Page 83 of Because of Her

“Fuck,” I call back, “leave it.”

I let out a sigh and dip my head until my forehead collides with Cassidy’s. The raw energy and need between us competes with my instincts as a father.

“Maisie?” Cassidy whispers, and all I can do is nod.

Pulling away from Cassidy, I bring my hands down to hold hers.

“This was … I’m …” I can’t find the words, but I feel like I’m losing Cassidy, losing this moment. “Sorry,” I whisper as I pull away.

Cassidy’s hand firms on mine, preventingme from walking. She pulls me back, spinning me around to face her again. With half a breath, she is up on her toes and our lips crash together.

The kiss is hard and fast and short before she pulls away again.

“Don’t be.”

She walks through me, and I’m frozen as she moves towards the door, grabbing her key from the hall table. As she gets to the door, she turns to face me. Her eyes are molten, and her hair is a mess from where I sunk my hand into the lower side of the bun.

“You coming?” she says with a knowing grin.

And it’s all I have in me not to run.

CASSIDY

“Wait,” I choke out as Callum backs me against the wall in his hallway. To his credit, he freezes in place instantly, his lips so close to my pulse point I can feel how hot and heavy he is breathing.

“What is this?” I ask, and I hate myself for it.

Callum pulls back until we are eye to eye. I wonder about how comfortable the hunched position is for his back, but the intensity in his eyes gives the impression it doesn’t matter to him.

“I don’t know,” he admits. The raspiness in his voice penetrates my being and shoots a wave of heat to my core. “But I’m not done trying to fight for us, Rogue.”

His hands find the sides of my thighs, below the hem of my baggy oversized shirt. Looking down between us, I cringe that I had already changed into my comfort clothes when he stormed into my apartment. The flowy dress and boots I had worn to dinner would have been far more appropriate for whatever this moment is.

“I’ve wanted to do these things to you for as long as I can remember,” Callum whispers into my mouth. He pulls me into the kiss. It’s somehow delicate and heavy all at once, and he groans as I open my mouth to let him in. Our tongues clash as we become frantic, tasting each other. It’s not the first time, but something tells me this time is different from all the others.

Those ones had meaning, had feelings. But this one, it’s loaded with emotion, and promise.

“I had to stop myself when you were a teenager. You’ll never know how many times I imagined you bouncing on my lap, or pictured your mouth wrapped around my cock while I made myself come.”

I turn to putty, and if it wasn’t for Callum holding me against the wall, I would fall to my knees. All those times I wanted more, he did, too. But we weren’t ready.

“We weren’t ready,” he agrees and I realise I said at least that part out loud.

“And now?”

I’m so scared of the answer, but I have to know. His daughter is in her bedroom down the hall, and I hope me being here shows him I’m willing to try. I should say those words, I know it should be on me to get the words out, but I can’t. They get caught in my throat and instead, I force our lips together again.

“I am,” Callum says into my ear as he pulls away and runs his tongue along my neck. The fingers of one hand still tease at the hem of my shirt, as his other hand finds the back of my neck. “I know it’s a lot for me to ask you.” He nibbles my earlobe and I run my hands up his body, settling them on his shoulders to ground myself.

I pull away to look in his eyes when I answer. “I’m here.”

There’s more I want to say, more I should say, but our mouths collide again in a fury. As Callum’s hand ducks under my oversized shirt and up my thigh, I whimper.

“I need you to be mine.” Callum groans as his hand reaches my panties. His strong palm cups my core, squeezing firmly.

Our chests rise and fall in sync, our tongues and teeth still moulded to each other.

“Tell me you’re mine, Rogue.”

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