"Sophie..." His voice cracks, and he clears it, trying again, but it cracks once more. "You..."
Twirling in my place, I hold my hands out and ask, "Do you like it?"
"God... you take the breath right out of me," he places a hand on his chest, walking closer to me. Holding out his hands, I place mine in them, and his eyes melt over me from head to toe. He exhales a little shaky, "Beautiful. So damn beautiful, and I don't even feel that's an apt word to describe how you look right now."
"You look very handsome, my otter," I smile, before dropping my voice and teasing. "Very...Bond."
Callum ducks down to meet my eyes, lifts my hand to his lips, and asks in an exaggerated British accent, "Will you be my Bond girl, darling?"
"Always, Mr. Rhodes," I reply in a decidedly awful British accent, and it causes him to laugh and pull me into his embrace. He holds me in his big arms for a long moment, and my eyes close at the feel of him, the smoky scent of him. Comfort. Safety.Home. The two of us sway back and forth, enjoying this moment of peace and quiet.
Leaning down to kiss my forehead, he grins. "Come on. Bailey threatened bodily harm if I didn't get you downstairs in time."
Grabbing my pearl-colored clutch, I place my phone and ID in it, while Callum grabs his wallet and our room key.
"I feel like we're going to prom."
"I actually never went to my prom," he smiles, reaching out for my hand as we exit our room and walk toward the elevators.
"Really?"
"Jack, Oliver, and I decided to skip and went camping that weekend instead," Callum admits, smiling fondly at the memory. "Jack had already enlisted and was leaving right after graduation, and Oliver was going across the country for college, so it would be one of the last times we were together for a while."
I smile and rub my thumb across his knuckles, "That actually sounds like a lot more fun."
Callum laughs, "That was actually the first time I got drunk. Jack brought a handle of whiskey, and we all passed it around and just talked... about the future, our hopes and dreams—what we were going to do, who we were going to be..."
We reach the elevators, and I press the down button, curiosity blooming. "And... do you think you've achieved the future you hoped and dreamed for?"
Callum pauses, his expression flickering as he looks faraway. Then his lips curve into a slow smile, his eyes soft and shining as he looks at me.
"Not even my wildest dreams could have anticipated you, Sophie."
My heart stutters at that—the sincerity in his tone, the pure adoration pouring from him—and it kicks like a drum as he lifts my hand to his mouth and places a delicate kiss on it.
And God, I hope he knows that I feel it too. That everythingwithin me aches with how deeply I love him. I open my mouth, ready for it to pour out of me like word vomit—
"Callum, I—"
Ding.
My mouth snaps shut as the doors open, Callum looking at me a little expectantly, but I shake my head, and we step into the elevator. As we descend, he wraps his arm around my waist, holding me steady.
"I never went to prom either," I admit, my voice a little breathless.
He glances down at me. "No?"
I shake my head. "I was too focused on getting out of my parents' house. I stayed home and studied for finals instead. I didn't really let myself have fun until college."
"Ah, yes," Callum grins, eyes gleaming as he teases, "my wild college party girl."
That's the last time I tell him about my introduction to Jell-O shots, underestimating how much vodka is actually in them, and throwing up the colorblueso much that I stained the toilet.
"Don't remind me," I grimace.
He laughs, the deep, rich sound rumbling against me, then leans down to press a kiss to the top of my head just as the elevator doors slide open to the grand lobby.
He offers me his arm, all gentlemanly and sweet, and I slide my arm through it.
