Callie sat back in her chair and studied her sister’s face. She couldn’t get past the fact Meg had gone along with their oldest sister, Beth, for so many years and not even talked with either her or Quinn. It was almost as though she was trying to make up for lost time, but Beth had now shunned all of them, and she didn’t even talk to Meg any longer. When Callie didn’t respond, Meg smiled.
“Is it a woman?” she asked.
“Yes,” Callie responded.
“Who is it?”
“Quinn’s boss. I think you might have met this summer at Quinn’s house.”
“Taylor?” Meg asked. Callie nodded. “Quinn said she let you stay with her for a few days around Thanksgiving. After you’d been shot. If you’d come to Philly with them, that wouldn’t have happened.”
“And I wouldn’t have gotten to know Taylor better,” Callie said.
“So, maybe everything really does happen for a reason.” Meg shrugged. “Why aren’t you with her tonight?”
“She’s at her parents’ house. They live a couple of hours away.”
Callie went on to tell her everything, and it actually felt good to talk to someone who didn’t know her as well as Grace did. And someone who listened better than Quinn and didn’t judge her based on her past behavior with women. When she was done, Meg reached across the table and took her hand.
“I think you’re doing the right thing, giving her some space and time to really think about things,” Meg said. “I know it’s hard to be patient in situations like this, but I’m sure she’s not only feeling as if she’s betraying her late wife, but also that the betrayal is with her late wife’s best friend. I can only imagine what she might be going through emotionally.”
“She insists it has nothing to do with Andrea,” Callie said. “She claims it’s because of my career in law enforcement.”
“If she truly cares about you, your job won’t matter in the end.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can’t. I can only tell you how I would feel if I were in her shoes.”
Callie wasn’t sure of anything. Except that when Taylor kissed her, she felt more alive than she’d ever felt before in a woman’s arms. Being with Taylor meant so much more to her than just sex.
“You’re in love with her,” Meg said after a moment. Callie opened her mouth to offer a halfhearted protest to the statement, but Meg cut her off. “You should tell her.”
“What happened to giving her time and space to figure things out?” Callie asked with a grin. There was no point in denying it. She might not be there yet, but she was definitely falling in love with Taylor.
“There are some things a woman just needs to hear, Callie,” she said with a quick squeeze of her hand before letting go. “Maybe knowing where you’re at will help her figure out where she wants to be.”
“I should go,” Callie said as she stood. “You’ve given me something to think about, and I thank you. Do you need a ride to the hotel?”
“No, I’m staying here to help Mom with breakfast,” Meg said. She stood too, and pulled Callie into a hug. “Tell her, Callie. If you don’t, she might never figure things out.”
Callie nodded but said nothing in response because she wasn’t sure she would be able to speak around the lump in her throat. She went and kissed her mother on the cheek then grabbed her coat and headed out to her car.
Maybe Meg was right. Perhaps Taylor needed to hear exactly how Callie was feeling about her. It could send her running in the opposite direction, or it could help to facilitate a turning point in both of their lives.
I do love her, she thought, and she was surprised to realize she’d never felt like this about Jan. She’d obviously settled in that particular relationship, and assumed the love would come later. This time, with Taylor, she knew it could only be a good thing the love had come first.
Chapter Twenty-four
At some point on her drive back from her parents’ house on Christmas night, Taylor made the decision to stop and see Callie. Her mother had succeeded in talking her through her reservations about Callie’s job because as she’d pointed out, you obviously care a great deal about her.
Yes, it was obvious. It had become even more obvious over the past few days when Callie started coming into the bar every night when her shift ended. Taylor had gotten to the point where she was actually looking forward to the moment she’d walk into the bar because the first sight of Callie each night sent a jolt of arousal through her that made her feel alive. The thought of not seeing her at all on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day didn’t sit well with her.
Which was why she now found herself outside of Grace’s bookstore, waiting for Callie to answer the intercom. It was cold out, and Taylor pulled her coat tightly around herself, trying her best to ward off the wind that had steadily picked up over the past couple of hours.
“Yeah?” Callie’s voice came through the intercom, and Taylor smiled at the warmth she felt just hearing it.
“It’s Taylor,” she said as she pushed the button. “Let me in before I freeze to death.”
Callie didn’t respond, and there was enough of a period of silence for Taylor to second-guess her decision to drop by unannounced. What if Callie wasn’t alone? She shook her head. Callie had promised to try to be patient while she worked through the issues she was having with her job. She’d seen nothing from Callie since the promise had been made to make her think there was anyone else on her radar. Even knowing that, she held her breath in the few moments she spent waiting for Callie to buzz her in.
The sound of a door closing above the bookstore caused her to wonder again if Callie might have company. She heard footsteps hurrying down the staircase right inside the door, and then there was Callie, wearing shorts and a T-shirt. And a big smile that let Taylor know she was happy to see her.
“I’m sorry it took so long, but the button to unlock this door isn’t working,” she said as she took Taylor by the elbow and pulled her inside. “Damn, it’s cold out there.”
“Maybe you should have some clothes on,” Taylor said, allowing her gaze to sweep her body slowly before settling on Callie’s smiling eyes.
“And miss having you look at me like that?” Callie shook her head and turned to go back up the stairs. Taylor struggled to not stare at her ass as she followed. “Not a chance.”
“I was only here once, but I was a little pissed off and didn’t really take the time to let it all sink in,” Taylor said upon entering the apartment and looking around. “This is…cozy.”
“Very diplomatic way of putting it,” Callie said with a chuckle. “Welcome to my bedroom.”
“That is pretty much what it is, isn’t it?” Taylor’s line of sight moved no farther than the bed against the wall. There was absolutely nowhere else to sit.
“I sleep here, and I shower here. It has everything I need.” Callie went and moved her laptop off the bed and straightened the sheets and blanket before offering her a seat. “Sorry I can’t offer something more comfortable.”
“This is fine.” Taylor removed her coat and hung it on a hook by the door. A few steps in and she was at the foot of the bed. She looked at Callie, who was still smiling.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked, heading toward what Taylor assumed was the kitchen. There was a refrigerator in one corner, a stove next to it, and a microwave on what little counter space there was. A very small sink appeared as though it might have actually been an afterthought.
“Water?” Taylor asked.
“Are you sure? I have beer, or wine if you want.”
“Water is good,” she said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t want alcohol to take the blame for what she was planning. She took a deep breath and watched Callie coming back to the bed with two bottles of water in her hand. She handed one to Taylor and took a seat, leaving about a foot between them. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Callie replied. They touched their bottles together i
n a toast. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company on this God-awful frigid night?”
“I wanted to see you,” Taylor said, a little surprised at her admission.
“Nice,” Callie said with a nod. “I’m glad you did.”
“I’m not interrupting anything?”
Callie almost spit her water out as she laughed and looked around the room.
“Really? Does it look like you are?”
“You took a while to open the door.”
“You think I’m not wearing enough clothing now, you should have seen me before you got here. I was lounging around in my underwear. I grabbed the first thing I found to put on so I could go downstairs and let you in.”
“I see,” Taylor said, looking at the expanse of toned thigh within touching distance. She swallowed and looked away when Callie stared at her, an unreadable expression on her face.
Callie tilted her head to the side and studied her intently. Taylor fought to not meet her gaze because she thought it might very well be her undoing. Callie took her hand and raised it to her lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles.
“You thought I might have had someone else here,” she said quietly.
Taylor almost said no, but when she turned her head, the look in Callie’s eyes told her everything she needed to know. Her breath hitched at the look of desire she was sure mirrored her own.
“Just for a moment, I wondered,” Taylor admitted, feeling her face heat with embarrassment.
Callie moved closer to her and pulled her into her arms. “You never have to wonder, baby,” she said into Taylor’s ear, the warm breath causing goose bumps to form on her arms. “I said I’d be patient with you while you tried to work this out, and I meant it. I don’t want anyone else.”
“Good to know,” Taylor said, pulling back enough to kiss her. The moan Callie made when her tongue entered her mouth caused a rush of wetness between Taylor’s legs. She leaned into Callie until she was on her back, and Taylor was on top of her. “It’s also a good thing this bed is your only furniture.”
“I never knew it would come in so handy,” Callie smiled briefly before taking her lips again. Her legs spread beneath her, and Taylor jolted at the feel of their pelvic bones pressing together.
“God, you feel so good,” Taylor said. She’d never felt so alive.
“I think I could kiss you forever,” Callie said as she put a hand behind Taylor’s head and captured her lips once again.
Taylor groaned into her mouth when Callie’s legs wrapped around her, holding her where she was. She tried to get a hand between them, almost desperate to feel Callie, but there was no room for it. She broke the kiss and looked at her until Callie opened her eyes.
“I need to touch you,” she said, her breath ragged, and her voice sounding almost desperate to her own ears. “I need you to touch me.”
“Are you sure this time?” Callie looked uncertain, and Taylor knew she was responsible for the tentative question.
She got to her feet and began removing her clothes while Callie watched her from the bed, her elbows supporting her and a lazy grin tugging at her lips. But it was her eyes, and the pure desire she saw there, that emboldened Taylor.
“I promise you I’ve never been this sure of anything in my life,” Taylor said. She expected to feel a twinge of guilt at the admission she hadn’t been this sure even about Andrea. But it didn’t come. She pushed the thought from her mind and dropped her shirt on the floor. She kicked off her shoes and slid her pants down to step out of them. “Are you sure?”
“God, yes,” Callie said. She sat up and reached for Taylor, pulling her closer and pressing her lips to her abdomen. “You’re so fucking amazing.”
Taylor ran her fingers through Callie’s hair, holding her head where it was. She tensed when Callie’s hands moved up her back and unhooked her bra. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to stand. Her legs began to tremble as Callie slid the straps down her arms, and the bra joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. She took a step back and removed her underwear. She felt Callie’s eyes on her as though it were a physical touch, and Taylor fought to keep from crossing her arms over her chest.
Her nipples hardened when Callie got to her feet and took a step toward her, but she held a hand out to stop her as she shook her head.
“I need to touch you,” Callie said, her eyes pleading, but Taylor simply pointed at her.
“You have far too many clothes on to be a part of this,” she said, expecting her to make short work of shedding her shorts and T-shirt. Instead, Callie sat back down.
“Then I’ll just watch you touch yourself while you wonder what it would feel like for me to be doing it,” she said with a smirk.
“Not an option, smartass,” Taylor said. She picked up her bra and started to put it back on, hoping Callie wouldn’t call her bluff because she really didn’t want to leave like this. “I can just go home.”
Callie stood and peeled off her shirt before pushing her shorts down and stepping out of them. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Taylor actually felt her mouth water at the sight of her standing there completely naked. She let her own bra fall to the floor once again when their eyes met. She looked down at the scar on Callie’s shoulder. The scar she would forever associate with the moment she’d started falling for her. She reached out and touched it gently.
“Does it still hurt?” she asked, meeting Callie’s eyes.
“No,” Callie said softly. “Not really.”
Taylor watched as Callie walked around to the other side of the bed and got under the covers. She propped herself up on an elbow, her head resting in her hand. With her other hand, she pulled back the covers and patted the bed.
“You should join me,” she said. “It’s much warmer in here than it is out there.”
Taylor got in and stretched out alongside her, fully intending to push her onto her back, but Callie was too quick for her. Before she knew what was happening Callie was on top of her, straddling her hips, and Taylor had to admit she liked it. She ran her hands up Callie’s torso and pinched her nipples lightly.
“Oh, yeah,” Callie breathed, her center sliding along Taylor’s lower abdomen.
Taylor groaned at the feel of the slick heat covering her, and she was happy to realize she’d caused this in such an incredible and beautiful woman.
“You’re so wet, and so freaking beautiful,” she murmured, still pinching Callie’s nipples because it was obvious the harder she did it, the more Callie thrust against her. Callie’s hands came down on the bed on either side of her head, and she rested their foreheads together.
“It’s all you, baby,” she said before closing her eyes and swallowing. “It is all you.”
Callie eased away from her, and Taylor just managed to stop herself from whimpering at the loss of contact. She did whimper when Callie pushed a knee between her legs and spread them before kissing each nipple and then moving slowly down her torso.
Taylor gripped the sheets and tilted her head back when she felt Callie’s breath on her center, and thought she might shatter into a million pieces when Callie’s tongue found her clit then sucked it between her lips.
“Fuck, Callie,” she said, panting. Callie put a forearm over her abdomen to hold her down, and then slowly slid a finger inside her. After a moment of the tantalizing torture she inflicted on her clit, alternately sucking and biting, Callie added a second finger. Taylor cried out when she slowly pulled her fingers almost all the way out before thrusting them in again. She spread her legs farther, still gripping the sheets tightly, and they began a slow rhythm that only got faster and more urgent the closer Taylor came to soaring over the edge.
“Yes, oh, God, Callie,” she said, one hand moving to the back of Callie’s head to make sure she stayed in that exact spot. It felt so damn good. Callie gave one last thrust, sucked hard on her clit, and then Taylor felt such an indescribable rush of overwhelming heat and ecstasy that started in her center and spread out
through her limbs. When she finally came down, she realized she was still holding Callie’s head and laughed as she let go of her. Callie looked at her and smiled. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t ever be sorry.” Callie placed a quick kiss on her clit and climbed up to lay next to her. “Trust me when I say I could stay there forever. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”
“I could have smothered you.”
“Yeah,” Callie said before running her tongue up her neck to her ear. She tugged on her earlobe with her teeth. “But what a way to go.”
“Stop,” Taylor said, reaching down to grab Callie’s hand which was moving dangerously close to her sex again. Callie chuckled in her ear and she brought the hand up to rest on her breast. “I need some recovery time, tiger.”
“Okay, okay,” Callie said. “Maybe we should nap.”
“Are you serious?” Taylor gave her a look she knew portrayed her disbelief at the remark.
“What?” Callie looked innocent as she pulled back and looked at her, but Taylor knew better.
She pushed her onto her back and kissed her. Not a gentle kiss, but one she hoped carried the depth of what she was feeling. Callie moaned into her mouth.
“Still want to nap?” Taylor asked with a grin.
“Fuck, no,” Callie answered, letting her legs open wide to allow Taylor’s hand the access she desired.
Chapter Twenty-five
Callie groaned when she opened her eyes and was met with the bright sunshine coming through the window. She closed them again and snuggled into the naked body pressed against her back. Memories of the night before flooded her senses, and she groaned again, but this time in happiness.
“Good morning.”
The body moved away from her, and Callie rolled over onto her back, looking up at the most beautiful woman she’d ever had the good fortune to lay eyes on. She reached up and caressed her cheek. When Taylor had shown up the night before, Callie had been so surprised. She’d gotten to the point where she looked forward to going to the bar every night just to see her. It had taken her all day to convince herself she wouldn’t be seeing her, and then there she was. And then there she was, naked.
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