50. Ryan Fairview
N aomi came back to Fairview with me after ice cream. We were spending time with my mother in the kitchen when my phone buzzed, and I nearly leapt out of my chair to check it.
Naomi smirked at me and exchanged a look with Iris, who gave her a knowing smile.
“He’s been missing his dark angel,” she explained, and Naomi’s eyes flashed.
“I’ve noticed,” she snickered, and I gave them both one of my signature grumpy scowls.
Ignoring them, I checked my phone, and my heart fucking soared when I saw that the message was, in fact, from Cal.
Cal Sex God Walker:
Ginger snaaaaapppp! Come outside, baby. Be quick. I don’t have long.
Doing my best to control the sudden aching need to literally run to my psycho, I grunted a quick ‘ I’ll be right back’ and stalked out of the room as fast as I could.
As soon as I was out of the kitchen, my clipped walk turned into a shameless jog, and I burst out the front door to find Cal leaning against the hood of his G wagon with a giant smile on his face.
My own face broke out into a massive grin at the sight of him until I realized he wasn’t alone. Standing uncomfortably close to him was a fucking gorgeous man smoking a cigarette. He had bleached white hair and beautiful skin that was just as bronzed as Cal’s, and he was wearing all-black, worn-out clothes.
They looked like a fucking couple, with their matching punk aesthetics, and something that felt a lot like jealousy ripped through me.
I glanced down at my grey T-shirt and relaxed-fit blue jeans, suddenly feeling out of place and stupid standing in front of the two of them.
Is this who Cal had been spending the last four days with?
The smile dropped off my face, and my pace significantly slowed as I adjusted to the presence of this new, intimidating man.
He was staring at me with amusement dancing in his silver eyes, and I stared right back, unable to keep the glare off my face.
Cal pushed up off the hood of the car and walked toward me. I tore my gaze away from the random dude he had shown up with and turned to face him.
My mouth went dry as I took him in. Even though I had so many questions about this strange man and what they had been doing together for the past four days, the sight of Cal’s gorgeous smile had me weak at the knees.
God, I fucking missed him.
He moved like he was going to touch my face or pull me in for a kiss, but he stopped himself, and I scowled.
Did he not want to kiss me in front of his butt whore?
Fuck that!
I slid my hand possessively around the back of his neck and pulled him into me, slamming my mouth against his. Cal let out a surprised ‘mmph!’ but smiled against my lips as he wrapped his arms around me, zipping our bodies together.
Cal’s eyes closed as he kissed me, but I kept mine open so I could glare at the silver-haired vampire over his shoulder, making sure he knew that Cal was fucking mine.
The vampire’s eyes crinkled in amusement, and he took another lazy drag from his cigarette while he watched me bite and suck at Cal’s lips.
After a few moments of excessive PDA, Cal finally pulled away, laughing. He rubbed his thumbs over my hips and grinned down at me.
“Wow. I’m going to have to leave you alone more often if every time I come back you’re going to greet me like that,” he beamed.
I glowered at him.
“I would rather you not leave at all,” I snapped but immediately softened, knowing I was being fucking ridiculous.
What had gotten into me? I was acting crazy.
“Baby, as soon as I wrap this mission and I’m back on leave, we’ll be spending every minute together. I promise,” he said, cupping my face and giving me another tender kiss on the lips. “I can’t believe you just kissed me outside in broad daylight.”
I hadn’t even thought about that. In my need to stake a claim in front of his potential butt whore, my need to stay closeted had taken a back seat.
“Who’s that?” I asked, nodding my head at the silver-haired man. Even to me, my tone sounded accusatory. Cal frowned and glanced over his shoulder.
“Oh! That’s my buddy, Vox. We work together.”
I raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
“Your buddy?” I had to stop myself from saying butt buddy.
Cal’s eyes searched mine, and slowly, understanding dawned on him.
“Ginger snap… are you… jealous?”
I scoffed. “What!? No…” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Do I need to be? I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t be fucking anyone else while we’re doing… whatever this is.”
Cal threw his head back and released a deep, throaty laugh. The sound rolled over my skin like it was a living thing, and suddenly, the already sunny day felt just a little bit brighter.
“Hear that, Voxy? Ginger snap thinks we’re fucking!”
Vox rolled his eyes, though he had a giant smirk on his face. He shook his head and dropped his butt, stomping it out under his combat boot.
“Vox is straight, baby. You don’t have to worry about him.”
Glancing back and forth between the two of them, I couldn’t shake the possessive, jealous feeling that was still simmering in my chest.
“Yeah, well. I was straight, too, until I met you, asshole. You have a track record,” I grumbled, and Cal swooped in, laughing and showering my face with kisses.
“You’re so fucking cute when you’re jealous.”
I squirmed away from him and did my best to give him a grumpy look, but even I couldn’t keep myself from smiling at the way his brown eyes were shining with delight.
I loved being the reason he smiled like that.
The thought hit me like a Mack truck, and in that moment, I realized I was well and truly fucked. This psychopath had officially wormed his way into my heart, and I was no longer sure if I could live without this nutcase ruining all of my plans.
Maybe he didn’t ruin them at all.
Maybe he made them better.
Vox stepped forward and held out his hand to me. I stared at it and then realized after a moment that he wanted me to shake it.
I slid my hand into his and squeezed firmly, meeting his silver eyes dead on.
“Hey. I’m Ryan,” I said. He just smirked and nodded, causing me to frown in confusion.
“Vox doesn’t speak. But he already knows all about you.”
Vox nodded and grinned at me. He winked and made a ‘yapping’ motion with one of his hands right next to his head, indicating that Cal had talked his ear off about me.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Okay, I guess he probably wasn’t a butt whore if Cal had told him about me.
“I believe it. He’s a chatty one.” I grinned, looking back at my animated psycho.
Vox nodded in agreement and slid his hands into his pockets. He turned his gaze onto Cal, and his expression sombered. Jerking his head in the direction of the G-Wagon, the smile on Cal’s face slipped a notch as well.
“We, uh, gotta head back out, baby. I just wanted to come by and say hi since it’s been a few days.”
Vox gave me a little wave, then sauntered back around the car, hopping into the driver’s seat to wait for Cal.
Disappointment flooded my chest.
He was leaving again? Already?
I slipped my finger into his belt loop and tugged him into me. Wrapping his large hands around my hips, he dropped a happy little kiss on my forehead.
“How long are you going to be away this time?” I asked softly, my cheeks flushing slightly at how desperate I sounded.
God, I was so embarrassing.
Cal beamed down at me, clearly loving that the tables seemed to have turned, and I was now the one chasing him.
“I can’t be sure. I’m hoping soon, baby. Be patient with me. I promise I won’t stay away any longer than absolutely necessary. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m absolutely obsessed with you.”
I nodded, forcing down my protests, knowing he was doing his best and if he truly didn’t have to go, he wouldn’t.
“Okay. Just remember—no butt whores while you’re gone.”
He laughed in that open way he did, and I once again had that strange sensation that the whole world grew a little bit brighter.
“I promise, ginger snap. No butt whores.”
He kissed me one last time, and then he left me standing on the sidewalk, wondering when my life had been reduced to counting down the minutes until I could see him again.