Page 105 of I Don't Need Your Protection
He nods and closes the distance between us. His hands settle on my waist, as light as a feather, and the area where he touches me burns.
“And I put my hands here.” I lock them around his neck and slowly raise my head to look up into his face. He stares down at me with a soft expression.
We sway to the beat of the slow song. I don’t know how many minutes pass, but it feels like an eternity. I’ve never danced with a guy like this before, and it feels really good. Especially with a guy who…means something to me. Every part of me that he touches still burns, growing stronger by the second.
Getting lost in his eyes, I mutter, “I didn’t realize how tall you are.”
“I never realized how short you are,” he retorts with a small smile.
“Please. I’m normal height.”
He leans forward to whisper in my ear, “Your height is perfect.”
I gaze up into his eyes, once again getting lost in them. “Your height is perfect, too. Actually, every part of you isperfect.”
He reaches to tuck some hair behind my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Every part ofyouis perfect, Addie Hayes. We might have been forced to spend time together, but it’s the best thing to have happened to me.”
I swallow as my eyes drop to his lips. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course.” He brings his hand to my cheek and caresses it with the back of his fingers. “There’s no one like you, Addie. You’re special to me.”
More chills travel down my spine. “You’re special to me, too, Caleb. And it’s not because you saved my life. You were special to me before then.”
“How am I going to leave you?” he whispers, so low I barely hear him.
“Don’t,” I whisper back, my eyes once again dropping to his lips.
His lower to mine, too, and before I realize what’s going on, our faces move closer to each other.
“Caleb,” I whisper when his lips are only centimeters from mine.
“Addie,” he whispers back.
My eyes flutter shut as his lips make contact with mine. He’s very hesitant at first, partly because he’s never done this before, but also because he wants to savor every moment. Just like me.
But after a bit, he gently backs me to the wall and clutches onto me, his lips moving over mine more fervently. I’ve neverkissed anyone either, so I have no one to compare him to, but the way his lips move over mine feels like magic. I’m transported to another world, where I’m not in danger and he wasn’t hired to protect me. In this perfect world, I’m me and he’s him and the only thing that matters is what’s happening between us. The wonderful feelings he’s evoking in me and what I hope I’m evoking in him.
I feel so many of his emotions in this kiss. He was always on his guard because he didn’t think he could get close to me, but maybe he’s finally realizing that he can. Maybe he can live a different life. Maybe he can be happy.
I hope I’m showing him that I will be here for him. I want to get closer to him and destroy whatever armor he encased around himself. He can be totally open and honest with me. I’ll never judge him. I’ll just happily welcome him into my heart. He and I could—
He suddenly steps back, breaking our kiss. My eyes snap open and I find him staring at me with a shocked and confused expression. He stumbles back. “This shouldn’t, we shouldn’t…” He straightens his body and then marches to my phone. He shuts the music and keeps his back to me, saying, “You should get started on your homework.”
“Caleb.” I take a step toward him, but he whirls around.
“Start your homework, Addie.” He lowers himself in his chair and folds his arms across his chest, wearing the same expression he wore on his first days here. As though whatever progress we made until now, whatever was built between us, has completely vanished.
“No, Caleb,” I say in the toughest voice I can muster. “I won’t let you pull away from me. Not when it’s so obvious you feel the same way as I do—”
“I wasn’t hired for this. I was hired to protect you. Addie,” he says in a gentler tone. “Whatever happens in here doesn’t change what happens out there. Your life is still in danger and I’m one of the only people responsible for protecting you. If I don’t do my job properly, you could wind up dead. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts. Please start your homework.”
I want to protest, but from the expression on his face, it’s obvious he doesn’t want to discuss this further. So that’s it, then? He’s ignoring all that’s happened between us and going back to how we were when we first met?
How does that nothurthim?
