Page 18 of The Last Wish (Lost Legacy #1)

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

SHEENA

B lood gushing from Gideon’s throat. His eyes glassy with pain. Knowing there was nothing I could do to save him. I blink, trying to clear the gruesome images from my head. It’s no use. Every few seconds, I see Gideon bleeding out in front of me again.

Did Callum intend for Ciprian to do that? And if so, why?

Callum was quiet after the break-in this morning. He told us to get started on training without him while he talked over security options with the tech team. I didn’t think much of it at the time, and I wanted a distraction from the masked man, but maybe I should have asked more questions.

Pushing my way through the door to the Therion home, I catch my hip on the console table in my hurry to be alone. Keys and coins go flying. The sharp pain rattles the tenuous grip I have on my tears. Another ragged sob breaks free as I stare at the mess.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Sarah comes around the corner, concern etched in each of the fine lines on her face. I’ve barely known her a day, but I rush into her arms like I have a right. She smells like cookies and comfort, exactly how I always imagine a mom should, and my emotional dam suffers a critical failure.

Absently, I hear the sound of my frantic breaths interrupted by hiccuping sobs as Sarah leads me into her cozy living room. She guides me down to the couch and drags a soft blanket onto my lap. I tuck it around my legs, remembering how Gideon did the same thing for me when I told him and Callum about my abduction. He must have learned it from his mom.

That makes me cry harder.

While I’m completely melting down, Sarah grips my hands between her own and waits patiently, giving me a chance to get myself under control without demanding answers. It takes a few minutes before I’m able to quiet my sobs, and then the entire story pours out of me. By the time I finish, Sarah is shaking her head in disbelief.

“Those stupid boys,” she mutters. “I love them to death, but they can be completely clueless sometimes.” She pats my hand and rises from the couch. “Hang on, honey. We need wine to work through all this.”

Even though it’s still early, Sarah comes back carrying a comically oversized bottle of chardonnay and two of the largest wine glasses I’ve ever seen. She pours us both a generous amount and curls up on the couch next to me. My ladylike sip quickly becomes a gulp once I realize how good the chilled wine feels after my crying jag.

“You’re not just upset about the illusion,” Sarah says, and I shake my head vigorously.

“It feels like they planned it together as some kind of prank on the girl that doesn’t understand this world.” I wipe another dumb tear off my cheek in frustration. “I’m trying so hard to keep up. When Callum suggested the supernatural boot camp this morning, I got excited. I wanted to prove I could belong. Instead, I completely broke down.”

I take a deep, steadying breath to keep the tears at bay. I’m tired of crying.

“Sarah, it was so real. I swear I could feel his blood slipping through my fingers as I tried to hold his neck closed.”

She shudders at my description, and I remember too late that I’m describing the fake death of her real child.

“Oh, I believe you, Sheena. Ciprian has always been a very strong nightmare demon. Even as a young boy—before he manifested—we saw flashes.” She shakes her head as she reminisces. “One second I would be feeding peas to a toddler.” She snaps her fingers. “Then a little dragon with needle-sharp teeth and scales made of bowtie pasta would be sitting in my lap.”

Sarah chuckles at the memory. I can’t help but smile as I picture it.

“He could never get it quite right, but even then, his illusions were believable. Of course, Gideon and Callum egged him on,” she says as she refills my wine glass. “Ciprian wanted to impress them so badly.”

“They were close as kids?”

“Inseparable.” She frowns. “Things didn’t change until their teens.”

“When Callum manifested as an incubus?”

“Yes.” Sarah sighs. “It was a tremendous blow for Callum. I think it came as a shock for Mallory and Dimitri as well. They didn’t handle it well.” She sips her wine in thought. “Ciprian was fourteen at the time. Overnight, all the pressure fell on him to carry on the nightmare legacy.”

“He didn’t want it,” I suggest.

“He never wanted that kind of responsibility,” Sarah says, shaking her head. “So he started acting out. Meanwhile, Callum buckled down to prove to them they were wrong about incubi. I think he wanted to show them that nothing had changed, that he was still a worthy son.”

“But it didn’t matter how good Callum was or how bad Ciprian acted because of their magic,” I say, filling in the gaps. My chest burns over the way both brothers were treated.

Sarah hums in agreement and leans back, swirling the wine in her glass. “The boys fell out with each other because Callum felt like his brother threw away everything Callum had worked for but could no longer have.” She takes a sip. “And Ciprian resents Callum for leaving him behind.”

It makes complete sense, but I hate it.

“They both deserved better,” I hiss, surprised to see Sarah nod in agreement.

“You’re right, of course, but you have to understand, Sheena. Demons have a different way of raising their offspring,” she explains. “I’m not saying it’s right, but lineage, legacy, honor—those things are everything to them. I truly believe Dimitri and Mallory love both boys fiercely in their own way.”

“I’m glad they had you,” I tell her sincerely. “When I dreamed of having a mom, I pictured someone just like you.”

I duck my head at my admission, but Sarah doesn’t give me a chance to feel embarrassed. She envelops me in a warm hug as natural as breathing. When we finally pull back, both of us are laughing and weepy.

“There’s plenty of me to go around,” she says. “I’m just happy to have my babies back in the nest, no matter how badly they’re behaving.” She pats my back and offers me a watery smile. “Now, what’s this rubbish about you not belonging in this world?”

I don’t answer immediately, taking time to fully consider her question in a way I haven’t allowed myself to do before.

“I just feel so behind, so off-balance all the time,” I admit. “Today, it didn’t even cross my mind that it could have been an illusion. If I don’t even know the rules, how can I possibly keep up?” I drain my wine, and she fills my glass back up. “Like, I know I just found out I’m a djinn, but I’m not even sure I know how to spell that.” I laugh a little manically, and Sarah takes my empty hand in hers.

“The truth is, I’m a liability for them both.”

“That’s bullshit.” A deep voice interrupts me. Sarah and I turn to see Callum hovering at the edge of the room. “Sarah, can I have a moment alone with Sheena?”

If I weren’t completely obsessed with her already, Gideon’s mom turning to me for her cue on how to answer would have been what did it. She would toss him out if I asked her to. But I don’t; I square my shoulders and give her a nod instead. This is a conversation I need to have. Sarah gives my hand a comforting squeeze before she stands and leaves the room.

Callum doesn’t come any closer. He stays half hidden in the shadows, so I can’t make out his expression. After everything that’s happened, the distance between us stings. Still, I do nothing to erase it. While I’m feeling a lot of empathy for him after my talk with Sarah, none of the reasons I’m upset have magically gone away.

“I heard what happened,” Callum says, finally breaking the silence.

“Is there anyone in this compound who hasn’t?” I snort, frustrated by the rush of shame I feel.

“I fucked up, Sheena.” He runs his fingers through his hair, tugging lightly at the ends.

“Yes, you did.” I don’t give an inch. I need him to understand how badly this hurt. “Can you tell me why?”

“Honestly, I don’t even know.”

“That’s not good enough, Callum.” My voice wobbles, and he shifts his weight but doesn’t come any closer. I wait him out.

“I don’t know,” he groans. “I had maybe ten reasons, but all of them seem stupid now.”

“Share some of them with me, then.”

“To toughen you up—you know, prepare you for what we could be up against.” He starts pacing, carving a short path back and forth in the small space of the entryway. Fury boils in my gut, but I keep my mouth shut as he explains his warped reasoning. “You fell asleep immediately last night. After you got off, you were out like a light.”

I blush at the reminder. What does that have to do with anything?

Callum stops in a patch of light, staring at me like he can will me to understand.

“I could still taste you, sweet and perfect on my tongue, and feel you pressed against me. One minute I was watching you sleep, the next I was drowning in fear.” He resumes his pacing, like a man possessed. “Sheena, I saw your death a hundred different ways. Each time, I couldn’t stop it, wasn’t enough to protect you. Then we woke up, but it was all like a dream. You were everything, and I couldn’t get enough of you, of us. In the bathroom...”

He stares at me like it’s all so clear.

“What about the bathroom, Callum?” I snap. “I brushed my teeth. You shaved. So what? You’re not making any sense.”

“We were talking, and you were happy, excited to train. You were shadowboxing in front of the mirror. It was cute, but then that fucking asshole broke into our home. He went through our shit and you froze. This whole situation—it’s not a joke.”

Oh, I know he did not just say that to me. My confusion fades, and the boiling rage inside me erupts, raining red-hot lava down on us both.

“Wait.” I hold my hand up palm first. “You set this all in motion because you think I’m not taking this seriously? That I’m some kind of idiot ?”

“No, no, of course not,” he says, pausing in his pacing. “I don’t know. I told myself it was a good starting lesson—something to put everything into perspective for you. Like supernatural shock exposure or something.”

Callum waves his hands like that’s going to make his motivations any less ridiculous.

“Oh, because getting yanked out of my bed on my birthday and being tossed in a cage too small to stand up in wasn’t enough?” I reach for my wine, my hands trembling with anger. “My actual trauma didn’t qualify as a good enough lesson, so you decided to manufacture some more to make sure everything sank in for me? Got it.”

“Shit. Fuck. No. I don’t mean—” He freezes, tugging viciously at his hair. “I just told Ciprian to rattle you a bit. It felt like a good idea at the time.”

“Let me tell you something about fear, Callum.” I lower my voice. “It’s an addiction. If you give it room to grow, it will choke out every other emotion. I’ve lived a life where the only thing I felt for months at a time was fear. I became a flinching, terrified woman, ready to run at a moment’s notice. My fear was always justified, but I let it become my only reason to go on.”

A tear rolls down my cheek. I let it fall. I’ve got to get this out while I still can. I need to make him understand.

“That might have kept me alive for a long time, but something I’ve learned from Gideon—from you—is that a life of fear isn’t worth living. You taught me that fighting back was worth it. You gave me something worth fighting for.” I stand up from the couch, kicking the blanket off my lap. “Today, during that vision, Ciprian didn’t just scare me, Callum, he took away one of my reasons to fight.”

Callum takes a step closer to me then, shaking his head in agitation as he moves fully into the light.

“I want you to fight for yourself. You told Sarah you were our liability. But, fuck, Sheena—don’t you see? We are yours. By hunting those traffickers, we put a target on your back.”

“You’re giving yourself way too much credit here. I was a target long before I met either of you.” I jab my index finger into my own chest. “I’m some freak of nature with no control over my magic, no measurable fighting skills, and no knowledge of this world. I’m learning to live with the fact that I’m putting you both at risk just by existing.”

“We don’t care about that,” he insists.

“That’s easy for you to say.” I roll my eyes. “You aren’t the weak link.”

“I’m serious, sweetheart. All those things you think are weaknesses are fixable with training.”

He comes around the couch and reaches for me. I brace one hand against his chest and hold him at arm’s length. “Then teach me. But maybe clue me in on the goddamn lesson plan next time.”

“Okay. I promise,” Callum says.

He moves back into my space and takes my hand. I let him this time. It feels good to be close after that fight. Callum studies my hand for a moment, then his lips curl up at the corners.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” I demand. Now that I understand his motivations, I'm less hurt, but I'm also not quite ready to let him off the hook.

“You really smacked my brother?” Callum grins fully, the expression sliding into devious territory.

Oh shit. I did slap Ciprian. I wince. In hindsight, maybe he didn’t deserve everything I hurled at him.

“I did,” I admit. “And if you’d been there, I probably would have slapped you too.”

Callum chuckles, then lifts my chin and kisses me. It’s a slow meeting of our lips, soft and sweet like an apology in physical form. When he pulls back, his face is pensive, the olive skin of his forehead furrowed in deep grooves.

“Seeing Gideon die... They say it made you fall apart.”

“Like a woman in a soap opera,” I whisper, shuddering as I remember the images. At the time, I felt like my heart was being torn from my chest. “I think people in the next town over heard me wailing.”

Callum kisses me again, wrapping his arms around me until all I can feel is his body against mine.

“Would you cry like that for me?”

Tucked into his chest, I feel the vulnerability in his question and know I can’t make light of it. Not this time. Even though he hurt me earlier, I summon up my courage to give him the truth.

“I’d fall down, and I don’t know if I’d ever get back up again.” My voice cracks, and his arms tighten around me. Callum may not have been kept in a physical cage like I was, but at his core, there’s still a little boy who needs to hear he’s enough.

“I’m sorry,” he groans.

It’s the first time since the start of this conversation he’s said those words to me outright, but the apology feels genuine.

“I forgive you,” I say. “Next time you’re scared, though, tell me. We’ll fight our fears together, yeah?”

He nods, burying his face in my neck. As we cling to each other, I don’t think of my past or our future.

This moment is enough.

CALLUM

I’m a fucking idiot. Projecting my personal insecurities onto Sheena, I’m lucky she’s even giving me a chance to make it right. Holding her tight, I sink into her warmth, letting her thaw some of the chill I’ve been feeling since hearing about what happened during training.

After I manifested as an incubus, I gave up on finding a long-term partner. As a kid with my world crashing down around me, being single didn’t seem like a big deal. Now, a decade later, I barely stomach the one-night stands.

Most people in our community believe incubi need promiscuity to survive, but that assumption has become a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. We don’t need variety, but being treated like an item on a sexual bucket list is enough to turn anyone into a relationship cynic.

I nuzzle Sheena’s neck, pressing my lips against the soft, sensitive skin there. Moving her hair back to give myself more room, I leave small kisses and licks along her neck, loving the way her breathing picks up as I explore. When I graze my teeth over her earlobe, the energy shifts from cautious and sweet in the wake of our fight and make-up to something more sensual. When I pull back, the look on Sheena’s face is so possessive I nearly drop to my knees.

“I want you,” she says.

“I’m yours.” I press a hungry kiss to her lips.

“Prove it.”

Her taunt lands. I shoot her a dark grin, scooping her up and carrying her to Gideon’s room where all our stuff ended up last night. Hopefully, my best friend won’t mind me burying myself inside our girl on his bed because I can’t wait a moment longer.

I kick the door closed, press Sheena against the wall, and step back to look at her. She leans back, heat simmering in her eyes. Power radiates off her in waves. She’s so beautiful I can barely stand it.

I erase the space between us and nudge her legs apart, not stopping until the denim stretches tight along her hips and thighs. She lets me move her like a doll, but the challenge in her eyes is anything but submissive. Sheena isn’t backing down; she’s daring me to please her.

I trace a finger along the inner seam of her jeans and watch her eyelids flutter.

“It’s the middle of the day,” I whisper. “You’ll have to be quiet or everyone will know what we’re up to.” I plant the idea that someone could catch us in her head. When her pupils dilate, I can tell some primal part of her likes the risk.

Using two fingers, I toy with the button of her jeans, but I don’t open them. She cants her hips toward me, making her desires clear without saying a word. I pull my hand back.

“So demanding,” I scold, watching her eyes spark with indignation. How far I can push her?

“Such a tease,” she grumbles, a hint of a whine in her voice as she rests her head against the wall. “Maybe I should take matters into my own hands.”

Her fingers drift towards the clasp of her jeans, but I stop them before they can reach their destination. Pinning both her wrists above her head with my left hand, I bring my right down to cup her pussy. She grinds down shamelessly.

My dick is hard as a rock, but I don’t want to rush. I want her to remember the first time I fuck her for the rest of our lives.

I manifest a shadow to ease open the button on her jeans and draw her zipper down painfully slowly. It releases, tooth by tooth, until her pale blue panties peek out. I caress the skin below her belly button with my fingertips, watching her tremble at my touch.

“I’m going to wreck you,” I promise her, my voice raspy.

Pressing a hard kiss to her mouth, I kick her legs back together and yank her jeans and panties down in two rough movements. Before she can recover her balance, I grab her by the hips and toss her face down on the bed. Displayed like this, she’s almost entirely at my mercy, and I can feel the way her vulnerability feeds her lust. Cradling her hip in my hand, I make a few adjustments, pulling her back gently onto her knees with her cheek pressed into the mattress.

“You don’t move until I tell you to.”

I spread her pussy with my thumbs and admire how wet she is for me. I sink one finger inside her with no warning, loving the sound of her moan. Kneeling with her legs together, face down on the bed—it’s a tight fit even for my fingers.

“I’m going to make you come until you forget how to do anything else. I won’t tease. You won’t have to beg. I’m going to give you as much pleasure as you can take.” I pull my finger out and spread the wetness around her clit, rubbing her in firm, insistent circles with my thumb. “Then, tonight, when you’re sitting at the dinner table surrounded by boring conversation, you’ll only be able to think about how thoroughly I made up for my mistake.”

She moans, pushing her hips back enthusiastically against my hand.

I keep stroking her, closing my eyes to better feel her reactions. She likes this pace, so I slip another finger inside of her, curling them until I find that special spot. I tap gently on the textured area. When she starts to buck away from the intensity of the sensation, I give her a break.

As soon as I feel her completely relax, I go back to that spot with a vengeance while dragging my thumb in lazy circles on her clit. When the first waves of her orgasm crest, energy rushes into me. Sheena turns her face into the covers to mask her scream. I stop putting pressure on her clit as soon as she becomes oversensitive, but I increase the force of my fingers thrusting inside her until she squirts all over my hand.

Giving her pleasure is the most addictive thing I’ve ever done.

I pepper her ass and back with kisses, unable to stop touching her. As her breathing returns to normal, Sheena turns her head to look at me, almost drunk with passion, and I can’t resist sinking two fingers back inside her. She clenches around me like her body is trying to hold me there.

I fucking love it.

Starting all over again, I relentlessly push her higher, watching as longing, trust, and ecstasy flicker across her face. When she comes this time, she doesn’t hide her face from me, and her mouth opens on a silent scream.

It’s the most intimate thing I’ve ever been a part of.

When she reaches back for me, I take her trembling hand in mine. “I’ve got you, sweetheart,” I say, interlacing our fingers.

I roll her gently onto her back, ditching my clothes and following her down. Her skin is silk beneath my fingers, her lips softer still as I steal kiss after kiss from her mouth. I don’t tease or hesitate. Looking deep into her eyes, I line myself up and slip inside her.

The feeling is indescribable.

Even with how wet and relaxed she is after two orgasms, it’s still a tight fit. I rock in and out with shallow strokes, burying more of my cock inside her bit by bit until I bottom out. I kiss her desperately, then rest my forehead against hers. This feeling... It’s better than the first sip of water on a hot day. Better than anything I’ve ever dared wish for.

Sheena’s eyes are glassy with unshed tears. For the first time in my life, I’m thankful for my magic, which tells me she’s experiencing the same raw intensity I am. I’m not alone; she’s right here with me. This is so much more than physical. I kiss her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose.

I brace myself on my elbows so I can give myself a deeper range of motion and kiss her at the same time. After the first few thrusts, Sheena wraps her legs around my hips, bracing her heels on my ass and using the leverage to create her own friction. The urge to pump myself into her at top speed is hard to ignore, but I’m determined to focus on her pleasure.

When she comes this time, I can feel her contracting on my cock. It’s fucking exquisite, and I have to grit my teeth to hold my orgasm back.

Even though I’m inside her, staring into her eyes with her legs wrapped around me like a vise, I’m still not close enough. I want more. I sit up, pulling her with me so I never have to leave the warmth of her body. With her straddling my lap, I thrust up into her and watch the way her breasts bounce with the force.

Sheena murmurs my name, and I kiss her hungrily. When she scrapes her nails against my scalp, I pull one rosy nipple into my mouth. We trade caresses, touches, and nibbles until I feel another orgasm building inside her. This time, I know I won’t be able to hold off, so I slip my hand down between our bodies and rub her clit.

“Just give me one more, sweetheart,” I beg.

When she shatters in my arms, I let go, feeling my face warp as my climax roars through me. Every one of my nerve endings ignites then sputters out at the same time. It feels like an electric shock completely rewiring my entire nervous system.

I’ve never come so hard in my life. This one sexual experience gave me enough juice to last a month. Despite that fact, I can’t wait for a repeat. I kiss her tenderly.

I’ll never get enough of her.

We both tumble down on top of the sheets in a sweaty, exhausted pile of arms and legs. The purple in her eyes fades back to green, and my heart pumps unsteadily. I think I love her, but I hold myself back from saying it. I don’t know whether it’s timing or self-preservation, but the last thing I want is for her to feel obligated to say it back now and regret it later.

So I say everything but those three little words.

I tell Sheena how perfect she is and how amazing her body feels, punctuating each compliment with a kiss. She smiles, cuddling sleepily into my arms and resting her head on my chest. I’m surprised when she drifts off without a word. I pull the sheets over us and settle back into the pillows. Nothing could drag me out of this bed right now.

GIDEON

When I go to my bedroom to check on Sheena and Callum before dinner, I’m not sure what to expect. Maybe a defensive Callum or an emotional Sheena.

What I find is something else entirely.

The pair of them are sprawled naked on the bed, partially covered by a sheet. Callum’s body is closest to the door, curled around her like a suit of armor. He’s partially on top of her, his olive skin tone contrasting with her paler complexion. Sharing a pillow, strands of their dark hair are caught up together so it’s hard to tell where hers ends and his begins.

Gods, they’re pretty together.

I want to crawl into that bed and lose track of time, but if I do that, we’ll miss dinner, and I don’t want Sheena skipping meals. I remember the fae’s warning and feel a sharp ache in my heart. I can’t lose her.

Sheena must sense my worry because her eyes flicker open slowly, an expression of sleepy contentment on her face. One of her hands is buried in Callum’s hair. She reaches out to me with the other, and I interlock my fingers with hers, dropping to the bed and cuddling her close. A few more minutes can’t hurt.

“Are you feeling better, baby?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

“Mm-hmm. I had a good talk with your mom and then with Callum.” She strokes a strand of his hair gently away from his face, her voice raspy from sleep. “Gideon, I’m so glad you’re okay. That you’re here with me.”

I bend my neck, lowering my head to press a kiss against her lips.

“I’m right where I want to be, next to you,” I whisper. “The nudity is just a bonus.”

She giggles quietly but doesn’t bother to cover herself. Since I’m propped against the headboard and looking down, I notice when Callum wakes up. His eyes blink open, but once he sees where his face is, he closes them again and pretends to be asleep.

Callum nuzzles her breast with his nose, and I stifle a laugh, not wanting to give away his game. Sheena looks down at him with a smile in her eyes and runs her fingers through his hair. When he eases the leg thrown around her hips between her thighs and grinds it against her deliberately, she laughs, pulling roughly on his hair to lift his head.

“I knew you weren’t asleep.”

Cal’s eyes snap open and he grins at her, the joy on his face something I haven’t seen much since we were kids. Peace sinks into me as they bicker playfully.

“Stop moving your leg.” Sheena laughs. “I cannot possibly go again or I won’t be walking to the dining room.”

“Oh shit—about dinner,” I say, pausing to check the time on my phone. They both turn to look at me.

“What about it?” Cal asks.

His voice is gravelly, and I’m shocked when my body responds to the husky sound. We’re definitely going to be late, but I can’t bring myself to care all that much. I love the way it feels to have both of them focusing their attention on me.

“It’s about to start,” I admit. “I was supposed to come get you both.”

“Oh my god.” Sheena gasps and jumps up in a panic. “So you just climbed right in and didn’t say anything?”

I shrug and dodge a flying elbow, but Callum isn’t so lucky. He takes a knee to the gut as she scrambles out of bed. Groaning dramatically, he closes his eyes and curls into a tight ball.

“Honestly, it smells better in here,” I tease, inhaling deeply. Sheena lets out a scandalized gasp, and Callum chuckles and bumps his knuckles against mine. It’s so fun and easy to rile her up. I could do it every day and never get tired of it.

“We can’t miss dinner. What will your family think?”

She’s getting really worked up now, tossing Cal’s clothes at him as she searches for her own.

“People are late all the time, Sheena. That doesn’t make them rude,” he reasons.

“It does if they were late because they were... because they were...” Sheena’s cheeks turn bright red as she struggles to find the words.

Callum perks up, a hungry look on his face.

“Because they were what, sweetheart?” He purrs at her like a cat chasing a mouse, and her blush spreads down her neck.

“You know what.” She pulls on her panties, refusing to look at either of us.

“I do.” Callum’s groan is filthy. “But I so badly want to hear you say it.”

He bites his bottom lip as Sheena shimmies into her jeans then stamps her foot. She glares at both of us while standing topless at the end of the bed.

“Fucking,” she snaps. “I don’t want your parents to think I’m the kind of person who blows off dinner and ignores their hospitality to get railed. Get up, please, before I’m too embarrassed to ever face them again.” With that, she storms into the bathroom and slams the door. Callum watches her go, naked hunger stamped on his face.

“You better get dressed, dude, or you’re going to be back in the doghouse again right after you got out.” I adjust myself, then scoot out of the bed with a laugh.

“You’re right,” he agrees. “But making up for my mistakes is so much fun. It might be worth it.”

After one last look at the bathroom door, he finally gets up and dresses himself.

“We’re going through a lot of sheets,” Callum says with a smirk.

I smile at the wrecked bed, clapping him on the back as he studies his handiwork. “Let’s just buy more.”

Sheena’s cheeks are still flushed as we walk to dinner. Neither one of my parents comment on our lack of punctuality, but the knowing look and wink my mom gives Callum is enough to make even an incubus blush.