“You’re sweaty,” Jules complains and tries to squirm away, but Nate holds strong.
“C’mere,” he mutters and buries his face in her neck, making her giggle.
“I’m out of here,” Caleb announces.
“Hold up,” Nate calls out and kisses Jules’ head before sauntering over to Caleb. “If you have time, I’d like some one-on-one time with you in the ring. You look like you could use something to take a swing at.”
I look up in surprise to see Caleb considering Nate’s invitation. He glances down at me with hot blue eyes and then back at Nate.
“Yeah, I’ve got time.”
“Don’t hurt him too much, ace.” Jules grins and kisses Nate’s cheek before taking my hand and leading me to the side of the ring.
“Have they done this before?” I ask her.
“I don’t know.” Jules shrugs. “I don’t think so, but Caleb comes to this gym when he’s in town, so they might have.”
“Helmets?” Nate asks.
Caleb shakes his head no and reaches over his shoulder, grips his T-shirt and pulls it over his head and tosses it my way.
“Damn,” I whisper at the sight of him. Every time I see his bare skin is like the first time.
A crowd has gathered around the ring to watch the two athletes go at each other. They circle each other, both the same height, broad-shouldered, but where Nate is dark, Caleb is fair.
It’s quite possibly illegal to have two amazingly hot men in the same ring together.
Suddenly, Nate leans in and jabs, and it’s on. For several minutes, they punch and deflect, kick and push and throw each other on the floor, only to bounce right back up.
Their faces are feral, eyes hot and trained on the other, and it’s the hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“They’re going to kill each other,” I mutter in awe.
“Maybe.” Jules nods. “Jesus, look at them!”
Nate takes a swing at Caleb’s face, but he grips Nate’s fist in his hands and twirls, picks him up on his back and slams him to the ground, his elbow in Nate’s throat.
Nate kicks out of the hold, and they continue, heaving and sweating. Bleeding.
Nate has a trickle of blood coming from his nose, and Caleb is bleeding near his left eye.
And neither looks ready to stop.
Finally, after Nate kicks Caleb in the ribs and follows up with an elbow between his shoulder blades, Nate’s dad rings the bell.
I didn’t even notice that he was here.
“Enough!” Mr. McKenna yells out. “If you have more aggression to get out, take it up with a bag. Not each other.”
Nate and Caleb are both bent at the waist, panting and sweating, catching their breath. Jules and I are both holding ours.
“What the hell was that all about?” I ask.
“Testosterone?” Jules asks with a bewildered shrug. “It was kind of hot, though.”
I nod in agreement and watch as Nate stands upright and approaches Caleb, shakes his hand and pulls him in for a man-hug. He talks low for a few moments, and Caleb’s eyes narrow before he pulls back and nods, offers Nate a half smile and pats him hard on the shoulder.
They both come down off the ring and smile at us.
“Feel better?” Jules asks.
“Yeah.” Nate shrugs and offers her a cocky smile. “I could have taken him down.”
“In your dreams, McKenna. I was going easy on you,” Caleb retorts and pushes his arms through his shirt and pulls it over his head.
Oh, don’t put the sweaty muscles away yet!
“We should go,” I murmur and smile at Caleb. He’s still a bit reserved and quiet, and I can’t figure out what’s wrong with him.
“We should go, too,” Nate agrees and pulls Jules to him, knowing how sweaty and grimy he is.
“See you tomorrow night!” Jules waves at us, laughing and halfheartedly trying to fight Nate off.
Caleb leads me to the car, opens the door for me without saying a word and then climbs into the driver’s side. After driving for more than ten minutes in complete silence, I decide to clear the air.
“I didn’t flirt back,” I blurt out.
“What?” he asks, barely sparing me a glance.
“With Craig. He flirted with me, but I didn’t flirt back.” I cross my arms over my chest and look out the window, not paying any attention to the sights of downtown Seattle, or the rain as it rolls down the window in ribbons.
“I don’t give a shit about that guy,” Caleb mutters and turns down my street.
“Then what’s wrong?” I ask with a frown.
He swallows and glances at me, rubs his fingers over his lips and looks like he’s going to say something, but changes his mind.
“Nothing.”
He’s lying.
“Caleb—”
“I’m fine,” he cuts me off and shoves the car into park when we reach my house. “Don’t worry about it.”
When we get inside the house and Caleb checks the alarm and the windows and doors, he stops in the kitchen, not meeting my gaze. Bix greets us, happy to see us, and enjoys scratches on the head from Caleb, who is still sweaty and dirty from his vigorous workout with Nate.
“Do you want to join me in the shower?” I ask.
He shakes his head and gestures toward the backyard. “I’m going to go out back and work out. Call me if you need me.”
And with that, he marches out back, dog in tow, and straight to the ropes attached to Natalie’s studio, working them vigorously. By the time he stops, his muscles have to be singing in protest, but he moves straight over to the bar he had installed for pull-ups, jumps up and immediately begins raising and lowering himself on the bar.
Bix lies on the deck, keeping watch.
What the hell is going on Caleb’s head?
“Mommy! Mommy!” The girls come racing through the front door, coats and backpacks on, excited to be home from school. Matt grins from the doorway.
“Did you have fun at the gym today?” he asks.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” I respond with a chuckle. “I can do that now.”
“Good to hear.” He nods and then frowns. “Where is Caleb?”
“Out back. He’s cranky,” I reply with a sigh and relieve the girls of their backpacks.
“In that case, I’ll go. See you all later.” Matt waves and leaves, and I kiss the girls in turn.
“Did you have a good day?” I ask them.
“Yeah,” Maddie responds. “Why is Caleb cranky?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s go work out with him,” Josie suggests to Maddie, who grins, and they both make a beeline for the door before I can tell them to leave him be.
I put their bags away and pull the ingredients for dinner out of the fridge just as I hear high-pitched squeals of laughter coming from the girls in the backyard.
I look out the sliding glass door to find Caleb holding onto Maddie’s waist, holding her up to his pull-up bar, helping her raise and lower herself in pull-up form. She tries to look over her shoulder at him, a huge smile on her face, full of trust and love, as Josie and Bix run circles around them, laughing and barking.
“Let me down!” Maddie calls out, and Caleb complies, lowering her to her feet and then tackles both girls in his arms, falling to the ground, making sure the girls fall on top of him, while Bix barks and bounces around them, smiling his doggie smile with his tongue flopping out of his mouth.
It’s the sweetest picture I’ve ever seen in my life.
Chapter Fourteen
“The show was ah-mazing!” Stacy exclaims as she settles into Isaac’s side, drink in hand, smiling widely.
My cousin is well on her way to getting her drunk on.
“It was.” I nod and grin and can’t help but gaze over at Will and Meg, who are wrapped up in each other on a couch nearby. “Will,” I call to him, “that was quite possibly the most romantic proposal I’ve ever seen.”
We
are all at the after-party for Nash’s first concert in their Sunshine Tour, where Will surprised us all by taking the stage and asking Meg to marry him in front of thousands of screaming fans.
“I’m a romantic guy.” He shrugs and grins.
“You’re a lot of things, babe,” Meg responds with a loud laugh, “but romantic isn’t one of them. Did Luke give you pointers?”
“Hey! I have my romantic moments!” Will frowns at her and then whispers something apparently inappropriate in her ear, making her blush furiously.
“Oh yeah, that’s right.”
“I don’t want to know.” Matt shakes his head with a laugh and then glances at Caleb, who hasn’t commented all evening, or even looked my way twice.
I wore this sexy outfit, and he hasn’t even noticed. Instead, his body is tense, and his eyes are narrowed, watching the room, the people around us, and just generally pissing me off.
I know he’s trying to keep me safe, but for the love of Jesus, I have more muscle surrounding me right now than the president.
“You okay, man?” Matt asks him.
“Fine,” Caleb answers with a nod.
“Are you sure?” I ask, resting my hand on his arm.
He doesn’t spare me a glance, just tightens his jaw even more, if that’s possible. “I’m fine,” he repeats, his voice hard and firm.
“Hey, Sam.” Jules approaches Sam from across the room. “Leo was just looking for you a few minutes ago. You must have been in the restroom.”
Samantha is dating Leo, the lead singer of Nash, and I couldn’t be happier for her. They make a great couple. Leo is all tall and tattooed and sexy as all get-out, but Sam keeps him grounded and isn’t afraid to cut him down to size when his ego gets a bit out of hand.
Not that it does often. I think Sam just likes flipping him shit.
“Do you know which way he went?” Sam asks.
“Out into the hallway.” Jules points toward the door, and Sam leaves, off to find her man.
“I bet she’s gonna get orgasms later,” Stacy whispers to me, making me smirk.
“Definitely,” I confirm and smile to myself.
“Where are the kids and Bix tonight?” Isaac asks.
“They’re all at my Mom and Dad’s,” I reply with a grin.
“You two need to get a room.” Jules scowls at Will and Meg, who are currently necking on the couch.
“Dude, they just got engaged.” Nat waves Jules off. “Let them have fun.”
“You don’t care because you’ll be joining them any second now,” Jules accuses her with narrowed eyes.
“Good idea.” Luke smirks and dips Nat low, kissing her deeply, earning a loud groan from Jules.
“Yuck,” she murmurs and sips her water. “Meg, I want to see your ring again.”
Meg happily holds out her left hand for Jules to inspect, grinning proudly.
“Did you pick it out by yourself?” Matt asks Will.
“Yep.” Will nods.
“He did good,” Natalie murmurs and smiles warmly. “You have good taste.”
“Of course I do.” Will chuckles and kisses Meg’s cheek.
“And he’s so modest.” Meg shakes her head and pushes her fingers through his hair.
“Were you surprised?” Will asks her, his voice soft and all trace of his arrogance gone.
“Completely,” Meg assures him and kisses him soundly. “Best surprise ever.”
“Brynna, you look beautiful tonight,” Luke comments before raising his drink to his mouth, surprising me.
“Thanks,” I murmur and feel my cheeks heat. “I’m glad somebody noticed,” I mumble and look away from the group, scanning the crowd. The girls exchange looks and then watch Caleb and me, thinking they’re sneaky. Thanks to my girls announcing our sleeping arrangements last week and me finally confiding in them while we got ready for tonight’s concert, they all know that Caleb and I are having sex. But I told them that it’s just sex and nothing more.
Because, honestly, I don’t know what it is. I know I’m completely in love with him, and I believe he loves me in return, but he runs so hot and cold, and I can’t figure him out.
It’s frustrating the hell out of me.
Caleb tenses even more beside me as a man I’ve never seen before approaches us.
“Excuse me, but are you Luke Williams?” the man asks Luke quietly.
“I am.” Luke nods and turns to the older gentleman.
“I’m Roger, Jake’s father,” he responds with a grin, holding out his hand for Luke to shake. Jake is the guitarist for Nash. “My wife is a big fan. Would you mind saying hello?”
“Not at all,” Luke responds with a smile and turns back to us. “I’ll be right back.”
“How did Luke hold up tonight, around all these people?” Stacy asks Natalie, referring to Luke’s phobia of crowds and being recognized thanks to his celebrity as a former movie star.
“He’s fine,” Nat assures us with a smile. “He does well when he’s with all of us. It’s when he’s alone that it’s difficult for him.”
Will nods in understanding and rests his cheek on Meg’s head as Sam and Leo come into the room, holding hands, sharing a smile.
“Did you guys enjoy the show?” Leo asks as he steps behind Sam and wraps his arms around her shoulders, pulling her back against his front and kissing the top of her head.
“It was great, Leo,” I respond with a smile. “I love the new music.”
“Sunshine is an excellent song,” Jules agrees and winks at Sam.
I reach down and lace my fingers in Caleb’s, hoping to anchor him and bring him into the conversation. He glances down at me quickly and squeezes my hand, but otherwise continues to watch and listen, not participating in the dialogue. Finally, I rise up on my toes and whisper into his ear, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes,” he answers immediately. “Brynna and I are going to take off,” he announces, shaking hands with the guys and kissing the girls on their cheeks. “It was a great show, man.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in a few weeks when I come home on our break.” Leo smiles warmly at me and kisses my cheek, making my toes curl just a bit. “Give him hell,” he whispers to me and winks as I pull away.
I wink back and trail behind Caleb, my hand still held firmly in his, out to the parking lot.
“Caleb?”
“Let’s just get to the car, Bryn,” he responds quietly, but I hear the edge in his voice. He’s not mad.
He’s scared.
And that just about brings me to my knees. Caleb is the strongest man I know, but being in this crowd, worried about my safety and dealing with his own demons simply because I wanted to come be a part of the concert speaks volumes for how he feels about me.
He’d sit through hell for me.
And he did.
We reach the car, and he tucks me safely inside then moves around to the driver’s side and lowers himself inside, shutting and locking the doors behind him.
He starts the car and white-knuckles the wheel, driving quickly and efficiently through the parking garage. His muscles aren’t just tight, they’re stretched and bunched under his black sweater, and every part of him is radiating sheer tension.
I reach over and lay my hand gently on his thigh and gasp. His thigh is flexed, and I can feel the outline of every muscle through his blue jeans.
“Are you okay?” I murmur.
He glances over at me, his blue eyes hot and tight, and nods. “Yeah.”
“Babe, it’s okay.”
He drops one hand off the wheel and covers mine on his leg, squeezing it reassuringly.
What can I do to help him?
As an idea forms in my head, I turn in my seat and brush my knuckles down his cheek and along his jaw.
“Caleb?” I ask softly.
“Hmm?” he responds.
“Talk to me, sailor.”
He exhales deeply and concentrates on the road for a moment and just when I think he’s not g
oing to talk, he whispers, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I ask, surprised.
“I know I wasn’t a lot of fun this evening. I’m not good around a bunch of people, Bryn. It makes me nervous.”
“We didn’t have to come, Caleb.”
“You wanted to be here. I wanted you to come and have a good time.” He pushes his hand through his hair, and I feel him start to relax, bit by bit.
“Thank you,” I reply quietly and lean over to kiss his cheek. My fingertips move gently up and down his thigh, caressing him lightly. I drop a kiss on his shoulder and then his bicep.
“What are you up to, Legs?” he asks.
“Can I try something that I’ve never done before?”
He glances over at me and frowns slightly, curiously, and then finally offers me a half smile. “Okay.”
“You’re going to have to scoot back just a bit,” I inform him and take my seat belt off and reach for his belt.
His eyes go wide.
“Bryn?”
“I’m gonna suck you off in your car,” I say matter-of-factly and pull his zipper down, tug his underwear down and release his hard, hot cock. I pull my knees under me on the seat and brace myself on the center console and pull him into my mouth.
“Fuck,” he whispers as he rests a hand on the back of my head, threading his fingers in my hair, as I rise and fall on him, sucking and licking and tugging on his gorgeous dick.
I lick a trail from his balls, up the underside along a thick, bulging vein, to the tip and trace the ridge of his head and the slit with my tongue.
“I love your cock,” I murmur and sink down again, pulling him to the back of my throat. I hold him there, pressing with my lips, and swallow, massaging the tip with my throat.
“Holy Jesus, Bryn, I’m going to crash this fucking car,” he growls, but I don’t let up. I suck harder and move faster, and grip what won’t fit in my mouth with my hand, twisting and jacking him as I give him the best damn blow job of his life.
He runs his hand from my head, down my spine, to my ass and grips hard, his fingertips brushing along the seam of my skinny jeans, setting my core on fire. I cup his balls in my hand and plant my tongue on the underside of his cock and tease him, knowing full well he’s on his way to coming in my mouth.