Page 25 of Something to Someone

“Nothing happened in the bathroom,” I admitted. I had gotten so close, but Theo’s timely interruption kept it all PG-13. Or maybe NC-17.

“Yeah, but you left that night after the party to drop something off at Caroline’s house. You’re telling me nothing happened when you went over there that night?”

I stayed silent, trying not to replay every little detail of that night. But it was impossible not to relive it over and over again. I’d been doing that since Caroline walked back into her house.

From finding her in that tiny bikini in the pool to having her splayed out on the edge, every second had been on instant replay. She monopolized every one of my thoughts, but that was nothing new. She’d been on my mind since the moment I met her.

“Your silence is answer enough,” Theo murmured quickly as the waiter dropped our food off and retrieved our order number.

“So, what if something did?” I popped a fry in my mouth while Theo paused with his burger halfway to his mouth.

“If something did happen, I’d say you’re in way over your head.”

“No way,” I argued before taking a hearty bite of my burger and finally feeling my hunger start to wain. “I’ve been dreaming of this day for…forever. I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing.”

Theo nodded, but I could see the argument on the tip of his tongue as he finished chewing. “Without giving me the details, because I seriously don’t need to know, how far did you take it?”

I knew what he was asking without him having to explicitly say it:did you cross a boundary you can’t come back from?

“Far enough. Further than I ever expected to go.”It was the best night of my life,I thought but didn’t admit aloud.

My thoughts drifted once again until Theo’s snicker and the reminder of my almost untouched fries brought me back to the present.

“You are one lovesick motherfucker,” he stated. My first reaction was to argue, but it would have been in vain. Because I was, and denying it to my best friend was useless. Instead, I smiled to myself and took another bite of my food. Usually a man of few words, I didn’t expect Theo to continue, but I stopped when he did. “You’re smart, Ryder. Smartest person I know, actually. But in these circumstances, I’m the expert. So, listen to me when I say, don’t try to hide this from your mom. She’s gonna find out, and if it goes any further, it’s better she hears it from you. You know how it feels to figure it out otherwise.”

His statement should have been like a cold bucket of water over my head. But it wasn’t. Yes, finding out about my mom and Theo had been complicated and difficult to get my head around, but Caroline and I were different. And there wasn’t a guarantee she’d let me anywhere near her again. Although I was optimistic that her resistance was slowly melting away.

It was easy to shut me out via text, but in person, I had a better chance of slipping beneath her shields.

“I’ve got it all under control,” I said with a smile. “It’s all under control.”

FOURTEEN

JUST A LITTLE TASTE

Caroline

The roomthe restaurant had set up for the tasting was private and just off the main dining room. Separated by two sliding doors, I could still hear the faint sound of voices and the usual restaurant commotion.

The catering manager dropped off two waters at the table and smoothed the unwrinkled, white tablecloth.

“We’re so excited to have you here, Ms. Grant, and the menu we’ve put together is incredible. I think you’ll enjoy what we have planned.” The young woman, Kate, had just taken over the position, and I could tell she was nervous and eager to make a good impression. The previous catering manager had burned a bridge that couldn’t be mended, but the restaurant had some of the best food I’d found in the city. So, when I heard they hired someone new, I decided to give them another chance.

“I’m sure it will be. You’ve already gone above and beyond,” I said with a smile, motioning to the quiet, secluded room.

There was a quiet knock on the door before a waiter stuck his head between them. “Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Calaway is here.”

I snorted, trying to suppress my laughter which quickly died in the back of my throat whenMr. Calawayappeared from between the two doors. My mouth went dry, and my smile fell.

He politely thanked the waiter and greeted the caterer. Giving her his thousand-watt smile, I didn’t blame the girl for blushing slightly. But she quickly righted her expression and waved him toward the table I was seated at.

My breath caught in my throat. Those blue eyes turned on me, and I kept very still as they raked over my exposed legs peeking out from beneath the tablecloth. Until I felt his gaze, I hadn’t realized the slit in my skirt had ridden almost indecently high up on my thigh. But adjusting it when he was still watching meant showing I was affected by his intense stare, and I refused to do that.

His eyes traveled upward, over the subtle cleavage beneath my satin shirt and along the line of my exposed neck. It was too hot outside to have my hair down for any significant amount of time.

“Hey, Caroline,” he said with a smile, pulling out the chair closest to me. He sat, and Kate quickly confirmed that she was going to bring out the first few courses for us to try. She hurried through the door at the back of the room and into the kitchen, leaving Ryder and I completely alone.

Which was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid for the past week. Because I knew what would happen if we were alone again—it was the same reaction I’d had even when he’d texted me throughout the week. My body remembered the way his hands, his lips, his body felt, and it was screaming at me formore.

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