Caleb comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, his lips gently touching the side of my neck. Every time he touches me, it sends trembles throughout my body. “Are you ready to go?”
Smiling, I place my hands over his. “I am.” I turn around in his arms and look up at him. “I’m going to close up the gallery and take the rest of December off. We need a vacation after tonight.”
He chuckles. “That’s for damn sure. Plus, you also don’t have anything to sell.”
I look around at the empty gallery. “Yeah, you kind of have a point. It’ll be good to regroup and think up new things to paint.”
“And for me to snap new photos,” he adds.
This makes me happy. “You’re taking your cut of the money, Caleb. I made a killing off of you tonight.”
He shrugs. “Perfect. I’m happy to help.”
One way or another, I’m going to give him his money. “Come on, let’s go before I can’t walk anymore. My whole body aches right now.”
His eyes twinkle. “Guess that means you’re ready for that long, hot bath.”
“You have no idea.” And a lot more than that.
Caleb walks into the back room and brings out my purse, which I’m grateful for. My feet are killing me from walking around all night in high heels. However, nothing is going to stop me from enjoying the night.
Caleb and I walk outside, and I lock up the gallery door. “Do you want to just ride with me instead of taking two cars?”
“Sounds good to me.” I slip the keys into my purse, and he takes my hand as we walk to his car. I’m on air tonight, and I can feel the excitement swirling around inside me. I don’t know if I could be any happier. We get in Caleb’s car and head on our way to his house. “I think I’m going to come up with some new things to paint. I’m hoping to get some inspiration after the holidays. Right now, my brain is fried.”
Caleb looks over at me. “It’ll come to you. You could always be like Bob Ross and put some happy little trees in your paintings.”
I smack his arm. “Hey, I loved Bob Ross and all his trees. I watched his show every Saturday morning. He made it look so easy.”
He chuckles. “That he did.”
We pull up to his house, and I tremble with anticipation. It feels like I’m about to make love for the first time. In a way, I am. Caleb doesn’t know this, but I do love him. I want to tell him so, but I want to make sure he’s ready to hear it. I’d give anything to hear him say he loves me too. What makes the situation even more unique is that I absolutely adore his daughter. I care for Alyssa as if she was my own.
Caleb shuts off his car, and he kisses my hand. “When we get inside, I want you to stay in the living room for a minute.”
I stare at him, wondering what he’s got up his sleeve. “Okay. What will you be doing?”
He winks. “You’ll see. Just promise me you’ll stay in the living room.”
“I promise,” I reply, laughing. We get out of the car and hurry up the front porch steps to the door. It’s so cold that my jacket doesn’t even help.
Once the door is open, I rush inside, and Caleb locks it behind us. He helps me take my jacket off and hangs it on the coat rack by the door. “I’ll be right back. Go sit down and relax.”
He watches me sit on the couch before disappearing down the hallway. I take off my high heels and walk over to the Christmas tree to plug in the lights. There’s nothing more beautiful than being in a dark room with only the Christmas tree lit up. I could sit for hours just staring at the lights and the glittery ornaments.
Caleb’s footsteps can be heard down the hallway, and as they sound closer, I suck in a breath. When he strolls around the corner, my mouth gapes. He’s bare-chested and dressed in only a pair of jeans that ride low on his hips.
“Are you ready?” he asks, a devilish smile taking over his face.
It takes me a few seconds to catch my breath. “Ready for what?”
He stalks over to me and takes my hands, pulling me up into his arms. Bending his head down, he whispers in my ear. “There’s a nice, hot bubble bath waiting for you in the back. I want you loosened up before I make love to you tonight.”
The breath hitches in my lungs, and I bite my lip. “What are we waiting for then?”
In his master bathroom, there’s a large tub that could easily fit four average-sized adults in it. It’s much larger than the normal ones I’ve seen. I can only hope that’s where we’re going. Still holding my hand, Caleb pulls me down the hall toward his bedroom. I can smell the scents of rose and lavender coming from the bathroom.