Page 120 of Stolen Voices

“I have no doubt, Dez.” My nose tingles, and I fight the emotion in my voice. I look over at Hudson, the big softy, who is also struggling to hide his feelings. He’s not used to this kind of thing, especially having grown up with a father who was less than nurturing.

“Alright, bring it in.” I have no problem being a mush. One thing Mark Miller taught me was that being emotional is anything but weak. Wrapping my arms around my friends, I give them a manly bro hug, looping my arms around their necks and pulling them each into a headlock.

I walk them to the door and push them out. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have somewhere else to be.”

The three of us say our goodbyes with promises to celebrate soon.

Without bothering to text Callie, I’m on my way home. I grab my phone and the already packed travel bag by the door, and call a car to drive me to the airport.

I can’t wait to see the surprised look on her face when I walk through the door. It’s been too long since I’ve held my girl, and I don’t want to go another day without her. We’ve already spent too much time apart, and I’m ready to start the rest of our lives together.

Right fucking now.

twenty-six

Callie

Thefaintscentofocean and sandalwood still lingers on the shirt Eli gave me to wear as I slip it over my head and slide my arms through the holes. Lifting the collar to my nose, I take a deep, indulgent breath of his cologne.

I miss him so damn much. It’s only been a few days since he left, and while I feel his absence like a hole in my chest, today was the first day the loneliness didn’t darken my mood. In fact, it was one of the best days I’ve had in a very long time.

The unexpected arrival of Eli’s family chased away my blues. Teaching Rhys to play the guitar lit a spark inside me, and I look forward to our next lesson.

But the best part was spending the day with Eli’s sisters-in-law, Rylann and Emery, and their friend, Scarlett. They were so welcoming, in a way that made me feel normal. If their fun advice and exchange of phone numbers is anything to go by, I think I may have even made friends with them. To those sweet, funny women, I wasn’tCallie Wright;I was just Callie. I was just a girl talking to her friends about boy problems.

Tying the end of my braid with a clear rubber band, I replay the morning Eli left. His leaving disappointed me, but the heat in his eyes, the confidence in his voice, and the determination to keep me safe had me melting. But his lack of communication over the last few days has me worried.

My mind drifts to the conversation I had with the girls. They are convinced Eli likes me and I should seduce him. Maybe they’re right, and I should just throw down the gauntlet and see where the chips land. Okay, so that’s not the right saying, but you know what I mean.

I finish brushing my teeth and turn off the light before climbing onto the bed with my journal and pen. Under the glow of the bedside lamp, I take a deep breath, letting my feelings take over and form words. My pen captures them, molding them into stanzas and lyrics to be used when the melody finds me.

Our tongues twine together

Fire builds between my thighs

His fingers find my desire

My body is no longer mine

I’m his to own, to fill completely

We come together, our bodies one

Desire and love, an explosion of lust

Shattered, ripped apart

But made whole in one thrust

My skin flushes, and my body tingles as I reread the words on the page and images of Eli consume me. As usual, my desire for the sexy man bleeds through the pages, sending my hormones into overdrive. My clit pulses, begging for relief.

Placing the notebook and pen on the bedside table, I lie back against the soft white pillows. Since I don’t have my vibrator, my fingers are going to have to make do for the night.

I glide my fingertips up the sides of my thighs in a soft, ticklish caress that makes my breath catch, and lift my shirt up over my stomach and breasts as I tuck it under my chin. My pussy weeps with arousal as the familiar scent of Eli’s masculine cologne fills my nose.

I picture the scene that usually plays in my head during my self-care sessions and let my hands act as if they were Eli’s.

He hovers over me, wearing nothing but his smug smirk, his thick length fully erect and lying heavy between my thighs. “Are you ready for this cock, princess?”