Page 54 of Friends With the Monsters
“No place else I’d rather be.” Calix gives Grim a mock salute.
Grim’s black cloak swirls around him, he lifts his left hand and takes hold of the wicked scythe that appears at his side.
As soon as he’s gone, I turn to Calix. “The robe and sickle are a smart play. He’s too damn pretty to be scary.”
“Are you kidding me? Don’t ever tell him I said this, but he’s one scary motherfucker, with or without the robe.”
“Really? I don’t see it.” I shake my head. “Want something to eat? Then we need to get back to the Berserkers.”
“I’m always down to eat.” Calix lowers his head and leers at me. With that one look, I remember we have the whole place to ourselves.
“Anything in particular you’re craving?” I lick my lips.
Calix’s eyes roam over my body. “Crave is too small a word to describe what I’m thinking.”
I take a step in his direction. All thoughts of the Berserker origins and how Gunnar came to watch over the witches flee from my mind. Right now, all I’m thinking about is how hungry Calix really is, and what that rough tongue of his will feel like between my legs.
Calix takes the hint and meets me halfway across the kitchen floor. I’m already turned on. Just being around him and the others lights me up enough that I may have to start carrying extra panties, so I don’t go around in damp undies all the time.
Calix’s hands are gentle but eager when he pulls me close. His lips land on mine quickly. I get the feeling he doesn’t want to be interrupted again. That’s okay, neither do I.
I’m pawing at his shirt the moment our mouths fuse. I want my hands on his skin. Calix pulls away just long enough to tug his shirt over his head and drop it to the floor, then his hands are back in my hair, holding me while he kisses the hell out of me.
Kissing has its place, but I’ve never been that into it. I’ve had a series of first kisses my entire life, and most of the time they’re awkward and stunted. It didn’t feel that way the first time I kissed Calix, and it sure doesn’t feel that way now. His hands slide down over my shoulders and skim over my body. I can feel the heat of his touch through my mesh shirt as if I were not wearing anything, but I still want more. I fumble with the hem of my top, dragging it up, but my long hair gets caught in the clingy fabric. Calix stills my frenzied hands and slowly removes the shirt, not yanking out my hair in the process.
I wrap my arms around his neck and hop up, locking my ankles around his back. His hands go right under my ass and he holds me in his arms. “Table?” I question between kisses. I don’t really care where we go at this point as long as he gets inside me.
“No, I want to be in your bed,” Calix purrs, rolling his hips, but I’m too high on his waist to get any real benefit from it. I feel his tongue lap from the top of my breast and up my neck. It sends another shiver of excitement through me.
“Upstairs,” I tell him, while tilting my head back.
“I know where your room is, Dami.” Calix spins and puts my back against the wall. He loosens his hold so I slide a little lower on his body. I let out a tiny moan of protest. These leather pants are cute and all, but way too thick. I can’t feel him against me the way I need to. After another round of kissing, I straighten my legs until my feet hit the floor. Calix leans down lower and follows my mouth as I do.
I reach for him, tugging the button on his jeans and pulling the zipper down at the same time. “Are you sure you’re ready?” he whispers between drugging kisses.
His words give me pause. I pull back. “For sex? I’ve been ready for days.” But it seems like he means more.
“This isn’t just sex, Damiana. I won’t give you up if I have you.” His voice is pitched low, and he delivers the words like a warning. I get a twisting feeling in my stomach, one I don’t know how to interpret. But is he really telling the truth? Guys say all kinds of shit when they want to get into your pants, I know this for a fact.
“Will it change something between us?” I pull back from Calix a little more, so I can see his eyes. I may not be able to sense lies from him, but I’m well versed in reading lies from people as they fall from their lips. I can’t help but notice the way people act when they lie: a twitch, not meeting someone’s stare. I watch Gunnar for any of those clues now.
He swallows. “Not like you’re thinking.” He brushes his hand over my hair. “But it will change something in me. You can’t give me that and then take it away.” He drops his forehead to mine and takes several long breaths.
Grim pulled this shit on me too. “I’ve told you from the beginning, I’m not choosing just one of you. If you can’t handle that, then we shouldn’t do this.” I give his chest a slight push. I don’t want him to back away, but I won’t lie to him either.
Why would I choose one of them? How do they even know we’re fated or whatever the fuck they called it? It sure didn’t make them stick around when I was younger, why would it now? My mother and father didn’t stay around long enough to even raise me; what would make me think these three would be any different?
I admit I do feel a pull to them—more than I’ve felt toward anyone else—but I’ve never really given anyone else a chance to get close to me, either. I’ve always been too worried about losing the only real family I’ve ever had, the ones who have actually stayed by my side.
“You don’t have to choose just me. I’m just asking you to choose metoo, Damiana.” Calix shuffles his feet back a few inches to give me the perception that he’s giving me some room, but it’s not much.
“Why can’t we just be…” I wave my hands around, looking for the right words, but I come up empty. “Why do we need to define any of this, can’t we just—”
“Fuck?” Calix’s nostrils flare as he barks out the word. “I already told you, it could never be just sex, not between us.”
“You say that shit now, but I’ve heard all the same lies from a hundred different men. I’m just not stupid enough to fall for the bullshit.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Every time I witness a woman falling for that garbage, I pity her. Do you want to know why?”
“I don’t really care, because I’m not lying to get into your pants. If I wanted to just fuck you, I could bend you over the fucking chair.” Calix’s eyes do that glowing thing as he throws his arm behind his back, motioning to the living room.
