“I walked into his room and pretended I was his wife and kicked her out,” I explain and swallow some grits. “He was furious.”
She’s smiling at me, but then her eyes narrow again. She cocks her pretty head to the left and her auburn ponytail swings out, grazing her shoulder. “So if you went home last night and kicked out Devin’s skank, does that mean you didn’t hook up with Seb?”
I shake my head and sip my latte again. “No. Everything was too dramatic. And even though I only talked to him a little bit, he was way too deep and insightful and charming…I could have liked him. You know I don’t do like.”
She smiles at that but it goes from a humored grin to a knowing smirk. “So then if it wasn’t Sebastian, who left the bite mark on your shoulder?”
“What?” I drop my fork with a loud clang.
She laughs and reaches out, her fingers grazing the top of my shoulder, which is sticking out of the oversize neck of my powder-pink sweatshirt. As soon as she touches it, a flash of Devin’s lips on my skin, sucking it between his teeth, clouds my brain and makes me dizzy. I blush. I hate my traitorous face right now. Her green eyes grow to twice their size.
“Callie. Who…?” Then she blinks and I can almost see the lightbulb turn on. “Oh, Callie.”
“I didn’t sleep with him!” I blurt out much too loudly. A couple at the table next to us turns and stares for a second.
Jessie waits until they go back to their own brunch and continues in a whisper. “Callie, you and Devin? Again? Now?”
“I didn’t plan it or anything,” I explain quickly. “I was so pissed at him and he was yelling at me and I told him next time he wants to do something stupid like fuck a stranger he should take a cold shower. Then I shoved him in the shower and he grabbed me and pulled me in with him, and the next thing I know we were kissing.”
She absorbs this information silently, her eyes glued to her coffee cup for a long minute. When she looks up at me, she looks concerned, but not disappointed.
“You didn’t sleep with him?” She wants to make sure and I can, without guilt, respond with a firm no. She sighs. “It was still a stupid mistake.”
“I know. I know.” I groan a little. “I have to talk to him about it.”
“You do,” she agrees and takes another bite of waffles. She wants to say more. Shereallydoes, I can tell. I know her better than she knows herself. But she’s clearly just as confused as I am. Sure, Devin and I had that moment way back when, but neither of us even talked about it with anyone because it wasn’t a big deal. There were no unrequited feelings. I mean, I still thought he was attractive and everything, but I didn’t spend a second pining away for him after the barn. So this little make-out session was shocking. She would probably pass right out if I told her about the blow job—not to mention how much I loved it.
So I keep that part to myself and change the subject to her wedding—which she is supposed to be planning for next summer—and try to ignore the panic I feel about having to face Devin.
Chapter 24
Devin
I’m carrying my suitcase down the steps when I look up and see her walking slowly down the street toward the house. She slows almost to a halt as she sees me on the sidewalk and I wonder for a brief second if she might turn and walk the other way. With Callie, it’s a distinct possibility.
Luckily, she decides to just keep walking toward our home. I lean against the concrete pillar at the end of our stairs and watch her as she slows to a stop in front of me. She has a tote bag full of groceries over her shoulder.
“Hi,” she says and then smiles sheepishly. It makes me grin like a goof. “Off on the road trip?”
“Yeah…” I say and jiggle my house keys in my hand. “So, I went to see Jordan before he left today.”
“Oh?” She looks surprised, but happy.
“Yeah. We’re good,” I tell her and she nods. We stare at each other for a long minute. I push off the pillar and glance into the grocery bag she’s holding up against her chest. “Dinner?”
“Yeah.”
There’s another slightly awkward pause and we just stare at each other again. Finally, she smirks her typical sexy little Callie smirk.
“So yeah, last night was pretty much the hottest thing that has ever happened to me,” I confess softly. “And also the most out-of-control and out-of-character thing I have ever done.”
“Yeah,” she agrees quietly and turns her eyes to the street, focusing on nothing. “Believe it or not, it took me by surprise too.”
“I don’t regret it,” I tell her honestly. “I probably wouldn’t have fixed things with Jordan as quickly if it didn’t happen. I think I have a different perspective now. Or at least I’m trying to.”
She starts to giggle self-consciously. “All that from a blow job? Damn, I’m good!”
I burst out laughing at that. Her giggles turn to full-fledged laughter too. “I should tell the U.S. military about you. You could probably stop terrorism.”
