Page 36 of Coast to Coast

“I can do both,” I said, not wanting to miss out on Crew’s bedtime routine but also not wanting to leave Callie with the dishes after she made the meal. “I’m used to doing it alone, and besides, Crew likes to help with the dishes, right bud?”

“Yes, Dada. I help,” he said with a grin. Crew’s help always created a bit more work, but I wanted to encourage him to want to help with the housework and chores.

“Okay, I guess I’ll go read in my room for a bit. Let me know when you’re ready for tonight’s song.”

“You don’t need to hide out in your room. Make yourself comfortable,” I said and gestured to the couch and chair in the family room.

She nodded and went to her room to get her book. My eyes were drawn to her ass as she walked away. Great tits and great ass, a lethal combination. I shook my head in an attempt to clearthe image and prevent myself from thinking more about how her ass would look bare, me pounding in her from behind.

Crew stood on a footstool, doing his version of help. Yes, he made more of a mess than we started with, but he was excited about helping for now. When Callie walked past me towards the oversized chair in my living room, I caught the cover, and the book looked nothing like the lighthearted romance I had expected her to be reading. Was that a bleeding rose on the cover?

“Whatcha reading?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

“Oh,” she blushed. “It’s a love story.”

Interesting, she was blushing and hella evasive. Nope, not going to let this one go.

“The cover looks a little dark to be a love story,” I observed; the background was black, and the roses were wilted.

“Well, it’s about a woman and…” she paused, averting her eyes and somehow getting more red. “And her stalker.”

“Her stalker?” I asked, eyes widening and wondering how the hell someone managed to romanticize a stalker.

“Yeah,” she fiddled with the cover nervously.

“And it’s a love story?” I asked, confirming once more.

“Uh-huh.”

I nodded and looked away briefly before moving in for the kill.

“Okay. Should we let the security guards know they can let in the peeping Toms? I can set up a comfortable chair outside your window. Maybe find a way to let a stalker know you’re open for business?”

After a long silence, Callie burst out laughing, erasing the moment’s awkwardness, as she continued into the living room to read her book. I kept glancing at her as she read, wondering if I would know if she got to a spicy part of the book. How could women read filthy books and sit there with these pokerfaces? I was pretty sure Callie’s thoughts had strayed in the same direction as mine.

Her tell was when she licked her lips and squeezed her thighs together. I stored those observations away for later, I hoped.

CALLIOPE

Iread my book and listened as Crew and Tom cleaned up after dinner. Tom glanced over at me several times, and each time, I did my best to stoically read the smuttiest smut that ever did smut.

It was not a good choice with this man so close to me. Instead of imagining the handsome, misunderstood stalker sneaking into her room after dark, I imagined Tom getting lost late at night and me waking up with his head between my legs. It was going to be a long night with Rosie. Hell, maybe she was shaped like a tulip, but that girl got the job done.

I watched Tom’s backside as he walked Crew down the hall to pick out his pajamas and run his bath. And, oh boy, he looked back just in time to catch me biting my lip.

“I saw that,” he teased. “You need to take a moment before you sing to my child?” he asked, again referencing my reading material.

“A moment for?” I asked, playing dumb or playing with fire.

“Tension release of some sort?”

“Oh, all set. I like a good slow burn.” Jesus, Callie, shut your whore mouth.

Tom shook his head, picking up his pace to catch the toddler and effectively leaving the conversation. I put my head down, trying to focus on the story, but eventually gave up and headed to the bathroom, where Crew and Tom were laughing and splashing in the overflowing bubbles.

“Couldn’t stay away?” Tom asked cheekily.

“No, I’m just checking to see if there were any song requests tonight. Should I bring my guitar?”

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