Shades of Atlantis (24 page)

I took a deep breath enjoying the perfumed air surrounding me before I turned around. What are you doing here?

Dressed casually in a khaki T-shirt under a tan leather jacket and jeans, Caleb looked better than I had ever seen him look, and he took my breath away yet again.

I have to talk to Seth. His lips widened into a mischievous grin. And I couldn’t let you miss prom.

You’re going to talk to him about us? I asked nervously.

He stood in front of me, resting his arm leisurely on the counter, and his closeness made my knees wobble. I steadied my gaze on the fork in my hand as Caleb ran the back of his index finger from my shoulder to my elbow and back.

I’m going to tell him once and for all. He lowered himself down to bring his face level with mine.

Okay. I smiled. I want everyone to know — My words caught.

He leaned his head toward mine, almost touching and whispered. That I’m yours?

My cheeks flushed, and he grinned.

Miss, Miss waitress, a well-dressed woman called from a table twenty feet from us.

I smiled to her. I’ll be right with you. I sighed light-heartedly. Gotta go keep you in business.

I stepped forward, and his grip caught me on the inside of my elbow.

We stood with our bodies facing opposite directions and our arms touching.

I turned my face to him, raising my eyes to meet his. Caleb inclined his head toward mine so that his mouth was no more than an inch from my ear. I sucked in air and steadied my free hand on the counter.

I am yours, you know, he said softly. Forever. My stomach flipped. I took another step; Caleb’s hand loosened, and his thumb found the inside of my bare elbow. It traced a line tenderly down my forearm to my wrist, circling the palm of my hand before he released me from his touch.

Caleb!

I spun around. Seth was observing our exchange, his expression livid. I frowned and rushed to the eager customer, watching over my shoulder as Caleb moved past Seth toward the office. Seth cast a disgusted glance my way before turning after him. When I finished with the customer, I hovered near the kitchen door, but I couldn’t hear a thing. After a few minutes, my stomach heaved nervously and I began to feel sick.

Suddenly, a loud crash of metal trays and glassware resonated from behind the kitchen door. Everyone in dining room looked up, and Jen rushed over. What’s going on? she exclaimed.

My insides warped, and I let out a low gasp. All of a sudden the room was closing in on me. The color burned in my cheeks furiously as I looked around.

The kitchen door flung open, and Caleb stormed out, enraged. His shoulders were stiff, and my own stiffened in response. He seized my hand, wrenching me after him through the room and a low hum of curious voices.

W-what’s going on? I stammered looking back at Jen. She mimed

call me. I raised my hand to wave and realized I was still holding the fork.

Caleb guided me to his silver Porsche and opened the door, motioning with his head for me to get in, avoiding my eyes. This was bad. Confusion mixed with guilt was this about me? I rested one hand on the doorframe with the fork still gripped in the other.

What happened, Caleb?

He refused to look at me. You’re getting the rest of the night off. His tone was furious.

It was the first time I’d seen him so angry, even more than the night with Chris, and it caught me off guard. My heart jolted in my chest.

I’m sorry, I mumbled weakly.

He glared at me for an instant before his expression softened. His eyes were still angry but his voice was lower and steady again, pleading. Please, Triona, get in. I need to leave.

I obeyed without any further hesitation and played with the fork, picking at the prongs as he pulled away hurriedly.

I’m sorry. He took a deep slow breath. Truly, sincerely sorry. Tears pricked my eyes, and I brushed them away quickly. I don’t understand, I said, my voice cracking a little.

Caleb’s hands gripped the wheel so tightly that his knuckles bleached.

His eyes narrowed, and his chest rose and fell with every deep breath.

Is this my fault?

He removed one hand from the wheel and raked his fingers through his hair.

Why does he hate me? I didn’t take my eyes off the silver fork flashing in the sun as he drove.

He doesn’t approve. His voice was steadier. But I expected as much. I scrutinized his face. There was more, but he wasn’t willing to share. His fingers gripped the wheel tighter, and I sat in silence, watching the town go past through the window and listening to Caleb’s breath easing and slowing as my own heartbeat pounded in my chest.

After a long few minutes, Caleb’s fingers slowly unclenched. He placed one hand on top of mine and removed the fork from my grip, dropping it to the floor at my feet. His fingers intertwined with mine reassuringly. I turned to him, but he didn’t move his eyes from the road. He released his hand before returning it to the wheel, his expression still careful and measured.

Welcome back, I sighed quietly. I was angry at Seth for not liking me, angry with myself for caring, and angry with Caleb for his silence.

He looked at me sideways for a brief moment and smiled a lopsided grin. Thanks.

When we reached Caleb’s house, I stalked through the door he held open for me and headed down the stairs. He followed behind me silently.

I stood in front of the fire and turned to him, irate.

Where have you been all this time? You said two weeks! He shrugged his jacket off and flung it on the arm of the sofa. I know, and I’m sorry. You understand I was doing this for us?

What, exactly? I barked.

He approached me smiling. Not yet, my love, just a little more patience.

I’m nothing if not patient, I grumbled sardonically and folded my arms over my chest. You said you’d tell me everything when you got back, so spill. Caleb came nearer and no matter how much I fought against it, my pulse sped up and butterflies filled my stomach. He placed his hand on the side of my face. His skin was so soft and warm; it was better than I remembered.

His thumb caressed my flushed cheek.

Not yet. This is a reunion. His warm breath brushed my lips, my knees felt suddenly weak, and my hands fell limply to his hips as he moved closer.

His hand found the back of my neck and tilted my head back before he pressed his lips to my skin. I gulped loudly; my resolve was weakening.

When? I choked.

After the prom, he breathed against the skin below my jaw.

It was only Wednesday; prom wasn’t on until Friday. A whole two days away.

Prom! I squealed pushing back from him. My body didn’t know what to make of my brain’s reaction. Tingles rushed up my arms when my hands touched his chest.

Why can’t you tell me now? I sulked. My patience is stretched to breaking point at this stage.

He sighed and took my hand, leading me over to the sofa. His brow creased, but his expression wasn’t as guarded as it had been in the past.

There is a lot to tell. Too much for the time we have before your aunt and uncle send out a search party. He chuckled, but we both knew they were perfectly capable of doing just that. Look, Triona. There are things about me you may find hard to understand, that may take time to sink in. I don’t want to rush through what will be the most important conversation of both our lives.

I pouted and tried in vain to pull my hand away. I knew I should be feeling differently. I should be holding him and kissing him, basking in the joy of being reunited. But there were answers I wanted. I knew it was probably futile, but I had to try.

I don’t care what they do. We’re leaving in less than a month anyway. Caleb smiled, making my stomach knot. I had actually missed that feeling.

Precisely. He lifted the hand I was trying to wrench away and kissed the palm.

I knew I was going to lose focus soon if he kept this up.

Which is why we shouldn’t antagonize them further at this moment in time.

I stared down at my knees. My face was tight, crumpled in frustration, and my eyebrows were tightly pulled together. It couldn’t look very attractive. I made a conscious effort to smooth out my features. They don’t seem very concerned about antagonizing me. I peeked up to him, keeping my head lowered, and saw the question on his face. They keep bugging me about what our plans are, asking what I’m going to do in London, I explained sourly and then tagged on sarcastically at the end, What I want to be when I grow up.

Caleb laughed lightly, stirring the air with the gentle vibration of his body and making the fragrant air around him even more potent. I glared at him and he stifled the sound with his hand.

Sorry He grinned sheepishly. So, what do you want to be when you grow up? His tone and expression were unmistakably teasing.

This irritated me beyond reasoning, and my blood began to boil inside me. That, combined with the frustration, intense curiosity, and a pinch of over stimulation from Caleb’s return, propelled me to my feet. That’s it! I scowled. I’ve had enough of cryptic Caleb for one day. He made no move to stand. I grimaced at him one last time and darted to the stairs. He was there before me, casually holding onto the rail, blocking my exit and smiling innocently. His eyes caught the light from the window and glimmered.

Please. His voice was so smooth it almost sounded like a purr. Don’t go. We haven’t seen each other in so long.

He was doing that strange thing he did sometimes, connecting straight into my brain. Making me want whatever it was he told me to. I blinked and shook my head.

Don’t you use that mojo on me, I shouted at him, turning away so I couldn’t see his eyes burning into me. My breathing was already erratic.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on forcing my breath into a regular rhythm, but his delicious scent was too close behind me, and I felt warm breath on my neck where my hair was pulled back. I froze rigid for the moment before his lips made contact, and his hands touched my waist, gliding down to my hips. As soon as I felt his body pressed against me, I melted back to him. My head fell to his shoulder, and I heard him groan. I couldn’t remember why I was leaving; I could barely remember who I was.

The physical need I felt for him in the pit of my stomach was building to a frenzy.

I gasped when he whipped me around and caught me in his embrace, a deep smoldering blue fire in his eyes. Caleb’s lips pressed hard to mine, and I could feel his heart pounding like a bass drum through his T-shirt. His sweet taste was overpowering. One of his hands slid down, and he swung me up into his arms. Seconds later I felt the fabric of the sofa touch my back. His lips hadn’t moved from mine. My fingers locked at his neck, my heartbeat rang in my ears, and my whole body felt as if it was overheating.

Caleb moaned — actually it was more like a growl, when his lips moved to my neck and slid hungrily across my collarbone. His breathing was rapid and shallow; in all the time we were together, he had never allowed himself to lose control so completely.

My eyes flashed open and stared at the ceiling. Caleb was the one who wanted to wait. My hands were on the taut muscles of his back, and I gulped. He wanted to wait until he told me everything. The ache inside me that wanted him so badly tried to make me forget, tried to hush me, but how far would the passion between us take him before he pulled away? I couldn’t stand it; I wanted to give in. If I allowed my body what it wanted and Caleb came to his senses, the fire burning inside would consume me.

Please, Caleb, I panted, breathless and trembling.

His lips tasted the flesh on my shoulder where he’d pulled my blouse aside, and his other hand held my leg at his hip.

Please, I pleaded again, unable to get more words out through my gasps as his fingers slipped along my thigh.

What is it, what’s wrong? he murmured against my ear sending a wave of pleasure breaking over me.

Don’t start something you won’t finish. I couldn’t bear it. My voice broke as I sucked in the hot air surrounding us.

His body tensed, his grip loosened, and in an instant he was gone, standing at the end of the sofa staring down at me, panting and gripping one of the cushions in his fist. I’m sorry. I pushed my hands behind me to prop myself up. I felt like my skin was torn away from my body with him, leaving a raw, throbbing pain all through me.

Don’t be, I gulped. I didn’t want you do to something you’d regret. I paused to take a breath; my heart was about to explode. It’s self-preservation; it would have killed me if you stopped any later. His flaming eyes narrowed.

I know you; you’d have come to your senses and not — eh — I didn’t know what words to use.

Caleb sat beside where I still lay on the sofa. His chest was heaving. I wouldn’t be so sure about that, he said, a little shamefaced as he inhaled deeply. I missed you an awful lot.

Oh crap, don’t tell me when I finally manage to take decisive action on something, it’s the wrong action. I felt my face fall with disappointment, and I tried to sit up, though my limbs felt like jelly. Caleb righted me beside him.