Page 28 of His Red Carnation

I knew I had to return home at some point, but with my parents away until the next day, I took full advantage of every moment with Callan. I watched him get dressed in his suit while I slipped back into my dress from the night before, my mind spinning with the fact that he loved me. He’d told me first, which I wasn’t expecting, but even with his confession, fear still lingered.

What if my parents found out?

So what? I was a grown woman, and he was a grown man. But the questions haunted me—would they disown me? Would they disown him? Guilt twisted in my chest as I thought about Callan potentially losing his friendship with my dad, yet he wasstill here, still choosing me, despite our fears. It meant that our relationship mattered to him more than anything else. The thought kept bringing tears to my eyes.

I walked up behind Callan as he adjusted his tie, slipping my arms around him. I breathed in his scent, feeling the strength of his body under my hands, and in that moment, it felt like we had been together forever. He placed his hands over mine, turning his head to look at me.

“I love you, baby. Let me make you come and scream my name one more time before I take you home.”

12

Callan

I let the L word slip out while comforting her, and she didn’t even bat an eye. In my entire thirty-eight years, I’d only told one other woman I loved her—besides my mother. It wasn’t something I threw around lightly. But fuck, I’d never felt this way about anyone before. Not even close. Sloane, my old-soul baby girl, was wife material. But that needed to wait…at least a few more months.Right?When she joked about eloping in Vegas, I almost told her I’d book the next flight.

As I held her hand on the drive back to her house—the fuckingWhite House—I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. My girlfriend lived in the White House, and she wasn’t just the president’s daughter, she wasAna’sdaughter. The most powerful man in the world? Yeah, that was intimidating, but it was fucking Jake. But Ana? I was almost more afraid of her reaction. I wouldn’t put it past her to put a fucking hit out on me.

Once we got to her room, Sloane changed into ripped shorts and a tight crop top that showed off her perfect tits. Meanwhile, I was still stuck in a damn suit trying to be professional, even though I knew I’d probably spend the whole day in her room. I made myself comfortable, taking off my jacket and tie, rolling up my sleeves. It was way too fucking hot for all those layers.

I sat in the chair by the wall, watching her stare out the window, wringing her hands.

“I wish we weren’t confined to my room and your apartment,” Sloane said as she walked over and settled on my lap. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take you however I can have you. But wouldn’t it be nice to like, go on a real date or something?”

I’d thought about that a lot—how much I hated that I couldn’t just take her out, hold her hand, kiss her in public whenever I damn well pleased. But then an idea hit me.Fuck yes. She’s going to love this.

“Maybe we can make that Fiji trip happen,” I joked, pulling her closer and pressing my lips to her neck.

She turned to look at me, hope lighting up her face. “Don’t tease me with that,” she said softly, her voice filled with longing.

I sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I know, baby. Soon.”

* * *

When I asked Sloane to stay the night at my place again, her eyes lit up. I knew we wouldn’t get many more chances like this once Jake and Ana were back in town, so I wanted to make the most of it.

I also had something else planned.

My heart pounded like a jackhammer as I put the plan into motion. I swapped out my suit for jeans and a T-shirt, hopingshe wouldn’t suspect anything. I never did this kind of thing, but Sloane brought something out in me I’d never felt before. I needed to show her how much she meant to me. I kept glancing at my phone, waiting for the signal, and I could tell Sloane was starting to pick up on something.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, glancing over at me from the kitchen as she rummaged through the fridge.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. You want to order a pizza or something?” I tried to shift the conversation, keeping things casual.

She paused, eyeing me suspiciously. “Sure…” I could tell she wasn’t fully convinced.Note to self—never lie to her.Not that I ever would.

“Okay. What toppings? There’s a good spot downtown I’ll order from.”

Before I even heard her answer, my phone buzzed—the text came in. Everything was ready.

“Ah, fuck, did you hear about the shooting stars tonight?” I blurted out, improvising. “Wanna go check them out?”

I wasn’t sure if she’d be into it, but her face lit up immediately.

“Yeah, where?” she asked, excitement in her voice.

I stood up and took her hand. “We can see them from the roof.”

We took the elevator to the top floor, then climbed the stairs to the roof. As soon as I opened the door, the twinkling lights overhead came into view. Sloane gasped, her eyes wide as she took in the scene before us. A projector and screen were set up, blankets and pillows arranged front and center. Rose petals were scattered across the ground, and a bucket of sparkling cider sat chilling on ice. The pizza had been ordered long before I even asked her.

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