by Nicole Vidal
I can only imagine the thoughts going through his head. “At first Tristan was great. He played with me and listened to me talk about my parents, until I got to be too much for him. More precisely, until I took too much of his parents. Tristan started acting out at school and at home. He slashed most of my clothes while I was at a therapy appointment. One of the few items that I took from our apartment was a small heart-shaped box that my mother used to hold her wedding ring. It had their monogram engraved into the top. Tristan smashed it into a million tiny pieces with his baseball bat in the dining room. He threatened to harm me in my sleep if I wasn’t gone before dinner that night.”
“They chose him over you.”
“Looking back, of course they did. At the time though, it felt like another loss. After that I wasn’t a model foster child. I was angry, difficult, and downright rude to my foster families. I wasn’t with any single family for more than a month. I stopped counting after the fortieth family. My social worker stopped looking for placements for me and put me in a home for girls.”
“That’s unacceptable!” Anger is rolling off him.
Admittedly, it’s nice for someone to defend me in this instance. “It’s okay, it was a long time ago. It was partially my fault.”
With his lips in a tight line, he settles himself before speaking again. “No, it wasn’t your fault. None of it is your fault.” He leans forward, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “You don’t understand. My mother is a social worker. She never gives up. Hell, she probably would have taken you in herself after what you went through. You will love her. She’s amazing.”
Does he realize he invited me to meet his family?
“Yes, I meant what I said.”
I bury my head into his chest and gather my composure. “How well you can read me is scary and comforting at the same time.”
“Yes, it is. For me too. How many people know the real Calliope Sutton?”
“Two people know the real me as far as my story. My appearance, I would say probably five.”
“Who else knows?”
“Madeleine. I met her when I was sixteen. She took a huge chance on me when I was eighteen. She fought her boss to sign me as one of her first clients. No one has ever fought that hard for me or on my behalf.” Except you.
“I will as long as you’ll let me.”
There he goes again reading my thoughts. Its heartwarming and a little unsettling, as if we were supposed to be right here, right now. I don’t believe in fate given how my childhood turned out. Yet here he is, sent to protect my body. Maybe he’s here to heal my heart and soul too. I slide my hand along his strong jaw. The urge to kiss him all but paralyzes me. His chest is hard beneath my other hand. For maybe the third time in my life, I decide to follow my heart and not my head.
“Calli—”
I brush my lips across his as light as a feather. When I open my eyes, I’m rewarded with yearning wrapped in his intense stare. Connor drags his thumb across my lower lip. The moment his lips touch mine again, a swirl of sensations tug at my heart. Connor’s kiss is deliberate, yet soft. Our mouths meld together, trading turns exploring with our tongues. I may be imagining it, but I feel his heart pounding beneath my fingertips. I break our lip-lock and shift my legs to either side of his hips. Connor threads his fingers into my still damp hair, cupping the back of my head and drawing me tight against his chest. He tugs on my hair, exposing the slope of my neck to his mouth. Containing the moan he causes is impossible. When he reaches the top of my shoulder, he returns along the same path, but this time with the tip of his tongue before dropping a kiss at the corner of my jaw.
“Connor, that….”
His gaze returns to mine, his eyes clouded with lust.
I feel the same way. How long has it been?
“Too long for me too.”
I can’t even respond. He presses a light kiss to my lips.
“It means we need to stop for now. I want to hear the rest of your story, but it’s crazy late considering you got up at five this morning. I want to continue this too, but you should get some sleep before your performance tomorrow.”
I throw my arms around his shoulders and hug him close. “Thank you for listening and, most of all, not judging me.”
“Before you shared some of your story with me, I thought you were amazing. Now, I know you’re even more incredible than I thought.”
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”
“Yes.” He sets me on the floor and rises from the couch. He grabs his phone, rechecks the locks, and takes my hand in his.
Sliding beneath the covers, I feel the dip of the bed as Connor joins me. I tuck myself into his arms, letting out an audible sigh.
“This is….”
“It is. Sleep, beautiful.” He kisses the nape of my neck.
“Good night, Connor.”
Without another thought, I close my eyes and succumb to the pull of dreamland.
Chapter Twelve
Connor
Her last show in Dallas went well, and now she’s finishing rehearsal here in Los Angeles for these two shows. The schedule she follows is grueling. Thankfully, after these shows, she has some time off. She needs a good amount of sleep and relaxation. The trick is to persuade her that she needs to come to Maryland with me to get it.
I have a bunch of reasons. Some are selfish, and others are for her. I want her to meet my family and Jake’s. I also would like her to train a bit with Norah and Maia. If it’s ever necessary, I would prefer she have some ability to defend herself. Preferably I won’t ever leave her side, but that isn’t realistic. It’s also crazy soon for me to think she would be interested in a long-distance relationship.
“Ready?”
She approaches and is maintaining appropriate etiquette here at the arena. “Yes. I’m starving.”
I lean closer to her and whisper, “Tacos from one of the best Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles will be arriving soon after we do.”
I can feel her vibrating with so many things to say and the urge to kiss me senseless. I’m not against it at all. However, here isn’t the right choice. As far as I can tell, that’s the only drawback. We approach the car, and I open the door. I check the interior and allow her in first. The driver is the same one that we had in Dallas. I make a mental note to ask Calliope to check with Olivia about the company they work for. Bruce’s information only gave me contact numbers, nothing about the company, invoicing, or anything. It’s suspect in my opinion.
The ride from the Staples Center to the hotel is longer only due to the traffic. These accommodations are actually the closest in any of the cities where she performs. The driver pulls into the underground garage and parks near the elevator. The crowd is thin here for some reason. Perhaps because the show isn’t until tomorrow night.
As soon as the suite door closes, I lift her in my arms and kiss her breathless. While the list isn’t that deep, kissing Calliope is a sensual experience like I’ve never felt before. Everything around us falls away. It has only happened with her. “Go, gorgeous. Your tacos will be here soon.”
She slides the bedroom door closed.
“Yes, sweetheart, to every thought in your head,” I call after her.
The door slides open only enough for me to see the nip of her waist and curve of her hip. “Are you sure about that?”
“Completely.” I have no idea what she was thinking, not this time. My powers of reading her only truly work when we’re face-to-face. While I wait for her to shower and change, I check my messages. There’s an update on the location of our team members from Jake. Christoph is also in Los Angeles for an assignment tonight. Jake instructed him to contact me before leaving. Blaine sent an update as well. It appears that Bruce has been making some large financial moves since Calliope relieved him of his security duties. He has put his house up for sale in Atlanta and took a loan against his retirement accounts as well. Nothing good ever comes from needing large sums of money. I respond to Blaine
and request that he keep me informed about any developments with Bruce and to run a deep check on Calliope’s corporation and Olivia Council. I’m confident that its fine, but I want to verify.
Calliope appears before me wearing her comfy clothes, aka yoga pants and a tee. My woman. That’s a stretch. I suppose it’s true to some degree. She sidles next to me on the couch. I pull her into my lap.
“Can we talk about a few things before you start your movie?”
A nervous look crosses her face.
“It’s nothing horrible.”
“Okay. What’s up?”
“You have a voice mail from Madeleine. I didn’t listen to it, but her name came up on the phone when it rang.”
“Okay. She wants responses to the projects she presented when I was in Orlando.”
“Do you want to talk about them?”
She shifts beside me. I can see the armor around her tightening. “Madeleine gave me four options. I immediately dismissed the biography and the movie. I don’t want people digging into my life. I certainly don’t want to write about it.”
“Does she know you have no intention of ever sharing your story, or has that changed?”
“After sharing with you, I’m not sure. My response for those is going to be not now. There was a studio album option, which I want to take, but I don’t want to make Carys-type music.”
“You want to sing the music you write.”
Shock materializes on her face.
“You should consider sharing Calliope’s music with the world.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She leans into me even more. It seems she needs comfort and strength for the last option. She calms herself before speaking. “The last one is to perform at the September 11th anniversary.” Her voice drops in volume with each word, so the last one is barely a whisper.
“How do you feel about that? Would you go as you or Carys?”
“You are…. No one has seen me in an exceptionally long time. That is the exact question I’m wrestling with. I have taken countless measures to protect the fact that Calliope Sutton, terrorist-attack orphan and foster-system reject is one and the same as Carys, pop princess with colorful hair and the world at her fingertips. I don’t know if I can break the barrier between me and my stage persona to the real world, even so many years later.”
Gutted. Her words gut me. The pain that she carries each day is astounding. She masks it well when she dons her colorful hair. She masked it well before she told me her story too. I reviewed Blaine’s report after she shared her story with me. All the information was the same, but the anguish and soul-baring pain are notably absent. “How far in advance do you need to give your answer to the organizers? I don’t have any experience with that part of a performance.”
“I could probably push it to two weeks beforehand. Would that be enough time for you?” She may be considering this performance. She lowers her head into my lap looking up at me.
“I won’t leave your side if you’re ready to take on a performance like that. I’ll be as close to you as permitted. I would bring as many team members as I need if it’s something you want to do.”
Her eyes flutter closed. I dip my head down and press my lips to her forehead lightly.
“I’ll call her back and let her know about the first three and that I’m still considering the anniversary one.”
“I’m proud of you for not immediately dismissing it.”
“It’s mostly because of you.”
Me. “Me? I didn’t do anything.”
“But you did. You see me, the real me, not the Carys version of me. You are the only man who saw me and didn’t run because of my issues. It may not be obvious to you, but I’ve made insane strides since you knocked on that door in Orlando, both in my heart and in my head.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’ll keep it as an option. What else do we need to talk about before tacos?” Her mouth curves up into a small smile.
“I have concerns about your transportation company. Could you reach out to Olivia and ask for the contact information for the billing? The driver we had tonight was the same one we had in Dallas.”
“That’s odd. I’ll email her when we’re done talking.”
“I’m glad you agree. I will have Christoph from Blackthorne at the arena tomorrow. You may be riding back here with him after your show depending on how your transportation reacts to Olivia poking around.” I purposely leave off the fact that I plan to have a serious chat with her driver tomorrow too.
“Okay.”
“No need to worry. He’s here for another job tonight. He was in the same unit as Jake and me. He was Jake’s second team member.
“How many are there?”
I run through the list in my head: Jake, myself, Christoph, Maia, Nolan, Finn, and Callen. “Seven, for now. I think Jake wants to add at least two team members soon. Also, Blaine sent me an updated report on Bruce. It appears he’s listed his Atlanta home for sale and taken a large loan against his retirement accounts since we left Dallas.”
“I don’t really know Bruce personally. It’s a small failure on my part. Until the issues with my personal security, I didn’t really interface with him as much. I saw him at the venue each day, but otherwise that’s all.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Friendship with all of your employees isn’t necessary.”
Her hand rests on my arm. “Why are you so tense?”
She truly sees me, like I see her. She bared a deeper part of her soul not five minutes ago, yet I’m nervous. I haven’t been nervous to ask a woman out… well ever. “Will you come home with me on Saturday after your show?”
I take the opportunity of her confusion to lower myself to the cushions with her on top of me. It wasn’t the smartest choice to have a serious conversation considering her every curve is pressed against me. The softness of her against my body sends every ounce of blood rushing southward. She sets her hands on my chest and pushes up to sitting. That doesn’t help either. I feel her heat through those skintight pants with a crisscross pattern up the outside of her leg to midthigh.
“You don’t plan on letting me go home.” Her tone sounds slightly ticked. If it wasn’t at me, I would be turned on more than I already am.
“No, that isn’t what I said. I asked you to come home with me instead of going to your home.”
She sits up straighter. There is no chance she doesn’t feel what she’s doing to me. “Are you asking me on a date that would be about ten days long?”
“I would like to call it that, but if I ask you on a date, we definitely need another Blackthorne team member with us going forward starting in Boston. There’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself when we are in public after having you all to myself for ten solid days. Truthfully, I want you to meet Jake, Norah, and Maia at a minimum. Jake isn’t only my partner, he’s my best friend, brother-in-law, and former unit mate.”
“Wait, brother-in-law?”
“Yes, my best friend married my twin sister.” Jake is still all those things even though Mara died and he’s happily married to Norah now.
The corners of her mouth tilt upward.
“I also want you to learn some self-defense from Norah, Maia, or both. As much as I would like to be beside you every waking moment, it isn’t a realistic option. At this point, I don’t know why you’re getting death threats. I will figure it out, but I want you to take as many steps as possible to be comfortable if you’re alone.”
There’s a knock at the door. “Coming.” I attempt to get up, but Calliope doesn’t move. “You know I can easily move you.”
She pulls her lower lip between her teeth and looks at me through her long eyelashes.
Damn, that’s sexy! I’m screwed. “You’re sassy. I kind of love it.” I wrap my arm around her waist, haul her off, and set her on the floor.
Her laughter surrounds me. It’s one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever hear
d outside of her singing softly when she thinks no one can hear her. After accepting the tacos, I spread them out on the floor in front of the television while she picks her movie. With Fast Five playing in front of us, we gorge on tacos side by side.
She takes another huge bite of the last carnitas taco on her plate. “I think these may be the best tacos I’ve ever had. What about you?”
“The best tacos I’ve ever had was in Mexico a few years ago. These are the best in the United States though.”
“Let’s clean this up and finish the movie.” She reaches behind her and grabs the remote, pausing the movie.
Once we clear the remnants of dinner, she pushes the ottoman over to the side. “Sit.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
She reaches her hand out to me and leads me to the edge of the couch. “Please sit, Connor.” Her voice decreases in volume. What is she nervous about?
I do as she asks and sit with my back toward the couch on the plush carpet. With the remote in hand, she settles between my legs and turns the movie back on. I lower my arms around her, drawing her flush against me. I would be lying if I said her proximity isn’t already messing with my ability to protect her. I want her—over me, under me, wrapped around me. Everything about her makes me want to shield her and give her the world at the same time.
Chapter Thirteen
Calliope
There aren’t enough words for me to describe Connor. The little things he does for me are miles beyond what anyone ever did for me, except my parents. I don’t have very many vivid memories of my parents, but I felt safe, secure, and loved every day with them. It’s the notes in my school lunch and our family dinners each week that I miss the most. Connor pays attention and makes sure I have everything I need before I know I need it.
After watching most of the movie, I twist and lift my legs over his. “Ask me again.”
He pauses to properly phrase his question. “Calliope, will you go on a ten-day-long first date to Maryland with me? At a minimum, it will include physical training, family dinner, a movie night that I choose the movie, and relaxation.”