I grinned, pulling her to her feet. “How in the world did I ever categorize you in the angelic department?”
“I only get wicked with you, Callum.” She blushed, matching her rose pink lips.
My nose touched her forehead and then I gave her lips a few chaste kisses. I wasn’t one to linger on this particular area. Quick kisses I could do; French kissing, not so much. “It’s a given that you’d only get wicked with me. Your full loyalty is expected; in and out of the bedroom.” My hands gently fixed her underwear before I lowered her skirt down. Our eyed didn’t meet until I somehow managed to pull her shirt together, which was unsalvageable. “Do you have an extra shirt?” I frowned. “I don’t want any men coming in here when you’re all exposed.”
She rolled her eyes and ‘pft’ me. Cupping her br**sts together, she shrugged, nonchalant. “It’s fine, nothing they haven’t seen before.”
I burned, about to hit my limit. “What the bloody f**k!” I groaned as I tugged on my hair.
When she started giggling, I gave her a death stare. It was a joke, surely? “Stella.”
“Goodness, you’re extremely jealous, aren’t you?” She grinned, pretending to fix my tie and collar. “I’m going to have a ball with that temper of yours, Cal.” Gray eyes looked at me before going all serious and quiet. “So we’re really going to do this?” She swallowed and then licked her lips. “You and me?”
She sounded vulnerable just then. Something tugged at me, urging me to hold her closer, to feel her warmth and her soft body against mine. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, I won’t hurt you. I didn’t want to do this, force myself upon you, but you must know… I want you and this need can’t be tampered down after a quick shag. I need more.” I paused, suddenly unsure where I was heading with this. With her. It was all too fast, but I knew I had to have her or I’d go mental. “I need you.”
After my epic heartbreak, I never allowed myself to need anything or anyone. So for me to take immediate steps to open myself to need her was a big deal. That’s the thing though, I hadn’t noticed until it was too late.
I pulled something out of my pocket and handed it to her.
She slowly took it and then stared at in her palm, like it was strange. “I don’t need the key to your house. I’m not one of those women that expects things like that from a guy. I’m okay with what we had before.”
She was, but I wasn’t. “I expect you to live with me most days. I want to come home to you, eat dinner together and share ghastly work stories.”
“You sure?”
I nodded, kissing the tip of her button nose. Yeah, this surely felt right. More than right. She felt perfect. “Positive.”
“So, what time do you expect me for dinner, lover?” She raised her brow, teasing.
“I’ll text you,” I murmured against her cheek, readying to leave. “I could cook, but I’m thinking of Chinese takeout, bottles of vintage wine and spending some time together. How does that sound?”
“You’re like a dream, Cal.”
Hell.
Stella looked… as though she was hoping that this was going to turn out like a fairytale. I’d hate to prick her bubble, but I had to do it now.
"Oh, one more thing, Stella. Don't fall for me." It was the only thing I wasn’t capable of providing. It was best to have everything on the table now before things got tricky and complicated later on.
She looked taken aback at my bluntness. "What makes you think that I will?"
Women were wired differently. Men didn’t relate sex and love in the same formation. Men could easily have as much sex all his life and never really know what love was because, really, falling in love wasn’t an easy thing. Men loved to control and possess the things around them. Love didn’t come with that option. One thing I knew, though, once a woman captured an impassioned man, she’d most likely have his love for the rest of his life. Whether he’d like it or not, it was bound to just fester there until he took note of it.
"Women always do and I always walk away. So I wanted this to be sorted out beforehand because I don’t want to ruin a very good sexual relationship and amiable friendship due to some complicated emotion I’m not capable of providing." My eyes never left hers. She looked hurt, but she immediately recovered, masking it all with a bright smile.
“Don’t worry because whenever I do choose to fall in love, it won’t be you, Cal.” She kissed my cheek, parting from me with a goodbye before she strode towards her desk. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
Stella was dismissing me as she took a call from her ringing phone. Had her phone not interrupted us, I would’ve demanded her elaborate what that meant.
Sighing, I strode out of there, but before I did, I stole a quick glance at Stella, smiling to whomever she was talking to. As long as she didn’t cheat, the rest wasn’t my business. Yet somehow, I ended up dwelling about the events that occurred in her office all afternoon.
Later, out of the blue, I decided to text her. A part of me just wanted to and I couldn’t help it.
Me: Dinner at six?
Sent. It sounded nonchalant, good.
Stella: Lovely.
Lovely. One word.
That’s it? After the afternoon we had? Women usually replied with a lengthy response, some even went through the lengths of what they’d do to me once they see me, but with Stella, all I got was one word.
Me: Can’t stop thinking about you.
This was uncharacteristic, but I did it anyway. Impulse was a fiend, but it was the truth. Stella hadn’t left my mind, not after I touched her and made her mine.
Stella: Same goes for me, Cal. I’m already wishing the minutes away until I can jump on you.
Oh, do tell, my wickedness urged on. There was nothing sexier to me than a woman who knew how to arouse a man through words. A man’s imagination was a powerful tool a woman could easily take over. With the right words, an erotic voice and a heavy dose of sass, men would fall at your feet.
Me: I like where your thoughts are heading. Any more sexual preferences you care to try?
Men were simple creatures. Good food, a healthy sex life, successful career and all would be well.
Stella: You’re the Lord and Master. I’m just a shy, innocent woman who’s more than willing to be ravished.
She had yet to learn what pleased me, and I her. For some reason, I sure was looking forward to being with her, waking up to her every morning next to me and coming home to her at night. With her, everything seemed incredibly vibrant. Like there was more to life than partying, f**king and making more money. It was sad in some ways, but I wanted that feeling she gave me when she was around.