every sense of the word. Which means you in my bed. Every night. No matter what. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to build us again but that includes us in the bedroom as well.”
She inhaled sharply, her body automatically responding to the dominance in his voice.
“The words. I want the words.”
She licked her lips nervously and then slowly nodded. “All right.”
Chapter Seven
Callie stumbled from Max’s hotel room, her mind and senses reeling. He hadn’t wanted her to go. He’d wanted her to stay with him. But she needed time to process what had just happened. And her parents were expecting her. Lunch tomorrow. She’d told them she’d be back tonight.
She hadn’t invited Max. Maybe that hurt him. But she simply wasn’t ready to introduce him to her family. She first had to come to terms with and resolve herself to the abrupt change that was her relationship with Max.
How could she go from deeply wounded to suddenly happy? Her family would smell a rat a mile away. Then they’d want an explanation, and she wasn’t ready to spill what had transpired between her and Max.
They would be angry. Understandably so, and their relationship with Max would forever be tarnished by the fact he’d hurt her so badly. They wouldn’t forgive so easily.
She got into her SUV and drove. No direction. No clear destination. She circled the small town and pulled up to the bar. Dillon would be working tonight since he’d ordered her to take the night off. Which meant that Lily was home with only Michael and Seth.
She’d promised her mom she’d be back, but she couldn’t go yet. Not without talking to Lily. Her mind was about to explode and she needed to unload. Lily was the only person who knew the whole story.
She backed out of the parking lot and turned in the direction of Dillon’s cabin. It wasn’t a far drive from town, but it was down a winding private road that dead-ended at his house.
Her hands shook on the steering wheel, and she took her time, not trusting herself not to wind up in a ditch. When she finally pulled up to the cabin, she breathed a sigh of relief and shut off the engine.
Before she was fully out of her truck, Seth appeared on the front porch and leaned against one of the posts, his gaze sharp as he watched her get out.
She smiled or at least she thought she did. Her entire face felt frozen and her lips were still swollen from Max’s kisses.
“I thought you were staying with Mom and the dads tonight.”
“I was. I am. I had to meet a friend in town. I’d totally forgotten. I told Mom I’d be up later.”
The lie fell clumsily from her lips and she hated it. She never lied to her family. She never held anything back from them. Until now. Until Max.
Seth pushed off the post and held out his arms. She went into his embrace and hugged him tightly. As she pulled away, she glanced up at him. “What was that for?”
“You looked like you needed it.”
It was all she could do to hold the tears at bay. She bit her lip and tried to gather her scrambled senses.
“Is Lily busy? I wanted to see her.”
If he thought it was nuts that she was back to see Lily again, he didn’t comment.
“She’s never too busy to see you. She’s inside. Go on in.”
Callie pushed open the door, leaving Seth on the porch. Lily was on the couch, her feet in Michael’s lap while they watched a movie. When they looked up and saw Callie, Lily swung her feet to the floor and sat up.
“Callie! I thought you were up at your parents’. Is everything okay?”
Callie smiled. “I’m going later.” She glanced over at Michael who suddenly stood and took a step toward the door.
“I’m just going out to see if Seth needs any…help.”
Grateful that both her brothers had taken the hint, Callie plopped onto the couch beside Lily who was looking at her with deep concern in her eyes.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Lily said in a low voice. “Max. He’s upset you again. I really think we should tell
She inhaled sharply, her body automatically responding to the dominance in his voice.
“The words. I want the words.”
She licked her lips nervously and then slowly nodded. “All right.”
Chapter Seven
Callie stumbled from Max’s hotel room, her mind and senses reeling. He hadn’t wanted her to go. He’d wanted her to stay with him. But she needed time to process what had just happened. And her parents were expecting her. Lunch tomorrow. She’d told them she’d be back tonight.
She hadn’t invited Max. Maybe that hurt him. But she simply wasn’t ready to introduce him to her family. She first had to come to terms with and resolve herself to the abrupt change that was her relationship with Max.
How could she go from deeply wounded to suddenly happy? Her family would smell a rat a mile away. Then they’d want an explanation, and she wasn’t ready to spill what had transpired between her and Max.
They would be angry. Understandably so, and their relationship with Max would forever be tarnished by the fact he’d hurt her so badly. They wouldn’t forgive so easily.
She got into her SUV and drove. No direction. No clear destination. She circled the small town and pulled up to the bar. Dillon would be working tonight since he’d ordered her to take the night off. Which meant that Lily was home with only Michael and Seth.
She’d promised her mom she’d be back, but she couldn’t go yet. Not without talking to Lily. Her mind was about to explode and she needed to unload. Lily was the only person who knew the whole story.
She backed out of the parking lot and turned in the direction of Dillon’s cabin. It wasn’t a far drive from town, but it was down a winding private road that dead-ended at his house.
Her hands shook on the steering wheel, and she took her time, not trusting herself not to wind up in a ditch. When she finally pulled up to the cabin, she breathed a sigh of relief and shut off the engine.
Before she was fully out of her truck, Seth appeared on the front porch and leaned against one of the posts, his gaze sharp as he watched her get out.
She smiled or at least she thought she did. Her entire face felt frozen and her lips were still swollen from Max’s kisses.
“I thought you were staying with Mom and the dads tonight.”
“I was. I am. I had to meet a friend in town. I’d totally forgotten. I told Mom I’d be up later.”
The lie fell clumsily from her lips and she hated it. She never lied to her family. She never held anything back from them. Until now. Until Max.
Seth pushed off the post and held out his arms. She went into his embrace and hugged him tightly. As she pulled away, she glanced up at him. “What was that for?”
“You looked like you needed it.”
It was all she could do to hold the tears at bay. She bit her lip and tried to gather her scrambled senses.
“Is Lily busy? I wanted to see her.”
If he thought it was nuts that she was back to see Lily again, he didn’t comment.
“She’s never too busy to see you. She’s inside. Go on in.”
Callie pushed open the door, leaving Seth on the porch. Lily was on the couch, her feet in Michael’s lap while they watched a movie. When they looked up and saw Callie, Lily swung her feet to the floor and sat up.
“Callie! I thought you were up at your parents’. Is everything okay?”
Callie smiled. “I’m going later.” She glanced over at Michael who suddenly stood and took a step toward the door.
“I’m just going out to see if Seth needs any…help.”
Grateful that both her brothers had taken the hint, Callie plopped onto the couch beside Lily who was looking at her with deep concern in her eyes.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Lily said in a low voice. “Max. He’s upset you again. I really think we should tell
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