Page 54 of Play for Power (Central Sparks #3)

bitch, you better be joking

Rosie

“ R eservation under Garcia.” I smile politely at the clerk behind the desk as he searches for my name. I should have known, though, that this wouldn’t be another normal, easy day. Because Caleb is here, and he is determined to ruin my resolve.

“Funny thing, actually,” the sex pest declares as he slaps a hand on the concierge desk and leans ever so casually into me.

I screw my nose up on instinct, but I am just trying not to soak up that fucking Chanel scent.

If he could stop being so charismatic and sexy, that’d be great.

“I also booked a room, under Caleb Smith, which is so crazy, isn’t it, babe?

” He turns and hits me with a grin that is the most fake-innocent look I’ve ever seen, and I can feel my face pale.

“What are you doing?” I hiss under my breath. The clerk—David, going by his name badge—looks up and, to my horror, smiles at Caleb.

“See, I thought I’d surprise her. It’s our first trip as a couple, and I wanted to show off, you get me, David.

” He winks at the clerk, shooting him a fucking finger gun, and David chuckles.

What in God’s name is going on right now.

“But when your girl is all fierce and independent, you forget that she’s just going to go right ahead and book things herself.

Probably should have left the organizing to her I guess.

But…I’m a romantic at heart, you see.” He wraps an arm around me but drops it casually when he feels me stiffen.

I can also feel every nerve ending on fire right now.

“Caleb, I’m going to murder you,” I whisper-hiss and discreetly jab him in the side.

“Hey, David, reckon you could just go ahead and cancel her reservation, put her in with me. Let the lovebirds have a proper weekend.” He slides a black card across the desk, and I instantly reach a hand to slap it away, but Caleb’s faster than me.

He grasps my hand, intertwining his big, stupid fingers, raising it to kiss the back of my hand, and then lowering it again… still holding my hand.

Why is that so nice?

Why is his hand so warm and not clammy?

Why is this comforting!?

I force myself to shake my hand out of his. “This really isn’t necessary.” I try to pull on the same playfulness as Caleb, but I’m so completely thrown aback by it. I hadn’t expected him to play fucking games with my sleeping arrangement.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really. I can certainly put you two together, Miss Garcia. It will be my pleasure.” The clerk shines a smile at me, but I see the dollar signs in his eyes when he grabs Caleb’s card.

“Oh no. Really, I like to have my own?—”

“Don’t listen to her, she’s just new to this whole relationship thing.” Caleb nudges his shoulder with mine. “But in private she’s obsessed. Borderline wild anima?—”

“OKAY! That will do, Casanova!” I screech at Caleb with a slap on his arm, and the cabrón has the gall to chuckle. David’s cheeks are crimson as he averts his eyes and continues to check us into the same fucking room. Jesus Christ, I’m going to murder him.

“David, please include an extra cot. I have a feeling we’ll need the extra sleeping space.

” I narrow my eyes at Caleb while I continue to speak to David, “Caleb here is a freak, you see.” When I let my smile spread across my face, I see his confidence slip only briefly, and a little hint of nervousness crosses his face.

Good, payback is a bitch, sex pest . “Sometimes he likes to bring home an extra plaything when he’s too tired to hide who he really is, you know?

” I turn a harmless look to David, tilting my head and hiding my lies behind a face of innocence.

“Hey, David, what are you doing later tonight? Perhaps you’ll keep him company?

” Caleb doubles over, choking and trying to clear his throat, but nothing coherent comes out.

When I see David’s face run pale and his eyes blow wide, I turn a satisfied smirk to Caleb and take great pleasure in watching him chuckle and try to come up with a lie to save himself.

“No, hang on?—”

“Oh, you just want it to be us tonight?” I rest a hand on his arm, pulling on an expression of concern. “Are you sure? You usually like the extra male company.” I rub his arm as though comforting him.

“Not tonight.” Caleb grunts as he glares at me through a fake smile, though I can see the little gleam of humor in his irises and I pop a lip in a pout.

“Oh, baby, if you want some time alone with David, I can go catch up with some girlfriends.” I turn to look at David.

“Most of the time he prefers that I’m not there.

I think I’m more of a facade than a girlfriend, if you get what I mean.

” With a well-trained, innocent pout, I can tell I’ve got David well and truly flustered.

He clears his throat and then slides two room keys across the desk, stunned silent and positively dying from his blushing.

Caleb continues to sputter next to me, trying to counter my lies, and it is so incredibly satisfying, I keep eye contact with David as I hold up three fingers, gesturing at the room keys and nodding slowly. David finds anywhere else to look as he prepares and slides over another room key.

“No, we don’t need three.”

“Oh, sweety, David’s aware of the situation now.

No need to be ashamed, we can have an extra room key for whatever friend you want to bring to the room.

I promise to make myself scarce.” I pat him on the back like a pal, taking all the room keys and throwing David a friendly smile.

“Thanks, honey, you’re a gem.” I reach a friendly hand over to pat his arm in thanks, before turning to grab my bag and speed walking to the elevator.

“Rosie.” The little growl has me cackling, and before long, the large strides of Caleb’s long legs allow him to catch up with me.

“What the hell was that?” He sounds positively chastised, and though his growl before was annoyed, I can still hear the playful tone in his voice; he almost sounds proud.

“You forget, hotshot, that two can play. You forced me into a room with you, and I let David know you were open for business.” I smile and then press the elevator button.

“I am not open for that business,” he assures me, and I can’t help but snicker.

“You are awfully defensive of your sexuality, Caleb. Any secret you want to share? Maybe I’ll see if Jas wants to fly in for the weekend.

He loves to be the test for straight men.

I think it’s an ego thing when he actually turns them.

” I giggle through my words as Caleb’s expression turns from confused to astonished; he is completely speechless.

We both step into the elevator, and I swipe the room key and select our floor, letting the doors close.

“I’m not gay,” he whispers to me.

“I just don’t care,” I whisper back.

“Not that it would matter if I was.” He clears his throat.

“Exactly.” I heave a breath, turning to look at him.

“Look, at least if there is an extra cot, if you go out with Noah or whatever and you want to bring a girl home, or if I end up out and want to bring a guy home, there is extra room.” I wave a hand at him, but before I can look away, he spins his body to stand in front of me, his playfulness gone and he looks so… hurt?

“I’m not bringing a girl back, Rosie.” His eyes dart between mine. “The whole point of sharing the room was to get as much time with you as possible.” I can’t read his expression. His brows are furrowed, a deep crease between them, and his jaw looks like it aches from how hard it’s clenched.

I almost gulp, not liking how intensely he looks at me, or the way my body reacts, how my heart hammers against my chest and my breathing quickens.

I clear my throat, holding onto my mask for dear life.

“Well, you know how it is. You don’t know where a night may take you, so it’s just a fail-safe.

” He shakes his head slowly, moving closer. I move back.

“You’re not listening.” Ooooo . His voice has dropped to that octave that makes me want to strip my clothes off. “I’m not seeing other people.”

“This weekend?” The words are more breathy than I’d have liked, but Caleb does this to me.

It’s why I needed space from him, because too long with this kind of intensity and I almost believe that I can enjoy all the mushy things my brain pictures.

Space lets me realize that I can’t have those things.

Space allows me to have reason and understand that we can’t be more than exactly what we already are.

“No, Rosie.” He takes a breath, his eyes briefly closing as though to compose himself, and then those deep, stormy eyes are locked and loaded with so much intensity I edge back another step.

He steps forward.

“At all. I’m not seeing or sleeping with anyone else, and I haven’t in two months.”

“What?” I don’t understand, he’s Caleb Smith, a playboy. The playboy. There is no way he’s only been sleeping with me. I mean…I’ve also only been sleeping with him. BUT that’s because I’m busy as fuck and absolutely not because I can’t get him out of my head.

“You heard me.”

“Why?” Why am I torturing myself, more like.

“Because no one is you.” What…is happening right now?

I put some distance between us, he closes the gap. And then I’m caged against the elevator wall.

“Not how I wanted to say this. At all.” He closes his eyes again, heaving a heavy breath before he opens them and nods, more to himself than me.

I struggle to get a breath down because he is looming over me.

Without heels on, which I wear more often than not, I am significantly shorter, and it makes him seem so…

big. So much…man. “I don’t want us to be nonexclusive anymore. I hate sharing you.”

Breathe, girl. Just breathe.

It’s just another man, with more pretty words, more ways to control you. He doesn’t care about the real you, he ? —