Caleb tapped his chin and looked thoughtful. “It’s a tough choice. What are my options again?”
She slid a hand under the hem of his T-shirt, his skin hot and smooth and touchable. “Picasso and an old shoe. Or me and a shower.”
“Hmmmm. And I suppose you’ve never had sex in the shower, either, have you?”
“Uh, not as such.”
Caleb grinned, slow and sexy. “Then what are we waiting for?”
…
Much, much later, since Caleb flatly refused to move, Judith brought the laptop into bed and showed him the calendar photos she’d done. She sat cross-legged with the computer on her knees, Caleb looking over her shoulder, his big, warm body surrounding her. He had one hand in her hair, playing absently with it in a way that gave her delicious shivers.
“Wow,” he said as she brought up the picture of Luke. It had taken her ages to get the right shot, since he hated having his photo taken and hadn’t been all that pleased with her suggestion that he take his tie off. “You are good. You almost got a smile out of him.”
Judith grinned, absurdly pleased with the compliment. “I asked if he could explain to me what a hedge fund was.”
Caleb laughed. “Ah, definitely the way to his heart.” His mouth brushed over her skin. “Your pictures are amazing. Wish I was having the same luck with the auction venue.”
“Oh, dear. Problems?”
“Yeah, a few difficulties. I’m having to get the event manager to scout out some alternative venues. It’s hard finding something on short notice. I really wanted it to be somewhere different but really cool.”
Judith pushed away the laptop and settled back into his arms. His body was hot against her spine and she loved the strength of him. Something in her soul had quieted. That restless ache gone. “Hmmm….different but cool.”
His fingers moved gently on her arm, stroking. “Got a brainwave for me, babycakes?”
“Actually, as it happens I do.” She twisted in his arms, grinning up at him. “What about the Civic Theatre on Queen Street? With all the lovely Art Deco?”
His brow creased. “An old cinema?”
“Yeah. I went to an art thing there once. It was amazing. So much atmosphere. You’ve been there, haven’t you?”
“I have, although it was years ago. The ceiling with all the lights.”
“Like a night sky. It’s incredible, right?”
Caleb grinned back at her, a spark glowing in his dark eyes. “It is. And so are you. In fact, you’re a certified genius.”
“It’s a cross I have to bear.”
He laughed, his arms tightening around her. “I don’t know whether to call the event manager now or give you the orgasm of your life.”
“You seriously have to think about it?”
He brushed a kissed against the side of her neck. “I like this. Being friends with you again.”
She sighed. “It is good isn’t it? I’m sorry I’ve been so angry with you. I was protecting myself I guess. You make me feel…too much sometimes.”
“I broke your heart, that’s what you told me.”
She closed her eyes, tension creeping through her. Yes, that’s what she’d told him in her studio. When she’d been hazy with yearning and desire. And it was true, wasn’t it? He had.
“You did. I was young and it’s been a long time, though. It mended in time.”
“You were in love with me.”
The tension wound a little bit tighter. She ignored it. “Puppy love. I got over it.”
His arms gathered her closer so she was pressed right up against him. “I’m sorry, Jude. For the way I treated you back then.” He let out a short, sharp breath against her nape. “I know I handled it badly and I’ve always regretted it. You were too young and my career was just taking off. I didn’t want a relationship and I didn’t want you to be in love with me. I wanted to push you away. And because I was young and stupid, I thought that was the best way to do it.”
His honesty tore a hole right through her armor, exposing the vulnerable eighteen-year-old she’d once been. The one who’d fallen in love for the first and only time in her life.
“It hurt, Caleb.” Her voice sounded scratchy. “It hurt a lot. After Mum left, you were the only one who seemed to care about me. So then when you ignored what had happened between us, at the time it just felt like yet another betrayal.”
“I wasn’t the only one to care about you, darling. You had Joe and you had your dad.”
“I know. But Dad was always working and Joe… Well, he just wasn’t able to look after me. I mean, he did try and I know he worried about me. And I had to keep it together for him. I had to be strong and steady because that’s what he needed.”
Warmth brushed her shoulder—Caleb’s mouth on her skin. “You had no one to lean on? No one to be strong and steady for you?”
Judith shut her eyes, the softness in his voice making her throat close up. “I had one person. I had you. And after you’d gone, I missed you so much.”
“Oh, Jude…” He stopped, holding her tightly, not saying anything more. Because what else could he say? It had happened so long ago. There was nothing either of them could do about it now except acknowledge the truth of it. Acknowledge it and move on. The past was the past and it should stay that way. Right now, they had more important things to do.
Abruptly, Judith turned in his arms, meeting his eyes. “So, where do you think ‘this’ is going to lead then?”
A certain tension left his face as he caught her emphasis on the word “this”. One corner of his beautiful mouth curved. He lifted a hand, pushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear. “Uh, maybe back into the shower?”
“I’d like to stay in bed this time.” She wiggled. “It’s more comfy.”
“Hmmmm, perhaps we could do a bit more exploring so to speak.” He paused, his finger stroking along the line of her jaw. “Could take time, though.”
She caught her breath. “How much time do you think?”
“Hours.” His finger trailed down her throat. “Possibly days.”
“In that case, I think we’d better start now.”
“Oh, babycakes. I think you just read my mind.”
…
The product launch for one of his sponsors wasn’t exactly high on Caleb’s list of fun things to do with an evening. A couple of weeks ago, yeah, it might have been. Now? Not so much.
Oh, there was lots of media, lots of exposure, and lots of women. All things he’d have enjoyed indulging in before. But not tonight. Tonight he felt restless. Tonight he wanted to be somewhere else. Like with Judith.
The past two weeks they’d spent mostly in bed, either making love or just talking. Filling each other in on the past eight years, the failures and the triumphs. Getting to know each other again. Finding their way back to the friendship they’d once had. It had been better than anything he could have hoped for. Better than anything he could have imagined.
Caleb took a sip of his champagne then put it down on a nearby table, unable to resist the urge to look at his watch. Was it time to get out of here yet? Could he leave without causing a fuss? He was the guest of honor, which was a bitch, but surely it wasn’t completely necessary he stay all night?
One of the promo girls, in a tight, white dress and white platforms designed to give off a naughty-nurse vibe—odd considering the product was supposed to be men’s underwear—sauntered by him, giving him the eye. And he had zero interest in her. Couldn’t even be bothered watching her walk away.
He reached for his phone instead, looking down at the screen. Just to see if Judith needed him for anything. She said she was going out to a bar with Christie and Marisa but hey, she could have lost her car keys and needed a lift there. Or a lift home. Or anything really.
But there was nothing on the screen. Shit.
“Hey, Caleb,” a sultry feminine voice murmured in his ear.
He lifted his head to see Lisa Vine, a TV star he’d once had a fling wi
th, standing next to him. She wore a bright red sequined dress with a hemline that made the whole world her gynecologist.
“Oh, hey, Lisa.” He glanced back down at his screen. Again nothing. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Very much. Thought I’d just come say hi and let you know I’m saving my pennies.”
“What for?”
A finely arched brow rose. “The auction, darling-heart. That date you’re selling.”
“Good. The charity will need it.”
“Of course. It’s a great cause. Still….” She paused, let one long-nailed hand rest on his arm. “I’m hoping I’ll get my money’s worth.”
An uncomfortable feeling turned over in his gut. “It’s just a date, Lisa.”
“And it shall be a fabulous date, too.” Her fingers moved in an almost imperceptible stroke. “Perhaps afterward we could see what else it could be?”
No. Not now. Not afterward. Not in a million freaking years.
The thought was so immediate and so intense that for a minute Caleb just stared at her, stunned. He’d never had a reaction like that before, a denial so strong that he almost wanted to slap her hand away from him. This wasn’t just disinterest, this was outright distaste.
Three weeks ago he would have been into it. Loving the thought that this beautiful, famous woman wanted him. Just like all the other beautiful, famous women had. The women who wanted the hot rugby player. The bad boy bachelor. Rich and handsome, “Abs of Steele”.
But for a brief, intense second, Caleb hated the thought. Didn’t want to be “Abs of Steele”. Didn’t want to be wanted because of his fame or his money or his success. He wanted to be wanted for himself.
A cold shock went down his spine. He should be running for the hills right about now, because hadn’t he spent years trying to forget the person he’d been? The pathetic loser who’d poured out his heart trying to fix a drunken old bastard who hadn’t wanted to be fixed. The father who’d thrown every effort to help back in his face. Who’d told him to stop getting in the way. That he preferred the bottle to his own son.
You couldn’t fix an alcoholic and he should have known better.
No, he liked being “Abs of Steele”. Liked being selfish. Liked not having to care all the damn time.
And yet, right now, with Lisa’s hand on his arm and the hungry look in her eyes, he felt almost suffocated. Hemmed in by having to put on the charm, the attitude.
Because you don’t have to with Judith.
A wave of longing overcame him. He had to get out of here, get away from this woman. Get back to the woman he really wanted to be with.
Light flashed in his face. A camera. Paparazzi taking shots for the gossip pages.
God, he really had to get out of here.
“Yeah, maybe,” he muttered and removed his arm from her touch. “Sorry, Lise. I’ve got an urgent…uh…thing to go to. I’ll catch you later, huh?”
Then, guest of honor or not, he turned on his heel and left.
…
“Is it just me or does Luke look a little naughty?” Christie grinned, the pages of the Save a Life calendar open on the bar table.
Marisa, sitting beside her, leaned in to take a peek. There was an odd look on her face. “Hmmm, no, not just you.”
“I thought so.” Christie looked over at Judith, who was sitting on the other side of the table, a strange mix of trepidation and hope clutching at her insides. “This calendar is so awesome, Jude. You know that, right?”
Well, if sales were any indication, she was starting to.
Since the calendar had come out a couple of weeks ago, people were buying it in droves. Tickets to the auction night were already sold out. The media were touting it as one of the most successful Save a Life fundraisers ever. And her phone was ringing off the hook, everyone wanting a piece of the new photography sensation.
Somehow her pictures had struck a chord with people. Apparently there was even a Facebook poll on who was the hottest, and the hands-down winner was Caleb. Her photo of him in the rain with the kid had caught people’s imagination in a way no amount of lounging around on a black chaise lounge half-naked had ever done.
She didn’t know how she felt about that. Especially since the two of them had been seeing each other rather a lot in the past two weeks. A secret, hot affair.
It felt wrong to keep it from her friends, especially Christie. Still, Jude didn’t want to share just yet. What she had with Caleb was only a start, something new and fragile. She didn’t want to jinx it.
But there was an upside about keeping it secret—the naughtiness factor was out of this world. She’d discovered a certain risqué side of her she’d never imagined she possessed. Making love on her desk at work. Once in her car after she’d picked him up after a training session. Long, hot nights in her bed… In fact, she’d been with him every night for the past week and she’d loved every second of it. Especially after she’d visited the doctor for a pill prescription, allowing them a little more freedom.
Although she particularly loved the afterwards, when he’d hold her in his arms and they’d talk about whatever came into their heads. The way they’d used to.
“You okay?” Christie was frowning at her. “Hey, what’s that on your neck? Is that a hickey, Jude?”
Crap. Judith resisted the urge to put a hand over the offending mark, evidence of a kiss Caleb had given her the night before. She should have put on a bloody scarf.
“No. It’s a mosquito bite. Hey, did you see this one?” Reaching out, she flicked over the glossy pages of the calendar, opening it up to the shot of Caleb, crouching in the rain.
“Oh my God…” Christie sighed, nicely distracted. “Yeah, that one’s awesome.”
“Amen, sister,” Marisa said, also sighing.
“But this….” Christie flicked over some more pages. “This one is my favorite.”
It was the one of Joseph lounging at his desk talking on the phone, the red ball in mid-flight. The look on his face was tender and full of amusement. Judith was particularly proud of that one. Especially considering how awkward that day had been.
“Yes, I like that one,” Judith said. “That’s how he looks when he talks to you, Chris.”
Christie blushed, a smile curving her mouth. “Awww…”
“Hey, can I have that?” Marisa grabbed the calendar off the table and began leafing through it. She leaned back on her seat, apparently having found the page she was after. “So what was Joseph offering again for the auction?”
“A six-month business mentorship,” Judith replied.
“Oh.” Marisa looked down at the calendar again. “And Luke here is apparently offering some kind of investment type thingy.”
Christie gave her friend a well-aimed poke in the ribs. “Oooh, you after some financial advice, Mar?”
Marisa gave her an annoyed look. “Yeah, what’s wrong with that? I’m terrible with money.”
“Well you better start saving, then,” Judith commented. “Apparently he’s going to be a hot ticket item.”
A crease appeared between Marisa’s brows as she looked down at what was probably the picture of Luke. She said nothing for a long moment. Then, letting out an audible breath, she abruptly leafed through the calendar again. “So what about Caleb? I thought his date offer would be the hot ticket item?”
And it was. A date with Caleb Steele was the hottest ticket in the auction, a fact that Judith particularly hated. “He should have offered his rugby skills,” she muttered. “Like a training session or something. Not a stupid date.”
“Good point,” Marisa said. “Why didn’t he, then? Perhaps a date would have brought in more money than a training session?”
Christie nodded. “I asked Joe the same thing and he said that Caleb’s thinking was women would pay more for a date.”
Judith stared down at her drink, an uneasy feeling sitting in the pit of her stomach. What would the date entail? Dinner and drinks? What if the woman was beautiful? Would it be
come something more? And what would that mean for their hot affair?
Nothing probably. Caleb wouldn’t do the dirty on her, she was sure of it. And it was for charity anyway. Okay so no, they hadn’t talked more about where their secret relationship was going, but he’d shown no sign of pulling away or wanting it to end. She was overreacting.
The uneasiness didn’t go away, though. Of course she could bid on him herself, but the problem with that was she didn’t have a lot of spare cash since most of it was tied up in her business. Not that she could afford him even if it wasn’t. His auction was going to go for thousands, she just knew it.
“Well, God knows, I’d pay all my retirement fund—if I had a retirement fund—for a date with Caleb Steele,” Marisa said, grinning. “Who wouldn’t?”
“No.” The word was flat and abrupt and final.
Christie and Marisa stared at Judith in surprise.
Oh damn. Had she said that out loud? Apparently she had.
She felt her face go hot. “I mean, a date is just stupid, isn’t it? He’s a fantastic rugby player. Lots of people would give their eye-teeth for a session with him. I don’t know why having a date is so bloody…” Judith stopped herself, snapping her mouth shut on the grumpy words before anything else could get out.
The other two were continuing to stare at her as if she’d suddenly turned into a Martian.
“I’m just saying, Caleb has other skills,” she said, trying to sound casual.
“I bet he does,” Marisa observed, a glint in her eye.
Judith glared at her. “Not those kind of skills.”
“Uh-huh,” Christie said slowly. “I think we got it.”
Marisa narrowed her blue eyes. “You seem to care about that an awful lot.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Judith felt herself going on the defensive. “Everyone else is offering their expertise and yet Caleb’s just offering a date. It’s like he’s…selling himself short.”
Marisa put the calendar on the table. “It’s for charity, Jude. Does it matter what he’s selling if it gets lots of cash?”
Talking Dirty With the Player Page 14
