Page 57 of Never Let Go (Forbidden #1)

Chapter Fifty-Seven

CALEB

“ T hank fuck for having a best friend who’s a lawyer,” I laugh as I slap Theo’s shoulder. “I owe you one, man.”

“Sleeping with a fucking student.” Theo pinches the bridge of his nose as he sighs. “I have no fucking words for you.” He drops his hand and points at me adding, “I’m billing your ass for this.”

I grin at him. “Yeah, yeah. You know I can’t afford you.” The air around us takes on a somber tone, the jokes gone as I say, “Seriously though, thank you. I lost my head for a minute.”

Theo raises a brow. “Ya think, dipshit?”

We’re standing outside the police precinct, Theo having got me out after spending a night in the slammer—one hundred percent, do not recommend. I’m still wearing the same clothes as last night, crumpled and bloodied from my rage fueled attack.

“You’re lucky you got away with self-defense,” Theo continues as he paces in front of me. “What were you thinking?” he hisses.

“I wasn’t think?—”

Theo rolls his eyes as he cuts me off. “Captain fucking obvious over there.”

“Look, I wasn’t planning on any of this. I wasn’t planning on falling for her?—”

“Heaven help me,” Theo interrupts again. “You fell for her?”

“Hook, line, and sinker, my friend.”

“Well shit,” he says as he narrows his eyes at me. Finding whatever it is on my face that he was looking for, he mutters, “I need a drink,” as he starts walking to his shark blue Porsche 911 GT3.

“Theo, it’s 11 a.m., man,” I call out, chuckling at him.

He flips me the bird, shouting over his shoulder, “It’s five o’clock somewhere, asshole.”

Laughing, I follow him and get into the passenger seat. “Where’s my phone?” I ask as I start patting my pockets.

“Here.” Theo passes me a bag with all the possessions I had on me before I was arrested—keys, wallet, and phone.

Turning it on, I see dozens of messages and missed calls. Some from students asking about extensions, and the rest from my girl. I smile as I read through her messages:

Lauren

Caleb, are you okay?

Call me when you get out.

I can’t believe they arrested you!

Don’t drop the soap.

Sorry, my nervous sense of humor’s showing. How do you delete messages?

I’m sorry.

I miss you.

She misses me.

We pull out onto the main road, but before I can say anything, Theo cuts me off.

“Before you go and do anything rash, as your lawyer, I’m advising you to stay low.

” He glances over at me, a serious look on his face.

“A lot of questions are going to be asked, Caleb. Why you were in the hotel in the first place?—”

“You know why I was there,” I cut him off.

“Yeah, I know why you were there but that’s because I’m your lawyer and one of your best friends, others do not.

” He gives me a pointed look before continuing, “You attacked your TA and were in a hotel room with two students.” Theo runs a hand through his hair.

“You need to keep away from her, Caleb.”

“Fuck that,” I snap. “She needs me.”

“ What she needs is to not have any more questions directed at her. For her not to lose her scholarship. I can only hope that Lauren and her friend have their stories straight.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Carry on as normal? Ignore her? Act like she doesn’t exist?” I exclaim, my heart pounding in my chest at the mere thought. “I can’t do that, Theo.”

“Well you're gonna have to,” Theo snaps. “You need to lie low until this blows over. No contact other than in class, for nothing more than class related things, and hope like fuck that she forgives you come graduation when you can go and get your girl. ”

My head snaps to Theo. “Graduation? You can’t be fucking serious? That’s like…” I quickly do the math in my head. “…Four months away.”

“Like I said, you better hope she forgives you.”

“Can I at least call her to let her know?” Sarcasm drips from every word.

Theo sighs. “I would advise against it, but I can’t stop you.”

Leaning my head against the window, I mutter, “Can you just drop me back to my car?”

“Sure thing, man.”

Theo telling me to stay away from Lauren was like a hammer to the heart—deadly. How can you stay away from the woman you love? The woman who consumes every fiber of your being? It’s impossible is what it fucking is.

The only reason why I’m considering staying away is because I don’t want this on her. She doesn’t need that shit. I can move on, get another job somewhere else, but she needs her scholarship to finish school.

I’m pacing my house like a caged animal—call her? Don’t call her?

Fuck!

Finally picking up my phone, I call her. She answers after one ring.

“Caleb?” she breathes.

“Fuck it’s good to hear your voice, baby girl,” I mutter.

“What happened? Are you home? I’m on my way,” she rushes out .

I can hear rustling in the background and I know I have to stop this fast. “Lauren, wait.” Fuck, I can’t breathe. “I need you to stay home, sweetheart,” I grit out.

There’s silence before she says, “What? Why?”

I take a deep breath before laying it all out there for her. “I need to lie low. I can’t be around you until this all blows over.”

I can hear her eyes roll from here. “Caleb, we’ve been sneaking around for months, there’s no difference.”

“Theo thinks?—”

“Fuck, Theo, Caleb. Do you want to be with me? To keep doing what we’re doing until I graduate and can go public?”

Rubbing my eyes and feeling a headache coming on, I know that’s all I want. “Yes,” I mutter.

“I can’t hear you, Caleb. Say it louder for those of us in the back,” she retorts and I can hear the smile on her face.

“Yes!” I shout, laughing at her.

“I’ll be over in thirty,” she says before the line goes dead.

Pulling my phone away from my ear, I look down at the black screen perplexed. What the fuck just happened? Did I just get railroaded by my twenty-year-old girlfriend?

Fuck. Theo is gonna lose his shit when he finds out.

True to her word, thirty minutes later Lauren’s Uber is pulling up outside my house.

I head to the door, opening it and lean against the doorframe, arms crossed taking her in.

She’s got her luscious blonde hair up in a ponytail, no makeup, and her usual sweats on.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful, even with the giant bruise covering the right side of her face.

She gets out of the car, practically running up the path.

Pushing off the doorframe, I reach for her and she jumps into my arms, wrapping her hands around my neck and her legs around my waist. I breathe her in as I take us inside, kicking the door shut.

She lifts her head off my shoulder and takes my face in between her hands.

“God I missed you.” She slams her lips against mine and I kiss her back, my tongue entwining with hers in a kiss that’s all passion and heat.

Pulling back, I brush a hand over her bruised face, taking in every minute detail. She winces at my gentle touch. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s okay. I’d love to say I’ve had worse but this is legitimately the worst I ever had. I think it looks worse than it is though.” She shrugs.

This woman is so strong. How does she do that? Just shrug things off?

“How are your hands,” she asks, unwinding her legs from around my waist and slowly lowering herself down. “Let me see.” Lauren grabs my hands and inspects them. They’re battered and bruised, but I’ve had worse.

“I’ve had worse.” I smirk as I haul her back into me, needing her close. I breathe in her intoxicating smell and just hold her. From the way Lauren is gripping my waist, I think she feels the same.

She peers up at me, a small smile playing on her lips as she runs her hands up my chest, goosebumps breaking out over my skin at her touch. “Well, now that’s over with, Professor, I have more important things to attend to.”

I grin. “Oh yeah, sweetheart. Like what?”

Lauren reaches up onto her tiptoes and grabs my hair gently, pulling me down to claim my lips with her own. I groan into her mouth, the taste of strawberries and vanilla flooding my senses as I pick her back up into my arms.

I grip her ass in my hands, caressing it as I walk us to the kitchen counter, putting her down and moving my hands to her waist, never once breaking the kiss. My cock is rock solid at this point, tenting my sweatpants, desperate to get to her.

Lauren starts pulling at my shirt and I get the hint immediately, drawing back from her and lifting it over my head. Her gaze is full of lust as she takes me in. Lauren places her palms on my chest and I’m sure she can feel how hard my heart is beating. Beating only for her.

Placing my hands on the bottom of her hoodie, I lift it up, my jaw practically hitting the floor when I see she’s not wearing anything under it—not even a bra.

I lower my head and capture one of her nipples in my mouth, sucking and biting until I’m leaving marks and then moving on to the next one.

Lauren’s panting and moaning at my not-so-gentle assault on her body.

Circling my tongue around her nipples one last time, I draw back and ask, “You wearing any underwear under these leggings, baby girl?”

Lauren smirks at me, a mischievous glint to her eyes. “Why don’t you look and see.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

Lifting Lauren up slightly, I pull her leggings down and find that she is indeed not wearing any underwear.

I nearly come at the sight of her bare cunt on my counter, glistening with her juices.

I run a finger from her ass to her clit and back again.

Lauren drops her head back, moaning, and opens her legs wider.

“Please, Caleb,” she sighs. “I need you to fuck me.”

I push a finger into her cunt and use my thumb to gently circle her clit. “Does this pretty little cunt want my cock? Hmm?”

“Yes, please. Don’t tease me. Please, please,” she cries.

Well fuck me. I can’t say no to that.

Pulling my finger out of her pussy, I put it in my mouth, sucking the juices off, groaning at the taste of her .

I lock eyes with Lauren and she’s watching me, a shy smile on her face. She grabs my face and pulls me in for a kiss, sucking my tongue as if it were my dick. I growl and reach for my cock, pumping it a few times before lining it up with her pussy, and thrusting into her.

“Shit, you’re so big,” Lauren gasps.

“Nah, you’re just tight.” I wink and she slaps my chest.

“Please move, Caleb. I really need you to fuck me, I’m so close to coming already,” she pleads.

Not one to disappoint, I start thrusting into her, slowly at first but getting quicker and quicker as I start chasing my own release. Lauren’s walls firmly gripping me, hurtling me towards the end before she’s had the chance to come.

We don’t do that ‘round here.

Lifting my head from its thrown back position, I gather spit in my mouth and dribble it onto her clit, using my free hand that’s not on her hip, to circle it.

“Fuck, yes. Right there, Caleb. Don’t stop,” she pants, as she clutches my shoulders tighter.

I lean down and take one of Lauren’s nipples into my mouth, sucking hard and she comes instantly, screaming my name. Her pussy walls clench my cock so hard I follow behind her, roaring out my release.

Moving my head down, I capture her lips with mine in a slow kiss, our tongues tangling together as we breathe heavily. Lauren finally pulls away, gazing softly at me as she says, “Never let go.”

My heart pounds in my chest as I look at the woman I love, who has become everything to me. Pushing back a strand of hair and kissing her forehead, I reply, “Never.”