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“Well, it is Valentine’s Day. Take her flowers to work. Like a grand gesture.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Think she’d like that?”
“Girls love flowers.” Jillian sweeps her eyes to Ryland, who’s starting to fall asleep.
I pry myself from the bed, trying not to wake her, say goodbye to Heath, and then I meet Mase and Remy in the hall on our way out. Remy says he’s going on a date, teases that it’s with Catelyn, but then gets punched in the gut once we’re in the elevator. “Don’t joke about shit like that.”
Remy laughs it off, but by the look on his face, I’m not putting it past him that he’snotgoing on a date with her.
“What about you, birthday boy?” I ask Mase.
He raises an eyebrow, straightening out his jacket. “Plans with Ami.”
He’s not in the mood for talking or teasing; hospitals have done that to him since Ami’s accident. That coupled with kids fighting for their lives, yeah, you can’t blame him on that one. It’s depressing.
After I leave the hospital, I think about what Ryland’s mom said. Flowers. I consider taking her something at work, but a girl like Callie won’t want that. We once had sex in the dressing room at Victoria’s Secret, and she was pissed I came into her work for sex. We still fucked, but she wasn’t happy with me.
So instead of going to her work, I end up buying her a dozen red roses and a box of chocolate and head over to her apartment, praying she’s home.
And as my luck would have it, she is.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” she answers with a smile, barefoot wearing a tiny black tank top with a few inches of her bare stomach peeking out and a pair of sweatpants that look a few sizes too big. Her tits look huge, bulging over the top. She catches me staring, shaking her head, her long dark hair falling over her left shoulder. Tentative and uneasy, her eyes drift from mine to the flowers. “What’s that?”
I raise the flowers. “These are for you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
She eyes the chocolates. “And those.”
I shrug, pushing them toward her. “For… the shrimp.” Tears flood her eyes. Probably because I acknowledged the kid. “Thought… you know, might have cravings.”
Callie forces out an emotional laugh, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I was craving some chocolate… so thanks.” She gives a nod behind her to the open door. “Do you want to come in?”
“No.” I shake my head like it’s the worst idea ever and back up a step. “If I come in, I know where that’s going. Your tits are huge, and I want them in my mouth. And they can’t go in there right now. You… me… we just can’t. I need to do this the right way, for me, for us.” I gesture to her stomach.
She blinks a few times, holding the chocolates and roses. “Okay… well—” She’s hesitating, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she doesn’t want me to leave. I want to stay, but I don’t trust myself with her tits alone. “Did you go out with Evan for his birthday?”
I scratch my jaw, leaning into the doorframe. I don’t want to leave either. I want to go inside so badly and hold her. I want to be with her today and let her know I care, because I do. “He’s with Ami, fucking. Said we’d go out this weekend.”
She laughs, her eyes drifting to mine. “No wonder she won’t answer my texts.”
Tilting my head, I contemplate what I’m going to say next. Here goes nothing. “I actually came here because I want to date you.”
“Okay.”
Did she say okay? I blink a few times, my heart pounding rapidly. “Okay,” I repeat, not sure what that means.
She motions behind her. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”
I suppress a laugh. I can’t go in there. No way. There’s a pause, our eyes meeting, a moment of weakness passing between us. Yep. I step foot in there and we’re fucking. I can see it in her eyes. She wants me. I swallow and take a step back, lifting my chin as I gesture to the chocolates with a wink. “Enjoy. I’ll call you about that date.”
And then I walk away. It takes a lot of fuckin’ will, but I do it.
I have to because I want so badly to go inside. And by “inside,” I certainly don’t mean her apartment.
I think I did pretty good, don’t you?
CHAPTER14
SLOT