Caleb's Mate (Canyon Springs Book 1) Read online

  When she met his heated stare, she knew her thoughts were not entirely her own. This was probably the worst idea ever. But chances were that Hunter had done a fine job of convincing Layla to let him stay. Layla wouldn’t believe a word of this mumbo jumbo, but she did want to get in Hunter’s bed, so she would go along with his fantasy of being her mate long enough to get a good taste of him.

  If Elena kicked Caleb out the door, she would have a long boring stay in Canyon Springs listening to her sister giggle and flirt while Elena cleaned the house by herself. “Fine,” she eventually agreed.

  “Fine, I can stay? Or fine, I can give you a hickey?”

  Damn he was hard not to like.

  Chapter 9

  August 21, 1967

  Dear Mabel,

  I had the greatest time with Mom and Dad while they were here visiting. I’m so glad Dad was able to take a week off work, and they chose to spend it in Canyon Springs. I think they enjoyed themselves. They stayed in one of our guest rooms, and I took them all around town. It’s not very big, of course, so it didn’t take long.

  We did a puzzle together, went hiking a few times, and I showed them my classroom. I’m almost ready for the new year to start.

  I can’t believe it’s been three years since I last saw you. I hate it, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that you’ll never forgive me.

  I’ll always love you, and I’ll never stop writing.

  Love, Marge

  Caleb felt like the luckiest man on earth. The amazing feisty woman who would eventually share his bed for the rest of his life wasn’t kicking him out. She was going to give him a chance. He’d had his doubts that he would eventually convince her. She was tough.

  He wanted to fist pump. He wanted to press her against the wall and kiss the sense out of her until she admitted she was his.

  Time. Let her get used to you. Slow down, cowboy.

  “So, where do we start?”

  Elena took his breath away. She was wearing a tiny white tank top that hugged her breasts tight enough for him to see the shape of them. A perfect handful. Not large. Just right. Her jean shorts were…short. Sexy legs went on forever. Tanned as if she had been in the sun when he suspected she was simply that color. He couldn’t wait to prove that to himself.

  Her bare feet made his cock jump to attention every time he glanced at them.

  And when she moved, her high ponytail swayed behind her, the long blond curls bouncing.

  She was perfection. Now all he had to do was convince her she belonged to him and talk her into staying. Or hell, if he couldn’t manage that, he would just have to go back to Chicago with her. Leaving Canyon Springs wasn’t really something he relished, but he would do it for her. He would also spend every day trying to convince her to return.

  It wasn’t as if the town couldn’t survive without him. He and Hunter made a living as the town’s attorneys, but the truth was it wasn’t entirely necessary for Canyon Springs to have two.

  Caleb and Hunter had been competitive from the time they were born, especially when they were in school. Eventually they enjoyed trying to see which of their mothers would gush about them more to the other. It was a tie, but they never stopped being over-achievers. So, they went to college and then law school together.

  The entire town knew when they graduated they would return and set up shop. And that’s exactly what they did.

  “I was going through the kitchen cabinets when you got here. Just trying to take inventory. Aunt Marge had a lot of stuff. It’s jammed in every single available spot.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, she was sentimental.”

  Elena tipped her head to one side, making her ponytail sway. He wanted to grab it. Hold it while he kissed her. Instead, he forced his focus back to her face. “Did you know her well? Can you tell me about her?”

  “I’d love to.” Again, he wanted to fist pump. “She has piles of albums in the living room. Would you like to see them?”

  Elena nodded. “Thank you. I thought about opening them, but I felt like I would be invading her privacy or something. And I wouldn’t know who anyone was.”

  “She would want you to see them and get to know her. I’m certain of it.”

  “Did she mention us?” Elena asked, tentatively as she turned toward the living room.

  “Yes.” He slid his hand into hers when she stopped walking and turned toward him. “She didn’t speak of you two often in public because it made her sad, but I know she followed your lives and knew what you were doing.”

  Elena’s eyes watered. “That’s so sad. I feel awful for not coming here while she was alive.”

  “How could you know? From what you’ve said, you had no way of realizing she cared or had heard of you.”

  “Yeah… Still doesn’t make me feel better.” She lowered her gaze toward the floor.

  Caleb took the opportunity to pull Elena into his embrace, letting her set her forehead against his chest.

  She gripped his T-shirt on both sides. This was the closest he’d been to her yet. While Hunter had been holding Layla close on the dance floor last night, Caleb had gotten no further than holding Elena’s hand.

  Elena was the more reserved of the two sisters, and that suited him fine. But it would take him a while to crack her armor. He ran a hand up and down her back.

  “It’s strange to mourn a woman I never met,” she murmured against his chest.

  “I guess it would be. But she was identical to your grandmother, so it makes sense you would feel compassion for her. She missed out on so much, gave up everything to stay in Canyon Springs with Josiah. She lost nearly everything from her outside life and never got it back.” He winced inside, thinking perhaps he was laying it on a bit thick. That was all true, but he didn’t want to make Elena feel worse.

  She tipped her head back and looked up at him. “She must have really loved her husband.”

  “More than you can imagine.”

  She held his gaze for a long time, perhaps searching for answers to all her questions. Finally, she shook free and released him to walk across the room and grab one of the dozens of albums from the shelf.

  When she turned around, he took it from her and led her to Marge’s gaudy floral couch. The pattern was totally out of style, as was most of the furniture and wallpaper in this house, but Marge had taken good care of everything. Nothing was overly worn or in disrepair.

  Caleb let Elena sit first, and then he planted himself next to her, close. Thighs touching. No way was he going to make this easy on her.

  He wanted to speed this process up so badly that his chest literally ached from wanting her. Not just physically, though that was consuming him, but emotionally. He couldn’t wait for the exact moment when she admitted she was his. When she looked him in the eye and gave up the fight.

  He’d give anything to rush to that finish line.

  Then again, the process was kind of sweet too. Getting to know her and her mannerisms. The way she curled her toes under when she sat down. The way her hair hung over her shoulder. The way she kept her back straight because she was rather proper or self-conscious.

  Caleb opened the album on his lap and discovered it was one of her earlier ones. He pointed out several of the people as he encountered them. Josiah of course, and then other members of the community. Some still living. Others since passed.

  Elena remained relatively quiet while he introduced her to her great aunt and uncle. He’d turned several pages before she sighed. “She looked so much like my grandmother, except happier.”

  “I’m sorry about that. That stinks.”

  “What a stupid grudge to hold for so many years,” Elena murmured. “I mean so what if Aunt Marge fell in love with a shifter?”

  “I guess it might have been harder to accept in 1964,” Caleb pointed out. “And then over time, they both dug in their heels.”

  “Yeah. I guess. I can’t imagine doing that with Layla. It’s been hard enough being separated from her for the last two
years since we graduated and went our separate ways. I don’t like it. I’m hoping the two of us can come up with a new plan so we’re not apart any longer.”

  Caleb licked his lips when Elena met his gaze. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching up and tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “I hope you and Layla can find some way to bridge the gap.” And then he grinned and widened his eyes. He knew his next words were evil. “Hey, I have an idea. You can both move here.”

  Elena giggled. God, he loved that sound. She set her hand on his chest and shoved playfully, but she didn’t remove it. The air around them changed. Her expression fell into something more serious. His did too.

  Finally he couldn’t stand another moment without tasting her, and he cupped her face and slowly leaned forward, giving her plenty of time to deny him before his lips were on hers.

  The first soft touch was heaven. The second one was even better. And then he angled his head to one side and really kissed her. Gently at first, and then when she didn’t stop him, with more pressure. When he licked the seam of her lips, she whimpered deliciously against him.

  Did she know her body leaned forward? Did she know she was fisting the front of his shirt?

  God, she was so fucking perfect. He set his free hand on her shoulder and continued kissing her. If he never made it past first base but was permitted to remain right here lip-locked with her for the rest of his life, he would be happy.

  Finally, he reached for the album and slid it to the coffee table without a glance. He continued to hold her face with one hand as he turned his body to more fully face her. He needed more contact. More of anything she would give him.

  When he slid his hand down to her waist and she didn’t resist him urging her to lie back, he thanked the heavens. When he came over her, pressing his body against her smaller one, he moaned. She was soft in all the right places but not fragile.

  One of her hands came around his neck and threaded in the back of his hair. The other landed on his back, her fingers splaying wide. She pulled him closer.

  He knew she wasn’t fully in control of her reactions. That’s how mating worked. He wouldn’t let this go much further because he didn’t want her to regret it later. But God, for now, he just wanted more of anything she would give him. Her mouth. Her sweet hands. The way her chest rose and fell against his. Their heart beats fell into sync. Did she notice?

  He kissed her forever. Time stopped. Every little nip and taste filled a void in him. Every tiny whimper from her made his cock stiffer and his heart soar.

  She was everything.

  Finally, when he knew he had to stop or risk losing control, he released her and lifted his head several inches. He stared down at her. Her cheeks were dark. Her lips were swollen. Her eyes were glazed.

  She swallowed. “Shit.”

  He smiled. “That’s not the reaction I was hoping for.”

  She gave him a grin. “It wasn’t a bad shit. More of a holy shit.”

  “Ah. If that’s a good thing, I’ll take it.”

  She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “It’s hard to resist you.”

  He lowered his face to her neck and nuzzled her, inhaling her scent as he trailed his nose to her ear. He nibbled on the lobe playfully. “It’s nearly impossible to resist you.”

  “I…”

  He lifted his face and smoothed his hand over her cheek. “What, Elena?”

  She flushed and glanced away. “I don’t move this fast with men.”

  “No one is rushing you.”

  She glanced away and then back. “I feel rushed. I didn’t want you to stop. I would have let you strip my clothes off and fuck me right here on the couch without a single thought to how inappropriate that would be, or Layla and Hunter could have walked in on us, or we don’t even have protection, or…”

  He set a finger on her lips. She was adorable in her panic. “Shh. I stopped. I was well aware.”

  Her breathing was heavy. “You stopped.”

  “Yes. I’m not going to pressure you.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Did you feel what I felt?”

  “God, baby. Way more than you did. Yes. Don’t doubt that.” He stroked her face again.

  “But you stopped.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle as he rose off her, taking her with him. He picked her up and settled her on his lap, leaning back against the sofa. He cupped her face again. “I didn’t say it was easy, but I don’t want our relationship to start out with us ripping clothes off and getting naked on your aunt’s couch with Hunter and your sister right outside. Like you said, they could have walked in. I’m not going to fuck you in the living room. Hell, I’m not going to fuck you ever. Not anywhere.”

  Her eyes went wide, and he realized his choice of words was off. He chuckled. “Because when we have sex, it will not be fucking, baby.”

  She flushed a deeper shade of red again. “Oh.” Her head cocked to one side, a skeptical look still on her face. “Are you always such a smooth talker?”

  He chuckled again, his body vibrating and making her bounce on his lap. “I’ve never had any experience even close to this, so I have no idea. I’m just trying to make sure we start this thing off right. I don’t want you to have regrets.”

  “You’ve had sex before, right?” Her brows drew in tight.

  “Yes. Of course. But not with someone I’m this connected to. The fact that we’re destined changes things.”

  “Destined. You keep tossing in new words.”

  “I guess I do. Sorry. It’s like we’re fated.”

  “Fated? Another word. Are you done yet?” She was smiling though.

  “I’m not sure. Give me some time. Eventually I’ll exhaust all the shifter words.” He had a thought. Needed clarification. “Have you? Had sex before I mean.”

  She nodded and bit her lip before speaking. “Twice. I mean two people. I wasn’t impressed.”

  Fuck. Me. “Well then, I guess I need to make sure you’re impressed. That isn’t going to happen on the couch.”

  “True.”

  “And another thing.”

  She rolled her eyes, but laughter danced in them. “More?”

  “Yeah.” He wasn’t sure how she was going to take this last detail. “It’s kind of important.”

  “Okay. Go ahead. I’ve absorbed about a thousand things since I arrived in Canyon Springs. What’s one more?”

  He pulled her closer. “Sex means more to mated shifters.”

  “Okaaay.”

  “I mean according to everyone I’ve ever spoken to, this thing we feel between us, it will multiply tenfold when we have sex. So, I don’t take it lightly. I’d rather you fall a bit deeper under my luring spell before we have sex.” He wiggled his brows to lighten his statement.

  She rolled her eyes. “Right. Whatever.”

  “I’m serious, though, Elena. I won’t easily let you go after I’ve been inside you. I can hardly stand not having my hands on you as it is. After I’ve taken you, you’ll be mine. Connected far deeper than what you’re feeling now.”

  She sobered and nodded. “Okay. I believe you. Thanks for telling me. And thanks for not ripping my clothes off without informing me of that detail.”

  “It wasn’t easy.”

  “I get that.”

  “Okay. You should get off my lap before I change my mind. Let’s go explore this old house.”

  Her smile grew. “You’re really going to help?”

  “Hell yes. For one thing, I’m curious about what your aunt stashed all over this house. But more importantly, I’m not planning to let you out of my reach until I’ve convinced you you’re mine.”

  She didn’t balk this time. She simply tipped her head to one side and gave him one of her sweet smiles. “For some reason, that doesn’t scare me.”

  “Then we’re making progress.”

  Chapter 10

  “Seriously? This is where you want to start? The attic?”

  Elena spun around wh
en she reached the top of the pulldown ladder, swatting at Mr. Grabby Hands who had followed right behind her, not even trying to avoid touching her butt about ten times. And her thighs. “Yes. Attics are a treasure trove.”

  Caleb watched her with an amused expression. Indulging her, which was fine. It endeared him to her even more. She wasn’t convinced that people could feel somehow chemically bound to someone else for all of eternity, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy his company. He was polite and attentive and fun.

  She was glad she didn’t have to spend the afternoon alone in the attic because they were kind of creepy even if they did contain the most interesting treasures.

  “I’ll take your word for it.” He wandered around the space peering into boxes without touching anything.

  “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to get dirty, lawyer boy.” She jerked open the flaps of a large box in one corner, sending a poof of dust into the air. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned out of the path.

  It was a nice day outside, so the attic was stuffy and little warm, but that wasn’t going to stop her from investigating.

  Caleb reached into another box and held up an old camera. “Look at this.”

  She shuffled closer to check it out. “Some of this stuff might be worth something.”

  “Probably.” He put it back in the box gently. “There are three other cameras in here.”

  “Wow. Aunt Marge was a bit of a hoarder.” Elena reached into her box and pulled out a gorgeous silk scarf. She draped it around her shoulders. “She had style. I wonder why she kept all these scarves in the attic.”

  Caleb came closer and grabbed the ends of the scarf, pulling her forward until she was flattened against his chest. His lips brushed hers before he responded. “Marge wore a scarf every day of her life as far as I know. I never saw her without one. She was kind of elegant. She had hundreds. I bet her bedroom has dozens, and when she got tired of them, she put them up here.”

  Elena ran her hands up and down the length. The material was sensual. The swirl of purples and oranges was gorgeous. And the man still holding the ends was enticing.