by Erika Kelly
It would’ve been supremely selfish. He would have hated every minute there.
You know why you stopped taking chances? Because the stakes went up. If she didn’t have great grades, she wouldn’t get the top internships. If her bosses didn’t like her, she wouldn’t get optimal shifts. The risk of failure, poverty, suspension from school—real world stakes—had grown too high. So she’d chosen a lane—art history, on the track to become a curator—and once she had, she’d gripped the steering wheel and floored it.
She’d chosen Julian because he’d been in her lane.
Up ahead the guys had stopped, their feet on the ground, as they waited for her to catch up. Shafts of golden light splintered the shadows of the lodgepole pine forest. She breathed in the fresh mountain air, let it fill her lungs.
She slowed as she reached them, too aware of the way Fin watched her. Because it struck her that Julian’s gaze expressed his pleasure with her. In it, she saw his approval of what she was wearing or his pride in the way she’d behaved in front of his parents or friends.
But Fin just saw her. She didn’t have to talk a certain way or bring a perfect cheesecake to a dinner party to win his sexy smile. She just…she made him happy.
That was a heady feeling.
When she caught up with them, she braked and dropped her foot to the ground. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face. He made her happy. And she knew he felt it, too, because color flooded his features.
“Ah, Christ,” Brodie said.
“What is it with you two?” Will said.
She laughed, because this was how it had always been between them. This intense affection for each other.
“Which way?” Brodie gestured first to the trail that wound up the mountain at a steep incline, and then to the flat path that led to the lake and circled around it.
“Up.” Her response was automatic. Because she felt giddy and free.
“Hell, yeah.” The guys shot up the trail.
She pedaled all of a few yards before the burn in her legs reminded her she was completely out of shape. Not gonna happen. For a moment she watched them, their hard, round asses bobbing in the air, their powerful thighs pedaling. They needed to train, and she wouldn’t slow them down.
She turned her bike around.
“Hey.” Fin held up a hand and his brothers came to a stop. All three turned to her.
She waved them on. “Go. Have fun.”
Their resolved expressions reminded her of another of Mack Bowie’s rules: leave no one behind. Uh oh.
Will gave a chin nod to his brothers. “Lake?”
And with that the guys came hurtling back down, kicking up dirt on the path around her.
“Guys, you don’t have to do this.”
But they didn’t listen. They took off toward the lake, happy to just be together, out in the sunshine, and using their bodies.
Their enthusiasm was contagious. With the wind in her hair, Callie pedaled as fast as her legs could go. She hadn’t felt this free in ages.
The forest gave way abruptly to the valley, all bright sunshine and soft green sage. Up ahead, on this perfect July day, sun lovers dotted the shores of the dark green lake with their beach chairs and umbrellas, and the water rippled with swimmers. The beach season was so short in Calamity that the residents and tourists took full advantage of—
Her wheel hit a root and sent her airborne. Adrenaline shocked her system, as the world spun like a kaleidoscope of bright blue sky, the brown and green of towering trees, and the spots of colorful umbrellas and swimsuits around the lake. And then her back slammed down on the hard dirt.
“Callie.” Fin was at her side.
Three large bodies blocked the sunlight, Fin crouching beside her. No one said anything, as they gave her lungs a moment to resume pumping oxygen.
When she drew a breath, Fin squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
She took stock of her body, her back, arms, and legs. “Yep.” Planting a hand in the dirt, she pushed herself up. A breeze blew the hair off her face, and the lake smelled as clean as the snow it’d been only weeks ago. She smiled. “I’m good.”
Fin held her gaze like he was giving his heart a minute to settle back in his chest. He brushed the hair out of her eyes and ran the back of his hand down her cheek, softly, slowly, looking at her like she was the most precious thing he’d ever seen.
Her heart pounded, the floodgates opening, letting in all the desire, want, and affection she’d held for this man since she was a girl. “I want to get nekkid.”
His features hardened; his body tensed. “What’re you saying?”
She understood right then that she’d never had a choice. Fin was right.
They were two halves of the same whole.
“Say it,” he said. “Say it out loud.”
“I want to be with you, Fin Bowie. I want everything.”
******
Fin barely paid attention to the laughter in the garage or the clatter of bikes as his brothers lifted them onto the wall racks. All he could think about was Callie. Getting her alone.
Now.
“All right, I’m out of here.” She pointed a finger at Fin. “Get those platters to me in two hours.” Her smile faded when she caught the look in his eyes.
Yeah, that’s right. I’m coming for you. He stalked across the garage, grabbed her hand, and towed her around the side of the house. Pressing her back against the wood-shingled wall, he cupped one ass cheek and let her know with his mouth how fucking happy he was that she’d come back to him.
Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her hips, capturing his cock between their bodies. Oh, hell, yeah. He caught her up in a full-body embrace and licked into her mouth, wanting every single thing she had to give. Wanting it right the fuck now.
His hands slid under the elastic waistband of the leggings, but she laughed and smacked his hand away.
“I didn’t mean now. Five feet from your brothers.” She cupped his cheeks. “But we’re definitely doing it after the opening.”
She’s back. My Callie’s back. He kissed her, hands gripping her hips. “I want you.”
“I want you more.” Her fingers sifted through his hair, tugging when they got to his scalp. “But right now I have to go.”
Reluctantly, he stepped back and watched her leave. Right before turning the corner and moving out of his sight, she paused to give him the hottest smile he’d ever seen. A mix of shyness, hopefulness, and a heaping promise of naughty.
Once she was gone, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. It had been vibrating for the past several hours. He needed to get his ass showered and dressed so he could help her set up the food tables, so he read his messages while climbing the porch stairs. When he saw several missed calls from his manager, he hit Aaron’s speed dial.
He answered on the second ring. “Fin. Finally. Got some good news.”
“Yeah? What’s up?” He headed inside, the cool of the air conditioning a welcome relief.
“I heard from my contact at the magazine. He said when he came back from lunch he heard shouting in the conference room, and he opened the door to find them on your website. They were going nuts over the footage from Austria. He said, and I quote, ‘That was some seriously crazy shit he pulled.’”
“Yeah, we had a good time.”
“Sure, sure. It’s just another day at the office for you, right? Jetting down a spine you’ve never been on, flipping off the edge of a boulder and spinning…what was that? Three full rotations? Yeah, no big deal.” He chuckled.
Marcella called to him from the foot of the stairs and mouthed, Everything’s all set. She pointed to the kitchen.
He gave her a thumbs-up and a silent, Thank you.
“Anyhow, the guy thinks you might be back in the running for the cover.”
“Cool.” Anticipation had him racing down the hall. He wanted to shout out to his brothers, but he’d learned his lesson. He wouldn’t say a word until i
t was a sure thing. Except for Callie. He’d tell her.
“So, as long as you don’t get into any more trouble between now and September, I think this might happen.”
“Not even possible, man. I’m trouble-free. Listen, I’ve got to go.”
“Training?”
“No, tonight’s the opening.” The sooner he got to Callie, the better. “Gotta get ready.”
“The opening? I just told you to lay low.”
“And I will.” He stepped out of his athletic shorts. Setting the phone on his bed, he yanked off his T-shirt. When he picked it up, his manager was still talking.
“—where the central installation is your meme.”
He slowed on his way into the bathroom. Aaron made a good point.
“Not to mention the fact that you only work there because a judge ordered you to. Can you imagine the headlines on that one? Judge orders Fin Bowie to make a museum about the World’s Worst Boyfriend. In his hometown.”
He laughed. “That would suck.” He’d looked forward to seeing Callie in her element, leading art patrons around her exhibition. The project had lit her up, and he’d liked helping her realize all her ideas. “Yeah, okay. You’re right. I’ll skip it.” He’d have her to himself the rest of the night.
And the rest of his fucking life. Amen.
Right after he disconnected the call, he texted Callie.
Can’t come tonight. Mgr doesn’t want me stirring up the meme.
His finger froze before hitting send. That made it sound like he wasn’t dependable. Better reword it.
Can’t come tonight. Aaron thinks press would have a field day with me assigned by court to help set up the WWBF installation.
He hit send, not knowing how she’d react. What if the only thing she got out of that was that he wasn’t showing up again for something that mattered to her? He sent another text.
Let me know when press leaves, and I’ll come over and help clean up.
Better. At least she’d know he’d be there. He wasn’t bailing on her. He was about to toss the phone on the chair, when it vibrated. Callie.
Does that mean cover back on?
She got it. She totally got it. Yup. And she trusted him. Damn, that meant a lot.
:) :) :)
He smiled at her emojis. Mostly relieved he hadn’t let her down.
He texted again. Let me know when the coast is clear. I’ll come after it ends and help clean up.
You sure you want to come into town?
I want to be where you are.
When he came downstairs, he found Marcella on the house phone in the kitchen.
“I don’t mind at all.” The phone rested between her shoulder and ear. “I live with a pack of wolves. Let me come see how fancy people live for a minute.”
“Is that Callie?”
Marcella nodded and got off the phone. “She asked me to bring the platters over, since you’ve been banned from the premises.”
“Hey, man. Go big or go home. Wasn’t that my dad’s motto?”
“Oh, yes, World’s Worst Boyfriend. You’re a real legacy to your father’s teachings.” Her eyebrows shot up in a comical expression of, Yeah, I went there.
He burst out laughing. Keeping his eye on her, he stealthily reached for one of the perfectly aligned cannolis.
She smacked his hand away but, fortunately, his reflexes were quicker and he shoved it into his mouth, leaving a glaring space in the center of her design.
“Oh, heavens.” She feigned alarm. “You ingested sugar. Should I call nine-one-one?”
He smiled. “I’ll survive it this one time.”
“Just curious…if you defile the temple, does it mean you lose your superpowers?” Lifting a tray, she tipped her chin toward Fin. “Help me get these in the van.”
“I’ll do one better than that.” If he left now, he’d get there a full hour and a half before the opening. “I’ll take it there myself.”
“Callie said you’re supposed to stay away.”
“Yeah, at six. It’s only four-thirty.”
No one would be around.
Fin texted before he got out of the van. Here. Open the back door.
Shoving the phone in his pocket, he pulled out a platter. Just as he turned around, he saw Callie striding toward him.
Holy fuck. A silky white dress cinched at her waist and flared around her hips. The voluminous skirt fluttered around her legs in a sage-scented breeze, and her long dark hair looked like something out of a shampoo commercial.
“I thought you didn’t want to be here.” The moment she reached him she took the tray.
Before grabbing another one, he leaned in to brush a quick kiss to her cheek so he wouldn’t mess up the pale pink lipstick, but he caught a whiff of her expensive perfume and a hint of herbal shampoo and couldn’t resist cupping the back of her head and kissing that delectable mouth.
She could always reapply lipstick, but he’d never again miss a chance to let his woman know what she meant to him. She stepped closer, her whole body softening, and it made him want to knock the platter to the ground and sweep her into his arms. Every kiss—Jesus—it gave him a hit of adrenaline that had his pulse pounding.
But this was her night, so he reluctantly pulled away. “What time do the Cooters get here?”
“Everyone went home to shower and get dressed.” With finger and thumb, she wiped the corners of her mouth. “They’ll be back at five-thirty, and my parents will bring the ice at six.”
“I’ve got plenty of time. Let’s get these in there.”
“Okay, but then you’d better skedaddle.”
He smiled at her word choice. “I’m gonna skedaddle all over your ass as soon as this event’s over.”
“Keep it in your pants, champion. I have enough people helping me clean up. You just stay away. I’ll come straight to your house when it’s over.” With a platter in her hands, she headed for the building.
The breeze lifted her hair, fanning it over her shoulders, and the silky fabric of the dress clung to her ass just like his hands wanted to do. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Vibrant, elegant, and insanely sexy.
A wave of emotion rose up and crashed over him. “Callie.”
She glanced back. When she saw his expression, her brow furrowed and she turned fully.
“I’ve loved you as far back as my memory goes. My wild thing, she was my best friend, my heart, my everything.” He shrugged. “But the woman you’ve become?” He cast his gaze down to the ground and cleared his throat before swinging it back up. “I didn’t think it was possible to love you more, but I do.” He swallowed past the painful knot. “You impress the hell out of me.”
Her features tightened, and tears glistened. “Don’t make me cry.”
That was the last thing he wanted to do. “I never want to make you cry again, but you need to know…I love you, Callie. I fucking love you.”
She blinked a few times, pulling in a sharp breath, before opening her mouth to say words that never came. She hurried back to him, grasped his shoulder, and got up on her toes. With her face buried in his neck, she exhaled. “I have missed every single thing about you, Fin Bowie, but knowing you still love me like this? It’s everything.”
Oh, fuck, he loved this woman. Wanted her so badly. His hand caressed down her back till it reached her ass. He couldn’t resist grabbing a handful and squeezing.
Laughing, she swatted him away. “You’re not copping a feel in the parking lot. Come on.” She turned back around and headed into the building.
Grabbing a pewter tray, he followed her inside. Stacks of boxes filled the hallway. “What’s all this?”
“More donations.”
“Holy shit.”
“There’re a lot of broken-hearted people out there.”
He kicked the door closed behind him and made his way down the narrow hallway. Just before they entered the exhibition room, Fin said, “You sure no one’s around?”
“Pos
itive. It’s just us, and the doors are locked.”
Surveying the room as he entered, he watched her set the platter on a folding table set up for food and drinks. “Looks great.”
“I love it. I love it more than anything I’ve ever done.”
“Including your own art?”
“Believe it or not, yes. Art was how I expressed all the crazy emotions I didn’t know what to do with. This…” She made a sweeping motion across the space. “I feel like it makes a difference. Every time I mention this place to someone, they either have a story of their own to share or ask if they can get involved. And the donations keep pouring in. What we’re doing here matters.” She smiled—a mix of his mischievous Callie and the accomplished Calliope—and she’d never looked more fully herself. “And it’s fun. Everything I’ve done in the art world so far—interning at galleries and museums—has been so pretentious. So cutthroat and competitive. But this…I love the concept, coming up with ideas for it…all the people I’ve worked with.” She slid both hands up his chest, resting them over his heart. “And best of all has been doing it with you. I feel like my best self is right here.”
“Then stay. Stay here where you’re happy.” Stay with me.
Her smile flagged, and then happiness turned to worry. “I can’t. This is a pop-up exhibition.”
“Make more of them.”
“I can’t have a career based on hit-or-miss temporary exhibitions. I have to use my degree, build my reputation.”
“And what about us? You got room for me on that career track of yours?”
“Yes.” She said it firmly. “I don’t know how we’ll do it, but I do know that I was born to love you. That you’re the rest of me. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like, no matter what good stuff I’m doing, what great people I’m hanging out with, there’s always something missing. It’s only when I’m with you that I feel whole. Complete. Does that make sense?” She looked a little helpless. “I love you, Fin.”
