Caleb folded his arms and gave his friend a grin, a shiny, happy grin to cover the curses resounding in his head. “Sure. No problem.”
“Great. So, Jude, where do you want me?”
A couple of minutes passed as Judith and Joe talked about where to take the picture and what Joe should be doing. Caleb took out his phone and began playing a game on it to stop himself from watching Judith, but Joe asked him for his opinion on something and he had to put it away.
“I dunno, mate,” Caleb said, trying to sound patient. “It’s your picture.”
“Yeah, but it’s your calendar.”
Judith had her camera in her hands, checking the settings. “Joseph, can you just do what I told you to do for once in your life, please?” She didn’t look at either of them.
Actually, apart from that one moment when she’d stepped into the room, she hadn’t looked at him at all. Avoiding him, clearly.
Yeah, okay, so it was awkward. Still, she didn’t need to treat him like a bloody leper.
“Jude’s idea about the desk was good,” he said clearly. “Go with that.”
She didn’t look up from her camera but the fingers fiddling with the controls stilled.
Suddenly he wanted quite badly for her to look at him. He hadn’t made contact since their interrupted lunch, wanting to regroup and figure out his next move. He’d half hoped she would be the one to make contact yet she hadn’t. And that pissed him off.
Just like it pissed him off now that she kept her attention on that goddamned camera of hers instead.
“Fine.” Joseph turned and crossed over to his desk, pulled out his chair, and flopped down onto it. “How’s this?”
Judith lifted her head, her focus on her brother. As if Caleb didn’t exist. “Yes, that looks good. Feet on the desk, maybe?”
Joseph grinned. “Of course feet on the desk.”
Caleb shifted, irritated. Perhaps now she’d look at him, especially since he was sitting on the desk and probably in the shot. He stared at her and she looked down again at the screen on her camera, moving here and there, trying to get the best angle.
Okay, so she didn’t trust him but did that mean she had to ignore him? Not look at him? Not even speak to him?
With that thought, his gaze dropped to her mouth and, oh man, had that ever been a bad idea.
She had a full lower lip, and he remembered just what it had felt like on his. Just how it had tasted. How her breath had caught as he’d nipped it with his teeth…
His groin ached, his jeans feeling a whole lot tighter than they had a second ago.
Damn her.
“Is that a rosary?” Judith asked, not taking her eyes from her camera.
“Worry beads. Chris bought them for me. Do you like them?”
“Not for this shot. The red ball you used to have would be clearer.”
With a certain amount of deliberation, Caleb shifted on the desk, accidentally-on-purpose putting his knee in the shot.
Judith said nothing.
Joseph had extracted the ball and was now throwing it up in the air and catching it. “How’s this?”
“Good. How about you talk on the phone so you can at least look like you’re doing some work?”
Joseph rolled his eyes. “Did you get this pocket Hitler routine, too?” he said to Caleb.
“Why no, I did not.” Caleb kept his gaze firmly on her. She would look at him. She would. “Jude was perfectly sweet to me the whole time.”
She didn’t look at him. “Could you move your knee, please?”
“No. My knee is happy where it is.”
Finally she deigned to look up, blue eyes glowing with irritation as they met his. “It’s in my shot.”
Heat shot through him, a surge of adrenaline making his breath catch. He held her gaze and dared her to turn away from him. To ignore him.
Joseph cleared his throat. “Uh, guys? Is there a problem?”
“No,” Caleb said, keeping his attention on Judith. “No problem at all. Is there, babycakes?”
“Your knee,” Judith said succinctly. “Is in my shot. Move it.”
He kept it right where it was. “Say please.”
“Please? Are you kidding me?”
“Hey, you two,” Joseph cut in, his voice sharp. “What’s going on?”
Judith finally glanced away, her jaw tight. But not before Caleb caught a glint of something in them. Something that glittered like diamonds.
Tears?
Cold shock went through him. Judith wasn’t just angry. She was hurt.
Christ, all he seemed to be able to do was hurt her.
“Nothing’s going on,” Caleb said curtly. He slid off the desk. “It’s okay. I should go.” Because obviously staying here was doing neither of them any good.