Page 34 of Vow of Revenge
“My aunt and uncle took me in. You know, the cliché orphan kid lives with the relatives until he’s old enough to find his own way in life.” He shrugged it off and clinked the solo ice cube in his glass, bringing his eyes back to mine. “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. I guess we have something in common.” The glass lifted in a toast like gesture. “To us.” There was something about his slight wink that was such a turn on.
My head tilted. “To us.”
The right corner of his mouth quirked. “I find you interesting.” The last slug of whiskey slipped down his throat.
I giggled lightly, feeling the heaviness of his mood lift a little. “Wow, you’re such a charmer.”
Kaleb’s empty glass knocked the table when it landed. “Do you want me to charm you?” His voice was deep in his chest, and I had to look away quickly.
Suddenly I was hoping he wanted to take me back to his house again. “Perhaps.”
His lashes closed briefly, and I could’ve sworn I saw the vein in this throat throb, but when he spoke there was a calmness that puzzled me. “How long have you worked at Glimmer?”
My back straightened. “How did you know I worked there?”
“The articles you write have your name tagged against them, Freya. The internet is a powerful search engine.”
“So you’ve been stalking me?” I joked. “I’ve only been working there for a year.”
“Call it research. I wanted to know more about you.”
I caught my bottom lip between my teeth and felt the rising heat from my neck glow right up to my cheeks. “And what would I find if I researched, Kaleb De Courcy?”
The breath held in my lungs when Kaleb’s lips curled upwards and he actually smiled. “Fuck knows. I buy and sell antiques and artwork.” Everything about his countenance changed. A friendliness softened his usual stern expression. I felt a sudden wash of tingles as he gifted me with the extraordinarily arresting grin – he was breath-taking.
He hadn’t struck me as an art dealer. I knew he wasn’t the usual city suit kinda guy with those enviable ripped jeans and ringed fingers, but a dealer? “Really? Isn’t that what old people do?”
His laugh that followed my comment echoed in my chest. “Old people? Do I look old to you?”
No, he most definitely didn’t look old. In fact, right that second, he was the most attractive man I’d ever met, never mind the best smelling. It was a mixture of leather, sensual musk and danger. “You’re older than me, so that makes you old,” I teased. The smile stretching my cheeks matched his.
“After my father died, being the sole heir to his entire worldly collection, I was given every last item that he’d bought over the years.” His head cocked and he scratched his temple like he was thinking. “Every piece in his collection has its own memories - memories that will never be known by the next person who owns it. Even though each item is highly sought after and rare, they will never reveal the good and the bad from the past.” Kaleb hummed low in his throat and locked me in a sudden silent scowl. “I’ll get us another round.”
The metal feet on his chair shuddered over the uneven cobbles and he stood. I watched as he stepped away from our table. With each confident step he took, my pulse thrummed. There was something uncertain in his eyes that drew me to him, like he wanted to retract his barriers and welcome me into his life. Resting my chin on the heel of my palm, I raised my wine glass and took a few sips.
My mobile phone lit up on the table. An incoming text from Syrah read, ‘I hope he’s behaving himself?’
I took another gulp of wine before replying. ‘The perfect dirty gentleman.’
Syrah replied instantly, ‘Maybe he’s the one who needs to watch out?’
Just as l brought the glass to my lips, a caught sight of a tall blonde standing with Kaleb. They stood side on, so I could only see their profiles. Her hand moved to his bicep, she inched closer. I instantly stood, shunting my chair backward, almost tipping it over. A few couples entered the bar, and suddenly I couldn’t see them anymore. I was propelled to the front door by a swell of jealousy. Lifting to my toes, I peered around heads and caught a glimpse of his face. His eyes were cold like he was dead inside and his mouth pressed into a firm line. Pushing inside, I drew closer, neither aware of my intrusion.
“You made me fall for your bullshit, Kaleb. I thought we had a future together. And you know what hurt most of all, you sold the painting without even telling me.” There was desperation mashed with hurt in her high-pitched tone. “Haven’t you got anything to say for yourself? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Look, I never said we were in a relationship. You went and made that shit up in your own head. The way I see it, you were interested in the painting, but I sold it to the highest bidder. That’s business. You’ll get over it.” His tone was calm and detached. The women meant nothing to him, and in that second, I felt really sorry for her. It was obvious she wanted more than just a painting.
“Kaleb, we were good together. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. The way you used to touch me…”
I lingered in shock, wondering if he commanded her body the same way he did mine.
“Molly, we were never together. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m here with someone else.” He blinked once. The ocean colours of his irises took on an endless depth of darkness.
My gasp matched hers, and the sudden surge of anger vibrating from her body signalled a warning. Just as her fist lifted close to his face, I shoved into her with my shoulder. “Don’t fucking hurt him.” My protective anger took all three of us by surprise. The woman staggered sideways in the aftermath of my force. Her swinging hand missed his chin by inches. I instinctively looked right him, finding his jaw tense and brow furrowed.
Before I had the chance to speak, Kaleb seized my bicep in a relentless tight grip. He tugged me from the bar with so much vigour that I nearly tripped over my own feet.
“Kaleb, stop. You’re hurting me!” The fingers digging into my flesh soften just a little.
