Claiming Callie: Part two Read Online Free

s here, in his car, his nerves get the best of him. He grips the steering wheel with damp palms, his mouth dry, as if he ’ s just run a dozen miles. This is the beginning…
    But the beginning of what? An awakening? Making Callie see what ’ s right in front of her? What they could have together? Or would this all implode like Jinny thinks it will and simply be the be ginning of his heartache?
    Gazing at her now, with flowing blonde hair that falls in a wave down her back, her startling blue eyes and fair skin, those rosebud lips—neither pink nor red, but rather some nameless, yet perfect shade in-between—he realizes his heart ’ s been aching for the past seven years. What ’ s a little more risk? A little more hurt?
    Because I could break entirely.
    He swallows over the thought, because it doesn ’ t matter. This is his chance and he ’ s taking it. They have yet to introduce themselves as a couple, choosing to use today as the official start to their “relationship,” which means after this his plan would be set in motion and there would be no stopping it.
    Dean drives to Buzz, trying to figure out what to say in the silence of t he car. Why should this be awkward? He needs to snap out of it. He needs to try and forget that this is everything he ’ s ever wanted. He needs to push aside the fact that everything is at stake here—his chance with Callie, his love life, h is happiness.
    The pressure builds in his chest as he navigates the city streets, until he pulls by the curb of Buzz and draws in a deep breath. The tightness in his lungs eases just a bit. Clearing his throat, he finds his voice works. “You ready?”
    Callie flashes her dazzli ng smile, as if it ’ s the easiest thing in the world. As if this is just another day, and her heart isn ’ t on the line—which it ’ s not, he reminds himself.
    “Ready,” she confirms. “Dean Michaels. My boyfriend.” She laughs. “This is definitely going to take som e getting used to, but we ’ ve known each other forever, and so we ’ re completely comfortable together. We can do this. Just remember. We ’ re in love. We need to be touchy-feely. We need to remember how we ’ ve been with people we ’ ve been crazy about in the past .”
    Like that will be hard! “Touchy-feely. Got it,” Dean says, pretending his pulse isn ’ t jumping like a jackhammer. “We ’ re gonna rock this.”
    “We absolutely are. Acting hat on.” She starts to open her door. “ Let ’ s go make some girls jealous. Operation Get the Girl, take one.”
    Dean takes a deep breath and follows her lead. He gets out of the car and extends his hand to her as she makes her way over to him.
    Just act like you would if she were really yours. Well, maybe not entirely. If she were mine, I ’ d…
    He g rabs her hand, which curls inside his, small and warm. When he opens the door to Buzz, she glances up at him and smiles. They step inside, and the warm, bright atmosphere of Buzz greets them. The creamy walls and colorful décor—the familiarity of it all—he lp to lighten his mood and take the edge off his nerves. The robust scent of coffee fills the tiny shop, and it only takes him a second to spot Greg seated at the couches in the back.
    Dean leads Callie toward him, comes to a stop in front of him, and exten ds his free hand in greeting. “Hey, man. Thanks for having us.”
    Greg, one of the first guys Dean befriended his freshman year, shakes his hand and glances to Callie. His brown eyes are sharp. The eyes of a reporter. Ambitious to the core, Greg is one of th e few guys Dean knows, besides himself, that has real dreams—aspirations beyond sports or boozing at college parties—and it shows in the way he scrupulously eyes them. He wears casual attire—a Panthers sweatshirt and jeans. His wire-rimmed glasses accentua te his large eyes, but they ’ re kind as he turns them to Callie. “This must be the infamous girlfriend.”
    The way he says it makes it clear to