AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Right now he could be in bed with Calliope.
Instead, he was home.
Alone.
There was something inherently fucked about his decision-making.
Chapter Seven
Calliope blew an errant hair away from her face as she cleaned up one of the playrooms while the one-year-olds slumbered during nap time. The day care center had only been closed one day, and the kids obviously had snow fever, because they were all rambunctious and full of energy today. She was certain the parents were all happy to be back at work today and leave their wild little charges with her. The worst thing was the playground outside was still covered in snow, so they would have to deal with having the kids inside all day long.
Along with Wyatt and his men, who were working away inside the room addition.
He'd been gone yesterday by the time she woke. Normally a light sleeper, she must have been half-dead not to hear him dress and leave her house. Then again, they'd stayed up almost all night, and it wasn't like they'd been leisurely playing cards. She blushed as she remembered exactly what they'd been doing all night long.
He'd greeted her with a nod this morning, back to his usual gruff demeanor.
Yeah, that wasn't going to fly. She had a few things to say to him at the end of the day today. She was no mouse or doormat who would stand idly by and be treated this way.
She counted down the hours until the final child and the last of her employees left. Wyatt stayed behind after his two men headed out the door. She smiled at both of them, wished them a good-night, then locked the door behind them and headed into the new addition, determined to have a serious conversation about how you treat a woman after you've spent a night worshipping her body.
The existing playroom door was closed so none of the kids would wander in there. She opened the door at the same time Wyatt did.
He looked down at her. Frowned.
"Everyone gone?" he asked.
"Yes."
"About time." He moved her out of the room, away from the wind coming in from the addition, and closed the door. He backed her against the hallway wall and pressed his body to hers. "I've been waiting all damn day for this."
He slammed his mouth down on hers, obliterating all the righteous anger she'd worked up since he'd left her house yesterday. The kiss was dark and passionate and needy and made heat coil low in her belly. She melted against him, but then laid her palms on his chest and gave him a gentle push.
He drew back, his lips moist from their kiss. She wanted to grab his hair and pull him back, but she resisted.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"The kiss?"
"Yes."
His gaze drifted to her mouth. "I've been thinking about it all day. Yesterday, too."
"You could have been with me yesterday, instead of sneaking out of my house while I was still asleep."
"Yeah, about that. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like that. It was stupid and inconsiderate. And I should have called, but once I left I felt like an ass, so I just...didn't."
This was new. An apology? "Okay."
He palmed the wall next to her head. "Look, Calliope. I'm not very good at this."
"This?"
"Relationships. Women. Dealing with them. I'll try to do better, but I'm probably not going to be good at it. You should know that going in, so you can change your mind if you want."
Her lips curved. As an apology, it kind of sucked, but it was honest. She couldn't ask for more. "It's okay, Wyatt. I understand."
He cocked a brow. "That's it? I'm forgiven?"
"That's it."
"You're too easy."
She laughed. "Not the best thing to say to a woman."
He laid his forehead against hers. "Shit. I told you I wasn't good at this."
She framed his face with her hands. "No, you aren't, but if you're honest with me, I can deal with everything else. Besides, you're a great kisser, and that forgives a lot of sins."
"Yeah?" He leaned in closer, grabbed the loops on her jeans and directed her toward her office.
When they got in there, he pushed her against the wall again, pulled off her glasses and tucked them in his pocket.
She might be old-fashioned, but she had to admit she dug his caveman moves.
"Oh, yeah."
He brushed his lips across hers, his breath a warm caress as he teased his tongue along her bottom lip, then went in for the kill, sliding his arm around her to draw her against him. He brought his mouth full force against hers, and kissed her until she forgot all about yesterday. All she thought of was right now, and the fact they were alone and the door was firmly locked.
And when he dropped to the floor, pulling her on top of him, she went willingly, eager to pick up where they'd left off the night before.
"This is kind of wicked," she said as he swept her hair away from her face.
"Never done it at work before?"
She snorted. "I work at a day care center. I don't get many hot guys hitting on me here."
He popped the button on her jeans and drew the zipper down. "That's too bad. They should be lining up at the door."
Now he was making up for fumbling his words earlier. She felt warm all over, though maybe that was due to him rolling her over and touching her. He took off her tennis shoes and slid her jeans and panties down her legs.
By the time he'd removed her sweatshirt and bra, and gotten rid of his own clothes, she started to giggle. He frowned at her.
"This is no laughing matter," he said.
"I've never been naked at work before."
He grabbed a condom from the pocket of his jeans. "You should try it more often."
She rolled over on her side. "Oh? You make a habit of it?"
"Yeah. I wander around jobsites naked all the time. You haven't seen me on the news?"
She grabbed his shoulder. "Careful, Wyatt, or I might think you have a sense of humor."
"Don't worry. It doesn't come around all that often." He pulled her back on top of him and reached for her breasts, and all humor fled as she tilted her head back and lost herself in the magic of his hands.
Wyatt hadn't meant to start this. All he'd wanted to do was talk to Calliope tonight, to get her alone so he could apologize for acting like an ass and running out on her yesterday. But seeing her as she opened the door, fury and irritation instead of hurt in her eyes, had primed the pump and made him forget everything he intended to say to her.
Anger had lit up her face, put a bright spot of color on her cheeks and made her eyes come to life. The only thing he'd thought about then was kissing her and getting his hands on her.
Okay, so maybe those were the only things he'd thought about since he left her house yesterday.
But now she sat on top of him naked. He didn't know if he'd ever seen anything more beautiful than her body, lush and flushed pink with arousal as she tilted her head back while he thumbed and teased her nipples.
She rolled against him, causing him no end of agony--the pleasurable kind. Buried inside her, he connected with her in the most primal way, reaching up to pull her against him, to take a nipple into his mouth, to touch her on a basic level so she'd feel what he felt.
He loved the way she responded, the way she looked at him so he knew she was as connected as he was. She gripped his shoulders as she rode him, as she raised and lowered on him, and when she climaxed, she kept that connection, digging her nails into him, her eyes widening as she tightened around him. He cupped his hand around the nape of her neck and flew with her, losing himself in her depths.
A part of him wasn't ready for this--this bond he felt with her. The last time he'd felt this attached to a woman had been Cassandra. And that hadn't ended well.
Calliope was like a hurricane--wild and turbulent. He wasn't sure he could handle her, but he wanted to see what she threw at him, and right now he just couldn't resist her. She was beautiful, a little scary, and he couldn't walk away.
"I'm hungry,"
she said, pushing up to look down at him. "You like pizza?"
He grinned up at her. "Sounds good."
"How about Rizzoni's?"
"How about we go to your place and order delivery? Fewer clothes involved that way."
She arched a brow. "Naked pizza eating could be dangerous."
"I live on the edge."
She climbed off him and started grabbing her clothes. "You're on, but hurry. Sex makes me hungry."
He grabbed his jeans. "I'll be sure to order an extra large pizza, then. You're going to need it."
Chapter Eight
"The party is scheduled for the sixteenth," Tori said, handing out the information sheet along with the menu.
Staff meetings at Kent Construction were his least favorite thing, but business had to be conducted. Discussing the annual holiday party was something he'd rather Tori handle. As the office manager, she dealt with the day-to-day running of the business, as well as all the financials. He'd much rather just get out there and work with his hands.
Unfortunately, when Tori called a meeting, you showed up. She might be only in her twenties, but she was formidable. When she bellowed, you came running or you'd never hear the end of it.
Wyatt took the information sheet and scanned it. "I assume there'll be meat at this party."
She rolled her eyes at him. "No. We're serving celery and carrots. Our clients like rabbit food."
"Har."
"We're having roast beef, chicken and pasta. There'll be hors d'oeuvres and an open bar, though I twitched at the open bar thing."
"We can handle it," Brody said.
"You say that now. Wait until you have to write the check. It's the holiday season. People like to drink."
"You like to drink, too, you lush," Brody teased. "Will I have to throw you over my shoulder and drive you home again this year?"
Tori glared at him. "That was one stinkin' year. And I had just turned twenty-one. It's never happened since so I'd appreciate it if you'd never mention it again."
Wyatt's lips twitched.
"I saw that, Wyatt," Tori said, as if she had eyes in the back of her head. "Don't you dare smile."
"I don't smile. You know that. I'm the bad-tempered one."
