He glanced at me again, that same look returning to his eyes for a brief moment. “Your beauty doesn't belong on earth,” he said quietly.
I smiled faintly. “Are you calling me an alien?”
His gaze lingered on me for another second before he gestured toward the door. “I'm calling you a goddess.”
26- callahan
Even after we entered the car, I kept her hand in mine.
At first, I didn’t even realize I was holding her hand. My fingers closed around hers as the door shut and the car moved. Even after noticing, I didn’t let go. The warmth of her hand made it impossible.
Especially with how good she looked in that dress.
I tried—God knows I tried—to focus on anything else: streetlights, the engine’s hum, the quiet outside. But my eyes always returned to her. The dim interior only made her more dangerous, her dress fitting perfectly, tormenting me.
And God help me, it was working.
The dress was criminal.
The way the dress dipped just enough to leave my imagination helplessly ensnared. The velvet softness of her thigh flashed through the slit when she shifted. The fabric wound around her waist and spilled over her hips in a way that demanded reverence and made looking away impossible.
And I was definitely staring.
Apparently, for longer than I realized.
Because suddenly her fingers snapped right in front of my face. “Callahan.”
I blinked. Only then did it occur to me that she had been speaking this entire time, but I was too transfixed by her to notice.
Her lips curved into an amused grin as she continued to observe me.
“You know,” she said slowly, “I’ve been speaking for a while now.”
I frowned slightly. “You have?”
Her grin widened, her amusement mixing with a playful spark in her eyes. I could feel her enjoying having caught me off guard.
“Yes, but you were too busy gawking at me to notice.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, then stopped because there was absolutely no point. She already knew, and it's not like I was ashamed to admit I found my wife incredibly attractive. Instead, I leaned back slightly and gave her an honest look.
“That dress is distracting,” I said simply.
Her eyebrow lifted. “That’s your defense?”
“It’s a good one.”
She laughed softly under her breath, shaking her head as she leaned back into her seat. “You're unbelievable.”
My thumb brushed lightly against the back of her hand, still holding it. She glanced down at our joined hands, her expression softening as her gaze lingered. When she looked back at me, she seemed thoughtful, almost searching. Then she tilted her head slightly. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Her eyes searched mine briefly. “Do you trust me?”
My eyes widened slightly in surprise, my pulse quickening as I tried to read her expression. I was suddenly curious what she had been talking about for her to ask me this. Even so, my answer was just as quick. “Yes, of course I do.”
She studied me for a second longer, as if making sure I wasn’t joking. Then, with a soft inhale, she leaned forward. Before I could even ask what she was doing, her lips touched mine, and a jolt of surprise ran through me.
