Page 186 of Callan

He narrows his eyes and studies me through his lashes.

“You don’t like it?”

“I love it. It’s great. But it’s not homey.”

“Is your place homey?”

“Yes.”

“Even with me walking on the railing of your balcony?”

We both laugh, remembering that particular moment.

He tilts his head toward the inside of the house.

“What about we eat and talk more?”

29

CALLAN

Her hair bounces downher back before we reach the table.

I pull the chair for her, and she slides into her seat with a smile on her face.

My eyes move quickly over her before lingering on the swell of her chest.

I never thought someone like her would sit next to me.She looks stunning.

On the other hand, love has this kind of effect on a woman, and I’ve never seen a woman more in love with me.

The problem is…She knows very little about me.

Yes, she does know more tonight than she knew yesterday.

But she doesn’t know the real me. She doesn’t know what’s inside me and what I need to do to stay alive.

She has no idea that I put hits on people, and sometimes, I take them out myself.

She also doesn’t know that I’ve seen terrible things, and sometimes I do those things myself.

She knows I’m not one of the good guys, yet for her, I’m the best.

I love how she orbits around me, needs me, and fears that something might happen to me, her, or both of us.

Her instinct is right.

Everything she fears can happen to us.

And when I said I wouldn’t want to give her a taste of my real life, those were my fears talking.

Watching her lower her eyes, unfold her napkin, and slide it across her lap, her cheeks dusted with the faintest pink, I can’t help but imagine her living with me for the rest of my life.

Being exposed to the worst danger and surrounded by my people all the time so she can be protected even when I’m not there.

It’s a tough life, and it’s not for everyone.

And then there are the legal problems, the enemies, and the long arm of the law. The more she’d witness, the more she’d be harassed.

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