Beyond Broken(78)

That night, Maddie stayed at her mom's place in her old room. Her mom fed her until she was stuffed to the gills with lasagne and bread and salad.

"You're pregnant now, honey. You need to eat for two," she'd told her. And Maddie couldn't argue. She'd been neglecting her health for the past week and now that a little bit of the anxiety was lifted after telling her family, she felt a little better.

That night, despite having a full belly, she only slept for a few hours and when she woke up in the morning, she knew that she had to tell Caleb, regardless of what he might say or do. Still, it didn't stop her from feeling like she was preparing for battle as she showered and dressed.



       
         
       
        

Either way, she knew he wouldn't take the news well.





TWENTY-EIGHT





Caleb was distracted as he made his way up to the office. He didn't notice the familiar car in his parking lot or the knowing, pleased look that Brian shot him as he passed by. He'd had a long morning and afternoon of boxing up his house after he'd dropped Peter off at school and he still wanted to make some headway with the restoration. He was almost finished, although it had been slow going for the past few weeks.

After Peter moved in with him and he fully realized that he'd been sleeping on a couch in a house that he hated, he'd made an easy decision. He needed to move. He needed to put the past behind him and get his shit together. And yes, maybe his uncle had loved that house. And yes, it was the house that Caleb had spent most of his life in. But they were miserable years for him and he'd been holding onto the house for all the wrong reasons. His uncle was gone. He was the only one left and he couldn't live there. Not anymore. He just couldn't believe that it had taken him this long to realize it.

When he opened his office door and saw the woman who'd been plaguing his thoughts for the past two months sitting in her chair at the desk he'd made for her, his brain temporarily short circuited. He stared at her, wondering if he was finally losing it, wondering if he was hallucinating. Because no woman in her right mind would come back to him after what he'd done.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone coming out unexpectedly harsh.

Her lips pulled tight for a brief moment and Caleb knew that he'd hurt her, but she rose from her chair to stand before him, something like frightened determination etched into her features.

Caleb quickly shut the door. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way. You just caught me off guard."

It wouldn't be the first time, he thought.

His eyes drank her in. Frowning, he realized that she'd lost a little weight. Her cheekbones were more prominent, her clothes fitting looser. Peering at her face, he saw dark circles under her eyes.

"You look terrible," he told her.

Maddie almost smiled. "You were always so charming, Caleb."

Her voice still sounded the same, lyrical and sweet. Caleb felt something fill inside him that had long been drained. He realized that this was the first time he'd seen her in his office since that night. His gaze automatically trailed to the floor, where he'd last seen her, bound to the desk, naked and waiting.

His gut clenched with dark lust. Voice thick, he asked, "What are you doing here, Maddie?"

She bit her lip, eyes straying to the door like she longed to leave, which didn't make sense because she'd come here willingly. He certainly hadn't begged. 

Then Caleb realized something else. She was nervous. Caleb slowly approached her, steps evenly measured, until there was only about a foot between them. This close, he could smell her and see every endearing freckle on her face.

"What is it?" he urged.

"I-I was just passing by and … " she started, swallowing.

"Bullshit," he said, his tone low. "What's wrong? Are you in trouble?" He couldn't think of any other reason why she'd be here. His eyes flicked down to her pink lips and watched as she licked them nervously.

His hands clenched at his sides. Fuck, he still wanted her. After two months, he felt starved. Needful. Strung out.

"Or maybe," he said slowly, "you came for something else."

Her eyes, sweetly wide, jumped up to his in shock. "Caleb."

He might never get another chance to taste her lips, so he did something stupid and leaned down. His hand came to grasp the back of her neck and he brushed his lips against her own, softly at first, goddamn chaste to some. No tongue, just the feeling of her soft flesh against his own.

She shuddered when he deepened the kiss. She'd turned him into a kissing fiend. He'd gone almost a decade without kissing a woman and then Maddie came along and he couldn't get enough. But she tasted so sweet and if Caleb wasn't careful, he'd become addicted. He feared he already was.