Chapter 20
Callum
“Now lay down. I’ll pick something.”
Soft words. Simple. But Jaysus—they hit like a fuckin’ sledgehammer to the ribs. Right. Play it cool now.
I moved for the couch like I wasn’t buzzin’ like a live wire, heart thumpin’ like a war drum in my chest. This wasn’t seduction, wasn’t some elaborate setup. She just wanted to be near. That was all.
Still... somethin’ daft stirred in the back of my head. What if she wants more? What if she’s waitin’ on you to make the first move?
I stomped that shite down fast. No. No, that wasn’t it. Couldn’t be. Seraphina wasn’t the type to play coy. If she wanted somethin’, she’d bloody well take it—or she wouldn’t say a word and just do it. That was the thing with her. No flinch. No fumble. Just clean lines and quiet thunder.
So no, this wasn’t about sex. This was about bein’ close. And feck me, if I twisted it into more, I’d be the selfish bastard I swore I wasn’t.
I laid back on the couch, arm tucked beneath my head, other draped lazy over my stomach. Wasn’t loads of space, but I shifted, inchin’ over till there was a gap—just wide enough. Enough for her to choose.
She didn’t hesitate.
Seraphina settled right in, proppin’ up on her elbow like this was the most natural thing in the world. Flickin’ through the TV menu, calm as you like. Like we weren’t fugitives waitin’ on a crime boss to deliver the next bloody chapter. Like we weren’t breathin’ on the blade’s edge.
She picked a comedy.
Fittin’, that. I let my head loll to the side, sneakin’ a glance at her. She always carried too much—blood, consequence, ghosts. Women like her didn’t get to laugh just for the hell of it.
The movie started—some over-the-top bollocks—and I’d just begun to settle into the rhythm when she moved.
And then it happened.
Her head lowered—slow, deliberate—and came to rest on my chest. Her cheek nestled in, her whole body curlin’ into mine like she’d always been meant to fit there. Face angled at the telly, hand driftin’ to rest at my side.
I froze.
Not like I was afraid—but like I didn’t dare move, didn’t want to risk shatterin’ the moment. Or her. Or me.
Every bit of me itched to do somethin’. Say somethin’. But I didn’t.
Then I felt it. That exhale. Her lettin’ go of somethin’ heavy—somethin’ she hadn’t even known she was holdin’.
And feck it, I let go too.
Didn’t stop the madness in my head, mind. Thoughts still churnin’ like a feckin’ cyclone. But for now, I let the quiet win. Let the weight of her anchor me. Let the feel of her remind me I was still here. Still wanted.
Even if it was only for tonight.
Her head shifted.
I felt it first. Chin tiltin’ up. Eyes on mine.
I looked down.
Sweet divine Christ.
There was somethin’ in her gaze that near gutted me. A hunger, sure. But layered beneath—curiosity, permission... a silent offer and ask, all wrapped into one.
So I gave her what she wanted.
My hand found her jaw, fingers soft under her chin. I guided her up to me—slow, careful. She didn’t pull away. No hesitation. No question. Her lips met mine like they’d been waitin’ for the invitation.
And Jaysus, it burned .
Her hand fisted in my shirt, and before I knew it she was movin’. Swingin’ a leg over me, straddlin’ my hips, her weight settlin’ like sin and salvation combined .
Feckin’ hell .
Her mouth was sweet ruin. My hands cradled her face, thumbs brushin’ her cheekbones as we kissed—hungry, reverent, lost.
She moaned into my mouth, low and guttural, and began to roll her hips. Slow, achin’ circles that sent a full-body tremor right through me. My cock jerked to life, hard as a brick beneath her.
Then she bit my lip. Not gentle either. That sharp little nip sent me clean off the rails. I bucked beneath her, a rough noise rippin’ out of me before I could even think to muffle it.
My hands dropped to her hips, tight now, possessive. In one fluid twist, I rolled us—her back hittin’ the couch cushions, my body coverin’ hers.
Her thighs opened, invitin’, bracketin’ my waist. But I didn’t thrust. Didn’t grind. Didn’t let myself fall into that temptation.
I kissed her again—slower now. More controlled, though every nerve was screamin’.
She wasn’t a fuck. She wasn’t some distraction.
She was Seraphina.
And I’d be damned if I ever let her think she was just a warm body to me.
I pulled back, breath shallow, heart poundin’ like a bastard. Looked down at her.
Feck. She was stunnin’ like this. Hair a mess across the cushions, lips kiss-swollen, eyes dark and blown wide .
Then her voice came—barely a whisper. “Will you please stay with me tonight... here...?”
I swallowed hard, thumb brushin’ hair from her temple. “Only if we talk first.”
She rolled her eyes at that. Cute. But I didn’t smile.
I needed her to hear me.
“Look at me, Sera.”
Her eyes flicked back up to mine, wary but open.
“I won’t ever use you. You understand me? If you want slow, I’ll go slow. No question. What just happened?” I shook my head, jaw clenchin’. “That wasn’t just heat. Wasn’t just tension. I’ve too much respect for you to treat you like that.”
She sucked in a breath. Barely there, but I felt it.
“I’ve been watchin’ you,” I said, softer now.
“Not in a creep way—alright, maybe a bit —but you get what I mean.” I gave her the ghost of a smile.
“You carry more than most men I’ve ever met.
You don’t flinch. You endure. You fight .
And feck me, Seraphina... I see all of that. I see you . And I still want more.”
Her eyes glistened—emotion swellin’, raw and sharp. But I wasn’t done.
“I won’t let Damon pursue you. Not because I think you’re weak. But because I want to. Because I’m goin’ to.”
I leaned closer, our foreheads almost touchin’ .
“I want to be the one you come to when the world gets too loud. I want to hold you when you’re breakin’. I want to be the bastard who shows up when everythin’ else turns to shite.”
I breathed deep, low and honest.
“I hear your song, little siren... and I’m already knee-deep in the feckin’ ocean.”
She stared up at me, lips parted, breath caught somewhere between now and somethin’ bigger.
Then she kissed me again—slower this time. Like a promise.
I sank into her, hands driftin’ to her waist, lettin’ the moment hold.
Then my phone buzzed.
We both went still.
Screen lit up with a name I didn’t want right now—but couldn’t ignore.
“It’s Reaper,” I muttered, jaw tight as I reached for the phone. Answered on speaker, voice still rough with everything she’d stirred in me. “Go on. We’re both here.”
“Got something for you,” Reaper said, sharp and business-like. “That recording box you found—it wasn’t just a bug. Internal storage. High capacity. No transmissions. It wasn’t for live access. It was for logs .”
Seraphina tensed. My hand reached for hers, lacin’ our fingers without a second thought.
“They installed it under your coffee table. Meant for long-term coverage. Checked manually. Swapped out, maybe. This wasn’t quick. It’s been there. A while. Everything said. Done. Probably all of it’s on there.”
“You pull the data?” I asked.
“Cracked the encryption an hour ago. Audio only. No timestamps. But I skimmed a few segments and found something... troubling.”
My heart pounded. “What?”
“Voices,” Reaper said. “Yours. Hers. Some solo clips. And one unfamiliar male. Younger. Accent. Talks to Seraphina like he’s known her a long while.”
My stomach dropped straight to the fuckin’ floor.
“How much did you hear?”
“Just enough to know someone’s been monitorin’ her life. Quiet. Close. No signals. Meant to stay hidden. The kicker? “The tech traces back to a local black market supplier. Custom build. And the serial node inside the firmware? Led me to a company registered as Lynwood Asset Holdings.”
I stilled.
“And who’s behind that shell?” I asked, teeth grindin’ together. “Building owner’s listed as Damon Morelli,” Reaper confirmed. “Alias for Damon Vale. Two layers of distance, but it’s him. His setup.”
Seraphina sucked in a sharp breath .
And I—saw red .
“How long’s it been recordin’?”
“No way to be sure. Could be weeks. Could be longer.”
I turned to her. Her eyes were locked on the phone like it might explode.
“Thanks, Reaper,” I said, voice tight. “We owe you.”
“I’ll keep scrubbin’ it. Send you a copy.”
The line went dead.
Silence fell.
But I could feel her panic beneath it—her heart hammerin’ against me, terrified and betrayed.
I looked at her, fury boilin’ just under my skin. “He’s been watchin’ you. Listenin’. For God knows how long.”
She didn’t answer. Just pressed closer like she was afraid I’d vanish too.
Not a fuckin’ chance .
I wasn’t goin’ anywhere.