“Is that so?” My voice is tight. The fear of falling deeper and harder for this woman only to have her shy away when the attention, the pressure, the all-encompassing battle of wills that is my life, is almost too much to bear. Having just found someone so in tune with me, what kind of man would I be to bring her into my world unprepared? This is exactly why I have a need for the glass box, as she puts it.
“And I’m guessing you’ve woken up wondering if firstly, we were drunk last night and that’s why I’m still here in your bed or secondly, if I’m still here, what could I possibly think about the way you let me take control and how you let go of the tight rein you have on your instincts and just went with it. Am I close?”
I roll over, unable to resist the urge to run my knuckles over the curve of her shoulder and along her arm, answering her question with my touch.
“Then let me ask you this. Why are you so reserved?”
“What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?” I clear my throat to hide my discomfort. Looking in her eyes, I can see no malice there, nothing but sincerity.
“It’s the Lucia Inquisition. It’s done naked in bed and it’s far more comfortable.” Her tone stays light and teasing.
I watch her, and her soft green eyes are full of understanding. There is no judgment or disgust in her expression. She genuinely wants to know what is going on. I decide that honesty is the best policy. “It’s safer.”
“For whom?” she quickly asks, not giving me an inch.
“Me. The women I choose to be involved with . . .”
“And am I now a woman you’re choosing to involve yourself with?” One of her hands runs over my arm, her touch acting as a salve.
“After last night, I damn well hope so.” I instinctually find myself pressing my body into her more to reiterate my answer. I roll on top of her body, bracing my forearms on either side of her head to take some of my weight off her. She reaches up and snakes her hands through my hair, tangling her fingers through the wayward strands.
“Then I think it’s safe to say that you need to open the door to that box and let me in there with you.”
“And then what happens?”
“Then together . . .” She gently tightens her fingers and pulls my temple down to rest against her forehead, her voice dropping to a soft whisper,“ . . . we ride this wave and take whatever comes. Whatever caused you to be so tense last night, whatever the outside pressures are that you’re trying and failing to deal with, we’ll do it while also getting to know each other and building the necessary trust so we can further pursue whatever it is you’re trying so hard to protect me from.”
I grin up at her. “You’re rather assertive when you set your mind to something. But you have to know, I’m not easygoing. I haven’t let a woman get close before.”
“Then I’m glad you’re giving me a shot at getting in there,” she says with a sigh. “Why are you so worried, Cal? You’re one of the most put-together men I have ever met. It’s what I know is hiding underneath the hard exterior that has had me intrigued from the start.”
“Are you sure you’re willing to deal with everything that comes along with the Callum Alexander name? The publicity? The gossip? The events? The—”
Her finger presses against my lips, halting my diatribe. “I’m willing to do it for you.”
“Is that the same thing?”
“It’s far better. I’m doing it for you, not because of you. There’s a distinct difference.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. I couldn’t bear that.”
“Then trust me to tell you when and if we reach a line I’m not willing to cross. But I’ll tell you now, Cal. There are many lines out there, and I haven’t met one yet that has stopped me. I’ve been hoping you’d realize that.”
I watch as a sly smile creeps over her face and her hands drop from my hair, stretching up above her head. My eyes drift down and watch as her breasts are pulled up along with them. “Now, I’m all for heavy in the morning, but that’s after at least one orgasm and good coffee. Think you can help me out with that, since we both agree that I’m now the woman you’re involved with?” I’m met with a smirk that has my previously felt apprehension leaching out of me.
“I’d hate to think I’m failing at my hosting duties. I best get right on that.” I lower my head and circle her offered nipple with my tongue before trailing kisses up her throat and brushing my lips across hers, her mouth chasing mine as I tease her.
An hour later, I’m upstairs enjoying breakfast and coffee on the balcony with a smiling and sated woman by my side, my nagging concerns muted for now, but I know that in letting Lucia into the fold, the one that I’ve never experienced and only Grant knows about, I’m taking on one of the biggest risks of my life.
I can only hope that the choice I’ve made is the right one.
I’ve been fortunate enough not to run into Carmen Dallas for a few months now. That was until today and although I’d warned Luce about the media and the interest in my private life, I hadn’t told her about Hurricane Dallas and her life’s mission to find out everything and anything to get the ‘big scoop.’
This means that I was unprepared when Lucia and I were enjoying a quiet Sunday lunch at the Japanese Tea Garden and Carmen strolled through the door with a huge smile on her face as she walked toward us.
“Callum, fancy running into you here. Oh, and on a date. It must be my lucky day.”
I can’t even try to rein in my distaste for this woman, but the overwhelming emotion running through my body is that of fear.
“Ms. Dallas,” I grind out, my body immediately tensing when I realize that I have no way of shielding Luce from her.
“And who do we have here?” She turns her attention toward Luce, who lowers her cup back to the table and raises an eyebrow at me before turning a very sweet, welcoming smile toward our impromptu guest.
She offers her hand out for Carmen to shake, which she does willingly, but watching the two women, I can see the glaringly obvious differences between the two of them. It’s not just blonde vs. brunette; it’s devious vs. genuine.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while, Lucia. You’re a hard woman to track down.”
Luce pulls her hand back and leans her body toward mine.
“That’s funny,” she muses, “because this is the first time I’ve met you—Carmen, did you say? So I’m unclear as to why you would be trying to track me down, except for the fact that I am dating Callum.”
I lean back in my chair and watch with fascination when I feel Lucia’s hand grip my thigh, almost possessively.
Carmen decides to settle in and pulls out a chair, sitting herself down at our table, which just puts me on edge. This woman is the top gossip columnist in San Francisco. Her weekly two page spread in the Tribune is one of the most talked about and read features in the city. The fact that she’s been looking for and into Lucia has me concerned that the woman I now have strong feelings for might not know what she has opened herself up to.
“Callum is hot property. People want to be him, or be with him. And since they can’t be either, they want to know about him, everything about him. Which is where I come in.”
I snort, which earns a frown from Carmen and a smirk from Luce. “Anyway. It seems you’ve become a permanent fixture in Callum’s life, which is a feat in itself. Tell me more about yourself?”
Luce remains calm, her expression one of amusement. She takes another sip of her tea and looks over at me and winks—winks—before turning back to Carmen.
“What surprises me, Carmen, is that you think who I am or what I do, or anything to do with the man I do it with, is of any consequence, let alone anyone’s business.”