Every time I was around Callie, my cock tried to lead. And every time I was around my brother, my guilt at me alive. It had been a week since our encounter in her bedroom and I couldn't keep my head screwed on straight. And since she hadn’t asked me for any other advice, I decided to throw myself into work. We still had the purchasing of our international headquarters to wrap up before we began renovations and a lot had to be looked over in terms of contracts and offers. And I ended up making some headway. I got a final price locked in and was in the process of negotiating the terms of the payment.

What I figured I’d get done in three weeks had gotten done in less than one.

The television droned on in the background and I paid it no mind. I worked better with a bit of white noise in the background, unlike Clay who needed total silence to do anything. But the second that mousey little voice hit my ears, my head whipped up from my papers.

And right there, on the screen, was Matthew Jennings.

The broadcast said ‘official press conference’ and I quickly grabbed my remote. I leaned back into my chair and turned up the volume in order to catch what he was saying. I told that little rat to keep Callie’s name out of the media, and I meant it. If he even so much as thought about dropping her name, I’d come for him.

But the electric fury that rushed down my back caused me to grip my remote so hard I thought I’d shatter it into little plastic bits.

“My public actions with regard to my fiance are deplorable, at best. I have no defense, other than my own selfish whims. I am owed nothing, and as a man that got caught in his infidelity, I don’t expect anyone to have any sympathy for me. But, that doesn't mean I don’t love Callie with all my heart.”

Red dripped in my vision as his words filled my office.

“That doesn't mean I don’t want to speak with her and try to work things out. I’ve been trying to get in touch with her, but she hasn’t been taking my calls. So, I hope she’ll hear me when I say this.”

His eyes turned directly into the camera and I was ready to wrap my hands around that little fucker’s throat.

“Callie Roper, I love you. I’m an idiot. A selfish idiot. But I’m ready to work things out once and for all, on your terms and with your rules. So, with that said…”

I stood from my chair as Matthew pulled Callie’s engagement ring from his pocket. I planted my knuckles into my desk as he sank to his knee on national television, then held the ring up for the camera. Oh, he was good. He was a performer of the highest caliber. He deserved an Oscar nomination for the shit he was pulling.

And everyone was ‘awwww’’ing as if he deserved their praise.

“I’m not perfect, Callie. I never claimed to be. And yes, I got jealous because of your Master’s degree. I admit that. I wasn’t prepared for the sheer amount of time you’d spend working and studying, and all I ever wanted was to spend as much of my waking time with you as I possibly could. I let my selfish wants get in the way of us, but it won’t happen again. Callie Roper, will you agree to marry me again?”

The crowd around him erupted into applause as the announcer on the television came back to the screen. She was all smiles and blushing and fanning herself as if she’d just creamed her panties right there on television. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe what that asshole had done. The little shit was tugging at the heartstrings of the public in order to force Callie into talking with him.

And that wasn’t happening.

I picked up my cell phone and immediately and dialed up Clay. And the phone didn’t even ring once before he picked it up.

“Are you seeing this?” I asked.

“Colt. I can’t see straight. I can’t… I need you to get over to this house.”

“Why? Wait, you’re not in your office?”

“No. I stayed home today and did some things with Callie. She was in the living room with me when the press conference took place.”

“She’s seen it?” I asked.

“Yep. She saw it. She got angry, she got quiet, and then she got up to her room and I can’t get her to come out and talk.”

“Give her some space. She needs to be able to breathe.”

“Can you come over here and try to talk with her? You’ve always had a better way of communicating with her than I have, Colt.”

I bit down onto the inside of my cheek to keep myself from groaning.

“Fine. I’m on my way. I’ll be there soon.”

“Thanks, Colt. I really appreciate it. And I know Callie will, too.”

I turned off the television, picked up my things, and raced straight over to the house. Every fiber of my being wanted to seek out that little rat and smoke him out of his den. He had no right to manipulate Callie this way. He had no right to use the media to forward his own agenda. Callie wasn’t his to possess. Wasn’t his to command. She was a free-spirited young woman who only wanted to get away from a man that destroyed her heart and broke her trust.

I squealed into the driveway and headed straight for Callie’s room. I didn’t shut the front door. I didn’t speak to Clay. I didn’t do anything. I took the steps two at a time until I stood in front of Callie’s door. In front of a door I had pinned her to only a week ago.

I hadn’t been anywhere near it since our encounter, but I could hear her sniffling behind the door. Her muffled cries hit my ears and all pretense fell out the window. I knocked on the door softly to try and get her attention and I heard her swallow her sobs.

“Callie. It’s me,” I said.

“Colt?” she asked.

I peeked back and watched Clay come up the stairs. I heard her door crack itself open and I gazed into the swollen, red eyes of a broken-hearted young girl. I was shocked at how quickly she opened it for me. Especially with all of the fuss she had apparently been giving Clay. I looked back at my brother and he urged me to go in, his eyebrows hiked up to his hairline.

He wouldn't be doing that if he knew how hot my body was getting.

Get a grip, Colton. Callie needs you. Not your fucking cock.

I inched myself in through the crack in the door and tried to shake all of the thoughts from my head. What kind of man had I turned into? Callie was crying in her room and the only thing I could think about was having her body again. I grimaced at my own ineptitude. I shut Callie’s bedroom door behind me and heard Clay march back down the stairs, leaving the two of us alone in her room.

Behind a closed door.

Again.

“Why is he doing this?” Callie asked.

“Oh, Callie. Come here,” I said.

I opened my arms for her and she rushed into them, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her head fell into the divot of my chest and I settled my chin on top of her head. Her sniffles were deep. Her body shook with her anger and her sorrow. I held her as close as I could get her, trying to figure out what I could do to be with her in this moment. My mind was torn between crashing my lips to hers and crashing my fist into Matthew’s face.

And neither reaction was appropriate for the situation.

“I have no idea what to do, Colt. What I said was final. I meant it when I broke things off with him. And I don’t understand why Matthew won’t accept the fact that I don’t want to get married anymore. Is it the money? Maybe it’s because he can’t get the money back from all of the checks we wrote off already. Do you think he’s going to ask for that money back? Make me pay half of it or something?”

“Sh-sh-sh-sh. It’s okay. First, you need to calm down,” I said.

I stroked my fingers through her hair as she drew in a shuddering breath.

“Do you think I should talk with him? Am I doing some sort of a disservice by not talking with him?” she asked.

I felt my body tense at the mere idea of her sitting down with that asshole after what he had pulled.

“You already talking with him,” I said.

“But, I mean, if he has questions only I can answer, do I owe it to him to sit down?”

I crooked my finger underneath her chin and tilted her watery gaze up to mine.

“I want to make this very clear, Callie. You owe that man nothing. You owe no one in your life nothing. You already spoke with him. You gave him the ring back. That’s all the talking that has to happen in a scenario like this.”

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Callie. Your brother and I will handle this.”

“I don’t want that, Colt. This is something I should be able to handle. I’m a grown woman. I’m simply a little lost for advice and direction.”

“Not when a man like him is using the media to manipulate the situation. He knows what he’s doing, and that makes him dangerous. I know you’re a grown woman. Trust me, I know.”

I watched Callie’s cheeks blush and it took all I had to keep my cock from growing against her body.

“Being grown has nothing to do with this situation. This is a completely different ballgame. The media is a completely different ballgame. And I told that boy on the phone that if he took another step in this direction, there would be hell to pay. And now, hell is going to be brought to his doorstep.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

I released her from my arms and watched her sit on the edge of her bed.

“I’m going to contact our Public Relations Department and they’re going to intervene on your behalf,” I said.

“What?” Callie asked.

“They’re going to deal with the media front. They’re paid to deal with the media front. You say nothing to anyone who approaches you. Everything is cleared through them. And until then, I’m coming to stay with you and Clay just in case Matthew comes here.”

“You’re what?”

I was just as shocked at my suggestion as she was.

“Colt, you don’t have to do all that. What if the three of us sat down with Matthew or something?”

“Do you want to sit down with Matthew?”

I watched her lips part and close several times before she shook her head ‘no’.

“Then you’re not sitting down with him. That will only happen if you want it. Not if he wants it. He made his decision and he’s the one throwing a toddler-sized tantrum to the press about it. Clay and I’s P.R. Department will handle the mess he just displayed on television. And in the meantime, I’m packing up my things and moving in.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Positive.”

I watched relief spread across Callie’s features, but inside I felt dread encompass my being. This wasn't a good situation for me. Being closed up in a house with her would be the death of me. And with Clay always lurking around, he was bound to figure something out. But I wanted to protect Callie. I needed to protect her. Matthew was manipulating her, and that shit wasn’t going to fly. Not on my watch.

“I’ve got some work I have to finish up at the office, then I’m coming over with my things. But would you at least entertain Clay and not lock yourself away from him? He’s really worried about you,” I said.

“You know how he is. He wants to fix everything and talk about everything then and there. And I wasn’t ready to do that. Not after I had just watched the damn thing on television.”

“Then tell him that, Callie. Because that man loves you. And he’s at just as much of a loss as you are. Talk to him. And if you don’t want to do it for yourself, then do it for me.”

Her eyes fluttered up to mine and her gaze alone seized my heart in my chest.

“I promise I’ll talk with him before you get back here tonight,” she said.

“Good girl.”

The words flew out of my mouth before I could catch them and the air sizzled between myself and Callie. Her eyes danced between mine and I watched her tongue dart out to lick her lips. No. Not again. That wasn’t happening again. It couldn’t. Not during such a vulnerable moment in her world. I was better than that. She was better than that. And quite honestly, I didn’t want her coping with the stress of this situation by losing herself in another man.

No matter how much I wanted to feel her skin against my palms again.

“I’ll see you tonight,” I said.

I backed towards her door as she stood to her feet.

“Colt?”

“Yes?”

“Did my father call you? Or did you come after you saw the interview?”

I panned my eyes over to hers and sighed.

“Your father called me, Callie.”

Then, I left before anything else could be said. I had a big feeling that conversation wasn’t going anywhere good, and Callie had enough on her plate to digest.