Bare Skin, Skin Deep #5 r2il

Bare Skin, Skin Deep #5

By J.M. Stone

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Copyright ©2016 by J.M. Stone

Cover Design by J.M. Stone

Cover Image Copyright © conrado/Shutterstock

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. Ebook copies may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share with a friend, please buy an extra copy, and thank you for respecting the author’s work.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written consent from the publisher, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be scanned, ed, or distributed via the internet without the publisher’s permission and is a violation of the International Copyright Law, which subjects the violator to severe fines and imprisonment.

This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, and places are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events are entirely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these are used.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Author’s Note Acknowledgements

About the Author ***

Dedication

To my brother, Allen:

Without you, there could be no Calland. Half the stories (or most) would not exist. You are the reason like Golden Child and Penis Rule exist. You have been the bane of my existence (at times) my whole life, but you’ve also been my best friend. I forgive you (slightly) for thinking it was hilarious to do things to make me gag all my life (I blame Uncle Johnny for introducing you to this activity), for freezing my bras when I was in the shower, for hiding under my bed and scaring the bejeezus out of me, and for being so great as to step on my forehead with your Vans on, leaving me a wonderful honeycomb shaped bruise that was so fun to explain to my friends at school. HIGH school, might I add. I could go on and on, but I’m sure my readers want to read the book and not a long-winded list of your transgressions. I love you, anyways. Asshole.

P.S- I’m still the favorite. Mom lies to you, and Mammy itted it in front of you. So there!

And to my Readers:

Because without you, I would be nothing. Thank you for being on this wild ride with me. I love each and every one of you to the moon and back!

Prologue

Calland

I waved goodbye to my sister and sauntered over to the bar, leaning against it beside the redhead I’d been eyeing all night.

She’s fucking gorgeous, pierced and inked up, and had legs for days, but the prickly vibes she was throwing off was keeping most of the fuckwads around here away.

Not me, though. I had to talk to her, just once, to try and break past that wall she had up and get her to smile. Even if I crashed and burned like Leah thought was gonna happen.

She was steadfastly ignoring me, but I still gave it a shot.

“You’re new in town. What’s a beautiful girl like you doing in a backwoods place like this?”

Her lips curled into a smirk as she turned to face me. “Really? That’s what you’re leading with?” she snorted.

I shrugged. “Not leading with anything, just making conversation. I didn’t say

anything that wasn’t true. You are beautiful…but you know that. And you’re definitely new in town, because I’d that face.”

She tilted her head, studying me for a brief moment before opening her mouth and dropping me. “Okay, stud. You’re a good looking guy. Used to getting what you want, right? So, right now, you’re expecting me to bat my lashes, twist my hair, giggle, and blindly follow you home for a brainless night of mediocre sex,” she said in disgust. “Am I close?”

“Ouch. Mediocre? Not close at all. Mind-blowing, maybe,” I couldn’t help but retort, regretting it almost as soon as the words left my lips.

She rolled her eyes and twisted back around, blowing me off.

I tried again. “You’ve got me all wrong, Red. I didn’t have you pegged for the simpering, giggly girl. You’re all woman, and that’s clear to see, but damn. My bad for attempting to make conversation with you.” I stood straight, intending to walk away, stopping only when I felt a soft, small hand grab my wrist.

I looked at her, one eyebrow raised in question, not saying anything.

“Look, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m here looking for someone and I don’t have time to mess around with every hot Tom, Dick, or Harry that glances my way.”

“Good thing my name is Calland, then,” I said, winking at her.

Her lips twitched but she never let the smile come, just shook her head.

But that lip twitch left me determined to see her smile.

I extended my hand to her and she took it automatically, shaking it as I winked at her and said, “Hi. I’m Calland. Come here often?”

***

Chapter 1

Calland

Damn.

That’s all I could think every time I looked at the woman. That and she sure wasn’t from around here, because I’d someone who looked like her. Especially with that red hair, those tattoos, a cute little diamond stud in her nose, and a piercing on her upper lip that I knew was called a Monroe.

And Jesus, when she’d touched my arm, I couldn’t help but cringe at the immediate dick twitch that occurred in my pants, which is something that hadn’t happened since I was young, just making my first forays into the world of backseats and the undersides of bleachers.

I waited patiently(ish) for a response from her.

With a sigh, she actually responded. “Dani. Dani Rose, and no. What now, Calland? More pickup lines?”

I scoffed. “No, I don’t use lines.” I grinned, winked again, then continued, “Don’t need ‘em.”

She snorted this time and shook her head before she delivered another burn. “And what’s with the winking? You got something in your eye?”

Mmm. Another dick twitch at that. Stunning and can hold her own…who the hell was this girl?

“So, Dani Rose, can I buy you a drink? No lines, no come-ons, just a chance to talk to you.” I stepped back from the bar and spread my arms wide, turning in a slow circle. “See? Just me. C’mon…what are you drinking?”

She sighed and swiveled back to the bar, and I took her silence as confirmation. Whether or not I assumed too much, well, guess I’d just have to wait and see. I sidled up beside her again, perching on the edge of the vacant stool next to her and nodded to Griff. He smirked and shook his head before he nodded, letting me know he’d get her whatever she’d already been drinking.

Once he’d slid the fresh drink in front of her, I sat back fully on the stool, letting the silence draw out between us.

“I’m still not sleeping with you,” she muttered at my side, right before she picked up the new drink and gulped it down.

The corner of my mouth quirked up in a smile. It wasn’t a win, but I’d take it. She turned her head and, though I tried to hide it, she still caught my smile.

Shaking her head, she started running her finger around the rim of her glass, ceaselessly circling.

Finally, I couldn’t stand the silence anymore. Not to mention, I’m a smartass. I

know it, my family knows it, my friends know it…it’s ingrained in my DNA or something. Just a fact. But that’s exactly what it took to get what I wanted.

“So, you think I’m hot, huh?” I stretched back with my arms over my head, grinning as her head jerked my way, her eyes opening in shock before she gave it to me.

Her lips parted in a surprised smile and a small laugh bubbled from her lips, and I swear I’d found nirvana for that split second. It faded almost as quickly as it came, but it was there. And holy hell was it beautiful.

She coughed to cover it and replied, “Uh, when did I say this?”

I leaned forward, putting my elbows on the bar in front of me before I answered. “You said you didn’t have time for every hot Tom, Dick, or Harry. We’ve established that I’m Calland, but clearly, you think I’m hot. And a stud. Not to mention, you blatantly said I was a good looking guy.” I paused for a second. “Do I need to go on?”

She raised her eyebrows at me. “I’ll it, yes, I said those things, but if you can go on, then you’re totally lying. I didn’t say anything else along those lines. And I thought you weren’t gonna try any lines on me. Not a man of your word, Calland?”

I cocked my head. “What lines? I’m definitely a man of my word, and I haven’t used any lines on you. Why, though? Are my non-lines working?” I waggled my eyebrows at her exaggeratedly and was rewarded with another small smile. This time, I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. Which was weird, because I

usually didn’t get all hit in the feels about shit like that.

She sighed again. “You’re smooth. Definitely smooth. But no.” She glanced at the clock on the wall behind the bar, reached into her pocket, and threw a couple bills down on the bar, nodding at Griff. “Well, it’s been real. Maybe I’ll see you around?”

With that, she slid off her barstool and turned to go.

My hand shot out of its own accord, carefully wrapping around her arm and pulling her back around to me. “Wait.”

She stared at me, shifting from foot to foot, and I got the feeling I was making her a little uncomfortable so I let go, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “Sorry. I…just sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say, but I couldn’t seem to just let her walk away.

Needless to say, I was taken aback when she jerked her head toward the door and asked, “Walk me out?”

I nodded once and followed her out the door after hastily adding my own stack of bills to the counter to take care of my tab. We stepped out into the dimly lit parking lot, but she didn’t pause in her strides. Instead, she strode up to a newer model car and stopped after hitting the locks open, turning to me at last.

“Thanks for walking me out. It was nice meeting you, stud.” She smiled briefly,

her eyes shining in the moonlight, only increasing the impact of her beauty.

“You, too. So…” I hesitated, searching for words. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was unsure of myself. “That’s it? Just nice meeting me? I’d like to see you again.”

She sighed, but remained silent.

“Where are you staying and how long will you be here?” I felt like a broken record, like I’d already asked these questions a million times tonight, though I knew I hadn’t.

Without a word, she pulled open her car door and slid inside, starting it automatically. I stood there, waiting. For what, I wasn’t sure, but I was glad I did as the window slid down.

“I’m staying where I’m staying. As for how long I’m staying, that depends on if I find who I’m looking for, and how fast I do it.”

I felt my eyebrow raise in question, but she wasn’t giving me anything else. “How about a number I can call you on?” I asked, but only received a smirk in return. “Fine, then. You call me.” I rattled off my number to her.

She nodded and moved to put the window back up.

“Not gonna write it down?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Don’t need to.” Dani replied, smirking.

“You’re gonna it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Are you going to use it?”

She cocked her head. “I guess that’s the question, then, huh?”

With those parting words, she drove away, leaving me standing alone in the parking lot of the bar with a bemused look on my face and my hands shoved in my pockets.

I stood there for a long second, staring out into the darkness at the fading red light of her taillights before I blew out a breath and headed to my truck. The drive home was silent; usually I’d have music blaring, but my thoughts were consumed by a fiery redhead.

Finally home, I laid in my bed all alone, stretched out comfortably like I always did…but my mind wouldn’t turn off.

It wouldn’t be the last time I saw her…I’d make sure of that.

Chapter 2

Dani

I performed my morning routine by rote, the movements now so automatic that I could do it in my sleep. In fact, I was pretty sure I had at some point or another, but that didn’t diminish the enjoyment I received from doing it, no matter that sometimes, the tasks were less than pleasant.

Kind of like this one. I grimaced, making an exaggerated face as I fastened a clean, new diaper to the wiggling little body lying on the bed in front of me. I grinned at the giggle it elicited, my heart full to bursting with competing emotions, just as it always did every time I looked into his beautiful little face.

Once I had him fully dressed, I kissed his plump, rosy cheeks and lowered him into the playpen with a few of his favorite toys before I straightened everything up and got myself dressed for the day.

I stared at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth, wondering how I didn’t look as exhausted as I felt. I had expected to see gritty-looking, heinously red and dark circled eyes, but they were just their normal, pretty, hazel color that complimented my red hair (hair that started out as more ginger, but darkened as I got older, though it’s still very, very red) perfectly. My hair was piled in a messy knot on top of my head, making me look younger than my 28 years (and taller than my 5’5”), but when it was down, it fell halfway down my back in soft waves that looked relatively good without having to do a lot to them. I guess I got lucky that way.

I shrugged at myself and then sighed as I yawned again, like I had all morning. I knew I would pay for my late night last night (later than usual given the fact that I’d tossed and turned all night, too), but I didn’t feel the usual regret that I would

have.

And there was only one reason I didn’t.

His name was Calland.

I turned away from the mirror, finishing up what I was doing and then sliding my feet into my shoes. In short order, I had my little man loaded up and we were headed to find some breakfast for myself, since he’d already dined on a delicious bottle and some baby cereal with banana baby food. Fine dining baby style, right? But when it came to feeding myself, the one downfall of living at a hotel for the moment was that I had limited kitchen resources, even though the room had a kitchenette. It’s not like I could prepare gourmet meals with a two burner stovetop, microwave, and an apartment-size fridge, all of which were crammed in with little to no counter space. Thankfully, the hotel provided a decent breakfast every morning, but I didn’t want to eat waffles and bacon every day. Personal preference, I suppose.

But, even as I pulled into a fast food t and ordered, my thoughts kept circling back to the man I met last night. He would be trouble, with a capital T, but my God, he looked like he’d be fun and absolutely delicious in every sense of the word.

He was around my age, I’m guessing; tall, had to be at least 6’3”, broad shoulders, muscular but lean build, flat stomach that I just knew would have a six pack, with short, dark hair, and bright green eyes, a combination that had me wanting to stare at him, even though I had been trying my damndest to put him off. I had an agenda, a reason for even coming all the way out here, and I couldn’t let him deter me.

No matter how much I might want to. Especially with that damn smile of his…

It wasn’t too long before I was back at the hotel, lugging everything up with me, including a happy little boy strapped into his infant seat. He was cooing and gurgling, and every now and then he’d screech and cry, “Ma-ma-ma-ma!”

That was a sound that warmed me to the bone and never failed to make me smile, though the ache that it generated in my chest cavity every time never got any easier. But, I couldn’t think about that now.

If ever.

With a sigh, I fed myself while he made a mess with a teething biscuit, and then cleared everything away, including the mushy, drool covered bits that were all that remained of said biscuit. The room we were staying in was decent sized, but if I didn’t keep things put away, it would look like a bomb had exploded baby paraphernalia and clothes everywhere.

Once that was done, I stretched out on a blanket on the floor for some much needed play time with the baby before I finally laid little man down for a nap and pulled out my laptop to start my daily research and to put out any new fires that may have popped out overnight in internet land.

A hour later, I was half-way through my to-do checklist when a knock sounded at the door.

I jerked my head toward the baby to see if the noise had woken him, but it hadn’t. I hurriedly answered the door, stepping out into the hallway after patting my pocket to make sure I had my keycard, my mouth already going a mile a minute.

“Cara, I’m so sorry, I forgot to tell you last night that I wasn’t going to need you to-” I paused, my mouth hanging open in shock as it finally sank in just who was standing in front of me.

“Need me to what, Red? And you can still call me stud, if you want. You know, since you can’t my name is Calland.”

He was just as mouth-wateringly handsome today as he was last night in the bar. Maybe even more so…I couldn’t decide.

I swallowed hard, the sound loud in the silence surrounding us as he waited for a response, I assumed. I steeled myself, shoving my shock and nerves down as I leaned casually on the door frame, crossing my arms across my chest and raising an eyebrow questioningly. “Stalking me now?”

He shot me a rueful smile and had the grace to look a little ashamed, but he still answered. “I figured you had to be staying at a hotel somewhere around here. Not many options to choose from, especially by the highway, which is the most obvious area someone traveling through would stay, and this is the nicest one.”

“And you just happened to guess my room number, too?”

“Ahhh…I know the front desk employee that’s on today.”

“Really,” I answered, trying to tamp down the barrage of emotions ri in me. Shock and surprise that he found me and showed up, annoyance at the small thrill of excitement that it caused, anger that my privacy had been breached, and yearning for things that I just didn’t have time for. “Cute blonde, bubbly personality, with a cutesy, frou-frou name?”

He ducked his head and managed to look hot and still more so adorably ashamed at the same time. Jesus, my hormones were on overdrive! I shook my head at myself, but when he opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off.

“And let me guess. You just so happened to date her at one time or another, and you charmed her into giving up the goods once you got her to confirm that I was here. Especially when you didn’t even have my last name.”

His head came up. “Yeah, I did. ? Dani Rose.”

“Not my last name.”

“It’s not?” He sounded confused for a second, then nodded. “I guess that’s why Buffy-” He cut himself off.

He ran his hand through his hair, then continued, “I get that it does seem a bit… stalker-ish, I guess…me just showing up out of the blue with no invitation from

you. You didn’t call me or anything like that, either, so... Actually, even saying all that out loud like that makes it sound even worse. Fuck, I’m screwing this up, aren’t I?”

I felt a smile tug at the corner of my lips but held it back. “Well, you really aren’t making such a great case for yourself. Regardless of how stalker-ish this whole thing is, seriously. What are you doing here?”

He caught my gaze and held it. “I honestly don’t know. But I couldn’t guarantee myself that you would actually use my number and that bothered me. I have no fucking idea why, but there it is. Truth.”

Things tightened low in my belly at his words. Things that had no business tightening and getting all tingly like they were. “Look-” I started to speak, but he spoke over me.

“Have dinner with me.”

His words weren’t a question. It was more of a demand. And it got my automatic response.

“No.”

He barely blinked at that, still staring at me intently. “Then have lunch with me.”

I had to give him credit for his tenacity, but I couldn’t afford any distractions. Especially not the sexy-as-sin-and-would-probably-fuck-me-stupid kind, aka HIM. But still… “No.”

I said it louder than I intended, and then winced when he took a startled step backwards, his hands coming up, palms out facing me in a motion I could only describe as half defensive, half placating. I closed my eyes and blew out a breath, counting to ten silently in my head. I wasn’t trying to alienate him, but Jesus, did he have to be so fucking gorgeous and relentless?

A faint sound caught my attention just as he opened his mouth to speak. He must have heard it, too, as his head jerked toward the door behind me, his eyes narrowing. “Do you have company? Is that it?”

I shook my head. “Look, I have to go.” My tone brooked no argument, but he still stepped toward me, his hand reaching for me as I turned and slid my keycard into the slot.

“Can I see you again?” he asked.

I opened the door enough to slide through, stopping only long enough to look at him. “You never know.”

With that, I closed the door behind me, leaning back against it and releasing a long, heavy breath, just as the small whimper I had heard faintly through the door turned into a full out wail. I rushed to the playpen, now devoid of toys and only holding an unhappy baby, and scooped him up into my arms, cooing in his ear and patting his diaper-clad bottom as I bounced and swayed him in my arms.

He squirmed sleepily in my arms for a moment before beaming up at me with his precious little smile that always seemed to make everything seem like it would be okay. I kissed the tip of his nose and then his cheek, chatting to him as I moved through the room. “Morning, sunshine! Did you have a nice nap? Let’s get you changed, huh?”

I made short work of a diaper change and decided to hit up the grocery store to stock up on formula and baby food before grabbing some lunch.

I did the normal routine of loading up the diaper bag, strapping the baby into his carrier, and turning myself into a pack mule before I checked for my keycard once more, and left the hotel room, heading for the elevators.

I quickly did a grocery store run, the baby happily cooing from his seat that I had snapped onto the cart as I pushed it through the aisles, grabbing a few things here and there. I had just turned into the pop/water aisle and had to stop quickly to avoid running into another shopper that had stopped to grab a twelve pack.

“I’m so sorry!” I called, a breathy little laugh following my apology. Thank God I’d been able to pull the cart back on time so I didn’t hit…

“So now who’s stalking who?” a warm, delicious, overly male voice said.

I squeezed my eyes tight and took a deep breath, letting it out on a sigh as I looked up into the green eyes I’d just sent away from my door.

“Calland,” I greeted, my tone just a bit warmer than cold, and just a touch exasperated.

“Red. Did you follow me?” he asked, jokingly, but then I saw his eyes take in my cart and all that was in it. He stepped forward, and I felt prickling warmth at my side. I watched a hand move into view, my breath catching as Calland gently stroked the curve of the baby’s head where he rested in his carrier.

“You have a baby.”

It was a statement, not a question. But he was wrong.

“No. I mean, yes, but…” I floundered, unsure of how to explain without getting into too much detail.

“So, he’s not yours. Are you babysitting? For Cara maybe?” he asked, chuckling as the baby grasped at his hand, trying to bring it to his mouth.

“No, I’m not babysitting. He’s not my son, but he’s mine. I’ve raised him since the day he was born.”

“Are you adopting him?”

“No.” I didn’t offer anything more, but I knew he was going to keep asking anyway.

“So, what’s his name?” Calland asked, glancing down at the content little face peering up at him, now gnawing on his knuckle. “And how old is he?”

“Kade. His name’s Kaden James, and he’s almost eight months old,” I replied softly.

“His last name is James? Is that your last name?’

I shook my head. “That’s his middle name. And no, it’s not my last name. Don’t push, Calland.”

My eyes were pleading with him, asking him silently not to pry. I had too many secrets that weren’t mine to tell, and I wasn’t sure just how this whole endeavor was going to play out. I’d come too far, risked too much for something, or someone, to come along and blow everything up.

Surprisingly, he let it go.

Well, that topic anyway.

“Is this why you turned me down?” He asked it lightly, but I still almost got the impression that he was someone that didn’t get told no very often. I also got the

feeling he didn’t quite like it. Which was kind of funny.

I squinted up at him. “Do I really have to have a reason to tell you no? Or do you need a reason so you can convince yourself that it wasn’t just that a woman was able to resist your charms?”

“You’re feisty,” he said, grinning at me.

“Thanks,” I said dryly. “Now, I really have to get a couple things so I can get back and feed Kaden. See ya.”

I grabbed at the cart handle, intending to push it on down the aisle, but his hand was still attached to the baby. I paused, raising my eyebrows at him in a silent plea to move out of the way.

“I’ll walk with you,” he replied, gently shouldering me out of the way and stepping in front of my cart to start pushing it down the aisle.

I tried to contain the low growl that started deep in my throat, but it didn’t work so well. Didn’t help that he turned around, smirking, and asked, “Problem?”

“Uh, what about your shopping?” I asked, indicating the mostly empty shopping cart on the opposite side of the aisle. “Weren’t you in the middle of something?”

He paused. “We could share a cart,” he replied, a sly smile lighting up his face.

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I’ve got stuff to do, so if you don’t mind?” I pushed my way in front of him, gently disentangled his hand from Kaden’s, and started off down the aisle away from him. I heard the thud of something hitting a cart and then the rapid clattering of wheels following me until I stopped at the end of the aisle, grabbing a 32-pack of bottled water and carefully shoving it onto the bottom rack of the cart.

But when I turned the corner and, trying to make it seem like I wasn’t doing it, glanced over my shoulder, it was to see Calland turning the opposite direction. Before I turned down the next aisle, I heard him call out, “See you later, Dani.”

“Not if I see you first,” I muttered under my breath.

I finished shopping and checked out, walking outside only to find that I had parked beside Calland’s car. I groaned as he smirked.

“Even parked by me. Think fate is trying to tell us something?” he queried, giving me an innocent smile.

“Goodbye, Calland,” I muttered, loading Kaden into the car before unloading all my groceries into the trunk.

“No, Red. It’s not goodbye. It’s see you later. Right?”

With that, he got into his car and pulled away, honking and waving jauntily as he

went.

I shook my head and sighed, wondering not for the first time if I was doing the right thing.

Chapter 3

Calland

I unloaded my car and put what little groceries I had purchased away. Then I sat on my couch and wondered what the fuck was wrong with me?

Why had I baited Dani so much? I mean, I love the sparkle she gets in her eyes right before she shoots me down, but damn. I really didn’t want her to shoot me down. And what kind of secrets was she keeping, that included a baby and a mysterious person she was on the hunt for?

All questions that I really wanted to find the answers to, but…was the rejection worth it?

The niggling little voice in the back of my mind kept saying yes, it was. That Dani was different, but hell. One look at her and that was obvious, though she clearly thought she had me pegged as a playboy, especially with the comment she’d made about Buffy.

Okay, so she wasn’t wrong there, but…

“God, I need a beer,” I sighed, letting my head fall back onto the cushion behind me.

My phone rang and I answered it blindly, not bothering to even look at it.

T.J.’s voice boomed across the line and I winced.

“Griff’s tonight, nine. Yeah?”

“Jesus, man. Why the fuck are you yelling?” I asked, scowling at my phone.

“I’m not yelling,” he replied. “I had you on speaker, it must be echoing. So we on? Allie’s got some party tonight, so of course all the women are going. Luke, Brandon, Jacks, and I will all be there. I don’t know about Ian. Leah’s pretty much had him tied up non-stop-”

“Dude,” I cut him off. “Don’t go there.”

He only laughed, waiting for my answer.

“Yeah, I’m in. I need a beer or two anyway.”

He grunted, much like my father does when he’s communicating, which I took to mean okay, and hung up. I tossed my phone on the couch cushion beside me and tried to think of something to do until it was time to go. My stomach growled then, so I took that as my answer.

***

I shrugged and shoved my phone back in my pocket after reading the text I’d just gotten from T.J.

Got a late appointment. Last minute, but can’t turn it down. Won’t make it. Sorry, man.

I was sitting at our regular booth at Griff’s waiting for the guys to show, but apparently it would be one less tonight.

My phone buzzed again and I pulled it out to see a message from my brother-inlaw, Luke.

Allie’s party was cancelled, kid’s still going to grandparents’. Sorry bro. Won’t be there.

And in rapid succession, I got similar messages from Brandon and Jacks, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that none of them were going to turn down alone time with their wives to come shoot the shit with me. At least they were nice about the way they put it. I mean, they were married to my sisters (or in Allie’s case, ‘adopted’ sister), after all.

“Fuck,” I mumbled, realizing that I was sitting in the bar by myself, and my Friday night suddenly seemed to stretch out in front of me in the lamest way possible. I glanced around, trying to see if there was anyone else I knew out tonight, but there wasn’t. Most of my other friends, like my family , had all hitched their wagons to the marriage train, and had kids, too.

I didn’t fault them for that. In fact, I almost envied them. And, for the first time in a long time, I wondered if maybe it was time for me to quit playing around and serial dating every cute little thing that crossed my path.

I moved from the booth to the bar, signaling for Griff. He made his way down to me and I ordered some pizza rollers and a beer. As he ambled off, I felt movement at my side right before I was enveloped in a cloud of perfume. It was followed by a hand sliding up my back and over my shoulder, then a totally female body pressing against my back.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Buffy leaning against me, her face heavily made up, body scantily clad.

“Hey, baby,” she purred, leaning towards me with her lips puckered.

I shifted away from her smoothly, telling her ‘hi’ as I avoided her lips while trying not to offend her.

I needn’t have worried. Her confidence seemed to be on another level tonight. “Pretty sure you got shot down by that girl you wanted me to look up. Of course, I think you have some making up to do to me.”

She pouted, puffing her lips and cheeks out in a way you could tell she thought made her look cute. And at that moment, I wondered what in the actual fuck I ever saw in her.

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, reaching up and removing her arm from my shoulder. “And how do you figure that?”

She simpered. I shit you not.

“That girl came down and yelled at me for giving out her information to you. She said she was gonna get me fired!”

Her voice was grating on my nerves, and again, I had to wonder. What. The. Actual. Fuck.

“Wow. That was fast. Begging me for dates this morning and already moved on to the next by evening.”

My head jerked to the side, looking beyond Buffy to see ‘that girl’ standing there. Smirking at me with an expression that totally said she thought I was a douche. Grimacing, I realized that I probably looked like one at that moment.

Buffy followed my gaze, turning around to see that Dani had popped onto the stool beside her, her lips turned up in a caustic smile.

Buffy squealed and pressed into me again. “Oh, God! Now she’s following me, baby!”

I ignored her, grasping her shoulders gently and pushing her away from me, my

eyes never leaving Dani.

She gave me a mocking smile and turned to flag down Griff.

Buffy was protesting still, trying to move closer and closer to me no matter how far I moved her away. Finally I looked down and caught her attention.

“Buffy. You and me. We’re friends, right?” I asked softly.

She nodded, her bottom lip poking out in a little pout. An actual one that I used to think was cute.

“But we tried that whole thing, didn’t we? And it didn’t work out, so we’re friends still. Just friends. Right?”

She nodded again, but I could tell she was getting a little pissy. Especially when she stomped her foot and turned to leave. She couldn’t resist having the last word, though.

“I should have known better. I should never have come here, thinking that maybe I could make you feel a little better since that troll over there turned you down. But you’re still the same old Calland, aren’t you?” She glanced over at Dani. “Good luck with that. He never stays with one for long before he’s on to the next. But don’t worry. He’s nice about it. I think that’s the worst part.”

She stomped off, leaving me shaking my head and Dani laughing softly.

I looked over at her. “Did you really threaten to have her fired?” I asked, curious to see what had happened. Honestly, I hadn’t meant for anything bad to happen with that whole situation, and I would feel like a total ass if Buffy really did lose her job over something I had asked her to do.

Griff appeared in front of her, so she ordered a soft drink and an order of pizza rollers before she answered me.

“Nah. I just insinuated that she’d be looking for new employment if she ever gave out my information again.” She said it with a sweet smile.

“Uh, isn’t that pretty much the same thing?” I asked, cautiously.

“Tomato, tomahto,” she replied, waving her hand, but didn’t offer anything else. Silence stretched between us as she spun around on her stool and took in the other bar patrons.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon,” I stated, then thanked Griff as he plunked my order down in front of me.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the pizza rollers and spun back around, reaching for one.

I moved them back away from her.

“Hey!” she cried. “I ordered those.”

I nodded, taking one out of the basket and biting into it, then immediately cursing as molten hot lava in the form of melted cheese oozed out onto my tongue, burning like hell. I pulled it out of my mouth, huffing and blowing to try to cool the sting, finally reaching for my beer and taking a swig.

I snuck a peek at her out of the corner of my eye to see her watching me, eyebrow raised, smirk tilting the corner of her perfect lips.

“Karma.”

I laughed, giving in. “Here, you can have one,” I said, presenting the basket to her.

She made to grab for the basket but I pulled it back again. “You do realize that I ordered these before you got here, right?” I asked playfully.

I watched as her cheeks flushed and she actually apologized. “I’m sorry. I just… that was stupid of me. I should have known that my order wouldn’t have come out that quick.”

I tilted my head, accepting her apology, and moved the basket closer to her

again. “You can share mine, though, until yours come.”

“Thanks,” she replied, taking one and biting into it, only she did it a helluva lot more gracefully than I did.

“Mmmm,” she hummed appreciatively as she chewed and then swallowed.

My eyes watched every movement of her mouth, the graceful curve of her throat. The throaty tenor of her voice as she said, “God, these things are so good.”

It all did nothing to lessen the swelling going on in my jeans.

Especially when she licked her lips-

“Calland!”

I jerked, blinking and then smiling sheepishly as I realized she’d been talking and I had blanked out. “I’m sorry, what?”

She rolled her eyes at me and reached for another one of my pizza rollers, then changed her mind as Griff sweetly slid her own order in front of her. She beamed at him and slid them closer to her, apparently forgetting that she’d been saying something to me.

So I took advantage of it.

“Is this a happy coincidence or did you come here looking for me?” I asked with a quick grin.

She snorted, but didn’t say anything.

I tried again. “Okay, so you were telling Cara, whoever that is, that you didn’t need her tonight. Why’d you change your mind? And who the hell is Cara?”

She still ignored me, picking up another pizza roller and digging in, still refusing to answer. I started eating my own rollers, shrugging a shoulder like it was no big deal that she wasn’t talking to me.

So I guess it only made sense that she’d wait to talk to me when my mouth was full.

“Cara’s my babysitter. She’s the daughter of one of the housekeepers. She’s a senior in high school, almost 18, and she’s an absolute God-send when it comes to kids. Well, to Kaden, anyway. The second day I was here, I was going down to get some breakfast and the housekeeper was in the hall with Cara, who had stopped by to talk to her for some reason. We got to talking and…the rest is history, complete with background check. And references.”

Dani’s look dared me to comment.

“Sounds like it all worked out perfectly,” I told her.

She blew out a breath and her features softened. “Sorry if that came out defensively. I’m sort of new at the whole parenting thing and always feel so guilty for leaving him with a sitter. Especially since I’m in a new town and don’t really know anyone.”

I reached out and gently grabbed her hand, ignoring her raised brow as I did it and replied, “I think that’s to be expected. But at least you were careful about it and checked in to her before just leaving Kade with her, you know?”

She nodded, carefully slipping her hand out from under mine and returned to eating. Silence stretched between us again, but I found it to be comfortable, surprisingly enough.

She broke it this time. “So, why are YOU out again tonight? Trolling the bars for new bimbos to take home for the week?”

“Smart ass,” I mumbled, taking a healthy swig of my beer. “I was supposed to meet my brothers-in-law here, and a couple friends.”

She inhaled dramatically through clenched teeth, wincing and making a hissing sound, completely mocking me in do so. “Ouch. Can’t even get your boys to go out with you? Damn.”

I laughed sarcastically, but then grinned as she actually smiled at me. A full on smile. And Goddamn it was hot.

Chapter 4

Dani

Calland grinned back at me, and then took a huge bite of his food. I took his cue and polished off the rest of my pizza rollers, thanking my lucky stars and anyone else who wanted to listen for the fact that I’d discovered them one night while I was sitting here, trying to stay on track with what I came to town for.

Which was something that I hoped would be finished soon; but at the same time, I almost didn’t want it to be over. I found myself falling in love with the little town of Phillus, Ohio. A place I’ve found to be absolutely adorable and small town, but still a little big city all at once. A place that obviously had some pretty quirky residents, if the sign on the way into town was any indication. It had been changed to say Phallus, Ohio, a fact that made me laugh out loud and stop and take a picture the first day I arrived.

I glanced over at Calland and then quickly looked away when I realized that he was staring at me. I swallowed, searching my head for something to say to break the silence between us, something that might not be as smart assed as I had been. He really had been decent to me every time I’d seen him. Decent but annoyingly curious, asking too many questions.

None of which I was ready to answer.

Suddenly, the music, which had been pretty much just background noise beforehand, turned up and I started swaying on my stool as Bon Jovi’s Bed of Roses filled the bar. I swiveled to see a woman turn away from the jukebox that she must have just fed, crooking a finger at a man seated in a booth about ten feet from her. He didn’t hesitate to get up and take her in his arms, slowly moving her onto the dance floor. I watched wistfully, still moving unconsciously

to what was one of my favorite songs.

“Dani.”

I looked back at Calland and he slid off his stool to stand in front of me, holding out his hand.

“Dance with me.” He said it softly, more of a demand than a question.

And, for once, I complied readily, putting my hand in his and stepping down from my stool to follow him onto the dance floor.

He stopped on the edge of it, using my hand to pull me into his chest as he turned, wrapping his free arm around my waist, his hand resting dangerously low on my hip. I moved my hand out from under his and wound both of my arms around his neck, loosely clasping my fingers behind his head. He moved into the beat, leaving me pleasantly surprised to find that he had natural rhythm, rather than the stilted, automatic movements that most men seem to have when they danced.

Then his other hand came around my waist and suddenly I was pressed to him, chest to chest, hip to hip, hardness to softness.

My eyes shot to his, my head tipping back so I could see them. He towered over me, even with me in heels, but the minute I looked up, his eyes caught mine and held, drawing me into their beautiful green depths.

Right then, I knew that I might be in trouble.

And when he started softly singing the words in my ear, that might changed to definitely. I was definitely in trouble.

Fuck.

I sighed, trying to push away my inner diatribe and enjoy the moment. Of course, I was worried that I’d end up enjoying it too much. It’d been too long since I’d been held like this, even longer since I’d felt the yearning spiraling up through me like it was.

I broke his gaze, giving in and laying my head against his chest. His arms tightened even more, and that’s the way we stayed through the end of the song, and for a long beat after. Into the next song, which was definitely not a slow song. He finally loosened his grip on me when Axl started wailing out Sweet Child O’ Mine, but he grabbed for my hand and held it as we walked back to our seats at the bar.

“Thanks for the dance,” he said, lightly, smiling down at me.

“No problem,” I replied, hopping up on my stool and signaling Griff to bring me another Pepsi.

Calland raised his hand, too, but when Griff pointed to his beer, he shook his

head and pointed to my empty glass. Griff nodded and moved off to get our drinks.

I cast a sideways glance at him. “No more beer?”

He shook his head. “Nah. One’s enough. Still have to drive home.”

I thanked Griff as he sat my pop down in front of me, then turned back to Calland. “And where’s home?”

“Here,” he replied, waving his hand around.

“The bar?” I asked, deliberately misunderstanding him.

He gave me a droll look and shook his head. “No. Here, Phillus. All my life. I live in an apartment on the outskirts of town. More like condos, kind of out in the country. Nice. Quiet.”

“Ah,” I said, nodding slowly. “I see. And here I figured you were gonna say you live in your parents’ basement and your momma does all your laundry still,” I teased, a small smile flirting with my lips as I tried to battle an all-out grin.

He gasped in mock outrage. “Seriously? How could you say that? I moved out of their place last week.”

He winked at me, teasing back.

I sighed exaggeratedly. “I knew it.”

He laughed. “No, I’ve had my own place for a long time, thank you very much. AND I do my own laundry. I mean, I am almost thirty.”

“Hmmm.”

“So, how old are you?” he asked me, nudging me with his shoulder.

I answered automatically. “Twenty-eight,” and then followed it up with my own question. “When will you be thirty?”

“October,” he said. “You?”

“In two years,” I replied without missing a beat, biting back a smile.

“Okay, smart ass. I meant, when’s your birthday?”

“April.”

“Next month, then.”

I nodded.

“You gonna be around then?” he asked.

I shrugged.

Surprisingly, he left it alone, instead choosing to ask me other inane questions.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“My favorite color?” I asked, giving him a weird look.

“Yeah. Mine’s gray.”

“Gray?” I repeated, thinking that not many people picked that as their favorite color. He simply nodded, but didn’t say anything more as he waited for my answer.

“Black,” I replied.

He cocked his head and studied me for a second. “I would have guessed red.”

I shrugged one shoulder and answered, “You’d be wrong. I like black and pink.”

“I could see you rocking those colors,” he said, thoughtfully.

I looked down at myself and back up at him, giving him a look. He only laughed in reply.

I was wearing tight, artfully ripped and frayed jeans with black heeled boots, and a long, fitted black sweater. My nails were painted hot pink. Yeah, I’d say I could rock them.

“What else?” he mused out loud. “Okay, how about favorite food?”

“You go first,” I said, curious to see what he’d say.

“My mom’s scalloped potatoes. No, her homemade chicken nuggets…actually, pretty much just food. Especially if my mom cooks it.”

By the time he was done, he was unconsciously rubbing his hand in circles on his stomach, which made me laugh.

“Now you,” he prodded.

“Chinese,” I said instantly. “Asian cuisine, actually. I love Chinese, Korean, and Japanese the best.”

He waved his hand at me, and I looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“Like what kind?”

I shrugged. “Pretty much anything, but I really like garlic chicken with cashews. And I love going to the Japanese steakhouse. You know, the hibachi dinners that they cook right in front of you? The noodles are my favorite. I always order extra because they’re so good. And bulgogi…oh, God that’s delicious!”

Calland was smirking at me. “You’re a food whore like me. I like that. And you’re probably not afraid to try new things, either, right?”

I hesitated briefly, and my chagrin must have shown.

“Seriously? You eat ethnic cuisine but you don’t like trying new things?”

“I mean, I do,” I hedged, “but I guess it depends on what it is. I’m actually a really picky eater. Like I hate onions and tomatoes, I’m allergic to curry, I don’t

really like any vegetables except for potatoes, corn, green beans, and sometimes carrots, but they have to be raw. And I don’t like lettuce unless it’s on a taco or in a salad, but in a salad it has to be drowned in dressing-”

I stopped abruptly, realizing I was babbling on and on about my food habits.

“Sorry,” I said, sheepishly.

Calland laughed. “Don’t be. I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me at one time. And I’m learning stuff about you, so it’s pretty much a win-win for me right now.”

I snorted. “Yeah, cause hearing me talk about my weird quirks makes for a killer night, right?”

I said it sarcastically, but he nodded.

I blinked, watching him silently for a moment. “You know I’m still not sleeping with you, right?”

He physically recoiled at my words, leaning back in his stool away from me. “Damn. That came out of nowhere, didn’t it? God forbid that someone actually might want to get to know you.”

He said it conversationally, his tone almost pleasant, which was at complete odds

with his reaction. And that made his words almost feel like a slap to the face because it made it glaringly obvious I was being a bitch.

I was. And I had no reason to be. He hadn’t used any of his lame ass pick-up lines on me. He hadn’t been fawning all over me, a fact I realized belatedly. Sure, he’d touched my hand a couple times, and held it as we exited the dance floor, and his arms had wrapped around me while we were dancing. But the whole time I was in his arms, he was a complete gentleman. Shockingly.

“I’m sorry.” I said it softly, laying my hand across his forearm where it rested on the bar as I did so.

He leaned towards me again, his expression intent, seriousness pouring off of him. And in that moment, I got the feeling, no matter that I really didn’t even know him, that I was seeing a side of him that was seldom witnessed.

“You’re different. You aren’t like the other girls I usually go for.”

“Why? Because I’m not blonde and didn’t fall over with my legs in the air the minute you snapped your fingers?” I couldn’t help baiting him, no matter how bad I felt for being like that when he was being so nice.

He sighed. But then the corner of his lips tipped up in a lop-sided, half-hearted smile. “You aren’t wrong, there, but that’s not the reason,” he chuckled ruefully.

He caught my eyes again. “Dani.”

I stared at him, waiting to see what he’d say. His face was serious, almost earnest, in fact.

“What?” I asked softly when he didn’t continue.

“Go out with me. Dinner. Hang out, whatever.”

And back to this again.

“Calland,” I sighed. “My life at the moment is just not conducive to…whatever this is. I have Kaden to think about, and I’ve said it before, this isn’t a vacation. I’m here for a reason, and I have to see that through.”

“Then let’s not label this. I can’t explain why I’m so drawn to you, but,” he shrugged. “Let me help you. Let me help you do whatever it is you’re here for. However I can, whenever I can, for however long you’ll be around. Which is hopefully a long time.”

He delivered the last line with a grin and I couldn’t help but laugh. And then, suddenly, I didn’t want to resist anymore.

God help me, what the hell was I thinking?

Chapter 5

Calland

She laughed. A full on laugh like I hadn’t heard from her before.

An honest to God, straight out laugh that had me by the balls, and Jesus if that didn’t make me squirm.

Now, if only she’d say yes…

“Okay.”

I blinked, unsure if I’d actually heard her correctly. “Okay? As in, okay you’ll let me help you, or okay, you’ll go out with me?”

“Does it matter?” she asked me, still laughing, though her eyebrow quirked questioningly.

“At this point, no,” I replied. “How about we just start with some dinner, and Kade can come, too. Five good? Tomorrow? I’ll pick you up.”

“Uh…okay?” She sounded a little unsure.

I glanced at my watch, noting it was nearing midnight. “It’s getting late.”

She nodded, looking confused at the change of subject, but then reached into her pocket and dropped a few bills on the bar in front of her. “You’re right. I should be getting back to Kaden. Let Cara go home.”

I stood, throwing my own money down on the bar, telling her, “I’ll walk you out. Ready?”

She looked a little bewildered, and yes, I was rushing her a bit, but no way in hell was I giving her the chance to come to her senses and turn me down again.

When we got to her car, she turned around to face me, leaning back against the door. She opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off by leaning in and kissing her cheek softly. I took her keys from her hand gently and beeped the lock, then reached behind her and opened the door slightly as I pulled back.

“Drive safe,” I whispered.

She nodded, giving me a look that clearly said she thought I was being weird. “You, too,” she still replied, though, as she turned around and slid into her car.

“Tomorrow, five o’clock. Yeah?” I called to her as she started to close her door.

She paused, then finally nodded.

“See you then!”

She closed the door, shaking her head as she started her car, but she didn’t pull away. She sat and watched as I threw a wave her way and sauntered to my truck before she finally left.

I watched her leave, her taillights disappearing in the darkness, and blew out a breath before finally heading home myself.

***

The next morning, I found myself parked outside my sister’s house, cringing at the noise reverberating through the air as I opened my car door and stepped out. Holding my ears, I stepped up onto the porch and, braving whatever disaster in the form of unbridled chaotic screeching, howling, and pounding, let myself in, removing a hand from my ear only long enough to turn the doorknob.

Emma was in the kitchen, happily grinning as she stirred a pot on the stove. Luke was sitting on the couch, a pillow held tight to his head. And the source of the deafening noise? Well, that was my cute as a button niece, Everly, who was sitting in the middle of the living room floor, banging the hell out of a tiny drum set, and my sister’s huge yellow labs, Doug and DJ, were sitting beside her, howling their hearts out with every beat.

I winced, but couldn’t help but laugh. Emma glanced up and I caught her eye. She only grinned at me and then went back to stirring like this was an everyday

occurrence. God only knows who bought my niece a little drum set, but I’m gonna guess that it definitely was an everyday thing now. I just wish that I would have thought of it first…as long as I didn’t get subjected to the noise for a long time, that is.

Luke noticed me during a slight lull in the cacophony. He jumped up and shouted, “Uncle Calland is here!” Apparently that was the excuse he needed to scoop Everly up and gently remove the drum sticks from her tiny fists, rendering the house blissfully silent, as the dogs ceased howling as soon as the banging stopped.

I watched my sister roll her eyes and shake her head before she scolded Luke. “Lucas, I swear! She’s barely gotten to play those things since she got them!”

“Sugar, it’s barely nine in the morning and she’s played them about twenty more times than necessary since T.J. so kindly bought the damned things,” Luke growled, hiding the hand holding the sticks behind his back away from the little girl twisting in his arms to reach them.

My niece may only be a year and a half old, but she’s got fiery spirit hidden in all that sweetness and she chose that moment to let it out in the form of a screech/shriek that would rival a banshee’s, clearly letting her daddy know that he’d pissed her off royally.

I took pity on him and reached for her, grinning as she stopped howling as soon as I had her. She brought both of her hands up and grabbed and smacked at my cheeks as she babbled angrily. I nodded solemnly at her, though I could only understand about every other word she said. Most of them were the equivalent of Mama, Daddy, doggie, and other random things that made no sense. The one that caught my attention, though, was a new one.

Clear as day, her little voice rang out with, “Shit!”

I laughed. I mean, seriously, would you expect me not to?

Emma groaned and shot Luke a dirty look. He shrugged and held his hands up as he struggled to contain his own laughter. “Don’t look at me, Sugar. You know that was all you.”

“What?” I asked, still laughing. “Mommy’s got a potty mouth, huh, little one?” I lifted Everly up and blew a raspberry on her belly, grinning even wider at her uncontrollable giggles in response.

“That wasn’t ME!” Emma shouted, slamming down the spoon she’d been using and stomping over to take her daughter from me. “She needs changed,” she huffed, turning for the stairs.

“Sure,” Luke drawled slyly as she stomped past him, earning another death glare from his wife.

“Go stir the gravy,” she ordered Luke over her shoulder as she went by him.

I wisely kept my mouth shut. Well, tried to, anyway. I was still laughing and couldn’t seem to stop, especially as I heard my sister whisper to her daughter, “Everly Jane, you can’t repeat stuff like that. That’s a bad word, and Mommy’s seriously sorry for letting is slip, but now you let Daddy know and he’s never

gonna let it go.”

Everly’s reply? “Shit!”

Which was followed by a very long-suffering sigh from my sister.

“Do you know how epic that was?” Luke asked beside me.

I glanced at him, curious to know where this was going.

“Your sister yelled at me the other day for saying ‘dang-it’ in front of Everly because my daughter is seriously a parrot. But now I know it’s because Emma’s already slipped up. It’s probably in bad form, but I’m gloating about this. I have to. It’s required.”

I clapped him on his shoulder and simply said, “Welcome to my world, bro. I knew I liked you.”

***

Why was I so nervous?

I was on the way to the hotel to pick up Dani and Kaden and I couldn’t think of

the last time I felt so anxious. My preoccupation must have shown at my sister’s house earlier, too, because as soon as she came back down, she’d invited me to eat breakfast with them (and of course, I didn’t turn that down), but I could feel her watching me. I mean, I could see her watching me, too, but it just felt like she never took her calculating little gaze off of me.

Once we’d all eaten, Emma had gone up to put Everly down for a nap, which evidently was needed by more than just her as the dogs flopped down and were snoring within seconds once she’d left the room. I’d protested, saying I’d just gotten there, but my sister had so kindly informed me that my lovely niece had been up since four a.m. and a nap was non-negotiable at this point. Luke had settled back into his chair with a sigh, muttering about murdering T.J. and his penchant for gift-giving, but as soon as Emma had come back down, she’d pounced. And Luke was no better. Both of them were on me, asking what was up before Emma had even sat down.

“Nothing,” I’d replied, nonchalantly.

Emma had dropped onto Luke’s lap and kept going.

“Nope. Don’t buy it. You don’t usually show up unannounced for no reason. You’ve always got some cockamamie story or idea, or I have to call and invite you over. So, give,” Emma had said as Luke nodded his agreement.

“Emma, I swear. It’s nothing!” I’d mumbled, knowing I might as well just give in. For all the hell I put her through, she’d always been the one I could talk to about stuff and I had managed to find my way over here to kill time. Seems like my subconscious had been telling me something, right?

I’d sighed and she had smiled knowingly.

“I met this girl-” I began, but immediately had gotten cut off by Emma’s loud crowing.

“I knew it! Ha ha ha!”

“Jesus, simmer down, asshat. See if I tell you anything again with you acting like that,” I had muttered. “Anyway, she’s fucking gorgeous, and she’s…I don’t know. Different.”

Emma had sat back against Luke, threading her fingers through his in a practiced move without thinking about it. “Different how? Where’d you meet her?”

“Griff’s. She was there-”

“The red-head?” She’d asked, sitting forward again. “No fucking way. No way! She was totally going to shut you down.”

“Well, I didn’t really hit on her,” I had started, only to be cut off again when she snorted. “Well, that was unladylike,” I’d uttered through clenched teeth, glaring at her for laughing again. My eyes had narrowed as something struck me. “You weren’t there that night. How the hell do you know about her?” I had asked her, already knowing the answer.

Her reply had been, “Leah, duh. You think she wouldn’t talk? Anyway, spill. We were all counting on her taking you down a peg.”

I had sighed. “You didn’t even see her…you have no idea if she’d be likely to-” I had cut myself off then, then finished, sullenly, “And yes, she turned me down.” I had continued, my tone lightening as I tried to sound nonchalant. “But then we talked, and I walked her out…and then met up with her at her hotel, the grocery store, and Griff’s again last night.”

“Hold on. The hotel? She told you where to find her?” my sister had asked, looking slightly impressed, but then her face dropped and she’d shot me a suspicious look. “And she invited you to go grocery shopping with her and out for a night cap? After she turned you down?”

“Uh,” I had stalled for an answer. “Not exactly. She hinted where she might be staying and Buffy just happens to work at one of the nicer ones, so I checked to see if that’s where she was. Turns out, it was.”

“Holy shit, Calland! What the fuck are you thinking? You’ve gone stalker on us, and that’s not cool,” Emma had shrieked. “And my God, using one of your exes to do it?”

“I WASN’T STALKING!” I’d roared back at her, wincing almost immediately as I ed that Everly was asleep upstairs.

Emma had winced, too, raising her hands in supplication. “Okay, okay! Please don’t wake up my kid, you oaf!”

“Oaf?” I’d repeated, looking over at Luke, who’d just shrugged.

“Just go with it. She’s been pretty creative with new words in her attempts to clean up her language around Everly. What was it you called me the other day, sugar?” He’d smirked before continuing, “Son of a motherless goat, I do believe it was.”

I had snorted with laughter while my sister glared at me. Rightfully so, though. “Yeah, that was something I taught her. Well, I taught Mom, unwittingly, but… you know, that’s kind of a long story. Anyway, I guess I’ll just be taking off now.”

It had taken some doing, but I’d managed to escape after that, though I’d caught my sister gazing out the window at me with a worried expression as I waved goodbye and pulled away from the house. That kind of surprised me, especially as most of my family was pretty exasperated with my ‘man-whorish ways’, as they so (or not so) fondly called them.

But now, standing in the lobby of the hotel, waiting on the elevator to take me up to Dani’s room, my nerves were back in full force. And they only intensified when the doors opened and there she stood, looking so good that my pants immediately got a little tighter in the front.

I shifted nonchalantly, trying to inconspicuously move things to a more comfortable position as I greeted her. “Hey! I was just on my way up to get you. Where’s Kade?”

She huffed out a breath and shook her head. “He was really cranky and just laid down. I know it’s not the greatest time for him to take a nap because he’ll probably keep me up all night now, but…I didn’t have the heart to wake him up to come with us. Cara’s watching him for me until we get back.”

“Okay. Are you sure you’re good? I mean, we can do this another time.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Dinner?” she asked, cocking her head up to look at me.

I smiled and tugged her toward the door, still not letting her hand go once we got outside. I counted it as a victory that she didn’t pull away.

I took her to Manny’s, hoping that she liked Italian. God knows my family did.

Seriously, you should have to sign a waiver before committing to any dinner engagement with my sisters, especially Emma. She once stabbed me with her fork just for daring to try and swipe a bite of her chicken alfredo. And it’s always wise to leave the table before she orders dessert, too. Luke swears that’s how Emma ended up pregnant with Everly.

Don’t ask.

In short order, we were seated and had ordered. I’d gotten the duo plate, which consisted of monster sized portions of chicken marsala and fettuccini alfredo. I grinned when Dani ordered the same thing without hesitation.

She saw me do it, and as soon as the waiter walked away, she smirked.

“What? Should I have ordered a salad and water?” she asked, sarcasm heavily lacing her words.

I shook my head quickly. “No, not at all. It’s nice to have someone actually eat for once when I take them out.”

“Yeah, well, you also saw me hoover a whole order of pizza rollers, plus one of yours last night. Not to mention that whole conversation we had about my weird food quirks. Anyway, do you take women out to dinner often?” she asked smoothly, and I found myself answering without even thinking about it. Which didn’t happen often because I’d burned myself once too many times like that.

“Sometimes. I haven’t for a while, though. The ones I’ve dated lately have all been too…”

My words trailed off as I tried to think of how to say it without seemingly insulting her and/or all women.

“Vapid? Self-centered? Insecure?” Dani responded.

“Yes.”

She laughed. “Which one?” she asked, reaching for her water and sipping as she waited for my answer.

“All of the above. I mean, don’t get me wrong. They’ve been good girls, nice ones, but not much of a challenge.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I was rushing to back-pedal. “Not like…I don’t mean that…” I floundered, not wanting to give her the wrong impression, but she only laughed and waved me off.

“I know what you mean,” she said, laughing. But she was totally tongue-incheek when she finished, “I’ve met Buffy, ?”

I groaned. “Don’t remind me. You’re a far cry from...hell, anyone I’ve ever dated.” I winced. “That was a compliment, you know, just in case you couldn’t tell with my head up my ass.” I paused, then went for broke, figuring honesty is the best policy. “You fluster me.”

She blinked at me. “I fluster you? Is that something guys even it?” She was laughing as she said it, but I could see the surprise in her eyes.

“Not usually, no. But, I don’t know. You definitely intrigue me. You’re not like anyone else I know. You’ve got a hard edge about you, but then sometimes, I can see past that to the warm and sweet person hidden underneath.”

And with that, I could almost visibly see the shields being locked back into

place.

“Well,” she said, brusquely. “you don’t know me. So don’t pretend to think that you’ve seen anything about me. Excuse me for a second, please. I’m going to call Cara and check on the baby.”

She pushed away from the table and strode outside without a backwards glance, leaving me more confused than ever.

“She’s a tough nut to crack, that one. Yes?”

The words came from behind me, over my shoulder. I glanced back to see Manny himself watching Dani push through the doors. I shrugged.

He clapped me on the shoulder. “Eh, but sometimes the toughest nuts to crack are the best ones to savor, so sweet and perfect once you get them open. Worth the work, no?”

I reached up and patted his hand, answering him with, “I guess we’ll see, Manny. We’ll see.”

Chapter 6

Dani

I leaned against the side of the restaurant, cursing myself. What the fuck was wrong with me? It’s not like he’d even said anything wrong, done anything to piss me off, but I couldn’t help it. I’d fought so hard to keep my guard up all my life that it was absolutely terrifying to think that I could let it slip.

Especially with him.

Even worse? How fucking easy it was to do with him.

I sighed and make a quick call to Cara to check in with Kaden. Not that I needed to; we’d only been gone barely forty-five minutes so far, but at least this way I wasn’t making myself out to be a liar, too.

Nope, just a crazy broad who likes to bitch-face people out of the blue for no reason.

I headed back inside, half-embarrassed to face him, but he only gave me a soft smile as I sat down. The waiter appeared right then with our food, forestalling my apology, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he wasn’t just a waiter.

“You’ve outdone yourself, as usual, Manny,” Calland said to the man.

Manny laughed and bowed with a flourish. “Of course you say that, Calland. You just want me to send my wife out here so you can try to steal her away, you cad!”

Calland grinned at the man and winked, but he didn’t deny anything, like I thought he would.

“Manny, you know it doesn’t matter what I offer her, she’s never going to leave you for me. She knows which side her bread is buttered on!”

Manny grinned and chortled, bowing once more as he entreated us to eat and enjoy before he walked off, his hearty frame still shaking with laughter.

“Come here often?” I asked Calland, smiling easily. There was no way in hell the tension still remained after that, so I guess that was a good thing.

He nodded, still grinning. “My family has come here for years, and Manny always makes sure that he and Maria, his wife, come out and greet us at least, if they don’t bring us the food themselves. They’re good people.”

“He’s the owner, I take it? The Manny?”

“Yup. The one and only. Now eat before it gets cold. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it,” he said without a trace of smugness.

One bite and I knew why. It was like heaven in my mouth. There was hardly any conversation as we both ate, both of us too busy shoveling food in like it was going out of style. Okay, so I guess it wasn’t that bad, but seriously; we said maybe five words the entire time we were eating.

“Oh, my God!” I groaned, letting my fork drop to my plate with a loud clink. “I can’t! No more!”

Calland glanced up from his plate with a chuckle. “Damn, you managed to eat almost half of it…I’m impressed!” he said with a wink. He looked down at his almost empty plate and made a show of scooping up the last bite of his marsala, moaning exaggeratedly as he chewed.

When he was done, he looked over at my plate and asked, “You gonna eat that?”

I snatched my plate off the table and almost growled at him. “Yes! Maybe not right now, but I’m sure as hell taking it back to the hotel with me and eating it later. Back off, Bucko!”

He raised his hands in surrender, his eyes dancing with amusement. “So, you liked it, huh?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” I quipped, shooting a wink of my own at him.

“You sound like my mom. I suppose that’s a yes,” he said, laughing. “Good. I’m glad. Want some dessert? My sister loves the Black Tie Mousse Cake here.”

I shook my head, my hand automatically going to my stomach in a protective gesture. “No, thank you. I think I’ll explode if I eat another bite! Maybe next time?”

He tipped his head and stared at me, his expression contemplative. “Will there be a next time?” he asked, softly.

I shrugged one shoulder helplessly before giving a small nod, knowing that I wouldn’t say no to him anymore. Not as long as I was here…however long that would be.

Shortly after, we’d made our way back out to his car, but before we got in, he turned to me and asked, “Wanna take a walk? There’s a park about half a block down. I know it’s still pretty cold outside since it’s not quite spring yet, but-”

“Sure,” I interrupted him. He took my leftovers from me and stowed them in the car, then took my hand and held it tightly in his as we turned out of the parking lot and moved down the sidewalk, softly illuminated by the street lights.

It wasn’t long before we entered the park, the pathway lit intermittently by oldfashioned looking lamps. We walked in silence, our hands clasped between us, and it felt nice. Right. And a little scary.

I broke the silence first. “I’m sorry. You know, for earlier when I walked out on you.”

I kept my head turned away from him, still feeling ashamed for how I acted.

“Don’t. It’s okay, Dani.”

I stopped walking and turned to him, tipping my head back to stare at his face. “I’m being serious, though. I shouldn’t have acted like a bitch. And I did it for no reason, which is something I find myself doing a lot with you-”

He stopped me with a finger on my lips. “Don’t worry about it. We’re good, I promise. I understand.”

I could see his eyes searching my face. For what, I don’t know, but my breath caught when his hand came up and cupped my cheek, his thumb gently caressing my skin.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

I automatically shook my head, the reaction completely knee-jerk, but he stopped me.

“You are, Dani. Inside and out. No, I don’t really know you, like you said earlier. Yet. But I will know you. All of you. That’s a promise.”

I gasped at his words, at the feelings rippling through me as he said them, and then gasped again as his head descended and his lips covered mine.

I made a low mew in the back of my throat unwittingly, but I didn’t turn away. I couldn’t. In fact, I crushed my lips to his even harder, taking the kiss deeper immediately. His tongue slipped along my lips and I opened for him, touching it with mine, my hands sliding almost frantically up Calland’s chest to lock behind his head, pulling him almost desperately against me.

He met me move for move, his hands slipping down to my hips and lifting me effortlessly so that my legs wrapped around his waist, locking us together as closely as we could get while still dressed and standing.

It lasted for a moment, our mouths feverishly working against each other’s until he broke the kiss on a sigh. I leaned my head against his shoulder, both of us trying in vain to catch our breath.

“Dani…” he breathed, his hands shifting to squeeze me closer for a brief second before he slid me back down his body. I dropped my legs and stood, trying to distance myself both physically and emotionally from him, but he wouldn’t have it.

“Listen,” he said, sharply, grabbing for me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

I let out a curt laugh, his words leaving me feeling like I’d been doused with ice cold water.

He pulled me closer once more, his hand lifting my face so he could look into my eyes. “Don’t do that. Don’t read more into that then there needs to be. I only stopped because I know you’re not ready for this. And neither am I. I’m trying not to run you off, here. Nothing more.”

I nodded, letting myself fall against him again, letting him wrap me back up in his arms. He just held me tightly, slowly swaying, both of us content in the moment, in letting everything in our lives just fade into the background for just a brief second.

But reality intruded all too soon when my cell phone chimed in my purse. I pulled it out and checked to see that Cara had texted.

“Problem?” Calland asked, concern evident in his eyes.

“No,” I replied, seeing that Cara was just checking in, letting me know everything was okay. “It’s fine, but we should probably start heading back anyway.”

He inclined his head and reached for my hand again, threading his fingers through mine as he turned and walked back toward the park entrance, tugging me along with him.

“We in a hurry all of a sudden?” I asked, confused as to why he was practically dragging me back to the car.

“Nope. Just thinking, the quicker I get you to the car and back to the hotel, the quicker we can settle in a just chill for a bit.”

He didn’t sound cocky when he said it. Just matter of fact, and it gave me a thrill in places that were still too thrilled from the kiss earlier. But, seriously…wasn’t he presuming a little much? Or was it just me?

“I can practically hear you thinking over there, Red,” Calland said, casually.

Since when did I become so transparent?

We got back to the car in no time, and I guess I must have been in my head way too much while he was driving, because it seemed like I barely blinked and we were pulling up at the hotel. He stopped in the drop off zone by the front doors and put the car in park before he turned to look at me.

“Ball is in your court. I wasn’t trying to assume anything when I said that earlier. You know what they say about people who assume, right?” He paused, only continuing when I gave a small jerk of my head. “It makes an ass out of you and me.”

I blinked at him, but my lips still curled up slightly on the sides. “I haven’t heard that in forever,” I said lightly. “How do you know I was thinking that, though?”

He reached over and softly ran the tip of his finger down my nose as he

answered. “I just do. You’ve been sitting over there overthinking everything. I can tell. So, just go on in and cuddle up with Kade. You have my number, just text me when you want to see me again. Okay?”

I reached for the door handle, slightly dazed that I felt like he was just kicking me out. He kept me completely off guard all the time and I should totally hate that. But I don’t somehow. Which is why, without turning around, I asked very quietly, “Come up with me?”

He didn’t reply, just put the car in gear and pulled into a parking spot. We both got out and walked silently inside, not touching, not looking at each other, but still content with the silence that surrounded us. It seemed to be the theme with us.

The silence lasted through the elevator ride, only being broken when I introduced Calland to Cara before she filled me in on everything Kade that had happened while I was gone.

“He’s still been kind of fussy, but he did eat pretty well for me. He fell back to sleep probably no more than half an hour ago, but I just checked on him right before you came in.”

I sighed. “He was cranky all afternoon. I think he’s teething. Thanks, Cara,” I said, handing her some cash and giving her a hug.

She thanked me and said she’d call to check in on him if I didn’t mind before she waved to me and Calland both, then left, shutting the door softly behind her.

And then we were alone. Well, as alone as we could be with a sleeping child across the room.

I glanced over to see him watching me, his eyes hooded, expression closed off, yet watchful.

I cleared my throat and said, “I’m going to check on him real quick. Do you want something to drink?”

He shook his head, adding a soft, “No, thank you,” and a smile before I turned away to check on the sleeping baby.

He was sleeping so peacefully, so I barely brushed my hand over the top of his head and straightened, turning to see that Calland had settled himself in the bed farthest from the baby, his back against the headboard, remote in his hand, flipping mindlessly through channels on the muted T.V.

Since he was distracted (sort of), I grabbed a soft t-shirt and a pair of thin sleep pants with little rabbits all over them and went to change. When I was done, I stepped up in front of him, eyebrow raised. He simply grinned as he looked me up and down, and then patted the mattress beside him. It took me all of two seconds to wage an internal war with myself, knowing that I was going to give in, no matter how stupid that decision might end up being. Especially when, instead of walking around the bed and crawling into the other side, I simply crawled over Calland, the heat of his body searing my thighs for the brief moment that I was straddling him before settling at his side, curled up in the curve of his arm.

Once I was situated, I realized that he had gone rock solid beside me, his jaw tensed, breath hissing through clenched teeth. He was still staring at the T.V., very obviously refusing to glance in my direction.

I turned my attention to the T.V., but was still unable to help the small smile that graced my lips at his blatant attempt to control himself. I should feel horrible for tempting him the way I did, but I couldn’t bring myself to. It had been so long since I’d actually felt desirable for who I was, rather than just simply my looks…or other reasons I didn’t want to get into.

We sat that way for what seemed like forever, both of us staring at the screen in front of us, but knowing that neither one was really seeing anything there. It was still muted, and silence was heavy in the room. But it was a comfortable, if not very thick and sexually charged, silence, rather than an awkward and uncomfortable one.

Until his arm tightened around my shoulders…

Chapter 7

Calland

She was fidgeting beside me. I don’t think Dani even realized that she was doing it, but as we sat there in silence, staring blankly at a fucking T.V. screen I knew neither one of us were really watching, she’d leaned into the curve of my arm. She’d crossed her arm over her stomach, curling into me…I had no problem with that. None at all.

Except she’d begun to absent-mindedly run the tips of her fingers along the waistband of my jeans, right where my shirt had ridden up when I’d slouched down a bit on the pillows.

My arm had unwittingly tightened around her shoulders, and my already tense body had gone into overdrive as I tried so hard to control myself, to keep from rolling over and pulling her beneath me, stripping her down, and plunging my raging hard-on into that sweetness between her thighs.

I heard her inhale sharply when my arm tightened, saw her glance over. I know there was absolutely no way in hell she missed the rigid length pressing (very uncomfortably, mind you) and straining against the zipper of my now too-tight jeans.

My breath rushed out as my jaw locked, but then she touched me again.

And I couldn’t help it.

I rolled over, covering her with my body, settling my hips into the cradle of her thighs, her eyes going wide as her arms automatically came up and grabbed for my shoulders, not pushing me away, though, as my lips sought hers and laid claim to her mouth.

I fed ravenously at her lips, growling as she arched into me, that sweet spot between her thighs branding me with her heat, even through my jeans. She moaned, arching again and again as our tongues tangled, teeth nipping, breath coming heavy and fast.

A soft whimper broke through the haze of desire like a bucket of cold water dousing us, and I don’t think I’d ever seen anyone move as fast in my life as Dani did, shoving me off and jumping up to check on Kade.

I sat on the edge of the mattress, head down, fighting to catch my breath and rein in my desire as she did. That in itself was a feat since I was hard enough to cut glass. When I lifted my head, my eyes immediately went to the woman standing across the room, gently patting the back of the baby still lying in his bed. She was watching me, eyes hooded, and I couldn’t get a read on what she was thinking.

But I knew the moment was gone.

After a minute, she straightened and moved silently to stand in front of me.

“He didn’t wake up?” I asked, softly.

She shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Calland,” she began, but I cut her off.

“Don’t. It’s ok. I’m gonna take off, though, alright? Let you get some sleep. Can I call you tomorrow?”

She nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips slightly. It softened her face, only enhancing the striking beauty of it.

I shook my head ruefully, knowing that if I didn’t leave now, I’d have a hell of a time restraining myself from touching her again. I stood, grimacing as things pinched in places that still hadn’t…deflated, yet. I tried to subtly rearrange things without drawing attention to it, but gave up being subtle when her eyes flashed and she grinned devilishly at me.

“You’re evil, woman,” I growled, gently brushing past her and heading for the door. She followed, stopping behind me as I opened it, trying to be quiet so I didn’t wake Kade. The grin hadn’t left her face, not that I wanted it to. So, I did the respectable thing and dropped a chaste kiss on her lips, gave her a smart salute, and walked out, closing the door softly behind me.

Walking into my apartment alone when I got home seemed almost anticlimactic, and I wondered, not for the first time, why things felt so differently when it came to Dani.

Grumbling to myself, I wiped my hands down my face and trudged to bed, intending on flopping down and trying to sleep away my frustration. Once I was settled, I realized that my mind just wasn’t shutting down. I tossed and turned for

what seemed like hours before I threw back the covers, moving to get out of bed and do…something, anything…when my phone rang.

I reached over and answered, surprise coloring my greeting when I saw that it was Dani.

“Hey,” I said, softly. “Everything okay?”

I heard her sigh on the other end before she made a small sound of assent. “I guess…well, I was just seeing if you made it home okay,” she finally answered.

“Yeah, I’m home. Just lying in bed, trying to fall asleep,” I replied.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, immediately. “I can let you go-”

“No, you’re fine,” I told her quickly. “Not tired?”

She sighed again. “Not really. I’m kind of…I’m sorry that you left so soon and that things got interrupted.”

“Red, I told you earlier that I wasn’t pressuring you. I know that you’re not ready for anything like that, and I’m sorry that I pushed you. Again.”

“But, that’s just the thing, Calland,” she said. “You didn’t push that on me. I was a willing participant. I shouldn’t have gotten all pissy with you earlier, but…you just-you’re so fucking hot, and so easy to talk to, so easy to be around that you make me forget what I’m doing here. You make me want things that I have no business wanting. You make my walls come down, which never fucking happens, and that’s the last thing I need. Jesus,” she groaned, exasperatedly. “Why the fuck did I ever agree to go out with you?”

That stung.

A harsh laugh shot from my lips before I could stop it. “Well, damn, Red. Ouch.”

She gasped, her voice sounding panicky over the line as she scrambled for words. “That’s not what I meant! Oh, God Calland, I’m so sorry. I just…fucking hell. Forget I said that, okay? I know why I went out with you. I just don’t want to it to myself that I’m so fucking attracted to you that I can’t seem to say no to you when I should.”

Her voice got really soft and low, so I had to strain to hear her next words.

“I don’t want to it that I really wish you hadn’t left, that you were still here holding me.”

My breath left me in a whoosh. Her words hit me hard, like a jab right to the solar plexus, and I couldn’t speak.

Finally, after a heavy silence where I could almost hear her ten, I was able to form words enough to answer her. “I can come back,” I said in a rush.

She laughed, her low chuckle enough to bring my dick to life again, surging to attention in my shorts.

“No. Not tonight. But I will see you tomorrow, right?”

“Definitely.”

“Alright, then. Good night, Calland.”

“Good night, Dani.”

****

Surprisingly, I slept really well after hanging up the phone. Of course, my dreams were filled with her and (not surprisingly) I woke up with a raging hard on that made getting my day started that much harder. (Pun not intended…)

It was Sunday and my mom had deemed it a breakfast day because she hadn’t had her children together for a while. To my mom, a while could mean a month, two weeks, or a day. She doesn’t discriminate like that, but honestly, my siblings and I didn’t complain. It’s nice to have a hot, home cooked meal every now and then that wasn’t home cooked by you. Not that I was much of a cook, anyway,

but I had a pretty kickass drawer full of takeout menus.

I made it over to their house in record time, beating all of my sisters and their families. Not by much, though, since Leah pulled in right behind me with Ian. Leah’s a newlywed (so she says even though she got married like three months ago), something clearly evidenced by the fact that she thought it necessary to suck face with her husband for three minutes when they parked. And no, I wasn’t counting. I was estimating, because no way in hell was I sticking around to watch that shit.

I strode into my parents’ house and made my way directly into the kitchen, where I knew my mom and dad would be. Mom was at the stove, vigorously stirring a big pan of gravy while my dad was standing on the other side of the island, reaching for the heaping plate of bacon sitting there. He was doing it in slow-motion, trying not to catch Mom’s attention.

Without missing a beat or even turning around, Mom called out, “Hi, Son! And Ben, if you so much as touch that plate of bacon again, I’ll cut you off.”

My dad snatched his fingers back, grinning and then winking at me in the process. He sounded indignant when he replied to my mom, but she and I both knew he was just blustering. “Woman, what the hell do you mean ‘again’? I haven’t touched the bacon!”

Mom turned, waving a wooden spoon in the air at my dad. “You know damn well what I mean, Ben.” She glared at him, but then winked, which totally ruined the sternness of her voice. Dad just grinned at her and snatched a piece of bacon anyway.

I chuckled. “Dad you’re gonna get cut off and not get any bacon with breakfast,” I cautioned good naturedly as my sister walked into the kitchen, Ian trailing behind her.

Dad shook his head and grinned as mom answered, “It’s not the bacon he’s getting cut off from,” she said, laughter almost masking the words. “It’s-”

“Mom!” Leah cried as I latched my hands over my ears. Ian just laughed, as did my parents.

A few minutes later, Emma walked in with Everly on her hip, Luke following her, and Jenna and her brood bringing up the rear.

“Why is everyone in the kitchen? And did you let Chloe and Allie know its breakfast day, Mom?” Emma asked, automatically handing the baby over to our father, who reached for her just as the baby reached for him.

“Nah, I decided I didn’t like them this week,” Mom replied, pouring the gravy into a huge serving bowl and turning to take the biscuits out of the oven in what seemed like one smooth, practiced motion. Once she was done, she shot Emma an exasperated look before rolling her eyes as she said, “Jesus, Em. You think I’m gonna forget one of my children?”

I held my hand up, stopping Emma from replying. “In her defense, Mom, you guys did leave Leah in that store up in Michigan when we were there for Dad’s bowling tournament.”

Mom gasped, her cheeks turning red as she immediately defended herself. “We had like sixteen kids in the van that day and I asked if everyone was in! You all said yes! And we didn’t really leave her…we figured it out before we got completely out of the parking lot.”

Leah mock-scowled at Mom, a smile twitching her lips, but by that time we were all laughing at the memory. Leah had been seriously pissed off when it had happened, not that we blamed her, though we’d still laughed our asses off about it, but then it became sort of a good-natured running joke over the years.

Dad ambled out of the kitchen, shaking his head and chuckling with Everly chattering to him on one side while he motioned for the other kids to follow him, with the exception of Caleb, Jenna’s newest little one, who I’d grabbed from her when she came in. Otherwise, Dad would have had him in his other arm.

In short time, we were all seated around the table, Chloe and Allie and their taga-longs included, laughing, talking, and stuffing our faces, which is pretty much the norm for my family. It had been relatively uneventful (sometimes it happens…just not often) until my sister opened her mouth.

“So, how’s the red-head?” Emma asked, giving me an angelic look.

I glared at her and gave a small shake of my head.

But it was too late.

Every eye turned toward me.

“Moved on already, did we?” Jenna asked, tongue in cheek. “Aw, won’t Buffy, Muffy, and Bunny be so heartbroken?”

“Ha-ha, very funny, Jen,” I said, sarcastically as she cackled at herself.

“Wait, red-head?” Leah chimed in, her eyes narrowing and then popping open wide in shock. “The one at Griff’s? No fucking way! Emma, I told you she would eat him alive, so why the hell…no shit. Really?”

I groaned. “Is it that hard to believe? You don’t even know her and already you assume she’s out of my league.” I rolled my eyes as my mom jumped in and chastised Leah for saying fuck at the table. Not that it mattered, because usually she’s the one that used it more than anyone. Except for the times that Allie’s Nanny came to breakfast. Then it was a toss-up, though Nanny usually outcussed everyone.

Conversation at the table then centered on me and the mysterious red-head. Emma so kindly shared my visit to her house yesterday, and the guys just shook their heads and smiled. Luke, at least, had the grace to look slightly sorry for me, but Brandon, Ian, and Noah were far too interested in what Emma had to say. Thank God she didn’t have too much information.

Thus was my breakfast, until T.J. came striding in.

“Sorry I was late, everyone. Thanks for inviting me, Mrs. Jensen!”

“T.J., how many times do I have to tell you to call me Jan? Or even Mom?”

T.J. shot her a sheepish grin, grabbed a plate and piled it high. He slid into the chair beside me that Hayden had just vacated, dragging her older brother, Jarrod, with her to play X-Box.

“What’s up, man?” he asked, clapping my shoulder as he dug in to his food.

“Nothin’ much, just working. Same old, same old. You?” I asked him in return.

“Same. Busy at the shop, especially with these two shirking their duties all the time,” he said jokingly, shaking a thumb at Luke and Brandon.

They both flipped him off, making everyone laugh again.

“So,” Chloe began. “T.J., have you heard about this new red-head that Calland’s got on the hook?”

T.J. turned his head to me. “Red-head?” His eyebrows raised appreciatively.

I sighed, but still nodded.

“Hot?” he asked.

I nodded again.

“Nice. Straight laced like the last little one you had? Or does this one have a personality?”

My sisters snorted and I glared at them, then shook my head at my mom as she tried to keep a straight face.

Leah answered. “Not straight laced, unless looks are deceiving. Tattooed and totally tempting, for sure. She’s gorgeous, and I honestly don’t know whether or not I even believe that he got anywhere with her. She had a hands-off sign blaring from every angle.”

Emma actually came to my defense. “No, I think he did get somewhere. And lemme tell ya, she’s got him rattled!”

That earned me a fist bump from T.J. and more razzing from my family.

Did I mention that I do love my family?

But, Jesus, do they drive me crazy!

Chapter 8

Dani

I glanced at my phone for the thousandth time, cursing myself for being such a girl.

Kaden was playing happily beside me on a blanket I’d laid down on the floor, and cartoons blared from the T.V. Anything to try and keep my mind off of Calland and the fact that it was after noon and I’d yet to hear anything from him.

Exasperated with my thoughts, I thumbed the off button on the remote, cutting the high-pitched kiddie voices off in mid-sentence on the T.V., then stood. I reached down and picked up the baby, moving around the room with purpose as I strapped him into his car seat, packed up his diaper bag, shoved my phone in my pocket, grabbed my keys and left.

I strode to the elevator, intent on getting us out of here to do something… anything but sit around and wait for a man to call me.

I hit the button and waited semi-impatiently for the elevator to appear, swaying Kade back and forth in his carrier and cooing to his smiling little face. My smile grew when the doors finally opened and Calland stepped out.

“Hey!” he said, happy surprise coloring his voice.

“Hey,” I said back, trying to cover my own surprise, and trying to tell myself that my heart didn’t skip a beat and my stomach didn’t do a lazy little flip when I saw

him. Because they didn’t…except, fuck. They did.

“Where you headed?” he asked, reaching out to take the baby from me.

He lifted the car seat with ease, looking down into it as he spoke to Kade, making the little guy grin at him and wave his hands in the air, gurgling with happiness all the while.

“Nowhere, really. Just wanted to get out of this hotel for a while.”

“Then let’s go,” he said easily, turning to hit the button for the elevator.

“Where are we going?” I asked him, a little bewildered by the situation at the moment.

He winked. “I don’t know. I asked you that a minute ago and you didn’t know either, so I figured we’d wing it. Sound good?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Wow. That didn’t sound very convincing, did it, little man?” Calland asked Kade, who just smiled up at him.

And that’s how I came to be sitting in the front seat of his car, the baby belted securely into the backseat by Calland, who seemed pretty adept at that sort of thing. Calland was beside me at the wheel, taking us off to parts unknown.

After a few minutes, I cleared my throat and tentatively asked, “Seriously, though. Are we really going somewhere or are you just randomly kidnapping us?”

He glanced over and smiled, looking back to the road as he answered. “Yeah, we’re going somewhere. Just relax and enjoy the ride.”

It wasn’t very much longer before he turned down a long driveway lined by trees. Once we cleared the tree line, I could see a beautiful, large house with a gorgeous porch, and another huge, beautiful house in the distance just to the right of the first.

“Where are we?” I asked, trepidation starting to tingle down my spine.

“My sister’s house.”

He said it so nonchalantly, like it wasn’t supposed to catch me off guard or make me a little anxious by the fact that we’d only known each other four days and he was introducing me to people. Important people in his life, obviously.

I heard a loud, joyful bark and turned my head to see three huge dogs barreling across the yard, heading directly for the moving car. I gasped, crying out, telling

Calland to watch out for them, but he just kept going, shaking his head at the animals and saying, “Damn dogs,” with exasperated affection.

The dogs ran alongside the car, never coming close to it, never getting in front of it, so I had to assume this was a regular thing. Once we stopped, they raced to the driver’s side, bouncing and barking, and jumping every which way in anticipation.

Calland greeted each one of them in turn when he stepped out of the vehicle. “Hi, Doug…DJ…and your mom let you out to play again, Grady? Or did you let yourself out of the yard like the bad boy you are?” He rubbed each of their heads, and I noted that they never really jumped up on him. Just around him.

Calland looked over his shoulder to see that I was still sitting in the car.

“You can get out, you know,” he said, wryly.

I nodded, but still didn’t move.

“They won’t bite, or jump, I promise. And they won’t hurt the baby. Trust me.”

I took a deep breath and opened the door, putting one foot out and then squealing in surprise when three wiggling bodies were suddenly standing in front of me.

When I gathered enough courage to open my eyes, I had to laugh. All three dogs

were standing in front of me, tails wagging, and heads turning side to side like they were trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with me.

I reached out tentatively, laughing when all three starting licking my fingers vigorously and jumping around again, evidently very excited to meet me. I carefully pushed them back after a minute and stood, shutting my door behind me before moving to get Kaden out of the back seat. I didn’t need to, though, because Calland had already done that while I was messing with the dogs.

A sharp whistle cut through the air in the near distance and all three took off like bats out of hell, leaving Calland and I chuckling as we watched them race towards the other house I’d seen as we pulled in.

By the time we’d reached the porch, a pretty brunette with eyes the same shade as Calland’s was standing there, watching us with a little girl on her hip. The girl screeched when she saw Calland, her face lighting up with unadulterated joy.

“Hi, Everly!” he called, striding up the steps to kiss her little cheeks.

“Oh, and I’m still chopped liver, I see,” the brunette said, drolly.

“Meh. Chopped liver, whole liver…I don’t discriminate. I hate all liver equally.”

Calland winked at me as he said it, and then gave the woman a brilliant grin. She only shook her head and gave a long-suffering sigh, so I could only assume that this was his sister.

She turned to me, holding out a hand. “Hi, I’m Emma, Calland’s younger older sister. Does that make sense?” she asked, laughing. “He has three sisters, and I’m the middle one, but I’m older than him, so…”

“God, you’re so awkward, Emma,” Calland said, wincing exaggeratedly.

She growled at him and then reached a hand out for the infant seat Calland was holding. “Here. Trade me.”

She took the handle in her hand and hefted the carrier up as she smoothly transferred her daughter to Calland and then turned and walked inside, taking my baby with her.

“Is kidnapping a family trait?” I muttered under my breath, following her inside.

I heard Calland laugh softly behind me, but he didn’t comment. I think he was too busy responding to the rambling babbling of his niece.

Before I’d even made it to the living room, Emma had taken Kaden out of his seat and was lounging on the couch, the baby propped up on her knees as she talked to him.

“And just who might you be?” she asked, gently tickling his belly, which earned her a gurgling laugh.

I smiled and answered. “Kaden. His name is Kaden.”

“Well, he’s a handsome little guy,” she said, smiling up at me. “I didn’t know you had a baby,” she continued, lightly.

“I can’t imagine that Calland’s talked about me much. We’ve only known each other three, four days.”

She winked (again, must be a family trait). “We knew about you the day he met you.”

My eyes widened comically, though I tried to hide my reaction.

She took pity on me, though. “A group of us, well them, because Luke and I were home with a sick baby…but anyway, they were at Griff’s the night he saw you. Matter of fact, everyone was telling him that you’d probably shoot him down without a backward glance, maybe bust his balls a little in the process. At least that’s what the consensus was when Leah told us about you. She’s the only one, other than Allie, I think, that saw you. No, wait! Chloe saw you, too.”

I winced a little. “I did shoot him down. Tried to, anyway. He’s quite persistent.”

“There’s hope for you, yet,” she said, laughing. She turned back to Kaden as Calland collapsed in the chair behind me, Everly clutched to his chest. She was blinking up at him, her lips stretched in the cutest, biggest grin.

He caught me watching and laughed. “She’s the cutest little sh-”

“Calland!” Emma yelled, scowling at her brother. “Don’t you dare. You already know what happened yesterday.”

She looked up at me. “Sit down, take a load off. You guys are gonna hang out for a while, right?”

I shot a look at Calland, floundering for an answer. “Uh…”

“Yeah. We’ll stick around for a bit,” he answered for me. “Gets her out of the hotel room she’s been stuck in since she’s been in town.”

As soon as the words left his lips, a commotion by the door had our attention. It flew open and the three dogs skidded in, their nails scrabbling on the wooden floor as they gleefully chased each other into the house, followed by a very pretty, petite woman holding a little boy.

“Emma, I swear to effin’ God, if your dogs tear through my bleeping screen one more time…” the woman growled, stalking over and plopping the little boy down on Calland’s lap.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Don’t even start with me, woman. You know that Grady is the instigator. I can’t help it that your dog likes to get his father and brother in trouble because he’s the little demon spawn from h-e-double hockey sticks. It

must come from his mother’s side.”

She sounded smug, and I could tell that she was trying hard not to laugh, too.

The woman flopped down on the couch opposite Emma, right beside where I’d perched. She casually nodded and said hey to me before she double-taked and stared. “Hey…aren’t you that-” she stopped. “Huh,” she said, smiling and holding out a hand. “I’m Allie and you’re the hot red-head from Griff’s.”

She was very matter of fact about it, and I found myself liking her instantly. Of course, I really was liking Emma, too, and had the fleeting thought that I could be friends with these women. If only.

I nodded, because that’s really the only thing I could do. She didn’t actually pose it as a question; it was more a matter of fact statement.

“Emma’s my best friend, and I live over there.”

She waved vaguely in the direction of the wall, but I guessed she meant the other house I’d seen.

Allie glanced back over to Emma and did another double take as she realized her friend was holding a little one.

“Baby!” Allie crowed, jumping up and crossing the floor to take Kaden from

Emma. “Oh my God, he’s so adorable! What’s his name? How old is he?”

“Thanks,” I replied. “His name is Kaden, and he’ll be eight months in two weeks.”

“Aww,” Allie cooed. “I love them at that age. So sweet and cuddly. Then they get really mobile and turn into hell on wheels.” She said it fondly, looking over at the little boy that she’d deposited in Calland’s lap. “That’s my son, Liam. And hopefully, this will be my daughter. But I’m undecided. Boys are easier, but if I have another one, I’ll really be out numbered.”

She rubbed gentle, loving circles on her belly with one hand as she cradled Kaden to her with the other.

“Oh, you’re pregnant?” I asked, unaware of how wistful I sounded.

I only realized it when the women’s gazes turned sharp as they looked at me. “You want more kids?” Emma asked, nonchalantly.

“Alrighty, then. Let’s quit haranguing the poor woman, yeah?” Calland interjected, standing up from the chair with a child in each arm.

“Haranguing?” Allie repeated, her eyebrows raising comically. “Someone’s been reading his word-a-day calendar,” she said, smartly.

“This is me, flipping you off, Allie. You’re just lucky my hands are full,” he sneered, playfully.

Allie sighed. “I’d have a good retort to that, but it just isn’t the same when you have to censor it. Why does my child have to be a parrot?” she groaned.

Emma nodded in sympathy, and from the conversation between her and Calland, I gathered that Everly was in parrot mode, as well.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if their mommies didn’t have such potty mouths,” a voice drawled from the kitchen.

I looked up just as Emma jumped up and bounded into the kitchen, straight into the arms of the gorgeous man that had snuck in without us hearing. She kissed him, and then smiled when she heard her daughter screech for her daddy, reaching for him so frantically that Calland had to set her down quickly to toddle over to him or risk losing one of his charges.

Emma introduced me to her husband, Luke, who, she explained, had gone down to the shop to help with something for a bit. Luke scooped his daughter up in his arms, kissing her on both her cheeks and hugging her tightly to his chest.

But, I must have looked confused because Emma laughed and told me just what the shop was.

“Ahhh,” I said, smiling at Luke. “Sounds like my kind of place.” I gave a half-

hearted wave towards my own tattoos and piercings.

He jerked his chin up in one of those man-nod acknowledgements, patting his daughter’s back as he said, “Nice work. Whoever did it does a kickass job.”

“Thanks,” I replied softly, a pain shafting my chest as I thought of who had done it. I tried to change the subject quickly to avoid the usual questions that followed. You know, who did it, where at, why…things I just couldn’t get into.

“You’ve got some nice ink yourself,” I commented, glancing at his arms. “Do it yourself?”

“Some. Others were done by my brother, Brandon, who owns the shop with me. And I had a couple new ones added recently by our other partner, a real good artist who Brandon convinced to leave the bright lights of L.A. and come here. Name’s T.J. Not sure how we managed to snag him, but we’re not letting him go.” He grinned and winked at his wife, and I could immediately tell how fond they were of the guy.

I managed to nod and smile, moving to take Kaden from Allie where he was starting to fuss a little.

Pretending that my stomach hadn’t just taken a dive to my toes.

Pretending that my world hadn’t just flipped upside down.

And hoping it wasn’t just a coincidence…

Chapter 9

Calland

I watched as Dani interacted with Luke, Emma, and Allie. I could see her relaxing as time went on, but she’d tensed up again when Kade had started fussing while she was talking to Luke about Skin Deep.

I handed Liam back to Allie and ran my hand along Dani’s arm. She glanced up at me and I blinked at the raw pain in her eyes. It was gone so quickly, though, that I was half afraid I was imaging things. I forced a smile, my eyes searching hers for any trace of the fleeting emotion I knew I’d seen, but she only smiled back, her brow raising in question.

“You okay?” she asked, quietly.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” I paused, thinking I probably shouldn’t even ask, but…did anyway. “Are you okay?”

She gave me a weird look that went along with a breathy, funny little laugh. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?”

Her words were normal, her tone light and happy. But her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

I didn’t call her on it. Instead, I dropped my hand from her arm and told her I would go get the diaper bag for her, since neither one of us had grabbed it from the car when we got here.

When I got back inside, she handed Kaden to me and I sat back down with him while she went and fixed him a bottle. Luke plopped Everly and then Liam into the play yard they had set up on the other side of the room, where they seemed content playing with the million toys scattered around the floor in the enclosure, and he came and flopped down onto the couch where Emma had been sitting.

“What’s up? You decided to grace us with your presence two days in a row, AND I saw you at breakfast this morning? The world is coming to an end!” Luke joked, draping an arm around Emma when she sat down beside him.

“I know, right?” she said, snarling her nose up at me. “I think he wants something. He hasn’t been coming around that much. Too busy juggling those twinsies-”

I scowled at her, shaking my head, but she was already cringing, her entire face shining with an epic ‘Oh Shit!’ look.

I shot a glance toward the kitchen, hoping that Dani was still busy as I shifted a squirming Kaden in my arms. No such luck. She had already come back into the living room and was standing in front of me, amusement lighting her features.

I grimaced, reaching up to snatch the bottle from her and settling Kaden in my arms to eat. He wrapped his pudgy little hands around the sides of the bottle and latched on immediately, drinking his formula with gusto.

I heard Emma start to apologize to Dani, but Dani just waved her off, moving to

sit on the end of the couch right by the chair I was in.

“Pfftt. I know he’s not a saint and I definitely know he’s been around the block a time or two. Probably the neighborhood,” she said, a sly smile painting her face.

“Hey!” I cried, giving her a dirty look. It didn’t last long, though. She looked too fucking cute smiling like that.

Allie plopped down beside her, clapping gleefully and laughing. “I like her!” she said, happily. “You’re good for him. Keep him humble. He needs it.”

I shook my head and said nothing, choosing instead to move Kade up to my shoulder and burp him with practiced ease, praising him when he let out a belch that could almost rival one of my own.

That earned a laugh from Dani, who seemed to be relaxing again.

Once the baby was done eating, I handed him off to Dani and it took about two seconds of her rocking him for him to be out like a light. Emma offered to lay him down in Everly’s crib and I could almost see that Dani wanted to decline, but she finally relented and let Emma take him.

As soon as she was back downstairs, Allie stood and stretched before rounding up her son and moving to the door.

“Well, I better get home. God knows Jacks will freak if I’m not waiting for him when he walks in the door. I thought he was bad with the last pregnancy, hovering over me. But Jesus, I feel like I can’t even go to the bathroom without having to check in with him!” Allie rolled her eyes.

“Quit getting knocked up, then,” I said, grinning at her.

“Smart ass,” she said, glaring at me for a brief second, but then she was grinning back at me in no time. “Why would I want to do that? Do you even know how babies are made, Calland? It’s so much fun, you don’t know what you’re missing!”

“Ha ha ha,” I shot back sarcastically, giving her a very sardonic look.

She only laughed and waved over her shoulder to Emma and Luke as she walked out the door. She popped her head in again briefly, eyes sparkling as she called Dani’s name.

“It was lovely meeting you. Leave your number with Emma and we’ll get together so we can tell you all the reasons you should run far, far away from the asshole over there!” She laughed gleefully, and pulled the door shut as I stepped menacingly toward her.

“Damn women,” I muttered under my breath, and then jerked my arm, hollering, “OW!” as something pinched the tender underside of it.

My sister smiled evilly at me as she walked past, then answered Luke when he asked her what they were having for dinner.

“We just ate a huge breakfast at Mom and Dad’s!”

Luke smirked. “Yeah, but that was hours ago!”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Go make a sandwich for now. Jesus! We’re not eating dinner at three in the afternoon!”

I felt Dani shift beside me and looked down to see her glancing worriedly towards the stairs. I nudged her with my shoulder. “He’s fine. Emma’s always got the baby monitor on, so if he makes a noise, we’ll hear him. Okay?”

She nodded, biting her lip worriedly.

And damned if that didn’t make me want to bite her lip. Or lick it. Or kiss it, or…I groaned silently as the mental images caused all my blood to rush south, suddenly making my jeans a little too tight.

I moved to the couch and sat down quickly, wincing when things pinched a bit until I squirmed to adjust. I caught Dani looking at me suspiciously, but then a sly twinkle lit her eyes up as the corner of her lips tilted into the tiniest little smile.

I groaned, but this time it wasn’t silent. “Don’t look at me like that!” I whispered, making her laugh softly.

Emma hollered from the kitchen just then, breaking the moment. “Dani, do you want something to drink?”

Dani responded, requesting water, so I chimed in and told her to grab me a beer.

The response I got?

“Get up off your ass and get it yourself!”

I heard Luke chuckle and then we all laughed (except for Emma who just moaned in frustration, probably at herself) when a tiny little voice piped up gleefully. “Ass!”

***

It was almost nine at night by the time I had Dani and Kaden loaded up and headed back to the hotel. We’d had a simple, easy night hanging out with Emma and Luke, and she’d met Jacks when he and Allie had come for dinner since Luke said he’d brave the still chilly air enough to grill steaks for us all.

We’d stayed, obviously, because who turns down a free steak? Dani had seemed pretty comfortable for the rest of the evening, chatting easily with Allie and

Emma like she’d known them her whole life. I did notice a few times that they asked a question of her and she’d smoothly avoided answering every time. I know they caught on, but they didn’t pry.

I knew that would come later when they could corner me for answers.

Kaden was asleep in his car seat and Dani had been quiet for almost the entire ride. Until I pulled up at the hotel and parked, shutting the car off and reaching for the door handle. I stopped when I heard a slight sigh from Dani.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, turning in my seat to see her staring out the window at the hotel looming in front of us.

“I just…it’s nothing. Tired of hotel living, honestly, but I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here, so I’ll deal and go on.” She glanced over at me. “You coming up?”

I started to nod, but an idea popped into my head and I blurted it out, not even thinking it through. “Come stay with me.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw her tense and freeze, her eyes flashing wildly in the semi-darkness of the car. “What?”

I cleared my throat. “I have an extra bedroom. Fully furnished and there’s still enough room to set up the baby’s crib thing. You’d have the place to yourself all day while I’m at work and you wouldn’t have to keep paying for the hotel

and…”

I trailed off, not sure what else to say. I don’t think there really was anything else to say, other than the fact that, holy shit! I’d just asked a woman I’d only known for four days to move in with me. If that wasn’t enough to get my man card revoked, I didn’t know what was.

But damnit, I didn’t want to take it back. In fact, I really wanted her to say yes.

She was silent for the longest time before she finally spoke.

“Look. You’re sweet. But, again, we’ve only known each other for four days and I’ve already lost myself enough around you that we almost ended up…you know. Calland, I-I think it might be best if we just left things alone. You know?”

“Dani-”

“No. I have to do what I came to do, and I’m letting myself get distracted by you.” She was firm. Her tone brooked no argument.

At least I knew that’s what she wanted me to hear, how she wanted to come across. But I could hear the half-heartedness in her voice. I knew she could, too, no matter how much she wanted to deny it.

Chapter 10

Dani

I couldn’t believe my fucking ears. He really invited me and Kaden to stay with him, to live with him at his apartment. And I had only met him Thursday night. What kind of fucking psycho was he?

More to the point, what kind of fucking psycho was I, that I was actually tempted?

I turned him down. Of course I did. But damnit, he didn’t look convinced.

A fact that was confirmed when he reached across the car and wrapped his fingers around my wrist, pulling my hand over to his thigh. He carefully spread my fingers against his jeans-clad leg, lightly tracing each of them again and again with his fingertips, running down over the back of my hand and back up.

It was distracting. And calming. And sweet.

I watched him, my eyes tracking every movement of his body, whether it be the flexing of his thigh beneath my palm, the soft rise and fall of his chest with his breathing, the hypnotic movement of his hand…

And he watched me.

I cocked my head, his name falling softly from my lips.

He still kept moving his hand, still kept watching me; the only sign that he heard me was the slight quirk of the corner of his mouth.

“Calland,” I said again, my voice thready and low. “I need to go in. And what I said stands. I can’t come stay with you because I hardly know you, and because I have my own agenda that I need to stick to.” I took a deep breath before itting, “It’s tempting. You’re tempting. I just can’t take a chance. Please understand.” My words were soft and pleading, begging him to understand, no matter how much I knew that he knew how much I wanted to give in.

He didn’t say anything, just kept watching me as I slid my hand out from under his and reached for the door.

He said my name then, and I paused with the door halfway open,

“I’m not giving up and just letting you walk away. You had a good day with my family. I know you enjoyed hanging out with them, and with me. Not to mention, you did just invite me up. Are you taking it back now?”

My jaw went slack, and I knew my mouth was gaping open. I tried to close it, tried to find words to answer him, but I couldn’t. My mouth opened and closed, and in the back of my mind, I was laughing at myself, imagining that I looked like a fish out of water.

Dumbfounded, and still not knowing how to answer, I simply shook my head.

He nodded once, said, “Alrighty, then,” and got out of the car. He had Kaden out of the backseat and was standing beside my door waiting for me by the time I finally shook off my stupor and got out of the car myself.

I followed him into the hotel and to the elevator, wondering how the hell I lost control of the situation…and if I really ever had it to begin with. Or wanted it.

Shortly after we got in the door, I managed to get Kaden’s diaper changed and him into his jammies without waking him up, and put him to bed while Calland sat on the end of the bed watching me.

When I was done, I went and stood in front of him, my arms crossed over my chest.

He looked up at me with a mischievous grin and I felt myself melting a little more, but I didn’t want him to know that.

“You don’t listen, do you.”

It was a statement, because there was no question to my mind. I was simply stating a fact.

He shook his head, a solemn look crossing his features. But there was still a

devilish glint in his eyes.

He reached out and lightly clasped his hands on the backs of my thighs, tugging me closer to him. “Baby, you can talk ‘til you’re blue in the face and I’m gonna ignore you if you’re trying to get rid of me. I don’t care how temporary it is. I like you…and I’m pretty sure you like me, too.”

“Wow. Confident, are we?” I asked, but I didn’t step away from him. It didn’t go unnoticed by him, either, because his hands tightened infinitesimally on the backs of my thighs. “You’re making me second guess myself, and that’s not something that happens often. You should really respect my wishes, Calland.”

He pulled me a little bit closer. “I would if I knew you really meant what you said.”

I huffed, bracing my hands on his shoulders and pushing away. “I do mean what I said. I don’t think I should be getting involved with you. Doesn’t matter how long I’m going to be here, doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other, it’s a bad idea.”

“Okay,” he said abruptly, standing and gently pushing me back at the same time, with his hands on my waist so I wouldn’t fall. “It’s a bad idea. And you mean what you said, so I guess that’s it. I’ll get out of your hair.”

He let go of me and stepped toward the door. Seemingly of its own accord, my hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

“Wait!” I cried softly, so unsure of myself, so absolutely confused at what was happening. How the hell could I be so fucking wishy-washy when it came to him? I was giving myself whiplash with the speed at which I was changing my mind. Not to mention, I was probably annoying the fuck out of him with my hot and cold routine, but…hell, I was annoying myself. I stared at him, my eyes searching his face as my thoughts tumbled in a riotous mess until one singular phrase was all that was being repeated.

Fuck it.

Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it.

I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath into my lungs, blowing it all out on a rush before I looked up at him again and said, “Fine.”

“Fine, what? Fine, I’m walking out that door and saying goodbye, or fine, you’re gonna quit pushing me away and let me be your friend, or whatever the hell this plays out to be while you’re here?”

I shrugged one shoulder helplessly as I muttered, “Sit down. Stay. Hang out.”

He tipped my head up with a finger under my chin, dipping down so he could look me in the eye. He squinted one eye, screwed up his face in a ‘meh’ kinda look and said, “Not quite the reaction I was looking for, but I guess I’ll take it.”

Then he smiled, kissed the tip of my nose, and sauntered over to the bed, settling

against the headboard and kicking back, making a show of lifting his arms and locking them behind his head.

I growled, my hands going to my hips as I glared at him. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

He grinned. “Yup. That’s pretty much my nickname.”

I rolled my eyes, but a smile still teased my lips.

He patted the bed beside him and I shook my head. “We’ve been down that road before, ? Not tonight.”

He rolled off the bed. “You’re right. In fact, I should probably quit while I’m ahead, so…goodnight, Dani.”

He leaned in and caught my mouth in a quick, hard kiss and then was gone. He poked his head back in, catching the door before it closed on his face. “Think about that offer. I still have the extra room.”

I didn’t get a chance to answer before he pulled back again and closed the door softly behind him.

I threw my hands up in the air, mumbling to myself. Clearly my life wasn’t complicated enough, but what the hell, right?

When I finished berating myself, I straightened up the room and grabbed my pajamas, slipping them on before taking off my makeup and throwing my hair up in a messy knot. I had just slipped into bed with the intent of losing myself for a few in a book on my Kindle, but my phone rang. I grabbed it from where I’d plugged it in on the nightstand, trying to silence it so it didn’t wake Kade. I cursed myself for not turning off the ringer like I normally did. My new normal, anyway, since we’d been living in a hotel for almost two weeks now. Longer if you count our trip here.

“Hello?” I kept my voice quiet.

“Were you sleeping, yet?” Calland asked on the other end, just as softly.

“No. I just laid down, though. Was gonna read a little bit to wind down.”

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “Nothing. I don’t want to leave Kaden with a sitter again for a little while.”

“I didn’t say anything about leaving him anywhere. I like kids, which is a good thing considering I have two nieces and three nephews with another on the way. Niece or nephew, that is. Don’t know which, yet. Plus, did it seem like I had a problem with him being around all day?”

I sighed. “No, but…wait. Your sister is pregnant, too?” I asked, surprised, as what he said caught up to my exhausted brain. Emma hadn’t mentioned anything about it that day. Maybe he meant one of the others.

He paused for a second before answering, “No, I don’t think so. Not that I know of, anyway.”

“Uh…but you just said you have another on the way…”

“Yep. Allie’s pregnant, ?” he said, slowly, like he was waiting for me to make the connection.

“I know, but I thought she was just Emma’s best friend?” I was trying to put it all together in my brain, but it just wasn’t clicking for some reason.

“Allie is like my sister. Pretty much all my life, she and Emma have been inseparable, so she’s been just as much of a sister to me as my actual sisters. All of ‘em total pains-in-the-ass. But I love them.” He paused again. “And you can never tell them I said that.”

I laughed. “Oh, trust me, that’s probably the first thing I’ll do if I ever see them again. Or meet the other two, one of which is Leah, I presume? I think that’s the only other name that was mentioned today. No, wait! Chloe, too. So those are your two other sisters?”

“Nope. Only half right. Leah is one, Jenna is the other. Chloe is another one

who’s like my sister, but she’s newer to the group. It’s a long story…but she’s Allie’s husband’s sister.”

“And Allie’s husband is Jackson?” I asked, still trying to get everything straight.

“Yup. And Luke’s brother, Brandon, is married to Chloe, who we already determined is Jackson’s sister. And Allie and Brandon and Jackson had a thing for a while, but then Allie got pregnant and Jacks was in an accident, but then Brandon kissed Chloe, but really it was Chloe that kissed Brandon…you get the idea.”

I stared at my phone in bewilderment, trying to decide just where things went wonky in that conversation. “What? I, uh, no. No, I don’t get the idea because I’m not sure I understood everything you said.”

Calland snorted with laughter. “Like I said, it’s a long story…and a pretty convoluted one, but I’ll fill you in as we go.”

“Ah.” I left it at that.

“Back to tomorrow,” he said, smoothly changing the subject. “I have to work until six. After that, I’ll swing by and pick you up, you and Kaden can come hang out at my place for a while, we’ll order in some dinner. Chinese sound good?”

And there he goes, using the information he dragged out of me against me.

“Chinese?”

“Mmhmm,” he said silkily. “Chinese.”

I hadn’t had Chinese in a while.

And it sounded fucking delicious.

“I’m in.”

“Knew you would be,” he chuckled, but it was low and deep and oh-so-sexy… an almost laugh more suited for seduction…but NO! Chinese food. Hang out. No hanky panky. Agenda. Stay on track, damnit, Dani!

“Okay?” I heard Calland asking, and I realized he’d been talking to me while I reprimanded myself in my head.

“Uh…” I said, stalling as I tried to think if any of what he’d said had ed. Of course, I didn’t want to just up and agree to whatever he’d said because, really, I could find myself in trouble with that one.

I heard him breathing as he waited for me to say something, until the silence was broken by his laughter. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you.”

I wanted to protest, but I couldn’t. “No, I’m didn’t. Sorry,” I told him with chagrin.

“S’ok. I just said I’d be there about 6:15, 6:30-ish to get you. Okay?”

‘God help me, cause I’m gonna need it,’ I thought to myself as I answered him, “Okay.”

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” His voice dropped, the tone intimate and low, and my body flushed with heat as he finished with, “Sweet dreams, Dani,” and hung up.

I put my phone back on the nightstand, clicked off the light, and flung myself backwards on the bed, staring up into the darkness for a long time before sleep finally claimed me.

***

The next morning came early, as Kaden decided it was play time at five a.m., and he was still going strong at noon with no sign of a nap in sight. He played in his playpen for a little while, thankfully, so I could get some emails answered and do a couple things that needed done. After that, I loaded him and our dirty laundry up and headed to the laundromat I’d previously scouted out in town. That killed about an hour and a half; add in the time spent through the day for breakfast, lunch, and getting ready and…we still had hours to wait until Calland came to get us.

Since I had time to kill and Kaden was wide awake, I decided to take him down to the heated, indoor pool at the hotel, a really nice one that was part of the reason I’d picked this hotel. I sat on the steps in the shallow end and let him splash around in my lap, grinning every time he laughed when I sputtered and gasped playfully as water hit my face.

We only stayed down there for about half an hour, simply because I didn’t want Kaden to get chilly; even though the water was warm, the air outside the pool was cool, as I knew the hallways would be on the walk back to the room. I wrapped him up in a dry towel after I dried him off, and then, awkwardly (since I still had him in my arms), wrapped my own towel around my waist before we headed back up to the room to get ready.

Thankfully, after a snack of a teething biscuit and a bath, Kade finally went down for a nap, so I was able to shower and dress for the evening, as well as restock his diaper bag and straighten the room back up.

It was about five that my phone rang and I answered it, thinking it would be Calland. It wasn’t.

“Danielle. How much longer are you gonna be doing this? Just fuckin’ give up, because it’s obvious that we’re the only ones that care anymore. It’s been like this for the past three years, and nothing’s changed.”

“Alex…” I sighed, wishing I wouldn’t have answered. “You know I have to do this. I can’t keep it a secret, I can’t just let it slide. It wouldn’t be right. And I really don’t give a flying fuck about the rest of it. I’m done. I told you that before, but you and the rest of the guys just won’t let it go. It’s not really even them anymore, it’s just you. And I, I can’t-I won’t…not without…” I trailed off.

I hated even talking about it, because it hurt too much. It was because it hurt too much that I was always second guessing myself about every move I’d made in the past year, but what I said to Alex was the truth. Just as I told Calland. I had an agenda. I had a purpose. And I had to see it through.

I blew out a breath at the frustrated growl that came through the phone.

“Goddamnit, Dani! It’s been two years! Give up!” Alex screamed. “We’ve got a chance to get it all back, to go on, but you’re fucking convinced that it won’t work without-”

“It won’t,” I cut him off, coldly. “You and I both know it. We all agreed, Alex. Every single one of us. It was for the best, especially with everything that happened. We agreed maybe one day we’d go back, see if it all still clicks, but not now. Not yet.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a brief moment. “You’re coldhearted. Both of you.”

A harsh laugh escaped my lips, echoing through the room. “We all are. ?”

The line went dead. Alex was good at hanging up. And I was really good at getting in the last word, even if it hurt.

I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, my elbows braced on my thighs, head in my hands. I blinked, trying to hold back the tears that had flooded my eyes. Damn Alex, and damn me for letting him get to me, just like always.

But this had been a long time coming…and I wasn’t backing down.

Chapter 11

Calland

I was whistling as I pulled away from work, honking and waving at my brotherin-law, Ian, as I ed him. He waved as he pulled the office door shut, and I turned into the street, heading to the hotel to pick Dani and Kade up.

I glanced down at my hands on the steering wheel, grimacing as I realized just how dirty they were. I should have stopped in the office and cleaned up just a bit, but I was a little anxious to see Dani.

That was very uncharacteristic of me, but Christ, she’d gotten under my skin.

I’ve had my fair share of women. Probably more than my fair share, if you asked my sisters, but none of them had ever really held my interest like her. Like Dani. I mean, I enjoy women; I appreciate them, I respect them (because I was raised that way, and if I didn’t, my momma would beat me to a bloody pulp), they’re soft, they’re sweet, and they smell so good. So yeah, definitely, I enjoy women.

And they enjoy me.

But none of them had ever intrigued me the way Dani does.

And, sure, I probably sound like an asshole, but at least I’m an honest one, right?

Take, for instance, the fact that none of my ex-girlfriends/dates/whatever you want to call them, really have anything bad to say about me. Except for the fact that I would never get really serious with any of them…and there were a couple that really wanted to drag me to the altar. Okay, or the sisters I so recently had dated, but that was a fluke! My sisters never let me forget it, either, and had taken to calling them twins, or twinsies every chance they got. And no, I didn’t date them at the same time. And they weren’t twins, by the way. Just so you know.

Well…Buffy may have something against me now that I turned her down for Dani. Or maybe she just has something against Dani because she threatened to get her fired. Who knows?

It was just after six when I knocked on Dani’s door. She opened it, motioning me in as she stepped back and held the door.

“Hey,” I said, leaning down and kissing her cheek as I ed her.

She looked at me warily and I just grinned.

“You ready?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I just have to put Kaden in his seat and grab his bag.”

“Do you want to take his crib-thing?” I asked, following behind her as she moved across the room.

She glanced over her shoulder at me. “His playpen?” she asked, pointing to it.

I nodded.

“Uh, I don’t think I’ll need it. He just got up from his nap, so he’ll probably be okay until we get back. Or he’ll fall asleep in the car on the way back here.”

“Are you sure?” I prodded.

She gave me a weird look. “Yeah, I’m sure. Why?”

I shrugged. “No reason. I just know that Emma and Jenna and Allie all bring everything under the sun when they go somewhere, including swings and the playpen thingy.”

“Thingy? Crib-thing?” she responded, laughing. “Not up to date on your baby paraphernalia, are you.”

I smirked. “Nope. I’m just the cool uncle, here to give them candy, love them unconditionally, and teach them bad habits.”

Dani picked Kaden up from the blanket on the floor he was rolling/crawling around on and turned to face me, her eyes widening comically. “I don’t know

that I want you around Kade, then, if you’re gonna teach him bad habits!” she said, jokingly.

I started to reach for the baby, to take him from her, but ed at the last second that my hands were still filthy from work. When I pulled back, she gave me another weird look.

“You can hold him,” she said, softly. “It’s okay.”

I smiled at her, holding up my hands for her to see. “I know, I just forgot that I need to clean up first.”

I saw her look at me, really taking in my appearance for what must have been the first time since I walked in.

“Wow. You’re really dirty!” she exclaimed, then flushed when I grinned at her.

I ducked my head, winking at her as I stared into her eyes and said, “You have no idea.”

She rolled her eyes and moved away to put the baby in his car seat, but I saw the smile she tried to hide.

As she strapped Kaden in, I told her, “Sorry I’m so dirty. I came directly from work, so I’ll have to jump in the shower when we get to my place, if you’re okay

being left alone for a few minutes.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she said, looping her arm through the carrier and hefting it up on her hip as she reached for the diaper bag and her purse.

“Wait a second,” I told her. Just let me wash my hands real quick and I’ll help you carry stuff. Okay?”

She nodded, so I did just that, coming back with clean(ish), dry hands and taking the baby from her. She hiked the bags up on her shoulder and patted her pocket, to check for her key card, I’m assuming, then motioned me towards the door. At the last second, she spun around. “You know, I think I will go ahead and take his playpen, just in case.”

She dropped the bags back down on the bed and make short work of taking down the playpen and stowing it into a carrying case, holding it in one hand while she swung the other bags up onto her shoulder again. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“Do you need me to carry that? I can get something else for you, if you want.”

She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ve got it.”

And with that, we were off.

A short time later, the car was unloaded and my living room now boasted a

playpen holding an assortment of baby toys and a happy baby, and a hot as hell woman on my couch, feet tucked under her as she watched Kaden play.

I was standing by the chair, watching her, mesmerized by the soft smile lighting her features as she stared at the little boy, the depth of her love for him radiating from her.

I shifted, and it must have caught her gaze. She looked over at me, her lips still curved in a smile, but I could see the question in her eyes.

“Sorry,” I said. “I, uh, I’m gonna go jump in the shower real quick. If you want, there’s a menu on the fridge for the best Chinese place in town, or there’s other menus in the drawer to the left, but you’ll probably want to order from the one on the fridge. Take a look, decide what you want and I’ll order it as soon as I’m done.”

She nodded, so I turned and disappeared down the hall, intent on taking the quickest shower known to man. In fact, it was probably the fastest I had ever showered in my life, which is saying something considering how I was always oversleeping and running late for the bus growing up, which inspired some record showering times. Or so I thought.

I walked back into the living room to see her looking over the menu she’d grabbed off the fridge.

“Decide what you want?’

She jumped a bit, glancing up at me with startled eyes. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me! I didn’t realize you were out of the shower yet.” She glanced at her watch, her eyes widening a little bit more. “Damn. That was fast!”

I shrugged one shoulder, trying to play it off like I didn’t rush, and sat down beside her.

“Let’s go ahead and order.” I grabbed my phone out of my pocket where I’d stashed it after I pulled on clean jeans and a simple grey t-shirt when I got out of the shower. I dialed the number, pausing before I hit the call button. “You want to order yours, or do you want me to do it?”

“You can,” she said. “Just get me…actually, I better do it. Just go ahead and order yours and then I’ll do mine.”

I hit the call button and when they answered, ordered my regular large order of beef lo mein, two egg rolls, and fried rice, and then handed her the phone. She ordered a large order of garlic chicken, ‘extra spicy, no veggies, add cashews,’ and then potstickers and an order of fried wonton.

When she hung up, she glanced at me, saying, “Fifteen minutes, it’ll be ready.” Her eyes narrowed. “And it better be good.”

My mouth opened to reassure her, but she smiled and laughed.

“I’m just kidding. So, how far is it to pick it up? I just need to put Kaden in his

car seat.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just go pick it up and you guys can wait here. No need to drag him out. Are you okay with that?” I asked her.

She nodded, reaching into her pocket. “Just let me give you some money-”

“Dani.”

She jerked her head to look at me as I cut her off. “No. I asked you to have dinner over here with me. My treat.”

“Calland, you bought my dinner last night. And I ordered a lot of food, so let me help pay for it.”

I shook my head, pulling my hands back as she tried to hand me money. I got up from the couch when she tried again, moving toward the door. I shoved my feet into my unlaced boots that I’d taken off when we came in and grabbed a sweatshirt that was hanging on the doorknob to the entryway closet, pulling it on.

“I got it. Just sit tight and I’ll be right back.”

With that, I slipped out the door, but then, shame-faced, had to go right back in to grab my keys off the kitchen counter where I’d tossed them earlier. Dani

laughed at me and, in a knee-jerk reaction, smart ass that I am, I flipped her off as I went back out the door. I heard her gasp as I closed it behind me and winced, realizing that my stupidity probably just pissed her off. But when I moved to open the door again, I heard her laughter, clear and sweet, ringing out through the closed door. I smiled, figuring if she was laughing then I hadn’t offended her and she didn’t hate me, so I left to get dinner.

When I got back, she had Kaden strapped into his car seat, using it as a makeshift high chair as she sat on the floor and fed him from small jars of green and purple goo. She looked up as I came in, depositing the bags of food on the coffee table beside her.

I grinned down at her, she grinned up at me.

And then she said, “Fuck you, too.”

I roared with laughter, startling the baby, making him jump. Thankfully, he just looked bewildered for a second and then smiled up at me, dribbling an alarmingly puce colored mess down his chin as he did so.

I emptied the bags out onto the table, separating our food and then going into the kitchen to get napkins and silverware as Dani finished feeding Kaden.

I called out to her, “Do you want something to drink?”

“Ice water, if you have it, please,” she called back.

I carried everything in to the living room as she wiped Kade’s face and hands off with a wet wipe and then got to her feet, gathering the dirty spoon and empty jars to take to the kitchen. She came back out and grabbed the diaper bag, heading back into the kitchen to make a bottle for Kade.

While she was gone, I unstrapped him from his seat and lifted him into my arms, settling back onto the couch. She came back in and I reached for the bottle, but she held it back.

“No, Calland. Go ahead and eat while your food is still hot. You worked all day so I know you’re probably starving.”

I motioned for the bottle again, but she shook her head. “I’ve got him. Just eat.”

I gave in, ing the baby to her, but made no move to eat.

Then she growled at me.

I glanced sideways at her, one eyebrow quirked. “Did you just growl at me?”

“Just EAT Calland!” she ordered.

“Okay, okay!” I laughed, throwing my hands up and placating her by picking up

a fork and taking a healthy bite of lo mein. “Happy now?” I said, mouth full.

“Ass,” she muttered, rolling her eyes and looking back down at the baby.

I plunked my lo mein back down on the table and reached for her chicken, stabbing a piece with my fork. I held my free hand under it to catch any sauce that dripped, calling her name as I moved the bite towards her mouth.

She blinked at me, her mouth opening automatically to take it, thankfully, not risking sauce-covered chicken being smashed into her face. She closed her lips over my fork and I swear I could feel it in my dick. I bit back a groan as I slid the tines free from her plump lips, her tongue darting out to catch a tiny dot of sauce left behind.

“Mmmm…” she said, huskily. “Okay. You were right. That’s pretty good Chinese food.”

I swallowed hard, turning back to fork up another bite for her to eat. She laughingly rejected it, telling me to eat once more, so I took the bite I held for her.

“Hey! Eat your own food,” she said, playfully, as she shifted Kaden to her shoulder to burp him.

I smiled and picked up my lo mein again, but I couldn’t get the image of her lips closing over my fork out of my mind. It conjured up other images, grittier

images of her on her knees, lips closing over the head of my-

I groaned and shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, shifting on the couch as things became…uncomfortable…and took a big bite of noodles, hoping to distract myself, but it didn’t work as my thoughts turned to the fact that her lips had just been wrapped around the fork I’d just put in my mouth. Goddamn, I wanted to fucking kiss her…

“Is it good?” I heard her ask.

I looked back at her, nodding as I chewed.

“Looks good,” she replied.

“Yes, it does,” I returned. But I wasn’t talking about my food.

Chapter 12

Dani

I finished up feeding Kaden his bottle and burping him before moving the playpen a little bit closer to where I was sitting on the couch. I put him in it to play with his toys so I could eat, eager to taste everything I’d ordered.

What can I say? I’m a Chinese food whore.

I grabbed a pair of chopsticks that Calland had tossed down on the table, slipping them out of the wrapper and breaking them apart before pinching a bite from the carton and bringing it to my mouth.

I moaned again, loving the spicy, savory sauce with the juicy chicken, and the crunch of the cashews. I ate with gusto, alternating from the chicken to the potstickers and the wontons, enjoying every bite.

I knew Calland was watching me; his eyes didn’t seem to leave my face for one second, which meant he hadn’t eaten much of his own food, yet, but I was halfway done.

“Do I have something on my face?” I asked him, reaching for a napkin and wiping my mouth.

He shook his head and finally looked away from me to take a bite of his own food.

“Then why do you keep staring at me instead of eating?”

His answer took my breath away.

“Because watching you eat, when you slide those damn sticks out from between your lips, and then lick them…you make me so fucking hard that I can’t look away.”

“Whuh?” I sputtered, feeling my cheeks flush, even as I felt a rush of moisture flood my core.

“Sorry,” he muttered, tossing down his fork and throwing himself back against the couch cushions.

I turned toward him, my hand finding his thigh and resting on it lightly. “You just, uh, kind of caught me off guard. That was…an honest answer.” I was trying to be diplomatic about it, but at the same time, I wanted to kiss him.

He made me feel desired, a feeling I hadn’t had in a long while, which made it even harder to try to keep my distance from him. It was getting hard to do and, honestly, I didn’t know that I wanted to anymore.

He let out a short, harsh laugh, shaking his head. “I promised to be your friend, to hang out, to be on my best behavior. Maybe not in those exact words, but I’m fucking it up by-”

I laid my finger on his lips, interrupting his words. “Shhh. It’s okay. You’re not fucking anything up.”

Our eyes met and held, and I felt my pulse kick up a notch. And then…I felt myself leaning towards him, his eyes widening slightly as I got closer and closer, until my lips pressed against his softly.

I lingered for just a second before I retreated, moving back to my seat.

Calland sat there watching me, eyes hooded, but I didn’t give him a chance to say anything.

“Just eat, Calland.”

I proceeded to follow my own order, tucking into my food once more, glancing over at him as I took a bite.

He grinned at me, a lazy, slow grin. “Yes, ma’am,” he drawled. “I have no problem following your orders as long as you kiss me like that.” He reached for his food again, tucking back into it with renewed gusto.

I sighed and kept on eating, trying to pretend that that little press of his lips on mine hadn’t curled my toes and made me want to devour him, which is exactly what had happened the first time he kissed me. And the time after that…

***

We were done eating, the evidence of our meal was cleaned up, and Kaden had been given a bath, put in clean pajamas, and had had his bedtime bottle. He was currently asleep on Calland’s chest, and Calland was kicked back on the opposite end of the couch from me, feet propped up on the coffee table, remote in his hand as he flipped through channels.

I was curled up on the other end of the couch, pretending to watch T.V., but really I was watching him. Besides, who could watch T.V. when it was only snippets of shows flashing by at a steady pace?

“Do you ever just watch something?’ I asked, breaking the silence.

He turned his head to look at me, his thumb stilling on the remote. “Yeah, but there’s hardly anything ever on at,” he paused, looking at the clock on the cable box display, “almost ten at night.”

I started, sitting up straight as I realized that we’d probably overstayed our welcome. “Oh my God, Calland, I’m so sorry! I should have driven myself over here so you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I didn’t realize it was so late and I’m sure you have to work tomorrow.”

Calland didn’t move other than to wave a hand at me, brushing me off.

“Don’t wave me off! It’s late and I know you need to sleep so you’re good for work tomorrow, especially since you do…whatever it is you do. What do you do, anyway?”

My curiosity got the better of me, right in the middle of my little tirade.

He answered me, humor evident in his words. “I work construction. I’m a foreman for my brother-in-law’s company. Leah’s husband, Ian.”

“Ahh,” I said, nodding. Then I jumped back into my argument. “But seriously, you have to work tomorrow, so…I think we need to get back to the hotel, then you can come home and get some sleep.”

He didn’t move.

“Calland,” I implored, softly.

“Stay,” he answered, just as soft.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he spoke over me.

“You can sleep in the guest room, and we can move the playpen in there. I won’t bother you, I swear. I’ll take you back to the hotel in the morning, or you can just hang out here all day until I get off work.”

I shook my head no automatically, but he wouldn’t let me answer him.

“Dani. You said you wished you weren’t staying in a hotel. Here’s your chance.” He paused and then gave me a look that could only be described as puppy dog eyes.

It was so adorable. But still.

“Calland, seriously. We-”

“We just met, we hardly know each other, you have things to do, I know,” he interrupted me. “It’s been five days, we’ve seen each other every day since we met, even though it wasn’t really planned, but it worked out awesomely,” he grinned as he said that, then continued, “You’re safe with me. You know it, and plus, the baby’s already asleep. You don’t want to drag him out this late in the cold night air, do you? And I know you’ve got everything you need for him in that monstrous diaper bag, so don’t bother using that as an excuse, either.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, thumping my head back against the couch cushions.

“You know you want to…” he cajoled.

And I did. I just couldn’t let myself. Could I?

I started reasoning with myself in my head, and it all went round and round in the same vicious circle, again and again. It was the same argument that I’d had ever since I’d met the infuriating man. I’d already given in and agreed to go out with him. I’d been spending time with him every day since I met him, just like he said. I’d done everything I said I wouldn’t.

So fuck it. Again. My new favorite words, apparently. Would it be that bad for me to stay? Would it be the end of the world?

No. Probably not.

Would it distract me even further from what I was doing here?

Yes. Probably.

Did I care?

Maybe. I didn’t know anymore.

Honestly, I think the most important question for me to ask myself was, could I trust myself around him?

Big. Fat. No.

But fuck it. Fuck. It.

I was staying.

“Fine.”

I whispered it, but I knew he heard me. I swear I saw his ears perk up like a dog’s and it would have been comical if I didn’t have that feeling washing over me. The feeling like I’d just sealed my fate with one word, had just changed the entire course of my life without the intention of doing so.

It was scary.

It was freeing.

It was done.

“You’re very fond of that word, I’m finding,” he answered, his words soft, his smile anything but.

I just stared at him, swallowing hard, my breathing rapid. I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest, especially when he didn’t say anything more, just stood carefully. I watched him as he moved around the coffee table and stopped by the playpen, Kaden cradled against his chest.

He looked down at the playpen and then jerked his head down the hallway.

I blinked up at him.

He sighed. “Dani. Bring the playpen and come on. Let’s get him settled in the guest room.”

It was my turn to sigh as I stood and complied, removing the toys and sitting them on the coffee table for the moment as I broke down the playpen so I could move it easily down the hall and into the bedroom.

He led the way and stood silently by my side as I snapped it all back into place, and went about settling the baby down for the night, relinquishing Kaden to me only after he’d placed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

It melted my heart, but I tried not to let him see that.

I left the door cracked so I could hear him if he woke up and followed Calland back to the living room, automatically picking Kade’s toys up from where I left them and packing them back in the bag I’d brought them in. I straightened the room up after that, which didn’t take long, and left me with nothing else to do but finally look at Calland.

And that was something I’d been trying to avoid since there was no baby buffer between us any longer.

He was leaning against the end of the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the living room, arms crossed over his chest, watching me.

I was standing by the couch, twisting my fingers together restlessly, so unsure of myself for the first time in…well, forever. I hadn’t had time for insecurity or hesitation in so long, it was an alien feeling and I didn’t like it.

He straightened and came toward me. I tried to step back, but had nowhere to go, since the couch was behind me. So I sat, trying to make it look like that’s what I intended all along, not like I was trying to retreat from him.

He smiled, a predatory smile that let me know he knew just what I was trying to do, and had my heart racing again. He sat down on the opposite end of the couch, where he was sitting earlier. Only this time, he didn’t kick back and relax. No, this time, he reached for me, hauling me against his chest as he shifted until he was lying down with me sprawled on top of him.

I struggled, trying to sit up, stilling only when he groaned out, “Jesus, Dani, settle down before you un-man me!”

He shifted carefully, moving both of us so that my knee was no longer in danger of damaging the family jewels, which left him on his back and me stretched out full length along-side him, pressed between the hardness of his body and the back of the couch, my head pillowed on his shoulder.

Acting like it was the most natural thing in the world to be lying there like that,

he smiled at me, then reached for the remote. “Wanna watch a movie?”

Chapter 13

Calland

She stayed silent, her body tense against mine, and I could feel her heart pounding against my chest.

And me? I flipped through channels like my life depended on it, waiting for her to answer my inane question about watching a movie, all the while pretending that it wasn’t taking every inch of self-control that I possessed to not strip her naked and ravage every inch of her body with my hands, tongue, teeth, and cock until she was screaming out in uncontrolled ecstasy.

But I didn’t.

And because I didn’t, I could feel her starting to relax against me, her body becoming more pliable and soft as it molded to mine. She settled against me, her arm lightly coming to rest across my stomach, her leg shifting carefully (and thank God for that) until her thigh was draped over mine, her knee resting on my other thigh.

“Um…Calland?”

I felt myself jerk as her voice startled me from my thoughts, and smiled when she giggled softly.

“Are we going to watch something or are you just gonna keep flipping through channels like crazy?” she asked, lightly.

“I, uh…what do you want to watch?” I asked her, answering her question with one of my own.

I felt her shrug, then her head shifted as she looked up at me, but I kept my face averted.

“I don’t know. But don’t you need sleep for work tomorrow?”

I turned my head slightly, and suddenly we were eye to eye, nose to nose. I could feel her breath washing lightly over my lips, and I realized that if I were to lean in, just a little, we’d be kissing.

Her eyes widened and I smiled, knowing that she’d just come to that same realization.

She gasped…it was almost silent, but I heard it. I felt it.

So I did it. I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.

Softly.

Once…twice…and on the third time, I felt her mumble something against my mouth. Something that sounded suspiciously like, ‘Fuck it.’

Then I could only growl as she took over. She pressed her lips to mine harder, before opening and taking the kiss deeper, forcing my mouth open with her tongue, sweeping inside and stealing my breath with her wildness.

Without breaking the kiss, she slid over until she was completely on top of me, her thighs falling open on either side of mine, breasts flattened against my chest, the heat between her thighs searing the rock hard flesh straining the front of my jeans as she writhed against me.

On a low moan, she moved from my lips, placing hot, wet, open mouthed kisses down my jaw to my neck, sucking on the flesh there before sinking her teeth in and nipping sharply. It was my turn to gasp, but, as much as I didn’t want to stop this, I needed to make sure that this was really what she wanted.

I slid my hands up her arms, cupping her shoulders and lightly pushing her back. She immediately backed off, sitting up so that she was straddling me, her eyes hooded and dark with ion.

“Calland…” she breathed, running her hands over my chest and circling her hips, grinding her sex against mine.

“Fuuuuuck,” I groaned, my hips jerking up into her reflexively. “Dani, baby, wait. I just-”

She rolled her hips again, throwing her head back and letting out a breathy sigh, right before she spoke probably the hottest words I’d ever heard.

“No…I don’t want to wait. I’m not fighting it anymore. Make me feel good, Calland, please.”

I gathered her in my arms and sat up. Then, in a fluid motion, I stood. She wrapped her legs around me, burying her face in my neck, as I strode toward the hall, heading for the bedroom, flipping lights off as I went, leaving only the hall light on to see by.

But when we ed the guest room, her head came up and she asked me to wait. I stopped, letting her slide down my body until her feet touched the floor. She looked up at me and I waited…waited for the regret to come, for her to change her mind. I wouldn’t blame her, and I wouldn’t be mad. At all. Would I be jerking off in the shower in the next ten minutes, though? Hell. Yes.

But it didn’t come. She didn’t change her mind.

“I just want to check on him real quick, okay?”

I nodded, unable to reply at the moment.

I waited for her in the hallway, but I didn’t have to wait long. She was back in front of me quickly, her arms sliding around my waist as she pressed herself against me.

I looked down at her. She smiled up at me.

“Are you sure?” I asked, softly, my hand coming up to cup her cheek.

She nodded, turning her face into my hand, kissing my palm before she said, “Very sure.”

The words were scarcely out of her mouth before I had her up in my arms again, kissing her as I started moving towards the bedroom. I stumbled through the door, our mouths fused in a tongue-tangling frenzy, not stopping until I felt the edge of the bed press against my legs. I tore my lips from hers and dropped her to the mattress, intent on following her down, but she scrambled to her knees and put her hands up against my chest.

I leaned forward, trying to capture her mouth again, but she held me off, shaking her head as she looked up at me through lowered lashes, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth.

It was sexy as hell. It made my already painfully hard dick throb even more.

She ran her hands up and down my chest, circling down to my stomach, and then pushed them under the hem of my shirt. Before I could blink, she had it up and off, and her hands were on the waistband of my jeans, popping open the button and carefully sliding the zipper down.

“Dani,” I growled, reaching for her again, but she still denied me.

She slipped her hands into the waistband at my hips and pushed my jeans down, her breath hissing through her teeth as she encountered bare flesh. “Commando, hmm?” she breathed.

I couldn’t speak. Especially when she shifted from her knees so she was sitting in front of me, her hands sliding my pants to my knees as my cock sprung free, bobbing straight and painfully hard in her face. Especially when she nuzzled it, rubbing her cheek along its length before tracing her lips over it.

Especially when she closed her mouth around it, sucking me deep and then swirling her tongue around the head as she slid her lips back up, releasing me with an audible pop.

“Mmmm,” she moaned, throatily.

I let out a shaky breath as I moved my hands to her head, sliding my fingers into her silky, thick waves, where they immediately clenched as she pulled me back into her mouth. She brought her hands up, sliding them up my thighs and then running her nails back down them, making me shudder at the contrast between the sweet, hot suction of her mouth, and the biting press of her nails scoring my skin.

But when she cupped my balls in one hand, squeezing firmly but gently just as she stretched her lips wide and took me to the back of her throat, swallowing around me, I let out a hoarse yell and tugged on her hair. She released me, blinking up at me, lips wet and swollen, a question in her eyes.

I untangled my hands from her head and pulled her to her feet before pushing

her back onto the bed. “There’s time for that still, baby, but the first time I come with you, it’s going to be while I’m buried deep inside you.”

Her lips parted on a gasp, and she sat up, stripping her shirt off quickly and then reaching behind her to unclasp her bra, sliding it down and off her shoulders before throwing it across the room the same way she had her shirt.

I stood back and watched, my hands itching to touch every inch of her creamy, flawless, ink-covered skin, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Off the way she touched her own body without hesitation, cupping her supple breasts, tweaking her nipples as if she couldn’t bear not to. But I sprang into action when her hands headed south, stopping her before she could shuck her jeans off.

“No,” I growled. “Let me.”

Her hands stilled when I leaned forward and grasped her hips, tugging her to the end of the bed right before I unbuttoned her jeans and jerked them down and off, tossing them over my shoulder. She was left in nothing but a scrap of lace dampened with the evidence of her desire.

“So beautiful,” I murmured, my fingers lightly tracing the edge of her panties, but not moving past the barrier.

Her hips arched, following the path of my hand, but I still didn’t touch her.

“God, Calland,” she moaned. “Touch me. Please.”

So I did. I let my hands rove over her skin, skimming up her stomach, circling her breasts, and running them softly back down her sides before I hooked my fingers into the sides of her panties, drawing them down over her hips, baring her to my gaze.

And bare she was.

I let out a ragged breath as I dropped to my knees, stripping her panties the rest of the way off and spreading her legs wide. She had the prettiest pussy I’d ever seen. Clean-shaven, perfectly pink, and sparkling with wetness that I was dying to taste. So I did.

I held her open with my hands on her thighs, keeping them spread wide as I leaned in and placed an open mouthed kiss at the top of her sex, sucking lightly on her tender flesh before tracing the seam of her slit with the tip of my tongue, groaning as I inhaled her sweet, musky, womanly scent. She sighed, arching into the barely there touch of my mouth, wordlessly entreating me to give her more.

I pushed my tongue deeper, dragging it through her slick folds and up, circling the hardened nub of her clit once, twice, and again before licking back down to her dripping entrance. She whimpered, her hips moving restlessly. My control broke then, and I speared my tongue into her, driving it deep into her honeyed warmth, moaning as the tangy-sweet taste of her flooded my senses. She cried out, bucking against my face as I fucked her with my tongue, plunging and retreating, hard, fast, and frenzied.

Her hands shot to my head, her fingers twisting painfully in my hair as she held on, her grip tightening as she tried to pull me closer, reaching desperately for her release. I moved one hand up just enough that I could use my thumb on her clit, but one touch was all it took. She detonated, coming apart under my mouth and hand, a strangled scream breaking free as she shuddered through her orgasm.

I slowed my thrusts, gentled my tongue, and let her float back down to earth as I lapped up every drop of her release before dropping a final tongue-swirling kiss on her clit, making her arch up into my mouth once more as aftershocks rolled through her.

She finally went limp beneath me, chest heaving with panting breaths. I rose from the floor and carefully slid her up in the bed before coming down over her, loving the feel of her bare skin against mine.

I nuzzled her neck and moved up the line of her jaw with my lips, seeking her kiss. Her mouth sought mine immediately, opening up and tasting herself on my tongue.

“Mmmm…” she moaned helplessly, twining her tongue with mine and sucking on it briefly before pulling away to nip sharply at my bottom lip. “That was… wow,” she said, languid satisfaction coloring her words. But then she moved restlessly beneath me, lifting her legs to curl them around my hips. I felt the head of my cock nestle against her folds, branding me with her silken heat as my hips jerked forward, sliding harder against her.

“Yes, please,” she cried. “Inside, Calland, now.”

I pushed away from her just enough to reach the drawer of my nightstand to grab a condom. I had it opened and rolled on in record time before I notched myself against her again, letting the head of my dick just barely penetrate her entrance.

Her eyes drifted closed and her lips parted on a sigh as I sank a bit deeper, feeling her stretch around me, the tight walls of her pussy clenching, trying to draw me in further. “Jesus, you’re tight,” I groaned, sliding out a bit and sinking in again, working my way inside with short, steady strokes.

Her legs tightened around me as she lifted her hips in a sharp thrust, impaling herself so that my length was fully seated inside her, buried to the hilt. She let out a gasping cry, but didn’t loosen her hold on me. I stilled, afraid I’d hurt her, giving her time to adjust to my size.

“Okay?” I whispered against her lips as I brought my mouth to hers, kissing her

gently.

She nodded, gradually relaxing against me. “Just been a while.”

Our mouths met in a leisurely kiss that quickly deepened. As our tongues mated wildly, she arched into me again, rolling her hips beneath me and clutching me even tighter within her tight, hot body. I responded, grinding my pelvis against hers before slipping almost all the way out of her and sinking back in. When she moaned, long and low and deep, I did it again and again, thrusting into her with slow, steady, and deep strokes.

She threw her head back, her hands going to my shoulders, her fingernails biting into my skin as she lost herself to the rhythm, but she still gave as good as she got. She moved with me, meeting every stroke of my hips, urging me on with her hands, her legs, and the sexy sounds escaping her throat.

And it only got better as she met my gaze, teeth bared as she gritted out, “Harder. Faster. Fuck me, Calland!”

I couldn’t have refused if I wanted to. I slammed into her, grunting as the sound of flesh slapping flesh filled the room, fucking into her harder, faster, deeper. I reared back, bracing my hands on the mattress as I quickened my pace, pounding into her with reckless abandon until I felt her fluttering around me.

“Let go, Dani. Come for me,” I groaned out, knowing that my own release was not far behind.

She came almost immediately, her pussy closing around me like a velvet fist, contracting in waves that had me jetting into her over and over again as she milked me, wringing every last drop from my cock.

I stayed pressed fully inside her for a minute, trying to catch my breath enough to move before I slipped out of her, dropping a quick, hard kiss on her lips as I stood and went to take care of the condom.

She hadn’t moved when I got back, her chest still rising and falling rapidly, eyes closed, faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. I laid down beside her, gathering her in my arms and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She burrowed into me, her soft, smooth thigh slipping between mine, her arms twining around me, her lips brushing my chest.

I held her like that, my fingertips tracing her spine, memorizing the feel of her against me.

It felt good. No, more than good.

It felt right.

It felt like something I’d never felt before.

And that scared the hell out of me.

Chapter 14

Dani

Ho. Ly. Fuck.

I burrowed into Calland, kissing his chest just simply because I couldn’t stop myself.

I let him hold me, and I held him, as I willed my pulse back to normal. My heart was pounding, and it wasn’t all from exertion.

My mind was going a mile a minute, no matter how soothing his fingertips were as they traced my skin. Thoughts jumbled together, and an endless parade of questions stomped through my brain.

What now?

What the fuck did I just do?

Can we do it again?

“Where’d you go?”

“Hmm?” I asked, tipping my head back so I could see his face.

He looked down at me. “You’re here with me, but your mind isn’t. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I answered, softly. “Just…thinking.”

His eyes searched mine, looking for what, I wasn’t sure.

“No regrets?” he whispered, his forehead furrowing with concern.

I shook my head immediately. “No! I just…I…where do we go from here?” I rolled to my back, not exactly moving away from him, but putting a little distance between us.

He hooked his hand around my hip and pulled me back into him so that he was leaning over me, chest pressed to my side, his head propped up on his hand, staring down at me. “What do you mean?”

I sighed. “I mean, what now? Do I keep trying, or at least pretending, to keep you at arm’s length after you just fucked me ten ways to Sunday…or do I just write it off as a one-time thing that can’t happen again because I’ve got too much going on that I need to focus on? Do you drop me and Kaden off at the hotel in the morning with a wave because I gave in and you finally got what you wanted and then never call me again? What?”

I was cringing on the inside as my mouth spewed the words rattling around in my thoughts, but I couldn’t reign them in. It was like I was set on self-destruct, and I had no idea how to turn it off. And honestly, I knew, if I really thought about it, that I didn’t mean any of it, that he wasn’t like that, despite his playboy reputation.

I chanced a peek at Calland to see him staring down at me, his face dark and scowling in the dim light spilling in from the hallway through the partially opened door. Before I could turn away again, he caught my chin in his fingers, forcing me to keep looking directly at him.

I could see the muscles ticking in his jaw and realized that he was angry. Scratch that, he looked fucking pissed, which definitely made me nervous. But it was justified.

I opened my mouth to speak, to try and defuse the situation but he cut me off.

“Don’t.”

His tone was harsh.

“Do not lie there and try to convince yourself that I’m that much of an asshole that I’d do something like that. I gave you the chance to tell me to leave, ? You said fine, and I gave you the choice for that to mean me walking away and leaving you the hell alone, or for it to mean that you’d let me in, let me be your friend, maybe more, wherever that took us. Fuck! Do you think I would have taken you to my sister’s if all I wanted was to get in your fucking pants?”

I shook my head, my mouth opening and closing, but no words would come. Panic and shame washed over me and I rolled to my side, scrambling to get off the bed and away from him as tears welled in my eyes. But he grabbed for me, holding me down beside him.

“Dani, stop. Look at me.”

I blinked rapidly, trying to will the tears away from my eyes before I did as he asked. He stared down at me, and it took everything I had to not look away again.

“I wouldn’t. You know that. I know you do. I also know that you’re strong and independent, and you blow hot and cold quicker than Ohio’s weather.”

I scowled at him, unsure where he was going with this, but it sounded like it was headed more towards insulting than anything.

He continued, “You’re willful and sarcastic, secretive and sassy, and maddening as hell. But underneath all that, you’re sweet and soft, so giving and warm. And scared. Scared to let anyone in, and I don’t blame you for that, because I don’t know your past. Am I hoping to have the chance to know about it? For you to let me in and trust me with everything? Hell yes, I am. But I’m not going to push you, just like I told you before.”

I stayed silent, but my heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it.

“Let me qualify that a bit. I won’t push you for your secrets. But, I’m done letting you push me away. You’ve gotten under my skin more in the past five days than anyone else I’ve ever known. And newsflash, Dani-girl, I’ve felt you writhing on my tongue and on my dick, and no way in hell am I finished with you. Got it?”

Heat curled through me at his words. I nodded, but he wasn’t done.

“For as long as you’re here, for as long as I can have you, you’re mine.”

When the silence stretched out between us, I realized that he was done speaking. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him staking his claim on me, but I did know that I was one hundred percent done fighting him on it. I’d told myself that before, but this time, I knew it was the truth.

“I’m sorry, Calland,” I whispered. “I know that’s not what would have happened, I just…” A short, helpless laugh broke free and I shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

He leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss on my lips before he rolled away and got up to turn the hall light out. He came back in, coming to stand beside the bed, reaching out to pat my hip. “Up. Get under the covers, Dani. You’re sleeping in here with me.”

I complied, and he made short work of pulling the blankets back and then settling us in the bed, cradling me in his arms with my head on his chest. I was nodding off when he spoke again. “You’re staying with me, too. We’ll go

tomorrow and get the rest of your stuff, including your car. Yeah?”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I nodded again.

“I want to hear you say it out loud, Dani.”

“Okay. Fine, Calland. I’ll stay.”

He chuckled. “Fine, again. Gotta come up with a better word, babe.”

I smiled against his skin as my eyes closed and I let sleep claim me.

***

I woke up in the morning, still naked, tucked into Calland’s bed.

But he wasn’t in it with me.

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand and sat up when I saw that it was almost seven in the morning. I threw back the covers and got up, searching the floor for my clothes. I found Calland’s t-shirt first, so I threw that on and sped down the hallway to check on Kaden. He was usually up by now and I hadn’t heard him once.

I peeked into the guest room to see if he was still sleeping, but the playpen was empty, so I moved into the living room, figuring that Calland must have Kaden, though that thought did little to calm the panic building in my chest.

Thankfully, my assumption was right. Calland was leaning over a smiling Kaden, talking to him as he changed his diaper on the couch.

He must have heard me coming, though, because he spoke to me without looking away from the baby. “Sleep well?”

I cleared my throat. “Uh, yeah. Yes, thanks. You?”

“Yep. But you snore.”

“I do not snore!” I cried indignantly, but then embarrassment flooded my cheeks. Did I snore?

He chuckled as he finished snapping Kaden back into his pajamas, lifting him against his chest and kissing his cheek before holding him up for me to take.

I smiled down into his little face. “Good morning, little man!” I said brightly. “Did you sleep good, buddy?”

I brought him to my chest and cuddled him as he babbled to me, then winced as his fingers caught a lock of my hair and yanked gleefully.

“I didn’t hear him cry,” I told Calland as I tried to free my hair from the baby’s fist.

“He didn’t,” he replied, walking by me to throw away the dirty diaper. “I checked on him when I got up and he was still sleeping. But when I peeked in on him after I got out of the shower, he was just lying there, playing with his toes. So, we hung out for a minute, ate some cereal. You know, guy stuff.”

I glanced down at Calland’s body, just noticing the fact that he was freshly showered and fully dressed for work, boots included.

“Wait. You fed Kade, too?”

Calland nodded.

“What did you feed him?” I asked suspiciously.

He sighed, giving me an are-you-serious look. “Cereal. I just told you that. He had cereal with applesauce and a bottle. And by the way, that cereal shit is nasty. You know, just in case you ever get curious and want to try it.”

I snorted, trying to cover my laughter. “You ate some of his cereal?”

He shook his head. “Nah. Learned my lesson on that one. Tried it once when I was watching my niece. Now, banana baby food…that’s the shit.”

I laughed out loud that time. “So, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you fed and changed the baby, then? But you could have gotten me up. I don’t want you to be late. What time do you have to be at work?” I asked.

He looked at the clock on the wall. “Gotta leave here in about ten minutes, so if you want me to drop you off at the hotel to get your stuff, then you better get dressed.” He looked back at me, his eyes roving over my body, lingering on my bare legs and feet. “Or not. I like the look of you in my shirt.”

His voice had dropped and his eyes had darkened. My body responded immediately, and he did not miss the way my nipples hardened beneath the thin fabric covering them. He hummed appreciatively and stepped toward me, but I backed away.

“No, you have to go to work. And yes, if you don’t mind, just let me change real quick and bundle him into his car seat so you can take us back to the hotel. I’ll meet you here when you get off work, if you just tell me what time.”

His head was moving, negating my words before I even finished speaking. “I’ll drop you off, you load up, and then just come on back. I’ll give you my key.”

I looked up at him. “Calland, are you sure you want us to stay here?” I asked, hesitantly.

“Dani,” he growled, warningly, his eyes narrowing on me.

“Okay, okay,” I muttered, stepping towards him and handing Kaden to him. “Here. Put him in his car seat, will you? I’ll be right back.”

A short while later, the baby and I were back at the hotel, and I was packing everything up while Kaden played on the floor.

Calland hadn’t let me out of his truck until I kissed him, and then had made me blush when he’d murmured to me, “You think I fucked you ten ways to Sunday last night. I’ll make it twenty ways to Tuesday tonight, okay?”

I was looking forward to it.

But I didn’t tell him that.

I kept thinking of his words as I worked, shaking my head at myself, at everything that had happened in the past few days.

A knock at the door broke me out of my reverie. I finished zipping up my suitcase and went to answer it, surprised to see Emma on the other side.

“Uh, hi,” I said, cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

She grinned at me before slipping past me into the room. I closed the door behind her and turned to see her already scooping Kaden up off the floor and into her arms, talking to him happily. She kissed his cheek and turned back to me, finally answering, “Calland called me this morning. Said you’d need some help loading things up, especially since you have this handsome little fella. So, I dropped Everly off with Allie, and here I am!”

“Oh. Uhh…thanks?” It came out sounding like a question and I hurriedly backtracked, not wanting her to think I was ungrateful or…you know, an asshole. “I mean, thank you, really. That’s really nice of you, but seriously, if you have other things you need to do…”

“Nope!” she said, brightly. “I’m all yours.” She paused for a second and then tipped her head, giving me a stern look. “So you’re staying with my brother, now, huh?” She shook her head, disappointment crossing her features. “Damn. And I had such high hopes that you’d serve him his balls on a platter.”

“I, well…uh…ummm…” I stammered, not sure what to say to that, but then she laughed, lightly slapping me on the shoulder.

“I’m teasing you, chickie. I have a feeling that he’s met his match with you, so I’m pretty stoked to see how this plays out,” she said, gleefully.

“Emma,” I replied, cautiously. “I don’t know about being anyone’s match. I don’t know where this is going, and I don’t know how long I’ll be around, so…”

She waved me off, her eyes twinkling as she just smiled and said, “We’ll see.”

Loading the car was so much easier with Emma’s help; she stayed up with Kaden in the room as I took everything down, which was a breeze considering I didn’t have a baby on my hip as I made my trips back and forth. I’d gotten pretty used to it, since I’d been doing this on my own since the beginning, but yeah. It was definitely nice to have some help. The only time Emma had stopped me during the process was when I’d pulled my guitar case out of the closet area.

“Ooh, you play?” she’d asked, her eyes sparkling.

I’d shrugged. “Yeah. A little. Bass is my main love, though. Do you play?”

“Nah,” she’d answered. “But I like to sing, and I love music, especially live music, so now I get to badger you until you play for me sometime!”

I hadn’t said anything else about it, and neither had she.

By noon, I was completely checked out of the hotel, and was heading back to Calland’s house, with Emma following behind me in her car. I tried to tell her that I’d manage from there on out, but she wouldn’t hear of it. In fact, she was weirdly adamant about it, and I didn’t want to argue with her.

I found out why when we got there.

Calland’s door was open, and there was a petite brunette standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear as she waved at me.

What the hell was Allie doing there?

I’d barely gotten my car in park before the back door swung open and Emma had Kaden out, walking briskly toward the door where Allie was waiting. I followed at a more sedate pace, not even bothering to pull anything out of the car, yet. I was too curious to see what was going on.

By the time I got inside, Allie had Kaden out of his seat and in her arms, but I didn’t see Emma anywhere. I turned to see if she was in the kitchen, but heard her calling my name from down the hallway, so I went that way, instead. Allie followed me, practically bouncing on her heels as she did.

I found Emma in the guest room, and then gasped as I realized just what Allie had been doing while I was gone.

“Oh my God, you guys!” I cried, looking at both of them in disbelief. “Why… how…?”

They both only grinned at me as I looked back and forth between them and what Allie had done. The playpen had been broken down and was in its carrying case, sitting in the corner. A crib, complete with mattress and bedding, was sitting in its place.

Emma spoke up first. “We thought you might like to use this while you’re here. That way you don’t have to keep moving the playpen around if you needed it in the living room and then have to put it back in here for the night.”

I was touched by their thoughtfulness, more so than they knew. Tears welled in my eyes and I tried to blink them back, but it was in vain. They spilled over, tracking down my cheeks unchecked.

“Oh, shit…” I heard Allie whisper as Emma rushed over and wrapped me in a hug.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried. “I didn’t mean to upset you…Allie and I just wanted to do something nice for you, for the baby while you’re here. We can take it down, seriously!”

I pulled away from her hug, shaking my head vigorously. “No! That’s not it! I’m not upset at all. In fact, I can’t thank you guys enough for this…both of you, you don’t know how guilty I’ve felt about Kaden sleeping in the playpen every night rather than his crib, but with the hotels and traveling…”

Allie came over and gave me a one-armed hug, Kaden still held in her other. “You don’t have to feel guilty. Trust me, we understand traveling with little ones. The bedding is an extra set I had that I hadn’t even opened yet-”

“Yeah, because you bought a hundred other ones, too,” Emma muttered, half under her breath.

Allie scowled at her, then continued as if she hadn’t been interrupted. “And the crib is an extra one that my mom had at her house. She turned my old room into a nursery when I was pregnant with Liam and decided that it needed two cribs just in case I had twins.” She rolled her eyes, but I could tell that it was done affectionately.

“Thank you. Really.” I gave them a watery smile and wiped my tears away, but then my eyes narrowed as I looked at both of them in turn.

“Wait a second. Emma, you said you dropped Everly off to Allie so you could help me. Where’re the kids?”

Allie grinned. “She did drop Everly off, and I brought her and Liam over here with me. But now they’re with Jackson, because my husband is awesome and took them with him when he left here after bringing the crib over and putting it together.” She winked at me and cocked her hip, tipping her head saucily. “I am pregnant, you know. Makes it easy to order my big, brawny, sexy man around.”

Emma choked out a laugh. “Yeah, like you needed an excuse.”

Allie just shrugged one shoulder, still grinning like crazy. “What can I say? He loves me. Besides, you would have done the same thing, pregnant or not, if Luke didn’t have that appointment he couldn’t miss.”

It was Emma’s turn to shrug and then nod her agreement.

Kaden put his own two cents in by screeching loudly and flailing his hands at Allie, making us all laugh. I took him from her, patting his bottom affectionately. “I think that’s my cue to get some lunch into this one, but I need to get his high chair out of the car first.”

Emma spoke up, suggesting, “Why don’t you and I go unload the car and bring all your stuff in, get you situated? Allie can feed Kade for you. If you don’t mind, that is.”

I opened my mouth and shut it just as quick when Emma butted in sarcastically, saying, “And don’t you dare ask if we’re sure.” She took the baby from me and plopped him into Allie’s waiting arms once more.

I threw my hands up, giving in graciously with a smile. “Not gonna ask! But okay, sure. Sounds like a plan.”

So that’s what we did. I ran out and grabbed the portable high chair so Allie could go ahead and get Kaden fed, and then Emma and I started unloading the rest. Before long, the minimal groceries that I’d had at the hotel had been put away in Calland’s kitchen, our suitcases were emptied into the dresser and then stowed in the guest room closet, and the playpen had been relegated back to the living room to be used as nothing more than a playpen again.

Once that was all done, Kaden had gone down for a nap and the girls had left, leaving me alone in Calland’s house with nothing to do. I checked the kitchen, noting that I’d probably need to go to the store, and then pulled out my laptop and did some work to try and the time, but couldn’t concentrate on anything.

I was wasting time. I needed to figure out my next move, see if I was right.

And work up the courage to do something about it.

Chapter 15

Calland

It was almost seven by the time I made it home, which definitely darkened my mood. Especially because of the reason I was running late to begin with, but seeing Dani’s car sitting in a parking spot out front went a long way to brightening it.

And it lightened considerably more when I walked in the door to see Kaden playing in a thing I think my sisters called an exer-saucer or something, and Dani standing at the breakfast bar, stirring something in a bowl, swinging her hips as she sang a song that sounded suspiciously like Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass.

I kicked off my boots quietly and stood behind her, watching every movement of her hips. She turned, her eyes going wide as her voice cracked on a surprised, “Oh!”

“And you sing, too? God, could you get any hotter?” I quipped, moving closer to her. Using the tip of one finger, I tilted her head back and dropped a quick, hard kiss on her lips, murmuring, “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” she replied.

Her cheeks were flushed and she fidgeted self-consciously as she tried to change the subject. “I made dinner…wasn’t sure what time you’d be home, so I already ate, and Kaden had his dinner, too. I tried to wait, but…”

I kissed her again, letting her off the hook about the singing thing as I looked down into the bowl she was stirring. “That’s fine. I’m usually home by now, but ran into some trouble on the job site today. But, uh…is that my dinner?”

I gave the thick brown sludge she was stirring a skeptical look.

She nodded solemnly, but I saw her lips twitch and called her out on it. “Bullshit, babe. What the hell is that?”

She laughed. “Brownies. I’m making brownies. You okay with that?”

“Being my dinner?” I replied. “Hell yeah, I’m good with that.”

“No, ass. Your dinner is in the oven. I made lasagna.”

“Damn, I think I got the good end of the deal with you staying here. Hot dinner, hot woman, and hot dessert. Nice!” I thought for a second, then asked, “I had all the stuff for lasagna and brownies?”

She didn’t reply right away as she moved to the counter by the stove and poured the batter into a pan, then opened the oven and pulled out the lasagna before sliding the brownies in. “No, I ran to the store when Kade got up from his nap. Did you even finish shopping the other day?” She grabbed a plate from the cabinet and scooped a healthy helping of lasagna onto it, then slid it in front of me at the breakfast bar where I was standing. “Here, eat while it’s hot.”

I held my hands up to her, commenting, “Yeah, just let me wash my hands at least, then I’ll just shower after I eat.”

A little while later, I had eaten, showered, and was sitting on the couch enjoying a warm brownie and watching Dani playing on the floor with Kaden. It all felt weirdly domesticated, which gave rise to a slight twinge of panic, since that was a feeling I’d given wide berth before now.

But it also felt…nice. Homey.

Dani and I hadn’t talked much since I’d gotten home, and she hadn’t mentioned anything about Allie and Emma, so I hedged a little, trying to feel her out. “Did you get everything moved over here okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” she answered, glancing at me once and then looked away again to play peek-a-boo with the baby.

I tried again. “Did my sister help you out?” Okay, so that was a little more direct than I intended, but Jesus.

She nodded, and this time when she looked at me, I noticed her sly grin.

I blew out a breath and chuckled, telling her, “It’s like pulling teeth trying to get anything out of you.”

She nodded once more and then finally gave in. “Yes, thank you for asking her to help me. It was a lot easier to do without having to lug him around on my hip as I did it. Plus, it was super sweet of them to bring the crib over for him to sleep in while we’re here. So…really. Thanks.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Dani. I told you I wanted to help.”

We lapsed into companionable silence for a moment, but Kaden started to get a little fussy. She stood, scooping him up as she said, “I’m gonna give him a bath real quick and then he’ll be ready for his bottle and bed. You staying up for a while?”

I glanced at the clock, giving her an odd look. “It’s not even nine.”

“Yeah, I know,” she replied. “But you were up late last night and early this morning…”

Her cheeks flushed bright pink and I wanted to pull her into my arms, but I refrained. “Just bring him out here to me when you’re done. I’ll give him his bottle.”

She inclined her head in acknowledgement and disappeared down the hall. I flipped through channels, but didn’t pay attention to anything but the low murmur of Dani’s voice as she talked to Kade while she bathed him. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but I could hear him splashing and babbling happily, his fussiness a thing of the past.

I found myself tossing down the remote and walking down the hall to the bathroom, propping myself up in the doorway as I watched Dani with Kaden.

Every time he did something, the slightest smile, a wave of his hand, whatever, her face would light up and she would laugh, the sound joyful and bright. I realized then and there that this was just another piece of her that had been hiding. I’d made her laugh, seen her smile, and God knows the effect it had had on me; but this…this was different. This was when I saw her completely carefree, truly happy, and totally in love with that little boy.

And it had an effect on me, for sure. But in a different area of my body, this one decidedly north of the usual one. I found myself wanting to be on the receiving end of that beautiful, genuine smile, even if it was just once.

Kaden splashed again, then, his hand catching the water just right enough to send a shower of droplets directly into Dani’s face. She sputtered exaggeratedly, making Kaden giggle as she wiped it away. It made me laugh, too, which caused her head to whip around in surprise.

“Jesus, you scared me!” Her eyes were wide and she put a hand on her chest, like she was trying to calm a racing pulse. “I didn’t know you were standing there. Have you been there long?”

“Not really. Didn’t mean to scare you, though.”

She reached for a washcloth and lathered it with baby wash, then carefully began

washing Kaden off. “What’s up?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Nothing,” I answered. “Just seeing if you need help with anything.”

She shook her head as she rinsed out the cloth, then dunked it in the water again and again, using it to rinse the baby off. “No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”

I still stood there as she made short work of finishing his bath and wrapping him up in a hooded towel, and then turned to leave the bathroom, but I was in her way.

She stopped right in front of me, eyebrow quirked, silently telling me to move. I stepped out of her way, but followed as she took Kaden into the guest room and laid him on the bed before she finished drying him off, then did the whole lotion, diaper, jammies routine.

I heard her sigh as she finished snapping him into his pajamas. “Are you gonna stare at me all night? Or do you want something and you’re just afraid to ask?”

“I’m not afraid to ask anything,” I scoffed, then took Kaden from her as she lifted him from the bed. I bounced him in my arms, waggling my eyebrows at her as I finished, “And of course I want something from you.” I grinned at her, but she just rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, leaving me to trail behind.

She went to the kitchen to make a bottle for the baby while I went to the couch,

kicking back with Kaden on my lap, but she was right back, handing me the bottle. As I fed him (not that I did much since he holds it himself), she settled in beside me, but I noticed that she was really fidgety.

“Are you okay?” I asked, curiously.

She hesitated, but then nodded.

“You sure?”

She nodded again, then sighed. “Yeah, I just…there’s something I needed to do tonight, but I didn’t want to just have Cara come over here without checking with you.”

Suspicion grew in my chest, but I quickly tamped it down, cautiously asking, “What do you need to do?”

“Just…something. It’s probably too late for tonight. I just wanted to know if you’d mind Cara coming to watch him here, or if I need to take him to her house?”

I glanced down to check on Kaden’s progress with his bottle, noting that he was falling asleep. I moved him to my shoulder to burp him and as soon as he did, repositioned him to finish eating. “Dani, you don’t have to have Cara come, and you don’t have to take him there. Just leave him with me, unless you want me to come with you?”

“No!” she responded sharply, then closed her eyes, taking a breath before saying, “Sorry. No, thank you. It’s something I need to do on my own. But I can’t expect you to watch him for me…you’ve already been too kind letting us stay here.”

I shook my head. “Seriously. If you need to go, just leave him here with me. He’s already almost asleep, anyway, so…”

I could see her thinking hard and wondered, not for the first time, just what she was doing here. What was so important that she had to do that had her sitting in bars in the evening, and rushing off to do God knows what late at night. And, for the first time, I wondered if maybe I should have kept my distance.

I heard her blow out a breath and watched her shoulders slump as she said, softly, “If you really don’t mind, then… I won’t be long, okay?”

I nodded. She went to stand, but I grabbed her wrist lightly, preventing her from rising. “When you come back, you’re in my bed.”

She looked at me, her eyes searching mine before she slowly nodded.

I let her go. I didn’t want to, but I did.

She stood, but when she saw that Kaden was completely out now, she reached down and carefully took the bottle, sitting it down on the coffee table before she lifted him from my arms. “I’m just gonna go lay him down,” she whispered.

“The baby monitor is on, sitting right there so you can hear him if he cries.”

I nodded, letting her know that I heard her.

When she came back, she’d changed into black leggings, a long, black hooded shirt, and knee-high, lace up combat-type boots. Her hair was pulled back into a high pony-tail, and she looked like a super-hot cat burglar.

Unable to hold my tongue, I stared up at her as she stopped by the end of the couch. “Should I be worried? Have a lawyer on retainer?”

She blinked. “Um…no?”

She didn’t sound so sure of herself and that worried me, but before I could say anything else, she headed towards the door. She hesitated briefly, hand on the doorknob, and looked back at me over her shoulder. “I don’t just leave him with anyone, you know.”

I didn’t answer, just nodded. I had a feeling she was battling guilt right now, among other things. I just wish I knew what, exactly.

She turned to leave again and I called out, stopping her. She turned to look at me as I got up off the couch and went to where I’d tossed my coat when I got home. I pulled the key I’d had made for her out of my pocket and handed it to her.

She took it. “I’ll be back,” she said, softly, and left, pulling the door closed behind her.

I flopped back down on the couch and commenced flipping through channels once again. Not exactly how I envisioned my night going now that I had her under my roof, but…

I must have dozed off, because I woke to Dani kneeling beside the couch, her hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently.

I stared up at her, blinking as the light hit my eyes. “Dani?”

It looked like she might have been crying at some point since she’d left. I sat straight up, and caught her shoulders in my hands when she went to move away. “You okay? What happened?”

She jerked her head slightly in a motion that I took as a warning not to ask. It took everything in me not to try and force her to talk to me, to tell me what the fuck was going on.

“I’m fine. You were sleeping, but I figured you’d be more comfortable in your bed.”

I glanced at the clock, surprised to see it was after midnight.

“Yeah. Let’s go to bed.” I stood, pulling her along with me, turning the lights off as we went.

I stopped automatically in front of the guest bedroom, hanging back while she checked on the baby, but then went back to the living room to grab the baby monitor so she’d have it in my room.

She was already walking down the hall towards my bedroom when I got back, so I followed her into my room, shutting the door behind us. She looked over her shoulder at me, but I held up the monitor to show that we could still hear him and she nodded.

“I have an extra monitor, too, so I can leave one in here. I mean, for nights I sleep in here,” she quickly corrected herself.

I stared at her intently and told her, “Dani, I want you in my bed every night, for as long as you’re here. As long as you want to be there, that is.”

She didn’t answer me, just sat on the edge of the bed. “I, uh, didn’t grab anything to sleep in,” she said, breaking the silence that had descended.

“Then don’t wear anything.”

I watched her tense after I said that, so I reached into my dresser and pulled out a t-shirt, tossing it to her. “Or you can sleep in that, if you want, or I can go grab something for you.”

I was grasping at straws, feeling like things were turning awkward between us and I had no idea why. But she grabbed the t-shirt up and smiled gratefully at me. I nodded towards the bathroom, assuming she’d want to go in there to change.

She didn’t, though. She stood by the end of the bed and stripped her clothes off right in front of me, and then watched me with a look that was almost daring as she paused, giving me a perfect view of her amazing body before she pulled my shirt over her head, slowly.

I could still see the shadows in her eyes, though. I could see that they were a little red, knew without a doubt that I’d been right earlier when she came home, that she’d been crying while she was gone.

And there was no way in hell I was taking her up on that dare, not while she was still fighting whatever ghosts she’d encountered tonight.

I calmly stripped my shirt off, then slid my jeans down my legs, kicking them off as I turned away from her, not to be an ass, but to hide the uncontrollable reaction my body had had when she was standing naked before me. I reached for a pair of boxer briefs and tugged them on, turning back to her once they were safely covering everything.

I could tell that she was a bit confused by my actions, even more so when I turned off the light, pulled the covers back and slipped into bed, patting the mattress beside me.

She stayed standing at the end of the bed, finally complying with my silent request after a moment. As soon as she laid down beside me, I wrapped my arm around her waist, sliding her closer to me and tucking her against my side.

I kissed the top of her head, murmuring, “Good night,” to her in the darkness.

She responded in kind, yet she hadn’t relaxed against me.

I cupped her jaw in my hand and turned her face towards mine. “I’m keeping my promise. Just letting you know. But I know something upset you tonight and you’re not in a place for me to do what I really want to do to you tonight, even if you think you are. And Dani?”

She made a questioning sound, but didn’t speak.

“You gotta know that I don’t like knowing you’re upset but not knowing why. And if I find out that someone did something to make you cry…”

I didn’t finish, letting the warning just hang in the air.

I felt her relax a little against me, so I leaned closer to her, my mouth almost touching hers. “So I’m just gonna hold you tonight.” I kissed her, slowly and tenderly, just barely tasting her with my tongue and then pulling away. “Now sleep.”

She relaxed completely against me then. I pulled her even closer and closed my eyes on a sigh, willing sleep to claim me once more.

Chapter 16

Dani

I blinked my eyes a couple times before realizing that I was still blanketed in darkness. I’d just woken out of a sound sleep, but I couldn’t figure out why. I don’t think I’d been dreaming, and I don’t hearing something, but I held very still, listening hard to see if any sound had come from the baby monitor sitting beside the bed. Nothing. No sounds coming from anywhere, actually, with the exception of the soft breathing behind me.

My gaze landed on the green digital display of the alarm clock, noting that it was only four in the morning. Four a.m. meant that it was Saturday now, and I’d been at Calland’s for almost two weeks.

The time I’d been here had been uneventful, comfortable even. I hadn’t left during the evening, though, not since that Tuesday night. I’d been able to do a little bit of my…surveillance, for lack of a better word, during the days as Calland was at work all day long. But I couldn’t take the look on his face when I’d come back that night.

He’d looked so suspicious, though he’d kept his word, not badgering me for details or anything. I knew he’d wanted to, doubly so for figuring out the reason I’d been crying. I’d never confirmed it, never actually come out and said that he was right, that I’d been sobbing that night. But I had been.

Because I’d found what I’d been searching for. And I’d never felt so much relief, anger, and elation all at once before. And guilt.

I’d been back there a few times, like I said, for my ‘surveillance,’ but I still didn’t know what to do next, how to move forward with what had to happen. I didn’t know what would happen, but I knew that it could have significant impact for quite a few others. And depending on what happened, that impact could be fucking awesome…or it could be absolutely devastating.

I sighed, not wanting to go down that road right now, but it was hard not to, lying here awake.

I wasn’t happy about being up this early, especially because I couldn’t figure out why I was up this early. But that didn’t mean that I didn’t push my thoughts away enough to take advantage of the moment, to enjoy the quietness, to revel in the feel of Calland’s hard chest pressing against my back, his arm thrown around my waist, holding me against him even in sleep.

Like he’d done every night since I gave in to him.

I worried that I’d regret doing it, regret coming to stay with him, given the fact that he was a virtual stranger to me, no matter how much I wanted to jump his sexy ass. But I hadn’t. In fact, my biggest worry now was if I’d be able to walk away from him when it was time.

He was absolutely amazing with Kaden, and he made me laugh constantly. He was sweet, but he was also totally alpha male…and at night, when the baby was asleep and we were alone? Holy. Fucking. Hotness.

And his family? God, I loved his family. Every single one of them, because I’d met them all last weekend at something they all called Sunday breakfast. Even

the extended-not-really-related ones like Allie’s grandma, whom everyone called Nanny. She was probably the greatest person I’d ever met in my life. I’d laughed so hard the entire time she was there, especially when she’d pinched Brandon’s ass and insinuated something about seeing him naked again. (I hadn’t worked up the courage to ask when she’d seen him naked to begin with, but I had a feeling it’d be a hilarious story.)

Calland’s arm tightened around me as he shifted. “You’re thinking too hard over there,” he murmured, his voice thick and gravelly with sleep. “What time is it?”

“Just after four,” I replied quietly.

He leaned forward, kissing my shoulder. “What are you doing awake?”

“Nothing. I just woke up for some reason. What are you doing awake?” I asked him back.

He stretched against me and yawned before he answered, “Trying to figure out what you wanted, or if something was wrong. You kept tapping me.”

“Huh? I wasn’t tapping you…I was just lying here thinking.”

“Dani. You’re still doing it.”

Awareness slowly seeped into me, and I realized that my fingers had been non-

stop tapping against his arm. I jerked them away, feeling like a moron.

“I’m so sorry,” I told him, twisting in his arms so I was facing him. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

His lips found mine in the darkness, kissing me softly, but he pulled away quickly and rolled off the bed. “Hold that thought.”

I giggled softly as he stumbled into the bathroom. He was back in a flash, sliding back into bed and rolling me under him.

“Now, where were we?” he said, his head lowering until his lips were nuzzling my throat.

“Mmmm…” I groaned, arching my neck to give him better access, but then froze, realizing that I had just woken up and probably had dragon breath.

“Wait a second,” I blurted, my hands pushing against his shoulders. “Let me up real quick.”

I felt him lift his head immediately. “What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

“I just gotta get up for a minute. Like you did,” I hinted.

He got the message, chuckling as he moved. “You could have just said you had to pee.”

I huffed as I rolled off the bed. “I’m a lady, Calland. I don’t announce when I gotta take a piss.”

I smiled to myself as I closed the door behind me, my smile growing to a grin when I heard him bust out laughing. I hurried, doing what I needed to do and then took the time to brush my teeth before making my way back to the bed.

I’d barely made it to the side of the bed when he grabbed me, yanking me onto the mattress and rolling me under him once again.

“Finally,” he said, his lips finding mine in the darkness. He slid his tongue along my bottom lip and I opened for him, touching it with mine. He tasted minty and I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.

He jerked his head back. “I don’t think it’s ever a good sign when a woman laughs when you kiss her.”

That only made me laugh harder, but I tried to smother it. “Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry,” I said, but I was still snickering.

I could tell he was studying me, but I could hear the humor in his voice when he said, “Are you though? Are you really sorry? Because you’re still laughing. What’s so funny, anyway?”

I shrugged under him, still grinning. “You taste like mint. You brushed your teeth.”

He ducked his head closer to mine again, darting his tongue out to flick against my bottom lip, then retreated, smacking his lips together loudly. “Mmm…minty. You did, too.”

“Yeah,” I said, giggling. “Great minds think alike.”

“Apparently,” he said, dipping back down and catching my mouth once more.

And then there was no more talking as the kiss deepened. He didn’t rush it, though, keeping his lips soft, his tongue darting in and out and tangling with mine languidly, touching, teasing, tasting.

Without lifting his mouth from mine, he shifted his hands, sliding them beneath me and lifting me up as he rolled over, pulling me on top of him. He held me tight, crushing my breasts against the hard plane of his chest and I groaned, relishing the feel of his bare skin pressed to mine. When his hands began to roam, I sat up, straddling his hips and trapping the thick, hard ridge of his cock against his stomach, sliding the slick folds of my sex up and down it.

“Ride me,” he said, his voice heavy and deep. His arm shot out and grabbed a condom from the top of the nightstand where he’d left them and handed it to me. I carefully ripped it open and lifted myself away from his body enough to roll it on, covering him with the thin layer of latex but allowing my hand to linger

afterwards.

“Dani,” he growled, arching into my hand.

I encircled him with my fingers, stroking him gently for a moment, keeping my motions slow and deliberate. But only for a moment. I wanted him deep inside me, wanted to feel him stretching my inner walls so deliciously.

I tilted my hips, moving over him once more, aligning the thick, knobby head of him with the dripping wet entrance of my body, barely letting him slip inside. He lunged upward, trying to drive himself inside me, but I held myself up on my knees, preventing deeper penetration. I rolled my hips, teasing the tip of him, but when he grasped my hips, I knew play-time was over.

And God was it…he rammed his hips upward as he pulled my hips down, impaling me on his hardened length until I was seated fully and there was not an inch of space between us. He grunted and used his hands to push and pull my hips, back and forth, holding me tightly against him so that our bodies were grinding together.

I braced my hands on his chest and let him do it, gasping as the friction sent pulses of pleasure throughout my body.

“Mmm, yeah…like that…” he murmured, still grinding against me, but I could feel my thighs burning with the need to move, to rise over him and slam myself down on him.

“Calland,” I gasped, leaning back and moving my hands behind me, bracing them on his thighs. I let my head fall back, felt his hands loosen just enough on my hips, telling me wordlessly that he knew what I wanted.

“Now, Dani, ride me now,” he ordered on a guttural moan.

So I did. I lifted myself, letting him slip almost all the way out of me, but then plunged down on him once more, sliding him deep again. I rolled my hips as I did it again, keeping the pace slow but thrusting hard, loving the pleasure-pain that flooded my core as I took him deep, deeper than ever before. His hands slid up my body, cupping my breasts, kneading them gently in time with my movements, and then rolling my nipples between his fingers. A sudden, sweet sting made me cry out as he pinched them, sending me higher, closer to release.

I could feel the waves building, so close to the edge of cresting, of falling under and being lost to the sensations flowing over me. I lost the steady rhythm I was maintaining, the rise and fall of my body stuttering, becoming harder, faster, as the heat built. I was gasping, crying out with every movement, and then he took over, sitting up and flipping me to my back before he was over me, in me, fucking me with wild abandon.

It took two heartbeats and I was done, flying apart, exploding into a million pieces as I came, smothering my screams against his shoulder.

He followed seconds later, growling as he slammed home a final time, his cock jerking as he spilled into me.

I was still gasping, trying to catch my breath, but I couldn’t help laugh as he

mumbled, “Damn. If that’s what happens when you tap me awake at four a.m., you can tap me every damn day.”

***

My palms were sweaty. My heart was racing. And I felt sick to my stomach.

After the exhausting (but entirely worth it) morning I’d had, I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t be doing this. Not tonight.

But the opportunity had presented itself so perfectly, I couldn’t resist. It was time.

Which is why I was sitting in my car outside a place called Skin Deep.

Calland and I had both fallen back to sleep after he’d finally moved off of me to deal with the condom. He’d crawled back in, wrapped me up in his arms, and we’d both drifted off, sleeping peacefully…until seven when Kaden woke me up for the day.

I’d slipped out of bed, trying not wake up Calland, but he’d pulled me back and kissed me quickly. He hadn’t stayed in bed, then, either. He’d gotten up and started making some breakfast while I got Kaden changed.

He’d made scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage links while I fed Kade his

breakfast, and had been finishing it up with a bottle when he brought it to me, sitting it down on the coffee table in front of me.

I’d grinned up at him, being a smart ass as I’d commented, “Aww, honey. You cooked!”

He’d given me a wry look and replied, “Don’t get used to it. This is about the extent of my culinary expertise. Unless you like ramen noodles, steak, hamburgers, or frozen pizza. Or something out of a can. Then we’re good.”

I’d looked at him in mock horror, making him laugh and almost spit out the forkful of eggs he’d just put in his mouth.

It’d been a nice morning, followed by a nice, relaxing afternoon, headed for a nice, comfortable evening. But then his dad had called and asked him to stop over and help him out with something. He’d said yes, of course, but I’d been shocked when he’d asked if he could take Kaden over there with him. He knew his mom would love to see him again, he’d explained, but he hadn’t asked if I’d wanted to go, too.

No, instead, he’d kissed me, telling me to enjoy a little me time. To relax, take a bubble bath...whatever I wanted to do. But then, in what I’d learned was true Calland fashion, he’d ended it by hinting that maybe he could find me naked in the tub when he got home, with waggling eyebrows and all.

Thinking about it made me feel guilty, especially because he’d barely pulled away from the parking lot before I’d been out the door myself.

I watched the windows of the tattoo shop, biting my lip nervously. I dipped a little lower in my seat as I saw Luke and Brandon both leaving, knowing that my time was about to run out. If I was going to do this, it had to be now.

So I waited until they left. And I took a fortifying breath before I opened my door, stepping out of the car. I wiped my palms on my jeans as I hurried towards the entrance, squeezing my eyes shut briefly, and then pulled the door open, stepping inside.

A bell rang.

A voice called out, telling me he’d be right out.

And suddenly I was face to face with him.

He froze, his smile fading as recognition flashed in his eyes.

“Danielle?” he whispered. I could hear the emotion clogging his throat.

He stepped towards me and that was all it took.

I ran to him, burying my face in his chest as he enfolded me in his arms, swaying side to side, holding me tighter and tighter.

I’d found him.

Chapter 17

Calland

I pulled in and parked, ready to get inside and spend the rest of the night with Dani. Kaden was asleep in his car seat and I knew that he was probably down for the night. But I’d still have Dani change him because she’s good at that shit, getting it all done without waking him up. Guess I’ll need to practice that…as long as things remain status quo.

It surprised me just how much I wanted them to. It’d not even been three weeks yet, but I found that I liked having her there when I came home from work. I liked seeing Kaden’s face light up when I talked to him, and how he cuddled in to me at night before bed.

Things I never imagined I’d be feeling like this ever, let alone in such a short period of time.

I walked into the house and saw Dani sitting there, her face once again looking like she’d been crying. I crossed to her side, carefully sitting the baby, still strapped into his seat, on the floor beside me as I knelt in front of her.

“Dani, what’s wrong?”

She gave me a tremulous smile and shook her head “Nothing, I’m fine. They’re good tears, I promise.”

I searched her face, looking for some hint that she wasn’t being truthful, but

seeing none.

She leaned forward and tenderly kissed my lips. When she sat back again, she glanced over at Kade. “Aww…was he good for you? Did he have his last bottle?”

I kept my eyes on her, perplexed by her emotional state, but unwilling to pry since I’d given her my word about it. “Of course he was good,” I answered. “And yeah, he had it about half an hour ago and started to fall asleep then, but I woke him up putting him in the car seat.”

She stood, slipping past me enough to bend over the car seat and begin unstrapping him. “I’ll just go put him down, okay? And then you and I can discuss that bubble bath, yeah?” she whispered, her eyes gleaming as she shot me a sly wink over her shoulder.

Like I was gonna turn that offer down…

***

I stretched my arm out, reaching for Dani, but my hand encountered nothing but the cool sheets where her body should have been. I blinked my eyes open and looked around the room, noting the weak morning light barely peeking around the edges of the curtain.

I yawned and got up, throwing on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt before

making a pit stop in the bathroom, and then went to find her. I glanced at the clock as I left the bedroom, yawning again as I realized it wasn’t even seven yet, but I figured Kaden must have had her up earlier than usual.

Yet, when I ed Kaden’s room and peeked into see if they were in there, I noticed that Kade was still asleep in his crib. I backed back out of the room, trying to be quiet so I didn’t wake him, and went in search for Dani.

I didn’t see her in the living room or the kitchen, but movement out the back door caught my eye. She had her back to me, standing outside the door. I had my hand on the handle of the door, ready to push it open but I hesitated when I heard her speak.

“Alex, do we have to go through this now? I told you I’d call you again when I knew for sure what was happening.”

She was silent again for a minute, then ended the call sharply, biting out, “Fuck you, Alex.”

I stood frozen, watching as her shoulders slumped briefly, her head shaking. She looked so defeated, something I hadn’t seen from her before. I shoved the door open and she whirled, her mouth opening with an ‘Oh!’ of surprise.

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” I replied. “Everything okay?”

She nodded and swallowed so hard it was audible. “Didn’t want to wake you when my phone rang.”

“Ah. So, you coming back in now?”

“Yeah,” she said, but she didn’t move.

“Dani,” I started to say, but she finally slid past me through the door and into the kitchen.

“Who’s Alex?” I asked her back, then watched as her footsteps faltered.

She looked at me over her shoulder and replied, “Someone I used to know back home.”

“Should I be worried?”

I’d asked the question softly, because I knew I didn’t have the right to. Not really. She’d made no promises, and neither had I. Not beyond the scope of letting the chips fall where they may, though I’d been thinking lately that I’d like to know exactly where my chips were falling. With Dani, here with me. And Kaden, too.

I’d begun to think that maybe she wanted that, too.

Was I wrong?

She turned to face me fully, but stayed where she was. “I hope not.”

It took me a second to realize that she was answering the question I’d asked out loud, not my internal one. I stalked towards her, jerking her against me as I lowered my face to hers. “If you’re in some kind of trouble, you need to tell me. Let me help you, Dani. That’s all I’m asking.”

She stared up at me, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. “You have helped me, more than you know. And I’m not in trouble. I just…I can’t say anything, yet. Some secrets just aren’t mine to tell. I just need you to trust me.” She stepped closer to me, her head tipping back even farther, offering her mouth up to me.

I knew she was trying to change the subject, but I still took her mouth, molding my lips to hers, slipping directly past the chaste good morning kiss I knew she’d intended to a fervent plundering, tasting and teasing and taking. I groaned when she met me move for move, breath for breath, giving everything she had.

She finally broke the kiss, her smiling lips glistening and swollen, gazing up at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers, and I knew without a doubt that I’d do anything she asked of me, including trusting her blindly about the secrets she held so close.

***

The next two months flew by in much the same fashion. I spent my free time with Dani and Kade, or we all hung out with my family and friends. The guys liked her, though T.J. still had yet to meet her. He hadn’t been around lately, declining any invitations sent his way to hang out, get together, whatever. Luke and Brandon didn’t have any explanation for it, either, saying that he’d been really withdrawn, almost like he was avoiding them as much as he could, even though they worked together.

Emma, Allie, Leah, and Chloe had all accepted Dani into the fold, calling her randomly to meet up with them or just to chat, and my mom tried to get her hands on Kaden as often as she did her own grandbabies. Dani fit into the group as if she had been a part of it always, even though we all knew she still held pieces of herself back. It bothered me a little, but she still intrigued me, still kept me guessing with her sharp wit, droll humor, and sexy ass smile.

If I was honest with myself, I’d it that things just couldn’t be classified as casual anymore between us. I was invested…more than I ever had been. She kept me on my toes, and probably the biggest turn on of all? She didn’t take my shit. She called me on it, out loud. Tells me when I’m being an asshole.

And I love it.

In April, she’d slapped the shit out of me for pulling an April Fools prank on her. I still chuckle every time I think of it now. She’d run down to the store and asked me to chop up some carrots and celery for something she was making for dinner while she was gone, and when she’d come back, I was standing in the kitchen, moaning, with a towel wrapped around my hand. I’d yelled at her, saying, “I told you I don’t cook! See what happens? Oh My God!”

She’d dropped everything and run to me, hands shaking with a scared look on her face as she tried to get me to let her see what happened, and glanced around at the “blood” all over the counter, chopping board, knife, and the towel on my hand. I’d tried to draw it out a little, refusing to let her see my “cut,” but then she’d stopped, her eyes narrowing. She’d leaned in, sniffing, and then darted her tongue out to lick a spot on my forearm. “It’s ketchup! You ASSHOLE!”

And then she’d slapped me. She’d forgiven me quickly, though, laughing about it, especially when I’d ragged on her for being sick and twisted for licking my “blood.” She’d protested, saying she wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t know if was ketchup…I’d told her I had my doubts. All in all, that ended up being my absolute favorite April Fools ever, especially when we went to bed that night.

We’d also celebrated Dani’s birthday that month, quietly because she hadn’t wanted to make a big fuss about it. I got her to go out to dinner, at least, and my mom baked her a cake (God knows it would have been a disaster if I’d have done it). For my present, I had Emma set up a spa day for her, and all the girls went with her. They’d been out for the day, coming home ‘perfectly powdered, buffed, waxed, polished, and shined,’ as Dani had put it. She also came home slightly inebriated, which definitely worked to my advantage, so I had called it a win all around.

Now, a week before Memorial Day, with the requisite party at Allie and Jacks’ house looming on the horizon, I wondered if any of it had been a win at all.

It was a Monday. I was working.

My phone rang.

A minute later, my phone was shattered against the wall of Ian’s office, where I’d just happened to be, talking to him about a new job he’d just contracted.

Ian jumped up, startled. My hands fisted at my sides, and he opened his mouth to say something but his own cell phone rang before he could.

“Yeah,” he barked, answering it quickly. He listened for a minute, then whistled softly under his breath. “No shit? Alright. Later.”

“Dude,” he started, but I stopped him with a quick jerk of my head. “Go,” he said instead.

I went, replaying Brandon’s words over and over in my mind as I drove.

‘Calland, man, I’m sorry to call you like this but…Chloe was taking some cookies she’d made over to T.J. to try and talk to him. Uh, she didn’t stop, because…fuck. Cause Dani was there. At his door.’

He’d paused then, and I’d waited. Knew there was more.

Didn’t know how bad it would hurt.

‘She said it looked like they were holding each other, maybe kissing. She

couldn’t tell for sure because she was driving by. But…it didn’t look good, man.”

I hadn’t said a word. Betrayal burned bright, feeding the darkness swirling around in my head as I imagined every scenario I could be walking into.

It took me twenty minutes to get there, simply because I was trying to calm down just a bit, but it was hard to do, especially when I pulled up at T.J.’s house to see Dani’s car parked in the driveway like it belonged there.

I got out and strode to the door, not even bothering with the doorbell. I simply pounded on it with my fist and waited.

I didn’t have to wait long. T.J. jerked the door open, his mouth open to yell at whoever was pounding at his door, but as soon as he saw me, his jaw snapped shut. He just looked at me, resignation flooding his eyes.

My fists clenched tight as I fought to keep them by my side, to not lash out and knock the fucking daylights out of the man I’d called a friend for going on two years now. But it was hard.

Until I heard Dani in the background, calling out, “Taylor! Where’d you go?”

I looked over T.J.’s shoulder and saw her come around the corner, a big grin on her face that faded as soon as she saw me.

And then I couldn’t help it anymore. I hauled my arm back and let my fist fly, catching T.J. right along his cheekbone. He didn’t move, didn’t try to block it. Dani came flying, shoving me back away from him as she turned to inspect his face.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, jerking his face away from her fingers. “You need to fucking tell him, Danielle.” His voice was hard, but the familiarity of the way he grabbed her and said her name had me seeing red, and had a knot forming in my stomach.

I shot them a scathing look. “I don’t need to be told anything. I got the picture.” I stared at T.J. “I just never imagined this from you.” I turned back to Dani. “Makes me wonder why you finally fucking gave in to me. Joke’s on me, right? Turn me down, then string me along, pretend you’re falling for me just like I was you, and then laugh behind my back while you’re running off, fucking one of my friends.”

T.J.’s face reddened at that. “You’re treading on thin ice, Jensen. Watch what you’re fucking saying to her, asshole.”

I laughed, but there was no humor to it. “Chloe saw her pull up. Called Brandon, he called me. He also called Ian, cause I just happened to be standing in his office when it happened. She was worried about you, was bringing you cookies. She’s a little upset, so if you feel you have to explain yourself, might wanna start with her.”

He looked down, softly cursing.

I scoffed at his display of contrition and turned to leave, then hesitated, glancing back at Dani. “Where’s Kaden?”

She glared at me, but didn’t say anything.

T.J.’s head came up, his eyes narrowing at her, asking, “Who’s Kaden?”

I snorted, another mirthless laugh breaking free. “Oh, that’s rich. Well, have fun explaining that one. I’ll be gone, so you can go get your shit whenever.”

With that, I turned and stomped away, slamming myself into my truck and pulling away.

She never tried to stop me.

Chapter 18

Dani

My heart sank and tears filled my eyes as he peeled away from the curb.

He’d been right, I was falling for him. More than that, I was pretty sure I’d already fallen.

I looked up at the man standing beside me, but he was glaring, teeth clenched.

“Why the fuck wouldn’t you say something, Dani? What the hell are you playing at? And who the fuck is Kaden?” he roared.

I winced and then covered my mouth with my hands as a sob broke free.

I heard him sigh and then he wrapped me in his arms, rocking me back and forth, trying to calm me down. It took a while, but I finally pushed away from him, wiping my tears away with my hands.

I blew out a breath and told him, “We need to talk.”

So we did.

It took a couple hours to go through everything, and it killed me to sit there and do it instead of running after Calland to try and make him understand, but I needed to tell T.J., to finally get it all out. I’d waited so long to do it, and he deserved to know.

When I was finished, he looked stunned…and a little pissed.

“But, why…?”

“I don’t know,’ I told him gently. “But I did the best I could, especially because you refused to tell me where you were or what you were doing. I could hardly ever get ahold of you, Taylor. And Goddamnit, that hurt! You knew I had no one else!”

He reached over and took my hands in his, his face earnest as he whispered, “I’m so sorry, Dani. I never meant for it to go down like this, but…Fuck. We’ve got a lot to fix, don’t we?”

I nodded, blinking back tears again.

He took a deep breath. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, so we’ll work it all out soon, okay? But right now, I think there’s someone else that you really should be talking to. Fix it, Dani. I can tell he makes you happy, and in the time I’ve been here, I’ve never seen him like he is with you.”

“Yeah, Taylor, but I’ll have to tell him…”

He cut me off, his head nodding gently. “I know. It’s okay. Just go…and call me later.”

I stared at him for a second, then slowly nodded. “Okay. I will.”

I got up and went to the door, opening it and stepping outside. He followed me, leaning against the door and winking at me when I looked back at him.

“Love you,” I said.

“Love you, too.”

***

I went to Calland’s house first, though I knew that he wouldn’t be there. He wasn’t, so I took a minute to call Emma and check on Kaden. When T.J. had called, asking if I wanted to come hang out for a little bit, I’d asked Emma if she could keep the baby for me. I hadn’t told T.J. about him, yet, but I was planning on doing it today.

Things just didn’t work out the way I intended, so the whole telling thing was a little fucked up. He’d cried, I’d cried…and like he said, there was a lot that needed to be fixed. But in order to do that, I needed to start with Calland.

I didn’t get into it with Emma, but I knew she’d heard. She was short with me, but she still promised to take care of Kade until I could get things sorted with her brother. Before I hung up with her, she’d called my name, telling me, ‘I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here. Not just because I don’t get that vibe from you, but because I know in my heart that T.J. would never betray him like that. But, you better pray I don’t regret it.’

I didn’t blame her for the threat, nor had I said anything back; I didn’t need to. Because I knew T.J. better than anyone and no matter how he’d fucked up in the past, she was right. He’d never betray a friend. He knew how bad it hurt when that happened.

I headed towards Griff’s, thinking he might have gone there, and I was right. I saw his truck sitting there, parked, and went inside to see him slumped at the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand as he slowly shredded the label.

“Hey,” I said softly, stopping behind him.

He didn’t turn around, and he didn’t answer me, either.

“Can we talk?”

This garnered me a quick glance over his shoulder and a self-deprecating laugh.

“Sure. Why not? Might be a novel experience with you.”

His words were dripping with sarcasm and it hurt. But I brought it on myself.

I sighed. “Can we go somewhere? I’d rather not do this here.”

He shrugged, then tossed a couple dollars down on the counter and nodded to Griff, who was watching us curiously. Without looking at me again, he walked out. When we got outside, he leaned against his truck, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So talk. Tell me all about you and Taylor.”

He sneered the name and it sunk in just how hard this was going to be.

“Calland,” I started, pleading. “Can we just go home and talk?”

I saw him wince when I said the word home, but then he opened his truck door, getting in. He slammed the door and started it, rolling down his window long enough to say, “Let’s go get this over with,” before he pulled away, leaving me standing in the middle of the parking lot.

I followed him, taking a few fortifying breaths, trying to work up my courage, before I got out and went inside. He was sitting on the couch, face imive, elbows on his knees.

I sat down on the opposite end of the couch, knowing that he’d want some space

between us. He shifted when the silence stretched on, clearing his throat and giving me a look that clearly said to get on with it.

I took a deep breath and started spilling my secrets. Some of them, at least. “My name is Dani Rose. My full name, though, is Danielle Rose Conley. T.J.’s real name is Taylor James Conley. He had it legally changed to T.J. some time ago.”

As soon as I said that, Calland’s head snapped up and I could see the conclusion he jumped to immediately.

I held my hand up to stop him. “He’s my brother.”

“What?” he asked, shaking his head in confusion. “Then why all the fucking secrecy? If he’s your brother, why did you come and stay in a hotel room, and then move in here with me? You could have just stayed with him. And you didn’t have to fucking pretend you didn’t know him when we talked about him.”

“Because I didn’t know for sure it was him. I came here because it’s the last clue I’d gotten about where he went. I was still looking around, didn’t have any idea what to do next, but then there you were. The first real break I had was when I heard you all talking about him and how he was new to the area and was a tattoo artist. So, I started kind of stalking the tattoo shop, waiting to see if it was him.”

“But if he’s your brother, why wouldn’t you know where he was?”

“I haven’t seen him in almost two years. I talked to him about a year ago, very

briefly on the phone. He wouldn’t tell me for sure where he was, but he mentioned the name of this town. He mumbled it, but then he changed it around. Tried to convince me it was some other town.”

“But why? I don’t understand, Dani. Why wouldn’t he want you to know where he was, what he was doing?”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Because he was trying to hide. There was so much going on, and he just…he couldn’t take it anymore. It was killing him. He’s not—it’s complicated.”

“Okay, but why was it so important for you to find him now, when he didn’t want you to?”

I pressed my lips together, laced my hands, and stared at them as I delivered the reason. The very important reason.

“Kaden is his son. I just told him today. He’s still never met him.”

Calland’s eyes widened in shock. “Why?”

“He didn’t know about him. Kaden’s mom…” I shook my head, my jaw clenching in anger as I thought about the bitch. “She was toxic. She wasn’t anything to him but an arrangement. She wanted more, he didn’t. So she tried to trap him.”

“Wait a second. I thought you said he didn’t know about the baby?” Calland asked.

“He did, but he didn’t. She told him she was pregnant, thinking that it would change his mind, that he’d be with her for the baby’s sake. But he told her he didn’t want anything to do with her, but he’d be there for his child. She didn’t like that answer, so she told him she was terminating the pregnancy. He tried to convince her not to, but she wouldn’t listen. Told him to leave her alone or she’d make his life a living hell.”

Calland waited silently for me to finish.

“So, he left. There were other issues going on, and he was just drowning in stress. He didn’t want to sit by and watch it happen, because to him, that was his child and no way in hell would he ever turn his back on his own flesh and blood, no matter how early in the pregnancy it was. When he left, he told me he’d check in on me every now and then, but he needed to get away. Needed to not have all the pressure on him, but what he didn’t know is that she never terminated the pregnancy. She didn’t really care about the baby beyond what it could do for her, and she was more than happy to try and blackmail me and some others to keep things quiet. Things that we didn’t want to get out.”

“How bad could it have been? I mean, what the hell did she have on you guys that blackmail would be a viable solution?”

I sighed. “Taylor…T.J….he’s not who you think he is. I mean, have you ever really looked at him, maybe thought that he looked familiar in some weird way?”

He thought about it for a second, then nodded slowly. “I mean, maybe a little, but nothing that I’d ever really thought about. We all knew he had a history, but he never really talked about himself. And he does amazing work, so when Brandon met him at a convention out in L.A., they hit it off and the rest is history. He’s been with us ever…” he trailed off, and I could see the wheels turning in his head.

“So, Brandon had to have met him right when all that was going on? He’s been here for almost two years.”

I nodded. “He is a tattoo artist. A damn good one. And that’s what he was doing when our ‘big break’ happened.”

Calland looked at me, his face twisting in confusion once again.

“We were in a band. A garage band kind of thing, you know, where we’d go out and gig but we all still had regular jobs. I worked at a coffee shop, Taylor worked at a tattoo studio, was actually making quite a name for himself, but we started getting a pretty good following on the local scenes, one thing led to another, next thing we knew we were in a studio cutting an album and our fan base grew.”

“What band?” Calland broke in, asking.

“Uh…Cold Hearted?”

“No shit?” he said, staring at me appraisingly. “Last I heard, that band had broken up, lost their contract, and the lead singer had had some kind of psychotic break…”

His words trailed off as it clicked in his head. “T.J. He was the lead singer. But I thought his name was Connor James? And you…you had short hair, really short. And your name-”

“Rosie,” I interrupted. “I went by Rosie. We didn’t want to use our real names, so that’s why it was different. And I dyed my hair different colors all the time, T.J. wore s and his hair was really long, so when things started going south, he cut it, dyed it, and quit wearing the s.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I just don’t understand how he just walked away from that…how you all did. What happened?”

It was my turn to shake my head, because that was a conversation for another day. I just wasn’t ready to dredge up some things, yet. “I’m not ready to get into that, okay? Besides, we weren’t that big. We were just getting started, really.”

“Well, it was enough that you were on the radio. Cold-Hearted was a great song.”

I dipped my head in acknowledgement. “Thank you. My brother and I wrote that one together.”

“So, back to the whole baby momma thing. The worst she had to blackmail you with was the baby, right? How bad could that have been?”

“No, it wasn’t the baby she was blackmailing me about. It was…other things. Stuff I can’t get into. But then something happened. Not sure what it was, but she called me up, told me she was in labor. Wanted me there. So I went. Turned out she’d found someone else to hitch her wagon to and didn’t want the baggage of a baby—her words, not mine. Thankfully, she legally signed him over to me as soon as he was born. Two weeks later, I got a message that she had overdosed and died.”

I kept going. “I wanted my brother to know, but…it took a while to get things situated enough that I could try to come find him.”

“So, what’s going to happen with him and Kaden, now?” Calland asked me.

Tears formed in my eyes. “I don’t know.”

Chapter 19

Calland

I was torn between wanting to take her into my arms and tell her it was going to be okay, and throttling her for keeping this all a secret. Things would have been so much different if she just would have trusted me. I could have helped her and it all would have come to a head much sooner, rather than how it went down.

I was still pissed off, the mental image planted in my head of T.J. and Dani wrapped in each other’s arms lingering in my mind. Even though I know that it was nothing, that they’re family. Or maybe me being pissed off so bad stemmed from the fact that I was never the jealous guy. At all. And now the thought of another man touching Dani was enough to have me seeing red.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, watching her twist her fingers together and wring her hands. I could see the anxiety on her face and it was killing me. Without another word, I reached out and dragged her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tightly against my chest.

She melted into me, burying her face in my neck as a loud sob broke from her lips. She clung to me, her tears hot against my skin, soaking the neckline of my t-shirt, but I didn’t care. I knew instinctively that this break had been a long time coming, that she’d been holding back so much pain and uncertainty for so long.

That she accepted my comfort, allowed me to be the one to hold her while she cried? That just cemented the fact that I wasn’t ever letting her go.

When the sobs wracking her body had subsided into hiccupping little cries, I

shifted, moving her away from my neck so I could see her eyes. I cupped her face in my palms, using my thumbs to gently wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“We’ll work it out, baby,” I said to her, softly.

She gave me a tremulous smile…not even really a smile at all, just barely the whisper of one, and nodded once.

“I know this is kind of a jackass thing to say, but is there anything else that might come back to bite us in the ass later? That I need to be aware of?”

She pushed away, getting up and pacing across the floor in front of me. I sat silently and watched, waiting for her to speak.

She finally stopped and looked me directly in the eye as she answered, “Probably. But I need you to trust me, because they’re not my secrets to tell. But they’ll probably affect me in the long run, you know, with the band thing and all. And…when I was talking to Alex on the phone?”

I nodded, encouraging her to go on, but a hole opened up in the pit of my stomach.

“He’s an ex…and he was part of the band, too. He’s been bugging me to get my brother and convince him to go back, to go on tour like we were supposed to. Everybody took a huge hit when the band split. We had to cover the costs of refunds for the concerts that were cancelled, and fees, and the money we’d been

paid for the contract when we did the album…well. It was a mess. T.J. and I were the only ones that really could handle it, but only because we had a very sizeable inheritance left to us from our grandfather. We really didn’t broadcast that fact. I mean, hell, we both still worked. Not because we had to, but because we wanted to.”

She started pacing again. “Ever since then, though, Alex has had it in his head that we owe him something because of it. Blames the whole thing on T.J., but in reality, he’s most of the reason things went down the way they did. Now he acts like we’re all just going to pick up where we left off, in the music industry and personally.”

“Did you love him?” I found myself asking, though I dreaded the answer.

“I thought I did. At the time. But then he decided drugs were more important than anything else. I found him in bed with two women at a hotel we were staying at between shows. One was sucking his dick while the other sat on his face. He asked me to , so I did what any self-respecting girlfriend would do. I smiled at him. Big, wide smile, lots of teeth. Sauntered over to them, got real close…and then dragged both of the skanks out by their hair, locking them into the hallway with no clothes.”

She grinned at me, then, and I laughed.

She shrugged her shoulders and finished with, “When he sat up and said it was cool, that he was okay with not sharing that night, I punched him in the face, kneed him in the balls, and left.”

I winced at that, my hands instinctively covering my own balls as I let out a low whistle. “Remind me again to never piss you off.”

The smile faded from her face. “There could be things that pop up. There WILL be things that come up. It’s only a matter of time, but I can’t tell you when, or why, or how. There’s a lot more to the story.”

I inhaled deeply, then blew it out before I said, “Dani. I don’t like secrets. BUT,” I said over her as she started to protest. “As long as I have your word that you’re mine, then we’ll take it as it comes.”

She just looked at me, her expression unreadable. “How can I give you my word when I still don’t know how long I’ll be here?”

“What the hell do you have to go back to?” I exploded, jumping up to pace the room myself. “Your brother made a life here, so why the fuck can’t you? You’re gonna just run off and leave Kaden here with T.J., and go back? To what?”

She scowled at me. “What’s here for me, Calland? Really? I left my house, my friends, everything back in L.A. to find my brother! Now I found him, and we’re gonna have to work things out, to try and get everything fixed so we know what the fuck is going on…so we don’t have to check the email every fucking day and try to put out the fires that might pop up and burn us!”

“I’m here!” I roared. “Your brother is here! Doesn’t that count for anything? How can you ask that?” I stopped in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at me. “Tell me you haven’t been happy here. Tell me, Dani, and so help me God, you better make me believe it. If so, I’ll step back, let you

pack up and high-tail your pretty little ass out of town without a backward glance. But if that happens, don’t think you can come strolling back into town later, thinking that everything’s gonna be just peachy. Because it won’t. Can you do that, Dani? Can you say that?”

A deep voice broke in from the front door area. “No. She can’t.”

We both whirled around to see T.J. standing just inside the door. “Sorry, the door was open and I could hear you.”

“Taylor,” Dani began, but he waved her off.

“He’s right, Dani. You said it yourself to me. You’re happy here, you can see why I’ve stayed. We have nothing back in L.A. The band is defunct, and I, for one, don’t want to resurrect it. There would be no point. Not without…you know.”

I looked over to see sadness sweep over Dani’s face as she nodded.

“But, I plan on staying here. You can see that I’ve got great friends. I’m happier working at Skin Deep, owning part of it with Brandon and Luke, being a part of something good for once, than I ever have been. And now, I’ll have my s-son here.”

He stumbled over the word son and Dani immediately crossed to him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry,” he whispered to her. “It’s just so new…haven’t had time to get used to it.”

“I know,” she replied, softly. “It doesn’t help that you still haven’t met him.”

He nodded.

I cleared my throat. “We could go. He’s at Emma’s.”

“In time,” T.J. answered. He glanced back down at his sister. “Dani, Calland asked you a question. Have you been happy here?”

“Taylor.” Her voice was still soft, pleading.

But he wouldn’t let her off the hook. “Answer, Danielle.”

She closed her eyes. “Fine. Yes, I’ve been happy here.” Her eyes opened, finding mine and holding my gaze. “I’ve been really happy…I am happy. But…”

“No buts, Dani,” I said, firmly. “One day at a time.”

“But…why?” she whispered, stepping closer to me.

My mouth opened and the words fell out, shocking all of us. “Because I’m pretty sure I love you. No, not pretty sure. I do love you, Dani.”

The room went silent.

Finally, T.J. broke the silence, saying wryly, “Well, damn. Guess I get to be part of the family for real now, not just honorarily.”

No one laughed, but I saw Dani’s lips twitch, and I thought, just maybe, that things were going to turn out alright.

A thought crossed my mind then. Turning to T.J., I asked, “How did you not know about Kaden, or even figure out that your sister was in town? She was hanging out with everyone, they’d all met her except for you.”

T.J. shot me a rueful grin. “I really was working on a piece that kept me pretty busy, but then Luke mentioned something about Dani and I froze up, thinking that she’d actually gone crazy and traveled cross country to finally track me down. But then they mentioned she had a baby, so I blew it off. I knew that she never would have gotten knocked up and gone through all that without sending me an SOS. She’s all the family I have left, so I definitely wouldn’t have left her alone like that. I knew she wanted me to come back, that she wanted to find me, but…she was giving me time like I asked. I checked in on her…called every now and then from different numbers. But I was a shitty brother, because even though I checked in with her, I never really gave her the time to talk to me, to let me know important stuff, obviously. But I know that’s because she felt that

telling me I had a son was something that needed to be done face to face and not over the phone.”

He looked over at his sister again. “Then she walked into the shop one day and, like a jackass, she thought she was protecting me by not letting you guys know.”

“Ahh.” The silence was back, then.

T.J. finally shifted towards the door. “Look, I just wanted to check on Dani, so…”

“Wait!” Dani cried, reaching out and grabbing his arm. She looked back at me. “Do you think we could just do dinner in tonight, have T.J. come over to meet Kaden?”

“Of course,” I replied instantly. “He can go with you, if you want, to go get him from my sister’s, if you don’t want to wait?”

T.J. opened his mouth to answer, but this time Dani cut him off. “No, I think I’d rather it happen here, with just us. Okay?”

T.J. and I both nodded, and I could have sworn I saw relief in his eyes.

He hugged Dani then, whispering something to her before he turned, nodded at me, and left.

We were left standing in the middle of the living room, staring at each other like we were strangers. It was awkward, especially because there was a heaviness hanging over me. I’d bared myself to her, and got nothing but dead silence in return. Until T.J. tried to lighten the mood, but…

This is why I’d never wanted to get into this whole love thing.

It sucked.

When the silence continued, I checked my watch, noticing that I could still get some work done if I left right now. I didn’t feel like leaving, though. Not with things left unsaid, yet I didn’t know exactly what to say, or what I wanted her to say.

I mean, I knew what I wanted her to say. I just didn’t know if she ever would.

She finally moved, crossing the room until she stood in front of me, her hands braced on my chest, looking up into my face.

“Did you mean it?” she asked, her voice shaking. “What you said earlier?”

“What did I say, Dani?”

“That you love me.”

I rubbed my hand over my hair agitatedly. “It’s crazy, right?”

She didn’t answer, just kept staring up at me, her eyes wide and searching.

“Yeah, I meant it. I mean it, Dani. God fucking help me, but I love you.”

She bit her lip, tears filling her eyes once more. “God fucking help me, too, Calland.”

My eyes narrowed. “What are you trying to say, Dani?”

“Are you dense?” she asked, sarcastically. “I’m trying to say I love you, too, you idiot.”

My heart stopped. “You do?”

She nodded and I jerked her against me roughly, picking her up and swinging her around before claiming her lips in a heated kiss.

Chapter 20

Dani

I was gasping for air by the time he released my lips, and I was shaking.

Jesus Lord…my mind was spinning with all that had happened in the last hour, and it wasn’t even noon. There was no turning back, now, though. You can’t unsay words once they’ve left your lips; just like you can’t un-feel feelings once you’ve felt them. And holy hell was I feeling!

Scared, shocked, anxious, happy…loved.

I realized he was staring at me, concern sweeping his features. I tried to smile, but it faltered, and I watched his brow furrow, knew he was feeling unsure at the moment, feeding off the nervous energy surrounding me. I mean, yeah I told him I loved him back, but I insulted him in the process.

I cringed at the thought. “Sorry I called you dense. And an idiot. And that I was sarcastic when-”

He pressed his finger to my lips, effectively shutting me up. “You don’t have to apologize. I’ll take it however you want to give it.”

Then he kissed me again, a slow, soft meeting of lips. I slid my hands up his chest and around his neck, pressing my body fully to his, then gasped as he gripped my hips and lifted me, my legs wrapping around his waist automatically.

With me still in his arms, he closed the front door and locked it, but he didn’t turn towards the hallway like I expected. Instead, he strode to the breakfast bar and sat me down on the edge of it, pushing me back gently with one hand in the middle of my chest, leaving my legs dangling over the end. I let him, waiting to see what he would do next.

He popped open the button of my jeans and dragged the zipper down slowly, tracing his fingers over the lace covered skin he exposed. I whimpered as his hand left me, then, moving down to pull my tennis shoes off, each landing with a thump somewhere in the living room where he tossed them.

But then his hand was back, ed with the other as he tucked them into the waistband of my jeans and tugged. I lifted my hips to help, and he slid them down and off, gasping as his hands moved back upwards, his fingers touching every inch of my legs. He swirled them over my calves, around my knees, skimming the sensitive, ticklish skin at the backs of them, then up the sides of my thighs before dipping into the creases at the top. He traced the edge of my panties with both thumbs, framing my sex with his hands before he slipped his thumbs up the center of me.

I knew he could feel how wet I was. There’s no way he would miss it, because I had felt the rush of moisture flooding my core as soon as he’d lifted me into his arms.

He groaned as he pressed them against my clit, making me shudder. But then the sweet pressure on my nub was gone. Instead, he twisted his fingers into the lace at my hips and jerked. I heard my panties tear, felt them being pulled away from my body, leaving me open and exposed to his heated gaze.

He pushed my legs open and up, bracing his hands on them as his eyes roved over my bare sex. I watched his face, saw his eyes darken, his lids droop, his nostrils flare, and it sent a pulse through my pussy, along with another rush of wetness.

The way I was lying on the countertop wasn’t the most comfortable position in the world, but I would gladly stay that way forever, as long as he kept looking at me like that.

He lifted a hand from one of my legs, but I kept it bent up, my breath faltering as he ran a single fingertip down my slit, sliding it deep inside me with no resistance.

“Fuck, you’re so wet,” he growled, watching his finger glide in and out of my entrance. He added another finger, sliding them deep and twisting them as he thrust them into me over and over again, deep and steady, gentle yet demanding.

He leaned down, closing his mouth over my clit, sucking it between his lips before lashing it with his tongue until my back was bowed and my broken cries were echoing through the room. He brought me to the edge, but as soon as he felt my body start to clench around his fingers, he pulled away.

“No!” I whimpered, reaching for him, trying to bring him back to me.

Need was a heavy ache pulsing between my thighs, begging for fulfillment, but he merely shook his head. “No, not yet, baby.”

“Calland…” I whispered, want crawling over my skin, curling low in my belly. My hands rose of their own volition, roaming my heated skin, cupping my breasts, sliding down between my thighs to my drenched folds. I rolled my clit between my fingers and circled it once, moaning as pleasure washed over me, sending me even closer to the edge.

I cried out again as his hand clamped over my wrist, stilling my movements. He pulled it away, clucking his tongue at me. “I didn’t say you could come yet, Dani.” He slid my finger into his mouth, licking and sucking my juices away, making me gasp, before he released my hand.

“Mmmm…God, you taste so fucking good.”

I glared at him, my hands clenching as I writhed desperately, seeking any kind of to bring me some kind of relief.

He cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head to look at me. “Is it that bad, Dani-girl? Do you need to come?”

“Yes, damn you!” I gritted out between my teeth, then screamed as a well-placed smack set my pussy on fire in the best way possible, toppling me over the edge into an intense orgasm that had my eyes rolling back in my head.

I went limp, my chest heaving as I tried to drag air into my lungs.

Suddenly, I was airborne, floating down the hallway in Calland’s arms. He

carefully laid me on the bed, and I heard rustling as he moved around, divesting himself of his clothing. I watched him, the ache building down low again just from the sight of his body. His cock was rock hard, pre-cum dripping from the tip, and I licked my lips as I stared at it, wanting to taste him so badly. I caught myself whimpering when his hand circled his cock, stroking it from base to glans.

A low, dark, velvety laugh sounded above me. “On your stomach,” he ordered, his voice dangerously soft.

I complied immediately, rolling over to my stomach and then bringing my knees up so my ass was in the air while my head and shoulders still rested on the bed. I heard the hiss of an indrawn breath and wiggled a little, spreading my legs even farther, leaving every inch of my glistening pussy and ass open and exposed to his gaze.

I felt him behind me, then my own breath rushed out on a moan as he buried his face in my wetness, eating me like he was a starving man and I was his last meal. He pushed me to the edge and over so quickly, and kept me there, pulsing on his tongue again and again, wringing an orgasm from me twice before he lapped up every drop of my release and then some. Even then, he didn’t stop. He shifted, his cock sliding across my ass as he did, leaving a trail of wetness across my skin. I glanced over my shoulder, hearing his breath hitch at the sight of his pre-cum smearing my flesh. He touched it with his thumb, rubbing it in, breath going jagged.

White hot heat flashed over me, sending a flood of wetness down my thighs.

“You like that, don’t you, Dani-girl,” he growled. “You like having my come spread across your skin…”

“Yes,” I whispered, arching back into him. The sleek, hot length of him prodded me.

He took his cock in his hand again, running the tip of it through my folds, then tapped it against my clit. I jerked, moaning as he continued to do it, harder and faster.

“Oh, God…” I cried, thrusting back against him, seeking more. He slid his cock back up, notching it into my dripping hole, and slammed home. He pounded into me once, twice, three times, his balls smacking against my clit with every thrust and then he stilled.

“Dani…condom!” he bit out, pulling out.

“It’s fine,” I gasped. “I’m clean, I swear…and I’m on the pill. Just fuck me, Calland, please. Please! You can pull out, come all over me.” A breathless groan escaped as I wiggled, begging him, and trying to capture him back inside my body. “You know you want to-”

The taunt hadn’t even fully formed on my lips before he shoved himself back inside me roughly, growling and grunting loudly as he plunged deep, fucking me wildly. The wet, meaty sound of flesh smacking flesh flooded my ears, amping up the heat spiraling through me until I let go, forcefully thrusting myself back against him as my pussy spasmed and pulsed around him, screaming out as I came all over him.

With one last, lunging thrust, Calland shouted, a guttural sound that ripped through the room as he jerked himself free of my sex, spurting thick, hot streams of come over my pussy, ass, back, and thighs, before slipping back inside me, circling his hips and pressing his fingers over my clit to ride out the last dregs of our orgasms.

I collapsed forward onto the bed and he followed me down, falling to the side as he pulled out once more.

I could feel the stickiness of his release cooling on my skin and shivered as ed bliss tightened things down low, then sighed as I felt his hand slide over me, massaging his seed into my skin.

“That. Was. Fucking. Hot,” he grunted, giving up the massage and pulling me into his arms so he could kiss me. “Was I too rough?” he asked, quietly, searching my face when he broke the kiss.

I shook my head.

“Too dirty?” he asked, even softer.

“My God, no!” I replied, leaning in to kiss him again. “I loved it. All of it.”

He smiled at me, then asked, “Shower?”

I wrinkled my nose playfully. “I am a little sticky…”

***

The shower started innocently enough, but then all bets were off as soapy hands wandered and mouths met in heated kisses.

So it was definitely a while later when Calland finally called Ian to let him know that he wasn’t coming back that day.

I could hear Ian faintly on the other end because I was sitting in Calland’s lap on the couch.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Calland answered him, looking down at me with a tender smile. “Everything’s good.”

“Good. Fill me in later?”

Calland laughed. “You’re worse than a woman, you know that Ian?”

I heard Ian chuckle. “No, but I figured you’d prefer talking to me about it rather

than your sisters barging in unannounced to shake you down for info. Because we had to stop them from doing that. At least this way I can hold them off a little longer, dangle the promise of information like a carrot.”

“Jesus,” Calland muttered, then he sighed. “I guess it really doesn’t matter, anyway, because we have to go pick up Kaden here soon.”

I cringed, thinking exactly how awkward that whole scenario was going to be.

Ian said something else, but I missed it as Calland told him bye and hung up, tossing the phone down on the coffee table.

“Hey! Don’t be trying to smash my phone, too!”

He glared at me, but I could see his lips twitching. He smacked my thigh lightly. “Well, let’s go get Kade. On the way, we can stop and get me a replacement phone.”

A short time later, I was sitting in the front seat of my car, staring up at Emma and Luke’s house with trepidation. Calland had driven over here, and was now standing outside my door, trying to get me out.

“She’s not going to hate you, Dani, no matter how many times you say that she is. I promise.”

His head snapped sideways as a voice rang out from the front porch. “Dani Rose, you get your ass outta that car and get up here, right now!”

“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” I whispered, covering my face with my hands.

“Dani, come on. It’s okay, she’s joking.”

I blew out a breath and opened the door, grasping Calland’s hand tightly in mine as he practically dragged me up the stairs onto the porch to stand in front of Emma.

She reached out and pulled me into a hug, rocking me from side to side. “Was I pissed beyond belief this morning when I got a call from Chloe, beside herself with worry and hurt, thinking that you were fucking around on my brother behind his back while playing us all for idiots?”

I stiffened in her arms and tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t let me go far. She looked me directly in the eyes as she finished. “Yes. Yes, I was, Dani, but you understand why I would feel that way. He’s my brother. But even then, I didn’t want to believe it, because that doesn’t seem like the person I’ve come to know. And you know what? I was right not to believe it. Luke called and explained. T.J. went down to the shop and came clean with him and Brandon.”

She ran her hands up and down my arms. “I wish you would have told us. When we mentioned T.J. that first time you were here, you should have just asked and saved everyone this heartache.”

“I couldn’t, Emma.”

She sighed and nodded. “I know. But it’s all good now, right?”

It was my turn to nod.

“Okay,” Emma said decisively. “Come on.”

I followed her in, my gaze immediately seeking Kaden out and finding him in Chloe’s arms on the couch. She stood, walking over to me and handing him over.

As she did, tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Dani. I…I ran my mouth without knowing the details and I shouldn’t have. Can you forgive me?”

I cradled Kade to my chest with one arm and pulled her in for a hug with the other. “Chloe, there’s nothing to forgive. You were looking out for your friends, your family. And I know you’ve been one of T.J.’s closest friends, so thank you for that.”

She sniffled and hugged me tighter, laughing when Kaden squirmed against her. “You know,” she said, pulling away. “T.J. always felt so haunted to me, but he also seemed so familiar. Maybe if I’d have paid more attention to him, and to you when you came to town, I’d have realized sooner that I knew you guys.”

“What do you mean, knew us?” I said, curious and a little afraid.

“I met you guys backstage at one of your shows like three years ago or so. Before…everything…happened.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, quietly asking, “What do you know about everything happening?”

She shook her head. “Not much, really. Just the rumors that Connor—er, T.J.— er, Taylor? What do I even call him anymore?--had some kind of breakdown and that another one, uh, Aaron? Maybe?” She shrugged. “That he got real heavy into shit he shouldn’t have been in and it caused some major problems for the other . No one knows what problems, but most of it was speculation, and honestly, I haven’t heard anything about it in a while. Then again, I’m not in L.A. anymore, either, so…”

I rubbed my forehead. Damn. People were closer to the truth than they knew, but the damage control we’d done was holding so far if that’s still all that was being said. Thank God.

Nothing else was said after that about the band, and I had to practically threaten Chloe to get her to stop apologizing.

A little hand smacked me in the face and I glanced down to see Kaden smiling up at me. I smiled back and kissed his chubby little cheek before turning to Calland. “Well, are you ready? I want to stop by the store and grab a couple things for dinner.”

“Yeah, sure.”

I turned to Emma. “Thank you for keeping Kaden for me today…and I’m sorry.” I looked at Chloe, too, as I said, “I’m sorry to all of you for this mess. But thank you for not hating me…and for being my friends. It means more to me than you know.” They both hugged me again, then finally let me go so we could get going.

I strapped Kade into his car seat while Calland rounded up his stuff, and we said our goodbyes. We were getting in the car when Emma called my name again from where she stood on the front porch, Everly on her hip, Chloe standing beside her.

“So, is it true?”

“Uh, is what true?” I yelled back.

“Did he tell you he loves you?”

My eyes shot to Calland who just sighed and shook his head, but I could see the smile he was trying to hide.

Grinning, I answered her. “Yes, he did.”

She threw her hands up into the air, yelling, “YESSSSS!” and dancing around

while her daughter giggled and held on for the ride.

Calland and I exchanged glances and then I saw him scowl. “You guys bet on something, didn’t you?” he yelled.

Emma shrugged, gave him an innocent smile, and abruptly pushed Chloe back inside the house, following hot on her heels, slamming the door behind them.

I could only grin while Calland muttered under his breath.

Chapter 21

Calland

I was getting dizzy watching Dani pace back and forth across the floor. Kaden had been watching her, too, but had finally given up and was now banging away at the leg of the coffee table with one of his hard plastic toys that blipped, beeped, and played random, tinny-sounding tunes every time it made .

“He’s late,” she said, checking the time, yet again.

“He’ll be here, Dani. Chill.”

That got me a dirty look, but at least she quit pacing for a second. She’d already set the table in the dining room (something that hadn’t happened to that table since I moved in), and dinner was pretty much done, we were just waiting on T.J.

For the record? He was literally one minute late.

I shook my head at her, then smiled down at Kaden who’d done his little armycrawl thing towards where I was sitting on the couch. I lifted him up into my arms just as there was a knock at the door.

Dani flew to answer it, but then stood in front of it, blocking T.J. from even entering.

I chuckled. “Dani, honey, you’re gonna have to move to let him in,” I called.

T.J. laughed at that, leaning in to give his sister a warm hug. “It’s okay, Dani. I’m nervous too, but…I have you here, right?”

She nodded at him and stepped aside, letting T.J. slip past her. He came to a stop as he stared at the baby sitting on my lap, babbling away.

I saw his eyes well up. “He looks like me,” he whispered, emotion clogging his throat.

“Exactly,” Dani said softly before she told him, “You can hold him.”

T.J. nodded but made no move to cross the room and take Kaden from me. Instead, he looked over at Dani. “He’s really mine? That’s my son?”

She nodded, her own tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. “Yes, Taylor. And I am so, so sorry that this is the first time you’ve gotten to see him. I should have just told you over the phone, but…”

He shook his head, cutting her off. “No. I honestly don’t think I would have believed it, Dani. That bitch…”

“You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

I could see the hesitation in him before he asked, “Did she…was she using during the pregnancy?”

Dani closed her eyes before she answered. “She itted to me that she’d smoked weed a couple times and had drank some in the beginning. But she swore that she stopped, and I believed her. I checked with the doctors, and Kaden was monitored closely the first few months of his life, and there seems to be no problems. Of course, the only reason she took care of herself for the baby’s sake was because she saw it as a way to get to you, hoping you’d change your mind once you found out she’d kept him. And then when she realized it wasn’t going to happen…”

T.J. growled under his breath and I gave thanks silently that Kaden never had to meet the woman that birthed him, and that T.J. didn’t have that albatross hanging around his neck, either. I know it’s horrible to speak ill of the dead, but the little I’d heard of the woman made me sick.

I could only imagine the shit I hadn’t heard.

T.J. took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then moved across the room to take Kaden from me. He lifted him up carefully, like he was afraid he’d break him, and settled him in his arms. Dani’s tears started anew when father and son stared at each other, T.J.’s face awash in amazement and unrequited love, while Kade just studied the stranger holding him.

Then T.J. smiled at the baby, and Kaden answered in kind, grinning up at his dad.

When I heard Dani’s breath whoosh out, I realized she’d been holding it and looked at her, catching her eye. She smiled at me, tears still spilling down her cheeks, but I knew they were happy ones. I winked and jerked my head towards the kitchen.

Her eyes widened. “Oh! Dinner!” she cried, and ran to check on it. A second later, she called out for us to come eat.

T.J. walked into the dining room, still holding Kade as he sat down.

Dani came in carrying a large casserole dish full of Monterey ranch chicken (a fucking delicious meal she’d made for me a couple of times consisting of chicken cooked in ranch and covered in melted shredded Monterey-jack cheese), sitting it on a hot pad in the middle of the table.

“You can put him in his high chair, Teej,” she said as she bustled back into the kitchen.

I helped T.J. get the baby settled in the full size high chair that I’d picked up the second week Dani had been at my house, and we all sat down to eat.

The rest of the night went smoothly, with Dani and I stepping back a little to let T.J. get acquainted with his child, but he made sure that he kept Dani involved as much as possible. He gave him his last bottle for the night, though he let Dani put him to bed before he got ready to leave.

He stood in the doorway, hugging his sister. “You’ve done an awesome job with him, Dani. And I’m going to be here for him, and for you, without fail from here on out. I’m done running.”

She nodded. “Good. Because he’s going to need you. And so am I, especially if I’m hanging around this town.” She smiled up at him and then winked at me.

Sassy little thing.

Two hours later, we were lying in bed together, my fingers sweeping lightly up and down her arm and side, soothing her as she sobbed out her emotional exhaustion into the pillows.

“I’m s-s-sor-r-ry,” she hiccupped, for the thousandth time.

I kissed her forehead. “Dani, I’ve told you, you do not have to apologize. You’ve had to be so strong for so long, and today put you through the wringer. It’s been long overdue, so let it out. I’m here, love.”

She buried her face in my neck, squeezing me tightly as she tried in vain to stop crying. Eventually, she fell asleep, but it took me a while because my mind wouldn’t shut off, replaying the events of the day over and over again.

But as I finally drifted off to sleep, the last thing that crossed my mind made me smile.

The thought that Dani loves me…and everything would be okay.

***

“Calland!”

Dani’s panicked cry woke me out of a dead sleep. I jumped up out of bed, looking around everywhere for the threat, blinking wildly as I tried to focus enough to figure out what the hell was happening.

I finally looked back towards the bed to see Dani sitting up, the covers clutched to her chest. “It’s almost seven, you overslept!” she said, earnestly, pointing to the clock.

“Fucking hell…” I groaned, falling face first back into bed, tugging the covers back over me.

I felt a finger poke my shoulder.

“Did you hear me, Calland? You’re gonna be late for work!”

I turned my head, removing my face from the pillow to look at her. “No, I’m not.”

She blinked at me, more of a I’m-trying-not-to-lose-my-shit-but-you’re-being-adumbass kind of thing before she said, slowly as if I was not comprehending, “Yes. You. Are.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m. Not,” I repeated, mocking her. “I called Ian last night, took the rest of the week off. Don’t go back til Tuesday, since it’s Memorial Day weekend. Now, for the love of everything holy, woman, can I go back to sleep?”

“Well, that would have been nice information to have last night, don’t you think?” she mumbled, lying back down and flipping over to face away from me.

I slid my arm around her waist and dragged her back against me, sighing as I closed my eyes, slipping back to sleep immediately.

I woke up a while later, but Dani wasn’t in bed with me any longer.

I found her in the bathroom, giving Kade a bath.

“Good morning,” I mumbled, leaning back against the door to watch.

“Morning,” she said, brightly, laughing as Kade splashed her as usual.

“Let’s go out for breakfast. Sound good?”

“Sure. Where do you want to go?” she asked me.

I thought for a minute. “Bob Evan’s or Hardee’s.”

She laughed. “Well, that’s not two totally different ends of the breakfast spectrum or anything.”

“What? Hardee’s biscuits are the fucking best and who doesn’t love Bob’s?”

She only shook her head and finished washing Kade. “I don’t care where we go. You pick.”

We ended up at Hardee’s. And yeah, so what? I ate two bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. And a Monster biscuit. And hash rounds.

And it was goooood.

The rest of the week went pretty much the same, but T.J. was at my place, or we were at his just about every night, because they wanted to ease T.J. into Kaden’s life, rather than just have him abruptly taken away from the one constant in his life since birth.

I could tell that Dani was struggling with it a bit, knowing that the day would come when she would have to let him go. I knew it hurt her to think about, but I reminded her that he’d be right around the corner, or just a phone call away, and I figured T.J. would probably have her keep Kaden while he worked, as well.

They just hadn’t discussed the particulars just yet.

But for now, we were looking forward to the party at Allie and Jacks’ house. The weather had been steadily warming up, which was a good thing, especially as Dani’s jeans had given way to shorts. And while her ass was delectable in jeans, it was spectacular in cut off jean shorts. She’d only brought a couple pairs with her, so I had been more than happy to go with her to shop for more, thinking I’d at least get her to model for me. We went to the mall…and it just so happened to be a store that you don’t have to have open a dressing room for you. And she did so much more than model for me.

Hell. Yeah.

Saturday morning started out innocuously enough, until it hit eleven. We were supposed to be headed to the party by twelve-thirty, one-ish, so we had plenty of time. Until Dani realized that she’d forgotten to make something for the party.

Cue the mad dash to the grocery store, and then us being a little late to show, but I wasn’t complaining because I got to sneak a bunch of the things she made (until she yelled at me and carried them with her everywhere she went until we left…and even then she kept them on her lap in the car) that were fucking delicious.

I could hear splashing as we walked through the house towards the back patio where everyone was, Kaden on my hip and Dani following behind, still holding the container of whatever the hell it was she made.

I stepped outside, calling greetings back to my family and friends who were all sitting outside as they all yelled out their hellos.

T.J. came forward and took Kade from me, his face flushing when all the women sighed. Dani and I glanced around, both of us looking at them like they’d lost their minds, but then Chloe explained, “He’s hot. Now look at him with a baby…it shoots him off the hotness scale!”

I shook my head, laughing, already familiar with the teasing the girls have always done to poor T.J., but Dani’s face was absolutely classic. I could tell she was trying to figure out if she should laugh, be disgusted, or horrified that Chloe had said that out loud in front of her husband.

But when she saw the guys all laughing, and watched Brandon pretend to fan himself and nod in agreement with his wife, she ed in, her face splitting in a wide grin.

Allie came up and hugged her, then looked down at the container she was still guarding.

“Ooh! What’re those?” she asked, trying to take them from Dani.

Dani jerked them back reflexively and then handed them over, giggling like mad. “Sorry, habit. Calland’s been trying to eat them all since I started making them.”

Allie glanced over at me and winked, saying, “Well, we know what you’re cut off of already,” before she pried the lid off and took one, biting into it and then groaning. “Mmmm…God, those are good! What are they?”

Jackson shook his head at his wife. “Honey, people usually ask what it is before they scarf it down,” he said, wryly.

She didn’t answer him, just turned around and shoved one in his mouth. He chewed, then inclined his head. “Damn. They are pretty good,” he told Dani, nodding appreciatively.

She blushed and then answered Allie. “I just call them sausage bombs. Don’t really know what else to call them, but they’re pretty simple to make. It’s just sausage-I use hot-you know, the roll kind like for breakfast? Anyway, just fry that up with a little red onion, and then mix in cream cheese and a packet of that powdered ranch dip, fold it up in wonton wrappers and either bake or fry. I fried these, because it makes them crispier, but I like them…I mean, I can give you the exact recipe if you want it…Sorry. I’m babbling,” she said, sheepishly.

Allie laughed. “You’re fine, but I do want the recipe.”

They walked away, talking, and Chloe, Emma, and Leah ed them, so I moved over to where my brother-in-law, Noah, was sitting.

“What’s going on, brother?” I asked, clapping him on the shoulder. “Where’s Jenna?” I looked around, realizing I hadn’t seen her.

“She’s inside. Had to give Caleb a bath. Diaper blow-out.” He glanced over at the pool where my oldest niece and nephew were playing in the water. “Hayden!” he called sharply, shooting her a warning glare.

I followed his gaze to see Hayden with her hands on top of Jarrod’s head, his face halfway in the water. I tried not to laugh, but the innocent expression on her face was just too much.

“Jesus,” Noah muttered. “That child should have been yours.”

“Mine? Why?” I knew why, though, because the girl definitely had inherited my predilection for prank-playing and quick-witted comebacks. I held a lot of pride in her.

“You know why,” he mumbled again, then raised his voice, calling to the kids. “You guys, take a few minutes out of the water, please. Your lips are turning blue.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe they’re swimming. Is the water even over seventy, yet?”

He shrugged. “Jacks said it was at seventy-five, but you and I both know it’s still freezing balls in there. God knows it doesn’t faze them, though.”

I looked over my shoulder when I heard a hoot, grinning when I saw Nanny and Poppy totter through the gate.

Ahhh…the party has arrived.

Chapter 22

Dani

I heard cackling and glanced out the window to see Allie’s grandparents on the patio with everyone. I felt my lips stretch into a grin and turned my head to see Allie’s matching grin as she shook her head.

“Oy, that woman,” she sighed. “I love her, though. Isn’t she something?”

I nodded. “Yes, she most definitely is!”

I helped the girls set out the food and get everything ready before Emma went to the door and hollered for everyone to come eat. I stepped back immediately as a stampede of large, gorgeous, and apparently ravenous men came charging through the door, three of which were holding children.

I shook my head slowly, taking it all in. I felt a nudge beside me and glanced over to see Emma standing there, Everly now secured on her hip.

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it.”

It was a statement, not a question, but I nodded in response anyway.

“I ask myself everyday how the hell I got so lucky…how we all did. Because DAMN, we got some sexy ass men!” Emma whisper-shouted.

I choked on a laugh as Jenna came in on the tail end of Emma’s comment, rubbing Caleb’s back and patting it as she nodded emphatically. “Oh hell yes, we did!” she said, winking at her husband. Noah blushed and turned away, making Jenna grin.

Calland caught my eye from across the room and grinned at me, just like I noticed every guy doing to their women. Except for my brother, who just stood there rolling his eyes, but he was grinning, as well, as he did. I just raised my eyebrows at him in a look that said, ‘just you wait, your day is coming.’ Of course, he ignored me, rolling his eyes again.

A short time later, we were all sitting on the various patio/deck furniture with plates piled high with mouth-watering treats. Calland and I were sharing a lounger, but I think that had more to do with the fact that he wanted to steal food off my plate more than he wanted to sit with me. It might also have had to do with the fact that Nanny had patted the seat beside her and waggled her eyebrows at him when he was looking around for an open seat.

Conversation was flowing freely, laughter rang out from all corners of the deck/patio area, and I took a second to look around, to take in the life that my brother had been living for almost two years now. Technically, it had been eighteen months, two weeks, and four days, but who’s counting? I used to. But now I realize I don’t need to anymore. Kaden has his daddy now, as well as all of his new extended friends and family.

And me? For once, I can say the same thing. I have my brother back, and I’d managed to fall in love in the process. Not only with Calland, but with this town and these people…every single one of them who had gone out of their way to make me feel welcome.

We’d had a few bumps in the road, but I’d learned that they forgave easily, loved deeply, and were fiercely loyal, qualities that were very hard to come by in the world I lived in out in L.A. Especially with the parents T.J. and I grew up with. Thank God for our grandparents, otherwise, neither one of us would probably be alive…and that was something that T.J. and I both steadfastly avoided talking about.

I shook myself from my thoughts when Calland laughed loudly beside me at something someone said, glancing down at my plate to grab another sausage bomb. “Hey!” I scowled at Calland, who was trying to ignore me. “You ate all my food!”

He grinned at me and winked.

I glared back. “Grinning and winking at me, and looking all sexy like that doesn’t put the food back on my plate for me to eat, now does it?”

I heard Emma groan, but before I could even look to see what was wrong with her, or ask what was happening, Calland said, “Well, I could put it back, but it won’t be pretty.” He reached up like he was going to take something out of his mouth, or maybe gag himself or something.

“Ew!” I cried, my face screwing up in disgust.

“Cheese and rice, Asshole!” Emma yelled. “Do you have to be so gross?” She looked over at me. “You have got to quit giving him openings like that, Dani.”

She paused, glancing at her brother who was giving her an evil grin. “Really? You’re attracted to him? ‘Cause that’s what you’re gonna have to deal with the rest of your life.”

Laughing, I nodded. “Sadly, yes.”

It was Calland’s turn to protest, but he did it good-naturedly, then leaned down to kiss me before he stole my plate and went inside, coming back a few minutes later with a newly loaded plate of food for me.

I ate, but this time I shared willingly with him rather than him stealing my food. Halfway through, I heard Kaden start to fuss. I started to get up to go get him, but Calland put his hand on my thigh and shook his head no.

It hurt me at first, until I realized that he wasn’t being mean about it. He was just reminding me to let T.J. have a chance to deal with it without me jumping up and taking over. Something I was going to have to get used to.

And when T.J. shot Calland a grateful smile, I knew I’d have to get used to it sooner rather than later.

Once everyone was done eating, Brandon stood up and cleared his throat. “Hey! Can I get everyone’s attention for a second, please?”

We all stared at him, waiting to see what he would say. He motioned Chloe up beside him and I could feel the air change, full of curiosity.

“So, I know you all know that…well, you know that Chloe can’t…uh, can’t have kids.” He smiled reassuringly at her, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips, kissing it quickly. “We’ve decided to adopt, instead, and the process has been ongoing for a bit. We’ve just kept it quiet, you know, just until we know something for sure. And…well, we know.”

“Jesus Christ, man, spit it out!” Luke yelled at his brother. Everyone nodded in agreement, sitting on the edges of their seats.

Chloe grinned. “She was born yesterday. They’re placing her with us when she’s released from the hospital!”

Everyone erupted into excited cheers, laughter, and congratulations, jumping up to hug them, speaking over each other…it was chaos, but in a very, very good way.

Once it had settled down a bit, Brandon gave us the particulars. “We get to name her and everything…sadly, the mother just doesn’t want anything to do with her, and the only reason she had the baby and put her up for adoption is because her mom forced her to. Not a pleasant situation, but, we’re ready and able to give her all the love and care she could ever need her whole life. We still have to do the rest of the paperwork and have a couple more home study visits now that she’s born, but the agency and the lawyer think it should all be done within the next three to six months.”

“What are you going to name her?” I asked Chloe.

“Amelia. Amelia Nicole.”

Leah’s eyes got teary at that. “After me?” she asked, softly.

Chloe nodded, smiling at her, then said, “Actually, after all three of you. Allie, Emma, Leah…Amelia. Just a little tribute to you guys, since you were there for me so much when I showed up. I just…I love you!”

“We love you, too!” they all said at once. All four of them were crying and hugging then, but as I looked around, I realized there wasn’t a dry eye to be found, including my own.

After a while, I followed Allie in and helped her and Emma clean things up before I went back outside. Hayden and Jarrod were in the pool again, while all of the younger kids were napping in various locations throughout Allie’s house, including Kaden.

Calland was leaning down along the side of the pool, helping Hayden get into a floaty-thing of some kind…

And then he wasn’t.

It was so fast, if I would have blinked, I would have missed it.

Hayden suddenly giggled and flipped off the raft as Calland’s mom, Jan, walked

by. Next thing I knew, Calland was in the water, coming up sputtering and shooting daggers at his mother with his eyes as she nonchalantly walked back towards the house, laughing along with everyone else.

She blew on her knuckles and rubbed them against her shoulder, then winked at him. “Son, I told you I’d get even one day.”

Calland slapped the water, trying to splash her, but she was too far out of range already. “That was like a year ago, woman!”

She just shrugged and gave him a smug look, which made the angry, put-out expression he was trying to hold crack into a grin. He laughed and sputtered playfully as Hayden swam by and kicked a barrage of water in his face, then hauled himself over the edge and out of the water. He sloshed over to me and stood there, dripping wet and looking absolutely too delicious for words.

“Damnit, that water is cold!” he whined, trying to garner my sympathy.

I held my hands up, shaking my head. “You obviously deserved it, so…”

“Traitor,” he grunted, glaring at me.

Hayden’s voice rang out from the pool, “Uncle Calland, the water is not cold! You’re just a p-”

“HAYDEN!” Jenna shrieked out of nowhere, her face an interesting shade of mottled red. “DON’T YOU DARE!”

“What?” Hayden asked, put out. “Mo-om…I wasn’t gonna say anything bad.” She swam away mumbling to herself and shaking her head.

“Yeah, I’m sure you weren’t,” Jenna huffed, then turned to glare at her brother who kept laughing.

“She gets it from you,” she muttered as she ed him.

“Your husband said something similar already today. You gave birth to her, though. Serves you right for tormenting me when I was young,” Calland drawled, looking smug.

Jenna gasped in outrage. “Tormented YOU? You asshole! YOU’RE the one that tormented US!”

Emma, Leah, and even Allie all nodded in agreement.

“Hey, I can’t help it. I’m the favorite,” he said, shrugging. “You know the rule anyway, right Dad?”

He turned to look at his father, Ben, who just grinned and grunted.

“Mom!” Emma called, rolling her eyes. “Calland’s trying to bring up the penis rule again!”

Jan just smiled, coming out of the door with a towel for Calland. She handed it to him and he looked over his shoulder, giving Emma an over-the-top smarmy little grin. “See? Favorite. And he who has the penis makes the rules, so…”

I couldn’t do anything but laugh as Emma threw her hands up, growling out a disgusted, “Uuuggghhh.”

“Stop tormenting my wife, Calland,” Luke called, but I could hear the humor lacing his words.

It was Emma’s turn to give Calland a smug look then, but it didn’t last long when Calland replied, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know the only reason he’s saying that is so you don’t cut him off.”

Luke snorted and tried to cover it with a cough, then winced as Emma’s hand swung out and smacked his stomach.

“Well, if she cuts you off, hot stuff, you just come see Nanny,” an old, gravelly voice called out, cackling heartily.

Luke’s eyes widened and his wife lost it, bending over and holding her stomach because she was laughing so hard.

I just stood there, grinning madly and laughing along with all of them, glancing around with a full heart that I was a part of it all…and it was awesome.

Chapter 23

Calland

I looked over at the woman who had so quickly become my world.

She was staring out the window of the car as we drove home, her fingers tightly laced with mine on my thigh, her thumb rubbing absently over mine.

My mom had convinced Dani to let her have Kaden for the night, a request that Dani protested since he’d never been away from her for the entire night before, but Mom was very convincing, citing the fact that all of her grandbabies have stayed, so it was his turn. Dani had opened her mouth to protest again, but my mom had just smiled serenely, grabbed the diaper bag from the counter by Dani and tossed it to my dad, before she’d walked over and had taken Kade from T.J.

T.J. had looked dazed, but hadn’t said anything until my mom and dad had left, taking Kaden with them.

“Did…uh…” he’d stuttered, shaking his head.

I had only shrugged. “You should be used to them by now,” I’d said, smiling.

He’d chuckled, replying, “I am, but…did she call him her grandbaby?”

I’d nodded, telling him, “You’ve been family to her since you came, so you

didn’t think she’d claim Kaden and Dani, too?” I had glanced over at Dani, grinning at her bemused expression, because she already knew. My mom had made it clear to her several times.

I smiled into the dimness of the car, finally dragging my eyes away from her and back on the road.

“You’ve been staring again.”

My smile turned to a grin as I shot her a glance once more. She was looking at me now.

“I’m driving, so how could I be staring at you?” I asked, innocently.

“Yeah, that’s what I was wondering,” she replied, drolly. She squeezed my fingers briefly and then let go of my hand as I pulled into my complex and parked.

She reached for my hand again as soon as we were out of the car and making our way to the door. I pulled her in close to my side and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as we went.

“Got the night and the house all to ourselves, baby. What in the world are we gonna do?”

She gazed up at me through her lashes and I went rock hard instantly.

“I’m sure we can think of something…” She breathed softly, her lips caressing each word as she said it.

I rushed to unlock the door and she giggled, a sound that was cut off by my mouth as soon as we were inside. I pressed her into the door, fusing my mouth to hers in a heated duel of lips, tongues, and teeth.

We both groaned as a phone started ringing somewhere around us, breaking the kiss as we both grabbed for our phones to see who’s it was.

“Mine,” she said, digging it out of her purse. She sighed as she looked at the number and sent it to voicemail. She lifted her arms around my neck again, but stopped as her phone immediately rang once more.

“Answer it,” I sighed. “Must be important.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s not important.”

But her phone kept ringing non-stop.

She finally answered on a shout. “WHAT?!”

I held my breath and listened, trying to see who was on the other end, but feeling it wasn’t going to be a friendly chat.

“Listen, bitch,” I heard a man’s voice boom across the line. “Better watch your fucking mouth, talking to me like that.”

Dani gritted her teeth. “Alex, I’m done talking to you. I’m done with the whole situation. Get it through your fucking head that we’re not coming back, okay? DO YOU HEAR ME?”

She yelled the last of it and hung up, breathing heavily. I kissed the top of her head and pulled her into my chest.

Her phone rang again. I grabbed it from her hand and answered it before she could say or do anything.

“I think the lady told you she was done,” I said, flatly.

“Who the fuck are you?” Alex asked, but then cut me off from answering. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter who the fuck you are, just put the bitch back on the phone.”

I couldn’t help the growl that came from me. “Fucking call her a bitch one more time,” I bit out through clenched teeth. “What do you want?”

A loud, grating laugh came through the phone. “Fine. I’ll play it her way. But tell her that Grayson’s dead.”

The phone clicked off.

I looked down at Dani’s face, and knew that I didn’t have to tell her. She’d heard.

I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but when she crumpled to the floor at my feet with her head in her hands, a sob tearing free, I knew it hurt. Badly.

I dropped to the floor beside her and hauled her into my lap, rocking her as she cried against me. With my free hand, I dialed T.J.’s number on her phone.

When he answered, I simply said, “She needs you.”

I heard, “On my way,” before I hung up, and then I waited.

It was less than ten minutes after the call ended when T.J. flung the front door open and barreled through, coming directly to where I was still cradling Dani on the floor.

He dropped down beside us, his hand barely connecting with her shoulder before she threw herself at him, wailing, “He’s dead! God, Taylor, he’s fucking dead…”

T.J.’s head jerked to me, panic in his eyes.

“Grayson.” It was all I could say, because I didn’t know anything beyond the name.

His eyes drifted shut, but not before I saw the raw pain blazing in them. He murmured to Dani, rocking her and patting her back. I shifted, knowing she had to be uncomfortable with her body twisted like that, her arms around T.J.’s neck, leaning into him, with her bottom half still in my lap.

She made a sound of protest, one hand coming back to grip my thigh, keeping me in place, so I sat there, not moving.

She finally sat back fully into my lap, dropping her arms from her brother. I held her close and managed to get to my feet, moving to the couch so we’d be more comfortable, but still keeping her in my lap as I sat back down. T.J. moved with us, though he sat on the armchair to the right of the couch, hands clasped, head hanging down.

His voice was tired when he spoke. “Do you know any details? How’d you find out?”

Dani let out a harsh sigh. “Fucking Alex. He called, being an asshole, but…I mean, I didn’t even really give him time to talk, to tell me otherwise. I hung up on him.”

I hugged her tighter. “Dani, he was being a prick to begin with. He could have handled that differently, could have told you without insulting you first. That’s on him.”

She nodded against my chest, but I could tell she still felt guilty.

“You don’t owe him a damn thing, Dani,” T.J. said, firmly. “He hasn’t changed, and you know it. But I do think we should probably call LeeLee.”

She nodded again, sitting up and reaching to grab her phone off the coffee table where she’d tossed it, but T.J. stopped her.

“I’ll do it.”

She melted back into me as T.J. pulled his phone out and dialed.

We waited in silence until he started speaking, his voice soft.

“LeeLee? It’s Taylor…I know, love. I’m so sorry…yes, Dani knows. Alex was a dick and didn’t break it gently, but…”

There was a long pause as he listened, nodding his head in response to whatever was being said.

While he was talking, I turned to Dani, asking gently, “Baby? You okay?”

She nodded quickly, but her eyes were still welling up with tears. “He was part of the band. Like a brother to me, sweetest guy you’d ever meet. He got into some trouble with drugs, part of that whole story that wasn’t mine to tell, but… God. Poor LeeLee.”

My confusion must have shown.

“LeeLee is…was…his girlfriend.”

Our attention turned back to T.J. as he hung up the phone, blowing out a breath. “Car accident, Dani. Not…he wasn’t…” his words choked off, and Dani let out a sob of relief.

“He was still clean?” she asked, a tremulous smile gracing her lips.

T.J. nodded, giving her a small, sad smile in return.

She jumped off my lap and went to him, hugging him again before she came back and sat beside me, rather than on my lap, but she still snuggled into my side.

She and T.J. talked for a little longer before he took his leave, promising that he’d call her tomorrow.

And then we were alone.

Dani sighed beside me, lacing her fingers with mine. “I’m sorry that things got so…emotional. I know we were heading in a totally different direction.” She gave a short, rueful laugh.

I brought her hand to my lips, kissing it gently. “You don’t ever have to apologize, baby. We have plenty of time for that.”

“We do, do we?” she asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

I nodded and then tugged her close, enfolding her into my arms. “Yep. All the time in the world, since I’m never letting you go.”

She tipped her head back and studied me. “You don’t ever have to worry about that. Because I’m not letting you go.”

I felt my chest swell with emotion. “Good.”

“I love you, Calland. I do. Don’t ever doubt that, okay?”

“I love you, too, Dani. Always.”

She leaned in and brushed her mouth over mine in a sweet kiss. “Let’s go to bed so you can hold me.”

Nothing ever sounded better.

***

I woke on a gasp as soft, wet heat slipped over the head of my dick. “Oh, God,” I moaned, my hands sliding down to tangle in Dani’s hair as she sucked me deep, swirling her tongue up and down and around, twisting her hand in slow strokes that matched the movement of her lips.

Everything she did was deliberate, unhurried. She took her time, laving every inch of me until I was panting with the need to spill myself over her tongue. I groaned, then gave a shout as she squeezed me tight on the upstroke of her hand at the same time as she dropped her mouth to my balls, sucking first one and then the other between her lips. I couldn’t hold back any longer, hot streams of come jetting from the tip of my cock as she milked me with her hand, wringing every last drop from me.

She pulled away slowly, but then I felt the tip of her finger trace a line down my stomach, slipping through the wetness pooled there. I could barely see her in the darkness, her form a silhouette hovering over me, but I saw the movement and my dick jerked hard as she slid her finger into her mouth, tasting me.

“Mmmm…” she breathed out on a moan.

Just like that, I was fucking hard enough to pound nails again. I reached for her, roughly pulling her over me until I could feel the silky, wet heat of her pussy pressed against my cock. I rocked my hips, lining my cock up with her dripping opening before I jerked her down, impaling her on a violent thrust.

She cried out and raked her nails down my chest, then reared back, taking over. She rode me wildly, slamming down on me with abandon. My thighs started to ache from the force of her thrusts, but there was no way in hell I was stopping her.

Her breath was sawing in and out as loud, keening cries were echoing through the room. Her body was clamping down on me, a velvet fist that spasmed over and over again as she rode closer and closer to the edge of the cliff, until suddenly, she slammed down one last time and then swiveled her hips, grinding until she went soaring. She brought me over with her, my balls drawing up tighter to my body then I think they’d ever been as I emptied into her tight sheath. It felt like it was never ending, her pussy fluttering all around my cock, our mingled juices seeping out and dripping down my balls.

She collapsed on my chest in a boneless heap, both of us trying to catch our breath, but didn’t move. I stayed buried inside her, bringing my arms up to wrap around her as I pressed a light kiss to the side of her neck.

“God,” she gasped, snuggling against me. “I fucking love you.”

I laughed and she moaned as my dick twitched inside her with the movement. “I

fucking love you, too, Dani.”

I smiled into the darkness as she sighed, her breathing slowing as she slipped into sleep. It wasn’t long after that my own eyes drifted shut, and I fell back to sleep feeling complete contentment for the first time in my life.

And it was good.

Chapter 24

Dani

Two Months Later

I looked out the window, blowing out a breath as I watched my brother drive away with my nephew, then smiled as arms wound around me from behind, pulling me back into a hard chest.

“He’ll be fine,” Calland said in my ear before nipping it with his teeth.

I sighed. “I know, but…” I spun in his arms, lifting mine to lock them behind his neck, staring up into the face of the man who’d captured my heart so completely.

“It’s hard, I know, baby,” he said softly, dropping his head down to place a chaste kiss against my lips. “But, it’s just for the weekend. ? Baby steps?”

I nodded, burying my face in his chest. We’d decided it was beyond time to ease Kaden into T.J.’s house, so we’re starting out with weekends and gradually increasing until he’d be fully moved in with his father.

I didn’t have any doubts about my brother having Kaden; I knew he’d take care of him and love him more than anything. He’s a good dad already, more than ready to take over full time, but…it’s been me struggling with it. I’d had Kade since he was born. He’s a year old now, and we’d celebrated with a pool party at Allie’s house, which she’d offered up for the occasion. Everyone had shown up,

and that only cemented the fact that I’d made the right choice in staying here.

Kaden, T.J., and I were all officially residents of Ohio. T.J. and I had flown back to L.A. for Grayson’s funeral (Calland had so graciously kept Kaden for us), during which Alex had been an ass, as usual, which ended up with T.J. laying him out in front of the funeral home.

The hatred in Alex’s eyes was palpable when he’d looked between me and my brother, which was sad, considering the fact that he’d been a good guy, and a great friend at one time. But he’d gotten up, rubbing his jaw and wiping away the blood at the corner of his mouth from where T.J. had punched him. He’d nodded once, then turned and walked away, thankfully not making more of scene than he already had. Somehow, though, I felt like we hadn’t heard the last of him.

Anyway, while we were out there, we’d packed up my apartment and T.J.’s storage unit, loading everything into a U-haul, and drove back home, waving goodbye to California for good. There was nothing left for us there. Neither one of us wanted to get back into the whole show life, because the stress of it was ridiculous.

When we’d gotten back, Calland had already been in the process of buying a house for us. We’d argued, because he hadn’t even talked to me about it, even though I loved the house he’d picked. I’d tried to argue that we didn’t need that much room, since Kaden would be eventually living with T.J., but he’d argued back that we’d need the space for our own kids one day. That had shut me up, quickly.

Now we were living in our new home, and I loved every minute of my life. I loved that it didn’t matter if there was an occasion to warrant it, get-togethers

and impromptu parties abounded in this group, even if it meant just randomly meeting up at Griff’s and singing karaoke or dancing around like idiots. There was one night at Griff’s that Emma had managed to convince Griff and his house band that usually plays on live music nights to let T.J. and I do a little something. We balked at first, but they’d all worn us down. I was apprehensive at first, but when Emma had pled her case, saying, “Come on. You have to give us this! We have famous friends and we’ve never gotten to see them perform. And your brother is already so fucking hot, his cream-your-jeans-ability is gonna skyrocket and who wouldn’t want to see that?”

“Ew!” I’d cried in return, but all the other girls had chimed in to agree with her. “You guys are seriously bent,” I’d told them, to which they’d only replied, “Well, duh. Just ask our husbands!”

I’d rolled my eyes. “And we’re not famous.” It had been a lost cause with that argument, as well, because we’d still ended up on stage. After a brief conversation with the house band, the guitarist had said he’d sit in (thankfully he knew all the songs we’d suggested) because T.J. wanted to do the drums, and I usually played bass. But T.J. wanted me to sing lead, so I had, and he’d done all the backup. We’d done Trivium’s Until the World Goes Cold, and it had been good…but not as good as it could have been if the drum kit had had a double kick; that had always been my favorite part of the beat. But the crowd had loved it regardless, and it had felt good to perform just for the fun of it, especially with our friends. They’d even yelled for an encore, so we did Tear Down the Wall by Art of Dying, another one of my favorites because of the bass line, but T.J. had taken lead while I sang backup. Afterwards, I don’t think I’d ever seen the guys roll their eyes so much when the girls started swooning over T.J.’s singing. It was pretty comical, that’s for sure.

And of course, Fourth of July was awesome—as per usual, I was told—since Calland was in charge of the fireworks again. He was very secretive and refused to even let me see what he’d bought, even after he refused to let me go with him to pick it all out. He’d actually let Brandon go with him this year, and the two

had cackled and crowed like two evil villains before it was all done. Of course the party was at Allie’s, because she had the pool, it was summer in Ohio, and that meant that swimming was a requisite activity. Once we’d left the party, though, Calland had talked about putting our own pool in, so I was kind of looking forward to that.

Nanny had brought a pack of bottle rockets with her, but Poppy had taken them away, citing the fact that, ‘she didn’t need to be traipsing around with firesticks in her fingers.’ But, fortunately for Poppy (I think he might have had a heart attack, otherwise) he fell asleep on Allie’s couch and missed out on what happened when Nanny snuck in and snatched them back.

She’d procured a lighter and a bottle from somewhere and showed up down by the firepit with them. She’d managed to get one in the bottle and lit without incident; however, when she’d gone to step away, she’d accidentally hit the bottle with her shoe right about the time it went shooting out, screaming towards what should have been the sky. Instead, it had been Ian’s chest that was the target. He’d dropped to the ground, narrowly missing being hit, but I don’t think I’d ever forget the shocked terror in his eyes.

Nanny had only called him a pussy and told him to get up. Seriously. I LOVE that woman.

Calland’s voice dragged me back to the present. “We have a whole weekend to ourselves…and it’s only Friday night.” He waggled his eyebrows at me exaggeratedly. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

I rolled my eyes. “Is that all you think about?” I asked him, drolly.

He drew back and slapped his hand over his chest. “What?” he asked, his voice rising into an over-the-top falsetto. “Get your mind out of the gutter, you perv!”

I laughed, but he still continued with his fake affront.

“I was merely going to suggest that we order dinner in and have a sweet, nonsexual, movie night.”

He said something else after that, but he dropped his voice and it was very rushed and muffled, so I couldn’t make it out completely, but it sounded like, ‘with a very happy ending.’

“What was that?” I asked him, cocking my head.

He shot me an innocent look. “Nothing, love.”

“Uh-huh,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him. “I heard you about a happy ending.”

He winked. “Then why’d you ask what I said, woman?”

He smacked my ass and moved away from me towards the drawer of takeout menus that he’d collected before I moved in. “What sounds good?”

“How about a pizza and some booze?” a happy voice called from the door.

I spun around, surprised to see Emma and Luke standing outside on the front porch, staring through the screen door. “What the…how? What are you guys doing here?” I sputtered before I turned back to Calland. “You left the door open again,” I told him in exasperation.

Emma pulled the screen door open and walked in, handing me a heavy, brown paper sack as she ed me. “It’s the middle of summer and the air is on. Don’t you know better, ass? How many times did Mom tell you to shut the door, that she wasn’t cooling the outside?”

He rolled his eyes and moved his lips like he was mocking her. Typical.

I peered into the bag, nodding a distracted hello at Luke as he came in, too, making sure to close the front door behind him. Two green boxes stared back at me. “Jesus, you brought two fifths of Apple Crown? Are you trying to get alcohol poisoning?”

She just smirked and pointed to the door right as the doorbell rang. “Get that, will ya?”

I blinked at her, shaking my head, but still moved to open the door, only to find Allie and Jackson on the other side, with Chloe and Brandon coming up the steps. They all filed into the house, Brandon holding a stack of pizzas and Chloe carrying a couple of overstuffed grocery sacks, while Allie held two twelve packs of Cherry 7up. Jackson had a case of beer.

I shut the door behind them, and glanced over at Calland who just shrugged helplessly at me.

“Are we having a party?” I asked.

“Nah,” Allie said, shrugging. “Just a get together. Leah and Ian already had plans, or they’d be here, too. But, we all managed to get babysitters for the night, and we were gonna go out to the bar, but then Emma ed that Kade was going for his first whole weekend with T.J., so we brought the bar to you.” She paused. “You better love me for it, too, because I can’t drink and you bitches are having the good shit tonight!”

“Oooh…liquid cocaine?” Chloe asked, stepping over to peer into the bag I was still holding.

“Nope. Apple Crown and Cherry 7up,” Emma said, smacking her lips together and licking them lasciviously.

“Even better,” Chloe quipped, taking the bag from me.

“Well, alrighty then,” I replied, surrendering the booze to her. I didn’t know what else to say. I was blinking, trying to hold back the tears threatening. I swear, I’d never been a cry baby before I came here, but they were all constantly surprising me with their loving thoughtfulness, this being no exception.

Calland came to stand beside me, draping his arm over my shoulders and pulling me into his side. “This work for you?” he asked, softly.

I beamed up at him. “Definitely.”

So we ate pizza and got drunk. Well, the girls (all except Allie, of course) did. And we played a couple rowdy hands of Cards Against Humanity before someone got the bright idea to play Charades.

It was my turn to act…is that what it’s called? Acting? Flailing your arms and body around wildly while trying to pantomime some inane activity or thing? Anyway, that’s what I was doing.

I was attempting to get them to guess that I was riding a horse, which should be simple, right? Maybe when the players hadn’t been imbibing…but we had, and I, for one, was pretty frickin’ buzzed. So maybe my acting wasn’t quite on par. Maybe I really did look like I was, “Humping a hippo,” as Chloe had shouted out.

Or, “Spanking my ass like a naughty girl,” according to Calland.

All I knew was that, by the time everyone had shouted out a guess, each more outrageous than the last, I was laughing so hard I’d collapsed on the floor and was seriously in danger of pissing myself.

We’d called Brandon’s answer the winner. He’d guessed, “Riding the baloney

pony!” Close enough. Ish.

It wasn’t long after that, though, that people started getting handsy.

And by people, I mean me. And Emma and Chloe.

So we decided it was time to call it a night. Calland was all for that, shooing everyone out the door in a comical rush, then slamming the door behind them, making sure to lock it before he turned to me, a slow grin spreading across his face.

Just like that, my good night turned great.

I stood there, waiting to see what he’d do next, but he didn’t make a move. In fact, he leaned back against the door, crossing his arms over his chest.

I cocked a hip and rested one hand on it, using the other to tap my chin in that universal I’m-thinking pose. Then I turned and ran, heading for the bedroom.

I barely made it through the doorway when I heard footsteps pounding after me. I took off across the room, jumping for the bed when strong arms caught me around my waist and hauled me back into a hard, muscled chest.

Lips brushed the outer shell of my ear as he whispered, “Going somewhere?”

I moaned and turned my head, finding his lips with mine. I devoured him with my mouth, not even realizing that he had moved closer to the bed so that my knees were on it, because he was still holding me against his chest.

While our lips and tongues mated, one of his hands slid up to cup my breast while the other slid down my stomach and into the waistband of my shorts, delving under the lace fabric of my panties and directly into the wet, hot folds of my sex.

I broke the kiss on a moan, dropping my head back on his shoulder as his fingers played in my wetness, slipping and sliding up and down my slit, dipping inside, circling and pinching my clit until I was panting and thrusting my hips into his hand, seeking the release that hovered just out of reach.

I jerked away from him, finally, and frantically stripped my clothes off, falling back on the bed and spreading myself for him, arching up, blindly asking him to touch me, to taste me.

He stripped his own clothes off and crawled over me, his rock hard length bobbing and straining in the space between us. I reached down and cradled him in my hand, loving the feel of him, hot and heavy, tracing my thumb over the tiny pearl of moisture gathered at his tip.

He grunted and thrust his hips, sliding his cock against my hand reflexively, then tapped my hip, growling, “Up.”

I complied, getting to my knees in front of him, but he moved, lying down on the bed where I’d just been. He reached over and gripped my hips, lifting me up and over him until my knees were straddling his head.

As soon as he did that, I knew what he wanted. I leaned forward and slid his cock between my lips as I lowered my pussy toward his waiting mouth, crying out around him as his tongue swiped through my folds, then speared inside me.

I tried to concentrate on what I was doing, sucking him deep, licking him up and down, but the assault his mouth was waging on my sex was too much.

He was pushing me towards the edge, and I was hovering on the precipice of a violently blissful orgasm…but he wouldn’t let me fall over.

Chapter 25

Calland

Dani was fucking my face, whimpering as she grinded her hips down on my mouth, but I kept dragging my tongue away, not letting her come yet.

She was writhing over me, completely caught up in the pleasure I was giving her, but God she still kept her mouth going on me, though I knew she was really distracted. So I took pity on her, lifting her up once more and rolling so she was underneath me.

I didn’t waste any time shoving into her roughly, plunging deep with my first thrust, knowing that’s what she wanted. She didn’t want gentle, she didn’t want sweet. She wanted it rough, hard, fast, and dirty.

She pulled her knees back and I shifted, bracing my hands on the backs of her thighs, just under her knees, holding her up and open even wider. She was crying out with every movement, her breasts bouncing with the force of my thrusts. My breath was ragged, sawing in and out of my mouth in heavy pants as sweat gathered on my body. I could see it on her skin, glistening in the light neither one of us had bothered to shut off in the hallway, spilling a wide swath over the bed.

I loved seeing her under me like that. Loved seeing her bare her teeth, lost in the freight train of sensation riding over both of us, sweeping us up in a tidal wave of white hot ecstasy.

And then she slid her hand down her stomach, her fingers splitting over her sex so they were framing my cock as it slid in and out of her. She held it there for a

moment, her face telling me that she was reveling in the feel of our connection, but then she moved it again. She didn’t go far, though. She rubbed her clit in rapid circles with the pads of her fingers, and my dick jerked hard inside her at the sight of it.

I could feel her getting impossibly wetter around me, could feel her body starting to spasm around mine, clenching tighter and tighter, the velvet heat of her inner core rippling around my cock until it closed around me like a fist as she came, screaming wildly, her fingers still frantically rubbing her clit, drawing out her orgasm.

It was enough to bring me over, but I grabbed the base of my dick, my fingers pressing down to hold it off just long enough to draw out her pleasure even more, until she was trembling underneath me, and then I let go, pulling out of her at the same time so that my release shot all over her stomach and pussy. She moaned as it covered her, then brought her hand down to my cock, stroking and jerking me roughly until every last drop had been wrung from my balls.

Even then, I was still hard, and she wasn’t going to waste that. She used my cock to tap her clit, then run it through her folds, painting herself with my come, and then notched me into her opening again.

I took control, moving my hands from the backs of her legs to brace them on either side of her shoulders instead, sinking into her, slowly this time, until I was buried to the hilt and held myself there. She moaned and dropped her legs, pressing them against my hips, urging me to move. Her hands slid up my sides, smoothed down my back, until she was clenching her fingers tightly on my ass, pulling me into her even further, rocking our bodies together.

She ground against me, rubbing her clit against the base of my cock, taking

herself there and pulling me along for the ride. The gentle rocking of our bodies combined with her writhing under me, using her inner muscles to massage the length of me brought us both to the peak and over, into a soft, gently cresting release.

We stayed locked together, enjoying the closeness, my face buried in her neck, my lips tracing her skin.

“Marry me.”

The words were breathed against her skin, an almost involuntary utterance, but one that felt so right in that moment that I would never wish them unsaid. It wasn’t a question, either. It was a demand, because I wanted this woman in my arms for the rest of my life.

I wanted to watch her belly grow swollen with my children. I wanted to raise them with her by my side, dancing and laughing through the good moments in life with her, holding her and comforting her through the bad.

I wanted to make love to her, and hold her hand and kiss her lips every day for the rest of our lives, until we both faded into nothingness, our bodies to dust, but our souls intertwined for eternity in that beautiful place above us all.

She stilled beneath me, but then her arms tightened around me, and she uttered the most beautiful word in the world.

She said yes.

***

“That one? You’re sure?”

Dani looked over her shoulder at me, nodding, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

“That’s a lovely choice, ma’am, but are you sure you wouldn’t want to see something out of this case, maybe a little bit bigger?”

Dani laughed, glancing at the sales clerk. “Honey, I could buy the store if I wanted. I don’t need a big, fancy ring flashing on my finger to prove that I’m marrying the man of my dreams.”

The clerk looked pained, but she pasted a fake smile on her face. It took everything I had not to laugh as she tried to swallow the fact that she wasn’t going to make a huge commission off of us. Especially given the fact that Dani had indicated she could have.

Fifteen minutes later, we were walking out of the jewelry store, and Dani was sporting a brand new engagement ring. She’d claimed it was providence when the one in the display had fit her finger like it’d been made for her. It was a simple ring, really, a thin gold band with a half carat diamond in the center, and two smaller ones on either side.

And it looked damned good on her hand.

Pride swelled in my chest. I grabbed her hand and pulled it up, kissing the ring where it sat on her finger, then laughed as I realized how cheesy I was being.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked, leaning into my side as we walked to the car.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just how much of a cheese ball I’ve been lately. You’ve turned me into a wimp.”

She stopped dead on the sidewalk, looking up at me in mock horror. “What? A wimp? And cheese ball?” She snorted. “I mean, I really thought you’d at least say cheese dick and pussy whipped, but hey. You went the opposi-”

Her words cut off on a shriek as I swung her over my shoulder in a fireman’s carry, smacking her ass for good measure. She laughed, bracing her arms on my back and calling out cheerful hellos to the people on the sidewalk ing by, most of whom were laughing and calling back to her.

I put her down by the car and pressed her against it. “Cheese dick? Pussy whipped?” I whispered, softly.

“Yep,” she whispered back, popping the ‘p’ dramatically.

I growled low in my throat, then ruined the effect by laughing when she merely quirked an eyebrow, giving me a wry look.

“You’re trouble, you know that?”

She shrugged, grinning up at me, but then she leaned in a pecked my lips briefly, pulling back to say, “But you love me.”

I hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. “That I do, Red. That I do.”

She looped her arms around my neck and tipped her head back, going on tiptoe to reach for a kiss. I obliged, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.

“Ewww, get a room already, would ya?” a voice hollered from somewhere behind us.

I spun around to see my sister, Leah, standing on the sidewalk with Ian. “Are you stalking us now?” I yelled back.

They came closer before she answered. “No, I had to come down to the scrapbooking store to grab a couple things for some activities I put in my lesson plans for when school starts. What are you guys doing down here?”

I grinned at her, but didn’t say anything.

Apparently, I didn’t have to because the next thing I knew, Dani’s hand shot out from beside me, practically in Leah’s face. Leah’s eyes got huge as she grabbed for Dani’s hand, jerking it closer, and then blinking as if she was trying to bring it into focus.

She glanced up. “Is that?”

Without waiting for an answer, though I could see Dani nodding vigorously out of the corner of my eye, Leah started jumping up and down and shrieking in glee. Poor Dani was being jerked around by Leah’s bouncing, but she never tried to pull away, nor did her smile lessen.

When Leah finally calmed down, she jumped at me, giving me an exuberant hug. “Finally! You finally met the one to tame your whoreish ways! Mom’s gonna be so happy…”

Ian pulled his wife away and then clapped me on the shoulder, nodding his own congratulations as he tucked Leah beneath his other arm. “But she’s gonna let you guys be the ones to tell her, right, babe?”

Leah sighed. “Yeah, I guess so,” she muttered, glaring at Ian.

He just shook his head, giving her a long-suffering look.

We chatted for a little while longer before Ian reminded Leah that they needed to get to the scrapbook store. They walked away after more hugs and congratulations, and we finally got to leave.

“You know, we should probably just head over to your parents’ house and tell them. I don’t think Leah will be able to keep this a secret for long. And we should probably tell your sisters, too. And definitely my brother, but…”

She hissed in a breath, grimacing.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked, concerned.

She sighed, her face falling. “You didn’t ask him for my hand in marriage…he’s going to be pissed.”

I blinked at her, unsure of what to say.

The silence stretched out. I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to think of something to make her feel better, but I was completely blank.

Suddenly, her shoulders started shaking and she ducked her head, trying to hide her face from me.

I panicked, grabbing her close again and patting her back. “Baby, don’t cry. Please don’t cry, I’ll make it right, I swear!” I hooked a finger under her chin and

tipped her face up toward mine, only to scowl when I saw she wasn’t crying at all.

She was laughing.

“You little-”

“Ah, ah, ah…” she sang, wagging her finger at me. “Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

“Payback for what?” I asked, indignantly.

“Gee, I don’t know. April Fool’s Day ring a bell?”

I tried to keep my scowl, but I couldn’t. I grinned down at her. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

She nodded. “But you can tell me again.”

“I love you, Dani-girl.”

“Love you, too, Calland.”

She kissed me then, leaning against the car in broad daylight, without a care in the world, before she whispered, “Take me home.”

So I did.

Life is good.

***

THE END.

Author’s Note

First of all, thank you all for sticking with me on this journey. Secondly, you’re probably wondering why there’s no epilogue to finish the series up with, since Bare Skin is the final book. Truth is, I can’t do the epilogue yet. There’s a little bit more that needs to happen before I can wrap it all up in a final fare-threewell, happily-ever-after. But how is that possible, you ask? Well, because T.J.’s story has yet to be told. His will be a standalone that’s not necessarily part of the series, because so much of his story is outside of the Skin Deep characters, even though he’s been such a big part of the series. Don’t worry, though. You’ll get to see the Skin Deep gang again…and you’ll get that epilogue. I promise. Much love to each and every one of you, and I hope you continue to love my books and characters just as much as I do!

XOXOXOXOXO!

J.M.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, like always, THANK YOU to all of my readers for riding along with me on this crazy journey. I can’t do what I do without you, and your means the world to me. Who’s ready for more? ;)

To my girl, Josie Leigh: You’ve been with me since the beginning, and it all started with a simple Goodreads message. You’re the other half of my hoemance, and I love you dearly. Thank you for all of your help, your words of wisdom, your honesty, and your random, warped sense of humor. You get me, and I’d like to think I get you back. Lol! Seriously, I can’t thank you enough…now get to writing again, woman!

To Amber Binion: I. Love. You. You are my right-hand woman, ready and willing to do anything and everything, most often without me saying a word, or even knowing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this, for pimping me hard, for helping me at gs, and with giveaways and takeovers…you do it all, and I PROMISE I couldn’t do it without you. Seriously. You can never leave me. ;)

To Naarah Scheffler: One day, we will meet in person, and it will be epic. Thank you for being there for me whenever I need; random middle of the night emails, rambling notes that make no sense, and pieces of works in progress that I just cross my fingers you can make sense of. You have become such an integral part of my team that, just like Amber, I will never let you go. Muah ha ha ha! (But seriously, I love you, too!)

To Michelle Myers: You can’t leave me, either. Thank you so much for pimping me like you do, and for everything else that you do for me, including the beta

reading that I kind of just threw you into. You go above and beyond and I appreciate you so much. More than words could say…and you know I love you!

To the Gems: My street team is awesome! I love each and every one of you for taking time out of your day to pimp me out. Your pimp hands are strong!! Thank you so much!!

A BIG THANK YOU to all the bloggers and reviewers who have shown their love and to me during this journey. You guys totally ROCK!

Last but not least, I always have to say thank you again to my family for encouraging me every day, for pushing me and telling me I can when I think I can’t, and for loving me the way you do. I love you all…ALWAYS EVER!

About the Author:

USA Today and Amazon Best Selling Author J.M. Stone is a legal assistant by day, and a writer by night. She started writing at a young age, mostly poetry and song lyrics, some of which were published. She currently lives in Ohio where she's lived for most of her life, and enjoys spending time with her other-half, their mouthy daughter, three spoiled and crazy dogs, and the rest of her abnormal family. (Don't worry, abnormal is good!) In her spare time, she loves to read, write, sing, and make people laugh, which usually happens at her own expense!

She loves to hear from her readers, so drop her line at [email protected] or connect with her online!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4560885.J_M_Stone

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Stone/622443461116902

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorJMStone

Website: http://jadelynna23.wix.com/authorjmstone

Happy Reading!

******

Other works by J.M. Stone

Skin Deep Series

Skin Deep

Under My Skin

Skin to Skin

Skin Tight

Bare Skin