With Everything I Am(76)

“Did you take something for it?” he queried, she nodded and his hand relaxed as did his body. “Is that what I heard you taking this morning?”

She nodded again, saying cautiously, “That and my vitamins.”

“It sounded like you were opening a pharmacy in there. How many vitamins do you take?”

She did a quick mental calculation and told him, “Six.”

He stared at her.

“In the morning,” she went on when he didn’t speak. “I take a couple more at lunch.”

He burst out laughing.

She blinked again at his second change of mood in the last thirty seconds then she decided to look on the bright side. At least he didn’t look angry anymore.

His hand traveled up her back to cup her neck and maneuver her head toward his.

Mouth again at her ear, he stated quietly, “We’ll work out that stress later, baby doll.”

And, fighting the shiver his words caused, she could do nothing but nod yet again.

His other hand slid up the outside of her thigh, over her hip and under her silk knit, wide ribbed, black turtleneck, then down, digging into the waistband of her winter white wool slacks.

This time, she hadn’t forgotten their audience and she stiffened in his arms.

“Callum, what are you –?” she stopped when his long finger hooked on something under the material of her slacks and he pulled out her claiming chain. Freeing it completely, he settled it around her hips outside her slacks as she finished breathily, “Doing.”

Her mind took that moment to remind her how the chain felt dangling from her body while he drove into her last night, the delicate links a tantalizing torment against her sensitive skin. And more, after they had climaxed, when she had lowered her arms and Callum was still behind her, gently thrusting inside her, the chain had slid up her waist, her ribcage, to rest on the underside of her overly aroused breasts. The charm tweaking so close to her nipple, at the time, every inch of her body so responsive, she’d had to bite her lip not to cry out in pleasure.

That reminder, so sharp it was almost as if took her back to the actual moment, made the urge start to surface, wanton impulses flooded her brain. Things she wanted to do to Callum. Things she wanted him to do to her.

“I like to see it,” Callum muttered, his voice bringing her hooded eyes to his. His gaze lifted from the chain to her face and his body grew tight under hers then he whispered, “Fucking hell, baby doll.”

She took in a fluttering breath and tried to calm her thoughts, focusing on his hand still moving at her chain. He was fiddling with it and her head tipped down to look.

Then her mind erased as she saw for the first time (as she hadn’t had a lot of time yesterday and she hadn’t been paying much attention to anything but to her fevered thoughts this morning), the charm.

In heavy gold, beautifully rendered, it was the head of a snarling wolf with two eyes made of yellow diamonds.

“It’s a wolf,” she breathed and she was so taken by the charm, entranced by it, she missed the air in the room getting tense.

She forgot the bricks on the bad side of the scale. She forgot everything. Except the fact that Callum had put that charm on her claiming chain.

Her head snapped up and he’d moved so close, he had to rear his own back to miss being clipped on the chin.

“I love wolves!” she cried, unable to hide the delight in her voice and still not sensing the air, which had now lightened considerably. In fact, she was so touched by this gesture of Callum’s (obviously someone told him that she loved wolves), that she didn’t even notice the soft chuckles coming from the table.

Callum’s face was back to that affectionate softness when he replied, “I know you do, honey.”

“No, I really, really love wolves,” she blurted.

The chuckles grew louder but she still didn’t process it as Callum was now smiling a white, gorgeous smile and his voice held his own mirth when he said, “Yes, honey, I know.”

Her head tipped back down and she remarked with wonder in her tone, “He’s a beauty.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

She whipped her head back again and uttered with feeling, “Thank you.”

His head dipped and he rested his forehead to hers. “You thanked me last night, baby doll, twice. But the second time was so good, you earned another charm.”

Her breath caught, her breasts swelled but she had little time for these reactions.

His mouth took hers in a thorough, beautiful kiss much like the one he gave her last night but this one was different. It was also hungry. Further, it was in front of an audience.

“Should we leave the room?” Caleb asked in a teasing voice.