He’s being obnoxious on purpose to make this easy on me after I cry-maxed. But he’s right. Iamlucky to be with him tonight. His kindness is like a balm against every jagged edge of my insecurities. He calmed the fears which propelled this trip to Vegas in the first place. After a long time, my impulsive decision to pursue something I want yielded positive results.
Callum is my reward for being brave. And I’m determined to earn more of him.
30
CALLUM
Alittle while later, towel wrapped around my hips, I exit the bathroom in time to see Alia close the main door. When she turns, her eyes drag down my body at a deliciously slow pace until it stops at my waist.
Well fuck, if she keeps looking at me like that, keeping my promise to go slow won’t just be tough, it’ll be impossible. Especially when she’s wearing those cute pjs, looking delectably flushed.
“Eyes up here, Tots. I’m a man, I have feelings.” As expected, my quip makes her grin and blush all at once. My heart pounds harder at the sight of her bright gaze, no shadow of the despair that had devastated me as well.
“I sent your pants to get cleaned,” she informs me. “They’ll deliver them in a couple hours. I’m afraid you’re trapped with me until then.”
“Oh no! What a chore. However will I get over this disappointment?” I deadpan, making her laugh out loud.
“Guess I have no choice but to cuddle the crap outta you while we wait.”
When she walks past me, I reach for her, taking care not to grab her tightly. She comes to me without resistance, a fact I note with relief. Standing behind her, I embrace her, needing some form of closeness for my own assurance. Nervous fingers pluck the hair on my forearm.
“We can. . . we can continue where we left off if you want,” she offers softly, crimson kissing the tips of her ears.
I brush my lips along her exposed shoulder, loving the way she arches into me. Despite wanting to, I can’t forget how she froze when we started to get intimate. She may think she’s ready, and maybe she is, but I refuse to rush into it only for her to find out she’s wrong. It’ll mess with her head with the kind of pressure she puts on herself.
“I trust you. I’m ready, Cal.”
“But I’m not,” I reply, my nose nuzzling the dip behind her ear where her citrus scent lingers. “I want to savor each step, every new discovery of pleasure with you. Let me enjoy you. Let me see you learn to enjoy me.”
Her chest caves as she releases a shuddering breath, her tension seeping out in one go. She may not realize it, but her body language is clear. She needs time.
“This doesn’t seem fair,” she whispers. “I feel like I’ve lied to you and changed the rules right after you agreed to something.”
“I’m not keeping score, Tots. Stop overthinking this and let me be there for you.”
Wordlessly, she turns into me and slips her arms around my waist, tucking her face into my chest. I kiss her cheek and she tilts her face, her mouth searching for mine. I’m happy to provide her the comfort she seeks. Happy she trusts me to give her what she needs.
When we settle into the bed, our bodies naturally meld together like two pieces of a puzzle.
I’ve shared a bed with other women before but this—where all I have is the intimacy of her head on my chest and my hand stroking her back? I’ve never had this.
I’ve often wondered if people sensed something lacking in me. I was always counted on for a good time but rarely for emotional support. That Alia did so today somehow fills a cup I never realized was empty.
Our breaths synchronize as we wait for sleep to take over. Just when I think she’s dozed off, her sleepy voice calls me.
“Cal?”
“Yeah, Tots?”
“I feel safe with you.”
She’s asleep within moments while I lay there replaying that statement in my head, over and over again. An unfamiliar emotion clamps around my heart and lays down roots.
Five whispered words and she owns me.
What truly scares me, however, is that I feel safe with her, too.
31