Hawk Brothers Romance Collection

by Cami Checketts

  She glanced up at him. “Good morning,” she said.

  Callum walked straight to her, bent down, and gave her a kiss on the mouth. She arched up toward him, and all the feelings from last night returned. He’d kissed women before, but nothing felt like kissing Lexi. He spent his life in tight control, working hard and never so much as raising his voice at an employee. Lexi’s kiss made him want to go off the edge and give in to all the passion and desire she awakened in him. Only help from above had gotten him out of that hot tub last night without risking compromising Lexi’s virtue. His mom must be praying harder than normal for him.

  He pulled back and whispered, “It is a good morning.”

  Lexi giggled and bit at her lip. She gestured to the breakfast spread on the table. “Sit and eat or we’ll be late for church.”

  Callum obeyed. He could definitely get used to this: eating breakfast with Lexi every day, going to church together, kissing her nonstop. He glanced at her slender fingers as she held a piece of toast and buttered it, and an idea came to him. “After church, what do we have planned?”

  “Your mom wants the family to have lunch together in that private room, but besides that, I think we’re free to relax. Big day tomorrow with the wedding in the morning and partying the rest of the day.” She smiled. “Why?”

  “Are you up for a surprise?”

  “I love surprises.”

  He wanted to tell her he loved her, but it was too soon. Maybe this afternoon he’d get brave enough.

  Lexi was impressed. Callum had made it through Sunday morning and church service with no phone or computer appearing. Maybe he really was willing to change for her? The lines of fake and real fiancée were so blurred she didn’t know where they were anymore. Callum had said sweet things to her that she had to believe were sincere, especially coupled with the way he kissed her. As if she were his whole world.

  After they had lunch with his family, he walked her through the front reception area with a slight smirk on his face.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Trust me, sweetheart.”

  “I thought the great Callum Hawk couldn’t use the endearment sweetheart.”

  He laughed at her. “That was your thought, not mine. I like calling you sweetheart.” He pulled her to a stop at the curb where the taxi cabs waited. “Sweetheart, honey, love …” His voice deepened and his eyes looked as warm as hot fudge. “What’s your favorite?”

  Lexi’s heart thudded faster and faster. “I don’t think I’d take objection to any of them.” Love? Oh, she was never going to recover if these past two days of growing closer were all some vacation-induced farce.

  “Good.” Callum softly kissed her. Even in the public place it was intimate and thorough, as if he were tasting and savoring every inch of her lips. “Love,” he whispered against her mouth. Then he was kissing her again, and she didn’t have a chance to tell him that was her favorite pet name as he pulled her in tighter. She ran her hands across his chest and savored his kiss and the strength emanating from him.

  A loud roar of a motor pulled them apart. Callum grinned and squeezed her hand. “Good, it’s here.”

  Lexi peered through the bright sunshine to an even brighter Harley Davidson. It was a shiny, sparkly blue. Callum was grinning broadly as he tipped the man and accepted two helmets. He set his down on the bike’s seat and gently strapped Lexi’s on.

  She trembled from his tender touch. “Just couldn’t wait to get me back on a motorcycle?”

  He chuckled. “I knew how much you liked mine.” Callum strapped his own helmet on and straddled the bike, lifting the kickstand with his heel.

  She noticed his wingtip brown shoes that he’d been wearing at church. “Will I be okay in sandals and a dress?” she asked. She hadn’t changed from church either.

  He looked her over and nodded. “We’ll go straight to the shopping center and get you properly outfitted.”

  “Properly?” She swung on behind him, smiling.

  He pulled slowly through the circle, past the guard house, and out onto the road. As soon as they were cruising with the traffic, he placed his left hand on her leg. “To keep your dress down,” he said.

  Lexi smiled, clinging tighter to his waist and leaning into him.

  The wind whipped the hair not covered by her helmet and tried to lift her dress, but Callum kept the left side down and she held on to the right. She felt free and a little wild. She’d had a high school boyfriend with an old Honda Valkyrie, but Callum and his Harley in New York or this one were eons cooler than that.

  They pulled into a more congested area, and a few minutes later Callum parked the bike at an open spot on the curb. She climbed off and he followed, stowing their helmets and taking her hand. “Do you like to shop?” he asked.

  She shrugged. She’d never had the money to shop, so she couldn’t truly say. “Sure. What woman doesn’t like to shop?”

  He chuckled. “Good.” He directed her into a dress shop first. Everything inside was colorful and fancy.

  “What are we looking for here?”

  “Kiera just informed me that the wedding tomorrow morning is black tie. I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure if you had a dress that …” He trailed off and blew out a breath. “I’m sure whatever dress you have will be perfect. I just thought you might want another dress.”

  Lexi placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you, Cal. It’s very thoughtful of you. I don’t have anything that fancy.” She rose up on tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Callum turned and captured her mouth with his own. His strong arms pulled her into full lip-lock.

  A giggle from the side broke them apart. “Pretty lady need a dress?”

  Lexi forced herself to break away from Callum and focus on the dresses the lady started displaying for her. She tried on too many to count and finally settled on a fitted teal dress. It was a feminine off-the-shoulder number that hit just above the knee. The admiration in Callum’s eyes made her want to never take this dress off. The shopkeeper beamed as she packaged the dress carefully and ran Callum’s credit card.

  The next stop was for shoes, where they settled on some glitzy silver heels, and then they were off to the Harley shop. Lexi walked out of that one laughing, as she was now wearing tight black pants, a fitted T-shirt, a black Harley leather jacket, boots, gloves, and a bandana tying her hair down. The black pants, tight shirt, and boots Callum had donned made her mouth dry.

  “Do we look like real Harley people now?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He bent close. “You’re the prettiest Harley lady I’ve ever seen.”

  Lexi ran her hands over the muscles displayed beautifully in that tight shirt. “You’re the prettiest Harley dude I’ve ever seen.”

  He laughed and gave her a quick kiss, then tugged her toward another shop.

  “I’m about shopped out,” she said, though truly she’d keep shopping if Callum would stay by her side. He hadn’t mentioned work or pulled out his phone all day. It was a huge flip from the driven workaholic, but it was also Sunday and tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Maybe his work actually slowed down sometimes.

  A dark thought rolled through her mind. Would he go back to nonstop work when they returned to New York? Would this beautiful time together simply be a memory?

  Callum smiled at her as he escorted her into a jewelry shop.

  Lexi’s heart rate increased. “Cal?” she asked.

  “It’s been bugging me that you don’t have an engagement ring,” he said. “Can’t believe Bridger hasn’t called me on it.”

  The smiling attendant approached them expectantly.

  Lexi rose up close to Callum’s face. “I can’t let you spend a bunch of money on a ring for a fake engagement.”

  Callum’s eyes traveled over her face. He squeezed her hand. “It’s not fake to me.” He turned to the man. “Hola. We need a diamond. A big, shiny diamond.”

  Lexi could hardly swallow down the lump in her throat. It’s not fake to
me. Would this dream continue, even after they went home from paradise?

  She had no words in her to resist as the man produced ring after ring and she tried them all on. When she slid on a simple white gold band that swirled around delicately to frame a huge round diamond, she fell instantly in love. She sat staring at the ring. The entire focus was the glittering diamond. It was much bigger than she’d ever imagined she’d wear.

  “You like it?” Callum asked.

  “I love it,” she admitted. She raised her eyes to meet his. “Do you?”

  Callum raised her left hand and kissed her knuckles. “I love it on you.” Then he shoved a credit card at the man. The guy hurried to ring up the purchase as Lexi sat staring at Callum. There was a lot she wanted to discuss with him, but she didn’t want to break the magic of this moment.

  They strolled out of the jewelry shop and back to the motorcycle. Callum pulled out their helmets, then stowed her carefully packaged dress, shoes, and their extra clothes in the saddlebags. Lexi couldn’t stop staring at that huge diamond on her left ring finger.

  Callum strapped on her helmet and then his and got on the bike. “You up for a ride, love?”

  Lexi bit at her lip and nodded. She’d happily go anywhere with him. They drove slowly through town, then headed north, increasing their speed. They rode the bike onto a ferry and went over to the Isla Mujeres. They drove all around the small island and ate a delicious dinner at a local restaurant. Lexi felt like she was floating on a cloud of happiness.

  The ferry took them back across the ocean, and then they rode toward their resort. Lights flashing behind them jerked Lexi from her Callum-induced stupor. Callum eased the bike over to the side and patted her leg reassuringly. She remembered he’d said it was safer to have a driver take them around in Mexico. Was their perfect day going to be ruined by a crooked police officer?

  “Get off the bike, please.” The policeman’s English was smooth and unbroken. His partner leered at Lexi. She tilted her chin and glared at him. His dark stare made her stomach squirm.

  Lexi climbed off the bike and Callum followed. They took off their helmets and rested them on the bike.

  Another police car pulled up behind them, and two more men strode up. “Rich American,” one of them sneered.

  Callum held up his hands. “I wasn’t breaking any laws. What do you want?”

  “No beating around the bush with this one,” the first guy said. “We want money, idiot American.”

  Callum nodded as if he’d suspected as much. “How much?”

  “All you have, señor.”

  Lexi noticed one of the men was inching closer to them. Would they let them go once they got Callum’s money?

  Callum rolled his eyes and pulled out his wallet. He ripped all the cash out. Lexi’s eyes widened; there were a lot of hundred-dollar bills there. Everyone was focused on that wad of money, but Lexi felt movement to her right.

  Callum handed the cash over. The first officer grabbed it while two of the men looked on greedily at all those bills. The other man darted close to Lexi and ran his hand over her abdomen and up toward her chest. Lexi cried out in surprise and flinched away.

  Callum growled and yanked her behind him. “Don’t you touch her!”

  “Shut up, American. I touch what I want.” The man made to go behind Callum to get to Lexi.

  Callum went ballistic. He knocked the man back with several quick punches. The man threw his hands up but couldn’t protect himself from Callum’s onslaught. A hard jab threw the man off his feet. Callum went low and kept hitting the man as he yelled, “You … never … touch … her!”

  Two of the other officers grabbed at Callum from behind, trying to drag him off their buddy. Lexi backed into the motorcycle, her heart thudding irregularly. Callum was incredibly tough, but could he fight off four men? Should he? These were police officers.

  Callum threw an elbow back and caught one guy in the jaw. The other guy sprang to his feet and yanked a gun out. Quick as lightning, Callum reached up and grabbed his wrist. Lexi could’ve sworn she heard bones crack. The man squealed in pain and the gun dropped to the ground.

  Lexi felt the cold pressure of steel against her temple and heard a gun cock. The man with the good English wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, keeping the gun tight to her head. He reeked of bad breath and sweat.

  “Cal?” she whispered, terror rushing through her.

  Callum glanced over. He dropped the man he was pummeling and leapt to his feet. “No!”

  “If you want her to live, you stand down,” the man snarled.

  Callum held up his hands. “Pull the gun away from her and I won’t fight anymore.”

  The two men studied each other for a few seconds; then the gun moved from her head. Lexi caught a full breath, her legs trembling so hard they could hardly support her. She leaned heavily against the motorcycle.

  The man grabbed her left hand. “Pretty ring,” he murmured, reaching for it.

  “Don’t you dare touch her ring,” Callum said with a commanding voice that rang over the noise of traffic rushing by.

  The man dropped her hand like a hot rock.

  “I’ll let you arrest me, but if any of you lay a finger on her, I will bring my vast resources to bear until I ruin each of your miserable lives.”

  They all shifted uneasily and stared at each other. Finally, the man who spoke good English pointed the gun at Callum. “You are under arrest, señor.” But his voice was shaky, scared.

  Callum stared him down and then nodded as if he understood they had to arrest him after he’d thumped all of them. The man gestured in front of him. Callum took her elbow and walked stiffly to the cop car.

  “I have to cuff you, señor,” the man said meekly.

  Callum nodded and put his hands behind his back. They cuffed him but not her. She and Callum slid into the back of the vehicle. It stank of mold and sweat. Lexi pressed close to Callum.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, bending down next to her.

  “Am I okay? You’re the one that just took on four men because one of them touched me.”

  Callum leaned his head toward hers. “I’d take on an army if one of them looked at you wrong.” He smiled. “It will be okay. They won’t hurt you.”

  Lexi wrapped her arms around him and held on. She had no clue what was going to happen to them in a Mexican prison with corrupt officers who spoke only the language of bribes, but she could handle anything with Callum next to her.

  Chapter Twenty

  The officers allowed Callum to make a quick phone call to Creed, probably hoping his brother would bring more bribe money; then they’d locked Callum and Lexi into a small cell but hadn’t released his hands. He wanted these stupid cuffs off so he could hold Lexi properly. What had he gotten them into? He’d gone a little berserk when that guy had touched Lexi. Maybe he should’ve kept fighting, but when the man put a gun to Lexi’s head, he had the impression he should stand down and not escalate the situation.

  Lexi had to be scared and uncomfortable, but she’d kept her chin up and hadn’t responded to any of the lewd comments the inmates in other cells had thrown at her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. Callum hated that he couldn’t pull her close but loved that she was holding onto him.

  “Creed will be here soon,” he said. He wished he could remember how Creed had told him to break out of handcuffs, but he trusted his brother to figure this mess out. “They just want money. They don’t want to hurt Americans and ruin their tourist industry.”

  “When we get back to our suite, can we camp out in the hammocks and talk all night?” she asked.

  Callum chuckled, glancing down at her beautiful face. Her blonde hair was tied back by the Harley bandana. “I love you,” he said.

  Lexi’s eyes widened and her lips pursed prettily. “Do you, now?”

  He nodded. Bending down was awkward with his hands shacked so tightly behind his back, but Lex
i helped out by rising onto her toes and holding on to him. The kiss was simple and sweet, but powerful. This woman had captured him completely, and he’d do anything for her.

  “Whoa! Smooching in the prison cell. I like it, son.” Creed’s voice was too close for comfort.

  Callum straightened and looked through the bars. Creed was grinning broadly at him, and next to him stood a man who could easily be the next James Bond. The man nodded to him and then spoke rapidly in Spanish to a distinguished-looking man at his side, possibly a supervisor. The policeman who’d arrested them rushed to open their cell door and then take the cuffs off as the supervisor guy cussed him in Spanish.

  “Lo siento,” their tormenter murmured to the James Bond guy and his supervisor over and over again. He shoved Callum’s cash into his hands. Callum stowed it in his pocket; he doubted the entire wad was there, but getting Lexi out of this jail quickly was more important than checking.

  The James Bond guy shook the supervisor guy’s hand and then gestured for Callum and Lexi to precede him. The berating in Spanish continued behind them as they walked away.

  “Sutton Smith,” James Bond said. “Pleasure to meet you both.”

  Callum shook his hand and Lexi did as well. They hurried out of the jail and into the warm night air. Callum took a long breath, then did what he’d been dying to do: he pulled Lexi in close and kissed her. “Camping out in hammocks, huh?” he whispered. “Are we sharing?”

  “Nope. You get your own.” She squeezed him tighter.

  Creed slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go. I’ve got a wedding early in the morning.” He was grinning from ear to ear.

  They walked toward a Hummer. Callum stopped. “Did they impound the bike? Lexi had some packages and clothes in the saddlebags.”

  Sutton nodded. “Give me a moment.”

  The rest of them walked toward the Hummer but stood outside of it, waiting for Sutton.