I roll over. The moon is shining in the window, casting a blue glow over the bed, and there she is, with her back to me, curled up in a ball, sleeping peacefully. Her arm is over the covers, the bright colors of her ink perfectly lit up by the moon.

I became addicted to the pain.

That there was ever a time in her life that she needed the pain as an outlet for her feelings pulls a sorrow, a longing, from so deep inside me it almost renders me breathless. And the fact that she pulled herself together and became what she is now makes me burst with pride.

I reach over and trace the ink with the pad of my forefinger, smiling when she lets out a soft moan. Her noises are the best music I’ve ever heard. The way she breathes when I’m inside her, the way her muscles tighten around my cock, around my body.

I’ve never been with anyone like her, and I know I never will be again. She’s mine. Callie is it for me, and I know it’s going to take patience while she comes around to the idea, but she’ll get there.

I’m nothing if not patient. Some would call me too laid back, or even lazy, but the truth is, I just know how to bide my time.

I smile as she leans back into my touch, still sound asleep. The connection we have can’t be explained with words. It just exists, like electricity, or the moving of the tides by that bright moon.

God knows I feel both the energy and the pull of her, even when we’re not together.

I let my hand drift around to her chest and gently roll her already hard nipple through my fingers, then slide down her flat stomach and firmly urge her onto her back so I can part her legs, brushing my knuckles over the soft flesh of her thighs.

“Mmm,” she moans and cracks her eyes open. “Time is it?”

“No idea,” I whisper and kiss her belly as I work my way down. She threads her fingers through my hair, over and over again, with a sweet touch, and when I open her center to me and place a deep kiss over her pussy, those fingers clench in my hair, not pulling me closer but holding on while the first jolt of pleasure bursts through her.

“Oh my,” she breathes, then catches her breath again when my lips close over her clit and suck, not hard, but in a persistent rhythm. My face is rocking against her, and I can’t get enough of her. I love the way she tastes, her scent, all of it. I could camp out here all night.

But I need her. I need to be inside her, to claim her. It’s primal, and 100% male ego, and I don’t fucking care.

“Love you,” she whispers, just as I push two fingers inside her, and my world just tilted on its axis.

“Love you too,” I reply softly, but she’s whimpering, her lip caught between her teeth, already in that incredible place she goes when the pleasure takes over. It’s the damnedest thing to watch.

I kiss both her thighs, her flat stomach, then over to her side. Sex with Callie is usually fierce and passionate, fast, hard, maybe a little dirty. But tonight I want to savor, enjoy.

Love.

My body covers hers, her legs are hitched around my hips, and her arms are wrapped around my back. Her clean face is sleepy and happy, and as I slip inside her, we both sigh at how damn good it feels.

“It’s always different,” she murmurs. “Just when I think I know exactly how you’ll feel, you surprise me.”

I grin, seated inside her to the hilt, and kiss her neck, then drag my lips up to her earlobe. “I want to keep surprising you.”

She cups my cheek and guides my lips to hers, and for several long minutes, I move at a slow, leisurely pace in and out of her while I make love to her mouth. I link my fingers with hers, squeeze, and pin her hand over her head, using it as leverage as I pick up the pace, just a bit, adding a little more force to each thrust.

Not to change the tone of the moment, but to kick up her own need just a notch because I don’t know how much longer I’m going to last. Jesus, she’s sweet. Tight.

Mine.

“Love the way you feel,” she whispers and grabs my ass with her free hand, pulling me against her, and I can feel the tension building. Her back arches and her pussy tightens around me, making my eyes cross. “Your pubic bone hits me in just the right damn spot.”

“Callie, go over, baby.”

She cries out, then whimpers softly as she surrenders to the orgasm and pulls me over with her. We’re quiet, the room is hushed as we fall apart, then cling to each other and fall back together, catching our breath.

I brush the hair off her face and kiss her softly, then roll us to our sides, wrap her up against me and kiss her forehead.

“Sleepy,” she mumbles, and before I can reply, she’s slipped away, back into sleep.

I want this, every night.

***

Over the past year or so, my brothers, plus Ben and Rhys, have started getting together a couple times a month for a guy night. Mostly, we play pool, drink beer, and rag on each other.

It’s generally a good time, and as much as we all love our women, it’s nice to not have any estrogen around for a little while.

Not that we’d ever admit that to them.

Tonight, we’re in a dive bar a few blocks from the Quarter, playing pool and watching Monday night football. We usually gather at Ben’s, but he’s having work done on his place—mine’s not ready, and the others have that estrogen I mentioned earlier.

So, dive bar it is.

“Nine ball, corner,” Eli says and takes his shot, easily sinking the ball.

“So you’re moving into town?” I ask Beau as he watches Eli survey the table. Beau has lived on the inn property since Gabby opened, to keep an eye on things there, and to protect Gabby and Sam.