If there was ever a chance I could pick which way to die, it would be from this man’s mouth. Take me to heaven because I’m dead.
His lips slide from my mouth, moving down my neck, and I close my eyes. “We should stop.” I don’t mean a single damn syllable of it.
“I disagree,” he says as his mouth moves lower against my chest.
“This is a bad idea,” I reiterate while pushing his head lower. Clearly, I’m just saying it to hear myself speak.
Callum’s hands move from my hips up my sides, sliding his thumbs across my nipples. “I think it’s the best idea we’ve had thus far.”
He swipes back again, and I moan. “Maybe you’re right.”
His lips move up, grazing the spot right below my ear. “Oh, I know I am. Do you want me to stop?”
I shake my head.
“Do you want more?”
I look down at him, knowing there isn’t a chance in hell I could stop this even if I wanted to, which I don’t. “I want it all.”
“Where’s the bedroom?” he asks as he lifts me, causing my legs to wrap around his waist. The hard length of his cock presses against my stomach, and all I can think about is how good that big bad boy is going to feel in a few minutes.
“Down that way.” I point to the hall, and he starts to walk.
My lips are against his neck, kissing my way up to his ear. “I’ve dreamed of this,” I confess.
“Me too, love. I’ve thought of nothing else but having you.”
For the first time in a very long time, I have butterflies in my belly. I’m so sure this man will wreck me, but I’m walking the plank anyway, pulling him along with me as we jump into the rough seas.
Because, let’s be real, I’m going to end up going under, but hopefully, he can be my life vest.
Callum carries me to the bed, his solid frame hovers over me. “I didn’t come here for this,” he says. “I want you to know that.”
He’s full of shit. This is exactly what he came here for, and it’s the only thing I’ve thought about.
“Then what did you come for?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t want you to think it is just about touching you, kissing you, fucking you until neither of us can move again.”
Well, that is quite the image, and one I’m ready for.
My hands grip his biceps, and my voice drops to a sultry tone. “We both know you didn’t come here for coffee, Callum.”
His eyes go softer. “No, it wasn’t coffee. It was you.”
I touch his cheek, loving the stubble that pricks the pads of my fingers. “Just tell me one thing,” I say as the last layer of my armor starts to fall. “Are you married?”
“No.”
“Then no more talking, and once those papers are signed, no more touching. This is a one-time thing until I’m no longer working with you, understand?”
He doesn’t say another word because his lips are far too busy against mine. I know this is probably a mistake, but Kristin is right, rules are meant to be broken. I’m a smart girl, and this is sex. I can handle sex. It’s feeling things that scares me, so all I have to do is guard that part of myself, and I’ll be fine. Right?
Right.
Sex with Callum is all this is. Yup. Nothing more. Just a week of built-up sexual tension that has now come to a full boil.
He leans back, tearing his shirt off as I do the same.
There’s no finesse. Just need. Want. Desire that’s pumping so fast I can feel the heat and sparks starting to build.
Callum cups my face and crushes his mouth to mine. His hands move down my back, unhooking my bra and tugging it free. I totally put it on before he came, trying not to look like I was hoping for this. His eyes drink me in as my breasts spill out.
“Fuck,” he groans.
“You like?”
Callum cups them both, kneading, and my head falls back as I rest on my elbow. “I like everything about you. Your lips,” he says and then kisses me. “Your breasts.” He leans down and runs his tongue along my nipple. “Your heart.” Callum’s mouth moves to place a kiss right over the erratic thudding in my chest. “And I know I’m going to love your pussy.”
I grin, knowing I damn well am going to like his cock. “Well, then why don’t you put your mouth there and find out?”
The challenge causes his eyes to flare. Oh, yeah, this is going to be good.
He grips my thighs, pulling me forward so my head is on the bed. My shorts go flying across the room, and he tosses my legs over his shoulders. “Hold on, love, I’m about to see if I like the sound of my name as I fuck you with my mouth.”
“Holy shit!” I say as his talented mouth goes where I’ve been dreaming of it being. His tongue presses against my clit, flicking in a rhythm that has my toes curling before he rolls it in his teeth. I don’t know how long this goes on for, but I’m sweating. He drives me higher and then, right when I’m going to peak, he drops me back down.
I’m the mouse, and he’s the cat, toying with me until he plans to go in for the kill. I fucking love every second of it.
“Callum, please, fuck!” I beg. Beg. For the first time in my life, I’m begging because I can’t take it much more. I need to release.
Callum’s only response is to slip a finger into the well of my body, pumping maddeningly slowly, and I know I’m gripping him tight. I need more. I need it all.
Then he pulls it out and rims my ass. When he breaks through the tight muscles, his teeth capture my clit again, and I’m done. I fall off the cliff, so far down that I can’t see straight. I scream his name, curse words, and I’m not even sure what else because I’m pretty sure I blacked out.
When I finally come back to reality, he’s above me with a shit-eating grin on his face. He lost his pants somewhere in the middle of that and put a condom on.
“How did you like hearing your name?” I pant, barely able to peel my eyes open enough to appreciate the man nestling his hips between my thighs.
“Jury is still out, I think I’d like to hear it when I’m inside you.”
“I’m happy to oblige.”
He leans down, lips against my ear. “And this will happen again, love. Mark my words. I’m going to fuck you so good that all your rules about us won’t even matter. I hope you’re ready.”
I smile, grip his hair, and pull him back so we’re eye to eye. “Bring it.”
When he pushes into me, I realize I’m so done. I will never be able to quit him. It wouldn’t matter if he was my client, my pastor, or my boss, I’m lost to him, and I may never come back.
“Favorite color?” I ask.
“Green.”
“Really?” I ask. Green is such a harsh color. I know I’m coming from a design aspect, but it’s a clashing hue when you’re doing anything.
He nods. “It’s the color of money.”
Such a guy answer.
“You?” he asks.
We’ve been lying in my bed, butt ass naked without even a sheet draped over us. We’ve covered all the basics and are now on to the fun questions.
“Gray.”
“Okay, and you made a face at green?”
“It’s a color I can do or make into anything. It’s malleable, and I like that. For example.” I roll over and grab the gray pillow we tossed off the bed. “This is gray, right?”
Callum nods, and I grab a plum-colored pillow.
“Now, when I put it next to this pillow, what do you see?”
“Gray and purple?”
“Yes, but the gray makes the purple become vibrant.”
He leans in and kisses me softly. “I think you’re vibrant.”
“I think you’re trying to go for another round,” I counter.
“You would be correct.”
As much as I want nothing more than another fantastic round of fucking, I need to come up for air. He’s so damn good that I don’t know if my body can handle another orgasm. The man has given me more than the last time I had two guys wo
rking for the same goal. That says it all right there. He’s a God.
“Favorite food?” I say, pulling away so he doesn’t get his hands on the goods.
He doesn’t answer, he adjusts his half-cocked cock and clears his throat. “You tell me yours.”
“That’s a hard one. I’m a foodie, always have been, but I love Italian food the most.”
Callum grins. “Me too, have you been to Italy?”
“No. I haven’t traveled abroad as much as I’d like to. I was in the UK for a short trip with my dad on one of his promise-to-spend-more-time-with-me trips.” I throw up air quotes around the last bit and roll my eyes. “He was so full of shit. He made it sound like he wanted to take me around Europe when all he wanted was to kill two birds with one stone. He ended up taking meetings almost the whole trip.”
“Italy is one of my favorite places. The food, wine, and people make it unforgettable.”
I lie on my back and sigh. “I envy you.”
“Why is that?”
With my head turned, I smile. “Because you can just go to Italy so easily. All we have here is the beach and Caribbean. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but they aren’t exactly full of art and history. It’s great because I can drive down to the Keys and find inspiration, but I love the whole design elements of Tuscany and Rome. It’s rich and different from the beach feel I typically work on here. One day, I’ll go. One day, I’ll get to taste, touch, and experience it all.”
Callum leans up on his elbow. “I guess you’ll have to come with me to London.”
“What?”
“You’ll come to London with me next week, and I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
I tilt my head at him. “I have to work on building your designs.”
“You can work there.”
“You’re nuts!” I toss the pillow at him.
“Why?” he asks with a laugh. “You’ve never been, I love it there. There are a million places that could inspire you with all our rich history and designs. What possible reason could you have to refuse my offer?”
I try to find all the things I had in my bank of excuses, but I come up empty. “I don’t know, but I’m sure there’s a good reason, I just need to figure it out.”
The truth is, I don’t have anything. My friends don’t need me. They’re all married, dating, or whatever. My mother would love nothing more than for me to go on a European vacation with a millionaire. I swear she’d probably buy my plane ticket if it meant me going. I’ve already had to clear my entire schedule because I took this project on. There isn’t a real excuse as to why I couldn’t go.
Other than . . . he will be my client as soon as he signs the contract.
“Then I guess you’ll be coming with me,” he says as though it’s decided.
I grin because I’m a dirty minded girl. “Oh, I think we’ll both be coming together.”
Callum catches on to exactly what I’m implying and moves toward me. “Do you now?”
“For sure.”
“I bet we could come a few more times.”
“I think you’re a very capable man and can make a good go at it, Mr. Huxley.”
Callum prowls forward on his hands and knees and flips me onto my stomach.
“I guess you’re about to find out, Ms. Dupree.”
Chapter Fifteen
Callum
“I understand that, Edward, but I’m not in London,” I grumble as my cousin explains that, yet again, my brother has disappeared. “I’m not sure what you expect me to do about it.”
If I was there, I would fucking kill him.
I don’t care that he’s living the way he wants, he has obligations to the company and a goddamn job to do. I’ve let him slide long enough.
“I’m telling you, Callum. This is a problem. I don’t mind stepping up and covering for the idiot, but at the same time, you should be aware.”
“He’s not going to like the outcome, that’s for sure.”
For someone who is bloody brilliant, he can sure be a stupid arse. I’ve reached the end of my patience with him, and there are a lot of things I’ve been pondering regarding being a CEO to two major corporations. It should be fairly easy considering I’ve spent the last decade trying to groom my brother. Instead of him stepping up, I have an entirely new set of issues because Milo is fucking reckless.
How do I split my time between two companies on two different continents? Do I sell off my father’s company and return to London? Do I leave London, which is full of awful memories, and get a start fresh? Start something with the blonde I can’t get out of my brain?
Am I a bloody fool for even trying to pursue a woman I hardly know? Yes, I am, but I don’t give a fuck.
Edward clears his throat. “If you need me, I’m here to step in.”
He’s been doing a lot of that lately, picking up the slack Milo leaves in his wake. “I know this, Edward. Believe me, I do. There’s going to be some changes, and I’m going to ask you to step up a bit more.”
As much as it pains me to do it, I think this is the only thing that will make Milo see I’m done with his games. I need someone I can rely on—all the time. Not only when it suits him.
“I’m happy to do it, Callum.”
“I’ll be in touch,” I say and toss the phone on my desk.
I pace around my father’s—my office and grip the back of my neck. I don’t know how my life flipped completely. Edward is a second cousin and not even close to the type of person I’d like to leave in charge. However, he’s the only one working, which is more than I can say about my brother.
Fucking Milo.
I grab the phone and send him a quick text.
* * *
Me: Get your bloody head out of your fucking arse and get back to work! I’m trying not to fire you, but so help me God, you’re making it impossible.
* * *
Milo: I’m working whilst enjoying the sun.
* * *
Me: Do you want your numpty of a cousin to take your job?
* * *
It pains me to even type the words, but I need to know things are working while I’m here.
* * *
Milo: Don’t make idle threats, Cal. It doesn’t suit you.
* * *
Bastard.
* * *
Me: It’s not a threat. Get back to the office or you’ll find your job isn’t what you once had.
* * *
A text message comes through, and my blood pressure is through the roof. People don’t see the stress that comes with running a business. They only want to see the cars, houses, or whatever else comes with success. They don’t see the sixteen-hour-long workdays, that I haven’t been on holiday in four years, and that I don’t have a single meaningful relationship.
All of that doesn’t exist because my life is my business.
My world is making sure the people who work for me can pay their bills.
Whether or not Michael the mail clerk can afford his rent is dependent on Dovetail keeping its doors open.
That is the responsibility that rests on my shoulders.
* * *
Nicole: I’ve been thinking . . .
* * *
My chest tightens, but in a different way than it was before.
* * *
Me: I’m hoping this is a good thing. I’ve had a rather shit day.
* * *
Nicole: Well, I think it’s good.
* * *
Me: Then please share.
* * *
Nicole: My best friend is having a dinner party tonight and . . . I need a date. Would you be interested?
* * *
After everything that Nicole and I discussed, this is probably something that is terrifying for her. She told me a lot the other night about the four of them. How they are practically sisters and how she values them more than anything.
I’ve never had friends like that, but based on what she said, I’m quite jealous.
<
br /> Also, it means she wants more time, just like I do.
* * *
Me: I’d love to.
* * *
Nicole: Okay, great. Meet at my place by six?
* * *
Me: I’ll see you then.
* * *
I try not to smile, but I can’t stop it. She reached out and isn’t giving me her bullshit about rules and clients.
Maybe my stay will be extended even longer because I’m not returning to London if I have a chance with Nicole. No fucking way will I walk away from her that easily.
Chapter Sixteen
Nicole
It’s just dinner at Danielle’s house. Not a big deal.
Danni offered to host this month’s get together because Kristin’s house is under construction and Heather is never around anymore. I sure as fuck wasn’t doing it because I’m lazy and never do.
Of course, once I informed my asshole friends I was bringing a date—for the first time ever—they acted as if the Pope was coming. They started a group text, which I left twice and somehow got sucked back into, and proceeded to talk about how unicorns must be falling from the sky.
I really hate the whole payback excuse they continued to use.
My doorman rings up that Callum has arrived. I head to the door, opening it so I can wait for him.
The fact that I’ve seen him naked does nothing to quell the excitement of seeing him now.
Not Until You Page 10
