‘Whatever you order is fine, I’m not picky’ I reply.
His eyes snap to mine, surprise evident before that mask of indifference falls back into place.
‘Meat lovers with some cheese sticks?’ he offers.
I nod quickly, my mouth already watering, meat lovers is my favourite, it was what Mum and I would splurge on if she got a bonus at work.
‘Can we get some garlic dough balls as well?’ I blurt out before blushing in embarrassment. Should I even be asking for extras? I don’t have any money so I assume my stepbrother is going to pay, I should just be thankful for the free meal. ‘Never mind, ignore me, what you said was perfect, thank you’ I mumble, ducking my head.
The silence stretches between us for a second before Caleb withdraws from the doorway and shuts my door quietly.
I sit in the middle of my bed, staring blankly at my laptop, willing my brain to focus on my essay. I sigh in frustration, pushing the machine away from me and climbing off the bed, heading to my bathroom for a shower, hoping that might encourage the flow of words.
Turning on the water, I strip out of my clothes, throwing them in the washing basket before stepping under the warming stream with a groan of appreciation.
Turning so my back is to the water, I tilt my head back, running my fingers through my hair, wetting the strands before picking up the shampoo and lathering a good dollop into the ends.
I take my time, washing away the grime of college and the aggravation of my empty mind that refuses to concentrate. Once I’m fully washed and feeling a lot more relaxed, I step out and grab a towel, wrapping it around my body before heading back into the bedroom.
Drying myself off, I walk over to my closet, contemplating what to wear before shrugging and grabbing some boy shorts and a tank top, not even bothering with a bra. I have no plans to go anywhere so why not be comfortable?
A light tap on my door sounds before Caleb’s gruff voice calls through the barrier.
‘The pizza is here, I’ve set it up on the kitchen table’ he tells me, surprising me again. I assumed we’d grab our plates and then return to our rooms so he could continue to ignore me.
Grabbing my robe, I wriggle my arms into the sleeves, tying the front before heading to my door and pulling it open.
The corridor is empty, did the man run or something? I was literally only twenty seconds!
Shaking my head, I make my way downstairs to find a huge pizza box in the centre of the table along with smaller boxes containing cheese sticks, onion rings, a portion of fries, and my garlic dough balls.
My heart thumps a little louder as I stare at the spread, not even realising when Caleb appears to my right, two plates in his hands.
His gaze is fixated on my bare legs, and he swallows thickly as his eyes rake up my body making me shiver from the intensity.
Meeting my gaze, he looks away quickly, clearing his throat awkwardly. ‘You can sit down’ he mumbles, walking around the table and placing our plates across from each other. I blink quickly before hurrying across the room and taking my seat.
I actually moan out loud as I take in the spread, my stomach rumbling obnoxiously, making me blush as I peek over at the hard to read man who takes the seat opposite.
‘Get started, it’s getting cold’ he huffs, helping himself to two slices of pizza and some of the cheese sticks. I grab my own slice, along with the drool-worthy garlic dough balls that tantalise my nostrils with their buttery scent.
We eat in silence, me sneaking looks at Caleb, sure I can feel his gaze on me every time I look away, but when I glance up, he’s studiously staring at his plate.
Wiping my fingers on a napkin, I decide to break the stalemate, ‘so what do you do?’ I ask, causing Caleb’s piercing blue eyes to snap to mine. ‘I mean at the company, I get that you are all in security, but what type? Do you like, provide security guards to banks or something?’
The older man shakes his head, grabbing a napkin and wiping his mouth before replying.
‘We offer services to the world’s most rich and powerful people when they come here to Maine. We do also do jobs that take us out of state, but most of our work is at home. If a dignitary is coming for a meeting and can’t bring enough guards, we’ll make up the shortfall, working with his team to keep him safe. If one of Maine’s elite wants to throw a big extravagant party with his children in attendance and is worried that they might be kidnapped or assassinated, he hires our company to plan and execute a protection detail for the venue.’
I blink in surprise, I’d basically assumed that they had a few guys who filled in a gap if someone was sick, like a temporary worker.
‘Do you have to handle a gun?’ I blurt out, automatically looking for a tell-tale bulge, not that I can see anything with the man sitting down.
Caleb sees my roaming expression and nods, ‘I’m always carrying’ he replies, ‘but you won’t be able to notice. You can’t see that any of my guys are carrying, we make sure that their suits are made to hide a weapon as well as possible. You can’t blend into a party if there’s a bulge in your pants where there shouldn’t be.’
My mind immediately goes to another type of bulge that would be in this man’s pants, and I wonder just how big that bulge might be. I lick my lips instinctively, as Caleb’s nostrils flare and his eyes darken.
Hell, does he know what I’m thinking? I can feel the heat rising in my face and I quickly duck my head, concentrating on my plate as I eat quickly.
I risk a glance up at my companion and find him still openly staring at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing seductively as he swallows.
‘The pizza is lovely, thank you’ I whisper, trying to divert some of the tension that seems to have fallen around us.
‘No problem’ he replies, his voice strained. He opens his mouth as if to say something when his phone trills loudly on the table next to him.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.