Gold Shimmer

by P. T. Michelle

  When someone touches the exposed skin on my right shoulder, true fear jumps to my throat. Was Celeste right about a stalker? I gasp and try to jerk away, but my attacker clamps a firm hand on my shoulder and steps behind me. I try to pry his hand loose, but the man’s hold only tightens, locking me in place.

  “Calm down. It’s just me.”

  Calder’s voice instantly halts my flight, but not my thudding heart. It races even more as I let go of his fingers. “You scared the crap out of me.” I can’t really turn with him holding me in place, so I press my hand to my chest and inhale through my nose, trying to calm myself down.

  “You’re safe,” he says in an even tone. “I have questions.”

  “My father can answer—”

  “But right now I want to know one thing…” Moving closer, his voice’s deep timbre rumbles against my back.

  While my heart thumps double-time, the warm sensation of his thumb sliding along my exposed skin brings tears of regret to my eyes. I quickly blink them away. “What?” I ask, trying hard not to let him hear the tension in my voice.

  Easing back, he runs two fingers from my shoulder to my spine. Trailing his fingers down the center of my back, he says in a low tone, “Do you still want what’s between us?”

  I wish he were asking me that and not Celeste. Celeste sounded like she couldn’t keep her hands off him, but I want so much more. I don’t even know how to begin to answer his question.

  His fingers slow to a sensual crawl along my skin. “I want the truth. I can’t take another fucking lie in my life right now.”

  What is he talking about? What have you been doing since you got back to New York? My own questions derail when he reaches the bottom of the vee at my lower back.

  Leaning close, his lips touch my ear. “Are the chill bumps from me touching you or because you’re cold?”

  My stomach tumbles and my legs feel like they’ll stop holding me up at any moment. I swallow and answer honestly. “I’m not cold, Calder.”

  Calder touches my zipper, then presses a kiss to my shoulder right where he bit me that night. “Will you let me touch you?”

  My insides tighten. “You aren’t already?”

  He slides his fingers down the left side of my neck, then shifts them forward to rest against the hollow of my throat. Massaging along the back of my neck with his thumb, his voice hardens. “Not in the way I want to.”

  Is he doing some kind of sexy role-playing with Celeste? He never asked permission to touch me that night. He assumed…no, he demanded that I give us a chance.

  “Answer me,” he orders, sounding so much more like the Calder I remember. When his fingers flex against my throat, my body instantly responds to the edgy tension in his hold. The gruff command in his voice chips away at my resolve to keep my distance.

  But he’s not yours, Cass. He’s Celeste’s. I chant this over and over in my head as he traces his lips down the side of my neck. When he slips a hand inside the open back of my dress and folds his fingers possessively around my ribcage, my brain stutters. All I can focus on is the intense desire making me throb so hard my stomach knots.

  “I’m waiting.”

  Hearing his seductive deep baritone rips a hole in my heart. I want to feel him touching me like that again so much. But this is wrong. He thinks he’s with Celeste. I’m the person he wants, damn it! Or I was. My emotions swing wildly, making it hard to think of the right response.

  “One thing you’d better learn about me, angel. Don’t hesitate.” Before I can say anything, he yanks down on my zipper and then slides his hands inside my dress and up along my ribcage. But instead of instantly clasping my breasts the way I expect him too, he barely touches the flat of his palms to the tips of my nipples. “Hesitation makes me think you aren’t sure about us.”

  He says the last with such a cold tone, I start to tell him he couldn’t be more wrong, but then he begins to move his palms in a slow sensuous circle along my nipples. Teasing, torturing…tantalizing. Brushing his lips against my earlobe, his voice amps up the enticing current running over my skin. “Have you ever been turned inside out with want?”

  Only once. Tightness pulls at my core with each rotation his hands make. The slight drag and brush against me is putting my nerves on high alert. I swallow back a moan and counter his question. “Have you?”

  His knowing chuckle vibrates along my nerve endings. The sensation rushes through my body, igniting prickly heat where his palms connect with my nipples. “I’m going to own every breath you take. Every gasp and moan. Every shudder you experience will come from me.”

  The combination of his sexy promise heating me from the inside, while cool air blows across my skin is so arousing, I bite my lip to keep from whimpering. I know I should, but I don’t stop him from pressing fully against my back. I can’t decide what excites me more: his confidence that he can actually control my responses, or the fact I want him to be incredibly freaking successful. Then again, he probably always got Celeste off without much effort. That sudden thought sends a jolt of jealousy shooting through me, yanking me back to reality.

  Damn, he’s got me so caught up, I’m freaking panting and trying to lean into his hands. I know I’m only deluding myself with wishful imaginings about us.

  I take a breath and tuck all my rioting emotions back behind the persona I’m supposed to be playing tonight—the platonic host. As I try to detach my emotions, I feel twitchy and ready to snap, like a live wire forced to ground itself. I don’t like that he didn’t answer my question, nor do I like that he’s acting completely unaffected. But that’s probably for the best.

  “No one owns my responses but me,” I say at the same time I start to push his hands away from my breasts.

  Before I can connect, Calder grips my breasts in a tight, dominant hold and hauls me fully against him, rasping against my neck, “Am I going to have to fuck you right here in the middle of this garden just to prove you wrong?”

  Yes! While my mind screams for me to answer him, I press my lips together, but I don’t seem to have control over the rest of my body. My fingers slide into his thick hair and crush the soft strands. Tugging hard, I pull him close.

  “Celeste, are you out here?” a man’s voice sounds from somewhere close inside the maze.

  Once Calder quickly zips my dress back up, I call out lightly, “I’m in the center by the fountain.”

  A few seconds later Phillip emerges from the maze. “There you are.” He doesn’t even glance at Calder as he continues, “Your father asked me to find you since he had to take your mother up to her room. He’ll be making an announcement soon.”

  “I came out here looking for Father so he could meet Calder.”

  Phillip sizes Calder up with one look. “So…a Blake working as a bodyguard. I’m sure your family is thrilled.”

  I glare at Phillip. “That was unnecessary—”

  “I haven’t made any decisions in that regard,” Calder cuts in, his voice tight. “I came tonight as Celeste’s guest.”

  “The Carvers have been well-guarded for years.” Phillip says dismissively to Calder, but then turns his hazel gaze my way. “I don’t see the point of disrupting a security team that works.”

  “Celeste’s security guard was smoking outside when I came in. In doing so, he’s leaving his charge vulnerable. That puts the Carvers at risk. Even those close to them could become collateral damage.” Calder holds a steady gaze on Phillip. “Like you.”

  Annoyance flashes in Phillip’s eyes before he clears his throat. “The last thing Gregory needs right now is change. Any kind of change.” He turns to me. “You need to consider that with your request, Celeste. Exposing your family to strangers who aren’t familiar with the dynamics could bring more harm than good. I’ll speak to your father about Marco’s smoke breaks.”

  I straighten to my full height. “I’m perfectly capable of addressing my own issues with my father, Phillip. Now if you’ll excuse us, we should get back so I can i
ntroduce Calder.”

  We start to walk away when Phillip says, “Beth is waiting to introduce you to Gregory, Mr. Blake. Celeste will join you in a minute. I need to discuss some Carver business with her.”

  Panic grips me. I know nothing about Carver Enterprises. I wave him off. “It’s a party. This can wait until tomorrow.” When Celeste is here to deal with you overbearing jerks. Who knew her life was controlled so heavily. In high school she came across as the controlling one.

  “No, it can’t, Celeste. This matter needs your attention now.”

  Trying not to look annoyed, I smile at Calder. “Go on. I’ll join you and my father in just a minute.”

  A muscle jumps in his jaw as he glances at Phillip. “Are you sure?”

  I nod. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Phillip doesn’t speak until he hears Calder enter the house. “What the hell are you doing out here with him? You should be inside working to gain more supporters.”

  His tone completely shifts from concerned business colleague and family friend to authoritarian. I’m so shocked by the change I just stare at him. “I thought you wanted to discuss Carver business.”

  His face darkens. “This is business. Your father has no plans to hire him. I know that for a fact, so get the idea out of your head and don’t bring him around here any more.”

  I jerk my chin up, my gaze challenging him. “I will invite whomever I want to my own home, Phillip. You’re way overstepping.”

  “I’m overstepping?” The irritation in his expression shifts, then he jerks his chin toward the house, a knowing smirk tilting his lips. “He doesn’t know, does he?”

  “Doesn’t know what?” I snap, narrowing my gaze.

  When Phillip lets out a low laugh, I roll my eyes and start to leave, but he grabs my arm in a tight hold and pulls me back to face him, his tone turning cold. “You belong to the Carver dynasty, Celeste. Don’t go getting any other ideas. Your father will be making an announcement in five minutes. Get in there and show your respect and support.”

  He talks like the Carver name is a living, breathing entity that he has a vested interest in. Then again, maybe he’s a business partner too. Regardless, none of that gives him a right to talk to Celeste like he is. I breathe in and out of my nose a couple of times to rein my temper in. “Let go of me,” I grit out and jerk free of his hold.

  He stares at me as if surprised that I dared to challenge him. Before I say something Celeste might have to pay for later, I turn and walk away.

  What was that all about? There are some major undercurrents going on here that Celeste didn’t clue me in on. I want so badly to text her about Phillip’s bossy behavior—he lords authority over her more than her own father does—but I can’t take the time. I need to be in there with her father and Calder. I promised I would try to help smooth the way.

  When I walk in, I pause at the sight of Jake by the bar. With a drink in hand, he catches my eye and smiles. Before he can walk in my direction, I shake off the sudden tension and shift my gaze away, heading straight for my father and Calder talking on the other side of the room.

  I reach Calder’s side just as Gregory says, “SEAL training isn’t the same as being in personal security, Mr. Blake. You’ll be following her shopping, eating out, and going to clubs.” Celeste’s father highlights the frivolous parts of Celeste’s life as he cuts his gaze to me. “But for whatever reason my daughter has gotten it in her head that you’ll make a better bodyguard than Marco.”

  Marco, who’s standing fifteen feet away in the corner of the room, perks up upon hearing his name. When he narrows his gaze on me, I barely resist the urge to flip him off. Asshole.

  Calder folds his hands behind his back and nods. “I haven’t agreed to take on the role, but for Celeste’s sake, I’ve done a cursory evaluation and have already discovered ways that your daughter’s security can be improved.”

  “Excellent!” Gregory claps Calder on the shoulder, smiling. “Please convey these to Marco. You’ll be paid well for your consulting services, Mr. Blake.”

  My mouth drops open. “Could you be any more insulting?”

  Calder glances my way, his expression impassive. “Your father doesn’t share your views on necessary personnel changes to improve security.”

  “That’s not what I said,” Gregory blusters. “Of course my daughter’s safety is incredibly important, but so is a team that works like a well-oiled machine. I don’t want to dismantle that.”

  I’m so frustrated and angry it’s hard to maintain an even tone. “Even if it means better security overall? This makes no sense to me.”

  Gregory looks at his watch, then puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes lightly. “We’ll discuss it later, Celeste. For now I need you to come with me. People are waiting.”

  Somewhat appeased that he said he’ll discuss it further, I cast an apologetic gaze to Calder and follow Celeste’s dad. My steps slow as we approach the Hemming family standing in the entryway. I instantly look at Beth next to Jake and Ben and then the guys’ parents.

  Just as I raise my eyebrows in a “what’s going on” question at Beth, she moves to give us space. Gregory falls in line beside Beth. When he turns to face the room, I slide into line next to Ben. Why didn’t Celeste mention this part of the event? With anxious anticipation knotting my stomach, I keep my gaze on Celeste’s dad while Phillip raises his voice above the crowd.

  “Can we have everyone’s attention please? Gregory has an important announcement to make.”

  Celeste’s father raises his hands to get the people to settle down. Once everyone turns to face us, Gregory says, “As you know, I invited you here to garner your support for my campaign, but there’s also another reason our friends and colleagues are gathered here tonight. “I’m pleased to announce the merger of the Carvers and the Hemmings’ families through my daughter’s engagement to Phillip’s son.”

  I turn wide eyes to Beth, shocked that she didn’t mention she was getting engaged. When she gives me a “what?” look, I shift my gaze away. It’s bad enough that she just saw surprise on my face; If it’s Jake, I don’t want her to see the worried concern reflected in my eyes.

  Gregory is droning on, happily soaking up the moment. “Phillip and I have been neighbors and close friends for nineteen years, and we couldn’t be happier that our children are going to marry and officially make us a true family. Congratulations to Ben and Celeste!”

  As I jerk my attention to Gregory’s face, Ben slips his hand around mine. Folding our fingers together, he whispers in my ear to be heard over the hoots of congratulations and clapping. “Mrs. Ben Hemming. How does that sound? I promise to give you a massive diamond tomorrow. My dad was adamant we announce it today.”

  It’s so hard not to immediately jerk my hand free. Ben seems like a nice guy, but this is the strangest engagement announcement. Why didn’t he say something to me about it earlier? He didn’t even hint at it. And why didn’t Celeste warn me?

  All I want to do is bolt, but I can’t. This is a freaking nightmare. The idea of being Jake’s sister-in-law, even a fake one for an evening, is too much for me. As nausea quickens in my belly, I force a smile as the ladies approach to congratulate us. The moment they walk away, I stiffen when Jake moves behind us and throws his arms over Ben and my shoulders.

  “Well, isn’t this just nice and cozy? I didn’t think you had the balls, bro.”

  The blatant anger and sarcasm in his voice is only for our ears, but I don’t miss the wince in Ben’s expression when his brother tightens his arm hold on his neck. I don’t want Jake touching me at all. Resisting the urge to punch him where it counts, I jam my elbow in his rib and say lightly, “Nice and tactful, Jake.” The only reason I’m able to keep a pleasant look on my face is because Jake’s obviously pissed.

  I’m still going to kill Celeste for not warning me about this. But as much as Jake leaning close and whispering in my ear, “You have no idea just how nasty I can be, Celeste,” freak
s me out, my mind fixates on the most important question to come from this announcement—what the hell was Celeste doing messing around with Calder if she knew she was getting engaged to Ben?

  Calder!

  My gaze shifts to where I left him before I had to walk to the front of the room. He’s not there. I murmur my thanks to the few more people who approach to offer congrats to Ben and me, while furtively scanning the room for Calder’s broad shoulders. I can’t find him anywhere. He probably left. I don’t blame him; I wouldn’t stick around. I clench my hand into a fist knowing today was probably the last time I’ll ever see him.

  My stomach twists with so much fury and regret that I shove Jake’s arm off my shoulder without a second thought as to who might see.

  Shrugging free of his brother’s hold, Ben glares at Jake and reaches for my hand once more. “Ignore whatever he said.”

  “She knows she picked the wrong brother,” Jake sneers in a smug tone.

  “I—I need to go to the bathroom.” I pull from Ben’s grasp and quickly walk toward the foyer, heading straight for the bathroom.

  What kind of person invites the man she’s sleeping with to her house to watch her get engaged to another guy? Did Calder know he was just a friend-with-benefits? What twisted mind-fuck trip is Celeste on?

  I pull the phone Celeste gave me out of my purse, and my hands shake as I fumble through typing a text.

  Me: I just got blindsided with an engagement announcement. It’s bad enough that I’m having to pretend not to be shocked by this, but how the hell could you do that to Calder? Call me immediately or I’m going to walk back in there and blow your precious cover.

  “You can’t tell them, Cass! Please. I promise that I didn’t know they were going to announce the engagement tonight.”

  I lock the bathroom door behind me. Holding the phone tight, I rock my jaw back and forth so I don’t scream at her. “Yet you think it’s okay to lead Calder on like that? What happened to, ‘he was the best thing that ever happened to you lately’?”