Page 40 of In You

He groans, pulling away from my mouth with a small smack and presses his forehead to mine. The muscles of his shoulders flex beneath my fingers as he reaches next to us and pulls the cast iron skillet to another burner and then turns off the fire.

"The chicken's done. Let's eat," he says quietly, pulling away from me.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

We eat dinner in silence that's a bit more uncomfortable than it usually is, and when we're done. I look at him expectantly.

"Thank you for dinner, it was delicious," he says, grabbing my plate and then taking it to the sink to rinse and then load the dishwasher.

"You're welcome."

He turns to me, wiping his hand on a dishtowel he folds and throws on the counter. "I'm going to take a shower, and call it an early night before Frank comes in the morning."

"Okay…uhm, want me to join you?" I ask hopefully.

"Not tonight, Tam," Caleb says, bringing a hand up to rub at the nape of his neck. He looks so tired. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

I nod, watching him disappear down the hall, and then, curious, I wait until I hear the shower running and then head down the stairs to the basement. Intending to do some snooping.

Closing myself into the small room I know he's been holing up in, I go through drawers and file after file until I find it.

A photo album. I peek back at the door, trying to see if I can hear anything, and then, feeling brave, I flip it open.

My lips part on a shocked breath as I see the first picture.

It's of a young woman, a young man who looks a bit like Caleb, and a baby.

Caleb.

I put trembling fingers to my mouth, sinking down into the little chair by the desk and put the album down, flicking to the next page.

It's him. A little older in this one, but in this picture, his mom's face is scratched out.

I flip and flip, going over photo after photo until I see one where he's obviously five or six years old.

I flip curiously to the next page to find nothing but empty sleeves before going back to it.

It's the last picture his dad is in. The last of his memories. Caleb's smiling. It's pure, genuine.

But in this one, there's an obvious gunshot where his mom's face used to be.

Pain lances through me.

I think about my mom, and how at every possible turn, she did everything she could to show me she loved me.

I don't even have any of my pictures from that time.

My mom didn't have social media, and all my baby pictures were packed away in a box that I kept at Calvin's house after I moved in. But I guess they're gone now.

Flipping back to the picture in the beginning of the book, I pause, studying her face. The face of a monster. I know what Calvin did to me was fucked up on so many levels, but to have a parent do this to you?

I couldn't even imagine. Like actually can't imagine it. My mind won't let me.

"Oh, Caleb," I whisper, closing the photo album and then look up at the ceiling, hearing creaking in the floorboards and knowing he's somewhere above me taking a shower. I put everything back the way I found it, and then head back upstairs and grab a glass of water while I think about my next move.

Determined, I head down to the bedroom, walking into his room just as he's coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He comes to a stop on the other side of the room, his hawk-like eyes raking down my body as I put my hands to my thighs and bunch the material in them, pulling my dress up my legs.

"I want you to love me," I say in a small voice, pulling off my dress. His eyes nail themself to my nipples and then he freezes. His cock stirs under the towel, then thickens.

"Tamryn-"

"It's Camilla. Tamryn's gone right now. She told me you need me."

His eyes go to mine, then he hurries to me, placing both hands to the side of my face and then slants his mouth over mine, kissing me until I'm breathless.

"I missed you," he chokes out. "I missed you so much, baby."

I run my fingers down his back, grabbing his ass. Touching him everywhere I can, tugging at the towel. "Caleb, love me? Please?"

He picks me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around him, and when he places me on the bed then goes to move down my body, I grab his hand.

"I'm wet," I pant, imploring him to understand.

He nods, tilting his head down to capture a sensitive nipple in his mouth instead, making me cry out and arch my back off the bed. "Savior, that feels so gooood."

I moan softly, rubbing my legs up and down his torso.

He spends long minutes sucking my breasts before placing himself ever so slowly inside of me. But he doesn't thrust. We lock eyes, and then he brings a hand to the side of my face, fluttering his thumb across my cheek. I blush because his stare is so intense.

I roll my hips a little into him, and he tilts his head, leaning his weight only one elbow and then pulls away just slightly, retracting his cock about halfway. "Fuck me," he says quietly.

Keeping my eyes on his, I lock my heels at his backside and roll my hips over and over again.

And though I'm not on top, I'm elated he's trusting me enough to let me do this much.

After a while my hips burn, and he begins to counter my thrusts, taking some of the work off me, but I stay with him side by side as we work just a little harder to heal.

"Together," I say, giving him a soft kiss.

"Together," he whispers, cupping my breasts with his hands. It's like we're seeing each other for the first time.

Keeping our eyes on each other we take the leap off that rocky cliff, breaking apart against the rocks at the bottom while the waves pull us under.

Together.