“Sorry about my parents,” Calliope said as she and Jonathan walked toward Main Street. Jonathan lived in one of the apartments on south Main Street that Howie had converted for his employees. “They’re a little, uh….”

“Demonstrative?” Jonathan suggested.

“Embarrassing.” She snorted, but couldn’t help grinning just a little. They were her parents, after all.

“I think it’s cool that they’re still so into each other after how many years of marriage?”

“It was thirty last year,” Calliope said. “We had a big celebration and everything. They handed out dildos and anal plugs as party favors.”

Jonathan laughed, turning a bright shade of red that Calliope could see even though the sun had gone down. “Actually, I think that’s awesome,” he said, nodding in consideration.

“Really? Because it embarrassed the hell out of me and Melody.”

“No, really. It’s a great idea,” he went on. “Give people the gift that keeps on giving.”

Calliope snorted again.

“It’s what I would have done,” Jonathan went on.

“Given people dildos?” Calliope arched a disbelieving brow.

Jonathan shook his head. “Given my party guests something that would continue to make them happy. And okay, maybe sex toys aren’t really my personal style, but the more I think about it, the more I have in common with your parents.”

The idea sent a chill down Calliope’s back. She wasn’t sure if it was a good chill. Aside from that thing that said a woman always looked to date someone like her dad—and when he wasn’t embarrassing her, her dad was pretty awesome—her parents seemed so distant sometimes, so focused on each other. Which meant they didn’t have as much time for their kids.

“Okay, you’re going to have to tell me what that look is for,” Jonathan said.

Calliope blinked. “What look?”

He swerved closer to her, taking her hand as they turned onto Main Street. “That sort of tight look you get sometimes.”

“I get a tight look?” A burst of fear, like she’d been caught doing something bad, hit her.

Jonathan shrugged. “It’s a subtle look, but I’ve seen enough to know that it comes over you when something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” she said in a rush. “I’m fine.” The feeling of getting caught intensified.

“Sweetie, you’re more than fine,” he said with a roguish look.

Every bit of her self-consciousness blew away. He’d never sweet-talked her like that before. She liked it. A lot.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” She flirted back as they headed toward the station platform and the bridge that would take them to south Main Street. “In fact, I’d say you’re finer than frog hair.”

Jonathan laughed. “Is that one of those charming, western idioms?”

“It’s a true statement,” she said with a wink.

The moment of awkwardness was gone, and they strolled along through the shops that made up the south side of town. Jonathan’s building was at the far end, which suited Calliope. It was quiet, secluded. Or as secluded as anyone could be in Haskell. By the time they climbed the stairs to the second floor apartment above the print shop, she was ready for what she hoped would come next. Namely, her.

“So back to that look you get sometimes,” Jonathan said, drawing her into his arms after setting aside his keys.

And that was so not the mood she was hoping for.

“I swear, I don’t have a look. Unless you mean the way I look at you.” She slipped her arms around his waist, gazing up into his eyes.

He grinned back, brushing his fingers along the side of her face and sending tingles down her spine. She thought she’d successfully changed the subject, until he said, “I would love to get inside that head of yours and figure out what has you so worried all the time.”

She would much rather he get inside her pants. But the writing was on the wall. They were going to have this conversation, whether she wanted to or not.

“It’s really nothing,” she said, inching back and playing with the buttons of his shirt. That gave her something to look at besides his penetrating eyes too. “I guess, sometimes, I’m just a worrier. I get lost in my thoughts.”

“A penny for those thoughts?” he asked, twining his fingers through a strand of her hair. “Maybe I can help sort them out.”

She glanced up at him with a teasing grin. “Men do like to solve problems, don’t they?”

“We sure do.” His smile grew. “And if worrying is your problem, I know a few solutions that work brilliantly to make you forget all of your troubles.”

“Do you now?” A flash of heat filled her, concentrating on all the places she would rather be focusing on that evening. Things were finally headed in the right direction.

“I do.” He inched closer to her, letting one hand drop to her backside. “Sharing your deepest, darkest secrets always makes things better.”

The swirls of warmth paused. Calliope’s grin turned to a smirk. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it teasing exactly.”

She was back to having no idea what they were doing or where things were heading for the night. But it was hard to be suspicious when he was squeezing her butt the way he was. So help her, if he moved his other hand to her breast, she would probably end up confessing everything she’d ever thought or done wrong since “accidentally” spilling ink on Kathy’s new pink dress right before the Christmas pageant in eighth grade.

“Would you think I’m a horrible person if I told you I want you all to myself?” she blurted. If the truth was what would land her in bed under him—or on top of him, she wasn’t picky—then she’d go for it.

“Nope,” he answered with a grin. “It’s kinda flattering, actually.”

That was easy. “Good.” She pressed her fingertips into the delicious muscles of his back.

“Would you think I’m horrible if I said that I want you all to myself sometimes too?” he said in a low purr, bending closer to her.

“Absolutely not.”

He closed the distance between their mouths, his lips slanting over hers. Calliope felt as though she’d been waiting for that kiss for ages, her whole life. A ripple of pleasure swept through her as his tongue teased against hers. She committed to the kiss a hundred percent, tasting him and letting him invade her completely.

But it was the shiver low in her abdomen that made the moment magical. The thrill of expectation that made her heart beat faster was unlike anything she’d experienced all the times she’d gone to bed with a guy just to get her rocks off. Her chest seemed to both squeeze in and expand as her heart ached with longing. He moved a hand to cup her breast at last, his thumb rubbing against her nipple over the fabric of her dress and bra. It sent shafts of pleasure through her that reached a deeper level than anything had before.

“Why don’t we continue this discussion in the bedroom,” Jonathan said, his voice husky and all business.

Calliope swayed back, looking up at him. His playfulness had vanished, leaving the smoldering look of a man who was about to ravish a woman within an inch of losing her mind. “That sounds like a great idea,” she whispered breathless.

He surprised her by lifting her into his arms, like a medieval warrior claiming a prize. She’d been staring at his strong arms for months, but until he was carrying her as if she weighed nothing, she hadn’t grasped how strong he was. He marched straight through the open door to his bedroom, kicking it shut with his foot, and laid her across the bed without turning the lights on.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” he murmured, settling on top of her and between her legs, both of them still fully clothed. “A long time.”

He stole another kiss before she could answer, one that made her wish she was buck naked, with her legs wrapped around him. His weight was significant, but sexy as hell at the same time. His body was just so solid. She could feel his warmth seeping into her, and it drove her crazy.

“Let’s just get rid of a few things,” she said between kisses, reaching for the hem of his shirt. She tugged it out of his pants, then spread her hands across the heated flesh of his sides. It felt so good that she moaned through their next, lingering kiss.

“Good idea,” he growled, then shifted back to stand beside the bed.

He undid the buttons of his shirt and tossed it aside with lightning speed as Calliope shimmied out of her dress. She’d worn a simple, knit thing with no fastenings specifically so that she could get out of it in a hurry. She would have gone without underwear too, if it hadn’t been for the whole dinner with the parents thing. Although her parents probably would have approved. Either way, both bra and panties were off and tossed aside before Jonathan had finished tugging his shoes off.

“Let me help with that,” she said, kneeling on the bed and reaching for Jonathan’s pants.

He seemed momentarily stunned by the sight of her naked, and simply stood there while she unzipped his fly and pushed his pants and briefs down over his hips. Then it was her turn to stare in stunned silence. He was perfectly formed in every way, from the firm, defined muscles of his abdomen to the curve of his hips and thighs to his large, thick penis that stood at attention as soon as it was freed. The flutters of excitement that had been growing more insistent in Calliope raged to full-on aching at the sight of how big he was. But of course he would be perfectly proportional.

“I can definitely work with this,” she said, half teasing, half in deadly earnest, sliding her hands from his thighs to stroke his length. She swore she could feel him harden at her touch.

“Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I like the sound of that,” he growled.

She played with him, alternating light strokes with fisting. If she wasn’t already higher than usual from kneeling on the bed, she would have bent over and licked the head of his penis, or heck, closed her mouth around him to find out just how deeply she could swallow him. She’d never minded giving guys head, never really understood what all the fuss was about. They loved it. The physiology of why they loved it was as simple as nerve endings and friction. She was more than ready for a little friction.

“My parents may be embarrassing,” she said, grabbing his hips and pulling him forward in invitation, “but they never held back from making sure we learned all the stuff.”

“All the stuff?” He surged forward, prompting her to rock back, and crawling over top of her once more.

“All of it.”

Their bodies met and rubbed together as he kissed her once more. The contrast of his hard lines and her soft curves fired both Calliope’s nerve-endings and her imagination. She dragged her fingernails across his sides and over his back, wanting to explore every inch of him and have the favor returned.

He was doing a damn good job of that already. His mouth left hers, and he shifted down, licking across her neck to the juncture of her collarbone, then lower still. He closed a hand around her breast, pressing it up to meet his hungry mouth as it closed over her nipple. She sighed at the sensation of his tongue teasing her. Her core throbbed with pleasure as he sucked hard, then grazed her nipple with his teeth. The next moment, he drew back and blew gently on her wet nipple, sending shivers through her at his tenderness. And just as quickly, he poured on the intensity again as he kissed and licked and squeezed her. The change-up had her writhing and aching for more.

She wanted to do as much for him as he was doing for her, but every time she wriggled against him or reached for his cock, he inched away. Oddly, the twist of frustration that came from being completely at his mercy was a total turn-on. He moved lower, taking everything she wanted to get her hands on completely out of her reach, kissing her abdomen and brushing her thighs with maddeningly temptation. All she could do was thread her fingers through his thick hair as he went lower.

And then she couldn’t even do that. He grabbed her knees and spread them apart in a gesture that was demanding, and that left her quivering with expectation. A primal sound rumbled from him as he brushed his hands up her inner thighs to the wet, wanting part of her. His touch against her labia was gentle, but also erotic and possessive as he spread that part of her as well. It was so intimate that she found herself gripping the bedcovers just to keep herself still so that he could look at her.

All bets were off as soon as he lowered his head and drew his tongue across the flesh he’d exposed. She let out a mewling cry as he flicked his tongue across her clitoris, then held her breath as he slipped his tongue lower. Every sensation was new and shattering as he traced the parts of her that throbbed for him, then pressed inside of her. She’d never had a man do that before. The pure intimacy of it sent her close to the edge, and when he closed his mouth over her clitoris and sucked, she fell apart.

Her orgasm was outstanding, deep and throbbing and long. She lost herself in it, letting the sensations drag her under. Before she had finished, he backed away, reaching for the drawer in his bedside table. She caught a flash of silver as he tore into the condom packet, a flurry of movement, and then he was with her again.

She gasped as he slid himself home inside of her. Orgasm had left her body loose and warm, but as he filled and stretched her, excitement flooded her once again. Everything about him was big and overwhelming and perfect. She clasped her arms around him, gripped him with her thighs, and held on as he thrust. He wasn’t gentle, but at the same time, he seemed to know his own strength and limits. And she loved it. She loved every strong, deep, primal thrust. He let go, and she was completely at his mercy as he took his pleasure from her.

It was so good that a second orgasm crashed over her as his movements reached a fevered pitch. She cried out as he groaned and tensed with his own orgasm. She didn’t need words to feel how powerful and how good it was for him. He radiated pleasure and contentment as his rocking slowed to a heavy stop. For both of them, she was sure, it was perfection.

At last, he rolled to the side, and the two of them lay there, sweating and panting. That had been everything Calliope was waiting for and more. The bubble of pure bliss that surrounded her and Jonathan made everything else that had been bothering her float away.

It took several more lazy, heavy minutes of the two of them snuggling together for the rush of completion to soften into a cozy glow. Jonathan disposed of his condom, and the two of them snuggled under the blankets together.

“Do you mind if I stay the night?” Calliope asked as she burrowed against him, already falling asleep.

“I don’t mind at all,” he sighed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She smiled against the warm muscle of his bicep and closed her eyes. This was what she wanted. Everything would work out. Those lonely feelings would leave and not come back, and she’d feel like a whole person again.

A whole person? Was she missing something?

Her discordant thought came right as Jonathan’s phone rang. She hadn’t seen him take the phone from his pocket and put it on the bedside table, but it sat there now, ringing and vibrating and ruining her buzz. Worse still, Jonathan reached for it.

“You’re not really going to answer that, are you?” she asked, her haze clearing up abruptly.

“It might be important,” he said.

“Yeah, but we’re in bed.”

He hesitated, frowning. “But if somebody needs me, I can’t leave them hanging.”

The frustration that had dogged Calliope for weeks snapped back on her, only this time, she knew exactly what it was. Someone else was more important to Jonathan than her. That shouldn’t have bothered her, but man, did it ever.

The phone stopped ringing. Jonathan’s frown deepened. “I hope whatever that was, it wasn’t important.” He set the phone back on the bedside table and closed his arms around Calliope once more.

“If it was important, they’ll call back,” she said.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the phone rang again. Jonathan reached for it faster this time, and Calliope huffed out a breath. Crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hello?” Jonathan answered. A second later, his face relaxed. “Hi Kathy. What can I do for you?”

Anger struck Calliope faster than it ever had before. Kathy? Calling Jonathan? Late on a Friday night? She was going to murder the little, pink parasite.

“Sure, we can do that.” He paused. “Yeah, I bet.” Another pause, then, “Yeah. Uh-huh.”

Calliope could hear Kathy’s excited chatter on the other end of the call. “Tell her you’re busy,” she whispered. Jonathan glanced to her apologetically. “Tell her you have other things to do. Like me.”

She wasn’t trying to be funny, but Jonathan’s mouth tipped up in a smile all the same. “Sounds great,” he answered something Kathy said. “Hey look, I’m a little busy at the moment. But we’d be happy to meet you at Montrose Lumber tomorrow. No, I don’t have any plans tomorrow morning.”

Calliope’s brow jerked up. The team had planned to spend most of the afternoon at work on the apartment, but she’d been hoping to spend some alone time with Jonathan in the morning. It was Greg Meyers all over again. If Kathy had been right there, she would have strangled the woman.

“Okay. Sounds good. We’ll see you then.” Jonathan ended the call and put his phone aside.

“What was that all about?” Calliope asked, trying and failing to keep her cool.

“Apparently, a new shipment of marble countertop slabs came in tonight at Montrose Lumber,” Jonathan said, snuggling closer and pulling her into his arms, even though she was having a hard time getting that magic spark back. “She just wants to look at them and maybe pick one for the apartment.”

“I thought she’d picked countertops and things last week, when we first got started.”

“She wants to look at the new stuff.”

“But what about the work we have to do?” At the rate she was going, Calliope would be too worked up to sleep, and for all the wrong reasons. “We already have materials on order. This will set us way back. And I was hoping we could spend some time together tomorrow.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he assured her. “We can still go to breakfast. Then we’ll just pop over to the lumber store and see what they have. I swear, we’ll be together all day.”

“But not alone.”

He shrugged, settling back against the pillows. “Every moment I spend with you is precious, whether we’re by ourselves or in a crowd.”

Calliope’s resistance melted, but her frustration continued to bubble. How he could be so sweet and so aggravating at the same time was beyond her. She rested her head against his shoulder and draped her arm across his bare chest. “Just as long as we don’t forget what’s important here.”

“We won’t,” he said, settling his hand over hers where it rested against his heart.

But Calliope wondered if they had the same idea about what should come first.