Enticing Daphne

by Jessica Prince

  I opened my eyes as the elevator slowed to a stop and opened to the ground floor. The smell of fresh pastries and ground espresso beans coming from my favorite little cart made my mouth water as I stepped out onto the shiny marble floor. I stood in the ever-present line, hoping they hadn’t already run out of my favorite cheese Danish, when a voice from behind me made goose bumps break out across my arms.

  “Looks like it’s my lucky day.”

  I bit my lip to suppress a groan, ignoring the way my nipples tightened into aroused peaks beneath the lace of my bra as I slowly turned to face the man standing directly behind me.

  The faint spiciness of his cologne overwhelmed one of my senses while the sight of him totally affected another. Three of my five senses had already gone into shock over this infuriatingly perfect man. All that was left was touch and taste, and you could bet your ass my body wanted to do both.

  God, I hated him.

  “So you’re stalking me now?”

  “Bumping into you was just a happy little coincidence, but it does remind me.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. “You and I have some unfinished business.”

  I somehow managed to stop from shivering as his warm, minty breath slithered deliciously across my skin.

  Not wanting him to see the longing I was sure radiated in my eyes, I faced the front of the line, sending up a silent thank-you to God that it had moved. There were only two people in front of me now. I was that much closer to my blessed Danish and a soothing latte. But more importantly, I was that much closer to escaping Caleb.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said flatly, refusing to look back at him as I spoke. “Anything between you and me is so finished it’s already dead and buried.”

  “Yeah? Then I guess that means your rock-hard nipples are just because you’re cold and have nothing to do with the fact that you want me.” He was so dangerously close his words blew a few tendrils of my hair across my shoulder.

  I quickly crossed my arms over my chest and spun around with fire in my eyes. “You’re such an egotistical asshole!” I hissed under my breath. “Just to make things perfectly clear: I. Do. Not. Want. You.”

  I was sure we were quite a sight to the people around us. They were probably wondering whether we were about to rip each other’s throats out or rip each other’s clothes off. If I were being honest, I wasn’t too sure of the answer myself.

  “Your pupils dilate and you bite your lip every time you look at me. When I get close, you get goose bumps, and don’t think I haven’t seen the way you shiver when I whisper in your ear. I’ve got enough experience to know when a woman wants me, Daphne, and your body’s practically fucking screaming for it.”

  Damn him and his uncanny powers of perception!

  I opened my mouth to spew a denial, but the lie just wouldn’t form. The best I could come up with was “I hate you!”

  “You may hate me, sweetheart, but you still want to fuck me.”

  I threw my hands in the air with a loud “Gah! You’re unbelievable!” My heels clicked loudly as I stormed back toward the elevators empty-handed. Just another reason to hate Caleb—he was coming between me and my necessary midday sustenance.

  “You running away isn’t going to change anything,” he continued as he followed me.

  “Will you just leave me the hell alone,” I snapped, pushing the Up button so hard my finger ached.

  “Not until you admit the truth.”

  I let out a garbled yelp of agitation, not just at Caleb but also at the elevator for being so damn slow. “Screw it! I’ll take the freaking stairs.”

  It most definitely hadn’t been my brightest idea.

  “You know, I can do this all day long if I have to.” Caleb’s voice carried up the flight and a half I’d just ascended, and the bastard didn’t even sound the slightest bit out of breath.

  Meanwhile, my lungs felt like they were on fire, as though I’d just run a full marathon at a sprint. “Oh god,” I panted, grasping the railing like it was the only thing keeping me standing—because it really was. “So. Many. Stairs.” I inhaled and exhaled through my mouth as a painful stitch twisted my side.

  “Jesus, really?” Caleb stopped two steps below mine. “You’ve barely gone up fifteen steps. How are you this winded?”

  “Shut up.” I massaged my side, hoping to rub the singe away. “This is all your fault, making me do cardio.”

  “How the hell is it my fault? I didn’t tell you to take the stairs!”

  I lifted the hair off the back of my sweaty neck and fanned at my burning face with the other. It was embarrassing how out of shape I was. “Well I wouldn’t have had to if you weren’t following me!”

  “For Christ’s sake!” he barked, yanking his hands through his hair. “Why does everything have to turn into an argument with you?”

  “Because you drive me crazy!”

  “Feeling’s mutual, sweetheart!”

  And just like that, I launched myself at him. He caught me like I weighed nothing, spinning me around until my back was pinned against the cool cinderblock wall. Our mouths battled against each other’s for dominance in a kiss that heated my blood. Our teeth clashed together, our tongues tangled. Caleb’s hands roamed feverishly over every inch of my body he could reach.

  A groan slipped past my lips as his muscular thigh forced mine apart, making room for his trim hips. I rubbed myself against him like a cat in heat, desperate for more of his touch.

  “Fuck,” he gritted, trailing a heated path from my jaw to my neck with his tongue. “Why does fighting with you turn me on so goddamn much?”

  I arched my back, giving his lips more room while pressing my breasts harder against his chest. “There’s something seriously wrong with us,” I panted, out of breath and crazy with desire. Caleb’s fingers dug into my hips, forcing me to grind on his leg. I whimpered as arousal flooded through me.

  “Half the time I don’t know if I want to strangle you or kiss you,” he grunted, pressing his thigh higher.

  I moaned wantonly. “I want to strangle you all the time,” I said while riding his leg like a total hussy.

  One of his hands left my hip and fisted in my hair, angling my head so he could see my eyes. “Admit you want me.”

  I couldn’t force the word out, not when my body was so close to detonating. All I could do was shake my head in denial.

  “Why are you being so goddamn stubborn? I can feel how wet you are for me. You’ve soaked right through my fucking pants. Just admit it.”

  I tangled my fingers in his hair, trying to pull his mouth closer to mine. “Stop talking and kiss me.”

  An annoyed growl worked its way up his throat. “Three little words, Daph. That’s it. I. Want. You. Just say it.”

  I was close. So freaking close I wanted to cry. My lips parted of their own accord, but before I could get the words out, a door a few floors up opened and the sound of voices echoed through the stairwell.

  Caleb and I both stood frozen, completely silent as the voices grew fainter before finally disappearing behind another door. Despite thwarting my impending release, the interruption really was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the time I needed for reality to set in.

  Placing my hands on Caleb’s chest, I pushed until there was enough space for me to slip from between him and that wall. With a trembling hand, I brushed the hair out of my face. “This has to stop, Caleb. We can’t keep doing this.”

  His face hardened like stone. “Give me one reason why.”

  “Because you’re completely wrong for me!” I cried in frustration. I began to pace the small landing as I ranted. “I’ve done the whole man-whore playboy thing before. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. You’re not the kind of guy a woman gets invested in, Caleb. You’re the fling, the fun one-night stand. You’re the guy who screws so many women he can’t recognize them a few months later!” I shouted, feeling the bitterness course through my blood.

  He
prowled toward me, a menacing glare plastered on his face. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know everything about me, sweetheart.” His words were spoken softly, quietly, but there was no missing the warning in them. “If you think all there is to me is the number of women I’ve fucked, then you’re sadly mistaken.”

  With that parting shot, he stomped down the stairs and disappeared through the door to the lobby, leaving me standing on unsteady legs, suddenly feeling very unsure about everything.

  Chapter Nine

  Caleb

  “I fucking hate these black-tie events,” I grumbled, tugging at my collar. It was like my bow tie was trying to strangle me.

  “Welcome to the lifestyle of the rich and famous,” Deacon muttered as he sidled up to the bar. I ordered a scotch on the rocks while Deac got whatever was on tap. “Speaking of rich, where’s dear old dad?”

  I sucked back my drink and motioned for the bartender to pour me another as I rested my elbows on the bar. “I don’t know, but I’ll need at least three more of these before he shows up.”

  “Well you might not want to get too drunk,” Deacon said in a tone that piqued my curiosity.

  “Yeah? And why’s that?”

  “Because that hookup you claim is nuts is currently checking you out. And we both know what an ass you can be when you’re drunk.”

  I shot up straight and twirled around, spotting her in an instant. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the room. Her glossy blonde hair fell down her back in soft waves that shone beneath the ballroom lights. One smooth alabaster shoulder was bared by her sinful dress. She was an absolute vision. A picture of pure sex and beauty, unapologetically feminine. She was fucking exquisite.

  And she was staring right at me.

  The moment our eyes met, I saw her cheeks turn a pink a few shades darker than her dress from all the way across the room. Her chest rose with a deep inhale, her pouty lips puckering into a seductive O as she blew the air out.

  Oh yeah, she still wants me.

  “Thank god you guys are here. I needed to see a few familiar faces.” I turned my attention from Daphne to Fiona as she made a stop before Deacon and me.

  “Fiona,” Deacon greeted in a bland tone. We hadn’t discussed his feelings for her any further after his confession to me a few nights before. I understood his need to keep it to himself, considering she and his brother had been in a serious relationship years before that we all thought was going to eventually lead to marriage. But the fact was it hadn’t worked out between them. Gray had moved on to Lola, and Fiona was fair game. He needed to get his thumb out of his ass and make a move already.

  Despite her and Grayson not working out, Fiona had grown up right alongside the three of us and was firmly entrenched in our circle of friends. She’d been working in Paris the last few years but had recently returned after her company transferred her back to the States. I knew there’d been drama with her when Gray took Lola to meet his parents, but I hadn’t gotten the full story. From the jittery look on Fiona’s face, I sensed that whatever had happened between the three of them was still unfinished.

  “Hey, Fee. How’s it going?” I opened my arms and pulled her into an embrace. I caught the way Deacon’s jaw ticked at the sight of my hands on her and quickly ended the hug. Christ, he had it bad. He knew damn good and well I wasn’t a threat, but that green-eyed bitch named Jealousy had still reared her ugly head.

  “Good. It’s going good.”

  My attention skirted to where I’d last seen Daphne, only to discover that she was no longer there. Fiona and Deacon were talking next to me, but I was too busy scanning the faces in the crowd, searching for the one in particular that I wanted to pay attention to what they were saying.

  It wasn’t until I spotted a flash of coral in a corner of the huge room that I breathed a sigh of relief. Until I saw who she was talking to.

  “Excuse me,” I said in way of an apology before leaving Deacon and Fiona and making a beeline to the woman who had been making me insane for over a freaking month.

  The man she was locked in a conversation with reached up to tuck a strand of that blonde hair behind her ear, and I suddenly understood the jealousy that Deacon had been dealing with. I wanted to rip the jackass’s arm off at the shoulder for touching any part of her.

  When I finally got close enough to see her expression, the rage boiling inside me dropped to a simmer. Her beautiful face was pinched and white as a sheet as she jerked her head away from his fingertips. She took a step back and jabbed an angry finger into his chest. Whoever this man was, he wasn’t someone Daphne was happy to see, that was for sure.

  The guy moved closer, lowering his head in a way that indicated privacy and a hint of intimacy I did not like. He said something that made Daphne throw her hands up and gesture wildly as she spoke.

  I picked up the pace, the instinct to protect racing through my blood.

  “Baby, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” I slipped my arm around her waist and pulled her flush against my side, hoping she could read the message I was trying to communicate with my eyes. Just go with it, they said as I leaned in and placed a gentle kiss against her lips. Her mouth parted in surprise as I pulled away to look at the stranger now glaring at my hand that was resting precariously on her hip.

  I didn’t bother with a polite introduction. “And you are?”

  That seemed to snap Daphne out of her daze. “Oh, uh… Stefan, this is Caleb. He’s—”

  “Her boyfriend,” I piped up. “Nice to meet you.”

  I extended my free hand for him to shake. He stood momentarily stunned before returning the gesture. I squeezed the prick’s hand tighter than necessary to relay my point: Hands off, motherfucker.

  “So, Steven—”

  “It’s Stefan,” he said with a frown.

  “Whatever,” I replied with a casual shrug. “How do you know my girl here?”

  “I’m—”

  “He’s no one,” Daphne interrupted in a clipped voice. She turned hate-filled eyes his way. “And he was just leaving.”

  “Ducky, we need—”

  She cut him off once again as she looked up at me. “Dinner’s about to be served. We should probably get to our table.”

  I nodded, knowing she wanted out of her current situation. With my hand resting firmly on her back, I led her through the throng of partygoers toward our assigned seats.

  “You want to tell me what that was all about?” I asked below my breath as we walked.

  “Not even a little bit” was her quiet answer. “But I will say thank you for saving me. I can’t believe that asshole showed up here. I really appreciate you swooping in when you did.”

  And that was all she said. Once we hit the table, she pulled away and tried her best to avoid me.

  Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t going to let that happen.

  Daphne

  The evening was turning into a freaking nightmare. After having spent days stressing over how my last conversation with Caleb had ended, I’d finally realized that he’d been right. I’d judged him without really getting to know him. I’d decided to find him during the gala and apologize. I’d hyped myself up to the point that I was searching him out once I got there, but when I saw that stunning redhead come up and hug him, all my courage had fled the building. My throat burned like I’d just swallowed acid at the familiarity of their embrace.

  It was obvious by the affection on his face that he knew the woman, but I just didn’t know how well. And I hated how the thought of them having been together made me feel.

  I had been making my rounds through the guests, trying to drum up interest in the upcoming auction, but once I’d seen the two of them together, I needed to escape. I’d been on my way to the ladies’ room for a bit of privacy when the last person I ever wanted to lay eyes on cornered me.

  I searched for my girls as I rounded the table, needing the support and security I felt whenever I was around them. I spotted Sophia
first and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Looks like all is right in paradise,” she whispered. I followed her gaze and smiled at the sight of Lola and Grayson cuddled up together as they headed to our table.

  The chair next to mine pulled out, and I didn’t need to look to see who’d just taken a seat beside me. The familiar spice and musk filled my nostrils, and if that hadn’t been enough, my body automatically reacted to his presence before my mind even became aware.

  “You know you can’t avoid me forever, right?”

  “I can try,” I mumbled into my wineglass, taking a fortifying sip.

  He leaned in closer. “There are those goose bumps again.” I looked down and silently cursed the betraying bumps on my arms. “I just saved your ass. I’d think you’d be just a little bit grateful.”

  The table filled up around us, but all I could see was Caleb. “I am. I already thanked you for that.”

  “Then how about you stop trying to run away from me like I’ve got leprosy?”

  I opened my mouth to speak when the servers appeared and started setting out the first course, interrupting the moment. Thankfully, Caleb and I were engaged in conversations with other people throughout dinner. It gave me an excuse for avoiding him without making it too obvious that it was exactly what I was doing.

  I watched curiously throughout the meal as Lola and the redhead I’d spotted with Caleb earlier kept leaning in to each other, laughing at whatever they were whispering about. That pang of jealousy was still there at the sight of her, but I was more curious as to who she was at the moment.

  I got my answer shortly after the dessert course. Lola found a second to gather Sophia and me and made introductions. “Guys, this is Fiona Prentice.”

  My eyes bugged out at her name. Not missing my and Soph’s flabbergasted expressions, Lola quickly prattled on. “Long story short, I had it wrong. She’s not trying to steal Grayson from me. The pictures were totally taken out of context. We had a good talk about it earlier and decided we were going to be friends.”