His image flashes before my eyes—his form glowing with pure, life magic as heavy rain falls through him.
“Tell Bree that I love her, and that the accident isn’t her fault,” he pleaded, his literal dying wish. “Tell her that she deserves to find love again. Someone that will treat her right.” A rueful smile twisted his ghostly lips. “He’s just not allowed to be prettier than me. It’s a joke between us. That’s how she’ll know it’s from me.”
Now, Bree hates James’s guts since Felix dumped her, and I doubt she wants to hear anything I have to say. Who am I to give such heartfelt words to a girl who can’t mourn his death?
The spiraling thoughts that consume me are suddenly interrupted by the sensation of warm tendrils snaking up my arm and a feeling of being dosed with some type of sedative. As if all of my bones have been removed, my body fully relaxes into the chair.
“I feel something,” I slur, then laugh as if it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Crap, way too much,” she mutters, helping me sit up in the chair before I slide onto the floor.
Callie makes the cutest squeaks when she’s trying to lift heavy things.
“Thank you,” she replies dryly. “At least you freely admit that all those muscles weigh a ton.”
I think I said that out loud.
“You did.” She chuckles, patting my shoulder. Her mouth quirks to one side while she looks down at me, the wheels of her mind clearly turning in her concentrated gaze.
There’s something wrong, but I can’t tell what it is. For once I feel free, but Callie’s expression says otherwise. In an attempt to comfort her, I reach to clasp her hand, but I’m too slow or she’s too fast—it’s hard to tell when my mind keeps swimming in delightful circles—but she pulls away, and I end up grabbing air instead.
She taps her fingers against her sweet lips while the other hand runs along the coarse fabric of her jeans. Her brows furrow into a frown. “I’m scared to attempt reversing the spell when it’ll likely end up with an extreme in the opposite direction,” she speculates, her husky voice a welcome sound to my ears, even with the dire edge to it. “It’s supposed to be temporary, so you can try sleeping it off. If you’re still affected by morning, then I’ll call Mildred. Your parents are going to be so mad, and I’ll never hear the end of it from D.” Getting up from her chair, she sighs. “I’ll go tell the front desk we’ll be ending our shift early.”
The thought of her leaving my sight fills me with dread. I’m tired, and it’s not fair that our only time together is being cut short. Before she can escape, I grab her around the waist and drag her into my lap. She yelps with surprise, her limbs fumbling about as she attempts to situate herself.
“What’s going on?” she asks once she’s worked herself into a comfortable seated position sideways across my lap.
“You were going to leave,” I answer, wrapping my arms around her waist. “It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been alone. I miss you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Callie replies, her right hand massaging the back of my neck. “And we can still spend the rest of tonight together. Honestly, that’s probably a good idea if only so I can monitor you.”
I purr like a large jungle cat under her ministrations and only vaguely register everything she says. Something about spending the night together. That sounds good.My head feels too heavy, so I rest it against her shoulder. Breathing in her distinct fruit and floral scent, I sigh contentedly.
“I’ve always liked the way you smell,” I confess, my thoughts pouring from my mouth like water through a sieve. “And you’re very beautiful. I love the way your eyes look like cracked ice over a dark winter stream, and your hair is like this honeyed halo of waves that I want to run my fingers through.” This statement is illustrated by me wrapping one of her loose strands around my finger. “So soft. You’re soft… but also strong. You’ve survived so much. I read the journal, and it makes me want to strangle that bastard until his eyes pop out.” My hands grip her tight while my expression turns hard, my thoughts brushing against the rage that lives inside me. However, it’s too slippery to hold onto and turns back to how wonderful I think Callie is. “But you know, after all of that, you’re still willing to be vulnerable with me… and the guys. I admire that. Being able to trust people. I don’t trust people.”
“Um, thank you,” she replies slowly, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”
I don’t want her to worry, but I can’t seem to stop myself from answering with the truth. “I’m not okay,” I admit sadly, hugging her tighter, afraid that she’ll try to leave again. “It’s all too much sometimes. I always want to do the right thing, but I don’t know what that is a lot of the time. I act as if I do, but it’s all a front, you know? Maybe that’s why no one listens to me when I talk. Well, the guys don’t anyway.”
“Oh, Kaleb.” She says my name woefully and turns to hug my head to her chest. This is a pleasurable place to be, except that there’s a pale blue, cowl-necked sweater between my lips and her bare skin. “I meant are you physically… You know what? Doesn’t matter. You do your best, and that’s all any of us can do. Also, the guysdolisten to you. Felix told me when we first met that you were the one to talk to for help.”
“Mmm,” I hum dismissively. “Felix always sees the good in people, that’s why he’s the glue that holds us together a lot of the time. The others see me as a nuisance.”
My brooding thoughts are fleeting, distracted by my growing desire for Callie who obliviously sits in my arms. The feel of her breasts against my cheek and the firm roundness of her ass against my groin excites me.
“That’s not…” She trails off as one of my hands slides up her back under her sweater, enjoying her warm, soft skin, while the other rests on the outside of her thigh. I’m pleased by the hitch in her breath and the way her body shivers. “Whatisit with public places?” she mutters under her breath while I trail my hand back down to the base of her spine. My fingers splay wide, some of them slipping underneath the waistband of her jeans. She sucks in a breath and mutters, “Oh boy, this is gonna be an interesting night.”
“I’m not a good person,” I confess in a hushed whisper against her neck. “Everyone thinks I am, but it’s a lie.”
“Of course you’re a good person,” she insists, digging her fingers into my shoulders. “I mean, you’re a bit handsy at the moment, which under normal circumstances I wouldn’t mind, but, uh, under the influence of a spell in the middle of the hospital cafeteria maybe isn’t the best time or place.”
I shake my head and then press my lips to the juncture where her jaw and ear meet. “No, I’m not,” I argue in a low growl. “The ways I dream of touching you… All the things I want to do to you… I want to make you beg for release.” My lips travel to the soft shell of her ear, and my voice drops as low as it can go. “Columba mea,I’m not that pure, perfect guy I pretend to be. Far from it. However…” A suggestive smile pulls at the corners of my mouth. “Iamvery skilled in the ways that will bring you pleasure. Most believe that Nolan or Donovan, with all their experience, would make them ideal, but it’s all about quality, not quantity.” My fingers play in light strokes down the length of her thigh. “It’s about taking the time to learn every part of a woman’s body, how she likes to be touched, what spots need only the barest of stimulation to leave her desperate, and when to be gentle and when to be… more.”
“By the goddess,” she whispers and then presses her knees together tightly. After swallowing heavily, she stutters, “H-How about we, uh, put a pin in that for now? I’ll call the front desk while we go at… I mean, to the… um, the car. Yup, the car, and then I can take you… home! Take you home.”
“Take me wherever you want,” I purr, followed by a deep, wicked laugh.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re talking about two different things,” she mumbles with choppy breaths. She clears her throat and tugs on the long collar of her sweater. “Is it warm in here? I think they put the heater on too high.”
