Fighting for Love (Second Chances #4)(30)
“Thank you,” I said, just as Will and Caleb came back carrying our drinks.
Caleb placed his hand on my lower back and leaned closer. “Come with me,” he whispered in my ear.
Taking my hand, he led me out of the kitchen, but not before I saw Lexi mouth the words ‘good luck’ to me as I continued out of the room. I’m definitely going to need it, I thought to myself.
Caleb started for the stairs and my gut clenched with each step we took, my instincts telling me to stop while I was ahead. “All right, Hayley said when we got to the top of the steps for us to take a left and it’s the first room on the right,” he said when we reached the second floor.
We followed Hayley’s directions until we came to the right door. Opening the door, Caleb turned on the light to reveal a moderately sized room with a queen-sized bed and a separate sitting space. The walls were painted a medium shade of taupe to match the two-toned bedspread and the rug at the foot of the bed. The dressers and headboard were made out of dark cherry wood, giving the room a dark and seductive feel; however, I wasn’t feeling any of that at the moment.
Against my better judgment, I took my first step into the room and regretted it the moment Caleb shut the door and locked it. “So what did you say you wanted to talk about?” I asked, putting my full glass of wine on the dresser.
With a gleam in his green eyes, Caleb bit his lip and stalked forward, stopping right in front of me so he could trace a finger along my bare collarbone. “Oh, let’s see … I figured we could talk about us, and maybe explore other possibilities on taking a step further.”
“Caleb, I—” I tried to say, but he cut off my words by crushing his lips to mine and wrapping his strong arms around my waist, pulling me in tight against him. I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but it was too constricting. His frame towered over mine and he was too strong.
“Caleb, please,” I begged, but he either didn’t hear me or didn’t listen. He kept kissing me with punishing force while moving me back toward the bed. It was then my heart started to race and I began to feel the panic.
Oh, God, what is he going to do?
Crushing me into the mattress, he rubbed his cock up and down my thigh, kissing his way down my neck to the tops of my breasts. “I need you, love,” he growled. “I know you feel the connection, too.”
Bucking and pushing against him, he finally stopped and looked down at me, his gaze heated with anticipation. With a growl of my own, I glared up at him. “No, Caleb, not like this. This isn’t what I want.”
He scoffed and shook his head, staring down at me with an evil leer splayed across his lips. “But Matt Reynolds is what you want, right?”
Immediately, my heart stopped and I could feel the blood rush out of my face. How does he know about Matt? Once Caleb slid off of me, I jumped off the bed as fast as I could and backed away while he casually adjusted his pants like nothing happened.
“How do you know about Matt?” I demanded angrily. Knowing I needed to get out of there, I pulled out my phone and typed a frantic text to Jace. This was the last place Matt needed to be.
“Good, text him,” Caleb insisted happily. “I’d love to see him come to your rescue.”
I scoffed, keeping my gaze on the phone while I finished my text. “I’m not texting Matt, jackass. Do you honestly think I’m that stupid? You obviously want him here, so I’m not going to give you that. I’d pity you if he were to come.”
Bursting out in laughter, Caleb shook his head and gloated, “Oh no, love, you’re the one I’d pity with having to watch me kick his ass. By the way, I wasn’t going to rape you if that’s what you were worried about just a few minutes ago. Trust me, I don’t have to rape anyone to get a piece of ass. A couple of days ago it seemed like you wanted it, so I thought, what better way to mess with Matt’s head by f*cking his girl.”
“How is that even possible? I met you before Matt even started coming around again,” I shouted. “Matt and I hadn’t spoken in ten years.”
“Exactly,” he sneered. “When I found out you two had a past and that Hayley had access to you, I figured why not give it a try. I can be charming when I want to be. You sure as hell fell for it. However, it would’ve been perfect if you let me f*ck you, but seeing as you chose him over me I guess I have to deal with what I got.”
“How did you find out about me and Matt, Caleb?” I snapped angrily. No one knew other than Lexi and Jace. Surely, Lexi didn’t tell Hayley; she wouldn’t share my secrets even if it was with her sister, would she? Jace was out because I couldn’t see where there would be a connection to Caleb.
“Was it Hayley?” I growled.
Nonchalantly, he shrugged and said, “No, it wasn’t Hayley. That bitch is clueless, and no, I’m not going to tell you who. I’m entitled to my secrets, and if I told you it would ruin all the fun. I must say it worked out great that I had an easy outlet to get to you through Hayley. She was determined to set me up with one of her friends, and when I suggested a woman with your qualifications she delivered just like I knew she would.”
What a lying piece of shit.
“So basically everything we did and talked about was a lie?” I asked through clenched teeth.
When all he did was smile at me, taunting me, I marched up to him and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. The sound echoed through the room, but it only made him grin wider. “Bastard,” I spat.