Cal _ and Cami chat as I drive down Main Street. Cami hasn’t stopped asking him questions about Dreamland since I accepted the ride at the grocery store, and he’s been a champ at answering each and every one of them.
The warm feeling in my chest intensifies when Cami starts laughing at whatever Cal said. He laughs and I look at him.
Except something in the window catches my attention.
My eyes jump. I brake hard, making us all jump forward from the momentum.
“What happen?” Anxiety bleeds in her voice.
I look out the back window and find the road empty. “One second.” He looks at me like I’m going crazy.
Maybe you are.
I put the car in reverse before parking in front of the abandoned store.
No.
I almost crawled onto Cal’s lap so I could see out the window better. The once-empty storefront now has a giant red Coming Soon sign taped, announcing the opening of a fast-casual restaurant later this year.
You are too late.
Watching someone else live my dream feels like a punch in the gut. Like he was so close to finally achieving what he had
expected, only to fall short by a few months.
It’s stupid to feel a sense of loss for a store that wasn’t even mine. I have no one to blame but myself in this situation. If I had been selfish, maybe I would have had the money to buy it.
But he couldn’t turn his back on those he loved. I did not want
If I had to go back in time knowing everything I know now, I would still make the same decisions, even if it meant losing all my money again in the process. Because trying to treat Mom’s cancer and not giving up on Anto because Mom never did was worth every penny.
“Everything is alright?” Cal asks.
I nod despite the tightness in my throat. His gaze runs over my face, although I don’t dare look him in the eyes.
“You look sad,” Cami adds as she peeks over the side of Cal’s chair.
My nod is weaker this time, and my chin trembles.
Cal turns my face toward him with a single finger. “How can i fix it?”
How can i fix it?
I bite the inside of my cheek, fighting the urge to vent.
Screwing.
You can not. I just thought that one day maybe I could…” My eyes travel to the store.
“Open your bakery there,” he finishes for me.
My throat becomes impossibly tight as I nod. “It sounds stupid in theory.”
“It’s not.” She speaks without a single ounce of judgment.
“Isn’t that right, though? “It’s not like I have the money or the time right now.”
“I am confident that when the time is right, the perfect opportunity will arise.”
I take one last look at the store, knowing that although my dream of opening a bakery someday is alive and well, the desire to open my store on Main Street might never happen.
Cal lifts my chin. “When you’re ready one day, I’d love to be there to cheer you on.”
Everything in me wants to believe him, but I can’t deny the kernel of doubt growing in my gut.
I may not even be here one day.
I want to ask her more about what she means, but Cami throws her stuffed animal into my lap.
“Here, mommy. “Lamby always helps me when I’m sad.”
“Thanks babe.” My voice is full of emotion. I press Lamby to my chest and squeeze him so hard I’m afraid he’s going to break his chest.
stuffed.
Cal continues answering Cami’s questions about Dreamland as I drive home. I can feel Cal’s eyes occasionally roaming over me, but I pretend not to notice as I focus on the road.
At some point during the short ride, Cal places his hand on my thigh. The weight of his palm comforts me, and before he has a chance to stop me, I grab his hand and intertwine our fingers.
For the first time since Cal showed up, I’m not scared, angry, or irritated by his presence.
I am grateful for it.
 |
After we get back from the grocery store, Cal tries his best to give me space. It’s like he knows he could break me if he asks me even one question about the bakery. He spares me a few glances throughout the night, but I focus on pouring my heart out through the cooking instead of talking to him about it.
I pull out my shiny new mixer while Cami drags him to a fake tea party with her Dreamland dolls. As much as I wish I could protect Cami from getting attached to her, I can’t keep her away from Cal. The connection they have is special. It may be a lost cause, but I hope that once he moves back in, he’ll be willing to visit Lake Wisteria solely for Cami’s sake.
And yours too.
The thought of Cal leaving makes my chest hurt, so I push him away and get back to baking. Cal keeps Cami entertained the entire time I make her favorite dessert, like I promised her when she bought the mixer.
He’s an easy guy to please. His favorite candy is Snickerdoodle cookies, although I haven’t figured out why. Out of all the things I can bake, this one seems so simple.
As I work on rolling the dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, I get lost in Cami and Cal’s pretend game. I even laugh a few times when Cal adopts a British accent to match the princess of England. For someone who despises Dreamland and everything Kane related, he sure knows a lot about the characters. He can even sing the songs, which is attractive and strangely impressive.
“Just one or you’ll lose your appetite before dinner.” I look at Cami as she set out a plate of fresh cookies for the tea party.
Cal bats his eyelashes at me. “What about me?”
“What’s the point of saying something? Anyway, you were always a fan of having dessert before dinner.
“Just because you were on the menu.” He winks.
This man is the Devil.
He takes a bite of the cookie and lets out a mix of moan and whimper. It’s the hottest sound ever, and heat pools in my belly from him and the way he closes his eyes. He was always the type to savor things.
sweets. Drinks. Me.
The last thought triggers a memory of Cal hiding between my legs, his tongue and fingers working together to make me come. My lower half throbs.
You need to lie down.
Because? A vibrator? Hey. Now that’s an idea.
Although I won’t be able to make all my problems go away permanently, I wouldn’t mind trying to get some relief tonight. At this point, I’ll do whatever it takes to prevent Cal’s fantasy between my legs from coming true.
|
I have always loved dining with Cami. It’s the only part of the day where we can sit together and enjoy each other’s company, and I thought life couldn’t get better than that.
At least I did until Cal joined us.
Having him spend time with us at dinner feels natural. Like we were always meant to be a trio, even if we spent six years apart.
I extend dinner as long as possible, solely because I want to enjoy Cami’s happiness and Cal’s attention a little more. Cami looks at me strangely when I offer snickerdoodles for the second time today, but she doesn’t tell me that I already let her have dessert earlier. of the dinner.
“Can we watch a movie?” Cami asks as Cal takes a bite of her fifth cookie. Oh really. Where do I pack everything and how do I get my body to do the same?
“Of course. I’d love to watch a movie.” I don’t think twice before answering. Cami’s bedtime is in a couple of hours, so we have plenty of time.
She puts her hands together. “And build a fort?”
“That sounds like a fun idea.” Cal’s eyes lock onto mine as her tongue darts out to lick the crumbs from her mouth.
That damn provocation.
I’m tempted to bite his bottom lip just to make a point. “Who said you were invited?” She shot him a look.
“Me!” Cami raises her hand.
Cal smiles. “It’s settled then.”
Stupid.
The only reason I decide to follow his plan is because Cal hasn’t had a drink all night. I can tell he’s trying, so I don’t want to crush his efforts.
“Okay,” I sigh before turning to Cami. “But first you have to wash your hands and brush your teeth.”
“Well!” Cami bolts for the bathroom.
Cal grabs spare blankets and some pillows from the linen closet while I turn on the huge TV Cal bought during one of his shopping sprees. I download the KidFlix app and log in with my credentials.
“What’s that?” Cal drops the blankets on the couch. “KidFlix?”
“Yeah.” She drags some of the chairs from the dining room. “A streaming service.”
“What about DreamStream?”
My head tilts. “What’s up with that?” She freezes in place. “You do not like?”
I bite my lip. “Ummm…” “What?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” DreamStream is a baby of the Kane Company, so I have to be careful how I express my opinion.
“And?”
I consider how to temper my words before settling on the truth. “It’s just not that good.”
His eyes open. “What do you mean?”
“We liked it at first. Cami really loved having constant access to all the classic Dreamland shows and movies.”
“So you had a subscription?” She unfolds one of the blankets. I grab onto one of the sides and hold it while he ties the end to the back of one of the chairs.
“Yes. For about a year or so.” “Why did you cancel it?”
“A couple of reasons. First, they increased the monthly price to double last year’s amount. Then they introduced ads on top of that, which I understand is necessary to make money, but it became too much. If we wanted to skip the ads, our subscription cost would increase by double.”
“So quadruple the original price?”
“Exactly. That’s ridiculous for the content they were offering. For the price of one DreamStream subscription, you could pay for four other streaming apps.”
“Why would they quadruple it?” he asks, more so to himself.
“I’m not sure. It’s not like they were producing much new content or anything that would justify the monthly cost. They were just reruns of all their famous shows and movies with a high price tag and honestly, with a salary like mine, it wasn’t worth the money. grief”.
“What would have made the price tag justifiable?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe more new releases and less commercials. Oh, and maybe combine all the Kane Company channels in one place. It’s a little ridiculous to ask people to pay for four different subscriptions, all owned by the same media conglomerate.”
He rubs his beard. “I think you’re onto something.”
” I?” I laugh. “I don’t know anything about that kind of thing.”
“I’ve been wondering why profits were declining compared to our competitors.”
I laugh. “Oh, I could give you a whole list.” “Would you do it?” Her head tilts with interest.
“Of course. At this rate, you’ve probably had a subscription to every streaming app available.”
Cami runs out of the bathroom with toothpaste smeared on her cheek and soap suds between her fingers. She takes her back to the bathroom and helps her while Cal finishes the fort.
It’s very tight, but somehow the three of us fit under the strong blanket, even though the top of the TV is cut off. Cami doesn’t seem to care, her enthusiasm for seeing a movie outweighs the logistics.
I lie down next to Cami, who chooses the spot closest to the edge, where Merlin sleeps curled up. Cal doesn’t know what to do before deciding to sit criss-cross near the opposite side of the fort. I’m not sure he could watch TV from his position, much less be comfortable with the way he needs to hunch his body to fit under the blanket.
“You can go to Mommy’s side.” Cami points to the spot on the other side of me. Charming. Watch Little Miss Cami play matchmaker without even knowing it.
Cal looks at me for approval before he nods slightly.
You’re totally going to regret this one.
With a small sigh, he lies down next to me. The proximity of her, combined with the smell of her body wash and the rhythm of her deep breathing, makes my brain fog and my skin tingle.
Cami chooses the movie and sits next to me. I barely pay attention to what’s happening on the screen, my mind too tuned into the man next to me. My heart beats furiously, the blood rushes to my
ears as I resist the temptation to roll over and snuggle into his chest.
At some point, Cal intertwines his pinky with mine, bonding us for the rest of the movie. The connection that comes to life with a single touch makes my toes curl.
Yes. I definitely need to get laid.
|
After I put Cami to bed, I close the door to my room, turn off the lights, and take my vibrator out of its case on the nightstand. It’s been a while since I got off, and although the vibrator isn’t close to the real thing, it gets the job done. I light a candle and play acoustic music to drown out any noise before I get into bed. My thoughts wander to all the things I need to do before I remember what I wanted to do in the first place.
I pull my nightshirt over my head and discard my underwear before returning to bed. This time, my thoughts drift to something much more dangerous.
Something forbidden for a hundred different reasons.
Callahan Kane.
The man hasn’t left my head since he reappeared in my life, dragging me into the past I’ve spent years trying to forget.
You could also take advantage of its proximity and use it to get out.
I close my eyes and imagine Cal hovering over me, his fingers trailing across my chest instead of mine. He takes his time to reacquaint himself with my body. Every gasp, sigh, and moan encourages him, and he plays with one breast until I’m breathless and panting beneath him before moving on to the other.
My fingernail catches on the sharp beak, but I replace the image with Cal’s.
He is the one who teases my body with his hands until I am begging for release.
He ‘s the one who tilts the vibrator so that the G-spot stimulator hits at the perfect angle.
He ‘s the one who… knocks on the door?!
My eyes open. I sit up and gasp as the vibration intensifies, making my eyes roll back in my head.
“Wool? Did you hear me?” Cal hits harder.
I moan into a pillow as I release the vibrator and turn off the button.
“Wait a minute,” I rasp, my voice coming out hoarser than I would have liked.
His blows stop.
Thank God.
I slide out of the covers. My legs feel like jelly as I search for my shirt. With a quick sweep of my hair, I open the door.
“That?”
His eyes scan my face. “I wanted to ask you a couple of things about DreamStream.”
“Now? It’s nine at night.” He looks at me like I’m crazy. “And?”
“It’s late now. Ask me tomorrow.” I push the door to close it, but he presses his palm against the wood to prevent it from closing.
“Is it late already? Wait…” He sniffs. “Is that lavender?” “Yes. I lit a candle. And?”
“Did you light a candle?” he repeat. “You never light a candle unless…” His eyes widen in recognition. “Of course. The candle. The music. The…” He looks over my head at the panties on the floor. “Nice touch.”
My cheeks blush. I reach to close the door, but his strength prevents it from closing.
“How do I get an invitation?” Her eyes sink, the heat of her gaze burning a path through my body. The way she looks at me, I’m afraid she’s going to set me on fire.
The heat in my belly from before returns with force. “Dont do it. Now go.” She pushed the door again, but his grip was still strong, preventing her from moving a single centimeter.
“Let me make you feel good. “Please ,” she says in a harsh voice.
God. No man should look or sound so desperate to please a woman. He can give anyone a complex, especially when he’s paired with Cal licking his lips.
A single plea makes my walls crumble like a poorly built gingerbread house.
What’s the worst that can happen?
If you ask yourself that question, you are further away than I thought.
I shake my head. “No.”
It is the best. I didn’t spend the last two months keeping him at arm’s length to ruin him because I’m desperate for relief.
You are not desperate for relief. You are desperate for him .
The truth hits me like a punch in the stomach, stealing my breath.
His grip on the door frame tightens. “I will pray on my knees if necessary.”
“Good. Move forward.” I release my grip on the door and take a step back.
You’re going to regret this tomorrow.
Then I better make the most of tonight.
He doesn’t move, doesn’t even blink, as I retreat deeper into my room, adding enough distance to make his plea worth it. “Are you going to get on your knees and beg, or are you going to stand there and watch while I make me cum harder than you ever could?”
His nostrils flare. “Is that a challenge?”
A devious smile spreads across my face. “It is a promise.”
