Chapter Twenty-Three
“What the fuck?” Beau scowled. “You can’t leave.”
“Sure I can. We are no longer business partners.” It hurt to say it, but it also felt good.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
“Cash, what are you doing?” Callie rushed to him and wrapped her hands around his biceps. “You can’t do that.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll say it again—yes I can. I’m doing it. Screw the business. I don’t give a flying fuck about it anymore.”
“That’s bullshit,” Beau snapped. “Of course you do.”
“Callie.” Cash turned to face her. “I love you.”
She looked up at him, blinking like a toad in a hailstorm. “What?”
“I love you. I’m so, so sorry I didn’t put you first. I had it in my head that we could never be together because it would hurt Beau.” He shot Beau a frown. “And I didn’t want to ruin our friendship or lose the business. But it’s too late. I felt guilty, and I had to tell him. I couldn’t keep going like that. I want you. I need you. I need you more than anything. So I’m giving up Talmadge Hale Consulting. I’ll find a job, or start my own consulting company. Whatever.” He set his hands on her hips and squeezed gently, holding the eye contact, trying to show her how serious and sincere he was about this. “If Sutherland Industries has a problem with us, at least it won’t affect the business because I’ll be out.”
She gazed up at him with shiny dark eyes. “You really love me?”
“I really do.”
Beau made a noise that sounded like guh.
“Oh, Cash.” She slipped her hands around the back of his neck, her fingertips teasing the sensitive skin there. His body responded to her nearness. Yeah, hell, she was as sweet as the cakes and cookies she baked, funny and cheerful and strong, but damn, she was also hot as a firecracker on the Fourth of July. He wanted her in his life, but there was no denying he wanted her in his bed, too. Like, right fucking now.
“You’d do that for me?”
He met her eyes steadily and spoke from the depths of his heart. “I’d do anything for you, darlin’.”
Her eyes warmed with love, and her pretty lips curved into a smile, and his heart expanded hard against his ribs. “That’s so…messed up.”
He choked. “What?”
“I mean…I know how much the business means to you. I know how hard you’ve worked at it, the long hours you’ve put in, how you networked and schmoozed and tried to bring in all those clients. I know how you help your mom and your sister. That you would give that up for me…” Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly again, her eyes glossy with tears.
“Well, this is all very touching,” Beau said gruffly, “but I’m not letting you leave the company.”
Cash glanced at his friend. “Too late.”
“No, it’s not. Come on, don’t be an idiot.” Beau sighed, bent his head, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look. I fucked up everything. You’re not leaving. I’ve lost my wife. I’ve lost my best friend. I’m not losing my business partner, too. You two are in love. It pisses me off, but fuck, I’m not gonna stand in your way.”
Cash narrowed his eyes. “Seriously?”
“Serious as an arc flash from a high-voltage breaker.”
Cash’s lips twitched, but he maintained his stony expression. “What about that whole thing about still caring for her and wanting to get back together?”
“I actually, uh, said that because I, uh, had a feeling something was going on between you two. And I was worried about the refinery project. I was getting pressure from Callie’s parents to try to get back with her. Joshua mentioned the project and said he might be able to have some influence on who got the job.”
“I can’t believe my father!”
“Fuck,” Cash muttered.
“I didn’t know you were bidding on a Sutherland project,” Callie said to Cash.
His lips tightened.
“We don’t need that job,” Beau said slowly.
“Yeah, we do.” Cash grimaced. “I mean, you do.”
“Stop with the crap. We’re still partners. We work well together. Like I said, I won’t stand in your way. I don’t like it, but I’ll get over it.”
Cash’s chest loosened, and his body felt lighter. “Yeah?”
Beau exhaled sharply and looked pained. “Yeah. You were going to give up the woman you love for me.” He paused. “I can do the same.”
“Beau. You don’t love me,” Callie reminded him gently.
“You know what I mean.”
“And you’re not going to lose that job because of me,” Callie added. “That’s ridiculous.”
Cash lifted his chin and met Beau’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Beau. I knew I should stay away from Callie. Believe me, I know that a friend’s ex-wife is off-limits. Way the fuck off-limits.”
“That didn’t stop you.”
“No. Because…it was Callie.” He tightened his arm around her. He didn’t want to rub this in, but fuck, she was irresistible.
“I better go.” Beau cast them one more glance that held a hint of sadness and turned to the door. He paused there. “Good luck with your bakery, Callie. You’ve done a great job here.”
Cash sensed Callie’s surprise. Finally she said, “Thank you, Beau.”
Beau looked pointedly at Cash. “I’ll see you Monday morning. At the office.”
Cash held his gaze. Beau was seriously stepping aside so they could be together? And telling him they could still work together? Could they?
He wanted to try.
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “See you Monday.”
The door closed behind Beau.
“I can’t believe my fucking father,” Callie said.
Cash snort-laughed. “Yeah, he’s a Sutherland all right. He didn’t get where he is by being a wuss.”
Callie wrinkled her nose. “True.”
Cash pulled her into his arms again. “I really am sorry. I was being such a dickhead.”
She smiled. “A little, yeah. You should have told me what was going on.”
“Yeah. I should have.”
“I’m sorry, too. I should have told you how I felt, instead of insulting you. I was hurt, and I lashed out. Also I was maybe a little drunk.” She held up her hand with thumb and forefinger nearly touching.
“No kidding.” He grimaced. “It did piss me off, thinking that you were using me to get back at Beau.”
“I’m sorry.” Anguish darkened her eyes.
“I get it, baby.” He stroked a strand of hair away from her face. “You were hurt, and I don’t blame you. I was an idiot.” His jaw tightened briefly. “I saw my mom get her heart broken because of my dad cheating on her and then leaving us. I saw you get your heart broken by Beau’s cheating.” He paused and pulled in a breath. “When I was a kid, after my dad left, I vowed I’d never be like that. Cheating and betrayal were the worst sins I could imagine. I promised myself I would be loyal to people I cared about and I’d always try to do the right thing. But…I was trying so hard to not be my dad…or Beau…trying to be loyal to everyone, and in the end I hurt you because of it. When you’re the one who most deserves my loyalty.”
She sucked in a shaky breath. “I love you for that loyalty. It makes you the man you are.”
“Christ.” He closed his eyes, gratitude for this woman and her forgiveness and unconditional love sweeping through him. “I’m not always good at talking about my feelings.”
She went onto her toes and kissed his mouth. Soft, warm lips brushed over his. “You’re good at other things.”
“Heh. And damn, baby, I want to do those other things to you. Hard.” He kissed her again. “Fast. And dirty.”
She moaned, and he rubbed his nose alongside hers. “Yes, please.”
“Been too long.” His hands slid down to her ass and pulled her up hard against him. His dick ached, and he pressed it against her softness. “Missed you so much.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and their mouths met again in a long, deep kiss. He licked inside her mouth, tasting her sweetness. “Oh God, Cash, I missed you, too.”
“Probably shouldn’t do this right in the windows of your shop.”
She gave a low laugh. “Probably not. But there are no windows in the back.”
He hoisted her up, and she wrapped her legs around him. He strode around behind the counter and glass display case and pushed through the white louvered swinging doors into the kitchen. It smelled fantastic, like cake and vanilla and chocolate. The counters were clean, just mixers and bowls still sitting there, presumably ready for Callie to start creating in the morning. He sat her down on a marble slab and kissed her again.
Their mouths devoured each other. He cupped her face in both hands to kiss her, then slid one hand around the side of her neck, his thumb rubbing her jaw, then closing so gently over her throat. Her jeans-clad legs hugged his hips, her ankles crossed behind him, and again his dick strained to press into her.
“Goddamn, Callie. I almost can’t believe this.”
“I know.” She moaned as his lips traveled over her jaw, then her throat. “I know. I can’t believe you love me.”
He held her face, leaned his forehead against hers, and pulled in a huge breath. Then he drew back to meet her eyes. Now was the time to be honest. “I’ve loved you forever.”
“Oh.” She pulled back and held his wrists. “That can’t be true.” She gazed up at him with questions and sadness in her eyes.
“It’s true. I know you thought I was…what did you say? A standoffish jerk. When I said I wasn’t good at talking about my feelings…I couldn’t…because I’ve always had this huge painful secret.”
“Wh-what?”
“That I was in love with you. My best friend’s girl.”
Time slowed, and the air thickened around them as she absorbed this. He watched her face change as she processed exactly what that meant.
“Oh.” She sucked briefly on her bottom lip, and a tear leaked out of her eye. “Oh God. I’m sorry.”
“Fuck no. Don’t be sorry. Shit happens, and there’s a reason for it.” That was all in the past and—holy, holy shit—they were together now. “I fell in love with you. It happened sort of gradually, and I didn’t even realize it. I knew I liked you…and you were hot as fuck…but that day you came to the hospital in that princess gown…and you were nearly crying over that little girl with cancer, but you were there, doing that for her…that was when I knew I loved you.”
She sniffled in a shaky breath. “Oh God.”
“I never wanted you—or Beau—to know how I felt about you. It was dishonest, but I told myself it was better to be dishonest about that than to hurt Beau, and lose your and Beau’s friendship. So I pretended.” He swallowed. “For years.”
She gazed up at him, eyes shining. “That makes me hurt for you.”
“Don’t.” His hands gently squeezed her shoulders. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“It makes me hurt for all the time we wasted…with other people.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “A lot of other people, in your case.”
“I was trying to forget you.” He held her gaze steadily. “It never worked.”
She blinked, her eyelashes wet, her lips parting.
“We’re stronger because of all that. Better people. This is where we were meant to be.”
More tears slid down her cheeks. “Stronger through adversity. Like my tattoo.”
“Yeah. I’m gonna have to get a fucking lotus blossom tattooed on my ass.”
She laughed on a sob. “Okay.”
He squeezed her closer, her soft breasts against his chest, her lush mouth open to him. He slid a hand into her silky hair and held her head, adjusting the angle to deepen the kiss. “I don’t want to do this here. I want you in my bed. I want to worship you.”
She sniffled. “Oh God, Cash. Is this happening for real?”
“I was wondering the same thing.” He smiled against her lips. “Come home with me, Callie.”
“Yes.”
He couldn’t get home fast enough, hated letting her out of his sight for even the short time it took them both to drive to his place. He waited at the gate as she pulled up on the street in front of his condo, held his hand out to her as she walked up the sidewalk toward him, and led her to his front door, past the potted palms and spiky plants.
“You’re so damn beautiful.” They stepped inside, and he didn’t stop, just drew her into his condo and up the stairs to the loft area where his bedroom was. It wasn’t even dark yet, his smallish bedroom full of light from the big windows, but he wanted her in his bed.
He backed her up to the mattress and eased her onto the dark-brown duvet, coming down beside her. She turned her face so their mouths met and surprised him by reaching for his hand. She pulled it up and pressed it to her breast. Over her heart. It was pumping fast, but not as fast as his, a heavy drumbeat in his chest.
He moved over her, and she pushed her elbows into the mattress and lifted her head as he nuzzled her throat, her breasts. He shoved her tank top up, and she did an ab crunch so he could whip it off. She reached behind her for the clasp of her bra, pretty sheer pink lace, then it was gone, too, and her beautiful breasts were bare for him. For a moment he could only gaze at her, overcome with emotion swelling in his chest, stealing his breath. Christ. This woman…was she really his? “I love you.”
Her mouth curved sweetly. “I love you, too.”
He bent his head, licked and sucked, loving the feel and the taste of her nipples in his mouth, loving how she responded, her hands in his hair, her body tightening and arching.
He shifted to her side, licking her breasts, nipping at the soft curves, and slid a hand down between her thighs. He rubbed her over her jeans, and she gasped and lifted into his hand. He could feel the damp heat of her right through the denim, and he gave her a firm squeeze that made her gasp.
“Please,” she whispered. “I need you to touch me there.”
“Oh yeah.” He moved back between her thighs to unbutton, unzip, and slowly ease her jeans and tiny pink thong down over hips and thighs. “Christ, you’re beautiful, Callie.” He studied her full breasts tipped with hard little nipples, her smooth stomach and slender hips, the tiny patch of dark curls at the apex of her thighs.
“So are you.” She reached for him and laid her palms on his chest, rubbing over his pecs. Heat slid down through him to his balls.
“I want to worship you. Show you everything you are to me.” Finally, finally he could show her all that he felt for her. He shifted back so he could kiss her mouth as his hand fondled her. He petted her folds with his fingers, then slid deep inside to find her hot and wet. “Baby.” He brushed his lips over the top of one breast. “You are so wet.”
“I know.”
He slid one arm beneath her, licked and sucked her breasts, grazing her with his teeth. She moaned and writhed at his touch. Fuck, he loved making her feel good. Electricity sizzled over his nerve endings, tension growing in his spine. His balls ached, and sensation wrapped around his cock, making him crazy for her.
He caressed her flat belly, the curve of her hip, and again between her legs, every touch full of reverence and awe and a desire to please her. Make her feel so good. Venturing lower, he licked the shallow indent of her navel and across her stomach, then eased her legs apart to move between them, dragging his tongue along her thighs, then to her center.
“Oh my God, Cash.” She dropped flat on her back. “Oh my God.”
“Taste so sweet, baby.” He licked again. “Wanna eat you up. Make you come.”
“I want you inside me.”
“Yeah. I will be. Believe me.”
He kissed her hip bone, found her knee with one hand, and pushed it up and back. He slid his other arm under her hip to hug her other thigh and licked her with slow, adoring strokes of his tongue. When he licked over her clit, her hips jerked and lifted against him.
“Yeah, baby.” He used one thumb to open her more to his tongue. “So sweet.”
Damn, he needed to be inside her now. He unbuttoned his shirt and ripped it off, then stripped off his pants, underwear, and socks. He yanked open the top drawer of his dresser to reach for a condom, then paused. “Do we need this?”
She moved her head from side to side on the pillow. “No. I haven’t had sex with anyone but you since I came home from Europe, and I got tested then.”
“I’ve been tested, too, and I’m good. You’re on the pill?”
“I have an implant.” She gestured toward one arm.
He moved back between her thighs on his knees, nudging her legs wider for him. He fisted his stiff dick and stroked it up and down through her creamy center, brushing the head over her clit. His balls tightened even more at the root of his cock, sizzling pleasure licking over him like flames. Touching her like this…with nothing between them…was fucking heaven.
Trembling, she opened her eyes, and he held her gaze steadily as he stroked her. Her stomach muscles tightened. “Fuck me,” she whispered.
“You are so fucking hot.”
“Hot for you.” She reached out again and grazed her fingertips over his chest and abs, all the way down to his pubic hair and the base of his cock. His muscles twitched, and his skin burned.
He found her entrance and pushed inside, all the while holding her gaze. They stared into each other’s eyes in an intimate connection that made his heart expand hard against his sternum. He couldn’t look away as her body closed around him, almost unbearably hot and tight, skin to skin, and he pushed in slowly, watching her face closely. “Okay, baby?”
“Oh yeah.” Her hips moved, changing the angle, taking him deeper. She lifted her head to watch them join, and damn, that was sexy. He thrust deeper. He reached for one of her hands, laced their fingers together, and began to fuck her, lifting her other leg higher.
Her gaze returned to his face, and he fucked her hard, deep, joining them in exquisite intimacy. She curled her fingers around his and held on tight, the bed bouncing with every thrust. Her eyes heavy-lidded, her lips wet and parted, she looked so goddamn beautiful it made his heart hurt.
He never thought he’d have this. He’d loved her for so long, from such a distance, closing his heart off because he’d never thought she could be his. He’d had a lot of sex with a lot of women, but it had never been like this, her eyes so clear and open he could see right to her heart. And she saw right to his.
She loved him, too.
A groan climbed his throat as his heart filled with love and pleasure twisted in his body. Callie’s eyes widened as her orgasm built, then closed, her body tightening, squeezing him. Electricity shorted out his brain, and a ball of fire exploded low in his belly, burning through him, his balls, his cock, flashing up his spine. He fell over her, burying his face in her neck as wave after wave of hot pleasure rolled over him, pulsing through his veins. His entire body seized with unbearable bliss, his mind blanked by ecstasy. “Love you, Callie,” he gasped into the soft skin of her neck.
“I love you, too, Cash.” Her arms wrapped tightly around him, and her mouth opened on his shoulder in a long kiss. “I love you, too. So much.”
God, those words, those words he’d never thought he’d hear from Callie. Emotion swirled in his chest. He shifted to his side, keeping them joined, and held her like she was the precious gift she was. “I want you to know…that you’re everything to me. You’re smart and sweet and beautiful and talented. It kills me that you haven’t been told that every single day of your life. You’re the most important thing to me. And you always will be. I promise you that.”
She made a noise in her throat like a sob, and he drew back to peer at her face. “Th-thank you,” she said, then sniffled. “Coming from you…that means so much. Because I know how loyal you are, and that you’re a man of your word. And you mean everything to me, too.” She feathered a touch over his bruised eye. “I’m so sorry you two fought.”
He blew out a breath. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not.”
His lips quirked. “We’re guys. It’s how we communicate.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Oh my God. No wonder the world is such a mess.”
He smiled into her eyes, pushing hair off her face. “You’re right.”
“I never realized you had this violent streak in you. First that bar brawl. Now fighting with Beau.”
“That was actually the second time Beau and I fought.”
A crease appeared between her eyebrows. “What?”
He fingered her silky hair. “The first time was when I caught him cheating on you.”
She stared at him, then closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his chest. “I feel like I’ve been so stupid.”
“No, darlin’. Never stupid. I said it before—what happens in our lives and how we deal with it makes us who we are. And right now, you and I are the people we were meant to be, and this is when we were meant to be together.”
He felt wetness on her face against his skin and tilted her chin up to kiss her mouth.
“Right?”
“Yes. Right. You are so right.”