Page 80 of Any Means Necessary

“Good.”

“I had no idea you were such a romantic,” I tease, lifting my wine glass.

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know yet.”

“Well, since this is a first date, that means I get to ask first date questions.” I say, taking a sip of my wine. It’s perfect, just like everything else tonight.

“I’ll answer yours if you answer mine.”

“Of course, truth for truth.” I agree easily, it’s only fair. I pause to look at Callum across the table, admiring the way he looks under candlelight and in the glow of the carousel. Damn, he’s attractive. “What did you want to be when you grew up?”

“A butcher. I was going to work at the shop with my father.” He takes a sip of whiskey, speaking over the rim of his glass. “That’s the official answer.”

“What’s the real answer?”

“A power ranger.” My laugh of surprise is immediate.

“That is really cute.” Super adorable. “You wore a costume around too, didn’t you?”

Callum doesn’t lie to me, so his silence says it all. “You did! I hope your mom has pictures, because I need to see those.” I laugh, delighted. The image of a little Callum running around in a power ranger costume is just too good.

“Remind me not to let you anywhere near my mother,” he says, making me laugh again. His gaze on me is intense, smoldering. I can almost feel his eyes on my skin as he takes in every centimeter of my face, as if to memorize it in this moment.

“Have you ever been in love?” His question throws me for a loop, but I recover quickly. This is a question I’ve been asked on a first date before, so it’s not too surprising.

“I thought I was.”

“You weren’t?”

“I was young, naive, and just happy not to be alone.” I admit. “But in love? I don’t think so.”

“Who were they?”

“That’s another question, and it’s my turn. Besides, you don’t talk about exes on a first date—major red flag.” I take a bite of bread while I think up my next question. “What were you like when you were younger?”

“I was a loose cannon.” Callum’s answer is not what I was expecting.

“You?” The skepticism is dripping from my voice. “I don’t believe it.” Callum’s brows jump in challenge.

“I was. I ran around without any sense of self-control or consequence.” His expression sobers visibly and he leans in like he’s sharing a secret. “I even drank soda.”

“Shut up, no you didn’t.” I grin and lean forward in excitement, soaking up this juicy piece of information. “What changed?”

“That’s another question, Dewdrop. My turn.” Callum responds, and I don’t bother hiding my disappointment. He looks at me in consideration for a moment before asking his question. “What’s a deal-breaker for you?”

“Cheating,” There’s no hesitation with my answer. “The moment someone is unfaithful, they lose my trust. That’s the best way to lose me forever.”

“Cheaters don’t deserve to be trusted,” Callum says deeply, the conviction in his voice settling something inside me that I didn’t realize was restless. There’s no question in my mind that this man is fiercely loyal to a fault—he’ll kill and die for the people who are important to him.

And I’m important to him.

“So is this what you do on dates?” I gesture to the candles and the beautifully lit up carousel. “Lay on the charm and manufacture a little magic?”

“You’re the only one I want to make magic with, Lexie.” The hunger in his voice has pure lust simmering deep inside me. Letting those words linger, I pull my eyes away and smile down at my plate. We sit in silence for a while while we eat. It’s some of the best lasagna I’ve ever had, paired with fresh baked bread, caesar salad, and roasted asparagus.

A middle-aged man appears as if out of thin air at exactly the right moment to clear our plates, catching me by surprise. I wait for him to place our dessert on the table and disappear before I ask any questions.

“Who is that?” Dipping my spoon into the small ceramic bowl in front of me, I scoop out the most flawless chocolate mousse I’ve seen.

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