Caleb's Blessing(36)

“No smart ass I really do have something to show you, but now that you mention it...”

“No you don’t, I have to get lunch going.” I tried to evade his arms but he was too quick. “Feel that?” He pressed his hard-on into my rump.

“Yeah, and? It’s always like that.” And it was; morning, evening, noon and night, it didn’t take much to get him started. My protest went unheard and I laughed my way up the stairs because he was being grabby feely.

He grew serious once we got to the room, and walked me over to the wall where there was a Van Gogh of all things hanging.

I was about to ask him what he was up to when he moved the painting and revealed a safe, from which he removed a long velvet box, and walked over to the bed.

He patted the space next to him. “Come baby.” I sat and watched as he lifted the lid and I almost swallowed my tongue.

“Please tell me those aren’t real.” I actually started to hyperventilate. The necklace was beautiful at first glance, but there’s no way it could be real.

“Of course they are.” He looked at me like I was out of my mind, when he was clearly the one that was off the rails.

“Caleb...” I knew what was coming next, but there was no way I could wear that. The ring was bad enough, the only reason I felt okay wearing it is because of what it represents, and I’m sure he would never let me take it off anyway, but this was something different.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, there was another compartment that held the matching earrings and a bracelet. I’m no expert, but if they were real they had to be worth millions.

There’s no way, “Caleb I don’t deserve...” He couldn’t possibly believe that I was worthy of these; this was too much now surely.

“Hey, whatever you’re about to say don’t, it’ll only piss me off. I’ve been giving you time to get used to me, to us, but that is one thing I will not tolerate, not even from you.

Sometimes life knocks us down baby, and it knocks us down hard as fuck. But if you can get back up, then you’re still in the fight. You’re not only back on your feet, you’re winning this round and I aim to see that you win the whole damn purse. Do I strike you as a stupid man?”

Sometimes his change in topic midstream gives me whiplash. I could only shake my head no, because he was anything but. “No, you’re kind and smart and...”

“Yes, yes I know, I’m the epitome of perfection.” He actually rolled his eyes at me. “Well if I’m so damn smart I will thank you not to call my choice in a wife undeserving or any of the other bullshit you have going on in your head. I will also thank you not to invite that asshole into the most important aspects of our lives thank you very much.”

“But...” I was fighting to hard to hold onto what he was saying; to make myself accept and believe.

“No buts. Now, this was passed down to me as the first son to one-day give to the woman of my heart. That happens to be you, and before you ask, I’ve never even taken it out to look at, or been tempted to give it to anyone else, until you.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, just wear it tonight at our engagement party the same way my great-great-great nana did. Now since we’re already up here...”





Chapter 20




CALEB



Every time I touch her, I find something new to love about her. How can she not feel that, sense it? The boys are always teasing me these days that I’m worst than a lovesick cow, but she doesn’t see it.

It hurts like fuck that she’s been so hurt, that someone else got to her before I did and tried to put out her light before I even had a chance.

I was hoping that my love would be enough to get her over the past. I knew that given time she will no longer live under that cloud, but it wasn’t going to be as easy as I had first thought it seemed.

I’m a long way from being frustrated though, and every chance I get, I’m going to show her just how much I love her, until she has that ah-ha moment, like now.

I clasped the diamond necklace that had been in my family for almost a hundred years, around her neck. One day, I’ll tell her the love story behind the first man who’d had it made and the wife he’d loved more than anything in this world.

For now I took my time and unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her sun kissed skin bit by bit, like unwrapping the most precious of gifts. When she was dressed only in the necklace, I lifted both of her feet in my hands, spreading her thighs a little.

Starting at her instep, I made love first to one foot, before moving on to the other and making my way up her leg. By the time I reached her wet core she was writhing against the sheets in heat.