Last week, this would have earned me a punch to the chest. I call that progress.
″Do you think he was inside if he left the flowers out here?” She asks, her voice husky.
″Maybe, lass. Not worth the risk.”
″Fine.”
We find an empty bench as we wait. Haley settles against me, while I stay rigid. I continue to scan, never letting my guard down. I’ll remain on high alert until Scotty gets here and we can clear her house.
He should have been here. When I showed up, I never directly told him to stay, but it was implied because I never relieved him, the prat.
He’s going to pay for his negligence.
Chapter sixteen
Scottyclearsthehouseand lets us inside. He disappears to make a phone call, leaving me and Callum in the kitchen. Callum’s body is rigid. His fists clench the countertop as he leans forward, and I can hear his teeth grinding together. He turns away.
But, most of all. What I’ve gathered from all of this, all the anger he’s showing me ishe wants me.
Trying to remain focused on the present before I’m sucked into the shadows, I place my hand over Callum’s. The roughness of the back of his hand soothes the palm of mine.
″Callum,” I say.
He doesn’t look at me. I’m not sure if it’s because he can’t, or because he’s zoned out in that space of anger where it consumes you to the point of not being able to function.
″Callum.”
Still, he doesn’t move or acknowledge that I’ve spoken.
I move my hand, grabbing his jaw. It takes some strength, but I manage to move his head so he is facing me. My hands cup his face. We may be looking into each other’s eyes, but mentally he’s not here.
He’s off in another world, probably imagining all the ways to kill this asshole when we don’t even know who it is. I need him here with me. I have to know that he doesn’t pity me, doesn’t want to leave me, and doesn’t think less of me.
Impulse drives me, pushing my lips against his. It’s gentle, sweet at first. But Callum’s rough, so I slide my tongue into his mouth and I drink him like he’s the last drop of alcohol I’ll ever have. My stomach ignites with his touch, the way it somehow always does when I’m with him.
Callum’s mouth relaxes. His tongue swirls with mine, savoring me. God, he fucking tastes good. Just how I imagined on our first night we met.Cigarette smoke and the woodsy flavor of whiskey with that salty edge from the pizza he ate earlier consumes me.
His body relaxes, fingers grabbing my hair as he deepens our kiss. My heart races in my chest, and I have to pull away to suck in some air before I pass out. As I do, he comes back for more, nipping my bottom lip, then presses his lips to the spot and sags into me, his head resting on my chest.
He’s heavy, like dead weight, but I hold him anyway. Because Christ, that kiss was the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.
I need his touch just as much as he needs mine. I need to be reassured that he isn’t going anywhere, despite what’s going on with my stalker. Despite the horrible things I haven’t even told him yet.
He pulls away, standing upright, and runs his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, you’re liable to give me a stroke.”
″Good thing I’m a doctor.”
Scotty comes back in and hands me a bottle of water. “I’m sorry, Haley. I should have stayed here. Outside in the truck, I mean.”
″It’s fine, Scotty.” I promise as I flash him a smile, attempting to assure him this isn’t his fault.
″It isn’t fine. He didn’t do his job.” Callum glares at him, back to his angry state. “We need to get a team in here for cameras.”
″What?” I ask. “Like recording cameras? No.”
″Yes, Haley. You have a stalker sending you flowers.”
″And recording him helps how? No way am I letting you perverts look at that stuff. I walk around my house naked!”