by Police
I want to tell him that I'm wet for him like they do in romance novels, but I don't get the chance, because I feel another finger slip inside me. Instead, all I can say is, "Fuck, fuck," as I ride his fingers. They're doing magic inside me, and it's all I can do to grasp at the couch cushions as I writhe.
He gets to his knees and slows his rhythm enough so that I can calm down a bit to meet his eyes. "And so, so perfect," he whispers, almost like he's praying.
I can't take it anymore. I sit up and grab his free hand and put it on my breast. "I want you inside me," I whisper. "Make me feel perfect. Make me feel like I'm yours."
He needs no further invitation. His fingers slip out, and he reaches behind him. It takes me a moment to piece together what he's doing by grabbing his pants—for a panicked moment I think he's come to his senses and he's going to get dressed. But he takes out his wallet and pulls out a condom from inside.
"It's not that I don't trust you." His Adam's apple bobs up and down adorably as he rips the foil package. "But a gambler always knows the odds of an accident," he says with a wink as he rolls the condom on his shaft.
"Trust me," I tell him with a smile. "I appreciate it."
He gets up on the couch and puts my legs on his shoulders, fully exposing my entrance to him. He takes a moment to position himself, and I can feel the head of his penis push at the resistance there.
"Relax," he murmurs as he pinches my nipple through my shirt. Suddenly I wish I had more than just my panties off. Next time, perhaps.
"You're the first man I've been with since Trevor," I find myself saying. Like an idiot. I'm almost in mid-coitus with another man, and I bring up my ex.
But he just pauses and smiles at me serenely. "And you're the first woman I've been with since Samantha."
And for a moment, we just stare at each other, acknowledging the truths between us. No lies. No pretense.
I can't take it anymore, and I sit up to hold his face as I kiss him.
He takes that moment to push himself into me, and I moan against his lips. I'm already wet, but he slides in all the way to the hilt, connecting our bodies on a deep and intimate level. He allows me a moment to stretch and get used to the size of him inside me, and I heave great breaths.
Finally, he asks, "Ready?"
I let out something that sounds like a yes, although I'm not even sure that's what it is. But that's enough of an answer for him, and he slides himself almost all the way out, achingly slow. I immediately miss the presence of him there, and I use my legs to push him back inside me. This must surprise him because he cocks his head and gives me a crooked smile as he raises an eyebrow. "I see how it is," he says, just as he slides out, a little faster this time. I respond by pulling him in again.
And we start moving faster and faster, building up that friction between us, to where I'm throwing my head back and yelling his name and God's name, and sometimes mixing up the two. He starts panting with the exertion to keep up with the both of us.
Finally, I reach my climax, and I shatter apart around him, digging into him with my nails as my entire body shudders and pulses with the orgasm. He holds me as I come, making sure that I'm satisfied, true to his word, before he slams into me one more time, emptying himself. He raggedly calls out my name as he does so.
He buries his face in my neck, and my platinum blond hair is all around us on the couch. Our bodies heave and shudder, spent. For a moment, neither of us move. But then I feel him kiss my neck before kissing me on the lips.
"Told you I wouldn't come until you did," he says softly.
I lick my lips. "I could do that again," I say slyly.
He props himself up on his elbows to look at me curiously. "Is that a challenge?"
I smile. "More a wager, I'd say."
His gaze is soft as he looks at me, and then he traces the curve of my lips with his finger. "I like those odds."
With the strength I didn't know he still has, he gets up and carries me in his arms to the master bedroom. Where we get completely naked and fully explore where whatever this is between us is going.
And in the aftermath, when I'm lying in his arms, I can't help but stare at his face.
I've never felt so safe in another man's arms, not even Trevor's. Because Callum is a man who puts his heart and his body on the line to protect the ones he cares about. And lying here, I make a decision.
I can't have him doing that for me. I can't have him risk it all.
Ashleigh
Callum isn't in bed when I wake up. My hand reaches for his warm body, but I only find fistfuls of sheets, and I open my eyes. Confused, I frown and sit up. I look around for him, thinking that perhaps he may be in the bathroom.
But he's not there.
"Cal?" I ask as I get to my feet. I grab a robe and wrap it around my body as I pad out to the living area. As soon as I open the bedroom door, the smell of cooking hits me, and I close my eyes and inhale deeply. Throughout our time together here, we've switched off cooking duties, but there's something great about waking up after a wild night of sex to find that your partner has cooked you breakfast.
I turn the corner to see him in the kitchen, his back to me. He wears a pair of boxer briefs that show off those thighs that I remember vividly from last night. He flips a pancake and hums softly to himself while he works on what looks to be a smorgasbord of breakfast food.
"Cal?" I ask again, but then I notice the earbuds in his ear and how he sways his hips while he works. He's listening to music. And it appears to be some form of pop, based on the way he dances.
I cross my arms and lean in the doorway and just take that moment to watch him, admiring the curve of his body. This is a side of him that I'm not familiar with.
This is carefree, happy Callum Young. No danger looming over him. No sadness. Just enjoying life.
As we should.
He finally turns and spots me, almost dropping the pancakes he's putting on the plate. His cheeks turn bright red as he sets the pan down and takes out the earbuds. "Fuck, how long have you been standing there?"
I chuckle and step forward. "Long enough to see that you're pretty good at flossing, even when your hands are full."
"Shit," he mutters, although I can tell he's amused.
I hold his hands as I kiss him on the lips, nearly swooning into him. "And adorable. They should add hot men cooking breakfast while flossing to every woman's fantasy."
He gives me an almost lazy smile. "You're not running out of here screaming at my dance moves?"
I raise an eyebrow. "I think there are other reasons for making me scream." I look behind him at the plates that have eggs, bacon, grits, hash browns, and now pancakes piled on them. "Is that just for two people?"
He nods. "I just wanted to make you the perfect breakfast."
I kiss him again. "Thank you. So much."
I help him carry the plates to the dining table, where we sit down and eat while we talk. Here, I can almost pretend like I don't have a care in the world like he and I are just some average couple having a great morning together.
Almost.
I bite my bottom lip as I consider how to bring up the idea that I had last night.
He notices that I'm hesitant. "What's wrong?"
"Well..." I let out a sigh. "I just..." I wet my lips. "I just don't know what to do about Gary."
He chews on his bite as he watches me as if waiting to see what I'll say. I sit back and cross my arms.
"What are we supposed to do, Cal? Should I turn myself in to him?"
He vehemently shakes his head. "No. Absolutely not."
"But then what are we supposed to do?" I ask. "There's no way that you can come up with a hundred-and-fifty thousand dollars."
"I'll call in some debts."
"And what? Put yourself in more danger? Ask more loan sharks if they have it in them to let you borrow money interest-free? I don't think so."
His jaw clenches. "I'll figure it out."
I scoot closer to him. "
And I don't want you ruining your life because of me."
He strokes my cheek with his thumb. "Ashleigh. You are the best thing to ever happen to me."
And then, just as we're about to have a moment together, the front door to the cabin opens.
Cal immediately gets to his feet and grabs his gun from the countertop and aims it at the open door, at the couple that's coming into the house. Except, it's not Gary like we initially thought.
It's an elderly couple, a man and a woman. They seem so absorbed in their conversation that we surprised them as much as they surprised us.
"Whoa, Callum!" the man exclaims. He holds up his hands while the woman next to him drops her purse and does the same. "Don't shoot," the man says.
Callum curses under his breath, puts the safety back on, and sets the gun down on the counter. "Dammit, Wayne, I could have shot you."
Wayne nods appreciatively as he lowers his hands. "I can see that now."
"And I can see more of you than I ever wanted to," the woman says with a smirk.
Callum looks down, and it's as though he just realized that he's in his boxers. He covers himself up with his hands—or tries to since his hands don't cover up everything. "I'll be right back," he says, embarrassed, as he pivots on his heel to go to the hallway. "Please don't ask Ashleigh too many questions while I'm gone."
He disappears down the corridor, and I'm alone with the couple. I'm in a robe myself, so while everything is covered up, I still feel oddly exposed to them.
I push my hair out of my gaze. I'm red-faced myself. Dammit.
But Cal and this couple seem to know each other, so they shouldn't be a threat to me. Right?
"I'm Ashleigh," I say, and I thrust out my hand to them.
The man takes my hand and gives it a firm shake. "I'm Wayne Smith," he says. "And this is my wife Magda."
She grasps my hand warmly. "Pleased to meet you. Sorry for the intrusion. We weren't expecting visitors. Especially Callum and a friend of his."
I’m apparently Callum’s friend. Rather than anything else, perhaps that’s all I should be for now.
"No, I'm sorry about that," I say. I catch a glimpse of the fireplace and the mantel behind them, where the photograph of Callum and Samantha is displayed. I notice the similarities between the couple before me and the woman in the picture. They're her parents.
I'm meeting Callum's ex-in-laws.
This is certainly awkward.
Luckily, they seem to notice my change in demeanor, because Magda nods. "We're Samantha's parents. She and Callum were married."
"Before she passed," Wayne adds, his voice sad and small.
I can't imagine losing a child. Especially for a couple who are in their sixties and seem to be fit and healthy. I hate that their sorrow is on their faces right now as they reflect on the past.
"Callum told me about your daughter," I say softly. What does one say about that? I settle on speaking from the heart. "I'm so, so sorry."
Magda wipes at a tear on her cheek. "It's hard," she admits. "But it's good to see Callum move on. He was in such a dark place for a while."
"It's good to see him with a new girlfriend," Wayne says, then he pauses. "You are his girlfriend, right?"
I open my mouth to answer, but then I start chuckling, and Callum replies behind me. "It's...fairly new," he says. I look over my shoulder at him, and he meets my eyes as he unrolls a t-shirt over his abs. "But yes, she's my girlfriend."
Oh shit, I think my panties just incinerated. Except—shit, I'm not wearing panties. In front of Cal's ex-in-laws.
"Excuse me a moment," I say as I run down the hallway, brushing past Cal, and into the bedroom, where I put on some clothes. I think, rather than any of my clothing incinerating from how hot Callum is, it's more from my mortification at what just happened.
"It's all right," I mutter to myself. "We are borrowing this cabin, and there was always a chance they could come in."
But what bad luck on them coming in while we’re here.
When I head back out, the three of them are sitting down and discussing why Wayne and Magda showed up.
“Well, the electric company called us,” Magda says, clasping her hand on the table. “They were concerned that someone was squatting in our cabin because the power usage went up, and with no planned visitors, Wayne and I decided to check it out. We haven’t been here for four years, after all. We were worried.”
“Sorry about that,” Callum says. "It's just—"
"We're happy for you," Wayne says. "Really, we are."
"You deserve to be happy," Magda adds. "Samantha would have wanted you to."
I can't imagine how hard it is for them to say that. I can tell it's genuine, that they genuinely do mean what they say. But it must be like a punch in the gut to see their ex-son-in-law with another woman.
"I'm glad you said that," Cal says with a nod. He crosses his arms. "Very, very glad."
"Me too." I step out into the living room, and they all turn to look back at me. Cal offers me a small smile, and the stress from his face melts away as we look at each other. "We wouldn't have come here if we had any other choice," I add.
"I guess so," Wayne says, waggling his eyebrows, and I nearly laugh at Cal blushing. "Why did you come all the way out here?"
Cal and I share a look, and he clears his throat as he puts his hands in his pockets. "It was...extenuating circumstances."
Magda raises an eyebrow. "Extenuating?"
Cal shrugs. "We can't tell you beyond that. For your safety."
Wayne frowns. "Are you in trouble, son?"
Cal's hesitation is enough of an answer, even though I know he doesn't really want to say anything about it to Wayne and Magda. The older man's frown deepens. "Do you need some help?"
I think we're beyond help, but his question is enough to make me melt. I feel like they really care about Callum. And it's incredibly sweet. After all, Wayne called him son.
Cal shakes his head. "We'll be all right. We just need to figure out some things."
"Anything you need, we'd be glad to help," Magda says.
I slip my arm through the crook of Cal's arm. "Thank you."
The other couple put an arm around each other and watch us, small smiles on their lips. A moment passes, where I feel like they're judging me for my worth against Cal—because they really do like him.
And Magda's smile widens. I think I've passed.
"We'll leave you to it," she finally says. She looks up at Wayne, and he nods. "It was so nice seeing you, Callum. And Ashleigh." She inclines her head to me. And then they split and turn toward the door.
"Wait," Callum says. "What?"
"Well," Wayne replies amusedly, "we saw that there wasn't a squatter on the land. And we don't want to interrupt."
"I—" Callum starts, but I step in.
"Why not have breakfast, at least?" I ask. I gesture to the dinner table. "We have plenty for visitors."
"Oh, we wouldn't want to impose," Magda says, waving her hand dismissively.
"Please. It's the least we can do. Callum makes some great pancakes." I wink at him.
Wayne purses his lips but then chuckles. "Yes, sure. Why not?"
Why not, indeed?
Callum
Several hours later, Wayne and Magda get ready to leave, but not without a lot of questions to Ashleigh about who she is, her interests, how long she and I have been together. To my relief, she is vague enough with her answers to not give them any crazy ideas. But I'm glad to see them talking to each other. I can tell they like her, from her quirks to her personality. She’s different enough from Samantha for them to not compare the two. But she's also just a pleasant person.
Still, I wonder what they think about me, even though they say that they're happy to see me with someone else. It's incredibly awkward for me—they haven't been here in years, but I never thought that they would be called by their electric company. I feel guilty, but everything leading up to this point has been necessary.
/>
It's been a lifesaver for us.
"Please come around more often," Magda tells me as she touches my cheek. "We miss seeing you around, Callum."
I swallow thickly. "I'm sorry."
Her eyes twinkle. "Don't be. We understand that you have a life of your own." She glances at Ashleigh. "We're just glad to see you're living your best life."
They don't know about my gambling problem. Or my alcoholism. Both of those problems have caused me to lose touch with them.
Perhaps I haven't been fair about that.
"Stay safe," Wayne says. He points the finger at me. "And if you're really in trouble, please let us know. We can help."
Wayne and Magda are reasonably well off, but I don't know if they can part with one-hundred-and-fifty grand without feeling it. I've been enough of a burden on them. I won't do it unless I have no other options. I have other favors I can call in. I have options. I just have to wrack my brain for solutions.
There's no way I'm going to let Gary get to Ashleigh.
"It was lovely meeting you," Magda tells Ashleigh. "Please keep in touch, regardless of what happens with him, okay?"
Ashleigh barks out a laugh, and she hugs the older woman. "Of course."
Samantha's parents leave just as they came. With a whirlwind and a lot of hugs.
And as Ashleigh and I wave to them from the front porch as their car reverses out of the driveway, Ashleigh chuckles and gives me the side-eye.
I cock my head at her. "What?"
"You were nervous," she says, elbowing me. "I could tell."
"Well, of course," I admit, a little flustered. "Why wouldn't I be?"
She grins at me serenely. "You were cute."
I waggle my eyebrows. "What, I'm not sexy?"
She giggles, and I put my arm around her, bringing her back into the cabin. And I make sure that her giggles are replaced by moans and her shouting my name.
I thought I would have a hard time seeing Magda and Wayne because since Samantha died, it's been fucking terrible. But with Ashleigh here, she helps make me a whole person. She helps me become the man I want to be.