Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“Why do you want me to change?” I ask. “Why do you care? You don’t live here anymore.”
He turns quickly, and the space shrinks. My back hits the wall as he moves closer, glaring at me, his eyes on fire. I know what I want to hear, but will he say it?
The heat from his body pins me. His scent sends my head spinning. My breath quickens, catching in my throat. A tingling sensation spreads across my skin, giving me goosebumps. This is the closest I’ve ever been to a man before—well, voluntarily at least. And I’m literally shaking.
From this close, I notice the veins in his forearms and the calluses on his hands. Caleb is a working man. Rugged. I’d trust him with anything.
I feel my heartbeat between my thighs, pulsing like the beating of a drum.
“I don’t have to live here to look out for you,” he tells me. “I’m your older brother—”
“Step-brother,” I correct him. “And you didn’t answer my question. Why do you care?”
Silence falls over us again. Somewhere in the back of the house, a window creaks from the wind. My body is screaming at me to pull my eyes from his, but I don’t. I keep them there, fixed against his fierce gaze. I may be young and naïve, but I’m not a scaredy-cat.
“You know why,” he finally says, his voice low. He steps back, creating distance between us that physically hurts me. I reach out and grab his arm—a solid slab of hot muscle—but he pulls away and barks, “Go upstairs and change!”
The volume of his voice causes me to jump, but something in me actually warms at his retort. He could have dumped me off outside and driven off, but he didn’t. He came inside. And now he’s watching over me, telling me to change out of my hot night club outfit.
He is jealous, and even now, he can’t face me in my skimpy little outfit.
A secret satisfaction starts to form in my core, but it’s squashed as I watch him turn around and tug the door back open. Memories of that night come rushing back, and I fight the urge to throw myself at him. No. Don’t leave me. Not again.
I want to rush after him—throw myself desperately into his arms and plead with him to stay—and I almost do. But somehow, I manage to hold back. How desperate do I want to look to a man who, up until now, has wanted nothing to do with me?
“Caleb…” I somehow manage to whisper, but it’s too late. He’s already closing the door behind him.
I stand there, deflated, until I hear the sound of his truck engine starting. Then I slowly take the stairs up to my bedroom. Once inside, I pause, then lock the deadbolt behind me. Still wearing my dress, I lie down in bed and close my eyes, replaying everything that happened since I left with Mara.
I remember Tony, but Caleb eclipses everything. You’d think something so horrible would just stick in your mind, but all my thoughts are on him. The spot on my wrist where he touched me is tingling more than anywhere else. If I close my eyes and take a breath, I can still smell him. If he left his scent on me, I won’t shower tomorrow. Who knows when I’ll see him again? I can’t get rid of it.
Talk about an emotional roller coaster. It takes me hours to come down and even feel remotely tired. But when I think back to that first encounter outside the club, and the way he looked at me, I realize he wasn’t looking at me like a sister…
And I desperately want him to look at me that way again.
4
CALEB
Thank God I have a concrete pour today. It’s the only thing that can almost keep my mind off Eliza. You gotta be careful when you work with this stuff. Not only can someone get hurt, but you can botch the whole thing and end up out on your ass and looking for a new job.
I’m normally calm at work, but today I’m antsy. I’m slamming tools, barking at my co-workers. I just want to get this finished so I can get the hell out of here. It’s hard enough to do this work when you’re thinking about your step-sister and fighting half a hard-on.
Benjy, one of the oldest guys on the crew, comes over to me, and I can already tell by the look in his eyes what he’s gonna say. “So I heard you knocked out Tony last night.” Yeah, talk spreads fast in a small town.
“Shit happens,” I reply, pulling my rake across the pour.
“Yeah, well they say Tony’s running his mouth. I’d watch out if I were you.”
“Thank, Benjy.” He walks back to his position, leaving me to stew in the anger that’s been surrounding me all day. Just keeping my hands off Eliza last night was hard enough. Now I’ve got to deal with this shit?