Poison Me Sweetly (7 page)

He flashes me a smile. “Thanks.” He motions to the
bartender and asks for water.

Two minutes later, I'm walking away from the bar with
a water in my hand while Caleb walks beside me. I don't know how he does it.
Maybe it's because he's just so playful. Either way, I need to watch myself, or
he'll talk me right out of my panties before I'm even aware of it.

After I'm properly hydrated, Caleb coaxes me back out on
the dance floor. I'm smart enough to know I should be leaving right about now.
Alone. But Caleb's playfulness tonight is irresistible. I'm used to men coming
at me with single minded determination but not in the lighthearted way that
Caleb is tonight. I know he wants me in his bed. I see it in his eyes, the way
they flicker over my body with an intensity that makes my breath catch.

I find myself struggling with the slutty parts of me
that want to go back to his place to take what he's offering. It'd be good.
Real good. Then there's the other part of me tonight that is moodier, almost
angry over the fact that I've given my body over so very often, only to find
that the darkness within me hasn't eased or disappeared. It's always there,
always waiting.

Caleb's hand on my jaw—tilting it upwards so he can
peer into my eyes—has me coming back to the present. His eyes hold mine. “Hey
there.”

I need to escape him before this sexual inferno he's
woken up inside me takes over. I smile and pull back slightly. “I need to use
the ladies room,” I tell him lightly as I fight for control, desperately trying
to calm the flames of desire.

Those blue eyes search mine, and something shifts
within their depths. He nods and slowly releases me.

I dart off before another word can be said. I'm such a
little chicken shit. A couple days ago I would have probably left with him
already for the night. I'd be on my back by now, experiencing the mind blowing
orgasms that his eyes are promising me.

I find my escape in the women's restroom, and I
quickly move to the sink to run icy cold water over my wrists as I fight the
urge to jump Caleb. Somewhere inside me, I fear that once would not be enough
with him. I've always been able to hold myself at a distance with Jeremy—well,
mostly. It's easy to have sex with him, then the next day everything is back to
normal. He lets me control the way we interact. He takes his cues from me.

Caleb isn't the type to be controlled.

I shake my head as I think of how he's gotten under my
skin for the evening with his teasing. The man is determined and his tactics
work. He'd probably seen my conversation with Ace and had known that I'd
welcome the light hearted side of him versus the 'in your face' sexual
determination that he's hidden well tonight. And I've been falling for it, too.

Well, not anymore.

Maybe I can sneak out and get a cab without him
knowing. With that thought in mind, I quickly use the bathroom, wash up, and
then exit the rest room only to come to a surprising halt. Caleb stands by the
door, waiting. I manage a teasing smile to hide my dismay. “You might want to
dial back your psycho a bit, Cowboy,” I say lightly as I move to walk away from
him to enter the bar. I only get two steps away from him before his hands
settle on my shoulders, and I find my back pressed against the opposite wall in
the narrow hallway. My eyes widen as he stands before me, all confident and
suddenly commanding.

I watch as the playful facade from earlier fades from
his expression. “I don't think so, Sparky,” he muses, but the look in his eyes
is anything but playful.

I lick my bottom lip nervously, and his eyes drop to
the movement, causing them to darken even further. I mentally curse myself
before pasting a cool smile on my lips. “What, no pick-up line?”

“It's time for the fun and games to end.”

“I'm not going home with you,” I warn defiantly.

He invades my personal space, his body moving in as
his warm hands settle on my hips. His face hovers mere inches from my own.
“Yeah, you are,” he says softly. “You're a fire cracker, I'll give you that.
You've got a smart mouth and a temper to match or so I've heard.” His right
hand begins to massage my hip, sliding down and then curving towards my ass.
“I've got you primed and ready to go tonight. All you need is someone to light
the fuse, and you'll go up in fucking flames,” he says seductively before his
lips capture mine.

I'm helpless to stop him. His words have my body
tingling, my panties dampening. He'd been toying with me all night. He got my
defenses down, and now he's playing his winning card. Son of a bitch. But yet
I'm still here, pressed against the wall, his mouth moving over mine, teeth
nipping gently as he asks for me to open up. Instead of pushing him away, I
find myself slightly bewildered. The way he spoke, the way he his body molds to
mine, you'd think he'd be more demanding with this kiss. He nibbles gently on
the lush fullness of my lower lip, and I'm opening my mouth before I can think
better of it. His tongue sweeps in as if he owns me, and here comes Mr.
Dominating. My body tenses as his hands run along the back of my hips to cup my
ass, then he pulls me up against his full erection and grinds his hips slightly
into mine. His tongue dances in and out of my mouth, mimicking his body's
movement. Mimicking sex. All I can think about is what it’d feel like to have
him inside me. I’m so wet right now just from the thought.

The low moan I release escapes into his mouth, and his
hands tighten on my ass reflexively as he pushes further into me, causing my
legs to spread further. His mouth shifts to the corner of my mouth, and he
rasps against my lips, “You coming or not?”

The innuendo isn't lost on me. I shiver as the seam of
his jeans brushes against that oh so sensitive spot between my legs in a
seductive rhythm. The thin material of my dress is no match for him. I bite my
lip hard to keep from telling him what he wants to hear.

Caleb pulls back, and his blue eyes hold mine. “One
night. That's all I'm asking for, Zoey.”

“Okay,” I whisper as my resolve crumbles. I'm so
screwed. Literally and figuratively.

“About fucking time,” he mutters. He grabs my arm and
drags me towards the door at the end of the hall that has an exit sign above
it.

Now that I've made up my mind and the internal
struggle is over, I find myself anticipating what the night will bring. Soft
laughter escapes as he tugs me outside, the door slamming shut loudly behind
us. “In a hurry, are we?” I tease. If we're going to do this, I'm going to
fight to stay in control of the situation.

His warm hand tightens around mine as we hurry around
the building to the darkened side parking lot. “You would be too if you
remembered how it is between us,” he says, reminding me that we've been down
this road before. Only tonight I won't be passing out on him.

And I'll definitely be remembering it.

Caleb leads me to what looks like a dark blue Ford
Focus. He unlocks the passenger door, but before I can climb in, he steps
forward and traps me against the car with his body. His lips angle over mine,
and now that I've made up my mind to take what he's offering, I allow my hands
to slide up his shoulders to settle along the nape of his neck. The kiss is
hot, and intense, as his tongue skillfully teases mine. It’s deep and hungry,
but not nearly satisfying enough. He must be thinking along the same lines I
am, because he tears his lips from mine, then gently nudges me to the side so
he can open the door for me. Even in a hurry, he's not forgetting his manners.
I like that. I study him for a moment, and our eyes connect. His lips curve in
a sensual smile. “Get in, Zoey.”

“You better be worth it, Caleb.” I know he will be,
but that doesn't mean he needs to know that. Let him think I'm doubting his
sexual prowess.

His eyes narrow.

I simply shrug and climb in. As soon as my feet clear
the door, he shuts it gently before walking to the other side. I make a move to
instinctively tug my hem down, then I change my mind. Two can play this game. I
leave the hem where it is—far from appropriate—as I slip on my seat belt.

Caleb sinks into the driver's side seat and starts up
the car. He happens to glance at me, and his gaze automatically drops to the
indecency of my dress. I hear his breath catch slightly as his lips part. I
watch his lips clamp shut as he yanks his gaze from the sight of my thighs and
shoves the car’s gear in reverse.

I fight back a smile. He's kept me off balance all
night, but now that I know where this is going, I'm back on solid ground. I
think he wants me more than I want him at the moment, so that puts the control
back in my court. Don't get me wrong, I want to screw him, because I know it's
going to be crazy good. But if we don’t tonight, I know in the long run it
would be for the best. All Caleb is thinking with tonight is his dick.

The silence in the car is tense and thunderously loud
as Caleb navigates his way through the evening traffic. I glance at him in the
corner of my eye and his jaw is set. My eyes drop to his lap, and I see he's
sporting quite the erection.

 I can’t resist playing some more. My right hand
slides to the seat belt on the left side of my waist, and it slowly follows it
up to where it rests across my right breast. I ease the belt back, pretending
to get more comfortable as I deliberately shift in the seat, causing my breasts
to strain against the thin fabric of my dress. The bra I’m wearing tonight has
already pushed them to their limit, but my wiggling has them nearly falling out
of the confines of my top.

Caleb makes a strangled sound in his throat. “Sit the
fuck still.”

“The seatbelt is digging into me,” I say innocently.

His eyes slide to mine, there's a promise within those
depths that makes my body burn. “Suffer through it, and I'll make it up to you
when we get there.”

“Well, when you put it like that.” I let the seatbelt
snap back in place with a little
thwack
.

“I like you better when you're not drunk. I know
you're
messin
' with me, but I like it anyway,” he
says out of the blue, a smile tugging at his lips.

“You have no idea what you're getting yourself into,”
I warn.

He glances at me briefly before he turns onto Clark
Avenue. “Oh, I've heard a lot about you. People talk.”

“Don't believe everything you hear about me, the truth
is much worse.”

“With you, I'm sure it is,” he murmurs.

When he pulls into the apartment complex, I sit straight
up in my seat. “I thought we were going back to your place. My place is off
limits.”

“I live on the fourth floor.”

Oh. He pulls into a parking space, and then we are
climbing out of the vehicle. I straighten my hem so it's appropriately decent,
and Caleb settles a warm hand on the back of my waist as we cross the parking
lot to the back entrance. My wedges click on the pavement, and it's the only
sound between us as we slip inside. Caleb promptly leads me to the elevator.

As soon as we are inside and the doors have slid shut,
Caleb has me shoved up against the wall, his body pressing intimately against
my own. His firm lips take mine in an urgent kiss as his hands cup my breasts,
squeezing lightly as he re-familiarizes himself with my body. Our tongues
tangle as his thumbs find my nipples through the bra. He rubs back and forth,
teasing the points, and I gasp, arching my back and pressing closer. One of his
hands drops to my hip, then it slides under the hem of my dress and up between
my legs. When his fingers brush over my damp panties, he groans into my mouth
and breaks the kiss, his breath warm against my swollen lips as he says, “I
knew it,” in a low, velvety voice.

“Knew what?” I murmur seductively as I turn my head
and nip at his earlobe. My hips thrust against his hand, which still rests on
my heat between my thighs. I want him to touch me. Badly.

His eyes hold mine as he slips a finger under the edge
of my panties, causing me to gasp as he carefully eases it inside me. “You've been
like this all night, haven't you?” He shakes his head as his eyes grow heavy
lidded with lust. “Don't know why you keep trying to deny what's between us.”
His finger curves and begins to move in a rhythm that has me clutching his
shoulders tightly.

“All that's between us is good sex. For one night,” I
say deliberately, though my voice is breathless from pleasure as I urge him to
give me more.

The elevator reaches the fourth floor and opens up.
Over Caleb's shoulder, I see two young men standing there, waiting to step in.
Their eyes turn amused when they see us and they leer. They can’t see anything,
but I can feel heat rising to my cheeks. Caleb ignores them as he quickly yanks
his hand out from beneath my skirt. Once he’s made sure I am decently covered
again, he steps back from me, his expression coolly calm as he escorts me off
the elevator with a hand on the small of my back. Neither of us speak as we
walk to his apartment doorway at the end of the hall. My body is so wired that
the men are immediately forgotten. I anticipate finishing what we’d started in
the elevator.

Caleb unlocks the door and gently nudges me inside. I
step in and look around as he flips on the light before shutting the door
behind us. The layout of his apartment is just like my own. Only his is
decorated and lived in. A flat screen TV sits on one wall, just like Ace's and
Jeremy's. A comfy looking couch—

My inspection is interrupted as Caleb's lips close
over mine once again, and his hands slide down to cup my ass. The kiss is slow,
and deep, and even though I can feel the tension in his body, he keeps the kiss
controlled. My hands slide up his shoulders when he lifts me up so that the
bulge in his jeans is cradled between my thighs. Wanting to feel every inch of
him, I wrap my legs around his waist and rock into him. This seems to excite
him even more, because he steps forward and pins me against the wall near the
door. His hips grind against mine in a rhythm that has me climbing higher and
higher to what I know will be a damn good orgasm. Everything is so much more
intense with him for some reason. I'm so close to coming simply from the
friction of his jeans against the thin fabric of my panties. I'm breathless and
gasping slightly as he continues to move against me.  I’m so close… I
can't help but tense slightly in his arms as my body prepares to go over the
edge.