Chapter 7 Callum
Callum
She’s been living here for a month, and I still feel her hips against mine from our night at the club every time I close my eyes.
I’m handling it. Barely. And the way I’m handling it consists of more showers with my hand wrapped around my dick than I’ve had since high school.
But even that isn’t really helping. I want her more every day.
I find her in the living room, curled up on the couch with a book. Red hair falling over her shoulder. Bare feet tucked under her.
“Get dressed,” I tell her.
She raises her head, focusing on me. “What?”
“We’re going out.”
She’s already turned me down for skydiving twice. This time, I’m not telling her where we’re going. I know she’ll love it if she tries it.
She’s hesitant. “Where?”
“You’ll see.” I turn toward my room. “Wear jeans and sneakers. Be ready in an hour.”
“Callum—”
“One hour, Red.”
I leave before she can argue.
Sixty minutes later, she appears in jeans and sneakers, and her hair is pulled back.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” She crosses her arms.
“Skydiving.”
She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You’re joking. I know you’re joking because I already said no to this.”
I grab my keys off the counter. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
“I’ve never jumped out of a plane before.”
“So you’ve said.” I head for the elevator. “Come on.”
She follows, muttering something I don’t catch.
In the car, she’s quiet for the first ten minutes. Then the questions start.
“How many times have you done this again?”
“Lost count after fifty.”
Her eyes widen. “Fifty?”
“Give or take.”
“And you’ve never died?”
I grin. “Obviously.”
“That’s not reassuring,” she huffs. “You could.”
“You’ll be strapped to an instructor. It’s the safest way to do it.”
“And you?” She touches my arm without thinking, then catches herself.
“Solo.”
She shakes her head. “Of course you go solo.”
The airfield appears after another twenty minutes. It’s small, tucked between farmland and trees. The plane sits on the tarmac.
Tania stares at it. “How old is that thing?”
“It’s fine.” I park and kill the engine. “Trust me.”
Her hesitation tells me she’s not sure she should.
We cross the tarmac, and Mike waves from the hangar. I’ve been jumping with him for years. He’s a good guy, but he doesn’t talk too much.
Mike extends a hand to Tania. “First-timer?”
“Unfortunately.” She shakes his hand.
“You’ll love it.” He grins at her, and his hand lingers.
My back teeth grind together.
We walk into the office, and across the room, Mike walks Tania through the safety briefing while I gear up. Harness. Altimeter. Helmet. Motions I could do in my sleep.
Then he’s adjusting Tania’s harness, with his hands on her waist, and then he’s tightening straps across her hips. She’s asking questions, and he’s answering, standing too close.
I force myself to look away. But looking away lasts thirty seconds. I’m back to watching. Mike’s still talking to her, laughing at something she said, and his hand lingers on the strap near her ribs.
I cross to them. “Take care of her. She’s my wife.”
Mike’s eyebrows lift. “Wife?” He grins. “Congratulations, man. Didn’t know you got married.”
“Recently.”
“Well, she’s in good hands. I’ll keep her safe.”
I’m not smiling. “You better.”
Tania rolls her eyes at me, but there’s amusement in her expression. Mike finishes the harness check and steps back.
The plane is cramped. Tania sits in front of Mike, strapped tight to his chest. I sit across from them, close enough that my knees brush hers.
Her fingers grip the bench edge. White-knuckled.
“You’re going to love it,” I tell her.
Her hands are shaking. “Or die screaming.”
“You won’t die.” Those are the most reassuring words I can muster.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” I hold her gaze. “You’re safe.”
The plane climbs. The engine rattles through the seats, loud enough that talking becomes pointless. Tania’s eyes stay on mine, and I don’t break contact.
At altitude, Mike moves first. He’s clipped to Tania, positioning her at the open door. Wind screams through the cabin, and her hair whips wild.
Mike checks her harness one last time. “Ready?”
Her head swivels in my direction.
I grin. “See you down there, Red.”
They tip forward, and then they’re gone. I wait thirty seconds and move to the door. The world stretches below—fields, rivers cutting green, and an endless sky.
I jump.
Freefall slams into me. Wind is tearing past, gravity is pulling, and the ground rushes up fast. Fucking perfect. Everything else disappears. And the moment is just this—speed, silence, and the pull.
I deploy at five thousand feet. The chute jerks me upward, and everything slows. Wind and the creak of fabric fill my ears. And then it’s quiet. Blissfully quiet.
I scan below and spot Tania’s chute—red and white—drifting toward the landing zone.
I follow.
By the time I land and gather my chute, she’s already on the ground. Mike’s unclipping her, and she’s laughing, out of breath, and glowing.
I cross to her, and she spins around. Her smile cracks something open in my ribs.
“That was—” She stops. Shakes her head, still grinning. “I don’t even have words.”
“Told you.”
She shoves my shoulder. “You didn’t tell me it would feel like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like flying.” She exhales hard, still buzzing. “Like being completely free.”
I know exactly what she means.
Mike finishes packing the chutes and waves us off. “Great jump. Come back anytime.”
Tania thanks him, and I steer her toward the car. She’s talking fast now and describing the fall. The moment the chute opened. How her stomach dropped. Her hands move while she talks, touching my arm without realizing it.
I’m still wired. Adrenaline is spiking through my veins. And seeing her like this—alive and electric—makes it worse.
We reach the car. She stops at the passenger door, leaning back against it.
“Thank you.” Her grin is wide and real. “Seriously. That was incredible.”
“You’re welcome.”
She’s watching me. The air between us changes, and the space feels charged.
I should unlock the car, get in, and drive her home. I step closer instead.
Her breathing shifts. “Callum.”
I kiss her.
Her mouth opens immediately, and my hands find her waist, pulling her against me. Her mouth is soft and desperate, and I can’t get enough.
Ben’s face flashes in my mind. Fuck.
I pull back. “We can’t.”
“Don’t stop.” She grabs my shirt, yanking me down, and kisses me hard.
That’s it. I can’t say no to her anymore.
I press closer, caging her against the car door. My hand slides into her hair, tilting her head, and I kiss her deeper. Harder. She makes this small sound in the back of her throat, and it goes straight to my dick.
My other hand moves to her hip. Then lower. Gripping her ass and pulling her flush against me.
She feels it. How hard I am. And in response, she rolls her hips. Tania is going to be the death of me.
I break the kiss. “Get in the car.”
She does.
I follow, climbing into the backseat. She’s already there, reaching for me, pulling me down. The space is tight, the windows are fogging, and I don’t care about anything except getting my hands on her.
I kiss her again. Slower this time, tasting her. Her hands are in my hair, nails scraping, and I groan into her mouth.
I move to her neck and bite gently. She arches, giving me more access.
“You taste so fucking good.” I drag my mouth along her collarbone.
She moans, and my hand slides under her shirt. Her skin is warm and soft under my palm. She arches into my touch, and I spread my fingers wider, feeling her ribs and the curve of her breast through her bra.
“Callum.” Her voice is breathless.
“Yeah, Red?”
“Touch me.”
I pull back enough to see her face and take in her expression. Flushed. Breathing hard. Pupils blown wide.
“Where do you want me to touch you?”
She grabs my wrist and guides my hand lower.
I groan. “Fuck, Tania.”
My fingers find the button of her jeans. I pop it open and drag the zipper down. She lifts her hips, and I slide my hand inside. I drag my hand over her panties first, and she’s soaked through the fabric.
I press the heel of my palm against her. “You’re drenched.”
She gasps. “Please.”
“Please, what?” I rub slow circles over her clit through the fabric.
“More.” Her hips buck against my hand. “This isn’t enough.”
I slip my hand under the elastic. She’s slick and hot, and I can’t breathe. One finger slides inside. She clenches around me immediately.
“Oh, God.” Her head falls back.
I curl my finger, and she whimpers. “That’s just one. You want another?”
“Yes.”
I add a second finger, pushing deeper, and she gasps. Loud. Her hips start moving, grinding against my hand.
“That’s it.” I watch her face while I work her. “Take what you need.”
She’s riding my hand now. Desperate. Beautiful. Falling apart.
I lean down, mouth at her ear. “You look so good like this. My wife, soaking my fingers in the back of my car.”
She moans, and I kiss her to swallow the sound. My thumb finds her clit, circling, applying pressure, and her breathing goes ragged.
“Callum.” She’s close. I can feel it. “I’m going to—”
“I know you are.” I curl my fingers, hitting that spot inside her, and she cries out. “Let me feel it, Red.”
Her body goes tight. Her pussy clenches around my fingers. Then she’s gasping my name, shaking, and I work her through it, slowing as the aftershocks roll through her.
When she finally opens her eyes, she’s completely undone.
She’s breathing fast. Hard. “Holy shit.”
I pull my hand out slowly, bring my fingers to my mouth, and lick, tasting her arousal.
Her eyes go wide.
“Delicious.”
She reaches for my belt, and her fingers fumble with the buckle. “Your turn.”
I catch her wrist. “Don’t.”
“Why not?”
Because if she touches me, I won’t stop. I’ll fuck her right here. And then I’ll have to look Ben in the eye knowing I crossed the one line that mattered.
“We’re done.”
“Callum, I want to make you feel good.”
“I said we’re done.” My voice comes out harsher than I mean it to.
She pulls her hand back. Hurt flashes across her face before she looks away, and guilt slams into me.
I sit back and run a hand through my hair. The windows are completely fogged, and the air smells like sex.
“We should go.”
She fixes her jeans without looking at me.
I hate the silence.
We both move back to the front seats. I start the car and pull out of the lot. The road stretches ahead, empty and quiet. Too quiet.
“I don’t regret what just happened,” I say.
She considers that. “No?”
“No.” I grip the wheel. “I want you. That’s not the problem.”
She scoffs. “Then what is?”
“Ben.”
Her expression hardens. “I’m not a kid, Callum. I can make my own choices.”
“I know that.”
“Then why does Ben’s opinion matter more than mine?”
I exhale through my teeth. “Because he’s my best friend. Because I’m not going to destroy more than twenty years of friendship over wanting to fuck you.”
She flinches and turns to the window.
Fuck. That’s not what I meant.
She thinks I don’t care about her. That this is only physical. I should tell her that’s not true. I don’t. Because maybe it’s easier if she believes that.
I reach for her, then think better of it. “This year will be fun. But it can’t get physical again. And it can’t be more than friendship.”
She doesn’t respond, and the rest of the drive is silent.
When we pull into the garage, she opens the door and steps out before I turn the car off. I follow her to the elevator. We ride up without speaking. She stares at the doors and won’t look at me.
Inside the penthouse, she heads straight for the stairs.
“Tania.”
She doesn’t stop and keeps walking.
Silas appears from the kitchen, coffee in hand. He assesses me, then looks toward the stairs where she vanished.
“What did you do, Callum?”
“Nothing.”
He doesn’t believe me. I don’t blame him. I am lying, after all. I did do something. And fuck, I want to do it again.
I head to my room and close the door, leaning against it. I can still taste her. Still feel her clenching around my fingers. Still hear that sound she made when she came.
I’m fucked.
Because I told her it can’t be physical. But I already know that I can’t stay away.