Page 56 of Close to the Edge

The thought drew a horrified shudder. “That can’t happen.”

“It won’t,” he ground out. With a decisive click, he shut the lid. “It’s almost eight. You’ve been up since five this morning. I’m taking you home.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. The team always goes out to celebrate after a presentation. They’ll expect me to be there.”

“Where’s it happening?”

“Q Base in Cupertino.”

He pulled out his phone to relay the instruction to his security team. Then he cupped my shoulders. “You’re officially clocked off for the day. Understood?”

Feeling numb, I nodded.

I was grateful when Maggie called and kept Caleb on the phone for most of the time it took to drive to Q Base.

Thumping music when we entered the club further prevented me from making meaningful conversation with Caleb or my team.

I exchanged high fives with anyone who stopped at the VIP lounge reserved for SDM, but the first chance I got, I headed to the main bar.

“You want a lemondrop?” Caleb leaned down to ask in my ear.

Memories of last night flooded in, knocking aside a bit of my melancholy. “Not unless you’re making it,” I said before I fully grasped how revealing my answer was. His lips curved in a smug smile. “They don’t make it that well here. I’ll have a noche azul,” I added in a rush.

He ordered my drink and bourbon for himself.

Since it was early by clubbing standards, we had most of the dance floor to ourselves. But an hour later the place was packed.

I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room, and returned to find Miranda seated next to Caleb. Frozen, I watched her lean in close and whisper in his ear.

A smile crept up his face but he shook his head. She leaned in closer, her bare leg sliding against his.

Hot, green bile curdled in my gut, merrily aided by the two cocktails I’d consumed. I wanted to stalk over, uproot her by the hair and lay my claim on him.

But other than the two orgasms he’d given me, a few shared confidences and a promise to screw each other’s brains out sometime in the future, what hold did we have on one another? For all I knew, Caleb could be gone from my life this time next week.

The thought slashed through me, sharp and unexpectedly agonizing.

I made a U-turn, heading for the bar. Someone stepped in front of me. He looked familiar.

Mark, the ex who’d turned out to be harmless.

“I thought that was you,” he said.

“Hi.” I summoned a bright smile.

“Long time, no see.”

“Yeah...”

He cocked his head at the dance floor. “Wanna dance?”

I looked over my shoulder. Caleb’s eyes were fixed on me, narrowing as it flicked between Mark and me. Even from across the wide space, I witnessed tension climbing into his body.

I turned back around. “Sure, why not?”

Mark grinned. We headed to the dance floor and, with a sense of wild abandon, I threw myself into the dance. Seconds later Caleb materialized beside me.

“You. Beat it,” Caleb snarled at Mark.

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