by L.H. Cosway
“I said you’re fired. I know it was you who took those photos,” he said and deathly silence came from the other end of the line. My mouth fell open. Linda had been behind the pictures? What the hell?
Linda cleared her throat, obviously trying to keep her voice neutral. “Listen, Callum, I’m not sure what you think you know, but you’re mistaken.”
“I have a copy of the cheque you received from the website you sold the pictures to,” Cal said, sounding bored. “So don’t bother trying to deny it. And don’t bother going above my head either. I’ve already gotten permission to be the one to fire you, so you better go clear out your desk. Also, a little piece of advice, you should probably lawyer up, because I’ll be hitting you with a lawsuit very fucking soon.”
With that, he hung up. Our eyes met, and I had a million questions.
“How did you—”
“Remember that private investigator I hired?” I nodded. “Well, he did some digging and found out the pictures came from Linda’s personal computer and that she got a hundred grand for selling them.”
My head swam. “But…why would she do that?”
Cal’s eyes turned to slits. “It seems she thought the scandal would bring in more viewers. The money was just a bonus.”
My memory worked overtime as I rifled through all my interactions with her. Linda always seemed so nice, eager to help with whatever I needed. But now looking back on it, I saw it from a very different angle. Over the years, she always encouraged me to confront Cal when I was mad at him. She pushed for us to have scenes together when she knew our contracts forbade us from having a relationship. She even stocked a mini-fridge full of alcohol in my bedroom, because if I were getting drunk behind the scenes, it would lead to on-camera drama.
I remembered her leaving the house on the morning the pictures were taken, how she’d hugged me and expressed her concern, all the while she was scheming behind our backs.
“That bitch,” I hissed, suddenly furious. “I can’t believe I didn’t see through her.”
Cal’s arm came to rest around my shoulders as he pulled me to him. “Don’t blame yourself. None of us could’ve predicted she’d sink so low.”
“But it’s not like the show isn’t killing it in the ratings.”
Cal sighed, his hand rubbing up and down my arm. “In her mind, it’s her job to make sure we keep killing it, even if it means throwing the stars of her own show under the bus.”
I huffed. “It’s like we can’t even trust anyone anymore.”
“We can trust each other,” Cal said and I glanced up at him. In spite of all our differences, it was true that he was one of the most loyal people I’d ever known. Every time I gave him shit, he stood by and took it. Well, actually, he gave me shit right back, but maybe that’s what I needed. Someone who would fight me when I was being a bitch instead of lying and pretending everything was hunky dory.
I got a little lost in his eyes and didn’t even realise how close our mouths were. His breath washed over my skin and instinctively, I kissed him. A slight tremor went through Cal’s body as he held completely still. My lips coaxed his to respond, but he didn’t react for a long moment. Then, finally, he emitted the loudest, most masculine groan as he captured my face in his hands and pulled me in for a spine-tingling, toe-curling kiss.
I drowned in that kiss, was drugged by it.
Cal’s warm hand travelled up my leg; he ran his fingers along the inside of my thigh, brushing the edge of my underwear and I swear I almost came.
“You’ll be the death of me,” Cal breathed, reluctantly drawing away. He ran a hand through his hair and stared broodingly out at the view.
“Sorry, I forgot you’d converted to Puritanism,” I teased in an effort to lighten the mood and nudged his shoulder with mine.
The edge of his mouth lifted in a smirk and he pulled me back into him, pressing his lips to the top of my head. “Quit trying to corrupt me. It won’t work.” A pause as his thumb brushed my hip. “Even if you are wearing the sexiest fucking dress I’ve ever seen.”
“That was mean of me,” I admitted.
We sat close, Cal’s arm around me, and the quietness of the park trickled over my senses. Cal must’ve noticed my skin prickle because he pulled another blanket from his bag and draped it around us both. I rested my head on his shoulder and exhaled, feeling truly peaceful for the first time in a while.
The following morning, I went to the gym and Cal was already there with Trev and Paul. The three of them were over on the bars, working on their upper bodies. I started some cardio on the treadmill, my attention wandering to Cal every once in a while. One time I looked over and he caught me. I flushed and looked away.
For the rest of my workout, I was determined not to get distracted by him, and I did well until I was leaving the shower room and he filled the doorway.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” I said. “Good workout?”
He nodded, chest rising and falling from whatever laborious exercise he’d just completed. “Yeah, you?”
“It was good. Uh,” I paused, feeling self-conscious. “Do you want to come over to my place tonight to watch a movie?”
He moved closer, his hand coming up to brush a wet strand of hair back from my face. “You mean Netflix and chill?”
“Well, the ‘chill’ is optional,” I said with a hint of flirtation.
He made a humming noise in the back of his throat. “Hmm, that depends.”
“On?”
“What movie will we be watching?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“A woman of mystery.”
“Something like that.”
Cal bent and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I’ll be over around seven. And I’ll bring food.”
I exhaled. “Okay, great, see you at seven.”
Cal moved by me to use the showers and I stood still. For some reason, my feet wouldn’t move. That probably had a lot to do with the fact that he’d just pulled off his T-shirt. I watched as his hand went to his pants, then paused. He obviously sensed my presence when he spoke, his back to me.
“What does a bloke have to do to get a little privacy around here?”
I made a dramatic sigh. “You’re no fun.” When I left, his laughter followed.
I was a ball of nervous energy as I went around my flat, tidying up and trying to set the scene before Cal arrived. Technically, this was our fifth date. I was still trying to figure out whether or not to light candles when there was a knock on my door. I hurried to open it and there he stood. There weren’t words to describe how handsome he looked.
I wore leggings and an oversized jumper. After last night, I didn’t want to dress up and make him think I was trying to tempt him again. Now I was going for the casual I couldn’t care less if you find me sexy approach. A little bit of reverse psychology never hurt anyone.
“Whatever you brought smells amazing,” I said as he followed me to the kitchen.
“It’s Mexican enchiladas. I got them from this great new restaurant. You’re going to love them.”
I helped him unpack the food and then we sat down on my sofa, scrolling through Netflix to find something to watch. In the end, we settled on Deadpool, since neither of us had seen it yet. We ate and laughed our way through the movie.
“Oh my God, I’m definitely adding this scene to my “so wrong it’s funny” playlist,” I said, chuckling as we watched Deadpool grow a tiny hand after he lost his old one. Cal smiled at me.
“I forgot about your playlists. What else is on that one?”
“Hmm, there’s the record throwing scene from Shaun of the Dead.”
Cal nodded. “Hilarious.”
“Also, the hotel role-play scene from The Office.”
Cal almost spat out the mouthful of water he just drank. “I forgot about that one!”
We were distracted from the movie for a while, getting lost in our conversation so much we had to rewind it back.
When w
e were done eating, I snuggled into Cal and his arm came around me. I savoured his smell; his cologne was woodsy with a hint of amber. Whenever I got a whiff of it, my mind automatically went to sexy places.
I took his hand and traced the lines of his tattoos with my fingertips. On this wrist, there was a blank space next to the tiny crown. I traced the L on the inside.
“I couldn’t believe it when you got this,” I whispered, then glanced up at him, our faces close.
His fingers touched mine, then led them over to the blank spot. “I’ve actually been thinking of getting another one here,” he replied softly.
I sucked in some air. “Oh?”
His eyes were gentle. “I think we should both get the same thing.” Using my finger, he drew a small heart, then he drew another small heart inside that one, and an even smaller one inside the second. He moved my finger to the edge. “Here it’ll say, always in our hearts.”
My breath left me as emotion caught in my throat. He was talking about our baby. A tear trickled down my face as I continued to stare up at him. He wiped it away and I swear I couldn’t love him more than I did in that moment.
“Keep looking at me like that and I’ll get down on one knee,” he murmured and my eyes widened. The idea of Cal proposing set my heart racing. Now he chuckled low. “No need to look so terrified. It’d be foolish of me to ask you to marry me.”
My face fell. “It would?”
“Well,” he said, leaning close. “We’re only on our fifth date.”
I laughed, and he caught my chin, silencing me with a kiss. I moaned when his tongue met mine and I melted into him. He leaned over me, pushing me back onto the couch and settling his hips between my thighs. His stiff length pressed into me and I ached to have him closer. We kissed for what felt like ages, Cal’s hips moving against me in a tantalising rhythm. I needed him to touch me, put an end to the torture.
Breaking away, Cal dropped his face to the crook of my neck. I stroked his hair away from his face and he tilted his head a little to look up at me, eyes calculating.
Finally, he breathed, “Fuck it, I’m not a saint.”
Before I could react, he lifted me off the couch, carried me into my bedroom and laid me down on the bed. Bracing himself over me, he brought his lips to mine and we kissed again, long and slow. His hands trailed up my body, lifting my top so my abdomen was exposed. He lowered himself and pressed kisses to my bare stomach.
I whimpered when he pressed his face between my legs, his breath hot against the fabric of my leggings. His sexy eyes met mine before he nuzzled me and I let out a gasp, my clit aching for more.
“Cal, please,” I breathed out and he chuckled huskily.
Pulling down the hem of my leggings, he kissed my hip bone, teasing, his touches light as feathers. Every nerve ending in my body was primed. Cal pushed himself up again and gave me those sultry bedroom eyes before his hand dipped inside my pants. I gasped. He fingered my clit slowly, carefully, like he was taking his time. His fingers sped up, bringing me to the cusp of orgasm, but then slowed back down. He knew my body so well, knew all my tells, that he could predict when I was about to come. I both loved and hated how he teased me.
I moaned in frustration, which seemed to bring him great pleasure.
“Kiss me,” I urged and he obliged. I fumbled with the fly of his jeans and he groaned when I slid my hand in to palm his cock.
“Christ,” he said, breathing laboured.
“I need you.”
Something about my plea set him off and he tore at my clothes. Within seconds we were both naked. Cal’s eyes traced my body, worshipful. He held himself above me, took my mouth in another kiss, then pushed inside. He filled me perfectly. All the places that had been aching for him rejoiced. His hand came up to grip my neck and my nipples beaded at the possessive gesture. His hips moved in and out as he made love to me with wild abandon. It felt like his lips, teeth, tongue, and hands were everywhere at once.
He consumed me.
I stared at the ink on his skin as his muscles strained and pumped. His tattoos moved like paintings coming to life. My fingers gripped his upper arm then moved down. Next, I touched his chin, his jaw, then his collarbone and shoulder.
“You’re beautiful,” I said, gasping when he fucked me harder.
His expression was intense, his mouth suddenly at my ear. “What about on the inside?” he asked, a raw vulnerability in his voice. Emotion caught in my throat.
“You’re beautiful on the inside too.”
He kissed me then, long and deep, like he was thankful to me for finally, truly seeing him. I moaned into the kiss and Cal thrust faster. His movements stilled when he came, never breaking our kiss. I ran my hands up and down his muscular back, expecting him to fall away. Instead, he reached between our bodies, his fingers circling my clit. I dug my nails into his skin as he spread his cum over my folds, his finger dipping inside me a moment before returning to my clit.
“Come for me, Leanne,” he ground out.
“I’m almost there,” I cried, feet digging into the bed, spine arched. Cal devoured me with his eyes and I came with a loud moan. He made a satisfied noise. “Good girl. Now come here.”
Cal cradled me in his arms. I sat between his legs, my back resting against his front. He toyed with my nipples and I stretched out like a lazy cat. He sucked my earlobe into his mouth then murmured huskily, “Was that as good for you as it was for me?”
I decided to play with him. “Eh, it was okay.” He pinched my nipple and I squealed past a giggle. “Hey!”
His voice was a low, masculine threat. “Keep lying to yourself. I should be your lawyer I’m so good at getting you off.”
I barked a laugh, twisting to face him. “Oh my God, how long were holding onto that one?”
His lips twitched. “A while.”
I smiled wide then leaned up to press a light kiss to his mouth. “I don’t think I could love you more.”
He squeezed my hips, his voice a sexy challenge. “Why don’t you show me?”
I woke early the next morning with Cal stretched out in my bed. I was going to have to invest in a bigger one because there definitely wasn’t enough space for both of us. Soft light streamed through the curtains and I admired how his lashes cast shadows on his face. His straight nose, strong jaw, sculpted lips, and high cheekbones were a work of light and dark.
He looked so peaceful lying there, his head on my pillow. After last night, everything smelled like him, like us, and my skin prickled with awareness. I lay watching him for a while, running my fingertips in circles across his chest until he finally opened his eyes. They were bright, startling green, something that always had a potent effect on me.
“Morning,” I whispered.
He smiled a breathtakingly gorgeous smile. “Were you watching me sleep?”
I smirked. “Maybe.”
“Little pervert.” He pulled me to him when my phone buzzed with a text. Still in his arms, I reached over to check who it was from.
Paul: Autumn Hayes’ podcast just went live. You should give it a listen.
There was a link, so I clicked on it, and the intro music for the podcast started to play.
“What’s that?” Cal asked, his mouth on my neck.
“Remember Autumn? Her podcast episode about us just went out.”
Cal and I were quiet as we listened. Unlike in person, where she was a little awkward, Autumn was all confidence in the recording.
“Hello, and welcome to episode 256 of Autumn Talks TV. I’m Autumn Hayes and today we’re going to discuss all things Running on Air. Yes, that’s right, the latest reality TV import from Britain that has us all completely obsessed! I was lucky enough to get to travel to Johannesburg to meet the cast, where filming for the fourth season of the show was underway…
Cal and I spent the next hour listening to Autumn talk about her love for the show, interlacing some recordings of chats she’d had with each of us. I noticed that she hadn’t include
d the part where we’d discussed my relationship with Cal. She also didn’t talk about our leaked photos, only bringing them up briefly to say she thought it was unfair to invade our privacy before swiftly moving on. I thought that was pretty cool of her.
Then I remembered how I’d wanted to set her up with Paul. Hmmm…she lived in New York and that was one of the top location choices for our next season. Maybe…
I was distracted from my plotting when Cal switched off the podcast and gently bit my shoulder, his hand wandering down my body. I sighed, wanting nothing more than to spend the entire day in bed with him, but there was something else more important we needed to do.
I grabbed his hand, pausing its descent.
“Wait,” I said, already breathing heavily.
“What is it, beautiful?” he purred.
I met his gaze, my voice heavy with emotion. “We should go get those tattoos.”
He climbed on top of me now, hands caressing my cheeks as his eyes wandered back and forth between mine. I saw just how much my statement touched him, his eyes soft with tenderness. “Okay, then,” Cal breathed. “Let’s go.”
Epilogue
Leanne
Several months later
I stared down at the small tattoo on my wrist and smiled. Cal had the exact same one in the exact same spot. Three hearts, four words.
Always in our hearts.
It had been a couple of months since we got them, but it felt like a part of me now, like it had always been there. And it reassured me. I’d never forget what we lost, but I wouldn’t let it drown me anymore either.
It was a cold night, but the heavy black clothing I wore staved off the chill. We were filming a Christmas special for the show and the icy wind bit at my ears. I stood atop a building in the heart of London’s financial district. Neil was in front of me, attaching my mic and first-person camera. In spite of him promising he was still my friend, things had been distant between us. I wished I could figure out a way to fix things, but I was with Cal now, and having a friendship with a guy who used to crush on me was uncomfortable territory.