Great, now I’m internally swooning.Perfect.
I force myself to sound unaffected, but inside, I’m a total mess.Pull it together, Bree.“Oh, you’d like to keep me around, huh?” I tease, trying to keep my voice light. “And here I thought I was just a temporary distraction.”
He doesn’t miss a beat. He leans in a fraction closer,making sure every word hits exactly where he wants them to. His eyes lock onto mine, suddenly serious, and it makes my breath hitch in my throat.
“You’re far more than that, Sunshine. I hope you know that by now.”
And just like that, I forget how to form a coherent thought. What is it about this man that makes everything happen in slow motion? He’s got this way of turning everything into something too real, and now I’m stuck between wanting to melt into it and run for the hills.
I’ve spent so long keeping everything at arm’s length, and here he is, crashing through every wall I’ve built with nothing but a few words.
“Callan, I…” My words get stuck in my throat, tangled up in everything I’m too scared to say. What can I even say? That I’m falling for him harder than I ever thought possible? That the thought of leaving in a few days is tearing me apart?
The words don’t come, not the ones I need, anyway. Not even close. So, I do what I’ve done more than once around him. I lean in, my lips finding his, hoping that this kiss will do what my voice can’t.
His hands grip my hips, pulling me closer, and I can feel every inch of him. His lips are soft but insistent, and when his tongue meets mine, it’s slow and careful, like he’s making sure I feel it.Reallyfeel it. And I do. Every second. Every move. This is everything I can’t say, everything I’m terrified of admitting, wrapped up in one small moment of intimacy and the way he holds me.
I could try to make sense of it. I could tell myself it’s just chemistry or a distraction, but with his lips on mine, I know that’s not true.
I melt into him as the kiss deepens, turning desperate and urgent, like we both know we don’t have time to waste. Hishands traipse down my back, slipping under my ass. In one smooth motion, he lifts me effortlessly. The sudden closeness, and the strength in his grip, sends a jolt of electricity through me. My pulse spikes, racing to keep up with everything he’s making me feel.
My legs wrap instinctively around his waist, my body responding to his every move and every shift. There’s no space between us and absolutely no hesitation. Just heat and everything I’ve been fighting to keep locked up letting loose in the form of a kiss that says everything.
He carries me to his bed, not breaking the kiss for a second. My hands grip his shoulders as he moves, his body pressing against mine in all the right ways.
When we finally reach the edge of the bed, he lays me down gently, almost as if he’s afraid I’ll break, unsure of how far to push, of what I want and what I need. There’s a tenderness in the way he moves, like he’s reading me and waiting for my cue. His body covers mine, all heat and muscle, his hard length pressing against my thigh.
My breath hitches, and I fight the sudden, uncomfortable surge of panic bubbling up from my stomach.
I’ve dreamed about him above me and how it might feel to have him this close. Now that it’s real, it’s almost overwhelming. His body is warm and hard, pressing me into the bed, and for a brief, terrifying second, it feels like I’m trapped.
Not by him. He’s not doing anything wrong, but by the sudden rush of panic clawing up my throat, fast and ruthless.
No, no, no. God damn it, not again.
My mind scrambles, trying to reconcile the fantasy with the reality. Iwantthis. I wanthim. Still, my body doesn’t trust that I’m safe yet.
Why am I scared?
Because I’ve only ever been with one person.
Because that person was supposed to protect me, and he didn’t.
And now, even though Callan’s touch is careful and his eyes are kind, my body still hesitates.
I force myself to take a slow breath, steadying against the storm trying to pull me under. My thoughts are a tangled mess, spinning in a dozen directions. Part of me is trying to pull away, even as the rest of me screams to get closer, to bridge the gap, to reach for that connection I’m craving so much.
“Hey.” His voice is rich and calm, cutting through the chaos of my mind like a lifeline. “Take your time.”
I nod, trying to swallow down the knot of fear. He’s here. He’s patient.He’s not going anywhere.And while the tension in my body doesn’t completely melt, that thought, at least, helps keep the panic at bay, if only for a second.
Then, his eyes flicker with sudden light. “I have an idea, if you’re up for it?”
He stands, giving me a moment to breathe as I prop myself up on my elbows. My pulse spikes, not because I’m scared, but because I’m intrigued. “You and your ideas… What is it this time?”
Without a word, he heads toward the closet. The rustle of fabric fills the room, and then a few seconds later, he emerges with two neckties in his hand.
“I’ve always hated thesefeckin’things,” he says. “But I think they’re about to be useful.”
