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“I-I will.” Caroline swallowed, a sudden dread settling in the pit of her stomach. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll call you.”
“Correct. And I’ll be right over.”
“You don’t have to do that. Jon and the kids are your priority. You’ve done more than enough for me. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“If you need me, call me.”
Caroline blew out a calming breath, pressing her back against the wall in the hallway. “I will. Goodnight.”
* * *
Caroline stood at the bar,scanning the room every once in a while. Whenever a pretty woman neared, her heart raced, and her palms grew clammy. It wasn’t the ideal way to feel. This experience was supposed to excite her, prepare her for a life without Naomi, but dread continued to plague her. She really needed to get out of her head.
As she scanned the bar again, Caroline promised herself less thinking time. Especially tonight of all nights. Eva would certainly keep her mind occupied; she’d seen her picture online. Gail had insisted she take care of the details, right down to the time and place, so Caroline would go for it and hope for the best. It couldn’t be any worse than sitting home alone.
“Caroline?”
A soft voice followed by a gentle hand on her shoulder had Caroline’s body thrumming. And then she turned around, her breath catching as Eva stood before her. “H-hi.”
Eva wore a little black dress, her long blonde hair straight and falling over one shoulder. But it was her eyes that stole Caroline’s breath with every inhale. Cobalt. Intense. Wow…she was striking. God, it was like sunshine in Caroline’s usually dreary life.
She’d expected a young woman who oozed confidence, turning heads as she walked into the bar, but Eva didn’t draw attention to herself. Really, she didn’t need to. This woman was by far the most beautiful woman Caroline had ever encountered.She’s supposed to be beautiful. Don’t let yourself get carried away here.
“Can I get you a drink?” Caroline found her voice, but she couldn’t be sure how long that would last. Eva was…a lot to take in right now.
“I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay, thank you.”
Caroline smiled and turned back to the bar. She ordered two glasses, her eyes closing briefly as Eva came to stand next to her, her eyes burning through Caroline’s face. And then Caroline glanced in her direction. “Forgive me, but I’ve never done this before.”
“Had a drink in a bar?” Eva quirked an eyebrow. God, that was sexy.
“No…this.” She motioned between them.
Eva smiled and leaned in, her hand placed on Caroline’s forearm. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite.”
Heat shot straight through Caroline. It had been far too long since someone said something like that to her. In a seductive tone, Eva’s breath washed over her ear. Okay, Caroline had to get a grip on herself. Eva was an escort, not her happy ending.
The bartender placed their drinks down, offering a nod to Caroline as he added it to her tab. She turned and handed Eva’s drink to her, with no idea what was supposed to happen next.
“Maybe we should get a table so you can calm down.” Eva slid a hand to the small of Caroline’s back, heat emanating from her fingertips. “Let’s get to know one another.”
Okay, Caroline could do that. Talking. Talking was nice. And it was safe. Providing she didn’t say anything stupid. “I have a booth over on the back wall. I got here a while ago. Nerves, you know.” She smiled weakly, but Eva just beamed that gorgeous smile, her hand still sitting in place against Caroline’s body. How was it that a simple touch felt so…electrifying?
They slid into a booth, sitting opposite one another, and Caroline took a moment to breathe. She watched Eva as she took her wine glass between her lips, licking the wine residue as she set it down on the table. “So, Caroline.”
“Caz is fine.”
“Okay, Caz.” Eva nodded. “I like that. It makes you sound fun and adventurous.”
“It does?” Caroline couldn’t recall the last time someone had suggested she was any of those things. But she had been, once upon a time.
“Mm. Now, tell me…” Eva paused, relaxing back against the leather of the booth, crossing her legs. “What do you do?”
“I’m in education,” Caroline said, unaware how deep she should go. The last thing she needed was the staff at school to get wind of this. She’d never live it down.
Eva drummed her fingers on the table. “I thought so. You look like a teacher.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.” Caroline narrowed her eyes, smiling when a smirk played on Eva’s mouth.
