Chapter 27
Leah
As an eighteen–year–old girl–no, scratch that. As an eighteen–year–old woman, I probably don’t know what love is. But what I do know is that something inside my chest has grown warm and tender ever since Caleb decided to give me this one summer in Tokyo
And it happens fast,
One second, I’m frustrated with Caleb for teasing me in front of his ex–wife Lana and her assistant, and the next, I’m falling in love. One day, I just enjoy his company and the next, I can’t live without his smile, his laughter, and that look in his eye whenever he challenges me. We kiss each other whenever we are alone. We sleep in the same bed and start holding hands on the train, in the car, and eventually, before every meeting we attend.
It goes so far that we make a rule to not kiss each other in public places. I tell Caleb it’s an important rule if we want to keep our relationship a secret. However, most of the time, we break that stupid role since we can’t keep away from each other. He is my drug–tocally infuriating but oh so addicting.
I’m happy when I’m with him. We both are. So happy, in fact, that we are permanently stuck in a state of bliss so intense our mouths are curled into smiles even when we wake up in the morning
And his face is always the first thing I want to see. Two weeks pass by in Tokyo, and it’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on this side of the planet
With Caleb, I’m different. He teaches me how to not take myself so seriously. He will read my erotic chapters over my shoulders and steal my Laptop, so I have to chase him around my hotel room. He takes me in another town right under his ex–wife’s nose and forgets his wallet, so we have to play illegal music on the street to eam enough in buy train tickets back to Tokyo. He is unbelievable, and I’m so in love with him that I don’t know what to do with myself.
I’ve become a new woman, and tonight, we are reading the instructions on a donut maker we bought
Do you like chocolate cake?” Caleb asks as be rips off the plastic on the second how we bought earlier. I have already mixed batter in the other
one.
stare down at the lump in my bowl and try to think what I want to add to
“I do, but I think I want more special donuts that chocolate cake ones..“I stare d the plain–looking hatter. “How about red velvet cake donuts?”
Caleb puts on the chef hat we bought from a custom store. He looks absolutely ridiculous but manages to make a serious face when he faces me “Sounds unhealthy.”
I snort. “All domits are unhealthy”
“I know, but if you keep me on this sugary diet, I’m going to lose my abs, he mutters before lifting his t–shirt to frown at his perfectly sculpted body.
I roll my eyes. “You’re such a show–oll
“I’m not showing off, Caleb whines. “Tm actually worried about my shape herr, Leah. All you do is force me to eat junk food.”
I gasp “I do not
“You do,” there’s a grin on his face. “You have a taste for expensive takeouts, and me, the poor billionaire who has fallen victim to your charm, is now losing money because of your big appetite.”
How dare he!!
I pick up a handful of batter and fling it toward his face.
Unfortunately, I miss the damn bastard, and the donut batter lands on the wall behind his head. Caleb turns to examine it
“Was that supposed to hit me?” he asks before turning around to smirk at me. “Because then it’s on”
he man moves shockingly
ly fast for his age. One second, I’m glaring at him, and the next,
, he is holding my bowl upside–down over my head.
The
“Hey, stop that—I’m cut off as light brown butter drips down on my head and all over the floor.
Caleb laughs. “Take that!”
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Chapter 27
I laugh at his tone, and once I start, I can’t stop Caleb is laughing, too, and soon, we are both laughing so hand that we can barely stand. I reach for him, gripping his 1–shurt so that my knees won’t give in underneath me. It makes Calch move his hand to strally me, but he is a fool because the war İsat over yet. Not even closet
I use my free hand to wipe hatter from my cheek, and smash at into Caleb’s face. He yelps, and then all hell breaks loose. We break away from each other and pick up wrapum eges, four, and sugar to throw at each oder..
It starts out with Calch having the upper hand–he is taller and stronger than me and uses it against me. But I’m stidsbörn as hell, and the old man eventually tries to surrender. He holds up his hand, and I grm before deciding there can be peace, but only if he lets me smear eggs all over his
Caleb agrees to my terms and conditions. And after the egg ceremony is over, he lies on his back and smiles up into my eyes. His skin is caked in foun, and there are eggshells in his luxur
“You’re beautiful,” he says.
A blush spreads over my face. “I probably look worse than you right now.”
“You don’t–you’re gorgeous”
The Laughter dies while my heart picks up its pace, This is the perfect moment to kiss–like a scene taken straight from a romantic movie.
I hover above him to see if he will make a move on me. His blue eyes are on my mouth, and Lean barely breathe. My heart is pressed somewhere against his ribcage, and I wonder if he knows he is the reason it’s beating so last.
“Leah” he whispers, and my heart clenches
A month ago, our kisses meant sex, nothing else. Today, I fear every kiss is going to be the last since we only agreed to have this one summer.
Nothing more.
even if more is all I want.
Lavent my gaze “We should get to baking those domits”
“Oh, okay?” He sounds confused. “Did Laulud 1 do something wrong? Are you mad at me?”
“No,” I force a smile and meet his eyes. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
The only thing he has done is make me tall in love, and that isn’t wrong, it’s a tragedy
“O–okay “Caleb doesn’t look like he believes me, but he doesn’t argue with me. Then let’s get to baking that cake..” He laughs. “I’m the only one
with butter left, though.”
“You will share it.”
“Do you want to share in th
the bathtub tonight”
“Yikes. I will definitely share the batter with you”
“Good boy”
Three hours later, we are lying in bed watching a movie while eating our red velvet donuts.
“Hottest actor?” he asks.
I look up at him from my comfortable spot beside him. My head is resting on his muscular arm and one of my legs is resting on his body. “In this
show!”
“No, hottest actor ever”
I don’t even have to think about my answer. “Young Orlando Bloom.”
Caleb gasps “And here I thought you were into older men!”
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Chapter 27
I roll my eyes at his dramatics, “Sorry, old man, but I prefer how “lando looked like when he played Legolas.”
“Old man?” Caleb feigns hurt and juts out his lower lip as he looks down at me. “Consider my feelings hurt.”
“You don’t get hurt.
“I do,” he murmurs, but when my eyes gaze deeply into his, he changes the subject–he always does when our conversations become too deep. “Favorite memory!”
I smile, “From this trip?”
mir on their own. “Tell me your favorite memory of all time
“No,” his lips form a smile on
I open my mouth to answer him but stop myself when I realize all my favorite memories are from this trip, from the late night restaurant visits, that time when he forgot his wallet, the way he has used every opportunity to tease me.
“Leah?”
Гуг
spent with him. Our
1 blink and that’s when I realize I’m crying a single tear roll down my check. Caleb catches it with a finger, stares down at it, and then cocks his head to the side.
“I’m sorry, Leah. I didn’t mean to make you think of something sad. I was hoping you would remember happy things.”
I force a smile and shake my head. “No, it’s not that. I was thinking of happy memories, actually. Really happy ones”
Caleb’s brow furrows in confusion. Then why the tear?”
I pause, unsure how to answer his question. The truth is that while our memories are happy, I’m terrified of what’s going to happen once we retur to the States. Will Caleb just throw me away and forget about me?
“Leah!” Caleb gives me a concerned look, but right before he can ask another question, something happens on the TV to steal his attention.
I use the distraction to quickly wipe away the remaining tears, taking a deep breath to compose myself When Caleb turns back to me, his eyes are still filled with worry, but I force a bright smile.
“It’s nothing, really, I think I’m just getting emotional from all the sugar.” I gesture to the half–eaten donut in my hand. “You know how I get when I have too many sweets.
Caleb doesn’t look entirely convinced, but he let it go with a small chuckle, “Ah yes, I forgot about your low sugar tolerance. Maybe we should switch to carrots next time instead of donus.
I make a face. “Ew, no thanks. I will take my chances with the sugar nash
He laughs and pulls me closer, planting a soft kiss on the top of my head. “Fair enough. But don’t come crying to me when you’re bouncing off the walls at 2 am.”
“I make no promises,” I tease back, smuggling deeper into his chest. The steady rhythm of his heart soothes me, and for a moment. I let myself forget about the uncertain future and just enjoy where I am here and now
But in the back of my head, I know what’s going to happen once this trip is over: my heart will be broken, possibly forever, since I’m in love with Caleb Steele.
