We step into the elevator car in silence.
I push the button for our floor and then realize her gaze is on me.
I turn to face her. “I’m here if you ever need to talk about anything, Calliope. I once told you that I’m a good friend. I mean it.”
Her hand moves to tug on the bottom of my tie. “Thank you, Sean.”
“I should be the one thanking you for a great night,” I say to lighten the mood. “This was the best date I’ve ever been on.”
She wraps her fist around the tie to yank me closer. “I doubt that.”
I reach to slide a fingertip over her chin. “Don’t doubt anything I say to you. Our date was one for the record books. I’ll never forget this night.”
As the doors slide open on our floor, she glances in that direction. “I won’t either. I think I’m going to turn in. You’ve worn me out the past few nights, and I want to be rested for my shift tomorrow.”
I don’t want the date to end this way, so I offer a compromise. “If you come home with me, I promise I’ll tuck you in next to me and let you sleep.”
She steps out of the elevator with me right behind her.
As she nears her apartment door, she slows to a stop.
I can tell she’s hesitating, so I up my offer to what I promised her earlier before her ex called and splintered this date. “I’ll cook you breakfast in the morning, and that will leave you plenty of time to get ready for your shift.”
Her gaze snakes up my body until our eyes are locked. “I’d like that.”
I’d like more, but if she needs me to hold her while she sleeps and cook for her before she heads to her second job, I’ll shine at both.
“You’re a pretty great boyfriend.”
“I’m the best boyfriend,” I say, wanting that to be true.
I want to be the man of her dreams. I want to right every wrong that’s been done to her. I want the guy who just called to be such a distant memory to her that she can’t recall anything about him.
I unlock the door to my apartment and swing it open. “After you, Champ. Tonight I take care of you.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Callie
I stareinto his deep brown eyes as we lie beside each other in his bed. Daybreak is upon us. The light filtering into the window is soothing and soft, showcasing the sharp cut of his jaw beneath his beard.
“You have a good soul,” I whisper to him.
Sean’s lips curve up in an almost grin. “Do I?”
I study his face with the faint lines that trail out from the corners of his eyes and the tiny scar that sits just below his left eyebrow. He’s strikingly handsome, yet something about him hints at vulnerability beneath the surface.
“You told me that you were nicknamed Saint because you’ve always helped out anyone who needed it.”
His eyes drop to my lips. “I do what anyone would do.”
I shake my head slightly, my cheek sinking into the pillow my head is resting on. “You go above and beyond.”
“How so?”
I can’t tell if the question is serious or not, so I point out an example. “You spend time with our neighbors because they miss their grandchildren.”
“I miss my grandparents,” he admits. “It’s kind of a win-win for all of us.”