Chapter Eleven
Standing in the middle of the room wearing only a towel, Kevan looked up in shock, as Caleb pushed his way into her room. “Hey!” she exclaimed, watching him stalking towards her, “Don’t you believe in knocking?”
“I didn’t want to waste time,” he growled, coming to a stop in front of her, pulling her to him. “You look beautiful,” he whispered softly, his lips caressing her bare shoulders, before claiming her lips, if you could call what he was doing just a kiss. Kevan gasped as her need swiftly echoed his. His tongue dove into her mouth, “You taste like maple syrup.”
Kevan giggled, “Sorry, I didn’t have time to brush my teeth, some guy barged into my room.”
“Don’t be sorry, I love maple syrup,” Caleb lifted her into his arms, walking over to the bed. “God, I want you,” he rasped, dropping her on the bed and quickly joining her.
“The feeling is very mutual,” she sighed, wrapping her arms around him, her body softening.
Several hours later they lay in the mess of Kevan’s bed, her head resting on his chest, as Caleb played with her fingers. She turned her head, inhaling his scent, while placing a kiss in the middle of his chest. She loved how the room was mute to the world. Luxurious, soft materials filled the eye throughout the room, and an immense feeling of safety and contentment filled her soul.
“We should get up,” she sighed reluctantly, attempting to push away from him. “I’m sure they’re wondering where we are.”
Caleb watched her, “I’m sure they know exactly where we are, what we’re doing.”
“I didn’t need to be reminded about that Caleb,” Kevan groaned, tossing him his pants. Sliding out of the bed, turning his back to her, it was then she noticed it, grabbing his hand, pulling it to her, turning it over, and looking at his ring. “Where did you get your ring?” she demanded, her tone suddenly very sharp and angry.
“I got it about two years ago,” He watched the riot of emotions crashing over her face. “I found it in a pawnshop; it called to me. Kevan what’s the problem?”
“In England,” Kevan stated matter of factly.
“Yes, how did you know that?” he asked.
“May I see it?” she asked him, holding out her hand.
“Of course,” He pulled it off, handing it to her, feeling naked; it hadn’t been off his finger since the day he had bought it. “What’s wrong?” He watched her face, as she studied the ring, turning it over in her hand, her expression a painful joy as she stared at it.
“Which did you get first, the ring or the tattoo?” she asked.
“I’ve had the tattoo for almost 200 years, so it came first, but when I saw the ring, I knew it was meant to be mine, it’s almost identical.” Caleb tipped her chin up, “Kevan, what’s this all about?” She stepped away from him, turning around to show him the tattoo in the small of her back. He traced it with his finger, looking at her with surprise when she turned back to face him. He’d seen that she had a tattoo, but hadn’t taken a good look at it.
“I got it about two years ago after I did a design for a ring,” holding out the ring on the palm of her hand to him, “this ring,” she explained him. “I designed it. I was doing an apprenticeship in England, it was stolen. I looked but was unable to find it.”
“I didn’t steal it,” he told her, refusing to take it from her.
“I know that Caleb.” She reached out, touching his cheek. “I noticed it when we met; I just never took a good look, until now.” She paused as her thoughts jelled in her head. “Your tattoo, it was the inspiration for my design. I could picture it in my head, I’d been able to for a long time. I always knew I’d do a piece from the design. I was waiting for the right time, so when it disappeared, I was really upset. I never wanted to do another one; I knew I could never duplicate the perfection of this ring.” She held it out to him again.
“When I saw it, I had to have it. What surprised me was it was in this tacky second hand store, where most of the stuff was gaudy. This wasn’t an antique, this ring called to me.” Kevan watched Caleb as, slide the ring back onto his finger. “I’m glad I found it.”
“So am I, I’ve always suspected one of my other class mates of taking it, but I couldn’t prove it. I was just shocked to see it on your hand.”
“It was meant to be mine, so it all turned out the way it should have.” Standing, he grabbed something from his pants pockets. “I believe it just proves how much we’re supposed to be together.”
Kevan looked down at the box he’d placed in her hands, looking up at him with questions in her eyes. “What’s this?”
“Something I want you to wear,” he explained. “I know you’re a jewelry designer, but I found this a long time ago, and like your ring, it called to me. I’ve held onto it for a long time, waiting for the right person.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you,” he confirmed.
Kevan looked from the box, and then back to Caleb, her hands shaking as she opened the lid, when Caleb stopped her. “What?” she asked him.
“I need you to promise, no matter what, you’ll wear this.”
“Caleb?” she could see how serious he was. “Okay, I’ll wear it, but you have to promise me something, too.”
“If it is within my powers, I will.”
“It is,” she assured him.
“I promise, now tell me, what have I just agreed to?”
“No more evading questions and issues, okay? Whether you think something is relevant or not, tell me. I don’t want to feel like you don’t trust me.”
Caleb sighed, struggling with his need to protect this woman. “I do trust you, but understand, I haven’t told you things, not because we’re trying to hide them, but because I’ve forgotten that you haven’t grown up with all of this.”
“That’s fair. How does this sound, we’ll keep asking questions, and you have to suck it up, and speak to us like the adults that we are. We may be just learning this shit, but we don’t take well to being treated like children. No editing, you don’t get to decide what we should or shouldn’t know.”
“I’ll try, but it won’t stop my need to protect you. You’re very important to me, if anything happened …” he left the rest hanging unsaid.
“I don’t have a problem with that, just remember we might be able to help.”
“I’ll do the best I can, that’s my promise to you.” Caleb sealed their deal with a kiss on the back of her fingers.
“Look, if there are things that you don’t want me to repeat, tell me, I’ll respect that, if this … and I can’t believe I’m about to say this … but if this relationship is going to survive, we have to be honest with each other, and that means not keeping anything from each other.” Kevan waited, a somber look on her face, and he finally nodded his agreement.
“I’ll do my best to ensure that I don’t keep things from you.”
Kevan visibly relaxed, a smile lit up her face. “Now can I open this?” she asked, holding up the box, feeling both anxious and nervous at the same time, waiting for consent.
“Are you going to wear it?” he wanted to know.
“Isn’t that what we just agreed to?” she asked him, until she saw his smile. “Yes, I’ll wear it.”
Watching with anticipation as she opened the box, the sound that escaped her bounced around the room. Nestled within the box was a beautiful ring engraved with a design encircling the wide band, crowned with a large stone. Looking up, her eyes searching his, bouncing between the ring and him, it was one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen.
“It’s stunning,” she whispered, studying it closer. “It’s Celtic, right?”
“They call it the Labyrinth,” he explained, taking the box from her.
“What’s the stone?”
“It’s what you think it is,” he stated, holding his hand out for hers.
“Caleb, do you know ho
w expensive these stones are?”
“I didn’t, I do now.”
“Caleb, this is an engagement ring. We’re not there yet.”
“I didn’t buy it as an engagement ring; I bought it because it appealed to me, now I want you to wear it. You promised!”
“But Caleb?” she tried to argue.
“Kevan, you promised, I want it known to one and all, you’re taken,” he growled. “I really need you to wear it, it’s important to me.”
“It’s a brown diamond, and with what I can see without a loupe, it looks to be almost flawless,” she whispered.
“It is flawless,” taking her right hand; he slid the ring on her ring finger. “Perfect,” he sighed, as a sense of wellbeing settled over him.
“But Caleb…”
“No buts, you promised.”
“But we barely know each other.”
“Doesn’t change anything,” he told her. “Besides, I think we know each better than you think.”
“This is crazy!” Shaking her head, staring at the ring that he just put on her finger, it looked and felt right. “Hell, we’ve barely known each other 72 hours.”
“I’m wearing your ring, now you’re wearing mine, no more arguments,” Caleb stated.
“But you didn’t know I designed it until I told you,” Kevan argued.
“Maybe not, but now I do, which makes it more important to me.”
There was no argument she could think of, she had promised, and even if she hadn’t, she wanted to wear the ring; it called to her. “Okay, you win; I’ll wear it on my right hand.”
“Thank you.” Caleb kissed the back of her hand. He couldn’t put into words how much her wearing the ring meant to him, telling the world she was his. “Now we really should be getting dressed,” he told her reluctantly.
“Oh, you think we should get dressed?” she laughed, pushing him back onto the bed, climbing atop of him, rubbing against his hard body.
Caleb groaned with need, his fingers threading into her hair, pulling her to him, his mouth capturing hers, “Unless you have a better idea?” he whispered, breaking their kiss.
Kevan pushed against him, demanding more. “Oh, I think we can come up with a few ideas,” she teased. He rolled them over, taking control, leading her into a world of desire.