Page 46 of Drive Me Wild
“Keep looking at me like that, and we might have to worry about giving the other diners a show.”
“Maybe I like that you can’t do anything about it right now.” The words surprise me as they come out, but I feel braver after seeing his vulnerable side. “That you have to sit there and behave yourself.”
“Behave myself?” He leans forward, dropping his voice. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“Aren’t you?”
“No, Zoe. I’m planning.” His foot hooks around my ankle. “Every single thing I’m going to do to you later.”
Heat floods my cheeks, but I don’t look away. “Tell me.” I pause, realizing how much hearing my name on his lips is more intimate than any pet name he comes up with. “And when youdo, call me by my name. I’ll never stop loving hearing you say my name.”
The rest of dinner passes in a haze of loaded glances and casual touches that feel anything but casual. By the time we finished eating, the restaurant had filled up around us, and the buzz of conversation and clinking glasses created a cocoon of privacy at our corner table.
Outside, the night has turned cool, and the deck lights reflect off the dark water. Caleb pulls me close, his hands settling on my hips.
“Thank you for coming out with me tonight,” he murmurs against my hair.
“Thank you for asking.” I turn in his arms, tilting my face up to his. “Even if we had to drive to another town to do it.”
“Worth it.” His thumb traces my bottom lip. “Though now I really want to kiss you, and I probably shouldn’t right here on the deck. I don’t think I could stop at just a kiss.”
My whole body thrums with want. “Probably not.”
“Come home with me, Zoe?” The question is soft, almost hesitant.
“Yes.” The word tumbles out before I can second-guess myself. “Yes, I want to.”
His smile is slow and dangerous. “Good. Because I have plans for you.”
The drive back to Owl Creek is going to be torture, I think, as we walk to our cars. But watching Caleb’s truck pull away, knowing where the night is heading, I can’t stop smiling. Maybe this time really will be different. Maybe this time, I can let myself believe that I’m enough.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Caleb
Ipull into my driveway while Zoe parks around the back. The whole way home, all I could think about was how ridiculous it was that we had to hide. I don’t want to push her, but I’m done with people acting like I’m bad news.
Because the thing is, I want to make it work with Zoe. I want to try in a way I’ve never cared to in the past.
I’m going to have a word with Cole in the morning and set things straight. If she’s on board, we can talk to Renée at the same time. Help them see we aren’t two stupid kids they need to be concerned about. It feels a little patronizing at this point, and maybe it’s just because I want to wrap myself around her no matter where we are. My teeth are grinding just thinking about it.
When she walks around the corner, and the light in the alley shines down on her, I feel like I’m going to lose all the self-control I exhibited at the restaurant. She’s what I want, and I’m going to show her that I’m serious.
When she reaches me, our fingers entwine, and my heart rate speeds up. It’s as if we’re about to cross a forbidden line, and the thrill is driving me crazy.
I unlock the door to the building and step aside for her to walk in, silently drinking in the sight of her. She’s become more bold, and it’s appealing. But it’s not just how she’s opened up to me. It’s how she walks and holds herself. She’s becoming even more sure than the night she changed everything. The night she told me she wanted more for herself.
And I want to give it to her.
I swallow the lump in my throat. Being what she needs is going to be the greatest challenge but also the greatest gift. The more I think about it, the more I never want to go back to the way things were.
I follow her upstairs as she lets herself into the apartment.
“You never lock this door.”
“I’m either here or the garage is locked, so there’s never a need.”
She’s walking down the hall, kicking off her shoes, and I reach around her and pull her to me. Her back is to my front, and the heat between us is enough to burn the place down.
Even though my whole being craves her, I need to make sure she is ready to cross that forbidden line. She’s only been with one other person, and the way I want her, I’m going to ruin her for any other man. But I no longer care because I don’t want her to be with another man.
