Chapter 6: One Night, All In

My heart skipped a beat, half sobered up. The guy in front of me wasn’t some model—it was Caleb Foster.

We were nose to nose, staring at each other, both burning with desire. The air in the car sizzled, and we inched closer. I saw the stormy sea in his eyes, like he wanted to swallow me whole.

I swallowed hard: “Wait, you—you have a fiancée.”

Caleb’s hand kept rubbing my waist, not letting go. He whispered in my ear, word by word: “She thinks I’m old, so she ran off.”

He sounded so pitiful. His breath was hot and laced with alcohol. I don’t know who was drunker—me or Caleb. His hand guided mine lower and lower, and in my haze, I thought, that fiancée really missed out.

Almost instantly, like magnets, our lips crashed together, teeth and tongues tangled, breath mingling. I felt like a fish out of water, gasping, and he let me go for a second. But only for a second—he pulled me back in, over and over. The indigo California night was the best aphrodisiac, and the deep ocean in Caleb’s eyes was my best catalyst.

……

He kissed my damp hair: “Good little kitty.”

I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, hotel service had brought food. On the bedside was a handwritten card from Caleb: “Good morning, little cat. Good afternoon. Eat well. Someone will bring you clothes after you eat. I still have meetings today. See you tonight. —Caleb.”

Such an old-school card, such an old-school man. But my heart felt like it was fizzing with strawberry soda, pink bubbles everywhere.

After eating, I picked out a cute dress. Worried about how to cover up all the marks, I heard the doorbell ring.

I opened it to see Jamie sneaking around. He looked me up and down, grinning like a fox.

“Nice, girl. Bagged yourself a hottie.”

I winked back at him. But then he glanced around, pulled me inside, and dropped the smile.

“Rachel, let’s get out of here!”

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the hotel’s soft sheets and expensive decor—California chic with a New York twist. But Jamie’s panic was all too real. The sweet aftertaste of last night vanished faster than a mimosa at brunch.