Penalty Clause (Risque Contracts Book 1)(20)
Came inside me, unprotected—something I’d avoided thinking about since he told me he made sure I missed my doctor’s appointment. The anger I’d felt at that moment was what had prompted me to tell him I wanted to use the out he’d given me in the contract. But now that I had, now that I was here, like this, with him, I couldn’t find it within myself to stay angry. What he’d done was totally crazy, insane even. And yet, the thought of being pregnant with his baby filled my heart with hope.
When Caleb slid his cock from my body, he moved lower and placed a kiss over my navel, like he knew the turn my thoughts had taken. His lips tilted in a confident smile before he rolled off the bed and strode into the bathroom. He came back with a warm washcloth and gently cleaned between my legs. Once done, he went back to the bathroom. When he returned this time, he untied me, silence looming between us. Not a word was said as he tossed pillows onto the bed. There was no sound as he repositioned my body, covered me with a sheet, slid in, and pulled me into his arms. I listened as his breath evened out, my heart racing frantically.
“I love you.” The admission flew from my lips. I hadn’t intended to say the words, but now that I had, I didn’t regret them. Not even a little bit.
“Finally,” he sighed. “I was beginning to think you’d never realize it, let alone tell me. Thought I might have to leave you tied to my bed forever so you couldn’t get away from me.”
“Never? We’ve only been together a month, if I'm generous with the timeline. A few days, if we count by most people’s standards. Besides, I already realized I loved you on the plane from Paris.”
“Seven months,” he murmured against the skin of my neck. “By my count, we’ve been together for seven months.”
Startled, I turned in his arms to peer up at his face. “We haven’t even known each other that long.”
“I knew you were meant to be mine from the moment I saw you across the crowded ballroom at the children’s hospital fundraiser.”
I thought back to what I remembered from that night. Caleb had been impossible to miss. Whenever he was at an event, he was the center of attention. We hadn’t been introduced, but I knew who he was—who didn’t? And I’d noticed more about him than I’d been willing to admit to myself at the time. “Weren’t you there with some blonde model or actress?”
“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” His smug grin and clear satisfaction were enough to make me want to smack his arm. “Although I like seeing this side of you, that night didn’t end well for the lady in question. She was sent home, alone, while I kept my eye on you all night to make sure you left the same way.”
I laughed softly at the idea of this incredible man shadowing me around a ballroom, me none the wiser. “So, what you’re telling me is you’ve stalked me, swooped in to save my business, kidnapped me to Paris, taken complete control of my body, and done your best to get me pregnant with your child?”
“I know you were pissed yesterday when I told you, but it worked, didn’t it?” He dropped a kiss onto the tip of my nose. “Now I’m a happy man because I’ve got you right where I want you.”
Even after all that had passed, I felt uncertain about what the future would hold for Caleb and me, how I would fit into his life. I desperately needed to hear those three little words back from him.
“And where is that exactly?” My voice was whisper soft, the words slurred in my exhaustion. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but lost the battle. I drifted off to sleep without knowing if he heard my question.
Chapter 11
Caleb
The following morning, I woke before Madeleine and took the opportunity to soak up the sight of her naked body next to mine. Her face was soft and peaceful in sleep, glowing with the after-effects of the night before. I was determined to wake up to that sight every day from that moment on.
Careful not to jostle her, I turned to my other side and opened the drawer of the small table by the bed. The morning before, I’d placed the little red leather box in there. I opened it and removed the white gold and diamond bracelet. Madeleine’s arm was lying palm down on the sheet, a little off to her side. It made it easy for me to release the catch and reattach it around her slender wrist. With a few twists of the accompanying white gold screwdriver, the bracelet was secured, unable to be removed without the tool. Cartier had designed this “key” to be hung on a thin chain that would keep it lying on my chest, near my heart. In essence, I held the key to her love.
I shifted until I blanketed her with my body, using my forearms as leverage to hold myself up so I wouldn’t crush her. My mouth brushed tenderly across her lips, cheeks, eyelids, and nose. She gradually came awake, blinking as her eyes focused and she became coherent and aware of her surroundings.