He caught my chin with one hand. “Just thought you should know,” he said to Jenny. Then his eyes bored into mine, and his lips came for me.
He kissed me so hard that I nearly lost my balance. It was a deep kiss, forceful and strong. He tongue claimed my mouth. His hand held my face in place. It went on for a long time, making me weak-kneed and lightheaded.
And then he released me. “Public enough for you?”
I touched my bottom lip. “Callum…”
But he was already stalking out of the office, not even giving me a backward look.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Um, maybe a couple more of the two of you on the couch?” said Airenne, smiling. She, Callum, and I were all in his mansion with a photographer from Bold! We were working on getting photos for the article she was writing about us.
Callum was bored and annoyed. “You’ve taken zillions of pictures of us on the couch.”
I had to admit that the dress that I was wearing was too tight. I had to hold myself in just the right way or it gave me unsightly bulges. It itched too. I would have been glad enough for everything to be over. But it wasn’t up to me. I forced myself to smile sweetly at him. “If Airenne thinks she needs more shots, then maybe we should do what she says.”
He didn’t look happy about it. “Fine.”
“Actually, maybe I don’t need them,” said Airenne, trying a smile. “Maybe I could ask you guys a few more questions, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
Callum folded his arms over his chest. “I thought we’d already finished the interview part.”
“Well, my editor just sent me a text with some stuff she wants to make sure I include, and I didn’t have them as original questions.”
The interview part had been a fluff piece pretty obviously. It was all about the glamour of being with Callum Rutherford. There hadn’t been any tough questions. But since Airenne was backing off on the pictures and trying to sooth Callum, I was starting to get a little worried.
“It’s only a few questions,” said Airenne. “It’ll only take a minute.”
Callum heaved a sigh. “All right. Let’s get this over with.”
“Why don’t we sit down?” Airenne gestured to the couch.
I sat down.
Callum glared at Airenne, then at me. He shook his head. He sat down.
“Okay,” said Airenne. “Uh, Callum, you’ve been pretty vocal about your opinions on Vigil, and Cecily is probably his biggest proponent, writing all those stories about him. Is that difference of opinion something that enters into your relationship?”
Callum shot me a panicked glance.
I swallowed, trying not to let any discomfort show. “You know, while I do interview Vigil, I don’t think it’s fair to say I’m his biggest proponent. I report on what he does, but I try to stay objective about him.”
“But you do have a higher opinion of him than Callum does?” said Airenne.
“Uh…” I looked at Callum.
He appeared to be recovering. “We don’t talk much about that, honestly.”
“Well, I witnessed your first meeting,” said Airenne, “and the two of you seemed to be arguing about that very subject.”
“Callum challenges me,” I said. “Before him, I’d never been involved with someone so, um, wealthy and influential. I didn’t understand that there are a lot of pressures on a man like him. He’s really opened my mind to a different point of view. So, when I first argued with him, I took issue with what I thought was a lack of priorities. But now that I’ve gotten to know him better, I realize I couldn’t have been more wrong about him.”
“She’s right,” said Callum. “That discussion wasn’t about Vigil at all. I disapprove of him because he’s clearly mentally unhinged, and I don’t think that we should be trusting in an insane man to save the city. But Cecily thought that I didn’t like him because I was too focused on entertainment to see that crime is a problem in our city.”
I nodded.
“And you do feel crime is a problem?” said Airenne.
“Certainly,” said Callum.
“Of course he does,” I said.
Airenne nodded. She looked like she was trying to think through what we’d said.
I didn’t want her to think too hard on it. After all, it didn’t strictly make any sense. It would be best if we could just move on. “So,” I said. “Is that all, then?”
“It doesn’t bother you that Callum disapproves of Vigil?” said Airenne.
“Why should it?” I said. “He’s entitled to his opinion.”
“Do you disapprove of Vigil?”
God damn it, Airenne. Why did she have to push? “I think he has some valid thoughts about the problems we’re facing in our city. And he’s protecting women on the street. No one can deny that.”
“She makes good points,” said Airenne. “What do you think, Callum?”
He laughed easily. Any trace of the panic he’d felt before was completely gone. “I think you’re trying to make us get in an argument, Airenne. Probably want to get pictures of it too.” He winked at her.
Airenne blushed. “No, not at all. Like I said, my editor wanted me to ask the questions.”
“Vigil is not someone we’ve discussed too much,” said Callum, looking at me.
I shrugged. “I try to keep my work life separate from my dating life.”
* * *
Callum paced in front of the couch.
Airenne and the camera crew had packed up and gone, but as soon as we were alone, Callum started to freak out.
“I can’t believe she asked those questions about Vigil,” he said. “This is exactly what I was afraid of. They’re going to associate me with Vigil, and they’re going to put it all together. It’s right in front of their noses. They’re going to know.”
“They aren’t,” I said. “No one suspects anything like that.”
He plunged his hands into his hair. “I never should have taken such a hard line against him. I thought it would help to distance me from him, but instead it just make me look more suspicious.”
“It doesn’t. There are a lot of people who share your opinions about Vigil. You’re fine. We’re both fine.”
He threw himself down on the couch. “I don’t like any of this. Being public with you is making everything worse.”
“Nothing’s worse,” I said. “But if you don’t want me around, then I guess we don’t have to spend time together.”
“Of course I want you around,” he said, reaching for me. “And you have every right to have a boyfriend that doesn’t act like a complete ass.”
“You’re not a complete ass,” I said. “Just somewhat.”
He chuckled.
I put my hand on his chest. My voice dropped a few octaves. “I like it when you say that you’re my boyfriend.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you do?” His voice got lower too. “I’m your boyfriend.”
I grinned.
He kissed me.
I closed my eyes and melted into him, running my fingers over his hard chest. I could feel his muscles beneath his shirt. I realized that I was close to his bare skin. All I’d have to do was unbutton his shirt, and he’d be completely uncovered. The thought excited me, and I kissed him harder.
He pulled back.
I looked into his eyes. “Something wrong?”
“We just don’t do this when I’m not… you know, Vigil.”
I bit my lip. “Well, just because we haven’t yet doesn’t mean we can’t.”
“Maybe not, but…”
“I’d like to try it.”
He closed his eyes. “I don’t know, Cecily.”
I kissed him again.
He kissed back, but there was nervousness in the way his lips moved against mine, the way he held me. Vigil was never nervous. Vigil was fluid and confident. He made me do what he wanted.
There was something endearing about Callum’s nervousness. It made me feel closer to him, like what we
were doing was more intimate.
My mouth moved away from his, and I began to kiss his jaw. Then his neck.
I unbuttoned the first button on his shirt.
“Seriously,” he said. “This probably isn’t a good idea.” He was tanned and smooth and hard, and he smelled good.
I kissed his collarbone. “Since when has that stopped us?”
“Cecily…”
I unbuttoned the next button, my lips moving lower.
He sighed. He pulled me away from him, forced me to look at up at him. “It won’t work. I can’t…”
“What do you mean it won’t work?”
His jaw twitched. He swallowed.
I’d never seen him quite so unnerved. I kind of liked it. I unbuttoned another button. I slid my hand inside his shirt, feeling his warm, soft skin. “It’s only that I never get to touch you. I never get to see you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but I can’t do it like this.”
I took one of my hands out of his shirt and trailed it over his clothes to cup his crotch. He was hard and huge there. “Feels like you could definitely do it,” I whispered.
He grabbed my wrist. I thought he was going to wrench me away, but instead he held my hand there. He kissed me again. “I want to. God, I want to. I wish I could be with you this way.”
“You can,” I said.
“I don’t…”
I moved my hand over his cock, stroking him.
He groaned.
Then he pushed me back on the couch, on my back. He pushed my dress up around my hips.
My breath caught in my throat.
He yanked at my underwear, pulling them off.
I snatched hold of his half-unbuttoned shirt and pulled him down to kiss me.
His hands roamed over my body, cupping my breasts, stroking my thighs.
I scrabbled at his buttons, pulling open his shirt, baring his chest.
He was beautiful. His was rippled perfection. I sucked in breath as my gaze traveled over him. I ran my fingers over him almost reverently.
His fingers moved between my legs. His thumb found my clit. He nudged another finger inside me. “You’re so fucking wet for me.”
“You’re so fucking hot,” I said. “You’re gorgeous.”
His face reddened.
I’d never seen him blush before. Suddenly, things felt different between us. While our lovemaking had always been intense, this was somehow personal in a way it had never been before. I felt like I could really see him.
And it turned me on more. I kissed him. “I want you,” I murmured against his mouth.
“We’ll try.” He propped himself up so that he was looking down at me. “Maybe… maybe it works because it’s you.”
I didn’t understand.
He kissed me again, and then pulled away. “I need to get condoms.”
“My purse,” I said, gesturing. “Hand it to me.”
He did.
I rummaged through it until I found a condom.
He took it from me. He pulled away, fumbling with his pants.
“Wait,” I said.
He looked at me.
I reached for the button to his trousers. “Is it okay? I want to see…” I unbuttoned him.
He winced.
I pulled back. “I-if it isn’t—”
“No,” he said. “You can…” He slammed his eyes shut.
But I hesitated. Why was he being like this? I was beginning to wonder if something about what I was doing was bothering him because something bad had happened to him or something. Did he dissociate sex when he was in that damned costume? Was I traumatizing him?
“It’s okay,” he whispered again.
I unzipped his pants.
His cock was already peeking through the opening of his boxers.
I bit down on my lip, looking at him. He was long and thick and swollen.
I wrapped my hand around him, rubbing him from tip to root.
He let out a shuddering breath. “Wait,” he said.
I let go of him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed. I…”
He was kissing me. “You’re fine. It’s fine.” His hands were between my legs again, rubbing my clit.
I moaned, all thoughts wiped out in white hot pleasure.
“I just… I don’t know if…” He kissed me again. His fingers moved away from my body. I heard the sound of the condom wrapper being ripped open, then his shaft was pressing against me.
I opened my eyes.
His face was over mine, but he was looking down our bodies, at the place where we were nearly connected. His shirt was unbuttoned, baring his chest, and his pants were pushed out of the way. He wasn’t completely naked. But then, neither was I. My dress was only pushed up around my hips. Generally, I would have thought our half-dressed state was pretty hot, but right now I was mostly feeling unsure and nervous.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“I…” He looked up at me.
I felt his cock pressing into me. As usual, he was impossibly large, big and sweet and wonderful as he filled me up.
I shut my eyes and sagged on the couch. I moaned. He felt so good. “Callum,” I breathed, testing out his name.
“No,” he said. “Don’t call me—Shit.”
Inside me, he was twitching.
“Fuck,” he said.
I looked at him. His eyes were closed, and he was grimacing.
And inside me, he was coming—ejaculating. Already.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I can’t—” He yanked out of me, tugging off the condom, buttoning his pants.
He didn’t even look at me. He just headed out of the room, away from me.
“Wait,” I called after him. “Where are you—?”
He slammed the door.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I put my panties back on, rearranged my dress, and went after him.
The house was huge and empty, and I didn’t quite know my way around. I wound through the labyrinthine halls, calling his name.
He didn’t answer.
But I heard his voice filtering through the halls, and I followed it. As I got closer, I realized there was another voice too—a female voice.
I emerged into the foyer, the same place where Nolan had stopped me from leaving the first night.
A woman was standing just inside the door. Her long, glossy dark locks had a gentle wave, and they fell artfully around her shoulders. Her skin was flawless and alabaster. She had perfect red lips. She was wearing a sleeveless dress and matching heels.
She didn’t look real. She looked like she’d stepped out of a high fashion photo shoot. She was poised and elegant.
“You’re not busy or anything, are you, darling?” she was saying.
Callum was gaping at her. His shirt was still unbuttoned. “Blake, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Visiting you,” she said. “I sent Nolan off to find you when he opened the door. Didn’t he announce me?”
Callum started to button his shirt, looking annoyed.
“Honestly, I’m sorry to barge in on you, but—” She looked up and saw me. “Who’s that?”
Callum turned to me. “That’s Cecily.”
She looked me up and down. “Nice dress.”
The magazine had provided it, but I wasn’t about to say that. I moved further into the foyer. “And who are you?”
“She’s Blake,” said Callum.
“Callum’s fiancé,” she said.
“Ex-fiancé,” he said. “Like I said, what are you doing here?”
“I need a favor.”
“A favor.” He’d finally finished buttoning his shirt.
“Uh huh.” She smiled pleasantly, but her smile didn’t seem real either. “Would you excuse us, Kelly?”
“Cecily,” I said. “Are you asking me to leave you alone with my boyfriend?”
She laughed. “Your what?”
“What’s the favor?” said Callum.
“You’re crooked, darling,” she said, gesturing to his shirt.
He looked down. He’d buttoned the wrong buttons. The bottom of the shirt hung longer on one side.
Blake crossed to him and began to casually unbutton it. “Listen, I wouldn’t ask, but I’m desperate. I need someone to come with me to the Garwood Charity Ball, and I was hoping that you and I could make a date of it.”
“Date?” I said.
She was rebuttoning his shirt. “Really, Kelly, are you still here?”
Who did she think she was? I moved closer, clenching my fists.
“What do you think, Callum?” she said. “Can you help out an old friend? Please?”
He watched her hands as they skimmed against his chest.
My throat felt tight. “Callum,” I said.
He looked at me. “I-I couldn’t.”
She was shocked. She pulled away from him, leaving half the buttons still undone, his gorgeous chest still partly bare. “But why not?”
“I’m seeing someone. I don’t think Cecily would like it if I—”
“What?” She looked at me sharply.
I took another step forward. “I don’t think I would.”
She shook her head, frustrated. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”
“She’s Cecily Kane,” said Callum. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Blake looked me over again. “I’ve never heard of her. I don’t know anyone named Kane.”
“She’s not…” He fumbled with his buttons. “She’s a newspaper reporter.”
Blake made a face. “Oh,” she said in a different voice. “How… charming.” She shuddered, disgusted.
“I didn’t think you and I spoke anymore,” Callum said.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She was still staring at me, horrified. “We’re old friends, Callum. We have a history, you and me. We’re the same kinds of people. Of course we speak.”
“You know,” he said, “you did dump me so that you could sleep with other people. Someone might take offense to that.”
She turned to him, bringing up a hand to pat his cheek. “But not you, darling.”
He shut his eyes.
I cleared my throat.
She glared at me. “Can you go somewhere else?”
“No, I can’t,” I said. “Can you stop touching him?”
She was appalled. “Callum, please tell her—”
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