Callum, page 17
When I return to the bed, Juniper doesn’t attempt to cover her body, but I see a bit of shyness in her expression as she stares at the item in my hand.
“Let’s try this again,” I murmur, pulling her into my arms so we’re lying face-to-face. Her legs thread through mine, our torsos pressed tight. Her breath fans against my face, a lilting sigh of contentment.
I want to give her power, so she still sees that it’s only her I’ll ever want. I press the condom into her hand. “We’ll both get tested but there’s no rush. Until then, we’ll use these.”
She stares at me in confusion.
I roll to my back, admittedly the serious conversation having cooled my body. I glance down to my softened cock, then back to her. “Give me what I need, Juni.”
And let me show you the power you have over me.
CHAPTER 22
Juniper
For a crazy, panicked second… I consider bolting from the bed. Yes, I used to be the woman who could spend days running my hands over his amazing body. I was never timid when it came to expressing my attraction to Callum. He always made me feel like a temptress and he’s asking me to be that woman again.
“Come on, Juni. I don’t bite,” he teases, but I hear the rumbling need in his tone.
It’s that desire for me that throws me into action. Leaning up on an elbow, I run a hand down the muscles of his chest, his tawny skin exactly as I remember but he’s more filled out. His muscles thicker, more defined. I know he works out… I’ve seen him hitting the gym every day. Gone is the tall, lean physique and left behind is someone who looks like he could crush anything in his way.
My hand stills on his stomach and my eyes bypass his thick cock and move to his powerful thighs, also rippled with muscles and dark, crisp hair.
He’s just beautiful.
I realize he’s not breathing and my gaze goes to his face. His eyes burn… a silent demand to stop looking and start touching.
“Have some patience,” I say, running my hand north toward his chest again.
Callum moves so fast I barely see it, but his hand is on my wrist, stopping my momentum. His eyes bore into mine as he slowly drags it down again, right to his cock, which immediately thickens when my fingertips brush against it.
Just barely a graze and he reacts to me.
I’m emboldened, wrenching free of his grip. I go to my hands and knees, wrap my hand around his length and give him a slow lick up his shaft.
“F-u-c-k,” Callum groans, his hips bucking upward. His fingertips brush my hair back from my face so he can watch me. I don’t even have to look at him to know that’s what he’s doing.
He’s always loved to watch me.
I bring him into my mouth, flattening my tongue and gliding up and down. He grows, thickens, fills out in my mouth.
“Jesus, Juni… I fucking missed this… you.”
His words fuel me on and I want to make this better than I ever have before for him. Knowing that I turn him on causes an ache deep inside me and I shift so I can move my free hand between my legs.
I barely get a touch when Callum’s fingers grip my hair and he gently pulls me off his dick. “Get the condom on,” he orders. “I need inside of you now.”
The ache intensifies, and yes… I think the only thing that will satisfy it is if Callum fucks me.
My hands shake as I tear open the foil, but they steady as soon as I’m rolling it on.
Then I’m on my back and Callum’s between my legs. He bends down and gives me a slow, hot kiss that causes me to moan just from the promise within. Using one hand to guide himself, he breaches me slowly as our tongues dance.
I wrap my legs around his waist and he slips inside another inch. Callum’s face rolls so the kiss is broken and his temple rests against mine. “God, I missed this so much. It’s only ever been you.”
Another inch and as I stretch, take my fill of him, I know it’s only ever been him too. Joshua never compared because Joshua never loved me this way.
“You’re going to make me fall back in love with you,” I whisper, then turn my head slightly to kiss his cheek.
Callum groans and slams the rest of the way into me, making me smile at the way our words affect each other.
With his elbows in the mattress, Callum’s able to hold most of his weight off me but our bodies are pressed tight to each other. His face hovers over mine and he stares at me silently.
Then he starts to move and it’s like my tilted world rights itself. My body—no, my soul—remembers this intense connection we have spurred by physicality. When our bodies are joined, it meshes our very beings.
“Callum,” I whisper, but it turns into a groan as his thrusts pick up. I have a litany of things I want to say because of all the emotions this connection provokes, but the words are frozen as he pulls one of my legs up high and angles in deeper.
“Goddamn you feel good,” Callum grunts as he bottoms out. “Missed this so fucking much.”
“Me too,” I gasp, clawing at his shoulders because I don’t know what to do with my hands. My head is dizzy with pleasure and I should probably just hang on for the ride, but I’m a jumbled mess of energy. My hips rock against his, trying to pull him into my body. He tunnels faster into me, lost in ecstasy.
He huffs out a breath and I stare at his beautiful face. His teeth are bared, his eyebrows drawn inward—a beautiful representation of the fierce pleasure he’s feeling. His gaze focuses on me and when our eyes lock, his pace slows. For a fleeting moment, I almost protest because we are racing to something that is going to shred me apart.
But the emotion in his eyes as he rocks his body against mine produces a new kind of ache within me. It’s all about connection—heart and body—and the love within his gaze causes everything in me to go haywire.
Callum lowers my leg so it rests around his hip, smoothing his hand slowly along my thigh and then sliding it under my back to gather me in close. He holds some of his weight off me but for the most part, I feel smothered in the best possible way. He’s on me, surrounding me… in me, and nothing has ever felt more right in the world.
He kisses me softly while maintaining a steady yet gentle thrust of his hips against mine and the sweetness of the it all incites the slow build of another orgasm. It’s an ache only he can soothe and I don’t even try to hold it back. I melt under him, telling my body to let go.
It hits me forcefully, my entire body tightening with pleasure before it releases with a surprised cry of ecstasy.
“Jesus,” Callum groans as he grinds down against my pelvis, and then he buries his face in my neck as his body shakes with his own orgasm. “Juni… Juni… Juni…,” he chants, his beard tickling my skin.
Callum wraps his arms around me tight, pressing our bodies flush as we both shudder from the intensity of our connection.
It’s then that my heart splits right down the middle, tearing open old scars and unfolding wide to let Callum all the way in.
CHAPTER 23
Callum
I read over the meticulously crafted email to the general manager of the Seattle Storm, Jeff Sorban. One of my scouts is looking at a young player who just got called up from the minors to the Storm this past year. I’ve watched the film of him and he’s got more than just potential. He’s pretty fucking fantastic, and I’m interested.
Dear Jeff,
I hope this message finds you well. I’ve been closely following the progress of your team’s prospects, and I was particularly impressed with Alex Dahlin’s performance this past season. His skill set and on-ice presence were noteworthy.
Given our current team needs and future planning, I believe Dahlin could be a valuable addition to our roster. I am reaching out to gauge your interest in a potential trade involving him. We are open to discussing various options that could benefit both our teams, including player exchanges, draft picks, or other assets.
I understand that parting with a promising talent like Dahlin requires careful consideration. Please rest assured that we are committed to proposing a fair and mutually beneficial deal. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further with you, either over the phone or through a face-to-face meeting, at your earliest convenience.
If this is something you are open to exploring, please let me know. I am keen to hear your thoughts and any specific needs or objectives your team is looking to address through a trade.
Thank you for considering this inquiry. I look forward to the possibility of constructive discussions and a potentially fruitful collaboration.
Best regards,
Callum Derringer
General Manager, Pittsburgh Titans
I may or may not get a good answer. I’m sure I’ll get an honest one as I like Jeff and he’s about as straight a shooter as they come, but if this player is someone he won’t be keen on losing, he might go vague on me.
We’ll see.
Regardless, the email is off, and I feel that sufficient time has passed since I last spoke to Juniper that I can call her without appearing like a stalker.
That was when I bent over her sleeping form as she slumbered in my bed this morning and kissed the side of her head. She was exhausted because once we got our groove back between the sheets, not much sleep happened last night.
I’m surprised my kiss even penetrated the deep rise and fall of her chest she was so soundly under, but she opened her eyes and stared at me blearily. “Are you going to work?”
I sat on the edge of the bed near her hip, restraining myself from touching her. Because if I felt even an inch of that soft skin, I was liable to get naked and crawl back under the covers. “Want to go out to dinner tonight?”
She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. “I can just make us something here. No need to go to any trouble.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, causing me to break my vow not to touch her, only to tweak her on the nose. “I’m taking you out to a nice dinner. It’s a date. That means you don’t cook or work for our food tonight. You let me treat you to something nice.”
She grinned at me. “You know I’m a sure lay, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” I smiled back at her. “But it still doesn’t mean I won’t romance you.”
That was something I was good at when we were together. Little surprise gifts, flowers for no particular reason, taking her book shopping, or sending her cute cards that were funny but with a personal script about my deep feelings. I didn’t do any of that to make Juniper want me physically, but for her to want me emotionally.
I want that again to the same extent.
I want to do all the things for her just to see her smile the way she did this morning.
So that was three hours ago that I left the house and surely an impromptu call will seem endearingly charming, right? I glance at my watch. I’ve got an interview in twenty minutes for a new assistant athletic trainer. I’ve been interviewing for the position over the last few weeks and had just about made my decision when I received the résumé of a woman with impeccable credentials. She’s as well educated as any of the others, but she doesn’t have quite the same level of experience and that’s only because she’s female. Her sex has limited her ability to break into professional male sports but that’s not something that would stop this team, particularly with Brienne as our leader. So I want to give this woman a shot, at least offer her an interview.
Still… twenty minutes is plenty of time to chat with Juniper, even if I’ve got a million other things I could be doing. Despite the fact I want to cut out of work a bit early so I can pick up flowers for her before our dinner date.
Just a quick call.
Leaning over, I grab my phone and light it up, only to see that I have two missed calls. I keep my phone on vibrate during the day and clearly didn’t hear the subtle buzz when none other than Preston Willard attempted to reach me. He left no voicemail, that would be beneath him. He’d assume I would see his attempts and call him back.
Thoughts of calling Juniper are banished. Obviously, I’ll call Preston first. In all the years he’s been married to my mother, he’s never once called me for anything.
Not even when she had a brain bleed three and a half weeks ago.
The fact he’s calling me now tells me he thinks it’s something more important than my mother having a near-fatal fall, which means he’s likely calling me about Joshua.
I tap my phone against my chin, considering how I want to handle this. Because I’m fairly certain this only pertains to Joshua, who I couldn’t give two shits about, part of me wants to make him wait. But the part of me that’s driven to solve a problem and come out the winner wants to get this over with.
Decision made, I call Preston. Because he’s a power player in all ways, he lets the phone ring four times before he answers it. It’s his attempt to portray control, pretending that my return call isn’t all that important. I know that fucker’s been waiting for it though.
“Preston Willard,” he announces imperiously when the phone connects, even though he knows it’s me on the other end.
“I saw you called.”
“I would’ve figured you’d pick up,” he says irritably. “You’re clearly not worried about your mother.”
“I’ve called Mom every day since I left Incline Village. I’m well aware of how she’s doing. We both know you’re not calling about her so cut to the chase. I’m a busy man.”
Preston grunts in disdain but he launches into his play. “This thing with Joshua and Juniper needs to end.”
“Agreed. Have Joshua give Juniper what she’s entitled to—that would be a divorce and half of his assets—and we’ll call it a day.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” he censures. “And besides… Joshua doesn’t want a divorce. He wants to work things out.”
“Of course he doesn’t want a divorce. Who else will cook his meals and serve as his punching bag?”
“Careful, boy,” Preston warns in a low growl.
My tone is deeper. “Don’t even think to threaten me, old man. You’ve done the same to my mother for years but she’s too afraid to leave you. Juni got out and she’s never going back, so tell that son of yours to man up and do the right thing. His deadline is in three days or your family’s dirty secrets are going public.”
There’s a silence and I can envision exactly how red Preston’s face is. No one stands up to him and no one gives him ultimatums. “You’re bluffing. Juniper doesn’t want that attention.”
“No, she doesn’t,” I admit with a hard edge to my voice. “But she needs stability and Joshua’s going to give it to her for all the hell he’s put her through. She’s willing to push this thing all the way. You hold sway over him, Preston. Get him to do the right thing and it all goes away.”
He sighs loudly and it’s the sound of fatigue. “I’ll see what I can do. But she needs to consider something less than half.”
“I can’t speak for Juniper. That’s between her and her lawyer, but I’m sure she’ll consider something fair that will help take care of her father for the rest of his life.”
I don’t know if she’ll consider that or not, but truth be told, I’m taking care of Coy and his medical needs for the rest of his life and I’m taking care of Juniper too. She just doesn’t know it yet.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Preston says and then disconnects.
Part of me is hopeful he will get Joshua to see reason. Preston still very much wears the patriarch’s cloak in that family. He’s also the majority shareholder in their business dealings. While Joshua is quite wealthy in his own right, his dad still calls all the shots and I’m sure that would extend into his personal life.
A knock on my door pulls me from my thoughts and I see Brienne standing there. It’s a bit of a shock, not to see her here but to see her so casually dressed. She’s wearing a pair of cropped jeans, a black Iron Maiden T-shirt and gold sandals. As I stare at her, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually seen her in anything but business attire at the arena on a workday.
“Hey,” she says casually, stepping across the threshold. “I just came in to grab a few files and saw you sitting there with some deep worry lines etched on your forehead.”
“Part of them are allocated to the way you’re dressed.” I arch an eyebrow, one corner of my mouth lifted to match. “Iron Maiden?”
She shrugs, tucking one hand in a back pocket. “I have layers.”
“That you do.” I chuckle, but then turn to business. “I’m interviewing a candidate for the assistant athletic trainer position.”
Brienne stares at me blankly.
“The position that’s open,” I prod. “Because Benny took a head position with Dallas.”
Brienne’s voice is droll. “Yes, I know exactly who you’re talking about. I’m just wondering why you’re pointing out another interview when I know you’ve had several. It’s not my decision who you hire and, more importantly, why those worry lines were in your forehead when I walked in.” She then plops down in the chair opposite my desk and crosses one leg over the other. “Spill it.”
Frowning because I can’t tell if she’s serious, I go with the easiest piece of information to deliver. “The candidate I’m interviewing is a woman.”
Brienne’s eyebrows shoot upward, a smile playing at her lips. “Really?”
“Really.”
“There have only been two instances of a female trainer in professional hockey,” she notes, and I’m impressed she knows that. It was two temporary call-ups to fill in for a thin staff, but it made news.
“She doesn’t have the experience the other candidates have but you know I won’t hire just based on that. I thought I’d give her a shot.”
“Thank you, Callum.” Brienne’s presence is almost demure and I know her gratitude isn’t coming from her position as owner, but rather as a woman. But then her smile flattens and she asks, “What’s got you worried?”
I wave a hand at her. “Just personal stuff. Nothing to bother you with.”
“Are we not friends?”
