Talking Dirty With the Player(32)

A strange thrill went through him. He could do it, he was certain. The rugby season was only over the winter and though the shooting schedule the execs had shown him was intense, it did allow for him to come back to New Zealand every couple of weeks. And the flight wasn’t very long, only three to four hours at most.

He would have some free time and maybe he could spend that time with her.

“Oh…just thinking I may not even want to leave Auckland,” he said.

Mike’s eyebrow climbed even higher. “Any particular reason?”

There was a reason, but he wasn’t going to share it yet. Not until he’d sorted it out himself. With her.

Caleb gave Mike his trademark grin. “Hey, I just happen to like it here.” Then he looked down at his phone and typed a quick text to Judith.

We need to meet. Sort out a photoshoot time.

“And you always smile like that when you’re hiding something.”

Ah, crap. Old friends could be such a pain in the ass.

Luckily he was saved from having to answer by the chime of Judith’s text.

No need to meet. Shoot today. 3pm. Don’t be late.

Caleb scowled at the screen. To hell with that.

We were supposed to be discussing this first, Jude.

Mike began to mutter something but Caleb didn’t pay attention to what it was, too busy reading Judith’s reply.

I don’t want to discuss it. The quicker we do this, the quicker we can get out of each other’s hair.

Maybe that wouldn’t be an issue now, not once she’d heard about what he had in mind. A way to have their cake and eat it too. He couldn’t give her everything she deserved, but perhaps he could give her some of what she wanted.

Is that really going to be enough for her? A few nights snatched here and there?

The doubt in his gut tightened but he tried to ignore it.

Fine. I’ll see you then.

“Girl trouble?” Mike said.

Caleb jerked his head up. “What?”

“That’s your problem, isn’t it?”

The grin flashed before he could stop it and Mike’s craggy face broke into a smile all his own. “Aha. I was right. Which bimbo is it this time?”

Caleb tried to grab onto some dignity. “She’s not a bimbo, and she’s strictly a friend.”

“Uh-huh. I’ve heard that one before.”

“Joseph’s little sister,” he clarified.

Mike’s smile only widened. “Oh, dear.”

Yes, Joseph was a problem. Then again, what his friend didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “Whatever you thought right there, unthink it.”

“Too late for that, mate. Got the famous ‘Abs of Steele’ wrapped round her finger, huh?”

Caleb only just restrained the urge to smack the grin off the other man’s face. “No. And don’t call me that. It’s starting to sound stupid.”

“Starting to?”

“Mike. Are we done here?”

“Where the hell are you going now?”

Caleb had already gone to the door. “To see a man about a dog.”

Or a woman about a kiss.





Chapter Six


Judith stared at herself in the mirror of the little makeup room they used before shoots.

Stay calm. Stay cool.

She smoothed her hair, flicked an eyelash off her cheek. Yes, she was calm. She was cool. She had her armor back in place and nothing was going to get under it. Not even Caleb Steele. Not this time. She’d had a whole day to pull herself together after that very ill-advised kiss and now she was invulnerable.

In-bloody-vulnerable.

Caleb would get nothing from her today. They’d spend an hour shooting then he’d be out of her hair. There would be no backsliding. No thinking about that kiss. No thinking about the heat of his body beneath her fingers or the feeling of his hands in her hair. Nope. Only remember the look in his eyes as he pushed her away.

I’m not doing this with you, Judith. Not again.

A slight stinging in her palm made her realize she’d clenched her hands rather more tightly than she should have.

With an effort, she unclenched them.

“Hey.” Grace put her head round the corner of the studio door. “There’s a really hot rugby player in reception. Says he’s got a shoot with you.” She waggled her eyebrows, the jeweled piercing glittering. “Mind if I watch?”

How tempting to say yes. To have someone else’s presence to add to her Caleb-armor. But that would be tantamount to admitting she couldn’t handle him by herself and there was no way that was happening.

Judith gave her a cool smile. “Sorry, Grace. He’s rather shy and wants to do this with as few people around as possible.”

“Shy? Caleb Steele? I thought he was some kind of bad dude.”