Chapter 7-Callie
Don’t be a fool for lust.
“I’m not this desperate.”
I’ve deleted the dating app and ditched Doug. I don’t regret that but I’m a lonely single mom and there’s a certain man who keeps popping into my mind lately against my better judgment and activating all these increasingly thirsty thoughts.
“Who said anything about desperate? We are three friends having drinks together,” Tabitha says.
“How many of these have we had now?” Remi asks, counting the array of cocktail glasses on the table.
“Too many, I’m afraid. And, with the way your husbands keep glaring at every man who looks our way, I’d say me finding a single man in the wild tonight is a futile effort.”
Yep, to add to my humiliation, Dean and Samuel are both at the table beside ours to ‘watch over us.’ Remi winces in sympathy as Tabitha glares at them.
“I should be home with Wyatt. Going out for the third Saturday night in a month? That’s unheard of for me. Plus, I’m getting tipsy on Vodka Spritzes. I’m the worst mother in history.”
“You stop that right now. You are an excellent mother and your son knows he is well loved. You can enjoy a night out and a few drinks.”
“Is that what you tell yourself while you keep texting the nanny, Remi?”
“Well, Nicola’s still getting over that virus and...”
I roll my lips to hide my grin as Remi retells the woes of having a toddler with a cold. I know all about it and I know what it’s like to need a shoulder to cry on when it comes to Mommy-dom, too.
Samuel lures his wife away for a dance when he realizes her own mommy guilt is kicking in. I may find him intimidating at times but Remi clearly doesn’t. I stifle a sigh seeing them together, wishing for a man who would stare at me like I’m the only woman in the world.
The way Ezra did at the ball?
We are not thinking about Big Bird tonight. Not that he really reminds me of the big yellow muppet.
I gulp down the last of my drink, swearing it will be my last when Dean and Tabitha start bickering after Dean ‘accidentally’ tripped a man who was walking this way. “He was coming over to talk to Callie!”
“Spitfire, he was staring at you.”
“So, you don’t trust me?”
“Of course, I do. It’s these guys I don’t trust.”
I could laugh at Dean’s possessive streak but I feel a bit like crying instead. I excuse myself to the ladies’ room. Or, the nearest exit.
Passing the bar, a sickish knot forms in my belly when I see footage of Chase and Ezra on one of the TVs. Rumors about whether or not Chase will be coming to San Francisco to play for his brother’s team are everywhere. Ezra said he’ll tell me before that happens but can I trust the word of a Sokolov? I know better.
I remember how Chase would storm across the ice, wielding stick and shoulders like weapons, anything to win the puck and fists ready to fly when he didn’t. But that charmer’s grin and boyish dimples had me fooled and I fell so easily.
Like his manners, Ezra’s form was different. The blades and stick were extensions of his body. Precision and speed, a bird of prey, poised to strike or skillfully gliding to the next target if needed. No dimples, sharper angles and a more serious expression. Yet, those mossy green eyes mesmerized me. He was already becoming a legend in the league when Chase and I were dating.
‘Better in school and better on the ice. Be glad you’re an only child, Callie. Perfect older siblings are a pain in the ego,’Chase had once said.
I had cooed with the faithful denials of an infatuated girlfriend.
Chase had not shown me the same faithfulness.
“Turn that down, will you?” a deep voice growls from nearby.
My mouth falls open and then snaps shut again. Of course, he’s here. The bartender does as Ezra asks. I feel those flutters of excitement I should be ignoring.
Swiftly, I turn since he hasn’t noticed me yet – I can slip outside and text Tabitha – but that’s precisely when I’m spotted by someone else.
“Callie! Is that you?!”
Oh, God. “Leo, hey.” How well did his voice carry in this crowd?
“Damn, you look hot, pretty little mama.”
Shut up, shut up, shut up. “Thanks.”
Neighbors with benefits was all I could handle when Wyatt was a toddler. It felt good to sink into a strong man’s arms, one who was conveniently close in the apartment next door. Plus, it gave me some much-needed confidence in bed after the way Chase stripped me of that.
But, Leo’s as much of a player as Chase was, though an honest one. He made it clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship or being a dad and lust alone wasn’t enough to keep us going long term.
However, from the speculative look in his eyes, I think Leo’s decided perhaps lust would be enough for one more night. “You alone? You want a drink? White Russian for the lady,” he calls to the bartender without giving me the chance to reply.
He drapes an arm over my shoulder and my already tense stomach churns threateningly. “I’m, uh…”
“Actually, she’s with this white Russian tonight,” Ezra says, sliding between us like a six-foot-five wedge and dislodging Leo’s hold. “Did you want some air, darling?” he suggests, studying me shrewdly.
Tipping my chin up, my eyes widen, wondering how much he’s heard. Part of me wants to ask, ‘Have we met?’ again just to chase that ghost of a smirk away. But, he’s been perfectly civil lately and the part of me which has been thinking of Ezra in less civil ways at night doesn’t want to run him off.
“I need some air, I think.”
Having no wish to work for it when he can find easier pickings, Leo retreats. “No problem, pretty little mama.” Stop calling me that! “Hey, aren’t you that guy who was just on the TV? The hockey player turned millionaire, right?”
“With a B,” Ezra corrects.
“Say what?”
“Replace the M with a B.”
“You’re a pompous ass,” I mutter as he steers me toward the outdoor patio.
He just chuckles.“Sometimes, this pompous ass can’t help himself.Deep breaths now, hummingbird.”
It’s a comfortably cool autumn evening and I suck in several cleansing breaths. The large, warm hand on my lower back begins gently rubbing, easing some of the tension I was feeling inside. I pretend to ignore his touch, hating how much I like it and how it seems to help the queasiness. A glass of water magically appears. Just what I needed.
“Better?” he asks in a surprisingly tender tone once I’ve had some.
“Yes, thanks for-”
“Who was he?” Ezra rasps in my ear next, making me shiver with need. Damn him.
“A former neighbor.”
“He acted more like an ex.”
“Of a sort.” Don’t stop rubbing my back.
“What does that mean, Callie?”
And, there go my nipples standing at attention.“It means none of your business.”
“Why are you here tonight?”
“Same reason you probably are.”
“You’re here for an interview, too?” he asks, sardonically.
“You’re meeting a reporter at a nightclub on a Saturday night?”
“She suggested the time and place.”
“How convenient for you. Is it the pretty brunette one? Amber?” I snip.
He knew her name and I overheard some of her comments to another female reporter when Ezra was speaking to the grandmotherly type after the press conference. She”s got her sights set on one handsome billionaire bachelor. She sounded so confident about it. Not that I care. But, I hadn’t liked her flirty tone when she’d wanted to know where he might be tattooed. Women everywhere must throw themselves at him. Despite his more serious manner, he’s probably just like Chase.
“Are you jealous, Callie?” he asks, reminding me of a preening peacock for a moment.
“Why would I be jealous?” I scoff, wanting to pluck his tail feathers. “We’re just being civil.” Why am I feeling jealous?
He gives me a dour look before mumbling, “Yes, why on earth would you be. It’s not Amber I’m meeting. I don’t do one-on-ones anyway but I’m making an exception for Emmy.”
Emmy? I glance back inside and see the same older white woman from the press conference, the one who’d baked cupcakes, is chatting with the bartender.
“Well, I…” I bite my bottom lip, annoyed that I made an incorrect assumption. I see Leo talking to a friend and pointing through the window at the billionaire and the woman he used to hook up with. Argh, I want to get out of here. “I’ll leave you to your interview.”
“Dance with me.”
Blinking, I turn back to face Ezra as butterflies erupt in my stomach. Stop that right now. But, those butterflies don’t stop as I breathily whisper, “What about Emmy?”
“Patience is one of her many virtues. Dance with me,” he says again.
Dazed, I feel my head bobbing up and down in agreement. His warm hand spreads across my lower back, tugging me closer to his chest. He’s hotter than a bonfire and my blood runs hot in response. He moves so fluidly. I wonder what he’d be like in bed. Girl, you definitely need to stop wondering that right now.
His mouth is pursed, expression stoic, but his lips are so firm and full. The way he stares at me… I can feel it all through my limbs. It shoots down to my toes and wakes a deep throbbing sensation in my pussy. Why does the man’s stare hit this hard?
He tips his head down, his chin brushing the top of my head. I study the scruff along his strong jaw, wanting to feel it prick my lips. He smells good, that sandalwood scent. My brain can’t function with this level of exposure to Ezra.
Without warning, he turns us, pulling my back to his front. Our hips move to the beat and our bodies draw dangerously close. I didn’t know it was him that night at the ball. I know better now. And, I am so worked up…
“Is this civil of me, Callie?” he asks, pressing his hips forward. I don’t have to see him to picture the muscled thighs under his trousers or sculpted abs beneath that shirt with one hell of a package in between. I can feel it.
“We should probably…”
I turn my neck to look at him and can’t finish the sentence. I don’t want to talk about what we should do. His breath is on my neck, his lips inches from skin, and I shudder. Do it, I think. I don’t care how crazy it is. My eyelids flutter closed. I can pretend this never happened tomorrow.
“What now?” he grumbles and my eyes fly back open in time to see Leo and three guys heading our way. They’re clutching pens and napkins. They have a certain look in their eyes. Fans approaching a celebrity.
I could gracefully step aside though I suspect Ezra won’t be feeling gracious about giving an autograph. Especially not considering the hardness I feel digging into my lower back.
My heart is racing when I decide I don’t want the arm around my waist to release me just yet. I face him again. “Don’t let him cut in,” I murmur. “Even if he wants to arm wrestle you for the privilege of dancing with me.”
His eyes widen in surprise before darkening, from moss to pine. “I’d throw him through a plate glass window before I’d relinquish you, darling,” he husks.
Sweet Lord, this man. “Maybe make sure he knows you’re busy,” I add, licking my lips.
He doesn”t have to be told twice. He lowers his mouth to mine, crushing me to him.
It’s a desperate sort of kiss, full of heat and the knowledge that this will not last. It’s so damn good, pumping passion into my needy veins. I cling to the arm wrapped around me while his free hand roams my curves, setting off a thousand pulses of desire in a heartbeat. I love the prickly feel of his beard when I dare touch his face and when it casually grazes my sensitive lips.
He wastes no time tasting me, his tongue brushing past my lips and demanding I yield. I do so readily it’s laughable. This chemistry, the tug I feel toward him, it’s scary how powerful it is.
I can’t do this. Not with him.
I gasp and he changes pace, feather-soft kisses chasing my lips. Those are worse in a way. They make me feel more dangerous longings than lust.
“Is he gone?” I ask, pulling away and trying to control my breathing.
For all his intelligence, I see Ezra’s momentary confusion in his lustful state. Did he forget why we kissed? Or, rather, why I’m going to pretend we did.
Slowly, he shakes his head, the dour look returning. “They’re gone.”
I slip free of his grasp, trying to shed the heavy weight of disappointment I feel when our bodies are no longer touching. “Thanks for rescuing me there. Emmy’s waiting on you and my friends will wonder what’s become of me.”
“I could take you home. I could…”
Absolutely not.“We both know what a terrible idea that would be, Ezra. I’m drunk and we’re just being civil. Plus, as you pointed out the other week, you’re one of my company’s biggest clients. Practically a boss.”
At that, I bid him goodnight, all perky and perfunctory.
Like that wasn’t the best kiss I’ve ever known.