Page 55 of Callum

"I don't believe you."

"You hurt me!" She flung at him. "You pushed for a relationship and refused to take no for an answer, and as soon as that bitch walked back into your life, you ignored me. Let me go, Callum. Just leave me alone."

"No." His face was harsh and intense, his voice strained. "I was confused, but it only took one meeting to realize it was over between us - Bianca and I. “When she came to the loft-" His voice petered off at the look on her face. "Nothing happened, dammit. She wanted to talk, and I let her in. She talked, and I showed her the door."

"I don't care." She repeated. "I do not want to be in a relationship with a man like you. You have been with many women, and I would be afraid that one of them - that your past will come knocking again. You asked her to marry her."

"Yes," he said urgently. "I did, and she turned me down." His grip tightened. "I am in love with you-"

"You are not."

"Please." His voice was weary, his face shadowed with it. "Don't insult me by dismissing what I just said. Be angry with me, hurl insults at me, but don't do that. I am in love with you, and I know it will take some time for you to forgive me, but I am here and not going anywhere."

"I can't."

"You can." He shook her, eyes darkening. "I am not leaving Lynn, and if I have to darken your doorstep and follow you to the theater, then that's what I will do."

"I need time."

His mouth tightened. "Then take the damn time, but in doing so, I am going to be here."

Closing her eyes briefly, she fought him, and he knew it. Watching her struggling to resist him, he did what he set out to do. Moving his hands from her throat, he cupped the back of her head and lifted her face to his. Her eyes flickered open, widening as his head descended.

She made a token resistance, but it was already too late. It was just a faint brush of his lips on hers, a mingling breath, but it had her weak at the knees. Callum held back - he wanted to ravish her; it had been too long, but he was going to take his time.

To give her time to draw back if she needed to. Her hands curled into his sweater, and she could feel the warmth of his skin. The familiarity- the flexing of his chest had her quivering. Her lips parted slightly, giving him access to her mouth, and still he hesitated. If he deepened the kiss, it was going to be too late for him to take and keep control.

The sweetness of her breath, the addictive taste of her that he had had to do without for two weeks, made his heart hammer inside his throat, his bones waxing liquid. His hands gentled, moving over her shoulders and down her back until he was tugging at the ends of her sweater with the aching need to feel her flesh.

When he lifted the sweater to touch her skin, he felt himself staggering, his heart picking up speed. "I need you." His eyes had darkened, the powerful desire naked on his face. "Now. We can resolve our differences later, but I need you now.

Let me feel you. Christ!" He cupped her face. "Put me out of my misery darling, just -" He kissed her again, his tongue darting into her mouth, the kiss taking on a wildness that swept through them, over them like a tidal wave.

Lynn clung to him, fingers digging into his chest and shoulders before linking behind his neck. Her body molded to his, pressing against his with an urgency that he met. He crushed her to him, the familiar curves making him giddy with incredible need.

He had the urge to drag her down to the floor and sink himself into her like a rutting animal. Appalled at the lack of controlshe and only she could drag from him, he ended the kiss and stumbled back, breathing like a man on his last lap after a very hectic marathon.

His eyes were blazing, his body shuddering as he fought to regain control. Without a word, he turned on his heels, and she heard when he bounded up the stairs.

She leaned back against the counter and took several deep breaths to steady herself. She was moist, and she was trembling. And if she did not give herself to him, she would not make it through the night.

She ensured the door was locked, the alarm engaged and went up the stairs. He was already undressed, the light from the lamp she had turned on glowing on his tanned nakedness. He was standing in the middle of the room, his erection impressive and making her hot all over.

"Come here."

She did, stopping just short of melting into his arms.

"I want to take it slow, but it has been so damn long." He undressed her, taking the time to kiss the exposed skin. The sweater was flung carelessly on the board floor.

His voice hummed in his throat at the lack of a bra. His hands came up to cup her generous breasts; his throat dried as he stared at the nipples he had dreamed about so many nights.

"My boots." She moved away from him to remove them and wriggled out of her leggings. His heart raced as he approached her, shaking his head when she would have straightened against the pillows.

"Not yet." Parting her thighs, he knelt between them, hands spanning her waist. "You smell wonderful." His head dipped, and her body arched as he took a nipple into his mouth to tease, just a light stroking of his tongue against the flesh. Her hands gripped his muscled shoulders as she arched against him.

Pulling the tight bud into his mouth, he swirled his tongue around the flesh before suckling. He tried to take it slow, take his time, but the cries coming from her only served to increase his passion.

Fingers digging into her waist, he loved her nipple thoroughly until she was a trembling mass of nerves and emotions. Switching to the other one, he gave it the same treatment until she was maddened with longing.