You couldn’t fix an alcoholic and he should have known better.
No, he liked being “Abs of Steele”. Liked being selfish. Liked not having to care all the damn time.
And yet, right now, with Lisa’s hand on his arm and the hungry look in her eyes, he felt almost suffocated. Hemmed in by having to put on the charm, the attitude.
Because you don’t have to with Judith.
A wave of longing overcame him. He had to get out of here, get away from this woman. Get back to the woman he really wanted to be with.
Light flashed in his face. A camera. Paparazzi taking shots for the gossip pages.
God, he really had to get out of here.
“Yeah, maybe,” he muttered and removed his arm from her touch. “Sorry, Lise. I’ve got an urgent…uh…thing to go to. I’ll catch you later, huh?”
Then, guest of honor or not, he turned on his heel and left.
…
“Is it just me or does Luke look a little naughty?” Christie grinned, the pages of the Save a Life calendar open on the bar table.
Marisa, sitting beside her, leaned in to take a peek. There was an odd look on her face. “Hmmm, no, not just you.”
“I thought so.” Christie looked over at Judith, who was sitting on the other side of the table, a strange mix of trepidation and hope clutching at her insides. “This calendar is so awesome, Jude. You know that, right?”
Well, if sales were any indication, she was starting to.
Since the calendar had come out a couple of weeks ago, people were buying it in droves. Tickets to the auction night were already sold out. The media were touting it as one of the most successful Save a Life fundraisers ever. And her phone was ringing off the hook, everyone wanting a piece of the new photography sensation.
Somehow her pictures had struck a chord with people. Apparently there was even a Facebook poll on who was the hottest, and the hands-down winner was Caleb. Her photo of him in the rain with the kid had caught people’s imagination in a way no amount of lounging around on a black chaise lounge half-naked had ever done.
She didn’t know how she felt about that. Especially since the two of them had been seeing each other rather a lot in the past two weeks. A secret, hot affair.
It felt wrong to keep it from her friends, especially Christie. Still, Jude didn’t want to share just yet. What she had with Caleb was only a start, something new and fragile. She didn’t want to jinx it.
But there was an upside about keeping it secret—the naughtiness factor was out of this world. She’d discovered a certain risqué side of her she’d never imagined she possessed. Making love on her desk at work. Once in her car after she’d picked him up after a training session. Long, hot nights in her bed… In fact, she’d been with him every night for the past week and she’d loved every second of it. Especially after she’d visited the doctor for a pill prescription, allowing them a little more freedom.
Although she particularly loved the afterwards, when he’d hold her in his arms and they’d talk about whatever came into their heads. The way they’d used to.
“You okay?” Christie was frowning at her. “Hey, what’s that on your neck? Is that a hickey, Jude?”
Crap. Judith resisted the urge to put a hand over the offending mark, evidence of a kiss Caleb had given her the night before. She should have put on a bloody scarf.
“No. It’s a mosquito bite. Hey, did you see this one?” Reaching out, she flicked over the glossy pages of the calendar, opening it up to the shot of Caleb, crouching in the rain.
“Oh my God…” Christie sighed, nicely distracted. “Yeah, that one’s awesome.”
“Amen, sister,” Marisa said, also sighing.
“But this….” Christie flicked over some more pages. “This one is my favorite.”
It was the one of Joseph lounging at his desk talking on the phone, the red ball in mid-flight. The look on his face was tender and full of amusement. Judith was particularly proud of that one. Especially considering how awkward that day had been.
“Yes, I like that one,” Judith said. “That’s how he looks when he talks to you, Chris.”
Christie blushed, a smile curving her mouth. “Awww…”
“Hey, can I have that?” Marisa grabbed the calendar off the table and began leafing through it. She leaned back on her seat, apparently having found the page she was after. “So what was Joseph offering again for the auction?”
“A six-month business mentorship,” Judith replied.
“Oh.” Marisa looked down at the calendar again. “And Luke here is apparently offering some kind of investment type thingy.”