Page 26 of Risk

“Watermelon,” I said at the same time as Baby.

“How many times have you seen this movie?” Cal asked on a laugh. “You know, like, every line.”

“Too many to count. A friend and I used to watch a little bit of it every morning before school because her parents wouldn’t let her watch it.” I sighed, dreamily thinking about Patrick Swayze mouthing the words to I Had the Time of My Life to Baby at the end of the movie. Finishing the last of my dinner, I asked. “Have you ever watched this movie before?”

Callum had finished eating long before me and had sat back against the soft cushions to watch the movie. Slinging his arm across the back of the couch, he glanced my way only to look back at the movie. I was giddy with excitement that he seemed to be enjoying it—or at least couldn’t take his eyes off it. “I can’t say that I have. It’s kind of a chick movie.”

I gasped, my hand to my chest. “I take offense to that. It’s a classic. I love that the good girl gets the bad boy, and what a bad boy Johnny is. It’s the perfect romance.”

“Is it sad that I’m jealous of Johnny? Maybe I need to be a bad boy, and you’ll give me a chance.” He murmured the last under his breath.

Turning, I placed my hand on his arm that lay on the back of the cushion. “Cal, you know that’s not true,” I said sadly. I hated that he thought that. “You know that’s not the reason why.”

Cal gave a fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I know. All my life, I’ve never wanted to be in a relationship, and when I do, I can’t have her because she’s my fucking therapist.”

The words, ‘I won’t always be your therapist’ were on the tip of my tongue, but I held back. I didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep. Once the season was over, there was a possibility that he’d no longer be interested in me.

Once the movie was over, we went our separate ways. After the events of the day and a full belly, I was beyond tired. Slipping off my robe, I slid into bed and sighed as the silky sheets met my naked body. Pulling the covers up to my chin, I sunk into the bed and let the day go, falling fast asleep.

Callum

Singapore

A scream wokeme from a deep sleep. My head was foggy as I tried to figure out where the noise had come from. Was it someone in another room? Another scream broke out from inside my suite. Flying out of bed, I ran into the other bedroom to find Aspen in bed, twisted in the covers. The soft light coming from the window illuminated her face that was contorted in pain.

Moving closer, I shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up to no avail.

“Cal,” she whimpered, kicking her legs and catching them in the blankets, making her fight against them escalate.

Grabbing the covers at the bottom of the bed, I pulled them away from her legs. Aspen stopped kicking but fisted her hands in the blanket while letting out a high-pitched whine.

Sitting on the side of her bed, I loosened her hold on the bedding and tried again to wake her up by shaking her shoulder and calling her name.

“No!” she screamed and then sat up in a rush.

“Wake up, Doc.”

“Cal?” she cried.

Pulling her into my arms, I rubbed up and down her back, unsure if she was awake or still dreaming. When my palm only met warm skin, my hand stilled in the middle of her back. I was shocked to find Aspen without clothes.

Throwing her arms around me, she cried into my neck.

“I’m here. It was only a bad dream,” I kept repeating over and over again as her grip tightened. When she started to calm down, I asked, “What was your dream about?” I didn’t want to use any trigger words and potentially make the situation worse. I noticed Aspen had done the same for me when she asked her carefully worded questions. She nodded into my neck. Her hot breath skated over my skin. “What can I do to make it better?”

“Can you sleep in here and hold me?” she asked with a sniff. “I don’t want to be alone.”

I wasn’t a hundred percent positive she was naked under there, but I did know she was without a shirt. I also wasn’t sure I’d be able to resist temptation with her chest against mine, but when she whispered a broken plea, I couldn’t deny her.

“Lie on your side facing away from me,” I ordered as I smoothed a hand down her hair.

She drew back. “What? Why?”

“Because neither of us have shirts on, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to remain a gentleman if your breasts are pressed against my chest,” I answered truthfully, as I pulled away to slide underneath the covers with her.

All thoughts of being a gentleman went out the window when she pressed her ass into my already swelling dick. Why hadn’t I thought about my dick being nestled in her ass crack?

One sniffle and I forgot about the uncomfortable situation I was in and wrapped my arms around her. “Come here, Doc.”

---