Claiming Callie: Part two Read Free

determination in his eyes and the emotion in his voice. Reaching across the table, she takes his hand in hers and la ces their fingers together—an intimate gesture reserved for couples—and something that in all the years she ’ s known him she ’ s never done before. His hand is large and warm over hers, and although the feel of it is foreign, it ’ s more natural than she would ’ ve expected.
    See! Physical contact with Dean—piece of cake!
    She smiles as he glances down to their interlocked hands with flushed cheeks, and she wonders if maybe this wouldn ’ t be harder for him than her. “You must think I ’ m a real piece of work.”
    Dean na rrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”
    “Me. With the mess I ’ ve made of things. My credit cards. Possibly losing my position with GGF. I ’ ve screwed up, when I could ’ ve had it so easy. I mean, because of my parents and…” She pauses, feeling the weight of his gaze on her as she speaks. “I had my tuition paid for, my room and board. All I had to do was go to school, earn a little extra spending cash if I wanted, and that was it. But I blew it. And over what?” She looks at him now. There is no judgment in his eye s, only warmth, and that ’ s the one thing she has always loved about Dean. His ability to listen, to take things in and give insight without saying much. “A pair of Jimmy Choos? A Chanel handbag? Some Gucci shoes?”
    She shakes her head. It ’ s moments like the se that she ’ s able to see how screwed up she is. Where she ’ s suddenly able to see how stupid her shopping habit is and how ridiculous a person is for blowing all your money—money you don ’ t really even have—on such materialistic things. But in the moment… T hat ’ s another story. It ’ s as if all these thoughts and feelings, these insights, float away until they ’ re nothing more than a wasted thought hinging on the edge of a breeze.
    “What is wrong with me?” she says, and glances at their intertwined hands.
    “Hey,” Dean reaches out and lifts her chin. His touch is soft and gentle. “ I don’ t think anything bad about you. The only reason I was angry over the escort thing is because it was dangerous and you deserve a real life, a real boyfriend, love, and everything else you want. There were a ton of reasons. But I never thought anything negative. And, yeah, you screwed up. You have a ton of debt and your job is in jeopardy. But half of America has the same debt you do. Maybe it’s not okay, but you ’ ll fix it.” His voice i s firm. He ’ s so sure of himself, and it boosts Callie ’ s confidence a little.
    “I hope so. Thanks to you, maybe I will still have a job at the end of the year. I guess we ’ ll see. What matters is what I do from now till then.” There ’ s no need for Dean to know she hasn ’ t actually used the money yet.
    Dean nods. “I was glad to help.”
    “Where did you get that kind of money?”
    Dean shrugs, avoiding her gaze. “I was just saving…”
    “Well, you ’ ll get it back after graduation. And in the meantime…” Her smiles spreads slow ly. “Operation Get the Girl is on. ”

CHAPTER THREE
     
    DEAN
     
    The warmth of Callie ’ s hand, the feel of her fingers curling around his own, lingers on Dean ’ s skin the entire way across campus to his dorm room. Even the cool February air isn ’ t enough to wipe it away.
    Operation Get the Girl. If she only knew…
    Sighing, Dean tests the knob to his room to see if it ’ s unlocked. It turns and he pushes it open, throwing his messenger bag next to his desk by the door. Making a mental checklist of the things he needs to do this morning, he squeezes his eyes shut. 1) Call Greg at the paper and convince him to run an article on them. 2) Bribe the photographer to be unavailable to take photos of them. 3) Somehow get ahold of Maya ’ s schedule.
    Dean opens his eyes and shrieks. “Shit!” He stumbles back into the door.
    Jinny ’ s standing