Page 80 of Finding Home

After leaving the park, I’m tempted to drive around aimlessly for an hour or so. Long enough for Raine to fall asleep and for me to act like everything went according to plan, when I return home to Aubrey. But, of course, I can’t do that. I promised Aubrey full honesty. Good, bad, or ugly. In this case, ugly, unfortunately.

As I pull into my driveway, I’m surprised to find Raine already fast asleep in the back. Apparently, that whole experience at the park was exhausting her. For me, too, honestly. I’m wiped.

As I retrieve my daughter’s sleeping frame from her car seat and head inside, I practice the speech I’m going to give to Aubrey. The explanation. The excuse, really. But the second I see her worried, surprised face in the living room, my brain flips into fight or flight mode, and I forget everything I’ve been planning to say.

“What happened?” Aubrey gasps out. “Why are you back so early?”

“Let me get her into bed first,” I murmur, as I walk past her with Raine in my arms.

I swiftly head to Raine’s bedroom with Aubrey trailing behind and her panic wafting off her body and into my back like a palpable thing.

I get Raine settled onto her bed, march out of her room, and close the door behind Aubrey and me. And the second I’m alone with Aubrey in the hallway, even before I’ve said a single word, I nearly lose control of my emotions.

“What is it?” Aubrey asks, anxiety overtaking her features. “What happened?”

I can barely speak through the tremble in my voice. “I think maybe I fucked up.”

“How? Caleb, tell me what happened.”

I want to explain it to her, but I can’t find the right words. If Aubrey chews me out again, the same way she did in the middle of the street outside her parents’ house weeks ago, I’ll cry like a baby this time, and I don’t want to do that.

“You left without doing the hand-off?” she asks in a worried tone.

“I swear to God, Aubrey, it felt like Raine was channeling Claudia or something. I’m not a big believer in supernatural stuff, but it was like Raine knew she shouldn’t be anywhere near that man.” In a ramble, I describe the whole thing. And to my extreme relief and surprise, when I’m finished talking, Aubrey isn’t mad. In fact, she doesn’t even shake her head in disappointment. On the contrary, she pulls on my shirt, guiding me to her, and plants a tender, heartfelt kiss on my lips.

“You did good,” she murmurs. “You protected her.”

“I violated a court order. What if I’ve fucked us over?”

“We have to have faith in the social worker. She was there. She saw the situation. She’ll back you up.”

“But what if she doesn’t?” I rub my forehead, feeling stressed. I need to drink, bang on my drums, cry, fight, smoke, or fuck; and since only one of those options is currently available to me in this hallway, the very best one, I pick up Aubrey by her ass and carry her to my bedroom, kissing her passionately as we go.

When I reach my bed, I lay her down, peel off herclothes and mine, and breathlessly open the drawer of my nightstand to pull out a condom.

“No need,” Aubrey whispers hoarsely. “Come here. I want you inside me.”

She doesn’t need to ask me twice. I don’t know if that means Aubrey’s on some type of birth control, or if she’s saying she’s willing to risk getting knocked up by me. But, frankly, it doesn’t matter which it is, because, suddenly, other than getting custody of my daughter and living here in LA with both her and Aubrey, I can’t think of anything I’d enjoy more than putting a baby inside Aubrey fucking Capshaw.

I sit on the edge of the bed with my hard cock straining toward the ceiling, and Aubrey straddles me and slides herself onto my full length without delay or hesitation.

“You did so good,” she whispers, her palms on either side of my face and her eyes boring into mine. “You protected your baby girl today, exactly like a good father should.”

I grip her for dear life, praying she’s right about that, and Aubrey rides me, kisses me, and coaxes me with whispered words, like I’m a runaway, wild stallion, and she’s gently luring me back to the barn.

“Aubrey,” I grit out, digging my fingers into her bare back. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” She grabs my face, presses her forehead to mine. “Caleb.”

Holy fuck. This feels electric. I’ve never been honest like this. Not completely. I’ve always doled out half-truths to protect myself. Kept my mouth shut, when speaking wasn’t in my best interest. But with Aubrey, complete honesty is the only option. “Aubrey,” I whisper tightly, as my pleasure spikes and threatens to shove me over the abyss.

“I’ve got you, baby,” Aubrey whispers, her voice breathless and on the verge of breaking. She’s never called me baby before, I don’t think. I’ve calledherthat, countless times; but not the other way around. And for some reason, hearing the word out of her mouth feels like she’s electrocuting my nerve endings in the best possible way.

Gasping for air, I touch her clit as she gyrates on top of me, desperate for her to come before I lose control. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long before Aubrey grips my shoulders, hard, and unleashes an orgasm that squeezes my hard cock inside her with such blissful force, I’m momentarily blinded by pleasure.

“Aubrey,” I grit out, as my release overwhelms me. The word isn’t enough, but it’s the best I can do for now. A necessary stand-in for what I really want to say in this watershed moment:I love you, Aubrey Capshaw. And, baby, I’m positive I always will.

Chapter 31

---