Dirty Little Secrets (Dirty Little #1)(51)

Okay…a lot more.

“Thank you,” I whisper, bringing his injured hand to my lips. When I look into his eyes, I know he can see what I’m struggling to find the words to tell him. There’s no way I could ever sufficiently express what this means to me.

“I would do anything for you,” he says, smiling.

“Even beat the shit out of Jack Kemp? Which I’m assuming you did, based on the state of your hand?”

“You are assuming correctly. And I would’ve killed Privya, if I had gotten there in time.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” I admit. “Not that I like the fact that Sam did, but I don’t want blood on your hands. Not because of me. Is Sam going to…I mean, what happens now?” I can’t bring myself to ask what happens to the body. I’m guessing they’re not going to report it to the police, and it’s going to be like Privya never existed. It’s also probably smart if Caleb doesn’t answer that question.

“Don’t worry about that,” Caleb says, with a finality that I know not to argue with.

I nod, then tilt my head up to kiss him.

He brings his forehead to rest against mine, and whispers, “There were a few minutes this afternoon when I was worried I wasn’t going to get to see you again.” He pulls me on top of him, until I’m straddling his thighs. I kiss him again, but this time it’s long, and slow, and deep.

“I’m here,” I tell him. “I’m right here.” Gingerly, I bring his hand up to my chest, resting his palm right over my heartbeat. “Do you feel that? It’s still beating because of you.”

He lets his hand rest between the valley of my breasts for a moment, and then I lift my shirt up and off, tossing it on the floor behind me. Caleb’s breath catches.

“Take off your shirt,” I say, and he complies immediately. “I want to show you how good it feels to be alive.”

I sit up on my knees, bringing myself closer to Caleb’s height. He slides his arms around my waist, and pulls me close, kissing his way across my collarbone. My hands roam across every inch of skin they can reach: across his pecs, down his abs, and finally they tease along the waistband of his pants. I rock against him steadily, feeling him get harder and harder between my legs. I love the soft noises that find their way out of Caleb’s mouth as I move. He breathes them into me, kissing my lips hungrily. I dip my hand down under his sweatpants, brushing my thumb across the bead of moisture at the head of Caleb’s cock.

His hips thrust up into my touch, in a slow, steady rhythm. Tonight, though, I don’t want to tease him. I don’t want to draw this out, and I certainly don’t want to wait. I just want him. Now.

Caleb groans when I ease myself up, but his eyes hungrily follow my movement as I push my pants down to the floor. “Take them off,” I say, letting him know that I want him to do the same.

A slow, sexy grin spreads across his face as he lifts his hips and slides his pants down. He kicks them off to the side, then pulls me back down on top of him. I move my hips, sliding against his hard length, as he takes one of my nipples into his mouth. On a downward pass, I shift at just the right angle, and he slides inside of me.

We both exhale at the unexpected pleasure, and Caleb cups my face, pulling me close. My top lip is brushing his, but we’re not kissing. We’re just looking at each other with heavy lidded eyes, our breaths rough and ragged. Caleb traces the pad of his thumb along the curve of my lower lip, admiring my features like he’s trying to memorize everything.

“Don’t scare me like that again, okay? I…I don’t think I could take it.”

The unexpected heaviness and meaning in his voice takes me by surprise, and I wrap my arms around him. His head rests in the crook of my neck, his fingers digging into the skin on my back.

“I won’t,” I promise, and Caleb nods, closing his eyes.

Our bodies rock together, slow and unhurried. Tonight it’s more about the act of being close, of loving and being loved, than chasing any kind of pleasure (although there’s pleasure - lots of it). It’s long sighs and soft kisses. It’s whispered words of love and comfort.

We come together, riding out the steady, strong waves that feel amazing, and are both emotionally and physically intense. Caleb and I have always been somewhat desperate to find release, but tonight we’re just desperate to get lost in each other. Again, and again, and again.

After, Caleb curls around me on the couch, our arms and legs twined together. It’s comforting and safe, and I kind of want to stay here for the rest of my life. I could do that, easily, but I’ve got some unfinished business out there in the world, and I’m ready to take care of it.


“Caleb,” I whisper. He’s breathing so deeply that I’m not sure he’s still awake.

“Yeah,” he replies sleepily.

I take a deep breath, and swallow. “I want to go back to Chicago.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN





Standing in the foyer of my apartment in Chicago, I feel this odd sense of relief wash over me. If I’m completely honest with myself, when I was packing my things into the bag that I took with me to New York, I didn’t really think I’d ever come back here. I thought Privya would kill me, or—best case scenario—I would be on the run for the rest of my life.