My lips parted in shock. The man could admit when he was wrong. Wow.
He suddenly gripped my chin gently and brought my lips to his, where he brushed the sweetest kiss across them. He pulled back but didn’t release me, and he said softly, “I know you’re sad, Ava, about your friend. It’s not up tae me tae take that away, tae make you happy. But I can distract you, babe. I can give you somewhere tae disappear.”
Tears burned in the back of my eyes before I could stop them at his sweet words. This was a side to Caleb Scott I was afraid to admit might exist. This was a man who could be dangerous to me. But I was going to choose to ignore the danger in favor of the rush and escape he was offering. I blinked back the tears and nodded. “Tonight?”
“Same time. You’ve still got the key card?”
“Yes.”
He kissed me again, longer, deeper, his tongue dancing with mine until I was clinging to the heat of him, overwhelmed. I felt his hand slide down over my ass, pulling me tight against him, and I felt the thickening of his arousal against my belly. Just like that he jerked away, like he had to force himself to let go of me. “You best go.” His voice was hoarse with need. “I’ll need a minute before I go back tae my table.”
That feeling of power returned and I gave him an arrogant smile that made him chuckle. With one last wave of my fingers, I walked away, feeling his gaze burn into my back. As I left the restaurant, I couldn’t shake off a residual feeling of uncertainty. It had changed from what I was feeling when I first walked into the restaurant. It was no longer worry that I could have such strong desire for a man I disliked. No, now I began to wonder if I’d been lying to myself all along. That maybe I’d been able to see past Caleb’s brusque rudeness, and that maybe I could like him.
And liking him was concerning to me.
But not being able to kiss and touch him again was even more of a concern. Dominating my uncertainty was my relief that it wasn’t over. I’d explain the conversation Caleb and I had to Harper so she wouldn’t worry about me. He and I had reached a new understanding.
As I walked back to my office, I began to wish away the rest of the day, desperate to get my next fix now that we’d cleared the air between us.
Thirteen
As soon as I strolled into the Marquess, one of the most exclusive restaurant-clubs in the city, I couldn’t help but feel like I didn’t belong there. However, I suspected if the people who frequented the club caught even a hint of insecurity, they’d be on me like a shark scenting blood in the water. In an effort to seem confident, I wore a careful expression that said, I belong here, but don’t talk to me. I, of course, didn’t belong there. Patrice and Danby had invited me to dine with them along with Caleb that evening.
Two more days had passed since he and I had had our little tête-à-tête at Canterbury. And two more nights of passion in his hotel room. Last night he’d been so desperate to have me, he pounced on me as I let myself into his room.
My eyes locked with Caleb’s as the host of the club led me across the elegant library room toward him. Apparently, Patrice and Danby hadn’t arrived yet, so Caleb and I were to wait for them before being led into the dining room.
There were only a few other people in the room sitting near the open fireplace, but Caleb was sitting in the back. He’d been frowning at his phone, yet had looked up from it almost as soon as I entered the room. As if he’d felt my presence.
I couldn’t help but shiver at the way those wolf eyes of his dipped down my body as I approached. The heat in his gaze made me glad I’d worn this dress. It was one of my favorites—a modern twist on a flapper dress. I felt like a 1920s movie star whenever I wore it. Champagne colored with silver detailing, it sparkled subtly as I moved, hugging my body but not too tightly. The kind of dress that made me feel playful but classy at the same time. I’d matched it with a pair of strappy silver stilettos and I’d swept all my hair to one side in a loose, elegant braid.
Caleb stood up as I approached.
“As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Danby arrive, I will inform them that their guests are here,” the host said.
“Thank you,” I replied, watching him walk away, feeling Caleb’s focus on me. Finally I turned to meet his eyes. “Hello.”
He pulled a seat out for me at the coffee table. I thanked him as I sat down, trying to ignore the way his eyes lingered over my legs as I crossed them. The truth was, I was nervous to be in a normal situation with him. For the last three nights, we’d been lost in a sex bubble together, and because of that it felt like we’d been sleeping together for longer than we had. I knew intimate details about this man, as he did about me.
We had, however, planned to keep our interludes restricted to the physical desire we shared. When we talked in the hotel room, it was about what we wanted to do to each other. Yet, despite our best-laid plans, Patrice had turned the tables on us. She’d called me to tell me she felt terrible for neglecting Caleb, certain that he wasn’t staying in one of their guest rooms at all, but still at the hotel. Upset at failing in her hostess duties, she had insisted she and Danby make time to have dinner with him, and had also insisted that I join them.
And at their private club no less.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves surrounded us, with leather-bound books filling every inch of them. Coffee tables and elegant armchairs were strategically placed throughout the room, and there was a small free bar near the entrance.
“Oh, how the other half live,” I muttered.
“You look beautiful.”
Caleb’s compliment brought my gaze swinging back to his rugged face. He wore a small smile, as if entertained by my startled expression. “I’ve called you beautiful before. Why so surprised now?”
“Because you said it without sounding pissed off about it.”
He flashed me a grin. “Is that so?”
“It is.” I gave him a quizzical smile. “And thank you. You look very handsome.”
He leaned an elbow on the armchair and braced his fist against his mouth. Though the movement shielded his lips from me, I saw the thoughtful amusement in his gaze. I didn’t know what was so funny about my compliment, but I shrugged it off since he did look handsome in his dinner suit and black tie.
There was something kind of erotic about the fact that he dressed like such a gentleman here and hid the wild, tattooed guy that only I got to see when we were together. I’d traced every inch of his tattoos with my tongue, so curious about them I’d almost asked him about the significance of the warriors and the phrase he’d decided to have permanently inked on his skin.
Thankfully, I’d stopped myself before I could cross that line.
Caleb continued to study me, his eyes taking in every detail of my face until I shifted uncomfortably. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Lifting his head away from his hand, he shrugged. “Nothing else is worth looking at when you’re in the room.”
Stunned, I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was quite possibly one of the most romantic things anyone had ever said to me, and it came from the most unexpected source. It took a few attempts to compose myself and ignore the way my heart turned over in my chest; I struggled for once for a retort. Instead, I decided on a subject change, breaking my rule about not asking him personal questions. “Why were you frowning at your phone when I walked in?”
If Caleb was perplexed by the probing question, he didn’t show it. Instead he glanced at his phone where it sat on the coffee table. “They think flights tae Europe will be available again by the end of the week, but it looks like I’ll be here for at least a week beyond that.” He stared at me as I felt a warmth in my chest that couldn’t possibly be happiness. “The men I was at lunch with the other day …”