5. Callie
Callie
After deciding to leave the car at home today, I set out on foot to take in all the sights and sounds of my new home.
When I left the city, it was easier to run away from somewhere than run toward it, so I deliberately took the scenic route. I stayed in hotels and motels and spent the time getting comfortable in my own skin once more. My job helped with that. There is a sort of empowerment that comes from testing out products made mostly by women, with women in mind. It didn’t stop me looking over my shoulder, but it did help me shore up my defenses. I might be down, but I’m not out yet.
Thoughts of the troubles I ran from inevitably made me want to drown my sorrows with alcohol. Though I’m not a huge drinker, being drunk in a bathtub is better than numbing my pain with nameless faces or a handful of pills.
I pick up my pace as I walk down the picturesque street that looks like something out of a brochure advertising small-town living. Most of the houses I’ve passed look like human-sized versions of dollhouses, all decorated in pretty colors with neat lawns and flower-filled borders or white picket fences.
The houses gave way to businesses once I hit the main street that runs through the town. A small town this might be, but it’s not tiny and has more than enough amenities to keep the locals happy and draw in a boatload of tourists.
I pass a quaint cafe, a bookstore, a florist, and a post office before the convenience store comes into view. I hurry along, smiling at a man and an older couple who greet me with a friendly hello as I pass before I step through the automatic doors. It doesn’t take long to find what I’m looking for, but now that I’ve made the decision to have a drink, I can’t decide what to drink.
“Vodka or tequila?” I mutter as I stand in the middle of two rows of alcohol.
“The answer is always both.”
I turn at the sound of the feminine voice. A beautiful Asian woman with the shiniest inky black hair I’ve ever seen stands just behind me, looking amused.
“Crap. I’m sorry, am I in your way?”
“No, you’re fine. I just heard you mumbling to yourself and had to come over. My husband thinks I’m crazy when I talk to myself. Now I know I’m not alone.”
I snort at her rambling. “Talking to yourself doesn’t make you crazy. Hold on, let me just ask my other personality.” I pause for dramatic effect before answering. “No, she says we’re definitely not crazy,” I tell her straight-faced and watch as she throws her head back and laughs.
“Oh, I like you. I’m Olivia,” she says with a smile.
Thankfully, she doesn’t hold her hand out for me to shake. I’ve always found the concept of shaking hands odd. I’m not great with strangers, as my mouth usually engages before my brain does, but the thought of having to touch them is even worse and always freaks me out a little. Every time I’m forced to do it, I wonder how many penises they’ve touched. Yeah, I know that’s not normal, but when you’ve thought it once, you can’t unthink it.
“I’m Callie. It’s nice to meet you,” I introduce myself and wait for the awkwardness to kick in. Only it doesn’t. Olivia is surprisingly easy to talk to, even if it is about nothing more than which vodka brand is better.
“There you are,” a deep voice calls.
I smile when a handsome, dark-haired man in a police uniform steps up behind Olivia and wraps one of his arms around her.
“Hey, hot stuff,” she purrs, making me chuckle.
He rolls his eyes before looking at me in exasperation. He’s a handsome guy, but after encountering Blake’s level of hotness, I feel like I’ve built up a level of immunity.
“Ignore my wife. She thinks she’s funny. Name’s Wade. In case the outfit didn’t give it away, I’m a police officer. I see you’ve met my wife, Olivia, the comedian,” he huffs, scowling when she elbows him in the ribs.
“So you agree that I’m funny? And there’s nothing wrong with finding my husband hot.” She sticks her tongue out at him. He smiles at her, murmuring something as he kisses her temple.
Lord, these two are going to give me a toothache. “I think it’s sweet. And you should count yourself lucky. I don’t know how long you’ve been married, but I’m sure you’ve annoyed her plenty. And in her head, she’s called you a few less-than-flattering names. It could always be worse,” I point out.
“Well, she’s not wrong,” Olivia teases him.
“Ladies, Hot Stuff,” a laughing voice calls from behind me, making a cascade of butterflies erupt in my stomach. A moment later, Blake steps up beside me, nudging my shoulder and offering me a sexy wink.
Can winks even be sexy? My disintegrating panties seem to think so.
“Fuck you, Price,” Wade bites out, but there’s no heat behind his words.
“Well, we can add stalking to your list of attributes, Mr. Bundy,” I mutter, but not quietly enough.
“Bundy?” Wade laughs. “It seems you’re right,” he says, looking at me. “It could definitely be worse.”
“Hey, Blake, how’s your grandmother?” Olivia asks, deftly changing the subject, giving me a moment to take a deep breath and wrangle my wayward libido under control.
“She’s doing okay. Stubborn, just like usual. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was running a marathon this time next year,” Blake answers with a shake of his head, making Olivia laugh.
“That sounds like June. Tell her I’ll pop around one of these days and bring Mia. Oh, shoot, we need to go. Mia’s gymnastics class is getting out in a minute. Callie, we should meet up for coffee sometime.”
“Sure, I’d like that. I’m in the house next door to June, and I work from home, so I’m usually about. Just knock when you’re free.” Look how social I can be when I try.
“Perfect. Well, it was nice to meet you, Callie. Blake, always a pleasure,” Olivia adds with a smirk.
“You too. Bye, guys.” I wave as she turns to leave, dragging her husband behind her and shaking his head. I have a feeling Olivia has only one speed and that’s turbo.
“Later,” he calls over his shoulder before dutifully following his wife.
I turn to look at Blake, who is staring down at me with warm eyes. Warm eyes that make me warm in other places too. Gah. Damn him and his sexiness.
“And what can I do for you today, Bundy? Need a hair sample to add to your trophy collection? Oh wait, how about a pair of my panties?”
“Well, I actually came for some milk as we’ve run out at the office. But if you’re offering me your panties, I think I’ll take those instead,” he answers, his voice full of promise.
“Of course you would!” I grumble, flushing over how ridiculously wet said panties are right now.
I turn away, needing to stop looking at the guy who makes me go gaga stupid. With a toss of my hair, I reach over and take Olivia’s advice, adding a bottle of both tequila and vodka to my basket.
“Here, let me carry that for you,” Blake offers, sliding the basket from my hands before I can protest. He hooks it over his forearm and adds his carton of milk to the basket before snagging my hand with his now free one.
“What are you doing?” I ask, looking around for the hidden camera. I’m not trying to be self-deprecating, but on the scale of hotness, I’m a six, and he’s a one hundred twelve. Why is he chasing after me?
“I’m doing what everyone else is here doing—shopping?” he answers like I’m being dense. Okay, so that’s how he wants to play it, huh? Fine.
I take him down the feminine hygiene aisle and toss in a few boxes of tampons, making sure to grab some superflow pads, but he doesn’t even squirm. Figures . Of course, the aisle facing this one is the one filled with condoms. Throwing me a devastating smile, he tosses a box of XL condoms and a large bottle of lube into the basket, making me splutter at his audacity.
“Anything else?” he asks casually as my skin heats.
“No, let’s just go,” I growl and stomp toward the checkout. It isn’t until the cashier starts scanning everything with Blake beaming down at me with that cocky damn smile on his face that I get an idea. He seems to like making me squirm. Let’s see how he feels about it when the tables are turned. Time for a little payback.
As she picks up the condoms, I frown at her and lift my hand to stop her movements. “Excuse me, I’m sorry but it seems like my boyfriend here has picked up the wrong box. Could we maybe get them swapped please?” I say apologetically with what I’m hoping is a super sweet smile.
“Oh sure, no problem. Which ones would you prefer?” she asks with her finger over the button of the speaker system.
“The brand is fine, thanks, but can you see if they have any extra, extra small please?” I ask her, making her lips twitch.
“Callie,” Blake warns from beside me, but I just smile that same saccharine sweet smile up at him that I gave the cashier, ignoring the snickers from the people in the line behind us.
“Sue, can you see if we have any extra, extra small Trojan condoms, please?” The cashier calls over the speaker system, managing to hold back her chuckle even as the people around the store laugh.
“You are going to have a nice pink ass by the time I’ve finished spanking you,” Blake whispers in my ear, making me gasp.
Asshole. I look at the cashier again and smile even bigger. “I’m sorry, but do you also happen to sell anything for erectile dysfunction?” I inquire.
More laughter erupts behind us, but then the man beside me growls before bending down and tossing me over his shoulder.
“Hey, my stuff!” I shout, but he slaps my ass hard enough to sting, making me bite my tongue.
I bounce around over his shoulder as he carries me outside amid the sound of loud laughter. I hear a beep of locks disengaging before I find myself sitting in the passenger seat of an unfamiliar SUV.
“What the heck?” But I don’t get anything else out before he leans over, pressing me back into the seat as his lips descend upon mine.
He swallows down my protests, his tongue demanding entrance. My body puts up zero resistance. I slide my hands over his chest with every intention of pushing him away. But as his heat warms my body and his taste smashes through my defenses, I find myself gripping his T-shirt and pulling him closer.
When he finally pulls away, what might be five minutes or five hours later, I stare at him, my mouth open in shock.
“It seems I’ve finally found a way to get you to stop talking,” he muses, making me glare at him when his words penetrate the sex fog clouding my brain.
Goddammit, he did it again!
Before I can cuss him out, he presses another kiss to my lips, this one just a peck.
“It seems I found your Kryptonite. Be right back,” he says before disappearing back into the store, leaving me dazed once more.
What the hell is happening? Did I go to sleep last night and wake up in a romance novel? What’s next, swooning?
He returns five minutes later with a bag of groceries in each hand. I watch in silence as he pops them in the trunk before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“It’s a known fact that Bundy used to lure his victims to his car,” I point out, still feeling flustered.
“Is that right?” he answers with an amused smile.
He pulls away from the parking lot, so I clip my seat belt into place.
“You know, I could have had my car with me.”
“Trust me, I would have noticed if that giant booger was in the parking lot.”
Well, I can’t argue with that, now can I?