Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

gazes back with absolute adoration. “Sometimes you see a piece you like, and you know right away
you can’t let anyone else have it.”
All the movement in the room dies. The sunlight still streams in through the spotless window and
the birds chirp outside as they dine at the feeder Rose put out for them, but inside this house, nothing
moves.
I don’t know what to do. I can feel the tension in Calvin’s body building, and then he glances
across the room at his parents, somehow a reflection of us as they sit there in the same pose.
Quietly, I pull my hand away from Calvin’s. I don’t want him to notice if he hasn’t already.
Thankfully, we’re at the end of the visit. Calvin scarcely says another word. His mother starts to
ask if I’d like to see her rose garden, but then she notices her son’s volatile expression and she says
she’ll show it to me next time.
She hugs us both goodbye and gives Hollis a slice of cheesecake she packed for him since he
didn’t come inside with us. He cracks a smile and thanks her because she’s just too lovely not to feel
good around.
Then we get in the car, and it feels like the storm clouds followed us.
Calvin slides over into his seat and sits there with the heaviness of a boulder.
I usually sit on the seat at the back of the limo so there’s a bit of distance between us, but today I
drop my purse on that one and scoot over so I’m next to him. I curl my legs up on the seat behind me
and lean into him, placing a palm on his firm chest and gently rubbing.
He looks over at me.
I look back, offering sympathy. “I’m sorry your father agreed with you.”
He cracks a smile at the ridiculous absurdity of that absolutely true capsule summary of what
went wrong. “Me too,” he says wryly.
I glance down at his chest as I continue to rub it. “The way he worded it was ugly, but maybe he
didn’t mean it that way.”
“He did.”
I nod because I know he did, I was just trying to make him feel better.
I’m not sure how to do that, but I know how to take his mind off it, at least.
Reaching for his shoulder, I lift myself and reposition so I’m straddling his lap. He looks up with
interest, but I play at innocence, placing a hand on either side of his shoulder and kneading. “Let’s
work some of that tension out of these powerful muscles.”
“Powerful, hm?” he murmurs, his gaze appraising.
I nod emphatically. “Oh yes. I love your shoulders. So sexy.”