My mouth opened in surprise as she placed her hand on my chest and pushed me onto my back. When she climbed on top of me, my brain stopped functioning.
She kissed my neck softly, her lips drifting down to my chest, to my stomach. When I felt her tongue flick against my skin, I nearly came in my pants.
I knew lust, had acted upon it more times than I cared to count. But this…this was something else. It was painful, almost unbearable. But it was the good kind of pain. The best kind of pain. I wanted to possess her just as she possessed me.
She was fire, and I wanted her to burn me…consume me.
Like a moth to a flame, I could not resist.
I took over, kissing her with an abandon and a wild hunger that shook me.
“Bed,” I murmured, my voice gruff and heavy. When she nodded, I stood and scooped her up in my arms, still kissing her while heading to my bedroom.
When the buzzer sounded, I nearly snarled.
“Caleb, wait. Stop.”
She was telling me to stop, but we were both still kissing each other.
The buzzer sounded again.
“Fuck.”
When she tucked her head under my chin, I closed my eyes. My body was on fire, but my heart was melting.
With that small gesture she destroyed me.
I love you.
My heart was beating like it was going to explode in my chest. I’d never said that to anyone before. Never felt it before her.
I waited for panic, fear, denial to come—but none of those did. It just felt…right. As if I had loved her from the very beginning without realizing it.
I wanted to tell her, but I kissed the top of her head instead, smelled the sweet strawberry scent of her hair. Her heart was beating fast, her breathing shallow. Her hands came up to my shoulders, shaking me slightly.
“Put me down, Caleb. Answer the intercom.”
I blew out a breath. “Damn.”
I put her down, made sure her body slid tantalizingly against mine. Her head was down, avoiding my eyes. She was embarrassed again.
It was one of the many reasons I couldn’t get enough of her. She was passion and fire one minute, shy and sweet the next.
“Hey,” I said softly, lifting her chin with my finger. Her eyes met mine, and for the second time in less than half an hour, she took my breath away.
She slays me, I thought, with just one look. One goddamn look.
She smiled at me, and then gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “Answer the intercom. I’ll just…fix myself a little bit.”
When she turned away, I reached for her arm, pulling her to my chest and wrapping her in my arms. I heard her gasp, her body tensing, then relaxing as she settled comfortably—and with sweet familiarity—in my embrace. As if we’d been doing this for a long time.
“You’re my home, Red.”
She didn’t respond with words. But her arms gently but firmly wrapped around my back. She rested her cheek on my chest, her ear perfectly aligned with my heartbeat. As if she was listening to it and found the sound beautiful, she let out a contented sigh and held me tighter.
Yeah, I realized, I’m home.
Chapter Twenty-eight