Page 56 of Baby Maker

It's terrifying the fuck out of me.

"What time are we leaving today?" Calliope pushes a dark russet strand of hair from her eyes, burrowing deeper into her coat.

I bump up the heat, my gaze intent on the ocean waves. "A few hours. I have a busy week. A lot of late nights."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Back to reality."

"Exactly. But this was a nice distraction, right? Did you have fun?"

But instead of a smile, Calli focuses her gaze downward as she fingers the edge of her plate. "Sure."

Okay, that wasn't the response I hoped for. I pray the regret isn't settling in now that she's had a few hours to mull over what happened between us. "With a response like that, I hardly believe you."

Calli forces a smile, but the air is thick with tension. Time to get out a knife and cut through this crap.

"Calliope, what's wrong?"

A soft sigh sounds from her mouth, and she rolls her shoulders, her gaze focused out the window. "Did you mean what you said the other night?"

I pause with the food halfway to my mouth, my throat dry. It seems she's wading right into the conversation. No training wheels needed. Most women play coy, forcing you to pull the reason from them. Not Calliope. "You mean the night we arrived?"

"Were you drunk?"

"I was drunk," I begin, watching her face fall, "but I meant every word."

"I needed to know that. I needed to know I wasn't just a weekend rendezvous."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about this weekend."

Her brow furrows, despite her best efforts to maintain a neutral expression. "I already know, Keegan."

"I somehow doubt you do."

"Back to reality, right? You're footloose and fancy-free, dating all sorts of women. Not looking for anything, but you hope I understand and don't take it to heart."

I cup her face, forcing back a smile. "Will you be quiet? You're way off."

"I am?"

"I don't want us to end with this weekend. I enjoy every second I'm with you. You make me happy, and you're a goddess in bed, which sure as hell doesn't hurt."

"I am pretty great if I do say so myself." Her smile will be the death of me. It not only lights her up, but it also lights up everything around her.

"You're fabulous." I twine my fingers with hers, pressing a kiss to her palm. "What do you say, Calli? Be my girlfriend for real this time?"

"You know, I wondered how I would feel the first time someone asked me that question. Would I feel guilty or angry or sad? But I don't feel any of that. Not with you. You make me happy. So, yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend for real."

She meets me more than halfway across the jeep’s interior, our kiss solidifying our new future.

* * *

Mothers are always right.Just don't tell my mother that. She'll never let me live it down. But her claim that when I meet the right woman, I'll know and all those things that seemed so terrifying before won't anymore? Dead on balls accurate.

I didn't fall in love with Calliope the moment we met. But she intrigued me, which is more than I can say for most of the women parading through my life. The more time I spent with her, the more intriguing she became. And beautiful. And intelligent. The list goes on and on.

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