Taunting Callum

by Kristen Proby

  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?”

  “Indeed.”

  She laughs, and the sound washes over me. Aspen has a laugh designed to seduce.

  “Well, thanks. Really. I guess I should get in the shower and pull myself together. The girls are coming over later for dinner.”

  “Ellie mentioned it,” I reply. “She’s looking forward to it. I’m planning to spend my evening on the water.”

  “You like to boat?” she asks, surprise in her voice.

  “Very much. You?”

  She shakes her head. “No. I’m not a fan. But I hope you have a good time. Thanks again for the flowers.”

  I turn to leave but then face her again. “Does this mean I’m really forgiven? Or are you just being polite?”

  She smiles. “It’s okay, Callum.”

  “It’s not okay.” I shake my head. “And it’s a mistake I regret very much.”

  “Thank you,” she says. “You’re forgiven. Truly.”

  “Brilliant. Enjoy your evening.”

  I walk out the back door so I can take in Aspen’s property before I leave. The red barn is in excellent condition, and there are several other outbuildings. Her yard is large but well-maintained. I can see now that she has, in fact, cleaned out her gardening beds to ready them for winter.

  I walk around the house and find David still standing by the car.

  “I trust it went well?” he asks.

  “Finally, yes. It went well.”

  Chapter 3

  ~Aspen~

  I have plenty of time, and I need to get out of the house. Because every time I walk into the kitchen, all I can see is Callum standing there, looking tall and sexy and smiling at me as if he can’t get enough of me.

  He brought me flowers. And it may sound silly, but fresh flowers are my weakness. If a man’s willing to keep coming back to apologize, he deserves some grace.

  It doesn’t mean any more than that.

  I was restless after my shower, and with a couple of hours to spare before the girls arrive, I decided to spend a little time at the farmer’s market in Frontier Park. It’s my favorite part of the week, and the summer is winding down, meaning the farmer’s market won’t be happening for much longer this year.

  I have my large tote bag slung over my shoulder so I can carry all of my finds, and my sunglasses are perched on my nose. My hair is up in a bun, out of my face.

  When you have naturally curly hair, it constantly gets in the way. I can’t even count how many times I’ve wanted to shave my head over the years, but then I hear Emma’s little voice.

  I love your hair, Mama. When will mine be long like yours?

  I can’t cut it.

  The market is busy, as usual, with a live country band in the center of the park on a stage. Vendor tables and tents circle the perimeter and offer everything from farm-fresh produce to baked goods and artwork. The food trucks at the edge of the park serve any kind of cuisine a person might crave.

  I’ll grab a taco on my way out and conveniently forget to tell the girls later.

  I’m not the kind of monster who passes up a taco.

  I pay for a bunch of fresh mint and tuck it into my bag. When I turn to wander to the next table, I hear him.

  “Anything you come up with will be perfect.”

  I glance to my left, and sure enough, Callum is standing next to a pretty blonde in a blue hat. David, Callum’s security, stands a few feet back from them, scanning the crowd.

  “I just absolutely adore these strawberries,” the woman says, choosing four baskets full of the fruit. “This should be enough. I’ll put them in the pancakes in the morning.”

  “I can’t wait,” Callum says and tugs playfully on her hat.

  Holy shit.

  Of course, he’s with someone. That shouldn’t surprise me. Callum’s a handsome man. A single, handsome prince. He can date anyone he wants.

  I’ve repeatedly brushed him off and told him no.

  I don’t want him.

  I sigh as I look down at a table full of homemade greeting cards for sale.

  Then why am I jealous?

  It’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m not jealous. I’m surprised, that’s all.

  Not wanting to be noticed by Callum and his new girlfriend, I turn to walk in the other direction.

  “Aspen?”

  Fuck. Didn’t make it.

  I paste a smile on my lips and turn around.

  “Oh, hi there.”

  “What a lovely surprise,” Callum says. “You remember David.”

  “Of course.” I nod at the other man. “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Don’t be silly. This lovely woman is Alice, David’s new wife.”

  David’s wife.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you,” Alice says, holding out her hand for mine. “Ellie’s spoken so fondly of you. I cook for the family when they travel. When I heard about this market, I just had to come and see it. This produce is simply divine.”

  “I agree,” I say with a smile. “I had to come to get some fresh mint for our mojitos later.”

  “For your girls’ evening,” Alice says. “Of course. Ellie asked me to make my bacon roly-polies for you to nibble on tonight, and I’m going to send some fresh strawberry ice cream with marinated strawberries on top for you ladies to enjoy.”

  I blink at Alice, completely surprised.

  “Wow,” I say at last. “That sounds incredible.”

  “It will be,” David says, smiling at his wife. “Alice’s creations are out of this world.”

  Callum shoves his hands into his pockets and grins at me in that way he did earlier today that made me want to climb him like a tree.

  I seriously need to get my mind out of the gutter.

  “Well, you’d better come eat it with us,” I say to Alice.

  “Oh, I couldn’t do that. I don’t want to crash your party.”

  “You’re not crashing,” I say. “You’re invited. And I am looking forward to chatting more later. I want to hear all about your wedding, and I can’t wait to eat that ice cream. I’d better finish up here so I can get home and chop this mint.”

  “Don’t chop,” Alice says. “Tear it. The flavor will be better.”

  “See? I’m learning from you already.”

  She smiles brightly, and I immediately like Alice very much.

  “Have a good evening, gentlemen,” I say with a nod and quickly walk away. I wander through the rest of the market, but my heart’s not in it anymore. I can’t get Callum and his sexy smile out of my head.

  Damn him.

  I’m not angry with him anymore. Not really. His apology was sincere, and I’m ready to move on.

  But why do I have to run into him all the damn time? Forgetting about Callum Wakefield is hard enough on its own. Seeing him around town only makes it harder.

  I sigh and admire some silver earrings,
then decide to buy them for myself before heading home.

  I’m excited to see my friends this evening. We don’t get together as often as we’d like. And tonight, we have Ellie back in town.

  With a new friend to join us, as well.

  It’ll be fun.

  “I’ve never had anything this good in my mouth before,” Natasha says as she scoops another bite of strawberry ice cream past her lips.

  “I know, right?” Monica agrees. “And these berries are amazing. What is on them?”

  “I soaked them for about an hour in balsamic vinegar,” Alice replies and sips her third mojito. “This has been so much fun. Thank you for inviting me. I know it’s odd for the staff to hang out with the royals, Your Highness, so if this is inappropriate, please just let me know.”

  “I invited you, too,” Ellie says with a laugh. “I think you know by now that we think of our employees as our friends. I’m so glad you came with me tonight. And when we’re not in an official setting, you can call me Ellie.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Alice says and then joins us when we laugh. “I mean, Ellie.”

  My mind is a little fuzzy around the edges from too many mojitos and a lot of food. But I wouldn’t change a thing. This is my tribe. It’s taken a lot of years to get here, and I’m loving every minute of it.

  “Aspen?” Ellie says.

  “Hmm?”

  “On a scale of one to passed out cold, how drunk are you?”

  I snicker. “I’m a solid five. Leaning toward six.” I take a sip of my drink. “There we go, I’m a six.”

  “Excellent. I have a request. A favor, if you will.”

  I frown. “Anything for you, Ellie, you know that.”

  She bites her lip. “It’s a big ask.”

  “Consider it done,” I insist, curious now what Princess Eleanor could possibly need from me.

  “Well, you know the annual hospital benefit that’s happening next weekend?” Ellie asks. “Our family has been invited because we donated some funds to the new imaging department.”

  “Do you need help finding a dress?” I ask her and then purse my numb lips. “Willa has some stuff at Dress It Up. I’ll go with you. I need a few things anyway.”

  “No, that’s not it,” Ellie says, shaking her head. “Are you going to the benefit?”

  “I hadn’t planned on it.”

  “We have an extra seat at our table, and I need you to go with Callum.”

  I frown. “Why?”

  “Because it’ll be fun. It’s not a date,” she hurries to assure me. “I just need you to go on a date with my brother.”

  “But it’s not a date.”

  “Not at all.”

  I see Natasha and Monica exchange a look over their mojitos. Alice is busy scooping us more ice cream.

  “You said anything I need,” Ellie reminds me.

  “Yeah, I thought maybe you needed some scones or coffee or something.”

  “I need scones,” Monica says. “Huckleberry ones.”

  “Me, too,” Natasha adds.

  “Oh, I’d love to try those. We don’t have huckleberries in the UK,” Alice says.

  “Focus,” Ellie says. “Please say you’ll go, Aspen.”

  Ellie bats those ridiculous lashes at me, and I know I’m a sucker.

  I can’t tell her no.

  “I’m not supposed to be dating Callum,” I mutter with a frown.

  “We missed something,” Monica says. “Something good. And you’d better spill it.”

  Ellie’s eyes almost pop out of her head. “They don’t know?”

  “We’re about to,” Natasha says. “Talk, Aspen.”

  “I slept with him,” I mutter and suck down half of a mojito. “And it was damn good. And there was no sleeping done, by the way.”

  “Attagirl,” Monica says.

  “And then, the next time I saw him, he forgot all about it and me.”

  The room falls silent for a heartbeat, and then Natasha giggles. “What a prick.”

  “Hey, that’s my brother,” Ellie says but shrugs. “And, yes, it was dreadful, and he’s a knob. But what she’s leaving out is that he’s spent the past two years apologizing and agonizing.”

  “Good,” Monica says. “He should. But did you forgive him?”

  “Yeah.” I reach for more ice cream. “Hating him is exhausting. Also, have you seen him? He’s too sexy to hate.”

  “Alice is awfully quiet,” Natasha says. “What do you think?”

  “That it’s not my place to talk,” she says. “Except maybe to say this. Today, after you left us at the market, he watched you for ten minutes like a lovesick puppy.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Right.”

  “He did,” Alice says. “I’ve no reason to fib. He speaks highly of you, and he was genuinely happy to see you.”

  “Hmm.” I eat the ice cream, thinking over everything that was said. “I guess it won’t hurt to go to the benefit.”

  I might regret this when I’m sober.

  “Brilliant,” Ellie says and leans over to give me a drunk kiss on the cheek. “It’ll be so fun to have you there. Now, do you need a dress?”

  “Shit. Yeah, I’ll be going to see Willa for sure.”

  “We’ll go with you,” Natasha says. “Now, give us more details about those sexy times with a certain prince.”

  “Must she?” Ellie asks, scrunching up her nose. “He’s my brother. I don’t want to think about it.”

  “She must,” Monica says.

  “It was a long time ago,” I reply, brushing it off. “I hardly remember.”

  Lies. It’s all lies. I remember everything.

  But I don’t want to share it with them. I want to keep it just for me.

  “She’s not gonna spill the beans,” Natasha says. “Pity. I bet it’s a hell of a story.”

  “Alice, who does your hair?” Monica asks, changing the subject. I could kiss her. I might kiss her before the night is over. My friend glances my way and winks at me.

  “Oh, I go to a salon in London,” Alice says and brushes her fingers through her blond locks.

  “I like the length,” Monica says, tilting her head to the side. “But I wonder if you’d be open to some highlights to give it a bit of depth?”

  “I might be. I haven’t added color in a long while.”

  “I own the salon downtown. If you’re interested, just let me know. I’ll get you on the books.”

  “Thank you,” Alice says. “I could use a day of pampering.”

  “Book it,” Ellie says. “And add nails, a facial, and a massage. On me, of course.”

  “Ellie—”

  “You follow us around the world and make amazing things like this ice cream. Trust me, it’s my pleasure.”

  Alice grins. “Well, I won’t say no. Thank you.”

  “I want more real food,” Natasha says as she stands and walks toward the kitchen. “I always eat too much when we get together, but I’ll just run an extra three miles tomorrow.”

  “I don’t run unless something’s chasing me,” Monica says. “And even then, it’s a crapshoot.”

  “Where did you get these pretty flowers?” Natasha calls from the kitchen. “They look like they came from Brooke’s.”

  I take a drink and answer without thinking. “Callum brought them to me this afternoon.”

  Three pairs of eyes turn to me, and Natasha pokes her head out of the kitchen to join them.

  “What?”

  “Callum brought them?” Monica asks. “He was here, in this house?”

  “In the kitchen this afternoon,” I confirm. “He just brought flowers. And asked me to forgive him again. Nothing else.”

  “I have to say it,” Monica says with a smug grin. “The prince likes you, Aspen Calhoun.”

  “He felt guilty.” I set my ice cream bowl aside before I gain seventy pounds. “Besides, we’re not in the seventh grade.”

  “No, he likes you,” Alice says, surprising me. Although I’ve
only known her for a few short hours, I’ve learned that Alice is a woman of few words. Or maybe she’s just shy, and we’re new to her. “He definitely likes you.”

  “I thought we changed the subject.”

  “We did,” Ellie says. “And then we discovered the flowers.”

  I shake my head and try to change the subject again. “What does one wear to a benefit?”

  “A cocktail dress,” Natasha says. “A sexy-as-fuck, knock-him-on-his-ass cocktail dress.”

  “That,” Monica says, pointing to Natasha. “You wear that.”

  “I’d better get some more exercise this week and stop eating this ice cream,” I murmur. “Because I kind of want to knock him on his ass.”

  “Attagirl,” Monica says again, making me laugh.

  I scrunch up my nose and stare at my reflection in the dressing room mirror.

  It’s been twelve hours since I told Ellie I’d go to the benefit with Callum, and I’m deeply regretting that decision.

  “Come, show me,” Natasha says from the other side of the curtain at Dress It Up.

  I step out, and her eyes narrow.

  “Turn.”

  I comply.

  “Turn again.”

  I roll my eyes but do as she asks.

  “Next.”

  “I’ve tried on five dresses, Tash. We’re running out of options in Cunningham Falls.”

  “Try the purple one with the low back. You look amazing in jewel tones.”

  “And then I’m done trying, and I’ll just choose one of these. It’s for one night. I’m not going to stress over it.”

  I’m totally going to stress over it. But if I say I’m not, maybe it’ll come true.

  I slip into the amethyst-colored dress and tilt my head to the side.

  Not bad.

  Probably the best one.

  I walk out, and Natasha grins. “I hate that you look so damn good in the jewel tones. It’s the fabulous red hair. That’s gorgeous. Turn for me.”

  I do, and she whistles.

  “That’s a knock-him-on-his-ass dress,” she confirms. “Wrap it up. Do you have black heels?”

  “Heels? Hell, no. I’m on my feet all day, and I haven’t dressed up since—”

  Since my wedding day.

  But I don’t say that out loud.

  “In a really long time.”