“Yes, everything is fine. Just working through logistics on where the car will pick us up now that the weather has turned. Can you believe it’s snowing? They’re expecting a couple inches tonight.”
The man to Ben’s left laughs. “Remember that course we did in the snow, Ben? Talk about nature adding its own layer of difficulty.”
Ben grins. “David Callahan, this is my fiancé, Celeste.” Ben wraps his arm around my waist and introduces me to the tan man. “Celeste, Dr. Callahan was not only my mentor in med school, he’s also the one who got me into multi-gun shooting competition. The sport keeps me fit and sharp.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Callahan.” I quickly glance at Ben in surprise as I shake the man’s hand. “Shooting competition? Ben just mentioned skeet shooting.”
“Call me David. Skeet shooting is an entry-level kind of sport.” The lines around his eyes deepen with his laugh as he releases my hand. “What we do is run a difficult obstacle course where we test our physical endurance, scaling walls and such, while also shooting at targets using three different guns: an automatic handgun, a shotgun, and, for extra difficulty, an old-school six-shooter pistol.” He turns and clasps Ben on the shoulder. “Don’t let Ben’s laidback attitude fool you. This young man is incredibly competitive and quite the sharp shooter. He keeps me on my toes.”
I raise my eyebrows at Ben, remembering our conversation in the garden. He told me he didn’t believe in hunting and never went on trips with Phillip and Jake. “Is that so?”
Ben grins and shrugs. “If I’m not going to bag a deer or turkey like my dad and Jake, then the least I can do is bring home targets with the best scores on them.”
When I smile at Ben’s comment, David grins. “I see you’ve found a keeper, Ben. Don’t let this one go.”
Laughing, Ben pulls me close and says in a low voice, “I don’t plan to.” Before I can think of a witty response, he presses a kiss to my cheek, then meets my surprised gaze, murmuring, “She’s the real deal.”
Even though I know I’m only playing a part, my stomach lurches at his sincere compliment. Beth is right. I am a fraud. Maybe not for the reason she thinks, but for so long I’ve played in a world like Celeste’s through my photography business. I created scenarios just like this ostentatious hotel with its overflowing champagne and caviar, and in the heart of it all stood the handsome man fawning over the beautifully adorned girl. I secretly hoped that would one day be me. But the truth is…I never belonged in that scenario. Forcing a smile, I step out of his hold. “You two keep talking. I just need to run to the ladies’ room.”
As I walk out of the ballroom and head for the bathroom, I hear Calder’s voice behind me, telling me to slow down, but I don’t want to talk. I just want a moment to myself. Time to get out of my own head. I push open the door and shut it behind me. I’m thankful the bathroom is empty as I lean against the door and close my eyes.
“Are you alone in there?”
When the knob starts to turn, I call out quietly, “Yes, I’m alone, Calder. I’m fine. I just ate something that’s not agreeing with me.”
As soon as he lets go of the knob, his phone rings. “Hey, hold a sec.” His voice comes close to the door once more. “Stay here. I need to take care of something.”
I suddenly tense.
Does he see a threat?
When I hear his deep voice lower as he walks away from the door, I strain to listen.
“Give me a minute. I’ll come to you.”
That doesn’t sound threatening. I came in here to wallow, but Calder’s phone call grabs my attention.
Where is he going? And why is he talking so quietly?
Cracking the door, I wait until he turns the corner, then I follow. When I see Beth’s guard is now standing near the hallway to the bathrooms, I fall in line with a couple walking past, then follow the path that Calder took.
When I catch up to him, Calder’s standing at the edge of the hallway that leads to the lobby. I pause behind a thick marble column. Calder is talking to a girl in her early twenties with her pitch-black hair swept up into a French twist.
I can’t see his face since his back is to me, but he must make some kind of comment about the stylish black leather jacket she’s wearing over an elegant floor length black dress. As soon as he tugs on the sleeve, she laughs and glances down as she covertly slides a shapely leg out of the thigh-high slit in the dress.
“
That
much thigh just put your dress in the slutty category, sister,” I grumble while the girl slides her leg back under the dress.
When she steps closer and reaches up to feather her fingers along the side of Calder’s hair, then down the back of his neck, I grind my teeth and turn away. Whoever she is…I don’t want to know. I’ve got enough worries of my own right now.
Once I walk back into the ballroom, I’m no longer dwelling on myself. Calder’s “mystery girl” was just the distraction I needed to bury my issues and get my head back into this event tonight.
Ben hasn’t seen me yet, but Beth does. She quickly walks up to me and holds her phone out. “Would you mind holding this for a few minutes? This long skirt is going to take two hands in the bathroom.”
“Of course.” Clasping her phone, I watch her head toward the ballroom doorway while I quickly type in the passcode and scroll through her contacts. Once I find Brent, I click on the info button. No last name, but his phone number is listed, so I memorize it. When I realize that Beth has suddenly stopped walking and is now glancing around the room quickly, I lower the phone so she doesn’t catch me looking at it. She doesn’t stop looking until she finds her father, who’s busy talking with a distinguished older man.
What’s that about?
But when Beth looks straight ahead once more and starts forward, her stride faster, I follow her line of sight out the ballroom door.
And lock gazes with Brent.
He’s dressed in a tuxedo and standing among a group of people spilling into the hall from some big event in the restaurant next door.
The phone in my hand buzzes and when I look down, Brent’s name flashes on the caller ID. I panic, thinking that I accidently dialed him, but then realize the call is incoming. I jerk my attention back to Beth. He can clearly see she’s heading straight for him and doesn’t have her phone. My heart racing, I click the Answer button and put the phone to my ear.
Brent smiles at Beth as she weaves her way around a couple of people to get to him, while his familiar voice booms in my ear, icy and threatening. “Don’t you
dare
fuck this up for me. Am I clear?”
I grip the phone tight, my pulse jacking higher. “Or what?”
People walk past in the hallway, blocking my view of Brent for a second. Then I hear Beth’s whispered voice in the background. “What are you doing here?” She sounds nervous but excited. “My guard will be out here after me any second.”
Brent holds my gaze above the crowd. Kissing Beth on the forehead, he answers me in a deadly tone as he wraps his arm around her waist. “You don’t want to find out.” Before he hangs up, I hear him say, “I wanted to surprise you, babe. Want to ditch this party and hang with me?”
I’m so focused on trying to keep Beth in my sights that I startle when Calder’s annoyed voice rumbles next to me. “I told you to stay in the bathroom.”
I cut a sharp gaze his way. “You weren’t there when I walked out.”
His face instantly hardens. “I told Anthony to watch for you.”
Annoyed with myself for letting the unknown girl he just met with get to me, I say, “Anthony needs to be on
Beth
at all times. Make sure that he doesn’t let her out of his sight.”
Calder instantly scans the room. “Is there a problem with Beth? Where is she?”
“She’s just outside the ballroom. Her guard’s probably looking for her in that crowd. Please remind him to be extra diligent.”
Calder stiffens. “What are you worried about?”
“Celeste, we’re heading to the top floor now,” Ben says before I can reply. Hooking his arm in mine, he smiles. “There will be more schmoozing, but this time there will be dancing with an amazing view of the city. Let’s go.”
As Ben starts to lead me away, I hand Beth’s phone to Calder. “Please make sure Anthony finds Beth and gives this back to her.”
It’s midnight by the time the event winds down. Ben wasn’t kidding about the amazing view. The bit of snow covering the city and the lights twinkling in the night was a gorgeous sight. Ben insisted on walking me to my car, so I button my coat closed as the doorman holds open the main door for us. My feet hurt from dancing so long in shoes I’ve never worn before, but I did enjoy his company once I stopped worrying about Beth. Apparently she had one drink too many and asked Anthony to take her home early.
Phillip left a half hour before and Calder is somewhere behind us. He stayed in the shadows along the walls most of the night, but I could feel his heavy stare.
The hotel has laid fresh salt on the walkway, but the mixture of sleet and snow coming down has already covered it again. When Ben steps forward, then starts to slip on the ice, his tight hold on my hand yanks me off-balance. My left ankle turns and as I stumble, I hear Calder grumble, “Fuck this,” and I’m immediately swept off my feet.
I let out a yelp of surprise, grabbing onto Calder’s shoulders in a death grip.
“Put her down!” Ben commands as Calder settles me against his chest.
“Follow me if you don’t want to break your neck, Hemming,” Calder grunts out, then utters, “dumbass” under his breath. He steps into the snow-covered grass beside the walkway and strides toward the waiting car.
Calder’s arms around me are so tight I don’t look up to meet his gaze. He’s clearly annoyed and I’d rather not be judged right now. Despite the tension between us, he’s so close I can’t help but inhale his amazing smell. Closing my eyes, I take in the arousing bergamot spice and other earthy scents in his aftershave. God, this man makes me want to bury my nose against his neck. I could fall asleep breathing him in.
All too soon Calder sets me down and I re-grip his shoulder to test my weight on my left foot. While I exhale my relief that my ankle seems fine, Ben reaches us and immediately clasps my hand, his expression reflecting regret. “Are you okay?”
Once I nod, he frowns at Calder. “I’m escorting Celeste home. Ride up front.”
When Calder doesn’t move out of the way, but instead holds Ben’s gaze with a bold challenging one, I’m suddenly anxious—both for what Ben might expect at the end of this ride and Calder’s reaction. Turning to Ben, I step between them and try to diffuse the tension. “That’s really not necessary, Ben. What about your car?”
“I took a cab to get here. I’ll just call a car service to bring me back to the city.” Ben waits for Calder to move to the front of the car, then he follows me into the backseat.
While Calder slides into the front and motions for Marco to drive, I furrow my brow at Ben. “You’re going way out of your way.”
Ben clasps my hand and sets it on his thigh. “You’re worth it.”
Usually when he says something like this, Calder is too far away to hear. Squirming in my seat, I try to ignore just how deathly quiet the car feels and turn the focus to the evening. “Tonight seemed to go well. Don’t you think?”
Ben smiles and talks about the people his father told him he needed to connect with. As he segues the conversation to future events Phillip has asked that we attend, I try to disentangle my hand from his, but he just folds our fingers together. “Enough about tonight’s social commitments. I hope you enjoyed meeting David. He wants me to invite you to the next competition.”
“So there will be a place to observe you in your element?”
Ben shakes his head, his eyes full of devilish amusement. “Observe?” He squeezes my hand lightly, laughing, “Oh no…you’re going to participate.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “You’re joking, right? I’ve never shot a gun in my life.”
Calder hasn’t glanced our way since we got in the car, but at my last comment he turns his head slightly to the left. He’s not looking at us, but the angle is enough for me to know he’s actively listening. I try to ignore the muscle jumping in his jaw, but it’s all I can see as Ben continues, “Don’t worry… I’m a great teacher. I won’t bring you with me until you can handle all three guns with ease. How about we start tomorrow? I’ll take you to the shooting range.”
Calder’s expression hardens and his gaze narrows.
“I don’t think I’ll be very good at it, Ben.” Marco’s watching me in the rearview mirror. I can tell by the look in his eyes, he’s smirking. The asshole is enjoying my fidgety discomfort.
Ben squeezes my fingers encouragingly. “You’ll do great. Don’t be nervous.”
“She needs a license to shoot a gun,” Calder cuts in, glancing our way. “That’ll take time.”
“No problem.” Ben flashes him a cocky look, then shifts his attention back to me. “With my connections, I can get her one by tomorrow. What do you say, Celeste?”
“Um…”
“Say you’ll do it.” Ben runs his thumb along mine. “It’ll be my only chance to spend some time with you, since I won’t be at the party.”
“You won’t? Why aren’t you coming?” I feel myself frowning. I don’t like the idea of facing another political event where every word I say is catalogued and judged. Ben is my social suit of armor. I don’t have to worry about blundering when he’s around.