“Is it working?”
“If I say yes, will it make your head swell?”
“No, but it might make something else swell.”
She laughed then kissed him long and hard.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
He flipped her underneath him and she let out a surprised yelp as he trailed a path of fiery kisses down her neck, sucking at the sensitive spot in the crook that drove her mad.
“I need to call Brianne.”
“Go ahead. Your hands are free,” he said, dipping his head and taking her nipple into his mouth. Her body arced off the bed, pushing the tight bud farther into his eager lips.
Her eyes closed as she absorbed every mind-numbing sensation flowing through her body, but then the rational part of her brain took over and she reached down holding his head in place.
“I cannot concentrate with you doing that,” she said and went to slip out from beneath him when he grabbed her waist and pulled her back.
“You don’t have to concentrate.”
She held her finger up and managed to wiggle free of his hold. She grabbed her cell phone and went to dial Brianne when she saw forty-two unread text messages.
Caleb rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow. “What’s the matter?”
“I have forty-two unread texts from my family.”
“You talked to all of them last night before we went to bed,” Caleb said.
Last night before she and Caleb settled in, she had spoken to Matt who told her that her grandfather would be fine. They would be keeping him at the hospital overnight for observation and to get some fluids into his system. She had then jumped on the call train, first calling Hadley to fill her in.
“Tell them you’re taking the day off.”
Kate laughed. “You never get a day off from family.”
Once she responded to all the texts which weren’t that many when you considered it was a group thread with her five siblings and her parents. She then called Brianne and filled her in about her grandfather and how she was going to take the day to relax.
Brianne assured her she had everything under control and promised she’d call if she needed anything. Kate hung up feeling at ease and eager to have an entire day with Caleb.
“It’s done,” Kate said “I officially have the day off. What should we do?”
Caleb looped his arm around her waist and yanked her onto the bed. His mouth came down on hers kissing her long and slow.
“After I’m done giving you multiple orgasms.”
“A little confident, are we?”
“I know how your body works, what you like and what drives you crazy, so yes, I’m very confident.”
Her teeth slid over her bottom lip, and she glanced up at him through her lashes. “Then?”
“Then we’re going for a bike ride.”
“No,” she said.
“Can you at least pretend to think it over?”
“I haven’t ridden a bike since high school.”
“That’s why they say it’s like riding a bike. You never forget. Besides, a little fresh air would be good for you. Whenever I have a bad day, or am stressed out, I hit the bike trails and let it all fade away, leaving it in the dust. Trust me.”
Kate did trust him, but she wasn’t so sure about the whole getting on a bike and hitting trails part. “I don’t know.”
She would prefer to keep on the solid ground of the streets, but she was also curious to see Caleb in his element. He hit the trails every morning before work and sometimes at night if he got out early enough. There was a small part of her that wanted to experience the thrill that he loved so much and share in it with him.
***
Two hours later, Kate was in a pair of shorts and a tank top, hair tossed up in a messy bun ready to brave nature in all its glory.
Caleb took one look at her bike and shook his head. “How old is that thing?”
She looked down at the purple and black mountain bike that she got for her sixteenth birthday. “Old enough,” she said.
“You can’t ride that.”
“Why not? I’d have you know that this bike got me all over this town before I had my license.”
“I own a bike store; it would be a sin to let you be seen in public with me on that decrepit piece of junk.”
“Piece of junk?” she exclaimed.
“Yes, piece of junk. It might’ve been cool twenty years ago, but that was twenty years ago.”
“Watch it, pretty boy,” she said, pointing a finger at him. “It’s the only bike I have so it’s just going to have to do.”
“Do you not remember? I own a bike shop.”
“Have you not seen the price tags on bikes these days? I’ll take my chances with old Bertha here.”
He stifled a laugh, placing his knuckles against his mouth, but she could still see the edges of his mouth peeking through. “You named your bike?”
“Guys can name their cars. Why can’t I name my bike?”
“Never said you couldn’t. It’s just kind of adorable.”
Heat spread up her neck and to her cheeks. “I have my moments.”
“You certainly do. Now come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To get you a new bike.”
“I already told you, I don’t want a new bike.”
“And I already told you that I can’t be seen with you riding that thing.”
She swallowed down her pride and grabbed his arm. “Look Caleb, honestly, I can’t afford a new bike.”
“Whoever said anything about you paying for it?”
“What?” Realization dawned on her and she planted her foot in the ground. “No. You are not buying me a bike. Are you crazy?”
“Calm down. I’m not going to buy it for you, especially if we don’t even know if you’re going to like it. You’ll test it out and then if you like it, we’ll see about buying it.”
“Even if I like it, I will not let you lay out that much money.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s insane.”
He took her face in his hands and looked down at her with a warm smile. “If you like it I’m buying it. Money isn’t an issue for me.”
Her eyebrow arched at this new information. Though, she could have assumed without him saying as much. His store was top of the line with no expense spared, he drove a brand new car and dressed in designer clothes. She just never thought too much about it because she didn’t see him for what he had, but for who he was.
But it did beg the question. “What did you do before you went into the bike business?”
“I was a financial advisor and before that…you can’t laugh, okay?”
“Okay. Before that?”
“I was a model from eighteen to twenty-two.”
“Shut up. You’re lying.”
He let out a breath and ran a hand over the short hair on his face. “I’m not. Some guy discovered me at the park, and I looked at it as my ticket to get away and travel. I did a lot of runways and print ads. It paid well, but I got bored with it and was more interested in the money aspect so that’s how I wound up getting into finance.”
Kate went to speak, but she was dumbfounded only unintelligible sounds came out. Of all the things she imagined Caleb doing for a living, modeling was probably the last thing she would have guessed. She did call him pretty boy for a reason—the man was gorgeous and could turn her to molten lava with just one look, but this news still surprised her.
“So I’m dating a model?”
“An ex model. It was a really long time ago. Feels like another lifetime ago, and I’d appreciate it if we kept it between us. No one needs to know about that part of my life. It’s not who I am anymore.”
Kate circled her arms around his neck and tilted her chin up to look him in the eyes. “Your secret is safe with me,” she said as she made an X over her chest.
He bent down sealing his lips over hers. “Good. Now let
’s get you a bike.”
***
Once Kate had a new bike and was outfitted with a helmet and riding gloves she was finally ready, according to Caleb, to hit the trails. She still didn’t see what was so wrong with Bertha, but she stopped arguing after he pulled out a shiny green bike that not only looked sleek, but also much sturdier than her high school ride.
They got to the trail and Kate let Caleb take the lead. Living her whole life in Red Maple Falls, she had never been through the bike trails on a bike before—just walked them every now and again. She went slowly at first, getting familiar with the feel of the bike and determining her own abilities.
She wasn’t as out of shape as she thought as she picked up speed and took each corner without slamming on the breaks and crawling by.
It was a hot day and the air clung to her skin, but the faster she went the more air passed over her, providing a cool breeze.
There was something about nature that had always calmed her soul, and riding the bike farther into the woods, she felt that calm more than ever. She could hear the birds chirping high above in the tree tops, hear the rustling of leaves where a small animal hurried away as her and Caleb tore down the trail.
She had been so scared only yesterday afraid she’d lose her grandfather. Afraid that the life that she held so closely, so dear to her heart was about to change forever. She had been exhausted by the time she got to Caleb’s, but he took care of her just like he promised. And now, in the woods, he was taking care of her again. She could feel the weight of all that negative energy lift off her shoulders and disperse behind her. She pedaled harder, wanting to get as far away from it as she could.
Caleb was several hundred feet ahead of her, and she pushed on wanting to catch him. Wanting to thank him for knowing exactly what she needed. She got closer and he went faster, pulling away from her. A laugh escaped her as she pushed down harder and sped after him. She was cruising along, loving the feel of the air against her heated skin, loving the adrenaline rushing through her body when her front tire wobbled.
She did her best to hold the handlebars straight, but the bike yanked left and she cut the wheel right, trying to straighten, but she overcorrected. The next few seconds were a blur as the bike slid out from under her and she went airborne over the handlebars.
She hit the ground with a hard thump, knocking the wind right out of her. She gasped, trying to get air back in her lungs. Her body skidded a little across the rough terrain, rocks tearing at her knee. Pain radiated in her chest and up her thigh. She didn’t want to cry. She wanted to be strong, but the pain became too much and a tear slipped down her cheek.
“Kate!” she heard Caleb yell out. She wanted to call back to him, but she couldn’t seem to get words past the lump in her throat. She tried to move but somehow her legs became entangled in the bike. So she gave up and just laid there like fresh road kill.
Caleb got to her within seconds, dropping to his knees and brushing her hair off her face. “Are you okay?”
“Been better,” she managed through the tears, begging to come out. “I’m stuck.”
Caleb looked down to her legs and quickly—but gently—got to work, untangling her from her bike. Once free he sat on the ground and took her in his lap, brushing her hair behind her ears.
“Are you hurt? Do you think anything is broken?” he asked, examining her face before checking the rest of her body. He stopped at her knee and let out a frustrated breath. He pulled his shirt over his head and blotted the blood that was pouring down her leg.
“Nothing’s broken. I don’t think. Just banged up a little.”
“A little? Your knee looks like pepperoni pizza.”
“Don’t ruin pizza for me,” Kate said with a laugh, but it hurt her ribs a little so she stopped. “I’m pretty sure there’s a brook not too far from here. I can clean myself up there.” She went to get up, but Caleb tightened his grip on her.
“Rest for a minute.”
“I’m fine. I just need to walk it off.”
“Can you ever just humor me?” He looked down at her with that smoldering gaze, dark and intense, and she lost the will to argue. She snuggled into his chest, letting the beat of his heart calm her.
“Thank you,” he said, as he gently cradled her on his lap like she was precious cargo.
A few minutes later, Kate sat up, putting pressure on her leg. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as she thought it would, and she was grateful because she had no idea how Caleb would have gotten the both of them and their bikes out of there.
He helped her down to the brook, and when they got to the water’s edge he took his wadded up shirt and immersed it into the water. He wrung it out and took her knee into his lap, dabbing at the caked on dirt and partially dried blood.
She winced as he got closer to the scrapes, but he was gentle so the sting only lasted for a moment.
“You got yourself good,” he said, running a hand down her leg and scanning it for other marks.
“I was doing so well, too.”
“You were that’s why I picked it up a notch. You were riding my tail the entire way, then I turn around and you’re gone. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when I saw you lying there on the ground.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have gone so fast. I know the trails, you don’t. It was stupid.”
“No, it was fun.”
He turned toward her, and she could feel that intense gaze down to her very core. “You’re something else, Kate Hayes,” he said before bringing his mouth to hers. He pulled away too quickly and she wanted to yank him back, but he was too concerned with her leg.
He finished cleaning off the wound and walked over to his bike. He had a pouch hanging beneath the seat that he unzipped, reaching in and pulling out a roll of gauze and tape.
“That’s a little much,” she said.
“It’s all I have. Just until we can get you home.”
He sat back down, his large hands engulfing her thigh as he brought her leg to his lap. With gentle care, he wrapped her knee.
“My brother was notorious for falling off of his bike. I swear he spent more time flying over the handlebars than he did on the seat. But he never let that stop him. He always got right back up, more determined than before.”
“Did you guys ride a lot together?”
“We did. Every summer for two weeks we would meet up at a new location he researched, and we would go off the grid. We’d ride until our legs felt like they’d fall off, but neither of us cared because we loved it so much.”
“Where was your favorite place to ride?”
“New Zealand. We rode through sheep paths, mountain peaks, along lakes, through forests and over these insane suspension bridges. It was epic and our last trip before we found out he had cancer.” Caleb secured the gauze with tape then placed her foot back down. “All good for now,” he said.
He stood up and walked back to his bike. Kate could see the tension building across his shoulder blades. She hated that talking about his brother upset him, though she understood it, she wished she could ease his pain. Make him remember the good times and not be reminded of the bad.
She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing a kiss to the tight muscles of his shoulders.
He turned around, cupping her face and planting a chaste kiss on her lips. “You think you can ride?”
“I think so, but I was hoping we could stay here for a little longer. It’s kind of nice being off the grid, out in the open woods, with not a soul in site.”
“Some would say it’s a good opening for a horror movie,” Caleb said and she was happy to hear the slight laugh in his tone.
“Most horror movies start off with an unsuspecting couple getting a little naughty,” she said and ran her hand along his waistband before dipping her finger inside and sliding it against his slick skin.
***
Kate and nature w
as turning out to be a dangerous combination. Heated desire rushed through his body as her finger toyed with the hair just above his growing erection. This woman, who was sexy and fun, made him lose complete control.
He dug his fingers into the soft curves of her ass and lifted her easily into the air. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he brought her down to the ground, running his hand along the curves of her body.
He dipped his head dragging his tongue along her neck, loving the salty sweetness that was Kate. She cried out as he sucked on the skin along her jaw and pressed her sex against his.
After seeing her lying on the ground, unmoving panic had flooded his system. Everyone he cared about he lost and he was afraid he’d lose her too. He knew that he should push her away, protect his mind and his heart from that never-ending ache, but all he could think about was being inside her. Feeling her muscles tighten around him as he drove them over the edge together.
Her hand slipped into his pants, her fingers wrapping around his length, making his head fog. “I need you,” he said, not thinking about how much those three little words terrified him.
“Do you have anything?” she asked, tightening her grip and stroking him back and forth.
“Shit. No.” He was about to roll off of her, accepting defeat when she shoved his shorts down, freeing his throbbing erection.
“I’m on the pill, and I’m clean.”
“I’m clean, too.” He had gotten tested twice after he found out Gia wasn’t faithful, and he hadn’t been with anyone but Kate since.
“Please,” she said, taking his bottom lip between her teeth. “I need to feel you.”
He ripped her shorts and panties down and positioned himself at her hot, slick entrance. “Are you sure?” he asked, not wanting her to regret the things she said in the heat of the moment. Not wanting her to regret what they were about to do because he only wanted to look back on it with affection.
“Positive. Make love to me,” she said, and he thrust into her. She cried out and he let her adjust to his size before moving in and out of her with short, fast strokes.
She grabbed his face, forcing him to look into her eyes as he moved. It was something he had avoided because when he looked into her eyes it made him want things. Things that he long ago gave up on. But Kate did that to him. She made him hope for a future with someone by his side, a family to love and to rely on. To not have to do things on his own anymore. Looking into his eyes open a world to possibilities and that world scared him because every time he’d allowed himself to enter it before, he was left in the rubble to pick up the pieces.
Crushing on Kate Page 14
