“Let’s go with option C, which is neither. But gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’d be sad if you were kidnapped, if that helps.”
Justin paced the length of the camper. “It doesn’t.”
“That hurts, J. Anyway, what’s up? You’ve been teaching bull riding at the rodeo school for a few weeks. How’s that going?”
“Good. It doesn’t eat up my entire day. The rest of my time is spent dealing with rough stock and livestock.”
“Better you than me. But seriously, I can tell you’re agitated so let’s skip the bullshit and tell me what’s wrong.”
His brother knew him well. He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. “I’m in trouble, Jack. Big time.”
“Spill it.”
“I’m in love.”
A pause, then, “Love? You fell in love in a month?”
“It’s been almost two months. I kept it to myself because I wasn’t sure at first if it was the real deal, given my shitty track record.”
“And now?”
“I know it’s real. And yeah, I know how it sounds.” Justin heard a feminine voice in the background. “Is Keely there?”
“She says she doesn’t care how it sounds. She wants to know how it feels.”
“Amazing. And scary as fuck.”
The call was disconnected. Then five seconds later his phone buzzed with a FaceTime request from Keely. Justin sat on the edge of the small couch and answered.
Keely’s beautiful face un-pixilated and she grinned at him. “Hey, bro. I figured this would be easier so Jack and I can both be in on this monumental event and you’ll only have to explain it once. Hang on until Jack gets in here.” The camera jiggled and then Jack’s and Keely’s heads were side by side. “Okay. Ready.”
Justin squinted at the bedframe on the wall behind them. He’d stayed there enough times he recognized it. “Why are you guys in the guest bedroom at your house?”
“We were um…checking something out in here when you called,” Keely said with a smirk.
Right. Jack had probably been checking out his wife’s ass and then he pounced on her.
“We bought a new mattress and Keely lured me in here to test it out,” Jack said smugly.
“TMI, much, GQ?” Keely said, elbowing him.
“Where are the kids?” Justin asked.
“Mom has them overnight.”
Justin’s eyebrows went up. “All four of those hellions at one time? That’s kinda mean.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Mom loves it. Now quit stalling. Out with this love thing.”
They stared at him expectantly and Keely added, “What’s her name?”
“Callie. She works at Grade A. She also bartends in town. We’ve been spending every moment we can together and she just…gets me in a way no woman ever has.”
“What’s she like?”
“Beautiful, sexy, funny, sweet and thoughtful.”
Keely sent him a soft smile while Jack’s gaze turned shrewd. “If she gets you then she’s aware of the entire picture, not just the small vignette?”
Typical Jack, using a twenty-dollar word when a fifty-cent one would do. “Have I told her I’ve built up a decent nest egg? Nope. I think that, more than anything, would spook her. She’s had a rough go all her life, so she’s awful damn independent.”
“You sound proud of that.”
“I am. If you knew what she’d gone through…” He shook his head. “Anyway, there’s one other thing. It was an issue for me at first, but after bein’ with her awhile, I don’t even think about it anymore. It’ll bother some people, but that ain’t my problem. I—”
“Justin,” Keely said sharply in her mom voice, “stop beating around the bush and tell us.”
“Callie is twenty-two,” he blurted out.
His brother and sister-in-law shared a look. Then they burst out laughing. He might’ve heard Keely singing Taylor Swift’s “Twenty-two” between gut-busting guffaws, which caused Jack to laugh harder.
Christ. Were these two high? This was not the reaction he’d expected.
At least they weren’t lecturing him. Or warning him.
Finally their laughter tapered off and Justin said coolly, “You done?”
“Oh, lighten up, cradle robber,” Jack said with a grin.
Justin groaned. His brother would tease him about this for-fucking-ever.
“I have a couple of questions,” Keely said with that prepared-to-get-grilled gleam in her eyes. “How long did you fight yourself on this before you accepted you loved her and the age difference didn’t matter?”
“Longer than I should have.” He looked away and confessed, “But I needed to get my head straight that she and I weren’t in the same place at that age. I was a cocky, judgmental, know-it-all punk at twenty-two. I knew how to work hard, but that doesn’t mean I actually worked hard. I lived hard. Did a lot of dumb shit. Made mistakes that hurt other people…” He gave Keely a sheepish smile. They’d dated for a time before Keely ended up with his brother and he’d acted like a whiny prick over it, even when he’d dumped her, even when he knew in his gut that Jack was the better man for Keely in every way that counted.
“Water under the bridge,” Keely said softly. “We’ve all been cocky, know-it-all assholes at some point in our life. It happens at different times for different people. Some people are never like that, and some people never grow out of it.” Smirking, she pointed at her husband.
“You’ll pay for that later, buttercup,” Jack said haughtily and did something out of camera range that caused Keely to yelp.
Justin had always envied their relationship, the ease and the tease between them, the way they’d accepted each other and hadn’t tried to change one another. The fierce way they fought because they loved fiercely too. And to think he’d found that with Callie made him want to shout it from the freakin’ rooftops.
“Were you afraid to tell us because you thought we’d judge you for her age?” Keely asked. “Because I’ll remind you, dumbass, that my best friend married my oldest brother. He’s thirteen years older than her, and they were meant for each other. Period.”
“Or did you worry we’d try and convince you that it couldn’t be real love because it happened so fast?” Jack asked.
He shrugged. “Like I said, I had to work it out myself before I took the next step with her. And it annoyed the fuck out of me that she just let me be her friend. We worked together, saw each other every damn day for weeks and she treated me the same as she always had. Drove me fuckin’ crazy. She didn’t pull any of the stupid tryin’ to make me jealous type of crap that I would’ve done at her age had the situations been reversed.”
“And that’s when you knew she was the one?” Keely said dreamily.
“No. I realized that when my truck broke down and she thought I didn’t have enough money to fix it, so she just handed over all her tips from that week.” Justin swallowed hard—Christ, that still got to him. “We weren’t even together and she cared enough about me to help me out, even when I knew that deep down, she was still hurting from me pulling away from her.”
“Omigod, that is so sweet! She sounds like a doll.”
That’s when the camper door slammed and Callie barreled inside, fuming. “Do you know what that motherfucker Disanto just asked me? If I’d mind dropping his shirts off at the drycleaners since I have to go into town anyway. Can you believe the balls on that prick? I reminded him that I work for the Gradskys, not him and he’d better stop assuming that employees in the maintenance department give two hot shits about makin’ his life easier.” She made an aggravated sound. “I wanted to knock him off his damn high horse, but he’d probably break a nail or something since he’s such a fucking pussy and then I’d get in trouble for it.” She flopped down next to him. “Sorry. I’m feeling extra stabby today.”
Yeah…maybe doll wasn’t the best term to describe his Callie. Although she’d give “Bride of Chucky” a run for her mone
y.
But Justin grinned. God, he adored this woman. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he tugged her into camera range. “C’mere, sweetness, and meet my family.”
“What? Jesus Christ, are you on FaceTime? You couldn’t have let me know that before I—”
He kissed her to shut her up. “But your tangents are so damn entertaining and you were on a roll, Calamity.”
She groaned and dropped her forehead to his shoulder.
“Look at the screen, darlin’.”
She lifted her head and waved. “Hey. I’m Callie. Nice to meet you.”
Both Jack and Keely were grinning.
Then Callie gasped and touched Keely’s face onscreen. “Hey, I remember you! You were super nice to me at Carter’s wedding. And how is it that you look exactly the same and it’s been like…seventeen years?”
“You have my permission to marry her,” Keely joked. Then she squinted at the screen. “Wait. Callie? As in…Callie Morgan?”
“Yep. Small world, isn’t it?”
“Very,” Jack said smoothly. “We’re coming through there in a few weeks so we can meet you in person.”
Why was this the first he’d heard of it? And why did that sound like a threat to Callie? Because that protective big brother shit wasn’t gonna fly with him, especially when he was a forty-year-old man who knew his own damn mind. Then Justin’s eyes narrowed on his brother, taking in the totally faked innocent look on Jack’s face. The fucker was having way too much fun with this.
“I hope it’s soon enough that Justin will still be around.”
“It’s sort of ironic that I’m seeing my nephew Kyler next week,” Keely said. “You remember him?”
“The ringbearer from the wedding?” Callie paused. “Vaguely. I mostly remember the kid had a death grip on my hand during the ceremony and followed me around the entire night.”
“For years he swore he was gonna marry you,” Keely said with a sly grin at Justin. “It was cute.”
“Aw, that is cute. Tell him I said hey.”
“And tell him that Callie’s with me now,” Justin said with a snarl.
“And…that’s our cue to go,” Jack said. “Good talking with you, Justin. Nice meeting you, Callie. See you soon.”
The screen went blank.
“Are you mad?”
Justin faced her. “Keely is a shit-stirrer. She knew I’d be jealous and get pissy about Kyler—”
Callie put her fingers over his lips. “Not at her. Mad at me for barreling in here and probably coming off like a crazy woman to your family.”
“God, no. You came home from work and blew off steam.” Justin ran his knuckles down her jawline. “You never have to worry that I’ll expect you to be any way except the way you are. I won’t apologize for it and neither should you.”
“Justin.”
“C’mere and kiss me.”
Callie crawled onto his lap and fused her mouth to his, holding his face between her palms. Kissing him sweetly. Kissing him hungrily. Kissing him like she couldn’t get enough of him.
He latched onto her ass, encouraging her to grind against his cock that was getting harder by the second.
But she pulled away and scooted off his lap, grabbing his hands and tugging him to his feet.
“We takin’ this into the bedroom?” he said huskily.
“Nope. Put your hands on the ceiling.”
He opened his mouth to ask why, but she shook her head. “Just do it.”
Callie stood in front of him and began to unbutton his shirt. Kissing his chest as she revealed each bit of skin, stopping only when his shirt hung open completely. She emitted a soft purring sound as she ran her hands across his collarbones, over his pecs, around his ribs. Then she used the tips of her fingers to trace his abs and the line of light hair that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.
God, he loved how she touched him. Sometimes she used her nails. Sometimes she used her teeth. Sometimes she dragged her silken, sweet-smelling hair across his skin, no contact except that light tickle that drove him out of his fucking mind. But no matter which way she touched him, roughly or softly, she wore a look of possession, and that alone was enough to make him come undone.
She nuzzled the patch of hair on his chest as she undid his belt. Then that sassy little tongue lightly outlined the ridge of muscle that separated his chest from his sternum as she unbuttoned his jeans.
Justin couldn’t stop the hissing sound of need that passed through his lips when Callie’s hot breath flowed across his nipple. Then she started to suck on the tight disk with deep, suctioning pulls that he felt in his balls.
The woman rocked at multitasking. As she toyed with his nipples until he was goddamned shaking like a junkie, she eased the zipper down on his jeans and stroked his cock. His fully erect cock that jumped against her hand begging for more, demanding she wrap her fingers around and start the stroking, pulling, tugging that would drive him to spurt all over her hand.
Callie lifted her head from his chest and smirked. “Stop groaning like you’re gonna die. I’m getting there.”
Do not say not fast enough, or she will walk the fuck outta here and leave you hanging. You know this about her, you know she does things on her own time frame, and you want her doing you.
Justin ground his teeth together and said nothing.
She whispered, “Good boy” and slid her hands to his hips, hooking her fingers into his boxers and jeans and yanking them to his knees.
Sweat snaked down his spine and gathered on his forehead, but no way was he moving. Hell, he was barely fucking breathing as Callie lowered to her knees.
He locked his legs to keep himself from toppling over.
This was his favorite part. Her soft little sigh of happiness right before she took his cock in her mouth. She did it every time, and every time, he fell harder for her. Not just because she worshipped his cock like a porn star, but because she truly loved giving him pleasure as much as she loved getting it from him.
“Callie.”
“Huh-uh,” she said as she flattened her tongue against the weeping tip of his cock. “Who am I?”
“Calliope. Christ, you’re killin’ me.”
“Say it again.”
“Calliope. Please.” Justin called her by different names during the day, sweet and funny terms of endearment, but she’d asked him when they were stripped bare in body and soul, to call her Calliope, a name she rarely used, but the one name she wanted to belong only to him.
Big, tough, life experienced man that he was, he’d nearly wept like a fucking baby when she’d made that simple request.
Then she swallowed him to the root and his brain short-circuited.
The primal need for release turned him into a grunting, groaning animal, incapable of communication beyond, “Oh yeah…please…fuck…more…Christ…harder, baby…fuck me.”
She stayed with him, focused on him, as he pumped his hips into her face.
Abs tight, fists clenched, ass locked, he came in a long groan of ecstasy and she swallowed him down, the muscles in the back of her throat milking him until he had nothing left.
As the ultimate relaxation loosened every part of him, he felt Callie smile against his thigh after he’d slipped out of her mouth.
He managed a soft “What?” through his labored breathing.
“I love your cock.”
“I love you.”
He felt her tense up.
“Justin—”
“I mean it, Calliope. I love you. I’ve loved you since you made me figure it out on my own that I loved you enough to fight myself for you.” He dropped his arm and curled his hand around her face, forcing her to look at him. “Not great timing, telling you that after a blowjob, but baby girl, it ain’t my dick that’s talkin’ right now. It’s me. And I’m telling you that I love you.”
Did his Callie burst into happy tears and confess she loved him too?
No.
She lifted an eyebrow
and said, “You’re sure it’s not your dick talking?”
He outlined her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Sweetness, you put him in a coma, he’s incapable of talkin’ right now.”
She laughed and poked his rapidly softening cock. “Okay. I believe you.”
Justin waited, silently willing her to say it back.
But Callie rolled to her feet and sent him a look that was almost…shy.
“Talk to me. Have I freaked you out?”
“A little. But I don’t run when I get freaked out like some people do.”
He blushed. Jesus. Would he ever not feel like an idiot for bailing on her like that?
“So here’s the deal. I’ll return the sentiment, in the same way.”
“Meaning…you’ll blurt out how you feel about me after I’ve gone down on you?”
“Yep. Fair is fair.” She placed her hand over his heart. “But the truth is…I feel the same way. I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you, too.”
Despite his jeans hobbling him, despite the fact his goddamned heart was about to bust out of his chest, Justin dropped to his knees in front of her and yanked her pants down. “Brace yourself, darlin’. This is gonna be the fastest I ever get you off.”
Chapter Ten
Story of her life…one step forward and two steps back.
Callie received the acceptance letter to Stacey James Institute three months after she’d become a Colorado resident.
As an incoming student, she’d applied for a butt-load of grants, scholarships, and loans. Those had come through and she’d been awarded enough money to pay for the first year of the two-year program.
The email she’d received yesterday indicated a “backlog” for the student housing options, meaning all the housing they’d contracted to offer students at a reduced rate was full.
At first she’d thought no big deal, she could live in her camper. But the school was south of Denver and there weren’t many campgrounds in the area that accepted longer term permits. With the legalization of cannabis, there’d been an increase in the number of homeless people, and the few campgrounds in the Denver area capped the length of time to stay in a calendar year at two months. No exceptions.
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