Page 32 of Vow of Revenge
I took a step back. “What makes you think I want to go for drinks tonight when you haven’t actually got my bracelet with you?”
Kaleb lowered his chin. His eyes sparkled beneath thick lashes as they held my stare and his mouth quirked. “I’m asking if you want to have a drink with me – not fuck me.”
The husky way he said the words, made my insides jump towards him. “Drinks and no sex?” I half hid behind the door, still clutching the handle for support. “That’s refreshing.”
“We’ve already been together, Freya.” I wasn’t sure what his plan was, but I sure as hell wasn’t going out dressed in sweatpants and a tank top with curry sauce splatters.
“Who’s at the door, Freya?” Syrah called out to me.
“Just some guy,” I called back but drew in my lower lip to stop me from smirking when his brows lifted and he folded his arms.
“Let’s go. Right now.” He stepped around the door and held out his hand.
“But I’m not ready. I need to get changed.”
“You look perfect as you are. Let’s go.”
“Another night, I’ve just sat down to my dinner.”
His expression tightened and with a long slow sigh, he walked me backwards into the hall with his palms lightly on my bare shoulders. “You’ve got one minute to throw something else on.”
“Well, if it isn’t Kaleb De Courcy.” Syrah strolled towards us. “What has you knocking on the door?”
The buzz from his contact dispersed when the firmness of his touch fell away. Kaleb’s nails dragged over his jaw. “We’re going out for a drink.”
Syrah smirked. Her lashes batted slowly while her hands landed on her hips. “You’ll not be an asshole to her, De Courcy. Not while I’m around.” He just stood there with his feet wide apart and a silent expectant gaze burning into my face, as if he was uncertain of my decision to join him. Those hands that I wanted on my body again slid back into his pockets.
“He’s not, Syrah. We’re going back to his place for a drink while we look for my bracelet.” It was only a tiny white lie. I knew it and he knew it, yet I hoped we would.
Syrah’s eyes widened when they rested on a yellow stain stretching over my left boob. “You’d better get changed, Freebie.” She winked and turned away from us, sashaying back down the hallway like the big sister who had just given my date the once over. He wasn’t my date. He was Kaleb De Courcy.
“I’ll be back in a flash.” I didn’t look his way. Taking the stairs a few at a time, I feigned a casual swagger at the top until I reached safety, away from his presence. Pressing my back to the wall, I inhaled deeply and let it blow out my cheeks as it left my lungs.
This was utter madness. I was actually getting undressed and wondering what I could wear that would make him want to remove it. He was the very guy that screamed trouble and heartbreak, yet there I was stepping into a pair of pale grey jeans and snatching a white top with a low-cut neckline and almost see through material from the hanger.
My hands felt shaky as I dragged a brush down the lengths of my hair. He had this overwhelming effect on me, and I wasn’t sure if I liked how it made me feel. I had to play it cool, or he would know my little secret – that I fancied the pants off him even though I didn’t want any more heartbreak in my life.
Shoving my feet into a pair of low heels, I drew in a steadying breath. When I reached the top of the stairs, his eyes immediately found me. For a second, they looked warm and friendly until his throat cleared and his gaze narrowed like he was angry.
By the time I reached the last step, the bright blue had become translucent and crystal clear like mirrors reflecting my hesitancy.
“You looked good in the sweats.” He winked. It was a quick movement that made me wonder if was trying to like me, or if he was holding back from liking me too much. “Gavin is waiting in the car.” Waving his arm to the exit, he stood back and let me walk ahead. A slight amount of pressure met my lower back as his fingertips brushed the waist band of my jeans.
Neither of us spoke in the lift as it descended. I kept my eyes on the thin line separating the two doors, and Kaleb’s chin stayed raised as he watched the number tick down. I’d like to say it felt comfortable standing next to him, but it didn’t. In some ways we were right beside each other and in other way we were worlds apart. I couldn’t put my finger on it. He had this way of being so up and down. So right and so wrong. It was like every time he looked at me, he saw his future, and then a veil misted and the contentment turned dark.
This evening would be the perfect opportunity to find out why.
Gavin opened the car door, and I scrambled inside, followed by Kaleb. I sat at one side, clutching my mobile phone, and he sat at the other with an air of confidence and a sexy smile lurking in the dim light. “No pills tonight, Freya Beaumont.” His eyes cut to mine and a ghost of a grin teasing his lips.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Kaleb De Courcy. I don’t take drugs. I’ve banked that memory and will never take them again.” I crossed my ankles.
“It wasn’t all bad.” The deep timber of his voice startled my heartbeat.
I kept my gaze low. “They made me feel weird. It was scary.”
A crease furrowed his brow. “You were perfectly safe with me.”
The puff of air that blasted from my nose took us both by surprise. “I wouldn’t exactly say you were protecting me, Kaleb.”
