Page 15 of The Playboy Billionaire

A group of women enter the restaurant and take a seat at a table near ours, looking over and smiling. Xander and Tristan exchange a look, and I can already guess where this evening is heading. I sit back, leaving my friends to it. It isn’t long ago I would have been a part of it. But since New York...

Marcus shakes his head. “Don’t you guys want to find someone you connect with? What about you, Caleb?” he asks.

Quentin ruffles Marcus’s hair hard. “Why would our super stud want to settle down? Last year, it was best friends in Monaco. He’s constantly photographed with a string of models, not to mention that supermodel last week. He gets to play hard and party hard.”

God, my friend makes me sound like a complete womaniser.

Last week, someone photographed me talking to a supermodel whose name I can’t even remember. It was a ten-minute conversation, but the guys and the newspapers assumed she ended up in my bed. The truth is, I dropped her home at the end of the night when she couldn’t get a taxi. I suppose that’s the thing with reputations. Once they’re established, they’re hard to shift.

And the older I get…

Maybe Gabriel's settling down has rubbed off on me.

Identical twin juju.

Then again, who am I kidding? Love is a fairy story told to children, but like every story, it’s a dream, an illusion.

“I’ll leave the happily ever after to my brother,” I say, ignoring the heaviness that’s taken up residence in the pit of my stomach since New York. Her laughter, that smile, and not forgetting her body and those legs. I can’t shake the memory. Not that I would ever admit that to the boys. April is my secret.

“To the continued dodging of social climbers and their mothers,” Xander says, clinking his glass to each of ours. Xander fell prey at my mother’s birthday party/fundraiser last summer, especially when everyone discovered my brother Gabriel was no longer available.

“You are all just cynical,” Marcus says. “There will be a woman for each of you, mark my words. She’ll sneak up on you when you are least expecting it.”

The others groan at his words.

I am cynical. An excessive number of people pursue the Frazer name for their own gain, and I refuse to be used. I won’t be one of those people who plays at love and marriage. I will not compromise and, therefore, have no intention of settling down.

We spend the rest of the evening chatting and catching up. The women from the other table come over, and we leave as a group, making our way to one of Tristan’s bars. My best friend is making a name for himself. Has opened several wine bars across the city and is looking to expand into other major cities across the country.

Marcus makes a speedy escape as we move on, and I don’t blame him.

One lady tries to sit on my knee, her hand trailing intothe short hair at the back of my neck. She leans in, the scent of her perfume triggering memories of another woman. A woman who vanished in a puff of smoke. If not for the smell of her perfume on my sheets, I may have assumed I dreamt her.

I tracked her friend Samuel’s dance company to Philadelphia, but he was a bust.

Samuel shrugs.“If she left leaving no forwarding information, then…” He doesn’t need to finish his statement. I know he’s right. She saw us as a one-night stand. I should be grateful. No awkward morning after conversation, no pretending to swap details you’re never going to use.

“I just wanted to check she was okay.” I sound lame even to myself.

“She’s fine. Got back to the UK in one piece,” he says, the conversation getting awkward.

“No problem, that’s all I wanted to know.” I turn to leave.

“Hey, Cal,” I stop as he calls my name. “Thanks. I haven’t seen April smile like that in ages.”

I nod. “Good luck with the show.”

I leave.

Samuel is right. If she wanted me to have her details, she would have left them. I could have used Elijah to track her down, but that was stalkerish. Maybe I misread the whole night. If she wanted something more, she would have stayed instead of disappearing like a thief in the night.

“Want to come back to mine?”the woman mutters, nipping my earlobe with her teeth.

I turn and stare at her, snapping myself back into thepresent. “I really need to get going,” I say, standing up quickly. Suddenly desperate for the peace and quiet of my apartment.

CHAPTER 6

APRIL

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