“He won’t talk about what he saw, but I know he feels guilty for not rescuing her.” I turn my back to her to focus on cooking the steaks. “He never leaves the house. A total hermit aside from our family dinners. That fire completely fucked him up.”

Willa hugs me from behind. “That’s so sad, Callum. I’m sorry your family has had to go through this.”

It feels nice being comforted by my girl. Hugo likes to pretend nothing bad ever happened to our family, while Jude lives with the pain every day. I fall somewhere in between—trying to mostly forget, but constantly reminded of what we lost.

By the time we finish dinner, I’m done talking about sad shit. I learn from Willa that she’s obsessed with the Discovery Channel, hates bugs with a passion, and can’t wait until she’s graduated so she can get the hell out of that house. I certainly don’t blame her.

“I like having you here,” I say after we clean up. “I wish I could keep you.”

“Me too.” She rests her cheek on my chest. “But my stepdad will be looking for me soon.”

Neither of us moves.

“Soon, but what about now? Do we have a little time?”

She laughs. “Yeah, we have a little time.”

I guide her over to my sofa and then sit down, pulling her into my lap. She lays her head on my shoulder, inhaling my neck and pressing a kiss to the flesh there.

“I want to take things slow with you,” I whisper, “but sometimes I don’t think I have it in me.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to go slow.” She nips at my skin. “Maybe I want you to hurry up and have your way with me.”

Her bold words make my cock thicken. “You’re a bad girl.”

This seems to spur her on because she sits up and repositions herself, straddling my lap. With her palms on my shoulders, she shoots me a fiery-hot grin.

“I think I like being your bad girl too.”

“Is that so?” I clutch a handful of her ass over her jeans, pulling her closer and simultaneously having her rub against my cock.

“You get a scary look on your face,” she says, chuckling. “Yeah, that one. It makes me think you want to eat me alive.”

I lick my lips and raise a brow. “You taste fucking amazing, sweetheart. I can’t stop thinking about having my tongue inside you.”

She tugs her hands from my shoulders and then peels off her sweater, revealing to me her nice, perky tits, held up in a black, lacy bra. I reach up to thumb her hardened nipple over the lace.

“God, you’re beautiful,” I rumble. “So beautiful and mine.”

“Yes,” she breathes. “Yours.”