what, yet.
****
Bastard, bastard, bastard!
Arden
showed up out of the blue and immediately went after his woman. Well, not his
woman, but Arden didn’t know that. He may be the little brother, but only by
three years, and he was no smaller in size. Powerful surges of jealousy nearly
made him dizzy. His fucking Tourette’s was testing him, pushing him over the
edge, as if things weren’t bad enough between him and Hailey.
He felt like an ass,
but that’s what he’d wanted—to push her away. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“Do you know what a
charmer is?” he asked, his breathing still labored. Callum closed the distance
between them.
“I suppose.”
“That’s what my
brother is. He’ll use you, get what he wants, and then be gone faster than the
morning dew in summer.”
She scoffed. “Did I
appear to fall for sweet words and kisses?”
“Most women do when it
comes to
Arden
.”
She turned around and
stirred her pasta. “Not me.”
Why couldn’t words
come to him as easily as
Arden
?
He’d never be able to woo a woman properly, even if he wanted to.
“Then you’re a
rarity.” He turned to leave. “I’ll be in the yard.”
“Callum!”
He stopped dead,
closing his eyes and taking a breath out of her sight. With his back still to
her, he replied, “What is it?”
“Why are you mad at
me?” There was insecurity in her tone, a
pleading note. He wanted to wipe it away when he was the one to put it there in
the first place.
“I ain’t mad at you or
anyone. I’m just tired is all.”
“Of what?”
“Life.”
She ran both her palms
down his back. He stiffened, straightening his posture. Callum hadn’t expected
her to touch him or reach out after the way he’d treated her. Was it a sign?
“Don’t say that. Life
is whatever you make it.” She nudged him
until he turned. Those beautiful, big, doe eyes looked up at him. He was
immediately held captive.
“Only I don’t have a full
deck. You saw for yourself how others look at me. I guarantee they’d look at
you the same way if we were an item.”
“I guess it’s good I
don’t care then.” She smiled. He’d missed that sweet smile, and felt like an
asshole for trying to steal it away.
“You say that now…”
The boiling water
began to make the pot lid dance. She rushed over and turned off the stove. She
mustn’t have expected to see him because she was only wearing a skimpy pair of
cotton shorts and a tank top which barely covered her midriff. She had a fine
figure. As she reached over the stove, he caught a glimpse of her panties.
White.
His control wavered.
What would it feel like to spend a night with a woman who meant more to him
than just cheap thrills? It was a recipe for disaster, one his heart probably
wouldn’t survive should things go sour. But he couldn’t keep away. Her soft
little body called to him, a beacon in a stormy sea.
He wrapped his arms
loosely around her waist from behind, savoring the feel of having her close.
He’d been lying to himself. Callum did want to own her, to call her his woman. But the commitment and
potential for disaster terrified him.
Her breath hitched.
Hailey spun around in his arms.
“You’re staying in my
room tonight,” he said.
She nodded.
“Nothing will happen
unless you want it to happen,” he reassured.
“I want it,” she
murmured, lips swollen and delectable. Hailey fiddled with the buttons on his
shirt, seeming to completely forget about her meal. “You know I want it.”
He still remembered
the day he’d left her in the hayloft rather than making love to her. It had
been a mistake, but he was too emotionally compromised at the time.
“I don’t know about
the boys at the university, but things may be different than you’re used to.”
“Such as?”
He smirked. “Bigger
and better for one. And a little rough.”
“Doesn’t sound too
scary.”
His cock thickened by
the second. She had no idea the restraint he was using. If he let go,
****
Bastard, bastard, bastard!
Arden
showed up out of the blue and immediately went after his woman. Well, not his
woman, but Arden didn’t know that. He may be the little brother, but only by
three years, and he was no smaller in size. Powerful surges of jealousy nearly
made him dizzy. His fucking Tourette’s was testing him, pushing him over the
edge, as if things weren’t bad enough between him and Hailey.
He felt like an ass,
but that’s what he’d wanted—to push her away. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“Do you know what a
charmer is?” he asked, his breathing still labored. Callum closed the distance
between them.
“I suppose.”
“That’s what my
brother is. He’ll use you, get what he wants, and then be gone faster than the
morning dew in summer.”
She scoffed. “Did I
appear to fall for sweet words and kisses?”
“Most women do when it
comes to
Arden
.”
She turned around and
stirred her pasta. “Not me.”
Why couldn’t words
come to him as easily as
Arden
?
He’d never be able to woo a woman properly, even if he wanted to.
“Then you’re a
rarity.” He turned to leave. “I’ll be in the yard.”
“Callum!”
He stopped dead,
closing his eyes and taking a breath out of her sight. With his back still to
her, he replied, “What is it?”
“Why are you mad at
me?” There was insecurity in her tone, a
pleading note. He wanted to wipe it away when he was the one to put it there in
the first place.
“I ain’t mad at you or
anyone. I’m just tired is all.”
“Of what?”
“Life.”
She ran both her palms
down his back. He stiffened, straightening his posture. Callum hadn’t expected
her to touch him or reach out after the way he’d treated her. Was it a sign?
“Don’t say that. Life
is whatever you make it.” She nudged him
until he turned. Those beautiful, big, doe eyes looked up at him. He was
immediately held captive.
“Only I don’t have a full
deck. You saw for yourself how others look at me. I guarantee they’d look at
you the same way if we were an item.”
“I guess it’s good I
don’t care then.” She smiled. He’d missed that sweet smile, and felt like an
asshole for trying to steal it away.
“You say that now…”
The boiling water
began to make the pot lid dance. She rushed over and turned off the stove. She
mustn’t have expected to see him because she was only wearing a skimpy pair of
cotton shorts and a tank top which barely covered her midriff. She had a fine
figure. As she reached over the stove, he caught a glimpse of her panties.
White.
His control wavered.
What would it feel like to spend a night with a woman who meant more to him
than just cheap thrills? It was a recipe for disaster, one his heart probably
wouldn’t survive should things go sour. But he couldn’t keep away. Her soft
little body called to him, a beacon in a stormy sea.
He wrapped his arms
loosely around her waist from behind, savoring the feel of having her close.
He’d been lying to himself. Callum did want to own her, to call her his woman. But the commitment and
potential for disaster terrified him.
Her breath hitched.
Hailey spun around in his arms.
“You’re staying in my
room tonight,” he said.
She nodded.
“Nothing will happen
unless you want it to happen,” he reassured.
“I want it,” she
murmured, lips swollen and delectable. Hailey fiddled with the buttons on his
shirt, seeming to completely forget about her meal. “You know I want it.”
He still remembered
the day he’d left her in the hayloft rather than making love to her. It had
been a mistake, but he was too emotionally compromised at the time.
“I don’t know about
the boys at the university, but things may be different than you’re used to.”
“Such as?”
He smirked. “Bigger
and better for one. And a little rough.”
“Doesn’t sound too
scary.”
His cock thickened by
the second. She had no idea the restraint he was using. If he let go,
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