Page 28 of Shake Your Boo Thang

He sputters but isn’t able to say anything coherent, so I continue my wooing campaign.

“Callum, sugar, I’m gonna be entirely upfront. I find you devastatingly handsome. Your whole tall, dark, and grumpy vibe kind of does it for me.” I study him with hooded eyes. “And there’s been an undeniable spark between us from the get-go—even you can’t disagree with that.”

To my supreme delight, it looks like he’s wrestling with himself on this one—and I think his interest in me just might be winning out.

Well, paint me pink, cover me in rhinestones, and call me Dolly! Things are looking up. I wish I had a pair of pom-poms right about now because I’d be ready to celebrate this little but hard-won victory in style.

“As far as I’ve been able to tell, you’re single, and I also happen to be unattached, so there’s nothing stopping us from exploring this mutual attraction.” I wave a hand between us. “However, Mama brought me up to be respectful, and if you’re not single, I apologize for being forward and presumptuous.”

He sighs. “That’s right, I’m single. But I’m not looking to date.”

“How come?”

“Dinnae go there,” he grumbles, his accent coming out a lot more pronounced than usual.

“Come again, honey? Dinny? What’s that mean?”

“Dinnae. Go. There,” he growls out.

I blink a few times. “Oh! Don’t go there, you mean?”

His eyes narrow. “That’s what I said.”

“Not exactly, sugar, but I catch your meaning. And I have to retort by asking why in the blue blazes not?”

“It’s complicated,” he says.

“When isn’t it?”

He has no response to that one.

I smile smugly. “I rest my case, darlin’.”

He points a finger at me. “You’re only here for a short amount of time. What’s the point of getting involved?”

Oh, sweet summer child. Let me school you on a few things.

“Why, getting to know each other better, of course.” I lower my voice and trot out my most inviting tone. “If you play your cards right, we can enjoy some deliciously hot monkey sex—and often—while I’m here.”

He stares at my mouth in a very promising manner and then straight into my eyes with a look of defiance. “I’m not really a fan of one-night stands.”

Staring me down like that, not giving an inch? Hot. As. Hell.

“Me neither, sugar. Consider it more of a friends-with-benefits arrangement. For now. After all, you and I share some unusual common ground. Trust me when I say it can be quite difficult to find other folk with our unique abilities.” I shrug. “And maybe our little fling could become something more serious. But we won’t find out until we try.”

He gives me a skeptical once-over. “Are you saying you’d be open to considering a long-distance relationship that crosses an ocean at the very least?”

The disbelief is palpable.

Evidently, he still does not know who he’s dealing with.

He’s highly underestimating my general level of tenacity. When it comes to him, I fully intend to be like a tick on a hound dog—he isn’t going to be able to shake me off easily.

Not when all my special senses are telling me that our meeting was no mere coincidence in the grand scheme of things.

I look him dead in the eye. “For the right person, yes.” I lick my lips, drawing his eyes to them again. “For the right person, I might even consider permanently relocating. If you catch my drift.”

I’ve finally thrown down the gauntlet, and it’s now up to Callum to decide whether to pick it up or not.