Winning Back His Wife (9 page)

Caleb was so exhausted. He was exhausted physically,
mentally and emotionally.

Seeing Neela walking again was the highlight of his life.
When she played with the kids it made him realize just how much he had missed
over the last five years. He should have been there when she was swollen with
the twins and when she gave birth to them. He missed their first steps, their
first words, their first day at school, everything.

These were the things he would never be able to get back.
But he would never blame Neela. He had not given her one reason to believe that
he would have been a good father.

Day in and day out for the past three weeks, he had to stand
by and watch his wife, the woman he loved, the mother of his children be wined
and dined by another man. The worst part was that he couldn’t do anything about
it.

What right did he have? He couldn’t give Neela what he
wanted to, what she deserved - at least not as long as he was bound by his
promise to Lori. So what right did he have to stop her from being happy? Garvin
obviously did that. She was always smiling and making doe eyes at him. Caleb so
wanted to smash his face in. He knew it wouldn’t solve anything but it would
sure make him feel better.

The one good thing that came out of this whole situation
with Neela and Garvin, was that he knew how Neela must have felt seeing him
with Lori - how she must feel now.

If his wife went through a quarter of what he was going
through seeing her with Garvin, then he deserved to rot in hell.

Funny how it took losing someone you love to realize how
much they meant to you.

It was almost two in the morning and by all rights he was
supposed to be asleep as the kids were but sleep would not claim him.

Instead he was here, wandering around the house like a
father waiting for his teenager to return from a date.

The teenager in this case would be Neela. She was out with
Garvin tonight and Caleb had no shortage of scenarios as to what was going on
between them. The worst was the one with Neela and that jerk somewhere in some
bed doing all the things he wanted to do with her.

That was a nightmare!

The sound of an approaching vehicle drew him to the window.
With the darkness engulfing the lower part of the house, he was ensured that no
one from outside could see inside.

Whisky glass in hand, he nudged aside the curtain to observe
what was going on.

****

The lower house was in darkness but Neela knew he was there
peeping through the curtain. He probably thought she couldn’t see him but it
was really hard to miss a man with Caleb’s size. 

Why was he waiting up for her? He was treating her like a
rebellious teenager. Fine, if he wanted a show she would give him one.

Garvin packed the black pick up in the driveway and came
around the passenger side to open the door for Neela. Accepting the hand he
extended, she climbed down from the high vehicle.

Neela knew she looked good in her black pencil jeans, purple
off shoulder top and matching baby doll shoes. The jeans hugged her hips and
butt and the way it narrowed down to her ankle accented her figure beautifully.
The top exposed the soft skin of her cinnamon-colored shoulder but covered
enough to keep a man guessing. ‘Eat your heart out, Caleb Wilder.’

Garvin escorted her to the front porch, her tiny hand in his
bigger one. She was quite sure Caleb could see them, where they stood.

Garvin was such a handsome man. Although younger than Caleb
at twenty-eight, he was definitely very mature. Six foot one, short curly hair,
grey eyes, with skin a little darker than Neela’s, he was sure good to look at.

Facing each other, Garvin looked down at her. “I had a great
time tonight Neela.”

“Yeah, I did too.” Why did she suddenly feel so awkward? Was
it because she knew that he was going to kiss her? Neela wasn’t sure if she was
ready for that.

“Look, Garvin, this isn’t going to work. You are a great guy
but I can’t do this.” She felt really foolish for taking this so far.

“I know, Neela. You think I don’t know you’re still in love
with him?” Why was Garvin sounding so understanding? He should be upset. “I
knew you weren’t feeling me. You are too wonderful a woman to be unfaithful but
I have enjoyed messing with him the past couple of weeks. I’m quite sure if
looks could kill, I’d be dead by now,” her companion was saying.

“But all this time….”

“Hey, there’s no need to explain.” Garvin stopped her with a
finger on her lips. “Look, I’d be lying if I said I’m not attracted to you but
sometimes a guy has to know when to give up.” God, why couldn’t she be in love
with Garvin? He was such a wonderful man. ‘No, not you, Neela, instead you had
to fall in love with a man who just keeps stomping on your heart.’

Garvin cupped her face with both hands, studying her closely
before saying, “I wish I had met you before he did. I would have loved you so
good.” He paused for a little while as if looking for the right words to say
but then he continued.

“I know I might be crossing a line here but he does love you,
Neela. I know you guys got a lot going on but maybe you can give him a hearing.
If it was me, I would want a hearing.” Okay, so she wasn’t expecting that.

“Garvin, it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

“You mean with that Lori chick thing? Hey, I know it must be
hard to hear that your guy has a baby with another woman but things happen.
He’s a man, Neela, with normal urges. I mean I doubt I can last a month without
sex, much less for five years. The way I see it, he screwed up but he is trying
to make things better.” God, why couldn’t he be like a normal guy and just try
to get her in bed? Instead he was here telling her to forgive her husband. What
a man!

 “Now with that said, I think we should give that husband of
yours a little something to stew about.” Before she could answer, Garvin
gathered her up into his arms and kissed her thoroughly.

Oh, he was no Caleb but God the man could kiss. He coaxed
her mouth open with the tip of his tongue and she opened her mouth to accept
and groaned when his hand cupped her butt.

The toe curling kiss was interrupted when the front door
flew open. Caleb stood on the other side, breathing labored with a murderous
look in his eyes.

****

He had promised himself he was not going to do this. He was
not going to act the part of a jealous husband, even though that is exactly
what he was.

He was jealous as hell. It took a lot of courage and
strength to stand by and watch your wife being pawed by another man. That was
strength and courage Caleb did not have.

Rage enveloped him causing him to tighten his hand on the
glass he was holding until it shattered. Neela was
his
wife and that
fool had no right to be touching her and kissing her like that.

Stomping to the front door he yanked it open. Fuming at the
two, he silently demanded an answer.

She didn’t even try to look guilty. She just stood there
looking as if she wanted to be made love to. Battling the jealous rage that was
on the verge of erupting he said through tight lips, “Garvin, thank you for
seeing my wife home. Neela!” He insinuated by holding the door open for her to
come inside. Not once did he look at the other man because he knew with the way
he was feeling right about now, he was likely to commit murder. In the past hi
temper had caused him to physically hurt his wife. That was something he would
never repeat. He had learned to curb his anger over the last five years but
right now, he wasn’t to sure what he would do to Garvin if he slipped.

Throwing him the evil eyes, Neela waved Garvin goodbye
before she came in. Caleb hit the switch after he closed the door, flooding the
whole living room with light.

****

In an effort to avoid confrontation, Neela attempted to
hightail it out of the room but Caleb’s angry voice stopped her.

“So is this your way of getting back at me?”

Spinning around, she looked at him a long while before she
answered.

“Is that what you feel this is? My way of getting back at
you? Caleb, in order for me to do that, I would have to care about what you
think and frankly I don’t,” she huffed folding her arms across her chest. Oh,
she hated lying but right then she was mad as hell - mad because despite all
this jerk had done to her she still loved him. There he was looking like a lost
sheep and all she wanted to do was comfort him.  She should not be the one
feeling guilty.

She stayed rooted to the spot but he moved. He came closer,
slowly. God, he was sexy even when he walked. The plain white T-shirt fitted
firm against his broad chest reminding Neela of just how good he felt beneath
it. Simple black pajama pants fell all the way to his bare feet. This man was
extraordinary.

This is what she didn’t want to feel. When he was this close,
she seemed to forget all the wrongs he had done. All she could see is Caleb,
the man she fell in love with, the man she still loved. God, it was
frustrating.

He stood so close to her now, she could smell him. Sex - that’s
how he smelt.

“Are you trying to tell me you don’t love me anymore, Neela?
Can you honestly tell me that you don’t desire me?” Yeah, he was drilling it in
and she wasn’t going to allow him to do that to her.

Straightening up she raised her head high to look at him.

“What I am saying Caleb, is that I may still love you but I
can never forgive you. You just don’t seem to get it, do you?” Needing space
she moved away from him but she didn’t back down.

“You think you just have to say you’re sorry or that you
love me and we can just go back to the way we used to be but I can’t.” Inhaling
deeply she continued.

“When you slept with Lori that first time, it crushed me.
You will never understand what it did to me to know that you went to her.” That
had an effect on him because the expression on his face changed to guilt, maybe
shame, but he stayed quiet.

“Then when all this happened I really thought that this was
another chance for us. And I think I was honestly ready to forgive you. But
then you tell me you have a child with Lori. I think if that child was a
product of what happened between you two five years ago, it might have been
easier. Knowing that you continued to sleep with that woman after everything
she did to us, is the highest form of betrayal, Caleb.” Neela suddenly felt
extremely exhausted. Sitting at the foot of the stair she let her purse drop to
the carpeted floor.

Caleb moved silently across the floor to stoop in front of
her. She just wanted to stop fighting. Maybe it was time to let go. Maybe it
was time to forgive him and try to move forward.

“Are you sleeping with that bastard Neela?”

Her head snapped up at his question. He didn’t just ask
that. He didn’t have the audacity to ask her that question. But he did.
Erupting into a standing position, she yelled “You know what, Caleb? Screw
you!” and turned to leave.

But Caleb was ready for that because he grabbed her around
the waist, yanking her against his hard chest.

“Oh no, you don’t. You don’t get to walk away that easy,” he
growled in her ears as she struggled in his arms. She tried to pry his arms
loose but Caleb’s grip was like steel.

“Put me down, Caleb, or I swear I’ll scream,” Neela warned.

“Scream all you like I’m not letting you go until you tell
me if you are sleeping with that jerk.”

“If I tell you will you promise to put me down?” But she
didn’t want him to. It felt so good to be held this close to him. She could
feel his heart drumming against her back, his breath on her neck. Slowly she
was being pulled into that abyss of desire, where only she and Caleb existed.

Her body bucked when his tongue flickered out to trace a
part along her earlobe.

“Tell me, Neela. Are you sleeping with him?” Caleb demanded.

Breathing heavily, she licked her dry lips but she didn’t
answer. She slid slowly to her feet when he loosened his grip a little.

Circling, she looked up at him, so handsome. Caleb needed no
invitation. He lowered his lips to fuse with hers.

This was passion. Just a kiss and she was like jelly in his
arms.

Groaning, Caleb hoisted her up, her long legs wrapped around
him willingly.

His lips mated with hers, his tongue dancing in the recesses
of her mouth.

Caleb backed her up against the closest wall, his hard body
straining against hers. His lips left her mouth to burn a part across her jaw
and down her neck. Neela whimpered when his teeth nipped at the tender skin.

Freeing one hand he cupped her breast through the fabric of
her top, her nipple instantly puckered.

“Neela, please let me make love to you,” Caleb pleaded but
he shouldn’t have.

An image of him doing the same thing to Lori popped into her
mind and immediately she went cold. She stiffened in his arms.

Caleb felt it because he drew away a little to look at her.

“Neela…?”

“Put me down, Caleb,” she demanded.

“I don’t understand…”

“Well, let me help you. I may want sex, Caleb, but I don’t
want you.”

That did it. He dropped her like a sack of hot potatoes.

Caleb stood there, looking at her as if this was the first
time he was seeing her. Neela hammered the nail further into the coffin.

“I can’t believe that you are willing to have sex with me
when you come from her bed every day.”

When her words sank in he looked as if he had just been
clobbered over the head.

“You think I’m sleeping with Lori?”

“Well, you were with her just a couple of months ago. So why
should I think any different now?”

His eyes clouded over, concealing whatever he was thinking.

Neela got angrier when she didn’t get the reaction she
wanted. It was so much easier being angry. So she pushed.