Page 41 of Drive Me Wild
“I’m not experienced like the other women you—”
“I don’t want them, Zoe. I want more. And to me, that means you.”
“Me.”
“You.”
My heart is pounding in my chest, and my hands feel like they’re pricked with needles. I don’t know if I’m going to pass out or what, but I want to do this. I want to be with him, knowing he is doing everything possible to become someone else. “I thought you were going to show me what you like?”
“I just did.”
I crawl off him and scoot off the bed. “Don’t you want me to do stuff for you?” I feel like he gave me the most momentous orgasm of my life, and I’m supposed to return the favor.
Iwantto return the favor. I want him to never think of another woman again. And that thought alone tells me everything I need to know about us.
Caleb climbs off the bed and wraps his muscled arms around me, pulling me close enough to feel the heat radiating from his thick form. “Zoe, trust me when I say that bringing you to orgasm was all I wanted. And the fact that you were so turned on you ejaculated? If I were the type of man who keeps score, I’d say I just won the sex lottery.”
I’m definitely going to pass out. How is it possible that the guy who has women begging him for hookups thinks he won the sex lottery with me?
Maybe it’s because we’re good together.
“Okay, but I think I’m not ready for this to be less secret. Can we keep up the ruse a little longer so I can figure out how to tell Renée?”
“Anything you want, sugar.”
“Sugar? Nah. We have to work on the cute nickname.”
He winked at me and then tugged the sheets off the bed, replacing them with freshly laundered blue flannel ones. And I realize here and now, as I look around this room at this man and the life he’s built, that I’m falling for Caleb.
Chapter Twenty: Zoe
Caleb’s business plan is well-written and provides the outline I need to start on my own. He left the teenager alone downstairs to manage any incoming clients until lunch, and we finished the draft with help from all the numbers Mabel provided.
“I think this is a good start. Now, I need to create something to send to my competitors to find a buyer for my business. I’m going to need every penny I can get my hands on to make a downpayment on the loan.”
“Don’t you want to use it as collateral?”
“My business?”
“Yeah. Create something like Mabel did with your sales numbers and growth expectations. It might be worth more to them than the cash.”
“That’s really smart, Caleb.”
“Don’t look so surprised.” He leans over, kisses the side of my head, and then walks into the kitchen to refill my water glass.
“I’m not surprised. Not in the way that you might think.”
Caleb turns and leans against the counter.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not surprised at your intelligence. I’m surprised that you don’t own it more. From everything I have gathered about you and your twin, he’s the one who gets all the praise for his intelligence. Maybe he’s book smart, but you are real-life-smart. And that is the kind of intelligence that translates to getting things done in the world.”
“I think you are my favorite person, Zoe.” Caleb brings my water over and then pulls me in for a hug. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“You’re kind of hard to miss, Caleb.”
I open the glass doors to the sandwich shop and spot Avery drinking a milkshake at a table. She waves me over, and I plunk down in the seat across from her.
