Page 90 of Making the Call
“Obviously, you don’t want me here.” She drops the blanket and reaches for her jacket.
“Like hell I don’t,” I call out louder than I expect. “I’ve been going out of my fucking mind since you left. Why the fuck haven’t you answered your phone?”
Eyes wide, she sputters, “I… I was on the plane, then it… died.”
“I’ve left you messages for the past two days. I’ve been an asshole to everyone within earshot, all because you didn’t charge your phone? Why did you even leave to begin with?” This all comes gushing out like the floodgates on my thoughts have been lifted.
Danika shakes her beautiful head, and curls bounce in every direction. “I’m so stupid.”
“No,” I forcefully disagree. “You’re not stupid. What’s going on in that beautifully brilliant mind of yours, Danika? Talk to me,” I plead.
“I got stuck in my head. I let all my fears, doubts, and speculations fill up my headspace. I… I… just reacted.” When she shakes her head in disgust, I’m not having that.
“Danika.” I wait until her eyes focus on mine. “If you have a problem with me, talk to me. I’m pretty dense at times and have no clue if I’ve fucked up.” Hell, I still don’t know what I did to piss her off and make her leave.
She gasps. “Oh, Luke. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just freaked out because I thought I was ruining your career by being a distraction. Since you were losing, and I’ve been sucking at my word counts lately, I foolishly thought we were a bad mix… and…” She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before blurting out the rest, “I… I thought I should end it before I fell even harder for you… So, when Becca mentioned I only got my movie deal from your notoriety, I fully let myself freak out. And when given the chance, I ran.”
Holy shit. What do I tackle first?I run through each of her points as I determine which is the most pertinent. Might as well go in order. “First, you had nothing to do with the loss. We were outplayed on the field, and it’s as simple as that. We’ll bounce back and adjust as we continue the season.”
“But…” she interrupts.
But I persist, holding up a hand to stop her. “Second, if you’re having a difficult time, I need to know this. If you can’t tell, I’m not a mind reader, so I’d appreciate it if you’d fill me in.” This brings a smile to her face, and my heart soars. “Third, you’re a brilliant writer. You got that movie deal on your own. Any fool who’d tell you different… is just that, a fool.”
“I know, but…”
“No buts,” I forcefully continue controlling the conversation. “And as for falling for me… well… that’s fucking spectacular because I’d hate to think I’d fallen head over heels in love with you, alone.” I grin like a loon as I wait for it to sink in.I’m not going anywhere, and if she thinks I’m going to let her go, she’s got another thing coming.
Her mouth forms an ‘O’ as her eyes go wide. “You… you love me… too?”
Relief radiates throughout my body. Who knew those few simple words could change my entire world. “Fuck yeah, I do.” Without giving her a second to react, I step forward and crash my lips on hers. Her face is cold, but her breath is warm.
Her sudden gasp allows me to taste her with my tongue. Fuck, she’s delicious. Her hands wrap around my neck, and I pull her body to mine, leaving no space between us. As I devour her with my mouth and run my hand along her back, the other guides our kiss at the base of her neck. As consuming as our kiss is, eventually, I feel her clothes soak mine, causing me to break the kiss.
When I do, Danika rocks my entire world with her declaration, “I love you, Luke Leighton. Please forgive me.”
“Nothing to forgive, Danika,” I reassure her. I brush a kiss against her once again, roaming my hands to her ass. The dampness brings me back to reality. “What do you say I go turn on the generator and get some lights in here?”
“You have a generator?” she asks in disbelief.
“Living out here, of course I do.” I pull her close once more, simply to feel that she’s here. When I release her, I take in her outfit once again. “When I get the lights on, I need to know about this outfit you’re sporting.”
She looks down to inspect herself and even in the near darkness, I see her flush. “Ohmigod, I’m a hot mess! In my defense, I dressed in the dark and rushed over here after waking up from taking the redeye last night.”
“I’ll take you hot mess and all,” I growl, bending down to give her a reassuring kiss. “I love all of you, Danika. Not just the pretty parts. Though, thosearepretty nice.”
A big gust of wind comes through the door, causing her to shiver. Fuck, I need to get moving. “Take off your wet things here, and I’ll start the generator. No need for you to get sick on top of everything else.” With that, I turn and rush to the shop to get the lights back on.
When I return, I’m soaked. Having only stopped to turn off the lights to my car, I can’t imagine how Dani must feel after trekking here from her house. She must be soaked to the bone. I’m sure it’s pure adrenaline that’s keeping her from shivering at the moment. It’s cold in here, so we must’ve lost electricity sometime earlier today.
When I return, she’s taken off her shoes, sweatshirt, and is about to peel off her pants. She hadn’t made much progress, but she gasps, when I turn on the light. I wince at her discomfort, “Sorry.”
“It’s a relief to have electricity,” she says, peeling off the purple sweats that stick to every inch of her legs. She’s standing in my living room with nothing but her underwear and a thin tank top, leaving nothing to the imagination.
“Need help with anything?” I step closer, wrapping my arms around her. I kiss the top of her head. “God, I’ve missed you.” Her closeness makes everything right again, and the worries of the past two days quickly fade into the past.
“I’ve missed you, too.” She wraps her arms around me. “I never should have left the way I did.”
When I feel her shiver again, I suggest, “Let’s get you into something warmer.”
The temptress that she is seductively says, “I have something else in mind for how to warm me up.” This immediately gets my blood pumping and awakens my body.
Without another word, she takes my hand and leads me to my bedroom.
