Page 33 of Tamed

I went cold, then hot as the weirdest surge of jealousy hit.

Caleb had gone in there. Was he bidding? Did he want a virgin? Was he going to want Zara? Christ’s sake if he wanted a virgin, didn’t he know that I was right here?

Then just as these thoughts were stampeding through my shocked brain, Caleb came back out again and this time on his own. He walked with that easy, predatory stride, all lethal grace, and no fucks to give, making straight for the bar. Then he leaned casually against it and gave the very pretty bartender the sexiest smile I’d ever seen. She lit up like a candle at the sight of him, and that jealousy lodged hard and sharp behind my breastbone.

I should have been relieved he wasn’t in that room with Zara, and I should certainly have been concerned that he’d see me sitting in this booth.

But I wasn’t either of those things, because apparently, I was an idiot, painfully jealous that he was flirting with the woman behind the bar.

She was lovely, with long, glossy black hair and dark eyes, and she certainly knew what to say to him, because he laughed.

I could never make him laugh. All I made him was exasperated and angry.

A very small part of my brain yelled at me that my jealousy was ridiculous, and that I had no claim on him. He wasn’t mine and never would be, and I had no call being jealous of that bartender just for smiling at him. But that didn’t stop the feeling from coiling through me like poison.

Except, I couldn’t indulge myself because holy fuck, I was in trouble.

Judging from Caleb’s relaxed posture and the way he was smiling at the bartender, it was obvious that my minders hadn’t contacted him about my apparent disappearance. Which was surprising yet understandable. He’d no doubt go volcanic when he found out they’d lost me, so they were probably doing everything to track me down themselves.

But that couldn’t last forever. Eventually they were going to have to tell him, and then he’d turn the entire city upside down looking for me.

You fucking idiot. Look what you’ve gotten yourself into.

Okay, I was a fucking idiot. And maybe my break for freedom had been ill advised. But what was done, was done. My only choices now were getting out or getting caught, and if I got caught, he mightactuallylock me in my bedroom and throw away the key. I’d certainly never get to the carousel, that was for sure.

Which left me with only one choice. I had to get out and now, before he spotted me.

I kept the menu up over my face and checked the bar one last time. He was still there, chatting to the bartender.

Okay. Now or never.

Slowly, I put down the menu and grabbed my purse. Then unhurriedly I slid out of the booth and began to walk to the bar exit. I wanted to run but someone sprinting out of a bar would have drawn attention, so I made myself walk with measured steps.

All he needed to do was glance in my direction and he’d have seen me, and I expected him to. But the bartender must have been amazing, because he didn’t look away from her the whole time.

Fulminating, I took my temper in both hands and held onto it, and as I approached the bar exit, I risked a quick look in his direction to make sure he hadn’t moved.

Naturally, that was the moment that Ihadto bump into someone, causing a mini fuss in the doorway. Cursing silently, the back of my neck prickling, I didn’t stop to apologize, not caring if I came across as rude. I only wanted to extricate myself as quickly as possible.

I couldn’t risk another look back as I left the bar, so I didn’t, heading into the short hallway that led to Arcadia’s grand entrance. Every part of me was tense, waiting for the sound of Caleb’s deep voice calling my name, bracing myself for the impact of his fury. Because he would be furious. He’d be so very,veryangry.

You idiot. Was it worth it? Wasanyof this worth how angry he’ll be with you?

But I didn’t want to think about that. I didn’t want to examine how painful that thought felt. I just wanted to get to the front door and out as quickly as possible.

The door had opened to admit another small group of people, and the handsome man was there to greet them. I heard nothing behind me, not that I would have heard anything over the deafening thump of my own heartbeat.

It took a minute for the entrance to clear, and nothing grabbed me, and I was full of relief, because thank God, I hadn’t been spotted. I was going to get out without being seen.

I was already striding to the door as the party that had just entered made their way toward the bar, thinking about what my next step was going to be, when a strong hand closed around my arm, bringing me up short.

Then a deep, horribly familiar voice demanded in my ear, “Where the fuckdo you think you’re going, Isabel?”

10

Caleb

Isabel froze, still facing the front door, her entire body rigid. Which was a good thing given the fury that had turned every drop of blood in my veins to lava.

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