Page 40 of Callahan's Haven

He turned back to the bed and Haven half-covered with the end of the comforter she’d pulled over her, her body stiff and face tense.

“Condom,” he said with a grimace.

She looked down at his dick, everything about her relaxing until she grimaced too. “Oh.” She smirked. “Bathroom.”

He made quick work of disposing of the condom and cleaning himself up before going back into her room.

He could get used to this too—Haven, in bed, naked, waiting for him with her arms held out. He picked up his jeans on his way to her and pulled the bracelet out of one of the pockets.

“What’s that?” she asked as he got back into bed and laid down beside her.

“Let me see your wrist.”

She held her left wrist out to him and he fastened the bracelet around it, adjusting the fit so it wasn’t too loose.

“To take it off, press the oblong button on this side for five seconds to release the catch.” He pulled her hand to lie flat against his chest. “But promise me you won’t do that—not when you shower, not if you’re going out with friends, not for anything.”

She searched his gaze with a crinkled brow. “Okay.” She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, her expression clearing. “It’s pretty. Thank you.”

“I can’t take credit. Garrett made it for you.”

“Garrett?” She lifted her hand away and inspected some of the bangles and beads, her brow crinkling again.

“Yeah. Garrett.” He took her hand and turned her wrist over again to the clasp. “See this little round button right here?” She nodded. “If anything should happen…” Her gaze flew to his. “Press this three times and it turns on a locator so I can find you.”

“I thought you said this was almost over.”

“It is, sweet girl,” he said, pulling her tightly against him. “It is.”

* * *

“I’m hungry.”

Cal ran his hand up and down Haven’s bare arm. “Mmm… I’m getting a littlehungrymyself,” he said grabbing her ass and pulling her against his slowly waking cock.

“Uh… Oh…” She rubbed against him. “I feel that. But I mean, I’m really hungry. I haven’t eaten since this morning.”

Cal turned over and looked at the time on her beside clock, nearly falling out of her double bed. It was going on ten. “Manny’s Pizza closes at eleven.”

“I could go for pizza,” she said, crawling over him and heading toward a set of drawers, and then opened the top one.

“Don’t mind me,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll just lie here and…” She bent over to pull on a fresh pair of panties she’d pulled out, and his mouth went dry with the sight of her naked pussy stuck up in the air at him.

Taking her from behind was next on his list.

She grabbed her bra from the floor, and then turned around while putting it on. “And what?”

“And nothing. Let’s get you fed. It’ll be your appetizer.”

She let out a little chuckle and then raised her brows, “Oh…”

He laughed while they got dressed. He was still smiling when they walked out Haven’s building and made it to the curb.

“No!” Cal turned at Solace’s shout and pushed Haven to the ground as the muffled pfft, pfft, pfft registered with him about the time the shots hit him—the first searing low on his abdomen with the second hitting his arm and sending him stumbling away from where Haven yelled his name and scrambled to her feet. The last one grazed the side of his head and sent him dropping to his knees while Haven attempted to cover him.

“Cal!”

“No,” he choked out, pushing her away from him. “Run.” He collapsed onto the brown, prickly grass. “Run…” he barely got out as he looked up into Haven’s panic-filled eyes.

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