AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, nowthisis interesting—”
“No,” I snap, shaking my head. “No. We’re friends, andthat’s it. But she…” My brows knit. “She’s not really my damn wife, Cillian.”
“True, but you also need to remember that she’s not amission, either.”
“No, she’s a stubborn little brat and a lightning rod for trouble.”
He chuckles.
“She’s also obstinate, reckless, and vulnerable.”
“I’ve always gotten the impression that Calliope Drakos is far stronger than most people give her credit for.”
Same here, actually.
Again, if she wasjustthe annoying little brat stereotype, this would be so much easier. Because it would be a walk in the park to ignore her and not be attracted to her.
The problem is, she is so muchmorethan that: smart, calculating, and strong. She actually might be the strongest woman I’ve ever known.
Cillian shrugs, putting a hand on my shoulder. “All I’m saying is, try and remember that she’s notjusta mission.” His face darkens a little, his mouth drawing to a line. “She’s not Kelly, either,” he adds quietly.
* * *
Callie is sprawledon the couch in a skirt and a tank top when I walk into the apartment close to thirteen hours after I left it.
“Sorry, the roast isn’t ready yet,dear,” she says with fake sweetness lacing her voice.
I just smirk, holding up the bag of takeout Thai food.
“Ohfuck yeah,” she groans, sniffing the air. “Pad Thai?”
“Plus spicy chicken laap, with mango and sticky rice for dessert.”
She makes a sound that isfartoo similar to the moans of pleasure I stole from her mouth the other day, and my cock responds accordingly.
We unpack the food onto the kitchen counter and dive in. Callie finds two beers in the fridge, but I frown and shake my head.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Callie,” I murmur quietly.
Her response,of course, is to shrug, set one down on the counter, and then crack open the second one. She takes a sip, keeping her eyes on mine as her lips curl into a smile.
“You know,” she sighs, sliding onto her stool and digging into her Pad Thai, “you were way less uptight when you were just number two.”
“Yeah,weirdhow a shitload more responsibilities can suddenly add pressure to your life,” I smirk, shooting her a look as she giggles and takes another sip of her beer. I eye the bottle, sucking on my teeth as she takes another swig and sets it down.
A tiny smile graces her mouth as she wordlessly slides it my way without looking my way.
“Just have a fucking beer, Castle.”
I shake my head, sighing as I drag it over to my plate and as she cracks open the other one for herself.
“So, how is it, wearing the big boy pants?”
I exhale through my lips. “Weird. Taxing. Not terrible, though. It’s just…surreal.”
She nods. “Well, something tells me Cillian wouldn’t have asked you if he wasn’t sure you were the right one for the job.”
I tip my head back and forth meditatively. “We’ll see.” I turn to glance at her. “How ’bout you? What’d you get up to today?”
