Page 22 of Pinky Promises

“Okay, we’ll probably still be here.” Ben then turns to me. “You look beautiful, Brynn. Hey, can you tell my bride that I love her and tell her I’ll see her soon?” The love written all over Ben’s face is straight out of a romance novel.

“Sure thing.”

“Maybe give her a big kiss, too,” someone else yells, but I just roll my eyes.

Callum extends his elbow, and I link my arm through his. We make small talk about our drive on the walk over to where the room suites are. His room is only four doors down from mine.

“Good to know, in case I need to scare away the boogeyman in the middle night,” he teases as I point out my room as we pass it by.

He reaches into his suit coat, pulls out the key card, and waves it in front of a gray pad till it beeps and flashes a green light, allowing him to open the door. He places his hand along my lower back, ushering me into his room.

“Hold on a second, and I’ll grab it out of my bag.”

He passes by, and his shoulder lightly brushes against my skin. Through the fabric of his suit, I can still feel the electricity between us. I shiver for a moment before crossing my arms.That was weird.I look around to steady my mind and focus on his room. It’s almost identical to mine—well, without looking like a bomb went off with clothes from my suitcase. You’d think I’ve been here longer than just about twenty-four hours.

“One necklace, coming right up.” I turn to find him holding my necklace up. I sigh in relief as he places the necklace in my open palm.

“Thank you so much! Seriously, anything you want, it’s yours.” It takes a moment for my brain to catch up with the words that just left my mouth. He clears his throat as if he wants to say something but stops himself. I spin around to face the mirror hanging on the wall over the dresser to put the necklace on to avoid any more eye contact, yet my gaze follows him in the reflection. I watch as he sits on the edge of the bed and adjusts himself on the bed.Don’t look at his dick, Brynn. Shit, I just looked.

His gaze meets mine, and I quickly look away. I fumble to get the clasp hooked using my reflection. Why are my hands shaking right now?

“Hey, can you help me?”

“Sheesh, you sure are needy today,” he teases. “Do this, do that. I feel like I should just change my name to Cinderella.” When I look over my shoulder, giving him a stern look, he only winks and rises from his seat. “I’m only kidding, B. You know I aim to please.” His voice may be playful, but his eyes tell a different story. Of course, those familiar butterflies choose now to make an appearance. Callum steps up behind me and focuses his attention on the clasp. His fingers brush against the back of my neck, and my breath hitches. Just a week ago, he was in this same position helping me with my shirt, yet now, this is so new. Can he feel my pulse racing?

What would he do if I settled back against him? Would he think I did it on purpose or by accident?

How can I be nervous like this around him? Maybe my nerves are really for my best friend getting married today. That’s a thing, right? Like when Asher claimed that he was having cravings even though Hadley was the one who was pregnant. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I’ll believe it. Things have started shifting in our friendship, and every move Callum makes reminds me of our conversation as to whether a guy likes you or not.

“All set,” he calmly says before stepping back, putting distance between us.

I can feel his eyes on me, and it feels as though my body temperature is rising by the millisecond.

“How about a photo to commemorate the occasion.”

He reaches into his pocket, retrieves his phone, and flips the camera to face us. “Say cheese, B.”

We take a few photos making our usual silly faces, but it’s the last one that is my favorite. We both have smiles that reach our eyes—smiles that mimic the same look as Ben’s earlier. Strangers who would see that photo might mistake us for two people in love.

I steady my nerves and step away from him, needing the space between us before I do something out of character. I check my reflection one last time, and I notice Cal still focusing on the image on his phone.

“Are you okay?”

“What?” His head jerks up, and he quickly puts his phone away. “Umm, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “You just seemed somewhere far away right there. It almost was like you were trying to pull a Mary Poppins and try to jump into the photo. Is there something wrong with my hair or makeup? Do I look stupid?”

He comes up behind me and places his arms on my bare shoulders before pressing a soft kiss on my skin. “You look perfect.” His words run through my veins like a current heading straight to shock life into my heart.

“Thank you.” My voice is just above a whisper. Callum’s hands linger on my skin, swiping his thumb back and forth in soothing motions.

I clear my throat and step forward out of his grasp. “Well, I should get back to the girls. Thanks again, Callum, for bringing me this.” I lift the necklace balanced on my thumb.

He shoves his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, and the material tightens against his crotch. My eyes drop once again.What is wrong with me?I rush to the door with a quick wave, making my escape. His soft chuckle behind me indicates maybe I was caught ogling.Fuck me. This is going to be a long night.

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