“I need to be inside you.” Callum was already pulling his zipper down before he pushed my skirt upwards and my thong aside.
Our mating was torrid and utterly sublime.
“Tell me you love me,” Callum demanded as he slid in and out of me; commanding and unrelenting.
“I love you,” I whispered the words as though they sealed my fate. I had never felt so bare and so open, and yet, declaring those words empowered me somehow.
Callum started to pant, matching his thrusts. Each stroke was making me cry out in ecstasy. “Stella,” he choked out before I felt him tense, crushing me against his large frame as he came inside me. It was how he described it… but what I didn’t anticipate was the mere act itself felt sacred.
He was breathing heavily on my neck, our hearts beating wildly against our chests, coming down from our highs. “Fuck. I’ve missed you,” he rasped out with a hand cradling my cheek before he started kissing the back of my earlobe. “I don’t think I can walk out of here without you. You’re coming home with me.”
I was battling with my body and it wasn’t helping that I could feel him starting to get hard again whilst inside me. “What about Zara?”
His hips gently rolled, pumping slowly, lazily. “She’s not who I want.”
My hand touched over where his heart thumped enthusiastically. “Is she still in here?”
He paused, breathing hard. “Yes, I’m sorry that she is.”
I swallowed what little saliva I had left. “You’re going to end up hurting me, Cal. I’m scared.”
He pulled away from my neck and faced me, determined to get his way. “Tell me what can make this easier for you. I’m willing to compromise a great deal just to have you back.” A small smile pulled on the side of his lips. “Hell, I’ll even go as far as to not have sex with you as long as you come home and sleep next to me.”
Compromise, huh... “Even if I date other men?”
Gotcha.
He opened his mouth then shut it closed. “You want to see other men? Why? You have me. You don’t need anyone else.”
“If I’m risking being hurt to be with you, I want a piece of something that isn’t lost to me. I don’t want to be fully consumed by you and end up losing everything in the end.” I licked my lips, pausing as I sought his understanding. “Let me hang on to something—something that’s mine—a piece of myself that you can’t take away.”
A deep crease etched on his forehead, contemplating my proposal. He took about half a minute to make a decision. “Very well. As long as you promise that it’s only dating. No sex of any kind. No one gets to touch you—not even me—well, unless you give me permission then I’d be more than happy to oblige your requests.”
He truly was serious about compromise. “Are you sure you can handle your jealousy?” I had doubts, of course I did.
He didn’t even bother sugarcoating anything, though. “No, but I’m going to keep on trying.” His sincerity was felt and I took that as an answer.
“Then we have a deal.” It was a damn gamble, but I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I didn’t take this chance.
“Thank you, Stella.” He dropped delicious kisses all over my face.
“Again?”
His tongue was seeking, toying with my ear. “I think you need a few more shots of Callum in you so that you’ll be immune to other men.”
Arrogant bastard, I mused. “You’re mad.”
“Oh, you have no idea, my sweet.” His thrusts resumed. “When it comes to you, I’m nearing mental,” Callum said before sinking his teeth into my neck.
Chapter 32
Stella
I went on two dates that Luciana set up for me and every time Callum waited up like a demented person. It wasn’t that I was goading him or anything, but I needed for him to know that if I couldn’t fully have him, then I had to keep something of myself as well. He got to keep Zara in his heart and I got to keep my freedom. Even exchange? Not really, but I’d rather have it than not have anything at all.
What I liked about him after those dates, though, was how he always greeted me the second I entered the foyer. After kissing me on the cheek, each and every time he’d say, “Thanks for coming back safe.”
Our transition was evolving and I hoped he’d stay this way. I wasn’t blind, I knew he didn’t like me going out, but he had no choice other than to agree with my conditions.
Tomorrow marked a week of me being back here and I promised Clive that I was going to go have dinner with him. After the meal, we had plans to watch the latest horror flick that had recently come out. Callum had a business dinner, so it wouldn’t be a problem if I stayed out a lot later than usual.
I knew I could date who ever I desired, yet for some reason, I didn’t want him to know that I was going out with Clive.
As expected, dinner with Clive was splendid. It was so great that we ended up catching the last slotted time for the show. Watching a horror flick when drunk was actually quite refreshing. Clive and I both ended up laughing at parts that were supposed to be meant as scary.
To say that I had an incredibly fun night was an understatement
Time flew by and I didn’t come home until it was past three in the morning. I tried not to panic since it was extremely late.
I entered the house like a thief; suspicious, alert and sneaky. The house was dark and I sighed with relief as I tiptoed into the foyer, trying to make as little noise as possible. I was planning to sleep in one of the guest rooms when Callum’s voice echoed throughout the dark house.
“That was Clive who dropped you off?”
Fuck. He was up!
“Good of you to check out through the window like a total creeper.” Was he waiting down here all this time? God, I hoped not.
Callum emerged from his dark hiding spot, wearing only his black boxer briefs and nothing else. “What did you guys do?” he asked, folding his arms on his chest, looking at me like a sergeant interrogating his underdogs.
No, he promised not to do this. If I gave in now, he’d do this every time. “In case you forgot, Callum, you gave me your word that you wouldn’t question me. As long as I came home safe, everything was fine.”
I could actually hear him grind his teeth together. “Yes, you’re having a bloody ball. I won’t ask anymore, I swear it, but I need you to answer me this one question. Did you have sex with him?” he grit out, body tense.