The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 3

Callie's POV.

'What was that about' Nate asks as he drives us to the restaurant.

'I'm sorry, Rixon was round and he and Ben were getting each other riled up. They just make each other worse. I knew they wanted to invite you in for a 'chat', which really means a twelve—minute lecture on not touching their sister,' I tell him.

Nate chuckles. 'You know, the more you tell me about your brothers, the more I want to meet them.'

I stare at him in shock.

'Really What's tempting you; the lecturing or the intimidation'

Nate scoffs. 'I think they're hamming it up for you, I bet they will be alright when they finally meet me.'

I huff at his naivety. 'You don't know them; it will be bad.'

'That's the whole point, I want to know them,' Nate responds.

I consider it for a moment.

'Are you sure there's nothing they can say that will scare you away' I ask hesitantly.

Nate reaches over for my hand. He pulls it up to his face and he kisses the back of it in a sweet gesture that has my cheeks warming.

'No, baby,' he reassures me. 'There's nothing they can say. I'm staying, no matter what.'

I swallow hard, floored by the second meaning of his words. I really, really hope that is true. That, when the time comes, my past won't scare him away.

'Alright, it's your funeral,' I concede dramatically. 'You can meet them tomorrow.'

Nate grins and nods. 'Perfect. Can't wait.'

'Dude, you seriously have a death wish,' I mutter under my breath.

My mate just chuckles and gives my hand a squeeze, he's still holding it over the console.

'Nope. I just know that your brothers are going to see how much I care about you, and they'll respect our bond. It's going to be okay, baby, you'll see.'

Luckily, we arrive at the restaurant, so we don't discuss it further.

The food is great, and my company even is greater. Tears are rolling down my face (happy tears, obviously) by the time dessert is served.

I'm still smiling when Nate takes us back to his house.

We stay up and have a glass of wine each. There's so much for us to talk about. Both of us have done so much in our twenty—eight years. There are tons of things to catch each other up on.

At eleven, we decide that we should get ready for bed. I use the spare bedroom's en suite and change into the silk nighty.

I look at my reflection and give myself a mental pep talk.

You've got this, girl.

I can't remember the last time I shared a bed with a guy. Before I was attacked, anyway, so it was a long time ago.

I curl my hands into fists at my side and take a deep breath. I leave the safety of the spare room and walk down the corridor, to Nate's bedroom.

Gathering my confidence, I knock on the door.

There are a few seconds of painful waiting, but then the door opens. Nate's eyebrows shoot up, surprise covering his face as he looks at my attire.

His expression changes. His eyes darken and his jaw clenches. I watch him take a deep inhale.

'Callie,' he says my name, his voice sounding strained. 'Is everything okay'

I play with hands nervously and struggle to meet his heated gaze.

'I was wondering if I could…possibly…sleep in your bed…tonight' I slowly get the words out, my cheeks turning a darker shade of red with each passing moment.

Nate stares at me in shock, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. Eventually, he manages to recover.

He steps back opening the door fully.

'Yeah, uh— of course, come on in,' he stumbles over his words.

I've obviously caught him off guard.

I nervously walk into his room, my hands still clasped together in front of me. I resist the urge to wrap my arms around myself in an attempt to cover up.

I need to own this outfit.

Nate awkwardly scratches the back of his head.

'Take either side, I don't mind,' he tells me, gesturing to his large bed.

I look at it and consider which side to take. His phone is on charge on the right—hand side, so I choose the left.

I slide under the covers, instantly grateful for the coverage the duvet provides. Nate hesitates for a second, and then turns out the overhead lights.

The lamp, on his side of the bed, softly illuminates the room. Nate climbs into bed next to me.

He rolls onto his side to face me, and I can't keep the smile off my face.

'What made you change your mind' He asks quietly, awe in his tone.

'I get nightmares sometimes,' I tell him, being slightly economical with the truth. I get them every night, usually. 'And I didn't want to disturb your sleep, but I didn't have one last night, so I wanted to try sleeping in your bed, with you.'

Nate smiles at my confession. He reaches over and strokes his thumb over my bottom lip.

'What are your nightmares about'

My stomach twists and my mouth suddenly goes dry. I quickly lick my lips and Nate's eyes drop to them, following my tongue's movement.

'Just bad stuff,' I reply vaguely.

Nate gets the hint and doesn't delve anymore. He shuffles close to me and wraps his arm around my waist.

I sink into his touch, letting my body press against his.

'I can't remember the last time I shared a bed with a guy,' I admit quietly.

Nate kisses my forehead. 'Really Have you not had many relationships' He asks.

He takes my hesitation to answer as guilt. I'm not guilty of having other relationships, I'm guilty of not being fully honest with him.

'It's okay, baby, I won't be mad. You can tell me,' he tries to reassure me, but he has no idea how far off the mark he is.

'I've never been in a relationship,' I confess to him.

Nate's eyes snap to mine, surprise clear on his face.

'Really'

'Yes.'

'Whoa,' he mutters. 'Why not If you don't mind me asking.'

I shrug, not wanting to get into it.

'Have you' I ask, turning the tables on him.

Nate pulls a face. 'Not ones I would consider serious. I've dated over the years, but I've never seen anyone long term.'

He strokes his fingers down my face and my eyes briefly close, savoring his addictive touch.

'I guess at the back of my mind, I always knew I'd meet my mate. Even though I'd given up hope of it happening any time soon, I knew the Moon Goddess wouldn't be so cruel as to make me die alone.'

I snort at his dramatic statement. 'No, she would never be that cruel.'

My eyes meet his again and unspoken words pass between us. No words are said, but our eyes tell each other how much we mean to one another. The affection is tangible.

I run my hands up Nate's chest and into his hair. He closes his eyes, enjoying my nails gently scraping over his scalp. I pull softly on the strands, and he makes a pleased noise at the back of his throat.

His eyes flutter open and meet mine. He leans in close and presses his lips to mine, his eyes closing again.

Mine fall shut, too, as I kiss him back.

Our lips move easily over each other. We know each other now; we move in perfect sync. His lips are soft yet demanding against mine. I scoot my body closer and kiss him harder.

Nate wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his body. He rolls onto his back, and I lay on top of him, hoping that I'm not crushing him.

His muscular body feels incredible against mine. His hand slides down my back, dropping to my butt as his tongue nudges mine.

Desire bolts through me as I feel him growing against my stomach. I squirm against his erection and Nate groans into the kiss.

His hand slides lower, to the bottom of my nighty on my thighs. His fingers graze over my inner thigh, right next to where my lace thong covers my core.

I pull back suddenly, breaking our kiss. Nate looks at me worriedly.

'Are you okay' He asks, concern clear in his voice.

I feel guilty for making him worry. I slide off him and nod.

'I'm okay, sorry,' I mumble. 'I just don't want to…go any further.'

Nate nods quickly. 'Of course, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you.'

Guilt consumes me.

'You didn't! Please don't apologize, this is all me.'

Nate shakes his head and opens his arms to me. 'Cuddle'

I cuddle into him and lay my head on his chest. I need to tell him, but I just can't make myself do it tonight.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I'll tell him.