Caleb finished the song and turned to look at her.
“You’re awake,” he smiled softly.
“I heard you playing,” she explained. She shook her other thought away, but not before Caleb noticed.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked in his deep, soft voice.
“Actually, I was questioning the strength of those keyboard legs,” she admitted.
Caleb’s eyebrow went up in question.
Instead of explaining, Alex swallowed, got up as much courage as she could muster, and walked over to Caleb. He turned toward her in his chair as she sat down in his lap and put her arms around his shoulders. She looked down into his face and waited to see how he would react.
His response was swift. Grabbing the top of her button-down shirt, he pulled quickly and ripped it open. Buttons went flying in all directions as Alex gasped… and then smiled. Reaching down, she took the old vintage t-shirt Caleb was wearing and yanked it off over his head. Both of them were already breathing heavily as the tension from their evening at the pub began to expand like a balloon about to burst.
Caleb reached up and pulled Alex’s head down to kiss her. Alex was again reminded of how much she loved kissing him. She ran her hands through his hair, grabbing handfuls and gently squeezing as their tongues intertwined with fascination and delight. Caleb kissed her neck and collar bone and down toward her chest. Alex made a mental note to thank Rachael when he popped open her bra with the front clip. She moaned when he took her breasts in his warm hands.
With the sound of her moan, she felt him grow even harder underneath her and she automatically moved to grind against it. The silk from her underwear slid easily over his hardness, the thin, fragile fabric feeling deliciously intimate. Caleb swore under his breath and moved his hands down. In one hand he grabbed Alex’s underwear and pulled them to the side. With the other, he pulled himself out of his lounge pants easily and positioned himself at her entrance.
“So much for going slow,” Alex said, not at all regretful. She stood up slightly to hover above him and stopped for a minute. She took a deep breath, in and out slowly, taking in the moment. She looked into Caleb’s eyes and inhaled slowly a second time. On the third breath, as she exhaled, she slammed down on his hardness, closing her eyes and crying out at how large he was. He was so long and filled her so tightly it felt like he reached her very core.
Caleb cried out too and began kissing her again as she moved up and down on top of him. Reveling in her having control over him, he grasped one nipple with his mouth. While he sucked on it and swirled his tongue all around it, he used his hand to lightly pinch the other. Alex moaned loudly as he skillfully played with her.
Enjoying the effect he had on her, he took his free hand and reached down to slowly fondle her. Alex cried out in shock and pleasure. No one had ever touched her there and the sensations were almost too good to bare. Her pace quickening, she grabbed onto his shoulders and neck and crashed down on him over and over. Having control of her own pleasure while Caleb was working his magic combined to make a raging orgasm for her. She dug her nails into him as she tried to stay in control of her movements.
Caleb’s own desire was shooting through the roof and hearing Alex’s pleasure was once again too much for him. He seized her hips to help guide her through her explosion. Watching her shudder in orgasm was the end for him. Before Alex even had time to recover, Caleb grabbed on tight to keep them together and threw them both onto the hardwood floor. Hastily, losing all control, Caleb hammered into her over and over until he howled with his own eruption. He yelled out in exasperation and swore as he lowered himself down to rest on top of her. Taking big breaths, he slid to the side and pulled her to him. Still trying to catch her own breath, she automatically snuggled herself into the crook of his shoulder, where she fit perfectly.
“And as I promised, tonight I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured. He kissed her forehead and laid there for a while just holding her. He still couldn’t believe the effect she had on him. He wasn’t sure what to do. He knew what they were doing was wrong, but at the same time he didn’t think he could stop now if he wanted to. He was so sick of living a cold and dead life and with each breath Alex took, she was breathing the life back into him. He could feel it. No, he decided, come what may, he wasn’t going anywhere.
When he was sure she was asleep, he carried her to his bed where he again pulled her close and held her. Soon, he too was fast asleep.
The next morning was a gray and gloomy one, encouraging the couple to sleep in. They smiled at each other sleepily as they slowly woke up. As Alex looked at the gorgeous man lying next to her, she suddenly realized that her hair was mess and she probably had morning breath. She quickly ran to the bathroom to freshen up and Caleb grabbed his phone to read the morning news while she was gone. When she came out, she saw Caleb was making a face at his phone.
“Something wrong?” she asked as she slid back into bed, feeling better now that she had rinsed with mouthwash and ran her fingers through her hair.
“Just that hurricane they have been talking about. They say it’s coming in further than they thought.” He looked toward the window. “Looks like a stay in kind of weekend,” he said thoughtfully.
“Oh,” Alex said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “I should probably get going then, to get home before it gets bad.”
She got out of bed and started looking around for her clothes.
“Oh, right,” Caleb said, not hiding his own disappointment. Then he added, “Unless…”
Alex looked at him.
“Unless?”
“Unless you want to, you know, stay here for the weekend. Not to be presumptuous or anything, but it would be nice to have the company,” he smiled.
Alex liked the idea of company. She really didn’t realize just how lonely she was sometimes.
“Company sounds nice,” she smiled back. “Let me just go home quick to get fresh clothes and make sure Bear has enough food to hold her over,” she offered. Caleb was delighted but tried not to show it. Alex finally found her pants on a chair over by the window and starting pulling them on.
She paused as a realization hit her. “Umm… one problem.” She glanced over at him again.
“What?” he looked up, concerned.
“I’m gonna need a new shirt,” she smirked.
Images of flying buttons came to mind as Caleb grinned and got up to get her one of his as a replacement.
“Just hurry up,” he told her as he handed one to her. When she looked at him in surprise, he added, “You know, before it starts to rain.”
She smiled again. It felt nice to have someone worry about her. As she headed out the door, Caleb wondered what the hell had come over him. Why did he feel so protective over her?
By the time Alex returned, the rain had already started and the wind was picking up. She found Caleb’s apartment full of candles and couldn’t decide if it was super smart or super romantic. Trying not to read too much into it, she settled on smart and, in fact, it was. By dinner time the power was out. As they sat over their meal from the last Chinese place willing to deliver, Alex decided to get to know him better by playing her favorite game of “ask anything”.
“Random question: You’re stuck on a desert island and can only have one book, one movie, and one album. Go!”
Caleb put down his chopsticks to think.
“Well, my book would be have to be the complete works of Shakespeare, maybe V for Vendetta for the movie, and a Franz Ferdinand mix for music. Your turn.”
“Some kind of Walt Whitman collection, Pride and Prejudice for my movie, and Nora Jones for my music,” she returned. “Favorite food?” she asked next.
“I don’t have one really,” he confessed.
“Really? Nothing?” she asked, appalled. “You have to have something you loved to eat as a child. Like your grandmothers cookies maybe?”
“My grandmother has probably never stepped foot in h
er kitchen,” Caleb replied shortly. “But they did always have these little sweets in a bowl on their front table.”
“Oh, were those good?” she asked.
“No, they were wretched!” He laughed. Alex gave up and laughed too.
“Okay, fine. Favorite color?” she tried.
“I don’t know…” he said, but when she gave him a look, he gave in. “How about black?”
“I’ll take it,” she grinned. “And mine is red,” she answered before he could even ask.
They spent the rest of the night drinking wine while they laughed and talked and asked more questions. As morning came, they finally fell asleep while the storm raged on outside.
The school ended up losing power too and closed down for the first two days of the school week while they cleaned up from the wind, so they had four whole days hunkered down getting to know each other. They ate candle lit meals at the small table, asked each other more random questions, and caught up on a few things they needed to do. Alex did some homework and Caleb worked on his lesson plans.
Alex’s favorite moments were when Caleb would read aloud whatever poem he was working on, but listening to him recite poetry with his deep accent usually led to other things and they always ended up in bed.
Tuesday afternoon was one such occasion. Caleb sat in the middle of his couch reading aloud as Alex lounged on the big chair next to it, her legs lazily hung over the arm. Knowing he had a captive audience, Caleb let the words pour out of his mouth like honey, enticing her.
Alex bit her lip as she listened, his voice making her quiver with desire. Finally, being able to stand it no longer, she got up and went over to stand in front of him. Silently, as he continued to read, she slowly undid her pants and slid them and her underwear off. When he ignored her, she reached over and pulled his off too. Caleb tried to pretend he didn’t notice her and held the book in front of him as she climbed up on top of him, but his hard manhood betrayed his ruse. He exhaled as she eased herself around him, but he tried to keep his voice as even as he could while he read the words to a particularly sexual poem.
“Don’t stop,” Alex whispered as she started to ride him to the beat of his words, letting the sound of his voice guide her into a slow and deep orgasm. Starting to pant and moan, Alex quickened her pace as Caleb tried to hold on and continue reading until she finished. He grasped the book hard as he held back his pleasure for her. Finally, just as she was about to go, he threw down the book and finished the words by memory as he grabbed her and held her through her climax, quickly having one of his own.
Shaking his head as Alex giggled, he flopped down on the couch and sighed.
“I’d like to say I may have to stop reading poetry to you if this is what happens every time I do. But the truth is, I may never stop reading it to you if this is the result!” He leaned over to wrap himself around her and playfully nibbled her ear.
“Don’t you ever stop!” Alex laughed. “Don’t even joke!” she said, still out of breath.
Later that night, Caleb cooked for their last meal together before they went back to the real world. Alex sat unabashedly on his kitchen counter, covered in just a sheet while she watched him cook. He was also naked except for an old apron they found that was left over from the last tenant. He thought it was gross and didn’t want to wear it, but when she told him it was to keep flying grease from hitting any valuable parts, he figured she had a point. She couldn’t take her eyes off his ass, which was sticking out the back of the faded apron.
She threw out another random question to distract herself. “If you could talk to anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?”
“Probably Winston Churchill,” he answered quickly for once. “He was one of the last politicians to really stand for anything, you know? He didn’t care what the rules were. He just did what he knew was right for him and I really respect that.” Alex noticed Caleb’s eye light up when he talked about it. It was obvious this was something he had thought about before.
“Well?” he asked her. She realized she had been thinking and didn’t hear him ask. It must be her turn.
“My mother,” she answered simply and jumped down from the counter. “I’m gonna go set the table,” she said quietly, changing the subject. It wasn’t the first time Caleb observed her unwillingness to talk about her family. He didn’t want to pry but he couldn’t help being curious. He hoped she would open up to him soon.
The next morning, they both quietly got up and got ready for work and school. They didn’t say a word as they moved around each other easily in the small apartment. When Alex was blow-drying her hair, Caleb smoothly slid under the cord without decapitating himself or burning her. When they made breakfast, they both moved swiftly around the small kitchen like a well-oiled machine. Caleb made an egg dish that was new to Alex but was really delicious. While he was cooking, she made the coffee. She didn’t know how, but she already knew where everything was in his kitchen. She just looked where she would put those things and there they were.
When they were done eating and had cleaned up, they got their jackets on and lingered by the door. Finally, Caleb spoke.
“The past few days have felt so natural.” He put his hand on her cheek and leaned in. “I hate to go back to life. I want to see you again… and soon.”
Alex closed her eyes and sighed at the thought of another encounter with him.
“Yes.”
They got through the day quickly and no sooner was Caleb home than Alex had come over and they were in bed again. Alex wasn’t used to so much sex but something about Caleb made her want to never stop. He seemed to agree.
“Was it ever like this for you with anyone else?” he asked curiously as they lay there.
He tried to make it sound like just another random question, but this was one conversation they hadn’t had yet and he knew it was dangerous ground. However, he couldn’t help but wonder.
Alex side-glanced at him. “Well, I can count the number of guys I have been with on one hand,” she started slowly. “And I never felt anything close to what we are doing. To be honest, I was about to swear off sex for a while.”
Caleb didn’t want to admit it, but he loved hearing that.
Alex saw him smile slightly and smirked at him. “Ok then, your turn. Am I going to be as happy as you are?”
Caleb tensed and froze. Cursing himself, he wondered what the hell he was thinking. Of course she was going to want to know his history now too. It was only fair.
He sat up in bed and turned to get up, but Alex reached out for his shoulder to stop him. He sighed a long and sad sigh. He knew he was going to have to tell her eventually. He was just hoping to put it off a bit longer.
Alex could sense something was coming and suddenly got really nervous. She tried to be patient and let him talk when he was ready, but with every silent second she was starting to freak out. She slid over to sit up next to him on the bed, turned to face him, and crossed her legs. She inconspicuously slipped her hands under her legs and gripped the sheets, preparing for the worst.
Caleb took a deep breath. “When I was younger I was a bit wild, not too bad… Then there was just Lilith.”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat. “Who is Lilith?”
Caleb turned and looked at her. Afraid to lose his little doe, he hoped if he held her eyes she wouldn’t run.
“My wife.”
Alex couldn’t breathe. It felt like something heavy was sitting on her chest. Trying not to panic, she managed to choke out the words, “Your what?”
“My wife… my late wife… She died almost four years ago.” He watched her face carefully to see how she was taking it, terrified to lose her now.
Instead of being angry though, Alex looked sad. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. She felt his pain and could see how much he cared for the woman. She wanted to say more but she couldn’t find the words.
Caleb wanted to take some of the sting away, to wipe the hurt off her face. He should have told her sooner…
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just didn’t know how. I don’t like to talk about her. But you need to understand.” He tried to find the right words. “It was an arranged marriage, Alex. I didn’t love her, at least not as a man should love his wife. I cared for her deeply and might have grown to love her more if we’d had the chance. We were only married two months before she… was gone.” The words stuck in his throat.
“How?” Alex asked, studying his face. He looked so lost and sad. She really wished she hadn’t asked. She wished she could just rewind to a few minutes ago and stay lying together in silence and blissful ignorance, but it was too late now.
Caleb took another long breath and Alex put her hand on his arm, trying to be strong.
“It was a fire. Our whole house went down. No one knows how it started. She was the only one in the house at the time. By the time the fire services arrived it was too late to save any of it. It was… pretty bad…” He stopped. He wanted her to understand, but it was still hard to talk about.
“Oh Caleb… how horrible… I’m so sorry…” She wanted to make it all go away, but she didn’t know how, so she just pulled him to her and hugged him close. He buried his head into her chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“It was a long time ago. I didn’t handle it well. Eventually, I ran away to America to try to forget it all. I just wanted to escape. I blame myself for not being there that day… maybe I could have done something,” he mumbled into her chest.
Alex sat back and shook her head. “Don’t. It’s not your fault and you can’t live with that kind of guilt.” Even as she spoke the words, she knew from experience that a person could not be talked out of feeling guilt. It had to be done from within. So she just hugged him again, harder, trying to pull the pain right out of him. He squeezed back and looked up at her.
Unhinge Me Page 5
