Safe with Me (With Me in Seattle, #5)(11)

Suddenly, Caleb steps up behind me and presses the button to bring the target back to us.

“Take a deep breath,” he whispers against my ear and I instinctively respond, pulling in a long, deep breath. He presses his chest against my back, his thighs against the back of my own, and pulls in a long breath of his own. “You smell so f*cking good.”

His cock stirs against my backside, through his jeans. He pulls his hands up my arms and down my sides to my hips, where he rests them as he runs his nose up the side of my neck.

With the noise and feel of the gun still in my head, my heart still pounding like crazy, I want him.

Now.

“You have no idea how f*cking good you feel pressed up against me like this,” he whispers, his voice rough and strained.

“I think I have an idea,” I respond, surprised to hear the raw need in my own voice. Closing my eyes, I lean my head back on his shoulder and relish in the feel of his hands kneading my hips and his face pressed into my neck. My nipples are puckered and straining against my bra, and goosebumps have broken out up and down the length of my body.

I want him unlike anything or anyone I’ve ever wanted before.

“Caleb.” His name is a whisper, a prayer.

“Smell so damn good.”

“Touch me,” I demand softly. His hands still. He kisses my neck softly, takes a long, deep breath, and then backs away.

I turn around in surprise and in full-blown anger.

“What kind of game are you playing?” I demand.

“I’m not playing a game.” He crosses his arms over his chest.

“Caleb.” I just stare at him for a long moment. Thirty seconds ago his hands were on me and he was whispering the sweetest things in my ear.

Now he’s turned back into the drill sergeant.

And men say women are confusing.

Finally, he turns and pulls the target down.

“I’ll be damned,” he whispers.

“Let me see.”

There are a few stray bullet holes around the white part of the target, but in the center of the chest and the top of the head are two good-sized holes where my bullets pierced the paper.

“You’re a natural.”

I shrug like it’s no big thing, but inside I’m doing the mega happy-dance.

“Not so much a *, I guess.”

Caleb laughs, long and loud and scoops me up into a long hug.

“Definitely not a *,” he agrees as he pulls away from me.

“Caleb?” My heart is beating hard, and I’m still pissed at him. He’s smiling down at my target, but when his eyes meet mine, he sobers.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t f*cking touch me like that again unless you plan to finish what you start.”

His eyes go hard and his jaw tightens. Before I can turn and walk away, he grabs my wrist and pulls me against him, pinning my arms between our bodies.

“Let’s get this straight, Brynna. I want you so f*cking bad my teeth ache. I’ve wanted you for months. But you’re part of my family, and I’m supposed to be protecting you. Dropping my guard and f*cking you into the mattress is not the way to keep any of you whole.”

I gasp as his words sink in and I want to beg him to take me home do exactly that; f*ck me into the mattress, but before I can speak, he lowers his forehead to mine and clenches his eyes closed as if in pain.

“I’m not going to f*ck up our friendship, or make things weird for you with my family, just because I can’t keep my damn hands off you. You mean too much for that.”

I lean into him, wanting to comfort him, but he sighs, lifts his head and plants his lips on my forehead for a long few seconds and then backs away, turns his back on me, and loads the weapon and clips back into his locking gun box.

“I apologize. I won’t touch you again.”

Before I can argue, ask him to talk with me about this, he stalks off ahead of me.

“Let’s go.”





Chapter Four


Caleb



“My name starts with a ‘c’ and ends in a ‘t’. I’m hairy and round and squishy inside. What am I?” Jules doubles over in laughter in the couch across from me before taking another sip of her fruity drink.

“I need another beer,” I mutter, grab my empty bottle and walk into Luke and Nat’s kitchen that opens into the great room where we’re playing this stupid game.

Of course, the girls chose it.

“A carrot?” Brynna asks in her sexy, low voice and pushes her dark hair behind her ear. Her eyes are a bit glassy from her drinks, and she’s been smiling all evening. Coming here tonight was exactly what she needed, to spend time with friends and have fun.

But being so close to her is f*cking killing me.

I’ve done a stellar job of keeping my hands off her since the other afternoon at the range. But all I want to do is pull her against me, under me, and lose myself in her for about a month.

It’s ridiculous.

I’ve been with plenty of women over the years, but none of them had me tied up in knots, especially not before I’d actually f*cked them.

“What kind of carrots have you been eating?” Leo asks Brynna, pointing at her and laughing his ass off.

“Ew. Yeah, never mind.” Bryn shakes her head and takes a sip of her drink as I return to the room with my beer, sitting between her and Matt. The whole gang is here at Luke and Nat’s tonight: Jules and Nate, Will and Meg, Sam and Leo and Matt. Even Isaac and Stace are here tonight. Luke’s brother, Mark, also showed up.