Cal's POV
Steph was so damn cute as she blushed over finding the right words to ask me back to her place. In my younger days I certainly would have thought she was propositioning me but I felt like this was something more. When I'd seen her in Les's lap my heart had stopped for a minute. I had to tamp down all of the anger I was feeling over seeing them all over each other. My head knew that I had no claim over her, but my heart didn't quite seem to agree. I needed to talk to her and figure out if she was interested in me or involved with anyone.
We went through the McDonald's drive thru for two Quarter Pounder meals that I insisted on buying despite her objections. It had been a long time since I'd met a woman who was content – hell, I'd even say happy – with cheap drive thru food. It was refreshing. She directed me toward her apartment after we'd left McDonald's and showed me in. It was a tidy, small place that looked lived in. There were pictures on the walls and pillows on the couch and it just looked comfortable.
"You okay with eating on the couch?" she asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Yeah, that's perfect," I replied.
"Make yourself at home; I'm just going to go change," she informed me, and I nodded. I walked around the room and looked at photos and momentos as I ate some of my fries. One thing was immensely clear when looking at pictures – her smile always lit up the room, and her eyes were so full of life. I felt her eyes on me a few minutes later and looked over to see her watching me. She'd changed into sleep shorts and a tank top and thrown her hair up on top of her head, and I thought she looked just as beautiful as she did at the club. A loud growling interrupted our silent moment and I laughed.
"Sounds like we need to feed the beast," I said with a smile. I grabbed a few fries and held them out to her. I'm pretty sure I growled when she leaned forward and closed her mouth over the tips of my fingers as she took the fries from my hand. She pulled back and chewed on the salty snack and I found myself envious of them. Get it together, man! "Somehow I don't think that's going to be enough to tame your stomach," I joked.
We both walked back over to the couch and settled on opposite ends with our food. She turned to face me and tucked her feet under her, and I'd never seen anyone more beautiful in my life. "So, tell me about you, Cal," she said before taking a bite of her burger.
"You want the cliff notes or the whole story?" I asked.
"I want to get to know you as well as you want me to," she answered with a smile. If that were the truth then she'd get to know me very well indeed.
"In that case, I have a lot to tell you," I replied. "We'll start with the basics, though. I'm a thirty-year old security expert with Rangeman, LLC. I'm based out of the Trenton office. We do security and bond enforcement. I came to Rangeman straight out of the SEALs. I'm also still on contract with the military to do certain jobs that might require my skill set but I won't be re-signing with them once my contract is up."
"So you got hurt on the job?" she asked as her eyes moved toward my side.
"Yeah, there was a skip that I went after – that's what we call people who skipped out on their court date after being bonded out – and he had a knife. I woke up in the hospital and my shirt had been cut off of me and disposed of; your business card was in the pocket. I made Santos turn the place upside down looking for it, but it was long gone."
She nodded and seemed to be thinking about that. "Is your job always dangerous?" she asked. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt."
"No, you're fine. I want to answer your questions," I assured her. "There's always the possibility of danger, but we're the best at what we do. Sometimes there are injuries but I've never been seriously injured." She nodded and I continued. "Work is most of my life right now; I'm at a place where I'm ready for stability and something to look forward to after I clock out. I do work odd hours and shifts, and there's always a chance that I'll get called out at a moment's notice." Might as well lay it all on the line, right?
"Girlfriend? Wife? Kids?" she asked me, and I smiled. "No on all counts. I've never been married or fathered a child. I do have an opening for a girlfriend, though," I teased, and she blushed again. "Now, tell me about you." She'd finished eating now.
"Alright, I'm twenty-eight and work for E.E. Martin as a lingerie buyer." My eyes darkened and she laughed. "That's every guy's reaction," she teased.
I held my hands up in mock surrender and chuckled. "Can't help it; I'm a red-blooded male."
She stuck her tongue out at me and continued. "I grew up in Trenton - Chambersburg more specifically. I have one sister who is the apple of my mother's eyes. I've always been the black sheep to her, the daughter who wouldn't just do what's expected. While my sister was learning to cook and bake, I was climbing trees and jumping off the garage to see if I could fly. The broken arm that happened as a result shattered my hopes of being Wonder Woman," she joked, and I laughed at her. She was so easy to be around.
"Did you wear a cape when you jumped? Because that might have changed things," I offered with a smile.
"As a matter of fact, I did. My mom was more worried about the grass stains on the towel than she was about me, I think."
"So you're not close to your family?" I guessed.
"I'm close to my dad and grandma, and I love spending time with my sister's girls. I've just learned that my mom and Valerie will never understand me because they're not like me, and I'm okay with that now. It took a while, though," she said thoughtfully.
"Husbands? Boyfriends? Kids?" I asked, mimicking her earlier question to me.
She wrinkled her nose and made a face that was supposed to look annoyed, but it only came across cute. "One ex-husband, unfortunately. I came home and found him fucking my arch-nemesis on the dining room table. That ended our marriage and also his hopes to run for governor, so I guess you could say I got my revenge." This woman was a spitfire, and I found myself wanting to know more and more. She was unlike any woman I'd ever met.
"I can't see how any man would cheat on you," I blurted without thinking. Steph's eyes shot up and she looked at me in disbelief.
"You hardly know me," she argued.
"I know that you're gorgeous, you're nice to people around you – including big scary men like me, you're funny, and you're not just some mindless, man-hungry bimbo. But more than that, I know that no woman deserves to be disrespected like that, period. I'm not perfect, but I promised you that I wouldn't lie to you and I also don't cheat," I informed her seriously.
"I don't either," she said softly, and then she yawned.
"Good. Now, it's getting late and you look tired. I'll head out, but first I'd like to know if I can take you out on a date tomorrow night," I asked, hoping that she was also feeling the connection that I felt.
"I would love that," she replied with a huge smile. "Just let me know the details."
"I'll nail them down and call you by noon. Will that work?" I asked.
"Perfect."
"Now, what's your phone number? I'm not taking any chances this time," I joked. She laughed and we exchanged phone numbers and saved them. Then she got up and walked me to the door.
"Cal?" she asked as I reached for the door knob.
"Yeah, angel?"
"I'm really glad that you were at that club tonight. I…well, I hadn't quit thinking about you since we first met," she said with a blush. It hooked something in me and made me want to take her into my arms and never let her go. I reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear as I looked into those brilliant baby blues.
"I feel the same way, Steph," I whispered. She smiled and I couldn't help myself. I leaned down and kissed her irresistible lips. I nipped lightly at her bottom lip and damn near came in my pants when she moaned and opened her mouth to me. I tangled my fingers into her curly hair as our tongues explored each other and she ran her hands down my back just under the hem of my shirt. Holy shit. I was a goner.
Steph's POV
Omigod. My body tingled with electricity anytime Cal was around, and then when he touched me...it lit little fires. But when his lips met mine I melted. Just the feel of his lips moving against mine made my Hungarian hormones stand up and take notice. I thought for sure my legs would give out as his tongue swept into my mouth. I had never in my life been kissed like this. My senses were on overload and I was loving every second of it. I ran my hands down his back and then danced my fingertips along his bare skin just under the bottom of his shirt. His skin was soft and muscular, and I'm damn sure these panties were ruined.
We pulled apart a minute later, both of us breathing hard. I'm sure I had a dazed look on my face but I couldn't find it within myself to care. That was one hell of a kiss.
"I couldn't agree more, Angel," Cal chuckled, and I instantly blushed.
"Out loud?" I asked, completely embarrassed.
"Yeah, but you're right. Now, I'd better leave before I never let you go. Until tomorrow, Steph." He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead and then opened the door.
"Lock it up tight so I know you're safe," he instructed, and I nodded. I locked the door on autopilot and then plopped down on the couch. My lips still tingled from when he'd kissed me.
I was expecting one night of nameless mutual stress relief. What I got instead was an amazing, quiet, comfortable night with a man who I wanted to spend so much more time with. Cal seemed to be a gentle giant with his tough exterior that covered up his kind, outgoing personality. I was immensely grateful that Les had taken me back to that table to meet his friends; if we had left straight from the dance floor I'd be feeling guilty tomorrow morning and never would have seen Cal again.
I remembered my promise to Mary Lou and sent her a text letting her know I'd made it home okay before heading off to bed. I was exhausted from the long, emotional day. I changed into my PJs and climbed between the sheets, asleep before my head even hit the pillow.
I awoke the next morning with a smile on my face. I'd dreamed all night long of Cal – spending time together, his smile, the way he moved on the dance floor, more meals together. I felt at peace as I got out of bed and started my day. I hadn't had much to drink the previous night, so I was in good shape physically. I spent time in the shower and then dried off and dressed in cut off shorts and an off-the-shoulder olive green shirt.
I spent the morning catching up on laundry and tidying up my apartment. My phone rang around 10:30 and I smiled when I saw who was calling.
"Hey, Cal," I answered as I sat down on the couch. I was going for casual, but I'm pretty sure he could hear the excitement in my voice.
"Hey, Angel. How are you this morning? Did you sleep well?" I'm pretty sure I swooned over hearing his voice on the other end of the line.
"I slept very well, actually. I've just been doing some laundry and housework this morning. How are you?" I asked.
"I'm good. I had dreams of this cute little curly-haired brunette," he said, his voice low and deep, and I shivered.
"Oh yeah?" I asked.
"Yeah," he affirmed. "So, what's your schedule like this afternoon?"
"I'm pitifully free," I replied with a laugh.
"That's not pitiful; that's fortuitous. I happen to be very much looking forward to seeing you later today." That's it – I'm officially putty in his hands.
"I'm looking forward to it, too," I said softly.
"I thought about taking you out to some nice, swanky restaurant to wine you and dine you – and we can do that if you'd prefer – but as I thought about it, it doesn't seem like what either one of us would enjoy most. I don't know you super well, but you seem like the kind of girl who enjoys having relaxed fun. I have a beach house at Point Pleasant. What would you think about heading down there for the evening? We can pick a restaurant for dinner, or I'd love to cook for you at the house. We can enjoy the pool and the ocean, check out the boardwalk. If you're not busy and feel comfortable, we could stay there tonight and come back tomorrow sometime. I have a guest bedroom with its own separate bathroom you could use. I know we've just met, and I promise you that you're completely safe with me. I could give you my employer's information for him to vouch for me if you'd like; we're all background checked and have high military clearance. I don't want you to feel pressured, though. I just thought it might be fun. I mean, if you want to." I could hear him taking a breath to start talking again and started laughing.
"Cal, take a deep breath. I'd love to go to Point Pleasant with you today. How about I pack an overnight bag and we decide later tonight whether to stay there or head back this way?" I asked with a laugh. He was adorable when he was nervous.
"Sure, that sounds great, Angel." I could hear the relief and smile in his voice. "Can I pick you up around 2:00?"
"There's no need for you to drive all the way up here just to turn around and drive back south. Can I meet you somewhere in Trenton?" I offered. It was silly for him to drive an hour each way to pick me up, but it was sweet that he offered.
"Sure, do you know the coffee house on the corner of 33rd and Redwood? The Brew House?" he asked.
"Yeah, I know just where that is. I'll see you there at 2:00," I promised him.
"I can't wait, Steph."
"Me either, Cal."
The line went dead and I immediately scrolled to Mary Lou's number. I had so much to tell her!
