Something awakened inside me that night at the ball.
Something carnal.
Something fierce.
I’ve had more than one dream about men in masks taking me into hidden rooms. And every time, I wake up consumed with guilt.
Brynn tells me my body is telling me it’s time to move on, but my heart doesn’t seem to be on the same page. She has finally convinced me to give Jaxon a shot even though the last time I tried, he very politely told me I wasn’t ready. And he was right. I probably still am not ready, but I feel like someone has lit a match and I’m covered in gasoline. If I don’t find relief soon, I’m going to explode.
I also can’t keep playing this game with Cal. It seems like it’s always push and pull with him. Every time I’m pulled to him, something pushes me away. Everything about him is a secret. I can’t even get him to have an actual conversation with me. I need more. I need something real. I need to see Jaxon.
Today is my 24th birthday, proof I’m not getting any younger. I ditch the scrubs and put a little more effort into my appearance. If Jaxon didn’t notice me before, he definitely will now.
The minute I walk through the door of Suppato’s, I immediately catch his attention. He never takes his eyes off me as I make the familiar journey through the restaurant to the bar. I lean across the polished wood, revealing just the right amount of cleavage through the slightly unbuttoned top of my solid black, shirt dress. My hair falls over my shoulders in long, blonde curls, and I smile as seductively as I know how.
“Hey handsome,” I say, “I came to kidnap you for the night.”
He contemplates my question then replies with a half-smile, “You brought the van and everything?”
“Guilty,” I hold my hands in the air. “And I promise the full experience, complete with ropes and blindfolds,” I add with a wink.
Oh God. That came out all kinds of wrong.
He chokes on a swallow at my unintended insinuation, then leans across the bar until we’re face to face. “Are you drunk already?”
I stand up and feign offense. “Come on, Jaxon. It’s my birthday, and I want you to come,” I plead, poking my bottom lip out. “Pretty please? With whatever it is you really like on top?”
Okay, that was awful. I should just quit while I’m ahead. I’m terrible at flirting. How did Reid ever want to have sex with me?
He chuckles and waves his white bar towel in the air in surrender. “Okay, you win. I’ll come.”
I’m not even going there with all the possible comments for that one. So, I quickly change the subject. “You finish up here. I’ll go say hi to Carlos.”
Nothing like bringing up another man to kill the mood.
“I haven’t seen him,” he yells, but I’ve already started walking down the hall that leads to his office. “Makenna. You can’t just keep going back there like that.” I hear him groan and laugh to myself.
Watch me.
I shrug him off and keep walking, surprised to see the office door cracked open.
“Knock, knock,” I call out as I slowly nudge the door a few inches more and peek my head inside. I feel like this is becoming a habit. My courage slips away with every push on the office door. Maybe I should have let Jaxon call him first.
Too late now. The sound of a man clearing his throat as he adjusts his weight on a leather chair lets me know the office is occupied. I push the door the rest of the way open then take another step inside, and I’m knocked breathless at the sight before me.
My lips part, and I am rendered speechless. Eyes like seas of blue you could drown in, without ever once thinking to come up for air, stare right through me as I enter the room. His jaw, chiseled to perfection, is covered in the dark shadow of unshaven sex appeal. And his lips, full and pale pink, twitch faintly when his eyes meet mine. His jet-black hair lies in perfectly sculpted chaos on top of his beautiful head. The contrast between dark and light makes his eyes seem even brighter.
It’s him.
Cal.
It’s the first time I’ve seen him, really seen him, face-to-face. No hoodies, no baseball caps or shadows, no brief glances over shoulders. I stand here, dumbfounded, waiting for the air to fill my lungs again so that I might actually speak.
“Yes?” he says, finally, and I repeat the word in my mind. Only when I hear it, it sounds a little different.
Yes.
I clear my throat, making sure my voice hasn’t left me. “Sorry. I was um… looking for Mr. Suppato. Um… your dad. Could you just um… tell him Makenna stopped by?”