Cal's POV
When I saw Steph leaving the coffee house, I swear my heart almost stopped. I thought I'd blown it for sure and was ready to level Tank for his part in the relationship ending before it started. I started breathing again when she checked her phone and listened to me, and after being near her in the car and talking on the drive I was finally feeling grounded again. Something about her presence soothed me like nothing else ever had, and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world that she wanted to see me more.
"So," Stephanie said, pulling me out of my thoughts, "I know that your mom and your sister want you to settle down and get married. What do you want?" she asked tentatively. I could hear her voice waiver as if she was nervous. I brushed my thumb over her knuckles and held her hand more tightly.
"I want to find someone I can enjoy life with. I sewed a lot of wild oats when I was younger, and I'm at a place where I want a loving, stable relationship. Ultimately I'd like to get married, but if my partner was dead set against it then it wouldn't be a deal breaker."
She smiled and nodded at me. "What about kids?" she asked.
"I do want kids. I love my niece and nephew, and I want the chance to be a dad," I shared. "What about you?"
She seemed to be having a conversation with herself, so I just patiently waited her out until she began speaking. "If you'd asked me a couple of weeks ago, I would have told you that I didn't know if I ever wanted to get married again. I think I'm just scared of it turning out like my first marriage, though. I need a man in my life who will help me trust and look toward the future again, and then I think I would want it. I'm not your typical woman who wants to be a homemaker, staying home and raising the kids, though. I want to work and a relationship would have to be an equal partnership. I've been too brow-beaten by men in the past to ever allow myself to be treated badly again."
"Can you tell me about that?" I pried. I was hoping she'd continue to let me see what had made her into who she is today.
"You have to promise me that you won't do anything rash or try to right the wrongs that have been committed against me," she insisted. "I can tell that you're a fighter and a protector, but I've dealt with the men."
I nodded and encouraged her to continue. "I promise. I trust you to let me know if you ever need my protection or need me to defend you."
"Thank you. Joe Morelli was the first, actually. It started when I was six and he was eight, and he lured me into his garage to play choo-choo." I tensed hearing that first confession and Steph took up stroking my hand with her fingers.
"He was a thorn in my side all of my growing up years, but it all came to a head one night when I was sixteen and closing up at the Tasty Pastry. He sauntered in like he owned the place and made some promises that he had no intention of keeping. He ended up taking what he wanted from me on the floor behind the cannoli case and walked out without a backward glance. He was leaving for the Navy the next day, and he took the liberty of writing about me all over the bathroom walls at Mario's Sub Shop. My mother grounded me for the summer, insistent that it was all my fault, and I became the target of Burg gossip. Thankfully I had my Daddy on my side. He held me while I cried, took me to the doctor and waited outside while I got checked out and got some emergency birth control, and then he started training me. He's ex-Special Forces, and he decided then and there that his little girl would know how to take care of herself going forward."
"I'm so sorry that you went through that. It's a good thing you had me promise first that I'd stay out of it, because getting him to leave you alone at the bar that first night doesn't seem like nearly enough," I replied, trying hard to keep the edge out of my voice. Hopefully she didn't notice my jaw tensing and flexing either.
"I'm sorry, too, but I know now that the blame lands squarely on Joe for that. I got my revenge when he was home on leave and I broke his leg by driving Big Blue, a powder blue 1953 Buick Roadmaster, up on the curb and hitting him."
"That's priceless, Angel. I'm proud of you," I said with a laugh. "What about your ex-husband?"
"My ex-husband is what happens when my mother is given free rein to set me up with someone, and the very reason why I don't care what she thinks about a man as long as he makes me happy. I dated Dickie Orr in college, and he proposed my senior year. My mother had the biggest circus of a wedding planned before I could even blink. I didn't want to marry him – I just knew it wasn't right – but she was so damn happy that I convinced myself that it would be okay.
"I walked into find him doing the horizontal mambo with someone who definitely wasn't his wife. I was livid, but he and my mom kept telling me that it was all my fault for not keeping my husband satisfied. I broke every dish in the house, burned his clothes, and drug his name through the mud in the messiest divorce the Burg has ever seen. I ruined his chances at running for Governor, and I don't regret it for a second. He got what he deserved," she said quietly.
Wow. Some men might be scared hearing all of that, but I was bursting with pride that she'd stood up for herself. "You did the right thing, Steph," I reassured her. I took a deep breath. "So, do you think a man might be able to help you learn to trust and be happy again?"
She looked at me and smiled that beautiful smile that lights up a room. "I do, and I want to find that," she answered softly.
"Maybe it's closer than you think," I whispered, not even realizing I'd spoken. Her eyes got wide and she turned to face me.
"Maybe so." She was quiet for a minute. "Cal, I don't know if I want kids. Sometimes just the thought of it makes me break out into hives. I can't be that woman whose entire life is her children; I know I wouldn't be happy like that."
I turned onto the street my house was on and was grateful that we were about to stop for this heavy conversation. "If you find the right man to share your life with, having children won't be like that. It's a partnership, Steph."
I saw her take a deep breath and the tension left her body as we pulled into the driveway. Maybe I'd helped put her mind at ease.
Steph's POV
My mind was swirling with random thoughts as Cal pulled into the driveway of a cute little beach house and we unloaded his SUV. Being around Cal did unexplainable things to me. I was known for being cynical and guarded, but around him I felt like I could be myself and trust. And the thought of future marriage or kids with someone…well, there wouldn't be an engagement or Lamaze classes anytime soon, but it didn't make me break out in hives. Hell, I didn't even really feel the need to reside in Denial Land when I was around him because I felt like everything would be okay. Probably I should get my head examined. But hey, at least I knew what he was looking for in a relationship now. I was falling so hard and fast, and knowing he was looking for something real too helped me to relax more.
I loaded the groceries Cal bought into the refrigerator and cabinets while he straightened out the deck furniture and put out cushions. When I was finished, I grabbed two bottles of water and walked out to join him. He was standing at the edge of the deck looking out over the beach.
"I don't think I've ever seen a more perfect house or view in my life," I said softly as I joined him at the railing. The stairs from the deck literally walked down onto the sandy beach and he had an unobstructed view of the ocean. The house itself was done in light, cheery colors and just had a peaceful feel. The entire bottom floor was open so you could see the ocean no matter where you stood.
"I have always felt so at peace and centered when I'm at the ocean. And of course, being a SEAL, it feels like home to me," he explained before he took a drink of water.
"I feel the same way," I confided. "Well, minus the whole being a SEAL thing."
Cal chuckled and snagged me around the waist, pulling me in close to his side. "What sounds like fun, Angel? We can sit on the deck and listen to the waves, we can go enjoy the ocean, or we can jump in the pool or hot tub," he said, pointing over to the inset swimming pool and spa.
"How about the ocean now and then relax on the deck later?" I asked.
"Sounds perfect. Come on, I'll show you the guest room so you can change." Cal took my hand and led me upstairs to the guest room where he'd put my bag while I carried in groceries. "I'll see you shortly," he said as he shut the door and left me there to change.
I stared at the door blankly for a minute, just thinking about how gorgeous Cal is and how incredibly sweet he is. I'm not a warm, fuzzy, touchy gal – I just wasn't made that way. But something about the way Cal treated me and made me feel caused me to want to touch him and have him touch me. God, I need to get a grip.
I pulled off my shorts and tank top and then grabbed my beach bag and headed back downstairs to meet Cal. My mouth went dry when I saw him standing out in the sand just beyond the deck in blue board shorts and nothing else. His upper body was a work of art. His golden skin rippled under his muscular arms and the best damn abs I'd ever seen. I had a sudden urge to run my tongue down them. His waist narrowed and led down to his sexy V that my fingers desperately wanted to trace. I'd once thought Joe Morelli had the best ass in Trenton, history aside, but I was dead wrong. Cal's ass was delicious in his board shorts. Damn, I was one lucky woman.
I stopped right next to him and laced my fingers through his. "Hey there, gorgeous," I said softly. He turned to face me and smiled broadly when he saw me. He held my hand up and spun me around in a circle, his eyes taking me in. He gave me a wolf whistle and I blushed.
"Damn, Angel. You look amazing."
"I could say the same about you," I replied with a laugh. Frankly, I didn't think amazing really did him justice. He looked like an Adonis, and while some women might find the tattoo to be a turn-off I loved it.
"You put your sunscreen on yet, or can I do the honors?" he asked. I grabbed the bottle out of my bag and handed it to him as I dropped the bag in the sand next to me.
"Be my guest," I said as I put it in his hand.
Cal took the bottle and walked around behind me. I heard him rubbing his hands together and then felt him settle them on my shoulders. I couldn't stop the moans that I let out as he massaged the lotion into my body. His hands slid lower and I felt a gush of moisture when he ran them over my hips and lower back. Before I knew it, he had moved around to my front and was taking great care to ensure that my chest and stomach were protected. Holy shit. I was going to combust if he didn't stop, but with the way my body felt right now I would happily welcome the fire. No one had ever made me feel like this before.
"I think I need to cool off now," I managed to croak out.
"You've got it!" Cal replied with a laugh. He swept me up in his arms, cradling me against his muscled chest, and ran toward the water. He didn't stop until he was chest-deep in the surf and I was floating in his arms.
"My hero!" I fake swooned, and we both laughed.
"Just trying to help," he replied with a cocky smile. "Couldn't have you getting too hot." His eyes were dark pools rather than their usual clear light blue, and I shivered. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks, Cal. Now, how about we swim?" Being in his arms was affecting me in ways I couldn't currently act on.
He sat me down gently on my feet and then dove under the water, slicing through it with practiced efficiency. The way he moved underwater was beautiful, and I just watched him as I floated for a few minutes.
"I thought you were going to swim?" he asked from several yards away as he once again surfaced for air.
"I was just watching how graceful you are in the water," I replied with a smile. He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.
"My turn to watch you," he said as he nodded toward me.
I took a deep breath and dove into the water. I'm sure I wasn't anywhere near as graceful or coordinated as Cal, but I had fun swimming up and down the shore and floating in the waves. I came up again right in front of Cal and he reached out and pulled my body to his. I surprised myself by wrapping my arms and legs around Cal and reaching up to kiss him. He pulled me closer to him and I moaned as his tongue stroked mine. His body was hard against mine and - OMIGOD! He was so big and hard everywhere, if you catch my drift. I fisted my hands in his hair and willed my body to behave instead of rubbing up against him like I wanted to.
I felt Cal's hands on my ass and I had my first social orgasm in years right there in the ocean as he brushed up against my core. Cal's eyes shot up to mine and I blushed furiously as I buried my head in his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," I said weakly.
"Sorry? Angel, if that was what I think it was then you have no reason to be sorry. That was the hottest thing I've ever seen, and I'm honored that you shared it with me," he reassured me.
I picked my head up and looked at him. "You sure?" I asked uncertainly.
"Absolutely positive," he affirmed.
"What about you?" I asked. I could still feel how hard he was.
"As much as I would love to take you right here, and believe me when I say I would, I want to go a little slower than that."
I nodded and leaned up to kiss him softly. "At least we know we're compatible physically," I said with a laugh.
"Damn straight we are, Angel."
