10. Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Callum
S abine wanted to have sex.
I couldn't do it.
I had tried to work myself up at her place. But every time I closed my eyes, I thought about Fleur. That woman had changed my fucking brain patterns. I wanted more of her breathy moans, her screams when she came—her curiosity about how to please me, how I liked to be sucked off.
Yeah, I needed to stop thinking about Fleur in case Sabine got the wrong impression that my dick was responding to her wearing a lacy number that she looked amazing in.
"I don't get it," Sabine asked tearfully as she sat on the edge of her bed when I told her that this wasn't going to work.
"I think of you as a friend, Sabine. I've been trying to tell you that." I stood away from the bed, her, not wanting to cloud the issue with physical proximity.
"We're dating," she protested.
I didn’t want to be cruel now by reminding her that we’d already had words about her announcing to everyone that we were a couple—despite me clearly telling her I still needed time to think about it. Once she told the world, I felt obligated, and I told her that as well. I could be the worst kind of asshole imaginable, but I tried to be honest in all my relationships, one-night stands or otherwise.
"Sweetheart, I told you I needed time to think about this and—"
"What's there to think about, Call? You love me. I know that. You come to me every time I call. You left Fleur sitting alone on her birthday to comfort me."
Fuck! Yeah, I'd done that shitty thing, and then she'd heard me tell Sabine how she was temporary, just sex. It was all bullshit. This whole thing was a clusterfuck of my creation. I shouldn't have been running around holding Sabine's hand every time she had a crying jag—it obviously gave her the wrong idea about us. And I definitely shouldn't have abandoned my girlfriend, who I'd asked to move in with me—the first woman who I'd ever asked—to indulge Sabine.
Mom had noted that Sabine seemed to be extra amorous when Fleur was around, like she wanted to show her that we were together, make her feel bad. Mom liked Fleur. Dad wasn't so sure about her. He felt that maybe her parents and sister were right about her not caring about her family, being immature and spoiled.
But I knew better. Fleur cared a whole hell of a lot about her family since she'd put up with them until recently despite them treating her like an outsider, an interloper.
I remembered how Brian had almost struck her that day—another time when I'd left her to take care of herself to attend to an undeserving member of her family. I should've punched Brian in the face for scaring his kid, for raising his hand, even if he didn't strike her. It had looked like he would—and I shuddered at that thought.
"I'm sorry, Sabine."
Tears rolled down her cheeks, and that hurt me. What would Seamus think of me, making his woman cry like this?"
"But I'm in love with you, Call. Completely, totally in love with you."
"I remind you of Seamus," I tried to analyze.
She shook her head. "I grieved him. I always will miss him. But I love you. And that has nothing to do with your brother. Give me a chance, and I'll show you that you love me."
I braced myself because she had determination in her voice. She came to me, and her hands went to the buckle of my belt.
I put my hands on hers. "No, Sabine."
"Yes," she said militantly. "Yes. We will do this. You will fuck me, and that's that, Call. You always give me what I need. You do. You always have."
I pulled her hands up to my lips and kissed her knuckles in as avuncular a fashion as I could muster. "I'm not what you need."
"Yes." She pressed her lips against mine, kissing me, sticking her tongue inside my mouth. I tried to be gentle with her, but she climbed up, wrapping her legs around my waist, rubbing herself against my flaccid dick.
Seriously? Usually, when there was available pussy, my cock would respond, not this time. It might as well get a tattoo that said Property of Fleur because that's where we were at.
"Sabine, sweetheart, no."
She didn't relent, and finally, I used my superior strength to drop her on her bed.
She lay on the bed, lifted, resting on her elbows. Objectively, she was a beautiful woman. Absolutely stunning. Subjectively, I wanted to fuck her sister.
"You'll regret this, Call." Her jaw was tight, and she was shooting daggers at me.
"I will if we fuck, Sabine; and so will you."
"Is this because of Fleur?" she sneered.
I'd recently started seeing this side of Sabine, this jealous side. I'd never have thought it possible. With her beauty and brains, Sabine didn't have to feel envious of anyone—especially her sister, who couldn't match Sabine in looks or brains, no matter how much money she was making. Sabine was one of the preeminent lawyers in Louisiana and had recently won some big cases in front of the Fifth Circuit.
"You and I have got nothing to do with Fleur." Yeah, right!
"She suck your dick real good, Call?"
I was taken aback. I'd never heard Sabine speak this way. It was crude and ugly.
"Trust me, I've slept with some of her boyfriends, and they'd all tell you that once they have me, they don't go back to her."
I raised both my eyebrows. "What the fuck, Sabine? You've been sleeping with your sister's boyfriends?"
Sabine smiled, and it wasn't sweet. It was fucking scary.
"They always want me. No one wants her after they see me."
This waspish persona was revealing. I could see clearly now why Fleur had asked her family to go fuck themselves.
"I don't want you."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"No, Sabine, I’m not out of my mind—but it sure looks like you are. Between you and Fleur, I’ll always pick her. You know why? Because she’s fucking awesome. She brings light to everyone and everything. She’s kind, she’s generous, and she’d never sleep with your boyfriend—not because they wouldn’t want her, but because she’d think it was disloyal."
And that's when I realized why Sabine had suddenly started to pursue me. It was a competition. I'd become interested in Fleur, and we started dating—and right then, Sabine ratcheted up her distress calls. Suddenly, she needed me all the time, especially when I was with Fleur.
Christ! I was in some twisted version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf ?
"Like anyone who has me would want that piece of trash," she flung at me.
Talk about dodging a bullet! This woman was nuts once the mask was off. Had Seamus known her true colors? Or was she on drugs now? I couldn't fathom it because the woman in the lacy lingerie with angry eyes didn't resemble the elegant, soft woman I knew.
"Have some pride, Sabine." I shook my head in disgust. "And lose my number."
"What?" She sat up. "You're not even going to be my friend anymore?"
"After how you just behaved, no, I can't be your friend." I ran a hand through my hair. This woman was batshit nuts.
"And what of your promise to Seamus?" she demanded, and just like that, the waterworks were back.
Shit, she could do this on command? Those were some mad skills. And respect for that. This ability probably came in handy in court when she had to manipulate the judge and jury.
"Seamus is dead, Sabine; he doesn't give a shit about the promises I made to him. The only reason I honored them was because I wanted to. And now, after what you just pulled, I don't want to. If Seamus has a problem with that, he can come haunt my fucking ass."
I spun around and left her house, feeling all kinds of relieved.
As I drove away, I knew I had to get Fleur back. But after how I'd treated her, if I got close to her, she'd probably knee me in the balls, and I'd deserve it.
Yeah, we had so not been a casual thing. I'd fallen in love with my Grian , my sunshine, and now that I'd finally pulled my head out of my arse , I could see it—and it wasn't looking pretty for my chances with her.