“No, no.” I shook my head, trying to smile and feeling like a grade-A asshole. I wasn’t some pick-me girl or one who was clingy. “I know that. Last night was fun.”
“Last night was just the beginning.”
“Even if it wasn’t, Caleb, it’s a night I won’t ever forget.” His brows bunched, and before I could blink, he took me in his arms, lifting my body like I weighed nothing. My legs instinctively wrapped around his middle. “Wait, what are you?—“
“Hush,” he ordered calmly but sternly. Why did his bossiness turn me on like this? He set me down on the counter on top of our still slightly damp clothes. “I wasn’t kidding last night. This changes nothing. Come with me.”
“What? I can’t. I have to be here.”
“What? Why?”
“For the speed dating thing.” I winced.
“You’re still going to that? After everything last night?”
“Caleb—“ I realized how it sounded, but before I could explain, he stepped back.
“Right,” he clipped. A muscle at his jaw twitched. His annoyance was clear.
“I have to go,” I said softly, trying to find a way to explain but for some reason feeling seriously tongue tied.
“Because your friend paid for it? I’ll give you the money,” he offered.
“It’s not about money,” I answered with a sigh. “It’s about a commitment I made. To the ski resort but without knowing what I did.” It wouldn’t make sense to him. And maybe it was better this way? Maybe we were only meant to have one perfect night?
“A commitment? To whom?” I blinked.
“Caleb—”
“What do you do for work?”
“Do you give up?”
“On you? On us? Never.”
“I’m a model.”
“A mod…” His voice drifted to nothing, and his head tilted slightly. “Rosie…” He started to say my name as if he was suddenly adding two and two. I just hoped he came up with four and not four thousand.
“Baker,” I filled in the silence. “I’m Rose Baker. I model some stuff.”
“Super model,” he added, and I flinched.
“That’s not really a term we use a whole bunch now.” I shrugged.
“You’re a Victoria Secret model.”
“I’ve walked a couple of different runways.”
“You were onSports Illustrated. Fuck me,” he grunted under his breath, running his fingers through his hair. “Last year, you were on the calendar.” He swallowed. I sat still, fighting the urge to square my shoulders and brace for a really bad reaction. “I stared at you all August.”
“I was July.”
“Yeah, you were too pretty to only have you for one month.” His sweet comment made me laugh and slightly relax. “Wow. You’re… you’re a model.”
“Yeah. And when Abby heard I was going, she asked if I could help promote it. She’s the head event coordinator.”
“I know. You told me.”
