Chapter 12
Callum
Water slid down my back, icy cold, as I pulled out of Felicity, my cock spent, still twitching. Cum seeped down her inner thigh, and I slid my hand between her legs, over her swollen folds.
“You good?” I whispered, nibbling at her neck.
Felicity nodded, leaning against me.
“Yes. Though I think my knees are a little shaky.”
“Probably not the best thing to happen while we’re in your shower.” I kissed her shoulder and turned off the water.
Felicity leaned on the shower wall, and I grinned before realizing that I should probably clean up my girl. She made my brain misfire.
I quickly turned on the water again, ignoring her little squeal, and lathered her up.
Of course, that just made my cock stand at attention, and her nipples pebble, but I only made sure that my girl was clean and taken care of.
I shook my head.
Two weeks.
It had been two weeks of us sneaking around, walking across the street to borrow a cup of sugar.
Two weeks during which I’d been avoiding my best friend.
Because there was no way I could look into Rune’s eyes and tell him that I was fucking his baby sister.
Hell, what was worse? Fucking her or catching feelings? Because, at this point, I wasn’t sure. Since they both were true.
I shook my head and grabbed one of her fluffy towels.
“This thing is ridiculous. How is this the most lush towel I’ve ever seen?” I clucked my tongue as I wrapped it around her, and she just smiled up at me, her eyes a little glassy.
“I like comfy things. Can you get me the other towel?”
I frowned, then picked up a microfiber towel that made me want to shiver. I hated the feeling of microfiber.
“What is this for?”
“It keeps my hair healthy. And dries it a little more quickly.”
“You have a special towel for hair.” I shook my head, then used one of her other ridiculously fluffy towels to wrap around my waist.
“Yes. You’ve been with women before, right? I mean, I didn’t deflower you or something?” she teased.
I rolled my eyes. “No, you didn’t deflower my thirty-something-year-old self. But thank you. I have been with women before. I just don’t think I ever paid attention to towels.”
“Well, you’ve been missing out. When your hair gets a little longer, you could use mine. I bet Bodhi could borrow it. It would do his hair wonders. Though he does have really soft hair.”
“If you could stop talking about my brother’s hair when we’re both nearly naked, that would be wonderful.”
“Jealous?” she teased.
“Yes.”
She paused, eyes wide.
“Really? You’re not going to cover that up or something?”
“Why?” I shrugged, then reached for my pile of clothes. We’d had sex earlier in the living room and then come to the shower to clean up. Of course, that meant more sex because, hello, it was Felicity. Only, I didn’t have any spare clothes here.
Not that I would bring spare clothes here. It was like a punch to the chest, and I let out a breath.
No, I wasn’t going to do something silly like move in any part of myself. Not when I was still lying to Rune.
“I’m not going to lie to you.”
A small smile played on her face. “Good. Although—”
“I know. I know. I was just thinking about Rune.”
“Maybe stop thinking about my brother when we’re both nearly naked,” she added dryly.
I snorted but continued to dress. I wore jeans and a T-shirt, and my feet were bare since my shoes were at her front door.
She’d left a little space for me next to her pile of shoes, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Then again, I had her favorite soda and wine at my place, so I guess it wasn’t too big of a deal.
Or maybe it was everything.
I folded my arms over my chest as I studied Felicity, wondering what the hell we were doing.
“I don’t feel like we’re hiding, and yet I know we are.”
“It won’t be that bad, right? I mean, my parents love you. My brothers love you.”
“Until I touch their precious baby sister.”
“That never made any sense to me.”
“What?” I asked, my gaze on her tits as she slid her bra back on.
She snapped her fingers. “Eyes up here, Callum.” Her lips twitched.
“My apologies. Your breasts always distract me.”
“Your dick does the same.”
“You’re welcome.”
She just shook her head. “Seriously, though, if you’re friends with my brother, that means you respect each other. Meaning you should respect how they treat the women in their lives. So why would your brother have a problem with me? Why would my brother have a problem with you?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Because there are just rules. It’s not that he thinks I’m a terrible person who’s going to throw you away the minute that I get an itch. Because I’m not,” I reiterated. “It’s just the code.”
“The code is stupid.”
“Maybe. But there are reasons for that. What if I do hurt you? What if you get tired of this and walk away? Does that mean I can’t ever be in a room with you again?
That means I’m surely not fucking going to family dinners again.
Which I’ve been avoiding for two weeks. It means that I might not go to the grill, and your brother might not come to the brewery.
It means I don’t go out to see Atlas play.
It means everything. So, you’re friends with Teagan and Finnian and Sterling.
You hold Briar’s kid when she visits. We’re all connected like this.
So yeah, there was a reason I didn’t fucking touch you for two years.
And not just because you’re younger than me. ”
Her eyes filled, and I cursed under my breath. I took a step forward and pulled her to me. I rubbed my chin over her head and let out a breath as she wrapped her arms around my waist.
“I’m sorry. I should have thought more before I touched you.”
“I’m glad you touched me. But I guess maybe we should have the talk.”
I froze.
“What’s the talk for you, Felicity?”
“It’s been two weeks, and I can’t keep my hands off you.”
“It’s mutual.”
“Okay, it’s been two weeks. Do I ignore you when we’re together out in public? What are we?”
“I hate that question.”
“I know. Because putting labels on things can get weird. Especially when we’re figuring things out. But you’re right. Everything you just said is right.” She pulled away and moved out into the living room area.
I followed, rubbing my hand over my chest.
“This is why I shouldn’t have done this.”
“But we did. I was a willing participant.”
“Fine. But I’m an asshole, you know that, right?”
“Maybe I’m not the nicest person.”
My lips twitched. “Felicity. You’re like cotton candy.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sweet. Melts on your tongue. You’re nice, Felicity. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I can be mean.”
“If somebody hurts someone you love. But you’re nice, and that’s fine.” I let out a breath. “I’ll talk to Rune and Atlas.”
“Yeah?”
“I have to. I need to figure out what to say. Atlas is easier because I could just send him a text.”
“You’re not going to send my brother a text, are you?”
“No. But I could. Atlas would be fine with it.”
“Really?”
“It’s Atlas. He’s a hothead on the ice and sometimes off, but well,” I shrugged, “Rune’s more protective of you. At least outwardly. Atlas is sneaky about it.”
“Tell me about it. The things he used to do when I was younger. Did you know he ran off my middle school boyfriend?”
“What?”
“Yep. Ran off my middle school boyfriend because apparently he didn’t like the way the guy looked.”
“Well, I trust Atlas.”
“Of course, you’re on his side. Have you told any of your family?” she asked softly.
“No.” Her eyes widened, and I cursed. “Teagan’s been out of town. Sterling has been out of town, too, visiting friends in Denver so he can get something special happening with the restaurant. Finnian has been waylaid with the twins getting a cold.”
“That was so scary.”
One of the twins had ended up with pneumonia, so Finnian and Promise had taken turns spending the night in the hospital with one and at home with the other.
The fact that my little nieces were in pain nearly killed me, and I had been there right beside my brother, making sure that he had everything he needed.
“Bringing you up at that moment didn’t seem wise.”
“That makes sense. But what about Bodhi?”
“Bodhi’s dealing with his own things.”
Her eyes widened. “The anniversary. Hell. That’s why Thatcher—” She shook her head. “And my dad. Crap.”
The fire that had killed Bodhi’s family had nearly taken out half the mountain.
It had been the final fire that Felicity’s dad had been captain for, and I knew the man still blamed himself.
Just like Thatcher did. He’d been right on the front lines, pulling Bodhi out of the flames, but not able to do anything else.
“It’s been an odd two weeks. But it wasn’t necessarily all about hiding you. So I don’t know what to call you. Okay? I’m not with anyone else.”
“Neither am I. Callum, I let you come inside me. There’s no one else.”
“Damn straight.”
I reached into the refrigerator and pulled out two beers. She frowned.
“What are those? Those are your testing bottles.”
I smiled softly and handed one to her. “It’s our unique batch for the season. Tell me what you think.”
“Is this a red ale?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Yeah. Your favorite, right?”
“You remembered.” She started to smile. “Did you make this for me?”
I shrugged. “Just take a drink, Felicity.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and I nearly cursed. Well, this was going decently. Or not.
She took a sip, her eyes wide. “This is your best to date.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“What are you going to call it? And no, I’m not just saying that.”
“I was going to call it just Spring Ale. But I don’t know. Maybe Little Flower?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t do that. And not just because it would just tell the entire world that we’re both ridiculous. But it makes the beer sound floral.”
“See? I’m having trouble. Maybe just Ashford Red Ale. Go plain.”
“We’ll think of a good name.”
“We?”
“This is my beer, after all.” She took another sip and groaned. “So good.”
“I’m glad you like it.”