Just One Year(50)
I didn’t fully understand what difference it would make if we had sex at this point. My heart was already in so deep it was breaking. It didn’t matter if Caleb was physically inside of me. He was already inside my heart and soul.
CHAPTER TWENTY
* * *
CALEB
Every day I felt more attached to Teagan, and even though we were spending every moment we could find kissing and touching, I hadn’t dared to venture below the waist. There was only so much we could do down in her room anyway with her family right upstairs. Consequently, my dick was so hard most of the time I was certain it was going to combust. I was the holdout, and I kept convincing myself I was doing the right thing, but with every moment we spent together, stopping felt less and less natural.
I’d taken on more hours at the restaurant, but today I had a rare Friday night off. And I really wanted to spend it with Teagan.
She normally got back from her internship about five-thirty on Friday nights. It was five forty-five, so I went downstairs to her room. It was empty, so I lay down on her bed and rang her.
“Hey,” she answered,
“Where are you?”
“I have to stay late tonight—until seven. I get to help clean out some of the tanks, though.”
“Only you would be excited about cleaning fish shit.”
“I never said it excited me, but you know me so well.”
“Indeed I do.” I sighed, imagining the way she was probably smiling right now. “So you’ll be back around seven-thirty? I miss your face.”
“Yeah, another couple of hours or so.”
“Shit. Alright. I guess I can wait here for you in your bed.”
“You’re in my room?”
“Yes. It’s how I knew you weren’t here.”
“Don’t go searching in my drawers or anything.”
“Well, now that you’ve said that, you’ve got me curious. Please tell me you have a vibrator or porn in here somewhere.”
“How else do you think I deal with my constant pent-up sexual frustration? It has to be released somehow.”
Christ. I hadn’t been serious, but now I might walk around hard all night.
“I have to go,” she said.
“You can’t just say something like that and hang up on me.” I laughed.
“Goodbye, Caleb.”
***
Restless and thinking about nothing but Teagan masturbating, I didn’t feel like waiting for her to come home. So I took the train to the aquarium to surprise her. I figured maybe we could grab a bite to eat downtown after her shift.
When I entered the building, I was surprised to see her standing at the counter of the gift shop. A guy I assumed was that Jacob bloke who’d taken her out once leaned toward her, getting way too close for my comfort.
A rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins, though she was merely talking to him. In a flash I saw the future where I wouldn’t be around for Teagan, a future where she’d go on to date other guys, fall in love, and have lots of sex—not with me. I couldn’t control any of that from an ocean away.
She hadn’t seen me yet. Maybe I should just turn around and go home. But that didn’t feel right. What did feel right was interrupting.
“Are you off the clock?” I asked as I approached.
Teagan turned at the sound of my voice. “Caleb.”
The smile on her face took away much of my uneasiness. She seemed happy to see me.
“Hi,” I said, shifting to glare at Jacob.
“Jacob, this is Caleb.”
“Hey,” he said, looking like I’d rained on his parade.
Maybe I’d pissed on it. Either way, it was my pleasure.
“Hi,” I muttered before turning back to her. “Are you done?”
“Yeah. Got finished early. Let me get my stuff.”
As I waited for her, Jacob and I gave each other the evil eye. That stoked the flames of my jealousy.
When Teagan rejoined me, I took her hand and gave Jacob a smug look before we left. It wasn’t my most mature moment, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I waited until we were outside to do what I really wanted to. I backed Teagan against the wall of the building and devoured her mouth, shoving my tongue inside not so gracefully, more possessively. She didn’t question it, though. Instead, she opened wide and let me have my way with her. She pulled my hair and moaned into my mouth. And now, finally, I had what I needed to calm my damn nerves.
After a few minutes, I reluctantly ripped myself away.
She covered her mouth. “What was that for?”
I gritted my teeth. “That was me bloody jealous as all hell.”
“You know I’m not into Jacob.”
“It’s not really him that’s bothering me—more the idea of him, future guys I won’t be able to protect you from because I won’t be here.” I shut my eyes in an attempt to grab my bearings. “You deserve the world, Teagan. Someone who appreciates how amazingly smart, funny, witty, and caring you are. You’re gonna make someone so happy someday.”
I hadn’t expected to say that, and I didn’t like the bitter taste those words left with me. It was unnatural to say them, because I didn’t want her with anyone else. I wanted her with me.