Filed to story: Crushing on My Enemy Stepbrother
Flicking my gaze up toward the ceiling, I let out an exhausted breath. It’s time to deal with my f.uck up, and I’m not sure how this is going to go. Tessa is a strong-willed woman and I f*cked up badly by forgetting that. Never a man to put off the inevitable, I shove myself out of my father’s chair and head up the stairs, stopping outside of Tessa’s room and gingerly trying the door handle.
Locked, she’s locked me out physically as well as emotionally it seems. OK, so she’s even more p.issed than I thought she was, lifting my hand, I knock softly, listening for movement. When I hear none, I call out to the woman inside.
‘Tessa? It’s me, look, I’m sorry, I should have told you what was going on and asked your opinion. I know you don’t need me to take care of you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.’ I close my eyes briefly, gathering my thoughts. Opening them again, I rest an arm on the doorframe, staring at the floor. ‘I meant what I said before, you are under my skin. You are burrowed so deep under there that I can never get you out again, and the thought of something happening to you? I . . . I just can’t . . ‘
The door swings open, to reveal the woman that plagues my mind constantly. She’s dressed in a pair of boy shorts and a top that shows off her mid-drift and everything south of my stomach reacts to her.
‘Nice outfit’ I murmur gruffly.
Tessa tilts her head, looking at me with a neutral expression that I hate before slowly stepping back and allowing me to enter her room, shutting the door behind me.
Caleb’s POV
Stepping inside of Tessa’s room, I try to gauge what the woman is thinking. She doesn’t come off overly hostile, but there is also no attempt to touch me in any way and no sign of the smile that I’ve grown used to seeing.
She waves a hand toward her bed and I do as instructed, taking a seat, hoping she’ll sit next to me, but she doesn’t. Instead she pulls out the chair from in front of her vanity and places it in front of me, taking a seat before meeting my gaze.
‘I do not appreciate you treating me like a child’ she informs me sternly. ‘I am nearly twenty years old, I can make my own decisions about my life. You were out of line and though I accept your apology, I will not tolerate it happening again.’
I nod dumbly, keeping my mouth shut, my fingers gripping onto the blankets I’m sitting on to stop myself reaching out to her.
‘If you think I need security or protection’ Tessa continues, ‘I will listen to your advice, and more than likely agree to whatever plan you think is best. I know that you, Gage and Callan are experts in this type of thing but that doesn’t mean that you can just bulldoze over me and my opinions.’
I swallow the lump in my throat, f.uck, she’s going to tell me she wants nothing more to do with me, I’ve shown her how f.ucked my head is and how overly cautious I’m going to be and she can’t deal with it.
I jump at the warmth of a small hand falling onto my arm, my gaze jolting up to hers to find her smiling softly.
‘You are over thinking Caleb’ she murmurs, ‘I can see your head spinning, you need to stop doing that.’
‘How’ I croak, ‘I don’t know how to do that.’
She laughs lightly, ‘by letting people finish what they are saying before you run off on a tangent in your own mind’ she replies.
‘Sorry’ I mutter, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze.
‘I like you Caleb’ she says quietly, ‘I really like you, you are a good man and I can see that you are trying to protect me. But I deserve the respect to be told what is going on when it concerns me and my safety. If this . . ‘she waves between us, ‘if it’s going to be something, then you can’t treat me like a helpless child.’ She bites her lips, worry creasing her brow, ‘unless last night . . . if that was a one time thing for you, I mean, our emotions were heightened and everything . . If you didn’t really mean . . ‘
I react before I realise it, my hand curling around the back of her neck as my other one tugs her gently from the chair, toward me, making her straddle my legs as I shift back slightly to make room for her.
I press my forehead to hers, ‘I meant every word baby’ I rumble, soaking in the warmth of her skin through her top that is now inches from my own.
‘I tried, I really tried to keep away from you, but my brother and Callan are right, we didn’t grow up together and I’m not willing to walk away anymore. I can’t walk away from you, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know I want to find out.’ I study her face, seeing the ghost of that smile I love so much. ‘Do you want this too? Was it just a one time thing for you? An itch to be scratched or a way to feel close to someone after everything that happened?’
I wait, my heart thumping as she tilts her head back slightly, her smile growing. ‘I want to know where this heads too’ she whispers before pressing her lips to mine.
With a growl of desire, I take control, tilting her head how I want her, to give me the best access as I plunder her mouth. A whimper of longing escapes from her lips and I swallow it eagerly, my hand sliding up the tiny top, tracing her spine with my fingertips as I revel in the feel of her skin.
She tastes like the mint from her toothpaste and that sweetness that is purely her. I allow myself a few minutes, need these moments where we are just enjoying each other’s company and nothing else matters.
Reluctantly, I pull away, her lips following mine as I lean back, that kissable mouth outing slightly as she whimpers.
‘Baby’ I murmur, bringing her back to me, ‘we need to talk about what we are going to do next.’
Slowly, Tessa’s eyes open, her hazy gaze clearing as she focuses on me, understanding flickering across her face.
‘You think we should leave’ she says, it’s not a question, she knows.
I nod sadly, ‘I could be overreacting’ I start.
‘But you don’t think you are, do you’ she responds astutely.
I shake my head, ‘normally I’d think this would be the safest place for us no matter what’ I murmur, ‘but, they got into the grounds, and we don’t know how.’
‘But the cameras’ she starts to argue, so I silence her with another kiss.