Almost A Kiss
1664 Words
Without further adieu, Caleb grabbed the hem of his shirt and peeled it off in one smooth motion. He tossed it aside. Then came the second layer. And finally the last.
Autumn's breath hitched as she took an involuntary step back. Now, only his trousers hung low on his hips, leaving the hard, sculpted planes of his torso bare. The dim light traced the definition of his abdomen and the powerful lines of his shoulders, a landscape of raw, male strength.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Autumn stammered. A flush was creeping up her neck, painting her cheeks a delicious shade of rose.
Caleb smirked. She is red again. Is she flustered? A satisfaction settled in his chest. Am I making my mate blush?
Suddenly a dark and tempting idea ignited his mind. His eyes locked at her baby blue ones as he took a deliberate, measured step forward… then another… and another.
Autumn’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it. She tried to gulp down the lump at her throat.
He… he is shirtless. Again… and all these mucles… that moved in sync with every step he takes… oh god. It's suddenly so hot in here! All I want is for him to press me against this wall and do all the unthinkable…
No, Autumn. He is still a stranger. The voice of reason was a weak, distant echo. Though he treats you like a treasure... the way a real man treats his woman... which might be enough for any woman to fall for him…. Still, don't forget why he is here!
With every step Caleb took, she retreated slowly, until her back hit the cold wall.
Caleb stopped only inches away, not touching her, still caging her completely—close enough that she felt the heat radiating off his body. His shadow swallowed her up. His scent wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
He dropped his gaze to her trembling lips, then lifted it back to her eyes with a slow, teasing smile.
“What do you think I’m doing?” he murmured, voice deep and velvety, amusement dancing in his eyes.
And Autumn’s knees nearly buckled.
“You…” She swallowed hard, heat crawling up her neck as she stammered, “you shouldn’t be standing here.”
“Why?” Caleb murmured, stepping even closer. He lifted a hand, placing his palm beside her head on the wall as he leaned in. His chest brushed hers—just barely, but enough to make her breath hitch. “Is it better now? Was I too far before?”
“N-no! That’s not what I meant!” Autumn blurted.
Oh god! He is too close. He smells so good and his breath is so fresh. Will it be completely insane if I kiss him?
Trying to fight the wildfire inside her, Autumn placed a trembling hand on his chest to push him away.
Except the moment her palm met his warm skin—and the hard muscle beneath—a spark shot through her like lightning. Her breath caught, her heart jumped, and something deep inside her pulled her forward.
Before she even realized what she was doing, her toes curled against the floor, her body leaning in, lips lifting toward his… aching for that kiss. Her lips almost reached his.
The keyword: almost.
Caleb caught her before she reached him. His fingers slid under her chin, tilting her face up to his. His thumb brushed across her lips in a slow, sinful stroke.
His eyes darkened—shifting shade, deepening, swirling with something feral.
Something not entirely… human.
“Trying to kiss me, mate?” he whispered.
The voice—low, rough—wasn’t fully Caleb’s.
Half human.
Half something else.
Autumn was stunned for a second. Was it the same Caleb? Did his eyes change color? And… What happened to his voice?
Before she could gather her thoughts, Caleb leaned in just slightly, his lips close enough to brush her hair. “Let me tell you one thing, princess,” he murmured, low and commanding. “I don’t stop at kisses.”
His eyes darkened further, gold flecks shimmering in his irises. Every inch of her body went rigid under his gaze. “The moment your lips touch mine,” he continued, voice thick with promise, “I will trace every curve of you… every inch… until I reach where you want me most. And trust me, I won’t stop until you beg me, again and again. Until you cry out, until your core shatters, until you come at least five times."
F-five times? Is he for real? Autumn’s breath hitched. Her body trembled—not with fear, but with something dangerous and thrilling. I shouldn’t be even thinking about my orgasms. I should be scared… but why does this make me want him even more? This is crazy!
Then Caleb leaned even closer, letting his warm breath tickle her ear. “Do yourself a favor, fiancée. Don’t kiss me… not until you’re ready to take all of me.”
With a teasing smirk, he pulled back. His eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he stepped away. “Now,” he said softly, voice dropping into its usual calm, “get some sleep, fiancée.”
Autumn collapsed onto the bed, heart racing, fingers clutching the blanket. Her body was still burning from the brief, electrifying encounter. Is it normal to feel this way about a stranger? she wondered. I just got dumped… maybe I just want a rebound…
Her gaze flicked toward the floor. Caleb had already settled there with a thin sheet beneath him, arms behind his head, pretending to be completely relaxed. Yet she could feel it—the intensity in the air, the way every inch of him radiated power and promise.
Curling deeper under the blanket, Autumn chewed her lip, mind racing… and heart refusing to calm.
Caleb closed his eyes, pretending he was already asleep. But the truth was… he couldn’t sleep.
Not with her scent filling the room.
Not with the sound of her soft breathing drifting toward him.
Not with the knowledge that his mate was just a few feet away, tired, worried, and trying so hard to be strong, and the smell of her arousal was a torture to his wolf.
‘We should have claimed her,’ Maximus spoke again.
‘No. She is a human. If we go all out, she won't be able to handle us.’ Caleb reminded him.
‘We won't know until we try,’ Maximus growled.
‘Are you trying to break her in the process? You know how we werewolves mate. What if she gets hurt? And we never had a human being marked by a werewolf before. Goddess knows how she will react to our mark.’ Caleb sighed.
The room was quite unlike Caleb’s mind. But the quiet finally cracked around midnight.
First a muffled whimper. Then a rustle.
In the end, a soft cry.
Caleb’s eyes snapped open instantly.
“Autumn?” he whispered.
She was twisting under the blanket, brows pulled tight in fear, breath coming in short bursts. “No… no, please… don’t…”
Is she having a nightmare? Is it hurting her?
Caleb was on his feet in seconds.
“Autumn,” he murmured, sitting at the edge of the bed. He brushed his hand over her arm gently, slowly, as if touching delicate glass. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”
Her breathing hitched—then she startled awake. Her eyes widened in the dim light, glossy with panic.
“Caleb?” she breathed.
“It’s me. You’re safe.” His voice dropped to that soothing, deep tone he didn’t use for anyone else.
She blinked, dazed, still lost between dream and reality. And before she could stop herself, she reached for him… grabbing his wrist with trembling fingers.
“Stay,” she whispered. Barely awake, barely aware. “Please… stay here.”
Caleb froze.
Those words. And that tone.
But Maximus purred in joy, ‘mate wants us close.’
The sleepy vulnerability that wrapped around his chest and squeezed until he couldn’t breathe.
‘She just wants to cuddle. Keep that through your thick head,’ Caleb snapped at his wolf.
He swallowed hard, fighting the instinct to shift, to claim, to mark—goddess, he wanted to hold her.
“Okay,” he said softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He eased onto the bed as she scooted unconsciously toward the warmth of him. The moment he lay beside her, she curled into him like she belonged there—her face nuzzled near his chest, her hand resting just above his heart, as if she knew she held it in her hands.
Caleb let out a shaky breath. His arm slipped around her waist. She fit perfectly.
Her scent— soft chocolaty— washed over him, making every nerve tighten, every instinct roar.
“Caleb…” she murmured against his chest, half-asleep, her lips brushing his skin. “Don’t leave.”
“I won’t,” he whispered, pulling her closer until her body molded to his. “I promise.”
How will I ever leave you, mate? You hold the half of my soul.
He lay awake all night, not daring to close his eyes. Instead, he watched her sleep—watched the peaceful rise and fall of her chest, watched the way her lashes brushed her cheeks, watched how she clung to him like he was the only safe place she knew.
He stroked her hair softly, letting his fingers drift through her curls.
“My mate,” he whispered into the darkness, heart pounding. “If only you knew.”
She sighed in her sleep and snuggled deeper into his chest.
Caleb’s breath stuttered. This—this feeling—was dangerous.
Addictive.
Unavoidable.
And if I lose control…. He gritted his teeth, his hardness under his pants was painful.
- Writer
