Page 124 of Callan

“We’re good,” Callan says. “Bring the check, please.”

The woman pulls away, and he slides his hand into his pocket and leaves money on the table before she returns.

“Thank you,” she says, collecting the money.

“You can finish that,” he says when we're alone again, tipping his chin toward my dessert.

I start eating.

“Did you think it was happening against the wall?” he asks quietly, curious about my answer.

I struggle to respond, indulging in the fresh aroma of the passion fruit.

“I liked to think that,” I say, chewing on my dessert.

Pursing his lips, he studies me, entertained.

“What else did you imagine I was doing to her?”

“Not much. I just thought she wasn’t fond of her furniture or the walls and wanted to ruin them at some point.”

A few moments pass while I swallow the rest of my dessert.

“What do you like, Mackenzie?” he asks in a husky voice that tickles my skin in delicious ways.

I look at him, intrigued.

“What do I like? You mean… About that?”

“How do you like to fuck?” he asks directly.

I swallow hard and munch on my lip.

“Shouldn’t we talk about that someplace else?”

He shakes his head.

“I want to hear your honest answer, so this place is as good as any.”

“If we’re doing that…” I say after a few moments.

He lifts an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Wewilldo that. There’s no doubt about it. You just want to do it on your terms, so I want to know what those terms are.”

“You already know that, or we wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have brought me here and given me your time and attention.”

He’s waiting for me to continue.

“I don’t know the answer to your question. But I liked what you did to me last night,” I say.

“Hmm…”

“You don’t seem too happy with my answer.”

“I want you to be direct with me.”

“I am direct with you––”

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