men who try to touch me, other dancers snorting blow or popping pills, and a manager getting too far into my personal space is just some of the shit I’ve got to deal with on a regular basis.”
“Delilah--”
She continued as if he hadn’t said anything. “I tried to convince myself you’d be better off without me staining your life. I’ve made a lot of bad choices, some very ugly. I’m not the person you think I am.”
“Nonsense,” he said. “We’ve all done stupid shit. What matters is the person you are now, the person who knows whatever happened in the past was wrong.”
She leaned closer to him, her gaze never leaving his.
“But as much as I know you should walk away because I’ll surely turn your soul black, I know you’ll be doing that soon enough in four days.”
“Hit me with your best shot,” he dared.
Her eyes widened. “I don’t want your pity.”
“I won’t pity you. Did you pity me when I told you about Claire?”
She shook her head.
“Did you think differently of me because I once had thoughts of suicide?”
“No,” she murmured.
“Then trust me.”
She bit her lip. Easier said than done. Of course, she didn’t have to tell him the worst, about the blackness upon her soul that could never be erased. When he left California, she wanted him to remember her with fondness, and not as a demon in disguise.
She took a deep breath. “The only reason my momma was pissed about me leaving was the fact she’d lost a babysitter she didn’t have to pay.”
“How many siblings do you have?”
“I had seven brothers and sisters,” she finally said, keeping her voice deliberately flat. “Each one of us had a different father. I’m the oldest. My sister became the babysitter after me. She was twelve.”
He was silent for a moment. Then, “Was?”
“I called a few years ago in a vain attempt to prove that I had made it without working on my back, if you know what I mean. But momma was stoned out of her mind and drunk, rambling.”
“About what?”
“Seems like my twelve-year-old sister died of complications from a miscarriage.”
“Jesus,” he breathed. She saw the horror on his face.
“State finally stepped in, took the kids away. Momma wasn’t broken up about the death of one of her daughters. She was upset that she wasn’t getting the state aid money anymore.”
“God, Delilah. I’m so sorry.”
She shrugged. “I was only sorry that I hadn’t been there to help my sister. She never had a life. She never knew anything different than that hell hole in Mississippi. At least I got out.”
“It’s okay to want something different.”
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t want to be a mother at twelve and I’m sure my sister didn’t either.”
He spent a moment just staring at her and she used that time to rain in her emotions, to wipe the slate blank and choke back the tears. It had happened years ago so why the hell did it still hurt?
“Have you ever wanted to go back and visit with your mom?”
She snorted. “She’s the woman who gave birth to me, not my mom.”
“Delilah--”
“I don’t even know why I told you any of that.”
“Because I’m a good listener.”
She gave him a wry grin. “No, because I wanted you to understand why you should never talk to me again.”
He shook his head. “You think I’m such a wuss that I can’t handle your past? It makes me angry that you had to endure that. That any child has to endure that. But don’t ever feel like I can’t handle what you dish out. I’m Alaskan, you know. I live in one of the coldest habitable places on Earth, so I can take anything.”
“You know, it’s my birthday today,” she suddenly announced. She wanted to break their conversation and wished she’d never brought up the subject.
“What?” he asked, sounding a little stunned.
“As of midnight, I turned a quarter of century old.”
“Might as well buy your tombstone now.”
“Sometimes I feel ancient,” she said grimly. Thinking about her past always put her on edge.
“Come home with me,” he urged.
“I haven’t any clothes.”
“Fuck clothes. They’re overrated.”
“I don’t think Malibu has a nudist colony,” she said dryly.
“Hm. You might be right. How about you run to your place, get some items, and then come to my place.”
&nbs
p; “I’d like that,” she answered softly.
“Be careful driving,” he said. “Watch out for the crazies out there.”
“But you’ll be in Malibu by then.”
“Very funny.”
He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, keeping it light. It still made her want to straddle him in the damn little sports car and ride him like a jockey. They only had a few days left together and she wanted to make the most of them.
“I’ll be there soon,” she said, opening her door. He held her hand for a second longer and then let go.
Chapter Ten
Delilah awoke to the sensation of a male arm tucked around her waist, holding her securely against a hard, male body. That was a new sensation for her. Not unpleasant just…surprising. She’d never woken up in the arms of a man, a lover. She’d never wanted to wake up with someone, period.
She had to admit, she liked Caleb’s arm around her. She looked down and absently noted the contrast between their skin color and marveled that it didn’t bother her in the least how different they were. Caleb Tasker was a man unlike any man. Kind, loyal, honest. She’d tried to warn him away last night, but he’d just waved away her concern like he was swatting away a pesky mosquito.
She would miss him when he left and that terrified her slightly. She harbored no delusion that whatever existed between them, the pull that kept drawing her toward him, could survive three thousand miles. Yet, even thinking about him leaving was like a sure kick in the gut. It made her wonder what she would do when he wasn’t around to create all these dates.
She was going to dance, that’s what she was going to do. To continue with her life and her carefully laid plans until she had the life she wanted, away from The Pony and every other fucking job like it. On Friday she took the test to get her GED, and once she had that little certificate her life would change. It’s what had fueled her for years and damned if she was going to give up on her plans for anything.
Her internal musings were cut short as Caleb’s hand around her waist tightened. He stretched behind her, and she used the moment to turn onto her side so she lay face to face.
“Good morning,” he murmured and bent to kiss her lingeringly on the mouth.
“Good morning to you,” she replied. When she’d finally gotten to his place, they’d both been exhausted. They’d snuggled in bed under the blankets, leaving on their underwear.
“It’s fantastic to wake up with you in my arms, Birthday Girl.”
Her eyes widened. “Right. I need to go now and buy a tombstone. I’ll have it say Here lies Delilah Rose, coming while she goes.”
“Oh, that’s awful!” he said with a chuckle.
“Stick your fingers in my panties and I’ll be a happy goner. Speaking of hands in naughty places,” she murmured as her hand began trailing down his rock-hard abs to the band on his boxer briefs.
He halted her progress and she pouted at him, as if he’d just denied her a tasty treat.
“Can’t I play?” she asked.
“Babe, I would love nothing more than to have you play with me,” he murmured.
“Okay,” she said and reached for his erection that strained the fabric on his boxer briefs.
Once again, he halted her hand. “But--”
She blinked up at him. “What? I can go brush my teeth real quick if that’s turning you off.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want a hand job. Not anymore.”
Her heart stuttered in her chest as excitement cranked up her arousal. She knew what he wanted and she wanted it too.
“Yes, Caleb,” she murmured, staring into his eyes. “I want you, too.”
He grabbed her hips and maneuvered her until she was flush against his body. His big, hard cock nudged against her panties, and she wiggled a little to shed them before throwing her leg over his thigh to open herself up more. His fingers gripped her thigh and he thrust, his boxer briefs now the only barrier separating them. His head swooped down, his mouth claimed her lips, and she opened for him, deepening the kiss.
All coherent thought had fled. They had touched each other, teased each other, but now, finally, she was going to have all of him. He drove her crazy with need, touching her, worshiping her, his hands quickly divesting her of her t-shirt so he could tug her nipples into hard pebbles.
He broke the kiss to nibble his way to her ear. “Are you sure?” he asked in a near breathless tone. “Are you sure you want me? Because Jesus Christ, Delilah, I want you.”
“You want to fuck my pussy, Caleb?” she said on the tail end of a moan. “You want to pound your big dick into my little box?”
“Fuck, yeah,” he answered back, biting her ear lobe. “I want you in every fucking way possible. I want you so much I may never get my fill of you.”
“Then take me,” she told him.
He flipped her onto her back, looming over her and staring at her with eyes hot and hungry. She grabbed the waistband of his underwear and yanked them down and immediately took hold of his shaft, using the precum that leaked from the slit to coat the velvet skin. His forearms held him up, his muscles rippling as he undulated against her while she pumped his cock.
“I love how big, how hard your cock is,” she moaned.
He kissed his way down her body. Over her nipples, down her belly, circling her navel before burying his face between her thighs. He breathed hotly against her before his tongue licked her clit. Teasing her until her orgasm approached, then backed off to leave her hanging, driving her out of her mind.
“Please,” she begged, panting. “I need you in me.”
He moved off her so swiftly that her head swam. She cracked her eyes open and saw him reach toward the nightstand to grab a condom. With a wicked little grin, she took the foil packet, and holding his hip, bent her head to engulf him down in one gulp, relaxing the muscles in the back of her throat to swallow him all the way.
“Holy fuck!” he groaned.
She made sure to tease his slit, sucking on him like he was a straw. After bringing him to full mast, she opened the condom and formed a circle with her lips to place the rubber against her mouth. Using her deep throat talent once again suckled him, pushing the condom onto his rock-hard dick.
“You’ve got a beautifully talented mouth,” he murmured. Then he flipped the tables on her and pushed her back onto the bed, stalking her like he was lion and she his prey. He grabbed her ankles and pulled, sliding her down until her ass touched the edge. He pushed her thighs wide, and she waited with breathless anticipation.
“Wrap those sexy legs around me,” he ordered.
He angled his hips, rubbed the tip of his covered cock against her slit, and then pushed. He breached her with one thrust, and she arched her back in bliss. Caleb locked her legs around his hips and that drove her pelvis upward, off the bed, allowing his penetration to go even deeper.
“Oh yes!” she moaned.
His hips pumped into her with long, steady strokes.
“Harder, Caleb. I want it harder!”
Her plea seemed to drive him wild, and he gave her exactly what she wanted, pounding into her with controlled force. She bucked as much as her position would allow but mostly, she just took his thrusts, loving how he worked her body even tighter.
“Oh god, Delilah,” he grunted.
“Yes!” she cried. “Come with me!”
The frenzied need for release wiped out all coherent thought. She flew over the edge and a second later, he came with a shout.
Bodies slick with sweat, he let go of her thighs and collapsed. Her legs fell from him, but she still cradled him with her thighs. They both panted. Delilah was unable to form any coherent words as she floated back down to earth.
He kissed her cheek and then nuzzled her neck for a moment before pushing himself off her sweaty body. He slipped off the condom and tied it off before tossing it into the small waste basket near the bed. He held out his hand for her.
“Come take a shower with me?”
W
ith a lazy grin she slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up and into his arms. He threaded his fingers together against her lower back and pressed his forehead to hers.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“For?”
“You.” He pulled back and smiled at her. “Want to go to the beach, birthday girl? Afterwards we can head into town and find you a cake and some candles. I can attempt to sing you happy birthday but if your eardrums start to bleed let me know.”
“Deal,” she said with a laugh.
****
After showering and eating a late lunch, they made their way down to the beach. She wore a pair of Daisy Dukes and a tank top while he sported colorful long shorts depicting some type of Hawaiian pattern. He held her hand and she carried a large straw purse that held water, towels, and sunscreen.
“That’s Jake’s house,” he told her as they walked past.
Above the top of a solid fence, she noticed a garage being built. “Ah, is that your car benefactor?”
“Yeah, he’s been a good sport about it.”
When they got to the sand, he waved at a couple of people playing beach volleyball. Delilah realized the man was Jake Coolidge and turned surprised eyes on Caleb.
“Your friend is the actor Jake Coolidge?” she asked.
“Yeah, but I’ve never seen his movies.”
“You haven’t?”
“Is he any good?”
She gave a strangulated chuckle. “You could say that. He was in last year’s highest grossing movie.”
“Really? He told me that most of his stuff is a direct-to-video type of thing.”
“Before last year, yeah. In fact, he surprised everyone by joining a tv show instead of pursuing bigger leading roles.”
“You seem to know a lot about him.”
She shrugged. “It is L.A. You can’t really escape Hollywood gossip around here.”
Jake waved them over.
“Wanna go meet him?” he asked her.
“Um, okay, sure.”
As they approached, Jake left his two volleyball playing girls and jogged over to them. Delilah couldn’t help but compare Jake’s sleek physique to Caleb’s muscular brawn and realized there wasn’t any competition between the two men. She shot a quick look at Caleb, realizing that she never thought she’d be so fascinated by a white man before, but Caleb stole her breath with every look.
Once Upon a Love Story Page 8
