Page 29 of Peripheral Vision (Tethered in Darkness Duet #1)

Chapter

Eighteen

DYLAN

C allum and I have plans for another date tonight and once again he’s being cryptic about where he’s taking me.

Outside of work over the last week, he’s been coming over to study with me and work on his own assignments, and we’ve stayed up way too late exchanging stories, soft touches, and subtle glances that fill the air around us with so much tension I’m convinced that tonight might be the night it bubbles over.

At least this time he did tell me what to wear, so I’m dressed in a comfortable matching loungewear set and sneakers.

I’ll admit, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of how he anticipates everything, leaving no room for me to stress about any of the details.

I haven’t had any issues with my stranger and I’m starting to feel like maybe he’s moved on to a new conquest. Hoping more, really.

I’m not too naive to think that he’s just forgotten about me.

I still catch myself glancing over my shoulders, checking out the house, and making sure everything is locked regularly.

He knocks on my door, and I hop up quickly to greet him, but then slow my steps as I approach.

I don’t want to reveal to him that I’ve been sitting on my couch for the past thirty minutes waiting for him.

I take a deep breath before opening the door, forcing a casual smile as I pull it wide.

Callum stands there, looking effortlessly put together, his hand resting on the doorframe as he grins at me.

I don’t even think he knows how much he’s starting to heal me—how the simple act of him showing up, of being here, of truly taking the time to get to know me, is making things feel a little less heavy.

I didn’t lie when I told him that I knew my dad loved me, but there is still a trauma that lingers there from the moments of silence.

The moments I was forced to grow up too quickly.

Even though I knew he loved me, I still carried the weight of his absence—one that’s only gotten stronger since his death.

“Hey.” Callum’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, soft and steady, a thread connecting me back to the present. “You okay?”

I blink, realizing I’ve been lost in my head for longer than I intended. I give him a small smile. “Yeah, yeah. Just thinking about… stuff.”

He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Good stuff or bad stuff?”

“Just how you’ve done a damn good job at washing out the bad with the good… I’m starting to think I might just want to keep you,” I say, biting my lip as I glance up at him through my lashes.

His pupils dilate, his lips pulling into that familiar, easy grin once more. “Is that so?” he says, taking a step toward me until we’re chest to chest. “You’re sure you’re ready to keep me? I’m a bit of a handful.” I grab onto the front of his shirt, pulling him further into me.

I laugh softly, the sound a little breathless as heat lights up my body. “I think I’ve been handling it pretty well so far.”

Callum tilts his head down, his breath at my ear, and for a moment it feels like time slows down.

There’s a quiet intensity in his eyes now, something that wasn’t there before, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s seeing me in the same way I’m seeing him—as more than just a person who shows up.

Someone who’s slowly becoming more, filling a space I didn’t realize needed filling.

“Maybe we should see how well you really handle it,” he murmurs, the challenge in his voice unmistakable as his hand trails down my front, between my breasts.

The touch lingers just enough to make my pulse quicken and for goosebumps to line my skin.

The words hang in the air between us, heavy with meaning, the tension stretching taut like a wire.

I don’t realize that I was baring my neck to him, begging to be kissed, until he clears his throat and steps back, a wicked smile on his face. “Shall we?”

I swallow a whimper at the loss of heat and a knowing look crosses his face.

I give him my best glare before closing the door, entering the pin on my new electronic lock.

We travel in silence again until he reaches a more desolate spot outside of town.

He pulls into a parking lot, the hum of the engine fading as he turns off the ignition.

I look around, curious as he opens my door for me before going to his trunk to pull out what looks to be…

“Picnic supplies?” A hint of surprise in my voice.

He smirks at my tone, closing the trunk with a practiced ease. “What, you thought I was just taking you into the middle of nowhere for fun?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Seeing as you’ve been the king of surprises, nothing would surprise me more.”

He chuckles before gesturing to me to follow him. “Trust me, you’re going to like this.”

“You keep saying that.” I roll my eyes but trail after him anyway.

The lot opens to a narrow path, surrounded by tall trees that stretch up into the sky.

The moonlight filters through the branches, casting silver streaks along the ground.

It’s peaceful as the path starts to widen, and it isn’t too long before it opens up into a small clearing where the sky opens up above us.

Callum sets the basket down and spreads the blanket out, glancing up at me with a soft smile.

“Come on,” he says, his voice quieter now, like he doesn’t want to disturb the silence around us.

Swallowing the nervous lump in my throat, I sit beside him, the chill of the ground seeping through the blanket. “This is… unexpected.” I hesitate, unsure if that’s the right word.

His eyes meet mine. “Good unexpected, or bad?”

“To be determined,” I admit, a small smile tugging at my lips .

He grabs my wrist, tugging me to him until I’m straddling his lap, his hands resting gently on my hips.

The sudden closeness sends a jolt through me, and my breath catches in my throat.

His gaze locks onto mine, intense and searching, before taking my lips in his.

It takes me a moment to catch up, but when I do I thread my hands through his hair, causing a low moan to slip from his throat. He pulls away. “And now?”

“Good. Definitely good,” I breathe as his hands slide up my sides, stopping just below my ribs. The warmth of his touch contrasts sharply with the cool night air, and I shiver—but not from the cold.

His lips twitch into a smirk as one of his hands continues its exploration until it's rubbing along the underside of my breast. “What?” I ask.

“You’re nervous,” he teases gently. “Why?”

I open my mouth to respond, but falter, the words tangled in my throat. Because this moment feels fragile, I want to say. Because I’m afraid of what it might mean. Instead, I settle for a shrug. “Maybe you make me nervous,” I counter, trying to sound braver than I feel.

His smirk deepens, and he leans in just enough that I can feel the warmth of his breath on my neck. “Good,” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing. “I like knowing that I have that effect on you.” He leans in further, his lips trailing along my jawline before he presses a kiss there.

I release a shaky breath. “Don’t get cocky.” He continues his exploration of my jawline and down my neck, pebbling my skin with soft kisses.

“Oh, it’s much too late for that, love. But you still haven’t given me your real answer.” His touch is both infuriatingly gentle and impossible to ignore.

“And what’s that, exactly?” I had forgotten my intoxication from the way he feels, in the way the bulge in his pants has grown beneath me.

“Why you’re still nervous? Because I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to. Unless of course” —his thumb brushes under the curve of my breast once more— “you’re nervous because you do want me. Because you like me more than you’re willing to admit.”

My laugh is breathy, my resolve melting just a little more. “You really don’t quit, do you?”

“When it comes to you? I don’t think that’s possible.” He hums, leaning in until his forehead brushes mine.

I swallow hard, my heart pounding so loudly I’m sure he can hear it. “Maybe I do, but don’t let that go to your head either.”

He gives me a devilish grin in response before he closes the remaining distance, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that’s as electrifying as it is inevitable.

Callum returned me home well past midnight, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.

I relished in the way he touched me, the way he whispered sweet nothings in my ear as he did so.

I savored how he made me feel treasured through those touches.

The way he traced my skin with his tongue, the sounds he elicited out of me as he moved with such an unhurried purpose, drawing out sensations I didn't know I could feel. But more importantly, I loved how he didn’t rush me.

Didn’t try to coerce me into taking it further once I had enough forethought to pull away.

It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but if this was something we were going to pursue, then we had time.

He waited until I got inside before driving off, and I couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off of my face as I said hi to Alaska and went to my bathroom to get ready for bed.

I take my time in stripping off my shirt, leaving me only in my bra, and trace my hand back and forth across my collarbone, where I can still feel his mouth.

I pull my hair up into a ponytail, washing my face before brushing my teeth.

I’m just about to strip my shorts off and walk to my bedroom when my eyes connect with a figure in my mirror. “Was it fun? Your little date?”

My eyes widen as a gasp escapes my lips, fear washing out all the warmth I had just felt moments ago.