Every Kiss(30)

“Callie.” He’s so close that I can feel his breath in my hair. “You ready to get out of here?”

“Whenever you are.” I stay rooted in place. Feeling him at my back is more than intense enough for me.

“Sandra, if O’Brian calls back, tell him we’ll resume our discussion tomorrow. And I forwarded you a few emails with meeting changes, if you don’t mind adjusting my schedule accordingly. And—”

“Mr. Baxter,” she laughs, interrupting him. “Relax. Go enjoy your evening.” Her eyes flash to me for a split second. “We can sit down in the morning and go over everything.”

He crosses the room and hugs her, something I’d never expect to see. “Thanks for all your help today.”

“Sure. That’s what I’m here for.” She pats his back. It’s endearing, motherly.

The entire walk to the parking lot is quiet, strangely so. Like there’s something that needs to be said, but neither of us knows what’s right. But right or not, I have something on my mind, and I’ve never been one to keep it to myself.

“I have to ask you something that’s nagging at me.”

“Shoot.” He holds out his key fob and a new black, four-door jeep lights up. I swear, he’s an enigma, surprising me at every turn. Even more so when he goes to the passenger side to open the door for me. Good to know his mom raised him right.

“Well,” I begin as he gets in, “what is it about me that makes you treat me differently?”

He unbuttons his dress shirt all the way down, then the cuffs, removing it and tossing it in the backseat. I catch the familiar scent of him as it passes between us. “What are you talking about?” He tugs at his white undershirt until it’s free from his pants.

Now, he’s looking more like the Wes I remember.

“From the minute we first met, you’ve been different with me. Makenna talked about how sweet you always are. Shane says you’re more of a best friend to him than a brother, and even now, with your secretary. You hugged her. With me, you’re hot and cold, sometimes all at once. Moody. I feel like we’re constantly butting heads, and we don’t even have a reason to. And while I’m on a roll, I have to mention the weekend of your birthday party.”

“Oh, come on, Callie . . .”

“No, I talk. You listen. You went from being an ass to ignoring me, then you were protective and kissing me. Then after taking care of me when I wasn’t feeling well, you disappeared. Not a word in three weeks. I know we talked about being friends and all, and I’m totally cool with that, but something seems a little off. I thought for sure I’d hear from you at some point. What gives? If I get on your nerves or whatever, that’s fine. I just prefer you tell me that upfront instead of acting as if you like me one minute and then like you can’t stand me the next. As it stands right now, I don’t know which mood I’m going to get from you. ”

He drums his fingers on the steering wheel and blows out a deep breath. “Am I allowed to speak now?”

I nod.

“Callie, we are friends.” He shifts in his seat to face me and runs his fingers through the top of his hair, causing it to fall over his forehead. “I’ve had a lot going on the last few weeks, and I did ask Shane if he knew how you were feeling the day after I left my parents’ house. The road runs both ways . . . you could’ve called me, too. I programmed my number into your phone while you slept, but even if you didn’t notice, you could’ve gotten it from Makenna or Shane. As far as me treating you differently, I don’t know what to tell you. I know I’ve been hot and cold, but cold is safer for me right now. I’m trying to stay the hell away from hot as much as possible with you, and it’s damn hard.”

“But why? That’s what I don’t understand.”

His eyes cut right through me, right to the very core. His penetrating gaze floods into me and touches a certain place within that I didn’t even know existed, almost like a raw, exposed nerve. It’s pleasure. But also pain.

“I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when I got to my parents’ house that day.” His voice softens slightly. “You know why. But I liked you from that first second when you thought I broke into my own house. Little by little, and with a lot of alcohol, I pushed the bullshit with my mother from my mind, or at least I tried to. It kept creeping back up on me. But for some damn reason, you also kept creeping up on me. If I didn’t see you, I was thinking about you, still reeling from the way you didn’t take my shit. Honestly . . .” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “It turned me on.”