Chapter 22 Callan
CALLAN
Astrid’s warm mouth glides eagerly against mine as her fingers toy with the ends of my hair, and I’m about to come out of my skin.
Maybe putting her on my lap wasn’t the smartest idea because my dick is hardening the longer we kiss, and there’s no way she’s not feeling it.
Kissing her is even better than I imagined, and my arms instinctively hold her tighter as I angle my head and deepen our lip-lock.
My blood is on fire. My body is thrumming with need, but I keep it clean, devouring her mouth and wallowing in the pleasure of simply kissing.
I’ve never enjoyed kissing much, but that was before I kissed Astrid Nevan.
This is everything I didn’t know I was missing.
A low moan filters from her mouth, and I slip my tongue between her lush lips, tangling it with her tongue as I succumb to her spell.
I’m enchanted. Intoxicated. High on her mouth and the way she’s making me feel.
When she moves, straddling my hips and grabbing the back of my head, I can’t stop myself.
I thrust my hips up and squeeze her ass, dragging my erection against the softest part of her.
We fall back on the bed as she gyrates on top of me, grinding against my cock and pressing her chest flush against mine.
I almost fucking black out as intense pleasure surges through my veins, and I’m close to throwing all caution to the wind and saying feck it.
I want her.
I want to fucking consume her until she’s panting and screaming my name.
But I can’t.
She’s innocent, and this is make-believe.
Keeping my arm against her lower back, I sit us up and slow down our kiss before breaking it.
Enlarged pupils latch on to mine as we stare at one another.
Our heaving breaths are the only sounds in the room as we come down from our kissing frenzy.
Her lips are swollen, and I fucking love knowing I did that.
Fuck.
What the hell am I doing? That got out of control so fast.
I settle her on the bed beside me and adjust my dick behind my jeans. Her eyes track the motion, but it’s not like she doesn’t know I’m turned on. I’m painfully hard and digging against the zip of my jeans. “Sorry,” I murmur, biting on the side of my mouth. “I shouldn’t have let it go that far.”
She gulps, wetting her lips before speaking.
“We shouldn’t have let it go so far, but at least we’ve practiced now.
It won’t be so awkward when we kiss in public.
” She shrugs, like it’s no biggie and this is just part of the role.
The nipples trying to poke holes through her silky pajama top suggest otherwise, but I’m glad she acknowledges it meant nothing. It’s all part of the ruse.
It helps to get my head back on straight. “Of course.” I stand. “I should get going. Knowing Ma, she’ll be knocking on my door way too bleedin’ early.”
Her light laughter ghosts over me like a caress, and I seriously need to get the fuck out of here before I go back for seconds.
“Goodnight, Callan.”
“Bye,” I say, sliding the window back to occupy my hands so I don’t reach for her again.
“See you tomorrow.”
I glance back at her one last time. “Sleep tight, beautiful. Try not to dream of me,” I add, winking before I exit her room and scramble down the tree to head for home.
“Callan,” Ma says, knocking on my door again.
It feels like I’ve barely slept. My mind wouldn’t switch off, and I spent the night tossing and turning as visions of kissing Astrid played in a continuous loop in my head.
I ended up jerking off in the middle of the night because I was still so wound up.
“Go away,” I shout before burying my head under my pillow. Two seconds later, it’s yanked away, and I groan.
“Time to get up. You promised you’d help. I want this house to be the embodiment of family and love and happiness,” Mum says. “Everyone chipping in will mean it’s a real labor of love.”
“You smoking the good stuff already this morning, Ma?” I reluctantly roll onto my back. “’Cause you’re sounding a little insane.” I rub at my tired eyes while Mum laughs.
“I’m just happy.” She sits on the edge of my bed, brushing hair out of my eyes. Her features soften as she looks at me. “I’m glad you’re happier here now.” She side-eyes the boxes still stacked by my wall. “Though it’d make me happier if you unpacked those.”
“Ma.” I am not in the mood for a lecture right now.
“It will have to be done before we fix up your room. Maybe Astrid could help.” Her lips lift in a wide smile. “She’s downstairs, by the way. Already prepping the walls in the living room.”
I bolt upright, suddenly wide-awake. “You should’ve said.”
Mum laughs again. “Get dressed and come downstairs. I have barmbrack, and I made a pot of tea.”
After she leaves, I brush my teeth, take a piss, grab a quick shower, jerk off again, and then dress in a ratty old shirt and tracksuit bottoms, forgoing shoes to walk downstairs in socks.
My family and Astrid are congregated around the table in the newly enlarged kitchen.
The wall between the kitchen and dining room is gone, and the space is fully open.
The guys ripped out half of the presses yesterday, too, and they’ll be back to finish the job tomorrow morning before they begin installing the new kitchen.
“Come sit beside Astrid,” Ma says—subtle as ever—as she pours tea into mugs from the pot.
“Morning, sleepyhead.” Astrid smiles at me as I claim the chair alongside her.
Man is she a sight for sore eyes. Her hair is piled into a messy bun on top of her head, and her skin literally glows with vitality.
Her complexion is flawless, smooth as silk, and my fingers twitch with an urge to touch her.
Instead, I lean forward, feathering my lips softly against hers in a barely there kiss. “Morning, beautiful.”
A familiar flush lightly stains her cheeks. Finding new ways to make her blush is at the top of my list of favorite things these days.
“Young love,” Ma says, and we both whip our heads around. “I remember it fondly.”
Dad chuckles. “You might want to tone it down a notch or two, love. You’re scaring the youngsters.”
“When can I have a boyfriend?” Erin asks.
“Never,” Dad and I bark at the same time.
“You’re still a little young, honey.” Ma kisses the top of Erin’s head. “Forget about boys for a few years, and then we can revisit the subject.” Erin pouts, but thankfully drops it.
Dad distributes mugs of tea while Mum hands out plates.
The barmbrack is sliced on a plate in the middle of the table alongside a tub of Irish butter.
I had my cheat day yesterday, so I shouldn’t be entertaining this, but I can never resist barmbrack.
Grabbing two slices of brack, I slather them with butter and lick my lips.
I feel Astrid’s eyes on me before I look at her. “Don’t judge until you’ve tried it.”
“No judgment. I’m just surprised.”
“This is my nan’s recipe. Every time we went to her house as kids, she gave us barmbrack. When Mum makes it, I can never say no, even though I should.”
“A bit of barmbrack every now and then won’t do you any harm, Callan,” Ma says, offering the plate to Astrid.
My girlfriend takes two slices as well, and my lips curve automatically as I watch her lash the butter on.
I love that she loves food and doesn’t hold back.
“I ate at least fifty percent of the baked goods you gave us at the barbecue,” Astrid says, smiling at Mum.
“Every single thing was absolutely delicious, but this and the cheesecake were my favorites.”
“I’ll show you how to bake it, love.”
“Astrid doesn’t have time,” I say before taking a huge mouthful of the fruitcake.
“I’ll make time. I’d like to know how to make it.”
“Will you make the special one for Halloween?” Erin asks.
“Of course, honey.”
“How is it special?” Astrid inquires, tilting her head to one side.
“It’s traditional in Ireland to put objects into the barmbrack at Halloween. I usually add coins and rings,” Mum explains. “It’s exciting for the kids if they get some money or a ring.”
“Are you making curly kale and ham for dinner?” I ask because it’s one of my favorite dinners, though Ma only tends to make it at this time of year. She mixes the curly kale with creamy mash, and it’s one indulgence I allow myself without guilt.
“Of course. I was thinking of inviting Astrid and her family to come over for Halloween. We will have the downstairs finished by then. We can eat, play some games, and then we can all go trick-or-treating together.”
“Ma, we’re seventeen, and we’ll be going to Thor’s Halloween party.” Halloween falls on a Friday this year, and Thor’s dad has already confirmed he’ll be away. I demolish my first slice and tackle the second.
“I might have to work,” Astrid says, looking sheepish. “That tends to be a busy weekend at the resort, and it’s all hands on deck.”
“You’ll come to the party later, though, right?”
She bobs her head. “Sure. I’m just not sure what time I’ll make it.”
After we eat and clean up, we head into the sitting room to tackle it.
My parents emptied the room yesterday, and Dad has already ripped up the old carpet and removed the worn skirting boards and the curtain rail.
Ma undercoated the walls yesterday, and Astrid has applied masking tape to the juncture where the walls meet the ceiling so it’s ready for painting.
Ma divvies up the walls between us, pairing Astrid and me to paint the larger back wall. She hands me a tin of paint, sharing a conspiratorial look with my girlfriend.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my gaze bouncing between them. “What was that look for?”
“Nothing.” Astrid fakes innocence, but I’m not buying it. She looks pretty in paint-spattered blue cotton dungarees over a tight white T-shirt.
“It’s okay if you get paint on the floor,” Dad says, oblivious to whatever is going on here. “I’ll be sanding the floorboards this week after work, so don’t worry if you get splashes on it.”
“Keep an open mind,” Astrid says as I open the lid of the paint.
“It’s fucking green.” I narrow my eyes at her and Mum. “Is this a fucking joke?”
“Afraid not, son.” Ma’s eyes glimmer with mirth. “It’s sage green, which is a beautiful color, and it’s going to look gorgeous in here with tones of beige, cream, and gold in our furnishings and fittings.”
“So much for loyalty,” I grumble, eyeballing Astrid.
She laughs, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “It’s going to look amazing, and you’ll love it. I promise.”
Da plays some tunes as we work, and we chat and laugh as we paint, and I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with my family just hanging out.
Time goes by fast, and the room is finished at lunch.
My parents leave to grab sandwiches from a deli in town while Erin goes over to Astrid’s house to play with her sisters.
“You okay after last night?” I ask, stepping closer to her when we’re finally alone.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” She peers up at me with those big green eyes that always sucker me in.
“Just checking.” I lean closer, my gaze dropping to her gorgeous mouth. “Maybe we should—”
“Make sure it wasn’t a fluke.” She fists my shirt and pulls me flush against her. “Kiss me, Callan.”
Holding her face in my hands, I seal my lips against hers and sink into heaven.
My lips explore her mouth in a leisurely fashion that disguises the rampant need twisting my insides into a frenzy.
She clings to me as we kiss, and my fingers sweep across her cheeks, touching the satiny softness of her skin like I wanted to earlier.
Finding restraint from somewhere, I pull back before we descend into the same madness as last night.
It would be so easy to go there, because the instant her lips touch mine, I lose my sanity and just feel.
“Oops. I got paint on you,” I admit, poking the green slash streaking across her right cheek.
“Same.” Her eyes lower to where several green splotches decorate my shirt.
“Seeing as you like green so much…” Bending over, I stick my fingers in the paint tin. “Have some more.” I straighten up and flick paint at her, chuckling at her shocked expression as little spots dot her face, her hair, and her clothes.
“You’re in so much trouble,” she purrs before grabbing her brush and swiping it across my face.
Then it descends into a full-on paint fight as we chase one another around the room, covering ourselves in paint and laughing while Dire Straits plays in the background.
Grabbing Astrid from behind, I spin her around and laugh as she shrieks when I back her up against the window. “Let’s see how much you love green when you’re still finding bits of it in your hair next week.”
“Right back at you, soccer star,” she teases, giggling as she looks at me. “I can barely see any of your face. You look like the Hulk.”
“Maybe I’ll rip my shirt, embrace the green, and terrorize you all over town,” I quip, before dipping my head and nuzzling my face in her neck.
She sucks in a gasp as my tongue darts out, tasting a clean strip of skin just under her ear.
“You smell so good,” I whisper, inhaling the fruity scent radiating from her skin as my hands tighten on her hips.
“What on earth happened here?” Da says, and I rip myself away from Astrid. He’s looking at the green paint speckled all over the floor with a frown, before lifting his eyes to inspect us.
Ma smirks. “It’s just as well we bought water-based paint, or you’d have a hell of a job washing all that out.”
“Sorry.” Two pink spots appear on Astrid’s paint-streaked face. “We were just goofing around. I’ll go shower and come back to clean up the mess.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Dad says. “Like I said, it’s not an issue.”
“You should shower before it dries in your hair,” Ma says. “It’d be a bitch to wash out then.”
“I’m going, but I’ll be back if you need me.”
“You’ve done enough, love.” Mum’s head cants to the side. “Tony is fitting the new skirts and curtain rail this afternoon, and then we’re calling it a day.” Mischief gleams in her eye. “You could help Callan unpack those boxes in his room though.”
“I can do that,” Astrid says, beaming up at me. “If you want the help.”
“Sure. Come back when you’re ready, and we’ll tackle it.” I’m sick of tripping over boxes in my room, and it’s stupid to continue to be stubborn when I’m the only one suffering the consequences.
“Cool. I’ll be back in a bit.” She waggles her brows before walking off, my gaze trailing her movement until she’s disappeared from sight.
I turn to face my grinning mother. “Sneaky, Ma. So fucking sneaky.”
She shrugs, still smiling. “It worked, though. Didn’t it?”