“I think this area requires my immediate attention.”
“I think so too,” Dani murmurs.
“But first…”
Callie lies down beside Dani, tilts her chin slightly upward, kisses her softly. Feels her pulse quicken.
Kisses her again.
And again.
Takes in Dani’s sweet breath.
Hears herself make pleasure sounds.
Feels her cell phone vibrate in her pocket.
Ignores it.
Cups Dani’s breast in her hand and slides her body lower until her mouth finds Dani’s taut nipple.
“ Oh ,” Dani murmurs dreamily.
Callie’s phone vibrates again.
She ignores it again, but thinks about it. Earlier tonight she made a mistake that could have ended her life. Not answering her phone could be even riskier.
Callie moves her hand downward until she finds the spot she seeks.
Dani gasps.
Callie’s phone vibrates a third time.
She answers it.
Creed says, “You sound annoyed. And out of breath.”
“Look, I’m—”
Creed says, “I’ll get to it. Don’t laugh, okay? The thing is I love you.”
“What?”
“You asked how I felt and the answer is I love you, Callie. I don’t just want us to work together. I want us to be together.”
Callie jumps to a sitting position.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Tell me you feel the same way.”
“I do. I love you.”
Dani, voice dripping with sarcasm says, “Well, thanks a lot ! How nice for you !”
Creed says, “Who’s that?”
“The TV. When can I see you?”
“I’ll be there tomorrow at one, to meet with Sal.”
“And after that?”
“Yes.”
31.
“I’M SORRRY, DANI,” Callie says. “I can’t do this.”
“I’m sorry too. And I deserve an explanation.”
“We’re in love.”
“So I hear. You’re about to be a couple. Like Sophie and I were this morning.”
“Yes.”
“Except that this morning when I was in a relationship with Sophie, you saw no problem sharing my bed. But now that you’re in a relationship, it’s a problem for you.”
“What’s your question?”
“My question is what’s the difference?”
“The difference is this morning I would have said or done anything to get in your pants.”
“Which means you’re a lying, scheming bitch.”
“I’ll admit to that, given how things turned out.”
“You didn’t give a damn about my relationship with Sophie. You just wanted a conquest.”
“Not true.”
“No? You claimed Sophie was using me.”
“I honestly believe that.”
“Then tell me this: what makes you any better than her?”
Callie sighs. “Nothing. I’m actually worse than Sophie. But that doesn’t mean she’s good for you. On the other hand, Creed and I were meant to be together.”
“I’d like to be happy for you,” Dani says, “and maybe someday I will. But right now I’m too busy feeling like a complete fool.”
“You’re not a fool,” Callie says. “You’re the sweetest, most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. I feel terrible about this, because…”
Dani waits.
Callie says, “Because you’re everything I ever hoped to find in a woman. If Creed hadn’t called I would have been thrilled to make a life with you.”
“I’ve got a big, fat picture of that. We fall in love, move in together, start a life. Then one day Creed calls and you dump me. Because I’m your consolation prize.”
“No. If we were already together, I would have told him no.”
“I guess we’ll never know, will we?”
“You won’t. But I do.”
Dani says, “Well then, I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for…whatever.”
“Dani.”
“What?”
“I’m a part of Creed, and he’s a part of me. As much as I want you, as perfect as you are, his call changes everything for me. I’m so very sorry.”
“Yes,” Dani says. “You most certainly are.”
32.
Donovan Creed.
Sensory Resources Headquarters.
THE VIRGINIA COMPOUND will become Sensory East, and I’ll build a Sensory West in Las Vegas with my own money. I’m not moving into Lou’s old office. I’m happy with the one I’ve always had.
“I think so too,” Dani murmurs.
“But first…”
Callie lies down beside Dani, tilts her chin slightly upward, kisses her softly. Feels her pulse quicken.
Kisses her again.
And again.
Takes in Dani’s sweet breath.
Hears herself make pleasure sounds.
Feels her cell phone vibrate in her pocket.
Ignores it.
Cups Dani’s breast in her hand and slides her body lower until her mouth finds Dani’s taut nipple.
“ Oh ,” Dani murmurs dreamily.
Callie’s phone vibrates again.
She ignores it again, but thinks about it. Earlier tonight she made a mistake that could have ended her life. Not answering her phone could be even riskier.
Callie moves her hand downward until she finds the spot she seeks.
Dani gasps.
Callie’s phone vibrates a third time.
She answers it.
Creed says, “You sound annoyed. And out of breath.”
“Look, I’m—”
Creed says, “I’ll get to it. Don’t laugh, okay? The thing is I love you.”
“What?”
“You asked how I felt and the answer is I love you, Callie. I don’t just want us to work together. I want us to be together.”
Callie jumps to a sitting position.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Tell me you feel the same way.”
“I do. I love you.”
Dani, voice dripping with sarcasm says, “Well, thanks a lot ! How nice for you !”
Creed says, “Who’s that?”
“The TV. When can I see you?”
“I’ll be there tomorrow at one, to meet with Sal.”
“And after that?”
“Yes.”
31.
“I’M SORRRY, DANI,” Callie says. “I can’t do this.”
“I’m sorry too. And I deserve an explanation.”
“We’re in love.”
“So I hear. You’re about to be a couple. Like Sophie and I were this morning.”
“Yes.”
“Except that this morning when I was in a relationship with Sophie, you saw no problem sharing my bed. But now that you’re in a relationship, it’s a problem for you.”
“What’s your question?”
“My question is what’s the difference?”
“The difference is this morning I would have said or done anything to get in your pants.”
“Which means you’re a lying, scheming bitch.”
“I’ll admit to that, given how things turned out.”
“You didn’t give a damn about my relationship with Sophie. You just wanted a conquest.”
“Not true.”
“No? You claimed Sophie was using me.”
“I honestly believe that.”
“Then tell me this: what makes you any better than her?”
Callie sighs. “Nothing. I’m actually worse than Sophie. But that doesn’t mean she’s good for you. On the other hand, Creed and I were meant to be together.”
“I’d like to be happy for you,” Dani says, “and maybe someday I will. But right now I’m too busy feeling like a complete fool.”
“You’re not a fool,” Callie says. “You’re the sweetest, most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. I feel terrible about this, because…”
Dani waits.
Callie says, “Because you’re everything I ever hoped to find in a woman. If Creed hadn’t called I would have been thrilled to make a life with you.”
“I’ve got a big, fat picture of that. We fall in love, move in together, start a life. Then one day Creed calls and you dump me. Because I’m your consolation prize.”
“No. If we were already together, I would have told him no.”
“I guess we’ll never know, will we?”
“You won’t. But I do.”
Dani says, “Well then, I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for…whatever.”
“Dani.”
“What?”
“I’m a part of Creed, and he’s a part of me. As much as I want you, as perfect as you are, his call changes everything for me. I’m so very sorry.”
“Yes,” Dani says. “You most certainly are.”
32.
Donovan Creed.
Sensory Resources Headquarters.
THE VIRGINIA COMPOUND will become Sensory East, and I’ll build a Sensory West in Las Vegas with my own money. I’m not moving into Lou’s old office. I’m happy with the one I’ve always had.
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