Chapter 86 Special Breakfast
Elsie
I slipped into the dining room.
Jacob and Aiden were laughing quietly over something one of them had just said. My eyes immediately went to the head of the table.
Caleb.
He wasn't sitting; he was standing by the stove, turning away from me as he carefully slid an omelette onto a serving plate. And he was wearing an apron—a ridiculously pristine white chef's apron tied neatly around his waist, protecting a crisp linen shirt.
I paused, genuinely stunned. He didn't strike me as someone who knew how to boil water, let alone cook a meal.
He must have sensed my presence because he turned, his dark gaze finding mine, a slight smirk touching his lips as he surveyed me.
I walked closer, taking in the spread of food: golden brown crêpes drizzled with syrup, a platter piled high with crispy applewood-smoked bacon, and perfectly scrambled eggs beside a bowl of fresh fruit.
"You made all this?" I asked, the words coming out as an astonished whisper. "The crêpes? The bacon?"
Caleb set the plate down and began pulling out a chair for me. "Don't get used to it," he said, his voice low and serious. His eyes narrowed slightly. "And don't ever tell anyone outside us that you saw me do this. Ever."
I barked out a sudden, loud laugh, the surprise dissolving the tension I hadn't realized I was holding. "My lips are sealed, Lawyer."
"It looks incredible, honestly," I added, stepping fully into the room.
Jacob grinned, already halfway through a serving of bacon. "Wait until you try it, Elsie. Caleb would do better as a chef than a lawyer."
Caleb shot Jacob a warning look before gently pushing the chair in for me. I slid into the seat, and a warm, giddy feeling settled over me. It felt special. It felt good, seeing all three of them in one space with me—a picture of normalcy and quiet companionship.
Then, the sudden chill of reality hit me. Soon, this would be over. Soon, I would be tossed back into the life I had before—going back to my life as a maid. Or a fate I wasn't quite sure of yet, but I was trusting them with my life.
I took a deep breath, trying to push the worry away. I needed to focus on this moment, this perfectly cooked breakfast.
Conversation was sparse, forks clinking against porcelain, until Aiden's phone buzzed sharply. He glanced at the screen, face tightening. “It's Dad,” he muttered, answering with a curt “yeah?“ The room fell silent as he listened, nodding grimly. Hanging up, he pushed back his chair. “He wants us home. Urgent—something about the business. Says we need to leave now.”
Jacob grunted, wiping his mouth. “Shit. Alright, let's pack.”
Caleb leaned back, arms crossing over his broad chest. “You two go ahead. I'll follow behind with Elsie. Make sure everything's squared away here.”
Aiden shot him a look, then nodded, as the brothers rose in a flurry of movement. They cleared out fast, footsteps echoing up the stairs as they grabbed their bags, leaving the dining room thick with sudden quiet.
The moment the door clicked shut upstairs, Caleb stood and walked around the table. He didn’t say anything. He just reached for me, his hands firm on my waist, lifting me easily and setting me on the edge of the dining table. Plates rattled, coffee sloshed, but I was already lost.
His mouth crashed down on mine, kissing me with raw hunger, tongue thrusting deep like he was claiming every inch. His stubble scraped my chin, teeth tugging my lower lip as I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer.
He broke the kiss, When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his breath hot against my swollen lips, foreheads touching. “Things won't be the same once we leave here,” he rasped, voice gravelly with regret.
“Why?” I whispered, my heart was pounding in my chest, and my fingers were threading through his hair to keep him close.
“Works gonna bury me—meetings, deals, the whole grind. And you'll be back to your duties as a servant, scrubbing floors and serving drinks as if nothing happened.” His eyes searched mine, and he brought his hand up to my face, his thumb tracing my jaw. “If you don't want to come, it's fine. I can set you up in an apartment and provide security. Keep you safe, away from all that shit.”
I shook my head, fire sparking in my chest. “I don't need your charity, Caleb. I can handle my own mess.”
His hand slid down my body, bold and unhesitating, dipping between my thighs. He tugged my pants aside gently, his fingers brushing my soaked slit—dipping into the slick heat without warning. I shivered hard, a gasp escaping as his touch sent jolts straight to my core, my walls clenching around the intrusion.
“I don't want this to end,” he growled, circling my clit with his thumb, feeling my pulse throb under his fingers. “This—us. The way you take it, the way you beg for more.”
“It doesn't have to end,” I breathed, my hips rocking into his hand slowly. “We can figure it out.”
He kissed me again, deeper this time, his body pressing into mine, my back arching as my legs wrapped around his waist.
Then I stopped him. He slid his hand out from my thighs and circled my waist, pulling me closer.
I rested my head against his shoulder, the heat of his body steady beneath me, and for a moment I just stayed there, breathing him in, trying to decide how much of the truth I could say out loud.
“I have something to tell you,” I said quietly.
He didn’t move away. His arm stayed around me, his attention fully on me, waiting.
“I met with Mrs. Lancaster,” I said.
I felt him glance down at me, but he didn’t look shocked. He only waited, like he already knew there was more.
“She’s hiding,” I continued. “I went to see her. She told me where she was staying.”
That got his attention. His body shifted slightly, alert now, but still controlled.
“She told me Malcom Lancaster wants to take everything from her,” I said. “She said he was trying to erase her completely. She wanted help.”
I swallowed before going on.
“She asked me to get a red file from your father’s room. She said it was important, that it would protect her. In return, she said she would help me. Help me fix my life.”
His jaw tightened.
“That’s how this started,” I said. “That’s why I went into his room. And that’s why I was taken. Your father saw the CCTV footage of me going in there. He wanted to know who sent me and what I was looking for.”
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, softly, “You should have told me.”
“I know,” I said. “But she made herself look… desperate. Cornered. I thought she was vulnerable. I thought helping her was the right thing to do.”
I lifted my head slightly, just enough to look at him.
“I don’t think that anymore,” I said. “I don’t trust her. Not now.”
He turned fully toward me then.
“Sarah Lancaster is dangerous,” he said. “She doesn’t lose. And she doesn’t ask for help unless there’s something in it for her.”
“I see that now,” I replied. “That’s why I’m telling you everything.”
He was quiet for a moment, thinking.
“I know where she is,” I said. “I went there myself. If you want her… I can give you the address.”
His eyes stayed on mine, sharp and unreadable.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes.”
He held my gaze for a long second, then said, “You did the right thing coming to me.”
And even as he said it, something tight settled in my chest, a quiet warning I couldn’t explain, only feel.