Chasing Red: Chapter 21

A little while later, I’d decided to call it an early night and was about to curl up with a book when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

“Red?”

“Come in, Caleb.”

He opened the door halfway, poking his head in.

“Well, now, since you blew up like a cheetah on crack, there went my dinner,” Caleb teased, smiling charmingly. He opened the door all the way and entered.

He’d just had a shower and was rubbing a towel to dry his hair. He was barefoot and shirtless. A few drops of water glistened on his chest. My eyes roamed downward to his flat stomach, and then down to the exposed V line until it disappeared in his jeans. He hadn’t fastened the top button. My mouth felt dry.

I looked away, feeling heat creeping up my neck. I knew I was blushing. And I knew he was grinning. He probably was half naked on purpose.

“I’m hungry,” he said. But he said it in a hungry voice, like he wanted to eat something…and when I looked up into his eyes, I knew.

He was hungry for me.

Good Lord.

“Do you—” My voice sounded hoarse so I cleared my throat. “Want me to cook something for you?” My stomach growled, and I realized I was hungry too.

He blew out a breath. “I think we need to get out of here before I eat…someone.”

My mouth dropped open, and I’m pretty sure my face was beet red.

He bit his lip, grinning. “Why don’t we go out to eat? It’s a holiday tomorrow so we can stay up late.” He winked. “Wear a dress, Red.”

I was so stunned by what he’d said about eating someone that I just nodded before he left.

In a daze, I padded to the bathroom to get ready.

I had a dilemma. The only dress I had was the red bandage dress I’d worn at the club, and he had already seen me in it.

I let out a frustrated breath. This was ridiculous. I’d had no problem wearing the same clothes before. I couldn’t afford new clothes even if I wanted any.

But Caleb made me want to look beautiful for him. For once in my life, I wanted to impress a boy.

What was Caleb’s type? I racked my brain, thinking of all those times I’d seen him with a girl draped on his arm. I’d never really paid much attention to him before—his type and my type did not mix—but the times I had seen him, I did notice the girl was always blond.

Yeah, his usual type was blond. And my hair was black as midnight.

I stared at my image in the mirror. My dark hair fell straight as a pin to my waist. Should I curl it?

I only applied a little powder and the red lipstick that he’d named me for. My eyes were too big, my mouth too wide. Should I apply more makeup?

When I put the dress on, my boobs looked enormous. Were my hips too wide? They looked like I just gave birth. Would he think I wasn’t sexy in this dress?

What was happening to me? Where had all these insecurities come from?

I shook my head. I was attractive in my own way, and I knew it. I did not need self-esteem issues bringing me down just because the most popular and gorgeous boy I’d ever met had asked me out on a date.

What did a girl do on a date? I knew there were rules for this, and I had no idea what they were.

I felt the panic rising.

Should I pay, or should he, or should we split the bill? What if he brought us to an expensive restaurant? In the movies, a guy sometimes forgot his wallet and then the girl ended up paying. I didn’t think Caleb would stoop that low, but what if he really forgot his wallet? I had no money. Maybe we could volunteer to wash the dishes to pay for the food if that happened…

Ah. I was thinking too much again. I was just going to be myself. If Caleb had expectations, well, he’d better throw them out the window because—

Why do you always think the worst about me?

His words came back to me, and I suddenly felt sad. It wasn’t really Caleb’s fault. It was just how my brain worked. After what my dad had done to my mom, my default was to expect the worst of boys.

Opening up to a boy meant opening my heart and getting hurt. It meant opening up old wounds that I’d rather not think about. There was so much more that I hadn’t told Caleb.

I took deep, calming breaths.

He’s just a boy. You can handle him.

Handle Caleb? It felt more like he was handling me. Little flutters of panic were creeping in my chest again. I needed to stop thinking. I wanted to enjoy this night.

I was starting to hope that Caleb was different. Maybe I didn’t trust him yet, but I was starting to.

I gave myself another once-over in the mirror. The red dress fit my body like a second skin, accentuating all my curves. It wasn’t too short, but it showed a lot of leg, and the high heels gave the illusion that my legs were longer than they really were.

What if I fall on my face in these high heels? I groaned, disgusted with myself for all the evil thoughts in my head.

My eyes were shiny, and my cheeks had color in them—something that usually happened when Caleb was near. I looked…excited and nervous. Time to face the music. I sighed and exited my bedroom.

I held my breath when I spotted Caleb leaning against the wall across from me, waiting. He looked up, and our eyes met.

He looked dangerous silhouetted in shadow. The only light in the hallway came from the living room, highlighting the angles of his face.

His green eyes caressed me, sweeping from my hair to my toes, lingering on my eyes, my lips, lingering longer on my chest, my legs, then back up to my face again.

I felt…hot.

He wore a dark dinner jacket that fit his wide shoulders and broad back perfectly. He’d paired it with a dark-blue shirt, a skinny tie, and dark pants. His hair was combed back, and he must have used gel because the hair actually stayed in place.

What is it with Caleb in a suit? It was a huge turn-on for me. My hands tingled, itching to touch him. He looked so unreal.

“I could look at you all night,” he said, his voice lower than normal.

I could have said the same to him, but words had temporarily left me.

“This is our first real date. It feels different.” He stepped toward me until he was touching my face with both his hands. “This feels very real.”

Butterflies. All over my stomach.

I could smell his cologne and feel his body heat. He dipped his head to kiss me gently on the side of my mouth, but he didn’t pull back right away. He lingered, inhaling deeply. “God, I love the way you smell. What you do to me…”

I was shaking.

What this boy did to me I had never felt with anyone before.

Being with Caleb was like riding a roller coaster, when it started its slow, tortuous climb up, up, up, and the little jittery fingers of nervousness tickled my stomach. Then that moment when it reached the top, and I closed my eyes and held my breath for one second—knowing I was powerless to stop whatever was coming—and then I was plunging, falling, my stomach dropping to my feet, and I felt like my soul was about to detach from my body. And I laughed and screamed my lungs out until I was hoarse and my throat hurt.

And then when it was over, I wanted to do it again.

As Caleb kissed me, time stood still. His lips were soft and moist, slightly parted, teasing. I leaned up on my toes to catch more of his kiss. He smiled and licked my bottom lip and then sucked on it. I gasped, but he didn’t stop. His arms came around me, pressing me against his hard body. And then he lifted his head, staring at me, out of breath.

Caleb’s eyes were like deep pools of green. I could swim in them all night and not come up for air.

“My lipstick is all over your mouth now,” I whispered, still breathless, wiping my lipstick off his skin with my thumb.

“Did you think your lipstick would save you from my kisses?” he teased, biting my bottom lip again. “Stain me all you want, Red.”

I felt giddy. He said the craziest things, but I really wanted to believe he meant them.

He stepped back suddenly. “After you,” he said gruffly, his eyes hungry again.

We would never get out of here if he kept looking at me like that. Feeling a little wobbly, I turned and walked ahead of him. I had almost reached the door when his hand caught mine.

“Wait, please. Don’t walk away without my hand in yours.”

I smiled, melting. “Okay, Caleb.”

When we were inside his car, I asked him where we were going.

“It’s a surprise. A family friend owns it. The food is spectacular, and it’s private.”

When he said private, I took that to mean expensive. I started to get nervous. Caleb’s hand tightened around mine in reassurance.

How did he do that? He always knew what I was feeling.

Trees and buildings zoomed past us until Caleb parked in front of a sleek, modern building. Its walls were made of dark-red glass so I couldn’t really see inside. It screamed restaurant for the wealthy. I looked at it dubiously. There would be rich people inside, and I did not belong there.

“Red?”

I glanced at him, panic and nervousness in my eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I should have asked where you wanted to eat first.”

I was about to tell him that it was all right, let’s just go inside, when he shook his head and his face lit up.

“Wait.” He stopped my hand just as I was about to unfasten my seat belt. “I know just the perfect date.” He chuckled excitedly as he started the car.

“What? Where are we going?” I asked. He was already driving away.

“To one of my favorite places. I promise, you’re going to love it. You’ll see…but first, we have to make a stop.”

Parking in front of a strip mall, he turned off the ignition. He gazed through the windshield for a moment, biting his lip before he turned to face me.

“Hey, Red?”

“Yes?”

“Could you give me your shoe?”

Suspicious, I narrowed my eyes at him. In response, he just grinned mischievously.

“What? Why?”

“No questions,” he answered. “Please?”

The please got me. I pulled off a shoe and gave it to him. He looked inside before handing it back to me.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

A few minutes later, he was back. Instead of going to the driver’s side, he tapped the window on my side, raising his arms and shaking two paper bags. I rolled the window down.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Our costumes.” He grinned. Not satisfied with the rolled-down window, he opened the passenger door.

He rummaged in one of the bags, pulling out a red T-shirt with a large picture of a padlock. He snapped the shirt in the air, presenting it to me like a child would: with earnest longing for my reaction.

I had no idea how he wanted me to react. Was it because the shirt was red?

He raised his brows to indicate there was more and draped the shirt over his shoulder. Reaching into the bag, he produced another red shirt. “Ta-da!” he crowed with a flourish. This one had a picture of a heart. He whipped the first one off his shoulder, holding both shirts up.

I looked at his handsome, grinning face for a moment. His cheeks were pink, his eyes twinkling. And then I started to laugh. Both shirts were red, and put together, they represented his last name: Lockhart.

“You like it?” he asked.

“Sure, Caleb.” I chuckled.

Satisfied, he closed my door and jogged around the car, settling in the driver’s seat.

“We’ll match. I also got shorts and sneakers,” he said, shaking the second bag.

I shook my head at him, smiling.

“Here’s your shirt.” He handed me the paper bag. “I get the lock. You get the heart. Sound good?”

When I just looked at him, he laughed again. “Red, you look drop-dead gorgeous in that dress, and I could look at you all night. But I figured instead of fancy, we’d try super casual. You game?”

I nodded, dazed by his playful grin. He started undressing, pulling off his suit jacket, removing his tie, and then unbuttoning his dress shirt. I sat there gawking. He pulled on his shirt with the lock picture. And then he started removing his pants…

“Caleb!”

He opened his pants fly, then paused to stare at me with intense eyes, challenging me. “You can stare however long you like, Red. This body belongs to you.”

“Oh God,” I groaned, closing my eyes.

“Anyway…” He chuckled as I heard his clothes rustling. “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other in our underwear. Remember jumping off the bridge?”

God, I remembered. The image of him in his wet briefs was seared into my brain. I couldn’t help it. I peeked.

He wore…boxers with yellow smiley faces.

That made me laugh again.

“Go ahead and put yours on. I won’t look.” His dimples winked at me.

“Yeah, right.” I chortled and rolled my eyes.

His mood was so infectious, so fun and cheerful. He made me feel like it was okay to act my age, to be young and carefree, to do silly things and forget my problems. I realized Caleb liked me for who I was. I could be myself around him, and he would accept all of me.

I removed the straps of my dress, rolling it down my torso. I knew he was staring, but I acted like undressing in a car while Caleb watched was a perfectly normal thing to do.

Inside, I was a nervous wreck. I couldn’t look at him.

It was too quiet inside the car. I swear he wasn’t breathing. When I pulled the dress all the way down my legs and I was only wearing my bra and panties, I heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Red,” he whispered. I finally glanced at him, and he looked like he wanted to… Well, he looked hungry. Again.

I gave him a haughty smile.

Where was I getting this confidence? From Caleb, I realized. He made me feel confident. He made me feel beautiful.

I put on the heart shirt and then the shorts. He let out a loud breath as I finished putting on the sneakers. I looked at him, and we both burst out laughing. We matched. As I caught my breath, I felt strangely free.

Once we were both dressed, Caleb drove us outside the city limits, passing trees and fields. He turned up the radio, singing at the top of his lungs. I laughed when he couldn’t reach the high notes but kept singing anyway. Singing was obviously not one of his talents, but I gave him points for his enthusiasm.

The windows were down, the warm wind whipping our hair. When he finished belting out one last song, he simply held my hand. I didn’t ask him where we were going because I felt peaceful. I felt…safe. It was a feeling that I didn’t often experience. But with Caleb, I did. He took care of me, even when I wasn’t exactly friendly.

I didn’t realize I was staring at him until he said, “Like what you see?” There was a small smile playing on his lips.

He’d asked me this before—the first time we kissed—and I knew where that had led.

“Want me to look for a place to park and make out?” he asked, clearly remembering it too.

Yes, I do.

I couldn’t believe how fast I was admitting my feelings about him to myself. I was so screwed. I shook my head and laughed. I was laughing a lot today.

A few minutes later, we entered a small town outside the city. I hadn’t been here before. The area looked like a tourist spot, with small quaint shops, local restaurants, and Victorian houses that reminded me of gingerbread and storybook gardens.

I rolled down the window, letting fresh air inside the car. It was late, but locals and tourists still milled about, shopping, eating, laughing, enjoying a lively evening with family and friends.

“I figured we’d be silly tonight,” Caleb said. “Maybe pretend to be someone else.”

I glanced at him, and his brows rose mischievously.

I chuckled. “All right. Who should we be?”

“Anyone,” he replied, pausing. “You can be mine. If you want.”

I want.

He slowed down, maneuvering among the tightly parked cars and pedestrians. It looked like a parade, with people abandoning the sidewalks and walking in groups on the road. Caleb parked as soon as he saw a spot. I couldn’t wait to start our night.

When we got out of the car, people stared at us, smiling and some of them even whistling as they spotted our couple shirts. Feeling self-conscious, I glanced at Caleb.

“Couple shirts are all the rage now, Red. Let’s own it, shall we?” He winked, twining his fingers with mine.

He looked so adorable, so happy that it was impossible not to share his mood.

“So, where would you like to eat first?” he asked.

Taking in our surroundings, I felt like a kid in a candy store. “Hmm. It’s so hard to choose.”

There was a family-owned pizzeria where I was sure they grew their own spices, an ice-cream shop where they possibly had their own cows and produced their own milk, and local restaurants boasting seafood, burgers, soups, and all kinds of delicious goodness.

“There are so many restaurants to choose from,” I uttered excitedly.

He pointed at a yellow box of a place with a sign that simply said Soup, its paint peeling. “How about we go for soup in that restaurant over there?” he suggested. Then he pointed at the white building beside it where people sat at tables under colorful umbrellas. “And then have some pizza there. Then—will you look at that—an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor. We can walk and eat our ice cream in the park. If you’re good…” His voice trailed off until I looked up at him. “I could even let you kiss me.”

I smiled, willing myself not to blush. “You wish.”

Soup’s interior didn’t look any better than its exterior. Old tables covered in red-checkered tablecloths, ancient brown seats wrapped in plastic, a beige linoleum floor, and pictures of Elvis and Madonna completed the decor. The menus on the table were sticky.

The waitress approached us. She was in her fifties, possibly sixties…I couldn’t really tell. Her frizzy hair was dyed white-blond and held back by a neon-pink headband. Her name tag said Daisy. She gave us a big smile and asked what we were having as she snapped her gum noisily.

“We’ll take the clam chowder, please and thank you, ma’am. My wife here is pregnant with triplets,” Caleb started.

My eyes widened with shock as Caleb rubbed my tummy, leaned down, and kissed it.

“You see, she wanted to have this vacation,” he continued, winking at me and giving Daisy his megawatt smile.

Daisy didn’t stand a chance. She was hypnotized by the gorgeous professional pretender that was Caleb.

“And I had to work hard to save money so she could have a taste of your wonderful clam chowder,” he finished, batting his eyelashes at the older woman.

Daisy beamed. “And what do you do for a living, young man?”

“I’m a stripper, ma’am.”

I choked. Daisy looked at Caleb as if she thought he was out of his mind.

I suppressed my laugh and added, “We have six kids—”

“God help you!” she interrupted.

“—already. All of them twins and all boys, and now I’m pregnant with triplets. He’s having a vasectomy done next week, so I wanted to enjoy all of his…manhood one last time before he gets cut,” I exaggerated.

Caleb snorted.

Daisy’s eyes narrowed, wondering if we were serious. “All right, you lovebirds.” She grinned. “I’ll get you your clam chowder before your husband gets his balls cut off,” she joked, winking. She was clearly on to us.

Caleb and I burst out laughing when we were sure she was gone.

“So, Red…you want to enjoy my manhood, yeah?” Caleb wiggled his eyebrows.

I slapped his arm, laughing.

“And you want to have nine kids, is that right?” he added.

“I haven’t thought about it.”

He frowned.

I bit my lip. I was lying. I had dreamed of having kids once, but I was a different person then. How was I supposed to feed them? My mom and I barely had anything to eat. What if we went bankrupt and got kicked out of our house and then they got sick? The world was a dangerous, unforgiving place.

Caleb tilted his head and studied me for a moment.

“You have me. We’ll raise them together,” he declared. “I want to have our own basketball team.”

I was saved from replying when Daisy placed our orders on the table, winked again, and left.

“I hope we don’t get E. coli here,” I commented. I sampled the soup and was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was.

“I’ve been here before, when I was”—his voice trailed off while he thought—“eight? I’ve been back a few times. I don’t think anything has changed. It may not look like much, but I promise you the food here is very good.”

“You’ve been here before?” I asked, surprised.

He nodded, his face falling. “With my dad and Ben.”

A lonely light glimmered in his eyes. “Dad grew up in a small town. He was a mechanic in a run-of-the-mill garage. That’s how he met my mom,” Caleb explained, reaching for my hand and rubbing his thumb on my palm.

A current sparked where his skin met mine, zinging all the way up my arm.

“My mom was a teenager at the time. She went on a trip with her friends to a cabin outside town, and on the drive back home, she met my dad. She got pregnant with my brother, Ben. They got married against the wishes of all their parents…” He shrugged. “Anyway, he was a good dad at first. During weekends, he would drive us—just me and him and Ben—to different small towns. Just visiting, he said. Exposing his sons to the side of the world that wasn’t wealthy and pretentious.”

He stared at our hands, intertwining our fingers and squeezing lightly.

“What happened?” I asked quietly when he didn’t continue.

“I had a…baby sister.”

I looked up in surprise. His eyes looked sad.

“She didn’t stay with us for long.” His voice shook. “The doctors said her brain didn’t form properly. She died a few minutes after Mom gave birth to her.”

I squeezed his hand for comfort. “Caleb.”

“My mom buried herself in work. To recover—or to forget, I guess. She was often gone on business trips. And my dad… Well, he changed. I guess they grew apart. We all did. He started cheating on my mom. As if she needed more heartbreak after losing her child.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly as if to calm himself. “Ben left for college shortly after.”

“You were alone when you needed them most. And you were just a kid.”

“I was already in high school, old enough to know better. I got in trouble a lot.” He looked embarrassed, dropping his gaze to the table. I waited for him to explain. “I would lose my temper easily, picking fights all the time. I was out of control. My mom sent me to therapy, but that didn’t help. I was an angry kid.”

I couldn’t picture him that way. “What happened?”

“Ben heard about it. He left school for a semester and came home to straighten me out. He had friends who did demolitions and flipped houses, and he dragged me along with him. I’d pour out all my anger, destroying walls with my kick-ass sledgehammer. It was better than therapy. I felt like Thor.” He laughed lightly, but I could hear the lingering sadness and guilt in his voice. “I owe my brother a lot.”

I remembered those first few weeks when I was living in his apartment. When we didn’t talk to each other, I’d hear Caleb puttering around the house, repairing anything he could get his hands on. He’d always had bandages on his fingers and calluses on his hands.

“So did I ruin my good boy image now?” he teased.

We both knew he didn’t have a good boy image to begin with, but he was trying to lighten the mood. All it did was make me sadder. I could still see the dregs of sadness in his eyes. I wanted him to know I understood his pain, that he wasn’t alone, even if it pained me to talk about mine.

“My dad…” I cleared my throat. “He would often bring women in the house. I…don’t know how my mom… I’m sorry, it’s so ugly. I just want you to know that I understand.”

He gently tugged on my hand, and I glanced up at him. “Please, Red, go on.”

So we talked about parents, our childhood, and then just trivial things that made us who we were. I was learning a lot about Caleb, and everything I learned, I really, really liked.

I finished my soup and wanted to order another bowl, but Caleb stood to pay the bill. Then he ushered me outside so we could go to the pizzeria next door.

“I’m paying for this one,” I told him with as much command in my voice as I could muster.

He was shaking his head before I even finished my sentence. “A woman never pays for a date. That’s something I won’t budge on,” he said with more command in his voice than I could have managed. “Please,” he added softly.

He glanced at me, tucking a windblown lock of hair behind my ear.

I forgot that I was still hungry when he stared at me that way. The look in his eyes said that I was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, that no one existed but the two of us. My knees felt weak, and I unconsciously leaned into him.

A group of kids ran past us, laughing and pushing at each other. And that broke the spell. Caleb cleared his throat, and I wondered if he was feeling nervous too.

He led us to the pizzeria, telling me to choose a table while he ordered for us. I was sitting under one of the umbrella tables outside when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Caleb holding a humongous pizza loaded with toppings and a tray with two tall drinks.

“Hi, ah, I was wondering… I’ve been eating dinner by myself for quite some time now… It gets pretty lonely. Would you mind sharing this pizza with me?” He wore a polite smile, shrugging those broad shoulders.

What is he up to now?

“I’m Caleb, by the way.”

Ah, so pretend we’re strangers.

I chuckled, playing along. Oh, he was so fun!

“Um…” I bit my lip. “I’m not sure. I don’t really eat with strangers,” I teased.

But he was already taking a seat and placing the food in front of me.

“Ah. But I swear I’m not a rapist or a murderer.” He winced. “That turned out bad… I mean—”

I laughed. “It’s all right. Free food is good food.”

“So you’re not eating with me because you think I’m hot?”

I shook my head, grinning in spite of myself. Stranger or not, Caleb was Caleb.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said. “What’s your name?”

I shook my head. “No names.”

“Mysterious girl.” He clucked his tongue. He slid a plate in front of me and placed two pieces of pizza on it. “Eat.”

It was fascinating the way Caleb ate—savoring each bite like it was fine French cuisine rather than local pizza. Sure, he ate like a guy, taking way-too-big bites, but at least he chewed with his mouth closed.

Perfect table manners must have been instilled in him at an early age, I realized.

“So, tell me, Mysterious Girl,” he started, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin. “What makes you feel special?”

I bit my lip, thinking. Should I answer honestly?

“I guess when someone takes care of me. Giving me rides to school, buying me green tea…cooking me pancakes.”

He was quiet for a moment, a smile playing on his lips as he took another bite and chewed quietly. He swallowed before asking, “Are you allergic to anything?”

“No, not really.” I paused. “Are you?”

He chuckled, nodding. “Peanut butter.”

My eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God, Caleb, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know—” I stammered, breaking role. My favorite food was peanut butter. It was a staple for me, and it was currently sitting in his fridge.

He shook his head, laughing. “It’s all right, Red. I can have it in the house. It’s only a mild allergy, and only if I eat it. So don’t kiss me after you eat it.”

I shook my head, incredulous that he hadn’t told me this before.

“So,” he began. “Granny panties, boy shorts, or thong?”

And he was back. We went on asking each other questions, sometimes serious, sometimes ridiculous. He asked a lot of inappropriate questions, but in his own goofy way.

I felt full after the pizza, but Caleb insisted we try the ice cream. He bought us strawberry ice-cream cones dipped in chocolate, and we ate them as we walked in the park.

We couldn’t finish them and ended up throwing them out.

It was late, but both of us were in no hurry to go home yet. He reached for my hand and dragged me down with him on the grass.

“I’m so stuffed I feel like a hippopotamus that ate an elephant.” He patted his flat stomach.

I laughed, trying to picture that. How could he eat so much and still have sexy abs? “Hippos are normally herbivores,” I told him. “But there have been reports of them actually eating meat. So fine, you are a hippo that ate an elephant.”

“My smarty-pants Red. Your brain is so sexy, such a turn-on.”

I laughed. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed this much. We grew quiet. We lay on the grass for a long time, comfortable in our silence, just holding hands and looking up at the dark, velvet sky.

Away from the city, the stars decorated the heavens, complementing the romantic radiance of the moon. The air was just beginning to cool down from the heat of the day. I smelled the grass, sharp and fresh. Wild lavender and dandelions were deemed weeds in the city, but in this place, they were special—magical even.

That was how Caleb made me feel. I was nothing but a normal girl to other people, a weed, but to Caleb I was magical and special, just like the flowers that spread with abandon on the ground.

Turning onto my side so I was facing him, I whispered, “Thank you for this night, Caleb.”

He was lying on his back, but he turned his face toward me. Before he could say anything, I reached out to touch his face.

He watched me, waiting patiently.

I traced his nose with my finger, sliding down to the almost feminine shape of his lips and swirling it to the angles of his cheekbones. He closed his eyes as I slowly touched his eyebrows, a small smile flirting on his lips. When I stopped, he opened his eyes and stared at me with emotion that choked me up. I moved closer and gently kissed him.

When I pulled away, his arm snaked around me. Curling his hand around my nape, he pulled me close again.

He kissed me wildly, as if he had been craving it all day. When our lips met, relief and longing bloomed in my chest.

He moved on top of me, pressing the line of his hard body against mine, his full weight on his forearms. “Red,” he whispered, sucking on my bottom lip. “My Red.”

My mind emptied of everything except the feelings that Caleb’s kisses elicited. I’d never thought a kiss could make me feel like I was burning and needy at the same time.

When he released my lips, he was panting. He rested his forehead against mine for a moment before rolling away and lying on the grass beside me, placing his arm over his eyes.

“Caleb?” I asked uncertainly. Did I do something wrong?

“I’m sorry.” He blew out a breath. “I need…a minute.” His arm dropped to his side, and he stared up at the sky, his jaw tense. “Unless you changed your mind and you’re ready to make love with me, let’s just stay where we are and not move for a minute, please.”

My head was still spinning from his kisses, my skin tingly, but when I heard him say “make love with me,” I froze.

He reached for my hand. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I told you I’ll wait. It’s just sometimes…sometimes I want you so bad that I can taste it in my mouth.” He gazed at me. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I nodded, unable to say anything. Nobody had wanted me like this before. Not like Caleb. I watched him control his breathing until it eventually calmed down.

“Wanna come back here again sometime…with me?” he asked.

“Yes, Caleb,” I answered.

“You said yes.” He laughed. “Look at that. You’re already falling for me.”

I looked at him in shock.

He shrugged. “What? I didn’t say the L word, so don’t run screaming for the hills.”

My eyes just got wider. He chuckled, pulling me tight to his side so my body was flush against his, my head resting on his chest as he rubbed my back.

“I’ll wait for you, Red. We have all the time in the world.” He grazed my lips with his thumb. “But when you say yes, it’s going to be amazing. You’re going to love it. You’ll see,” he promised and kissed me under the moonlight.