Page 23 of Hold Me Tight

Me: Good.

Callie: Thank you again.

Me: Enjoy the rest of your evening out.

As soon as I hit send, I tack on?—

Me: Not too much, though.

Callie: I’ll try not to.

I stare at her last message, my thumb hovering over the screen.

Does she have to try hard?

Are she and Beau hitting it off?

It might have started out as a business thing, but has it turned into more?

With a yawn, Nora leans against me, her head settling on my arm. I reach for the blanket and tuck it around her small body so she’s cozy.

And I let myself imagine what it would be like if this were more of a permanent situation.

If she were mine.

If they both were.

11

Callie

The second I step inside Beau’s restaurant, my suspicions grow that this is more than a business meeting. The space is dimly lit, with muted music playing and pretty votives that flicker on every table.

The atmosphere is intimate.

More romantic in nature.

It’s the kind of place where a man proposes and future plans are talked about.

This is supposed to be a business meeting about potential contracts and wholesale orders for desserts. But when Beau pulls out my chair and gives me a slow, confident smile, I realize he’s not thinking about dessert trays.

He’s staring at me like I’m a tasty treat on the menu.

And I don’t know what to do with that.

I’m totally out of my element.

Beau orders a bottle of wine along with our dinners before I even have a chance to look over the menu. He charms our waitress with a smile the entire time.

I was with a man like that. Someone who was quick to cajole you into bed, all the while thinking about his next conquest.

That’s not a mistake I plan to make again.

Once the wine arrives, I take a sip out of politeness and then set the glass down.

Beau is handsome. Smart. Put-together. Women literally turn their heads to stare when he walks by.

I should be into him.