Four

He woke her up with dinner, a packet mix he’d added some chopped up meat to and was quite proud of. Callum was never going to win awards for his cooking, but it was hot and tasty. He’d already eaten his share and had chopped Allie’s up into small pieces ready for feeding her.

“Wake up,” he said softly, standing over her with the tray. Allie stirred from a deep, restful slumber in which unscrupulous fellow workers, chess games and naughty friends with agile tongues had not featured. The sun had set, and the only light in the room was from the bedside lamp. She stretched carefully, making sure she didn’t hit the plaster against the wall or bed head, as she’d done a couple of times before.

“Ohhh, I slept well,” she said, smiling blearily up at him. Callum resisted the temptation to tease. She looked so sweet and warm that he just wanted to gather her up and cuddle her. Then something flickered in her dark eyes and he saw the memory come back.

“I’m not forgiven yet, am I?” he asked, sitting down on the bed. “Here, let me ply you with food to make up for it.”
”You can’t make up for…” Allie’s words were cut off by the forkful of meat that was put into her mouth. She glared at him while she chewed it.

“Not bad, is it?” he encouraged, picking up another piece. “You have to forgive me now. I’ve created a nice meal for once.” He looked eager and enthusiastic and pleased with himself, and it was easy to forget that the other Callum, the mature lover who knew far more about how to stir up a woman’s body than she could have imagined, had ever existed. But he was still there. Allie could see that in his eyes now.

“It won’t work,” she said, swallowing the mouthful. “But the meat is nice. What did you do to it?”
”Added a packet of something,” he said, holding the fork up to her mouth. “And it will work. It has to.”
”Why?” she asked around that mouthful.
”Because, fun though it is to have you looking at me like a scared puppy, I’d prefer it if it didn’t last all the time,” he said honestly.

“I’m not looking at you like a scared puppy!” Allie objected, revolted at the thought. She was made of much stronger stuff than that.
”Not now, you’re not,” he agreed. “But you were before, when I was kissing you.” She managed not to wriggle.
”Well, you were different then,” she said by way of explanation. She leaned forward to nab the next piece of meat off the fork he was holding up. Callum nodded.

“Having a luscious naked woman under me will do that,” he said, and Allie almost bit through the fork. He pulled it back, laughing.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “There it is, that “stomped on spaniel” look again. Come on, Allie. It was wrong of me to take advantage of you like that after what happened yesterday, and we both know it.” He leaned in closer. “But it was nice, wasn’t it?” Allie was ready to argue with him, it was clear in her eyes. She was thinking about the embarrassment, the helplessness, the torment of his touch all over her…and then she was thinking of how softly he’d touched her, how well he’d played her body, how he’d pulled her onto his lap and held her afterwards. He saw the change in her brown eyes. She didn’t say anything, and he decided he’d got as much as he was going to get.

“Forgive me?” he asked. He held a forkful of food up, moving it back slightly as she opened her mouth to take it. Her eyes narrowed.

“If I don’t forgive you I don’t get fed?” she asked. Callum grinned and nodded.

“You’re forgiven,” she said, taking the food as he moved the fork closer. He couldn’t resist it.

“At least until I decide to claim the next twenty-five kisses,” he said.

…….

Allie was determined that she did not need a shower, and even though he knew it was because she didn’t want him to undress her again, he gave in. The wash with the cloth had been enough anyway. She wasn’t all that happy about having him help her with other needs either, but she had no choice in those, and he didn’t tease or make it difficult, for which she was grateful.

She was relieved when he left her that night, having tucked her in, given her a chaste peck on the cheek and gone away, leaving her warm and snug on her pillows. Now, maybe, she’d be able to rest. There was no doubt that their relationship had changed with that bet of his. Now, he was more than a friend, but not quite a lover. Now, he had joined a select group of men who’d given her orgasms. A select group of one, in fact. Victor, the vibrator Fiona had bought her three years before as a birthday present had provided every other one Allie had ever had, although she’d convincingly faked a few in her time. She had no intention of letting Callum know about that, though. He’d looked smug enough at the time as it was. She grimaced and shifted, trying to get more comfortable. The pillows were soft, her arms weren’t hurting much and the sheets and covers were smooth and not too tight. But there was a restlessness in her legs and a heat in her belly that was both irritating and disconcerting.

He’d woken up something down there, or maybe he’d woken up something in her brain, but whatever it was, when she thought of Callum now, she thought of him there, his shaggy hair brushing against her thighs, the teasing grin on his face as he looked up the length of her naked body at her whenever she tried to cheat on the kiss count. And to make it worse, she found that she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“This is stupid!” she told herself firmly and quietly, glancing over at the luminous display on the bedside clock. It had been more than an hour since he’d left and she was no closer to sleep. She’d never felt more awake in her life. She squirmed on the mattress, annoyed when she felt the top sheet pull loose from the mattress at the bottom. She hated that. She really hated that. Normally she would get out of bed immediately and fix it, but without the use of her hands, it wasn’t an option. The words were out of her mouth before she thought to stop them.

“Callum! I need you!” Oops, well that could be taken more than one way, couldn’t it? Allie cursed herself for her choice of call…and then she wondered if it had been a Freudian slip. Was that was all this discomfort and wriggling was about? Was there a different, more personal itch she wanted him to scratch, perhaps? She had very little time to think it through, because within minutes he was coming through the doorway, the moonlight through the curtains showing that he was down to his usual sleeping attire – his briefs.

“What’s wrong, Al?” he asked, not a trace of tiredness in his voice. Obviously he hadn’t been sleeping either, she noted with some satisfaction. Was it because of her?

“The sheet has pulled out at the bottom,” she said, knowing it sounded lame. He just stood there for a second or two, until she felt the need to justify her actions in calling him.

“I really hate it when that happens,” she said quickly. “It’s one of my pet hates in bed.”

“What are your others?” he asked, pulling covers away so he could get at the sheet.

“Smelly pillows and musty blankets,” she answered quickly, improvising. “And mattresses that sag.”

“Any of those a problem at the moment?” Callum asked, lifting the end of the mattress and tucking the sheet in firmly.

“No,” she answered. “Thank you for fixing that.”

“My pleasure,” he said. “Anything else?”

“No,” she said again. “Good night.”
”Good night,” he said slowly. He knew something was up, but he couldn’t see her face and he couldn’t guess what it was. He turned to walk away. Impulse roared into Allie’s heart, nudged commonsense and control out of the way and started steering the plane.

‘Yes,” she said, before he could leave the room.

“Yes?” he turned back slowly. “What?” Allie took a breath.

“Twenty-five kisses,” she said. Callum laughed, but when she didn’t join in, his laughter dried up.

“Twenty-five kisses?” he repeated.

“Yes,” she said simply.

“Now?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said again.

“Why now?”

“I’d like to get them out of the way,” she half-lied. Perhaps if she did, she could get past this awkwardness she was feeling with him. She heard his soft laugh as he walked around the bed and sat down beside her. His hand touched her cheek.

“I’ll let you off the hook, Allie,” he said. “I’m not going to make you pay up.”

“Oh,” she said. “That’s nice of you.” It would probably have been nicer if he’d let her off the hook before he claimed the first twenty-five, but still.
”It sure is,” he agreed. “So go to sleep now, and stop worrying about it.” He went to stand up.

“No,” she said. He sighed, and in the dark she saw him move his head. He seemed to be looking at the ceiling.

“No, you won’t go to sleep now or no you won’t stop worrying about it?” he asked.

“No, I won’t let you let me off the hook,” she said. There was silence. Then Callum’s arm reached out and the bedside lamp flooded on. Allie blinked and looked away.

“Sorry about the inquisition light, but I need to see your face,” he said. Squinting, she looked back at him, at the messy blonde hair, at his blue eyes, at all of that bare skin.

“Are you saying that you want me to do it?” he asked. She thought about lying, about saying that she believed that she should pay up on the bet, or that she didn’t want to deprive him of his pleasure. And then she abandoned the idea.

“Yes,” she admitted. Blue eyes bored into hers, his face completely serious for an instant. And then he smiled, and it was if a light brighter than the lamp had come on.

“Well Allie, I am more than happy to oblige,” he said. “Light on or off?”
”Off,” she replied quickly.

“Pity,” he said, but he turned the lamp off. And then his hands were on the covers, drawing them right back to her feet. He took her panties first this time, slipping them down, not teasing or wasting time. And then he slid his hands up the sides of her legs, all the way up to her hips and beyond, catching at her t-shirt with his thumbs and drawing it up as his fingers moved over the bumps of her ribs and onto the sides of her breasts. Allie sucked in a breath as he took the shirt up and over her head. She said nothing when he moved her feet apart and settled in between them, and still nothing when his hands settled on her breasts, cupping them, fingers brushing lightly over her nipples.

“Count them off,” he said, lowering his face to her breasts.

“No,” she said. His lips actually touching her skin, he looked up at her.

“Why not?” he asked. She didn’t reply at first. Then she gathered her courage.

“You’re not limited to twenty-five,” she said bravely. Callum’s expelled breath came out with a low whistle.

“You’re giving me a blank cheque?” he asked. She nodded. He saw the movement of her dark hair against the white pillow.

“And…” she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing here. His face was still turned to hers. Ah, what the hell. “You’re not limited to kisses either,” she said. She saw him smile.

“At this point, I never intended to limit myself to them,” he admitted. “But thank you. Now, where was I?”

He took considerably more liberties than he had in the afternoon, his hands moving over her, gently pushing her breasts together and moving them around, lifting her hips to hold her hard against him as he kissed her stomach, and slipping under her to cup her buttocks, to crush them softly with his fingers. That, combined with the touch of his mouth, hot and unrelenting on her, had Allie gasping and arching up within minutes. His fingers went between her legs and found her hot and wet.

“Oh god,” he said, echoing her words from the afternoon. “Allie, I’m going to have to stop soon.”
”Why?” she breathed, wiggling as his fingertips tickled delightfully at her. Their dance was torment, a delicious torture. With her legs held wide apart, she could do nothing but endure.

“Because if I don’t, I’m not going to be able to without extreme difficulty,” Callum said honestly. “And you’re going to end up with more inside you than just my tongue and my fingers.” Allie could hear that his breathing was laboured now too. She smiled in the darkness.

“Keep going, Callum,” she said. He stilled completely, even his fingers.

“I want to be sure that I understand exactly what you’re telling me to do,” he said. “Are you saying that…” Allie, laughing, interrupted him.

“Do whatever you want to, Callum,” she said. “Make love to me, if you want to.”
”If I want to?” he repeated incredulous. “Good grief, woman. I’ve wanted to make love to you since the day I met you.” Allie’s smile broadened. She loved the desperation in his tone. And the honesty.

“Then get to it, kid,” she teased. “But Callum…do the tongue thing first, okay?” His laugh was deep and intimate, and it travelled right to her hormones and strummed them like a violin.

“You got it,” he said.

There were times when she wished that she had the use of her hands, to touch him, to give him some of the pleasure he was giving her, but there was definitely something very erotic about lying there, arms and legs apart, like some sort of sacrificial offering, open and vulnerable beneath him as he loved her. Callum certainly appreciated it. In the dark, the sensations he stirred between her legs were heightened by the lack of vision, and when he reached up and dragged a pillow down to put under her hips, she lifted her bottom without hesitation, offering herself up for his attentions.

It got to be too much after a while, though, and she tried to wriggle away from him. His fingers tightened on the insides of her thighs, holding them wide apart.
”Enough, Callum,” she breathed. “That’s enough.” She felt him laugh, his shoulders shaking.

“Is that so?” he asked.

“Yes,” she insisted.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” he responded heartlessly, and went back to it, ignoring her protests and struggles until she gave up, gave in and surrendered.

The fingers of one of his hands were stroking the underside of her bottom, the fingers of his other hand touching her breast, and he licked into her until she was so hot she felt like her pelvis was going to burst into flames. Then, all of the places between her legs that he had taken complete ownership of got their act together and all of the tingles and torments and sensations combined to shatter her. The pain in her arms brought her down, and she realised she had been grasping at the sheet with her trapped, useless fingers. She must have winced, although she wasn’t aware of it.
“Okay?” Callum asked solicitously, from somewhere south of her navel.

“Yes,” she breathed. “More than okay.”

“Good,” he said, a smile in his voice. “Want some more?” Allie gasped at that. More? More would kill her, she was sure. She drew a ragged breath and put herself in his hands.
”More,” she agreed.

It took less effort the second time. She was primed for another dive off the edge of control, and he took her there with pleasure, murmuring praise as he held her hips and felt the shudders go through her. And then he moved up her body, claiming her breasts again along the way. She felt him hard against the wetness of her, the material of his underpants straining.

“There seems to be a bit of pressure down there,” she managed to comment. He moved up further, his mouth settling on hers.
”There is indeed,” he agreed. “Mind if I do something about that?”
”I thought you’d never ask,” she sighed as he kissed her.

Callum went slowly. He had to, because despite all of the time he’d taken, it was always going to be a stretch, and she was tight. It was agonising for him to hold himself back, but he did it, rocking gently into her, a little more each time until, with a groan, he sank fully into her and nearly disgraced himself immediately as she closed tight and hot around him.

“Oh, that feels so good,” she murmured.
”You have no idea,” he responded breathlessly, savouring the sensation even while he tightened every muscle and counted backwards from ten in his head. Then twenty.

Allie had never felt so full before, so stretched. She could feel how tense he was, as if he were stretched taut. She put her feet on the backs of his calf muscles and slid them up, and up, until they were resting on the curve of his butt, opening up more of herself against him.
”Move,” she urged him. The sensation was becoming unbearable. Breathing hard, Callum lifted his head and smiled down at her.

“Yes ma’am,” he said.

Ten minutes later, he was still inside her, lying spent on top of her, his breath gasping out of him while Allie lay, feeling smugly satisfied, both of her plaster casts draped over his broad, sweaty back. He moved his head, his hair brushing against her face.

“So you are alive,” she commented softly.

“Just,” he said. “Barely. Those muscles of yours nearly finished me off as soon as I was inside you.” She chuckled, almost dislodging the connection at their groins. He pressed his hips tighter to hers to maintain it.
”All those years of aerobics and bike riding have to pay off sometimes,” she said.
”I’ll pay for your gym membership in future,” he said, his face still buried in her neck. “And I’ll buy you a new bike.” She laughed at that, she couldn’t help it.

“I’m serious,” he insisted, lifting his head with an effort so he could meet her eyes. “I mean it, Allie. You have got a first class…” he searched for a word that could not be construed as derogatory or obscene.

“Is “vagina” the word you are thinking of?” she offered helpfully. He grinned.

“It’ll do,” he said. He nuzzled back into her neck, then down into her breasts, giving the closest nipple a friendly kiss.

“So,” he said. “Shower?”

He insisted on turning on the light on so he could see to put the covers over her plaster. Despite what they’d just done, Allie still found it a little uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to intimacy with the light on. But the fact that Callum was also naked helped. It helped a lot. She looked her fill while he tugged at the covers and positioned them properly so they sealed at both ends. Callum looked up and caught her at it.
”You’re embarrassing me terribly, you know,” he commented, grinning.

“I wish,” she responded, knowing that he was perfectly at ease, even while she was staring at his groin, at the dark blonde hair there, at the rest of him, dangling but still impressive.

“And I wish I could use my hands,” she said pointedly. He laughed.

“Something to look forward to later,” he said. “Come on. You’re covered.”
”In a manner of speaking,” Allie said, standing up.

At first, all Callum would do was wash her.
”I know those covers are supposed to be waterproof, but we don’t want to risk getting the plaster wet,” he pointed out sensibly.

“Oh, I agree,” she said. And then she moved closer to him, so her breasts rubbed heavy against his chest. He’d given in to her request and turned the lights off again, albeit reluctantly. So now, all they had was sensation – the warm water streaming over them, the slipperiness of the soap on their skin and the proximity of a new lover.

“Allie,” Callum cautioned, laughter in his voice. “What are you doing?” Her hips were against him now. He was too tall for her to meet him hip to hip, but she could still rub herself against his legs. It seemed to be quite effective.

“Trying to tempt you,” she admitted.
”It’s working,” he assured her.

He was hard, jutting out against her stomach. “Let’s finish up here and go back to bed.”
”And to think you rubbished Bill the Banker,” she sighed. There was a second or two of quiet.

“Oh, are you asking for it,” Callum said, his hands tightening on her. Allie laughed.

“Finally, the man gets the point,” she said.

He turned her and lifted her, planting his feet, her back sliding up the wall, her legs travelling automatically around him. Without ceremony or warning, he lowered her onto him, laughing softly as she caught her breath on a gasp as she was impaled.
”Tease me, will you?” he said, bending to kiss her. With his strong arms holding her, his body slick and hot and against hers and inside her, and his hips pumping steadily into her, Allie put her head back and gave herself over completely to the sensual experience of her first bout of bathroom sex.

……………

They woke at the same time the next morning, Allie tensing her fingers and then wincing at the twinges of pain, Callum rolling towards her, his eyes opening wide in concern. When he saw she was all right, he put his head back down onto the pillow. She turned to look at him, feeling just a bit odd, maybe a little shy.

“How the hell did he get there?” Callum offered his interpretation of what she was thinking, making her smile.

“That’s not what I was thinking,” she said.

“So what were you thinking?”
”None of your business,” she said. The covers were down lower than normal and she was naked under them, as was he. As she shifted slightly, she realised that one of her breasts was exposed, the nipple peeking above the sheet. She slid down the bed, but the covers went with her. Callum watched with amusement and interest.

“Want it covered?” he offered. Allie sighed.

“Yes,” she said.
”Okay,” he responded, reaching out to cup her breast in his hand. Her nipple immediately hardened. Allie turned to look into his eyes again.

“Very funny,” she said. His palm moved softly against her.

“No regrets?” he asked. Surprise sprang into her eyes at the suggestion.

“No,” she assured him. “Why would I have regrets?”
”Darn,” he said, surprising her even more.
”Why is that bad?” she asked, lifting her head off the pillow to see him more clearly, because he’d turned away.

“Well, the best cure for regrets is usually to do it again,” he said. “As soon as possible.” He looked back, mischief in his eyes.

“Ohhhh,” Allie said. She conducted a quick inventory of her body. Some twinges, a little tightness. Absolutely delightful, in fact. “Well,” she said. “I suddenly seem to have a lot of regrets.”
”Is that right?” Callum asked. “You’re sure now? I mean, I could just get up and get you some breakfast, or some painkillers, or…”
”You,” she said, rolling towards him.

“Or me,” he agreed, reaching out for her with a smile.

It was the first time Allie had ever made love in light, and she found that she liked it. She especially liked watching his face as he moved over her and in her, and his expression as he came, that wild, almost pained tension before he relaxed. Afterwards, she held him close, her plaster heavy on his back. She felt tender towards him, oddly protective of him as he lay there, weak, catching his breath, his skin damp with sweat.

“I don’t think I ever want to make love in the dark again,” she said. With some effort, he lifted his head and looked her in the eye.

“Good,” he said. “Now let me rest for a minute here, woman.”

“Not for long,” she said as he put his head back down. He groaned.

“Why?” he asked, his face buried into the pillow beside her neck. She smiled.

“Because I need to go to the bathroom, nursie,” she said. “And I’m hungry, too.” He lay completely still for almost a minute. Then, muttering something about demanding, unreasonable women, Callum pushed himself up off her and climbed off the bed. But the look in his eyes and the smile playing at the edges of his mouth told her that he didn’t mind at all.

…………….

She let him put a bra on her that morning, even though she actually had to talk him into it. He was all for staying naked.
”I’m not comfortable with that,” she remonstrated with him. “It’s just not me.”
”It could be,” he pointed out, getting her clothes out of the cupboard. “With practice.”
”Clothes, please,” she insisted. Callum gave in, but he spent a lot of time making sure her bra was fitting perfectly. At least ten times more effort than necessary was put into getting her “comfy” as he kept putting it, his hands cupping her breasts, moulding them, shifting them around, until she was breathless with laughter. The fact that his fingers kept stroking her nipples the whole time didn’t help, either.

With underwear and a long t-shirt on, she went out to the kitchen with him, sitting at the bench while he tipped some baked beans into a saucepan. He picked up a loaf of bread.

“One slice or two?” he asked.

“One thanks,” she said. “Callum, the baked beans will burn if you don’t stir them.” He looked at her as if she was very strange.

“No they won’t,” he scoffed.

“They will!” she insisted, laughing. “That’s why all of your saucepans have burn marks in the bottom of them. Stir it!” Grumbling, he picked up a spoon and gave the beans a desultory stir. Then he put the slices of bread in the toaster and opened a drawer to get some cutlery.

“You have to keep stirring them,” Allie said.

“Who’s making this breakfast?” Callum demanded. He was shirtless, with his hair still messed up from bed. He looked like something out of a dream.

“You are,” Allie conceded. He grinned.

“Just remember that,” he said. He slid the cutlery along the counter. One fork caught a slippery patch and kept going, and Allie reached out without thinking and caught it as it fell off the edge.

“I caught it!” she said, astonished and pleased. “Callum, my fingers worked!” She carefully released the fork onto the bench top.

“The swelling must have gone down,” he said, just as pleased for her. “That’s great, Al.” He walked over and kissed her. Any excuse would do this morning as far as he was concerned. Then he turned around, sniffing.

“Damn! Something’s burning!” he said, diving for the saucepan as Allie laughed.

Breakfast set the tone for the rest of the day. While he was feeding her the baked beans (some burnt, some cold), he accidentally spilled some onto her t-shirt. Insisting that it had to be washed immediately to avoid stains, he removed the t-shirt over her protests and took it to the sink to rinse out the (invisible) mark.

“Now,” he said, returning to where she sat, now clad only in underwear. “I’ll try to be more careful.” The devilment in his eyes warned her, but there was nothing she could do when he tipped the fork and dropped a few more beans into her cleavage.

“You did that deliberately,” Allie accused.

“I’m terribly hurt that you could even think that,” he said, putting the fork down. “But just to show that I have no hard feelings, I’ll clean you up.” His hands on her back, bracing her on the stool, he leaned down and slowly licked the beans up, making sure he didn’t miss a single drop of sauce.

“Mmm,” he approved, picking up the fork again. “The only way to eat baked beans.” Smiling, Allie tolerated him doing it again, and again, his tongue travelling over every exposed part of her breasts.

“Oops, I think one just snuck down here,” he said at one stage, hooking a finger in the top of the bra and holding it out so he could lick at her nipple. “No, don’t wriggle. I have to get it, or it’ll stain, and then you won’t be able to wear this bra again.” His spare hand travelled round to her back and deftly unhooked the garment as she laughed and protested. “Gee, that’d be a pity, wouldn’t it?” Callum asked, drawing the bra off her and dropping it on the floor. All of the baked beans were cold by the time he’d finished, and her breasts had been thoroughly “cleansed” as he put it.

Breathing heavily and losing more inhibitions by the minute, Allie concentrated and carefully picked up one of the few remaining baked beans between the thumb and forefinger of her left hand.

“Very good,” Callum said.
”Thank you,” she said. “Now take your pants off.” Callum grinned.

“Normally applause is the appropriate way of showing approval,” he pointed out. “The “pants off” routine isn’t generally well received in opera houses and concert halls.”
”Off,” Allie ordered.

“Yes Ma’am,” he said, reaching for the button on his jeans.

“And your underpants too,” she said, sliding down off the stool. His grin getting wider, Callum obliged, drawing them down his legs and dropping them on top of his discarded jeans.

“Now sit down on one of the lounge chairs,” she said, still in the same “brook no argument” tone. He sat. Carefully, her shoulders back to balance the weight of the plaster as well as the movements of her bare breasts, Allie lowered herself to her knees in front of him.
”Now,” she said. “Put your arms on the armrests and keep them there.” Feeling as if she was using someone’s hands other than her own, she brought the single baked bean close to his face. He opened his mouth and she smiled. Then she lowered her arm, slowly, skimming down his naked body until her hand was hovering over his groin. Concentrating, controlling her movements, she brought it closer to him and then gently rubbed the baked bean all over the head of his penis. It obligingly straightened to attention almost immediately, just to help out.

“Dear me,” she said. “We’d better get that off before it stains.” His laugh was cut off by a gasp as she leaned in and began licking at him, with long, slow, warm lathes of her tongue.

The solitary baked bean was pressed into service several times before Callum stopped following orders, lowered Allie backwards, slid her panties off and took her, right there on the floor. Naturally, a shower followed that, and then they found themselves back in bed again, wrapped up in towels.

“What did I do to earn this?” he mused, lying beside her, resting up on one elbow.

“Well, you’ve performed very well this morning,” Allie teased. “I think you deserve a rest.” He grinned.

“I meant you,” he corrected, knowing that she knew that anyway. To punish her, he flipped the bottom edge of her towel open. She reached down to close it again, but he held it there, his eyes on hers. She gave up and let him do it.

“You’ve been a friend for a long time,” Allie said. “And there’s always been a bit of something between us, I guess.”

“A bit,” he agreed. His fingertips teased into the curls he’d revealed. “Mostly on my part, though.”
”No, it was from me too,” she admitted. “But because Fiona had staked a claim on you…” Callum laughed.

“Fiona and I would never have got together,” he said. “We’re friends and competitors. We could never be lovers.”
”I always thought that,” she said. “I thought that if the two of you did end up in bed together, you’d kill each other. And ruin the friendship.”

“Never happen,” he said. His fingers searched deeper, easing her legs apart.

“So, because I’ve been a friend for a long time, I deserve to have you now?” he continued the original conversation. Allie laughed, then moaned softly as his fingers began stroking.

“Not necessarily,” she said, continuing her conversation with an effort. He really was very good with his hands. “But you looked after me so well, too.” He smiled.

“So, following that logic,” he said, making it extremely difficult for her to follow anything as he moved his fingers over her. “Any male nurse with whom you’d been friends for a while would be entitled to go to bed with you?”

“Stop it,” Allie responded. “No…not that. Keep doing that.” He laughed and put his fingers back where they’d been. “Stop trying to read things into my words that aren’t there. All right, you did nothing to deserve this. We’re just lucky – is that better?”

“I feel lucky,” he said. One finger circled, then slid inside her.

“Oh, so do I,” Allie said, leaning back on her pillow and opening her legs still further. The towel fell open. Callum looked her over appreciatively.

“I could have made it a lot easier when I was looking after you,” he admitted. “I could have pulled a blanket up over you before I took your top off and closed my eyes when I took your bra off. Heaven knows I had enough practice at undoing those things in the dark when I was a teenager at drive-ins.” She smiled, focusing almost exclusively on what he was doing with his fingers rather than what he was saying.

“I could have put one of my t-shirts on you instead of yours, so that when you were walking to and from the bathroom I didn’t get glimpses of your butt, and I could have lit candles or something to make it easier for you to bath in front of me too.”

”Stop beating yourself up,” she said. She turned to him and reached out, running awkward fingertips down the straight bridge of his nose. “You looked after me well. And you punched Glenn and got him fired.”
”That part was a pleasure,” he assured her. “As was the looking after you bit. That’s the problem. I enjoyed it all far too much because I gave in to the temptation to undress you as much and as often as I possibly could.”

“Under the circumstances, I forgive you,” she said, gasping as a second finger joined the first.

“Well that’s good,” Callum responded, rolling towards her. “But I still feel that more reparation is required. Besides,” he said, as he parted her legs still more and settled between them, moving down so that he could look directly at what was being displayed. “I owe you one.” Grinning, he leaned in to pay his debt.

By the time they fell asleep that night, Allie had lost count of the number of times they’d made love. Lying there, wrapped up in his arms, she tried to go through them in her head. There was the bed, then the floor, then the shower, then the bed again, then upstairs in his flat where he’d done that amazing fingertip thing all over her. She shivered as she remembered that, and he pulled her closer against him, using his body to warm hers. She settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder and kept counting.

Then he’d put her over his lap, face-down, on the beanbag in his study upstairs, and spent what seemed like hours playing with her bottom with one hand while talking on the phone to a client. That had felt decidedly strange, but every time she’d tried to get up, he’d grinned at her and held her down. Then, he’d put her in the same position on the beanbag itself and taken her from behind. That had been interesting. She’d almost been smothered by the beanbag, but he’d gone so deep inside her. It had felt amazing. She wriggled in memory.

“You okay?” Callum asked her, kissing the top of her head.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m just playing the day through. Trying to remember how many times we made love.”
”Well if you keep wriggling like that, we’ll be adding another one to the score,” he warned sleepily, laughter in his voice.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said.

Then there’d been the bath, of course. He’d been right and Cosmo had been wrong. The warm water hadn’t detracted from the pleasure. Not at all. A lot of water had been splashed onto the bathroom floor, but there had been more than enough in the tub to cocoon them, surround them as they drove each other steadily mad. And then the bed again, slow and gentle, with lots of kisses and soft words. Allie smiled. So how many was that? Sighing, she ran it through in her head again, trying to use her fingers to count them off. Her left hand worked okay, but her right was still very unwieldy. Which was a pity. She was looking forward to using her hands on Callum. On every inch of him. She wriggled again.

“That was deliberate provocation,” Callum said. “And that’s your last warning.” Allie laughed as he tilted her chin up and kissed her.

“Scared?” he teased softly.

“Terrified,” she responded. And then she wriggled against him again. And again. His laugh was soft and deep.

“You’re going to kill me, woman,” he said, his hands reaching for her already.

…………………………..

When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was his blue eyes, looking straight into hers. They were facing each other on the pillow.

“I could get used to this,” she murmured. He smiled.

“Me too,” he said. He inched closer and kissed her. Allie’s lips felt bruised and swollen. She kissed him again anyway. Then, before he could act on what she could see in his eyes, she rolled back.

“I have to go the bathroom,” she said.
”Okay,” he responded immediately, pushing the covers back.

“I think I can almost do this by myself,” Allie said. “You stay there.” He looked at her.

“Who said I want you to do it by yourself?” he asked. Allie laughed and shook her hair back out of her eyes.

“Stay there,” she said again. “I’ll call you if I need you.” Callum nodded and sank back into the pillow, watching with pleasure as she walked naked around the bed and across the room to the bathroom.

As it turned out, she’d been over-ambitious, mainly because the toilet paper was on her right side and she couldn’t reach across with her working hand to get it. It was as he was drying her that he noticed her wince.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. Then he looked guilty. “Are you sore there?”
”In a nice way,” she admitted. “Not sore enough to not want to do it again.” Callum smiled at that.

“I’m very pleased to hear that,” he said. “But we should ease back a bit, I think. Maybe not do it…how many times did we manage it yesterday?”
”Nine times,” she said. His jaw dropped.
”Nine?” he repeated. She nodded.

“Dear heaven, I’m amazed either of us can walk!” he said. And now that she mentioned it, some parts of him were protesting, too. But in a nice way, as she’d said.

He cleaned her teeth while they were in there, and Allie sat on the closed toilet seat and watched him shave. His economy of movement was a pleasure to watch, and since he performed the task naked, she enjoyed the view as well. Then, still a little tired, she went back to bed. He pulled the covers back up over her.

“Sleep for a while,” he said. She shook her head.

“I’ll just rest,” she said. He nodded.

“I’ll go make breakfast and I’ll bring it in to you.” He walked around the bed and bent to pick up his clothes.

“Stay naked,” Allie said. Callum looked at her quizzically.

“I will if you will,” he said. Allie looked down to assure herself that she was safely under the covers.

“Okay,” she agreed. He grinned.

“Oh no,” he said. “The covers come off. In fact, if you’re up to making suggestions like that, you can come out to the kitchen while I make breakfast.”
”Naked?”

“Naked,” he repeated. “Or dressed. It’s up to you. But if you’re dressed, I will be, too.”

”That’s not fair,” Allie complained. He raised his eyebrows. She skimmed another look down his toned, lean body. He cleared his throat and she looked back up at his face, smiling impishly.

“Why isn’t it fair?” he asked. He picked up a pillow off the bed and held it in front of his groin.

“It’s different for me,” she pointed out.

“It certainly is,” Callum responded. Allie ignored him and kept going.

“Parts of my body move around when I’m undressed,” she said.
”I’ve noticed,” he replied, an appreciative look mingling with the laughter in his eyes. She frowned.

“And there are more bits that are personal on a woman’s body, and I can’t cover myself because of the plaster.”
”And if you just went none for three,” he grinned. “Those are three very good reasons why you SHOULD be naked, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Well I’m not going to be,” she said firmly.
”No?”

“No,” she repeated, just as firmly, then saw the mischief in his face. “Well, as long as you help me put some clothes on, I’m not.”

Callum teased, but he did eventually relent, although he went into Fiona’s room and put his own clothes on first, much to Allie’s disappointment. He came back in a clean pair of jeans and a white button-up shirt that made her itch to undo it as soon as she saw it. Under her direction, he made pancakes, very badly. They were small, misshapen and burnt, but she made a fuss of them anyway, and sat at the kitchen bench and talked to him while he cleared the mess away. Then they settled into the living room chairs, Callum to work on his laptop and Allie to read. She could now move her fingers just enough to apply pressure on the edge of the novel, and although she frequently turned over three pages rather than one, she relished the independence. Callum took care not to let her see him looking every time she wrestled with the pages, cursing under her breath until she got it right.

He clicked the laptop shut with some satisfaction after finishing off one of his tougher cases.

Then he got up, walked over to her, bent down and kissed her. Being an obliging sort of woman, Allie kissed him back, and smiled at him as he straightened up.

“I missed you,” he said.

“Yes, you’ve been away such a long time,” she smiled, looking at the chair he’d just vacated.

“Want a coffee?” he asked. She purred, making him laugh and head for the kitchen again.

They drank in companionable silence, Callum having dragged his chair closer so he could hold her cup as well as his own. He was the one who broke the silence.

“So, lover,” he said, startling her. He grinned. “Tell me the wildest thing you’ve ever done.” Allie just looked at him. And then she thought about it.

“I haven’t really done anything wild,” she said.
”I find that hard to believe,” he scoffed. “With Fiona as a best friend? The girl who skinny-dipped in the city square fountain on New Years?”

“That was her, not me,” Allie reminded him. “I was the one dragging her out, if you were remember.”
”Trying to drag her out,” Callum modified that. “I was the one who actually hauled her out.”

“Well I wrapped a coat around her,” Allie said.

“My coat,” he added. She laughed.

“Anyway, that’s Fee, not me,” she said. “Let me think about it. You tell me one instead.”

“All right, but I’m coming back to you,” he threatened. “Let’s see…well, there was that time at the ski lodge when I had too much to drink and I streaked in the snow. Not all that wild, but it was fairly recent.”

“When?” she asked, her eyes sparkling at the image. Callum wasn’t finished.

“…and the bastards locked me out of the lodge, and I had to climb up the side of the building to get back into my room.” He shook his head. “I was risking frostbite on any number of different parts of my anatomy, I can tell you. And then…” he kept talking, despite the fact that she was trying to ask more questions. “Then, one of them took a photo of me from outside, with a zoom lens. They took a photo of my butt as I was climbing through the window, and they posted the photo on the noticeboard in the main lodge and had a “Whose Butt isThis?” competition.” Allie was laughing.

“When was this?” she asked again. He grinned.

“Last year,” he said. “The Chartered Accountants convention.” Allie just about shrieked in surprise and disbelief.
”Really?” she said. He nodded, grin still in place.

“They’ve never let me forget it either. Whenever any of the women from that convention call me, they always ask about my butt.”

“I’m not surprised,” Allie said. “You have a very nice butt.”
”So do you,” he responded. “Why don’t we play “you show me yours and I’ll show you mine” for a while?”
”I’ve believe we’ve already played that,” she replied primly, making him laugh.

“So,” he said. “Apart from riding a bicycle through busy city streets and risking death on a twice daily basis, what’s something outrageous that you’ve done, Al?” She caught her lower lip between her teeth as she thought.
”Don’t do that,” Callum said quickly. He leaned forward. “Let me.” She laughed, with some difficulty, as he leaned in and nibbled on her bottom lip for a while. He finished it with a kiss.

“So…?” he asked, as if that hadn’t happened. Allie was still thinking.

“Well, there was…no, that’s not really wild. It was silly rather than wild.”
”What was it?” he asked.

“I hit a lecturer,” she said. Callum laughed.

‘What are we talking here?” he asked. “A girlie slap, or a real punch?”
”Worse,” she said.

“Worse?” he repeated. She nodded.

“He was a chauvinistic idiot, and he’d launched for the umpteenth time into his little treatise on how women couldn’t be good architects because they didn’t have the linear thinking, spatial sense, focus or concentration for it. I decided I didn’t want to hear it again, so I pointed out that men like him shouldn’t be lecturers because they didn’t have the tact, commonsense and intelligence to move with the times.”
”Good one,” Callum applauded. “And…?”

”Lots of people applauded, and he had to retaliate or lose face, so he walked up the stairs of the lecture theatre to where I was sitting and started arguing with me, literally in my face, challenging me and belittling me and basically being the patronising, egotistical jerk that he was. And I decided I’d had enough, got up to go past him, and he wouldn’t move. He just stood there and blocked me, with a smirk on his face.”
”So you thumped him?” Callum asked.

“I kneed him in the groin,” she admitted. Callum gave a shout of laughter.

“Good!” he said. “And he didn’t sue?”
”What, and admit that he’d been dropped by a girl in front of a hundred students?” Allie scoffed. “No way.”

“That’s not bad,” Callum nodded, considering. “But it’s justifiable, even sensible. I wouldn’t call it wild.” Allie took the look in his eyes as a challenge.

“Hmmm… well, there was the time I hot-wired that car,” she said. His blue eyes widened in disbelief.

“A girl I went to school with taught me how to do it once,” she said. “She ended up in jail straight out of school.”
”I wonder why.”

”Anyway, it wasn’t something I ever thought I would use, obviously, but about four years ago, some jerk parked me in at a car park. Parked right behind me, and I needed to get out, because I was driving Fiona’s car an she needed it. And I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it, except that it was an old car, and he hadn’t locked the door. So I hot-wired it.”
”And took it where?” he asked, grinning.

“I only shifted it far enough to get the car out,” she admitted. “But I left it with all the wires hanging down and everything.”

“You wild woman, you,” he said. If she’d had the full use of just one of her hands, she’d have thumped him.

“So I don’t skinny dip in fountains or streak in the snow,” she responded, shrugging. “What’s “wild” anyway?”
”Making love behind a hedge with cars going past on the other side,” he suggested. “Waking up naked, with no trace of your clothes and no knowledge of how you got home.”

“That’s not wild, that’s insane,” Allie responded. “And even Fee regrets that last one. That freaked her out.”

Callum smiled.

“Then how about dancing naked in the living room in the middle of the morning?” he asked.

“That sounds better,” she conceded. She saw the light in his eyes. “And you can go right ahead and do it. I don’t mind.” He grinned.

“What you need is some inspiration,” he said. He stood up, unfolding his long legs, and undid the buttons on his shirt, sliding his shoulders out of it and dropping it onto the end of the sofa.

“That’s inspiring,” Allie agreed, making him grin again.

“You think?” he said. He undid his jeans and pushed them down, stepping out of them and walking over to the cd player in his briefs.

“Blue today,” Allie commented, wondering what he was up to. “Very nice. They go with your eyes.”
”I’ll take your word for it,” he said, bending down to select a cd and giving her a first class view of a first class backside. As the rich tones of Aretha Franklin surged out of the speakers he turned around, dragged his underpants down and stepped out of them, throwing them and the jeans on top of his shirt. Allie watched him walk naked towards her, devilish intent in his eyes. But she didn’t look at his eyes for long.

“Your turn,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and half-lifting her out of the chair while she was still looking at his body. He was giving her no choice.

“No,” she moaned. “Callum, I’m not comfortable with this…”
”Not comfortable with being naked in front of me?” he asked. “Even after everything we did yesterday? Including on this floor, exactly where we’re standing? Even though I’m naked already?” He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up to his. “And stop staring at my groin while I’m talking to you, woman!” She laughed. “You’re not comfortable even though I probably know as much about your body as you do?” She tried to shift her face away, but he tilted it up higher.

“Like for example, that you have a tiny little birthmark, just…here.” His spare hand reached round her and stroked under her left buttock. She jumped. He smiled. “And that you have a small scar just here.” His fingers stroked across her middle, coming to rest under her right breast. “And the sweetest dimples just above your…”
”Enough!” she protested as he grinned.

“We’re wasting the music,” he said. “Time to dance.” His hands moved to her waist.

“Callum, the curtains are open!” Allie protested as he pulled her t-shirt up.
”I know,” he grinned. “Live dangerously, girl. Turn around for me, Al.” Giving up, she turned so he could undo the bra, and stood still while he slid her panties down her legs. Then, leaving her clothes pooled on the floor, he straightened up again, running his fingers all the way up the backs of her legs and over her bottom, laughing as she squealed and stepped away from him.

“Now dance!” he ordered, turning her round and pulling her with him as he backed into the centre of the room. Allie looked at him, feeling uncomfortable and stupid. He was already moving to the beat.
”Dance,” he said again. “Come on, Allie.” The dare was in his eyes and in his tone, if not in his words. She drew a breath, feeling her breasts lift on her chest, noting that his gaze went down automatically to watch.

“Oh all right,” she said. “But only because you look silly dancing alone.” Awkwardly at first, she danced with him, hampered a little by the fact that she couldn’t move her arms properly and more by her self-consciousness, but the beat and the laughter in his eyes carried her on, and she was soon moving fast and well, her body jiggling free, the light from the open windows illuminating her pale skin. Parts of him were bouncing around too, she saw, and she deliberately looked pointedly at the area in question. He grinned and retaliated by staring straight at her breasts…and even though she had to fight an instinctive reaction to turn away, she found that she could stay there and let him look.

“Shake that beautiful body,” he encouraged, laughing. And shake it she did, relishing the freedom of it, the admiration in his eyes and the mischief in her soul. He reached out for her, his fingers sliding down from her waist.
”That was great!” he cheered her, dancing around with her, his hands on her hips. The song finished, the noise in the room fading down to nothing but their laughter. Then:

“I leave you alone for less than two weeks,” a little redhead said from the door. “Less than two weeks, and I come back to THIS!”

“Fee!” Allie screamed, turning to her in a flurry of welcome, surprise and embarrassment.

“Don’t you “Fee” me!” Fiona scolded, a broad smile on her pretty face. “Just look at you, you hussy! And YOU!!” She walked purposefully towards Callum, who backed up fast, one hand covering his groin, the other held out to fend her off.

“Oh, it’s going to take more than one hand to conceal that,” Fiona said admiringly. She flicked her waist-length hair back over her shoulders. “Here, do let me help.” Callum all but collapsed laughing onto the sofa.

“I told you!” Allie said. “I told you that as soon as she saw that, you’d be in trouble.”
”And you were correct,” Fiona agreed, advancing on him. “Come to Mama, baby boy.”

“Help! Protect me!” he called to Allie.

“I can’t,” she said. “I have no hands, remember? And no clothes either. Stop cowering on that sofa and help me put some clothes on, nurse!”
”You can wait until I’ve got some on,” he said, rolling off the sofa towards his jeans.

“Mmmm, nice butt, too,” Fiona commented as he turned his back on her. She patted him on it before she turned back to Allie.

“Want a hand with those clothes?” she asked. Allie nodded.

“Allow me,” her friend said, bending to pick up the items Callum had dropped on the floor. His jeans zipped up, he walked over to the stereo and pressed a button, stopping Aretha mid-peal on the next song.

“You’re back early,” he said, deciding to forgive her for the pat on the butt. “Be careful with that. Her plaster catches on the sleeves.” Fiona gave him a look that shut him up as she put the t-shirt on Allie. She was a small woman, even smaller in stature than Allie, but what she lacked in inches, she made up for with will and determination. Callum enjoyed sparring with her, but he wasn’t silly. He stopped giving advice.

He noted with approval that she’d left the bra off.

“How come you don’t argue with Fiona about leaving the bra off?” he demanded of Allie nevertheless.

“She knows I don’t have an ulterior motive,” Fiona responded for her. “Go do something useful like putting the kettle on while I finish dressing the girl.”
”I’d prefer to watch,” Callum said.

“I’m sure you would,” she said. “But I think you’ve done quite enough ogling over the last week, young man.” Grinning, he walked into the kitchen. Fiona watched him go, approving the sight of his bare back, his tight backside in the jeans.

“Very nice,” she said quietly.
”I agree,” Allie grinned. “Can I just rest my plaster on your shoulders? I have difficulty balancing when…that’s it. Thanks.” Fiona pulled her panties up and settled them comfortably for her.

“He’s really thirty-two?” Fiona asked. Allie nodded.

“Hard to believe,” her friend said, shaking her head.

“Not always,” Allie modified. “Once you know, you see signs of it.” Callum cleared his throat loudly.

“Yes?” Allie asked, smiling at him.

“If you’re talking about me, could you please speak louder, so I can join in?” he asked.

“The ego of the man,” Fiona marvelled. “Why would we be talking about you? Just because you’re half-naked in the kitchen and your underpants are here?” She dived for them. “A souvenir,” she said triumphantly. “I’ll have them bronzed.” She picked up her travel bag in her other hand and walked through to her room, leaving them both laughing behind her.

Callum and Allie slipped into their coffee drinking routine without even thinking about it, and Fiona watched, bemused, as he held the cup to Allie’s lips for her to drink before having any of his own. He’d pulled a chair up to hers and was leaning over her solicitously, still shirtless. When she finished her coffee, he got up, opened a bottle and tipped a tablet into his hand, then came back with a glass of water for her.

“You’d better lie down for a while after you’ve had this,” he said. “You’re still supposed to be taking it easy, remember?”

“Yes, nurse,” Allie responded. She took a mouthful of water from the glass he held to her lips and swallowed the tablet.

“Painkiller,” Callum said by way of explanation to Fiona. “The swelling is going down now, so she can move her fingers a little, but her arms are still aching. She’s got an appointment with Richard tomorrow.” Fiona nodded, still astonished at how efficient he was at anticipating Allie’s needs, how adept he was at tending to her. As he took the glass away from her, he wiped her mouth with his fingers. Then he put the glass down in the kitchen and came back to her.

“Up you get,” he said to her. “Time to have a rest.”
”I want to catch up with Fiona,” Allie protested.

“Then she can go into the bedroom and talk to you there,” Callum said. “Come on. You can walk, or I’ll carry you, but you’re going.”
”The power’s really gone to his head, hasn’t it?” Fiona commented.

“You have no idea, Fee,” Allie responded, but she smiled at Callum. “I’ll walk.” He nodded.

“Need to go to the bathroom?” he asked.

“I’ll look after her,” Fiona assured him. “Why don’t you get some work done, or sit around doing nothing for a while?” She patted his arm, then followed Allie down the hallway. Callum watched them go, feeling oddly bereft.

The two friends talked for nearly an hour before Allie’s eyelids drooped from the painkiller and Fiona left her, catching a nap herself. She’d travelled a long way, and had lived through a tough week with her ill mother, managing all of the dramas and difficulties of a large family of brothers and sisters. She came down the hallway, still yawning, almost two hours later, and found Callum sitting in one of the lounge chairs, reading.

“Hi there,” she said. He looked up and smiled.

“Hi yourself,” he responded. “Sleep well?” She nodded.

“Allie’s still out,” he said. “But she’ll probably wake up soon, ravenous. I don’t know what’s in those tablets, but they make her hungry.” Fiona sank into the other chair, her legs curled up under her.

“You’ve done a really good job of looking after her,” she said. Callum shrugged.

“No, I mean it,” she insisted. “Taking time off from work can’t have been easy, and it’s obvious that you’ve done a great job.”
”Did she say that?” he grinned. Fiona rolled his eyes.

“Oddly enough, we didn’t talk about you,” she said. “We talked about my family and my mother.”
”She’s on the mend?” he asked, immediately concerned. Fiona nodded.

“Still in hospital, but everything’s looking good,” she said. “And there’s enough of my family to look after her. So, tell me what’s been happening here? Anything exciting?”
”Apart from Allie being seen naked by her boss and almost raped by one of her co-workers?” Callum replied. “No, not much.” Fiona’s mouth had dropped open.

“Tell me more,” she demanded. “Now!”

He obliged. Fiona was a good audience. She laughed in all the right places, was horrified at what Foster had done, and very approving of the fact that Callum had punched him.

“Did you hurt him?” she asked, greedy for details.

“Not as much as I wanted to,” he growled. “Allie begged me to stop, so I had to. But I kicked him out the door. That felt good.” There was a look in his eyes that showed her just how good it had felt…and how much he would have liked to kick him down the stairs as well.

“Good,” she said. “If I’d been here, I’d have cut his balls off as well.”

“If he ever comes back, I’ll hold him down for you,” Callum promised. “Not that I think he will. Arnold Carter had the police put the wind up him.”

”Allie’s boss?” Fiona asked, still not completely awake.
”That’s the one,” Callum said. “Nice man. Very interested in Allie and very supportive of her.”
”This was after he saw her naked?” Fiona asked. Callum laughed.
”Don’t suggest that to her,” he warned. “She gets upset about that. To be honest, I think he was supportive of her before, too.” His computer made a beeping noise, and he reached down beside the chair to flick a switch on it.

“I’ve been getting a lot of work done on this while I’ve been here,” he said, patting the black case.

“Well, you won’t have to any more,” Fiona smiled. “You can go back to work on Monday.” Callum nodded, not looking too thrilled at the prospect.

“Yes, I probably should,” he agreed. “If you can look after Allie during the day, I’ll take over at night.”
”You don’t have to do that,” Fiona smiled. “You’ve done your share, Cal. For all that I think you’ve probably enjoyed it far too much, I do appreciate your stepping into the breach like this.”
”I really didn’t mind,” he assured her.

Sensing that she hadn’t realised the true state of affairs yet, that Allie hadn’t told her, he was enjoying himself.

“Initially, it was a bit hard, but it turned out well,” he said. Fiona nodded.

“Yes, well, you don’t have to bother any more. I’m just down the hallway. Even at night, all she’ll have to do is call out and I’ll hear her.”

“Yes, but with me at night, all she’ll have to do is roll over and whisper and I’ll hear her.” There was a smile tickling at his lips and he controlled it as Fiona’s eyes narrowed. Then they opened. Wide.

“What?” she roared. Callum burst out laughing just as Allie came back down the hallway.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes still unfocused. Callum beckoned her with a movement of his head and she went to him automatically, not objecting when he pulled her onto his lap. Just that gesture would have given the game away to Fiona.

“Fiona has just worked something out,” he said.
”Worked what out?” Allie asked, looking at Fiona. The redhead was shaking her head and looking both amazed and pleased.

“And here I was thinking that he’d managed to turn you into an exhibitionist in my absence,” she was saying. “I should have realised that you’d never have been dancing naked round the living room with him if you weren’t lovers. In fact, I’m surprised that you were doing that even though you ARE lovers! What happened to the girl I knew who wouldn’t even make love with the light on?”

“We got past that,” Callum said. He grinned when Allie looked embarrassed.

“Good,” Fiona said. “About time.”

“I am not comfortable discussing our…discussing this,” Allie said.

“Work on that next, will you?” Fiona said to Callum. “Because I am definitely going to want to hear ALL the details.”

“No,” Callum said firmly, while Allie buried her face in his shoulder. Fiona smiled.

“You’re going back to work, lover boy,” she reminded him. “I’ll have days and days to work on her.” He sighed, knowing that it was a lost cause. Allie wriggled on his lap.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.
”Bathroom,” she replied. “And I need a shower, too.”
”The pain meds make her sweat, for some reason,” Callum said to Fiona, whose eyes widened again as he stood up with Allie in his arms, not giving her a chance to climb to her feet. “We’ll be back,” he said.

“I can walk,” Allie said, exerting some independence – something Fiona was pleased to see. “Put me down, Callum.” He did, but he kept his arm around her waist.

“I’ll get a washcloth for you,” Fiona said. “I noticed there wasn’t one in Allie’s bathroom when I was there before.” Callum shook his head.

“No need,” he said.

“Why - are you using the sponge thing?” she asked. He paused, then shook his head.

“Then what?” Fiona persisted. He held his hand up and a light went on in her eyes. “Oh. I see. We’ve graduated to that, have we?”

“Actually, he’s always…” Allie began. Then she turned a bit pink in the face. Then she looked at Callum. “Why didn’t you use a washcloth?” she asked. He half-smiled.

“I didn’t even think of it,” he admitted. “I used one when I gave you a sponge bath, but I didn’t think of it when you were actually in the bath or the shower.”

“You’ve been using your hands on her since day one?” Fiona was somewhere between amusement and horror. She looked at Allie. “And you didn’t insist he use something other than those?”
”I wasn’t in a position to insist,” Allie pointed out. Then, glancing at Callum, she smiled. “And I didn’t think of it either.”

“Well, if I help you in the bath or shower, I’ll be using a washcloth, sweetie,” Fiona assured her.

“Good,” Allie laughed.

“Damn!” Callum said, at exactly the same time. They both looked at him.

“Well, I don’t suppose it matters what you use,” he said, considering. Then he grinned. “As long as I get to watch.”

………………

Fiona had to wait until after dinner to get Allie alone again. Callum went upstairs to change his clothes and check on his answering machine.

“Well come on, tell me everything,” she said, curled up on the foot of Allie’s bed. Allie laughed.

“No,” she said.

“You have to!” Fiona insisted. “It’s Cal! He’s like a kid brother to me. I have to know everything. It’s the law.”

“He’s a year older than you,” Allie pointed out, smiling. “And I can’t tell you, Fee. He might walk in the door any minute.” It was Fiona’s turn to laugh.

“So you’ll give me details later?” she asked. Allie grinned.

“Maybe,” she said.

“Yes!” Fiona cheered. “Just whet my appetite a little now. Is he good with his hands?” Allie rolled her eyes and nodded.

“Oh good,” Fiona approved. “He’s got those nice, long fingers. I always thought he would be. And a good kisser?”
”The best,” Allie replied honestly. “He is wonderful, Fee.”

“Great body, too,” her friend prompted her. “From what I saw. And I saw a lot. More than I could believe, in fact.” Allie laughed again.

“Yes, he is…impressive,” she agreed. “Enough. I don’t want to get caught talking about him like this.” Fiona sat quietly for an instant. Then she got off the bed, walked over to the door and shut it.

“There,” she said. “Now we have an early warning system. Let’s just talk quietly. Tell me everything.” Allie was shaking her head. Fiona groaned.

“I tell you everything!” she protested. “Come on, at least tell me how it started. In detail.” Allie wrestled with her conscience. She knew Callum would probably prefer she didn’t. But still, it was Fee. She decided she’d tell her this part, but nothing else.

“Well, we had a game of chess,” she began.

Half an hour later, Fiona was still asking questions.

“I think he took advantage of the situation,” she eventually said. “I mean, you didn’t know he was a chess champion, and you weren’t in any position to fight him off once he decided to cash in on that bet.”

“No, but I made the bet,” Allie said, being fair.

“Thinking you weren’t going to lose,” Fiona countered.

“Yes, but still,” her friend replied, not wanting her to think ill of Callum. “There was always a chance. He didn’t twist my arm. No pun intended.” Fiona shook her head.

“I still think he took advantage,” she said.
”We’ll agree to differ,” Allie said. “Although when he tickled me, he was definitely taking advantage.”
”Was this before or after the chess game?” Fiona asked.
”Before,” Allie said. Fiona stretched out along the foot of the bed, her jaw cradled in her hand.

“Tell me,” she invited.

………………..

“…and he let the towel fall off you and held your legs apart?” she demanded at the end. She was horrified when Allie nodded. “Well that’s it,” she said. “He has to pay.”

“He didn’t really look,” Allie said. “He was just teasing.” Fiona snorted.
”Even if I believed that, which I don’t, he had a good look everywhere else. No, Allie. He cannot be allowed to get away with that. He’s had the upper hand for too long.”
”He’s had the only working hands here,” Allie responded.

“Not any more,” Fiona said, holding her own two up and wriggling her fingers. “No, I think we should have a bit of fun at Mr Webster’s expense.”

“I don’t know,” Allie was dubious. Then she saw the look of challenge in Fiona’s eyes and relented. Callum had looked after her very well, and as her lover, he was owed loyalty, but her friend was right in a way. He’d become very sure of himself, very confident that he was in charge. If not nipped in the bud, it could lead to problems in future.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked.

………….

It felt odd initially to retire to her bedroom with Callum, knowing that Fiona was just down the hallway, but the minute he turned to her in bed, touched his mouth to hers and put his hands on her, the oddness dissipated. Once that happened, neither of them thought of anything or anyone other than each other, and for almost an hour, they were lost in a world of soft touches, tangled legs, slippery heat, murmured endearments and aching need. Snuggled into his chest in the aftermath, Allie found the light of the digital clock to be accusing and unnecessarily bright, reminding her of what she’d promised to do.

“It’s nice to have Fiona back,” Callum said. “And she’ll be company for you when I go back to work.”
”I’m going to miss you,” she said, moving her head around on his shoulder to get more comfortable. “Mind you, she’ll put more clothes on me than you do.” He smiled in the darkness.

“She doesn’t have the same motivations as I do,” he admitted. “If I had my way, you’d never wear clothes, Al.”

“I would be very uncomfortable,” she commented.

“You’d get used to it,” he said. He ran his hands over her body, making her wriggle a little.

“And would you wear clothes?” she asked. He shrugged.

“Sometimes,” he said. “It’s not the same for me.” Allie lifted her head from his shoulder. The clock ticked over to 11.55 pm.

“Why not?” she demanded.

“Men’s bodies aren’t as attractive as women’s bodies,” he said. “As you said this morning, you’ve got more bits to hide, and yours move around more than mine. Have I mentioned that I like that?” He shifted, burying his face between her breasts.
”You may have,” she laughed, moving back from him. If she didn’t stop him now, they’d be off again. He looked up, his eyes shining in the light that came in through the window. Now or never, Allie thought.

“Would you like a coffee?” she asked. There was silence for a few seconds.

“A coffee,” Callum repeated, his tone disbelieving.
”Yes,” she said. “Or a hot chocolate, maybe?” He was silent again. Then he rolled over and pushed the covers back without a complaint.

”I’ll get us some,” he said. “Where did I put my jeans?”

“Don’t put them on,” Allie said, feeling guilty. He hadn’t even argued about the coffee. He’d just climbed out of bed to make it for her.

“Why not?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at her. He flicked the bedside lamp on and looked around. “There they are,” he said, bending down to pick them up.

“I want you to stay naked,” she said, blinking in the light.

“With Fiona in the apartment? I don’t think so,” he grinned. “She had enough of a look at me today, thank you very much.”

”Fiona is worn out,” Allie lied. “She’s fast asleep. Come on, Callum. You’re always after me to do this. Stay naked.” He looked at her, really looked into her face for a few seconds, but she kept her expression under control. A light dusting of lust, that was all that was there, and it wasn’t difficult to manufacture. All she had to do was glance down at that wonderful, nude body of his. He sighed.

“All right,” he said. He stood up and leaned over to kiss her. “I’ll go hunt up some coffee and bring it back to the cave. Naked.” Allie smiled as he walked away.

“Nice butt,” she commented. He grinned back over his shoulder at her, then opened the door, listened for a minute, and went out to the kitchen.

Allie waited for a while and then got up, padding over to the door to listen, wishing she could get closer, but not wanting to ruin it. As it was, she heard Fiona’s door open quietly, then heard Callum moving around in the kitchen for some time. Eventually, she heard him walking back, coffee cups presumably in hand.

And then all hell broke loose, as the camera flash went off, Fiona shrieked with laughter and raced down the hall..

“You are not going to keep that photo!” Callum yelled. “I am going to…fuck! This coffee is hot!” He was hampered by the two mugs he was holding and spilling, and had to turn around and put them down on the bench before he could take off after Fiona and the camera. By the time he got to her door, it was closed and locked and she was laughing on the other side.

He thumped the door several times.

“I am going to break this door in, Fiona!” he threatened.

“Ooooh,” Fiona cooed from inside. “I’m so scared!” Allie laughed quietly to herself as she went back to bed. She felt guilty, but it was still funny. She was half-way back to the bed when she heard a noise behind her. She looked round to see him in the doorway.

“I presume you had something to do with this?” he asked calmly. Allie smiled as she climbed up onto the bed.

“I may have had,” she admitted. He shook his head. He didn’t look betrayed, though. She felt better when she saw that. He just looked somewhere between amused and annoyed.

”You do realise that she’s in there uploading it to “Bare Naked Hunks”, don’t you?” he said. Allie frowned. She hadn’t thought of that, but it was exactly what Fiona was likely to do with the photograph.

“Oh!” she said.

“Yes, oh!” he repeated. ”I don’t want to be on that website, Allie. I really don’t.” He looked serious.

“I’ll talk to her,” she said. “Can you put your t-shirt on me?” He did it, then stopped to pull his jeans on while she walked down the hall and called through the door.

“Fee?” she called out. “Let me in.”
”I am not opening that door, sweetie,” Fiona said. “He’ll rampage in and ravish me or something. Although on second thoughts…” She opened the door. “Where is he…oh there you are.” Callum leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his bare chest.

“You have about two minutes to delete that photo in front of me,” he said. “After that, I’m breaking the camera.” Fiona looked entertained rather than scared.

“Don’t upload it to the net,” Allie said. Fiona’s mobile face showed her disappointment.

“Why not?” she asked. “He’ll fit right in with all of those studs. And it’s a great photo, Allie. His hair is all messy and he’s got that bedroom look in his eyes and his hands are holding the coffee mugs, so you can see everything he’s got.” Callum exhaled, loudly. And Allie gave in to temptation.

“Show me,” she said. He growled that time, but neither woman paid him any attention. Fiona darted into her room and came back with the camera. With a wary eye on Callum, she turned her back to the door and beckoned Allie in. Then she held it up so her friend could see the screen.

“Oh yes, I see what you mean,” Allie approved. “Yum.”

“Indeed,” Fiona said. “It’s just perfect for…no!” Callum’s arm came over her shoulder and his hand seized the camera.

“Don’t break it!” Fiona cried, holding on tight but rapidly losing the battle. “Please, Cal. My father gave it to me.”
”Now you turn into a little kid,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t bweak my camwa. My Daddy gave it to me. You should have thought of that before you set me up and took a nude photograph of me!”

“She didn’t do it on her own,” Allie pointed out. “Don’t break the camera, Callum.” She moved back a step, put her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t you start,” he said, narrowing those expressive blue eyes of his. They looked dangerous. Then he half-smiled.
”Look at the pair of you. You look like naughty schoolkids. I should spank you both.”
”Mmmmm,” Fiona said appreciatively. “Me first.” He laughed.

“I won’t break the camera,” he said, tugging it from her hand. “But I am definitely deleting this photo.” He glanced over at Fiona’s computer on her desk. It was an old model and had just finished its start-up sequence. She hadn’t had time to load the image.

“Let me look at it one more time,” she begged. Callum shook his head and turned his back on her.

“No way,” he said. He pressed a button, then another. “There,” he said. “Your camera has been cleansed of pornographic material.”
”It’s only pornographic if the naked man has an erection,” Fiona said. “And you didn’t.”

“Thank you for paying such close attention,” he said.

“Oh, no trouble at all,” Fiona smiled, recovering from the disappointment of losing the photograph quickly – as she always did. “So, will we have some coffee now?”

Callum had another look at the camera, just to be sure the photo was gone.
”All right,” he said.

It was when they were all seated in the living room that he finally got round to asking.

“Why?” he said to Allie, who was sitting on his lap again. “I mean, I know why Fiona would do it. She likes getting the better of me, and if it means she gets to see a naked man at the same time, she’s in seventh heaven, but why did you do that?”

“To get even for the tickling,” she said. Callum looked confused for an instant, then he got it.
”The tickling?” he repeated. He looked over at Fiona and then back at Allie. “Which Fiona knows about now, obviously.”
”Obviously,” Fiona grinned. Callum rolled his eyes.

“You’re good,” he complimented her. “I’m not even back at work, and you’re wheedling it out of her. I’m going to have to stop your medication,” he said to Allie. “It’s lowering your defences. So, tell me why you had to retaliate for the tickling? Given that I did it because you were being grumpy and tried to kick me in the groin?”

“Because you took unfair advantage of her,” Fiona answered for her. Allie nodded. She was praying that Fiona would make no mention of the chess game. She didn’t want Callum to know that she’d shared that, too.

“AND you took advantage of her with that bet over the chess game,” Fiona added. Allie whimpered quietly. Callum’s arms tightened around her, but she wasn’t sure whether it was in support or annoyance. She avoided looking at his face.

“I’ll agree with that part,” he conceded. “I gave in to temptation that time. But I don’t know that it justified exposing me to Fiona.” That was obviously directed at Allie. She looked up. Despite her medication and incapacity, Allie was not a wimp.

“You exposed me to Mr Carter,” she reminded him. Callum opened his mouth to argue, then laughed.

“All right,” he nodded. “Not deliberately, but yes, my actions put you in that situation.” He shook his head. “I don’t believe I’m letting you off the hook for this.” He turned his head and kissed her softly. Then he turned and looked at Fiona, who was watching with fascination and amusement.

“I am NOT letting you off the hook,” he said.

“Her motivation was pure,” Allie defended her friend, making both of the other two laugh.

“Her motivation is never pure,” Callum argued.

“On that, we’re in agreement,” Fiona said. “Good night, you two.” She walked over, leaned down and kissed Callum on the cheek, then Allie. “I’m beat. See you in the morning.”

“Typical,” Callum said as she walked away. “She left me with the coffee mugs to clean up.”

“Leave them until morning,” Allie said. “Later in the morning, I mean.” She could see that he was about to argue, so she nuzzled into him, her face against his. “I have plans for you.” Callum grinned.

“Oh, do you?” he asked. He stood up, lifting her with him, only putting her down to turn the light off on the way. Together, they walked down the hallway, his arm around her shoulders. He shut the bedroom door behind them and turned to take her into his arms again, his hands resting on her backside, warm through the thin material of his t-shirt, which was still all she wore.

“If you ever gang up on me again like that,” he said, tucking her head into his shoulder. “I WILL spank you. And I’ll make it loud, so Fiona can hear it through the wall.”

“And what will you do to her?” Allie asked. She felt him smile.

“Absolutely nothing,” he said with satisfaction. “No matter how much she begs.”

…………………..

Richard was pleased with her progress the following day and encouraged her to start using her fingers more, even though it was awkward for her with the plaster she was going to be encased in for another three weeks.

“Nothing heavy or hot though,” he said. “Like coffee cups. Callum will just have to keep holding those for you.”
”Fiona’s back now,” Allie said. The doctor smiled.

“Oh is she?” he asked. “I might just have to make another house call.”

“What a good idea,” she smiled back. She liked Richard, and it was undeniably convenient to have a doctor available. Fiona just might have to get over her inability to commit to anyone.

………………….

Monday morning came way too fast. Having Fiona back changed the dynamic in the apartment. For one thing, the food was better, because she was a very good cook. For another, Callum didn’t have to perform all nursing duties for Allie, although there was no doubt that he was very adept at them. He did, however, look after her bathing requirements, and since Allie seemed to have no objections to this, Fiona didn’t intervene. She took a great deal of pleasure in watching the two of them together, and she made her pleasure obvious. There was no awkwardness where she was concerned, although Callum was very careful to not be caught in anything less than jeans. He knew her well enough to not trust her in that regard, and he’d warned her that camera breakages would occur if she tried to trap him again.