“What time do you have to go?” she asks softly, clearly not ready for me to leave anytime soon.
I smile and rub my thumb over her cheek. After I press a kiss to her lips, I say, “I don’t have to leave tonight if you don’t want me to.”
Her eyes widen a little. “What about Sean?”
“Paris,” I murmur as I move my mouth to her neck and begin getting lost there again.
The last thing I hear her say before I’m completely lost to her is, “I fucking love Paris.”
20
Callie
“So, you owe me for last night,” Avery says as she paints my toes.
“Because?”
“Well, how do you think Luke managed to leave work early to come over?”
“I had wondered that but forgot to ask him. Shall I pay you in Chupa Chups?”
She finishes with my toes and looks at me from across the couch. We’ve been sitting here for the last few hours discussing everything from her family to Luke to world news. I can’t remember the last time the two of us had a Saturday night girls' night.
“I got lucky the day I found you, babe.”
I grin, ignoring her sarcasm. “You really did.”
“So, when are you seeing Luke next?”
“Tomorrow. I’m going over for br
eakfast, and then he’s taking me out for the day.”
“I’m impressed with our Luke Hardy,” she says. “He’s a tough man to please at work, but I’d say you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger. I’m glad it’s him because he’s treating you right. And you deserve that.”
I know she’s comparing Luke to my previous boyfriend. Mark was a dick, but I was blind to it for a long time. Or perhaps just desperate to find someone to love me, that I ignored all the signs. It wasn’t that he always treated me badly, he was just too engrossed in himself to consider my thoughts and feelings very often. Plus, he had a temper, so we spent a lot of time arguing. That relationship lasted just over two years, and then I tackled online dating in my effort to find someone to cherish me.
“Right, now it’s time to talk about you and Tyler. When are you two going to get your shit together?”
“No… There’s nothing there,” she says, but it’s obvious she doesn’t quite believe it. The hesitation in her voice is a dead giveaway.
“Oh, there is definitely something there. You two have been flirting for months. I vote you sleep with him and see where it leads.”
“Tyler is a player, Callie. I’m not going there.”
My eyes widen as realisation hits me. “You like him too much to just sleep with him, don’t you?” Avery doesn’t give her heart easily, but when she does, she loves fiercely. She can do casual sex with guys that mean nothing to her, but not with someone she’s actually interested in. She did this once, and the outcome wasn’t pretty. It took her almost a year to get over that guy.
She takes a moment to respond. “I like him. Which means I can’t sleep with him because we all know what happens when Tyler sleeps with someone.”
Yes, we do. It never lasts very long, because he soon grows bored. He’s a good guy, but he has ADD when it comes to women.
I sigh. Motioning towards the bag of Doritos on the couch near her, I say, “Pass me the chips. I think we need all the chips tonight to deal with this development.”
She nods. “Yeah. That and alcohol.”
* * *
The next morning, I arrive at Luke’s house bright and early. Avery consumed alcohol last night, but I refrained because I knew I had to be here by seven-thirty. Luke told me to come later if I wanted, but what I want more than sleep is to get to know him and his son. Sean is up early ready for breakfast, so that means I am too.