prologue
SEPTEMBER 2024 - NOAH’S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Rosie
“What is happening right now?” Casey asks from somewhere to my right.
“What do you mean?” I reply, my attention completely locked on the tall,blonde—not my usual type—and drop-dead delicious specimen, standing across the room.
“Rosie, what are you doing?” Addison asks me through a giggle.
Still keeping my prize within my sight, I slightly lower my lashes and flick a sultry smirk in his direction, pleased to have him in a trance, unable to look away. Keeping up the rouse I explain, “We’re doing the dance.”
“What dance?” Casey questions. I really needed to take these girls out more, or at least Casey. She was now the only single one of our little group, and she was a complete noob when it came to picking up at a bar.
“You know, the eye-fucking dance,” I reply by way of explanation. This appears to not be satisfactory for them.
“Elaborate,” Addison demands, and I feel both her and Casey’s curious eyes burning the side of my face as I continue trying to lure my prey. I have discovered his name is Caleb, Noah’s friend and coworker. I’ll be honest, I had not expected Addison’s boyfriend, Noah, to have so many good-looking friends. Between Caleb and Noah’s other college friends, Ethan and Lucas, who also happen to be brothers, the level of eye candy was off the charts.
I elaborate further for my two favorite girls, who clearly have learned nothing in the almost fifteen years of our friendship. “Whoever breaks first loses the power in the situation. If I make the first move, he gets to pick when we leave, where we go, and how the sex goes. If he makes the first move, the control is all mine, baby.” I shift my body so the angle he gets is side on, a silhouette, if you will—all tits and ass. Twirling a finger lazily through one of my corkscrew curls, I bump my tally up a point at the way his smile falters and eyes narrow. I’d call thathook, line…just need the sinker.
“And let me guess, you never break first?” Casey giggles next to me, and I can feel Addison roll her eyes. I don’t care though. She can have her one-penis-for-life relationship; I am happy tasting the fruits of Noah’s friend group, content with this one being the flavor of the night.
“Never.” My voice is low and husky, feeling the effects of the flirting across the room. For all the plays I’ve laid out tonight, Caleb is clearly a professional at this game too. He is effortless in his sex appeal; it’s the whole reason my eyes landed on him in the first place. It’s the cool, easygoing charm that ruins panties from one wink.
So, I give him just that, taking the straw of my drink between my lips—probably sucking with more drama than necessary—I wink and run a thumb across my damp lips before sucking it into my mouth and hooding my eyes just a little bit more.
Sinker.Prey caught. I watch him shift on his feet, his eyes darken as I watch his chin lower and he glares at me, a look full of heat and desire, and that allure from before almost suffocates me from across the room.
“Okay, we’ll leave you to it,” Casey says absently as she heads for the bar. Noah comes up behind Addy, stealing her away for a dance and, as suspected, Caleb comes sauntering over to where I stand at a high table.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks, casually leaning his forearms on the table and hitting me with an easy smirk. I relax my stance and flick my hair over my shoulder to give him an obvious once-over.
“I’m good, thanks though.” I suck my straw, holding eye contact. Caleb isn’t the least bit put off; in fact, he seems to grow bolder as he steps closer, leaning down so his face is level with mine. Much to my mother’s dismay, I am a measly five foot two, but I claim that two inches on Addison like it’s a trophy. However, like every man you drool over, Caleb looks like he is at least six feet. Considering he is only slightly shorter than Noah, I’d hazard a guess he was six foot three.
“How about a shot then.” His voice is deepandsweet. Not the husky type that hums low like a growl. It’s the kind where if he sang, it would probably leave goose pimples all over my skin. Like a songbird or siren or something. He’d trap you with that kind of voice.
“What kind of shot did you have in mind?” I taunt, leaning a little bit closer, turning my body toward his. I don’t miss the up-and-down look of appreciation he sends my way. The heat of his stare burns, and I feel the corner of my lips tip up with satisfaction. Oh, he likes what he sees all right.
“Body shot.” The man is confident, I’ll give him that, but I just throw my head back in a laugh.
“Ha! You wish. You’ll have to try harder than that.” My retort gets me a rumbling laugh from his direction. With his bottom lip drawn into his mouth and dragged through his teeth, I can’t steal my eyes away from his lips. Really, really kissable lips.
“You like games, Rosie?” he queries, and I don’t miss the look of mischief in his eyes, the glint of pure madness that has my heart lurching and excitement taking flight in my stomach.
“Live for them. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, clearly we’re both playing the same one already, so why don’t we heighten the stakes.” I’d be lying if I said my interest wasn’t piqued. If I’m going by my own unit of measurement, Caleb has me on the hook.
“I’m listening.”
“Pick a challenge and whoever wins gets a prize.” I narrow my eyes at him and the sparkle in his only intensifies. He lets me mull it over, drawing out the pull he takes of his beer, the strong column of his neck almost distracting me. But he doesn’t yet know who the true master is here. Spoiler alert, it’s me.
“Hmm. And what if we both win our respective challenges?” I question, because something tells me this guy is a pro.
“Guess we get to keep playing until someone loses.” The way he smirks tells me he thinks I’ll be the loser. Well consequences be damned, I never back down from a challenge. With those eyes and that smile, I can’t imagine whateverpunishmenthe has in mind if I lose would really be so bad.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s the reward?”
