The Best Woman

The Best Woman - Chapter Six

There is something between us. If she thinks a bag of chocolate is enough to keep me away, she is crazy.

"So... what inspired this little solo session?"

I lift my eyebrow. "You've never had a couple of drinks alone?"

"A glass or two of wine, sure. This is more than a couple of drinks. Is it Sam?"

"This has nothing to do with her. I don't care that we're broken up."

"All right. Care to share what the issue is then?"

"I just wanted a drink."

She looks at the bottle and back to me. "How long has this session been going on for?"

"You're worse than my mum, babe."

Her deep breath is adorable. She's trying not to swing for me.

I grab the Maltesers and throw them onto the coffee table. She doesn't have a chance to react before I've launched myself into the middle seat, an inch away from her.

Her lips part and eyes widen. But she doesn't move.

She blinks slowly, and I know I've got her. I get it, she has me fucking possessed too.

"Callie," I whisper. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kiss you."

"You're drunk."

"Interesting."

"What is?" she asks, her eyebrows pulling together.

"That's the reason you're not breathless and under me right now. You didn't go with anything to do with Dayton. Is there really anything in your way or is it all talk? If I was sober right now, what would we be doing?"

She blinks heavy again, and I almost close the distance.

Placing her hand on my chest, she takes a breath. I close my eyes as her touch sends a bolt of desire through me.

"Bentley..."

"Cat got your tongue."

She shakes her head. "I'm not going to be your friend with benefits."

"Is that what you think? When have I ever asked you to be that?"

"No, it's just... Well, I'm crap at relationships and so are you. We have this crazy chemistry, and I'd be lying if I said I don't want to explore, but it would be a bad idea. A really bad idea."

There you have it.

"We're all or nothing," I say. What if I want all?

She shuffles back an inch. "We're doomed to be nothing. Sometimes I wish we could just have one night, get it all out of the way so we can move on. You could have a girlfriend who didn't constantly think you're cheating with me. I could maybe find a guy who isn't..."

Her mouth snaps shut, and her back straightens.

"Oh."

"What just happened there? A guy who isn't what?"

She shakes her head, still inside her mind and not cluing me in.

"Callie!"

"Sorry, I just thought of..."

"Finish a sentence!" I snap. God damn, I'm curious. Have her exes thought the same, that Callie wants me?

She laughs. "Drink your coffee, Bentley. I need you sober or Dayton will stress."

"That's not what you was going to say."

"It's all I'm going to say while you're in this state."

She stares into my narrowed eyes, and the rest of the world falls away.

We can be as stubborn as each other.

"Bentley, we'd be a nightmare."

A slow smile spreads across my lips. "But a really hot one."

Turning away from me, she picks up both coffees and hands me one. "Drink."

I take the mug from her, but I can't stop staring. She's a miracle really, not many women are this beautiful, and she tops them all. Her shiny brown hair hangs in waves around her shoulders.

"Drink," she orders. "Have you eaten today?"

I nod and take a sip.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to throw my drink over you."

Laughing, I shake my head and take another sip. "I'm not sorry, Callie."

"Yeah, I know you're not. You're also not thinking straight."

"No, for the first time, I am. But it doesn't matter, does it? You're never going to give us a chance."

With a sigh, she stands and puts her drink down. She's barely had any.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to leave. I'll tell Dayton you're fine, but he'll probably call or drop in anyway. Sober up and don't day drink alone again."

My muscles tense, my instinct to follow her as she leaves the room, but I don't move because that would only make it worse. I let her go because I know she never goes far. No matter what we do, we always come back to this. Whatever this is.

The front door slams as she storms out. I smirk at anger.

There's a very fine line between love and hate.