He arced up until his lips grazed her earlobe. “You good with me pushing right now?”
She loved that he asked. That he wouldn’t reverse their roles again without permission. Callie hadn’t ever seen herself in leadership roles. The problem solver? Sure. Today, though, she’d had to give people instructions, she’d had to make decisions for other people, she’d had to protect people. It was goddamn exhausting.
“Put me where you need,” she whispered. “Take over.”
He didn’t hesitate. His hands slung under her ass, and he stood in a swift motion that both underscored their size differential and just how fucking strong the man was. He headed toward the bedroom, but paused across from the bathroom. He sat her back onto the floor.
He kneeled before her and reached for the button on her jeans. “Pants.”
Her jeans and panties and his jeans and boxers were kicked to the side. Derek’s mouth once again collided with hers. Her shoulders bumped the wall behind her. His fingers slid between her legs, the move more exploratory than teasing. She arced toward the touch. The gravel of his groan grazed her breasts. She bit back a small cry, and reached to offer a similar touch. But he locked his hands on her hips and spun her to face away from him. His chest was heat and promise at her back. He nudged her forward until the cool drywall was pressed against her cheek. Tiny, tender kisses warmed her shoulder. He trailed them up the side of her neck. Each contact edged her closer to oblivion. She needed him. These teasing strokes were not enough.
His voice was hoarse in her hear. “I love you, and I’ve got you.”
And he did.
Callie and Derek made it into the bedroom thirty minutes later. Languid limbs were usually reserved for people who could fork over two hundred bucks for a stone massage, but Derek had brought Callie to that level of relaxation.
The ceiling fan churned silently overhead. “I needed that,” she said.
“Me, too. I need this, though, too.” He pulled her closer until her cheek was pressed against his chest. The musk of sex and sweat clung to him. He smelled like hers.
“We should do more of both.”
Derek was quiet long enough, she’d thought he’d fallen asleep. “We should get out from the Soul Charmer.”
She agreed. They’d made that plan, but Charmer’s status had changed since then. “Do you think he’s coming back?”
He pressed her more firmly to his side. “I wish I knew, doll.”
“How long do we wait?” Could they wait?
“For him to return or for us to leave?” Derek asked.
“Both maybe?” Only could she leave now?
Reality crashed into the room like the Kool-Aid Man.
“If he doesn’t come back,” an eerie tang tainted her tone, “I don’t think we can leave.”
His breath hitched. “I suppose if he’s gone there’s no reason we have to leave.” The words were cautious, and that made Callie uneasy.
She needed to tell him about the well. Her nighthawk vows involved secrecy, but they also probably hadn’t allowed for her to punch a fist into purgatory and bust the afterlife equivalent of skulls. “Someone has to tend to the soul well. You heard your brother. It’s me and the Soul Charmer who can do it.”
Derek sucked in a breath big enough to move Callie’s head on his chest. She continued before he could shoot the idea down. “You weren’t there today. The thing was overflowing, and there were some souls we would not want escaping doing their best to take over. Father Giles was not particularly helpful, but, Derek, my gut says if someone doesn’t keep that thing stable souls that should not be in this world will get here.”
“What does that mean?” he asked quietly.
The phrase ‘hell on earth’ wasn’t appropriate for bedroom talk. “If we want to protect our people here, we have to stay until the Soul Charmer comes back.”
“A temporary stay. That can work. I just don’t want to see him forcing you into more of this kind of bullshit. You shouldn’t be fighting battles over stolen souls.”
“And what should I be doing?” Callie kissed his chest.
“Whatever the fuck you want, doll. Whatever the fuck you want.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Morning came too early. Derek made coffee, and then he and Callie drove to her place so she could shower and change clothes. The desert had this stillness when the sun was still low. The golden rays danced on every surface, and brought the adobe homes they passed back to the rich clay color of its earlier life. The packed snow on the streets glistened, but the sky was clear. If it weren’t for the thirty-degree temperature, it might have been lovely out.
“Did you check who needs souls picked up today?” Callie hadn’t.
Derek kept his eyes on the road. “Nah. We can get an update at the shop, and figure out what’s next. I know you wanted us to get more souls on the shelves…”
She wasn’t the boss, but he hadn’t meant it that way. Right?
“I want to make sure Nate doesn’t steal them. Once he grabs them, those souls could be lost to us.” She toggled
