AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it possible both are true? I know I’d miss you if you were gone. Ididmiss you when you were gone.”
His brow slanted, and the corners of his mouth tugged down. “She might miss me, but not enough to call when she doesn’t need something. I don’t even blame her. We grew up seein’ people outside of family as marks and nothin’ else. I’m outside the family now. I’m a mark to her.”
My hands curled around his neck. I wished he had a scarf. Something to protect him against the harsh elements. “Did you give her money?”
He nodded. “She asked for two grand. I wired her five.”
“You care.”
Ice-blue eyes lifted to mine. “Don’t want to.”
“But you do.”
“She’s not worth carin’ about. She proved that to me and keeps provin’ it to me.”
“But you do anyway.”
“Fuck, Wren.” His eyes squeezed shut. “We grew up knowin’ nothing but lyin’ and deceit. Any show of kindness from strangers, we took advantage of it. I can’t even blame Chrys and Rasc for bein’ how they are. It’s all they know. I blame myself for the soft spot I can’t seem to scrub out. The one they know exists and pounce on whenever they want.”
I knocked my forehead against his, my heart breaking a little more. “As much as you try to project it, you’re not stone cold. That’s your brother and sister. They might have betrayed you, but I know you. You feel deeply, and you don’t turn off those feelings easily.”
His hands worked into my hair until he cupped the back of my head. “Wish I could. It’d be easier. I’d make a clean break and walk away.”
“You wouldn’t be you if you could. And I like you so, so much.”
He stilled, except for his fingertips on my scalp, which rubbed me in a rhythmic motion.
“I’m not likable,” he said after a minute.
“To me you are. My son likes you. So does Jenny. So maybe rethink that opinion of yourself.”
Another minute passed of him rubbing my scalp and peering at me like I was a tropical oasis in the tundra.
“You make everything better, Wren. You know that? This is why I’m never giving you up. You might be addicted to my mouth on you, but I’m addicted to the way you reach into my soul and pour goodness and light in. Nothin’ like it. Can’t get enough.” His mouth hovered over mine while my heart did a wild gallop in my chest. “I want to fuck you, Little Bird. I’m not waiting until the weekend to do it.”
I nodded. The spot between my legs throbbed at those words. “I was close to mounting you on this shitty bench, so I don’t think I can wait either. Come over tonight after Ez goes to sleep.”
“I will. You’re gonna make me be quiet?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Need you to come to my place this weekend so I can fuck you loud.”
Goose bumps spread down my arms. “I need that too.”
His hands in my hair flexed. “This is good, Wren. Do you feel that?”
“I do. I’m surprised by how good it is, but yeah, I definitely feel it.”
“Why are you surprised?”
I rubbed my lips together. “Because I don’t know what I’m doing or how to be a girlfriend. I’m a single mom and you’re a freaking rock star. I’m a Jersey girl and you’re an Alabama boy. We started because I sent you fan mail, and we ended because I was too afraid to meet you. None of those things bode well for us, but it doesn’t seem to matter, does it? When I’m with you, all of that falls away. We’re just Wren and Callum. We’re the friends we were in our letters, but more. So much more. And I like it so, so much. I like you so, so much. Even more than when we were pen pals. Even more than I did yesterday and the day before. I’m surprised by it because I’ve never had it, but I hope to all that is holy I can keep having it.”
Once again, he’d gone still, but the ice in his eyes melted, leaving pure, blue fire. Finally, he drew me to him, touching his lips to mine, then the tip of my nose and both eyelids.
“Never letting you go,” he murmured. “You’ll keep havin’ it, Wren. I came here today gutted and empty, and I am so full now, since I can’t fuck you until tonight, I’m gonna have to go for a long, long run to work some of this out of me.”
“That’s a nice thing to say.”
