Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
“What about kids?” Callie asks, staring at the ceiling with her head in my lap.
We’re cuddled on the couch, enjoying each other’s company in a rare moment of light-hearted peace. My left hand plays with her right in random caresses as we talk about everything and nothing.
For hours.
I have no idea what time it is, because I turned my phone off. After spending the entire day being tortured by that possessed device, I’ve earned a break and don’t even want to look at the thing until tomorrow.
Right now, every brain cell I have goes to Callie.
We’ve shared basically every bit of information two people can share with each other.
I’ve told her things I’ve never told anyone.
Even a few I never should have told anyone.
It’s amazing how it all just pours out with her.
I’ve learned to be guarded. To always assume anything you say or do will come back to hurt you.
But with her, it’s the opposite. I want her to know everything I am.
And the trust I feel with her is something I haven’t experienced with anyone except my sister Elena .
“Casey. Kids? Any thoughts?”
“Do I believe they exist? I didn’t used to, but my uncle said he saw one in the woods once—ow!”
She smacks my chest, and I grin down at her.
“You know what I mean. You come from a huge family. Is that something you want as well?”
I huff a dry laugh. “No. Not even close.”
Huh. Interesting. My response came out so effortlessly. Without dating a serious partner, this is a question I never officially thought about. But I guess I have my answer.
“That doesn’t mean I’m totally against the idea of having kids, just not… ten of them.”
She shudders. “I still can’t wrap my brain around that. I’m not sure I’d be able to handle the standard two-point-five.”
“Which half would you want?”
“Of the point five?” she laughs out. “Top half.”
“Really? I feel like that would be more work than the bottom half.”
“Why are we assuming a horizontal split? Doesn’t vertical make more sense?”
I squint at the wall. “Hmm. Yeah, probably. We’re gonna need the right side, though, because that kid will be an artist like his dad.”
Her lips tip up, and our fingers slide together until our palms meet. With a soft sigh, her eyelids flutter in an effort to keep them open.
“You can go to bed, you know,” I say gently.
She yawns and turns on her side, her head still resting on my thighs. “Not… tired…”
She tugs our joined hands down and pulls them to her chest. Within seconds, she’s asleep.
I shake my head with a smile and brush the hair from her face with my free hand.
It feels like I could spend hours staring down at the ray of sunlight in my lap and I’d never get bored.
But I’m exhausted as well. This day has drained everything I have mentally and physically. Tomorrow could be even harder.
For a brief moment, I wonder if I should wake her and move her to her room, but the thought of not being close to her for an entire night seems painful. We’re on a massive ottoman jutting from the couch, so there’s plenty of room for both of us.
I maneuver as gently as I can until I’m lying on my side and tuck her against me. With a careful stretch, I grab the throw blanket and drape it over us. She stirs at the disruption, but quickly falls back to sleep once I’m settled behind her again.
I breathe in a hint of something floral, and a second later I’m out as well.
I’m startled awake by the most obnoxious sound. It takes me a second to realize it’s a phone, but not my phone. Or any phone made since the year I was born.
With a groan, I push up on my elbows to track the culprit, and find the hotel phone on the end table blaring. No wonder people don’t use those things anymore.
Callie is gone, and since she’s not in the kitchen, she’s probably in the guest room showering.
I swat for the phone and yank it off the receiver.
“Yeah?” I croak.
“Mr. Craven? It’s Mara from the front desk.”
There’s no way I’m waking Luke up to talk to Mara.
“Hi, Mara.” My voice is still so scratchy, I can easily pull off Luke’s monosyllables.
“Sincerest apologies for disturbing you, sir, but we have an Eli Blake and a Jeff Sweeny in the lobby who say they’re friends of yours?”
I burst up from the couch.
“Excuse me? ”
“Should I tell them to leave?”
“Oh, um, no. They’re fine. Just wasn’t expecting them…” At all. “...so early.”
“Of course. I can have them wait or come back later,” she suggests.
“No, it’s fine. Send them up. Thanks.”
“Of course, sir.”
I hang up and stare at the wall in disbelief. Eli and Sweeny are here? How?! Why?! And why didn’t anyone tell me they… oh.
Well, shit.
I stagger to my feet and retrieve my phone from the island. Sure enough, the screen floods with missed calls and texts when I turn it on.
Guess what. Eli and Sweeny are coming.
They tried to contact me multiple times. There’s even a heads up from TJ letting me know he gave them our location since we need to get working on the demo. A trailer with our gear is on its way as well.
The demo!
I never made a better recording, so I’d sent TJ the original one. I told him it was rough and unfinished but thought it had potential.
I scroll through the text stream to find a missed voice message.
I press play and hold the phone six inches away at his shouting.
“Casey! Holy shit! What the hell, man?! Why didn’t you tell me you had this?
! I’m calling Alberto right now to say we’re in business!
I’ll reach out to Eli and Sweeny too! We need to get you guys in the studio A.
S. A. P. Jackson Street is close to you!
I’m calling Julian next! Wait, after Alberto. Shit shit shit!”
Guess he likes it.
The second message is similar to the first, except with more expletives and an update that the Label is just as excited and sending a trailer with our gear that should get here Friday.
I’ve barely started processing the whirlwind when a knock rings out at the same moment Luke comes shuffling down the hall.
“What’s going on? Why does it sound like TJ is in the living room?” he asks.
“Because he was,” I grunt. “Also, Eli and Sweeny are at the door.”
“Huh?”
I wave him off because the guys are now pounding like they’re the freaking fire department.
“We’re coming! Chill,” I call out.
“Quit making out with your girlfriend and open it!” Eli calls back.
“Shit,” I mumble as Luke snorts a laugh.
“Guess they heard about Callie,” he says.
“I swear, TJ would give out our pin numbers if he knew them.”
I yank open the door and immediately get tackled by a world-class bass player and lead guitarist.
“Baby Casey! We missed you!” Eli cries in the most dramatic greeting of all time.
“It’s been four days since Richmond. Relax.”
I can tell by his smirk when he pulls away he’s just being an ass. Their greeting for Luke, though…
The mood changes into something more somber when the three former bandmates stare face-to-face for the first time in a year.
I bite the inside of my cheek as I wait to see what happens.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Luke gets tackled as well.
“Little Luke! We missed you!” Eli cries in the same obnoxious voice he used for me .
It’s hard to see Luke’s face with two dudes crowding him in a suffocating bear hug, but when I finally get a glimpse, a slight smile lifts the corner of his mouth.
True to form, Eli and Sweeny release him and launch into conversation like nothing’s happened.
While the three of them catch up, I go in search of Callie. There’s no way I’m letting her walk into an Eli-Sweeny ambush without a heads up.
She doesn’t answer my first knock, so I peek into the room and see light coming from under the bathroom door.
I close the main door behind me and call to her. A moment later, I’m staring into the sun, wrapped in nothing but a towel.
Damn. This is not great timing.
She slides past me with an irresistible smile somewhere between shy and smug, like she’s fully aware of what’s happening to my bloodstream right now.
“Wow.” It’s all I can get out.
Her smile tips further into a smirk. “Don’t get too excited. It sounds like we have guests.”
“Yeah, but… Wow.”
She’s saying something else, but all I comprehend is her bare skin, still wet with lingering drops, and that inadequately fastened towel.
“You came in here for a reason?” she reminds me with amusement.
Right.
After filling her in about our visitors and the plan for the song, I deal with her shock, horror, back to shock, insecurity, and finally, the inevitable playful swat when I push the teasing too far.
She’s still laughing when I dodge her smack and tug her toward me.
Her smile fades as her eyes lock on mine. A flare of heat sears her gaze, and she presses closer. Her body is still damp, but warm, her hair wet and saturated with that floral citrus blend I love so much.
There’s no way not to kiss her. We reach for each other at the same time.
The collision is harder and more frantic than the last few. My lips chase hers while she tangles her fingers in my hair and drags me to her. My mind races toward the bed just a few feet away. My body is on fire at the feel of her barely covered form rubbing against me.
I scour her lips, her chin, her neck, sampling rogue drops of water and the tart hint of soap.
She tastes so good, feels even better. There’s no way in hell we should be doing this right now, but I can’t stop.
When she gasps out my name in a reluctant reminder of reality, I briefly resent the guests on the other side of the door.
“I know,” I concede through a stuttered exhale. “I know.”
But instead of pushing me away, her hands find the button of my jeans.
Shit. Blood rushes in hot pulses as she runs her hand over me, then drives her hips into mine at a torturous angle. Nothing but a towel and thin layer of cotton separate us now, and our kiss intensifies into something dangerously close to the limits of control.
We have to stop. We just…