Page 20 of Hitched

“Frankly, da, I don’t think that she’s fond of me, and especially so since I’ve been questioned in this murder investigation.”

He waves again. “Details, Caleb. If anything, a little danger goes a long way, son. Women don’t like a little powder puff in their bed. They like a tiger, a man that can handle himself, and you very much can.”

“Thanks, da. But I’m not sure if it’s wise to push her until this murder investigation settles down.”

He’s not pleased. His face is set like stone. He presses the tips of his fingers together and looks at me with a ‘level with me’ expression. “What went down at that office, Caleb. Did you fuck her.” He asks, as though he’s asking me if I made the expected trade, like we’re dope dealers or something.

And it just comes out. I nod. “Yes, sir. I did.” Once it’s out, I feel like I want to go shower. This is beyond my scope of comfort with da. Sure, he’s gotten us ploughed before and told us how to thrust into a woman, but this is creepy. This is treating my affair with Laney like a check in a box. It wasn’t at all like that. I’m not sure what it was like. I wanted her like I’ve never wanted any other woman before, but I’m not sure why. I’m not sure if it was just some virile, masculine instinct that I let get out of hand, like I’m turning into a sexual sadist or something, or worse.

It freaks me out that I did that. Normally, for me, sex is simply about an urge, a physical need, and a release. I’ve never used sex for power before. The thought is alarming and the more I think about it, the more I realize how much of a mistake it was, even though it was so fucking good I feel lighter than air having experienced it.

“And?” He asks, and I quickly come up with a sentence that best describes it, without telling him anything.

“It’s done, sir.”

“You’re compatible?”

I nod, looking at my feet. “Yes, da.”

He rises with a soft grunt. “Good.”

Da walks out of my office, and I feel myself exhale.

…but not for long…

Chapter 7

Caleb

I walk past Ethan in the hall, on my way to the boardroom, when he stops me. “What did da have to say to you?”

My sneer is evident. “None of your fucking business, asshole.”

He smirks. “Ah, so he addressed the whole Laney situation, did he.”

“Like I said, jerkwad. It’s none of your business.”

“You’ll get over the initial rejection fast enough, little brother.” He picks at an imaginary piece of lint on the shoulder of my jacket.

“Speaking from experience, are you.”

“So I’ve heard. Laney’s a nice lass, but she’s probably uptight and frigid, anyway. It’s best that you don’t get involved. Leave that up to the bigger, more experienced types.”

My smirk is telling. “What makes you think she rejected me?”

“Well, if you were engaged, then the whole world would now by now, I think. But right now, people are too fixated on the fact that you were in the slammer.”

I push his hand off me, like he’s a leper. “Get the fuck out of my way, loser. I was not in the slammer.”

Ethan shrugs with a smug look on his face. “Police station. Slammer. Same difference, Caleb.”

“God, you’re so stupid. It is not the same thing. And for your information, da didn’t have anything to say about that, by the way.”

“Tell that to the fist-shaped hole in my office wall.”

“You’re full of shit.”

“Go see for yourself.” He gestures with his chin.

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