“I missed you last week, and I was thinking about our busy schedules this week.” I can’t resist, and kiss him again, only a light touching of my lips to his, but a tender kiss. “I want you to stay with me next weekend. Phoenix and Thalia are going home Friday until Sunday for Mia’s birthday so we’ll have the place to ourselves.”
He gulps and something, I’m not sure what, flashes in his eyes. “Um, yeah. Okay.”
I sit up and glare at him. “You could at least sound like you want to be with me.” Ugh! What the hell is wrong with him? I thought he’d be enthusiastic about it…not act as though it’s the last thing he wants.
“I do want to be with you.” He pulls me back into his arms. “I thought you’d be going with them?”
“I can’t. I have to work Saturday afternoon, which means we’ll have the place all to ourselves.”
He rubs his head, a sure sign he’s agitated. “Look, I didn’t want to say anything here because what I say is probably going to ruin the afternoon, but I guess I’m just going to blurt it out.”
I sit up and move slightly out of his embrace while I panic inside at whatever he’s about to tell me. “Reece, you’re frightening me.”
“Fuck! Dal is coming up Friday night and is staying until Sunday.”
Did he say Dal? I don’t say anything because I’m not sure what to say. I’m in shock and need to think. He isn’t helping by sitting back not saying anything, but watching me. I guess with the frown on his face, I have him worried.
I know he’s told me repeatedly that there’s never been anything between him and her other than friendship, but I can’t help be jealous of her. It’s because of her that he went running, back in Alabama…and now, he can’t spend the weekend with me because of her. I’m being selfish, but I don’t want my boyfriend spending the weekend with another girl. One who Thalia pointed out when we were in Ryder’s, and she’s pretty. Actually, she’s stunning.
Tears start to gather behind my eyes. I need to leave and think because our relationship is too new to have someone else in the middle of it, which is how I feel right now.
Chapter 18
Reece
Watching Callie’s reaction to my announcement feels like there is a ball of fire in my gut. I knew telling her about Dal was going to upset her, but I never expected her to start closing up and withdrawing from me, which she’s doing. As she absorbs the information she gradually backs away from me, and sits on her ass on the grass close to me, but not close enough. Not only does it feel like she’s sitting miles away, but she’s refusing to look at me. I want – no, I need her eyes on me. I want to see how she’s feeling because I’m not going to lose her like I did before.
Moving to my knees, I rest in front of her and take hold of her jaw, tightening my grip as she tries to move away. “I am not into Dal like that. I never have been and never will be…and she isn’t into me like that either. I know we’ve been over this before, but I’ll go over it time and time again until you finally believe me, if I need to. We can hang out on the weekend and you can meet her, get to know her. You’ll see that she treats me like an ass of an older brother. I know I screwed up with you before because of her, but please Callie. Please give her a chance. She knows all about you.”
Well that certainly got her attention. Not one word of what I’ve just said or garbled in panic was a lie.
“I’ve told her a few times, well, maybe more than a few times, how beautiful you are… Please don’t back away from me. Meet her before you judge.”
“Where is she sleeping?”
Ugh! This really is going downhill fast.
“At the apartment.”
She gasps.
“She sleeps on the sofa or I end up on the sofa and she sleeps in my bed and sometimes if Donovan’s away then she’ll sleep in his bed.” I better not mention that the last two times she slept with me in my bed. Nothing happened. I haven’t lied about that, but I think it might be best to keep that bit to myself.
“Callie, talk to me.” Her eyes search the park as if she’s looking for answers in the fields, but she stays silent. “Look, I’ve never had a girlfriend before when she’s come to stay so I’ve never really given any thought to how it looks.”
“I’m not going to tell you I’m okay with it, because I’m not. But you said she’s only a friend so I’m going to trust you, which means there’s no reason why we can’t hang out together and then you can still sleep at my place. That way no one ends up on the sofa and I won’t be worrying about the actual sleeping arrangements at your place.”
I gaze at her and watch as she tries to smile at me, but doesn’t quite pull it off. I hate myself right now for putting that look on her face; for making her doubt me. When Dal arrives I’m going to have to talk to her and see if she’ll let me talk to Callie about her and the situation at her home, because until I do Callie is always going to have her doubts about us. Even more so when I tell her I need to stay with Dal when she’s here.
My hearts pounding, but I need to get it all out. “Callie.” I take hold of her hands and move closer to where she backed up to. “I want to stay with you…but I can’t.” She tries to pull her hands free, I tighten my grip. “Listen to me, this isn’t easy because, right now, I’m frightened you’re going to walk away. Dal is coming to visit, and I can’t just abandon her. She won’t stay at the apartment if she’s alone with Donovan. I’m sorry babe, but I need to stay there. Please trust me when I say you are my girl and I will not do anything to give you reason not to be with me. I know I can be an ass, in fact, I think we’ve established this on more than one occasion. But I’m asking you to trust me. Please Callie?”
I try to read her thoughts in her eyes, but they’re blank. My stomach turns when I realize I’ve really hurt her. I can’t lose her. She grounds me, stops me from spiraling out of control. I could tell Dal it’s a bad time and not to come, but if I do that she’ll still come between my girl and me.
Taking my phone out of my pocket because the constant vibration is driving me crazy, I see messages from Phoenix and Donovan telling me to meet them at the coffee house and to take Callie. Perhaps being around our friends might help lighten the mood, because God knows I’ve no idea what to say or do to make her smile. I’d give my left nut to see her smile again.
“The guys want us to meet them at the coffee house. You game?” I ask, trying to hide the hurt that I feel because my girl doesn’t trust me to be alone with another girl. I shouldn’t be hurt because it’s my fault she doubts me, but I am.
Callie nods and helps to collect everything up, which we throw into the trash, all without speaking. I take her hand and refuse to let go as we walk to my bike.
As usual, I fasten the helmet onto her head; I hold her gaze before she looks away and climbs onto the back of my bike. I climb on in front of her waiting for her arms to come around me, but they don’t. I look behind me and see her gripping the bars at the back of the seat.
Clenching my jaw, I turn back to the front. She’s pulling further away from me. I feel it as a hole in my heart. One that is gradually growing larger the further she withdraws from me.
~ * ~
Walking into the coffee house, we seem to spot the guys and Thalia at the same time. Waving us over, I let Callie walk in front of me to the table they have to the back of the place…and fuck if she doesn’t sit with Phoenix and Thalia, which leaves me to sit beside Donovan.
Silence follows our arrival with the guys looking between us both for a sign as to what’s happened. Neither of us say anything and accept the coffee being poured, which Callie wraps her hands around the tall cup as though she needs warming up before taking a sip.
Phoenix clears his throat. “Hmm. Okay, then. We’re leaving around lunch on Friday, but will be back Sunday afternoon in time for the gig at the club. Can you two manage without me?” He grins between Donovan and me.
I watch Thalia whispering to Callie, who shakes her head in response. What I actually want to do i
s drag her from her seat and put her next to me after I’ve kissed the very life out of her. Pigheaded girl!
“So what you two gonna get up to then? Oh, wait. You’re going to be with Callie.”
“Humph, yeah right!” Callie cuts Phoenix off.
“I take it he told you?” Donovan asks. “I thought as much.”
“Told you what? Will someone please fill me in,” Thalia demands.
“I’ll tell you later babe.” Phoenix kisses her hand, which is what I want to be doing to Callie…kissing her hand and a lot more.
“Donovan, are you doing anything this weekend?” Callie asks, without even looking at me.
“Um. Nothing. Why? You want to hang with me?” He grins at her, and I feel like knocking his teeth out as my fists clench, ready.
“Yeah. Reece is busy, so I’d thought we could hang out.” She shrugs.
“That alright with you?” he asks me.
Hell no! But do I have the right to stop her when I’m hanging out with another girl, although I was under the impression we were going to hang out together.
I watch Callie fidget and wait for her to meet my eyes. When she does, I say, “I thought you were going to hang out this weekend with Dal and me.”
“I’d rather not.” She looks back to Donovan. “So, are you game?”
“I think that’s a great idea, babe,” he agrees and she smiles. The first fucking smile since the picnic.
“But,” he continues, “whatever is going on between you two needs to be sorted out first, because I’m not getting in the middle.”
Her smile disappears.
“He refuses to sleep at my place over the weekend because Dal is sleeping at yours, so I figured we could hang out and then you can sleep over, maybe on the pull out sofa bed, that way there will be more beds at your place…” she trails off.
So that’s why she wants to be with Donovan.
“Callie, that doesn’t make sense. If you mean because of Dal then you don’t have to worry about that because she shares with Re… ouch.”
I kick him under the table as Callie jumps up and gasps.
Her eyes fill with tears as she faces me. “You lied to me.” She wipes her face before turning and walking out of the coffee house with Thalia following her.
“You’re a dick,” Phoenix says, as he moves to follow Thalia out the door.
“I take it you didn’t admit that part?”
I turn to face Donovan. “Why the fuck would I tell my girl that when Dal comes to visit she sleeps with me? You know nothing goes on and that I’ve never been intimate with her, so why the fuck would I tell her that when I know it’s going to upset her?” I can’t control my voice and I know I’m shouting practically nose to nose with him.
“Get pissed at me all you want, but it won’t change the fact that Dal would have said something because she likes pissing people off, and we both know that she’s not going to be happy that you can’t devote all your time to her like you usually do. Then again, maybe you can because I don’t think Callie’s too impressed with you right now.”
God, this is so fucking screwed up. This is the reason why I tried to stay away from her. I saw how much I hurt her when I left before and I didn’t want to hurt her again, which I have. “Fuck!”
I drop back down onto the bench seat, followed a few seconds later by Donovan.
“This relationship you have with Dal is screwing up your life, whether you want to believe that or not. You need to talk to Callie and tell her the truth about you both before you lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
My head snaps up when it sinks in that he said to tell her the truth about us. “What do you mean by the truth?”
He sighs and looks away before meeting my eyes. “I know who she is to you Reece. I heard you on the phone the other day. I haven’t told anyone and I won’t… You need to though because I saw the hurt all over Callie’s face. I know you’ve only been together a week, but the fact is you both connected back in the summer even though you screwed that up as well… Just fucking tell her man because I’ve had enough of this shit.”
He stands up, jumps over the table because I’m blocking him in, and leaves me, and my thoughts alone in the coffee house.
I hated listening to Callie asking him to hang out with her. I hated it so fucking much I felt like I was going to puke…after I punched him, that is. I hated even more listening to him admit he knows what’s going on between Dal and me. But I was too busy thinking about Callie walking away from me, and thinking about what to do to get her back that it didn’t really register until he’d left.
Perhaps I have been living on a cloud thinking bringing Callie and Dal together is a good idea. I drop my head into my hands and rub my bald scalp, wishing I had hair to yank.
Dal hates sharing my time when she visits, which I guess could be a problem with Callie because she’s my girl…or was…no, she still is, I won’t have it any other way. She has the right to demand my attention and I’ve basically blown her off for Dal.
I’ll get Donovan to bring Callie down to the club Friday night and introduce them…and hope to God they both keep their claws retracted.
The question is, do I go after her now and try to explain, or should I let her cool down? Okay, cool down. Hopefully all will be back to normal once she’s met Dal and seen we really don’t have anything between us.
Chapter 19
Callie
“Now darlin’ tell Donovan all about it.” He grins and plops down on the sofa before pulling me into his arms.
Donovan arrived about ten minutes earlier just as Phoenix and Thalia were on their way out so I couldn’t avoid him. I’m not sure at this point if I want to avoid him anymore. I know he’s a friend of Reece’s, but I kinda like talking to him although sometimes I have trouble focusing when he grins at me, because it brings back images of his naked form standing over me while jacking off. Great going, Callie – now you’re not only flushed, but turned on.
I wiggle around and pull my legs under me, hoping he doesn’t know what he does to me because this kind of reaction to someone who isn’t Reece shouldn’t be happening.
“Hmm. What are you thinking about?” He asks with a hint of laughter in his voice.
“I’m not telling.” I elbow him in the ribs. “Gentlemen don’t ask questions.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “I’m no gentleman, but whatever you were thinking about put some color back into your cheeks and had you squirming around in your seat. So I may not be a gentleman, but I’m observant. I actually think you were remembering me naked,” he announces with a smug look across his face.
My blush deepens, but I refuse to show my embarrassment so I fight back instead, “If you must know, I was thinking about you naked, standing over me, jacking off – that was so hot.”
Now, I have the smug look as he gives me an embarrassed laugh and won’t meet my eyes. I take hold of his face and make him look at me. “I like you Donovan and you have no idea how much I wish it had been us who had connected…but it wasn’t…and I really…”
“Miss Reece,” he finishes for me.
I nod and settle back down against him. “He lied to me Donovan. He told me he never slept with her and that they’ve never been intimate, but you said they have.” I wipe a wayward tear from my face hoping he doesn’t notice.
Donovan strokes my hair down my back, which is making me drowsy. I’m exhausted after spending most of the nights since I last saw and spoke to Reece, restless and reading half the night to pass the time.
“I know I let slip that she shares his bed when she’s here, but Reece always keeps the door slightly ajar when she’s here. It’s only ever shut when she’s getting dressed, and Reece is never in the room with her then. I know you might think I’m trying to help him out of the hole I put him in, but I’m not. Nothing happens, and trust me I’d know with how thin the walls are in that place.” He squeezes my shoulder. “He’s been a pain in the ass since
the summer and I’ve only had a week’s break since you got together, so will you please come to the club with me to meet Dal and talk to him. Please…”
It’s a week since I last saw and spoke to Reece and I’ve cried buckets over him. Something I said I wouldn’t do again, but he’s in me and he’s my bad ass with a soft heart. A heart that I want tangled with mine.
“You’re quiet.”
“I don’t know what to do, Donovan. What if he doesn’t want me there? It will only hurt more than it does right now.” I hide my face with my hands. The blush fills my cheeks as I try to swallow the insecurities that are flooding me and destroying my so-called relationship with Reece.
Donovan laughs. “If you think he’ll turn you away then you haven’t got eyes in that beautiful head of yours. Dal isn’t that bad, she’s just a loaner; so if she doesn’t talk to you, don’t be offended, okay? But I’m telling you, Reece has really missed you this week; just don’t tell him I told you that because I kinda like how I look without having him rearrange my face.”
I chuckle. “I won’t let him touch you…and if you’re sure I’m going to be welcome then I guess I better go and get ready.” I start to move out of his arms, but turn back and meet his gaze, feeling unsure whether this is the right move to make after having no contact with Reece all week.
“Go get ready Callie and wear your sexiest dress. I’m going to hang here and watch hockey.” He practically shoves me off the sofa, and putting his feet up, he proceeds to ignore me.
“Humph.” I turn and run into my room.
~ * ~
Showering, I reach for my razor and start to shave my under arms, legs and bikini line, but I decide to carry on and start to remove the light covering over the top of my pussy and between my legs. Usually I just trim, but I might as well go for it and then let Reece know I’m naked with a very naked pussy waiting for his attention.
Shit! What am I thinking? He’s not getting between my legs until he’s apologized and I’m positive that there’s nothing going on between him and Dal. I grin to myself, thinking that there is no reason why I can’t tease the tiger.
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