Page 37 of Stolen Voices

She shakes her head, refusing to answer me.

“Why did you leave?” That’s the answer I really want. What was so important that she had to slip out to do, alone?

Callie looks away and whispers, “I don’t know.”

She’s lying, so I push. “Yes, you do. Just fucking tell me. Why did you steal my car? Did you need it to go off and meet up with your boyfriend or something?” I sneer.

The idea of her with another man makes my skin crawl. I don’t want anyone to put their dirty fucking hands on her.Mine, the caveman part of my brain growls, pounding on its chest.

“So, what if I did?” she snaps, pushing me away.

But I don’t budge. I can’t. The beast in me pulls at his chain, ready to leap and maul her for bringing up another man.

I am so fucked.

I’m two seconds away from gripping her face in my palm and smashing my mouth to hers in a kiss that I’m not sure I would stop until I had her bent over the vanity and taking my cock until she screamed my name like a good girl.

Super fucked.

This woman has me all twisted up inside. These uncontrollable urges to protect her and pull her closer clash with my need to push her away.

I take a step back, pulling at my hair. “I’m trying to be nice and not invade your privacy here, but I can just as easily look up the address.”

Unshed tears pool in her eyes. “Then look.”

“I don’t want to look. I want you to trust me. I want you to tell me.”

A tear slips, spilling down Callie’s cheek. She wipes it away with a sniffle. “Trust me first. I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”

“Fuck,” I hiss. Ripping my eyes away from her, I turn and face the door. I can feel my feet slipping over the edge, going down the slippery slope I’ve been avoiding with her.

I want Callie.

It’s my biggest, darkest secret. One I’m not ready to confront or act on, but I know having her could slip away forever if I keep behaving like an asshole.

Trust is hard, but my gut tells me that if I don’t trust Callie now, she’ll push me away.

“Don’t fuck it up.”Mason’s earlier words come back to me.

I have to give her this, even though it’s agony.

I turn around to find Callie staring at my reflection in the mirror. Her sad eyes say everything and nothing at all. She wants to tell me, but she’s not ready—that, we can agree on.

“I trust you, Callie. Someday, I hope you trust me back.” Callie’s entire demeanor shifts the instant I give her my trust. My earlier ire evaporates as her shoulders fall and the worry in her eyes disappears.

“Thank you,” she whispers and turns to face me. The tension in the air dissipates to a low simmer, and an understanding passes between us as we stare at one another.

“Will you please go home and rest? You can take my car.” I smirk at her.

“Okay.” She gives me a watery smile, and the ache in my chest for this woman grows double the size.

My eyes linger on hers for another second before I head for the door. I need to get the fuck out of here before I step toward her, wrap my arms around her waist, tilt her head back, and kiss the ever-living fuck out of her.

What is she doing to me?

“Eli,” Callie calls out.

As my hand touches the door handle, I look over my shoulder at her. “Yeah, Cal?”