Simply His (+18)

"Going back to normal"

*Meadow*

So there I was, loving that simple and comfortable dress. A sexy lingerie which made me feel hot and bothered inside. As I was about to knock on the door of his study, I heard a loud thump and something being cracked or broken, perhaps both. I knocked on the door and opened it before I got an answer. "Caleb? are you ok?"

I saw him crush a phone with his hand while a vase laid broken in pieces on the floor. He turned around to face me, and I saw the anger in his gaze that slowly turned into sadness. What was troubling him I didn't know, but I wanted to erase the sadness from his eyes. "Meadow..." He whispered, and I saw small drops of blood coming from his tight grip on the now broken cell phone. I rushed to him and took his hand, trying to make him release its tight grip.

At first, he looked at me in shock, his dark eyes distracting me for a second but then I looked around and saw an open door that led to a bathroom. I pulled him with me, and he followed me in silence. Once we reached the sink, I turned the water on and pulled his hand under it. He yelped, and his eyes shot to his hand; finally realizing what was happening, he started to let go, and I pulled the wrecked phone out of him.

I made sure to pour enough water on his hand before turning it off, and then I pulled a hand towel to gently dry his cuts. "You are lucky, they are only small clean cuts... you should try to control your temper a bit more." I managed to say, a bit angry at him for being so reckless. He was silent for a long time while I was finishing drying his injured hand and wrapping a clean towel around it, making it look as if it was almost a boxer's glove. I resisted the urge to chuckle. When I looked up at him I thought I saw a faint of green glow in his eyes, he was staring at me almost with disbelief.

"You... you didn't have to do this...." He whispered again, and I felt goosebumps. A desk phone back in his study broke the spell that had us captured. And though I was sad to see him excuse himself to go pick it up, I was confident enough to believe he felt that weird, strange connection between us, too.

I walked out of the bathroom and looked in his study as he kept talking on the phone at his desk. I admittedly was hoping he wouldn't break that one as well. To see the place where I first met him under a new light was very revealing; I saw the walls of books he had almost all around, no paintings, and a big fireplace with that dreamy couch in front of it. His desk was next to the window, the chair facing the light that came through it. I was caught by the raw but warm vibe everything gave. The wooden floor was neatly polished, the huge center rug had Egyptian patterns and drawings.

"I will postpone it as much as I can, will be at least a few more days." I finally caught part of his conversation, not really giving it much interest. I looked at him, and he was staring back at me, he smiled, and I blushed. I sat on the comfortable couch and sighed, feeling like snuggling something and everything. This sofa was definitely wicked, it made me think things I wanted to do with him. I started to pull my dress down and looking at any possible wrinkles it might have before I noticed he was standing next to me. I looked up and bit my lower lip.

"Hmm... where were we? Ah, lunch. Shall we?" He said extending his good hand for me to take. I actually hesitated, I had just sat down in there, and the couch was so comfortable. But his smile won me over, I took his hand, and he pulled me gently, making me stand effortlessly.

"Don't you want to call your magic nurse to check on your hand first?" I asked worriedly.

He shook his head and removed his loose tie, taking off the towel and wrapping the tie around it. "I will be fine, trust me?" He said, and I chuckled.

He led me through a corridor and then the central stair that took us to the front of the house. It was an enormous residence, with at least two floors on its grounds. He opened the door and made a gesture for me to walk out first. I almost giggled, he was such a gentleman, and my mother would have been drooling over him.

I could finally admire close at hand the beautiful settings. The gardens were untamed, slightly cut here and there just to make it less wild but I could see how most of it was untouched. He led me through a path of rocks and dirt, and we finally arrived at a clearing between the trees. There I saw a blanket, several plates with fruits and salty treats next to my wine. I gasped and looked at him, he had a huge grin on his face. "I hope you don't mind," I was blushing and smiling from ear to ear.

We both sat on the blanket and enjoyed a delightful evening. We talked about silly things, the weather, how tall should the grass be allowed to grow before it became a problem, etc. He took a sip of my wine and really liked it, enough to have some for himself. I wasn't sure if he was pretending to like it just for me until he fought me for the bottle and took the last sip of it. I pretended to pout, but I was laughing too hard.

"I promise you next time I will have one for you and one for me. If you let me enjoy your company a second time, that is." He said once we both calmed down.

I smiled and held silent for a few seconds before I nodded slowly. "I would really like that, Caleb."

He sighed and I saw that sad smile back on him again; something inside me told me he was about to say something I was not going to like.

"I have some business to attend to, unfortunately, and I can't leave this for tomorrow. The people I need to meet with are flying to another country in a few hours. Your truck is in my garage, you can leave anytime you want... or stay as long as you wish. I will be back tonight. Maybe dinner together?" He finished with a little hope.

I smiled but shook my head, focusing my eyes on my entwined fingers at my lap. "I really appreciate it Caleb, but I should go. I have things to get ready for work tomorrow. You have been the best distraction I could have ever had this weekend, though."

This was my sign, I needed to go before I regretted it, as a big part of me wanted to stay, but it seemed that my sanity was jeopardized continuously near him; I had to take it slower. He nodded at me and sighed, sliding a hand through his hair as if he was thinking.

"Perhaps dinner tomorrow then? or going out during the weekdays is not allowed?" He said with new found hope in his eyes.

I really wanted to, but Mondays were the worst, meetings and consultations on the department were a must, especially since my supervisor had been handling me extra work. "Please, believe me, I want to. But my Mondays, every single one of them, are filled with too much work and late hours with meetings."

"I understand. I hope you do not take offense by my invitations, I would hate to seem like I am pushing you." He said with half a smile.

"Don't be sorry, I... I want to get to know you more. Maybe lunch on Tuesday?" My hopes high.

He sighed again, and I felt his sadness on me as well. "I must travel Tuesday, so I guess, for now, this will be all I can enjoy of your presence."

I felt a knot in my throat as if I was saying goodbye forever. I fought a tear, and he smiled at me. "Well, let's start by exchanging numbers, would that be ok?" He offered a simple solution.

I wanted more, but if a number was going to be my only chance, I would take it. I really want to get to know him more. "I think that is a great idea. When are you coming back from your trip?"

"I have to be honest, I am not from around here. I only came here for the burial of my friend's son. But I think I've found a good reason to come here more often."

Was he real? "I thought we were at your house." I managed to ask, not hiding my surprise.

"It is now, I bought it before you woke up this morning." He said while I stared at him in disbelief.

There must be other reasons why he bought this house, since it probably cost a small fortune. It would never be just for a silly girl like me, would be? I looked around, feeling nervous. "It is a good acquisition; congratulations."

He chuckled and nodded. "Thank you, I think it was a good investment. I can recognize something worth it when I have it in front of me."

ღ ~~~~~~~ ☽ⓈⒽ☾ ~~~~~~~ ღ

*Caleb*

She was suspecting but not believing I got this place just to be closer. I couldn't pass the chance, the owners had been trying to sell it for years, and they gave me a good price for the land. I didn't know how I was going to survive the next couple of days without seeing her. I need to leave her guarded. Perhaps Alex can have some time looking after her in my absence.

My wolf was pacing, wanting me to do more, but I could scare her if I did. The mating pull is a painful torture, we are entitled to claim her, but she was human, and we needed to court her. She deserved it, my wolf agreed with a huff and laid in all fours looking at me with annoyance. He knew I was right. Convincing your beast is not easy sometimes.

I accompanied her to the guest room so she could gather her stuff. On the way, she was silent and pensive. I was dying to know what she was thinking, what she was feeling. Once we got to the garage she gasped at my cars, I chuckled. I am a proud collector, and I bought two Mustangs that I desired earlier in the trip. If she saw my entire collection, she could fly away scared. Money tends to do two things on a woman, either draws them like flies or scares them away.

What a bittersweet moment when we said goodbye. I held her in a hug, my body trembling to do more, my lips almost shaking as I kissed her cheek. Her scent was driving us crazy, and my wolf was about to take over. She seemed more confident though, and she left in her car with half a smile but without looking back. I wonder if I did something wrong or if I could have done something more or different.

When I got back inside, Alex was waiting for me in my study.

"I hope she didn't cut you..."

"No, I was on my cellphone and cut myself with it while I crushed it. She played nurse."

He chuckled slightly. I was very happy to hear him talk again.

"So… She is the one?"

"Without a doubt... I am already about to lose my mind for letting her leave."

He raised his eyes at me and shook his head. "I remember how it was, even though my mate was a wolf, it didn’t make things easier."

"After all these years Alex... " I sighed and sat on my desk. He held silent for a while.

"The Goddess never forgets someone... you just had to be patient and wait." How many times had he told me that?

I stared back at him. He never lost hope on me, even thoough I gave up a long time ago. "I owe you too much, brother."

"You owe me just one thing... revenge. Anything else is part of the job; as your friend and as your beta." He said to me as he got up, ready to leave. "I guess you will make me stay and keep an eye on her, right?"

"You guessed correctly. You might need a few days off, this shouldn't be a hard task."

"It's ok, I will do it. It will give me time to find some peace of mind. I’ll get you her info in the morning."

"Alex... You need to talk to Cara, she is devastated." I said with all the seriousness that it concerned to it.

He sighed and closed his eyes. "I know, I will."