Don't Let Me Fall

chapter 11

"The guys are going away for the weekend." Caden leaned against the hard marble of the counter, eyeing the cotton shirt-vest I had thrown on when I woke up. 

I revelled in the burn of his gaze before turning to face him fully, my hands letting go of the glass I'd been holding. "And you aren't going with them?" I asked, giving him a quizzical brow as his eyes finally landed on my face. 

"No," he replied, smiling and letting his dimples break through the crevices of his skin as he looked at me, "I'm staying here - with you."

I lifted the side of my mouth in a small chuckle before saying, "You don't have to, you know? You can go and I'll be fine." 

He didn't even consider my words for a second before dismissing them, pent up on staying with me, "No, I'm staying, baby. Tell you the truth, I don't think I could leave after last night."

I let his words sink in, turning my back to him and reaching for my glass before filling it with water. "When are they going?" I asked, taking a sip.

"Ahh...right about now, actually." he answered, and a chorus of boyish laughs sailed down the stairs the minute I spun around with a 'WTF' expression on my face.

All four of them barrel into the downstairs area, destroying the calm with howling laughs and that same old might grin of Caleb's as he sidles up to me, chucking my cheek with his fingers and exclaiming, "Meggie! I'll miss ya, darling!" 

I roll my eyes at his remark, not missing the way Caden's shoulders tensed the minute Caleb touched me. 

"We've booked a little getaway - which, and I repeat his exact words to you - Caden seems to find 'utterly stupid'. D'you wanna know what we're doing, Meggie? Do ya?" Caleb continued, patting Caden's shoulder as he passed by. 

I pondered the idea that even Caden thought it was bad for saying, "Go on then, Caleb. What are you guys up to?" 

"Bungee jumping!" he shouted, mimicking the action of jumping as he laughed his head off. 

My face fell. "What?! Caleb, are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, unsure as to whether or not he was on something. 

"Who cares?! Life's for living, little Meggie." he exclaimed, tapping my nose with his finger before shouting at the lads to gather up their gear to make a move. 

They all gave me a short wave before barrelling out of the door, Caden in toe to slap their backs on their way out, shouting at them to try not to die.

And then we were alone. 

Again. 

He chuckled as he shut the door behind him, letting the door thud slightly as he leaned against it, eyeing me from where he stood. The silence grew too loud, too fast. Tension hung in the air like a duvet and I cleared my throat before breaking through the lack of noise. 

"Well, then, I better get showered." I said, making my way towards the staircase. 

I just about had my foot on the first step when I felt two massive hands wrap around my middle. lifting me off of my feet and throwing me over a shoulder looking incredibly alike to Caden's muscular form. 

Squealing, I slapped his back, protesting as I called, "Caden! Put me down!!" 

He didn't even bother to loosen his grip on me as he said, "As much as I would love to see you in a shower again, baby, I'm pretty damn sure that you haven't eaten breakfast yet, so it'll have to wait until after."

"Who said I wanted you in a shower with me?!" I exclaimed, outraged at this boy's confidence. 

"No, offence, babe, but I'm pretty sure that if I move my hands just a little lower..." I gasped as his fingers trailed towards the apex of my thighs, flushing red when he slid his burning grasp beneath the fabric and grinned when he felt just how much I wanted him.