He lifted her and turned, setting her on the counter and stepping between her thighs. His hands slipped beneath her shirt to touch a waist that was as soft as he remembered.
She gasped, and the second her lips parted, he slipped inside her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers.
God, she tasted good. He’d almost forgotten her sweetness. A combination of berries and candy. A flavor that called to him. A taste that was so infinitely Callie.
He touched his chest to hers, pushing her thighs farther apart. He nipped her bottom lip, wanting to take her whimper that cut through the air and store it deep inside him so he never forgot.
But then, he’d never forgotten anything about this woman. Not the angelic sounds she made. Not her sweet scent or taste or the way her skin was soft like silk. She was a part of him. And right now, kissing her, he was whole again for the first time in ages.
He shifted his mouth from hers, trailing it down her neck while his hand slipped over her ribs. He was about to close that last bit of distance and cup her breast when she tensed, then grabbed his wrist.
“Lock…we can’t. I…I can’t.”
He hung his head, the pain so real and visceral that for a moment, he couldn’t move. Could barely breathe.
“I’m not giving up on us, Callie,” he whispered.
Finally, he gained the strength to look up. Her lips were red and her eyes conflicted.
Good. There was a part of her that was fighting for him. A part of her that wanted him back. He couldn’t just see it in her eyes. He’dfelt itin her kiss.
He gripped her hips and helped her off the counter but didn’t step back right away. “You and me…we’re not over. We willneverbe over.”
Her eyes widened.
Leaning forward, he gently kissed her temple. It took all of his strength to drop his hands and turn away. His steps were heavy as he made his way toward the front door, her soft footsteps trailing behind him. He’d just wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and was about to tug it open when something on the hall table caught his attention. His eyes narrowed.
The note.
Whenever I see your hair, I just want to touch it. I bet it’s soft like silk.
But it wasn’t just the handwritten words that caught his attention, it was the envelope beneath it. An envelope addressed to herhousein the same handwriting.
Callie tried to snatch it away from him, and he let her. What was the point in keeping it? He’d already read the damn thing. “He sent it to yourhomeaddress?”
Her mouth opened and closed. “Lock—”
“Tell me I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing. Tell me he doesn’t know where you live.”
She blew out a long breath. “Yes, he sent it to my home address. I opened it just before I called you.”
Fuck. “You’re reporting this to Easternnow.” He pulled out his phone, only for her to grab his wrist. “Don’t argue with me on this, Callie. This is your safety we’re talking about.”
“I know. I’m going to contact him, but I can do it myself. I don’t need you looking after me.”
“You clearly do.”
Her eyes narrowed.
Shit, he was going about this the wrong way.
He took a breath, trying to dampen the flame of fury in his gut. “We may not be dating, but we can at least be friends.” The word tasted bitter in his mouth, but friends was better than nothing. “And friends help each other.”
“We can’t be friends.”
“We can. We can see each other in the street without running. We can talk. And we can help keep the other safe. Let me call my brother so he can investigate this.”
When she remained silent, he stepped closer, cupping her cheek once again. There was less hesitation this time. And for the second time that day, she didn’t push him away.
