Page 178 of Crazy for this Girl

“Cal—”

“Stop, Caling me,” he seethes, his face furious and exasperated. “I’m gonna say it again because you’re hard of hearing. I love you. I love you, Laynee. And I’m not gonna stop trying to win you over until I’ve exhausted everything I got. And I’m not even close to getting there yet.”

I love you. I love you, Laynee.

My heart can’t bear to hear those words anymore. It’s not because they don’t feel good, but that they hold so much of what I fear. How love can be a fickle thing. That he went through what he did, but that alleged love wasn’t strong enough to come back for me.

Those three words linger in my chest, wanting to repeat them, desiring to soak them in, but my head won’t allow them to be spoken for him to hear because when I give myself to him, it’s over again. He breaks my heart, I won’t survive the aftermath for a second time.

It was too much before and it’ll be a one-action fatality if he does it again.

“If you can’t answer me, Laynee,” Cal surmises, using that tall and ominous frame of his to make me crumble underneath him. “Then at least show me you care.”

I want to shake my head but keep my solid and unyielding gaze on his chest.

However, I follow his instruction because I can’t help but want to do something—anything—to return a small piece of his gesture.

Reaching for his hand, I lace my fingers with his and step forward. I want to feel the warmth of his aura and the mellowness of the old Cal Harper I fell in love with years ago. It always used to soothe me. It was always there to protect me.

And when the crook of Cal’s finger glides underneath my chin, it’s lifted and I’m met again with those beautiful greens that hold all his truths behind them.

His body bends, brushing against mine when his lips draw closer. I thoughtlessly stop my next inhale as he says, “I’ll take it.”

“Don’t kiss me,” I whisper. “There are people here that we work with.”

“Then give me somewhere to take you.” I inwardly groan because he’s trying to kill me with his cutthroat good looks and the way my heart demands we take what we can get.

“Anywhere, but here.”

He pulls at my hand, guiding us out of the reception hall and past a few curious onlookers. Thankfully, no one I recognize when we’re outside in the massive lobby.

Cal twirls around, already on me, and that’s when his lips connect with mine next to a fern bush that might be fake or real. He presses onward until my back hits the wall and his tongue delves then into my mouth without mercy. My body buzzes with pure desire as my palms find his hips, pulling him closer until there’s zero space between us.

He quickly obliges, sandwiching me to where I have no space to flee him. His fingers wrap around the side of my face, keeping me grounded to his scathing kisses and the burning desire that forms between my legs.

“I wanna ruin our friendship,” he mutters against my lips. “We should be lovers instead.”

A bubble of laughter erupts from my throat as I shake my head before Cal presses his forehead to mine. “You watch TikToks, Cal?”

“Sometimes. Song hit home.”

“Mhm.” I reach for his lips again out of instinct. “Next you’re going to tell me you’re hungry.”

“I am. For your pussy and pizza.” He molds his lips to mine again in a slow and tortuous rhythm that leaves me desperate for more.

Slow down, Laynee.

“Pizza sounds good.” Cal steals another kiss before extracting me from the wall. Our fingers are still intertwined. He never let loose of me the whole time he kissed and made me leave the room.

“Alright, Reese. I’ll bite on the pizza comment for now. Let’s go.”

I’m pissed.

When I thought we were making some sort of headway, Laynee slams the brakes and head-on collides with me. And to make matters worse, she shows up in the office today in a green dress that comes up to the middle of her thigh with brown knee-high boots that have my cock rising to attention like I took a whole bottle of Viagra this morning.

Now, standing in front of my desk with a fresh cup of coffee and her business face on, I’m about to crowbar her stubbornness with my blue balls because I’m not giving her an easy out anymore.

Operation Laynee is going to want my cock every single second of every day and admit she’s in love with me has already started.

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