“No,” I replied indignantly. “He said he’s unaware of it. My dad runs a mini empire. All these kinds of inquiries go through his team first. Clearly someone hasn’t passed along your request.”
He snorted like he didn’t believe me.
“My dad isn’t a liar. If he says he doesn’t know about it, he doesn’t. However, he promised to look into it.”
“We’ll see, princess.” Callan shrugged.
“Don’t you believe me?”
“I believe you believe your dad.”
“You are extremely irritating.”
“You’re no picnic either.” His gaze darted to my mouth, then to my chest, before he looked away.
Ignoring the shiver of awareness that skated down my spine, I replied dryly, “Your eyes certainly think I’m a picnic.”
Callan’s lips twitched. “I already told you I think you’re fit.”
Samuel had called mebeautiful. As much as I didn’t want Samuel calling me beautiful, it was an adjective I could get on board with.Fitwas not. “I know you think that’s a compliment, but it’s the kind of thing I hear men murmuring to each other in the pub. ‘Check her out, she’s well fit.’”
He chuckled at my grimace. “You’re complaining that men think you’re fit?”
“I hate the word. It’s so … impersonal and unsexy.”
“It’s not any different from being called hot.”
“Of course you don’t get it.”
“I really don’t.”
“Ugh.” I picked up my pace to get away from him, but Callan kept in stride with me.
“You don’t have to walk me home.”
“We live in the same building. I’m walking in the same direction you’re walking. And aren’t we supposed to be seen together?” He reached for my hand and clasped it tightly in his. “See, isn’t this nice?”
The fact that I’d quite like the hand-holding to be real made me sniff haughtily.
“Was that a yes? Or should I put my arm around your waist?”
“Try it and I’ll kick you in the balls.”
“And here I thought you said you were attracted to me too.”
“I am.” I grinned, and it was all teeth. “You’refit.”
“I take that as a compliment.”
“Really? Because I find many men fit. Fit doesn’t make you special.”
Perhaps I let a wee bit too much of my hurt leak into my words because Callan fell into silence. He didn’t release his hold on me, and I could think of little else but the physical contact as we walked all the way home without another word spoken between us.
He let go of my hand to let us into our building. We strode upstairs together and then I gave him a nod before walking over to my door. I expected him to keep on walking. However, as I put my key in the lock, I heard his footsteps quicken and then his heat surrounded me as he braced his hands on either side of my door, his chest to my back.
I shivered as his lips brushed my ear. “Just for the record, princess, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
His hoarse words made me suck in a breath, and Callan’s chest pressed more firmly against my back.
