Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Read Broken Bond by C.J. Primer Chapter 9 – VANESSA Like always, I feel him before I see him. The energy in the air shifts somehow, almost crackling, and I know he‘s nearby. I glance toward the tall rocks that line the outer edge of the natural hot springs, listening to the sound of crunching snow as he strides closer, still out of sight I blow out a slow breath that fogs the air in front of me, mingling with the steam rising from the pool of warm water.

Callum finally comes into view as he rounds the rocks, brows lifting as he takes in the sight of the crystal–clear water and my state of partial undress. “Well... this is a surprise,” he drawls, stalking closer.

I sent him the location by dropping a pin so he could use the maps feature on his phone to find his way here. This place is technically off–territory, located on the grounds of the Cedar Ridge ski resort. It‘s easy to get turned around in these woods, so the resort offers guided trips out here for guests who want to take a dip in the natural hot springs– but since I work there, I know for a fact that none are planned for today. We‘ve got this little oasis all to ourselves.

I‘d also planned on stripping down and getting in the water before he got here, but he‘s more punctual than I expected.

“Skinny dipping?” Cal asks as I drop my sweatshirt to the ground, his eyes mapping the bare skin of my stomach before slowly raking up over my black bralette, lingering on my breasts for a beat before they finally rise to meet my own. The corner of his mouth lifts. “Not what I expected from a self–professed good girl.”

Goosebumps pebble my skin, and I‘m not sure if it‘s from the cold or him.

“Underwear stays on,” I say firmly, pointing a finger in his direction.

His lips spread into a wicked grin.

Maybe this wasn‘t the best idea.

I try my best to ignore the heavy weight of his stare as I pop open the button on my jeans, shimmying them down my hips and kicking them off my legs. I‘m not a frilly underwear type of girl, so I’m just in my usual plain cotton bralette and a matching pair of cotton bikini briefs. From the devious look in those blue green eyes, Callum doesn‘t seem to mind my boring underwear choice one bit.

He‘s giving me that look again– like he wants to eat me alive.

“You sure?” Cal challenges as he shrugs out of his jacket and slowly peels hist shirt off over his head. My mouth runs dry when I catch sight of his bare chest. I already knew he was muscular judging by the fit of his clothes, but imagining and seeing are two very different things. My gaze roams over the dips and curves of his well–defined abdominal muscles, my pulse racing as I take in the sharp V–shape of his Adonis belt that disappears beneath the waistband of his boxers. His jeans ride low on his hips, and he unfastens the button, tugging them down to reveal a pair of black boxer briefs. My eyes unwittingly drop to the sizable bulge between his legs.

“You‘re not curious about what I’m packing?” Callum teases as he shamelessly adjusts himself.

My eyes snap back up to meet his, a furious blush forming on my cheeks. “... you... what‘d I tell you about that dirty mouth?” I stammer, completely flustered. I run my hands through my hair, distracting myself by looking away while I pull it back into a ponytail and secure it with an elastic.

Cal chuckles, kicking off his boots and stepping out of his jeans. “You didn‘t seem to mind my dirty mouth the other night.”

My head whips back around and I gape at his audacity, sputtering like a fish out of water.

“Relax,” he murmurs, striding closer until he‘s standing right in front of me, his muscles rippling with every movement. He sets his hands firmly on my shoulders and his magnetic gaze locks in on mine. My heart skips a beat. “I‘m just messing with you, babe.”

I can feel the heat radiating off of his body, and with him this close, all I can think about is that kiss at the bonfire pit. I could kiss him again. All I‘d have to do is lift up on my tiptoes… Callum‘s eyes flicker to the steaming pool of water beside us, then return to my own. “Are we getting in or what?” His minty breath fogs in the space between 1. us.

I nod, my ponytail bouncing behind me as I take a step backwards to free myself from his hold and calm my racing pulse. I‘m usually confident and self assured around guys, but my body has never reacted like this to anyone else. It‘s confusing and frustrating that I can‘t control my own impulses when I‘m around Callum. What is it about him that makes my senses go haywire?

My long ponytail slaps me in the face as I whip around, starting toward the water‘s edge with a determined stride. The steam curling from the surface of the pool beckons me with every step, and I carefully navigate around the mossy rocks at the edge until I can dip my toes in. The water is delightfully warm, and I don‘t waste any time sinking further beneath the surface, the heat relaxing my tight muscles.

I‘m forever amazed by nature‘s miracles. Natural hot springs like this one defy all logic, staying warm all year round while the lakes freeze over in the frigid winter temperatures. I submerge myself in the heated water, sighing in satisfaction as it laps at my shoulders. My body quickly adjusts to the temperature and i kick off the edge to swim out to the center of the pool, spinning around and lifting my gaze to Callum.

He‘s still standing at the water‘s edge, watching me with rapt fascination. I shamelessly check out his lean, sculpted body again, my eyes lingering on the colorful ink decorating his thighs and forearms. I didn‘t know he had tattoos. They only add to his bad–boy image, and I‘m suddenly all too eager to see them up close.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming in?” I tease, smiling widely up at him while I tread water in the center of the pool.

His lips spread into a predatory grin and he moves forward, a lock of hair falling down over his forehead as he ambles over the rocks at the edge and gracefully enters the water. It ripples around his body as he slowly sinks beneath the surface, caressing the taut ridges of his abs and the corded muscles of his forearms. I trap my lower lip between my teeth, watching his every move like a total creep.

Did the water just get hotter?

Callum blows out a breath as his shoulders dip below the surface, his eyes sliding closed. “Damn, this is nice,” he rasps before flopping backwards, spreading out his limbs to float in the water.

It‘s suddenly hard to breathe. I tear my eyes away from him, kicking around and trying to distract myself from the devastatingly handsome boy floating nearby.

He rights himself in the water, raking a hand through the wet strands of his hair and pushing them back off his forehead. “How‘d you find this place?”

“You‘ve never been here?” I ask incredulously. I just figured it was common knowledge since it‘s a feature of the ski–resort.

He shakes his head, droplets of water scattering.

“The tourists love it,” I say, running my hands over the surface of the water and watching it ripple underneath my fingers. “When Vee and I started working at the lodge, we‘d sneak out here after our shifts.” I smile fondly at the memory.” Haven‘t been in a while, though.”

Callum swims over to the edge of the pool, taking a seat on a rock ledge beneath the water and spreading his muscular arms across the stones behind him. His eyes stay trained on me while I continue to tread water, his heated gaze threatening to incinerate me on the spot.

He beckons me with a lift of his chin.

Before I can even decide to join him, my body is drifting in his direction, feet slicing through the water to propel me closer. Once I‘m within his reach, he takes me by surprise when he lunges forward to snatch me by the waist, strong hands gripping my skin underneath the surface. I draw a short gasp as he pulls me in closer, water splashing between us as he drags me onto his lap. My legs spread to straddle his waist, hands grasping onto his strong shoulders to steady myself.

“Hi,” I whisper, staring into the alluring depths of his turquoise eyes.

He reaches up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Hi,” he rasps, and liquid fire ignites beneath my skin. His eyes drop to my mouth, then crawl up to lock with my own again. “Tell me, Nessa...” he growls, and I hold my breath in anticipation of his question, my shoulders tensing. “Would you rather fight to survive in a robot apocalypse or a zombie apocalypse?”

A giggle bursts from my lips and I relax in his hold, looping my arms around his neck and sinking down onto him. “Zombie. My brothers are always playing this zombie hunting video game, so they‘d be able to protect me for sure.” I reach to sweep his damp hair back off his forehead, gazing into those dazzling eyes of his and tilting my head in question. “You?”

His lips tip into a grin. “Same. I‘d rather fight something living. Easier to kill.” “Zombies aren‘t technically living, they’re dead already.”

Cal‘s shoulder lifts in a shrug. “Still easier to fight flesh than metal.”

“Guess that‘s a good point,” I sigh, settling into his lap. His arms wind around my waist, holding me upright in his firm grip. “Would you rather...” I muse, tapping my chin. “Have ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife? 01 have a knife, but never be able to use spoons?” 1 Instant, “Knife.”

I giggle, shaking my head. Somehow I knew that would be his answer; the whole dangerous vibe that he puts off calls for knives. “But how would you eat ice cream?” I challenge.

Callum wrinkles his nose. “Never been a big fan.” 1 “What?!” I gasp, my eyes flying wide. “Everybody likes ice cream!”

“Never really got the hype. My parents were against sugar, so I didn‘t even try it until a few years ago.”

“You‘ve gotta be kidding me! That‘s practically child abuse,” I laugh. His body stiffens beneath mine momentarily, but then I feel him relax again, his fingertips tracing the curve of my spine underwater.

“It gave me more of an appreciation for sweet things,” he remarks, wetting his lips with his tongue while his eyes drop to my mouth.

“Oh yeah?” I arch a brow. “Like what?”

One of his hands leaves my waist, lifting out of the water between our bodies. All the air leaves my lungs when he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, then presses the pad of his thumb against my lower lip, his eyes still fixated on my mouth. “You may just be the sweetest thing I‘ve ever tasted.” ?

My heart is pounding wildly against my ribs, heat crawling up my neck. “Then... why‘d you make me leave the other night?” I pant, finally daring to ask the question that has been weighing so heavily on my mind since.

His lips part, gaze lifting to mine. “Because too much of a good thing can drive a man to madness.”

I don‘t understand his meaning, but I don‘t want to try to decipher it right now all I want to do is kiss him again. I lean forward boldly, brushing my lips against his. “Kiss me, Callum,” I whisper, pressing my eyes closed and breathing in his delicious scent. Juniper and smoke and spice and man, so intoxicating that my senses go haywire.

His arm tightens around my waist and he yanks me in, the skin of my chest slapping against his while his lips slam against mine.

Hot. Damn.

He kisses me like he‘s starved for it, nipping my lips until they part for his demanding tongue. My arms constrict around his neck, fingers sinking into the damp tresses of his hair while my lips slide against his and my tongue fights his for dominance; tangling and twining until I‘m not sure where my mouth ends and his begins. His fingers grip my hips with bruising force, and it‘s then that I realize that I‘m grinding against him unabashedly, my center gliding over the thick ridge of his hard–on through our underwear beneath the water.

My god, it‘s hard as stone, and it feels huge.

S My toes curl and I mewl into his mouth while he continues ravaging mine, his fingers beginning to toy with the waistband of my underwear at either side of my hips.

I break the kiss with a desperate gasp, pushing back against his chest with my palms and shaking my head firmly. “I told you, underwear stays on.”

His eyes drop to my chest, zeroing in on my breasts and glazing over with lust. I glance down to find that my cotton bralette is plastered to my skin, my nipples pebbling up underneath the fabric. A flush crawls up my neck.

“That‘s fine,” Cal rasps, his breathing ragged as his eyes meet mine again. His lips crease in a devilish smirk. “You think I need to get your panties off to make you come?” 1 Before I can ask him what he means by that, his thumb suddenly brushes my center through my underwear. I suck in a sharp gasp through my teeth, my brain short–circuiting and my whole body shuddering in his arms.

“Does that feel good?” he murmurs against my lips, applying more pressure to my most sensitive area while stars burst behind my eyelids.

“Yes!” I whisper sharply.

Caution flags wave wildly in the back of my mind, an internal war raging. I barely know Callum. Nobody has ever touched me like this. I shouldn‘t let him. But it feels so good...

I squeeze my eyes closed tighter, pleasure coiling in my belly. “Oh god...”

“You‘re praying to the wrong deity, baby,” Callum chuckles darkly. His lips slam against mine again, his tongue diving into my mouth while his deft fingers circle my clit through the thin fabric of my panties.

I‘m... melting, completely boneless in his arms as he works my body with expert precision and I grind down harder onto his erection. I‘m writhing, moaning, but he greedily swallows every sound I make, still kissing the life out of me while he drives me to new heights with deliberate strokes of his fingers. Then he licks my teeth, releasing my lips with a loud pop.

Sudden pinpricks of pain spread over my scalp as he yanks my head back by my ponytail, his mouth dropping to my neck. He licks along the column of my throat, sucks his way to the side of my neck, then bites down hard, my pleasure and pain receptors somehow getting all jumbled up in my brain. Liquid lightning shoots through my limbs and I cry out his name as I crest the peak of an explosive climax, trembling and shaking and practically choking him as I hold on for dear life, my arms squeezing tightly around his neck. 1 His fingers continue to work my clit as I fall apart, his rock–hard dick twitching beneath me like it wants to get in on the action. “That‘s it, sweet girl,” Cal purrs in my ear as I ride his hand through my orgasm.

“Don‘t stop, take what you need,” he coaxes. I‘m whimpering, trembling as shockwaves erupt through my body. “You shatter so fucking beautifully.”

I come so hard that I swear I go blind for a few seconds, black dots spreading across my field of vision.

When I finally come down, I go completely limp in Callum‘s strong arms, struggling to catch my breath.

My face is hot, an embarrassed blush overtaking my cheeks as reality creeps back in. I lift my head to look into his eyes. As soon as our gazes lock, his dick twitches beneath me again and I freeze, blinking back at him.

I can‘t believe I just let him do that.

Am I supposed to return the favor?

Before I can overthink it, I reach down between us, grabbing ahold of his thick cock through his boxers.

He grunts and water splashes as his body jerks, but before I can even fully grasp ahold of him, he snatches me by the wrist and yanks my hand off his manhood.

His eyes flash with something sinister, boring into mine with ferocious intensity. “If you want our underwear to stay on, then I wouldn‘t,” Cal warns, flexing his fingers around my wrist like he‘s holding himself back from gripping it harder.

I snatch my hand away, my throat working with a hard swallow. “Don‘t you have to...” my eyes drop down to his hard–on, then rise to his again. “Take care of that?”

A low chuckle rumbles in his chest, his hands landing on my hips. “Give me some credit, Nessa. I‘m not all animal.”

I shrug, hoping my glaring inexperience isn‘t showing. “I just thought, ya know ... tit for tat.”

He laughs– an honest to goodness, real laugh– shaking his head. “I don‘t know what kind of guys you‘ve been with, but it isn‘t a damn business transaction.” Cal scrubs his hand over his face. “Jesus, where did you come from?” He squints, studying my features intently like I‘m a puzzle that he‘s struggling to solve.

“Riverton,” I answer, and his eyes flicker with amusement.

“Are all Riverton girls like you?” His fingers flex around my hips.

“Well, you‘ve met Vienna,” I say, reaching behind me to sweep my long ponytail over a shoulder.

He snorts. “That‘s a no, then.”

“What‘s wrong with Vienna?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on him.

“She‘s annoying.”

“Hey!” I protest, whacking his chest with the back of a hand. The wetness of our skin makes the slap sound much harsher than it actually is. “That‘s my best friend.”

“Would you rather I lie just because she’s your friend?” he asks, reclining back and sliding his hands down to rest atop my thighs.

“No. But she‘s not annoying, she‘s great. Your friend Chase seems to agree, too,” I say smugly. “You know they‘re sleeping together, right?”

“That‘s not really newsworthy when it comes to Chase,” Cal grumbles, his gaze wandering down the front of my body again like he‘s trying to map out every inch of my skin. He wets his lips with his tongue, his fingertips applying pressure to my thighs. His eyes snap to mine and the intensity of the look in them steals my breath. “You‘re really fucking beautiful, you know that?”

My heart stutters and I reach up to toy with the end of my ponytail absently, my gaze fluttering down. “I know I‘m pretty, Callum. People tell me all the time.”

“You certainly take a compliment well,” he murmurs.

I lift my gaze to meet his again. “A true compliment would be that I‘m smart, or funny, or strong.

Something about the real me, not just the way I look.”

He swipes a hand over his chin, his eyes narrowing. “Why can‘t I figure out what you‘re hiding?” 1 I roll my eyes, pushing off his chest and launching myself backwards into the water. I kick my legs to propel myself across the pool until I reach the other side, pushing up against the rocks on the edge and casting a glance back at him over my shoulder. “What you see is what you get with me, Callum,” I say, but he‘s not looking at my face. I’ve lifted myself out of the water up to my thighs, and his eyes are glued to my ass.

I smirk to myself, climbing out of the water the rest of the way and strutting over to my pile of clothes with a purposeful sway of my hips. Then I spin around, wringing the water out of my ponytail as he begins to cross the pool, staring up at me from the water like a hungry shark.

The way he looks at me makes my insides turn to jelly. My heart‘s racing as I reach down for one of the towels I brought along, busying myself by drying my limbs before wrapping it around my body and securing it in the front. When I look back to the hot springs, Cal is climbing out, wisps of steam wafting off his skin as his sculpted body hits the cool air.

Hotness personified.

I blush like a schoolgirl and reach down to pick up the other towel, tossing it his way. He snatches it out of the air with a mumbled ‘thanks‘, rubbing the towel against his head and leaving his hair sticking out in all directions as he starts to dry the rest of himself off. “Come to the packhouse on Saturday?”

I fold my arms across my chest, attempting to appear nonchalant while shamelessly checking him out.

“For?”

“Another party. The usual.” He slicks back his hair with a hand, slinging the towel over his shoulder.

“Um, yeah. I can probably make it.”

“Cool.” Callum steps away and scoops his clothes off the ground, tucking them under an arm before striding back over and grabbing me by the chin. I don‘t even have time to react before he dips his head and plants a hard kiss on my lips, pulling back with a grin and running this tongue over his teeth. “See you Saturday, Nessa.”

My heart pounds, my throat tightening so much that my reply comes out as a squeak as he takes a step backwards and turns away. “See you Saturday.”