With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(69)

Then her mind erased as she saw for the first time (as she hadn’t had a lot of time yesterday and she hadn’t been paying much attention to anything but to her fevered thoughts this morning), the charm.

In heavy gold, beautifully rendered, it was the head of a snarling wolf with two eyes made of yellow diamonds.

“It’s a wolf,” she breathed and she was so taken by the charm, entranced by it, she missed the air in the room getting tense.

She forgot the bricks on the bad side of the scale. She forgot everything. Except the fact that Callum had put that charm on her claiming chain.

Her head snapped up and he’d moved so close, he had to rear his own back to miss being clipped on the chin.

“I love wolves!” she cried, unable to hide the delight in her voice and still not sensing the air, which had now lightened considerably. In fact, she was so touched by this gesture of Callum’s (obviously someone told him that she loved wolves), that she didn’t even notice the soft chuckles coming from the table.

Callum’s face was back to that affectionate softness when he replied, “I know you do, honey.”

“No, I really, really love wolves,” she blurted.

The chuckles grew louder but she still didn’t process it as Callum was now smiling a white, gorgeous smile and his voice held his own mirth when he said, “Yes, honey, I know.”

Her head tipped back down and she remarked with wonder in her tone, “He’s a beauty.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

She whipped her head back again and uttered with feeling, “Thank you.”

His head dipped and he rested his forehead to hers. “You thanked me last night, baby doll, twice. But the second time was so good, you earned another charm.”

Her breath caught, her br**sts swelled but she had little time for these reactions.

His mouth took hers in a thorough, beautiful kiss much like the one he gave her last night but this one was different. It was also hungry. Further, it was in front of an audience.

“Should we leave the room?” Caleb asked in a teasing voice.

Callum pulled away and glared at his brother.

Sonia, blushing, back to embarrassed, ducked her head under his chin, tucked her face in his neck and chanced a glance at the group from under her lashes.

They were all grinning at her and Callum.

But it was Saint who noticed her pinkened cheeks and said to her gently, “I remember those first days after I claimed my mate, Sonia. You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about.” He looked around the table and said, “We all have either felt it or want to.”

Considering Sonia’s face was burning so hot, before it melted to oblivion, she decided the best thing to do was to change the subject and do it immediately, “You have a mate?”

“I do,” Saint replied.

“I’d like to meet her,” Sonia told him.

“I’m certain she’d like that too,” Saint smiled.

Callum’s arms came around her and she decided to take a sip of her coffee instead of giving him her attention, as giving him her attention was making her do stupid things.

Not having her facing him didn’t deter Callum in the slightest.

His mouth came to her ear and he whispered, again low, “Something else we’re going to do later, baby doll. You’re going to tell me what was on your mind a minute ago when you looked like you look about a split second before you come.”

Sonia bit her lip, slid her eyes to the side, caught the seriously sexy look on his face (or, it might have been a sexy serious look, she couldn’t quite tell) and decided her best way forward was just to nod.

This was the right thing to do. He slid his temple against hers again.

She relaxed in his arms.

The doorbell rang.

“That’ll be Regan,” Caleb announced.

“I’ll get it,” Magnum offered and rose from his chair to go to the door.

“Sonia,” Callum called.

Sonia kept sipping her coffee with her eyes following Magnum as she mumbled, “Mm?”

“Ryon tells me you throw a Christmas party every year.”

That statement brought her head around and she looked in Callum’s eyes, wondering what was on his mind.

“Yes,” she answered tentatively.

“I’ve decided, since this situation is likely to keep us here for a while, regardless if we take care of it, we’ll stay for the holidays. You should go ahead with the party.”

Sonia’s heart leapt and another thimble full of cement (maybe two, or even three) joined the first.

“Really?” she asked.

“Really,” he replied, his eyes studying the expression on her face with a look in them she could swear was almost doting. “You like Christmas so I want you to have your Christmas just as you like it.”

“Hello all,” Regan called as she came in but Sonia only had eyes for Callum and only had thoughts on the fact that her heart had skipped a happy beat.

Not of her volition, her hand came up and rested against the side of his head.

Then she used her thumb to smooth his dark brow after which she moved it down and she used it to stroke his bottom lip.

Then she said softly, again with feeling, “Thank you.”

So deep in her gratitude, she noted only in a dazed way that Callum’s face was suddenly hungry, his eyes were fully tawny and she heard him growl. It came deep from the back of his throat and seemed to vibrate through her body, sending the ever-present pulsating between her legs soaring.