Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
CALLUM
- Present Day -
M y hands squeeze her waist, gently steadying her, and I have to fight back the urge to nip at her earlobe as her delicious scent hits me full-force. Shocked, she tenses for a moment, before quickly spinning around to face me, almost losing her balance once more in the process.
“Whoa, there!”
My hands never leave her side, and I adjust my feet, widening my stance as I help her regain her footing.
“Careful, Shorty. I’ve got you.”
Those baby blue eyes that I’ve been obsessed with for years, the ones with the flecks of gold and green dancing around the edges, meet mine as she grimaces.
Her hands, which had flailed as they struggled to help her find her balance, now cling tightly to my arms and I savor it, the feel of her holding onto me; her trusting me again, even if it’s only for a moment.
“Cal!”
Her voice is breathless, her face flushed as she continues to gaze up at me.
And fuck if I don’t want to kiss those glorious lips of hers.
So soft, so full. Just begging for me to reach out and kiss the life out of her.
But, I remind myself, not only are we in a public place, we’re here with all of my teammates’ families and friends.
Now isn’t the time or place, as much as my gut is screaming otherwise.
Shoving those thoughts down as deep as I can bury them, instead I just grin back at her, throwing a devilish wink in her direction.
“You miss me?”
Her face, which had lit up when she first saw me, closes off once more; carefully crafted disinterest now lacing her features.
“Uh, yeah. I guess. It’s good to see you.” She shrugs, nervously moving one of her hands away to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “So, uh, how-” Stumbling over her words, she pauses, clearing her throat before she tries again. “How’re things?”
Okay then. We’re playing that game. Pretending the kiss didn’t happen, that the chemistry between us isn’t here. I smile at her; a slow, sensuous smile, raising an eyebrow in a silent challenge.
“Things have been good. Better, now that you’re home.”
Home .
The word rings in my ears.
Home. In Seattle. With me.
A flicker of something passes over her face, but it’s gone before I can place it.
I cock my head to the side, taking her in, trying to soak in every detail now that I have an uninterrupted view of her, from the top of her beautiful head down to her skate-clad feet, absorbing all the nuanced differences that the years have shaped in her.
Still my Shorty, nothing has changed much in the height department, despite the skates she now wears.
With her wide hips, full breasts that I can’t stop dreaming about, and an ass that I would kill to take a bite out of, everything about her is so fucking perfect.
It always has been; as if she was made just for me.
Growing up, she was always cute in the “untouchable girl next door” kind of way, but the downright bullying she endured over the years made it hard for her to see herself the way that I always had.
I don’t know what it is exactly, but something’s changed over the years, and it’s like she’s come into her own.
Sutton still has her thick thighs and hips that a man could hold on to, but now it’s like her sumptuous curves are no longer a piece of herself that she shies away from, no longer something she feels the need to hide beneath ill-fitting clothes.
She’s more confident in her own skin, less afraid to show the world who she really is, and it only makes me that much harder for her; the years of barely restrained desire and longing slapping me in the face once more.
A flush heats up her pale skin, highlighting her freckles as the quiet lingers between us, and after a minute she starts, as if belatedly realizing it was her turn to continue the conversation.
Underneath all that new confidence and the years that have separated us she’s still my gorgeous, shy girl.
She starts to respond and anticipation fills me at the thought of whatever quick-witted response she’s about to throw my way in rebuttal to my comment about her being home, but a shout cuts off whatever she was about to say.
“Yo, Robinsky! Get your ass over here!”
With a grimace, I fight back the disappointment and offer a sheepish grin.
“I’ll be back, Shorty.”
Pausing for a moment, until I’m positive she isn’t going to slip and fall, I reluctantly begin to skate backwards towards the group; my gaze lingers and I can’t help the satisfaction as I note how she stares back at me, watching me go.
“Oh my god, he did what?”
Danica’s voice is loud enough that I can hear it over the crowd as I make my way closer to their little group.
She and Quincy have sequestered themselves off in the corner with my girl, the place now packed with people and full of raucous laughter and slightly off-key karaoke music playing in the background.
It was my turn to host this year. And as with all the years prior, my teammates and their significant others have poured into my loft-style apartment for our post-family fun night karaoke party.
The drinks have been flowing, appetizers have made the rounds, and we are a good two hours into the guys’ cringe-worthy karaoke performances as they show off for their partners.
As host, I made sure to do my due-diligence, making the rounds when everyone was first arriving, giving tours to the few people who haven’t been here before, and pointing in the general direction of food and drinks and the makeshift karaoke stage.
When Sutton showed up on Davies’ arm, it took all of my willpower not to accidentally break the neck of the glass bottle I was holding. She’s here . In my home. With him .
Since then, much to my dismay, I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get her alone so we could talk.
Because we really do need to talk. And not just the casual bullshit conversations that we’ve had up until this point, but an honest to god conversation.
She needs to know that the kiss wasn’t just a kiss .
It was the kiss. The one I should have given her years ago; the one I’ve been fantasizing about ever since that night.
And the fact that it fucking means something. I know she felt it too .
Unfortunately, she’s been glued to Newbie’s side the entire time, and he has strategically made sure that they’ve remained in larger groups, with little to no chance of me cutting in.
Now, however, might be my one window of opportunity.
Davies has disappeared, where – I don’t even give a fuck - , and he left Sutton with Danica and Quincy while their guys are off doing a round of karaoke on the makeshift stage at the far end of the room.
“Keep it down!” Sutton hisses as she clutches tightly to Danica’s arm.
I raise a brow at that, whatever they’re talking about, she doesn’t want it being overheard. Could they be talking about me ?
“Ladies.” I interject myself into the conversation, placing a gentle hand on the small of Sutton’s back as I move to her side. She tenses in surprise, but she doesn’t pull away either. Her startled squeak is cute though, and I grin wolfishly.
“Hey, Cal.” Quincy greets me, a tight-lipped smile that I can tell is strained, crossing over her features.
“Robinsky.” Danica crosses her arms, one eyebrow raised, and she looks . . . well, she looks like Lena does when my dear baby sister is pissed off at me.
My brows furrow, smile fading as I look at her more closely. “Everything okay, Danni?”
She huffs, throwing her curly locks over one shoulder as she rolls her eyes at me. “Why’d you bother even asking when you already know the answer to that question?”
I don’t respond. Alright, so she is annoyed with me. Hmm. My fingers flex slightly as I adjust my hold on Sutton, shifting under Danica’s intense scrutiny.
“Really, Cal?” Danni gripes as she cuts me a look, eyes narrowing at where my hand rests along the small of Sutton’s back.
“What?” I reply innocently .
“You know damn well what.” Arms crossed over her chest, she huffs in annoyance, now glowering in my direction.
“Uh, okay then. Well,” I nod in the direction of Danica and Quincy, “if you ladies don’t mind, I need to have a word with Sutton.”
The pretense of a smile slides off Quincy’s face as she crosses her arms, expression now matching Danica’s, though she doesn’t say anything.
“Whatever you need to tell her, you can say in front of us.” Danica’s tone leaves no room for argument.
I shrug. Alright, then. Turning to Sutton, I square my shoulders, trying my best to school my features.
“Okay, well. I had wanted to do this in private, but since they insist on being your own personal bodyguards. . .” With a pointed pause, I give the girls a chance to leave, but they hold their ground.
Sighing, I press on. “It’s about our kiss the other night - ”
“ Ah, well . Can you give us a minute?” Sutton’s voice is overly bright, her smile forced as she glances over to her own she-devil bodyguards.
“You sure? We don’t mind staying.” Quincy finally interjects, looking apprehensive as she glances between Sutton and myself.
Sutton gives a jerky nod, and the girls thankfully back off. . . slightly .
“Well, we’ll be just right over here if you need us.”
Slowly, painstakingly slowly, they back away further, giving us some much needed space.
I glance down at Sutton and see the uncertainty in her features.
Damn, this is not how this conversation was supposed to happen.
With a quick glance around the room, I grab her arm and gently steer her toward the hall, and lead her towards a spare room, ignoring the pinprick at the small of my neck that has to be from the girls glaring daggers at me as we walk away.
Once inside, I turn to face the girl of my dreams who now waits, fidgeting nervously with the edge of her shirt .
“Sutton -”
My voice cracks on her name, my throat suddenly as dry as the Sahara Desert. Nervously, I clear my throat and try again.
“About that kiss. . . I didn’t . . . I mean.
. .” The words rush out of me, desperate to break free of the cage inside my chest where they’ve been locked for far too long.
“I went about it all wrong. I was just so desperate to see you, so desperate for you to know how I felt. . . how I’ve felt for years . ”
My vision clouds as my chest tightens with anxiety, and I run shaky hands through my hair, pulling on the strands in frustration. Fuck! I’m messing this up again .
“I fucked up that night, not just the other night with the kiss, but before too, and I just - fuck, Sutton ! I’m not saying this right. I’m fucking crazy about you. Have been for years. And I just need you to know. . .” My voice trails off, unsure of what else to say.
She stares back at me, her face unreadable, and I swallow, anxious.
I’ve never been so nervous, so fucking off-kilter, as I have been since she came back into my life, and I don’t know how to handle it.
I take a slow step forward, and the only sign of acknowledgement is the movement of her throat as she swallows.
Damn, I wish I knew what was going through her head right now.
I take another cautious step forward.
“Say something. Please.”
I’m standing right in front of her now, but she still says nothing as I raise a cautious hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, gently caressing her cheek.
Her eyes close, and there’s the slightest tremble to her lips, one that would have gone unnoticed if I hadn’t been looking at her so closely.
After a brief pause that feels more like an eternity, she leans into my touch, a lone tear sliding down her face, and I brush it away gently with my thumb.
“Talk to me, Shorty. ”
Another tear falls, and it’s like a piece of my soul falls with it, hitting the floor with an inaudible splatter.
“I -” She pauses, and I can see the fear and hesitation written all over her face as she opens her eyes to look at me, really look at me. “I don’t know how to anymore.”
She bites her lip, a nervous tell, and I can’t help but swipe my thumb along it, gently pulling the lush mound out from her teeth.
“She doesn’t trust you, jackass.”
My gaze jerks away from the beautiful woman standing before me, to look over her shoulder at the shadowy figure leaning against the door frame.
Arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrow as he takes in the scene, he steps into the room, shutting the door behind him with ominous finality.
I stiffen, posture rigid at the unwelcome intrusion, and my gut sinks as Sutton instinctively takes a step backwards, towards him .
I can feel a muscle in my jaw tick as I clench my teeth, trying to contain the frustration and the disappointment that I now feel. She’s choosing him .
“She doesn’t trust you. . .” He repeats, his tone condescending, mocking, and I want to punch the smug look off his arrogant pretty-boy face. “ . . .but she does want you.”
His head tilts to the side as if he’s a predator observing his prey as he glances between Sutton and myself.
Sutton's eyes close as he steps next to her, placing a hand at the small of her back, a look of . . . what? Relief? Disappointment? crossing over her face.
“And I may fucking despise you,” Jonah pins a glare in my direction, “ but I adore her .” He steps closer, pulling Sutton into his side. “So unfortunately for me, it looks like we’re doing this.”
My brows narrow in confusion, and Sutton’s eyes fly open, her face mirroring my own as we both look over to the interloper.
Gently, he presses Sutton forward, ushering her closer to me, and I freeze, unsure of what is happening.
He must see the uncertainty on my face, because the next thing I know he’s rolling his eyes with a “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” before reaching out with his other hand to fist the front of my shirt and jerk me towards them.
“Well, are you going to fucking kiss her, or not?”