Colters' Daughter

Chapter Ten

Callie lay in Max’s arms as the first rays of dawn crept through the window. He stroked her idly, his hand moving over the curves of her body to her hair. He bent and kissed her shoulder, sending a shiver of awareness over her aching body.

He’d made love to her the entire night. Raw and insatiable. He’d taken her to the very edge of her limits, and now she lay sated and exhausted but aware that for the first time in months she felt at peace.

He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. Even now, his touch was possessive, like he was laying claim all over again.

“Tired?” he murmured, breaking the silence.

She nodded against him as the warm fuzz of sleep settled over her.

“Then sleep.”

It wasn’t as simple as that. She was almost afraid to close her eyes, worried that this was all a dream. A figment of her most earnest wishes. How many nights had she lain awake, wanting him so badly that it was a physical ache?

She turned, curling into his warm body. She tucked her head underneath his chin and let out a sigh of contentment.

“Do you know how many nights I’ve lain awake remembering how you felt in my arms?” he asked. “Or how you used to sigh like a contented kitten after we made love?”

She smiled against his chest.

“If you won’t sleep, let’s go out for an early breakfast. You can show me your town.”

“I’d like that,” she said softly.

He threaded his fingers into her hair and gently pulled through the strands. “I love your hair. I’ve never been able to figure out what color it is. It’s a fascinating mix of black and chestnut with all these warm shades of brown mixed in. It reminds me of a sunset over the Greek isles.”

She kissed his chest and slid her hand between them to let her fingers glide through the hair in the hollow of his chest.

“You were my best vacation ever,” she joked lightly. “I’ve been so many places. But the trip where I met you was…magic.”

“I’m amazed your family lets you crawl all over the world like you do. If you were mine, I’d worry endlessly about what you were getting into. I’d want to be with you to share in the joy of discovery.”

She grimaced. “They worry. They’ve always worried. I don’t think they understand me. They love me. They support me, but I don’t think they’ve really ever understood what makes me tick or why I’m such a restless spirit.”

He stroked up and down her arm and rested his cheek against hers. “What does make you so restless, Callie?”

She went silent a moment. “I love chasing sunsets. They look different everywhere I go. There’s always something new to experience. My family is so…settled. Maybe I never felt like I really fit in.”

She could feel him frown against her cheek.

“How so?”

She sighed. “My family is different. I told you I have three fathers. What you don’t know is that after I came home, my three brothers fell in love with the same woman. It sounds so odd when I say it out loud, but it works for them. It works for my mom and my dads. Maybe in the back of my mind I figured, three sons ahead of me. It’s sort of like a family tradition,” she joked. “And then I come along, the only daughter in the mix. The only daughter in generations that I know of. Where was I going to fit in? Hell, everyone probably thinks I’m going to shack up with a few men too.”

“Over my dead body,” Max bit out.

She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve never really understood the appeal. I love my fathers and my brothers dearly, but I wouldn’t want to put up with that much testosterone in a relationship.”

“I find I’m very possessive where you’re concerned,” he murmured.

She snorted. “You’re possessive of everything you consider yours.”

He seemed to consider that for a moment before he agreed. He nuzzled at her ear and then whispered, “Come on. Let’s shower and then we’ll go eat.”

Half an hour later, they stepped into the crisp morning mountain air and a shiver shot up Callie’s spine. Max frowned and then stripped off his jacket and settled it over her shoulders.

“You should have worn a coat.”

She smiled up at him as he put an arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side. “I wasn’t thinking much beyond getting to you. Besides, it’ll warm up in a couple of hours and there’ll be no need for a jacket.”

He kissed her forehead and then they crossed the street to the busy café that had been a fixture of Clyde for longer than Callie had been alive.

As soon as they stepped inside, Callie could feel the gazes boring holes through her and Max. By noon, it would be all over town, and her mama would be the recipient of no less than a dozen calls all wondering who Callie’s man was.

It didn’t help that Max couldn’t keep his hands off her. He had her snugly tucked against his body and his palm was splayed out over her hip. Anyone with eyes could see that Max had all but pissed on her and marked her.

The bell tinkled over the door as another customer came in.

“Crap,” Callie murmured when she realized who it was.

“What’s wrong?” Max asked.

“My brother.”

“Which one?”

“Seth. The sheriff.”

Max made no move to let her go as Seth approached. Callie recognized the look on Seth’s face as the badass, intimidating freeze-out look he gave people he arrested. Not that he arrested many people in Clyde.

“Callie,” Seth said in acknowledgement.

“Morning, Seth,” she said cheerfully. “Where’s Lily?”

“At home.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Callie asked pointedly.

“I was at the office to pick up some paperwork when I saw you cross the street.”

The accusing note in his voice told her very plainly he saw where she came from. At this hour of the morning and the fact she’d come from Max’s hotel room, it was obvious where she’d spent the night.

“Going to introduce me, Callie?” Max smoothly interrupted.

Callie flashed a smile in Max’s direction. “Max, this is my brother, Seth. Seth, this is Max Wilder.”

Seth extended his hand but his expression was anything but welcoming. Callie wanted to kick him in the shin and would have if everyone in the café weren’t glued to the unfolding scene.

“Would you care to join us?” Max asked as he shook Seth’s hand.

Callie shot Seth a glare.

“No, maybe another time. Lily’s expecting me home. She’s cooking breakfast. Of course you could both join us for breakfast there,” Seth said pointedly.

“Ah no, thanks though,” Callie said quickly. “We already have plans.”

Seth swept his gaze over Max once more, his stare sending a clear warning. It was that whole male thing that said I’m watching you. Don’t fuck up. Callie rolled her eyes and tugged Max closer to the counter so they could order.

“Give Lily my love,” Callie said and then stared pointedly at the door.

Seth shot her a disgruntled look. “Nice meeting you, Wilder.” Though his tone suggested it was anything but.

He turned and walked back out the front door. Max and Callie waited in silence until it was their turn to order and then they took a seat in one of the booths facing the street.

Callie picked at her food and glanced periodically up at Max to gauge his reaction to Seth’s obvious hostility.

“I have an apartment in Denver,” Max said after he took a long drink of his coffee. “As much as I want to meet your family and allay their fears, I think it would be best if you and I spent some time alone so that when we do meet your family, you’re happy again and you don’t have those wounded shadows in your eyes.”

Callie almost raised a hand to her eyes and she dropped her gaze guiltily.

“Callie, look at me.”

She glanced back up to see Max staring intently at her.

“I hurt you. Your family knows I hurt you. I need to make you happy again before I meet them or they’ll never believe in our relationship. You’re still uncertain. I want you to be sure before we face them.”

She slowly nodded her agreement.

“I’d like to take you to Denver for a week. There won’t be any distractions there. Just you and me and whatever we want to do.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good. Then we’ll leave after breakfast.”

She blinked in surprise. “But I’ll need to tell my mom. My dads. And I need to pack. All my things are at my parents’.”

He reached over and slid his fingers over her hand. “All you need is you. I’ll take care of the rest. You can call your parents on the way to Denver. I’ll buy whatever it is you need.”

Callie sighed. How Max did love to spoil her. And if she were completely honest, she’d admit she loved being pampered by him. He thought of everything and a few things she wouldn’t.

He’d seen to her every need while they were in Europe. Her only task was pleasing him. Everything else, he took care of.

“All right,” she agreed. “I’ll call them on the way and let them know I’ll be gone a week. They’re used to me taking off on a whim, so it won’t surprise them.”

He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her palm. “For the next week I’m going to love you, Callie. When we return, there won’t be any doubt in your mind that I’d ever leave you again.”