Chapter 192

“You…” I’m certain I’m hallucinating now. After all my pleading, all my hoping, it doesn’t seem real that my wishes could all come true now in the final hour – the final minute. I try again to question it. “You…?” Once more, my voice falls flat.

“I made it the entire way to the vows,” Caleb says. “I was determined to do my duty. For kingdom. For country. But when it came time for me to do more than just stand there, I… couldn’t.”

I rub at my eyes now, desperate to clear them and see him. I stand from the sofa where I’d been crumpled up with my pain.

We stand three feet apart from each other, staring at each other. With my tears wiped mostly away, I can see him clearly now. He’s still wearing that tattered suit, with the blood splatter dried into dark splotches now.

Maybe I am as sick as he is, but he’s never been more handsome than in this moment. It could be the look in his eyes that steals my breath away.

Before, for as long as I’ve known him, his eyes have carried the weight of responsibility, of guilt and grief and exhaustion. Yet, right now, his relief makes him look younger. As does the other emotion in his eyes. The one I’m afraid to give a name to, for fear it might flitter away and never return.

He might now know what love is.

But he’s looking at me now like a man in love.

I have no idea what’s going to happen next. Leaving Annabelle at the altar is certain to have consequences for Caleb, for the kingdom, and probably for me too.

Yet right now, those consequences feel like they are a thousand miles away. All I really care about is Caleb and that look in his eyes, and my own growing love.

I don’t know the real reason he turned down Annabelle. But that he’s here… That he’s looking at me like that…

In this moment, it feels like he’s chosen me.

“Caleb…”

I say his name in invitation. He hears the message, immediately striding forward once more. He closes the distance in a flash. Wrapping his arms around me, he lowers his mouth down to mine, claiming my lips as fully and passionately as he claimed my heart.

I claw at his shoulders, overwhelmed by the intensity of his kiss. He licks his way into my mouth, his tongue probing deep, exploring all the corners of my mouth before tangling with my own tongue.

Of all the times we’ve kissed, I still cannot get enough. Each time feels different, today so desperate, fierce with his passion for me.

He tugs me to his body and pressed against him, I can feel the growing swell of his desire.

He can likely scent my returning desire as my panties grow damp.

Eventually, the kiss breaks as we both emerge for air. His mouth never ventures far from my mouth, not even as we both open our eyes to look at each other.

I’m afraid to look at first, but when I do, I’m relieved and thrilled to see that blatant love remain in his gaze.

His gaze on me, he works to unbutton the back of my dress. It’s mostly loose, meant for comfort more than still. After only a few twerks of his hand, the dress starts to fall down my shoulders. He tugs it the rest of the way, so that I am standing there in only my bra and panties.

His gaze falls to my tits with appreciation. He licks his lips as his hands work behind my back. Quickly, the clasp of my bra comes loose, and the bra falls away.

As soon as my perky, aching nipples are exposed, Caleb leans down and captures on into his mouth.

At once, I card my fingers through his hair. Back bowing, I try to give him more room.

One of his hands slides under my ass, pulling me up against his body, lifting my feet from the floor. I wrap my legs around him.

He laps and suckles my nipple, then pops off to kiss his way to the other breast. He dotes on that nipple with the same loving attention as the first.

At the same time, he carries me toward the bed. When we reach it, he lowers me down, but he remains standing.

With deft fingers, he quickly works on disrobing himself. The bloodied tatters get cast to the side. Soon, he’s standing before me in all his naked glory. His dick bobs, rock-hard.

I hold my arms out to him, wordlessly beckoning him toward me. He moves closer at once, slotting himself against me. My knees fall open, and he fits between them perfectly, as if he was made to be between them.

Or maybe I was made just for him.

Or maybe both.

He lines himself up with my entrance and then slowly eases himself deep into me. He gives me time to adjust, moving inch after slow inch. But I don’t need the adjustment time.

I whine in frustration and impatience. I want him inside of me now.

He huffs in laughter against the curve of my neck. “Patience.”

I claw my fingers down his back as I try to lift my hips up, meeting his torturously slow thrust.

He hums. “You want me this badly?”

“Yes,” I whimper. How could the answer be anything else?

“You like that I’m staying yours and yours alone, don’t you?” he asks. His mouth opens as he sucks a sloppy mark against the side of my neck.

Gods, yes. I did, more than anything.

“Say it, Harper.”

“Yes.”

“You want me to be yours.”

“Please.”

Finally, after what felt like forever, he plunges all the way inside of me, deep in to the hilt.

However, to my distress, there is exactly where he stays. Unmoving. Even as I start squirm.

He lifts himself up onto his elbows, peering down at my face.

I look at him pleadingly. I’ll beg if I have to. Whatever it takes to get him to move.

Yet, when I see that same loving look in his eyes again, I still as well. He looks at me as if he’s trying to memorize my face, taking in every inch, every inkling of my pleasure.

“Caleb…” I whisper, somewhat breathless by the sight.

“Keep your eyes on me,” he says. “Don’t close your eyes, understand?”

I nod.

“Good.”

Then, without further warning, he pulls himself almost all the way out of me. With a quick, brutal flick of his hips, he thrusts straight back inside of me.

Again and again, he keeps up the punishing pace. It’s exactly what I wanted.

I grab his shoulders trying to hold on while he fucks me hard onto the mattress. Behind us, the headboard of the bed slams against the wall.

Caleb’s hard dick slides in and out of me, pushing against my most sensitive spot with each forward thrust.

Pleasure soars through me.

I cry out and whimper as he pistons within me. “Ah! Oh! Ca-leb! Ah!”

Every time my eyes start to close, overwhelmed, he stops.

“N-no!” I beg, opening my eyes again.

“Keep. Looking. At. Me,” he growls, punctuating each word with a harsh thrust.

Then he unleashes.

Lost in pleasure, I can do nothing but feel his dick moving inside of me while I’m surrounded by the ocean of affection in his gaze.

I’ve never felt so safe. While simultaneously dragged to the edge of pleasure.

Just as I near the edge, I cry out, “Caleb!”

“Harper,” he growls, and we cum together.