Every Kiss(45)

“Mom, seriously?” Wes groans.

“What? It’s the truth. You know how some of these people are.” She’s not ashamed to admit it either. I think I like her. “You’re a pretty little thing, too. Finally, my son has some real taste.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“Mom, please,” Wes begs. But he’s smiling and shaking his head at her.

She pokes a bony finger into his bicep. “Are you telling me you don’t agree?”

“No, ma’am. I have the honor of being in the presence of the prettiest women here.”

“Ah, now you’re acting just like your dad. Such a charmer. Give me a kiss, sweet boy, and get this girl some dinner. They’re about to serve everyone.”

He bends down to her as she takes his face in her hands. “Love you, Mom,” he says softly as they kiss each other’s cheeks at the same time.

“Love you, darlin’. Callie, I expect I’ll be seeing you around a little more now that we’ve met.”

“Yes, ma’am. I look forward to it.”

She smiles, watching Wes’ hand go to the small of my back. “Find me and let me know when you’re heading home later.” She turns and looks back over her shoulder after taking only a couple of steps. “And Wesley? Is it just me, or are there a few embers?”

He chuckles and looks at me, then back to her. “Yes, ma’am. More than a few.”

“About time,” she says under her breath as she walks away.

Wes urges me forward, but I plant my feet. “Embers?”

“I’ll explain another time. Trust me on that.”

I’m not satisfied with his answer, but it’s clear he’s not going to explain right now. We join Makenna and Shane at the table just as the first course is served, and by the time dessert makes its way to the table, my cheeks hurt from laughing so much. The banter between Wes and Shane is hilarious, and seeing Wes so different has been good for me. This isn’t Tall, Dark, and Moody or Sexy Suit CEO. There’s no mask. No walls. Just Wes. And I really enjoy being around him. A lot. And it scares the hell out of me because I know there’s no future for us. There’s no more that can come of this. Well, unless I agree to the benefits part.

And for some reason, I’m not so scared of that anymore. I want to be with him. I want to stop fighting the constant, nagging pull between us and just let it happen. It may make everything much more complicated, but maybe it won’t. I won’t ever know for sure if I don’t try it. I’ll just have to constantly remind myself that there won’t be an emotional connection. Just purely physical. And if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll have to learn to keep things on a friendly level. People make these kinds of arrangements all the time.

So . . . I’m going to do it. Literally. Maybe it’s hormones or the fact that I haven’t been intimate with anyone in a while, but regardless of the reasons, this feeling won’t go away until I just do it. And if I don’t tell him now, I’m afraid I’ll chicken out. That in itself is rather scary. I’m usually the forward one.

While Shane and Mak are looking at some pictures on his cell phone and Wes is turned around in his seat, chatting with someone at our neighboring table, I take my phone out of my lap and send him the two hardest words I’ve ever typed. It’s only five little letters, and my fingers are so unsteady that I keep hitting the wrong buttons.

I swear my heart stops when I hear his phone chime in his pocket. I can’t retract it. It’s there. He’s going to see it.

Wes is still talking when he pulls it out and unlocks the screen. I watch over his shoulder as the words appear, as the world comes to a screeching halt.

Use me.

Well, I’ve wanted physical proof that I’ve gotten to him, and now I have it. He stops talking mid-sentence and spins around so fast that he knocks his plate into the floor. But I don’t think he even notices. His eyes fix on mine, and in that moment, all of my nerves simply fall away. Yes, this is what I want.

“Damn, Wes,” Shane chuckles. “If I hadn’t seen you drinking water most of the night, I’d think you were drunk. Quit acting like a caveman and pick up your plate.”

I burst out laughing, finding it incredibly fitting that he’s finally fallen into the caveman category that he’s always telling me I’m attracted to. Maybe I do like cavemen a little.

He cleans up his mess and leaves the table without a word. I have no idea what’s going on, and after exchanging glances with Shane and Makenna, I know they don’t either. It isn’t until I spot him across the room, talking to his mom, that I realize what’s going on. He was supposed to tell her when he’s leaving. We are leaving. Together.