To Love a Player (14 page)

I sighed, flopping down on the couch. I wasn't used to these feelings and while I enjoyed having them, I was scared out of my mind. I needed to talk to her and see what was on her mind. I wanted to hit the floor running with our relationship, but at the same time, I needed to take things slow, especially since we only had until early Monday morning to be together before I spent the next month in New York.

I heard a car door close and I jumped off the couch as I heard the sound of Mollie's laugh out on the porch. I swung open the door and practically tackled her in a huge bear hug. The body in my arms just felt wrong and her laugh sounded like it was louder, so I looked over at her and did a double take before looking down at Marnie, who was giggling in my arms.

"Wow, Callen," Marnie laughed. She patted me on the back and teased, "First you bring me flowers, now you are tackling me at the door as if you haven't seen me in ten years. Are you sure you aren't in love with me?"

I felt my face flushed red as I let her go and stammered, "Oh, um...sorry."

"At least you realized I wasn't Mollie before you started kissing me," Marnie waved at me dismissively as she continued, giggling, "because that would have been awkward."

"Uh yeah," I said before pulling Mollie to me and inhaling her sweet flowery scent, which reminded me of my mother's flower gardens after a spring rain. She wrapped her arms around my waist and smiled up at me, whispering, "Hi."

"Hi," I said softy as I leaned in, kissing her softly on her forehead. I didn't trust myself to kiss her soft lips or else we'd end up doing it for the rest of the night. I wrapped my arms tighter around her and looked into her tranquil gray blue eyes. "Are you and Ben good?"

She nodded, smiling softly as she said, "Yep, we're good and he wanted me to tell you that he's only half way sorry now about punching you in the face a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, I did deserve it," I said and she gave me a knowing smile. I kissed her lips softly before pulling back and asked, "What are you and Marnie's plans for tonight?"

She shrugged and said, "She was going to go home, but I'm sure that she can be convinced to stay."

"My mom isn't expecting me until tomorrow and who knows what I will walk in on if I go home now. My mom's a bit of a free spirit." Marnie's voice piped up from the couch behind us. I smiled at her over my shoulder as I said, "Well, hope you have a party outfit because we are headed to a party!"

17

Callen

Two hours later, I knocked on Mollie's bedroom door for the fourth time in ten minutes. We were running late and I was getting texts from my friends wondering where I was.

"We'll be out in a minute," I heard Mollie's muffled reply. I sighed quietly, squelching my frustration since that was the fourth time I had heard her say that and they still had not come out. I turned on the TV and tapped my foot impatiently, occasionally staring hard at her door.

Finally, I heard the door open and Mollie said, "Sorry, we went through about five outfits before we decided on what to wear."

I turned my head and felt the words fly out of my brain as I looked her over. Mollie was wearing the same outfit she wore when I saw her in the bar a couple of weeks ago. I loved her in that outfit, but I knew that she was giving me the hard task of fending all of my guy friends at the party. I cleared my throat as I said, "Um, you look uh, uh,"

"Hot?" Marnie laughed and I nodded. Marnie looked just as good and I knew that I would be the most hated guy at the party. Mollie gave me a shy smile and I realized that I was staring intently at her. I gave her an approving look and said, "Let's go."

I took her hand as we left the house and opened her car door. I pulled her close to me, my arm snaking around her waist. I felt a groan pressing at the back of my throat as I felt her skin beneath my fingers as I touched her exposed back. I wasn't sure that I could trust myself if I kissed her glistening lips, so I opted for the safe area of her forehead.

She smiled softly at me, her blue gray eyes sparkling in the twilight. I shut the door behind her and went around to my side of the car. I started the ignition and looked at my passengers before shaking my head, laughing, "You two are going to be the death of me tonight when I have to fend off all the guys throwing themselves at you."

"Speaking for myself, only," Marnie said as she leaned forward in the backseat. I had to keep my eyes focused on her crystal blue ones or else they would be going down the dangerous path to where her cleavage lay. I didn't think that Mollie would want me checking out her best friend. Marnie smirked at me through the rear-view mirror as she said, "You can save yourself some time and spare me a few."

I chuckled as we waved to the night guard and headed toward my friend Evan's house. I glanced over and saw Mollie's hands sitting gently on her lap, so I reached over and took one, bringing it to my mouth and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. She smiled softly over at me and the moment would have been perfect, if it weren't for Marnie, in the back seat, commenting, "Aw, how cute."

Mollie giggled her bubbly laugh as she turned slightly in her seat and said, "Gee thanks, Mar."

"No prob, Mo," Marnie smiled cheekily and leaned forward, sticking her head in between our seats as she asked, "So, whose party are we going to?"

"We are going to my good friend Evan's house tonight," I said as I pulled into a private road and up to a guardhouse. After I flashed my driver's license and gave him my name, the guard opened the gates and we entered the gated community. I watched Mollie and Marnie's mouths drop open as we passed by beautiful homes on our way to Evan's.

"These houses are amazing!" Mollie commented in awe and I smiled over at her. I pointed to one that sat on the corner and said, "That's the home I grew up in. My parents sold it and now live on our summer estate on Nantucket."

"Where is all your stuff at now?" she asked, shooting me a curious glance. I raised my eyebrows and her mouth dropped as she asked, "The guest house is actually yours?"

"You live on the same property as your sister?" Marnie asked, then cracked up laughing as she said, "Lame."

Mollie shot her a look, but I could tell that she was having a hard time not cracking a smile as Marnie continued to laugh. I looked in the mirror at her and said, "Laugh all you want, but don't come banging on my window when I lock you out tonight."

Marnie gave me a sly grin as she said, "Go ahead, I'll just knock on Mollie's."

"She'll be with me," I shot back, giving Mollie a wink. Marnie shrugged casually as she said, "Sounds to me like someone's a little overconfident."

"And that's unusual?" I laughed and Marnie stuck out her tongue before breaking out into a smile. We pulled to a stop just down the street from the loudest house on the dead end street. You could feel the beat of the music vibrating the inside of my car. Marnie smiled widely as she took in the scene. I reached over, giving Mollie's hand a squeeze and she gave me a deer in the headlights look. I leaned over, allowing myself one soft kiss and looked into her eyes.

I was nervous. I didn't know why, but I was nervous. I would be meeting Callen's friends and I was instantly worried about how he was going to introduce me. Would he say that I was his girlfriend? It was too soon for that, right? We really hadn't had an official date or anything yet. Would those inside think that I'm just one of his flings? I knew that I didn't want them thinking that, but I wasn't so sure about being called his girlfriend.

I felt Callen squeeze my hand, so I looked over at him, praying that the fear wouldn't show in my eyes. His face softened as he leaned in, kissing me softly and causing my body to instantly relax. He looked into my eyes and subsided my fears as he said, "Don't worry about what they're going to think. You're only going to meet the people who matter the most to me and they will accept you just fine."

I smiled warmly back at him as we got out of the jeep and Marnie hooked her arm through mine as she asked, "Are you going to be mad if I ditch you and Callen? I just don't want to be a third wheel all night when there are these amazing looking guys hanging around."

I shook my head and noticed Brock standing just outside talking to another familiar face. A familiar set of crystal blue eyes connected with mine, sending warm shivers deep inside my body. Speaking of an amazing looking guy, I smiled warmly at him as we approached and said, "Hello Scott."

"Mollie," he said as he flashed me his trademark sexy grin and hugged me. He let go slightly, but still kept me in his arms, as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"She's with me," Callen said, somewhat angrily as he pulled me out of Scott's arms and back to his side. Scott slowly looked from me to Callen before a knowing smile crept across his face as he said, "Of course, I should have known."

Callen rolled his eyes as he gently guided me away from Scott. I tossed a wave over my shoulder and watched him blow me a kiss back. He stood there for a while staring after me before he disappeared from my view as we maneuvered through the crowd. We approached a small group of people, a mixture of three boys and their girlfriends.

"Hey guys," he said once we stopped at where they were standing. He pulled me close to his side as he beamed down at me, kissing my forehead before looking at the group. I could sense the hesitation in his voice as he said, "I'd like you to meet Mollie."

"Hey Mollie," the group said all at the same time. I smiled back as I said, "Hi."

"That is Evan and his fiancée Rita, Mike and his girlfriend Sam, and Kyle and his girlfriend Kara." Callen said as he introduced them all to me. I noticed the girls giving me curious looks as they looked me over. Each of them gave me a warm smile when they saw that I was looking back at them. Evan stepped forward to shake my hand and said, "It's nice to meet you, Mollie."

"It's nice to meet you too," I said, smiling shyly and added, "I love your house."

"Oh thanks," Evan smiled sheepishly."It's the gift of my parents' divorce. Neither of them wanted the house, but didn't want the other one to have it, so I got it instead. It's great for parties."

"I'm going to get us something to drink," Callen said and tilted my chin up so he could kiss me. He ran his nose along the bridge of mine and said, "I'll be right back, don't move."

"Okay," I said as he kissed my forehead and went in the direction of the makeshift bar. One of the girls, I think her name was Sam, walked over to me as everyone else went back to talking. She was a pretty girl with blond hair and big brown doe eyes. She smiled warmly as she asked, "So, how do you know Callen?"

I wasn't sure where to start, so I just shrugged, "We had a class together in school."

"Are you two dating or something?" Rita asked as she came over and stood next to Sam. She was downright gorgeous; olive skin, deep emerald green eyes, and long jet-black hair. I shook my head as I replied, "Not really, I guess?"

"Sleeping together?" a raspy voice asked curiously and I turned to see Kara joining us. She was cute; auburn hair, light freckles on her face, and ocean blue eyes. I shook my head and said, "No, but we live together."

"So you live together? Wow, Callen doesn't live with girls, usually." Kara said, stepping back as she looked me over and smiled, "Cute shoes, where did you get them?"

"I got them for Christmas from my sister, but I don't know where she got them," I replied looking down at my shoes. Rita rolled her eyes at Kara, who apparently was easily sidetracked and asked, "You live together?"

"Uh, yes, I work for his sister as a nanny and we're sharing the guest house," I explained and the three girls all nodded in understanding. Sam smiled as she said, "Well, however you two got together is fine with us."

"Just as long as he's not with Sophie," Rita groaned, rolling her eyes, clearly not a Sophie fan. She put a hand on my arm as she said, "We don't like Callen when he hangs out with her, or maybe it's just that we don't really like her and avoid hanging out with him."

"Ugh, I know," Kara piped up next to me."When we heard he was back with her, I think we wanted to strangle him. I mean, after what she did to him the last time she was in town, he still took her back?"

"What happened?" I asked, shooting a curious look to Callen as he chatted with some guys at the bar. The girls pulled me to a plush couch and sat me down, flanking either side of me. Sam sighed as she said, "Sophie, high and mighty as she is, supposedly let him find her in his townhouse accidentally banging one of the guys that she was working a modeling job with."

"That's why he lives in the guesthouse at his sister's place.  He can't stand to be in the townhouse anymore," Kara interjected as Sam flashed her an impatient look, while she continued, "She tried to be apologetic about it, but we knew that she wasn't. She only cares about herself and wherever she is, there's always an ulterior motive. I honestly don't buy that she's interested in helping his sister relaunch her line in order to get back in his good graces. There's something else going on, I just know it."

"Who's that girl dancing with Brock? I think I've seen her somewhere before," Kara said, pointing in the direction of the dance floor. I followed her finger and smiled as I said, "That's my best friend, Marnie. She lives in a small town just south of here."

"Love her dress; it's so vintage and awesome," Sam mused as she stared at her. I smiled as I said, "Her mom owns a vintage dress shop in Davis called Daisy Rae."

"I love that store!" Kara said and looked at Marnie again as she exclaimed, "That's how I know her! She's so cool."

I smiled, yep that is my best friend alright. Marnie looked over at me and I waved. She motioned for me to come dance with her, so I looked at the girls surrounding me and asked, "Do you want to dance?"

I saw Mollie go to the dance floor with Kara, Sam, and Rita and smiled. I'm glad those girls had taken such a liking to her. They were the girlfriends of my three best friends and I knew that they would help protect her if Sophie decided to go after her. That made Sophie sound like a monster, but she could be ruthless if she felt she needed to and I really didn't want Mollie to be hurt by it.

Scott sidled up next to me and smirked, "So, you and Mollie?"

"Yep," I said.  He shook his head, grinning as he put his drink against his lips. I liked Scott, I really did, but he was just as calculating as his sister. He came off as charming and suave, but he tended to have an ulterior motive behind his actions. Scott and I were big time rivals in high school but some of that has calmed down since graduation and we both went off to college. Scott was working at his father's corporate real estate office, which was a rival to my dad's company.