Page 74 of Screwed
“But I would hate it if his honor kept him from being happy—he deserves that.”
Speechless, Callie let Mrs. Hale give her a hug, then move on to say good night to other guests.
She wasn’t sure what that had been about, but the love and pride Mrs. Hale felt for her son was evident. That was what a mom should be—loving and supportive. It was also heartwarming watching the private jokes and gentle teasing Cash and Ginnie and their mom shared.
Nahla approached Callie. “I understand you made the birthday cake.”
She turned, still a bit muddled about what Mrs. Hale had said. “Yes, I did.”
“Do you have business cards? And a website?”
“I do.”Thank God. She handed a couple of cards over.
“My boss was crazy over the cake,” Nahla said. “He wants to know if you make other things as well.”
“Yes, I do. Cupcakes, of course, fancy cookies, macarons.”
“We host a lot of private functions here. We’ll definitely keep you in mind for our clients.”
“Thank you so much.”
Well, that was good.
“We’re taking Mom home,” Ginnie said when all the other guests had left. “You ready, Mom?”
“I sure am. That was so much fun.” She gave Cash a hug, then turned to Callie and hugged her, too. “Again, lovely to meet you and get to know you better, Callie.” Her gaze flicked to Cash and then back to Callie’s face, her eyes alight. “Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”
Uh-oh. Mrs. Haledidthink there was something between her and Cash.
And she’d be right. But…
Oh God, that huge “but” was her ex-husband.
Cash drove her home. When he pulled into her driveway, he jumped out as usual to get her door and helped her from the truck. At her front door, they paused. She turned to face him and their eyes met. A muscle twitched in his jaw and heat built between them.
Once again, temptation battled with good sense. Those feelings that had swelled up inside her earlier, so huge and fierce, made her long for him. Only he could ease the ache inside her. She wanted to give in to it even though she was afraid of where this could lead. She didn’t want him to leave. “Coming in?” she asked quietly.
“If I come in, I’m not leaving until tomorrow.”
She licked her bottom lip, and his eyes flickered. “Good.”
“Christ, Callie. Are you sure you’re okay with this? What if your mom comes by again? Or someone else?”
“I don’t care. Do you?”
He groaned. “Apparently not as much as I should.”
She unlocked the door, and he followed her into the dark house.
She didn’t bother pretending they were going to have coffee or a drink. She led the way upstairs, flicking the switch for the light at the top of the stairs, her body buzzing with need for him and her heart full. His steps were heavy behind her, and she sensed his nearness, but he didn’t touch her. Yet.
In her room, she turned on the tall floor lamp in the corner and turned to face him. He was already taking off his clothes, shedding his shirt, then undoing his pants. Her mouth went dry at seeing his bare chest, his pants hanging low on his hips.
“Take your clothes off, darlin’,” he instructed in a low, husky voice that made her panties damp.
“I need help.” She lifted her long hair and held it up as she pivoted to give him her back.
“Ah yeah.” He moved behind her, and his lips brushed the back of her neck while his fingers slowly drew down the zipper. His lips followed the lowering zipper, trailing down the center of her back. She shivered. “This dress is sexy. I love how it shows off your shoulders.”
