Borrowed Souls (Soul Charmer #1)(67)
“Which night do you they want you to do this?”
“Friday.” Her answer was muffled against his worn shirt.
She’d crumpled against a guy, and he wasn’t judging her. Her uneven breaths were obvious, but Derek carried on as though it was a normal conversation and the woman he held against his chest wasn’t fighting to not lose her shit. At least one person today was worthy of her trust. “That’s good. I’ve got an informant who’s a paper pusher for Gem City police. He works Fridays.”
She left the safety of his chest. “Why do we need him? Ford gave me all these documents—” she pointed to the papers on the table “—and they detail schedules and locks and where to be when.”
“Schedules are good. Having a guy on the inside to make sure people don’t change their schedules is better.”
It sounded good on its face, but panic lanced her chest regardless. “What if Ford finds out what we’re doing?”
“Ricky’s never going to meet you. He’s not going to know you exist. He’s not going to know what you’re after. I can incentivize him plenty without him knowing anything specific.”
“Are you going to threaten him?” Not that she should care.
“Nah. You forget about my charm a lot.”
“I know you’re charming.” Her smile faltered.
“Plus he likes cash, doll, and I have plenty of that available.”
If she had money, Callie would have paid Josh’s debt instead of tying herself to the Soul Charmer. “I can’t afford that.”
“No one asked you to.” He began rubbing her back in small, soothing circles. “I like taking care of you. Let me do it.”
Ten even, deep breaths didn’t slow Callie’s mind any, but at least she’d curtailed the fear free fall. If only she’d met Derek earlier, when it was still possible to buy Josh out. It was too late now. It was this, or nothing. “Maybe.”
He kissed her forehead, and followed it with a second light one on her temple. She tilted her face toward his and met his lips with her own. The soft touch was sweet and caring and conveyed all that protective talk Derek loved to share. Callie liked it, but the day had left her raw. Acting gently was out for her. She curved her palm around the nape of his neck and pulled him toward her. Hard. He jerked forward and, surprised by her aggression, firmed his lips. He recovered quickly, though, and soon he parted them to let her deepen the kiss. She’d expected him to match her fervor, to push back, but he accepted the onslaught. He met her energy, but let her maintain control.
Callie’s hands were shaking—whether from excitement or overload, she wasn’t certain—but she brought her mouth to his neck. The heady scent of leather lingered on his skin, the perfect complement to the touch of salt against her tongue. He groaned and she licked the same spot again.
When their lips met the next time, his body had gone rigid with tension. She wasn’t the only one shaking. They had big problems to solve and a whole lot to talk through, but she needed an emotional outlet beforehand. He offered an escape, even if just for a half hour.
“Bedroom?” she asked between panting breaths.
His response was fast and firm and what she needed.
An hour later they were both slicked with sweat, stretched out on Callie’s bed with only a thin sheet covering them. It was good to be whole again. Or as complete as she could be. Revelations from Zara, Tess, and Joey had shaken her, but Derek had proven reliable.
Thinking about her mom brought more questions to her mind, ones that hammered at her post-coital bliss. Who in their right mind thinks about their mother while lying naked next to a man who looked like Derek? Soul magic wasn’t necessary to push her over the edge; she was already certifiable.
“I can hear you thinking.” Derek’s bemusement would fade if he knew the direction her thoughts had taken. His affection was more than she’d earned.
Callie smiled at the ceiling in a fleeting moment of normalcy. “A lot happened between when you left this morning and now.”
“More than what we’ve talked about?”
“Significantly.” This is why she never bothered with snuggling. Vulnerability coupled with honesty transformed her into the ultimate mood killer.
“I believe we’ve established my good listening abilities. What happened?”
Her mirthless laugh didn’t scare him off. It should have, but if he was brave enough to stay, she was bold enough to divulge. He’d discover her next-level fucked-up qualities soon enough. “My hands went icy at my mom’s place, for starters.”
The black plastic blades of the ceiling fan spun slowly enough she could track each one’s rotation. Focusing on inanimate objects was a key to blocking emotions during confession. She locked onto those blades the same way she’d counted beads while confessing at church. If she focused hard enough, she could almost pretend she was alone.
Derek swallowed. “Anyone else there?”
The poor guy was trying to give her an out. It was too late for that.
“Just me and her. She wanted to talk about Josh, and I wanted to know why she’d used souls. Neither of us were satisfied.”
The bed shook as he propped himself up on one arm. He reached for her, lightly stroking her upper arm, and despite her nerves she leaned into his touch. He’d cracked her walls, and now she couldn’t repair her defenses fast enough.