“I promise not to look at any pictures,” he told her, easing back. “Now, go relax in the tub and grab a book. Your parents and I will be just fine.”
Callie hesitated, but she was tired, and if she was going to actually sleep down here with Noah, she’d at least like to freshen up first.
Lord help her. Noah must really care for her to show up like this, but she feared reading too much into this surprise. No matter her feelings, she couldn’t assume he felt the same.
* * *
Noah had set his plan in motion and now all he had to do was wait for Callie to come back downstairs. After a brief yet detailed talk with her father, Noah was ready to enjoy his time with Callie. Alone. Naked.
While he’d been upstairs he’d seen a few random snapshots of the family over the years. He had to assume the overweight girl in the photos was Callie because the tall blonde certainly wasn’t and the only other kid in the pictures was a boy. No wonder she said he wouldn’t recognize her. She was quite heavy, but she’d still been beautiful and that smile had been just as radiant.
He heard Callie upstairs in the kitchen speaking with her mother, but couldn’t make out the words. After about an hour, she came down wearing an old, baggy T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. She was the sexiest sight he’d ever seen.
“I wasn’t expecting a sleepover,” she explained. “I knew I had old clothes here, so I didn’t pack pajamas.”
Noah remained seated on the edge of the bed. “Don’t apologize for being you, Callie.”
“These were some of my fat clothes,” she told him, holding on to the newel post. “Since you’re here, you might as well know more about me and why I fought so hard to get out of this town.”
Noah waited because he could see her searching within herself to find the courage to speak up. He was surprised at how deeply he wanted to get to know her.
“I was quite overweight growing up,” she began. “I wasn’t popular, I didn’t feel like I belonged, especially being a middle child, and I knew I would leave this town as soon as possible.
“I used to watch old movies while all the other teenagers were at parties or ball games. I would fantasize about being a star, wonder how awesome it would be to make a name for myself.”
Callie sat on the bottom step. “My parents were adamant I get a college education. Through financial aid I got my bachelor’s in Early Childhood Development, but I knew I didn’t want to be a teacher. I wanted to be an actress. I also knew that with my appearance, Hollywood wouldn’t look twice in my direction.”
The picture she was painting made Noah’s heart ache for her. He was getting a glimpse inside this little girl’s dream and the woman who had to face reality.
“The entire time I was in college I worked out and ate right,” she went on. “By the end of my four years, I was a totally different person. And after I graduated, I continued to work for the college in the office until I could save enough money to move to L.A.”
Her eyes drifted across the room to his. The entire time she’d been talking she’d focused her attention away from him, as if she was afraid to see his reaction.
“Why are you acting worried and ashamed of what I may think?” he finally asked. “Does it truly matter what I think, Callie? Or anyone else for that matter? All this story does is prove to me that you’re a fighter.”
She shrugged. “That may be, but fighting won’t change anything now.”
Noah came to his feet, crossed the room and took hold of her hands until she stood in front of him. “You may be right, but if you want a job in the movie industry, then you’ll get one. You just have that personality. It’s like mine. No matter the odds, we don’t back down from what we want.”
Callie studied his face. “What odds were ever stacked against you?”
He wasn’t ready to open up about Malinda so he decided to share a different problem. “I can’t live up to this hero-worship status that Blake has me at,” he explained, baring a piece of his own fears. “No matter how I go about performing surgery on this little guy, he’s still going to have scars, and the harsh truth is, kids will be kids and he will probably be stared at when he goes back to school. I can only minimize the damage.”
But Noah would give anything to be able to make the child perfect again. And Callie.
Callie stroked his cheek. “You’re doing all you can and he sees that. His mother sees that. Any improvement will make him happy. You need to believe that.?
?
Noah grabbed her hand, kissed her palm and tugged her against his chest. “What I believe is that I need you. Here. Now.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and her floral aroma from her soap or shampoo enveloped him. He’d warned himself not to get too involved with this woman, yet when he knew she was worried for her family and needed to take off halfway across the country, he hadn’t thought twice about joining her.
The fact that he was in deeper than he’d ever imagined scared him, but he wouldn’t let fear override the need, the passion and the special bond he shared with Callie.
Callie’s mouth hovered over his. “Make love to me, Noah.”
He didn’t need any more of an invitation.