Stay With Me (21 page)

“I’m sorry, Hailey. It’s not like you really had a choice.”

“I always had a choice,” I say. “And I hate myself for going along with it for as long as I did.”

The choices I made still haunt me, and no matter how much I wish that they’ll stay in my past, I have a deep, abiding fear that my secrets will come out and ruin everything.

Including Caleb and me.

Chapter 25

B
Y THE TIME WE GET
back, all of Caleb’s sisters are awake. Doughnuts are consumed, and Mrs. Fox gives me my freshly ironed dress on a hanger.

“Thank you,” I say.

“No need for thanks,” she says.

“When is everyone coming over, Mom?” Daphne asks, wiping her fingers on a napkin.

“Two. Grandpa is coming over a little earlier.” Mrs. Fox starts making another dish for the dinner and looks toward me. “We lost my mom a few years ago to cancer, and Mark’s parents moved to Florida when the kids were small.”

“I’m sorry about your mom.”

Mrs. Fox looks like she wants to ask me something but bites her lip and shakes her head. “Mark, is the stuffing almost ready?”

“Almost,” he says.

“We have a few more hours until everyone descends and it becomes crazy. The dogs need to be walked, and people need to get ready, and—”

“Relax, Kel,” their father says. “It’s just a dinner. With your whole family, who I’m so excited to see.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you.”

“Really?” Mr. Fox smiles. “I thought it made me dashing.”

Their mother swats him with a wooden spoon. “It makes you something all right.”

“Okay, okay,” Mr. Fox says. “You kids probably should get going. You know it takes me forever to get ready.”

“Yeah, Dad.” Daphne snorts. “Are you still wearing the turkey sweater?”

“That turkey sweater is full of good luck. The Patriots always win when I wear it.”

Caleb leans into me. “Let’s go upstairs while everyone is still bickering. You should have first dibs on the shower. I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”

“Nice try,” I say. “But the shower will be a party of one. No funny business, remember?”

“Who said anything about it being funny?” Caleb ushers me into the hallway and up the stairs before anyone is the wiser. “I was thinking hot. Wet. And how much I want to be inside you.”

Oh God.

I stop at Caleb’s bedroom and hang the dress up on the door. Then I walk into the bathroom, Caleb behind me.

I turn around when he gets further inside to lock the door. Then I face him, leaning my back against the door, my hand tight on the handle. “It’ll have to be quick. Hard. And quiet.”

The last thing I want is to be caught naked with Caleb by his parents or sisters.

“I can promise two things. But the quiet . . .” Caleb nips my mouth. “Can you really keep quiet?”

“It depends.” I gently push him away to turn on the shower, heating it up. “Do you want to fuck me or not?”

“Yes.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to be quiet.” I rip my sweater over my head. “I know I can. Can you say the same for yourself?”

Caleb’s hands pause at the top of his jeans. “Oh, I definitely can.”

“Really,” I say, stepping out of my jeans. “You weren’t that quiet last time.”

“You screamed my name,” he points out. “Repeatedly.”

“I did.” I unhook my bra, letting it slowly slide down my arms, and watch as his eyes darken.

“You want to take bets on this?”

I take off my underwear and step toward him. “Sure, but you’re taking way too long to get naked.”

“I’m enjoying the show.” His gaze moves over my naked body, heating me.

“This is just the opening act.” I scrape my fingers lightly down his chest, and he tenses. “The main attraction is about to start, with or without you.”

I turn and step into the shower. The hot water is just the right temperature. Perfect. I pull the shower curtain back slightly to see Caleb shucking off his jeans and fishing a condom out of his back pocket. He’s already hard, ready for me, and my fingers tighten around the curtain.

I want him so badly.

Caleb comes toward me, pulling the curtain back just enough to step inside. The shower isn’t huge, but it has enough room so we both can squeeze our bodies in. Pressed together. His chest against mine, water sluicing down on us.

Caleb takes a bar of soap, rubbing it between his hands. “You look like . . . you need to be cleaned.”

Yes. Yes. Yes.

I wait, my body primed with anticipation, and he places the bar of soap back down on the ledge. He takes my breasts, squeezing them, and I bite my lip—hard—to keep from letting out any sound. Caleb rakes a finger over my nipples, scraping lightly, and my clit throbs with the sensation. I squeeze my legs to lessen the pulsing sensation, but Caleb notices the movement.

“Open,” he says.

I don’t.

Caleb lowers his head, nipping my mouth. “Open.”

I pull my head back slightly away from his lips.

He presses his mouth against the curve of my neck, sucking. I clench tighter . . .

“Hailey,” he says, his mouth pressing hard bites of kisses down my chest, and takes a nipple into his mouth. His hands squeeze my butt, kneading, rubbing, caressing. “Open.”

I close my eyes, tilting my head back, and press a fist against my mouth. I am
not
going to make a sound. No way.

“Okay. The hard way it is.” He presses a hand between our bodies, his fingers stroking through the small patch of curls I have there. He rubs along the top of me, his long fingers barely touching my clit, and fire blazes in me.

With me clenched tight, and our bodies back against each other, there really is no room to move around. His hand is just able to get in there, and his touches against me are short, fleeting, and leave me wanting for so much more. It’s not enough. I want to feel him deeper. I want him in me.

I open, widening my stance slightly.

Caleb growls in approval. And then he rewards me by parting my folds and thrusting his fingers deep inside me, his thumb rubbing hard against my clit.

I bite my knuckles, but still a small sob escapes me.

“You can scream,” he says, his mouth against my ear. His teeth graze along the tender flesh, and I gasp. “You can scream all you want.”

“No,” I say and shake my head in emphasis. “I can’t. They’ll hear.”

“But you want to.”

I open my eyes to look into his heated green gaze. “Yes. Always.”

“I want to come in you so hard.” Caleb fucks me with just his eyes. I never thought it possible to come just this way, but God, I think I could from just him looking at me. He’s got like super powers when it comes to me—one look and I’m all his. “I want to shout your name as you squeeze me.”

“But you can’t.” I run my fingers through his slick, wet hair, loving how he stills under my touch, how he presses his mouth together to keep in a low groan of need. “We have to be quiet. Very, very, very quiet.”

“Yes,” he agrees, his hands going back to my butt, lifting me up. “Because what if . . . what if someone heard and walked in?”

Oh God.
My body tenses at the thought but goes hot at the same time—at the thought of him in me, of us being so reckless we lost our minds and were loud.

“That would be
awful
,” I whisper, my breathing short and shallow. “I couldn’t look at anyone in your family ever again.”

“Can’t have that,” Caleb says. “Because I want you. In my life.”

I blink at him, my heart stuttering to a stop, my whole being focused on what he just said. “You . . . you do?”

“Hell, Hailey.” He kisses me, long, sweet, and wraps my legs around his waist. “Yes. I want you. I like you. I’m falling for you.”

Tears fill my eyes, and one falls, streaking along my cheek, mixing with the water from the shower.

“Shit,” he says, kissing the tear away. “Am I hurting you? Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” I say. “No, it’s just . . . I’m falling for you too.”

So hard. So truly. So much that it’ll rip me in two if Caleb ever walks away. If he leaves me.

Caleb smiles, and it warms me, making my heart feel like it’s about to burst in two. He presses his cock to me, poised at my entrance.

“But there’s a problem,” I say, just as he starts to thrust inside, my words coming out in short pants of air.

He fills me, stretching me wide, going deep, deep in me.

“What’s that?” he manages to get out.

“I don’t think I can be quiet.”

“Kiss me,” he says. “Kiss me, and make all the noise you want.”

I kiss him, wet, wild, our tongues thrusting, and he moves inside me. Hard. Fast. Taking me to the edge in a furious pace. I clench around him, squeezing him, milking his long, hard cock into me. And when I’m about to scream my release, I take his mouth again, letting him swallow my pleasure, and falling into him. He comes soon after, and slides my body down his. My legs are shaky, my whole body having tremors, little aftershocks of pleasure.

Caleb looks at me. “You’re mine.”

“Yours,” I say. “Always yours.”

Chapter 26

T
HANKSGIVING DINNER IS CELELBRATED WITH HIS
entire family. Caleb has a huge extended family, so there are three different places to eat: the dining room, at the kitchen bar, or at the kitchen table. The older adults have all taken the dining table, the younger kids the kitchen table, so Daphne, Caleb, and I take the bar with two of Caleb’s cousins—Eric and Sam, twin boys who’ve just turned thirteen. The twins obviously look up to Caleb. They hang on his every word and even mirror his movements.

Everyone in his family has been really nice to me. There have been a few questions, but for the most part, his aunts and uncles and cousins have been just warm and welcoming. And accepting. I can’t believe how accepting they are of me—I was so scared they wouldn’t like me because of who I was and might think I’d hurt Caleb, because it’s not like famous celebs have the greatest of reputations. But they aren’t like that at all.

His aunt Maggie, a short, curvy blonde, and mother of Eric and Sam, walks into the kitchen to grab a second helping of food. She’s the youngest sister of Mrs. Fox.

”Hailey,” she says, scooping mashed potatoes onto her plate. “I didn’t say this before because everyone was around you. I’m sure we can be overwhelming. Especially these two knuckleheads.”

“Mom,” Sam says, pushing up his glasses. “We’re
adults
now.”

Eric talks through a mouthful of food. “Yeah. Adults.”

“I can see that,” Aunt Maggie says. “But I think it had to be so hard for you to leave Hollywood and come here. You didn’t know anyone! And you said college was the first time you were in a real class?”

“Yes.”

“I just find it very impressive that you’re getting your college degree. Not many stars do.” She smiles warmly at me. “And you let me know if Caleb acts stupid. I’ll hit him over the head for you.”

“Thanks, Aunt Maggie. Love you, too.” Caleb shakes his head at her. “You planning on telling any embarrassing stories? Let me know, so I can get Hailey out of here.”

“Why, Caleb, I’d
never
do that.” Aunt Maggie places a hand over her heart, affecting a wounded expression. “But I can’t say the same for Uncle Phil. You know how he loves to talk.”

She laughs, and heads back to the dining room table.

I look at Caleb. “I want to hear the embarrassing stories.”

“You heard about magic summer camp. It doesn’t get worse than that.”

Daphne snorts.

“What?” I ask, turning to her. “Tell me! Don’t hold out!”

“Just that there is
way
more embarrassing stuff. Like a mountain load.”

“Daphne,” Caleb says warningly.

“Ignore him,” I say. “Tell me.”

“Well, let’s just say there are pictures. Of Caleb.” Daphne pauses dramatically. “Streaking his naked ass across the high school football field.”

I laugh. “No way!”

“Way. Mom and Dad were so pissed at him.”

“It was a dare,” Caleb says. “The team dared me I wouldn’t. And I did. But it was a stupid decision on my part.”

“You’re still stupid,” Daphne says. “You just hide it better now.”

“You’re hilarious.”

“I think so.”

I shake my head at them both and lean over to kiss Caleb quickly on his lips.

Eric and Sam make gagging sounds. “Ew.”

“Ew is right,” Daphne says. “Give us some sort of warning next time. We don’t want to see any kissy kissy from you two.”

“Shut up,” Caleb says. “And here’s your warning.”

Then he kisses me again.

“H
AILEY.” A VOICE WHISPERS INTO
my ear. Caleb. “Hailey. Wake up.”

Something tickles my nose, and I bat it away.

“Hailey, psst. C’mon.”

I slowly open my eyes, yawning, and look at Caleb, sitting on the bed next to me.

“What’s going on?” I ask, sitting up and pulling the covers with me. I glance over at the clock. 4:07 a.m. “And why did you wake me up so early?”

“I have to show you something. Come on. Get dressed.”

“Can’t it wait?” I want to snuggle back down and actually sleep in. Although we have the next few days off from college, Caleb and I were planning to return later today and spend the next few days holed up in my place together. Alone.

“No. Trust me.” He nudges me. “Put some clothes on. Dress warm.”

“Okay, okay,” I say, grumbling. “Give me a few.”

Caleb nods and steps out of the room. I quickly throw on jeans, a sweater, and winter boots. My jacket is downstairs in the hall closet, but first I run to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up. Pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I step out to see Caleb waiting for me in the hallway. He’s dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and has both our jackets.

“I ran downstairs to get them while you were getting ready,” he explains. “We’ll slip out the front door.”

Caleb moved his car out of the garage yesterday when his parents were putting the finishing touches on dinner, so his grandfather could pull in and park there. Caleb never moved his car back in, so his mom took the spot late last night after everyone had left and the house had been cleaned.