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Caleb heard a knock at their front door and was more than a little relieved for an excuse to retreat. ‘That must be our luggage. I’ll get it.’

Their cases were wheeled into the suite and after Caleb had tipped them, Hannah volunteered to go and get some groceries.

‘I owe you after you drove all this way and let me have the best room,’ she said, skipping out cheerfully as if she hadn’t sat through a nine-hour drive.

Seeing her excitement had done strange things to his libido and he decided he needed to cool off. ‘Okay. I think I’m going to go for a shower.’

He’d made a promise. It was up to Hannah if they became anything more than friends, and it was about time he regained some control over his own emotions.

The last nine-plus hours of travelling with Hannah had confirmed how much he wanted her, but he’d also realised how sweet and sensitive she was, and he didn’t want to hurt her. If they took their relationship a step further, Hannah needed to understand that they wouldn’t last. Maybe he needed to remember that too?

Chapter Fourteen

The concierge told Hannah where the nearest late-closing supermarket was and also explained that they did a regular delivery service for long-stay guests. After getting all the details, she went to grab a few essentials, including a few not quite so ridiculously expensive croissants for the morning. She didn’t care if Caleb thought her a basic bitch; she wanted that balcony pic – if only to rub Becky’s face in it when she eventually realised Hannah wasn’t ever coming back.

The sun had fully set by the time she returned to their suite. Caleb emerged from his room into the brightly lit living area, towel drying his hair. The balcony doors were open, allowing a cool evening breeze into the suite. He was wearing nothing but grey jogging bottoms – the sluttiest item of clothing for any man, in Hannah’s opinion. Dear God. Seeing him shirtless sent her libido into overdrive, and she had to admit she was more tempted to indulge in a fling with every passing moment.

‘I thought you might like some ice cream. I know we’ve not stopped eating all day, but I thought you’d appreciate something sweet.’ Why did that sound as slutty as his joggers? She placed the bags on the kitchen counter with a loud thump – she’d been a bit overeager with the necessities.

‘Sounds great! Need a hand unpacking?’

‘Sure.’ She shuffled over to allow him space, and he went to work putting away the groceries. Not only was he a more helpful flatmate than Becky and Lindsey, but he was also a treat to see shirtless – all sculpted muscles and smooth skin. He smelled of bergamot and citrus – fresh and delicious; his hair dark from the shower, and his beard thicker after a long day of travelling. She was suddenly conscious that she’d been in the same clothes all day. But the balcony called to her, and she wanted to christen it tonight – if only with a glass of wine and a bowl of ice cream with Caleb.

The perfect end to a perfect day. Realisation struck like a tuning fork in her mind, reverberating through her body with tingling awareness. No matter how fleeting the moment, she wanted to spend it with him.

She licked her lips, staring at Caleb’s jaw and wondering how his beard might feel against her skin. Rough – but she thought she might like it.

Caleb caught her staring and she busied herself with the bags, pulling out a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. She must have subconsciously known she’d need some liquid courage when she’d picked it. ‘I bought a bottle of white wine if you want some? It’s already chilled.’ She took out two wine glasses from the cabinet above her head and then began to open the bottle. He’d not drunk earlier, but she’d presumed that was because he was driving.

‘No thanks, I don’t really drink anymore.’

That surprised her, as he’d drunk his stepfather’s lager and wine all the time – his parties were notoriously alcohol-fuelled binges. ‘Oh?’ she said, wondering if he’d explain but not wanting to pressure him if he didn’t want to talk about it.

‘Not because of anything serious. I read somewhere that it’s not great for people with ADHD, so I limited it and found it really helped me. I still have a drink occasionally, but never when I’m working. After today, my days of eating and drinking whatever I want will have to come to an end – sadly.’ He sighed pitifully and tapped his flat muscular stomach. ‘I need to get into peak shape for when Lucas starts filming.’

‘Oh yeah, I can see you’ve really let yourself go,’ she said dryly, and he chuckled.

‘By Hollywood standards, I have.’

‘Not by mine,’ she replied, and then had to take a deep sip of her wine to hide her blush.

Jesus, if this wasn’t peak shape, what the hell was?

She thought of some of Lucas Richards’s action films and her stomach flipped. Some of those scenes would have been Caleb!

Clearing her throat, she changed the subject. ‘I’m used to cooking for myself, so don’t worry about me.’ Did she have to sound so tragic?

Caleb nodded, opening the ice cream and using a spoon to scoop out portions into two bowls. ‘You’re welcome to use anything I buy in. But it’s a hell of a lot of lean protein, rice and vegetables. Pretty boring.’

‘How long does it take for you to get camera-ready?’ God, was she really checking out his flexing biceps as she said that?

‘About six weeks. But my first shirtless scenes happen pretty soon. I’ve tried to train as much as I can in the past two months, so it’s only a case of stripping back for more definition. I already train three times a day – except for the last couple of days, of course – but I’ll need to be ready for when Lucas arrives. We go from rehearsals to filming pretty quick.’

Hannah blinked. ‘Wow, three times a day! I do three times a week if I’m lucky.’

‘That’s good,’ Caleb said without an ounce of mockery. ‘To be honest the stripped-back look is good on screen, but it’s hard to maintain. It’s only because Lucas is playing a vampire that I’m going to have to go to extremes this time. Usually. his roles are less about the physique, and more about the action.’

Hannah didn’t believe that in the slightest. She’d seen some of Lucas Richards’s movies and his body (Caleb’s body) was hot in all of them. But she supposed he wasn’t as bulked-up and muscly as some of the other Hollywood action heroes. Lucas Richards was tall, with lean, muscular limbs and wide shoulders – exactly like Caleb.