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But I didn’t look sweet and innocent like I’d hoped when I’d bought the dress last year. I looked scared. I felt vulnerable. I didn’t know what Vaughn’s plan was, here, but I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach about it. His last text had more or less declared his intent to blackmail me. But he couldn’tforceme to sign a five-year contract… could he?

A knock at my front door made me jump. My heart clenched so hard, I imagined it wringing all the blood from my body out of it like a sponge. I put a hand to my chest, and as my heart thudded away at an uneven tempo, I tried to force it to calm down. It was just Cal. He was here to take me to the award ceremony.

“It’s not Vaughn,” I whispered to myself, bending over to slip the backs of my strappy heels over my ankles and make my way through my tiny apartment to the front door connected to the kitchen area. “Be chill.”

I opened the front door, and Cal nearly blinded me with his perfection. The golden hour glow behind him highlighted the burnished red in his side-swept hair, and it added a soft tint to his skin that made him look like Adonis come to life. He’d dressed in a simple black suit and white shirt with a gray-striped tie, and the entire ensemble pulled at his muscular frame like it was begging for mercy. I gaped. “Hey.”

Cal’s mouth quirked to the side like he knew I was ogling.And then his gaze softened as his Irish green eyes roved from my springy hair down my dress and to my shoes. His lips separated, and there was a beat of silence before he found my questioning look and said, “You look incredible.”

I fought a smile. “So do you.”

“That’s it,” he said, reaching out to take my hand in his. “I’m winning this award next year so I can see you in that dress again.”

I laughed. “Make sure you mention that as the reason when you give your acceptance speech.”

Cal led me through the doorway, closing the door behind me, and I fished my keys out of my black clutch. He looped his arm around my waist from behind, bending down to skate his lips along the slope of my exposed shoulder. “But if I do that, then they’ll all see how beautiful you are.”

I almost dropped my keys as a shiver rippled down my arms to my fingertips. “I really don’t think you’re in danger… of…” I trailed off as my mind scattered like a collection of dropped pins. I lost my train of thought and the key stalled, hovering just before the deadbolt lock.

Cal reached around me, and grasping my fingers, he fed the key into the lock. With a softshuck, he twisted it into a locked position. His breath tickled my neck as he whispered, “I assure you, Shortstop. I’m very much in danger, here.”

I leaned against him, releasing a shivering breath.I’m in a shit ton of trouble. How am I supposed to keep my calm around this man?I angled my neck to give him easier access. He licked mypulse point before kissing it softly, and I almost melted into a puddle. I struggled to find something—anything—rational to say to Cal. “We…” I stalled again, breathing hard as his left hand skated up my ribs. “We’re mostly in danger of being… late.”

Cal laughed against my throat, moving his lips to my ear where he nipped at the sensitive shell. “It’s not even my award.”

I smiled. “Are you saying you want to stay?”

He groaned, and his whole body seemed to sag as he stepped away from me. “No. We should go.”

I turned and patted his chest. “Probably the adult choice to make.”

His eyes darkened as he skimmed his fingers down the slopes of my shoulders again. “I can think of a whole lot of other ‘adult choices’ I’d prefer to be doing right now.”

My lips twitched, and I volleyed a look from his lips to his eyes. “Oh yeah? What kinds?”

Cal’s smile turned roguish as he took my hand in his again and led me to his parked car. “Are we having the kink discussion already? On the second date?”

I frowned, thinking. “Second date?”

“Parents,” Cal said, flicking out one finger. “Award ceremony,” he finished, adding his second finger.

My jaw froze up. Stiffly, I asked, “Wait… I had sex with you, and it wasn’t even a date?”

“You are an incorrigible hussy, Dr. Coldwell. I hate to break it to you.”

“I wonder what a corrigible hussy would looklike,” I mused.

Cal laughed, and as we reached his car, he opened the passenger side door for me. But before I could get in, he swept me against the hard plane of his body before bending down to kiss me softly. His lips moved against mine, unhurried and warm, like he was ready to spend the rest of the night exploring every nuance of our kisses. When he pulled away, he whispered, “I wouldn’t dream of reforming any part of you. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

My heart burst like a chattering of starlings. “So are you,” I whispered back.

Smiling slightly, Cal gave me one more kiss on my cheekbone. “See? We are a perfect match. Although, you might disagree once you see what I have planned for our ride.”

“Should I be worried?” I asked archly.

Cal went around to his side of the car with a sly, silent look. He’d parked close to my building, and although there were cars in every parking space, there were no residents milling around at this hour. The dusky sunset bathed the car’s white interior in a brassy shimmer, and as Cal got into his seat and closed his door, I let myself bask in the summer glow. Cal turned to me, and the waning sun streaked across his strong features like refracted amber. “Are you ready to play a game?”

With you? Anything. Especially if you look at me that way while we play.“I suppose that depends on the game,” I said with a dubious eye squint.