Chapter 10
Man did she have it bad. She hadn’t dusted in more than a month. Or was it two? He was spending the night not conducting a white-gloved test of her apartment to see how good a housekeeper she was.
Still, Callie wanted the place to look nice. She’d already vacuumed, cleaned the tiny bathroom, and changed the bed sheets. Dusting was the last thing on her to-do list, and it was only eleven o’clock. He’d sent her a text message that morning when he left New York and said he would be there around two, so she still had plenty of time to shower before he arrived.
Tossing the dust cloth in the trash, she surveyed the room. It might not be worthy of Park Avenue, but it looked inviting, the neatest it looked in ages actually.
Three hours later, Callie remained curled up on the couch, her nose buried in a new suspense novel by one of her favorite authors. Dylan had called to say he would be late due to traffic. A multi-car accident had completely closed down I-90.
“I’m starting to feel like a character from one of these books, Lucky.” The dog sat in his usual spot next to her, his head on her leg, half-asleep.
Average everyday woman falls head over heels in love with rich powerful CEO. Man, did that sound like something written on the back cover of a hundred books she’d read.
In those cases though, the heroine always got a happy ending. Callie had no idea what to expect. She wasn’t even sure what kind of relationship they were in. Were they free to see other people? Did he see other women during the week? She couldn’t imagine him having the time. He called her every night, though sometimes it was well after nine o’clock when he finally got home from the office. Some nights they only had time to talk for a few minutes. Other conversations lasted much longer.
Despite their numerous phone calls, the status of their relationship never came up. Actually, the word relationship never came up at all. Neither did the word love. She’d almost slipped once and said it, but she caught herself in the nick of time. Thank God.
At some point, I’m going to have to bite the bullet and confront him. Find out where their relationship was going. It wasn’t happening this weekend. Her only plan was to enjoy herself. She would leave the tough conversations for another time.
Heck, maybe he would confess his never-dying love for her tonight. Don’t count on it.
Such scenes only played out in movies and books, not real life. Still a girl could hope, right?
A loud knock at the door sent Lucky bolting from the couch, waking Callie in the process. Still half-asleep, she sat up and checked her watch. Nearly five.
Rubbing her eyes, she stood and stretched. How long had she been asleep? She hadn’t even intended to take a nap. One minute she’d been reading, and the next, her eyes were so heavy she just couldn’t keep them open. She only planned on closing them for a minute. That had been sometime around four, she thought.
“Quiet, Lucky. Go sit,” she commanded as she pulled open the door. Thanks to all the obedience classes she’d done with him, the dog stopped barking and moved back to the living room.
Dylan didn’t wait for her to invite him in. “Who needs a doorbell with him around?” In one quick movement, he dropped his bags on the floor and pulled her tightly against him.
Callie found herself wrapping her arms around his neck as he worshiped her mouth. Standing there safely locked in his embrace, she lost all coherent thoughts that might have been going through her head. The only thing she could focus on was the hard body pressed against hers, and the soft fabric of his shirt beneath her fingers.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he said, finally coming up for air. His breathing was slightly ragged, informing Callie he was as affected by their kiss as she was. “I thought I’d never get here. Traffic stood still for hours.”
He said he missed me. She hadn’t imagined that. It wasn’t any declaration of love, not by a long shot, but it did show he cared about her. Right?
She’d consider that later. “I’m glad you’re finally here. I’ve missed you too.” It was as close to telling him she loved him that she was going to get this weekend.
Callie moved out of Dylan’s embrace to close the door behind him. “Is there anything particular you want to do this weekend?” Callie picked up his bags, so she could take them into her bedroom.
Before she could move, he grabbed the bags away from her. “Do you really need to ask?” The heat in his gaze told her exactly what he had in mind.
Desire and excitement shot through her body. There was no stopping it. “We might need to come up for air at some point,” she said, almost not recognizing her own voice. To her ears, it sounded sexy and flirtatious. Neither were words she associated with herself.
“That’s where you serving me pancakes in bed wearing nothing but a smile comes in,” he joked before heading to her bedroom to drop his bags off.
Did the heat in here just go up? Just thinking about Dylan’s words set her on fire. Callie grabbed a magazine off the table and fanned herself. Was he serious? Even if he was, it wasn’t something she could ever do. She’d never been comfortable being naked, or showing off too much of her body. The one time she’d dared to wear a bikini to the beach, she ended up leaving on her cover-up the entire time.
If he was serious, that told her something, didn’t it? It meant he desired her at least, right? It told her he was attracted to her. She was certainly drawn to him like a moth to light and not just physically.
Slowly, Dylan’s eyes opened. Callie’s warm body was tucked up against his, her head resting on his chest, her dark hair spilling across his bare skin. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and not only beautiful on the outside. During his thirty-three years, he’d seen plenty of women who were physically beautiful. That was just window dressing. On the inside, they’d been shallow, self-absorbed. Not his Callie.
His Callie? When had he started to think of her as his, he wondered?
“What have I gotten myself into?” he whispered to himself. This thing between them wasn’t permanent. He shouldn’t be thinking of her as his.
Just because I enjoy spending time with her and making love to her is incredible… his brain paused mid-thought. When had he started to think of it as making love and not sex? Dylan had no idea. Still, he thought of it that way with Callie. To say they had sex didn’t do justice to what he experienced with her. It was so much more.
You’re overthinking it, Talbot. This is just another relationship. Like any other. “Yeah, right, and the world is flat,” he muttered to himself.
Next to him, Callie moved. “Morning,” she said, her voice gravely with sleep. “How did you sleep?” Callie reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Damn, but he could get used to waking up like this every morning. Bad. Very Bad.
“Like the dead. You wore me out last night,” he teased. He knew without even looking that she was blushing. Maybe it was cruel, but he loved how he could make her blush. “If I’d known how demanding you were going to be, I would have had a few Red Bulls before I got here. Or at least a coffee after dinner.”
Callie punched him in the arm before starting to climb out of bed. “Look who’s talking.”
Dylan grabbed her arm and pulled her back next to him. “Where are you going?”
“To make pancakes. Got to make sure I replenish your energy reserves.” She scooted out of his reach and pulled on a long New England Patriots t-shirt.
Oh, yeah! He could definitely get used to waking up like this every day. You’re in big trouble here, Talbot.
Dylan remained in bed staring at the ceiling. In the kitchen, he could hear her moving around, but he stayed under the covers. You’re digging yourself a hole the size of the Grand Canyon.
Lying in Callie’s bed was perhaps the last place in the world he should be. At the same time, it was the only place he wanted to be. When had the situation gotten so complicated? Maybe the night he’d first kissed her in the kitchen. Or had it been that night in Ne
wport when they’d gone out for dinner?
Face it, you were attracted to her the first time you met her, he told himself, raking a hand across his face. If he was smart, he’d call it quits after the fundraiser in New York. Let her move on. Phillips wouldn’t have to know. Dylan knew it was the right thing to do. The thought of ending it, however, left him feeling hollow inside. Now isn’t the time to make this decision, he reasoned, tossing off the blankets. There would be plenty of time to do that when he was alone in his apartment.