“I’ve been wondering why the profits were going down when compared to our competitors.”
I laugh. “Oh, I could give you a whole list.”
“Would you?” His head tilts with interest.
“Sure. At this rate, I’ve probably had a subscription for every single streaming app available.”
Cami comes running out of the bathroom with toothpaste smeared across her cheek and soap suds stuck between her fingers. I take her back to the bathroom and help her while Cal finishes up the fort.
It’s a tight squeeze but somehow the three of us fit under the blanket fort, although the top part of the TV is cut off. Cami doesn’t seem to mind, her excitement about watching a movie outweighing the logistics.
I lie beside Cami, who chooses the spot closest to the edge, where Merlin sleeps while curled into a ball. Cal looks torn with what to do before settling on sitting crisscross near the opposite side of the fort. I’m not sure he can even see the TV from his position, let alone feel comfortable with how he needs to hunch his body to fit underneath the blanket.
“You can go next to Mommy.” Cami points to the spot on the other side of me.
Lovely. Look at Little Miss Cami playing matchmaker without even knowing it.
Cal glances over at me for approval before I nod slightly.
You’re totally going to regret this one.
With a little sigh, he lies down beside me. His proximity, combined with the smell of his bodywash and the rhythm of his deep breathing, makes my brain foggy and my skin tingle.
Cami picks the movie and gets settled beside me. I barely pay attention to what happens on the screen, my mind too attuned to the man next to me. My heart pounds furiously, the blood rushing to my ears as I resist the temptation to turn around and snuggle into his chest.
At some point, Cal locks his pinky finger with mine, linking us together for the rest of the movie. The connection that flares to life from a single touch makes my toes curl.
Yup. Definitely need to get laid.
After I put Cami down to sleep, I lock my bedroom door, shut off the lights, and grab my vibrator from its case in the nightstand. It’s been a while since I got off, and although the vibrator doesn’t come close to the real thing, it gets the job done.
I light a candle and turn on some acoustic music to drown out any noise before settling in bed. My thoughts wander to all the things I need to do before I remember what I wanted to do in the first place.
I tug my sleep shirt over my head and toss my underwear before getting back into bed. This time, my thoughts drift to something far more dangerous.
Something forbidden for a hundred different reasons.
Callahan Kane.
The man hasn’t left my head since he stumbled back into my life, dragging me into the past I’ve spent years trying to forget.
Might as well take advantage of his proximity and use him to get off.
I shut my eyes and imagine Cal looming above me, his fingers dragging across my chest rather than my own. He takes his time to reacquaint himself with my body. Each gasp, sigh, and moan encourage him, and he teases one breast until I’m breathless and panting beneath him before moving on to the other.
My nail catches on the sharp peak, but I replace the image with Cal’s.
He is the one teasing my body with his hands until I’m begging for release.
He is the one angling the vibrator so the G-spot stimulator hits at the perfect angle.
He is the one… Knocking on the door?!
My eyes fly open. I sit up and gasp as the vibration intensifies, making my eyes roll.
“Lana? Did you hear me?” Cal knocks harder.
I groan into a pillow as I pull the vibrator free and shut the button off.
“One minute,” I rasp, my voice coming out huskier than I would have liked.
His knocking stops.
Thank God.
I slide off the sheets. My legs feel like jelly as I search for my shirt. With a quick run through my hair, I crack the door open.
“What?”
His eyes scan my face. “I wanted to ask you a couple things about DreamStream.”
“Now? It’s nine p.m.”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “And?”
“It’s late. Ask me tomorrow.” I push the door closed, but he presses his palm against the wood to block it from shutting.
“It’s late? Wait…” He sniffs. “Is that lavender?”
“Yeah. I lit a candle. So what?”
“You lit a candle?” he repeats. “You never light a candle unless—” His eyes widen with recognition. “Of course. The candle. The music. The…” He looks over my head at the panties on the floor. “A nice touch.”
My cheeks flush. I reach to shut the door, but his strength prevents it from closing.
“How do I score an invite?” His eyes dip, the heat of his gaze burning a path down my body. With the way he looks at me, I’m afraid I might catch on fire.
The warmth in my belly from earlier comes back with a vengeance. “You don’t. Now go away.” I push against the door again, but his hold remains strong, preventing it from moving a single centimeter.
“Let me make you feel good. Please,” he rasps.
God. No man should look or sound that desperate to pleasure a woman. It can give anyone a complex, especially when paired with Cal licking his lips.
A single plea has my walls crumbling like a poorly constructed gingerbread house.
What’s the worst that can happen?
If you’re asking yourself that question, then you’re further gone than I thought.
I shake my head. “No.”
It’s for the best. I didn’t spend the last two months keeping him at a distance to ruin it because I’m desperate for relief.
You’re not desperate for relief.
You’re desperate for him.
The truth hits me like a punch to the gut, stealing my breath.
His grip on the doorframe tightens. “I’ll beg on my hands and knees if I have to.”
“Fine. Go ahead.” I release my grip on the door and take a step back.
You’re going to regret this tomorrow.
Then I better make the most of tonight.
He doesn’t move—doesn’t even so much as blink—as I retreat farther into my room, adding enough distance to make his begging worth my while.
“Are you going to get on your knees and beg, or are you going to stand there and watch while I make myself come harder than you ever could?”
His nostrils flare. “Is that a dare?”
A devious grin stretches across my face. “It’s a promise.”
33
ALANA
Something snaps inside of Cal. It’s evident in the way his gaze shifts, the wildness he keeps tamped down coming to the forefront. My body vibrates from anticipation as he shuts the door behind him and flips the lock.
“Where do you want me?” He takes a step closer to me.
“Plenty of places, but on your knees is good enough for now.”
His Adam’s apple bobs as his knees sink into the fabric of the carpet. I feel light-headed from the sight of him ready to follow my every command.
“Perfect. Now just stay there and look pretty for me.”
He smirks. “That’s all?”