Page 4 of Callum
Damn, she was cute. The kind of cute he wanted to tug closer to peel back the layers of. The kind of cute he could become lost in.
He started toward her, wondering what kind of witty retort she’d give him today. He was halfway to her when she gave the other side of the aisle a quick glance before cursing and pulling her phone from her pocket. The corners of his lips kicked up at the sound of that curse word on her sweet lips.
Oh yeah, she was cute, but she had a mouth on her. A mouth with lips so full his gaze was always drawn to them.
The smile slipped from his mouth when the color left her face. Whatever she was reading, it wasn’t friendly.
From the other end of the aisle, Callum spotted a male librarian step into view. His gaze zeroed in on her, an angry scowl pulling across his features. Then he shouted.
The one hand that anchored her to the ladder jolted, tugging the entire thing off the wall and off balance. She tried to right herself, but the ladder only rocked more. Then she was falling.
Callum was moving before he could stop himself, reaching her just in time to catch her body before she hit the ground.
Eyes that had been scrunched shut flew open, colliding with his. For a moment, they were both silent, her heart beating so hard in her chest it was like a hammer.
Then she spoke. Quiet words in a tone so soft, so gentle, that they slid over his skin like silk. “Thank you.”
He was used to her witty retorts, even her eye rolls. But this softer side? Yeah, he liked this too. Plus, she felt good in his arms. So good, he struggled to set her down.
The asshole’s voice cut down the aisle again, accompanied by the stomps of his feet against the carpet. “See, this is what happens when you mess with your phone at work.”
A muscle ticked in Callum’s jaw. When Fiona pressed a hand to his chest, he reluctantly set her down, then turned to the jerk who had clearly forgotten how to speak to women.
“Fiona—”
“You owe her an apology,” Callum cut through, inching in front of her.
The man’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter who I am. I saw what happened, and you owe her an apology.”
The man spluttered. “I’m the manager of this library, and I warned Fiona not to be on her phone at work not ten—”
“You also yelled at her while she was in a precarious position, which caused her to fall. If I hadn’t caught her, she could have broken her neck.” That statement was too fucking true.
The man’s cheeks reddened.
A shuffle sounded behind him, then Fiona appeared at his side. “You’re right, Rick. I was on my phone when you told me not to be. I’m sorry.”
The man huffed, his gaze flicking to Callum uncertainly, then returning to Fiona and hardening. “Well…good. Sorry I yelled.”
The insincerity in the apology almost had Callum laughing. Rick shot one more unhappy glance his way before turning and walking away.
Asshole.
The color hadn’t quite returned to Fiona’s face. Not only that, but a lock of hair had fallen from her bun, onto her cheek, and Callum’s usual restraint waned when his fingers twitched to reach out and slot the piece of hair behind her ear. He just stopped himself.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
Her mouth opened and closed before she got any words out. “Yes.”
He bent and lifted the phone she’d dropped from the floor. He was tempted to look at the screen, see if whatever had the color leaching from her face was still there. “You went a bit white up there. Everything okay?”
There was a flicker of something on her face. Uncertainty. Maybe even a touch of fear. Then she blinked, and a cool, calm expression took its place. She slipped her phone from his fingers and stepped back.
“Everything’s fine. And while I appreciate you catching me, and saving me a broken neck, I don’t need you fighting my battles.”
He lifted a brow. “LettingRickknow he was a dick was more for me than you.”
