Page 56 of Flights and Sights

“Wait,” Cal said, reaching for me.

I smiled and dropped the condom in the small trash can I kept next to the bed and moved to lie next to him. He pulled me in close for a deep, languid kiss and when we parted, he let out a soft, contented sigh.

“Okay,” he said finally. “You can go clean up if you want.”

I gave him a little laugh and a nod. “I’ll be right back,” I said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. It only took me a few moments to wash up and return with a wet cloth to clean him up, wiping his chest and stomach before moving to gently clean his ass. I tossed the cloth in my hamper and collapsed next to him.

We lay there silently for a while before Cal let out a yawn and sat up. “I should go,” he murmured.

I pulled him back to me. “Do you have somewhere to be tomorrow?” He shook his head. “Then stay?” I asked.

He gave me the softest, most tender smile I’d ever seen and lay next to me again, kissing me gently.

“If you really want me to.”

“I do,” I said. “I really do.”

Chapter 28 - Callum

We spent most of Sunday in bed, enjoying each other’s bodies, taking our time to learn what the other liked, only leaving the bed to eat or complete basic hygiene tasks. Sunday afternoon, though, I knew I had to go home, and Paxton needed to get to the meadery to prove to Tommy that he wasn’t dead and hadn’t abandoned ship entirely.

My flight out had originally been scheduled for that Monday but I changed it at the last minute to leave on Wednesday. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. When Monday morning rolled around, I made my way to Paxton’s house, and from there, I was going to take him to the town’s planning committee meeting.

When I arrived, I let myself in, calling out for Pax with no answer. Eventually, I found him standing nervously in his bathroom, inspecting himself in the mirror, shifting from foot to foot. He was wearing nothing but boxer briefs and his skin was a rosy pink, indicating he’d just gotten out of a very hot shower.

“Hey,” I murmured, standing behind him and pressing a kiss to his neck. “What’s going on here?”

“What if they say no?” He turned to me and his dark brown eyes were shining. “What do I do then?”

“Hey,” I repeated, moving my arms around him and pulling him against me. His body was warm, his skin still slightly damp. “We’ll take it one step at a time. If they say no, we’ll figure something else out.”

“But—”

“What if they say yes?” I countered. “Then what?”

He settled a little and smiled at me. “Then I get to make my dreams come true. And Paul’s.”

“You? What about me? Where do I fit in this equation?” I teased.

“Anywhere you want to fit in,” he said seriously.

I blinked a few times, trying to rid myself of the emotion that threatened to spill out. “I’m just teasing. This is your dream.”

“But we’re together now. It’s our project. I wouldn’t be here without you. And honestly, I’m not sure I’d want to be.”

Heat flared in my chest and I nodded. “Thanks,” I said softly.

A few seconds later my phone pinged with an incoming email. I ignored it and kissed Paxton instead. By the time our lips met, my phone buzzed, a call coming in.

I sighed and pulled away, but Pax gave me a gentle smile. “It’s okay. We have all the time in the world.”

I took my phone out of my pocket, smiling hard at his words, and checked the number on the display. It wasn’t a number I recognized. “Hello?”

“Hi, I’m calling for Callum Sinclair and Paxton Lowell.”

My stomach lurched with sudden anxiety. Who would be calling for the two of us? “I’m Callum Sinclair,” I said.

“Mr. Sinclair, I’m so glad to have caught you. Do you have a few moments?”