Page 75 of Protected By My Grumpy Hero

She chuckled softly. "So you decided to go ahead and say it?"

"Nope. Decided it was too soon. But it slipped out anyway." I'd wrestled with it for a long time before our date. The feeling that I was in love with Callie was so intense, it was almost like I needed to say it just to get it off my chest.

But I didn't want to scare her off. Most people want long relationships, don't they? Not someone going off half-cocked and declaring love mere weeks into knowing someone.

"Blake, I–"

I grabbed her hands and squeezed. "Don't. Let me make myself perfectly clear, Callie. I said it. I meant it. And I absolutely don't expect you to say it back. It was just important to me that you knew."

I stared into her eyes and realized her surprise was completely gone, replaced by something calmer and warmer. Something I thought of as bedroom eyes.

"Well," she said softly. "Now I know." She cupped my cheek and let her fingers trail down my jaw, then she leaned over to kiss me. "Thanks for telling me."

Her sultry eyes shifted into something that seemed a little more confused. Like she was uncertain about whatever she was thinking or about to say. Callie brushed her lips over mine.

"If you feel the need to tell me again, anytime…feel free. I think it does a woman's heart good to hear it."

There it was, permission for me to tell Callie I loved her anytime I felt like it. I took that as a damn good sign.

Callie slid her hand over my thigh, down to give it a gentle squeeze, her fingers dangerously close to my crotch. "Want to get out of here?"

"Hell, yes," I said, already pushing her toward the edge so we could get home, and into my bed, as fast as possible.

* * *

Callie kept her hand on my thigh during the drive home, stroking and squeezing. Her fingers stayed high enough that they rubbed my crotch, but she never let herself outright touch me there. Not until we pulled into the driveway.

The truck had barely rolled to a stop when she cupped me through my slacks and gently squeezed. "I can't believe you've stayed this hard the entire drive."

"I can, since you made sure of it."

She grinned at me mischievously. "Had to pass the time somehow, didn't I?"

I cupped the back of her neck and pulled her into a deep kiss. Before I realized what was happening, Callie had gotten between me and the steering wheel to straddle my lap. I popped the level on the steering column to tilt it out of the way.

"What's gotten into you, woman?" I growled as she ground down against my crotch. "Not that I'm complaining."

"You, I guess." She squeezed my shoulders and kissed me, still rocking against me. "You've gotten into me, Blake Donovan."

Damn, Iwantedinto her in that very moment. The only thing that kept me from fucking her right there in the truck was the realization that even though we were at my well-secured home, we were outside, in the open. Not the smartest place to have sex when one person has threats against them.

It was going to take every ounce of professionalism I had to peel her off me and insist we go inside. But I didn't really get the chance.

"Yeah," Callie breathed into my ear, and I realized she was about to come. She was getting herself off on rubbing against my trapped cock. "Oh, yeah," she sighed.

"Baby…" I probably should have stopped her and taken it inside, but she was so close, it wasn't going to take long. And we weren't as vulnerable as we would be half-clothed and having sex.

I gripped her ass cheeks and pulled her tight against me to help her along. My hips rocked up each time she ground down. In no time, I was in the same on-edge state that she was, close to nutting in my pants like an overstimulated teenager.

"God, Callie," I hissed as she rubbed herself hard against me. I pulled her in, and the friction and pressure must have hit her perfectly.

She tossed her head back with a sharp cry, the pressure against my trapped cock damn near painful. I let her ride it out, bucking in my lap, and managed to keep myself from coming, though I'm not sure exactly how.

When she was finished, she slumped against me, her head on my shoulder. It was only then that I slid my hand between her thighs and tested her with my fingers. Her panties were soaked, and her whole body jerked as I stroked a fingertip over her clit.

She whispered into my ear, "I want more."

We were out of the truck and headed upstairs to my bedroom in mere seconds. Clothes came off as we walked. By the time we were backing up to my bed, I was stepping out of my boxer briefs.

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