Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22788 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22788 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Caleb was still inside her, even as he moved, giving her some space. “I wasn’t too heavy for you, was I?” he asked.
“No.” She smiled at him. “Is this the part where you try and make your escape?”
He chuckled. “You think I want to run away?”
“Isn’t that what you usually do?”
“True. Can we agree not to bring up my past ... stuff?”
Mae frowned. “Why?”
“I don’t want to. I’m with you, Mae. I’m not with any other woman, and I don’t want you to start thinking about other women when I’m with you. I’m here, one hundred percent.”
She was shocked.
He was a man with a reputation, but this felt different. She wondered if she was just reading into it.
“No problem.”
He cupped her face and didn’t say another word. She got the feeling he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he closed the distance between them and kissed her.
****
Caleb woke the next morning and marveled at the fact his woman was in his arms. He also paused, because Mae felt like his.
She hadn’t attempted to sneak away, nor had she kicked his ass out of her bed. They had enjoyed more sex and taken a shower together. He loved washing her body with soap, then there had been more sex, until they finally fell asleep.
He didn’t want to leave. This was a new feeling for him. He was not used to wanting to be around women. He hadn’t worn a condom, which was also new for him. Caleb knew this was his fuckup. He didn’t know if Mae was on the pill or what she thought about pregnancy. The relationship was still new, and they were enjoying each other. No commitments had been made. He didn’t want to spoil what they had started.
Mae was turned away from him, and he lifted up to look at her. As he did so, he thought about what it would mean if she got pregnant. He imagined her heavily pregnant with his child, and usually, any thought of settling down terrified the fuck out of him. Not now. He liked the idea. He wanted to settle down.
Staring at Mae’s sleeping face, he couldn’t help but give himself a moment where he pictured a future with her. And as he did, it wasn’t scary—coming home to Mae, to kids, to a family that didn’t terrify him.
He climbed out of bed and grabbed his pants and shirt. There was no desire to run away. Getting dressed, he made his way out to her kitchen and got the coffeepot set up. Right now, he didn’t know what to fucking think, so he pulled out his cell phone and hovered his thumb over Pete’s number. If he called Pete and started to ask him things, Emily would find out. If Emily found out, then Mae was going to know.
He didn’t have any other best friend, and he trusted Pete. Dialing his friend, he started to look through Mae’s cupboards and found a couple of cups. He also checked out the fridge to find some bacon and eggs, and that was exactly what he would cook for them.
“Do you have any idea how cruel it is to call a father at this time of the morning?” Pete asked.
Pete and Emily had two young children, who were both in school. They were adorable girls, and Caleb also knew they were not the best sleepers, and knowing this, he couldn’t help but wince.
“Rough night?”
“Some kid at school was telling horror stories and the girls were up all night, because the dark was going to come and eat them. What do you think?”
Caleb winced. “That you wished you were a kid in school who could kick the other kid’s ass?”
Pete sighed. “Go back to sleep, honey. I’ll take care of this.”
Caleb heard his friend moving around.
“You want to tell me why you’re calling me this early? You don’t need me to bail you out, do you?”
“How bad do you think I am?” Caleb asked, a little affronted at the accusations.
“Have I not bailed your ass out of jail in the past?”
“Come on, that doesn’t count. You know Bob was pissed at me for fucking his daughter. It was a bogus charge, and he was just being an asshole.” Caleb pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t exactly going the way he liked. “Look, I just ... with you and Emily, did you know?”
“Did I know what?” Pete asked, stifling a yawn.
“Stop being an ass. That she was the one?”
Pete sighed. “Look, you try functioning on less than two hours of sleep, and see if you can understand your crazy friend’s questions. Of course I knew Emily was the one. It’s why I married her straight out of high school, although she was afraid to.”
“She was?” Caleb asked. This was news to him.