“Fuck me, Dean.” His eyes had transformed to a liquid gold and he worried his lip as if clinging to his last measure of control. “Harder. I need it. I need you.”
Forcing his his legs higher, I delivered exactly what he wanted. I thrust forward in a punishing rhythm, my balls slapping his ass, solidly connecting with that spot inside him that made his eyes roll back in his head.
Both of us were sweating and grunting and close to ripping apart at the seams. So fucking close.
“I don’t know what the hell you’ve done to me.” I was out of my mind with raw sensation, my back arching as I pounded him senseless. “I didn’t expect to feel like this, to want you so damn much.”
He reached for his cock and stroked it a few times, moaning, as his eyes latched onto mine. A second longer and his limbs locked tight, his mouth opening on a soundless gasp, as he soared over the edge of the mountainside.
My rhythm faltered as I watched him, his hole narrowing around my cock, his muscles twitching.
“Ah, fuck.” My entire body shuddered as I yelled out his name and came with a roar, my orgasm hitting me like a freight train, screeching through a black and starless night.
I collapsed on top of him, unable to hold myself up any longer as my cock slipped from his ass and I muttered into his neck. “So good, so goddamn good.”
Callum rolled us onto our sides as he kissed my jaw and cheeks and lips. I groped beneath his sac and thrust two fingers inside him, knowing how much he enjoyed that feeling of fullness.
“Hell yes,” he hissed in my ear, and then sucked on the skin right below, sure to leave a mark.
As our breathing stabilized, the stark reality settled atop us like a heavy blanket, prickly and cloying.
In near desperation, my fingers fumbled for his groin where the majority of his come had pooled. I swirled my fingers through the stickiness before swiping a line of his seed across my lips. Finding the pulse at my throat, I pressed the remainder into my skin, hoping for some of that magic he had talked about.
Eyes wide, his palm connected with my neck and he hauled me into a penetrating kiss that was brutal in its intensity. His tongue slipped inside and tasted every corner of my mouth, from gums, to palate, to teeth as if memorizing every last piece of me.
When we broke apart, we didn’t speak—couldn’t. As his fingers clutched my face, his parting words were narrated through his shattering gaze.
I wanted to shut my lids tight, to not remember how he was looking at me. It would hurt like a bitch tomorrow but I kept staring back. I needed to. All I had left was this moment.
After we cleaned up, he gently gathered me in his arms, intertwined our fingers and legs, and we slipped into sleep, however fitfully.
I woke intermittently throughout the night, peering through blurry eyes to be certain his solid form was still in my bed. To feel his heavy muscles, his soft breath.
When my phone alarm trilled me awake a few hours later, I whispered to him. “Coming with me?”
He groaned and turned over. “Not this time.”
It was painstakingly difficult to leave that room but the run was the cold slap of reality I needed.
On my way home I went through the motions of ordering his coffee, knowing he’d already be gone.
As far as romantic sentiments went, his note was beautiful in it’s simplicity. Just like him.
I remembered the first day I had met Callum, how he had encouraged me to pick those wildflowers for his sister.
I might’ve known even then that he would touch me, teach me, and even walk away from me in a devastatingly important way.
Dean,
I couldn’t face you when I said goodbye.
Couldn’t stare into those indigo eyes that remind me of the nighttime sky after sunset on the preserve.
How they call to my heart. Reach into my soul. See me just as I am.
I wish I could erase the color of your eyes from my head.
But I’m afraid they’re permanently etched.
I meant everything I said about my family outside the bar last night.
If you need me—us—you’ll know where to look.
Callum
37
Dean
It’d been two months, five days, and thirteen hours since I’d last seen or heard from Callum.
I finished my final course and officially graduated with my master’s degree—well, at least on paper. My parents called to congratulate me and invited me home for Thanksgiving, one of the few times they decided to stay put. I agreed, determined to speak to them face to face about a myriad of things. Maybe we could finally start building some kind of bridge.
After I let my new landlord know that I was all moved in, I slid into the driver’s seat of my Mazda and got on the freeway, heading south on interstate ninety-five. Cassie and Professor Landon had been instrumental in assisting me with locating a decent apartment. But I was stretched thin due to helping Cassie with rent until she could make the move herself across a couple of states.
When I left town, Dermot had been up for a visit, so the goodbye had been easier. Besides, I’d see her again in a few weeks time.
As I changed lanes, my thoughts drifted to Billie and how I’d sworn him to secrecy. We’d kept in contact quite a bit. He asked my advice about Leo, who had gone off to some private school in Florida. They would only see each other during holidays and though Billie was bummed, he knew he needed to focus on his health and his other friends.
He shared what a pain school could be in his small town, even though everybody knew about his condition. Didn’t mean they were always cool about it. He’d turn sixteen in another month, and though he hadn’t had another seizure since the summer, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get his license unless he was in remission for much longer.
Billie had also helped me keep tabs on Callum. He told me that he’d decided to finish constructing what he described as a tiny cottage on the Shady Pines property. That his dad and Braden had helped him all summer long and he was already moved in.
I guess Callum had also been making more trips to the city to hang with Jason, but he didn’t know if Callum was seeing anybody new. I actually didn’t want that final piece of information, because it would’ve been too painful. I’d hoped that whoever did capture Callum’s heart, that he’d keep it safe. Because I knew I would, if given the chance.
The familiar Shady Pines Preserve sign came into view, and I turned right, noticing a newly constructed roadside stand that was presently unoccupied. Cassie had told me about her family’s plans to expand their reach and I figured she knew what she was talking about, after putting in so much effort behind that business degree.
When I pulled up to the main house Grammy and Billie were relaxing in the porch swing, and everything about that first day returned full force. Bullseye perked up to bark in my direction. As his dog approached the vehicle, recognition dawned on Billie’s face.
As soon as I stepped out of the car, Billie was smiling and waving. I hadn’t told him the day I’d be coming, only that it would be after the Lorrigan’s alligator hunt, for obvious reasons. And as soon as I could muster the courage.
After I gave Billie a strong hug and Bullseye a good scratch behind the ears, I walked up the steps to greet Grammy. “It’s good to see you, Dean.”
“I figured I needed to check on that sugar cane field,” I said, looking in the direction Billie and I had ridden so many weeks ago.
Grammy grinned and winked at me. “Callum’s been taking pretty decent care of it, but he might need some extra supervising.”
A blush crept across my cheeks. I breathed in the earthy air and nostalgia bloomed in my chest about being back here.
“He just got home, you know,” Grammy said. “From a shrimping trip with his daddy in the gulf.”
“Guess I timed it perfectly, then,” I said, smiling.
“Head on back to his place,” Grammy said. “You should know the way. It’s just beyond the orchard.”
“Okay,” I said, suddenly feeling unsteady on my feet. “Near the field where Gus comes out at night?”
“Gus?” Billie asked and my blush deepened. “You know about Gus?”
Grammy cackled. “I trust he knows plenty more that you think he does.”
I simply shook my head and started walking toward the garage, passing the hearty vegetable garden along the way. The sweet citrus scent from the orchard wafted up my nose.
Just beyond the fig tree that Grammy used for her preserves was a clearing. I stopped in my tracks taking it all in. Callum’s home was about the size of a singlewide trailer, same rectangular shape as well. Except it was constructed of dark wood with a cream-colored door and window boxes planted with wildflowers that added a homey touch.
I stepped closer to the house, my pulse pounding at my throat. I smelled the aroma of the blossoms before plucking off a bright yellow bud and heading to the front entrance.
After I knocked, I couldn’t help fidgeting as I waited for Callum to answer the door. His hair was a mess of red tangles, most likely from his favorite ball cap, and his cheekbones were sun streaked from the ocean.
His amber eyes widened, his fingers gripping the doorframe. “Dean, what—”
My brain fumbling through what I wanted to say, I thrust the yellow flower in his direction and then dug in my pocket for the envelope I needed to give him as well.
“This place looks amazing,” I said, as he sniffed at the bud absently.
When I handed him the white folded paper, our fingers brushed, and I bit down on my trembling lip.
“What’s this?” he asked, his eyebrows knitting in complete bewilderment.
“I, uh, wanted to invite you to a Yankees training game. Their pre-season camp is in Tampa, you know,” I said, and then shook my head. “Of course you do. Damn it, sorry.”
The corner of his lip lifted, possibly recounting our last fight about me schooling him, and his amused expression helped my shoulders unwind.
“Billie said you’ve never been to a pre-season or regular season game,” I said and he looked over my shoulder as if putting two and two together that his brother and I had been communicating. “Anyway, the first game is in March and I wondered if you’d go with me.”
He flipped the envelope open and glanced at the tickets inside. “That’s five months from now.”
“Right. So, you know,” I said, kicking at a stone on the ground. “Depending on what you decide, you can just as easily take somebody else.”
“What I decide?” he said, arching his eyebrow.
“I’ve read your note about a thousand times,” I mumbled as sweat broke out across my brow. “And I have things I need to say to you.”
“Okay,” he said, his eyes burrowing into mine, leaving me winded.
“I…well…” Unexpected tears misted my eyes. “I’m in love with you. And…”
Fuck, I needed to pull it together. I took a deep breath and continued baring my soul. “And I thought if you haven’t moved on…if you still feel anything for me…maybe we could date and see where that leads us.”
It felt like an eternity had passed before Callum said anything. He stood motionless staring at me, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Finally, he stepped forward and ran his fingers beneath my jaw.
I shut my eyes at the feel of his skin brushing against mine.
“Damn,” he said. “Are you really standing here in front of me?”
Opening my lids I inhaled roughly. He was so darn close I could feel his soft breath against my cheek.
“I missed you,” I said, in nearly a whimper.
He moved nearer, the warmth from his heated skin whispering over the hairs on my arms, generating a subtle tremor.
“I missed you more,” he murmured and then swiped his lips across mine. “And I love you, too.”
My body sagged against his. Curling my fingers around his nape to tighten our connection, I kissed him with all that I had. When his tongue slipped inside my mouth, it felt like coming home.
I moaned as he gripped my shirt and pulled me so close there was scarcely any space between us. His one arm wound around my waist and the other tightened in my hair and I could feel his cock plumping against my own. It had been too damn long.
He dragged his lips away, but kept our foreheads together, as we panted into each other’s mouths. “How…how did you get here? Is Cassie—”
“I live in Florida now,” I said and the words gave me pause. Whoa. I officially resided in a southern state for the first time in my life. I’d miss the spring and fall and the summer heat was bound to kill me, but I wanted to give it a fair shot.
“What?” Callum sputtered, blinking at me.
“Professor Landon offered me a research position in his lab,” I said. “We’ll be studying immunology and metagenomics to further comprehend the microbial communities as related to plants.”
As his lip pinched into a smirk, I didn’t even care if he was poking fun at me. Not this time. Callum was smart, beautiful, and passionate. I was madly in love and I wanted him to be mine. All mine.
“I’ll be living in an apartment about forty minutes away and I thought maybe…”
He drew me into a scorching kiss, his tongue delving deep in my mouth.
“I’m so fucking happy you’re here,” he said against my lips and then led me by the hand into his new home. I scarcely had a second to take in the modern fixtures and the cozy decorum before he steered me up the stairs to his sizeable loft bed.
“This place has solar panels and will only leave a small environmental footprint,” he said, nudging me down in his soft sheets. “I thought you might appreciate that.”
“That must mean you’ve been thinking about me?” I asked, staring up at him from lowered lashes.
Callum sank down and his body covered mine. I sighed at the weight of him, the smell of pine, along with a hint of saltwater from his trip. “Every single day.”
Our lips fused and our hands groped, barely able to break apart long enough to remove our shirts and pants, so that we could finally be skin to skin.
“I missed this,” he said as he tugged our boxers down. As soon as our hard cocks aligned and rubbed, we both moaned. Callum kissed me so thoroughly that my mouth ached for more. “Missed your lips and your eyes.”
“You haven’t tried to get out there—” I could barely even finish the thought. But I needed to know he was certain, ready…for everything. With me. “I thought maybe you needed—”
His head jerked back and the look he gave me left me breathless. “Only wanted you.”
We rutted against each other, our lips never parting, our bodies wound tight.
Callum reached between us and wrapped his large hand around both of our cocks.
“Didn’t know how I was supposed to get over you,” I said, thrusting into his palm.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “Need you so much. Don’t need anybody else.”
We came at nearly the same time, panting and shuddering, the sheets twisted around our legs. I held onto him, our come mixing together, unwilling to let go this time.
After cleaning up, we lie side by side staring up at the ceiling, which boasted an impressive skylight.
“You can see the stars from here,” he said, his thumb tracing over my palm in a mesmerizing pattern. “Pictured you with me just like this.”
I pulled Callum into a kiss that made him groan against me and only removed my tongue from his mouth when we needed air. My heart was full to bursting point and everything felt so fucking perfect.
We heard barking outside along with the sound of a motor. Quickly slipping into our clothes, we headed out the door.
“Sorry,” Billie said from his four-wheeler. “I promised Grammy I’d give you more time. Was hoping you’d want to go for a ride?”
“Always.” I beamed at him so wide my cheeks hurt. “Will you take me to see the sugar canes?”
Callum mounted the other vehicle parked besid
e his house and fired up the engine. “Let’s go.”
I climbed on the back of the leather seat, and wound my arms around his stomach, which quivered at my touch. As we rode, I buried my face in his shirt, smelling him, just wanting to be close any way I could. Callum’s fingers kept slipping over mine as if needing the same kind of contact.
At the field, I hopped off and walked up and down the rows happy to already see some growth. “Looks good.”
“Now that you’re here you can help keep it thriving,” Billie said. “You will be around…won’t you?”
Billie looked so encouraged right then that I threw my arm around his shoulder.
My eyes darted to Callum to be certain we were on the same page. His sexy grin was so gorgeous I nearly lost my breath. “I’ll definitely be around.”
A familiar noise resonated in the distance and my eyes widened in wonder.
It was Grammy ringing the dinner bell. The sound was as comforting as a worn pair of jeans.
Callum’s eyes lit up and he delivered a chaste kiss to my lips. “Want to stay for supper?”
“I’d love to,” I said, my heart in my throat. “As long as there’s no alligator or rattlesnake on the menu.”
Billie and Callum exchanged glances and then burst out laughing. My chest squeezed as I studied the pair of handsome brothers, who seemed closer than ever.
“How do you feel about shrimp?” Callum asked, his eyebrow quirked.
“You coming?” Billie asked impatiently as he got himself situated on his ATV. Bullseye ran in circles around him, having recognized the chiming alert as well.
“We can’t keep Grammy waiting,” Callum said, yanking my arm toward the four-wheeler. “She’ll tan our behinds.”
I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I climbed behind Callum, gripped him tight, and delivered a wet kiss his to his nape.
It felt like we were riding off into the sunset. Creating our own kind of happy.
THANK YOU for reading THE DEEPEST BLUE!
I hope you enjoyed it!
The Deepest Blue (Roadmap to Your Heart #2) Page 20