Page 54 of Untouchable
He should probably get back to work since he’d had to reschedule his whole afternoon, but a headache was pounding at his temples, and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He didn’t want to work. He wanted to see Kelly.
He called Breah to tell her he was coming home early, and he was surprised and displeased when she told him that Kelly wasn’t there. She’d evidently gone shopping this afternoon.
So he called up Pete, who was the man he’d assigned to her, and was told they were at an upscale mall.
It was on his way home, so Caleb headed over there. At least it would be a distraction. Make him forget what the hospital had smelled like, the memories it had brought with it.
It took a while to get there and then more time to get parked, call Pete, and then find the dress store he’d indicated. But finally Caleb entered the boutique and saw Pete standing next to what was obviously the dressing room door.
“She’s trying shit on,” Pete said, straightening up when Caleb approached.
Caleb rubbed a hand through his hair, wondering what he was even doing here. He could have gone back to work. Or gone back home. He didn’t need to rush here to just wait around while Kelly shopped.
He wanted to see her.
“How long has she been in there?” he asked.
Pete shrugged. “A while. Twenty minutes.”
“How long does it take to try on clothes?” Feeling frustrated by the whole day, Caleb pushed through the door. There obviously weren’t separate men’s and women’s dressing areas in this shop, so it wasn’t like he wasn’t allowed.
He stopped short as soon as entered.
His eyes had landed unerringly on Kelly, who was standing behind the partly open door of the farthest cubicle.
She was talking to a man.
The man was around forty with a strong build and a slightly rumpled appearance. He was smiling down at Kelly in a way that made Caleb stiffen.
What the hell was she doing in here with this guy?
He paced toward them, a surge of possessive resentment coursing through him. They weren’t touching, but Kelly was smiling back at him and it felt private, secretive somehow.
The man noticed him first, his expression changing as he processed Caleb’s appearance.
Kelly turned, jerking visibly in obvious surprise.
Or guilt. Maybe guilt.
Caleb was bristling with irrational jealousy as he reached them.
“I guess this means you’re already taken,” the man said, giving Kelly another smile. “Too bad.”
“Nice try,” Kelly said, smiling distractedly and giving the stranger a little wave. She turned to Caleb. “What are you doing here?”
“Who was that?” he demanded.
“Just some guy. What are you doing here?”
“What were you doing in here with him?” He looked over his shoulder, but the other man had already left the dressing room.
“He was flirting with me.” Kelly was frowning now, and her shoulders were stiff. “What did you think? We’d come in here for a quick fuck?”
“You didn’t know him?” Caleb was starting to wonder if he’d overreacted, but there had been a vibe earlier that he couldn’t quite pin down, something that roused his suspicions.
“Of course I didn’t know him. He was in here looking for a shirt to wear to a wedding, and I talked him out of buying a really ugly one. He was just coming on to me. It happens sometimes, you know.”
