24

Brooke

My son shares next to nothing with me about his life, so imagine my surprise when Winter informed me that he’s having the penthouse remodeled from top to bottom.” This was Caleb’s mother’s attempt to engage me in conversation.

It was also her making sure I was fully aware of my place in her world—that of being a paid employee and nothing more. I wasn’t offended really, because Caleb had already warned me that she would most likely be prickly with me. She was close to his previous girlfriend’s family, apparently, and their breakup had not been well received. Caleb also told me that his relationship with his mother was not a warm one, nor had it ever been. I felt sad for him but didn’t really know what to say. It was her problem if she didn’t like me being with her son. He was an adult who could choose for himself.

I hadn’t imagined she would be thrilled upon meeting me anyway—my reason for being blunt with Caleb in the beginning about us—because I would be a hard sell for many in their high-society, blue-blooded world.

I had no illusions about whose name topped that list of many—Madelaine Blackstone—a classically beautiful woman who dressed impeccably and had perfect hair, makeup, jewelry—everything. She was a very well put together society doyenne who looked too young to have a son Caleb’s age. I could see a resemblance between her daughters and her, but not Caleb. He must have gotten all of his looks from his father, because he looked nothing like his mother. Nan had remarked how Caleb looked so much like his father at the same age he could be his clone.

I’d been pleasantly surprised by the rest of his family, though. Lucas and Winter more so, because we’d spent some time together in the last weeks and had bonded already. Today I’d met Willow and her fiancé, Roger, for the first time, and they’d been nothing but kind and friendly to me. Willow even remembered to bring a signed set of her books for me. I had Caleb to thank for that surprise probably, but I suppose Willow wouldn’t have gifted me the books if she hadn’t felt like doing it.

Herman’s children all expressed support of their father’s marriage to Nan. Each one had told me personally how glad they were to see their dad finally finding happiness with his soul mate. Herman’s relationship with their mother had been acrimonious and remained that way even in the years after their divorce, so it was a good thing for the kids to be able to see their dad happy and in love after such a long time.

All in all, I felt pleasantly relieved that my introduction to the large clan of Blackstones was now behind me—even the matriarch who didn’t approve of me being with her son.

“I’d have to agree with you, Mrs. Blackstone. One of the first things I asked Caleb was if his penthouse really needed a remodel because I think it is stunning just as it is now.” I smiled at Caleb before I answered her. He winked at me, and I took it as a sign we’d discuss his mum later tonight when we were alone. Right now I was going to kill her with kindness.

She nodded at me in a way that felt patronizing and also one hundred percent calculated before she spoke. “It is a shame really, because Janice thought so, too.” Waiting for me to take the bait, she smiled sweetly.

But she would have to wait a very long time, because I’d never ask her the question. I knew very well who Janice was. Caleb’s ex—none other than Janice Thorndike—the former face of Vogue, and now working in the upper echelons of the fashion world. I’d seen pictures of them out together on Google, and he’d told me she was the reason behind the black eye he was sporting when I’d first met him. He’d also said getting involved with her had been a terrible mistake because of their two families’ close friendship over the years. Anything else about Janice I didn’t know would have to remain that way, because I really didn’t care to know. Most people had a past. Caleb was a bit older than me. I knew he’d been with many women before me, and nothing would change that fact, so the jealousy factor did not motivate me much. I’d learned being jealous of something that cannot be changed was a pointless waste of my time. Caleb didn’t want to be with Janice anymore, and his mother’s disappointment over their breakup wouldn’t make the slightest influence on his feelings there.

Caleb wanted to be with me—showing me constantly how he felt was so much more powerful than just saying the words.

“Mom, please.” Caleb scowled at her and shook his head in annoyance. “I’ve decided that I want to make some changes to my home . . . because I feel the time has come for some changes.” He turned to look at me with those gorgeous blue-and-gold eyes of his, and said, “And Brooke is just the person to help me with it.”

“ITwas perfection, condesa. La abuela looked stunning—a total GILF if not for the part about me being gay,” Eduardo told me as I bid him farewell at the ferry.

“I think I should call her up and tell her you said that.” He dropped the flippant expression and actually looked scared for once. “Ha . . . gotcha!” I rarely got the upper hand with Eduardo and his outrageous comments, so I relished the enjoyment of making him squirm in fear.

“Ay, Dios mío, you scared me, condesa. Abuela would have my cojones.”

“Indeed she would, but she might forgive you for helping make her wedding so lovely.”

“It was my very great pleasure to help you both.”

Eduardo hugged me good-bye and did the two kisses to each cheek ritual he’d perfected, before boarding the boat. I blew him a kiss, and then turned back to Woody where Caleb was waiting inside for me.

I knew a few people were staying the night at Lucas’s beach house, but most of the guests had left the island after seeing the bride and groom away via helicopter. Herman and Nan were spending their wedding night in New York before heading off on their European cruise. The new Mr. and Mrs. Blackstone had looked radiant as they left the island this afternoon. It was strange, sending my grandmother away on her honeymoon, but it also felt so very right at the same time.

Caleb was taking a call when I returned, so I didn’t interrupt him as I drove us to the cottage. He’d asked me earlier if I wanted to go back to Boston for the rest of the weekend, but I’d told him I wanted to stay here. We’d come to an unspoken agreement about our sleeping arrangements during the last month. Most weekdays I stayed in Boston with him, because the penthouse redesign was now my full-time job. That left the weekends for the island and the cottage. I’d also started working from home on Fridays up until today, because I’d been planning the wedding. There was still plenty I could do via the Internet for redesigning the penthouse, so I planned to continue. I didn’t know what Caleb would think of my plan, and since he was technically my boss on the project, I really hoped he wouldn’t object. I knew he liked having me at his penthouse. I liked being there with him. But I needed to live on the island. I just needed it and didn’t really have the words to explain why. Maybe it was some kind of emotional healing for me to live in the same house where my mother grew up. I don’t know what it was that bonded me to Blackstone Island so deeply, but the need was there, and Caleb would have to understand and accept it—if he wanted to be with me. I knew what I felt for Caleb, and I didn’t want to be difficult. I also knew I didn’t want more pressure to acquiesce to a man’s control.

Meeting his mother just this afternoon pretty much cemented the fact that I didn’t really fit in to the Blackstone billionaire world—even more so now than I’d felt it before. I was an island girl, and I was going to stay an island girl.

“Offer thirty-nine point five and see if she accepts. I feel forty is our threshold on this, but at the same time, I want to make sure she bites hard. There haven’t been any reasonable offers up ’til now, so let’s just see how this first round goes. And not even a whisper of where this is originating, okay?” I shamelessly listened in on his conversation, knowing he was discussing a deal in the millions of dollars as if it were a daily occurrence. It probably was for him, and served as a reminder, yet again, how vastly different my simple life was from his.

“That’s right. William J. Brookermann is the principal on the offer. No, with two n’s. I already said it’s a silent partnership. She cannot suspect, or it’ll flop. Good. Of course, yes, put out feelers with the state. I want to know if it’s been done before. We’ll talk again midweek.”

Caleb ended his call and turned to me, grinning like a boy who’d just found a secret stash of sweets.

“Your business call just now pleases you?” I asked him, now curious about his conversation.

“It does. Very much.”

“Are you buying something?”

“I hope so.” More cryptic answers from him, but I wasn’t the kind of person who begged for answers. I imagined if he wanted to tell me about it, then he would. He hadn’t announced anything to me about his plan to buy some land and build a house on the south end of the island, either. I wondered if his call just now had been part of it. Whatever his business deal was about seemed to be good news, so I dropped the subject.

I could feel his eyes on me as I drove the winding roads up through the hilly grassland to the point. “What do you want to do tonight?” he asked after a moment.

“Thank you for asking,” I paused, “because it saves me from having to tell you what we are doing tonight.”

He laughed. “That’s my girl using her wicked British wit on me again. I’d tickle you senseless if you weren’t driving this ancient vehicle right now.”

I pretended shock. “Are you insulting dear Woody again? I love this ancient vehicle, I’ll have you know. Woody is here to stay.” I stroked over the faux wood-grain fascia as if I were petting a dog.

“He can stay, but what if Woody were to get a loving restoration and then a nice big garage in which to enjoy his retirement? You can take him out on his birthday and special occasions.”

“Oh, Caleb, not again with buying me a new car. We’ve talked about this,” I scolded gently. I knew he meant well, but I still felt uncomfortable with the money issue.

He sighed as if conceding to me, so I knew he wasn’t really angry. He was just really stubborn when he wanted something. “Well, what if I buy a car for use on the island that belongs to me, and you can drive it? How does that idea sit with you?” He put his lips to my ear. “I need to know you are as safe as you can possibly be, or I will worry all the fuckin’ time. A thirty-six-year-old vehicle is too old to be safely reliable anymore. Please don’t make me worry, baby.” He kissed below my ear before moving back into his seat.

Very stubborn.“Can we discuss this further after I explain what we’re doing tonight?”

“Will what we’re doing tonight help you agree to driving the new car with every imaginable safety feature already installed that I’m buying for use on the island?” he fired back. Stubborn, but totally adorable.

“Enjoying a soak in my huge claw-foot tub together, and a massage from you just might.”

“I like that plan, especially where we’ll be having our discussion, baby,” he said wickedly.

“I want you to redesign my master bath to have a huge bathtub incorporated,” he said softly.

“Oh? Because . . . ?” This was a change from what we’d talked about.

“Because I want to do this with you all the time.” Caleb had me leaning back against him in the hot water, his arms holding me captive, but only in the very best way. He trailed his fingers up my arm to cross over to my throat, and then down to shape the fullness of a breast before circling the nipple and playing with it until it was tight and throbbing. Caleb liked to keep up the touching long after the sex was over. It was just one of his sweet ways. One of the many.

But the sex was probably not over yet, because I could feel him hard again, his big cock lying flat against my lower back. I wondered what his next move might be. Would it be as thrilling as what we had done before the bath? Which was me on top, riding his magic tongue with his cock down my throat as I came all over his mouth. He’d lifted me off him before I could find my way back to earth, arranging me half on my side and half on my back. With determined movements he’d gripped one leg and held it straight up for leverage.

Then he’d fucked me hard, with those deep-blue eyes drilling into me as intently as his cock had until he throbbed out his own orgasm.

I was so out of it afterward, I wasn’t even aware of him preparing the bath we were in right now. Caleb had gotten everything ready and then carried me in here to get in the water with him.

“You weren’t so keen about having a bathtub before today,” I reminded him.

“That’s because I never had anyone I wanted to take a bath with before.”

“So, I am your bathing buddy now?”

“Yep—bathing buddy, shower buddy, bed buddy—all of those.” He thrust his pelvis into my back so I could feel exactly how hard and ready he was for more.

“You are insatiable.”

“You make me insatiable and have from the beginning. I can’t help it. Especially when I have your tight naked ass pressed up against my cock. What do you think I am, woman? An alien?”

“Sometimes I do, yes.” I turned slightly so I could meet his eyes. “Sometimes I think you can’t possibly be a real human man because of how amazing you are, and how kind and generous—Caleb, I want to tell you something important—”

He stopped me with two of his fingers pressed to my lips. “Wait—before you say whatever it is, I have a request.”

“All right,” I said, curious. “What is your request?”

“I’d like to give you something first. I’ve had it for a few weeks, but then I wasn’t so sure if you would welcome it, so I’ve held back from giving it to you to wait for the right time. But, I’d like to give it to you now, before you tell me your something important.” He tilted his head at me. “Please?”

“Okay, Caleb.” I absolutely adored him like this. He could be so demanding and dominant during sex, and then transform into the sweetest, most romantic gentleman imaginable. I don’t know how he did it, but the combination was pure magic for me. “I can’t seem to say no to you.”

“I can’t give you my gift from inside the bathtub, either.”

We both laughed as he helped me out of the tub. I loved this part, too. Caleb liked to dry me off and get me settled after we showered. He was very good as he drew the supersoft Egyptian cotton towel over my skin. He gave extra attention to my breasts and even dropped a few soft kisses as he worked. “You’re so beautiful, standing here like this for me,” he said on a whisper.

Caleb was very good at just about everything, and I didn’t even try to stop the few tears that fell as I watched him take care of me. He didn’t react at all to my crying, which oddly, only served to help me to fall even harder for him. The only concession he made to having noticed my tears was when he finished with the towel at my cheeks before helping me into my robe.

HEhanded me a red velvet case with Cartier embossed on the top. “For you,” he said with an unreadable expression as my heart bounced around inside my chest.

Dressed in my robe, I sat beside him and accepted the box with shaking hands. I lifted the lid to find a link bracelet in white gold with the classic Cartier C diamond clasp. The bracelet had three charms attached. A lighthouse with what looked like a diamond at the top to represent the light, a little house with a round window filled in with a red stone, and finally a heart-shaped padlock with a tiny key linked to the lock handle.

“Oh, Caleb, it’s so beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for such a perfect gift.” I leaned forward and kissed him. “Where did you get this?”

“I found it when I was in Abu Dhabi, and I thought you might like it.”

“I more than like it. I love it. How did you know I always wanted a charm bracelet?”

“Well, I didn’t, but I hoped you would,” he said. “I’m really glad you love it—so does this mean you’ll drive the new car I’m getting for you?” He gave me his melting little-boy grin.

“You aren’t going to let the car thing go, I can see. All right, I agree to the car, but right now I want you to help me put this gorgeous bracelet on, and tell me why you chose each charm.”

“Thank you,” he said while gently closing the diamond C clasp around my wrist. “It started when I was looking for something that would remind you of me when you wore it. I know the C is for Cartier, but it’s also the first letter of Caleb, so you should think of me when you see that part.” He winked. “The little house with the round window is your cottage of course, but the little red stone in the window reminded me of a meatball . . . so you got a cottage with a meatball window. That should be self-explanatory.” He chuckled. “The lighthouse is the Fairchild Light to represent how you are a south-end island girl.” He kissed me sweetly. “The padlock is my heart . . . to which there is only one key. The key is you. You are my key, Brooke Casterley.”

“That was the most beautiful explanation I’ve ever heard . . .”

“Look at the back of the padlock, and you’ll see my initials are engraved there. I had yours added to the shaft of the key.”

In beautiful antique script were the initials C.J.W.B. on the padlock, and on the key were mine, B.E.C. “So I won’t ever forget that you are the heart and I am your key?” I asked.

“That is correct, beautiful.”

“What if I told you that you are the same for me, Caleb? That I am the heart and you are my key?”

“Am I, Brooke?”

I nodded my head up and down because I needed a moment to compose myself from the onslaught of emotions bubbling up. “You are inside my h-heart, Caaa—leb. You’re in here s-so very deep, inside a p-part of me I thought—I thought—wouldn’t ever be c-capable of f-f-feeling this way.” I splayed my palm over my heart and struggled to get the rest of the words out. “But my heart does work. You healed what was broken inside it and brought that part back to life. I know now what I was feeling. I didn’t recognize it right away because I’d never felt it before, but I figured it out when you went away on your trip. I missed you dreadfully, but more than that, I saw how much you cared by having your people looking out for me while you were away. That’s when I knew for sure. So, at the same time you were choosing this beautiful gift for me, I was realizing I had fallen in love with you.” I took his face in both of my hands, rubbed my thumbs over his cheeks, and felt the stubble on his jaw beneath my fingers. “I love you, Caleb Blackstone, who is so very deep inside of my heart.”

He closed his eyes for a moment as he took in my words. I heard a rush of breath come out of him and realized he’d been waiting to hear me say it. But now, finally faced with hearing those three important words from me, he was stirred up. I could feel him trembling beneath my hands as I touched him. As clear as day for me to see—telling Caleb I loved him was profoundly meaningful to him.

Loving him had made me realize something. It wasn’t about one’s station in life. I love him—every beautiful, generous, thoughtful part of him. And it was so easy to do so, as if he’d been made for me. I was now seeing it must be the same for him. He loves me completely. It hadn’t made sense to me before, but loving him had opened my eyes to the startling fact. Love simply was.

Caleb didn’t say a word when he swept me up into his arms and kissed me. He kissed me the whole distance as he carried me up the stairs. He didn’t stop kissing me while he stripped me out of my robe, nor while slipping out of his jeans, which he’d donned after our bath. He kept on kissing me once we were naked on my bed together, and he’d put himself inside me.

When we were as close as two people could possibly be, he said it back to me.

“I love you, Brooke. Only you.”

He didn’t hold back after that with any of the words he spoke to me.

Neither did I.