I’d just smoothed my tie when I heard the knock at the door. Was it weird that I had to take a deep breath before I answered? If it was, I wasn’t going to examine it too closely.
Cal stood in the doorway, hands in the pockets of his dress pants. For a minute, I just stared, mostly because my breath had gotten caught in my lungs and my heart had come to a lurching stop. Okay, maybe not literally, but it felt that way. Holy God, he looked hot.
“Uh, wow. You clean up good.” I let my eyes wander down his body, from the broad shoulders defined by the snug fit of the suit jacket to the narrow hips hugged by the pants.
He cleared his throat and glanced at me. “Yeah, thanks. You, too.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking about as comfortable as if he were on his way to the dentist for a root canal. As much as I hated to do it, I couldn’t put him through this.
“Hey, Cal, listen. If this—me going with you—is making you freak, I’ll bow out. I’ll claim migraine. No worries.”
“Are you kidding? If I show up without you, Lucinda will kill me. And I’m not going to ditch you. I was raised better than that.” Cal snapped out the words at me. “So let’s just go and get it over with.”
“Well, now my heart’s all a-twitter.” I quirked an eyebrow. “Tell me, is it just me you object to, or is it any date at all?”
Cal’s mouth tightened. “Look, it’s not personal. I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of tonight, but I’m not—I don’t date. I’m not looking to date. I’m not looking for anybody. I just need to get through this party, make Lucinda happy and then move on.”
What he said didn’t surprise me, but it stung. It hurt me a lot more than I expected. Still, I sucked in and tried to cover that up.
“You got it, sweetheart. No need to get pissy. We’ll do it your way.” I palmed my hotel key card off the desk and slid it into my pocket. “Okay, let’s mambo.”
We walked down the hall to the elevator, both of us silent. Cal reached forward to punch the button, the suit jacket stretching over his back. When the doors opened to an empty car, we stepped inside. The minute the doors closed again and Cal had hit the L, I grabbed his arm, pulling him tight against my body and plastering my lips on his.
For the first few seconds, Cal didn’t respond. He didn’t push me away, and he didn’t kiss me back. He was just . . . there.
And then something changed. His arms wrapped around my waist, pushing hard against my back, and he slanted his head to take me deeper, opening his mouth and thrusting his tongue against mine. A wave of shocked pleasure washed over me as I held his face in my hands.
Cal made a noise in the back of his throat, and with an answering groan, I pushed him up to the wall of the elevator car and slid my hands down, skimming over his neck, bristly with stubble, to his shoulders, over his arms and coming to rest on his very fine ass.
When I ground my hips into his and felt the hard length of his dick, I swore the angels sang. Digging my fingers into his butt, I’d just begun to rub against him when the bell dinged, and we heard the unmistakable sound of someone clearing his throat.
I stepped back, and Cal jerked away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and turning twenty shades of beet red. An older man, dressed in a dapper suit and holding a hat in one hand, regarded us with raised brows.
“Ahem.” He glanced from me to Cal and then back again. “Gentlemen. I’m all in favor of young love, but please try to remember, this is the Hyatt. We do like to exercise a fair amount of decorum.”
“Yes, sir.” I reached behind me to take Cal’s hand and hauled him out of the elevator. “We’ll keep that in mind. We were, ah, overcome.”
The man flicked a glance up and down Cal, and one side of his mouth curled. “Understandable.” He took our place in the car and nodded. “Have a lovely evening.”
“You too, sir.” I grinned as the doors closed. Cal extricated his hand and strode past me, covering the shiny marble floor of the wide lobby in a few steps. I rolled my eyes and followed, taking my time on purpose. The doorman opened the heavy glass door for both of us, apparently pretending not to see Cal. He did give me a brief smile and head bob as I thanked him.
Cal didn’t look back to see whether or not I was behind him, but he walked straight to the passenger side of the dark blue Aston Martin Vanquish and opened the door for me. His fingers gripped the top of the window, and his jaw pulsed. He didn’t acknowledge me at all as I got into the car.
He also didn’t speak after he’d circled around the back and climbed into the driver’s seat, put it in gear and pulled away from the curb. I kept my mouth shut, too, as we drove through the streets of Savannah, choosing to focus on what we were passing.
I’d been coming to Savannah as long as I could remember. When I was little, my mother’s parents had lived here, and since they were really old, Mom and I visited frequently. Later, I’d come on field trips in grade school and with friends in high school. Ali, Flynn and I’d had some fun weekends trolling the streets; I’d always looked older than my age, so they’d sent me into liquor stores and bars to get cheap bottles of wine and six-packs.
But it was only in the last months, as I’d been visiting Savannah more frequently, that I’d truly fallen in love with the city. The carefully laid-out squares, the graceful old homes and narrow streets had a charm that Atlanta hadn’t yet earned. Savannah was friendly, yes, but reserved, almost as though she hadn’t made up her mind how she felt about me.
Hmm. Now that sounded familiar.
“I told you I’m not looking for a relationship.” Cal spoke abruptly, pulling me out of my reverie. “I was pretty clear, I think.”
I ran my tongue over my lips, buying time so I didn’t blurt out something that might scare him to death. “Yeah, you were clear. Did I do something that makes you think I didn’t understand?”
For the first time since we’d left the elevator, Cal looked at me, a brief glance before he returned his attention to the road. “You kissed me.”
“Uh huh.” I lifted one shoulder. “And . . .?”
“You kissed me.” He repeated the words slowly, as if maybe I’d get it.
I bit the inside of my mouth to keep from grinning. “I did. But I must’ve missed the part where I proposed to you. I do that sometimes. It’s a condition like Tourette’s, only I randomly ask people to marry me without knowing it.”
“Shut up. You know what I mean.”
I exhaled a long breath. “Look, Cal. Calm down. Yeah, I kissed you. Yeah, it was good.” Good? It was fucking hot. “But that doesn’t mean I’m starting anything. I’m not suggesting we move in together. It was just a kiss. I don’t want anything from you.” I was lying through my teeth. I wanted so much from him. For the first time in my life, I was thinking I wanted it all.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Okay.”
Okay? I hid my surprise. “Okay as in you’re going to calm down and stop freaking out, but I shouldn’t do that again, or okay as in I should feel free to kiss you whenever I want?”
Cal smirked. “Maybe not whenever you want. Lucinda’s cool, but I wouldn’t want to embarrass her at this party.”
Well, this was promising. “I’ll keep that in mind. I do know how to behave. Like you said, I was raised right.”
“Yeah. Well, you’ll get to prove that starting now.” He eased the car toward the side of the street, where a uniformed valet stood waiting in front of a huge townhouse. “We’re here. It’s show time.”
I’d expected stuffy. I’d expected boring. I’d expected uptight and formal.
I was wrong.
Instead, the evening at Lucinda’s home had been filled with warm, friendly people, lively and interesting conversation happening against the backdrop of progressive jazz played by a group of eclectically dressed young men and one absolutely gorgeous woman. Altogether, the party was the polar opposite of what I’d thought it would be, with the exception of Lucinda, who was as warm and friendly as she e
ver was.
We stayed longer than I’d thought we would, but by the time Cal and I made our way toward the front door, I was thoroughly charmed. Lucinda walked between us, slipping an arm through each of ours.
“Thank you so much for indulging an old lady by spending this evening with us, boys. I know you probably could have had a much more entertaining time elsewhere.”
Cal leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Lucinda, there is no more entertaining evening than one spent at your house. Thank you for inviting us.”
I noticed his use of that word—us—but I let it slip. “I’m grateful I stopped by today in time to be included. You run with a fun crowd, Miss Lu.”
Her pretty face pinked. “I do try. When I was young like you boys, I absolutely detested being forced to spend time with doddering old fools who only talked about the past and how much better it was. I swore when I was old enough to be in charge, I’d only invite the most fascinating people. So that means a great deal to me.” She patted my hand. “Now you’ve done your duty. Go on and be young and wild. And Cal, don’t come in early tomorrow morning. If I see you before ten, I’ll be cross.”
He smiled. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
She shooed him forward. “Go tell Chuck you’re ready for your car. I want a word with Alex, here.”
Utter panic crossed Cal’s face, but being a good Southern boy, he immediately did what Miss Lucinda had ordered, stepped up to speak to the valet.
“He’s a good boy.” As though she’d been reading my mind, Miss Lucinda spoke softly as we both watched the boy in question. “Be patient with him, won’t you, Alex? He’s been hurt, you know, and he’s scared to trust again. It’s going to take some time for him to be at ease with you. Reminds me of a pup my husband and I fostered a few years back.”
I laughed. “That’s funny. The first time Cal and I went to dinner, I couldn’t help thinking of a colt my dad and I had when I was a kid. He was skittish. Took a long time to ease him into trusting us.”
Lucinda dimpled. “I knew you were good people, honey. You know how it goes. You’ll treat him gentle, and when he knows you’re not going to break his heart, he’ll give it to you.” Her smile vanished and her eyes turned to steel. “You won’t, will you?”
Normally I’d have played it off, made light of what Miss Lu was suggesting and pretended this didn’t matter. But it did, and so I didn’t. “I’ve never met anyone who made me feel like Cal does. I’m not going to be a total sap and say I know he’s the one, but he’s special. He means something to me, and I hope it turns into something serious.” I shook my head. “So no. I don’t have any intention of breaking his heart.”
“Excellent. Now here’s his fancy car, so you scoot. And don’t let him get away without at least a night cap. Mark my words, he’ll try to drop you off at the door of the hotel. Don’t you do it.”
I gave her a mock salute. “Duly noted, ma’am.” I kissed her on the lips and watched her blush again. “Thank you for a perfect evening. I hope to see you again soon.”
Cal held my door for me again, and once he’d pulled away, he side-eyed me. “Are you going to tell me what Lucinda said to you?”
I affected an expression of innocence. “Nothing much. Just small talk. She’s a hoot.”
He snorted. “She’s bossy, she’s sticks her nose into everyone else’s business and she thinks she knows best about everything.”
“And you love her to pieces.”
Cal grinned, his affection evident. “I do. She’d walk through fire for me, and I’d do the same for her.”
“Did you meet her when you came to work at the gallery?” I shifted in my seat to face him more fully.
“Actually, I’ve known her since I was about fifteen. She and my grandmother went to school together. So when I graduated from SCAD with this great new degree in art preservation and no way to put it to use, she asked me if I was interested in helping her with a little project. Turned out to be the gallery. Lucinda always swore she’d been wanting to do it for years, but I’ve never been entirely convinced she didn’t start it up just for me.”
“That’s sweet.” I reached across and touched the back of Cal’s hand where it rested on the gearshift. He shot me a questioning look but didn’t say anything as we reached the Hyatt.
I could feel him getting ready to cut me loose. I knew he planned to roll up to the curb, thank me for going with him tonight and kick me out of the car. Maybe I’d get a kiss on the cheek. But with Miss Lu’s words ringing in my ears, I jumped in with both feet and stole his thunder.
“Why don’t you come in with me and have a drink? There’s a terrific bar, it’s pretty quiet, and I’ll let you buy me a whiskey.”
Cal cocked his head at me as he slowed the car. “Remind me why I’m buying you a whiskey?”
I smiled with a little bit of teasing and a heavy dose of flirt. “Because I saved your ass with Miss Lucinda and went to the party as your date. And as your date, I don’t think I want to be dumped on the curb. Night’s young, Cal. So are we. Buy me a damn drink.”
He wasn’t sure, but I’d gotten him on the obligation part. So he was beginning to waffle, teetering on the brink of giving into me. “I barely got them to let me park in front of the hotel when I went up to get you. No way they’ll do it again, and parking’s hell around here.”
“Which is why it’s your lucky day. When I checked in, they gave me a parking pass even though I don’t have a car here this time.” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. “I stuck it in here.”
Cal stared at me, his mouth dropping open a little.
“What?” I flipped over my hand.
“You. You’re either the most manipulative son of a bitch I’ve ever met, or just incredibly lucky. You just happened to have that parking pass with you? Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously. They handed it to me at check-in, and I folded it up and put it in my wallet. I’m kind of flattered that you’d think I’m capable of planning that meticulously, though.”
“Sorry.” Cal flushed. “I guess . . . I had some bad experiences, and I tend to assume the worst sometimes.”
“Hey.” I reached across and circled his wrist with my fingers. “I’m not him. I’m not an asshole. I may be a lot of things, and God knows I’m not perfect. But over-planning shit has never been one of my faults.” I loosened my grip and slid my hand to twine with his. “Neither is lying. I’ll tell it to you straight, every time, whether you want to hear it or not.”
His eyes flickered, and I knew he was still skeptical. “Okay.” He hesitated another second and then turned the car into the driveway that led to the parking garage.
We walked to the elevator and rode to the lower level where the doors opened to the lobby. I headed to the bar that was tucked away on one side, hyper-aware of Cal trailing just slightly behind me. I managed to avoid looking at him directly until we were both seated at a high-top table.
A pretty young girl with white-blonde hair and huge green eyes made her way over to us. The black T-shirt she wore as part of her uniform was tight and cut low enough that her generous assets were on display. If I were the type of guy interested in that kind of thing, I’d probably be drooling. As it was, I only smiled as she approached.
“Hi, I’m Ginger. What can I get you gentlemen tonight?” She beamed at me in welcome, and I knew that would translate to an even bigger come-hither if I encouraged her at all. I swallowed a sigh and grinned back.
“Hello, Ginger. I think I’ll have a seven-and-seven.” I leaned back in my chair.
The waitress crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a better look at her rack. “Have you tried our Jameson’s and ginger?” One brow quirked up as she lowered her voice. “Whiskey always goes down smoother with ginger.”
I wondered how many times she’d used that line and if it ever worked. “Thanks, honey, but I think I’ll stick with my original order.” I glanced at Cal, who was frowning at us both. “And my date here will h
ave . . . Cal? What’ll it be?”
To her credit, after an initial flare of surprise, Ginger’s expression didn’t change. She turned to face Cal, who picked up the wine list and scanned it quickly.
“Just a glass of Pinot Noir, please.”
“You got it. Anything to eat? We’ve got a really amazing oysters Rockefeller here.” She looked from me to Cal.
“Oysters, hmmm?” I pretended to consider her suggestion, even though I hated oysters with a passion. Playing with Cal was just too much fun, and the look of dread on his face was priceless. “Nah, thanks. How about bringing us an order of your buffalo fries with an extra side of blue cheese?”
“You got it.” Ginger left us, and I gave Cal my total attention.
“These fries are delicious. They’re my go-to from room service when I’m stuck in my room, working. Give me that, a cold beer and football on TV, I’m a happy boy.”
“Football, really?” Cal lifted his eyebrows.
“Oh, yeah.” I let the corner of my mouth curl up. “I’m a sucker for a tight end.”
He groaned. “That’s not only cliché, it’s a bad cliché.”
I laughed. “You’re not wrong. But yeah, I grew up playing football, and I still enjoy watching it. You don’t?”
“I’m more of a baseball man. I like the elegance and the rhythm of the game. I played shortstop in high school and my first year of college. I’ve got season tickets to our farm league here.”
“I’ve been known to enjoy baseball every now and then. I wouldn’t mind taking in a game if someone invited me.”
Cal smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ginger returned with our drinks and fries, and for the next forty-five minutes, Cal and I discussed the finer points of both football and baseball. For the first time all night, Cal was relaxed, his lips curving into a smile more often. He even laughed once or twice, and the warm, husky sound went straight to my cock each time.
“Come on. You can’t seriously think baseball is as exciting as football. I mean, there’s no drama. You’ll never see the second baseman catch a ball and then go for a homerun.”
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