I made a big mistake.Huge.
Living with Callie Cooper is pure fucking torture. She’s everywhere—little pieces of her existence strewn here and there. Sticky notes and a pen with teeth marks on the end lay on the kitchen counter. A Pride & Prejudice coffee mug has been washed and deposited on the drying rack. An adult coloring book is spread open on the coffee table with a set of markers nearby. Even her scent lingers long after she’s gone, like a constant reminder of where she’s been andnotbeen. All I want to do is drag her to my bed and have my way with her. It’s a constant battle of wills between me and my self-control.
I’m hard. All. The. Time.
Even now, she’s sitting in the armchair next to the fireplace, reading some book about a duke, with Atticus stretched out across her lap. She strokes his fur like she’s a cartoon villainand he’s her sidekick. It’s not inherently sexy, and yet here I am, unable to look away. She’s a living, breathing temptation.
She moves around quietly, as though she’s trying her best not to take up too much space. The same can’t be said for Atticus, who likes to make his presence known loudly and assertively. When she’s at work, he spends his days curled up at my feet under the mahogany desk in my office. I gave in and set up a box down there with a blanket inside. I even have a stash of treats in my desk drawer. If my brothers find out I’ve become the cat’s bitch, I'll never hear the end of it, but it’s nice to have the company.
She flips the page and laughs, breathy and melodic. It’s not just the sound that has me transfixed, but the smile that spreads across her face and wrinkles her nose. She glances up from her book, and for a fleeting moment, that smile is directed at me. My breath catches in my throat. Callie is always beautiful, but when she lets her guard down and forgets to fake it, she’s downright breathtaking.
I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the wall. “I was thinking about ordering in. What do you like on your pizza?”
“I'm not picky.”
Atticus hops off her lap and saunters over, circling my feet. He’s a slut for attention, but I don’t mind. My thoughts travel back to two years ago, when she said all she ever wanted for her birthday was a cat. I wanted to find a way to get her one right then and there, but Callie’s nothing if not self-reliant. It seems she didn’t need my gift after all. She somehow found the most co-dependent cat I’ve ever met.
“Great. So, you’re good with onions and anchovies?”
She scrunches her nose. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
I crouch down to scratch Atticus behind his ears. “I’m joking. Now give me your real answer.”
“Meat lovers?”
I smirk.
She lets out a resigned sigh. “Don’t say it.”
“Just this once.” I mime zipping my lips. “I'll call it in.”
Callie tosses the untouched crust into the pizza box. Taking great offense, I gape at her. “The crust is the best part.”
“How is that the best part? There’s nothing on it.”
I snatch it from the box and dip it in the ranch cup, taking a large bite. “Gino’s isn’t just any pizza. They use garlic butter and grated cheese on their crust.”
She stares at me in disgust. “At least swallow before you talk next time.” As soon as the words are out, her face falls. “Don’t.”
“I didn’t say a word.” I smirk around another bite of my pizza. “But if you don’t want me to call you out, maybe you should stop being such a dirty girl.”
She balks. “If you think that’s dirty talk, you need to get out more.”
“Are you questioning my abilities, Callie baby?”
“I’m just saying you clearly can’t discern innuendo from the real deal.”
So, I was right. She still has no idea who I am or how we’re connected.
I lower my voice to a gravelly tone, similar to the one I use online. “Is that a challenge?”
Her gaze dips to my lips for a fraction of a second. “Do your worst.”
“One thing you should know about me”—I whisper seductively—“is I never back down from a challenge. If you gave me one shot, just one night with you, I’d ruin you for allother men. I’d fuck you so good, nobody else would ever compare.”
She bites down on her bottom lip, and a flush creeps up her chest and into her cheeks.
“I'd make you feel so good. You’d come over and over until you begged me to stop, then I'd wring another orgasm from you just so I could taste you one last time.”
