Page 26 of Never Let Go (Forbidden #1)
Chapter Twenty-Six
CALEB
I ’m in my home office when my phone goes off. It’s a Saturday night so it can only mean it’s the boys wanting to drag me out for a beer. I take my glasses off and rub my eyes. I’ve barely slept. I’m a law unto myself really, chasing a goddamn college student around like a teenager.
My phone pings again, alerting me to another message that pulls me out of my somber mood. The message is from an unknown number, clicking on it, I open it up.
Unknown
Why do I need to be in the dean’s office on Monday morning? And why will you be there?
Confusion mars my features as I think of who it could be. As soon as I’ve read the message, another one pops up.
Unknown
It’s Lauren Taylor by the way .
I put my glasses back on and do a double take. She messaged me. My heart’s pounding as I re-read her message, twice. Ah fuck. This one had nothing to do with me. The dean wants to check in on Lauren and how she’s getting on, so that’s what I tell her. Her reply comes through instantly.
Lauren
I find that hard to believe but okay.
I swear to god this little brat. She’s lucky she’s not here to get her ass spanked.
My palm is itching to get itself reacquainted with her delectable ass.
Reiterating my response and asking her if she’s okay seems like the mature and adult way to deal with things.
Might calm down the raging hard on that’s now tented my sweats, too.
Lauren
Yeah, I’m okay. I’m out at a bar with Sydney.
The possessive beast within me emerges. Is she being safe? The last time she was out, she got manhandled by some asswipe. I sit up straighter in my chair, my protective instincts kicking in as I message her back, asking for which bar because I’ll be damned if she’s out alone again.
Lauren
Can’t remember the name. What are you doing?
What am I doing? I’m going out of my mind right now, baby girl, that’s what I’m doing.
I look down and realize I’m now pacing around my office, running a hand through my hair obsessively. I scoff internally, like it’ll make a difference.
What. Bar. Lauren
I’m slowly going insane. Is this what it’s like to chase after a woman half my age—Fuck, is that another gray hair?
Lauren
I honestly don’t know. I’m at Sydney’s parents for the weekend so I’m not anywhere near campus for you to come and rescue me. What are you doing?
FUCK!
I can’t even get to her if something happens. I don’t think. I do. I call her and she answers after the second ring. The first thing I hear is loud music.
“Hang on,” she shouts, while doing god knows what. I’m still pacing my office, tension snaking its way into my shoulders.
“Lauren,” I growl, my patience hanging on by a thread. I need to know she’s safe. It suddenly goes quiet.
“Don’t panic, I’m outside. Security’s right behind me. Wow, they weren’t kidding when they said air makes you more drunk. And I am druuunk right now. Are you drunk, Caleb?” she giggles.
“No, baby girl, I’m not drunk,” I chuckle. This shouldn’t be so adorable.
Lauren sighs into the phone. “I love it when you call me that.”
“Call you what? Baby girl?” I ask, my lips twitching.
“Yeah,” she replies wistfully.
I chuckle. “Noted.” My tone drops, laced with concern and worry. “Are you safe? After Illusion?—”
Lauren cuts me off. “I’m good. Sydney’s inside and we’re leaving soon. I just—When Brad messaged telling me about the meeting… I guess I thought you had… I don’t know… made it up to see me again?”
Shaking my head, even though I know she can’t see me, I reply, “I promise you, it had nothing to do with me. ”
“ Can I see you again?” she whispers.
My chest tightens at her admission. “Lauren.” I drag her name out and run a hand through my hair leaving it in a more disheveled state than it already was. “Why don’t we talk about this when you haven’t been drinking, yeah?”
She chuckles. “That would probably be a good idea.”
“Go back inside,” I tell her. “Text me when you get back to Sydney’s.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Caleb,” she breathes out.
“Night, sweetheart.”
Lauren hangs up and I resume my seated position, staring at nothing. My cock’s painfully hard from hearing her voice on the phone, her breathy tones having an effect on me, and even though I shouldn’t, I reach into my sweatpants and grab myself.
I try to think of anything other than where my mind wants to go—Lauren, so I focus on R-rated videos I’ve watched in the past, but she keeps creeping back in.
Images of her spin around in my head—the bathroom at Strokes, her on her knees in my office.
I take my cock out, spitting into my hand as I glide up and down my length.
My breathing becomes faster, matching the strokes of my hand.
I think of Lauren bent over my desk as I fuck her from behind, her ass bouncing to my thrusts.
I groan as my spine tingles with my impending release, my balls drawing up tightly and I know it won’t be long. The thought of Lauren’s mouth stuffed with my cock as she looks up at me with her beautiful green eyes sends me over the edge and I come, shooting my release into my waiting hand.
Sprawling in my chair, I blow out a ragged breath, grabbing a tissue from my desk and wiping myself off.