Chapter 16
Felicity
I had been on dates before, plenty of them. But I didn’t know why I felt so stressed at this point, considering this shouldn’t be anything new.
Callum and I had been seeing each other for weeks now. We’d slept together. Our families knew we were together. We’d even been out in public together.
Except now, it wasn’t a secret.
I slid my hands over my little black dress, loving the way that it ruffled slightly over the middle of my thighs.
The neckline went straight across my collarbones, leaving the long lines of my neck and my shoulders bare.
It also dipped low in the back, and I knew that one day soon, I’d finally get my tattoo down my spine, and this dress would showcase it perfectly.
I slid my feet into forest green heels, a fun color that had made me smile and would stand out against the black of my dress.
I had put my hair up in a chiffon, one that could easily come out with just one or two pins in strategic places.
I looked like I knew what I was doing. Classier than I felt sometimes.
I wasn’t sure why the nerves had settled in so hard. But they were there. And I didn’t know when they were going to go away.
My phone buzzed, and I smiled at the readout.
Keely: You’ve got this. I want to hear all the details later. This is so much better than online dating.
I smiled as I replied.
Me: We can find you a small-town guy. Though most of the men I know are older.
Keely: You don’t seem to have a problem with older.
Me: No, I don’t. But what about an older single dad? Those are most of the single guys I knew. Other than my brother. Which, I know you don’t want to date my brother.
Keely: Well, you’re doing the whole brother’s best friend thing. I’m not going to do the whole best friend’s brother thing. Rune is nice, but no. As for Atlas? He scares me. I will find a nice and calm, maybe, possibly, single dad in Ashford Creek. At some point.
Me: We’ll find you somebody. Although, I’m nervous about tonight.
My phone rang this time, and I answered.
“Why are you nervous? This is Callum. You’ve got this down by now.”
“It feels like a first date.”
“Why?” She paused, and I heard her snap her fingers. “Oh. Duh. You guys are going out in public. Out to dinner. Where everybody knows you will be dating. It’s not just something that people can confuse for two friends going out.”
“Ding ding. Why am I so stressed out?”
“Because he matters. Because this matters. But what others think does not. So have fun, enjoy yourself. And ride that hot bearded man. Or at least climb him like a tree.”
I burst out laughing. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I am. Now enjoy yourself. I’m going to go work on these tarts.”
“I don’t know if you’re calling yourself a tart, or me,” I teased.
“Haha. We have an event tomorrow, and I really want to make Promise proud. So I’m going to work my ass off on these tarts. They need to settle overnight, so wish me luck.”
“Don’t work too hard.”
“Even if I do, I’ll sleep well. Now go get laid.”
“You are really the best friend.”
“I try. I’m so glad that I picked you up in that bar.”
We both laughed and said our goodbyes, and by the time I set my phone down and put my lip gloss on, the doorbell rang. I grabbed my little purse and went to open the door.
My breath caught, and I had a feeling I would swoon. If I did that sort of thing.
Callum stood there, his beard groomed, his hair a little long and bouncy from most likely being on the back of his motorcycle earlier. He had on a black button-up shirt, though he’d rolled the sleeves up to show his forearms. And since I wanted to lick those forearms, I counted that as a win.
He tucked his shirt into black pants, but he still had on his biker boots, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, this is a problem.”
I blinked up. “What?” I couldn’t help the disappointment that laced my tone.
Callum leaned forward and pinched my chin. “I don’t want anyone to see you in that fucking dress.”
I grinned. “It’s a good dress, isn’t it?”
“I want to bend you over and bury my face underneath that dress. I want to lick that pussy, taste every inch of you, and smash my cheeks in between your cheeks. What do you think about that?”
I pressed my thighs together but didn’t pull away from his touch. “Oh. Well. That sounds fun.”
“You’re ridiculous. Now we have to go eat dinner at my brother’s restaurant while I have a hard-on. I can’t wait to hear what the town says about this.”
“Keely told me to forget what the town thinks.”
“So you told Keely about our date tonight?”
I blushed as he took my hand, leading me to his truck which had thankfully been fixed. “Of course I did. She’s my best friend. And, well, I’m nervous.”
He froze in the act of putting his hands on my hips to lift me into his truck. “Why are you nervous?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Because it’s you and me. And this feels different.”
He let out a deep breath and pressed his forehead to mine. “It does feel different. A good different, right? We can go back inside. Just have dinner between the two of us. I don’t mind never sharing you.”
I shook my head. “But I want to claim you in front of the rest of town. Now, who’s a neanderthal?”
“Well, I don’t mind the claiming. As long as you don’t care that I’m going to claim you right back. Because if anybody looks at you with an inch of hunger in their eyes when we’re out to dinner tonight, I’ll break them.”
“No, you won’t.”
“The fuck I will. I told you, this body is mine. This pussy is mine. When you’re with me, you’re mine.”
“Oh, great, now my panties are wet. I probably should just take them off and leave them here.”
I grinned, but he nearly growled.
“Girl, you are testing me.” He pressed a hard kiss to my lips, and I just laughed, wiping my lip gloss off his face.
“You’re a mess.”
“Well, I’m your mess. So deal with it.”
And with that, he slid me into the cab of his truck, and I fell that much more in love with Callum Ashford.
* * *
“I feel like I’m at an aquarium on the main stage.”
My shoulders hunched as I tried not to laugh as Callum glared at anybody staring at us.
And they were staring.
Nearly every person we knew who walked by us nearly tripped over their feet, realizing that, yes, Felicity Carter and Callum Ashford were on a date.
Shocking. I would’ve thought with the axe-throwing and us going out to coffee countless times that people would realize that we were dating, but apparently they hadn’t believed it.
“Well, at least we’re getting it over with here, right?”
He merely raised a brow at me before taking a sip of his beer.
“First off, no. That’s not going to be how it is. They’re always going to stare. Because it’s what this town does.”
I shook my head. “Maybe you’re used to it with the way that your family’s the center of attention here, but I don’t know. The next big thing will happen, and people will forget about us.”
“There’s nothing forgettable about you, Felicity.”
My cheeks heated, and somebody laughed beside me. I looked up, though, and couldn’t help but grin. “Sterling, what are you doing out of the kitchen?”
“Yes, shouldn’t you be cooking my food?” Callum growled.
Sterling Ashford, the youngest of all the Ashfords, merely smiled.
“I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about. You have my entire staff whispering in low voices about your salacious date.”
He wiggled his brows, his eyebrow ring glinting underneath the low lights.
“Well, are you going to do something about it?” Callum asked.
“Why? You’re hot gossip. And honestly, I’m sure Teagan and Finnian are glad that you’re the center of attention these days rather than them.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, everybody’s always worried about Teagan because she’s unmarried, God forbid. And well, Finnian’s a poor single father, and it doesn’t matter that he and Promise are friends. People like their gossip. And don’t get me started on Bodhi.”
I reached forward and squeezed Sterling’s hand, ignoring Callum’s glare.
“Okay, I get it. So I guess we’re the center of attention for this moment.”
“Here I was, trying to be nice by coming to your restaurant, and every person in this room is glaring.”
Sterling clucked his tongue. “No, they aren’t, but you just think they are. A couple of people will talk, and then they’ll get over it. I’m sure one of us will do something worth talking about soon. Now, I realize you haven’t ordered yet, and you don’t get to.”
I laughed. “No? Now we’re getting kicked out?”
“Of course not. But you’re getting the chef’s choice. Because I know both of you. Though I didn’t realize you two were dating, and now it’s quite interesting. However, I know your tastes. So you get the chef’s table tonight. Be happy. Others spend way more on this than you are.”
“And how much am I spending?” Callum asked, deadpan.
“Exactly what you charged me at your house.” He winked before whisking away without another word. Before I could say anything, however, two waiters came by, put two appetizers on the table, and went poof so quickly that I couldn’t even tell that they had been there at all.
“Okay, I love this place already. And this service is impeccable.”
“He’s just trying to show off for you.” Callum’s lips twitched.
I shook my head. “No. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to show his big brother that he loves him. Because how much do you charge him?”
“Nothing. It’s family dinner.”
“Exactly. He just wants to show his big brother, the one who helped raise him, that he’s good at what he does. Now, let’s enjoy this meal. Because I’m being treated like a queen.”
“Well, if this is going to get me laid later, why not?”
I snorted, ignoring the way one of the older women from my mom’s church group glared at us.
“Now tell me what I’m eating,” I whispered. “I’m not good at this whole fancy thing.”
“And I am?” he asked.
“You lived in LA. You ate with celebrities. You went to the NFL playoffs. You know things.”
“It’s been a long time, Felicity.”
“Tell me stories anyway.”