Page 28 of Salacious Park Avenue Prince

“Must be lonely up there on your high horse.”

“Better than being surrounded by a bunch of sycophants.”

I glared down at him, hoping to laser-beam him through the floor, and when that didn’t work and I still hadn’t answered, the smartass added, “That means someone who will kiss your ass to gain an advantage just in case?—”

“I know what it means.”

Caleb smirked. “I couldn’t be sure.”

“You’re in my spot.”

He glanced around at all the open seats in the room. “Looks like you’ll need a new one, then, doesn’t it?”

Was it really my spot? No. Didn’t stop me from stepping in front of him, knocking his feet off the coffee table, and blocking his view of the TV. “Move.”

He brought his beer to his lips and kept staring straight ahead, like he could see through me. That gave me a split second to actually look at him without his eyes on me, and I took a mental snapshot of the tousled way his hair looked when he ripped off his slouchy beanie after a long day. The way his full lips wrapped around the opening of his beer.

God, this was gonna kill me, wasn’t it?

Caleb looked up at me and smirked as he settled back into the cushions. “Nah.”

That was the problem with staring. It made you forget what the hell you were saying in the first place. “Excuse me?”

“I said, nah. As in, I’m not moving, but thanks for asking.”

Oh. Right.“I wasn’t asking. I was telling you. Move.”

Caleb faked a yawn and spread his arm out along the back of the couch, clearly intent on keeping his ass right where it was.

I could play this game. I stepped in between his spread thighs and leaned down over him, resting one hand on the cushionby his head and angling myself closer than I knew I should’ve. Surprise lit Caleb’s eyes before he scooted up like he could get away from me.

“If you won’t move, I could make you,” I said, daring to get in his face. “Or maybe you’d rather I sit in your lap. I’m good either way.”

“Don’t even fucking think about it.”

“Too late. And I’m oh so tempted.” I dropped my knee on the couch between his thighs, and Caleb’s hand shot out to push against my chest. Look at that. I’d already succeeded in him touching me.

“Knock it off, Travis.”

“Why? No one’s here. You don’t have to put on an act if there’s anything you’re…curious about. Anything you wanna try.” My gaze dropped to his lips. “Or taste.”

“You think no one can possibly resist you, is that it?”

“No. I just don’t thinkyoucan.”

Caleb’s brown eyes held mine, and just when I expected him to deny, deny, deny, he moved. He stood up, brushing against me and forcing me back.

With his face only inches from mine, it would’ve been so easy to close the distance between us. I might’ve considered it if I thought there was any chance he’d reciprocate, but even the tension between us wasn’t enough to have me making the first move. Not now.

“You,” Caleb said, his voice low as the alcohol on his breath swept across my lips, “are pathetic.”

I blinked, stunned, as he sidestepped me and brought his beer back up to his mouth. All I could do in his wake was stare, and that wasn’t like me at all. I just watched him walk toward his room, took in the fit of his ass in those jeans, and then realized…he was right. Iwaspathetic.

Pathetic for wanting someone I so obviously never could, or would, have.

EIGHT

caleb

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