by Stella Rhys
“Yes.”
Her eyes clouded over. I could see the thoughts brewing in her head and I knew she was thinking about all the things that had happened in the past year. She thought about it enough that I recognized how she looked when she did it. She looked down as she took in a deep breath. Her eyes were on me when she let it out. “Am I worth it to you, Callum?”
I brushed her gorgeous hair back when the wind tried to take it. I kissed her on the lips. “You are. You are and you always will be.”
Chapter Eighteen
Callum
We celebrated Lake’s twenty-seventh birthday on Thursday, the night before I left with Oz for Scotland.
I was fast to get ready because Isabel warned me that she planned on kicking me out of my own apartment by early evening. Something about it being important for them to get ready together. I had no idea what she meant but I knew better than to argue with one of them let alone two, so I showered quickly.
As quick as it was, the hot water and steam still had my blood rushing and my brain running, as usual, and it was in there that I realized it. That while Lake had given me something, it was far from everything. I had let her tears cloud my vision for a bit but the reality was that I knew why she left but jack about where she went. How she came back.
Isabel was doing Lake’s hair when I left. Lake, in a white silk robe, was smiling down the hall at me and I gave her something similar back. The shitty thoughts were fighting their way to the front of my brain but I refused to indulge them on Lake’s birthday, so I left to meet Oz at The Pike for a drink before dinner.
To my surprise, Ana from the Times was there. She was already smiling at me by the time I noticed her sitting next to Oz at the bar. It was a full house and as usual, mostly regulars and businessmen from the area. Several that I recognized crowded around Ana at the bar. They weren’t the ones who hit on the waitresses but tonight, they were hitting Ana and her tight, nude dress with dated pick-up lines they must’ve used before getting married however many decades ago. I laughed when I approached because I could tell she’d done herself up on purpose tonight and I couldn’t deny that she looked like a bombshell. Her hair was different and the charm on her necklace dipped right between her pushed up cleavage. It wasn’t a work outfit for sure.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, letting her pull me in for a hello kiss on the cheek. Always hated those but I let hers go.
“No? I’ve only been emailing nonstop with my only assignment for you.”
I squinted for a second. “Shit, right.” I had seen and opened her email but never got to reading it like I told myself I would.
“Unlike you to forget,” she remarked, narrowing her eyes. “I’ve never seen you anything but on point.”
“I’ve had some distractions,” I smirked at the thought of the specific one that had kept me from Ana’s emails. I had opened it after waking up to the sound of my shower running. Lake and my sex the night before had gotten her sufficiently hot and dirty but I’d refused to let her shower after. I pinned her to the bed as she laughed and struggled to get away, moaning that she felt sweaty and sticky. I watched her cheeks flush and her tits shake under me as she shrieked and tried to wrestle free. Obviously sprung a second hard-on after that, which we put to good use. She was out like a light after round two. I wasn’t surprised that she’d woken up and made a beeline for the shower. By the time I got to Ana’s email, she was coming out of it and without a towel because the cleaning staff hadn’t been in for a week. She held her tits together, covering her nipples with one hand and shielding down below with the other. “I don’t understand the point,” I laughed. She said it was just habit. “That’s ridiculous. Stop.”
“No. Where are the clean towels?”
“I’m not even sure I have any.”
“You don’t have clean towels? Don’t you take like, three showers a day?”
Generally two. “I haven’t had cleaning come in because you wanted just us two in the house.”
She giggled. “True. I’m sorry then. Will you forgive me and find me a towel? My hair is long and wet and you don’t have a blow dryer because you suck.” Her soaking hair dripped nonstop onto her soft skin, running fine streams down her gorgeous tits and dripping water from her hard nipples to her thighs. Even if I had the towels, there was no way in hell I’d give up that mindblowing sight. “Seriously, Callum. I need one or I’m going to be wet forever.”
“My cock doesn’t object.”
She snorted. “What, am I just going to walk around naked and wet all day?”
“Yes. I dare you.”
“Yeah?” She grinned, obliged and then proceeded to make it just about the best morning of my life.
We went about our usual routine but Lake did her part naked. The shy, blushing, lip-biting phase of the game was amazing – especially the part where she ran down the stairs holding her bouncing tits – but there was something insanely hot about watching her get used to it, walking around the house, making breakfast and reaching for plates in high cabinets without one thread of clothing on. I checked emails and made calls for work but never went more than a couple minutes without looking at Lake, watching and grinning like the world’s dirtiest fucking pervert as she walked around naked with increasing comfort.
I was in the midst of an important call with my operations manager in Dufftown when Lake came into my office with the planner I’d left in the kitchen. She handed it to me and I forgot to mouth thank you as my eyes raked over her body from head to toe. She smirked, gave me those eyes that said she’d just thought of dirty little idea, and then took that time to tease me as I spoke on the phone, getting on her knees, taking out my hard dick and giving two wet, torturously quick strokes before popping up and daintily waving goodbye.
Whatever my guy was saying on the other end was as good as gibberish to me.
And Lake knew she was in for it when I hung right up.
Her giggle was a shriek as I held the base of my shaft with one hand and caught her by the waist with the other. In one motion, I pulled her back and straight down onto my cock, sliding right in thanks to her soaking wetness and swelling rock solid in a second flat. But Lake took over from there. I just sat back, watching in awe as she christened the office chair in reverse fucking cowgirl. I flicked my stare back and forth between her over-the-shoulder gaze and the view of her incredible ass and smooth pussy slamming down on my dick. She had me feeling like a goddamned king and it didn’t stop even when I came. Lake went and ran a towel under warm water after and I called my guy back as she cleaned me up, kissing my temple, my cheek and when I wasn’t speaking, my lips.
It was a ridiculously hard call to get through.
But I’d gotten through it. Ana’s email, however, went forgotten about.
“Damn. If looks could take a girl’s clothes off,” Ana smirked.
I knew I looked surprised at her remark. Behind her, Oz looked at me with a face that said whoa, dude. Whoa.
“I’m not sure what face I made but I apologize.”
“I’ll accept if you tell me about her. She must be a special lady.”
Behind Ana, Oz cocked an eyebrow and rubbed his beard theatrically as he too waited for my answer. I smirked and shook my head. If I couldn’t explain my relationship with Lake to Oz I sure as shit wasn’t going to do magically it with Ana Hale from the Times. Unfortunately, and to my annoyance, Oz chipped in for me. “She’s named after a body of water and it’s a complicated love-hate relationship.”
I shot him a look. He looked deeply amused with my irritation. Ana perched her sharp chin on her shoulder and looked over at him. “Do go on, Mr. Tate.”
“I don’t know much but she’s a beautiful lady and she distracts this fellow here quite a lot so forgive him if he’s a little off his game.”
I shook my head at him when Ana looked back and he made a face and a gesture that said I’m just trying to help. “I think it’s time to change the subject.”
Ana
“Not at all.”
She clucked. “Too bad. I was hoping to touch something.” Christ, she was hell-bent on keeping the conversation suggestive. I gave her a faintly quizzical look that she simpered at. “Journalist in me. We like getting our subjects a little hot and bothered. Makes for a better story,” she winked and held her hot stare on me. Whatever expression I was making seemed to encourage her. “Can I talk to you in private, Callum?” she asked suddenly.
I grabbed the glass the bartender finally set in front me. “About the article?”
“Sure.”
I took a drink and nodded behind her at Oz, who’d begun flirting with the new waitress. “We should let him know to join.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Let’s not. Why don’t you bring me upstairs to that VIP room? It should be nice and quiet there.”
I glanced at my watch. “I’m actually due at dinner in about a half hour. I was hoping to do one round, get out and be on time.”
“Because you’re very organized and never late, right?” She bit her lip with every “v” she spoke. I knew it was a trap but I said yes. “Mm. Except you never emailed me back and I’d hate for the article to run even later because I never got from you what I needed.”
I exhaled a tired laugh. “Why don’t you tell me what that email said and I’ll give you everything you need right now.”
My phrasing inspired her seductive look. “So we are on the same page. Let’s do that upstairs and away from the noise. I’m sure we won’t take too much time.”
I cast a look toward Oz before leading Ana upstairs. He read it and gave a subtle ok. We’d been around enough aggressive women to know that it meant save my ass if I’m not back soon. “So, what did I fail to provide you, Ana?” I asked, walking at her side on the stairs. But she sped suddenly ahead, forcing the view of her ass on me. I could see the lines of a thong under her skintight dress. My eyes traveled down her long, smooth legs as she quickened her pace, refusing to answer my question till I was upstairs with her.
“I wanted the contacts of a few regulars here. For little interviews. Just to get the clientele point of view.”
“I’d be happy to refer you to some friends who come often.”
“Lucky them,” she cocked an eyebrow. “But I already spoke to several people downstairs before you arrived. I already have what I need.”
“So this is the bait and switch I suspected.”
“Yes.” She laughed as my expression fell to something vaguely irritated. “Listen, Callum. I can’t help but notice a change in you lately and while it’s none of my business, what little time I’ve had with you in recent weeks has lacked the speed and… efficiency that it had before your friend named after a body of water came back.” She smirked, crossing her arms and tilting her head. “I thought we had a good thing going.”
“I didn’t realize it was a thing.”
“I think once you’ve fucked more than a few times and still see each other regularly, it’s called at least a pattern.”
“Fair enough.”
I’d first slept with Ana at a tasting in February. She was the only woman I didn’t wait to fuck till the end of the tasting, mostly because she’d followed me to the bathroom and said she didn’t pay all that money to taste only my Scotch. I was surprised with how willing she was to get messy considering that perfect makeup and tight bun. She wound up coming home with me that night and I’d fucked her over ever chair in the apartment. Of course, I wouldn’t have had Oz told me earlier that he recognized her from a tasting in March. “She was staring at you the whole time, brother. You just didn’t notice because there was some other pretty thing hogging your attention. Congratulations, my friend. You finally bagged your first groupie.”
There were a handful of women who were repeat guests at our tastings. It became quickly obvious to us that they weren’t coming back for the Scotch and while Oz happily took them home, I avoided it. From observing his experiences, they were the clingy ones. They’d put time into finally being noticed and they weren’t going to quickly let go of that hard-earned attention. Oz handled far less on the business end, so he had time for hot-but-crazy girl drama but I couldn’t have been more averse.
Lucky for me, Ana turned out to be as fixated on her career as I was. We didn’t see each other again till almost three months later, when she came by to suggest the article. Oz didn’t recognize her but I did and said yes to the pitch before stripping her clothes off in the liquor room and fucking her over a big shipment of vodka. Weeks passed before we had to see each other again and texts were all business-related.
We had sex three times more before Lake came back. Only when I declined oral the night of the photo shoot did Ana start to show signs of what felt like actual romantic pursuit.
“You don’t agree that we had a good thing going?” She reached for my belt. I removed her hand.
“Again, and I apologize, but I didn’t really take the time to categorize or analyze it.”
“Exactly. Because it wasn’t dating. It was working and fucking. That’s what we do, and very well, might I add.”
“Your point?”
“You and I are cut from the same cloth, Callum Pike. You’re a machine. Sex is your fuel. Fuel is for work. People like you and me get shit done because we don’t indulge feelings the way others do. It’s not like we don’t have the capacity. We just don’t feel past the point where it causes drama or slows us down. And I can see you slowing down.” She clucked that tongue again. “Which really sucks because of all the men I’ve met who share my unique lifestyle, you’re by far the hottest with the only dick that makes me come harder than my own hand – which you’re well aware is really good at finishing the job.”
I gazed down over the balcony. I could see my drink on the bar and I wished like hell that I’d brought it up with me. “I think I’m still lost on your point.”
“Trim the fat, Callum. Get rid of anything that leeches off your time and energy. Make your career your only focus and feed your focus with good sex, no strings attached. Preferably from me. And in ten years, when all our friends are married and we’re not but we’re the only millionaires – ”
“I’m already.”
“Whatever. In ten years, when all our friends are saving all their money for college tuitions that’ll go to waste, we’ll have accomplished everything we’ve ever dreamed of. And at that point, we can get together, be quite the power couple and have all the time and money in the world to travel, enjoy and look back on our impressive milestones.”
I raised my eyebrows. Clearly, I was wrong about Ana being unlike the other girls. Her brand of clingy just happened to be a long-term plan that was insane enough for me to almost admire. “It’s a well thought out pitch. But I do have to go.”
“Stay for a second.”
“No.”
Her mouth snapped shut. She was holding something in. As I turned to leave, she blurted it out. “You need to lose the girl.”
I looked over my shoulder. “Excuse me?”
“Lake.” Her tongue said the name mockingly. Something about it spiked my heart rate and suddenly, I was hot. “You’re drowning in Lake’s bullshit, Callum. You’re expending way too much energy on her and you just need a clear voice like me telling you to get rid of the drama. Get rid of the walking tits and ass that I will gladly call out as career poison. She’s not good for you and you know it. You know you do.”
I stood still for a moment. I let my gaze linger for another second as I processed Ana’s audacity. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. Hale.”
She flashed a cordial smile. “Looking forward as always, Mr. Pike.”
Chapter Nineteen
Lake
I was running late to dinner because Isabel had insisted on piling my hair into a big, Brigitte Bardot-inspired up-do. “We have to, so we can show off the front of your dress,” she reasoned. My outfit for the night was one purchased at the boutique on Madison Ave. It was black, backless and floor-length with the kind of plunging V-neck that I knew Callum would struggle to tear his eyes off all night.
“You’re gonna die when you see what this fancy-ass place looks like,” Isabel giggled excitedly. While she wanted to keep it a surprise, we eventually wound up Googling the restaurant together and I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw pictures. She wasn’t kidding about fancy. It was palatial – apparently a historic bank in the eighteen hundreds, complete with neoclassical architecture and the kind of towering pillars that made me think of Ancient Greece. I hadn’t known that places that big existed in Manhattan and I’d certainly never stepped foot in anyplace so grand and lavish – not with even Caroline, who spoiled me senseless. I got so obsessed with looking perfect for the night that we wound up running insanely late.
“But your hair looks amazing, and I read that’s more important than being punctual,” Isabel grinned, playing with one of the locks that fell to frame my face. “Are you excited? It’s your birthday in…” She looked at the time. “Three hours and twenty-four minutes! It’s gonna be a brand new year for you, babe!”
I actually squealed because I really, really liked the sound of a brand new year. We were still giggling endlessly during the car ride over and I was so anxious for Callum to see me that when I noticed missed texts from him, I actually yelped.
“What is it!” Isabel squeaked. “What did he say?”
“I haven’t read it yet,” I laughed, pushing her away. But the smile on my face fell into my lap when I read the message.
I know why you left.
Now tell me where you went.
I gripped tight on my phone, feeling the urgent heat of the words. But with Isabel giddy and bouncing beside me, so desperate to have all the girly fun we’d missed out on since I was gone, I put on a happy face and flashed her a brilliant smile. “He said he can’t wait to see me,” I murmured. I faked my stellar mood as she gushed, letting her touch up my lipstick and grinning big for selfies while the darkest sense of dread unfurled in my stomach.
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