Page 45 of Fate Forever and Always

“Can I ask why?” I reached out and tucked the hair behind her ear. As I pulled my fingers away, I instantly missed the feel of her on my skin.

She cleared her throat and moved the blanket. “I'm scared to want you. You’re my best friend. I'm scared that I will lose you.”

She bit her lip, and my eyes went wide. That was not what I was expecting her to say. I was about to speak, but she continued. She looked at me like she could see right through me.

“I want you so bad, Nick. I think I always have.”

“Baby, I want you, too.” I caressed her cheek, then rubbed my thumb across her bottom lip. She closed her eyes at my touch. My fingers traveled down the column of her throat, slowly making their way to her sternum, right between her perfect breasts. She was melting under my touch. I mindlessly rubbed the back of my nail up and down until she opened her eyes to look at me again.

“I’m so scared I'm going to fuck this up,” she whispered. She grabbed my hand, holding it to her chest.

Leaning forward, I kissed the tip of her nose. I pulled her into my chest, and she relaxed in my arms, which made me relax as well. I could smell her shampoo and body wash—she smelled like jasmine. I kissed her head and spoke against it.

“Then we wait. I've waited a long time for you to be mine, Callie. I will wait forever if I have to. There is no one else for me, never has been.”

She leaned away and looked at me. “What? What do you mean? You have been with other people. I know some of them.” She leaned back down but kept her gaze on me. She had a puzzled look on her face.

“Callie…I…It’s always been you, baby. I’ve waited for you.” I ran the back of my finger over the swell of her breast, my eyes never leaving hers. When I reached her collarbone, she gasped. “Callie, no matter who I was with, I was always thinking of you. I never gave away what is yours.”

She almost looked scared when she said, “Nick, I…I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“I’m saying we can wait as long as it takes for you to decide to be mine forever. I only want you. I’ve tried to see other people, and it’s never been right…they weren't you.”

I could see her eyes glossing over. A single tear ran down her cheek. “Nick.”

I leaned forward and put my lips to her cheek to kiss her tears away. “Shh, baby. It’s okay. No crying. I’m a patient man.”

I laid down on my back as Callie rested her head on my chest.

We lay silent, and I tried not to react to her rubbing circles on my stomach and tracing my abs while I ran my fingers over her hair.

“Nick?”

“Yeah, Sweets?”

“What if I am ready now?”

My entire body stiffened. I looked down at her, and before my brain could catch up to what she said, Callie's hand traveled down my body to the top of my sweatpants. She was lightly dragging her finger across my skin.

I grabbed her hand. “Even if you were ready, that’s not how this is going to go, baby. I want to be really sure you are ready.”

She sat up and looked at me. Before I could say another word, she was swinging her leg over my body to straddle me. She caught my lips in a passionate kiss.

My hands went to her hips to hold her steady. My fingers dug into her curvy ass. She pulled away but kept her face close.

“Sorry, I forgot I was heavier than you.”

She tried to pull her body off mine. I grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her again. When I pulled away, I made her look into my eyes. “You will never apologize for your perfect body ever again, do you hear me?”

She nodded her head.

I squeezed her ass lightly. “Use your words, baby.”

“Okay,” she whispered as she swallowed hard.

My fingers were framing her face, and I ran my thumb over her bottom lip again.

“Now, use your words and tell me what you want.”

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