Chapter 21
twenty-one
HARLOW
The moment I see Cal’s black SUV pull into the driveway; I’m running out the door. The cold pavement bites into the soles of my bare feet, but I don’t care. I need to see for myself that he’s okay. Feel for myself that he’s still here.
“Firecracker,” Cal grunts as I leap into his arms, knocking him back into the car door. He laughs as he catches me, and I can feel the vibrations from it in my own chest. That’s how close I’m holding him. “I’m okay, baby,” he murmurs in my ear.
I burst into tears, clutching him impossibly closer. His arms tighten around me as he continues to whisper reassurances in my ear. He’s warm, and he’s safe and he’s home. Cal feels like home.
I thought something had happened to him. I thought I had lost him without ever being able to tell him what he means to me.
“Cal,” I croak over my tears.
“I know,” he whispers and then his lips are on mine, meeting me in a shared desperation. Then he’s moving with me still in his arms and his lips on mine. “Cora?” he asks breathlessly.
“Napping,” I tell him, going back in for more. I can’t get enough of him; of the way he kisses me.
“My dad?” I hear him shut the front door.
“Belle’s. Didn’t want them coming home to an empty house.”
I kiss my way along his jaw and under his ear, down his neck and nip the spot where it meets his shoulder. He practically runs up the stairs, long legs taking two steps at a time, even with me in his arms.
Placing me down on his bed gently, Cal looks at me with a hunger that has me clenching my thighs together. His arms are on either side of my head, and one of his legs is between mine, making the clenching not only impossible, but obvious. His mouth twists into a sexy smirk. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
“Tell me I can have you,” he says, chest rising and falling rapidly. “Tell me you’re mine, Harlow, because I can’t stay away from you anymore.”
Using my name tells me how serious he is. He’s been struggling to stay away from me, just like I’ve been struggling to stay away from him.
“I’m yours.”
The moment the words leave my lips, he pounces. He’s kissing me like he won’t survive another moment if he doesn’t. I lift my hips, trying to find the friction I need against his thigh. Cal chuckles against my mouth, then knocks my legs open and settles himself there.
“Take what you need, baby,” he says before kissing me again. I grind myself against his hard length. I grind and moan and pant like a dog in heat, but I don’t care. I’m surrounded by Cal, his smell, his mouth as it traces a path down my neck, his weight on my body.
“Cal,” I moan his name just as the coil that’s wound itself tight inside my body snaps. White spots take over my vision as every nerve ending in my body screams.
I open my eyes as I come down from an orgasm that was way too intense for having come from dry humping. Cal’s eyes are on me, his smile so bright it’s blinding.
“I love when you say my name like that, Firecracker. Let’s see if I can get you to do it again.”
I pull at the hem of my shirt, trying to get it over my head as quickly as possible. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want Callahan Griffin. Just being near him is like getting too close to a fire. My whole body burns for him. My world feels incomplete without him. And I think . . . I think my heart might beat just for him.
Cal chuckles at my attempt at breaking the speed undressing record. He doesn’t stop me though, instead he removes his own clothes while I remove mine, then settles himself back between my thighs within seconds. He reaches for his nightstand, and I take a moment to admire the way his muscles flex with the movement. He really is beautiful.
“Wait,” I say, grabbing his arm. Cal freezes and looks down at me. “I’m on birth control. I’m clean.” Cal stays frozen for another second. “But we can use a condom if you’re uncomfortable.”
I bite my lip and look away, feeling uncomfortable and annoyed with myself. He’s a famous rock star. He’s probably heard those words a million times. And who knows how many times they were lies? Protecting himself is smart.
“Look at me, Firecracker,” Cal whispers. I meet his eyes, and he smiles. “I’ve never gone bare before.”
I frown and look in the direction of Cora’s room. Cal laughs and kisses my temple.
“The condom must have broken,” he answers my unasked question. “But I want that with you. I don’t want anything between us. I was tested at my last physical, and I’m clean. Haven’t had sex since Cora was born.”
I feel my eyebrows raise at that admission and Cal just laughs again.
“You’re laughing a lot for someone whose dick is less than an inch from my vagina,” I gruff.
“What can I say? You make me happy, Harlow. Happier than I’ve ever been,” he admits, kissing me sweetly.
That sweet kiss soon turns hot, and he’s nudging my entrance. I moan as he pushes inside me.
“Fuck, baby. You’re so tight,” he groans through clenched teeth. “Hold on.”
I grab his biceps as he grips my hips and slams forward. He pauses there, letting me adjust and kissing every inch of my face.
“You’re perfect. So fucking perfect, Firecracker.”
“Move, Cal,” I demand, trying to move my hips to get what I want.
“Be careful what you wish for,” he whispers in my ear and then does exactly what I wished for. He moves. He pulls all the way out, causing me to whimper from the loss of him, but then he snaps his hips forward, filling me completely once again. “You make the prettiest noises, baby.”
Cal starts moving in earnest. His hands are everywhere. My hands are everywhere. Our lips never leave each other, my mouth capturing his sounds while his captures mine. His arms hold me tightly to him, our chests pressed together. It’s like he can’t get close enough to me.
“Yes, Callahan. Right there. Don’t stop,” I moan. He groans and tightens his grip.
“Never,” he growls.
I feel him everywhere, inside me, surrounding me. And I never want to be without that feeling again.
Cal nips at my lip and meets my eyes. “Come for me, Firecracker.”
I nod quickly, more than willing to obey. And boy do I obey. He sets me off like, well, a firecracker. Cal’s mouth covers mine, swallowing my screams and giving me his as he finds his release with me.
We kiss slowly, lazily, as we come down from the high of our release.
“Don’t move,” Cal says, getting up and making his way to his bathroom.
I look around. I haven’t been in his room before. The sheets are navy blue, the comforter matches. The walls are light gray, but the ceiling is the same navy blue as his sheets. Belle might be onto something with the unconventional ceilings because it really makes the room. I think it’s around the same size as mine, maybe a little bigger. Where the sitting area in my room is, his has a play area set up for Cora. It’s very Cal. Masculine, clean, and a spot for his daughter.
“Spread those legs for me, baby,” Cal says, nudging my thighs. He has a wet cloth in his hand, so I move my legs for him. Although, I probably would’ve let him between my legs no matter what.
I watch him as he gently cleans the mess we made between my legs and spot the bandage that’s partially hidden under his dark hair.
“We need to talk,” I say, running my fingers through his hair, making sure to keep my distance from his injury. He turns his head so that his cheek nestles into my palm. Closing his eyes, he nods.
After tossing the cloth into the hamper, he lays down next to me, pulling me into his arms and holding me like I’ll float away if he lets go. My grip on him becomes just as tight as he speaks, telling me about the conversation with Brad and then the chaos that followed. How he got the injury on his head and why it took him so long to call me back.
By the time he finishes, I’m sobbing, and he’s clinging to me, reminding me he’s here and he’s okay.
“You were millimeters away from death!” I try to shout, but it comes out closer to a sob.
“I know,” Cal says, kissing each tear that falls from my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” I ask.
“Because I scared you. I never want to scare you. I never want to hurt you.” His eyes are pleading.
“I’m not mad at you,” I tell him honestly. “I’m angry at the entire situation, but not you.”
The tension in Cal’s shoulders releases, and he kisses me. “There’s one more thing we need to talk about.”
Now it’s my turn to tense. “I swear if you’re about to tell me you’re going to do something else dangerous, I will actually be mad at you. You need to stay here with me and Cora. No more almost getting shot in the head. I can’t take it.”
Cal shuts me up by kissing me intensely. I almost forget what we’re talking about by the time he pulls away.
“We need to talk about us,” he says, causing my heart to jump and a million horrible thoughts run through my head.
“Uh,” I stutter. Cal laughs at my panic and kisses the line between my brows.
“This isn’t just sex for me. You are so much more. I want us to be so much more. You brought me to life, Firecracker. I want to explore that.”
My mouth is hanging open with that admission. I know how much he means to me, but I don’t think I ever thought I could mean much more than a friend to him.
“Tell me you want this too. Tell me you want to be with me.” the vulnerability I see on Cal’s face floors me.
“I want to be with you,” I tell him honestly.
“Thank fuck,” he says, kissing me soundly.
We’re about to go for round two when a sharp “da!” comes through the baby monitor. Cal sighs into my neck, but I just laugh.
“Time to go see your baby girl,” I say, patting Cal’s tight butt as he stands. The man has a glorious ass.
We get dressed quickly. Cora doesn’t like to stay in her crib after naps. I watch Cal try to get his hair to cover the bandage on his head.
“Let me,” I say softly as I walk up to him. He has to bend a little so I can reach. Cal’s eyes close when my fingers brush against his skin, like he’s memorizing the feeling.
“I don’t want her to see me hurt,” Cal whispers. “She won’t understand.”
I nod and then laugh as a louder and more demanding “da!” echoes through the room.
“Come on,” Cal says, grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together. “Let’s go get our girl.”
I’m smiling like a fool as he leads me out the door.