Pornographic calendar? Caleb snorted. He’d lay money on the fact she wouldn’t know pornography if she tripped over an open copy of Penthouse. And as for the whole wet jock shot quip…
Judith had stopped to talk to one of the assistants she’d brought along to help with the wedding photographs. No doubt issuing orders. Running everything with the kind of well-oiled ease reserved for military operations. Cool, calm and always in control, that was Judith.
Except she hadn’t always been like that, had she? He could remember another time when she hadn’t been either cool or calm or particularly in control. When she’d been in his arms, the sweet, familiar scent of her perfume all around him. Like roses, or maybe honeysuckle… The night he’d finally kissed her. Touched her. And felt her shy, hesitant touches in return…
His gaze drifted moodily over the green silk dress she wore. Normally her look was Gothic art-house, glossy black hair bobbed to her shoulders and a fringe Cleopatra would have been proud of. Lots of dark eyeliner and black nails. Not today, though. Today she wore color and her hair was up in a loose knot at the back of her head, revealing the pale vulnerability of her neck and the elegant curve of her back.
Caleb gave a silent curse, shifting against the pillar. So her attitude may piss him off but that didn’t seem to worry his wretched libido. Which was a pity. Because Judith Ashton was out of bounds and always would be
He’d tried a lot of things over the years to forget about that one night they’d shared. Not alcohol, not since his father had drowned himself in the bottom of a vodka bottle, but just about everything else. Nothing really worked.
Not even the warning Joseph had given him.
“I’m only going to say this once, Cal. Stay clear of Jude, okay? Remember the no touching rule. Because if you hurt her, I will hurt you.”
A warning Joseph had given him far too late. Because by then he’d already touched her. More than touched her. Had taken her virginity.
A sudden silence alerted him to the fact that Marisa was still there and was now looking expectantly at him. Caleb tore his thoughts away from Judith and shifted his attention to the lovely blonde standing in front him.
He liked Marisa. She was fun and flirty in a friendly sort of way. Even so, right now he didn’t really feel much like chatting. Or flirting, for that matter.
He gave her his trademark smile. “Hey, that’s fascinating, Marisa. But man, all this talking is making me thirsty. I could really go for a beer right now.”
Marisa fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Perhaps I could get it for you, honey?”
Caleb grinned. “Would you?”
“Sure. I need a refill myself.” She gave him a wink, swiveled on her sky-high heel, and began heading in the direction of the bar.
“Did you ask Judith?” a masculine voice said from beside him. Luke McNamara, financial genius and third member of the triumvirate formed during daily detention back in high school. Joseph and Caleb had been trouble way back then, and for Luke detention was a way of getting his homework done in peace.
Caleb didn’t turn. “Yeah.”
“What did she say?” Luke asked him.
“What do you think?”
Luke said nothing for a long minute. “I’ll ask her if you like,” he offered eventually.
“No,” Caleb replied, his gaze still fixated on the small green figure that had by now made its way to the head table where Christie and Joseph were sitting.
“Hmmm, I’m surprised,” Luke said. “You mentioned it was for charity, didn’t you?”
“I said it was a fundraising idea.”
“Did you mention the charity?”
Caleb sighed. “I didn’t get a chance what with all the scorn that was being poured.”
“Well, you need to tell her,” Luke said with his usual maddening logic. “It’s for a good cause. I can’t imagine why she’d say no.”
“Actually what she said was that she only did studio photography, not pornographic calendars.”
“I hope you pointed out that it’s not—”
“Sorry, mate. I don’t care if Joe wanted her to take the pictures or not; I’m not spending all night trying to convince her otherwise.”
The fundraiser for the Save a Life charity, a charity aimed at providing disadvantaged kids with educational and career opportunities, had been Caleb’s idea—after a nudge from his PR person—and although he was totally down with Joseph wanting Jude to do the photos, he didn’t have time to be dicking around with her apparent issue with him. He had a game coming up with the Auckland club he’d returned to New Zealand to play with, and was up to his ears in training. Not to mention having his agent breathing down his neck about next season’s contracts.