I keep placing kisses up her neck to her ear. “I need you, Callie.”
Her fingers tiptoe their way up my chest and around my neck, pulling me down so our lips meet. “You have me, but you have a lesson to learn first.”
“Lead the way, Miss Carlisle.”
I pick her up, her ass in my hands, and walk up the four flights of stairs to our condo.
I hope she’s going to go along with me and not ask any more questions because I can’t go there. I’m not even close to ready to share how fucked up my past really is. If I do, I’ll most likely lose her.
Chapter
Forty-One
Callie
* * *
I feel like I’m giving in again. And I haven’t done that with Foster, but he clearly doesn’t want to talk about what’s bothering him. Do I let the issue go and play this part of being an outsider to his life, or do I push him? And if I push, am I okay with him retreating?
He carries me up the stairs and presses my back to the side of the wall as he punches in the security code. It gives me enough pause to know what I have to do. But I’ll wait until we’re settled in the condo.
He releases me, and my feet hit the floor. Then he drops his bag by his bedroom door. “Where do you want me?”
I take his hand and lead him into the living room.
“You sure you want to dirty up the couch?” He laughs, and I slide us between the couch and the coffee table, signaling for him to sit first.
When he does, I straddle him, placing my legs on either side of his hips.
His hands fall to my ass. “I like this.” He’s all smiles now.
I place my hands on his cheeks and kiss him briefly. He tries to slip his tongue in, but I pull away.
“Foster.” I stare into his eyes. “Do you remember when you asked me to move in here?”
He squeezes my ass. “Good call, right? Look where we are now.”
I nod. “In a pretty great place. But do you remember the point of it?”
His smile dims, and his eyes bore into mine. “What are you doing, Callie?”
“I’m reminding you that I’m here so we can get to know one another. So we can be friends. It would be really easy for me to seduce you right now, but what would that get us?”
His head rocks back, and he blows out a breath. “I should’ve known you agreed too easily.”
“I’m not asking for specifics, but I can’t let you use my body to hide what you’re feeling. Seeing your mom clearly got under your skin.”
His hands fall off my hips.
I pick them up and put them back there.
He stares at me for a minute—waiting to see if I’ll back down, I think, but I hold his gaze. “I don’t want her in my life.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“And I have my reasons for it.”
“Do you want to tell me about them?”
