Happy Ever After

by Selena Kitt

  As wonderful as both men were, she was deeply torn. Each man had the same effect on her libido, they were driving her crazy trying to decide between them, and possibly having to give the other up. Too bad she couldn’t have both. Pushing the thought away, she knew she couldn’t stand in his hallway forever. Someone would come and wonder why she was loitering.

  Deciding to get it over, she took a deep breath, knocked and waited for him to answer the door. She hadn’t called before coming over and knew he wasn’t expecting her. When she received no answer, she tried the knob and much to her surprise found it open. Pushing the door open, she called out but received no response. Hearing nothing, she wandered further into the living room. A quick tour of the rooms he’d shown her had revealed he wasn’t in the public areas of his apartment.

  Approaching the closed door at the end of hall, she put a trembling hand on the knob. Slowly turning it, she opened it to only hear the water running in the adjacent bathroom. Feeling braver than she’d ever felt in her life, she walked up to the ajar door and slid inside of the steamy room just as the water shut off. A squeak caught in her throat as Caleb stepped out of the shower in all his wet naked glory. While water ran down his impressive chest, she found her eyes hopelessly locked with his. A flaring of his nostrils was all the warning she got before she found herself pressed against the tile wall with over six foot of wet, aroused male so tight against her, she could feel every inch of him soaking through her light spring dress.

  “Baby, where the hell did you come from?” His voice was hoarse, but he gave her no chance to answer before his mouth covered hers. A feeling of homecoming washed over her. She speared her fingers through his damp hair while their tongues tangled together, then arched against him as his thumb brushed over the pebbled surface of her nipple. Tearing her mouth away from his, she panted and tried to bring her ‘out of control’ desire under control. It was a futile battle though as his mouth slid down the length of her neck to sweep across the exposed swell of her breasts.

  “Oh god, Caleb!” Her cry echoed through the bathroom as he nudged aside her neckline to get better access at her breasts. A loud ripping sound filled the room as he jerked on the bodice of her dress. His muttered apology barely registered as he took one lace covered nipple into his mouth. The erotic contrast of heat and lace had her moaning incoherently. Pleasure sharper than the last time she’d been in his arms filled her. Her womb clenched as his mouth left one nipple to attack the other. “Please, Caleb, I need you!” Her cry had him tearing his mouth away from her heaving breasts. His eyes dazed with passion met hers.

  “God, you’re so sweet. I’ve missed you, baby.” His voice was deep and roughened when she reached in front of her and snapped open the front catch on her bra, spilling her diamond-hard nipples into his view.

  “Suck them!” Her plea seemed to snap whatever leash he’d had on his desire. A low rumble came from his chest before he inhaled sharply.

  “Fuck! Wrap those legs around me.” His words were barely audible but she did as he ordered. A sharp moan escaped her as the only thing separating his hard cock from her creaming pussy was the moist crotch of her panties. Keeping his eyes on the hard nubs in front of him, he shouldered open the door of the bathroom and stumbled the remaining few feet to his bed before coming down on top of her.

  Keeping his weight braced on his elbows, he rocked against her as he licked his way down her chest. Licking and nibbling at her nipples, he paid them homage before ripping her dress the rest of the way down.

  “Caleb?” Her voice was weak with need when he pulled back to examine what he’d exposed. Heat raced over her as he took in the peaks and valleys of her body and the faint silvering of scars along her right side. Using his tongue to trace down her torso, he slid lower across the bed until his wide shoulders were nestled between her thighs. Without waiting for her to protest his actions, he yanked the crotch of her underwear to the side and gave her wet sex a long stroke with his tongue.

  Crying out, she sat up in surprise only to have him press a hand against her stomach to hold her in place. “Don’t move.” His growl was deep and fierce. She fell back to the bed with a whimper. What little protest she’d thought about voicing was washed away as the hot glide of his tongue over her swollen folds sent pleasure skittering over her already strung tight nerves. As the tension built, she rocked, instinctively wanting the sensations his mouth was offering. She’d die if he didn’t fill her this time. She needed more than his talented tongue. She needed his rock-hard cock all the way inside her.

  “More, Caleb. I need you to fuck me!” She tugged at his shoulders hoping to convince him back up her body. His warning rumble had her hands falling away. He wanted his fill and wasn’t going to stop just because she wanted to feel him inside of her. A choked scream escaped her when two of his thick fingers thrust inside of her and his tongue lashed at her clit. Her hips rose off the bed as her orgasm crashed over her and she bucked against his mouth.

  Before she could return to Earth, Caleb scrambled to his knees, took her ass in his hands and lifted her hips to meet his downward thrust. A full-fledged scream filled the room as he sank to the hilt inside of her. She was unbelievably tight—almost virginal. The scream had been of pleasure but was there some pain? Had that been her very first time?

  “Yes! Scream for me, baby. Tell me about it. Take your pleasure.” His words escaped through gritted teeth as he began to move almost violently against her. The sound of wet skin smacking against wet skin mingled with the rising grunts from him and escalating cries from her.

  Digging her fingers into the bedding below her, it was all Caché could do to hold on as the pressure inside her built to astonishing heights. She whimpered with both need and fear. She wasn’t going to survive this. He was going to kill her with pleasure. Closing her eyes, she tried to fight this driving climax off.

  “No you don’t!” Caleb’s voice, harsh and demanding, had her eyes flying open. “You are not going to hold back—fly, baby, fly!

  “What?” Her dazed reply had him baring his teeth as he forced her knees up and over his arms to rest on his sweaty shoulders.

  “Quit fighting it! I want it all, baby. No more teasing looks or scorching online innuendo. I want the woman behind it all and you’re going to give it to me. I don’t care who or what or why—there’s only us and right now.”

  Her shocked eyes locked with his before she lost focus under the onslaught of his desire for her. A muffled shriek left her tortured body when his hand slid between their smacking bodies. His thumb pressed down on her clit and rotated with deadly accuracy. She couldn’t do anything other than obey as her world exploded around her.

  Intense, overwhelming orgasmic pleasure rocked her and her tremors would’ve thrown him out of her if he hadn’t had such a firm grip on her sweaty hips. A wail escaped her as she thrashed around him and incredibly grew wetter, her fluids now coating both her thighs and his groin. To her dazed mind, she was afraid she’d lost control of her bladder, as she kept on leaking her own come while a hoarse shout escaped him.

  “Fuck yes. Soak me, baby. Come with me!” His hands tightened on her until she knew she’d have bruises left from his hold. Moments later his wetness joined hers and he sank down on her trembling body barely catching his much heavier weight on his forearms. Even bent in half under him, she was sated right down to her toes. She was barely aware when he gently lowered her sore and stretched legs back to the bed. The orgasm she had felt in his arms almost a month ago had paled beside the intensity of her first real experience. Yes, she was an adult, but self-isolation had been an overwhelming barrier to ending her virginal state. Now, there was something nagging at her mind she needed to tell Caleb, but exhausted sleep beckoned and she couldn’t resist its lure. She was asleep before he even separated their lower bodies.

  His heart thundering in his chest, Caleb tried to catch his breath. She’d literally blown him away. The control he’d prided himself now laid in tattered remains around
their sweat covered bodies. When she’d shown up in his bathroom all thoughts of resisting had flown from him. He’d wanted her right then and there. Her teasing innuendos to Casey had him half cocked for the past couple of days and her sudden appearance had sealed their fate.

  For the past month he’d treaded a very fine line. Even as he was courting her as Caleb—he’d pursued her online as Casey. He knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but he couldn’t help it. Whether talking with her online or in person, the moment she opened her mouth he’d forgot about anything other than claiming her as his. He’d almost found himself being jealous of himself and his guilt for his ruse grew each day, until he’d decided he had to tell Caché the truth even if he lost her. All he could do is pray that she forgave him.

  “Caché, baby, we’ve got to talk.”

  When he got no response, he lifted his head. His heart softened as he realized he’d exhausted her and she was already asleep under him. Brushing the tangled hair away from her cheek, he traced the scarring on her face. She hadn’t thought of hiding it from him tonight as she had when they first met. His little butterfly was spreading her wings and he only could hope she’d let him go with her when she decided to fly away, because he didn’t know if he could survive without her.

  Dragging the coverlet up and over them, he wrapped her in his arms and yawned. Even though it was only one o’clock in the afternoon, a nap with his lover sounded like a fine idea. Great sex wore a person out even more than travel. Holding her snuggly against his side, he joined her.

  * * * *

  Waking with a start, Caché tried to figure out what had woken her. Glancing over at the clock, she realized it had been two hours since she’d appeared at Caleb’s apartment. Pushing herself up off the bed, she smiled at the picture he made with one arm thrown above his head. The peek of hair in his underarm lent him a vulnerability she’d never seen before. His features were relaxed in sleep. She had the overwhelming urge to brush a kiss over his sleeping lips but the urgency of her bladder reminded her she needed to assuage one need before the other.

  Slipping out of the bed, she padded into the bathroom. After using the facilities, she snagged one of Caleb’s oversized shirts and slipped it on over her head. She giggled as it fell to her knees. Her lover was a monster of a man. No wonder she always felt protected by him. His size was comforting, especially when she’d knew he’d never hurt her with it.

  Checking on him, she decided to let him sleep. The poor baby looked exhausted. Wandering out into his kitchen she fixed a cup of coffee for herself and grinned at the shiny espresso machine sitting on his counter. It was obvious he was an espresso aficionado, like her sister. She herself preferred imported teas from Ireland and England over coffee any day of the week, but since he had no tea, she settled on plain old Columbian Coffee.

  Sipping on the cup, she wandered around his apartment. Seeing another door ajar across the hall, she wandered in, thinking it was either a spare room or perhaps an exercise room. With a body like his, he surely had some kind of gym routine. Much to her surprise, she was surrounded by a home office. In the corner sat a teak desk with a sleek laptop. It was closed but next to the laptop and scattered across its surface were papers and sticky notes. Assuming it was his home office for his writing, she wandered over.

  The phone in the corner of the desk rang. Rushing over to grab it before it woke Caleb, she lifted the phone as his answering machine picked up. Lowering the phone back into its cradle, a contract sitting next to the phone caught her eye. She listened to Caleb’s voice instruct the person to leave a message as shock washed over her. A contract bearing Casey Addington’s name and Caleb’s signature was patiently waiting for him. As if she were watching from a distance, she saw herself picking the document up. Tears filled her eyes as she realized the two men she had been agonizing over were one and the same.

  She was jerked out of her daze as she heard a familiar voice. Thalie.

  “Hey Caleb. It’s just me. I was calling to thank you for fulfilling your end of the wager. I never thought I’d see the day my sister would willingly leave her tower. I can’t thank you enough. Anyway, give me a call when we get back. I’d say you earned yourself a cup of espresso. Ciao.”

  The tears, on the verge of falling moments ago, dried up as violent anger and absolute fury replaced them.

  * * * *

  Caleb jerked awake when the phone rang. He knew the machine would pick it up. Rolling off the bed, he was looking around for Caché when Thalie’s voice came from his office. Scrambling to his feet, he didn’t even bother to grab a towel. He raced into his study as he listened to Thalie’s message condemn him to a life without his lover. Caché looked up at him with the contract in her hands that he’d been going over before getting in the shower. From the death grip she had on it, he knew he was doomed and her words proved it.

  “You rotten son-of-a-bitch!” The glass paperweight sitting on his desk came flying at him. Ducking, he winced as it shattered when it hit the wall.

  “It wasn’t bad enough my sister had to use a bet to get you to go out with me.” When the stapler was the next victim of her rage, he surged across the room. He caught her as she reached for his laptop.

  “Calm the fuck down, Caché!”

  She glared up at him before kicking him in the shin. “You weren’t content to just fuck me over as Caleb, were you?” You had to take the one friend I thought I had and use him against me too.” Doubling up her fist, she swung at him. He swore under his breath and yanked her up against him, so she couldn’t pummel him anymore. It broke his heart to hear the sobs coming from her now as she continued to chew his ass out in her rage.

  “You’re a real fucking asshole! You, Mr. Addington or Mr. Stone, or whoever the hell else you want to be, can go straight to hell!” She continued to smack at his chest as her sobs became harder. “Do not…pass go…do...not…collect…two…hundred dollars!”

  “Shh, I know, baby. I’m a total asshole.” He rocked her in his arms, cuddling her and totally uncaring that he was standing naked as the day he’d been born in his office with his sobbing lover in his arms.

  When she finally stopped, her voice was quiet. “Let me go.”

  He leaned back to look down at her. “Why?”

  “Because it’s time for me to leave.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you honestly think I’m going to let you go? Especially now that you’ve discovered my secrets?”

  “I don’t care what you think you’re going to do or not. I’m done.” She jerked out of his arms and turned to leave. His heart sank as he realized he was still going to lose her. Or was he?

  “So you’re gonna run back to your tower to lick your wounds? The Beast of Ululani wouldn’t run from a fight. She’d give me hell for deceiving her and probably call Enrique to come and kick my ass.” He prayed his gamble worked.

  She gave him the sad smile he hadn’t seen in over a month. “It wasn’t the Beast who you deceived, Mr. Stone. It was the woman underneath, and she no longer wants the two-faced charlatan who stole her heart.”

  “You claim to be so innocent in this mess we’re in. I wasn’t the only one who used an alternate identity—Ms. “Hiddenbeauty”. What the hell do you think I went through when I realized the woman I wanted with every fiber of my being was online flirting with Casey Addington?”

  “You knew it was me?” Ashamed shock washed over her face.

  “From the night you came back to get your book.” Grabbing her signed copy of his book, he opened it. “This isn’t just a signature stamp, baby. I signed this after going through hell to get an advanced copy for you. I wasn’t going to let my publisher use that damn rubber stamp. You deserved the real deal. You got my own hand-written signature.”

  “The real deal?” Her sneer was lost on him.

  “Yes. Let me introduce myself to you Ms. Ululani. My name is Caleb Casey Addington Stone, the third.”

  She stared at him blankly before blurting out the firs
t thing that must’ve come to her mind. “Dear Lord, did your parents hate you?”

  Caleb laughed ruefully. “Hate me, no. Disappointed in me? Yep. Every day of my life. I love to write, baby. Whether it’s as Caleb Stone, the intrepid reporter or as Casey Addington , the hopeless romantic.”

  “But that doesn’t explain the wager, Caleb. You still went out with me as favor to my sister.”

  He sighed. “You’ve got to understand something, baby. Your sister is a matchmaker from hell. I wasn’t looking for a woman when I lost that bet. You see, there was this feisty but vulnerable woman online I wanted to get to know better, even if she was elusive as hell and wouldn’t even tell me what part of the country she lived in.”

  Hope grew in her eyes. “You wanted me before…”

  “Yes, baby. I fell in love with you as ‘Casey’ online and then I met you as Caleb and I couldn’t help myself. He fell for you, too. Frankly it doesn’t matter which one you take, Ms. Ululani, because both are going to love you ’til the end of time, whether you’re the Beast of Ululani or the woman who resides inside the Beast. That’s why I won’t let you go. Both the Beast and the ‘Hiddenbeauty’ love me and I can prove it.”

  She arched a brow at him. “Really? And how can you do that?”

  A devilish grin crossed his face. “Go sit down in that chair and I’ll show you how I know.”

  She glanced at the chair and then back at him. “Excuse me?”

  “Remember what I told you about the first time you gave me hell, baby? I’m going to use those tactics right now and keep on loving you until you admit you love me.” Picking her up, he easily carried her over to the chair.

  “Eeek!” Her eyes widened as he dropped her onto it.

  Without pausing for even a moment, he draped her legs over it. “Before I’m through, I’ll have you screaming it.” Lowering his head, he smiled. He’d hear those words many times before the night was over. He knew how to tame his little Beast and damned if he wouldn’t love every single moment of it.