Shit. He did a quick scan of the menu, ordered a steak and handed her the menu.
“Are you even here tonight?” Calliope asked.
“Sorry. A lot on my mind.”
She reached for his hand. “Would you like to talk about it?”
“No.” Hell, no.
“Well, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay.” This time he was determined to pay attention.
“The holidays are approaching, you know.”
He lifted his lips and took a sip of tea. “Yeah, I have a calendar.”
“Smartass. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d be willing to come over to my parents’ house. They’re having an open house this weekend.”
He swallowed. Talk about tuning into his train of thought. “I don’t know, Calliope. I’m not exactly their favorite person after Cassandra.”
“I don’t agree. They don’t hold a grudge. Anyway, there’re more.”
“It gets worse?”
“I don’t know if you’d call it worse. But I think if you and I are going to go anywhere with our relationship, there are some issues you need to put to rest.”
He didn’t like where this was going. “Go on.”
“Cassie’s coming home for the holidays.”
And the train just jumped the tracks. “No.”
“Hear me out on this.”
“No. She and I have nothing to say to each other. Everything was said between our attorneys.”
She squeezed his hand. “See? That’s the problem. Neither of you had closure.”
He pulled his hand away. “I had plenty of closure.”
“Wyatt.”
“Calliope. No. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I have nothing to say to Cassandra that hasn’t already been said. I don’t want to see her again, or talk to her again. Ever.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but the waitress brought their drinks. Maybe she could tell by the look on his face, but she didn’t bring up the topic again, at least until they left the restaurant and went back to his place.
They were curled up on the sofa together and she was unbuttoning his shirt, a slow seduction that was too damn slow in his opinion. He was more than ready to get to the good stuff, like her gorgeous na**d body, with him inside her, hopefully rocking her world.
“What if you and I end up having…let’s say a long-term relationship.”
Fun halted. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s say we do.”
“Eventually you’re going to have to see my parents, come over to my house, hang out at holidays and birthdays and stuff.”
He turned to face her. “My relationship is with you. Not with your family any more than your relationship is with my family. I care about you. Just you.”
“But that isn’t the way it works and you know it. You’re trying to be simplistic and putting the two of us in a bubble. I don’t want it to work that way, and I don’t think you do, either. I like your family. I want our future to include our families—providing, of course, we have a future together. Do you want us to have a future together?”
He inhaled, let it out. “This is complicated.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You’re making it that way by shoving this giant obstacle between us.”
“Cassandra.”
“Yes. And she doesn’t have to be there. If you’d—”
He put his fingers to her lips. “I don’t want my ex-wife in our lives, and I sure as hell don’t want her between us right now. I don’t want to talk about her or think about her. What I want right now is to kiss you.” He put his mouth where his fingers had been. He much preferred kissing her to talking.
When she leaned against him, he felt her surrender. She curled her hand around his neck and moaned against him. He’d won this battle.
But it was a temporary reprieve. This wasn’t over, but he was content to let it go for now. All he wanted was this moment, and to have Calliope in his arms, to feel the softness of her body as she moved against him.
He reached behind her to the zipper of the incredibly sexy dress she’d worn to dinner. All he could think about was getting the dress off her. He dragged the zipper down, then drew the dress off her shoulders. She wore a black silk bra that made him hold his breath because her br**sts nearly spilled over the top.
“Wow.”
She grinned and pushed her glasses up.
Damn, she was one sexy woman. She slid off his lap, unhooked her bra then shimmied out of her panties. “You know what I really wish we could do?”
“If it has anything to do with sex, your wish is granted.”
“Good. Because I want to take a shower.”
He liked the direction of her thoughts. They made his dick pound hard against his jeans. He stood, scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs, depositing her on the floor in the bathroom. He turned the shower on while he removed his clothes, loving the way Calliope watched him as he undressed. He was hard and aching by the time he pulled her inside the oversized shower.
“I told you the first time I came here that this shower gave me naughty thoughts,” she said.
“And I want to hear all about them.”
“Four showerheads? It’s a woman’s dream, in more ways than one.” She stepped under one of the sprays, not at all self-conscious about her hair getting wet or her makeup running down her face. One of the things he loved about her.
Wyatt stood back and watched the water stream in rivers down her gorgeous body as she slicked her hair back.
He moved in and put his arms around her to tug her against him, let her feel what she did to him. She reached between them to stroke him, agonizing him with slow, careful movements that made him clench his jaw.
He pushed her against the wall and lifted her arms over her head, held them there with his hand while he used the other to roam over her body. Water poured over them both, steam shadowing them and making the temperature rise as his body heated to unbearable. He bent and took a nipple, licked it then sucked it between his lips. Her moans of pleasure and the way she rocked her h*ps toward him were an invitation for more.
He wanted more, so he straightened and cupped her sex, watching her eyes as he rocked his hand against her, found the tight nub and rolled it between his fingers and took her where she wanted to go. She gasped, her eyes widening when she came.
He grabbed the condom he’d laid on top of the shower and put it on, then pushed her legs apart and entered her. She held on to his shoulders as he thrust into her again and again, his passion as hot as the water and steam pouring over them.
She dug her nails into him. “More,” she said, her voice a whisper, a sensual command.
He gave her more, and she tightened around him, then convulsed, and he shattered, wrapping his arm around her and lifting her. He took her mouth as the maelstrom of sensation wrecked him, left his legs shaking so hard he had to grab the top of the shower to hold them both steady.
He set her down easy, kissing her lips and her throat, stroking her hair while she threaded her fingers through his hair. Neither one of them said anything. What they’d done, what they’d shared, had said enough.
They dried off and climbed into his big bed, but only used a quarter of the space because he tugged her close against him. She pulled his arm around her and he realized he liked having her here in his house. In his bed. In his life.
He’d do anything to keep her here.
Except the one thing he knew she wanted.
That, he couldn’t—wouldn’t do.
“I have a problem, and I need some advice.”
Tori tossed her oversized bag on Calliope’s desk. “You’ve come to the right person.”
Wyatt had a meeting with his brothers at a potential new job site, so he’d left early. Tori had agreed to pop over after work, so now that the day care center was closed, she and Tori had some quiet time to talk.
She’d let a week go by. Things with Wyatt were almost perfect. They were together all the time, and even though the room addition project was a couple days from being completed, she knew the two of them would continue to be together after it was finished. But still, things weren’t quite whole between them, and she knew why. It nagged at her, refusing to go away.
Tori took a seat in the chair across from Calliope’s desk.
“It’s about Wyatt.”
Tori smirked. “I figured. What’s the problem? Is he being grouchy again?”
“No. Well, not really. He’s…uncooperative about a particular subject.”
“What subject is that?”
“His ex-wife.”
Tori’s eyes widened. “You do realize that subject is off-limits. None of us ever bring up the ex. I know she’s your sister and all, but, honey, that marriage did not end well.”
“I know.” She pushed back from her desk and stood, looking out at the streetlights and cars passing by. She turned to face Tori. “The scars of that marriage are holding him back. It’s holding us back. He can’t let it go.”
“Ugly things were said between the two of them. I wasn’t privy to it all, but from what I heard, it was a bitter divorce.”
“Yes, it was. Mistakes were made on both sides and they walked away without closure. Without forgiveness. Without talking to each other. They need that closure now. Without it, I don’t think Wyatt will ever be able to move on with a clear conscience.”
“And you want him to be able to move on. With you.”
She nodded.
“Honey, you know I love you. But some things—some people—can’t be fixed.”
“I don’t want to fix him. I want him to be happy.”
“Doesn’t he seem happy? With you?”
“Yes and no. I feel like there will always be a wall between us.”
“Meaning Cassie.”
“Yes. He needs to get past her, really let her go, before he can ever be truly happy.”
“You do realize this could be a deal breaker for him.”
Calliope nodded. “I know. But I love him, and I know that on the surface he’s happy with me, but Cassandra will always be between us. Which means I have to try. And if that means he walks away from me, then I guess we were never meant to be.”
Tori stood, came over and hugged her. “So what do you want to do?”
“I have an idea.”
“That Wyatt won’t like.”
“He’ll hate it. He’ll be angry with me.”
“And you need my help to make it happen.”
“Yes.”
Tori nodded. “You know I love you both. So what can I do?”
Chapter Ten
Wyatt hated parties. It required more socializing, and God knew he’d done enough socializing the past couple months to last him a lifetime.
But it was part of what they did for business, and the annual Kent Construction holiday party included inviting their clients. Treating clients to a night of fun, dinner and dancing was good for their business. So he’d suck it up, put on a smile and a suit, and down enough whiskey so he could numb the pain.
At least this year he’d have Calliope by his side, so he wouldn’t have to huddle in a corner with some drunken businessman he’d have to end up driving home at the end of the night.
Trying not to strangle on his tie, he pulled into Calliope’s driveway and got out, went to her front door and rang the bell.
“It’s open,” he heard her holler. He opened the door.
“How do you know I’m not some serial killer?” he said as he walked in. “Lock your damn door, woman.”
“There are no serial killers in this town,” she said from the bedroom.
“I’m sure the last person to be killed by a serial killer in a small town thought that, too.”
“Fine. I’ll have a key made for you and I’ll start locking the front door.”
She came out, and he forgot all about the lecture he was going to give her about locking the door.
Dressed in a black dress that swept across the tops of her knees, her shoulders were bare, the dress sparkled, clung to her amazing br**sts and every curve of her body. Long silver earrings hung from her ears, her hair was swept up and into some kind of sparkly clip, curls dangling down her back. She even wore different glasses, black ones with tiny crystals on the side. Sexy as hell. Her shoes made her legs look miles long and all he could think about was getting her out of that dress later on tonight.
“I can’t breathe, Calliope.”
She frowned and walked toward him. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re so goddamned stunning you take my breath away.”
She paused, and her lips curved. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He came to her, lifted her hand in his and pressed a kiss to it. “I’m going to make every man at the party jealous.”
“Stop.”
“No. You’re truly beautiful. I’m a very lucky man.”
She grinned. “Thank you.” She adjusted his tie. “You look so handsome in a suit. Black suits you. We make a fine couple.”
“Thanks. I’m uncomfortable.”
“Suck it up, hot stuff. It’s only for one night.”
“You ready?”
She inhaled, let it out, and he couldn’t help watching the rise of her breasts.
“You keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it to your party tonight.”
“And that would be a bad thing…how?”
She laughed. “I’ll get my coat.”
Calliope’s stomach was twisted up in knots. The venue was beautiful. She found Tori and told her she’d done a fantastic job.
“Are you even here tonight?” Calliope asked.
“Sorry. A lot on my mind.”
She reached for his hand. “Would you like to talk about it?”
“No.” Hell, no.
“Well, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay.” This time he was determined to pay attention.
“The holidays are approaching, you know.”
He lifted his lips and took a sip of tea. “Yeah, I have a calendar.”
“Smartass. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d be willing to come over to my parents’ house. They’re having an open house this weekend.”
He swallowed. Talk about tuning into his train of thought. “I don’t know, Calliope. I’m not exactly their favorite person after Cassandra.”
“I don’t agree. They don’t hold a grudge. Anyway, there’re more.”
“It gets worse?”
“I don’t know if you’d call it worse. But I think if you and I are going to go anywhere with our relationship, there are some issues you need to put to rest.”
He didn’t like where this was going. “Go on.”
“Cassie’s coming home for the holidays.”
And the train just jumped the tracks. “No.”
“Hear me out on this.”
“No. She and I have nothing to say to each other. Everything was said between our attorneys.”
She squeezed his hand. “See? That’s the problem. Neither of you had closure.”
He pulled his hand away. “I had plenty of closure.”
“Wyatt.”
“Calliope. No. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I have nothing to say to Cassandra that hasn’t already been said. I don’t want to see her again, or talk to her again. Ever.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but the waitress brought their drinks. Maybe she could tell by the look on his face, but she didn’t bring up the topic again, at least until they left the restaurant and went back to his place.
They were curled up on the sofa together and she was unbuttoning his shirt, a slow seduction that was too damn slow in his opinion. He was more than ready to get to the good stuff, like her gorgeous na**d body, with him inside her, hopefully rocking her world.
“What if you and I end up having…let’s say a long-term relationship.”
Fun halted. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s say we do.”
“Eventually you’re going to have to see my parents, come over to my house, hang out at holidays and birthdays and stuff.”
He turned to face her. “My relationship is with you. Not with your family any more than your relationship is with my family. I care about you. Just you.”
“But that isn’t the way it works and you know it. You’re trying to be simplistic and putting the two of us in a bubble. I don’t want it to work that way, and I don’t think you do, either. I like your family. I want our future to include our families—providing, of course, we have a future together. Do you want us to have a future together?”
He inhaled, let it out. “This is complicated.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You’re making it that way by shoving this giant obstacle between us.”
“Cassandra.”
“Yes. And she doesn’t have to be there. If you’d—”
He put his fingers to her lips. “I don’t want my ex-wife in our lives, and I sure as hell don’t want her between us right now. I don’t want to talk about her or think about her. What I want right now is to kiss you.” He put his mouth where his fingers had been. He much preferred kissing her to talking.
When she leaned against him, he felt her surrender. She curled her hand around his neck and moaned against him. He’d won this battle.
But it was a temporary reprieve. This wasn’t over, but he was content to let it go for now. All he wanted was this moment, and to have Calliope in his arms, to feel the softness of her body as she moved against him.
He reached behind her to the zipper of the incredibly sexy dress she’d worn to dinner. All he could think about was getting the dress off her. He dragged the zipper down, then drew the dress off her shoulders. She wore a black silk bra that made him hold his breath because her br**sts nearly spilled over the top.
“Wow.”
She grinned and pushed her glasses up.
Damn, she was one sexy woman. She slid off his lap, unhooked her bra then shimmied out of her panties. “You know what I really wish we could do?”
“If it has anything to do with sex, your wish is granted.”
“Good. Because I want to take a shower.”
He liked the direction of her thoughts. They made his dick pound hard against his jeans. He stood, scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs, depositing her on the floor in the bathroom. He turned the shower on while he removed his clothes, loving the way Calliope watched him as he undressed. He was hard and aching by the time he pulled her inside the oversized shower.
“I told you the first time I came here that this shower gave me naughty thoughts,” she said.
“And I want to hear all about them.”
“Four showerheads? It’s a woman’s dream, in more ways than one.” She stepped under one of the sprays, not at all self-conscious about her hair getting wet or her makeup running down her face. One of the things he loved about her.
Wyatt stood back and watched the water stream in rivers down her gorgeous body as she slicked her hair back.
He moved in and put his arms around her to tug her against him, let her feel what she did to him. She reached between them to stroke him, agonizing him with slow, careful movements that made him clench his jaw.
He pushed her against the wall and lifted her arms over her head, held them there with his hand while he used the other to roam over her body. Water poured over them both, steam shadowing them and making the temperature rise as his body heated to unbearable. He bent and took a nipple, licked it then sucked it between his lips. Her moans of pleasure and the way she rocked her h*ps toward him were an invitation for more.
He wanted more, so he straightened and cupped her sex, watching her eyes as he rocked his hand against her, found the tight nub and rolled it between his fingers and took her where she wanted to go. She gasped, her eyes widening when she came.
He grabbed the condom he’d laid on top of the shower and put it on, then pushed her legs apart and entered her. She held on to his shoulders as he thrust into her again and again, his passion as hot as the water and steam pouring over them.
She dug her nails into him. “More,” she said, her voice a whisper, a sensual command.
He gave her more, and she tightened around him, then convulsed, and he shattered, wrapping his arm around her and lifting her. He took her mouth as the maelstrom of sensation wrecked him, left his legs shaking so hard he had to grab the top of the shower to hold them both steady.
He set her down easy, kissing her lips and her throat, stroking her hair while she threaded her fingers through his hair. Neither one of them said anything. What they’d done, what they’d shared, had said enough.
They dried off and climbed into his big bed, but only used a quarter of the space because he tugged her close against him. She pulled his arm around her and he realized he liked having her here in his house. In his bed. In his life.
He’d do anything to keep her here.
Except the one thing he knew she wanted.
That, he couldn’t—wouldn’t do.
“I have a problem, and I need some advice.”
Tori tossed her oversized bag on Calliope’s desk. “You’ve come to the right person.”
Wyatt had a meeting with his brothers at a potential new job site, so he’d left early. Tori had agreed to pop over after work, so now that the day care center was closed, she and Tori had some quiet time to talk.
She’d let a week go by. Things with Wyatt were almost perfect. They were together all the time, and even though the room addition project was a couple days from being completed, she knew the two of them would continue to be together after it was finished. But still, things weren’t quite whole between them, and she knew why. It nagged at her, refusing to go away.
Tori took a seat in the chair across from Calliope’s desk.
“It’s about Wyatt.”
Tori smirked. “I figured. What’s the problem? Is he being grouchy again?”
“No. Well, not really. He’s…uncooperative about a particular subject.”
“What subject is that?”
“His ex-wife.”
Tori’s eyes widened. “You do realize that subject is off-limits. None of us ever bring up the ex. I know she’s your sister and all, but, honey, that marriage did not end well.”
“I know.” She pushed back from her desk and stood, looking out at the streetlights and cars passing by. She turned to face Tori. “The scars of that marriage are holding him back. It’s holding us back. He can’t let it go.”
“Ugly things were said between the two of them. I wasn’t privy to it all, but from what I heard, it was a bitter divorce.”
“Yes, it was. Mistakes were made on both sides and they walked away without closure. Without forgiveness. Without talking to each other. They need that closure now. Without it, I don’t think Wyatt will ever be able to move on with a clear conscience.”
“And you want him to be able to move on. With you.”
She nodded.
“Honey, you know I love you. But some things—some people—can’t be fixed.”
“I don’t want to fix him. I want him to be happy.”
“Doesn’t he seem happy? With you?”
“Yes and no. I feel like there will always be a wall between us.”
“Meaning Cassie.”
“Yes. He needs to get past her, really let her go, before he can ever be truly happy.”
“You do realize this could be a deal breaker for him.”
Calliope nodded. “I know. But I love him, and I know that on the surface he’s happy with me, but Cassandra will always be between us. Which means I have to try. And if that means he walks away from me, then I guess we were never meant to be.”
Tori stood, came over and hugged her. “So what do you want to do?”
“I have an idea.”
“That Wyatt won’t like.”
“He’ll hate it. He’ll be angry with me.”
“And you need my help to make it happen.”
“Yes.”
Tori nodded. “You know I love you both. So what can I do?”
Chapter Ten
Wyatt hated parties. It required more socializing, and God knew he’d done enough socializing the past couple months to last him a lifetime.
But it was part of what they did for business, and the annual Kent Construction holiday party included inviting their clients. Treating clients to a night of fun, dinner and dancing was good for their business. So he’d suck it up, put on a smile and a suit, and down enough whiskey so he could numb the pain.
At least this year he’d have Calliope by his side, so he wouldn’t have to huddle in a corner with some drunken businessman he’d have to end up driving home at the end of the night.
Trying not to strangle on his tie, he pulled into Calliope’s driveway and got out, went to her front door and rang the bell.
“It’s open,” he heard her holler. He opened the door.
“How do you know I’m not some serial killer?” he said as he walked in. “Lock your damn door, woman.”
“There are no serial killers in this town,” she said from the bedroom.
“I’m sure the last person to be killed by a serial killer in a small town thought that, too.”
“Fine. I’ll have a key made for you and I’ll start locking the front door.”
She came out, and he forgot all about the lecture he was going to give her about locking the door.
Dressed in a black dress that swept across the tops of her knees, her shoulders were bare, the dress sparkled, clung to her amazing br**sts and every curve of her body. Long silver earrings hung from her ears, her hair was swept up and into some kind of sparkly clip, curls dangling down her back. She even wore different glasses, black ones with tiny crystals on the side. Sexy as hell. Her shoes made her legs look miles long and all he could think about was getting her out of that dress later on tonight.
“I can’t breathe, Calliope.”
She frowned and walked toward him. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re so goddamned stunning you take my breath away.”
She paused, and her lips curved. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He came to her, lifted her hand in his and pressed a kiss to it. “I’m going to make every man at the party jealous.”
“Stop.”
“No. You’re truly beautiful. I’m a very lucky man.”
She grinned. “Thank you.” She adjusted his tie. “You look so handsome in a suit. Black suits you. We make a fine couple.”
“Thanks. I’m uncomfortable.”
“Suck it up, hot stuff. It’s only for one night.”
“You ready?”
She inhaled, let it out, and he couldn’t help watching the rise of her breasts.
“You keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it to your party tonight.”
“And that would be a bad thing…how?”
She laughed. “I’ll get my coat.”
Calliope’s stomach was twisted up in knots. The venue was beautiful. She found Tori and told her she’d done a fantastic job.
