Page 9 of Callahan's Haven

Then last Sunday night it had finally hit him over the head while she’d been out with her friends at their favorite pizza place. Cal had taken up a position between Haven’s little group and the door. He’d smiled at how animated she was when she talked—waving her hands and touching those closest to her—when the thought had crossed his mind she’d find it hard to talk if she couldn’t use her hands. Which had led to images of him pulling them over her head with her spread out beneath him while he—

He’d shut that train of thought down pretty damn quickly and taken a long drag off his beer, wondering,Where the hell did that come from?Unfortunately, it was an image he’d been unable to get out of his mind, and one he’d jacked off to several times in the shower since.

He let out a quiet laugh at his own stupidity.

Haven wasn’t only delicate, but twelve years his junior and the daughter of his former commander—a commander who would probably kill him if he knew the thoughts running through Cal’s head—and the kind of woman he had no right in hell to want to be with.

She was also the woman who had somehow worked her way under his skin the more he’d been privy to her everyday life and seen the kind of person she was. So even though he knew it made no sense whatsoever for him to feel the way he did—even though he’d yet to speak a single word to her—it was true just the same

Haven was his.

He held in a groan at the idea of being her first—her only. Because he’d bet his left nut she was still a virgin. He adjusted himself in his seat and glanced at Declan, who still had his attention elsewhere. He didnotneed to get a chubby right now. He’d never hear the end of it.

“Damn, she’s got a great ass,” his friend murmured.

Cal pulled his gaze away from the library to find Declan’s binoculars trained on Hope and Destiny’s retreating forms.

“Since you’ve got the binoculars pointed in the general direction of the parking lot, why don’t you focus on some of the new cars pulling in and their occupants?”

Declan nodded while giving Cal the middle finger. Then, with a sigh, he turned his focus away from the object of his desire, muttering, “Let’s see what you do when Haven walks out.”

Cal grimaced at his friend. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what youknowit means.” Declan lowered his binoculars and leveled his gaze at him. “We’ve all seen the way you look at her.”

Cal tensed in his seat. “Brother, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure he does.” Garrett’s laughing voice came over the comm link in his ear. “We’ve all noticed it.”

“You’ve noticed nothing.” Cal raised his own binoculars and scanned the area west of the library.

“Deny it all you want,” Garrett said, “but we’re not blind.”

“And neither am I.” Cal lowered his binoculars and frowned at the van. “Garrett, I’ve seen the camera zoom-ins you’ve done on Destiny.”

“So.” He could just imagine the other man’s unconcerned shrug. “She’s one of Haven’s best friends. I have to make sure she isn’t compromised.”

“Riiigght,” Declan said, chuckling. “Like you wouldn’t want tocompromiseher yourself.”

“Come on, guys,” Solace’s barely whispered words came through their shared connection. “I’m trying to faux study here and all this chattering in my earpiece is starting to annoy me.”

“Hey,” Garrett said. “We don’t chatter. We have manly discussions.”

“Yeah. Right. Manly,” she whispered again, followed by a rather loud snort, and then, “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to disturb you.” She let out a low sigh. “Connard.”

“So,” Garrett said, “you’re planning on going for your master’s in linguistics to what, learn how to call me an asshole in French?” Cal had missed how Garrett and Solace loved digging at each other almost like a bickering brother and sister.

“Oh, not just in French,” she said with a quiet laugh. “There’s German—arschloch, and Arabic—al’ahmaq, and—” She paused when another female voice came over the comm, full of concern. “Are you all right, dear?”

Cal and his other two men burst out laughing while Solace told the woman, “What? Yes, um, I’m just practicing a few words out loud. You know, just to make sure I get the inflections right.”

“I wish you guys could see this,” Garrett said, laughing, while Cal and Declan listened to Solace attempting to let the woman know she didn’t need anyhelp. “This older lady is petting Davidson’s arm like she’s worried she’s having some kind of episode. Priceless.”

“You’re not funny,” Solace said, her words low and tense.

“I beg your pardon?” the woman said.

Solace let out a long sigh. “I promise you I’m fine. But thank you for your concern.”

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