Page 24 of Keeping Caroline

“That was…incredible,” she whispered, nuzzling into my neck. “I never imagined it could be like this.”

I kissed her gently on the forehead, and then again on her lips. “And I never imagined it could be you, but I’m so glad it is.”

The moon was full as Caroline and I reluctantly pulled away from the lookout point up in the mountains, my body still tingling from what we’d done out there under the stars. Although we’d been flirting with each other for two days, I hadn’t expected what would end up taking place between us. All I hoped was that she wouldn’t end up regretting it.

Caroline rested her head on my shoulder as I drove, our fingers interlocking like pieces of a puzzle against my thigh. The night air was crisp and cool, but the silence in the car was charged, filled with words we’d yet to say. Although I wanted more from her, I had no intention of pressuring her to give what she couldn’t, and the not-knowing left the shadow of a pit in my chest, even in the afterglow of making love to her. If she was willing to give it, however, I wanted everything.

“Thank you for tonight,” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the humming of the car engine.

I smiled down at her and kissed her on the top of her head, unsure of how to respond. The emotions that swirled within me felt too raw, too vulnerable to expose just yet. “Thank you for choosing to spend time with me.”

As we drove through the winding roads that led back to Caroline’s cottage, I was acutely aware of every bump and turn, each shift of gear causing a brief separation of our skin before we found our way back to one another.

The world outside seemed like a distant memory, the landscape and stars blurring together as my focus remained entirely on the woman beside me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something profound was happening, that this connection we shared went beyond physical attraction into something deeper, more meaningful.

“Almost there,” I said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head again.

Caroline looked up at me, her eyes filled with a tenderness that made my heart ache. “I’m glad you’re here, Tristan.”

“Me too.”

The cottage’s warm glow cast a welcoming light as we pulled up, the gravel crunching beneath the tires as I parked the car. For a moment, we sat in silence, breathing the only sound in the car.

“Home, sweet home,” she whispered, her eyes locked onto mine.

Climbing out of the car, I walked around to the other side and opened her door, resting my hand on the small of her back as I followed her toward the front door. The minute we stepped onto the porch, as though we were teens getting home from a date, I couldn’t resist any longer. Leaning over, I captured her lips in a kiss that stirred my soul, setting my world on fire. With my arms wrapped around her, I pressed her against the outside of the house, caging her in as I devoured her mouth.

“Come. Shower,” she gasped against my mouth, tugging me toward the door. After all the time we’d just spent on the ground and the hood of my car, I didn’t object. My need for her was so intense that not even the prospect of chilly water could dampen it.

We stumbled through the door, nearly forgetting to close it behind us. Our lips never parted as we made our way down the dimly lit hallway, every step bringing us closer to the bedroom, our clothes discarded along the way.

As soon as the water began to cascade over us, all thoughts of restraint vanished. The sensation of her wet skin against mine only served to fan the flames of passion, our hands urgent as we touched each other.

“Fuck, Superwoman,” I breathed into her ear, my fingers tangling in her long, damp hair. “You’re fucking incredible.” She was a petite little thing, but her curves were succulent. All I wanted was to lay her on her stomach and eat a meal right off her plump backside.

Wrapping my hand around her tiny waist, I pressed her against the wall of the shower, mesmerized at how the water trailed down her full breasts. Unable to help myself, I leaned forward and took her nipple into my mouth, not caring that the deluge from the shower would probably drown me.

Her response was a moan, her nails digging into my back as she pressed herself even closer to me. I lavished attention on her breasts, her neck, returning to her lips and kissing her with a frantic, hungry pace. Though I’d already been inside her, I wanted to be inside her again—to go as deep as I could and stay for a while. But even in our insatiable passion, there were moments when our touches softened beneath the spray of the water, when our lips met in tender, lingering caresses that spoke of a growing emotional bond just as powerful as our physical one. All I wanted was to hear more of those little sounds she made when I made her feel good, but I wanted her heart more.

Although we could have easily allowed our passion in the shower to burn hotter until I had her taking my cock against the tiles, it was about more than that for me, so I wanted to make sure she understood that. She wasn’t just a warm hole for me to come inside. Caroline was special—someone who was worth forever. Plus, she was small and tight, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. So, although my cock was painfully erect the entire time, I’d washed her hair and body for her, caressing her curves with reverence. I stepped out of the shower without taking her again. There would be time for that later.

Lighting the fireplace in the living room, we settled down on the plush rug in front of the fire, the soft glow of the flames casting flickering shadows across the walls. Wrapped in a thick blanket, Caroline snuggled against my side, her head resting on my chest as I held her close. We shared a bottle of Pinot Noir between us, passing it back and forth as we sipped straight from the bottle. The warmth of the fire and the brush of her skin against mine sparked a sense of contentment I hadn’t felt in years.

Caroline’s fingers traced idle patterns on my bare chest, the crackling of the fire providing a soothing backdrop to our shared silence as we watched the flames. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy in the air, yet in that moment, words felt unnecessary.

“I never expected this,” she murmured softly, her eyes fixed on the dancing flames. “To feel so…at peace.”

Her vulnerability warmed my heart, and I turned to look at her, the flickering firelight casting shadows on her face, accentuating the curves and angles that made her uniquely beautiful.

“Me neither,” I admitted, my voice low. “But I wouldn’t change a thing.”

She smiled, a genuine expression that reached her eyes and filled me with a sense of belonging I had never experienced before, but I was scared to lose.

“Tell me about your family.”

The crackling of the fire seemed to hush for a moment, as if the flames themselves were eager to hear the secrets I held within. I hesitated, not out of reluctance but out of a deep-rooted need to choose my words carefully. “I have no blood family left,” I confessed, my gaze turning introspective as memories long buried resurfaced. “My parents died in a car crash when I was young. I spent a few years in the foster care system before I ran away. That’s when Legacy found me and took me in. He taught me everything about hacking, about surviving. He was more of a father than anyone else I’d ever known.”

Caroline’s hand found mine, offering silent comfort amid my pain. There was no question how much she had of her own. “I’m so sorry, Tristan,” she whispered, her fingers intertwined with mine as if to anchor me to the present. Her touch soothed wounds I had carried for so long, wounds that still throbbed with the ache of loss, but I knew she’d lost so much more.