I try, but I’m unable to hide my smirk. “Yeah, I have a whirlpool tub and spa shower. I love my tub, I can lay in there and work, read or watch TV until I shrivel up. If I could live in there, I would.”
“Sounds amazing, I seriously might have to take you up on that offer now. For experimental reasons of course, see how the other half live,” she says, pretending to be uninterested.
“It’s okay, I’ll stick to your story,” I say as she furrows her brow. “We wouldn’t want anyone thinking you wanted to try my bath for the fun of it.”
“T-that’s not what I meant,” she stammers.
“It’s big enough for two, maybe we could try it together? We’d have to be naked to get the full effect of the spa bath, for experimental reasons of course.” I tease and watch that cute pink blush creep in again, she shuffles in her seat and remains silent for the rest of the journey.
When we arrive at Taberna Del Alabardero, I help SJ out of the limo and hook her arm through mine. This is the bit I like, seeing this restaurant through someone else’s eyes for the first time. I remember walking in and nearly tripping over my feet when I first dined here. It’s like walking into the Spanish royal palace with the rich colors, the attention to detail in all the wood carvings, and the gold accents. SJ’s reaction isn’t exactly what I thought I’d see—she’s fidgety and looks uncomfortable.
“Mr. Slate, it’s good to see you again.” The maitre d’ grins widely. “Your table is ready, if you’d please follow me.”
I pull the chair out for SJ, she sits hesitantly with a tight smile as I tuck her back in under the table. I seat myself and take the dinner and wine menus from the waiter.
“What would you like to drink?” I ask her. She scans both menus before meeting my eyes. I’m not prepared for what I see. “What’s the matter?”
“There’s no prices,” she whispers and diverts her eyes away.
“A place like this doesn’t put pricing on their menus,” I say, matching her whisper. “It’s okay, you can order whatever you want.”
She nods and looks over the menu again. “I don’t know what any of this is.”
“Would you like me to order for you?” I ask and place my hand on top of hers resting on the table. Giving me a small but vulnerable smile, she nods.
“Can I still have paella please?”
“We’ll have a bottle of the 2000 Louis Roederer Cristal and two bottles of sparkling water, please,” I ask the waiter.
“Very good, sir. Are you ready to order?” he asks.
“Yes, we’ll start with Foie Gras mi-cuit, green apple puree and toast for both of us please. Then I’ll have the Swordfish brochette over garlic fries, tomato, and chicory.”
“And for the lady?” the waiter cuts in.
“SJ, do you like seafood?” I ask and she nods. “She’ll have the squid ink paella with calamari and octopus.”
“Squid ink?” SJ asks when the waiter leaves.
“It’s beautiful, you’ll love it,” I answer. There’s silence for a moment and SJ begins fidgeting again. “I love this place,” I say to break the silence. “The first time I came here, I spent more time looking around than listening to my client.”
“It’s umm... overwhelming,” she replies and I can’t help but think she actually meant overstated.
The waiter returns with our wine. He pours a small amount into a glass and hands it to me to check it isn’t corked. I give him a nod of approval and he pours out two glasses, leaving two bottles of sparkling water on the table after we ask him to leave them unopened.
Our entree arrives and SJ begins fiddling again. “What’s the matter?”
When she looks up, her eyes are glassy. “I don’t know which fork to use,” she says as her lip trembles.
“It’s this one, with three tines,” I say and point to the fork. “The one with two tines is for the relish.”
“But there’s no relish,” she says.
“It’s the green apple puree,” I explain.
“Why didn’t you just say that?” she huffs.
“SJ,” I say firmly to get her attention. “You’re clearly uncomfortable, would you like to leave?”
“No, don’t be silly. You’ve gone to all this trouble with the dress and reservation, it would be a waste,” she answers.
“Answer me honestly, do you really want to be here?”
She wrings her hands and chews her lip, eventually answering. “No, I don’t.”
“Then get up and we’ll leave,” I say and pull her chair out.
“What the..?” she starts but I move her quickly through the restaurant, stopping at the maître d’ handing him a stack of one hundred dollar bills for the meal and the inconvenience. “Caleb?”
I stop suddenly and turn to face her. “Will you come to my place?”
“I’m not sleeping with you,” she replies quickly.
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.” I smile and quirk a brow. When she doesn’t smile back, I frown. “Why would you think I would be inviting you over for that?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed,” she says a little contrite.
“Don’t apologize,” I say and sweep a lock of fallen hair behind her ear. “How do grilled cheese sandwiches and coffee sound?”
“A lot better than squid ink.” She laughs and the sound is mesmerizing. I am such a girl.
We climb into the waiting limo and head back to my place.
“You know, that’s one thing I never really understand,” I say randomly.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“The wine production,” I answer and her eyebrows go up. She is clearly confused or thinks I’m crazy. The little crease between her brows looks adorable and it takes all my will power to continue what I’m saying and not try to smooth it out. “When the waiter asks if I’d like to see the wine list, he may as well ask me if I want to see the book of gibberish.”
She chuckles and turns to face me. “Really? You looked so confident.”
“I was trying to impress you. In fact I was mostly searching for one I could pronounce,” I say and begin blushing myself. I need a cold shower and to man up.
She laughs out loud. “Are you being serious?” I nod. “Please don’t try to impress me Caleb, I’ve never felt so out of place in my life. I’d rather be on a comfy sofa, wearing sweats and a t-shirt, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and drinking coffee.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, I just wanted you to have a special night,” I say.
“Maybe you should have asked me what I classify as special then. Which, by the way, is what I just told you.” She smiles sweetly. “You know what I don’t get?”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Why they show you the wine for you to look at the label before serving it. If I order a burger, would they bring out the picture of the cow the beef came from?” she asks, trying to keep a serious face.
I laugh, I mean really laugh and she joins me. “You’re relaxing. I like you relaxed.”
“I don’t feel so uptight anymore.”
“Do I make you feel that way?” I ask.
She grimaces slightly. “Yes?” her answer was more of a question.
“I’m sorry,” I reply.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m just not used to the wealth and grandeur,” she says as she gestures a big circle with her hands.
“I’m the same as you. I’m human too. Money isn’t a coat of armor. I feel what you feel,” I ramble on and she chuckles again. The car slows as we turn on to my driveway. SJ’s eyes dart to the house. “This is my home.”
The car comes to a stop and the driver comes around to open the door. SJ moves slowly as she exits the limo.
“Wow,” she exclaims. “I’m not sure what I was expecting but, wow!”
I laugh lightly and take her hand. “It’s better inside.”
The first place I lead SJ is to the bedroom. I see the apprehension on her face. I move toward a dresser and start searchin
g through it, pulling out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. “These will probably drown you, but here you go. You can change in the bathroom. Feel free to check out the tub while you’re in there, you know, for experimental reasons.”
“You want me to put your clothes on?” She furrows her brow.
“You said your perfect evening was sitting on a comfy sofa in sweats and a t-shirt, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and drinking coffee.” I smile, watching her cheeks color and her eyes divert to the floor. “You go change in there. I’ll change out here and I’ll meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready.”
She leans forward hesitantly and takes the clothes, thanking me before she turns toward to bathroom. “Oh, Caleb, could you unzip me please?” she asks. Her cheeks turn even pinker if that’s possible.
“Sure,” I say and pull the zipper down slowly. Watching the skin on her back appear bit by bit is too much for my libido to handle. Get a grip, Cal. I let her go and turn around. “There you go.”
“Thank you. I’ll be out in a minute,” she says before I hear the door close and lock. I don’t hang around as I change and head to the kitchen, hoping to distract myself enough to get rid of this hard on before SJ comes out.
Chapter 7
I close the door behind me and gape at the space I’ve found myself in. He wasn’t joking, I’d want to live in my bathroom too if it looked like this. The room is tiled floor to ceiling, an LED TV sits embedded in the wall next to the bath and a sound system is clearly wired in around the room. Everything is sparkling, I feel like I should be wearing sunglasses and white cotton gloves. I can’t help but wonder if Caleb is germaphobic with the way you don’t need to touch anything to make it work, it’s all sensors. I kind of expected him to have a separate shower room but the shower is above the bath, the bath is big enough to be a room if the walls were higher. A glass door leads into the bath that I assume once it’s filled with water will stay closed. Oh how I would love to sink into the deep tub with the jets blasting, massaging my body and relaxing me. I really hope I get to use this tub at some point—for experimental purposes of course. Yeah right SJ, that isn’t what you were just thinking about using it for.
I change into the sweatpants Caleb gave me. He was right, they’re huge but I can tighten the draw string just enough so they don’t fall down. His t-shirt is just as big, but once it’s on I know I’ll have a hard time taking it off. It smells amazing. His masculine scent surrounds me and oddly enough, relaxes me.
I leave the bathroom and notice Caleb isn’t in the bedroom. I’m not sure if I’m disappointed or relieve to find he isn’t naked and waiting on the bed. I shake my head and laugh at myself. Since when did you become your mother?
I fold my dress neatly and place it on the bed along with my purse and place my heels on the floor. I open the bedroom door and try to remember my way back to the kitchen we walked through on our way to the bedroom. I pull my hair out of its ridiculously neat bun, letting it fall down my back before using the same hair band to pull it back up in a pony tail. On the last pull through, I bring the hair half way through the band to keep it all up and out of the way. I follow the smell of melted cheese and find Caleb at the stove, just about ready to take the sandwiches off the griddle.
“You were right,” he says. “You do suit sweats and t-shirt much better than a dress and heels.” His eyes roam over me, finally finding my eyes.
I blush profusely. “Thank you. Can I help?”
“Nope, it’s all done. I made us two each, if you can’t eat it all don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll finish it off.” He laughs.
“You must be mistaking me for one of those stick thin models you must date, the ones who will only eat a lettuce leaf for dinner. I could eat all four of these sandwiches,” I respond. I don’t miss him wince when I mention the models.
“I don’t date as much as you think I do, only when I need a plus one for company at social and business events. You’re my first real date in a very long time, SJ,” he explains.
I shuffle my feet and refuse to meet his eyes. My cheeks are burning from his compliment. He chuckles as he moves closer to me and then he lifts my chin to look at him.
“I love this color on your cheeks, so pure and innocent,” he says and my breathing quickens. Does he know I’m still a virgin? He takes in my face and then his brow furrows as he closely inspects my right cheek. I yank my head away. “Is that a bruise?”
“I-It’s nothing, a little accident,” I stammer.
“It can’t be that little if it shows though your make up,” he growls. “SJ, what happened?”
“Please just leave it. We’re having such a good night, let’s not ruin it. Really, it’s not what you think,” I say and pray that he drops it. He seems to think about it for a moment and then his eyes seem to soften.
“You’re right,” he concedes. “So what would you like to do?” he asks as he turns back to the counter and hands me a plate with two grilled cheese sandwiches on it.
“Thank you,” I say and take the plate. “I don’t know, you choose.”
“We can watch a movie, play pool, go and sit out on the deck?” he suggests.
“Let’s play pool,” I reply. I haven’t played in ages. I don’t get a chance to go out without the twins.
“This way,” he says and sets off toward a hallway on the other side of the house. “We’ll eat these and then I’ll get us some coffee.”
I smile, but don’t reply, my belly is rumbling and I just want to start eating. As Caleb sets up the pool table I sit on the couch against the wall and as ladylike as I can, stuff my face with grilled cheese sandwiches. They’re amazing. I don’t know what he did to them but they are the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had. By the time he turns back to me, my plate is empty. “Did you want anymore?” he asks.
“No thank you,” I reply even though I could probably eat another twenty of them. “That was the perfect amount.”
Just as Caleb breaks, we hear his name being called across the house. “Who’s that?” I ask.
“My brother,” he groans. “In the den, Grayson,” he shouts back.
Moments later, a guy about the same age and build as Caleb walks through the door. They’re pretty much identical, except Grayson’s nose is a bit crooked, like it was broken once and not set properly.
His attention is instantly on me. “Hello, I’m Grayson,” he says and I expect him to hold out his hand to shake but he keeps them firmly in his pockets.
“I’m SJ,” I reply. He continues staring at me like I’m something completely new to him.
“Grayson,” Caleb calls him and his attention shifts back to his brother. “As beautiful as she is, SJ is not an art exhibition for you to ogle.”
“My apologies,” he says to me and then turns back to his brother. “Now I get why you needed my advice,” he says. I shoot Caleb a questioning look.
“Shut the fuck up, Grayson,” Caleb moans.
“Sorry, was I not suppose to say anything in front of—”
“What do you want?” Caleb interrupts his brother.
“Oh yeah, I need your help—I’ve lost her,” Grayson says.
As confusing as this conversation is for me, Caleb seems to know exactly what his brother is talking about.
“Maybe it’s for the best, Gray,” he replies.
“It’s not,” Grayson says bluntly. “She could be in danger. I need your tracking expertise.”
“Can this wait until tomorrow?” Caleb asks.
“Not really, but if I have to wait so you can ‘get some,’” he replies, using finger quotes. “I guess that’s what I’ll have to do.”
While I try my best to stifle a laugh, Caleb looks like he might actually murder his brother.
“I’ll call you later after I’ve taken SJ home.”
Grayson rolls his eyes. “Fine,” he says and turns back to me. “It was a pleasure meeting you, SJ.” I smile and nod, waiting for him to leave.
The second he’s out
the door, I turn to Caleb. “What was that all about?”
His cheeks seem to darken and for once he’s on the receiving end of the teasing. “It was nothing,” he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck while his eyes stay fixated on the floor.
“It was clearly about me,” I continue pushing.
“It was a bit of brotherly banter. Grayson likes to get under my skin,” he says.
“Unless you have another woman you were asking to him for his advice about and that was why you didn’t want him to continue.”
“Nope,” he replies.
“So it is about me?”
“Nope,” he replies again, frustrating me even more. “I can do this until I’m blue in the face.” Quite literally when my hands are wrapped around your neck, squeezing the life out of you.
I try my hardest but my last thought just makes me laugh out loud. I’ve never had thoughts like that before. What the hell is wrong with me?
“What’s so funny?” Caleb asks suspiciously.
“Nothing, never mind,” I say and continue laughing.
“SJ?” He narrows his eyes at me and I swear I heard him growl as he slowly stalks toward me.
“I can do this until I’m blue in the face,” I mock him and laugh, edging my way around the pool table.
He lunges for me and catches me before I can get away. “Damn woman, you’re so hot when you’re sassy,” he says and wraps one arm around my waist as his other hand entangles in my hair. I tense suddenly as I’m bombarded by memories of Jake, Caleb must notice because he lets go of me instantly. Well done, SJ, your mother was right about you, you’re a fuck up—always have been and always will be.
“I’m sorry,” I start.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t worry about it. I was being a little forward. I should be the one apologizing.” I stare at him for a moment, trying to gauge his sincerity. Obviously I’m not a fuck up. Maybe Momma just didn’t know any good men.
“You know when you talk to your brother, your Irish accent is a lot stronger,” I tell him, trying to lighten the mood.
“Funny you should say that, the board of directors at Slate Security say the same thing.”
“How does Slate Security tie in with Slate Property Development?” I ask.
Caleb (The Unseen Series Book 1) Page 7
