Black Obsidian(55)

Christopher kept walking, his wide shoulders looking powerful in his coat. The hair on his face had come in because he hadn’t shaved for days, but it probably protected his skin from the kiss of winter. “And?”

“Do you think I should be concerned about that?”

He considered my question before he shook his head. “Not really.”

I raised an eyebrow because it wasn’t the response I was expecting.

“Let me give you the scoop on men, sis. You know, since you don’t have any friends, I have to teach you everything.”

I didn’t even bother rolling my eyes.

“No man is looking for a relationship at any given point in time. If you do meet a guy who says that, then there’s obviously something wrong with him.”

“Uh, how?”

“That means they’re eager to settle down because they’re afraid to be alone. Or they’re on the rebound because they were in a great relationship until the chick dumped them. Now they can’t function without a partner. Just trust me on this.”

He was a making a big generalization.

“For the average guy who says he’s not looking for a relationship, that’s perfectly normal. To them, they need to find the right woman first. If and when they do, they realize they want to keep their dick in their pants, and they don’t want any other guy going near their woman. And it’s that moment that makes them realize they don’t have any other option but to do the relationship thing. That make sense?”

Oddly, it did.

“The guy flat out told me he was your boyfriend. He told me he was going to be around for a long time. He staked a claim even to me—your brother. So don’t worry about all that bullshit he said about marriage. He’s hooked on you, and after enough time passes, he’ll realize he doesn’t want to be with another woman. And that’s when you have a stupid and ridiculous wedding.”

Calloway did say things were different with me, that he was my boyfriend and we were exclusive. We had strong chemistry and spent nearly all of our free time together. Christopher was probably right. I didn’t need to worry about anything. But even if he were wrong, it wouldn’t change my mind. I wanted to be with Calloway—even if it didn’t last forever.

“And you haven’t slept together, right?”

“That’s a personal question.”

“You want my help or not? Just answer.”

“No.”

“No, you won’t answer?”

“No, we haven’t slept together.” Christopher teased me about needing him, but he needed me too. He just wasn’t so obvious about it. He asked me to go apartment hunting with him, and I even acted as his wingman a few times when he picked up girls. We spent every holiday together even if it was just the two of us sitting in my tiny apartment with a bottle of wine and no dinner.

“You’ve been seeing him for weeks.”

I shrugged in response.

“Then you’re set, Rome. He’s not going anywhere.”

“Why do you say that?”

“If a girl made me wait longer than two dates, I’d lose interest. Sex isn’t everything, but if I was exclusive with her and buying all her dinners…I’d expect some action. So if he’s this patient with you, then he’s damn serious. A guy like him could get laid whenever he wanted. He’s keeping it in his pants for you without even getting laid. Basically, this guy deserves a medal awarded by the president of the United States.”





15





Calloway




I walked into Ruin after midnight and welcomed the loud music against my ears. The heavy metal was just noise to most people, but to me, it was just as comforting as classical music in an art gallery.

I passed by the bar and said hello to a few regulars. Anytime I was inside Ruin, I was surrounded by friends, like-minded people who understood my fetishes and dark desires. There were no questions here, just solutions.

Jackson was sitting at the bar talking to a woman dressed in leather. Skintight pants hugged her curvy hips, and her black jacket was snug around her waist. The zipper was down past her chest, and a noticeable line of cleavage was on display for anyone who glanced in that direction. “This is what I’m thinking. You’re the lion, and I’m the tamer. All we’re missing is the whip.”

We had very different approaches to picking up women. I just made eye contact with them and explored their body with my gaze. I searched for the flushed color of their cheeks and the way their mouths opened slightly in need of a kiss. Then I walked over and pressed my mouth to theirs. The rest was history. “I think you should reverse roles. That’s just my opinion.”