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“Wow. That’s—um, I feel bad that I only just said blue.”
“Nah, the ocean’s good, too.” He grins, reaching over to lightly tap the tip of my nose. “But you know, there’s something about the way your eyes light up, especially when you’re drawing. Can’t beat the sight.”
“Hmm.”
“Sorry, too corny?”
“No . . . no, not at all.”
NOW
I’m cocooned in Callum’s bed, a tangle of sheets and limbs. My eyes trace the contours of his sleeping face. He’s always had this rough-around-the-edges handsomeness, but in the tender light of dawn, he looks almost vulnerable.
A boyish charm that reminds me of his younger self.
His chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm, the quiet sound of his breathing filling the room with a sense of calm. It’s tough to fathom, waking up next to him like this—Callum, my childhood friend, a stranger for a short time, and now something ... much more.
He stirs, a gentle shift in his sleep, and his eyes flutter open to meet mine. “Morning, baby,” he says, his voice a low rumble.
“Morning,” I murmur.
Baby? Well, isn’t the sound of that so fucking surreal?
He leans in, and our lips meet in a kiss that’s sweet and slow, a lingering promise. “How do you feel?”
“Kind of like I’m in a dream,” I confess softly.
He beams, giving me the kind of smile that reaches his eyes and lights up his whole face. “Best kind of dream, I hope,” he says, swooping in for another kiss, a featherlight touch that slowly melts into more.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to this, him kissing me just for the sake of it. His hands on my body, his lips tracing a path that sears my skin.
Despite my disbelief, we continue to lie here, wrapped up in each other, but my mouth seems to have a mind of its own. “Last night. It was good for you, right?”
He gives me a humorless snort. “Good? It was fucking perfect. I can’t remember ever feeling like that before.” His fingers trace the line of my jaw, his gaze soft and certain. “If it didn’t quite stack up for you, though . . . well, trust me, I’ll only get better with practice.”
My eyes crinkle at the corners, laughter bubbling out of me. “Oh, it stacked up.”
“Yeah?”
“You felt really good.”
“Mm, are you sore at all?”
“A little,” I admit. “In a good way, though. And um, well, it’s really nice to feel wanted like that. It’s like you couldn’t get enough of me.”
He nods, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Like I said, I’ve always wanted you, Li.” He kisses my forehead softly, his voice a deep growl as he murmurs, “And I promise to make you feelwanted like that, every single time.”
“I like that offer.”
“You know, I thought maybe you’d pretend you didn’t enjoy it.” He chuckles, soft and low. “Just to irritate me a little bit. Call me a show-off or something.”
“Well, considering we’ve been friends forever, you might suspect that I was lying,” I say, trying to sound calm and collected, but it only comes out as a high-pitched squeak.
“Apparently, I’ve been clueless when it comes to you for quite some time. But you’re right, there’s no denying how much your body loved it, craved it.”
“Okay, don’t get too cocky now.”
“Yeah, okay. We’ll save that for round four.”
