Page 109 of Untouchable

His smile broadened. “If you say so. But you were thinking about me, weren’t you?”

“Yeah. I was just watching you conquer the room and wondering how you got so good at it.” It was safest to stick to the truth whenever possible. It was always the most convincing, and it was easier to remember than the lies.

But more and more it was making even these little interactions between them feel like the real thing.

Caleb gave a nonchalant lift of one shoulder, although she thought he was pleased with her comment. “People are easy.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? You think so?”

“Well, most people. On this level.” He gestured out at the mingling, well-dressed crowd. “It’s all surface. It’s just a skill you can learn.”

“I’ve never found making small talk easy.”

He took her empty glass from her hand and put it with his own glass on the tray of a circling server. “That’s because you haven’t had as much practice as I have. It’s all politics—parties like this—and that’s a skill. People are easy.”

“I hope the implication isn’t that I’m easy too.”

He made a sound in his throat and slid an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. It wasn’t an inappropriate touch for public, but it felt private, tender, like it was something that other people shouldn’t witness. “Nothing about you is easy, Blossom.” His eyes met hers without wavering. “I have no skill to fall back on with you.”

Her breath hitched, and her hands clenched in his jacket, holding on to him in the only way she could. Her heart was beating wildly, but she managed to conjure up a sexy, teasing tone as she replied, “No skill at all?”

His eyes went hot. “Well, maybe?—”

Before he could respond, a voice interrupted from just over Caleb’s shoulder. “If I was prone to clichés, I might say something about getting a room.”

Both Kelly and Caleb jumped at the unexpected interruption of a conversation that had felt so intensely personal.

Caleb’s expression was briefly annoyed as he turned to see who had broken in, but it immediately transformed into a genuine smile. “Wes. I should have guessed it was you barging in where you’re clearly not wanted.”

Wes was evidently a real friend if Kelly was to go by Caleb’s demeanor. He looked to be around Caleb’s age—early forties—and had a pleasant face, soft hazel eyes, and a warm smile. He wasn’t the powerhouse and sex god that Caleb was. Not even close. But he looked intelligent and rather nice. “Ah, but someone had to save your reputation. Gloria Cannon was starting to tsk her tongue at you.”

Caleb was grinning as he made the introductions. He liked this man. Kelly couldn’t help but see it, and it intrigued her since he didn’t seem to be close to anyone.

Except her.

“We were friends at school,” Caleb explained, drawing her to his side, his arm resting on her waist. “And then we interned together for a few years for his dad.”

“I guess you’ve known each other a long time then.”

“You don’t have to make it sound like we’re ancient, but yeah, we’ve been friends most of our lives,” Caleb responded.

“What do you do now, Wes?” Kelly asked, genuinely curious and wanting to make sure she acted like a normal girlfriend would.

“I build cars.”

She was processing this as Caleb interjected, “Not with his own hands, just to clarify. He sits at a desk like I do.”

“I’m a corporate executive with the company, but it sounds more impressive if I just tell people I build cars.” Wes smiled at her. He seemed to be genuinely pleased to meet her, which wasn’t true of a lot of the other people at this party.

“You live in DC?”

“No. I’m in Paris actually. But I’m back in town for a little while for family reasons.”

Kelly suddenly made the connection. The mother of one of Caleb’s friends had needed to go to the hospital for treatment several weeks ago. This must be the friend.

That day had evidently been rough on Caleb—he said he hated hospitals—so she figured he would only have done it for someone he was really close to.

It was strange to meet a friend of his, connections going back to his childhood. It made Caleb somehow seem more fully human.