3. Callie
Callie
I managed to avoid the hot gods until late the next night when I was sneaking back to my room from the open kitchen with a plate of cookies and a jug of chocolate milk.
I didn’t want any of the singles having fun to see me stealing cookies and milk like a creepy Santa Clause.
I stuck to the shadows and I was almost back to my room when that deep, rumbling voice from earlier scared me so badly that I flung my cookies at him.
I was immediately regretful and knelt down to pick them up. “Damn. Five second rule, right?”
Big hands grabbed me under my arms and hauled me back up. “Don’t eat the damn cookies off the ground, cupcake. We can get you more cookies.”
“Chocolate chunk?” I scowled up at him and ended up resting my hands on his chest. Without my consent my hands molded to his hard pecs and my eyes widened. “Oh, wow. That’s a lot of muscle. You probably don’t eat cookies, do you?”
His lips twitched like he was fighting a smile.
Even in the dark his light blue eyes were intense.
I’d seen a wolf at a zoo once with the same shade of eyes and I’d been just as captured then as I was by the man still holding me.
He was big everywhere with a thick neck that was covered with the start of what I was sure was a lot of tattoos.
I could see more disappearing past the collar of his t-shirt and they all looked so well done.
They were pretty and he was smoking hot.
His closely trimmed beard creased with two matching dimples as he gave into his smile. Of course, his teeth were perfectly white and straight. Jerk. “I eat cupcakes.”
My body reacted before my brain caught his double meaning. My nipples hardened and my toes curled in my slippers moments before my face burned. “Oh.”
He ducked his head as he chuckled. “Why are you sneaking around out here in the dark?”
My breath caught as his hands slid down my sides and settled on my waist. “W-what?”
“Your mouth could get you in trouble if you call out assholes and then walk around in the dark. Some men can’t handle a woman besting them.
” His long, black eyelashes practically fanned me when he blinked and dropped his thick eyebrows even lower.
He was glowering at my mouth and then my throat when I swallowed nervously.
“My mouth? What’s my mouth got to do with anything?
” I reached up to wipe it but he caught my wrist and brought my hand back to his chest. His skin was so hot under my palms and I itched to touch more of him.
“What’s your name? I’m Callie. My friend pushed me into coming to this thing but all I want to do is eat the free desserts and read a book that doesn’t come with pictures in it.
It’s a nice night out, isn’t it? Hot, though, right?
The night, I mean. I should unhand you. I’m sorry. I’ll just take my hands off-”
“Do you want to take them off?” That deep voice worked magic on my body when he leaned closer and whispered next to my ear. “Because I’m not complaining.”
I was pretty sure I was drooling. My mouth was just too wet.
One other place felt especially wet, too.
I let out a shrill laugh and patted his impressive body before pushing away.
I opened the jug of chocolate milk and took a long pull from it.
Wiping my mouth with the back of my arm after, I eyed his buzzed head and imagined how it’d feel against my inner thighs.
“I’m Cole. I’m here with two good buddies.
We heard there was a good fishing spot close by and decided to come.
We’re doing some night fishing tonight. Why don’t you grab a pictureless book and come along?
We have cookies.” He crossed his arms over his chest and winked at me. “Chocolate chunk. And cowboy cookies.”
“Did you say cowboy cookies?” I gripped my jug tighter. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”
“No one ever taught you to refuse candy from a stranger in a white van, did they?” Cole nodded in the direction of my room. “Get your book.”
“They tried. As soon as I heard the word candy I tuned out, though. Why? Did I miss something? Should I not follow you?” I hurried into my room and grabbed the spicy book Tessa had forced on me.
When I turned back to the door Cole’s eyes flicked back to mine from the book cover.
I hugged it to my chest and motioned for him to scoot out of the doorway.
“If this is a kidnapping attempt or some ploy to get me to bait all your hooks you should know that I’m incredibly hard to kidnap and I’ve never baited a hook. ”
“You’re incredibly hard to kidnap?” He put his hand on my lower back as we walked away from my room. “I’m starting to feel actual concern for how seriously you take your safety. You’re joking about getting kidnapped while following a stranger into the woods to meet his two friends.”
I paused. “The woods? What about ticks?”
He clutched his head and then scrubbed his hands down his face. “Please tell me you’re fucking with me.”
I giggled and winked at him before walking again. “Come on. You have cookies and I need cookies. Supply and demand. I demand you supply me cookies to replace the ones you wouldn’t let me eat off the ground.”
“Jesus Christ.” He seemed more stressed about our situation than I did. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for a good sweet and for some reason I trusted him. He’d had my back with Jason and his friends had seemed ready to jump in, too.
“I swear, though, if there are no cookies, I’ll call the cops on all three of you.
” I stepped over a fallen limb and silently fawned when he offered me his arm.
“Also, if I get attacked by ticks, it’s not beyond my abilities to train them and send them after you.
I teach elementary school kids; if I can get them in check, I can surely handle some ticks. ”
“Maybe I should be worried about my safety instead of yours.” He somehow saw me about to trip and grabbed me around my waist the moment my foot slipped on the wet leaves. “Never mind. I think I could take you if it came down to it.”
I snorted and nearly choked on my tongue when he picked me up suddenly.
He held me pinned to his chest and I either had to wrap my legs around his waist or let them tangle and drag us.
It wasn’t exactly a hard choice. It’d been a long, long time since I’d felt a man between my thighs, in any capacity, and the heat of him was nearly enough to make my eyes roll.
“Oh, wow.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed as the masculine scent of his cologne tickled my nose. He smelled rich. And dangerous. With a tease of vanilla that made me want to lick him. “Wow, wow, wow.”
His low laugh felt like a promise in the darkness of the woods. “You’re going to make me love sweets, aren’t you?”