Page 35 of Play for Power (Central Sparks #3)

A flash of a deep navy Armani suit has my head snapping to the left as I make my way up to the bar.

Perfectly tailored, a dark Rolex on his left wrist as he secures the button on the middle of his suit jacket.

Like we’re moving in slow motion, I watch the strut, the haphazard flick of his hand through his hair like it isn’t perfectly styled, the pull on his sleeve, and the quirk of his lips as he winks at someone across the bar.

“Goddamn sexy asshole,” I whisper to myself as Caleb’s strides end up even with mine, and before I can change course, he’s standing next to me at the bar.

“Caleb,” I say in greeting, my tone low and laced with faux condescension.

“Rosebud, I didn’t see you there.” He grins down at me with the boyish charm I’m used to seeing, but his usual admiration of me is only brief—which is odd—before his attention moves to the bartender, who so happens to be Stella.

“What can I get you guys?”

“I’ll take a dirty martini, espresso martini, and a gin and soda, please.” I smile at her as she busies herself with the order.

“Addy and Casey here to?” Caleb turns to lean against the bar in search of the girls. I don’t turn to see if they find him; given the little wave he throws in their direction, I assume they did.

“Back to stalking, are we, sex pest?” He snorts and bows his head, throwing his card down on the bar when Stella returns with the drinks.

“On me.” He attempts to hand over his card, which I promptly flick away, handing mine to Stella and giving him my best unimpressed once-over.

“Not on your life, hotshot.”

Stella offers us a playful headshake, taking my card to pay for the drinks and handing it back before taking Caleb’s order.

Caleb still hasn’t made eye contact with me, hasn’t offered a teasing joke, or to take me home, or…anything annoying, really. Which is just so odd…and that’s the excuse I give myself for why I prod him about his plans.

“So, what are you doing here then?”

“Scoping the options, I suppose.” I try my hardest to hide my wince. It’s fine, it’s perfect even, that he is looking for other women. That’s what you wanted, Rosie.

This is what you wanted.

No strings.

Nonexclusive, remember?

He turns to me once Stella hands him the drink he ordered, leaning an elbow on the bar and sipping as his eyes finally, and unnervingly, stare right into mine. “A bit like you’re doing, I’d guess.” He gestures at Kyle/Kale/Not-Kevin’s direction and I feel my lips pull into a satisfied smirk.

“He was a bore, but I’m here with the girls, I was just seeing who tonight’s lucky winner will be.

” I let a smirk tug at my lips, just enough to be a tease.

As Caleb reaches for Addy’s martini, I grab Casey’s gin, and we slowly head for the girls’ table.

“So, slot’s open if you’re free for some fun later?

” I hedge, hoping like hell my earlier thoughts didn’t seep through my words and make me sound desperate—there is nothing that sounds more horrific than me being desperate .

I can feel him watching me, so I play into it, letting him see how he affects me, my bottom lip drawn between my teeth…and tell myself that it’s all just an act. I hear a low groan followed by a rough laugh, though it’s more breathy and empty of any humor.

“Tempting, Rosebud. But I’m all booked up,” he says quietly as we make it to the table.

I can’t help the frown that pulls at my eyes as he places Addy’s drink in front of her, giving them both a charming smile, a friendly kiss to their cheeks in greeting, before another wave and heading off.

He gives me one quick, knowing glance over his shoulder and then I see him saunter up to a brunette.

She’s stunning, naturally. Caleb’s taste has always been in the top 1 percent for as long as I have known him.

Exhibit A: Yours truly. She has thick, long, and loose waves that go all the way down her back, warm brown skin, and legs that go all the way to heaven in that tiny black skirt.

She has curves like mine, though she has at least five inches on me.

I watch, completely enraptured by the way he looms over her, the tuck of her hair behind her ear, the trail of his thumb over her cheekbone, and I’m completely assaulted by a memory.

“You have four freckles here.” He drags his thumb under the bottom corner of my eye. “They form a star.” His palm presses against my cheek as he pushes hair behind my ear.

“You good, girl?”

I suck in a breath at the intrusion of the memory, my attention zapping back to Casey and her matching quizzical look to Addison’s. I huff a laugh, nearly choking on a quick gulp of my drink.

“Fine, just been a long week, you know.” Liar.

“Right.” Casey narrows her eyes at me, and Addy just tilts her head in confusion.

“Anyway!” I smack my hands on the table and they both seem to come to their senses and let me drop the topic. “What are we doing for the Fourth?”

“Noah is taking me to Chicago, we’re spending it with his mom and sister.”

“Jessie is whisking me away.” Casey sighs as she brushes an arm in the air.

“It’s only June 11 and you guys have already made plans?” I know . I can hear my tone, too, and I sound like a spoiled brat, but… c’mon. “This is why I need single friends,” I mumble into my glass. Addy smacks me on the arm playfully.

“Come on, it’s not that bad, plus you do have single friends, you have the guys, Stella, Riley?—”

“Oh no, Riley has that boyfriend now, remember,” Casey chimes in, the gossip glowing in her eyes.

“Oh yeah! I need to talk to her about that…that was fast. Lucas reckons he’s over all the time and he doesn’t like him.” Addison sounds concerned, but I just laugh under my breath.

“I think he has reasons other than the guy’s character for not liking him.”

“What do you mean?” Addison asks, and I tilt my head to give her the look. When she still doesn’t click, I let my eyes do the talking and I watch as hers narrow in understanding.

“No,” she whispers.

“Yes.” I bow my head in apology.

“What? What am I missing here?” Casey bounces in her seat.

“Lucas has a crush on Riley?” Addison asks, her upper lip scrunching in disgust.

“Hey now, it’s not gross, they are both consenting adults, who are hella attractive by the way. I say, go for it.” I waggle my brows and Casey chuckles.

“Ew, that’s my sister. It’s bad enough little miss sunshine is banging my brother, I’d like it if my other friend wasn’t banging my sister.

Why is it always my siblings!” Addison throws her head back in complaint while Casey and I chuckle.

Stella makes her way over, clearing tables and then lingering by ours.

“Ooo, what are you doing for the Fourth?”

“Lucas has an event for the Mets versus Yankees. Big-ticketed event, performers and all that. I’ll be working.” She gives me a gentle smile, takes the empty glasses, and then disappears.

“This is atrocious. Do you think Riley will be all loved up, or can I steal her for a weekend of mischievous fun? She seems easy enough to corrupt.”

Addison chokes on a laugh, shaking her head but answering me anyway. “I heard she’s heading out with Mom to Oak Ridge to spend the week at Matt and Ava’s.”

“So that leaves…”

“Caleb and Ethan.” Casey lists off with her fingers, thankfully missing the way I almost winced at his name.

“What about Halle and Jasper from work?” Addy offers, and I consider it, but then I remember Jasper already has plans, and I think Halle said something about her family. I sigh hard enough I nearly pass out from the effort.

“It’s fine. I’ll do something to fill the time, I’m sure.

” The conversation flows for another hour, and I finally get a really good catch-up with my girls.

It makes me realize how much I miss having them both around all the time.

Being able to make fun of each other, gossip about the other people in our lives, and bitch and moan about our families and how they piss us off.

Addy and Casey have met my parents a number of times, but they don’t really know them.

They don’t know the things I’ve sacrificed—or will sacrifice—for them, but they get that it’s a pretty lonely setup.

“Jay’s here to pick me up,” Casey chirps her nickname for Jessie when she glances at her phone.

“Oh, he’s taking me too.” Addy reaches around to grab her coat.

“Oh. You’re both going?”

Addy rolls her eyes but there is a charming smile in place before she shyly meets my eye contact. “Noah’s being a caveman, he isn’t here to take me home, so he enlisted Jessie to take me.”

“Man, those guys are suffocating.”

“They mean well and really…I kind of like having someone always looking out for me.” Casey flashes a smile in the direction of the entrance, where said Neanderthal stands. I let my head fall back on a defeated sigh, because apparently this is our life now.

“They do know we used to walk these streets alone before they were pussy-whipped, yeah?” I deadpan to them both, and they just chuckle. Stupid lovesick idiots.

“Message me when you’re home, are you staying late?” Addison queries, her brows pulling down slightly.

I decline, whipping a finger in a circle above my head. “Nah, I’m going to do the rounds and find a bed to warm.” They both chuckle.

“Okay, but let us know when you’re home, yeah?

” Casey pushes, knowing that I don’t do sleepovers.

I agree, pulling on a tight smile before I down the rest of my drink.

I watch them go, chucking a quick wave to Jessie before heading for the bar.

I let my eyes scope the venue, noting the slim pickings, but I don’t want to end the night just yet, and I desperately want something to fill the hollowness of my mind, especially with the weekend that was coming up.

My perusal lands on Caleb, the same brunette hanging off his arm in the booth they are both sitting at, but…

something’s off. He stares into his whiskey glass, circling it, while President Barbie tells an animated story.

He gives her the raised eyebrows and forced smiles when it suits the story that I assume he is only half listening to.

“Same again?” Stella interrupts my spying, and I quickly thank her with a smile, before returning to my spying, finding that Caleb seems to have vanished.

His pretty friend still sits in their booth, another friend now with her, and they chat animatedly, but no sign of the sex pest anywhere.

I try to make a subtle look around the room for any trace of him, but nada.

Maybe he just went to the bathroom? But his glass isn’t even on the table, his jacket no longer over the back of the chair.

I make quick work of downing my drink, ignoring Kyle/Kale/Not-Kevin as he tries to shoot his shot again.

I flick Stella a wave, grabbing my coat and heading for the front.

When the doors swing open and the warm June air hits me, I pull the coat off again and hang it over my arm.

“Ugh. So sticky.” I flick a hand under my hair that’s stuck against my neck and shake it out.

Turning to head in the direction of my apartment, I make a few halfhearted attempts to search the street, not really sure what I expect to find or what I’d do if I did see Caleb. But I do know that for whatever reason, I’m looking for him anyway.

Opting for the warm air and clarity that comes with a walk, and also probably a fuck you to my friends and their watchdog boyfriends, I decide not to catch an Uber home.

I make it to the corner of my apartment building and I decide maybe it was better that I came home, alone.

Better because I can have a bath, wash my hair, put in that new treatment I got for it, and even put in a few brai?—

“Rosebud.”

“Jesus Mary Mother of Joseph!” I squeal, my coat going up in the air as I jog in a circle of shock, my heart landing in my throat.

“Caleb!” I spin on him, whacking his chest as he laughs softly to himself.

He bends to pick up my coat and I yank it from his arms, not able to hide the smile creeping up on my face.

“What in God’s name are you doing here? Scaring the tits off me! ”

“I would never. They’re my favorite part.” His playfulness feels rather hollow as he stands there, solemn looking, his eyes covered in the shadows of the night, only partly highlighted by the moon. I cross my arms, tilting my head in assessment of him.

After a few moments, I make quick work of flicking a text off to my group chat with Casey and Addy, confirming I did in fact come home, alone— which is not technically a lie—before shoving my phone back in my pockets and staring at the big, unusually brooding man in front of me.

“Rough week?” I ask, and he shrugs in response. I let my head loll to the side, because apparently, I’m made of butter now. “C’mon, you ol’ injured puppy,” I say, melted by his lonely appearance. Grabbing a fistful of his suit jacket, I drag him behind me as I head into the building.