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Did I ever.
At that moment, the devil himself pushed through the cellar door, eyes locking on mine. The entire world narrowed to that point; I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. How was it possible that I wanted to stab him and tear his clothes off at the same time? How could he drive me so fucking insane in the worst way yet drive me absolutely wild in the best?
My reaction to Calvin Ryder was a study in contradictions, and I needed to figure my shit out because the back and forth was making my head hurt.
He walked away at last, and I sighed, giving my sister a look that I hoped conveyed I had no idea what I was doing.
My sister simply settled her hand on my shoulder, gave it a squeeze, and said, “Good luck.”
I snorted. “Thanks. I’m gonna need it.”
The meeting with the design team that afternoon was a resounding success, especially considering I had Liam by my side to pick up the slack when my mind continued to travel back to the events that occurred in the cellar.
Thankfully, I didn’t see Calvin for the rest of the day, and only caught glimpses of him the rest of the week.
By Friday, I was dragging, and I desperately needed a night out. The moment I sent four words out in the sister group chat, the responses started pouring in.
Me: let’s go out tonight
Chloe: ugh I’m on deadline
Me: fuck deadline
Chloe: this book is due by Memorial Day!!!!!!!!
I chuckled. Chloe had recently sold her debut novel to a publisher and was deep in the editing trenches. We’d hardly seen her since, and I’d be happy when she sent this current draft off and could take some time off, out of her writing cave.
Delia: here or in TC?
Me: here. I don’t feel like making the drive after the week I’ve had
Delia: hell yes. I haven’t been to Granny’s in ages.
Brie: I’m in!
Ella: whatever
I snorted. That was as good as excitement from my second youngest sister. Truthfully, I was worried about her, and getting her out of the tiny apartment and surrounding her with her obnoxious sisters—myself included—would be good for her.
Me: I’m just leaving work now, so meet at my place in an hour!
My phone continued to beep with incoming messages, but I ignored them as I traded my Louboutins for my Nikes and pushed out into the mid-May air, bypassing my side by side in favor of the well-trodden path between the winery and my house.
Truthfully, I desperately needed the fresh air to give myself the opportunity to sort through what a mess my life had become. Hopefully the mile walk would get my head right.
I mean, honestly. It had been two days, and I still couldn’t get those kisses I’d shared with Calvin out of my mind. And who the fuck did I think I was, making out with my CFO? On company property no less?
Calvin Ryder was driving me insane, and I didn’t have time for distractions, least of all from a man who would love nothing more than to see me fail.
Although, his constant antagonism really lit a fire under me.
I’d given him a small piece of the puzzle when it came to me and the things I’d done for the company, but that didn’t mean anything would change. If I’d learned anything about Calvin in the time I’d known him, it was that the man was stubborn to a fault. I shouldn’t have been the one to tell him about London and my MBA—he should’ve known. Exactly as he should already know that I’d spent the three years between graduation and coming home to take over expanding our brand. But he’d made up his mind about me a long time ago. While that little romantic piece of my heart that inexplicably belonged to him would love nothing more than to show him exactly who I was…at what cost? If he hadn’t gotten on board yet, who was to say he ever would?
Plus, it wasn’t my job to convince him. No, my job was todo my job. And that didn’t include exchanging heated glances and harsh words, or unbearably hot makeout sessions in the cellar that made me so horny, I’d gotten home from work on Wednesday and immediately crawled into bed with my vibrator.
It hadn’t done anything to take the edge off, and as I rounded the corner onto the silty path of my driveway, my fingers absently brushed my lips, remembering the feel of his mouth there.
Wondering how’d they’d feel further south.
