Black Forever (Obsidian 4)

Calloway stood with his hands in his pockets, staring straight ahead like he was sharing the elevator with a stranger.

I checked emails on my phone just so I had something to do.

He walked me to my office then stepped inside with me. Both of his hands immediately went to my face as he cupped my cheeks and kissed me on the mouth. His kiss was slow but full of passion, telling me he would miss me while he remained down the hall for the rest of the day. He sucked my bottom lip before we broke apart.

His fingers brushed a strand of hair from my face, grazing my cheek with the same gentleness he showed me that morning. He gave me a final look of longing, as if he wanted to stay in that tiny little office with me for the rest of the day. Without saying another word, he walked out and left me standing there, weak in the knees for the man who made me tremble with just a single kiss.

I sat at my desk and stared at the black computer screen, still thinking about that final kiss before he left. Something was different between us. His feelings seemed to intensity, to amplify. I didn’t know what the difference was, but I knew I liked it.

Calloway and I left the office at the end of the day and got into the back seat of Tom’s car.

“Do you want to stop by and see your mom?”

Calloway stared out the window like he hadn’t heard me. His five-o’clock shadow was already starting to come in now that the evening drew near. In his black suit, his frame looked powerful and prominent. Despite the fact that every inch of his frame was covered, it was obvious he was a muscular man. “Sure.”

Tom headed for the assisted-living facility at the edge of the city once he heard Calloway’s response.

I stared out the window and enjoyed the silence between us. Calloway and I didn’t always need to talk to fill the emptiness that emerged through lack of conversation. Just being together seemed to be enough for both of us. Since we were together all the time, there wasn’t anything new to discuss.

The quiet was fine with me, but I missed his affection. I hadn’t received any since this morning, so I reached across the seat between us and grabbed his hand. My palm was much smaller than his, nothing comparable. I felt the thick veins across the top of his hand and wished those powerful hands were all over my body.

Calloway stared at my hand before he brought it to his lips and gave it a kiss. His mouth was warm against my cold hand, his lips wet and soft. He locked eyes with me as he kissed me, the intensity powerful and scorching at the same time.

He lowered my hand and rested it on his thigh, his hand positioned on top. He turned his gaze back to the window, his fingertips over his lips as he returned to his thoughts.

“Calloway?”

“Hmm?” His eyes didn’t shift back to me.

“What are you thinking about?”

The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “That I wish Tom weren’t around.”

We arrived at the nursing home then walked inside. Calloway didn’t have a book with him, so he pulled out his phone and downloaded the book. Sometimes, his mother wasn’t in the mood to be read to, but most of the time, she was.

We walked into her room then the balcony, where she sat in her rocking chair. We introduced ourselves as usual then took a seat.

Theresa stared at Calloway hard, giving him an expression neither one of us had seen before. It was similar to the look Calloway gave me when he was angry. But her expression was much softer.

Calloway held her look, waiting for her to say something.

I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but every time I came to visit, I hoped his mother would have a revelation. Something about me stimulated her memory once, and I hoped Calloway’s presence would somehow remind her that he was her son. I knew it hurt Calloway that my appearance had more of an impact on her than his ever did, despite the fact that he’d been diligently visiting her for years.

A pained look stretched across her face, a stress that couldn’t be quantified based on her expression alone. “Have we met before?”

My lungs immediately stopped working because my body could no longer function. I’d always known a mother’s love for her children would outweigh any illness. There was no way she could look at Calloway and ignore those crystal blue eyes that she shared. She couldn’t look at him and not see the same visage her husband once possessed.

Calloway’s expression didn’t change as he held her look. Sometimes it was impossible to tell what he was thinking because he didn’t give anything away. I could usually detect his moods, and when he was really transparent, his thoughts. But right now, the thoughts behind that handsome face were a mystery. “Yes. I’ve been visiting you every week for the past three years. You’ve met me many times.”