Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“I’ll just…shoot through the window for today.” Callie lifted her camera. “You know, for practice. It really is beautiful up here.”
“It’s my favorite place to be.” I brought us up the back of the mountain and pulled to a hover just above the top of the lift.
“I can see why.” She lifted her camera and got to work, and I couldn't help but wonder if she had the same feeling I did when I was up here, like if I could just get high enough above the world—above any problem—I could figure out a solution. Everything looked different from this angle. We swept down the mountain, following the line of the run.
“Hey, Weston, isn’t that your house?” Sutton asked as we passed by my parents’ house.
“It’s the house I grew up in,” I told her. I’d never call it mine.
Even flying couldn’t change the angle enough for me to view that place as anything but a mausoleum.
I took us to the helipad, then whipped the tail around to the soundtrack of Sutton’s laughter, setting the bird down directly on the cart. “Stay put while I run her down,” I said.
“No problem,” Callie answered tucking her camera away and turning back to Sutton. “You heard him, sit tight.”
I ran the bird down and then it took us a few minutes to get her hangared and put up for the day. Sutton was checking out all of Maria’s tools when I saw Callie walk into the office and brace her hands on the desk.
The door swung shut behind her, and I followed her in.
“Everything okay?” I flipped my baseball cap backward. “I didn’t mean to scare you up there, and if I did, I’m really sorry.”
“Okay?” She turned, leaning on the edge of the desk. “That was incredible!” Her smile made every muscle in my body draw tight. So damn beautiful.
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“I can’t believe you do that for a living!” She beamed at me. “And the fact that you took us up today was just way too much, but I can’t thank you enough.” She was practically vibrating with joy.
“You don’t have to thank me.” Anyone in my position would have done the same for her.
“I do!” She rose on her tiptoes and cupped my cheeks. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Sure, I was absolutely terrified for the first few minutes, but that was….” She shook her head, searching for words, and wobbled on her tiptoes.
My hands clasped her waist to hold her steady.
“That was,” she repeated, softer this time, her gaze falling to my mouth.
My attention did the same, memorizing the curve of her lower lip. She ran her tongue along it, and I swallowed a groan that rumbled up through my chest. “Callie.” It was a warning. Or was it, really? I was holding on to her just as tightly as she had me.
“Weston,” she replied, tilting her face up toward mine.
Fuck me, I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to know what she tasted like. I tugged her closer and her breath hitched as our bodies met. The most ludicrous thought skipped through my brain—she fit against me perfectly, like every plane of my body had been made to accommodate hers.
I lowered my head.
The door burst open, and Callie and I jumped apart as Sutton sailed through, all grins, completely oblivious to what had been going on in here. Or whatever had been about to go on.
“That was the best time ever!” she said, spinning around. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome,” I said, forcing my smile. What the hell had I almost done? Kissing Callie would be a huge mistake. Huge. It had the potential to absolutely wreck our arrangement and make everything awkward as hell at home.
“This is absolutely the best day ever!” Sutton grinned up at me. “It’s Halloween too! Oh, do you want to come trick-or-treating with us?”
My gaze flew to Callie’s.
She was back against the desk, her eyes wide, her breath noticeably shaky. She looked at me with the same shock and apprehension I was feeling.
“You know what, kiddo? I have plans tonight.” With myself.
“Oh, that’s okay.” Sutton shrugged. “I’ll grab some extra candy for you. Let’s go, Mom!” She took Callie’s hand and they walked out of the office, heading for the truck.
I took a deep breath and blew it out between my lips, willing my body to calm, for my thoughts to get the hell away from Callie’s mouth.
I needed to put some distance between us. Fast.
7
Callie
* * *
“On three,” I said, my finger poised above the shutter button. The family in front of me shifted into position, their smiles bright and their cheeks rosy from the chill. “One, two, three!” I clicked several times, making sure I captured the best images. “That’s it! They’ll be uploaded to the site by this evening, or tomorrow morning at the latest.”