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The moment my feet hit the soft, wool rug peeking out from beneath my bed, I immediately regret overindulging in the wine last night. The room spins, forcing me to grab onto the edge of the mattress for support and reminding me why drinking on work nights is a bad idea. I tiptoe across my room slowly, making a conscious effort not to wake Brynn. As the lukewarm water pours from the showerhead above me, jostling me awake, I can’t help but wonder why I couldn’t be one of those people who deals with their problems in a normal, healthy manner—like chopping off all their hair or redecorating their entire house.
Throughout the day, my mind wanders off to Callisto and our disagreement, followed by our near-miss make-up session, making it nearly impossible to get anything done at work. I remember his words: Did you ever think I might have waited at the restaurant thinking you’d come see me the way you used to go see that piece of shit bartender. As soon as I get home, I shower and change then follow the familiar path to Suppato’s restaurant.
It’s after the dinner rush, and the restaurant is pretty quiet. Only the scattered tables of businessmen having a drink after closing a long, sought-after deal remain. Jaxon is polishing and stacking glasses when I approach the bar. He fights off a smirk as he watches me slide onto the wooden stool at the far end of the counter.
“I was wondering how long it would take,” he says, leaning over the wooden surface in front of me.
“How long what would take?”
“For you to finally admit that there is a thing.” He slings the white bar towel over his shoulder as he straightens his body and peers down at me.
I roll my eyes and dismiss his comment. “Shouldn’t you be taking my drink order or something?”
“Martini?” he asks, flipping the triangle shaped glass right side up and cocking his head to the side. The thought of anything alcoholic in nature makes my stomach churn.
“Raspberry lemonade.” I visibly cringe at the mention of vodka.
Jaxon’s eyes flash a brief hint of curiosity, but he just smiles and places the martini glass back in its rack.
“Good choice.” The velvety sound of Callisto’s voice fills the room and calms the sea within me.
I didn’t even see him turn the corner from the hallway. My pulse quickens with every step he takes to close the gap between us. He reaches for the hand nervously fidgeting in my lap, pulling me to my feet.
“We’ll be in my office,” he tells Jaxon, who is currently watching in awe.
The second his office door is closed, my breath freezes in my lungs. When it finally finds the strength to break free, it is staggered and shaky. Callisto’s presence is completely overwhelming.
He eases behind his desk and into the dark, leather chair. Then he clears his throat and glides his hand over the smooth surface of the black, stone desk in front of him. His bottom lip twitches and there’s a devilish twinkle in his seductive eyes as they focus on my face. “Here,” he says. One word, a simple command. Still, it does incredible things to my body.
A sigh escapes me as I am transported back to the very first time he touched me. It was right across the hall, in his father’s office. He had me hypnotized with those same eyes, the same commanding voice. I am just as helpless to resist him now as I was then. The only difference is now I know what to expect. I know how intoxicating and addicting he truly is. And I want him.
I move with false confidence until I’m standing directly in front of him, locked onto his gaze. He hooks a long finger in each of the front pockets of my jeans and pulls me onto his lap. My body is consumed with a residual longing that pulses through me with every heartbeat as I sit here straddling this unbelievable man. I wrap my arms around his neck, coiling my fingers in the hair at the nape. I’m just about to let him know how much I missed him when a knock on the door startles me back into reality.
He smirks as if this amuses him then scoots me to the side. I throw my head back and groan, provoking a breathy laugh from Cal.
“Come in,” he says to the annoying intruder.
Jaxon’s eyes widen when he enters the room. I guess he expected a business meeting? “Sorry for interrupting. I just… I have…” At an obvious loss for words, he holds my lemonade out to signal his reason for knocking.
“Thank you. Just sit it on the desk,” Callisto tells him, not the least bit affected by the fact that I’m perched on his lap, and a guy who at one time wanted to date me is standing at the door.
Jax watches us with a combination of fascination and curiosity as he places the drink in front of me then turns to leave without another word.
Well that was awkward.
“So, I was thinking… We left things kind of… open-ended, last night,” I say, hoping he fills in the blanks.
“You were drunk, and there was another woman in your bed.”
I heave an exasperated sigh when I realize he isn’t going to let me off easily. “I forgot she was there. And I wasn’t that drunk.”
“No?” His eyebrows rise in time with his question.
“No.”
“You called me daddy.”
My cheeks burst into flames. “No!”
