Enchant the Night - Amanda Ashley Page 0,36
need something to occupy our time, a way to feel useful.”
“California. I don’t know, Quill. It’s so far away.”
“It would just be for a few months. Will you at least think about it?”
“How soon did you want to go?”
He made a vague gesture with his hand. “Monday?”
Callie chewed on the corner of her lip. It wouldn’t be forever. And she had always wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. And Disneyland. She didn’t have any work scheduled, so there was nothing to keep her here. And if it meant putting some distance between Quill and the Knights . . . “It might be fun,” she decided. “I haven’t had a vacation lately.”
“That’s my girl!”
“Is that what I am?” she asked with a playful grin. “Your girl?”
He waggled his eyebrows and then winked at her. “Only if you want to be.”
“What do you think?”
Suddenly serious, he said, “I’m not sure you want to know.”
“Why not?”
His gaze caressed her from head to foot, the heat in his eyes so hot she swore she could feel it warming her skin.
“If we’re going to live together, we need to set a few ground rules,” she said.
“I can guess what they are,” he muttered, his voice faintly amused.
“I’m not ready for us to . . . to consummate our relationship.”
“I understand.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Oh, I mind.” His fingers caressed her nape. “You don’t know how badly I’d like to carry you to bed and make love to you all night long.”
After the other night, she had a pretty good idea.
“I know you’re not ready, sweetheart.” His fingers delved into her hair. “But I’m a very patient man.” Tilting her chin up, he kissed her lightly. “And I always get what I want.”
* * *
And I always get what I want. Quill’s words echoed in Callie’s mind as she got ready for bed that night. On one hand, it had thrilled the primal cavewoman deep within her. On the other hand, it made the contemporary side of her a little uneasy. She told herself she’d read too many books, listened to too many news stories lately about sexual abuse. Quill had never forced himself on her. When she had felt things were going too far the other night, he had stopped.
But she couldn’t help thinking that, with his preternatural powers, he probably did always get what he wanted.
One way or another.
It was a sobering thought.
* * *
In the morning, after a leisurely breakfast, Callie went down to her workshop. She added some recent pictures to her business website, Facebook, and Instagram. She studied the ad copy she’d written for one of the bridal magazines, but decided to hang on to it for a while. No sense advertising for new business while she was away.
She dusted the shelves, then put her cameras in their cases. She was about to go upstairs when she turned back and grabbed her favorite Nikon. If she was going to California, she wanted pictures of the trip.
With nothing pressing on her schedule, she took the time to mop and vacuum, then cancelled the newspaper and put a hold on her mail. She would see about having it forwarded when she learned her new address in Northern California, or maybe she’d ask Vivian to pick it up for her.
When that was done, she sorted through her old magazines and tossed the ones she no longer wanted.
She was thinking about going out to lunch when the phone rang. She smiled when she looked at her caller ID and saw Vivian’s name. “Hey, Viv.”
“Hi. I’ve got the day off and I was thinking, if you’re not busy, maybe we could get together for lunch.”
“You must have been reading my mind. Where shall we go? Jerri’s Joint or Tony’s?”
“Silly question,” Viv said, a smile in her voice. “Tony’s!”
“Okay. See you there at noon.”
After taking a quick shower, Callie brushed her teeth and applied a bit of makeup. She dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater, then pulled her hair back into a ponytail. A last look in the mirror and she was ready to go.
* * *
When she arrived at Tony’s, Viv was already there. They ordered a ham-and-pineapple pizza and salad, then found a table near the front window.
“You look happy,” Vivian said. “I take it you’re still seeing Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.”
Callie nodded. “As a matter of fact, we’re going away together for a while.”
“Really? Where?”
“Up to Northern California. Some of his, uh . . . his family lives there and we’re going