Mr. Valentine's Heart

I'm Married

I push against him but don't move an inch. You wouldn't know it to look at him, but this man is freakishly strong. Almost as strong as Alexi, maybe stronger. I find it interesting that the only two men that I can recall have been, like superhero strong. I shake that thought out of my head and focus on the man in front of me. Wrong move!

I'm instantly aware of the warmth of his body. It's calling to me and making me want to curl up against him. I don't know what cologne he wears, but my entire body is responding to it. I feel tingles all over, and I just want to attach my nose to his neck, letting it be my main source of oxygen. Lawd! I really need to get away from him.

I move my body backward, hoping that he'll let me go. HA! Silly dreamer! Caleb pulls me in closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. He lets go of my wrist, and that arm goes around my waist. His grip is tight but not crushingly so. My body fits against his as if it were meant to be there. I never let Alexi get this close; the few times he did, my skin would crawl. This feels like heaven on earth, and I really hate it. He's my boss, and I'm a married woman.

I slowly let my eyes wander upward to find him staring down at me. Our eyes meet, and my breath hitches. f***k! He's so fine, I swear. I gulp and look away. I feel like if I continue to stare at him, I will engulfed in his gaze, and I can’t risk that. “Cherise.” Mmmmm. Even hearing my name come out of his mouth is a sweet torture that I would gladly experience for the rest of my days.

I keep my eyes off him, focusing on a spot on the floor. I feel his heartbeat under his clothes. It's strong and steady. I'm so tempted to rest my head on his chest and let the sound lull me. “Cherise, look at me.” Oh, hell no! If I look at him, my life is over; I just know it. I shake my head, causing him to sigh. “That woman meant nothing to me. I just met her. My… my mom has decided to try to set me up and that was the first of many, I'd imagine.” Damn this man! Now I HAVE to look at him.

I sigh and slowly turn my head toward him. His light brown eyes suck me in immediately, making it impossible for me to look away. There's something in his eyes that Alexi never had in his. There's a sincerity there that speaks to me. “Why is she doing that?” Damn, I sound like some loose woman with my breathy ass voice. This is a million times embarassing, but what can I do?

Caleb shifts his body and adjusts his arms around me. “She thinks I'm lonely and she wants me to find someone.”

“Are you?” He looks at me with an eyebrow raised. “Are you lonely?” A smile slowly grows on his face.

“I was.”

“Was?” He slowly nods his head and then drops it lower. Our foreheads are touching, and it feels so much like home to me.

“I was lonely before you walked into my life.” Before I could prepare, his lips softly touch mine and I swear I'm on the verge of melting. His lips are thick and soft. The feel of them on mine ignites a flame inside of me that I didn't even know existed. This could be my forever, and I'd be a happy woman. Just that thought brings me back to reality, as if a bucket of ice water is poured over me.

I pull my face back, immediately missing the feel of his lips. “I'm married, Caleb. I'm married, and you're my boss.” He closes his eyes, his lashes almost brushing against his cheek. I move my body slightly and nearly gasp at what I feel. He's hard, like super hard, and I can feel it against my body. I'm tempted to reach down and feel it properly, but I know that isn't what I need to do.

“Me being your boss is irrelevant. I already told you that dating at the company is allowed as long as it doesn't interfere with the job.” He slowly opens his eyes, capturing my attention with just his gaze. “As far as you being married,” Caleb pauses and turns his head to the side. “I don't condone cheating, but this thing between us is too strong to ignore. If you weren't here without your husband, if you hadn’t purposely left him, I'd walk away. I'd turn you away without a second thought. But you are here without him. You’ve told me that you left him and with purpose. I can't help but think that you were drawn here for a reason, for me. Can't we… can't we just see how things go? Do we really have to deny our feelings for a man you've said that you don't even want?”

~Caleb~

Fu.ck! Having her in my arms is everything. I would dream of this almost every night, just to wake up heartbroken at the knowledge that she wasn't there. If I could keep her in my arms forever, I would do anything to make that happen.

My eyes dig into her, trying to find the answers to all of the world’s questions. I have no idea what response I'm going to get from her, but I know what I want to hear. I can't make her choose to be with me, and I understand what I'm asking. I just need every opportunity to be in her world again so I can make her remember what we had together. We didn't have a lifetime or even a long time, but what we had was real and it was strong. So strong that she walked away and only left a note.

I sigh and don't respond. Eros isn't wrong, but something in me says it isn't as simple as it seems. Maybe I'm playing myself; maybe I'm hoping to make something real that isn’t. I can’t help how I feel, and I feel there's an explanation for everything that happened.

A change in her breathing captures my attention. I watch her face reflect so many different emotions, and my stomach twists in anticipation. “We shouldn't.” She's right, we shouldn't. If there were anyone else, I wouldn't entertain the possibility. No one else would get me to even consider sacrificing my morals this way. She moves her head, and I catch a bit of color on her neck. My heart soars when I realize what it is.

“Your neck.” Cherish leans further back, trying to look at her own neck. I hold in my chuckle and tighten my arms around her. “Is that a tattoo?” Her movements settle, and she looks at me.

“Yeah, it is. I don't know anything about it; why I got it or when. I just know that my husband hated it, and he was looking into getting it removed.” A growl grows in my chest, powered by my and Eros's emotions. I swallow to keep it down. That bastard was trying to get rid of my mark.

“I'm glad he didn't do it. It's beautiful on you.” Her eyes soften, and she lowers her head. I gently kiss her forehead, keeping my arms wrapped around her.

“Okay.” Her voice is soft and barely detectable. It makes me happy that I'm a werewolf and can hear even the smallest pin drop.

“What's that?” I want to really hear her say it. I don't want any doubt about what she wants from me. Cherish lifts her head and looks at me.

“I said, okay. Lets see where this goes, but…”