26. Peyton
Peyton
Iwake up gradually, in a soft, Callum-induced, sleepy haze. His front is pressed against my back, and I’m swathed in his scent—fresh laundry and a hint of something citrusy. I breathe it in, lying completely still, unsure if he’s awake yet.
I don’t have to wonder for long. Lips dally at the top of my spine, making me shiver.
“Morning, honey,” he says lazily, dotting the top of my shoulder with another kiss.
I sigh happily. “Morning.”
Callum’s hand wraps around me, gently resting on my exposed lower stomach. He starts drawing gentle, slow circles on my belly and yawns. “I love you, Pey.”
Bliss rushes through me when I remember that’s something we say to each other now. I turn my head to the side, and he gently kisses my eyelid. His lips drag down my temple, pausing only to kiss my cheekbone.
“I love you, Callum.”
Ever since he introduced himself as Callum Galvin, Toledo-Lucas County Health Inspector, his full name stuck. I’m the only person that calls him Callum, and I love the soft, lyrical way it rolls off my tongue.
Last night, we crashed as soon as he got to my place. He had to stop home to feed Zebra and grab some clothes after the restaurant inspection. By the time he arrived, I was already half-asleep.
But now, with his hands on me, I can’t help but feel greedy again. “I love waking up with you. I love the way you’re touching me.”
He moves his hand up higher against my skin. I threw on a tank top and a pair of boyshorts before bed yesterday, not wanting to bother with anything sexier. But when he reaches my breast and his breath stutters, I don’t think he cares what I’m wearing.
Callum brushes a piece of hair back from my face and murmurs in my ear. “How can I take care of you this morning, Pey?”
I arch my back against him. “I need to shower. Want to come with?”
“I’ve actually never…”
I turn my head so I can study his expression. “You’ve never… in a shower before?”
He shakes his head, a wry grin tugging at his lips. “Parents’ houses and dorm rooms. Not ideal.”
I breathe out a laugh. “Do you want…”
Heat flares in his eyes. “I want everything with you.”
Callum’s gaze flits to my lips before he looks away, like if he stared at me a second longer we wouldn’t make it to the shower. “Are the towels in the hallway closet? I can get them.”
“I’ll start the water, then.” I head to the bathroom and turn on the shower. I’m about to take off my clothes, but my gaze snags on my morning pills. Usually, I’d wash them down without a second thought, but given our conversation last night, I wait for Callum.
“Hey, honey.” His voice sounds low behind me.
I lock eyes with him in the mirror. “Hey. I have to take my morning pills. Want to watch?”
Callum nods against my shoulder, saying nothing, but I can tell by his slow exhale that he’s relieved.
I swallow the pills guilt-free, thinking about how far we’ve come. How good it feels that there aren’t any secrets left between us.
He kisses my cheek and reaches for the bottom of my tank top. “Lift your arms for me?”
I reach up, and he peels off my tank top, gently tossing it to the ground. Placing a hand on either side of my hips, he spins me around to face him and tugs on the waistline of my boyshorts. “These too. Unless you want them to get wet.”
The hunger in his eyes matches my own as I yank them down. I’m completely bare to Callum, my nipples pressing against his chest.
Even though he’s still in his boxers, he backs me up into the shower anyway, both of us getting wet underneath the hot spray. I drag my stare down his body, appreciating the way the soaked fabric hangs off his hard cock.
Callum’s heavy-lidded eyes pierce mine. “What do you think, Pey? A little harder this time? You can always say ‘stop’ if it’s too much.”
The gruff tone of voice tells me that he might already know my answer. I don’t want gentle right now. I just want him.
“Harder,” I echo.
I palm his cock through his drenched boxers at the same time he reaches for my pussy, cupping it with his whole hand and squeezing.
“More,” I say breathlessly, trying to pull down the elastic of his boxers.
“Not yet.” Callum cradles the back of my head and nudges me against the shower wall. The water sprays down my side, keeping me warm. “Be good, hm? C’mon. Where’s my good girl?”
I roll my hips against him. “Callum…”
He grins. “There she is, moaning my name.”
Callum drops to his knees and lifts my leg to the corner seat of the shower. With one foot on the floor and the other one on the ledge, I’m spread and exposed. He licks over my hair, pausing at the top of my clit.
“You’re so pretty,” he murmurs, “but you already know that, huh?”
“I like to hear you say it,” I manage between shallow breaths. “I like it when you tell me.”
He hums, slipping one, two fingers inside me. “The prettiest. Everywhere. Let me show you how pretty you are.”
Callum flattens his tongue against me, eating me out with abandon.
Finger-fucking me the whole time, stroking just the right spot, nuzzling me with his nose.
The sounds he makes—sloppy, loud sucking—are so erotic that my body reacts with a frantic sense of urgency.
There’s no room for self-consciousness as I grind on his face, trying to seek relief.
I’m already close. It’s happening so fast.
My hands find his hair, and I tug on the ends. “Oh my God, I…”
He groans in response, the noise muffled by the weight of my skin. And when he looks up from between my thighs, his tongue buried in me, I’m at the mercy of my pleasure sweeping over my body. My mouth opens on a moan of his name, and water droplets fall on my lower lip, dripping down my chin.
Callum studies me closely from his knees, licking me until my thighs stop shaking.
I reach down and tilt his forehead back. “Okay, okay.”
He laps up my arousal from the edges of his mouth as he stands. Pressing his thumb against my lower lip, he asks, “How pretty do you feel right now, Pey?”
I’m still coming down from my high, and when he talks to me like that… He knows what it does to me.
“I… I…”
Callum replaces his thumb with his lips, giving me a soft kiss. “Say it, honey.”
I loll my head against the shower wall. “I feel so pretty.”
A boyish grin appears on his face. “Good. Turn around for me?”
I face the wall, and he adjusts the spray so it runs down my back. Callum’s hands move across my wet skin, pushing my hair over one shoulder.
The slap of wet fabric hitting the floor echoes in the shower, and I squirm in anticipation, knowing he’s naked behind me. His cock slides in between my thighs, and I nearly lose my balance.
“Can I come inside you?” Callum strangles out.
“Yes. I’m on birth control. I’ve never… with anyone else. Please.”
His voice is pure gravel as he whispers gruffly in my ear. “Don’t waste your breath saying please. I’ll do anything you want.”
Goosebumps prick at my arms, even though the heat of his body surrounds me. His lips press against the back of my neck, and pure need intensifies low in my stomach, building to uncontrollable levels.
Callum anchors his hands on my hips and curses as he thrusts into me from behind. The fullness of him causes my knees to buckle, and he curls one of his arms around my waist, giving me some stability.
“Every inch of you is wet, Pey. You’re squeezing me so tight. Perfect.”
I melt when he praises me, turning my cheek to catch his gaze over my shoulder. “C-Callum. You make me feel—I need…”
His hand reaches around and rubs my clit, and I rest my hands against the tile.
Callum keeps thrusting, faster now. Little praises fly from his lips. There you go. My beautiful girl. So sweet for me. I’m so lucky. And when he whispers, “you’re gonna make me come” in my ear, I give myself over to a second, all-encompassing orgasm, trembling against him.
“Peyton,” he groans, thrusting once more before finishing inside me.
Breathing heavily, he drops his forehead against my shoulder. “You are…” His hair swishes against my skin. “I’m out of my mind.”
“Same,” I sigh. “Do you think it’ll always be like this?”
Callum peppers my neck with kisses. “I think it’ll be better.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “It’ll be better.”
Reaching behind me, I tap gently on his thigh. “As much as I don’t want to be empty, I really do need to shower.”
“Are you sure? I think soap is overrated,” he grumbles against my skin.
I roll my eyes. “Please. If you could marry soap, you’d do it.”
“Nah, I’m already spoken for,” he says softly.
My heart pitter-patters at the implication.
When he pulls out, we both groan. But his protest quickly turns to awe when I turn around and he spots his release running down my thighs.
“Fuck,” he says quietly, his breaths uneven. He indulges himself for a few more seconds before meeting my gaze again.
I could say a million things. Starting with, you can watch this happen again later, but I just give him a contented smile. “For someone who’s never showered with anyone before, that was…”
He shakes his head. “It’s because it’s you.”
If my cheeks weren’t red from the heat of the shower, they’d turn scarlet from his sentiment alone. I have no words left, so I reach for the shampoo.
“Uh uh,” he chides, shaking his head. “Let me.” He grabs the bottle off the shelf, then rotates me so the water runs down my hair and back. I look over my shoulder and watch him squeeze some shampoo into his hand.
“You watching me take care of you, Pey?” he asks.
“It’s not boring to me just yet, I guess,” I say softly.
He hums and nudges my shoulder with his lips. “Soon, hopefully. Soon it’ll be boring.”
Callum rubs the shampoo between his hands, then reaches up and massages it into my hair. He starts at the ends, which makes me smile, before moving upward and rubbing it into my scalp. Then, his fingers travel all the way to my forehead, which isn’t the best idea, because—
“Ahh!” I yelp, shampoo running into my eyes.
“Shit. I’m fucking this up. I shouldn’t have offered.
I don’t know how to wash hair,” he mutters, grabbing the washcloth off the shower bar and frantically wiping at my eyes, pushing way too hard and pressing the shampoo deeper into my corneas.
Noting my obvious distress, he switches to wiping with his thumbs. “I’m so sorry. I’m terrible at this.”
“No, no, I like when my eyes are burning,” I deadpan, lids squeezed shut.
My hand reaches for his, tugging it away from my face. “Just give me a second.” I completely face the spray, letting it run down my cheeks. Relief comes swiftly, and I open my eyes once they’re free from suds. “I love you, but please stop taking care of me in this shower.”
He runs his hands through his wet hair. “I just use, like, a three-in-one shampoo, and it takes me two seconds. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. This is exactly how I pictured this going, if I’m honest. That said, respectfully, you need to leave now,” I demand through a smile.
“Alright, alright. Let me just rinse off really quick before I go.” Callum stands under the spray for a moment, quickly soaping up and rinsing.
Then he holds open his arms and I walk into them.
The drops of water from his hair slide down my cheek, and one clings to the corner of my mouth. I swipe at it with my tongue.
“I’ll get started on some food. Thanks for this,” he says, planting a kiss on my nose.
“For the shower sex?” I giggle. “You’re welcome, honey.”
After washing every bit of soap from my body, I walk into the kitchen wrapped in my robe. The smell of cooked bacon fills the air as I pull a box of waffle mix out of my pantry. “Can you grab the waffle iron for me? It’s in the cabinet above the stove.”
“Sure thing.” Callum reaches for the iron and plugs it into the wall.
“Sorry they won’t be from scratch. This is a controversial take, but I firmly believe if you add a little vanilla extract to waffle or cake mixes, they usually taste better than homemade. It’s probably my third biggest toxic trait.”
Callum stands behind me, chin hooked over my shoulder. “What do you mean by ‘third biggest toxic trait?’ What’re your two bigger toxic traits?”
I shake some mix into a bowl. “The second one is never being able to choose the fastest line.”
“Like at the grocery store?”
“It doesn’t matter where, really. It ranges from the popcorn line at the movie theater to picking the fastest lane of traffic. Distressingly, I always select the slowest line.”
Callum spins me around to face him. “Always? That can’t be true. What if there’s only one person in the line ahead of you?”
“Sure, a line can look the fastest when I choose it. But the line is deceptive. The line plays me. The line makes me look like a fool, Callum.”
He breathes out a laugh. “And why is that a toxic trait?”
I shrug. “Lines are kind of my thing.”
“Mhm.” Callum dips his head to kiss the underside of my chin. “What’s your number one flaw, then? It’s your affinity for apple-bobbing, isn’t it?”
I shake my head, a coy smile on my face.
“Come on, Pey.” He presses his index finger at the base of my neck before softly trailing it down my chest, pausing in between my breasts. “Tell me. I deserve to know.”
“Don’t be a temptress, Callum. I’m never telling you.” I pinch my finger and thumb together, then drag it across my mouth, like my lips are sealed.
Callum gently tugs on the belt of my robe. After it’s loosened enough, he reaches in and places his hand on the small of my back. “What if your biggest flaw is something that will negatively impact me?”
I snort. “Like what? A compulsion to lick raw chicken?”
“Why—how did you just come up with that? You’re not serious, right?” A cute line forms in between Callum’s eyebrows, and I smooth it out with my thumb.
“Nope.”
“It’s only a matter of time before it surfaces,” he says teasingly.
“Maybe. But not today, Inspector.”
“Hm,” he says, rubbing my lower back.
I go on my tip-toes to kiss his smile. “How’re you feeling about tomorrow?”
He reties my robe for me. “Obviously, I’m nervous. But there’s also this excitement, too. And not just to contribute to the cause. But to actually play soccer again. Just hope I’ll be able to do it once I get there.”
“I can’t wait to cheer you on.” I open the refrigerator to get some milk for the waffle mix. “And, technically, you have already contributed to the cause.”
“What do you mean?”
“It didn’t feel right to keep Cait’s party fee once I learned it was yours.” I wink, and he groans.
I pour the milk into the mix. “But Cait wouldn’t take it back, and Romy already processed the payment. So I withdrew the funds and donated the money to the foundation in your name.”
Callum’s lips close and his eyes widen. After a moment, he kisses the side of my neck. “I love you,” he murmurs.
We finish making breakfast, and I try my hand at guessing Callum’s toxic traits as we eat. It’s hard to come up with many, so I start messing with him instead, proposing the most absurd options. He spends the whole time pretending to be offended.
And when it’s time for him to leave, Callum drops one last kiss on my head. “Run into you tomorrow, then?”
I grin. “You don’t even need to ask.”