Page 1 of Hold Me

“Do you want me to kiss you?” he asks, his dark brown eyes piercing and filled with curiosity. His short dark brown hair is tousled, a few stray strands falling across his forehead. His full lips are slightly parted and drawn into a smile.

I nod. All I know about him is that he calls himself Caleb and that he is much more handsome than any guy I might have run into in some club. If things go terribly wrong, at least I can walk out of this hotel room as if nothing happened, and I wouldn’t be embarrassed until the end of time or break anyone’s heart. Hell, I even checked the room for any cameras.

He bends his head and brushes his soft lips against mine. I stop breathing for a moment, expecting him to deepen the kiss, but he tucks a strand of my long, light brown hair behind my ear and places feather-like kisses on the hollow of my neck. A small gasp escapes my mouth as his touch sends hot shocks through my skin. How can the touch of a stranger feel so good?

Afraid my legs will give under me, I place my hand low on Caleb’s back. I lean my head into his chest and inhale his scent of sandalwood, pine, and sea. Closing my eyes, I slide my hand up his back and rest it on the nape of his neck. It’s so easy to pretend I’ve known him my whole life. It’s so easy to pretend that he loves me.

I open my eyes and pull him closer. He glances up at me and I press my lips against his, catching him off guard. All I know, all I can think of, is that I want him. My body wants him.

Caleb’s fingers find the zipper of my dress. “Tell me if you want me to stop,” he whispers into my ear, his warm breath tingling on my skin.

My dress falls to the floor, revealing my silky blue underwear. Caleb’s lips crash against mine in an almost bruising kiss. I fiddle with the buttons of his shirt, but then I lose patience and just tug on the shirt until the last button pops out. As he shrugs out of it, I run my hand across the hard muscles of his chest.

He is mine. All mine. At least for the next hour.

His finger hooks under the clasp of my bra and I flinch away. His dark brown eyes regard me for a moment, as if he wants to see through me. I take a shaky breath, trying to push the memories of my ex boyfriend out of my mind, but I can’t.

Mark’s handsome face turns into a sneer. “Where did you get that stupid bra? It won’t unclasp. Is this another of your ways to push me away? Tell me, you stupid bitch!” His nails dig into my arm, his green eyes flashing with fury.

I’m not sure what to say to such a ridiculous assumption, so I don’t say anything, which only angers him more. How is it my fault that he can’t unhook a bra in only one attempt?

“Hey, princess, am I boring you?” Caleb’s amused voice breaks through my troubled thoughts.

“Sorry, I just...” I’m not even sure why I’m apologizing.

Caleb only shakes his head at me and, with no warning, drops to his knees. “Sit down on the edge of the bed.”

My eyebrows shoot upward, but I do as he says. He crawls toward me, his eyes filled with hunger. I let out a little gasp as he nudges my legs apart. Running his hands up and down the bare skin of my legs, he slowly licks his lips. Heat spills all over my body as he lowers his head and trails his tongue across my inner thigh.

His warm tongue makes another circle on my thigh, then he lightly sucks on my skin, creating tingles of pleasure and pain. Unable to sit straight, I lie down on the bed. My breath hitches in my throat as he moves his head between my legs and presses his hot mouth against my panties, teasing me.

“We need to get you out of these,” he says, tugging at the silky material. The chuckle that comes out of my throat doesn’t sound like me at all, but I don’t care as I roll into the middle of the bed. Reaching for Caleb’s shoulder, I pull him toward me until he’s on top of me. He smiles down at me, trailing his hand down my stomach, and his fingers slip into my panties.

I make the mistake of closing my eyes.

Mark is on top of me, his hand roughly pulling at my panties. “Show me how much you love me, babe. Don’t be shy.”

I push at Caleb’s chest in panic, my eyes flying wide open. My heart is thudding loudly in my chest, my throat constricting. When his weight leaves me, I roll over to the other side of the bed and sit up, drawing my knees to my chest. Tears sting my eyes and I’m afraid to look in Caleb’s direction. “I can’t do this,” I whisper to myself.Fuck you, Mark.

I bury my face in my hands and realize my fingers are shaking. The bed shifts and I expect Caleb to leave.

“Look at me,” he says softly.

I peer at him through my tears and roughly wipe them off with the back of my right hand. My makeup must have smeared all over face by now.

“What’s wrong?” He tentatively covers my hand with his own, his eyes shining with concern. Is he only pretending to care or is it real? Does it even matter? Even if it’s fake, he’s shown more concern than mywonderfulex.

“Nothing.” I pull my hand from under his because his touch suddenly feels too intimate.

“Have I done something wrong?”

I look up at him in surprise and shake my head. “No, it’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

“It’s you, Lilith. You’re the problem. You’re always the problem.” Mark rolls his eyes.

Caleb gets to his feet and opens the drawer of the nightstand next to me. He takes out a box of tissues and offers it to me.

“Thank you.” I take a tissue and dab at my eyes. “I probably look like a puffy-eyed panda.”