Page 102 of Shattered

“Do I look like I need to calm down?” Sam laughed at his insinuation.

Callum shook his head and smiled. “No. Well, actually, yes you do. You are way too stressed and stuck in your own little world most of the time. But that’s not why I do it.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“I like touching you.” He cut his eyes back toward her again and they once again fell into a comfortable silence while they waited for their food to arrive.

The food was good. It was better than good. She had initially scrunched up her nose when the waitress placed the grits between them, but one bite later and she was officially hooked.

She stuffed herself beyond belief and, just when she thought it was over, Callum ordered a slice of the most perfect looking chocolate cake.

“I’m going to be sick.” She shook her head as if she was going to be able to resist a bite.

Callum shrugged his shoulders, sliding the plate all the way over to his side of the table.

“That’s fine. More for me.” He scooped up a huge portion and exaggeratedly moaned in delight when he placed it in his mouth.

Sam hid her face with embarrassment when the two tables nearest to them jerked their heads upward in horror at the noise.

“Oh god! Sam! It’s soooooo good!” he was practically screaming, and she knew exactly what he was doing. Now, at least five tables were looking in their direction.

“Callum!” she whisper-yelled across the table. “People are staring at us. Be quiet,” she tried to admonish him, but her words came out in fits of laughter.

“I guess you are going to have to come over here and take it away from me.” He patted the seat beside him.

He was good at this. Far too good at this. She quickly slipped from her side of the booth onto his and yanked the spoon out of his hand. She scooped up a portion just as large as he had and stuffed it in her mouth. It was so large she could barely chew it, and it was pure dumb luck that she didn’t choke when they both burst out laughing.

“You’re right, it is definitely delicious,” Sam said once she was finally able to swallow. She looked up at him with a smile.

Callum paused and then looked down to her lips.

“You know. I bet it tastes even better when eaten off of you instead of a spoon.” He smirked and then leaned down and kissed the edge of her lips. A slight suckle and lick later and she had turned to molten lava.

She let out a moan that had absolutely nothing to do with the deliciousness of the chocolate cake.

Onlookers be damned.

“Oh, yes. Definitely much better.”

It was then that the waitress came over with the check. Still flustered, Sam jumped up and reached into her purse to grab her wallet.

“Don’t. This one’s on me.” Callum leaned over the table and reached out to stop her movement, pushing her wallet back into her bag.

“Callum. You’ve already spent so much money on me today between the Uber and the swimsuit, and now dinner. Please let me pay for something.”

“No. I got it.”

Sam gave him a frown in response.

“You can buy my drinks later.”

“Are we going for drinks?”

“Why not? It’s not too late, and we’re already downtown. Might as well get the full Charleston experience while you’re here.”

******

“You know, this is about the best non-date I think I’ve ever been on,” Sam said as they began to criss-cross through the downtown streets of Charleston.

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