“It was probably just the knob rattling. It’s an old door,” Caleb said. He sounded so matter-of-fact she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She knew what she’d heard.
Sophia walked over and tugged at the door handle. Nothing. She tugged again, feeling frantic. It wasn’t budging.They were locked inside the attic. Panic began to rise up in her throat. How long would it be before they ran out of oxygen? Her throat felt as dry as sandpaper.
Just breathe, she reminded herself.You’re not in any danger.
“Y-you locked us in,” she said in a shaky voice.
Caleb reached past her, his arm brushing against hers as he jiggled the doorknob, to no avail. He let out a grunt as he continued to pull at the door handle without it budging.
“Oh, wow. My bad. You’re right,” Caleb said, turning around to look at her. “We’re stuck.”
“Of course I’m right,” she seethed. “I don’t know why you couldn’t just listen to me and accept that I didn’t need your help.” She wasn’t certain about it, but Sophia suspected steam might be coming out of her ears.
“I was trying to be chivalrous.”
“That ship sailed a long time ago,” she muttered.
Ugh. She really shouldn’t have said that. She could only blame it on her fear of small spaces and her annoyance at the situation she had found herself in. But still. Her words were harsh.
His features instantly hardened. Caleb let out a ragged sigh. “You watchedLove Him or Leave Him, didn’t you?”
Sophia shrugged. “I may have watched a few episodes,” she sheepishly admitted. “It was mildly entertaining.”
Caleb’s jaw clenched. Up close he was incredibly handsome. Russet-colored skin. Striking features. Big brown eyes framed by jet-black lashes. And he was sexy in his suit and tie. He looked even better in person than he did on the small screen. How was it possible that he didn’t possess a single flaw? His hotness factor was off the charts.
“What’s a few?” he asked, arching his brow.
By a few she meant dozens. Reality television was hersecret addiction, and she was hooked.Born to Wed. 365 Days to Love. Train to Love. Marry Me or Else. She’d devoured them all like boxes of Godiva chocolates. Caleb’s show had been one of the most popular reality shows of all time. He had become a breakout star over the course of the inaugural season. By the conclusion of the series, the audience had turned against him. She herself had loved to hate him. Perhaps it was her own dismal love life that had turned her into a reality show junkie.
“I saw enough to get the gist,” she told him, making a face. “You were quite the charmer. Not many people could get two sisters to fall in love with them.” She would never admit it to Caleb, but she’d been rooting for a happy ending for him and Gillian. Until he’d blown everything up by romancing her twin sister and turning viewers against him.
He placed a hand over his heart. “All I ask is that you don’t judge me by the producer’s edit. A lot of things were left on the cutting room floor. I only went on the show to boost my acting career, but I was in way over my head.”
“Really?” she asked him. “You seemed to be in the driver’s seat the whole time.” Could she have been so wrong about what she’d seen on her television screen?
“Not by a long shot,” Caleb answered. “Believe it or not, I was the one walking around in the dark with a blindfold on. The audience only saw half of the story.”
Oh, he was good. Mr. Hollywood. Smooth. Suave. And somewhat convincing. “Frankly, it’s none of my business. Can we use your cell phone to get someone to rescue us?” Being trapped up here was making her jittery.
“Cell phone?” Caleb asked, patting down his suit jacket and throwing up his hands when he came up empty. “I don’t have it with me.”
“What?” she shouted. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“What about you? Where’syourcell phone?” Caleb asked, sounding curt.
She supposed he had a point, but she was still annoyed at him for inadvertently closing the door behind them.
She placed her hands on her hips. “Does this dress look like it has pockets?”
Caleb skimmed the length of her in a leisurely fashion, his soulful brown eyes full of male appreciation. Her cheeks warmed at the scrutiny. This was the last thing she needed. Men—especially charmers like Caleb—were off-limits. She was still reeling from her relationship with her ex and not looking for trouble in the form of Caleb Stone.
“You have me at a disadvantage, since you already know my name. And you are?” he asked.
She folded her arms across her chest. “Sophia Brand. A woman who is very eager to get out of here and back to work.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Work?”
“Your grandmother hired me to take pictures of tonight’s event, and I really don’t want to have to give back her check,” Sophia explained. She didn’t want to tell Caleb, but she needed the money. Badly. Donny’s child support payments were sporadic at best. So far her pride had stopped her from taking any legal action against him, but time was running out for him to come correct. The idea of having to hire an attorney to resolve the matter was as appealing as skinny-dipping in Alaska in the dead of winter.
