“I don’t want anything,” he says at last, shaking his head.
“Then why are you here?”
“Excellent question.” He rubs his hand over his face, showing agitation for the first time since I met him. “Because I’m a bloody glutton for punishment? I don’t know, I just arrived in town, and I wanted to see you. I know I said I’d leave you be, and I will. I just wanted to see you.”
“Why?”
I lean a hip against the counter and cross my arms over my chest, mostly so I don’t run to him and have my way with him. I may despise him, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to get him naked.
I know what that’s like, and it’s more than fine.
But it will never happen again.
“You’ve been in my head for a long time,” he admits finally. His brown eyes roam over me like he’s a starving animal.
The look warms me, but that comment pisses me right off.
“Right.” I nod once and glance at my clean floor, then back up at him. “I’m so memorable that you freaking forgot.”
I clamp my mouth shut. I refuse to go through this again. It’s been years. There’s no need to rehash it.
“Aspen, I’ve tried to apologize to you time and time again. You won’t listen, and it’s bloody ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” I stare at him as if he’s lost his damn mind because he clearly has.
He swears under his breath and props his hands on his hips.
“You’re right,” he says, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’re absolutely right. I was a wanker before. All I ask is that you hear me out.”
I tilt my head to the side. Maybe, just maybe, if I let him have his say, he’ll leave me alone.
“Go ahead.”
“I’d been on an airplane for well over twelve hours that morning. Ellie wanted to come here for coffee, and I agreed. I’d had a shitty few weeks in Scotland, where it seemed everything that could go wrong, did. I had a lot on my mind.”
I raise a brow.
“Obviously, not too much that I should have forgotten that I had been intimate with you. And I remembered right away when I sat down with Ellie. I felt horrible. I still do. I’m very sorry.”
I exhale and shrug my shoulders. “Apology accepted.”
Now, go away.
“Thank you,” he says. “Would you like to—?”
“No.” I shake my head, my voice firm. “No, I don’t.”
His jaw clenches as if he’s frustrated all over again.
“Have a good stay in Cunningham Falls, Callum.”
I turn my back to him and wait. Finally, I hear his footsteps, the bell on the door, and then he’s gone.
I let out a long breath.
My emotions are already raw this week. I had no idea that Callum was coming to town with the rest of the family. If I’d known, I would have tried to prepare myself. Because that was just awful.
I accepted the apology because Ellie’s my friend, and I don’t want things to be weird.
But Callum and I aren’t going to be anything to each other. I’m not going to hang out with him. No dinners.
No sex.
But I can’t carry around the anger anymore either. It’s exhausting and a waste of time. It’s a lesson learned, and now we move on.
Because I refuse to give up my friendship with Ellie.
I’ll be cordial with Callum. That’s the word. Cordial.
I can be cordial.
Chapter 2
~Callum~
“Get some rest, David,” I say to my personal security when we reach my brother Sebastian’s home. “I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, sir. Just ring me if you need anything. I do believe Alice is making dinner for the family.”
“Then I’ll see you at dinner,” I reply with a smile.
David’s been with me for several years. He’s only two years older than me and is excellent at his job. He’s also in wonderful shape, which I need because I like to run, and David can keep up with me.
He married Alice last year. Since then, she’s become our personal chef, and it allows her to travel with us when we take lengthy holidays like this one.
The royal family demands a lot of its employees, but we are also mindful that they’re people with families of their own. If we can accommodate them, we do our best.
Happy staff is good staff.
And David has become a mate, as well.
Liam and Ellie are staying in their new house up on Whitetail Mountain. It looks out over the lake—the whole valley, actually. So, I’m staying here at Sebastian’s lake home, in the flat above the boathouse.
It’s modern and more than comfortable.
Best of all, it’s private.
I round the corner of the house and almost run smack dab into Ellie.
“Oh, hello,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you.”
“Likewise. I thought you and Liam were up at the mountain house.”
“We are,” she says with a grin. “I just came down to chat with Nina for a bit. Liam wanted to see the security men. You can take the man out of the job, but you can’t take the job out of the man.”
I nod. Liam used to be the head of security for the Montana property. That was before he fell in love with and married my baby sister.
But he continues to check in with the men.
“I’m sure he has tight security up at your place, as well.”
“It’s borderline ridiculous, but you know how it goes.”
I nod and shove my hands into my pockets. “Are you coming down here for dinner? Alice is cooking.”
“She doesn’t have to do that when we’re all knackered with jet lag,” Ellie says with a frown. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved. Hiring Alice was the best thing we ever did.”
“Agreed.”
Ellie narrows her eyes and looks me over. “You look more than jet-lagged. You look cross.”
I shake my head. “I’m not angry, darling.”
“You are,” she insists. “What’s wrong? We just arrived.”
I blow out a breath and stare down at the lake.
“Wait. Did you go see Aspen?” she asks.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because she’s the only one who has this effect on you. It’s absolutely fascinating.”
“I’m happy to entertain you.”
She laughs, and I feel my jaw tighten more.
“Okay, but seriously,” Ellie says, losing the smile, “did you apologize?”
“Yes.”
“And did she accept your apology?”
“She did.”
Ellie raises a brow in surprise. “Wow, that’s progress. Why do you look like you’re ready to punch someone, then?”
“I tried to ask her out to dinner, and she shut me down.”
My sister closes her eyes and shakes her head as if I’m totally daft.
“You’re my brother, and I love you, but you’re a bloody idiot.”
“Hey.”
“Did you think you could apologize to her and then try to score with her again? Callum, Aspen is one of my friends. I need you to not only make things right with her but keep things right. I adore her, and you’ve made it awkward.”
“This isn’t all about you, you know.”
“I’m not the one who messed up,” she reminds me. “And I refuse to be the one punished because my brother can’t remember who he’s—”
“Okay, okay. She accepted my apology. Everything should be fine.”
Ellie props her hands on her hips. “Did she really accept, or did she simply placate you so you’d go away?”
Is that what she did? Do I still feel so bloody unsettled because Ellie’s hit the nail on the head?
Bollocks.
“If she shooed you out of the shop, I’d say it was the latter,” my sister continues.
I sigh. “She’s impossible.”
“Honestly, I don’t blame her for being so angry
with you. If I’d been intimate with someone and they forgot the next time they saw me, I might punch them.”
“You always were violent.”
“It was a dick move, as the Americans say. Sometimes, an apology isn’t just about the words, Callum. Prove that you regret your actions.”
“How in the hell am I supposed to do that? Everything I do irritates the bloody piss out of her.”
“The women you’ve been with have made life way too easy for you. It’s not hard,” she says and rolls her eyes. “Start simple. Perhaps a bouquet would be a nice olive branch.”
I shrug, thinking it over. “You’re probably right.”
“You need to try. And make it work, Callum. I love her, and she deserves for you to be nice to her.”
“I wasn’t mean to her!”
“You know what I mean. Be a gentleman. I’m having dinner and drinks with her and the other girls tomorrow night. So, if you could please take care of this before then, I’d appreciate it.”
“You’re a pain in my arse.”
She smiles brightly. “Of course, I am. I’ll see you at dinner.”
She waves and walks away, and I stroll down the path to the boathouse. I key in the code to the door and walk up the steps to the loft.
The kitchen is white and inviting and open to a living space with a fireplace. Big, sliding glass doors open to a vast deck with the best view of the lake.
I retrieve a lager from the fridge and walk out to get some fresh air. Boats pepper the water, and birds fly overhead. It’s a peaceful spot.
Perhaps I should buy a place of my own here. A getaway to escape to and unwind. I’ll have to look into it. Nina’s sister-in-law, Jenna, is an expert in local real estate.
I’ll ask her some questions later.
In the meantime, this boathouse is a far cry from the palace, and it’s absolutely perfect.
I wasn’t going to join the others for this trip. Unlike my siblings, I don’t have ties to Montana.
Actually, that’s not true.
But the one tie I do have here doesn’t want anything to do with me.
And yet, I can’t let her go.
Is it my competitive nature that won’t let it rest? Is it the challenge?
That could be a factor, but it’s not all of it. I know that much.
Aspen is beautiful, intelligent, and kind. That afternoon with her a couple of years ago has replayed in my mind nearly every time I close my eyes.
How could I have been such a tosser when I saw her again last year? So careless?
I’m a lot of things, but that’s not one of them. And, yes, I have a womanizing reputation, but the truth would disappoint the public.
Sure, I’ve had my share of bedmates, but not nearly as many as the media portrays.
I’m much more selective than that.
And since I had sex with Aspen just that one time, the number of women I’ve been intimate with has been a resounding zero.
And despite her despising me, the chemistry I feel when I’m in the same room as Aspen is still there. I thought my skin would catch on fire this afternoon.
But is pursuing her worth the burn?
I don’t know. All I know for certain is that I need to make sure I make things right with her. Not just for Ellie’s sake—although that certainly factors in.
But also for me.
I hurt her.
And now, I’m here to mend things, even if that means leaving Montana without Aspen in my life.
I’m embarrassed to admit, even to myself, that I’ve never given a woman flowers before.
I’ve had them sent, of course. My assistant has a florist on call, and they handle my flower deliveries.
But I’ve never given a woman a bouquet in person.
Does that make me an arsehole?
Quite possibly.
“I’ll be right out,” I say to David, but he shakes his head.
“I’m going in with you, sir.”
I frown.
“It’s the middle of the day, and we don’t know who’s inside. I’ll hang back.”
I shrug and walk into Drips & Sips. It’s a busy early afternoon. The smell of coffee hangs in the air, and the conversation of the patrons is loud.
But as I look around the room, I don’t see Aspen.
So, I approach the counter and smile at a curvy blonde standing at the cash register.
Her blue eyes widen when she sees me, but I don’t give her a chance to get tongue-tied.
“I’m looking for Aspen.”
“Oh.” Her mouth opens and closes. “She’s not here.”
“Do you know where she is?” I ask as I glance at the name tag on her apron. “Gretchen.”
“It’s her day off,” the woman replies. “I don’t think I’m allowed to tell you where she is.”
I smile. “Of course. Thank you.”
I turn to David and raise a brow.
“We have her address,” he confirms as we walk back out to the car. David drives us through town, turns onto an unpaved driveway, and parks in front of a white farmhouse.
A Honda Pilot is parked in the drive in front of the garage.
I get out of the car, walk up to the front door, and ring the bell, but there’s no answer.
“She has to be home,” I mumble. “Her car is here.”
David stands by our vehicle, surveilling the property.
There are no other homes close by. It looks like Aspen owns a nice piece of property.
Just as I’m about to return to the car, I hear a voice from around the house.
David makes a move to walk with me, but I shake my head. “Please, wait here.”
He nods, and I circle the dwelling, then come to a complete stop and feel the smile spread over my face.
I’m damn glad I told David to wait.
Aspen is in a red tank top and little denim shorts, and she’s bent over a flowerbed, pulling weeds and singing.
I see she’s wearing Beats over her ears. Her rear moves side to side in time with the music as she sings an Ed Sheeran song.
Horribly.
“Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars…”
Singing isn’t her talent. And it’s ridiculously adorable.
Aspen sits back on her heels and adjusts the ugly straw hat on her head, keeping the sun off of her lovely face. She stretches her arms above her.
And when she opens her eyes and looks my way, she screeches.
“Holy shit!”
She pulls the headphones off, the hat tumbling with them, and then hurries to her feet.
I notice she’s filthy from head to toe.
And I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so bloody badly before.
“I’m sorry to startle you,” I say, holding up a hand. “You didn’t hear me approach.”
“Ed Sheeran was in my ear,” she mumbles.
“Yes, I heard.”
She cringes. “I’m a horrible singer.”
So horrible.
“You’re not that bad,” I lie.
“Dogs cry in terror when I sing.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Okay, it wasn’t Grammy-worthy.”
“How can I help you, Callum?” she asks as she pushes a lock of that gorgeous red hair out of her face.
“I came to apologize again. And to give you these.”
I pass the bouquet to her and watch as her green eyes soften as she takes in the pink and white roses. She buries her nose in them, fussing over them.
Ellie was right about the flowers.
“I accepted your apology yesterday,” she reminds me but doesn’t look up from the roses.
“Did you?”
Her eyes fly to mine.
“You said the words, yes. But I suspect you were just saying what I wanted to hear so I’d go away.”
She tips her head to the side and watches me, then glances down at the roses again.
“Come on inside so I can put these in water before they wilt in the sun.”
I don’t argue. Aspen leads me up onto a beautiful deck attached to the back of the house, and then straight into a beautiful, modern kitchen.
“Do you use those outbuildings for anything?” I ask, referring to the barn and paddock I saw not far from the house.
“No,” she says. “I have some things stored in the barn, but I don’t have animals. I’m too busy at the café. But I do have gardens. I’m just getting them ready for winter.”
“Already? The weather’s still beautiful.”
“It’ll be October in a few days. That means the weather can change on a dime. I’d rather get the work done now while I can still enjoy the sunshine.”
She fills a vase with water, sets the roses inside, and then steps back, smiling at them.
If I’d known roses would work, I would have tried this years ago.
Make a note of this, Callum.
“You really didn’t have to go to this trouble,” she says as she sets her hat and headphones on the countertop.
“It was no trouble,” I insist, drinking her in. That riot of red hair is tamed in a loose braid down her back. Her skin is tanned from a full summer of sunshine, and her muscles are toned.
She’s fit. Athletic.
But also soft and curvy in all the right places.
I clear my throat as my blood courses through my veins.
“I won’t keep you,” I say. “I can see you’re busy, and it’s your day off.”
Her eyes narrow.
“My first stop was Drips & Sips.”
She nods. “Makes sense. Did Gretchen tell you to find me here?”
“No. She actually wouldn’t tell me where you were.”
Her lips tip up.
“You have loyal employees, Aspen.”
“Damn right, I do.”
“David had your address,” I elaborate.
“Why would David have my address?”
“Because you’re of interest to me,” I reply as her eyes narrow. “And that means my security looked into you.”
“Not sure I like that.”
“That I’m interested, or that they looked?”
“Both?”
I smile, and to my surprise, she smiles back.
“Well, it’s just an address. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to bring you these.” I point to the roses.
She glances at the flowers. “And wouldn’t that have been a shame?”
Taunting Callum: A Big Sky Royal Novel (The Big Sky Series Book 7) Page 3
