Page 8 of Pretty Baby

“Thanks!” the delivery woman shoved the flowers into his arms then snatched the cash. She was off the porch and stomping down the steps before he had a chance to blink.

“Uh, thanks,” he called out.

He peered down at Lucy, his black lab but she merely gazed up at him. Not helpful in the least. Daisy, his pit-bull and Gunny, his pug weren’t any more help as they played in the yard from when they’d made their escape.

“Daisy! Gunny! Come!”

Both dogs immediately perked up and raced toward him. Daisy nudged the hand that held the vase before sticking her nose into the arrangement. She backed off sneezed and huffed. Okay, well that still wasn’t helpful. Caleb turned and walked back into his house flabbergasted. He wasn’t sure what to do with the flowers. He headed to the kitchen since that was the best plan he had. They were already in a vase so Caleb hoped there wasn’t anything he needed to do. He didn’t think anyway.

Maybe it was for the wrong house? A mistaken address? But no, the delivery girl had asked if he was Caleb Levell. Caleb set the flowers in the middle of the black and gray granite island and stared at them. He had to admit that the red roses were gorgeous, stunning really, but why had he received them?

Shifting from one foot to another Caleb stared at the flowers.

That was when he spotted the white card tucked into some of the pretty green around the flowers. He plucked up the card. His fingers shook as he pulled out the card.

Pretty Boy,

I really enjoyed our evening together. I hope to see you again soon.

Meet me at the club tonight? 8 pm.

Grant

Caleb gasped and dropped the card. He hadn’t thought that he’d hear from Grant again. When the detective hadn’t even tried to come inside and take Caleb to bed, Caleb had figured that Grant had lost interest in him. While he hadn’t wanted to be just another a notch in the detective’s belt Caleb also had felt rejected.

But Grant had called him pretty. And had said he wanted to see him again.

Caleb had no idea what to do.

He bent and picked up the card before placing it carefully on the island next to the vase. Caleb had to get one more sniff of the flagrant flowers before he backed away slowly. His white cat Gus and his black baby kitten Lily strolled into the kitchen and as a group, they all stared at the flowers for a long time. It seemed his babies didn’t know what to do any more than he did.

“Come on guys,” he called as he started to exit the kitchen. He couldn’t just stare at the roses all day. Could he? No, that was stupid.

In a trance, he walked through his house hating the silence. He bought the huge place because that was what he thought he’d needed to do. Caleb had the money and he would never live again with his mother so he’d needed his own place. He’d chosen not to live in an apartment since he was burnt out of having to deal with people. When he’d started to rescue his babies he needed the space to house them so his big house worked well for his babies.

He’d just never realized how lonely he could be even with his pets. Thank God he had them though or Caleb would truly be pathetic. He’d not had friends or anyone to care about him other than his furry crew and the fake relationships that came with modeling and acting. They’d at least given him some socializing.

He walked into his bedroom and straight to his bed. The maid service wouldn’t be in for a couple of days so his bed was still unmade. He crawled back under the covers and pulled them over his head.

Moments later the thump of the big dogs and cat and scrape of nails on the ramp to the bed for his pug and kitten signaled all the fur kids joining him.

Caleb wanted to call Grant and thank him for the flowers but he didn’t have the detective’s number. He had no way to contact him.

Unless of course, he went back to the club as Grant wanted.

Caleb normally didn’t go two nights in a row but he had no other way of seeing Grant. And he really wanted to see the detective. At least to thank him for the flowers. That would be polite, right? Who was he kidding? He was intrigued. Grant hadn’t fucked him but still wanted to see him.

Caleb’s phone dinged with a message reminder which had been the only reason he’d been awake when the delivery woman had arrived.

His old manager had been calling and texting trying to get Caleb to agree to a quick modeling job that Rob thought Caleb would be perfect for. Caleb didn’t need to work, didn’t want to, but Rob rarely reached out to him since Caleb had retired. Rob had been good to Caleb making Caleb feel like he owed it to his old manager to accept the job.

Since avoiding his phone was his only plan for the day Caleb closed his eyes and fantasized about how he’d wished the night with Grant had ended.

What if Grant had followed Caleb into his house? Hell, not followed, Grant would have led the way. Then ordered Caleb to his knees. Maybe even in the middle of the entry. That had been done to Caleb before. A few Dom’s hadn’t made it past the living room before they’d fucked him and left.

In his fantasy, though, Grant wanted to take his time. Maybe the detective would even pick him up and carry him to the room that Caleb used for sex. The gray bedspread would match the handsome older man’s eyes perfectly.

After being fucked into the mattress would Grant be out the door before his come cooled or would he be the one that stayed and held Caleb? In the fantasy, Grant was holding him against his chest telling Caleb what a good boy he was. How pretty Caleb was.

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