“I have to admit that I’m glad you’re the one who finally got Cal to settle down. Bets were starting to go around about whether he’d be a bachelor for life,” Stephanie said in a low tone.
Trish nodded in agreement.
“I heard he wasn’t really into commitment,” I said.
They both laughed. “We’ve never seen a woman actually with him. Because he never brought any of them to any events. You must be pretty special.”
I sipped my cider and glanced at Cal again. He smiled back. There was a warmth behind his eyes that made me melt.
“I am lucky,” I said, and I meant it. Because I wasn’t just lucky, I was falling hard for the man that seemed to have a way with picking me up and carrying me when I needed him the most.
Chapter 17
Chirp.
“What is that noise?” Cal asked, walking into my house.
“It’s the alarm. It’s been randomly chirping.”
Cal frowned at the control unit on the wall and hit a few buttons, then locked the dead bolt.
“Probably doesn’t help you sleep,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s annoying. I was going to call the alarm company tomorrow.”
“Yeah, do that. Just to see why it’s glitching.”
He followed me toward my room. “You alright? You’ve been quiet.”
I folded my lips together. I didn’t know what to say. The women were nice, the crew was on their best behavior, from what I could tell. And yet, the thought of women going in and out stuck in my mind.
I wasn’t a secret. Cal wasn’t keeping me a secret. And I trusted him. So the comments made about him finally “settling down,” rocked me in different ways. I was realizing how much of a “ladies man” he was, and also wondering, if I was the reason he was “settling down.”
Lots of thoughts. But nothing I wanted to go into. Things would continue to grow and morph how they would. It was nice being a part of the dinner, though.
“I’m fine. Tonight was fun,” I said, and I kicked off my boots by my bed. “The girls are really nice.”
“Yeah, they are,” Cal said, and pulled his shirt off. I instantly stilled, hypnotized by his amazing chest and abs, and my mouth salivated like Pavlov’s damn dog.
Cal chuckled. “You want a taste? All you have to do is come and get it, Kitten.”
“I just may.”
Everything about him, about us, in this moment was so…simple. Like a couple getting ready for bed together was a normal thing. Like we could be happy and not have all these past issues hanging over our heads.
I thought about Jack and how I thought I’d seen him. Then I looked at Cal. I knew, right then, that this was where I wanted to be. Not chasing a shadow. But with Cal.
“Um…Stephanie said that usually fiancés are the ones to show up to these dinners.”
“That’s generally true.”
“But you brought me?”
“You’re important to me.” He crawled across the bed, then sat in front of me and pulled me to stand between his spread legs. Looking up at me, he cupped my hips, this thumbs running beneath my sweater and along my stomach. “You’re very important to me.”
“You’re important to me too.”
He lifted my sweater just enough to place a kiss on my bellybutton. I gently ran my fingers through his hair. The endearment was so delicate, so sensitive, that it made water come to my eyes for some reason.