Page 18 of Score on You

Fuck, she’s beautiful. The early afternoon sun sparkles in her dark hair. My hands curl into fists, desperate to comb through those glossy strands. I bet she feels like silk.Everywhere.

There’s a twinkle in her gaze that remains fastened on me. The blue is soothing and offers me peace even though my heart is racing.It also spurs me into action.

I take a chance and step off the porch, closing our distance until a few long strides separate us. She watches me approach but doesn’t move otherwise. Fresh paint dances in the wind along with a vanilla sweetness that I can only assume comes from Callie. I want to drag her scent deep into my lungs until she’s all I breathe. The temptation dangles on the next breeze, stirring my arousal.

Through the haze, a thought occurs to me. We’ve never been alone until now. It appears that the same realization strikes her as she glances at the quiet street. I should probably excuse myself and stop making her uncomfortable, but my soles are rooted to the ground.Callie’s wide astonishment returns to me, and I’m lost.

As a former professional athlete, I know how it feels to be put on a pedestal. Fans still flock to me when I’m out in public. Those years in the league also taught me what it feels like to be put on the spot and handle the stress that accompanies such a bright spotlight.

I was always able to manage the chaos in a packed arena. Block out the noise to get the win. Nothing could shake me. Past tense.

As it turns out, silence from Calliope Porter is what tests my limits. This timid woman snatches every ounce of composure I possess just by giving me her attention.

The quiet yawns and stretches, then demands a snack after such a lengthy nap. My jaw itches and I scrub at the stubble there. I need to say something. She just stumbled upon mepainting her front door. This was her idea. Kind of. But that’s not the point. As the trespasser, it’s my responsibility to explain myself.

My tongue swells to the point where speech is impossible. Only a muffled grunt is audible from me.Real fucking eloquent.I clear my throat and try again.

“Hey, Callie.” My palm lifts to wave at her as if that small gesture will ease the tension. “As you can see, I went ahead and took care of the update you suggested. Now you don’t have to get your hands dirty. Not that it would be a bad thing if you did. It wasn’t my intention to cross a line. I just wanted to handle the project for you. Consider it a housewarming gift. A personal touch from me to you.”

That’s not grounds for calling the cops or anything. I tuck my chin and fire off a round of foul expletives aimed directly at my mouth. The fact I’m stumbling over my words like a toddler in ice stakes isn’t doing me any favors. As if agreeing, Callie’s lips twitch in what I trick myself into believing is amusement. At least I’m useful for something.

The affirmation—self-proclaimed or not—loosens the strain in my lungs, allowing me to breathe freely. “I meant to have this done before you got home.”

A crease appears between her brows. She still doesn’t speak, which is a stark contrast to the girl who has been rambling to me over text messages longer than my dick. This timid version can barely look me in the eye. It seems her fondness for conversation is reserved for our text thread. That’s just fine. I’m the one who sprung this unannounced visit on her.

“This isn’t how I planned for us to officially meet,” I rush to explain. “But here we are. I saw you leave and figured the time was right. It was meant to be a surprise. Guess I took longer than necessary to finish.”

Callie peers around me to inspect my artistic ability. The hint of a smile from earlier expands into a full grin.

I follow her line of sight to stop myself from gawking. The effort is commendable, but worthless. My focus returns to her within seconds. “Do you like it?”

A soft hum is paired with a nod.

“If the shade isn’t right—”

“No!” She startles at her own voice. “It’s perfect.”

And just like that, I feel ten feet tall and capable of anything. “Good. That’s, uh… really good.” I scrub at the prickles spreading across the back of my neck. “I’m glad.”

“Thank you,” Callie murmurs. She dips her face, but there’s no hiding the smile that’s likely to spark a heatwave. Or the way she bites her bottom lip.

It’s no wonder that I find myself staring at her. Shamelessly. But I quickly recall how our exchange began. Those handful of utterances she gave me are a big step. I won’t test my luck.

“Um. Is there anything else I can do for you? While I’m here, I mean?” The initial deed is done, but I’ll gladly stick around for more.

Red splotches appear on her cheeks. Before my mind can take a dirty turn trying to picture what’s causing that blush, she shakes her head.

I shove my hands in my pockets and prepare to leave. “Well, I did what I came to do. I’ll be next door if you need me.”

Callie peeks at me from beneath her lowered lashes. “Bye, Ridge.”

My foot catches in the grass and I barely keep myself upright. Damn, I’ve been waiting a long time to hear that. What I’ve been imagining doesn’t come close to the real deal. My name from her lips is a burst of sweetness wrapped in sinful delight. I’m already addicted and thinking of ways to have her call out to me on repeat.

But first, I need to regain control of myself. Weak knees and an elevated heart rate aren’t the physical responses I’m concerned about. A groan threatens to expose my desire. There’s no concealing the hard bulge in my jeans, which means I need to put distance between us. Now.

I glance back at her over my shoulder, keeping my cock pointing in the opposite direction. “See you soon, sweetness.”

And that’s the extent of my restraint.

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