19
Caliban discovers that his new wife will continue to surprise him....
After Caliban had stored his pistol in the top drawer of the bedside table, he too took out the pajama set that was in his bag. Walking over to the dresser, he took off his suit coat and folded it neatly before laying it carefully on the top. His vest was next to follow, also carefully folded, followed by his tie The silver cuff links with his initials on them he placed up near the mirror, where they wouldn’t get knocked off. Then he began unbuttoning his shirt to take it off. As he was undressing, he was going over his plans for the next few days, things he wanted to discuss with Lars and Marcin when he had a chance, and other matters. Darker matters that he intended to keep away from Adira for as long as he could.
It wasn’t until Adira had closed the bathroom door and stripped off her shirt, that she realized she had left the pants to the pajama set on the bed. Somehow, she had just grabbed the top. She decided to go ahead and put it on, then she could go out and grab the pants. Certainly Caliban wouldn’t be too undressed yet, and it wasn’t like eventually they weren’t going to have to get more comfortable around one another if they were going to live with each other. She also decided to kick off her shoes and take off her socks, picking them up along with her now folded top, before opening the door back into the bedroom.
At first she was confused that Caliban wasn’t in there, but as she took a step into the room, she realized he had just changed positions within the room, so she hadn’t seen him from inside the bathroom. He was over by the dresser and had just started to slide his dress shirt off of his shoulders. Like her ex-husband, she saw the scars marring his skin that came from coming up through the ranks of the type of life the men both lived. The breadth of his shoulders, his musculature, and something about the way that he was shrugging off the shirt made her fingers itch to touch him. How many times had she been forced to undress Mircea regardless of her willingness to be near him; and now she found herself desiring to be the one that removed Caliban’s shirt, even if nothing else transpired between them.
It only took a few steps until Adira was right behind him, the items that had been in her hands now on the dresser. Her soft fingertips grazed his upper arms as they curled to take hold of the fabric of his shirt and pull it further down his arms. While he had not heard her approach on the carpeted floor, Caliban froze at the feel of her touch. It was a wholly unexpected move on her part, but not an unwelcome one. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and just enjoyed the freely given attention and affection, not wanting to dissuade her from continuing. He could not, however, contain the soft, pleased smile that formed at the thought of his fearful bride seeming to be an endless source of surprises.
Her fingers just barely touched the warmed skin of his arms as she slowly removed the shirt, but as she reached his hands, his fingers curled to momentarily pause her movements. His thumbs sweeping over her knuckles as his head finally turned to look over his shoulder at her. There was no missing the heat in his gaze as he did so, and it brought a quick flush to Adira’s cheeks that had her dropping her gaze with a smile that was a cross between impish and sheepish. a smile which amused Caliban. So bold in some moves, yet still so shy and nervous at times. He found it endearing.
Once she had completely removed the shirt, she nimbly folded it as she had others so many times in the past, then placed it atop his other clothes. If he’d asked right then what made her do it, she wasn’t sure she could have given him an answer beyond that she had wanted to. There was something about it that just seemed right after how he had been acting and had treated her in the last two days, even if that thought caused her to doubt her own sanity.
For his part, Caliban felt it was more than just her beauty that was drawing him to her, and he could not help but wonder what it was that was drawing her to him. If she kept doing things such as this, he was, however, not complaining, nor would he. He just hoped it was not out of some Sense of duty or owing him something. That was his only fear.
Adira’s arms encircled his waist as the comfortable silence continued to stretch between them, her head coming to rest in the middle of his back. A soft and stuttered breath fanned over his cooling skin, the only evidence of the nerves that she held within her. Caliban’s hands came to rest over hers, enjoying the quiet moment with her, as he contemplated what might have prompted her to come over to him. He expected nothing from her, but he was not going to reject the small touches of affection such as this from her. Never would he want her to feel rejected or unwanted. Just from what he had already gleaned from her and cursory investigating, she had been rejected enough in the past.
“You know that you owe me nothing, Adira.” Caliban kept his voice low and soft when he spoke after several minutes more of silence had stretched between them. “I will not turn such spoiling down,” he brought one of her hands up to kiss the back, “but you are not expected to act in any certain way or need to feel like you owe me anything.” With what he had gathered from short snippets of conversations and comments that had been made, he did not want her thinking that he was in any way like Mircea, and that she had to keep him happy in some way to avoid the abuses that she had received from him. He would never harm her like that, and would protect her even if their relationship was never anything more than platonic; although their current physical position did not feel altogether platonic.
“I know, Caliban.” Adira pressed more against his back as her arms tightened around him. For some reason, holding him tighter, and him not pulling away, made her feel more secure. “Maybe I just wanted to do something small to spoil my husband that has already done so much to spoil me.” A soft kiss was placed between his shoulder blades; and she fought tears as she prayed that she had not messed something up. Old fears were hard to keep from rising up.
When he turned to face her though, Caliban didn’t say anything at all. He did, however, place one hand on the small of her back to pull her to him until their bodies were flush against one another. Adira felt like there was a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies in her stomach as she gazed up into his deep eyes, that seemed to have darkened with desire and were focused solely on her face. Her own fingers danced over the skin of his upper arms, gracing over his shoulders, before stilling gently on the back of his neck. The scars that bore silent witness to his bloody and violent past had not gone unnoticed as her fingers had made their slow trek across his skin; but instead of scaring her, they reminded her that this man before her chose to be delicate with her yet was capable of extremes of the opposite.
Everything that passed through Caliban's mind to say, he was afraid would ruin the moment. It had taken all of his control not to react to being touched from behind unexpectedly. Always having lived alone and having to watch his back made such a sign of affection foreign to him. Only the slight waft of perfume that had preceded her had given him a warning that she was approaching. Still, he had not anticipated her actions at any point up till feeling her fingers brushing against him. Her gentle touch, the seeming care she had taken in helping him undress then embracing him, and now the almost bashful way she was now looking up at him, they kept edging him towards actions he was not sure either of them were prepared for. Once more he was struck wondering how Mircea had ever laid a hand on the woman.
“You spoil me like this often, my darling, and I might get used to it.” Finally Caliban decided to lightly tease, his fingers caressing the side of her face.
“I spoil you, you spoil me. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?” Her voice was a little breathy and unsteady when Adira answered. Her fingers were lightly playing with the hairs at the base of his neck.
“I do believe I told you that I planned on spoiling you, now didn’t I? I don’t remember saying reciprocity was required.” One side of Caliban's mouth ticked up, his thumb swept her cheekbone over that bruise he still loathed. His hold tightened on her, but his eyes never left hers.
She nodded slowly. “You did. And, maybe, I might enjoy spoiling my husband so you’ll just have to get used to it.” Adira lightly licked her lips, which stayed slightly parted as she kept gazing up at him.
“Adira, I will take care of you, and keep you safe, no matter what.” He cupped the side of her face with his hand. His expression softening as he did. Caliban could swear she was casting a spell over him, he did not have the sorts of feelings towards women that he was currently fighting feeling towards her.
“I know.” Her brows drew together some. “What if I want to for my own reasons?” Once more she grew nervous. Did he not like it or want it? Had she misjudged?
Caliban lowered his forehead to hers. She was getting through his defenses far too easy. If Mircea had wanted to get a spy into his operations, she would have been the perfect one, had he not treated her like refuse. “Then I will let you have your reasons, love, because I do enjoy the outcome and want you to know…” he had no idea how he wanted to end that sentence. He wanted her to know what? That she was getting to him? That he was feeling something for her? That he liked her? That he was apparently losing his mind? All of that? He wasn’t sure himself. Instead of thinking further, he simply kissed her.