His lips lift in a definite smirk. “I’ll admit you’ve surprised me tonight, which doesn’t happen often. I’m fascinated. As for me being a master puzzler…” He pulls me even closer. “Why don’t you let me know once I’ve thoroughly and completely solved you.”
My lower muscles clench. This man takes verbal foreplay to a whole new level. While my body zings to life, I know his shrewdness doesn’t bode well for my incognito status. He obviously knows of Celeste, but he doesn’t really know her. That means I haven’t been playing her well enough, which could become a problem. She might be a bitch, but at least she’s whole. I look and sound fine on the surface, but my insides are all broken. The last thing I need is for him or anyone else to figure out I’m not her.
Just as I push on his chest so I can rein myself in, I catch quick movement out of the corner of my eye.
Talia is hurriedly weaving through the crowd. The way she’s pressing her lips together tells me something’s up. When I see she’s also caught Gavin’s attention and he starts to quickly cut through the partiers, worry rises. I turn away, mumbling, “I think Scarlett needs me.”
I don’t get more than two steps before Mr. Navy captures my arm. His chest brushes against my back as he says in a low tone, “Watch. This should be good.”
The second Gavin steps into place, hot on Talia’s trail, the hooded guy who’d been dancing with her earlier grabs Gavin’s shoulder from behind. Despite the people all around him, Gavin quickly jerks back, fist flying. The hooded guy captures Gavin’s swing as if it were a foam bullet. Holding onto Gavin’s fist, he says something in a low voice.
Mr. Navy’s laugh rumbles in my ear. “If Bash’s getting involved, then your friend Scarlett must’ve made quite the impression.”
Whatever that Bash guy says works, because Gavin jerks free of Bash’s hold, then tugs on his custom suit’s lapels and walks away. All of this happens in seconds, so I scan to find Talia and keep my gaze focused on her until Bash catches up with her. When I see her nod and let him lead her out of the crowd, I exhale a sigh of relief. I know Gavin was her biggest worry tonight, and after that showdown with Bash, I doubt he’ll focus on her again.
“Well, that was impressive,” I say in a light tone. “Your friend has some skills.”
“Yeah, he can hold his own. The guy grew up rough and doesn’t take shit from anyone. He taught me a few fighting tricks even the military hasn’t imparted. The streets are definitely a different kind of survival.”
The last was said with amused affection and respect. I glance over my shoulder and meet his gaze. “You two sound close.”
“Since we were teens. He always gives it to me straight, no lies, no bullshit. Other than my father, he’s the only person I can say that about. Actually, he’s the reason I joined the military.” He smirks as he trails his fingers down a curl in my hair, stopping to wind the end around his finger. “Claimed it would be a more positive use of my skills.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what his skills are—I’m dying to know—but then I notice the attentiveness in his touch and realize I’m acting entirely too interested and curious…more like me and not Celeste. This guy makes it too hard to pretend to be completely self-absorbed. Despite his poor taste in someone like Celeste, I don’t like deceiving him. It feels wrong. I need to shift my focus back to Damien. He’s much easier to keep up a superficial persona with.
I push my hair over my shoulder, swiping the curl from his finger. “What’s your real name, Mr. Navy?”
His smile fades. For a second, I think he’s not going to answer, but when he does his voice is tight. “Calder.”
By his reaction, apparently Celeste knows him, and he assumed she knew but was playing coy. Ugh, I feel like shit for adding to his baggage, but sadly, not remembering meeting him in the past—because a sailor wouldn’t rate high enough in her upper-tier social network—is exactly something Celeste would do.
I nod and force a smile to smother my guilt. “Thanks for the dance, Calder. Be safe when you ship out next week. I really should find Damien now. He’s probably wondering what happened to me.”
It’s hard not to wince when I hear him mutter, “What the fuck…” as I walk away. But he really doesn’t need the fucked up real me in his life either. I’m actually doing him a favor. Instead of turning back and apologizing, I walk through the frenzied crowd of dancers. While I scan for Damien’s dark head and black cape near the bar, a loud crack of thunder rumbles outside, reflecting my suddenly tanked mood.
Being a royal bitch sucks. I didn’t think it was possible to dislike Celeste even more. At this moment, I despise her.
“Celeste!”
I’m knocked sideways just as I reach the edge of the dance floor as the blonde girl from earlier, Jordan, bumps shoulders with me, a wide grin on her face. My stomach drops at the familiar smell of a spicy cologne clinging to her. The scent elicits such a revolting response, I instantly take a step back
“Hey, girl,” she slurs loudly to be heard over the music. “I ran into Jake a few minutes ago. He’s looking for you.” Glancing up, she nods toward the bar area. “Saw him up there getting a drink. And now I’m off to the bathroom.”
My chest cinches when I follow her line of sight. Just then Jake’s dirty blond head swivelstoward us. Dressed as a gladiator, his eyes light up as they land on me. He must’ve heard her say his name. As Jake quickly speaks to his buddies, I try to grab onto Jordan’s arm, but she’s moving too fast and is swallowed in the crowd once more.
That moment I thought I could handle, the one where I face down the demon that I’ve slayed in my mind a million times before has come. As Jake heads toward the dance area, his blond head bent as he takes the first step down leading to the dance floor, my instinct is to run, but it’s like my heels are welded to the floor. Everyone slows down around me, the sound fading to a heavy bass thump in the background.
What I wouldn’t give to be smashed in the middle of the dancing partiers right now, hidden among their colorful costumes and gyrating bodies. I wouldn’t even mind all their sweat.
Instead, I’m on the edge of the crowd, like a lone calf ready to be culled from the group. To be taken down. I swallow several times, hoping to at least bring the boisterous din in the room back. My ears only pop with a high-pitched sound. I’ve never felt more alone and vulnerable than I do at this moment. Well, except for the last time I talked to Jake Hemming.
Just when I think there might be someone who doesn’t give a fuck about the Blake family name, I’m proven wrong yet again. Only this time, instead of my connection to one of the richest families in the country giving me the upper hand, I’m still not good enough.
As I watch Celeste make her way across the dance floor, my brain stutters. Wait…so she knows that I’m in the Navy and doesn’t bat a lash, but does she know I’m a Blake? I rack my brain trying to remember if I was introduced to her for the first time a couple years ago as a member of the family or just Calder. If she does know I’m a Blake, the sudden shift in her attitude just now makes even less sense.
I pull my hat off and rake my hand through my hair, then tug it back on my head, working my jaw in frustration. How screwed up am I that I’m actually thinking of telling her I am a Blake in the hopes she’ll return to the interesting person she was less than a minute ago?
That’s one thing I’ve never done—used my family name to get something I want. It’s a move I’m vehemently against. Over the years I’ve learned to never mention my last name, especially when I first meet people. Yeah, I’m testing them, but I don’t give a damn. I want any relationships I have—professional or personal—to be real and not because of my last name.
But tonight…Celeste was like two different people. Warm and interesting one minute, disconnected and cold the next. She’s hot, no doubt; it’s hard not to notice that about her. But I’ve never been attracted to her at such a base level before. Even now, I’m unable to keep my gaze from following her every moveme
nt. The way she moves as she looks around, her gorgeous neck and the curve of her shoulder begging to be kissed. Bitten. Fuck, I want to walk up behind her and sink my teeth into her soft flesh, to lock her to me until she realizes I’m the only one she should be focused on.
I’d blame my sudden attraction on alcohol, except I’m sober as hell. I really can’t put my finger on why I couldn’t stop staring at her the moment she walked in with that Scarlett girl. All I can think about is how good her soft curves felt against me, and how much I fucking loved the way she smelled, like an exotic summer breeze. Why is my brain ignoring the fact she stone-cold shut me down?
Because you want her, you sick bastard.
Where is it written that I need to like the girl I want to fuck?
Nowhere. The difference is…this one made me like her.
And then she ripped it away. It’s like she did it on purpose.
Why?
I haven’t wanted someone with such primal intensity since…
Ever.
I heard her breath hitch when my hand touched hers. I saw her gorgeous light brown eyes dilate when I tugged her against me on the dance floor. I’ve never had raw chemistry put me on edge before, and the fact it flared between us wasn’t my goddamn imagination.
Fuck it!
Celeste Carver is a walking contradiction. She’s not getting off that easy. Setting my jaw, I start across the room.
Someone steps up behind me, his voice a low, angry grate in my ear. “If you’re going to tell me to fuck off, I want you to say it to my face.” The sound of Calder’s deep voice ramps my pulse, but his icy words twist the knots tighter in my stomach. “I want the truth, Celeste.”
When a guy stops Jake to say something to him, I’m finally able to tear my gaze away. Exhaling my relief, I turn to Calder, my voice a desperate rasp. “Dance with me.”
He captures my wrists in a tense hold, his jaw turning to stone as he scans my face. “Don’t play games with me.”
I swallow and quickly shake my head. “I’m not.”
Pressing his thumbs against my pulse through my cuffs, the anger in his expression thaws and his brow furrows. “What is it?”
Calder’s suddenly alert stance reflects natural, protective instincts. My heart twists, making me wish we’d met under different circumstances. Just as I hear Jake’s voice call out, “Hey, Celeste,” I tug free of Calder’s hold and push him back into the crush of partiers on the dance floor. “What are you waiting for?” I say, my voice pitching higher as I force a light tone.
A slow song starts up, and the crowd pairs off around us. Instead of wrapping his arms around me, Calder captures my jaw to keep me from avoiding his gaze. He stares into my eyes, his own full of questions. What the hell is going on? You’re not telling me something. What was that earlier on the dance floor? Why did you walk away?
I wrap my arms around his neck and press against his hard frame, trying to keep the trembling inside me from surfacing. “I’m sorry I was shitty to you. I have no excuse.”
When he lowers his hands to my waist, tensing against me, I’m surprised by how much the thought that he might push me away yanks at my heart. I tighten my hold on him. “That’s the truth, Calder. I promise.”
Calder reaches up and pulls one of my hands down from his neck. Holding the back of my hand against his chest, he massages my palm, his steady gaze searching mine. “Tell me that the attraction is real, Celeste. Tell me that I didn’t fucking imagine it.”
Hearing Celeste’s name, I close my eyes. I’m falling deeper into this web of lies, but I don’t know how to get out of it. Not right now. And with Calder’s arm surrounding me as we slowly turn on the dance floor, his warm fingers sliding along my palm, God help me, but I don’t want to. In this moment, I envy Celeste’s life. She doesn’t have a Jake haunting her past. Even better, she has Calder right here in her present.
“Tell me the truth.”
The deep baritone in his voice goes all the way to my knees. I force my eyes open and meet his gaze. I can’t lie to him. I don’t know why, because I constantly lie to guys; I’ve lied to every person I’ve been with. But with him staring at me so intensely, I just can’t. “You didn’t imagine it, Calder,” I breathe out.
He hooks his finger on my chin, his green gaze mesmerizing me. “Why does my name sound like a moan whenever you say it? That’s all I hear, and it’s so damn arousing.”
Every word out of his mouth is freaking provocative. I inhale slowly to keep my breathing even and answer lightly, “Wishful thoughts perhaps?”
Dipping his head, he rasps in my ear, “Not wishes, these are very much carnal intentions. I want to hear you saying my name over and over, to feel your desperate need while you beg me to let you come. I’m going to soak up every syllable, every glorious, breathy gasp as you fly apart.”
Panic seizes my chest, but I rein it in and pull back, smirking. All I need to do is diffuse the situation and direct his thoughts elsewhere. “You’re incredibly confident.” My sarcasm has a sharper edge than I intend, but it’s enough to stiffen his shoulders and narrow his gaze.
He stops dancing and folds his arms at the base of my spine. “Are you challenging me?”
I shrug and slide my arm around his neck once more. “Lots of guys think they’re great in the sack, but it turns out…most aren’t.”
A dark scowl creases his forehead, his hold tightening around me. “How many are we talking about?”
“Do girls count too?”
As surprise scrolls across his face, I push up on my toes and squeeze his neck lightly, whispering in his ear, “If you expect numbers from me, you’ll have to share yours too. Why do I have a feeling ours will be vastly different?”
He grunts and locks me to him as he begins to dance once more. “You won’t find any men on my list.”
Despite my nerves winding me up, making me feel like I’m about to snap, I snicker and let Calder move us to the slow beat. I’m determined not to look back toward Jake. I don’t want a reminder that he’s in the same room. I want to pretend he’s not here. To go back to the confident girl who walked into this party. To be Celeste.
But when I allow myself to fully relax against Calder, his hard, muscular frame molding to my soft curves as we sway to the sensual music, I only want to be Cass with him.
I’m thankful Calder seems content to dance and not drill me with questions. I don’t want to have to explain my change of heart to him. And really, it’s not like it was a change. As Calder tucks my smaller body fully against his tall bulk, the pressure and warmth of his hands heating my skin through the thin silky material of my costume’s fitted top makes my insides tingle. I rest my head against his shoulder and settle into a dancing rhythm with him that feels right, despite tonight’s craziness. In the circle of his strong arms, I feel protected, like nothing and no one can intrude on this perfect moment.
I lift my head when Damien suddenly appears and taps Calder on the shoulder, his gaze drilling into him. “Turns out there wasn’t a problem with the beer taps, but I had to handle something anyway, so thanks for keeping Celeste company. I’ll take over now.”
Calder’s shoulders tense under my arms and he shakes his head. “Sorry, Damien. She’s staying right where she is.”
Damien’s mouth tenses and his mask-framed gaze narrows on Calder. “Are you trying to make sure you don’t get invited to the next party?”
“I really don’t give a damn.” Calder shrugs, his tone blasé. “I might see you in a year or two. Might not.”
While my heart jerks at his flippant reference to his upcoming deployment, Damien visibly stiffens. “What the hell is it with you two always causing trouble?”
Two? Ah, he must be referring to Bash, considering his earlier confrontation with Gavin. I put my hand on Damien’s arm to diffuse some of his anger. “I’m sorry, Damien. I really don’t think I would’ve lived up to your expectations anyway.” He has no idea how true that statement is.
Befo
re I can pull away, Damien captures my hand and turns it over to kiss my palm. Raising his dark eyes to mine, he says, “I have a feeling you’ll fulfill many. We can pick up where we left off…” He pauses and cuts a smirk Calder’s way. “Once he runs off to save the world.”
Calder’s hands cinch on my waist. “Walk away, Damien, before you can’t.”
I’m surprised when Damien just laughs at his curt tone, then slides his gaze to me. “Don’t feel sorry for him, Celeste. He’s too damn stubborn to get killed.”
Shaking my head once Damien walks off, I mutter, “I can’t figure guys out. At least girls react normally to each other when they’re pissed—bitchy with claws bared.”
Calder’s bark of laughter is cut off by a loud rumble of thunder rolling through the room. It shudders the walls as if perfectly timed to introduce the house music starting up. When the music level jacks even higher, the crowd goes wild around us, people raising their arms and jumping to the crazy beat. While the gathering storm amps their excitement further, they cheer even louder when a loud clap reverberates and lightning illuminates black clouds in the sky outside.
I hold on tighter to Calder so I don’t get knocked over and laugh at the people acting like nuts. At the same time the power flickers, sending the group into further frenzy, my gaze locks with Jake’s dark eyes. He’s watching me from the edge of the crowd, lust, jealousy, and sheer want evident in his gaze.
I swallow and force myself not to look away, cringe, or shudder at his steady regard. I’m not Cass. I’m Celeste who has always given him the brush off. Taking a page from Celeste’s book, I keep my expression impassive. Once I slowly slide my attention back to my dance partner, the sight of Calder watching me so intently sets my heart racing.
We’re suddenly jostled when a guy spinning a girl around bumps us. The second they hit, she squeals and her champagne sloshes across my hand on Calder’s shoulder.
“Shit! I’m sorry, man.” The reaper guy turns, eyeing Calder’s wet jacket.
Gold Shimmer Page 3
