"Can you show me?"
I keep my hand over hers and pound the nail until it's all the way in the wall. Then I let go but remain behind her. "Now try it again." I hand her another nail.
She sets it up against the wall and lines up the hammer, but then taps too lightly again.
"Harder," I say. She hits it hard enough to get it in the wall. "Good. Now pound it all the way in."
She hits it with just slightly more force so it takes a while for her to pound it in, but eventually she does.
"You want to try another one?"
"Yeah." She turns around, smiling, as she takes the nail from me. "This is kind of fun."
Okay, I might've just fallen in love with her. She thinks hammering is fun? Hardly any girl would think that, especially Marissa. She'd never let me teach her this, or even tell her about my work. She had no interest in my job, unless she needed me to fix something. The more time I spend with Callie, the more I wonder why I ever went out with someone like Marissa.
"Can I try one more?" Callie asks, and I see that she's already pounded in the nail I just gave her.
I hand her another one. "You're getting fast. Keep this up and I'll be hiring you for my next renovation."
She pounds the nail in, then flips around to face me. I still haven't moved, my body just inches from hers.
"Thanks for teaching me," she says, giving me the hammer.
"Any time." I start to step back but she grabs my t-shirt and yanks me down to her mouth and kisses me. I drop the hammer and kiss her back, my arms going around her and pulling her closer.
She kisses me harder, her tongue going in my mouth, tangling with mine. I had no plans to kiss her tonight, but now that she started this, I'm all in. My hands go under her thighs and I lift her up and against the wall. She wraps her legs around me and I almost lose it. I want her so bad. This past week, she's taken up permanent residence in my dreams, and when I'm awake, I find myself imagining what it'd be like to be with her. I've tried to keep those thoughts out of my head, but sometimes I just can't help it. Like right now, I'm imagining all the things we could do if we went up to the bedroom right now. Or the shower.
"Nash," she moans, as my lips slide down her neck. I bring my hand up and cup her breast. She moans again and lifts my head up and crashes her mouth against mine.
Fuck. She's killing me. We might just have to do this. The taking-it-slow plan isn't working out so well. We both want this, and waiting isn't making those urges go away.
Callie reaches down between us to undo my belt. And then the doorbell rings. Seriously? It's nine at night and I don't know anyone here. Who the hell would be coming over? It rings again.
"You better get that," Callie says.
I sigh as I lower her to the ground. "Wait here." I kiss her. "Don't leave."
She smiles. "I won't."
The doorbell rings again. "Yeah, I'm coming," I say as I walk to the door. I open it and see Katie there, in a short white sundress, her face coated in makeup and her hair styled like she just got back from the salon.
"What do you need?" I ask.
"That's a rude way to greet someone." She looks behind me. "Can I come in?"
"No. I'm busy. Why'd you come over here?"
"To give you this." She takes something out of her giant purse. It's a business card with her name and number on it. She holds it out to me. "I forgot to give Jake my number last night."
"He doesn't need it. He's not going to call you. He said he made that clear to you last night."
"Maybe he'll change his mind." She smiles. "I find men always come back for more."
"I can tell you right now that Jake won't be coming back. He doesn't even live here. And besides, don't you have a boyfriend?"
"He's my fiancé." She dangles her left hand out in front of me and I see the giant diamond engagement ring.
"You just got engaged?"
She brings her hand back down by her side. "I've been engaged for months."
"That's the first time I've seen that ring."
"I don't always wear it."
"So that you can cheat on your fiancé?"
She huffs. "He's never here. He can't expect me to be faithful."
"Where is he?"
"He got a job in New York. He moved there last April. I'll be moving there after we get married." She shoves her business card at me. "Take it. And make sure your brother gets it."
I take it just so she'll go away. "Goodnight, Katie." I attempt to close the door but she won't move out of the way.
"So what are you doing tonight?" She smiles and steps closer to me.
I laugh. "Are you serious? You were with my brother just last night, and now you're trying to get with me?"
"Like you said, your brother's not in town. And I think I'd like you better." She skims her hand over my chest.
"Go." I push her away. "And don't come back here."
She furrows her brows. "My daddy's a powerful man. If you want your building permits approved, you better be nice to his daughter."
"And would daddy approve of his daughter sleeping with other guys while she's engaged to be married?"