Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Imagine Her

Callum’s POV

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you serious right now?"

I frowned. "Yes! I should be the one upset, Hailee. I saw Nathan leaving your house this morning—early morning..."

She cut me off, her voice sharp. "And you called me just to accuse me, Callum!"

I opened my mouth, but she kept going.

"You didn’t ask. You didn’t even care how I was feeling. You just jumped to conclusions and basically called me a liar. Do you know how that made me feel?"

Her voice cracked a little at the end.

"You assumed I slept with him," she continued, quieter now. "What do you take me for? A loose girl?"

I took a shaky breath and stepped closer.

"I’m sorry," I said, my voice low and full of guilt. "I didn’t mean it like that... I just—I lost it. I was jealous."

She scoffed and looked away. "Clearly."

"No, Hailee, listen to me," I said, gently cupping her face. "I’m sorry. I really am. I saw him leaving and... I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think straight. I was scared you picked him."

She didn’t say anything.

I leaned in closer.

"I’ve never felt like this before," I admitted. "Not about anyone. I don’t know how to handle it. But I’m sorry for accusing you. You didn’t deserve that."

Our eyes met.

I saw the anger slowly soften in hers.

"I’m sorry. It won’t happen again," I whispered.

There was a pause.

Then she mumbled, "Whatever."

"I’ll make it up to you," I said quickly.

Before she could respond, I leaned in and kissed her.

This kiss wasn’t rushed or confused like the first one. It was deep. Real. Apologetic.

Her lips were soft, warm... and this time, she kissed me back, passionately.

I felt her fingers grip the edge of my shirt. I stepped in closer, not wanting to let her go.

My hands gripped her waist, then slid up her back, pulling her closer—pressing her against me.

She didn’t pull away.

Her hands clutched my shirt tightly, holding on like she needed me just as much as I needed her.

Everything about her—her scent, her warmth, the way she kissed me back—was driving me insane.

I deepened the kiss, letting my lips move against hers with a hunger I hadn’t planned on showing. One of my hands slid up her spine, feeling the curve of it beneath her shirt, and I could feel her shiver under my touch.

She gasped softly against my mouth, and the sound—God—it made my restraint slip.

My hips pressed a little too close. Too hard.

I felt myself getting aroused, painfully so.

Fuck.

I pulled away, breathing heavily, my heart hammering in my chest.

"I—" I swallowed, trying to pull myself together. "I didn’t mean for it to get that far. I just—"

She looked up at me, lips still parted, face flushed.

"I’m not sorry," I admitted, voice low and rough. "But I needed to stop. I didn’t want to push you."

Her chest rose and fell quickly, eyes flickering with confusion and heat.

There was so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to do—but now wasn’t the time. Not like this.

I ran a hand through my hair and let out a shaky breath. "I heard There’s a bonfire tonight. I was going to skip it, but... I’d rather go if you came with me."

She blinked, surprised by the sudden change in direction. "What?"

"I’m asking you to be my date," I said simply. "To the bonfire. If you want to."

She hesitated. Her lips pressed into a line, and her gaze dropped to the floor.

"I’ll... think about it," she said softly.

I nodded, not pushing her. "That’s fair."

She let go of my shirt and slid off the counter, smoothing her clothes like she needed a barrier between us again. Her face was still a little flushed as she grabbed her bag.

"I have to leave for work," she said, not quite meeting my eyes.

I stepped aside to give her room. "Okay."

She walked to the door but paused with her hand on the handle.

"I’ll let you know about the bonfire," she said over her shoulder.

"I’ll wait," I replied, my voice quiet but steady.

And then she was gone.

The second the door closed behind her, silence filled the room.

But my body wasn’t calm. Not even close. I was still hard. Still aching. Still tasting her lips on mine.

I let out a rough breath and raked my fingers through my hair. I tried to shake it off, to focus on anything else, but the memory of her, soft and warm against me, refused to leave.

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