by Dahlia Rose
“I love you too,” Callie replied.
There was no uncertainty in her words. Even in the days when he was gone she could think of nothing else but him. Her mother always told her that love hits you like a bolt of lightning and never let you go once you were in its grasp. In his arms time seemed to stand still, if it is for just an instant or an eternity she didn’t care. She was with the one person who caused her world to spin off its axis.
Chapter Five
I’m in love. Callie felt as if she was literally living the song and walking on sunshine. Robyn told her she was completely sickening more than once. Yet she could see the smile on her friends face told her how happy she was that Callie was in a serious relationship. Since the night in the hotel, Devin had been staying at the bed and breakfast with her. He’d be back on base by Monday but she felt as if their relationship was on a solid foundation and building well. She could close her eyes and picture him living with her. Right now he was helping an impromptu guest behind the counter while she was heading down the hall to with a load of bedding. A tinkling laugh made her stop and a voice from her past made her hackles rise. Callie dropped the bundle in her hand by the laundry room door and heading back out front. To her horror stood a willow figure leaning over the front desk provocatively smiling at Devin. It was one of the girls who almost drowned her in the pool.
Callie waked forward cleared her throat. “Hello, Danni.”
The girl turned and squealed, rushing up to Callie and wrapping her arms around her. Callie stood stiffly and didn’t try to return the hug, she met Devin’s questioning look over her shoulder.
“Calliope, look at you. Is this your place? I wouldn’t have guessed!” Danni squealed.
Yeah right, Callie thought but pulled away. “I take it you’re my guest who couldn’t find a hotel anywhere else.”
Danni raised an eyebrow at her tone but kept the smile in place. “I saw this place and it’s so quaint. I couldn’t help but try it the next time I came into town. Plus, your desk guy is quite a looker.”
“That’s my boyfriend,” Callie said simply.
“Really? Little simple Callie has herself a man?” Danni laughed and Callie felt herself grind her teeth.
Devin walked over and put his hand around her waist and she was glad for the support. “Want to introduce me, sweets?”
“Devin, this is Danni, a high-school acquaintance,” Callie said.
“Is this one of the girls who left you in the gym pool?” he asked in a cold voice.
“That was a huge mistake wasn’t it, Callie?” Danni sighed dramatically. “I hope it didn’t interfere with our friendship?”
“We were never friends, Danni,” she replied.
“I can give her back her deposit…” Devin began.
“No, a guest is a guest.” Callie forced a smile on to her face. “I’m sure Danni has important business to take care of.”
“I’m meeting my soon to be ex-husband and sign some papers,” Danni explained. Callie noticed how she emphasized the fact that she would soon be divorced.
“I’m sorry to hear that…” Callie began.
Danni waved her hand airily. “Don’t be, he was an ass. I’m looking for my next new love.”
Lord help that man, Callie thought. “Well I’m sure Devin took care of you and gave you your room key. You can head up, and we serve dinner at eight.”
Danni bent her willowy body to hug her again. “That’s sounds totally fabulous, and yes Devin took care of me just fine. Wait until the girls in California hear that simple Callie caught herself a hottie and is running a little motel.”
She picked up a small designer bag and headed up the stairs, humming merrily as she climbed the stairs with a little extra wiggle to her hips. Callie watched her and the urge to rush up behind her and snatch her hair and punch her was great.
“You can still kick her out.” Devin pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Callie sighed. “But then I wouldn’t be the bigger person would I? The past is in the past.”
“The woman reminds me of a shark in heels.” Devin grinned. “The man she is divorcing is doomed.”
“She sure had an eye for you,” she said. “I should punch her just for the looks she was giving your body.”
He laughed and swung her around. “Don’t get all jealous, sweets. I only have eyes for you.”
“Good to know,” Callie said feeling the thrill in her tummy from being so close to him. “I’ll show you later how much I love that you were going to kick her out on her ass for me.”
“I like that promise,” Devin growled. “Now I’m going to run out to the store and grab us some steaks with all the fixings. It will be fun seeing that lady try to eat one. She looks like she survives on bean sprouts and cottage cheese. She might go unconscious at the table and we can draw a mustache on her with a Sharpie. Is Robyn going to be here for dinner?”
Callie laughed at the picture he painted. “No, she has a date with some artist guy who she thinks is very deep.”
“To each his own.” Devin kissed her nose. “Later, sweets.”
She watched his walk and heard his car start before she ran upstairs to find Robyn. She rushed into the room and threw herself on the bed and screamed into a pillow. When she lifted her head her friend was peering at her curiously over her glasses while she held the laptop from falling.
“Is this because you just had some really awesome sex, because I want details,” Robyn teased.
“No, I wish. It was Danni Cambridge from the prep school that I went too,” Callie said. “Looking like a supermodel and making goo-goo eyes at my man.”
“The chick that almost killed you and you are letting her stay here?” Robyn asked angrily.
Callie sighed. “I’m trying to be the bigger person here.”
“Forget that, gimme her room number and I’ll hold the grudge while I kick her ass.” Robyn took off her glasses and cracked her knuckles.
“You’re sweet, but no. I’m trying to show that I’ve gone past that and am focusing on the future. Plus, Devin plans to killer with trans fat and meat.” Callie said.
“I know I liked that guy for a reason. Save me a plate,” Robyn said.
“Aren’t you going out with Pierre the artist?” Callie asked.
“It’s a showing and finger food. I need meat and cake when I get home.” Robyn grinned. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I can stay in and be back up.”
Callie waved her hand, airily mimicking Danni. “I have transcended and become a butterfly of life.”
“Don’t make me kill you,” Robyn said. “I have a laptop and I’m not afraid to use it.”
They laughed until they cried and Callie felt a hundred times better. Danni was a small blip in her life. How wrong she was, later that night she dressed carefully in casual jeans and a light sweater that showed off her curves. She put her hair up high and put a pair of dangling earring in her ears before heading downstairs. Devin had come back from shopping for dinner and came upstairs to let her know he would start the grill and get dinner started. She wanted to get downstairs and get a kiss or two before Danni came down to eat. Callie bounced down the stairs feeling bubbly and happy. Her momentum was stopped when she went toward the back patio and could hear the fake, tinkling laugh of Danni coming from outside.
“Oops…strong arms, Devin, you are a man of many talents it seems,” Danni said. “Let’s see how many more you have.”
Callie’s steps slowed as she came around the corner and her heart dropped. Devin was holding Danni against him and her lips were pressed against his. Callie made a sound of anger just as Devin pushed Danni away.
“What the hell, lady?” he said.
The look in Danni’s eyes was pure evil enjoyment at seeing Callie standing at the door “What the hell indeed, you’re quite the kisser.”
“And you’re a bitch,” Devin replied.
“Pack your bags and leave my place,” Callie said quietly. “That go
es for both of you.”
“Are you serious?” Devin snapped. “You really take what you saw as truth?”
“What I saw was you holding her and your lips touching,” Callie said calmly, even though inside she wanted to scream.
“She tripped and I caught her, she kissed me just as you were coming outside, she set this up, sweets,” Devin explained. “Do you really think I would want this cold ass tramp?”
“Your lips weren’t saying that a few minutes ago.” Danni smirked.
“Lady, I don’t hit women but I swear you might be the first,” Devin said with deadly intent and Danni stepped back. He turned his attention back to Callie. “You can’t let what she did to you in the past be the basis of your life. You were a child then. Now you are a woman and you have to look past what looks plausible to what really happened. I made promises to you that I don’t take lightly and if you chose to believe her, so be it. But if this is going to work, you have to have faith and trust in me. I won’t settle for less and I won’t have doubts between us.”
Danni yawned. “A fine speech but every time he kisses you, simple Callie, you’ll be wondering if he is thinking of me.”
Devin did something she would always remember. He picked up the bottle water from next to the grill and used it to wash his mouth off before he moved from where he was and took Callie in his arms. “I don’t want you to get cooties,” he said before he took her lips in a kiss that made her toes curl. She forgot Danni was there as their tongue dueled and mated then the kiss slowed to a delicious crawl.
He lifted his head. “Does that seem like I’m thinking about anyone but you?”
She stared at him and saw the truth in his eyes. “No, it doesn’t. And trust me, you’ll never have to reassure me again.”
She moved from his embrace and faced Danni. She looked more jealous than the unimpressed that she was trying to pull off while she studied her perfectly manicured nails.
“I thought I told you to get out of my place,” Callie said.
“Oh you believe that little show.” Danni tsked sympathetically. “You are so naïve. Men can tell a thousand lies and not lose face.”
“Maybe the men you know but not Devin, he came through a storm to get me and I trust him with all I have,” Callie said and moved forward. “You and your friends terrorized me and for a long time I let that fear you created in me have a place in my life. He fixed it, he showed me that you are so pathetic that you are still living like the catty teenager and that’s why you are getting divorced. So you’ll keep doing it until you’re old and alone and I’ll be here living a life you could never even dream of. I said get out before I put you out, and trust me, I’ll enjoy it.”
“Still so very low class,’” Danni murmured. “It goes to show that money doesn’t buy breeding.”
Callie couldn’t help and let her fist loose. It connected with Danni’s mouth kind of crooked but just enough that it had the woman stumbling back and split her lip.”
“Look what you did, you bitch,” Danni gasped after she wiped her mouth.
“Money does buy a good plastic surgeon. How about you leave before I make you need one,” Callie said mildly.
Danni rushed past to past them and Devin grinned. “Good shot but you punch like a girl, I’ll teach you how to do it better.”
Callie smiled up at him. “Thanks.”
“You know I love you, I would never do a thing to hurt you,” Devin said and cupped her cheeks. “Calliope, you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“For a moment there I let the insecure girl take over, knowing how she looks and who she was. I thought she took you away from me too,” Callie admitted. “But I see through her and I saw you, the man who rocks my world in more ways than one. I’m sorry I let it that almost get in the way of us.”
“You don’t have to apologize, darling. If it was switched around and I saw you in the arms of another man, I’d still be beating him to pulp,” Devin said.
“My hero.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“We’ll make sure she leaves and I’ll take you upstairs and show you how much I love you,” Devin murmured and kissed her over and over again.
“A late dinner sounds fabulous,” Callie said and pulled him into for a long kiss after all the little teasing ones.
He’d found her in the midst of hurricane and swept her off her feet like a big wave from the seas. Callie had no problem with the man that swept into her life like a storm. She could happily drown in his love. Because he had hers for the rest of their lives.
The End
About the Author
Dahlia Rose is the best-selling author of contemporary and paranormal romance with a hint of Caribbean spice. She was born and raised on a Caribbean island and now currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her five kids, who she affectionately nicknamed “The Children of the Corn”, and her biggest supporter and longtime love. She has a love of erotica, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and the things that go bump in the night. Books and writing are her biggest passions, and she hopes to open your imagination to the unknown between the pages of her books.
For more information on other books by Dahlia, visit the author’s official website: www.AuthorDahliaRose.com
Also by This Author
Sleigh Bells and Rings, Sugar and Spice Press
Forever Yours, Amira Press
Christmas With A Scoundrel, Dahlia Rose Unscripted