“Okay, Callum... What is Ellie’s most irrational fear?”
There was no way he was getting this one. And she wasn’t about to be truthful anyway. She wasn’t sharing it with the group. Like bra sizes, deep, dark fears were reserved for special people, not friends she barely knew anymore or ever really had.
She scribbled “Swallowing a spider in my sleep” on her whiteboard because she’d read somewhere that the average person swallows eight spiders in their life. Seemed like something most people would be afraid of, even though it was highly unlikely to be true. Whatever happened when she was asleep was none of her business.
“Okay, reveal,” Brent said, sounding bored with the game already.
Callum hesitated, then turned his around. “Ellie’s most irrational fear is not living a fulfilled, meaningful life.”
Her mouth dropped. What the hell? He was right, but seriously what the hell? She was terrified of that, but had she ever verbalized it to Callum? Or did he really just know her that well?
“That’s deep,” Nick said.
“Ellie, you need to reveal,” Cheryl said, when she continued to clutch her whiteboard to her chest.
“Oh right.” She turned hers around and the group laughed at her answer.
“That seems a helluva lot more plausible,” Alisha said with a shudder. “In fact, I think I just got a new irrational fear.”
Callum looked at Ellie with a quizzical expression, then he nodded. “Right. This one must have been my last girlfriend,” he said, trying to make light of the moment.
The rest of the group laughed, and Ellie did her best to laugh along despite the odd, unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She was in for far more than she’d imagined this week.
* * *
SPIDERS CRAWLING DOWN her throat? No way. He’d seen Ellie eat freeze-dried crickets.
Of course, maybe revealing something personal and deep about her to her former friends had been the wrong choice, but he’d wanted to use the game as a wake-up call for her and maybe start to display his own feelings. Slowly. A full-on confession would make her retreat, but he couldn’t just go along with the plan for this week without taking his own shot.
He’d never get another chance like this.
“Okay, now that it’s been established that none of us know one another besides Ellie and Callum, who’s up for reheating their relationship in the hot springs?” Alisha asked.
He wouldn’t mind soaking his muscles. He could feel the tightness and tension developing from the accident on the highway, and while he’d rather soak alone with Ellie, this was the next best thing. Unfortunately, she was looking at Brent, waiting for his answer.
Of course. That was why they were there.
“I think I’ll pass for tonight,” the other man said.
That was surprising. He’d definitely pegged the guy as the hot tub and drinking type. But he wasn’t about to try to change Brent’s mind.
“Yeah, I’m enjoying this cozy lodge,” Ellie said. “But you go on ahead,” she told Callum.
He swallowed hard. She wanted time with Brent and that was what he’d promised to give her. He nodded as he stood. “Okay, well you know where I’ll be if you change your mind,” he said, kissing the top of her head before leaving her alone to start reconnecting with the wrong guy.
* * *
“ANOTHER GLASS OF WINE?” Brent asked.
She’d already had two, plus the champagne in the cottage...but she was on vacation. “Sure, thank you,” Ellie said, extending her glass to him.
As he went to refill, her gaze shifted out the window. Callum was removing his clothes down to his underwear and climbing into the hot springs with the others. He was smiling and laughing. Seemed to be having a good time. Hot springs at midnight was definitely his thing. It wasn’t hers. And she’d been relieved that it wasn’t Brent’s. Anymore, anyway. She remembered a lot of hot tub parties in high school. They’d always made her uncomfortable and self-conscious. Too much drinking and fooling around.
He returned with her wineglass, and she smiled up at him as she accepted it. “Thank you.”
He sat next to her on the couch, and her hands sweat slightly. Why was she so nervous? This was the guy she’d confessed her teenage secrets to, shared her hopes and dreams with, had her first sexual experience with. Losing her virginity to him was something she’d never regretted. She’d loved him and that first time had been special. She knew it wasn’t his first time, but she’d refused to let that bother her. Maybe that was more than enough reason to be nervous. There was a lot of history between them and, for her, a lot of unresolved feelings.
“So...have you read any good books lately?” she asked. It was one of the things they’d always talked about. He preferred sci-fi novels over the classics, but she wasn’t a genre snob. As long as people were reading, they shouldn’t be shamed for their preference of material.
He laughed. “Geez, I actually can’t remember the last time I read a book at all.”
That was a little disappointing. But he had a busy life.
“What about you?” he asked, restoring her positive vibe. He was interested. That was a good sign. A lot of adults couldn’t find time to read—didn’t mean they didn’t want to. And so what if he didn’t? Why was she so hung up on that?
She turned to face him, tucking a leg under her on the couch. “I just finished a series of memoirs by three women who lived through the Second World War. Each perspective was incredibly different based on their social and economic status, and it was fascinating to read about things the history books have casually—or purposely—omitted,” she said, feeling her own passion filling her chest.
Brent listened intently, his steady gaze making her blush slightly, and all the warm sensations she’d always felt around him came flooding back.
“I’d forgotten how light blue your eyes were,” he said.
She blinked. Her eyes? Okay...had he actually even heard anything she’d just said? Not everyone was interested in history, and he was flirting with her—that was a good thing. But the memoirs were so fascinating...
Get over the book thing, Ellie!
“So, are you still volunteering with at-risk youth?” Years before, he had volunteered at the after-school community program for young teens. It had been one of the many things she’d admired about him. How eager he was to help others and his commitment to the program. He’d been there three or four times a week.
He shook his head. “Nah, that was part of the extra-credit requirement to apply to colleges and flight school.”
Her heart sank a little. Why was she being so judgy? He was busy. He had a full-time career. Not everyone had time to volunteer. It had to be just that she was sensing a little disconnect between them that had her feeling uneasy. So far, nothing from their past had served as a launching off point to get the conversation flowing. But they didn’t have to reconnect based on their old habits and likes. They were adults now. They’d find new things in common and have more mature discussions.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Brent said quickly. “I’d like to, but I just don’t have the time.”
She nodded. “Totally understandable.”
Brent laughed. “Yeah, right. I heard the judging in that brilliant mind of yours. And you’re right. I should make time to give back to the community. I will. I’ll do better.”
That did make her feel slightly better. The charitable guy she’d once known was still in there.
“How long have you and Callum been together?” he asked.
She hesitated. She really should just tell him the truth, but how would he react? Most likely, he’d rightfully think she was pathetic to have to make up a fiancé. He’d wonder why she’d lied, and how could he trust her if they based their rekindling on a lie? She cleared her throat. She and Callum hadn’t really discu
ssed the fake facts of their “relationship,” so anything she told Brent, she’d have to relay to Callum to keep their story straight. “A few years.”
“You work together at the bookstore?”
“Yes.” Giving simple, truthful answers was best wherever possible. No more, no less.
Brent peered out the window at the hot tub and shook his head.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No really, what?”
“Seems odd, that’s all. A dude his age working in an old, small town bookstore.”
She frowned. Was it also odd that a woman her age was doing the same? “What’s odd about it?”
Brent shrugged. “Nothing I guess. I just would have thought he’d be running the resort.”
How did he know who Callum was?
He looked slightly sheepish seeing her confused look. “Full disclosure, I may have googled him. I wanted to make sure the man my Ellie was about to marry was good enough for her.”
His Ellie. She’d like to focus on that part. Unfortunately, the idea of him judging Callum and checking up on him to confirm his worthiness didn’t have the heartwarming effect he was obviously intending. “He’s not interested in the hospitality industry. It’s not a career he wants to pursue.”
“It’s his family legacy though,” Brent said with a shrug. “Does he really have a choice?”
“Everyone has a choice,” she said. “Obligation shouldn’t play a role in life decisions. People should do what makes them happy.” Callum had said something similar, and she hadn’t completely bought it then—she did now. Maybe it was knowing he wanted to write that had her changing her perception? Either way, he’d been right.
“So, what makes him happy? Other than you, obviously?” Brent asked.
That wasn’t something she’d share. “He has some things going on,” she said simply.
“Well, as long as you’re happy, Ellie. That’s what matters,” Brent said, sipping his drink.
Ellie drew in a long, slow breath. She was there with Brent, desperate to keep the focus on the two of them, and yet the conversation had mostly revolved around Callum.
Her gaze met his through the lodge window and she swallowed hard, that unsettling unease reappearing in the pit of her stomach. She’d seen him almost every day for the last two years, so why did it feel as though she was only actually seeing him right then, in that moment?
* * *
CALLUM LAY ON the chaise lounge in the cottage an hour later, listening to Ellie in the bathroom. In the hot tub, watching through the window of the lodge, he couldn’t tell if the conversation with Brent was going well or not. She’d seemed to be enjoying it, but when his gaze had locked with hers, there’d been something in her expression that hadn’t been there before...
It wasn’t the lust-filled look she’d had when she’d seen him mostly naked or the admiration and respect she’d shown when he’d revealed his secret about writing in the car. It was a different look completely. Interest maybe?
The bathroom door opened and she emerged in a pair of pink pajama shorts and a matching tank top, her hair braided and her glasses on.
Damn, she looked so cute. All of the time in the hot tub, he’d been counting the seconds until they all called it a night. Being in the cottage with Ellie without the rest of them around was definitely better.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” she said as she climbed into bed, her book under her arm.
Always with a book. He knew she liked to read every night in bed and so did he. Just another way their lives could fit well together. He imagined Brent had a seventy-inch flat screen in his bedroom, that he’d binge-watch episodes of the latest Netflix series and fall asleep with the TV on. Ellie would hate that. She didn’t even own a television.
He stood and headed into the bathroom, where the smell of her body lotion lingered. That honeysuckle smell that always tempted him. He quickly brushed his teeth, and when he set his toothbrush back in the holder next to hers, he sighed.
Even their toothbrushes looked good together.
Man, he was such a lovestruck wimp when it came to Ellie. Maybe that was the problem. He was too full-on, too attentive... Still, he wasn’t willing to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. If Ellie would just give him the time of day, he’d cherish her the way a woman should be cherished.
He opened the door and went back into the bedroom. She was sunk low in the bed, surrounded by cushions, her book in front of her face.
He removed his shirt and shorts and slid under his blanket on the chaise lounge. He turned on his side, but the shape of the lounge was uncomfortable, so he lay on his back and reached for his own book. He opened to the chapter where he’d left off and read a few lines...and then read the same few lines again.
He lowered the book. “So, how did your chat with Brent go?” He had to know. It was driving him crazy.
“It was good,” she said from behind the book.
“Just good?”
She lowered the book. “Yes, just good. He thinks I’m engaged, remember?”
“Was there a spark at least?”
“I think so,” she said, but he caught a note of uncertainty in her voice.
“Well, I’m happy for you if you’re happy,” he said, feeling a tug at his chest. He did want her to be happy. That was the tough part. If at the end of the week, she walked away with Brent but she was happy, then he’d learn to live with it.
“That’s kinda what Brent said about you,” she said.
“Do you think everyone believes we’re a couple?” he asked.
“I can’t imagine they wouldn’t given your performance up there,” she said, flipping the page of her book quickly.
“It wasn’t all a performance,” he dared to say. He couldn’t let her think that he was acting. She had to know genuine affection when she received it. So, she was obviously choosing to ignore it.
She sighed and put her book away, then checked the time. “Maybe we should get some sleep?”
Discussion was over. Of course. Right when they might potentially get somewhere.
He nodded, putting his own book away. “Yeah, it is getting late.” He reached for the light switch on the wall behind him, turning off the main cottage lights.
Ellie turned off the bedside lamp and everything went dark.
“Night, Callum,” she said softly.
“Night, Ellie.”
Silence fell over the dark room, and as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, he stared at the ceiling. He wanted to talk to her, but he didn’t know what to say. If they were just friends and coworkers, he’d be happy to strategize with her about ways to get Brent back, but that wasn’t the case. And he sensed Ellie was starting to sense that too.
“Callum?”
“Yeah?”
“You were right about my deepest fear,” she said softly.
His heart ached as he released a slow, deep breath. “I know.”
* * *
THE MOON ILLUMINATED Ellie’s shapely curves as she removed the robe to reveal a sexy black two-piece that accentuated her thin waist and hips. As if in slow motion, she stepped into the hot tub and lowered her body into the water.
Callum swallowed hard as the lower half of his body reacted instantly. She was so beautiful...
She moved toward him and he tensed as her arms encircled his neck. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her in closer. Her light blue eyes burned into his, an intense passion he only saw in his dreams. He lifted her body so that she straddled him, and he cupped her ass, holding her against his hard erection beneath the water.
He kissed her neck, savoring the taste of her, his lips roaming over her shoulder and collarbone, down her arm. Her head fell back and he kissed the hollow of her neck before moving to the other side. He captured her earlobe between his teeth and she moaned
as he pulled her upper body closer, her breasts pressed against his chest.
Her hands massaged his shoulders and moved down his chest, dipping below the water to his thighs. She ran her hands upward, teasingly, seductively and slid them up the legs of his swim trunks. Her fingers tickled his balls and he groaned, feeling himself grow even thicker under her touch. So close, so gorgeous, so sexy, so tempting... She was driving him insane.
He reached around to untie the knot of her bikini top, letting it fall forward, exposing her breasts. The perky, erect nipples were ripened buds, desperately aching to be touched. He massaged the mounds gently, then rougher as her breathing quickened and she slid her hands down into the waistband of his shorts, pushing them down, off of his waist. Her hand wrapped around him and he sucked in a breath at her touch.
It always felt like the first time anyone had ever touched him that way whenever he was with her. She stroked the length of him and he muffled a groan into her neck as his fingers pinched her nipples. Her tiny shriek only turned him on more. He knew she liked it, so he pinched even harder.
“Callum, I want you inside of me,” she whispered into his ear.
He lowered one hand into the water and between her legs, sliding the fabric of her bikini bottom to the side, giving him access to her body. He stroked along the folds of her opening—so soft, so wet, so swollen and ready. She shivered and held him tighter with one arm as she quickened her pace on him with the other hand.
She was trying to get him to move faster, trying to create a desperate urge for release in him so he’d take her faster, harder...
But these moments didn’t last long enough, so he took his time. One finger in and out slowly...then the second one entering the tight, intoxicatingly sexy space between her legs. His thumb rolled over her clit, and with the other hand, he reached around the backside of her ass and pressed a thumb between her ass cheeks. Pressure on all the right places. He found her G-spot with his fingers, and she cried out in pleasure, stroking him harder and faster, pumping him.
Alaska Reunion Page 10