“I do my best. For you alone.”
“I like that about you. We can move forward, right?” Lydia asked. She asked so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her. I stared at her, at her bright green eyes and she stared back at me waiting for an answer.
“Of course we can.” I think she needed to hear me say it. I needed to hear me say it too. We were back to normal, and it felt good.
She smiled. “Good.”
“Good,” I repeated. The smile grew wider. Now that the drama was over, at least for the most part, we could relax and focus on what was important. Us.
“Do you want to come to my place for pie?” she asked and I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Pie? Is that a code word for something?”
She laughed. “I know I told you I love to bake but it’s more than that. I’m a master with the double oven. Poppy loves my pie. Sometimes, we make a night of it. Pie, wine, and Real Housewives.”
“How about a museum first?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “A museum? Are you an art connoisseur?”
“I do love art. And I want to take you on a real date. You deserve to be shown off. Then, you can make me a scratch pie, and I promise to devour every bite.”
Then I’ll devour you.
Lydia smiled. I rose because I really needed to get back to the office to proofread some new contracts for Charlie’s pet project. I deposited my cup in the trash can and turned to look at her. I caught her checking out my backside. It burned as if she’d just caressed me there with her fingers instead of her searing gaze.
“Pecan.”
“Huh?” she asked, pursing her lips.
“Pecan pie is my favorite.”
You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are what they were before, please tell me at once. My feelings and wishes are unchanged. But one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.
– Fitzwilliam Darcy
Chapter 19
Lydia
Callum strode toward me, and my breath hitched in my throat. I was a few minutes early, but he was right on time. The beautiful fall day had dawned warm and sunny, so I’d elected to walk the few blocks from my apartment to the park. I wanted to take advantage of the spectacular weather by spending most of it communing with nature and wearing one of my favorite full–skirted vintage dresses.
I had been saving this dress for a special occasion. I’d thought it would be a signing event, but my first official date with the man I was falling for hard would be just as good. No. Even better. The scarlet color set off my hair, and the full skirt ended just under my knees. The plunging neckline gave off a sexy vibe without going too far. A special dress for a special occasion. And this felt like one. I couldn’t stop smiling. I sat on a wooden bench, drinking coke from a glass bottle, trying to truly embody the soul of Marilyn Monroe or Rita Hayworth. Confident, alluring, sexy.
A woman no man could resist.
And I didn’t want him to. It occurred to me that I didn’t have to do anything but be myself. The best version of myself. He had seen all the other chaotic, messy sides to me, and I wanted to finally be able to put my best foot forward. I wanted him to see the true Lydia Singleton.
I’d brought my notebook to the park but hadn’t really written anything down, preferring to bird and people watch. So many runners, bikers, and dog walkers whizzed by, and I tried to imagine their stories. It wasn’t a day that was truly conducive to being productive. The sun peeked out from behind fluffy clouds, and it seemed like many people had the same idea to linger outside for as long as possible, soaking up the shot of Vitamin D. It would only be a couple of months before we were covered in a blanket of snow.
I wanted to focus solely on Callum today. I hadn’t slept well the night before, and every time I thought about him, my stomach turned to a ball of nerves.
I hadn’t felt like this in a long time. I had fallen so quickly, I hadn’t realized I’d even fallen, but at the same time, it felt solid and right. Nothing like how I’d felt about Tristan. Or anyone. Callum was the friend I’d always wanted. Everything was just so easy with him. I was excited to explore a possible future.
I hadn’t known it was possible to feel like this.
“You look amazing,” a deep and sexy voice said from a few feet away. I looked up, raising my sunglasses to show him my eyes. I drank in the sight of him, and I didn’t care if he knew it.
“Oh, this?” I said, playing coy as I rose to my feet, “I just threw it on.” I executed a perfect twirl that sent my skirt into motion and flung myself into his arms.
I grabbed my bag, and he took my hand as we began to walk down the path, passing other people in their own little worlds. We weren’t the only couple out for a sunny stroll.
“It’s beautiful out, isn’t it?” Callum asked. “I’m so glad I get to spend one of the last top ten days with you. There’s no one else I’d rather be here in the park with today, Lydia.”
I stopped to admire him in his jeans and plaid button down. The forest green color brought out the depth of his chocolate eyes.
“Really?” I asked, knowing I was flirting with him and not caring who saw me. On a lark, I tugged his hand and took off at a trot, pulling him behind me. I’d opted to forgo heels in favor of comfortable ballet flats, and I thanked the shoe Gods on my way to the pond. Ducks quacked and swam in perfect lines around the still water.
I produced a few slices of bread from my shoulder bag that I’d stowed away in a Ziploc just for this purpose. I loved to feed the ducks and watch them devour the crusty day old bread.
“Have you gotten any work done today?” he asked, referring to my massive bag. “I know you have your trusty notebook inside there. Maybe even your laptop.”
“So glad you asked, and the answer is no,” I admitted. “I’ve tried, but sometimes you just can’t work. I didn’t want to be cooped up all day. Fall is my favorite season.”
“I get that,” Callum said. “Mine too. It felt like I spent all day at the office yesterday just staring out the window. I couldn’t concentrate at all.”
I managed to offer him a small smile. “I’m glad we’re finally doing this. An official date, I mean. Even if it’s not a museum. There’s plenty of time to visit all of them in winter.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I mean, work has been insane since we’re in the home stretch with The Cordoza. I’m glad we could finally see each other.” He lifted his crumbs of bread to the ones in my palm, and we did a carbohydrate toast. “Here’s to many, many more.”
“Here, here. How’s opening night coming?” I asked. “Have you been using the construction as an excuse to leave the office and get outside?”
“Hmm…I’m not sure I like how you’ve already got me all figured out.”
“Never underestimate the super powers of a writer,” I said as I tossed out my last pieces of bread to the eager fowl.
“I’m excited to show you The Cordoza,” he added and then fell into a pensive silence.
“I’m sure she’d love it too,” I whispered, looking up at him. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his sad eyes. “It’s her name in lights. Just not the way she might have imagined. You made it happen.”
“She would, I think.” We continued down the path, hand in hand. It felt proper and idyllic. Domestic.
It felt like forever.
“I’ve always wanted to write a play,” I said. I’d never told anyone because it felt silly. Not even Poppy, who would have laughed me out of Sunday brunch on a huge bite of Quiche Lorraine. It had felt silly when I was in my bedroom in Aurora, so far away from the city, dreaming of things that were almost impossible.
But almost could become achievable.
“You don’t like novels anymore?” he asked
I thought about it, considering my words, so I didn’t sound like an ungrateful bitch. “I do. I just want to do more. I love my books, but that doesn’t mean that they’re the only thing for me.” It was something I�
�d been thinking about for a very long time. His eyes flashed with surprise.
“Please don’t tell me you’re a closet musical theater fan,” he said, eyeing me. “There’s only room for one Tristan in my life. I’m sure as a creative type you harbor a flare for the dramatic, but I hope you don’t want to take it to the stage.”
“There are some very good shows out there,” I laughed. Stepping back, I gave a sweeping bow but couldn’t hide my grin. “What do you think of my perfect bow for my curtain call?”
“I’d say leave it to the experts. Lydia, I don’t think this is going to work out between us. I’m so sorry,” Callum said deadpan, but he teetered on the verge of laughter, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
“I guess I’ll just have to convert you. I can quote Jane Austen with the best of them. In fact, I do it automatically when I get really nervous. Please use that knowledge for good and not evil. Don’t exploit my love of all things Pride and Prejudice.”
“Ah, a weapon I can tuck away for later and use it when it suits my devious purpose,” Callum said, holding a hand up in an oath and ruining it by crossing his fingers right after. “I make no promises.”
We walked a few more yards and then sat down on the grass under a tree, sitting next to each other. I raised my sunglasses onto my forehead, trying to navigate sitting cross–legged while not revealing my admittedly too sexy underwear from under my dress. I’d chosen the lacy thong hoping he’d take it off later. With his teeth. In a compromise, I leaned against the tree and tucked my legs under me.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked once I’d settled. It had been a minute of changing positions before he could continue. He’d just watched me, an amused expression on his face as I tried to get comfortable. His smile invited me to smile back.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Callum said, his handsome face turning serious. “About us.”
“Oh.”
Strange. It wasn’t like a man to make the first overture to discuss the relationship. Especially when everything was so new.
“I’ve been thinking about it, a lot,” Callum began. Neither of us were really the type to make grand, sweeping statements, but I inherently knew he was about to make one.
Before he could continue, I lifted a finger. “May I?”
I didn’t want him saying something he’d later regret. Even though it lived through my written word, I knew about the angst of going too fast too soon. The age–old crash and burn. It seemed slow and steady did win the race in real life.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“I really like you,” I said, trying to make him hear everything I was feeling. “It’s crazy how much I like you. We can make this work. I know we can. If we take things slow.”
He pushed my hair back from my face and cupped my cheek in his hand. “I don’t want to lose you, so I’ll go as slow as you want to. As slow as you need to. Even though it might kill me.”
Hearing him say those incredible words set my ears on fire in the best way. I rested my head on his shoulder and inhaled, breathing in his sharp, clean scent. I snuggled in deeper as if I couldn’t get close enough.
In response, Callum placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, and the gesture felt more intimate than anything we had ever done.
“I know I can do better,” he said.
“We can both do better,” I returned. “I think the closure with Tristan is just what we both needed.”
“I agree. I’m feeling so much calmer and magnanimous about him,” Callum said. He kissed me again, and I felt the entire world stop and start again.
After the searing kiss, he stood and pulled me to my feet. I brushed the grass off my skirt and tried to smooth the wrinkles. After I passed muster, I placed my hand into his warm and waiting one. It felt so right to hold his hand like we were two parts joined in flesh to become one whole.
We continued walking down the path. “So, Mr. Markham, tell me the worst trouble you ever got in as a little boy. I bet you were really cute.”
“Once I was mad at my mother, so I tried to commit matricide, but I did it by using lots of salt,” Callum told me, “in her Cheerios. You should have seen the look on her face when she took that first bite. I was grounded from watching Pokémon. To ten–year–old Callum, it was a fate worse than death.” He gave his statement extra effect by putting the back of his hand to his forehead and grimacing.
I loved talking to him so much and getting to know him on every level, my smile got so wide I thought my cheeks were going to fall off. He pulled me closer and wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You know,” Callum said, lowering his voice so no one else could hear us, “That’s a really nice dress, but I’m afraid there’s something wrong with it.”
“Like where?” Panicked, I looked down. Everything looked perfect except for a few minor wrinkles from our time on the grass. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s still on.”
It has been many months now since I have considered her one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.
– Fitzwilliam Darcy
Chapter 20
Callum
We raced back to her place, our impatience making walking impossible so I hailed a cab and helped Lydia inside. My entire body buzzed with excitement, and it was difficult to keep my hands off her while I watched the meter slowly and steadily tick upward. If the driver hadn’t been so pissy, I might have copped a feel from the back seat, but I refrained. Barely.
She stared out the window, watching the scenery fly by. Her hand gripped my thigh, and I felt electricity pulse through my leg where she touched. Lydia turned to me and smiled, as if a secret lingered between us. Maybe it did.
I ran a hand up Lydia’s thigh, almost deterred by the sheer volume of her skirt. I saw her eyebrows go up as I moved my fingers in a slow and steady rhythm. She scooted so close to me that I could inhale and smell her scent, feel her glorious hair gently brush against me when she turned her head from the window to look at me, a question mark on her face. Instead of answering, I kissed the side of her neck, and she laughed softly under her breath.
“That tickles.”
I loved hearing her laugh. I loved making her scream. I loved making her come.
Silence permeated the confined space, like the driver had eyes in the back of his head. I wondered how many people had fucked in the back of his cab. Lydia allowed me to keep steadily moving my hand discreetly under her skirt and slip inside her lace thong. When I expected a protest, nothing but a soft sigh fell from her lips as her legs opened. I gripped her knee and pushed them even farther apart. I loved her reaction to me. To the simplest of touches. Time to ratchet up the heat level. As Lydia nibbled her lower lip to keep from voicing her desire, I inhaled to calm the racing of my heart.
Before I could see her orgasm face, the taxi pulled to a stop in front of her building.
I pulled away, pulling out my wallet as Lydia opened the door. I fumbled with my cash, tossing the driver a twenty and telling him to keep the change. Thoughts of Lydia naked and beneath me consumed my thoughts and actions. I wanted to get her upstairs, as fast as possible.
We raced inside the building, and I pounded on the up button of the elevator. When the doors slid open, it was empty.
“Finish what you started.” Her voice purred in my ear as she watched me. In response, I hit the stop button to avoid giving any nosy strangers an eyeful.
“My pleasure.”
I didn’t feel like being reasonable or practical even though I located the security camera and moved Lydia beneath it so we’d be out of the direct video shot. This woman made my skin buzz with such electricity that I felt wild and raw in a way I never had before in my life. Not even with Amelia. I clutched the spectacular feeling with both hands, gripping so tight I feared I never wanted to let go. I couldn’t lose the emotion. I couldn’t lose the woman who’d ignited the fire.
Lydia moaned as I nuzzled her neck, inhaling her unique scent. I loomed over her, wan
ting control, needing it. I felt the heat between us all the way to my toes, and I wanted to drink in the passion, to rejoice in it and fan the flames even hotter.
“I want you, Lydia. I want your mouth on me. I’ve been dreaming about it ever since I first saw you nibbling on your pink feathered pen inside Grounds Zero.”
“I want that too. Our first time…wouldn’t let me…”
“That night was all about you,” I growled. “But I want it now. I want all of it. Every single thing you have to give.”
Lydia’s eyes widened, and her hands went to my belt buckle. I clamped my eyes shut because I didn’t think I could stand engaging both my senses of sight and touch at the same time – I just wanted to feel. In a flash, she’d unbuckled it, yanked it through the loops of my pants and flung it onto the floor where it snaked to a twisted mass in the corner. Right in the line of sight of the video camera. Like a pornographic teaser.
My eyes opened a sliver to witness her next move. Lydia’s knees trembled as she sank to the carpet and her face turned to the side as if she was afraid to look too.
“Callum,” she strangled out, her tone husky, permeating with need and trepidation. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve never done this before. All I know is how much I want to.”
“It will be perfect. Because you are perfect.”
Lydia glanced up and met my eyes and the yearning in her gaze to please me became my complete and utter undoing. I’d wanted women before. I’d wanted Amelia. But I’d never felt a desire so massive, so explosive that it threatened to overwhelm my body and soul. I didn’t want to just have sex with Lydia. I didn’t just want her lush lips wrapped around my cock until I came. I wanted to crawl inside her and know every single detail about her inside and out. I wanted to make her mine in a way I couldn’t even explain to myself. I wanted to erase the cellular memory of any man who’d ever touched her and ruin her for any other man. Ever.
I’d possess her before this night ended. If it was the last damn thing I ever did. The future mattered to me. My future with her. Lydia stalled, unsure of what to do so I reached down and unzipped my pants for her. My actions seemed to allow her desire to override her tentativeness, and she reached inside my fly and...
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