Page 30 of Risk

“Where have you been hiding yourself?” Udo asked from across the table. Before I could answer, he smirked over at Eduardo, letting me know they were up to no good. I wasn’t going to play into their hands and have Callum get upset. They did a good enough job at that as it was.

“Today I was in my hotel room enjoying a book. How about you?” I asked sweetly before I took a sip of my water.

“Looking for you. I thought you might want someone to show you around,” he gave me his best fake smile.

“That’s nice of you, but I’m good. I’m from the US, so I don’t need to do the tourist thing here.”

“That reminds me,” Rylee interjected. “What are you going to do between now and Mexico?”

I felt Cal’s hand twitch against my thigh at her question.

“I’m going to be staying in LA so I can continue to work with Cal during the break.” That was true. He’d have his own car, and I wanted to make sure he’d be okay driving in California’s crazy traffic.

Rylee leaned over to him with a smile on her face before she whispered something only for him to hear. I loved how much she cared about him.

“Maybe we need to head out to sunny California, too.” Eduardo smirked at Udo.

“Yeah, maybe, then we can show the lovely doctor around town and get to know her a little better.” He waggled his eyebrows, and it took everything in me not to cringe. “Or if you want, we could take you out tonight. It’s such a shame a dress like that is going to waste on only dinner.”

It would be a cold day in hell before I met up with them anywhere.

Cal growled from beside me, making me want to kick him under the table. I’d watched enough movies to not follow through. Knowing my luck, I’d kick the wrong person, and then people would really be wondering what was going on.

“Stop it, the two of you,” Colton ordered. “I don’t appreciate you making our guest uncomfortable.”

I gave him a grateful smile, hoping it would work, and it did until we all left the table. Somehow, we ended up being the only two in the elevator with Eduardo and Udo. Cal and I were on opposite sides of the elevator looking straight ahead while their eyes roved over every inch of my body. Pulling my phone from my purse, I checked my email, and when nothing was there, I opened up Instagram. Anything to not meet their eyes. The more they watched me, the creepier they became. Were they whispering to each other and looking at me suggestively only to get at Callum, or were they really that damn creepy?

Since I’d left Barcelona, I’d been posting all the places I’d been to, but not interacting with any of my friends. I’d only post a few pictures and then go back to living in the moment. It was something Cal was good at. I learned quite a bit about myself from being in his presence, and once this was all over, I wanted to continue to change my life. To live in the now and appreciate the beauty of the world. The only thing I was uncertain of was if Cal would be around for those changes.

As I went through my notifications, I saw that I’d gained a few thousand followers since Cal had appeared in a few of my pictures. All of them strictly platonic for the media. Along with all of those notifications were comments from Alejandro. He always had something nice to say on the pictures without Cal in them and then said how he wished he was with me. I guess he was no longer with the woman he cheated on me with. On the pictures with Cal in them, I noticed he didn’t say anything except on the last one. His comment made my stomach churn.

Alejandro511: You used to look at me that way.

Could he see how much Cal had come to mean to me? Could others? I couldn’t risk anyone coming to the conclusion we were together. With the creepy dynamic duo watching me and making me feel like I was under a microscope, I went through and deleted all the pictures on my account with us together.

When the doors slid open on the floor below ours, I was happy they stepped off the elevator, and I could no longer feel their eyes on me. I sagged against the wall for a moment as we ascended to the next floor. With his hand on my lower back, Cal ushered me out into the hall and toward our rooms.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I rested my head on his bicep as we walked. “I feel like I need a shower after the way those two were looking at me. I couldn’t decide if they were only acting that way because of you or if they’re really that creepy.”

“I’m sorry they made you feel that way. If I had to guess, a little bit of both. I definitely didn’t like the way they were watching you all night long, and I think that was the point. I’m not sure if they’re on to us or if they just like fucking with me that much.”

We stopped in front of my room, and I pulled out my card. “I hope you know I’m going to miss you tonight.”

“Good.” He flashed me a devastating smile. “I’m glad I’m not the only one. If you get too lonely, you can call or knock. I’m only a phone call or a few feet away.”

I turned and leaned my back against the door, closing my eyes.

“What are you doing?” He chuckled lowly.

“I’m imagining myself kissing you good night,” I whispered and smiled with my eyes still closed.

“Why?” he asked quietly back.

“Because I know if your lips are anywhere on my body, I wouldn’t be able to fight the need to have you. To touch you. Feel you. This is all I’m giving myself for tonight.”

I opened my heavy-lidded eyes to find Cal only an inch away with his gaze on my mouth.

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