Caleb's Song Read online

  Straightening up, with Caleb’s hand still kneading and rolling her nub between his fingers, Gabby took a condom from the dresser and unwrapped it, rolling it down Caleb’s shaft, then, with a wink, she grasped Caleb’s erection, using her hand to guide his throbbing length deep inside of her aching centre. Caleb watched in fascination as Gabby slowly slid down the length of his shaft, almost all the way, and then slid back up again, torturously slowly, with a wicked smile on her gorgeous face. Desperate with need and unable to stand the wait any longer, Caleb released her nub, before reaching up and grabbing hold of her hips, pulling her all the way down on his shaft in one swift move, drawing a surprised gasp from Gabby’s parted lips. Caleb nearly came undone as he watched his shaft disappear completely into Gabby’s centre, feeling her muscles stretch to accommodate his size. She was mesmerising, he decided as he watched her arch her back, flinging her head back as she sung his name, taking him deeper still.

  He started to move inside her, his eyes feasting on the sight of her, hypnotised by the way her breasts swayed and danced for him as she met and rode every one of his thrusts, the way she threw her head back in a scream of triumph as she orgasmed atop of him, bucking her hips as her release tore through her. Gripping his hips, Gabby called his name, tipping him over the edge and grinding down on to him until his spasms stopped, collapsing on to his chest with a contented sigh. Caleb had never been more spent in his life, or more turned on. Being with Gabby was a heady experience that he was fast becoming addicted to, with her, everything just felt right, even the way her luscious breasts currently felt against his chiselled chest was exactly as it should be.

  Gabby woke to the feel of Caleb’s fingers dancing along her spine, early morning sunlight streaming in through the curtains. She rolled over slowly and stretched, smiling up at Caleb shyly, a blush starting to creep along her cheekbones, the memory of last night lingering in the air between them. She ached in places she didn’t even know existed. Gabby was floored by Caleb’s stamina, he never seemed to tire of her, sexually. They had barely slept, heck, they had barely let go of each other, thirsting to discover each other, to touch, to taste, to delight in exploration of attraction. Caleb’s gaze raked over her body, slowly, deliberately. Her blush deepened. Gabby looked around for the sheet, a tangled mess of fabric balled up on the floor.

  “You are breathtaking.” Caleb drew Gabby close, claiming her mouth with a fiery kiss that would be forever seared into her memory. His hand slid down to her centre, his length growing uncomfortably hard when his slender fingers discovered Gabby already wet, waiting, for him.

  Shifting slightly, Caleb pushed Gabby’s knees up, watching as she slowly lowered them, dropping them to her sides. She was completely open for him. Splayed out, he could see each one of her silky folds, the ripest of peaches, waiting for his mouth. Caleb groaned in pleasure; she would be the death of him. He dipped his head, flicking, teasing her sensitive nub with his tongue, claiming it with his mouth and sucking gently, as she writhed beneath him, gasping his name on her lips. He turned his attentions to her silky folds, glisteningly wet, begging for Caleb’s touch. His tongue slid inside slowly, deliberately teasing her, tasting her juices. Caleb continued to slide his tongue in and out of Gabby’s core, flicking her nub with his fingers, pinching, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger as she bucked her hips beneath him, her breathing growing shallow.

  “Caleb!” she pleaded, her hips bucking, “please!”

  “Please what? Tell me what you need.” He grinned wickedly. He wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to see her come undone at his hands, by his mouth, he wanted to know that it was his doing.

  “I want you. Inside me. Now!” She growled her demand fiercely. Caleb smiled, reaching over to the bedside table for a condom, he unwrapped it, slipping it on. After their first-time last night, he had been certain to use protection, he had promised Gabby he wouldn’t hurt her and as far as he was concerned, that also meant protecting her against any unwanted consequences. Caleb rose to his knees, learning over Gabby and using her knees as support, he drove his rigid length into her, before pulling out fully and stabbing in again and again. Gabby arched her back and bucked her hips to meet Caleb’s powerful thrusts, screaming with incoherent pleasure as he drove in harder and deeper, his thick member hitting the wall of her cervix.

  “Caleb, oh my god, Caleb, yes, yes!” Gabby didn’t hold back as he moved within her, encouraging him with her gasps and moans, urging him deeper with her grunted words.

  “Come for me.” Caleb ordered, knowing she was close. Pulling his length out fully, he gave one final thrust all the way into her core, and felt her walls tighten around his stiffened member as he pushed her over the edge, hearing her scream out his name with wild abandon. With one final thrust he exploded inside her, gripping her hips for support, until totally spent, he collapsed beside her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  She needed to move, she couldn’t put it off any longer, goodness knew what time it was, her parents were probably worried, either that or they would now be well worn out from looking after Lucia and Sofia. She stretched out, her arm reaching for Caleb, grasping at air, his side of the bed nothing but empty space. Huh. As if on cue, Caleb walked through the bedroom doorway, grasping two steaming mugs in front of him.

  “Good morning sleepy head.” He passed her a mug. “I may have found a state-of-the-art coffee machine in the kitchen cupboard.”

  “Good morning,” she accepted the mug eagerly, sipping the hot liquid carefully. “You made me a cappuccino?” She smiled up at him.

  “No,” he looked sheepish. “I couldn’t work out how to get the darn machine to switch on, so I gave up and called room service.” She laughed at this, a warm, sunshiny laugh that floated around Caleb and coiled in his heart. “Gabby,” he reached for her hand.

  “Caleb,” her voice held a soft warning. “Don’t. Don’t say it, let’s just leave it as it is, okay? I had a wonderful time last night, and this morning, and it is something that I will never forget, we don’t need to say anything else. A single night, a memory, that was all it ever was, was all it ever could be. Now it is time to head back to reality, for both of us Caleb. Me to the girls and my life in Beryl Creek, you to your family, to your music shop, maybe even to your guitar playing.” She nudged gently. Cupping his cheek, she placed a soft kiss on his lips, lingering ever so slightly. “I am so happy to have known you Caleb, to have spent time with you, thank you, for this, for last night, for everything.” She swung her legs off the bed. “I’m going to have a shower; I won’t be long.” As he watched her walk away Caleb was full of a sense of foreboding. He knew she was right, reality was calling, they had to go back. He just wished it didn’t have to be so soon.

  The drive back to Beryl Creek from Bradford was quiet, subdued, both Caleb and Gabby lost in their own thoughts. He glanced at her and smiled, thrilled when she returned it. She was going to be a hard act to follow, that was even supposing that he wanted anyone else to follow. Truthfully, he wasn’t so sure. He had managed twelve months without needing anyone to bed, perhaps he simply wasn’t interested? Or maybe Gabby had been the one to break the dam, and now he would be back to normal, whatever that was, happily taken a different woman to bed each night of the week, not caring what other people thought? It was a sobering thought, one that did not sit well with Caleb. He didn’t want people to think that of him, he didn’t want to think that way of himself, he didn’t want to be that way, not now, not after Gabby, not anymore. He pushed all thoughts of the future aside, he still had two more days in Beryl Creek, two more days with Gabby and her family, he was going to make them last.

  By the time they arrived at the camel races the sun was already high in the sky. Gabby had texted her father to find out where they had parked Maria’s minivan, and they were now trawling the carpark looking for a space nearby. One opened up two cars down and Caleb patiently waited for the driver to reverse, before sliding in and cutting the engine. Caleb and Gabby w
andered through the gate, and down to the spot they used yesterday, Maria and Nico being creatures of habit, it was easy to spot them. Lucia and Sofia mobbed Caleb and Gabby, both talking at once, relating every little thing that had happened in the past eighteen hours. Anyone would think that Gabby had been away for weeks instead of a single night. Nico greeted them enthusiastically, filling them on the camel heats that had taken place earlier that day, while Maria sat in her chair, lips pressed firmly together in a tight line, very obviously unimpressed. Gabby tried to engage Maria in conversation, but soon gave up and flopped down on the blanket next to the girls, who were comparing their camels and trying to decide if either of them would win.

  Caleb wasn’t sure if it was just him, but the afternoon seemed to really drag by, until, finally, with a last whoosh of hooves and an insane amount of dust, All Bets Off crossed the finish line to take out first place. Her rider couldn’t have looked more unlike a camel racer if she had tried to. A heavy set forty-five-year-old local woman, Annie Sinclair worked as a primary school teacher during the day, only entering the camel race as a dare, egged on by her husband Darren, the local post office clerk. Darren had been giving her a hard time over her fear of camels for years, this was the perfect way to get him to eat a slice of humble pie. She stole the camel cup from last year’s winner, John Walsh, who came in second and didn’t seem to care at all. As wind-down musicians take to the stage, Caleb again helps the Bianchi’s to pack up their belongings, and as a higglety pigglety group they sashay down the ghost gum-studded trail that ushers visitors from the park. As they pass Sascha, Gabby and her embrace, lifelong friends, having bonded over shared tales. As the sun dips down in the sky, a soft breeze ruffles Caleb’s hair, the sounds of camels moaning can be heard from the pens nearby. It is time to go.

  As Caleb followed Maria’s car through the main street of Beryl Creek, something didn’t seem right. It was far too busy, even for a Sunday afternoon.

  “Does there seem like a lot of cars in town today?”

  “Hmm? It is probably just leftover tourists from the camel cup, enjoying a meal and a cold beer before heading back to Sydney or some other town. Why? You don’t like crowds?” Gabby teased gently.

  “I don’t like accidents that can be caused by crowds,” he corrected her.

  “It is fine Caleb,” Gabby fixed him with a thoughtful stare. “This is a small town, anytime there are more than a dozen cars parked in the main street it looks like an invasion of tourists, we are nearly home, it will be okay.” The further they drove; the more paranoid Caleb became. He could have sworn that the publican had pointed and stared as they drove past. It must just be his guilty conscious, there was no way that anyone knew he had spent the night with Gabby, no way at all.

  As they turned down Gabby’s street, Caleb knew he hadn’t been imagining anything at all. There, camped outside her house, were a dozen media vans, covering all the major television networks. A swarm of paparazzi had Maria’s car surrounded, Caleb could tell from here that Lucia and Sofia were scared, not sure of which way to look.

  “Darn them!” Caleb growled, slamming his brakes on and screeching to a stop at the curb.

  “Caleb, what on Earth?”

  “Get the door unlocked now.” Caleb ordered without looking back at her. “I’ll get everybody else.” Gabby had no idea what was going on, but she knew now was not the time to argue with Caleb. She flung open the car door and sprinted up the sidewalk to the front door, throwing her arm up across her face to shield her eyes from the multitude of bombarding flashes that were currently going off in her face. Finally, the key turned, and she shoved the door open with a firm push, wishing that she had insisted that Bella be allowed to stay inside. She would have been a handy deterrent right about now.

  Caleb slipped in behind her, slamming the front door, Lucia and Sofia each gripping tightly to one of his hands. “Here, take the girls, I’m going back to help your parents inside,” he spun on his heel and was out of the door and down the walkway before Gabby had time to respond.

  “Here, quickly, go through into the lounge room. Don’t open the curtains, okay? We don’t want anyone taking photos inside the house. I’m going to call the police, don’t move until I get off the phone.” She kissed them each quickly, giving them a squeezy hug, before crossing into the office and snatching the phone up out of its cradle. Whoever these people were, they had no right to be taking photos of her house, or of her or the girls for that matter, and she intended to have them arrested. The phone was answered by the local police station on the third ring, one of the benefits of living in a small-town Gabby supposed. Gabby explained the situation to Hank, the officer in charge and one of her old school friends, and he promised to have every unit on the way to her house by the time she disconnected the phone call. Gabby didn’t doubt him, he had always been a man of his word.

  Gabby had just hung up the telephone as Caleb wheeled her father through the door, her mother dashing in after them, shutting the door with a loud crack.

  “What the hell is going on? Gabby, what happened?” Maria looked frazzled, flopping down on the sofa next to Lucia and Sofia, pulling them close for a cuddle.

  “Girls, go upstairs please, I want you to play quietly in your room, you can watch the television if you would like to, I want to talk to your grandparents for a little while okay? I will call you when you can come back downstairs again.” Sofia and Lucia went willingly, it wasn’t very often they were allowed to watch television in their room, and they were eager to get upstairs and decide on a show they both liked. Once the sounds of their running feet had reached their bedroom upstairs, Gabby turned to Caleb, arms crossed over her chest. “Yesterday at Bradford, there was a photographer there, did you know that he was going to be there?”

  “A photographer? Gabby, what are you talking about, why would there be a photographer?” Maria was confused.

  “Mum, please, I need Caleb to answer.”

  “What? No, how can you even think that?”

  “How can I think that? Are you serious right now? Caleb, there was a photographer last night, he took your photo, mine too by the way. I asked you about it, and what dd you say? You told me that your parents were wealthy, that they were well known in their social circle. Was that the truth?”

  “Mostly.” Caleb wished he was anywhere else, wished that Gabby would stop looking at him with accusations in her eyes.

  “Mostly. Caleb, what does that mean?” Her eyes narrowed. “You know why the press is camped outside, don’t you? Just how wealthy are your parents Caleb, how well known?”

  “It isn’t my parents, it is me.” He admitted quietly, waiting for a reaction. He didn’t have to wait long, all three pairs of eyes coming to rest on his face. He tried not to fidget, tried not to twitch, tried to remain outwardly calm, but knew he was fast running out if time, that stalling was not going to work for much longer.

  “What do you mean? You’re rich?” Gabby sounded so unsure, it made Caleb want to laugh. He found it refreshing, he couldn’t remember the last time someone had been unaffected by the fact he was rich.

  “Rich, sort of,” Caleb smiled. “I’m a multi-millionaire Gabby.”

  “You’re a what?” Gabby felt faint, Caleb had lied to her.

  “A multi-millionaire. Have you heard of the band The Three Odd Lizards?” Gabby nodded mutely, she knew that Lucia and Sofia listened to them frequently. “Well, that is me. I’m Caleb Roman, lead guitarist. That is why the press is outside right now. That is why my photograph was taken last night, although I swear to god Gabby, that was not planned, and I had no idea that they would be there. Had I known; I would never have taken you there.” As soon as the words left his mouth Caleb realised his error.

  “You would never had taken me there? Really Caleb, why not? Too embarrassing for you to be seen with me is it?”

  “Gabby, it’s not like that, honestly, let me explain.”

  “Answer me this Caleb. Did you deliberately lie to me, to my
family?”

  “Yes. No, it wasn’t like that”, Caleb sounded desperate, even to his ears.

  “Then how was it Caleb?”

  “I needed to get away, my house is nothing but memories, I didn’t want to be there. I needed to go somewhere when I could just sit and think. When I arrived, no one seemed to recognise me, it was...Refreshing. So, I didn’t tell anyone who I was, but I didn’t lie either Gabby, I told you my name.”

  “You said you owned a music shop.” Nico helpfully added to the conversation.

  “And I do,” Caleb affirmed. “It just isn’t my main job,” Caleb confessed sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I honestly thought that no one would ever find out. I would never have come to Beryl Creek, would never have stayed here with you guys if I ever thought that there was any possibility of me being discovered. I have spent the last twelve months in seclusion, in hiding, that I selfishly thought it was my new reality, I never considered that the press would still be interested in my whereabouts. I’m sorry.”