Without a word, I walk past him, but before I can get out of the kitchen, he says, “Callie.”

I glance over my shoulder, cocking a brow.

“Thanks for today.” He smiles softly. His body is still tight with lust, and I want nothing more than to run back to him and fuck him, right there on the kitchen counter. Even if it is just a one-night stand.

Except, that’s not what I want. And that’s all he’d offer me.

Not good enough.

Instead, I nod once and walk out of the room, scoop up my handbag and beeline it to my car.

I don’t take a breath until I’m three blocks away.

“What in the hell just happened?”

Chapter Six

~Declan~

The door closes behind her, and it feels as if all the air in the room went with her. I lean my palms on the counter and drop my head. God, I’m such a fucking idiot. I should have kissed her. I should have boosted her up on the counter, sunk to my knees, and ate her out for about an hour, and then I should have fucked her for the rest of the night.

But what am I doing instead?

I’m missing her.

I sigh deeply as my phone rings in my pocket. I don’t want to talk to anybody. I should go in the music room and close up in there for the night. Playing soothes me.

But when I glance at the phone, it’s my baby sister Gabby.

“Hey, Gabs.”

“Hi Dec. I’m calling to invite you out for dinner on Sunday. We’re inviting the whole family. Y’all haven’t been out in a while, and Ailish is getting so big, and she misses you.”

“She’s an infant,” I reply, but can’t help but smile. “As long as she’s fed and dry, she doesn’t miss anyone.”

“Not true,” she says. “Say you’ll come.”

“I’ll come.”

“Good. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

I shake my head and pace the kitchen. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Don’t lie to me, Declan Francis.”

“You sound like Mom.” I chuckle as I rinse a glass out and load it into the dishwasher.

“I’m a mom,” she reminds me. She’s the best fucking mother there is. Her son, Sam, is smart and funny, and has had me wrapped around his little finger since the day he was born nine years ago.

And little Ailish is the sweetest baby ever born. Gabby and Rhys did a good job there.

“Talk to me. Is this about Callie?”

“How do you know about Callie?” I ask and resume pacing the kitchen.

“Beau told me,” she says cheerfully. “He says you’re deeply in love and that we can expect you to elope any day now.”

“Beau is delusional, and we should get him medical help as soon as possible.”

Damn brother.

“I figure the truth is somewhere in the middle,” she says. She always was a smart girl.

“I like her,” I confess softly. “I want her.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I’m an idiot.”

“Duh.” I roll my eyes and try to figure out how much I want to tell her. But before I know it, I’ve told her everything, from the moment I told Callie I was taking her out to dinner, to the moment she walked out of my house not half an hour ago. Gabby is quiet the whole time, letting me tell the story.

“That’s it?” she asks.

“That’s it.”

“I really think you need to talk to her. Tell her how you’re feeling.”

“She’s decided that we’re friends, Gabs. And the thing is, she’s an awesome friend. I enjoy her. She’s smart, we laugh, we have a good time together.”

“But you want more.”

I take a deep breath. “I want more. I don’t know where it will lead, but I want more.” There’s a pause on the other end of the line. “Are you sniffling?”

“It’s just so great,” she says with tears in her voice. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever find anyone, and you have.”

“I’m not proposing.”

“No, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard you this smitten with anyone.”

“Men don’t get smitten.”

“Yes they do.”

“No. They don’t.”

“Hold on.” She doesn’t even bother to take the phone away from her mouth when she calls out to Rhys, her husband. “Babe! Declan says men don’t get smitten, but they do, right? That’s what I thought. Rhys is smitten with me,” she informs me.

“Of course he is. He wants to get laid tonight.” I laugh, only slightly uncomfortable at the thought of my baby sister having sex.

“My point is, just talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Maybe she feels the same way, but doesn’t want to tell you.”

“I’m scared,” I admit. “If I tell her I want more now, she could pull the rug out from under the whole thing, and then I lose her altogether.”

“You could lose her anyway,” she says softly. “But you never know if you don’t try.”

“Thanks, baby girl. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Bring Callie!”

“Too soon. Bye.”

I hang up before she can argue further and march into the music room.

I need to play.

***

Here goes nothing.

It’s still early in the evening, but it’s not a typical busy night, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to get Callie alone, even if it’s just for a few moments so I can talk to her. I don’t want to wait until later tonight to walk her to her car.