“Hey, if sleeping in the Pirate King’s bed helps…”
“Oh, you’ve crowned yourself the Pirate King now, have you?”
He grinned. “Did you see her smile when I said I didn’t mind?”
“It’s about the only one she had after Jeremy left.” When he frowned, I added, “She’s little and doesn’t understand why he can’t stay. She’s adjusting. There are lots of big feelings about being away from her dad…”
“And how areyouholding up?”
“Fine.”
Callan’s eyebrow rose. He didn’t believe me. “Can I say sorry again? I know I was totally out of line yesterday—”
I grabbed a piece of popcorn and chucked it at him. The kernel hit his cheek and bounced onto his shirt. “Stop apologizing.”
He laughed. “I can’t help it. I acted like a dick.”
I grabbed another piece of popcorn and threw it, but this time, he caught it in his mouth and wiggled his eyebrows.
“You’ve gotta be faster than that, Ez.”
“You know, if you’re in the mood for a deep and meaningful conversation…” I shimmied closer and tucked my knees under my bottom. “Maybe we can finish where we left off before Jeremy turned up. You can tell me what’s weird between us.”
“Oh, uh…” Callan cleared his throat. “Now’s probably not the best time.”
I tickled his side. “Spill it.”
He spluttered a laugh and swatted me away. That feeble attempt to block me wouldn’t be enough. I tickled more, and when he tried to dart away from my hand, without thinking, I climbed onto his lap to pin him to the sofa.
His breath sucked in sharp and fast. “E-Erin…” Slashes of red darkened under his freckles, and his big hands gripped my hips, locking me in place so our bodies didn’t quite touch. “Erin, you’re…”
“On your lap.”
Nodding, he gulped.
“Why do you keep calling me Erin?” I whispered.
“It’s your name.”
I dared to run my fingertips down the line of buttons on his checkered flannel. It was spring—too hot for this shirt. I bit down on my lip. That top button taunted me again. My fingers itched to pluck it open.
His nostrils flared on a big breath in. “You’re drunk, Erin.”
“I’ve had one glass of wine,Callan.”
“You’re not thinking clearly.”
“I’ve never thought so clearly in my life.”
“You’re angry at Jeremy.”
I was, but… “That’s not the reason I’m…”Still sitting in your lap.
A frown flattened his lips, but the look in his eyes—God. It wasthatlook again. The same one as the forest.
His eyes leveled on mine, pinning our gazes together, and with one brow slightly up, as if he were challenging me, he deliberately loosened his grip on my waist.
I accepted his challenge.
