Chapter 26 - Callahan
Even after we entered the car, I kept her hand in mine.
At first, I didn’t even realize I was holding her hand. My fingers closed around hers as the door shut and the car moved. Even after noticing, I didn’t let go. The warmth of her hand made it impossible.
Especially with how good she looked in that dress.
I tried—God knows I tried—to focus on anything else: streetlights, the engine’s hum, the quiet outside. But my eyes always returned to her. The dim interior only made her more dangerous, her dress fitting perfectly, tormenting me.
And God help me, it was working.
The dress was criminal.
The way the dress dipped just enough to leave my imagination helplessly ensnared. The velvet softness of her thigh flashed through the slit when she shifted. The fabric wound around her waist and spilled over her hips in a way that demanded reverence and made looking away impossible.
And I was definitely staring.
Apparently, for longer than I realized.
Because suddenly her fingers snapped right in front of my face. “Callahan.”
I blinked. Only then did it occur to me that she had been speaking this entire time, but I was too transfixed by her to notice.
Her lips curved into an amused grin as she continued to observe me.
“You know,” she said slowly, “I’ve been speaking for a while now.”
I frowned slightly. “You have?”
Her grin widened, her amusement mixing with a playful spark in her eyes. I could feel her enjoying having caught me off guard.
“Yes, but you were too busy gawking at me to notice.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, then stopped because there was absolutely no point. She already knew, and it's not like I was ashamed to admit I found my wife incredibly attractive. Instead, I leaned back slightly and gave her an honest look.
“That dress is distracting,” I said simply.
Her eyebrow lifted. “That’s your defense?”
“It’s a good one.”
She laughed softly under her breath, shaking her head as she leaned back into her seat. “You're unbelievable.”
My thumb brushed lightly against the back of her hand, still holding it. She glanced down at our joined hands, her expression softening as her gaze lingered. When she looked back at me, she seemed thoughtful, almost searching. Then she tilted her head slightly. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Her eyes searched mine briefly. “Do you trust me?”
My eyes widened slightly in surprise, my pulse quickening as I tried to read her expression. I was suddenly curious what she had been talking about for her to ask me this. Even so, my answer was just as quick. “Yes, of course I do.”
She studied me for a second longer, as if making sure I wasn’t joking. Then, with a soft inhale, she leaned forward. Before I could even ask what she was doing, her lips touched mine, and a jolt of surprise ran through me.
Soft.
Warm.
Completely devastating.
For half a second, I froze, shock flooding me, then instinct took over. My hands moved on their own, framing her face as I deepened the kiss. She made a small, surprised sound, but didn’t pull away.
If anything, she leaned closer.
Her lips parted willingly, allowing my tongue to brush against hers. The taste of her lipstick mixed with something sweet—maybe she had some fruit or juice earlier—whatever it was, it went to my head immediately.
My grip tightened, hungry for more, as I pulled her closer across the seat. She melted against me, her hand splayed against my chest while our mouths moved in a slow, incendiary rhythm. The rest of the world vanished—leaving nothing but the electric heat between us.
There was nothing but the kiss, the fierce ache of her body against mine. Her trembling breath fluttered against my lips. Her fingers tightened in the fabric of my jacket. I was just about to pull her fully into my lap when the car slowed.
A second later, it stopped.
Reality returned with brutal timing as the engine shut off.
I heard Charles open the door. I pulled back from the kiss, though I didn’t move very far.
Her lips were still curved slightly as she looked at me, her eyes searching mine, a nervous glimmer sparking in them.
I leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek, feeling her breath catch before she smiled again.
“We should do that more often,” I murmured.
"Definitely," she grinned, reaching into her purse to pull out her lipstick. I watched as she reapplied it using the small mirror in the case, her fingers shaking slightly as she did so. I held back a smug smile, thrilled at the thought of her being as affected as I was by that kiss.
When she finished, she glanced at me and offered a small makeup wipe.
I frowned slightly. “What’s this for?”
She nodded toward my mouth. “You’ve got lipstick on your lips.”
I took the offered wipe, slowly cleaning my lips, letting the memory of her lips linger as long as possible. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, but a sharp tap against the window stopped me.
Duty called, and tonight it involved celebrating one of my biggest investors’ birthday.
I opened the door, the cool night air helping to clear my head. I walked around the vehicle and opened the passenger door for her. She beamed as I did, placing her hand in mine again so I could help her out.
The moment she stepped onto the pavement, my eyes betrayed me again, immediately landing on her ass. The dress hugged her perfectly as she straightened. Then she started walking toward the restaurant. Every step made the fabric shift just enough to drive me insane.
My hands itched to reach forward and grab two handfuls.
Two perfect handles.
But I stopped myself.
Barely.
Instead, I stepped beside her and linked my arm with hers. I reached forward and opened the restaurant door for her, gently guiding her inside.
The moment we walked in, I immediately noticed how empty the room still was. Only a handful of people had arrived, which meant the quiet murmur of conversation carried easily through the large room.
My eyes swept across the space out of habit.
In one corner, my mother stood with Emily and Theo, their heads bent together in quiet conversation.
My mother’s posture was rigidly elegant, chin tilted just slightly higher than necessary, as if she were silently reminding everyone in the room exactly who she was.
Emily stood beside her with that polite smile she wore like armor.
While Theo leaned casually against the wall, looking far too relaxed for a gathering like this.
Across the room, several investors and familiar names from society had already formed their usual groups. Wealthy men discussing business as though they were doing the world a favor by existing, their wives gathered in smaller circles exchanging air-kiss greetings and thinly veiled insults.
Exactly the kind of event I’d spent my entire life attending. The only difference was the stunning woman at my side.
Instinctively, I slipped my arm around her waist, pulling her slightly closer to my side as we stepped inside.
Her dress brushed softly against my leg as we walked, the fabric smooth beneath my fingers.
She looked calm—far calmer than someone attending her first high-society event as my wife should have been.
But Vani had never been predictable.
“Ready?” I murmured.
She glanced up at me with that small, secret smile that had started appearing more and more often since our arrangement began.
“Always.”
I exhaled quietly.
God help everyone in this room.
We began making our way through the open space. A few heads turned almost immediately when people recognized me, and even more turned when they noticed the woman on my arm. My wife.
The introductions were quick and efficient—exactly the way I preferred them.
“Mr. Sterling,” one of the older investors greeted with a nod.
“This is my wife, Vani,” I said smoothly.
Vani smiled politely and offered a graceful handshake. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
His wife looked Vani up and down in that subtle, assessing way society women perfected before finally offering her own smile. “We weren't aware you got married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Vani replied sweetly.
We moved through the room like that for several minutes—short introductions, polite greetings, brief conversations. Each time someone addressed her as my wife, I felt a warmth settle deeper in my chest.
When the final introduction was finished, I glanced across the room again. My family was still huddled together, only now they were definitely watching us.
“Well,” I muttered under my breath, “let's get this over with.”
I turned slightly, preparing to guide Vani toward them. But before I could take a step, she tugged gently on my arm. “Follow my lead,” she said quietly.
“What?”
But she was already walking. I barely had time to recover before I was moving with her. My mother noticed us approaching first. Her conversation with Emily stopped immediately, and her eyes sharpened with trepidation.
Theo noticed next.
His expression brightened instantly.
“Cal,” Theo hummed, diverting all attention to him. His gaze shifted to my left, and his smile widened. “Evania. It’s lovely to see you again.”
Vani returned his smile easily. “You too, Theo.”
I opened my mouth to say something that would hopefully steer this interaction before it turned into one of my mother’s usual interrogations, but Vani spoke first. What she said made the entire group go silent.
“Mrs. Sterling,” she said softly. “I'm so glad you're here. I actually wanted to apologize.”
Every single person in my circle froze, including me.
My mother paused, eyes darting between both of us. “I’m sorry?”
Vani clasped her hands lightly in front of her, looking genuinely contrite. "I apologize for the way I behaved when we first met. I’m afraid I may have come across… a little defensive.”
Emily’s brows lifted.
Theo’s eyes flicked toward me in pure curiosity.
My brain scrambled to catch up.
What the hell was she doing?