Chapter 16 #2
Callum pulls away. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever be completely whole again. Losing Rafe devastated me. And when we kissed the other night…I got in my head. I felt like I was somehow betraying him by kissing you.”
“Callum -”
“No, I’m sorry, Elia. The last thing I wanted was for you to think I regretted it.
Kissing you was…breathtaking and all-consuming, and I’m sorry for how poorly I handled it.
You have been the most unexpected surprise in my life.
When I traveled to the desert to ask you for help, I never thought that I would have this immediate connection with you, something I hadn’t felt since Rafe.
It scared me, it still does, but I want to explore this connection between us, if you would want to, too.
You’d be easy to fall in love with, Elia. ”
Hearing my chosen name tugs at my heart. “Yes,” I whisper, leaning in closer to him. “I’d like that a lot. And I don’t want you to assume I’d ever try and replace Rafe. Your love story is a part of you, and I would never want to erase that. But maybe we could start a story of our own.”
I don’t know who leans in first, but before I can process it, the gap between us is gone, and our lips press against each other’s. This is not the gentle, tentative first kiss we shared weeks ago – no, this is a raw, desperate kiss that takes all the air out of my lungs.
Callum’s tongue works its way into my mouth, and a deep moan escapes his lips that goes straight to my core. He’s trying to show his apology through his mouth, and it’s easy to forgive.
One hand plays with my hair, undoing my braid so that my hair falls loose down my back. I kiss him back in the same primal manner, hands fumbling with his shirt. I untuck it from his pants and slip my hand under, tracing the hard ridges of his chest, the light dusting of hair.
We break the kiss only to take in much needed air, and for Callum to throw his shirt off somewhere in the lavender field.
Then all at once I’m on my back on the blanket, the ground hard beneath me.
Callum balances himself over me, his arms framing my face.
He traces the features of my face with one hand.
“You are so beautiful, Elia,” he murmurs, his fingers tantalizingly working their way down my chin…my neck…the top of my chest.
“Don’t be a tease, Callum,” I swallow, eyeing his fingers grazing the neckline of my dress, still too high for my liking.
He presses a hot kiss to the side of my neck, and I arch into him, letting out a small gasp. He tugs my dress off one shoulder, then another, and yanks it down, baring my breasts to him. My nipples pebble in the cool air.
“Stunning,” he whispers, as he lowers his lips to my body. He takes one of my nipples in his mouth, tongue playfully swirling the tip until I’m quivering. With his free hand, he lightly tugs on the other one, ensuring both are worshipped.
“Callum,” I beg. “Please.”
He switches attention to my other nipple, scorchingly teasing me with every lick of his tongue.
I’m growing impatient now, but Callum has no sense of urgency. He palms my breasts, giving both a light squeeze. I try to reach for Callum’s hard cock, straining against his breeches. I want to touch him. I need to feel him.
He playfully swats my hand away. “Not today, Siren. Let me take care of you. Please.”
His mouth works his way past my breasts, trailing kisses like offerings down my body as he pushes my dress down even farther until I’m completely bared to him.
“Mine,” he whispers, pressing a kiss on my stomach.
“Gorgeous,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss on my inner thigh.
“Radiant,” he finishes, finally pressing a kiss on where I’m aching.
I arch my hips at the contact, desperate for some friction to help ease the sensation building.
“Callum.” I’m trembling now, unsure if I’m coherent anymore. “Please.”
It’s never felt like this with anyone else.
Any time I fooled around in the camps, it was always a rush to finish – a quick release, a way to pass the time.
Most of the time the guys never bothered with making sure I enjoyed myself, and I often finished myself off after they left.
But with Callum, he takes his time, like he has all day to play and tease my body.
Like I am a queen laid before him that he is thoroughly worshipping.
Like I am loved.
Callum slides a finger into me, and I whimper at the welcome intrusion.
His tongue circles and flicks my aching bud, my orgasm building at each stroke.
A second finger soon joins, and he bends them slightly, hitting the spot I need.
Stars flutter in my vision, and I no longer know where I am.
I’m transcended, only knowing the overwhelming sense of pleasure.
“Come for me, Siren.” Callum’s voice is low, and I hear the lust and hunger in it. When a third finger slides in, I explode and scream. My orgasm shatters me into a million pieces.
When the stars fade from my vision, I open my eyes again to find myself laying across Callum’s chest, legs tangled together. His shirt is draped over my bare body, and he is placing small kisses against my hairline.
“Callum.” That’s all I can muster for now.
He chuckles. “Are you okay?”
I release a long breath. “So good. Wow.”
He laughs again. “Anytime you want, you just say the word.”
I scramble against his body. “Wait, but you didn’t finish –” I start, but Callum silences me with a kiss.
“I’m in no hurry, Siren. I’d like to think we have all the time in the world.” His expression warms as he pulls me in tighter. “I need to take it a little slowly, too, if that’s okay. It’s been… awhile for me.”
I snuggle into his chest, absorbing his warmth. “Absolutely. We have nothing but time.”
A pang of guilt surfaces as I’m not sure that’s necessarily true.
This has to come to an end eventually, right?
Once we find the relic, we’ll part our ways.
But I’m too drowsy and sated in my post-orgasm haze that I don’t dwell on the worry.
I listen to Callum’s heartbeat, steady as a drum, and it offers me the comfort I need as I match my breaths with his.
His fingers brush up and down my arm lightly, and he continues to press small kisses on my head.
My body melts into Callum’s. Every thought is silenced as I relax here with him.
It’s nothing but pure bliss. There’s another emotion, too, but I’m having trouble naming it, a sensation foreign to me.
As Callum pulls me tighter to him, still pressing those gentle kisses along my hairline, our breaths in sync, I realize I’m feeling…
safe. A quiet certainty that here in Callum’s embrace, I don’t have to be anything or act a certain way.
I can exist here with him in this moment of serenity.
A tear rolls down my face, unnoticed, as I become aware that the aching, overwhelming sense of loneliness that constantly nags in my heart is silenced.
We stay like that for a while, tangled together in an embrace, the scent of lavender relaxing me to the core. I must have dozed off at some point, because I wake to Callum’s lips on mine, and when he pulls away, I notice that the sun is starting to dip in the sky.
“Time to head back?” I ask groggily, sitting up and trying to find where my dress ended up.
“Almost. I want to make sure you have enough time to harvest some flowers before we go.”
“Oh! Right!” I almost forgot that one of the reasons Callum brought me here was to help me make some of my soaps and tinctures. It will be a much needed relief from reading old books and notebooks all day.
He passes me my dress. “As much as I want you to stay like this all day…” He trails a lingering gaze across my naked body. “I don’t want anyone else to see you or else I’d have to put their eyes out.” He says it jokingly, but his stern expression makes me believe otherwise.
“A bit blood thirsty, are we? I would say the same for you, but I’m sure all your Hunters have seen you shirtless and I’d rather not hurt Ginna or Hanson.” He smirks but doesn’t contradict me, proving that I’m right. I let him help me into my dress and he pulls his shirt back on as well.
Callum stands and holds out a hand to help me on my feet. He is such a gentleman, and I’m worried that my time here has made me become a bit pampered.
“I’ll pack this up.” He nods to the blanket and the food, long since ignored and discarded. “Go ahead and grab however much lavender you need.”
“Do you have any shears?”
“In Gallant’s saddlebag – I can grab them.”
“No, it’s okay I’ll get them. You’re doing enough.”
I walk toward where the horse – Gallant – was hitched and reach into the bag until I grasp the sharp edge of the shears. I smile to myself, realizing that Callum thought of everything, even the smallest details, when he planned this trip.
I return to the field, humming to myself as I survey the flowers, trying to figure out how many of the flowers to cut.
I definitely want to make some soap and oil.
Callum seems to enjoy when I smell of the flower and want to continue to do so.
Maybe I could also make a couple small pillows to keep in my room or even in the library to make a calming atmosphere.
A small lavender satchel might be nice for Callum to carry with him, too, in that small bag of his that he carries.
I decide on five bunches and start searching the field for flowers that are not yet fully bloomed, as those would have the most concentrated oil.
Once Callum finishes packing up the picnic, he helps me cut the last several stems and carefully holds the flowers while I tie them into smaller bunches.
“Ready to go back?” Callum asks, leading my foot into the stirrup and helping me straddle Gallant.
I shake my head and grin, clutching the bunches gently against my chest. “Not in the slightest. This might have been the best day of my life.”
“Might have been?” He frowns, digging out some of the remaining food to feed to Gallant. “I’ll have to try harder for our third date, then.”
“Good luck beating this one,” I taunt. “Lavender fields are my favorite places to visit.”
Callum nuzzles Gallant and smirks up at me. “I don’t need luck – I have you now, Clover,” he jokes.
I roll my eyes. I guess with everything we learned about me, being one of the only people able to read relics was lucky. Ironic, actually, considering the first relic I found was the –
I gasp. “Callum!” He’s at my side immediately.
“What’s wrong?” He scans my body for injury, brows furrowed when nothing is amiss.
“I know how to find the Eternity Stone.”