34. Callie
thirty-four
Callie
My body sways to the melody playing in my head as I pick up Eli’s discarded dress shirt off the floor. His masculine scent envelops me as I put in on and match it with a pair of leggings.
I could float away from the effervescent happiness bubbling inside me. My eyes catch the mirror in the corner, and my cheeks heat at the dirty memories it summons.
Goosebumps cover my skin, and my lips tingle. I’ll never forget how Eli stared at me with adoration and love as he demanded I take his cock, possessively fucking me from behind as we watched each other come undone.
Being with Eli is transcendent. I can’t get over how his domineering tone in the bedroom borders on devotion as he pleasures me. It’s a beautiful mix that comes together in a passionate explosion. He has utterly ruined me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Eli’s frustrated voice grabs my attention, pulling me out of the bedroom, and I rush to him. He’s standing in the kitchen, tugging at his hair, while Mason sits on a stool in front of him at the counter as he types away on his computer.
Alarm bells sound in my head at the dark cloud filling the room.
Eli’s eyes latch onto mine, a hurricane of emotions flashing across his face—love, anger, fear. I dart across the kitchen and into his waiting arms, wrapping mine around his thick torso as I bury my face in his warm chest. He snakes his arms around my waist like he’s afraid to let go and pulls me tight to his body.
“Is everything okay?” I mumble into his chest.
“Not really, Cal.” Eli presses his lips to the top of my head.
I drop my arms and step back, but Eli refuses to put space between us. He lifts me onto the counter, cups my cheeks, and kisses me sweetly on the lips. It’s chaste but no less passionate, and my heart does a double flip in my chest at the intensity.
Mason clears his throat, breaking me and Eli apart. It’s easy for the world to melt away when the man between my legs is kissing me.
I can’t help blushing as I turn to Mason. “Hi, Mason.”
“Hi, Callie.” Mason shoves his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he looks up from his computer, and the tips of his ears turn pink. “Sorry for, uh, barging in earlier.”
“Oh my god.” I cover my face with my hands. My pits sweat as embarrassment burns through me. “Earth, swallow me now.”
Why couldn’t Mason be kind enough to pretend he didn’t hear me orgasm and shout Eli was coming? I want his family to like me, not think I’m a sex exhibitionist or something.
Eli kisses my temple. “Don’t worry. He’s used to hearing things he’s not supposed to hear.”
“Seriously? You’re going to bring up The Blue Cantina?” Mason rips off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose.
Eli barks a laugh as he lifts me into his arms. I wrap my arms and legs around him, burrowing into him like a shield, and let him carry me to the stool beside his brother. He places me in his lap and massages the back of my neck protectively, making me melt into him.
“What’s The Blue Cantina?”
“A restaurant,” Mason grumbles.
“Not just any restaurant.” Eli pauses dramatically, and Mason rolls his eyes, returning to his computer. “It’s Jace and Rylann’s favorite restaurant to bang at.”
“Fuck, let it go already.” Mason shakes his head.
My mouth falls open in shock. “They’ve had sex in the bathroom at a restaurant?”
Eli laughs—like, shoulders shaking laughs—as he tells me the story of their rehearsal dinner and how Mason overheard them while they occupied the bathroom.
I twist around in Eli’s lap and squish his face between my hands. “I love you, and I will let you do just about anything to me, but I draw a line at sex in a public bathroom.”
Eli’s smile falls, and his eyes blaze with unbridled lust. “I never loved you more.”
He crushes his lips to mine, forcing them apart with his tongue. This kiss is passionate, wet, and dirty. His hands tangle in my hair as he tilts my head to the side and deepens the kiss. I’m a molten ball of goo, completely under Eli’s spell.
“For fuck’s sake, Eli. We have shit to do,” Mason grouses, reminding us of his presence and forcing us to break apart with a smack. “I’m super happy you found a woman who hates bathrooms as much as you do, but I need you to focus, brother.”
Eli presses his forehead to mine as he stares deep into my eyes. So much love fills his blue-green gaze that I can feel it warmly caress my soul. “I’m so fucking happy I found you.”
The butterflies in my stomach soar. “Me too, handsome.”
I’m rewarded with a wink before Eli spins me around again to face the computer covered in spreadsheets, invoices, and who knows what else covering the screen.
“Fucking finally.” Mason rolls his eyes, grumbling under his breath. He looks like a slimmer and slightly shorter, lighter-haired version of the man behind me. He’s hot. Not as hot as Eli—nobody is—but the grumpy, nerdy vibe he wears works for him, especially when he wears his reading glasses. Mason kind of reminds me of Clark Kent.
“Fuck off, Mase. I’ve put up with a lot from you and Em. It’s my turn.”
Mason grins. “True. I will allow it.”
I chuckle to myself, watching the two share a few more barbs. Having siblings like this growing up must have been nice. I’m an only child. Growing up, I wished for siblings; instead, I got Silla. Disappointing, to say the least.
The energy in the room shifts, and Eli takes a deep breath like he’s preparing himself for what he’s about to say. “Serious business now, Cal. Like I asked, Mason has been digging into Silla’s financials. She’s in debt out of her ass. You were right. She blew through her trust. And…” He stops, his face turning red with anger at the next part.
Mason continues for him. “She’s stealing from you, Callie. She has emptied your bank account, and has opened credit cards and store credit lines in your name all over LA. Boutiques, spas… You name it.”
I fight the urge to say “duh”. “I’m not surprised. Silla has always been greedy.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it.” Mason opens a new window and what looks like a life insurance statement.
My stomach bottoms out when my eyes catch the name at the top. “Why is there a ten-million-dollar life insurance policy in my name?”
The only thing I’ve ever signed for her was the managerial contract. Right?
A memory of her lawyer coming over to have me sign paperwork for the concert comes to mind.
“That, my sweet sister-to-be, is our smoking gun.” Mason cracks his knuckles and brings me to the present. “And this is how we are going to put her away.”
Any other time, my heart would explode at Mason calling me his sister-to-be—because I want nothing more than to be a part of this big, crazy, wonderful family—but the sinking feeling in my chest overwhelms me.
“Put her away.” Why would he use this to put Silla away? Unless…
“Eli, what is Mason talking about?” My heart hammers in my chest as I look behind me.
Eli’s eyebrows scrunch together in worry. “We think Silla took out this policy in your name. In the event of your death, her name is listed as the policy’s sole beneficiary.”
Eli’s words are a melon baller to my insides, scooping them out and tossing them into the trash. Anger and grief wrap themselves into a lead ball in my stomach, weighing me down.
I’m her sister. We share a father, a man who was generous and kind. How did it come to all this?
Memory after memory of Silla treating me with anger and disdain hits me like bullets to the chest. I knew she didn’t like me, but thinking about it and seeing it for myself are two different things. Her hate for me runs so deep she’d rather I be dead than a part of her life.
“There’s more,” Eli says.
“Of course there’s more.” I squeeze my eyes shut and hold Eli tighter, bracing myself for impact.
“Someone leaked a video of your fall to the press. Everyone is going crazy. There’s a lot of speculation about your whereabouts. It’s a PR shitstorm. Hudson wants us home and for you to do an appearance tomorrow night at a movie premiere. Let people know you’re okay. We have to go home.”
A premiere? Home?
Blood roars in my ears as real life catches up to me in one fell swoop, knocking me on my ass, blocking Eli’s voice out of my head.
I don’t want to go back to LA.
The ability to breathe gets harder as my airways constrict like a ten-ton elephant is sitting on my chest. Question after question, and thought after thought, pops up like whack-a-mole in my head, leading my brain down various tangents, increasing my panic.
What’s going to happen to me and Eli when we go back to reality? Blaze and his reputation mean the world to him. What if, when we get back, Eli changes his mind about us? Does he want to be with someone who’s constantly followed around by photographers, snapping pictures and stopping to sign autographs? Where will I stay when we go back? With Eli? No, can’t do that. We just started dating. The penthouse? No, I can’t go back there. Silla is there.
Crap. Silla.
Is she really determined to hurt me? What will happen if I see Silla?
Mom? I’ve been away from her for too long. Is she okay? What happens to Mom if Silla is successful? Will Silla go after her next?
A warm liquid spills down my cheeks as my mind drags me down into the deep, muddy waters of the what-ifs.
“Callie, baby, please listen to me. I need you to breathe with me, please.” Eli’s panicked voice breaks through the tornado, twisting me up.
I open my eyes to find his mismatching eyes watching me, his forehead crinkled with concern.
“Breathe with me. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. There we go. Stay with me.”
I focus on Eli’s whiskey-warm voice, following his lead, as he drags me out of the storm and into his arms. Breathing gets easier, and my heart slows.
He pushes me back, cups my cheeks, and wipes away my tears.
“There you are, princess.” He peppers my face with kisses. “I know this is a lot to deal with, but we are going to get through this, okay? Me and you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Words turn to ash on my dry tongue, so I nod along. Mason hands me a bottle of water, and I take a sip, looking around. I’m on the couch with my legs draped over Eli’s lap, as close to his side as I can get. He must have brought me here during my panic attack, showing me how sweet and protective he is.
“I’m going to go home, give you two some time to talk. I’ll keep digging and check in with you later.”
“Thanks, Mase. I’ll text you.”
Mason nods and lays a warm hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Callie. You’re one of us now, and we’ve got your back.”
“Thank you,” is all I can croak out. I want to say more—thank him profusely—but my thoughts and emotions are all tied up in knots. I’m overwhelmed and unsure.
“No problem. I’ll see you soon.” Mason disappears with his laptop bag of doom, leaving me and Eli alone in the living room.
Eli massages my neck, letting the weight of what just happened settle. After a minute, he breaks the silence and stands up, lifting me into a bridal hold.
“Eli, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to take care of you. I didn’t get to do that for you earlier.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.” The lie slips out too easily.
Eli doesn’t miss a thing as he spears me with his stare. “You are not fucking fine. What we just dropped on you was a lot, and I know you have questions. But I need this, so please let me take care of you.”
The genuine pain and worry in his eyes are almost unbearable to accept. I’m used to being alone, but the pleading look on his face to let him in, to let him help me, overrides my need to be alone. To fix my problems alone.
I don’t want to be by myself anymore. I want Eli by my side, which means I need to have trust in him and his love for me. I need to have faith that we will figure things out together like the team he said we are.
“Okay.” Looping my arms around his neck, I rest my head on his broad shoulder and let him carry me to the bathroom.
He places me on the counter and turns on the water taps, adjusting the temperature, then pours bubble bath into the water and grabs clean towels. Eli grips the collar of his shirt and peels it over his head. His muscles flex and ripple as he throws the offending material to the floor.
Eli’s body is a work of art, better—in every way imaginable—than Michelangelo’s David.
He steps between my legs with a smirk. “I like you wearing my clothes.” He unbuttons his dress shirt and pushes it off my shoulders. “No bra? Such a naughty princess.”
My thighs clench, which earns me a smoldering grin.
He runs his warm finger across my collarbone and down my chest, then swirls the pad around my nipple, turning it to stone. “My brother could have seen these sexy nipples, and I’d have had to poke his eyes out for looking at what’s mine.”
I throw my head back and laugh at his ridiculousness. “You’re crazy.”
“There it is.”
“There’s what?”
“Your smile.” He runs his lips over mine. “I only ever want to see you smile, Callie.”
So fucking swoony. His words are a comforting heat, filling me up and reminding me how much he cares.
Eli slides me off the counter to stand and crouches down to peel me out of my leggings, one leg at a time. He leads me to the tub and helps me step in. He then strips off the rest of his clothes, turns off the water, and climbs in behind me.
I melt into his body as he wraps his thick arms around me. Leaning back, I kiss his neck and rest my head on his shoulder, threading my fingers through his over my stomach.
The combination of Eli’s embrace and the sound of the water lapping around us soothes some of the residual ache I experienced during my panic attack. Eli is giving me space to process, but as time passes, I can feel him getting restless.
Eli has been nothing but understanding. I owe him some sort of explanation.
“I’m sorry for freaking out.” With the tips of my fingers, I trace circles on his hand.
“There is no need to be sorry. I can’t imagine how you must feel, finding out about Silla like that and having to return to LA.” He kisses the top of my head with a heavy sigh.
I really want to look at his face and stare into his expressive, ocean-blue and green eyes, but I’m terrified of what I’ll find when I do, so I stay facing forward.
“I don’t want to push you, Cal, but I’d really like it if you’d talk to me about what happened out there.”
“I don’t want to go back.” Letting the truth tumble out in one breath is scary, but he’s right. I need to talk to him. “I enjoy being here.”
“I enjoy being here too.” He pauses, and I already know what he’s thinking.
“But this isn’t our home,” I finish for him.
“No, princess, it’s not.”
“I’m scared,” I finally admit.
Eli grips my hips and flips me around to face him. My knees fall around his waist, and my core rests on his lower abs. “Tell me, what are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid of Silla, of my mom getting hurt… Mostly, I’m afraid of losing you.” Speaking the truth makes my shoulders lighter.
“Silla will get what’s coming to her. I will protect you and your mom; she can stay in Malibu, or we can move her somewhere else. That’s up to you, and I will help and support you no matter what you decide. As for losing me? Impossible.”
“But I don’t live a normal life. I can’t go anywhere without being noticed. People take pictures and videos of me, and ask for autographs.”
“No way. That is new information,” Eli deadpans, making me smirk, but I bite back my laugh.
“I’m serious,” I continue. I need to get this all out and release the chains holding me back. “This life was forced on me and so was the spotlight. I know hiding away here with you isn’t real life, but what if when we get home you change your mind and don’t want to be with me? What if it’s too hard because we work together? What if people talk? What if—”
“What if the sky turns purple and pigs fly?”
“Elijiah Miller. Be serious.”
“I am fucking serious, Calliope Astra Cartwright. Now, listen to me.”
My heart flutters at the warning in my name. The only time I have ever mentioned my middle name was when I signed the contract with Blaze. I didn’t see him, only Hudson, look at the signature. A little zing zips through me. Eli looked.
“I’m listening.”
Eli tucks a stray strand behind my ear and runs his finger down my jaw the way he always does, making me feel seen and precious. It’s so simple, and yet his touch is so much more. I tangle my fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck as he bores his contrasting blue-green eyes into mine.
“I already know what your life is like, and guess what? I don’t give a fuck about people following you around and taking pictures. I know who you are, Callie. You’re crazy talented and fucking gorgeous. You’re warm and generous. People would be stupid not to admire and follow you around. But those people don’t see you like I do. They don’t get to see your strength. They don’t know how you’ve persevered and survived unimaginable heartbreak, but I do. I’m so proud of you for fighting all these years on your own. For waiting for me to catch up to my feelings. I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’m here now, Cal. You’re my sunlight during the day, warming my world, and my stars in the sky, guiding me home at night. I fucking love you, princess. And everything that comes along with it.”
He’s here now.
Tears well in my eyes at his proclamation. I would endure the pain of his cruel words and actions a thousand times over if it led us here every time. With his powerful arms holding me up, his big heart wrapping me in love, and his unique eyes seeing me to the bone, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.
“I love you too. So much. You don’t even know. But are you sure? The last thing I want is for you and everything you built to be destroyed.”
Eli grabs my face and slams his mouth to mine in a steamy, wet kiss, shutting me up. My brain synapses misfire, and the world melts away. When we break apart, I’m left hot and dizzy, desperately trying to catch my breath.
“Princess, the entire world could burn to the ground around us, and I’d still only have eyes for you.”
An electric thrill shoots through me at his confession.
He slips a finger under my necklace and rubs the back of his finger over my throbbing pulse point. “Do I need to remind you again what this necklace means?”
The dull throb between my legs turns into a furious pounding as Eli shifts beneath me, his cock slipping through my pussy lips.
“I think I could use a refresher.” I shift my hips, notching the tip of his thick cock at my entrance.
“It will be your pleasure.” A sinful smile that promises a dirty lesson spreads across his face as he thrusts his hips, spreading me apart around him.
And that’s exactly what Eli gives me in the bathtub, on the counter, and up against the wall until we leave for the airport.
I spend the flight back to LA asleep on his lap, with a delicious ache between my legs and comfort in knowing I won’t have to face reality without Eli by my side.
Hopefully, forever.