Stone Cold Notes: A Rock Star Romance (The Seasons Change)
Stone Cold Notes: Chapter 17

I HADN’T GOTTEN ENOUGH SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE, so by seven p.m., I was dragging. It didn’t help that I was in a grumpy mood and Ezra was even grumpier. We’d both been off all day. But while he blew off steam throwing toys and collapsing on the floor in a fit, I had to keep it together until bedtime—then I could lose my shit.

I was already losing it internally.

Callum had texted exactly once. At ten this morning, he said he would call or text when he could. That was it. One little ‘x’ at the end, but nothing else. No ‘last night was amazing, I miss you, nothing has changed even after I had time to think about the bomb you dropped on me.’ Nope, none of that. Not even a bossy demand.

That was pretty much the cause of my poor attitude.

My cranky toddler wasn’t helping matters.

“No bath,” Ezra wailed.

“Yes, bath. You have mac and cheese in your hair.”

He stuck his lip out and tears collected in his lashes. “I like it. I don’t want a bath!”

I kneeled in front of him, holding his belly in my hands. He was half naked, smeared in cheese and paint. If he hadn’t been so damn crusty, I would have given in and skipped the bath. My boy was a mess, though. He wasn’t getting out of this, even if getting him into the tub killed me.

“I know, baby buddy, but you have to.” I rubbed his belly in slow circles. “Let’s take a bath, then we’ll read an extra book tonight.”

Oh, how his chin quivered. “Jenny read me a book?”

I nodded. “Of course Jenny will read you a book. You know she loves to read to you.”

He stomped his foot, but I saw the fight flowing out of him. He let me take him upstairs, even though he was crying and stiff. That was the only fight he put up.

Once I had washed his hair, he was much calmer, just as I knew he would be. Jenny popped in and sat on the closed toilet, chatting with us both.

The doorbell rang, followed by a knock on the door. I glanced at Jenny, she frowned at me. It wasn’t late, but we didn’t get visitors often.

“Can you go check, babe?” she asked. “I’ll get Ez out and in his pj’s.”

“Yeah, sure.” I hopped up from the floor and ran downstairs, drying my hands on my sweatshirt as I went. There was another soft knock as I approached. I peered through the peephole and gasped, then I opened the door with caution.

Callum cocked his head, peering at me through the crack. “Hey. I called, but you didn’t answer.”

My eyebrows lowered. “It’s bath time. I didn’t have my phone on me, so I—” I shook my head. “What are you doing here?”

“Told you I was comin’ to talk to you today.” He reached out and pushed the door open wider. “Aren’t you gonna invite me in?”

Just then, my son let out an ear-piercing shriek. Callum jolted, but I didn’t even flinch. I knew that cry. Ezra wasn’t hurt or sad, the kid was angry and over tired.

“This is a very bad time, which I could have told you if you’d called or texted me earlier today. I need to go take care of my son.” I grabbed the doorknob and tried to push the door closed, but Callum wasn’t budging. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“No. Go do what you need to do. I’ll come back in an hour.”

Ezra shrieked again, and this time, it was followed by Jenny calling for me. “All right. Fine. An hour.”

He let me close the door then, and I ran back upstairs to deal with my son. Callum would have to wait. He’d kept me waiting all day, he honestly deserved a little of the same.

Exactly one hour had gone by when he knocked softly again. Jenny beat me to the door, whipping it open and blocking his way. She’d never gotten to growl and intimidate my dates since I’d never been on one, so I was pretty sure she was trying to make up for lost time.

“Hello, young man. It’s awfully late for you to be knocking on our door.” She was clearly going for stern, but she ended up sounding like a mom from an ’80s sitcom.

“Hello,” he answered. I couldn’t see him from my spot in the living room, but I heard his confusion. “Is Wren here?”

“She is. Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”

“I’m Callum Rose, ma’am.” Oh, he did southern gentleman well. “Is Wren home? She’s expectin’ me.”

I came up behind Jenny and shoved her gently aside. “I’m here.”

He looked me up and down, then his eyes landed on mine. He had that stone-cold look that made him completely unreadable.

“Hey.” He slid his fingers through the side of his hair. “Think we could talk?”

Jenny bumped me with her hip. “I’m going to make myself scarce.” She started to walk off but turned back. “You don’t need to heat the entire neighborhood, you know. Invite him in and close the door, babe.”

Then she was gone, and it was just Callum and me. “Do you want to come in?”

“Yeah.” He stepped up into the house, so close, my chest brushed his stomach, and closed the door behind him. Two fingers pinched the strands of hair that had escaped my ponytail. “I like your hair this way.”

“Oh. Thanks.” I tipped my face up. “You disappeared today and it made me feel really shitty. Now I’m in a crap mood and don’t know that I can be very good company. I know I said we’d talk, but I’m tired and crabby and—”

He covered my mouth with his hand. Damn him, I had a love-hate relationship with him doing that.

“Quiet.” I sort of loved it when he said that. “I told you I’d get in touch. I didn’t lie. This is the first chance I’ve had to get to you.” He let go of my mouth and gathered me in his arms to hold me flat against him. The groan that rumbled from his chest traveled directly into mine.

“Why’d you disappear?”

His nose tickled my scalp as he shook his head then he kissed my crown. “Didn’t disappear. I’ve been dealin’ with the fallout of last night.”

My head jerked back, but he wouldn’t allow me any more space than that. “What do you mean?”

His sigh was heavy. “Do you think I could come all the way inside and feel like maybe you’re gonna allow me to stay awhile?”

“Only if you plan on offering me a reasonable explanation for not contacting me all day.”

He studied me from under a furrowed brow. “Did you really believe I wasn’t comin’ for you, Little Bird? I left you hangin’ on that thought all day?”

“Yeah, you did.” I wasn’t quite happy with him, but I led him around the corner to the living area anyway. I tried to sit beside him on the couch, but he plucked me right up and plopped me on his lap like I was a feather. Truth be told, when he held me like this, I felt delicate and precious, and I was quickly becoming addicted to it.

Callum stroked my hair and dragged his knuckles along my cheek. I looked at him, really looked at him, and found the shadows under his eyes, the pinch around his mouth. He hadn’t had a good day either.

“I’m always comin’ for you.” Those words were so soft but unwavering, they settled in my chest and spread over my limbs. “I made a mistake not sending a text. I realize that now.”

“Is that an apology?”

He took my chin in his hand and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. “It is. I’m sorry I didn’t text. Now, I need you to tell me you’re sorry for not tellin’ me you needed that from me. As far as I know, the phone works both ways. You didn’t check on me either, Little Bird.”

Any indignation I’d had left flew away like a thief in the night. I hadn’t texted, that was true. Why hadn’t I? He told me he would always welcome me contacting him. I guess I hadn’t believed it. Or I’d been so ready for him to ditch me when he found out about Ezra, I’d just assumed that was what he was doing.

“I’m sorry too.” Leaning in, I gave him the same kind of kiss he’d given me, except when I tried to pull away, he caught me and plunged his tongue in my mouth. Callum’s kiss was so hot and deep, all the ice that had been building around my heart instantly melted. “I’m glad you’re here.” I rubbed my lips back and forth along his.

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm. I had a crummy day, but this makes it better.” I pulled back enough to see his face. “Tell me what you had to deal with.”

“I will. First, you need to tell me you remember you have to text or call when you’re feelin’ neglected. I will always want to hear from you. You can blow up my phone and it will be welcome. I’ll only be mad if you want to text me and don’t. I’ll be pissed if you spend all day thinkin’ I disappeared on you.” He lifted my chin with his knuckle. “Tell me you understand, Little Bird.”

He’d told me this once through text, but it was an entirely different thing wrapped in his arms and looking into his eyes. It was pretty impossible not to believe he meant what he said.

“I understand. I’ll blow your phone up with memes every chance I get.”

His answering chuckle was enough to wipe away the rest of my bad mood. “I look forward to it.”

“Will you tell me now about your day?”

“Mmhmm. I spent the morning with my manager and lawyer. There are videos out and you’ve been identified. It makes me sick, but there’s nothin’ we can do to stop it. Fortunately, I’m not Iris, so my private life isn’t interesting to most people.”

My nose wrinkled. “They found out my name?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. I won’t let any of that touch you.” He squeezed my arm, then slid down to my hand, lifting it to his mouth to press his lips to my wrist and palm.

I inhaled, then let it out slowly. “Okay. What else?”

He held my hand against his cheek and closed his eyes. “I had to talk to the cops. The guy isn’t pressin’ charges, so it was only routine. I asked my lawyer to start the process for you to obtain a restraining order. I don’t want that guy thinkin’ he can ever come near you again.”

The idea made me shiver. I’d never been afraid of Edwin, at least not until last night. A restraining order, though? It seemed so outlandish, but I wasn’t going to argue either.

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Not fightin’ me?” He sounded bemused.

“No. I’ve seen what kind of fighter you are. I don’t stand a chance.”

“That’s right. You don’t.” His mouth captured mine, tongue licking my lips then inside. It wasn’t the kind of kiss I ever thought I’d have with my son right upstairs, asleep, but here I was, and I couldn’t think of a single thing wrong with it.

“I had to talk to a couple reporters, give a statement.” He nipped my bottom lip. “Told them I was lookin’ out for my girl and that was all there was to it. I think they were more interested in Krav Maga than my life.”

I giggled. “It is pretty badass.”

He stilled with a curve at the corners of his lips and light in his icy blues. “I’ve been missin’ out all this time.”

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head like he was in a daze. “Being with you is a balm. I’ve been missin’ out on this all these years. I didn’t know what this would be like.”

“We’ve both been missing out.” I looped my arms around his neck. “Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t meet you until now, though. I was too much of a mess before.”

He sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Because you had a kid?”

“Well, yes and no.”

Okay, we were doing this. The talk I’d been putting off for as long as I could.

“When I got pregnant, I kind of dove off the deep end mentally. My pregnancy was a surprise, and at the time, I thought it was pretty much a horror show. My parents kicked me out when I wouldn’t have an abortion, and then I was so, so sick. I had hyperemesis…basically morning sickness times a million. I had to be hospitalized, it got so bad.”

Callum tensed up, long fingers wrapping around my arm like a steel band. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you have?” I laid my hand on his and rubbed. After a few seconds, his hold eased enough that it didn’t hurt. “Anyway, I started feeling better for a couple months, then my blood pressure spiked. I had him seven weeks early. He was so small, and I was so afraid. I didn’t want to be a mom, but I knew if I lost him, I’d die. Luckily, he was fiercer than he looked. He came home after only a month in the NICU.”

That NICU stay would have ruined Jenny and me financially, but we got lucky. A charity some philanthropist ran picked my name out of a hat and paid off my entire bill. I still thought about how different my life might have looked if I had that bill looming over my head.

“What’s his name?” he asked.

I chewed on the corner of my lip as my stomach twisted uncomfortably. “His name is Ezra.”

Callum’s gaze held steady on mine. “Why’d you pick that name?”

My nose tingled. I never pictured myself telling Callum why I’d chosen Ezra’s name. “Because of the song you told me about. The one that reminded you of me.”

He nodded once. “‘Hold My Girl’ by George Ezra.”

“That’s the one.”

His brow lowered. “You named your son after a song that meant something to me, but he’s not my kid. You got pregnant by someone else.”

“I know,” I whispered around the thick coating in my throat. No, I never thought we’d have this conversation. “I had sex one time. One time when I was drunk and sad and feeling rejected and—”

“Rejected by me?” His expression was unreadable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got up and left once I got the whole story out. It certainly didn’t paint me in a flattering light.

I nodded, my mouth pressed in a flat line. “After you told me no backstage, I got so drunk, hoping I would forget. Instead, I acted like a complete idiot, lost my virginity to one of my cousin’s friends who didn’t give a single shit about me, and got pregnant. I felt like I cheated on you, which is probably crazy, but I was so ashamed of myself. I just…I should have emailed you at least once, but my depression and self-hatred were so intense, I wouldn’t allow myself to have that small piece of you.”

His fingertip traced the edge of my ear. “Is the dad in the picture?”

“Not really. I think Brian—that’s his name—would have completely ghosted if he hadn’t been my cousin’s friend. He’s met Ezra a handful of times and talks to him once a month or so through FaceTime. He’s still in college, so he sends support when he can, but it’s not much, and that’s okay. Ezra and I are okay.”

“You don’t think he’s gonna come to his senses and steal you away?”

I had to laugh at that, even though I wasn’t certain he was kidding. “No, I don’t. We’re connected because of our son, but that’s the beginning and end of it. Even if I’d felt something romantic for him in the beginning—which I never did—seeing what a shit father he is would have killed that a long time ago.”

His sigh was heavy. I hated having no idea what he was thinking. He’d told me nothing had changed last night but believing that was difficult. I wanted it to be true more than anything. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Okay.” That was all he said.

“Okay?”

He nodded.

I frowned.

“I need you to understand that being with me is more complicated because I have Ezra and he’s my top priority. Jenny helps a lot, but she’s not his mom. I can’t do sleepovers whenever I want or dinners after work when all I want to do is rush home and soak up the measly amount of time I have with my son during the week. I get that you might not want to deal with that, and if that’s true, then tell me now. It would be better to know before we go any fur—”

Callum covered my mouth with his hand again and pressed his nose to my cheek. “Quiet, Wren. I said nothing’s changed, and I meant it. I’m not leavin’, and neither are you, so don’t bring it up again.” He uncovered my mouth and turned my face to his. “I’ve had a long, kinda shitty day. All I want now is to sink into you and forget every last part of it except that.”

I seized up, with both desire and nerves. “I want that too, but Jenny and Ezra are upstairs, and I don’t know if—”

“Does your door have a lock?”

I nodded.

“That’s all we need. I can think of ways to keep you quiet. Silence is my specialty.” He gripped my jaw. “I’m not goin’ another hour without having you. Even if that means I drag you back to my place. Make up your mind, Wren.”

“I can’t leave.”

“We’ll stay.” No hesitation.

“I didn’t shave my legs today.”

“Don’t care.” Again, he didn’t even blink.

“I’m not wearing cute underwear.”

His nostrils flared. “I’m gonna rip them off you anyway.”

“But I—”

“Why’re you makin’ excuses not to be with me, Little Bird?”

“You make me nervous,” I breathed.

He pressed his nose to mine. “You make me nervous too.”

My stomach swooped. My heart did a crazy, twisty thing. Those were the exact words to get me to drop my barriers and give in. Callum Rose was the real deal. He was who he’d represented himself as in his letters, only magnified and infinitely more beautiful than I’d first thought.

I pushed off his lap, took his hand, and quietly led him upstairs. I could hear the faint sounds of Jenny’s television as we passed her room, and the even fainter roar of the waterfall white noise I played for Ezra as he slept. My bedroom was at the end of the hall, with a bathroom between my wall and Ezra’s.

As soon as the lock clicked on my door, Callum was on me, backing me toward my bed and having his way with my mouth. Cupping my face, he kissed me slow and deep. None of the urgency from earlier. None of the roughness either. His tongue slid a sensual line along mine, and his lips nipped and teased.

Callum tugged my hair down, then tossed my shirt off. My pants and underwear came off in one swoop, then I was naked and he was fully clothed, pressed flat to my front, his hands roaming freely over my back.

The groan of pure appreciation that rumbled from his chest when he squeezed two handfuls of my ass sent a rush of heat to my core and calmed my jitters. This wasn’t our first time, but it was still brand new, and he was still Callum Rose, and I was the chubby mom with big tits, a pudgy belly, and…yeah, okay, a great ass. And I knew, even though he hadn’t had sex with anyone but me, he’d seen plenty of gorgeous women. They probably threw themselves at him. I wasn’t that. I was something else.

His lips touched my cheek, then below my ear. “Where’d you go?”

“I’m here.” My fingers tangled in the short curls at the base of his hairline. “Trying to be quiet.”

“No, you were thinkin’.” He stepped back, extending his arms, but keeping his hands on my hips. His gaze swept over me, starting low, then working higher and higher. “Whatever you were thinkin’ wasn’t good. It took you away from me.”

“I was thinking how beautiful you are.” And that was the truth. Too beautiful for me, but I didn’t want to let him go so I’d have to get over it.

His hands came to my breasts, cupping them with enough force to draw my attention. “Do you have any idea, Wren? Every fuckin’ time I thought of you today, I got hard. I’d picture your sweet little body, your soft curves, these pretty tits, and my cock was ready to spear through my pants. In front of my lawyer, in front of the cops. I had to stop myself from gettin’ up and walking out on my meetings to get to you. So whatever ideas are going on in your head, clear them out. You’re mine, and when I have you naked, about to toss you on your bed and have you sittin’ on my cock, I want your mind on me like mine’s on you. Got it?”

Throat suddenly dry, I could only nod.

“Good.”

Callum backed me up until I had no choice but to lie down on the bed. He shucked his clothes off, then he was on me immediately, sucking my nipples deep into his mouth. Playing with my pussy, which was already wet and swollen. Probably still a little from last night. Callum was all over me, touching me, tasting me, savoring the body I’d been worried wasn’t attractive enough for him a few minutes ago. He swept me right out of that mindset, and all I could do was let him have me.

He worked his way between my legs, burying his face in my core. I had to bite my lip to keep quiet, but it was difficult, and holy granola, I didn’t want to. Not with how Callum was devouring me. And stroking my sides and breasts while he worked. It felt like being worshiped. Like I was his deity and he was showing his devotion for my very existence.

It was too much, not enough, everything, everything. My neck arched, and I brought my hand to my mouth to muffle my moan. There was no holding them back anymore. Callum licked and sucked me through an eye-rolling orgasm, wringing out every drop of my pleasure he could.

I was boneless but filled with desire. When he rolled to his back, I climbed to my knees, straddling his hips. His hands landed on my thighs, and he watched me. He liked to watch, and though I wasn’t brimming with confidence, he’d injected me with enough that I could give him a show.

I dragged my lips across his chest, flicking his tight nipples with my tongue. He held my head in his hands, and I explored and tasted him like he’d tasted me. My mouth watered over the ridged lines of his torso. He had tattoos, but not so many that I couldn’t see his skin too. When I got to his belly button, I rimmed it with my tongue just because I wanted to. Watching his abs crunch and the small groan he emitted had me smiling against his skin.

“Like that?” He sounded pained, and it made a fresh gush of heat flood between my thighs.

“Mmhmm. I like you,” I whispered.

“Then get up here and sit on my cock like I told you. I want to see you ride me.”

I wrapped my hand around his length, gasping softly. He was beautiful everywhere. Everywhere. Smooth and long, with a little bead of moisture on the tip I licked off. His abs flexed again, and this time, he used his hold on my head to pull me up toward him. I shuffled on my knees, adjusting myself so I was hovering over him.

Callum took hold of my hip with one hand, using the other to guide his cock to my entrance. I lowered myself down, notching his head inside. Just that inch or two stretched me and made me sigh.

“Sit on me, Little Bird. Take all of me.” His lids had gone low, and his tongue snuck out to moisten his upper lip. Oh, I liked that look on him.

As much as I was tempted to tease, I wanted him too badly. I rocked forward and back, drawing him deeper and deeper, until we were flush, pelvis to pelvis, and I was filled completely with Callum. My insides were reshaped to fit only him. He should have been way too big, but he was just right. The wild, almost crazed look in his eyes made me think I felt just right to him too.

“Watch me,” I said.

He never took his eyes off me, though his gaze roamed just as much as his hands did. For once, I didn’t think about how I looked, only how he saw me. I rode him slow at first, finding my rhythm. Callum held my breasts and hips, brushing his fingers over my stomach and where we were connected between my thighs.

When my confidence grew, I balanced one hand on his chest and started to really ride him. My skin slapped against his with each pass. It was a good sound. The best sound. My ass hitting his thighs, his answering groan. I had to shush him even though I never wanted to hear the end of his pleasure. God, it was music, and I was making it with him.

My clit was throbbing. My belly was tight. So tight, I could barely stand it. Callum must have sensed my rising frenzy. His thumb found my clit, pressing and circling in the perfect way. I fucked him harder, slamming myself down again and again, so wet and needy.

The whole time, I bit my lip, stifling my moans. I’d probably be swollen and red there tomorrow too, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I was Callum’s show, and he was ever attentive. His cock swelled inside me, and his whispered grunts rose and rose in volume.

“Callum, shhh.”

He jackknifed into a sitting position, wrapped his arms around me, and buried his face in my neck. When his teeth clamped down on my shoulder, I was off, moaning in ecstasy. His hand covered my mouth, but it wasn’t enough to stifle me, so I bit down on the meaty part of his palm and writhed through my pleasure. Callum grunted with me, fucking me from beneath now. Harder, faster, plunging in and out, wrecking my shoulder and neck with his mouth. He held me, and I held him until he let go, coming inside my fluttering walls.

Breathless and wrung out, I let Callum move me however he wanted me on the bed. I was on my back again, and his hands were braced on either side of my head. His mouth covered mine, kissing me so thoroughly, I forgot where and who I was. It was only us. Only this. His mouth. Mine. This bed. One moment.

His forehead rested on mine for a long beat, then he sat back on his heels and spread my legs wide. One finger dragged through my folds. Oversensitive and a little sore, I tried to clamp my thighs shut, but he pushed them open again.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

He swirled his finger around the outside of my entrance. “Seein’ how pretty your cunt looks with my cum dripping out of it.” He plunged his finger into me. “And thinkin’ I want you to keep this piece of me inside you for as long as I can.”

Goose bumps rose along my skin. This shouldn’t have made me feel sexy, but it did. Knowing he wanted me to carry his pleasure inside me made my inner walls clench.

Eventually, he fell down beside me and kissed my cheek in a tender, sweet kind of way. He was silent, and I was sleepy, especially when he kept stroking my back and hair. I melted and allowed my lids to lower, but each time I started to drift, I jolted awake.

“Just go to sleep, Wren,” he soothed.

“Can’t. I have to send you home, but this feels too nice and I don’t want it to end.”

His hand on my back stilled. “I’m not goin’ home.”

Suddenly, I was awake. I propped myself up on my elbow and frowned down at him. “I want you here, I do, but I am nowhere near ready to introduce you to Ezra. It’s too early, and I haven’t even begun to think of how that would even go down or how I’d explain you to him so—”

“Shhh.” I raised my eyebrow, but he only stared at me, unflinching. “I’m stayin’. If you want to smuggle me out in the morning, you can do that. But I’m not gonna let you kick me out tonight when we’ve both been wanting to be in each other’s arms all damn day.”

“I don’t know…”

“Wren.” His fingers sifted into my hair, and he pulled me back down to lie on his chest. “I don’t need to meet him right now. I’m good with it being just you and me until you’re ready. This is all I need, your body tucked next to mine. I will climb down a drainpipe in the morning if you want me to, but there’s no way you’re gonna get me out of this bed until then.”

“Fine.” I shoved at his chest, even though I wasn’t mad at his stubbornness. “You have to put clothes on, though.”

I couldn’t imagine the conversation Ezra and I would be having if he snuck into my room and found a giant naked man in my bed. I shuddered at the thought.

He groaned. “Don’t want to, but if it means I can stay without having to tie you up to force the issue, then I’ll throw on some pants. Give me a minute to hold you like this first.”

“’Kay.” I snuggled my head under his chin and draped my body along the side of his, completely content. “Just for a minute, though.”

It turned out, Callum Rose was the perfect cure for a crappy day…even if he’d been part of the cause.

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