Read Online Claiming Callie: Part one by Paige Rion - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Paige Rion
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about enough of you not taking my side! Just because you’re two years older doesn’t make you smarter. Clearly.
Callie raises her hand, breaking through his thoughts, her expression eerily calm.
Dean stops looking daggers at his sister so he can hear what she has to say, in the hopes that she’ll finally come to her senses.
“Listen, I know your intentions are good, but I have a shot to put a good chunk of money on my debt. In one night. And to go out with someone I actually want to date. So what if it took paying for a date to get him to finally ask me out. He likes me. I’m sorry if you don’t approve, but I had a father once. He’s gone. And I don’t need a replacement.”
Dean freezes. His heart does one giant thud in his chest before it seems to come to a complete halt. Callie’s eyes scan his face, looking as though he’s the most pathetic thing she’s ever seen, before she brushes past him toward her room, and all he wants to do is chase after her. But that’s not his role. And the words she just spoke continue to slice through him.
“Nice,” Jinny says, her eyes hard on his face.
Dean swallows. Shit.
He screwed up—big time—and the urge to run from the apartment, from Callie’s words, hits him full force. Turning, he moves through the room in three strides, places his half-empty beer on the table, grabs his ball, and leaves.
Closing the door behind him, he leans back on it and raises his gaze to the ceiling. His heart squeezes in his chest and his stomach churns.
Breathe, breathe, breathe…
His breath comes out in ragged puffs, as though he just ran a marathon.
Well, now I know there’s a step down from brother.
He’d take brother any day. Father is way worse.
Shit.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CALLIE
Callie can’t get Dean’s warnings out of her head. Try as she might, big flashing caution signs go off and on in her head every five minutes—like some flaring beacon, not to be ignored. Now that they’ve left the theater, she finds herself eyeing Jason from the passenger seat of his fancy car, wondering why he, of all people—college jock, gorgeous, rich, and seemingly charming—would want to pay for a date.
Has he really been secretly pining away for me the last couple years?
Callie chews her bottom lip, unsure what to think, and hating that Dean has gotten to her.
Damn you, stupid bestie-brother-stand-in .
She wants this date to go well. It may be a business transaction, but she hasn’t been out with a cute guy in ages. Not since that dope cheated on her last year. It had hurt Callie far more than she let on. Then again, maybe she hadn’t fooled anyone. At least not Dean. Maybe that’s why he’s acting so protective now.
Yes, that explains it .
She peers over at Jason, who gives her a sidelong glance and grins. Her stomach twirls.
Who could resist a basketball player with long arms, bulging biceps, and dark eyes that sparkle when he flashes that perfect smile? Not me, that’s who.
“I know I already told you, but God, that dress is killer.” His throaty voice fills the car as his eyes linger over the length of her, then drift back to her face.
Callie blushes and bites back a goofy grin. “So you said.”
See! You’re just letting Dean make you paranoid.
From this moment on, she is going to relax with Jason and enjoy being out with him. After all, he’s been nothing but a gentleman since he picked her up. He took her to see a musical, and Callie loved every second of it. She hadn’t been to anything like it since high school, and she had forgotten how much fun they were.
Now he’s taking her to Anwar’s—one of the best restaurants in the city, with a waiting list a mile long. She has no idea how he even got a table there. But she doesn’t care. Because this night. Is. Awesome.
There. All thoughts of Dean’s rant, gone.
Jason pulls up to the curb and lets the valet take his car, then escorts Callie into the restaurant. His hand presses into
Callie raises her hand, breaking through his thoughts, her expression eerily calm.
Dean stops looking daggers at his sister so he can hear what she has to say, in the hopes that she’ll finally come to her senses.
“Listen, I know your intentions are good, but I have a shot to put a good chunk of money on my debt. In one night. And to go out with someone I actually want to date. So what if it took paying for a date to get him to finally ask me out. He likes me. I’m sorry if you don’t approve, but I had a father once. He’s gone. And I don’t need a replacement.”
Dean freezes. His heart does one giant thud in his chest before it seems to come to a complete halt. Callie’s eyes scan his face, looking as though he’s the most pathetic thing she’s ever seen, before she brushes past him toward her room, and all he wants to do is chase after her. But that’s not his role. And the words she just spoke continue to slice through him.
“Nice,” Jinny says, her eyes hard on his face.
Dean swallows. Shit.
He screwed up—big time—and the urge to run from the apartment, from Callie’s words, hits him full force. Turning, he moves through the room in three strides, places his half-empty beer on the table, grabs his ball, and leaves.
Closing the door behind him, he leans back on it and raises his gaze to the ceiling. His heart squeezes in his chest and his stomach churns.
Breathe, breathe, breathe…
His breath comes out in ragged puffs, as though he just ran a marathon.
Well, now I know there’s a step down from brother.
He’d take brother any day. Father is way worse.
Shit.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CALLIE
Callie can’t get Dean’s warnings out of her head. Try as she might, big flashing caution signs go off and on in her head every five minutes—like some flaring beacon, not to be ignored. Now that they’ve left the theater, she finds herself eyeing Jason from the passenger seat of his fancy car, wondering why he, of all people—college jock, gorgeous, rich, and seemingly charming—would want to pay for a date.
Has he really been secretly pining away for me the last couple years?
Callie chews her bottom lip, unsure what to think, and hating that Dean has gotten to her.
Damn you, stupid bestie-brother-stand-in .
She wants this date to go well. It may be a business transaction, but she hasn’t been out with a cute guy in ages. Not since that dope cheated on her last year. It had hurt Callie far more than she let on. Then again, maybe she hadn’t fooled anyone. At least not Dean. Maybe that’s why he’s acting so protective now.
Yes, that explains it .
She peers over at Jason, who gives her a sidelong glance and grins. Her stomach twirls.
Who could resist a basketball player with long arms, bulging biceps, and dark eyes that sparkle when he flashes that perfect smile? Not me, that’s who.
“I know I already told you, but God, that dress is killer.” His throaty voice fills the car as his eyes linger over the length of her, then drift back to her face.
Callie blushes and bites back a goofy grin. “So you said.”
See! You’re just letting Dean make you paranoid.
From this moment on, she is going to relax with Jason and enjoy being out with him. After all, he’s been nothing but a gentleman since he picked her up. He took her to see a musical, and Callie loved every second of it. She hadn’t been to anything like it since high school, and she had forgotten how much fun they were.
Now he’s taking her to Anwar’s—one of the best restaurants in the city, with a waiting list a mile long. She has no idea how he even got a table there. But she doesn’t care. Because this night. Is. Awesome.
There. All thoughts of Dean’s rant, gone.
Jason pulls up to the curb and lets the valet take his car, then escorts Callie into the restaurant. His hand presses into
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