Page 61 of Modern Romance December 2025 5-8

‘Do you like your job?’

She nodded impassively. ‘I’ve been doing it for a few years.’

He smiled, recognising avoidance when he saw it. ‘That isn’t what I asked.’

She sighed, funnelling her fingers through her hair and releasing the sweetest scent into the air between them. It quickened Caleb’s heart and caused his pulse to thud with even more eagerness. He wanted to bury his face in that scent, in her neck and her hair. ‘If you’re asking if I dreamed of being an executive assistant as a little girl, then no.’

‘Why didn’t you pursue your dream?’ She didn’t seem like someone lacking in courage or confidence, so he was curious as to why she had settled for something she didn’t want.

More curiosity, Caleb. Really?

It was unusual for him, he had to admit, but he couldn’t help it.

A sadness, or perhaps a weariness, came into her eyes, and she momentarily turned her gaze away, looking off into the starry sky. ‘I kind of got boxed in too.’ It was then that he saw it flash in her eyes, everything he had once felt. The constraint, the powerlessness, the frustration.

‘By what?’

She shook her head gently. ‘It’s really too long of a story to go into,’ she murmured, drawing her eyes down and away from his, and when she looked back at him, they had shuttered, and he didn’t like that at all. ‘And I think it’s time I should be going anyway.’

The words caught him off guard. She wanted to leave? ‘You should?’

‘Yes. I said one drink and that drink is finished. Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Caleb.’

Caleb stared at her as she got to her feet, a slight frown pinching between his brows. Women had walked away from him before. Not often, but it had happened. He’d never been all that bothered. There were always other women. But he was bothered now, watching her prepare to leave with a rapidly beating heart. Because she was beautiful and he wanted to take her, yes. But, also, because he wanted to know more of her. Because the past while with her was the most connected he’d felt to another person in a long time. It wasn’t a feeling Caleb had been seeking, or that he had ever sought, nor was it something that he’d particularly felt he was missing because he knew the chaos that emotional connections caused. Yet in spite of how strange it felt pulsing within his chest and how worryingly out of character that was, he wasn’t ready to let it go.

And where was the harm in indulging it for a little while longer? It wouldn’t linger. His interest never did.

‘Are you sure you can’t stay another while?’

Serena swallowed the emotion at the back of her throat. Was she sure? No, she wasn’t.

She knew she couldn’t stay, that she needed to leave. Not just because of Marcia, but because the more they talked and shared and the longer she lingered in his sphere of dominance, spellbound by his glittering eyes and undeniable charm, the greater was the temptation to throw caution to the wind, let all else drift from her mind and into the starry stratosphere above and give in to what she wanted.

Him.

To let herself, for one night, be and feel without restraint. Withoutfear.Her defences had already melted away and she could feel the tendrils of temptation stroking, beckoning. She was only a single step away from crossing that all-important line and diving head first into reckless abandon, and goodness knew where that would lead her this time. It wasn’t as though Caleb was offering anything; on the contrary, he’d made it clear he wasn’t looking for anything serious or permanent. It was a risk that she just couldn’t take. So, leaving was imperative.

Yet the compulsion to stay was just as strong. Every cell in her body longed to sit back down and bask under his attention, the delight of being seen and considered. Being visible. And it wasn’t as though Serena wanted a promise of something more, or would even believe it if one was made, not with the memory of Lucas’s flimsy promises still strong in her mind. But she did want Caleb, and whatever sense and strength she had found to stick to her original promise of leaving after one drink was fading under that beseeching look in his eyes that whispered her agreeing to stay would make his every dream come true.

She’d never felt so torn in two, as if there was no wrong answer, rightness in both choices, staying and leaving.

‘I’m sure,’ she said on a deep breath, feeling the crash of relief and disappointment.

He nodded, something that looked a lot like disappointment flaring in his eyes. Seeing how he felt about her, when he could have any woman he wanted, made her heart sigh. ‘I’ll come down to the lobby with you. Arrange a car to take you back to your hotel.’

Serena waved away the offer, certain than every extra second spent with this man was a moment that threatened to change her mind. ‘You don’t need to do that.’

‘I want to,’ he insisted, placing a hand at the small of her back as he walked her towards the elevator. He wasn’t actually touching her and yet Serena’s skin burned as if he was.Imagine how good it would feel if he did actually touch you.She chased the dangerous thought from her mind. She’d made her decision, the safe and smart one. ‘You’re alone and don’t know your way around the city, and I’ll spend all night worrying about you otherwise.’

Serena quite liked the thought of him spending all night dwelling on her. It would mean she wasn’t alone in brooding over him, because she knew that was what was going to happen. She would relive her encounter with him over again, fall asleep dreaming of him, dreams that would no doubt leave her hot and achy.

‘If you insist,’ she acquiesced, praying the ride down would be fast because her mind was already starting to swim with the potency of his scent.

But as they stepped inside, it was even worse than she had feared. Trapped in such a small, enclosed space, with the scent of him infusing every breath she took, her heart went berserk. Racing. Leaping.Wanting. Serena fixed her eyes to the floor, reminding herself of all the reasons why she couldn’t. Mustn’t. But the heat bubbling beneath her skin continued to soar because he was so close, close enough that she could reach out and touch him.

Suddenly the lights flickered and the car jolted so violently that Serena lost her balance and tumbled into Caleb. He caught her, preventing her from falling any further with the solid wall of his chest and by securing his arms around her waist. His hold tightened as they jolted again, and this time Serena couldn’t keep the gasp of alarm from squeaking from her mouth. Caleb pulled her even more securely against his body.

The lights snapped back on and the car steadied. Still holding her, Caleb looked down at her, concern written across his face. ‘Are you OK?’