Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Satisfied with his response, I stood up. “I hope you do. If Mark so much as tries to contact Valerie again, in any way, shape, or form, or approaches my girlfriend, Stevie, we’re done.”
Grant stood up, too, and nodded. “I understand.”
I reached across the desk and shook his hand again out of respect for our current relationship, then left his office, certain Grant would do everything in his power to make sure that his son didn’t fuck up one of the firm’s biggest accounts, and Mark left innocent women alone.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Stevie
After an exhausting week, between work and the incident with Mark—though Caleb hadn’t disclosed how he’d taken care of the issue and I really wasn’t sure I wanted to know the details—I was actually grateful for the weekend getaway at the Dune Deck Beach Club in the Hamptons that Caleb had planned for Owen’s birthday.
Caleb, Owen, Cara, and I had arrived Friday evening, with Remy and Raven driving separately and meeting us for dinner at a nearby restaurant before we all headed to the club to check in for the weekend. I shared a two-bedroom suite with Cara that had a breathtaking ocean view, while Caleb and Owen stayed in a similar room next to ours.
The exclusivity of the club wasn’t lost on me, and when we arrived that initial imposter syndrome was strong. It was difficult not to be aware of all the luxurious amenities, along with the caliber of upper-class and wealthy members who belonged to the club.
But just like at the gala, the fact that I was with Caleb Kane—a guest that the employees knew by name—there was an automatic acceptance. No one looked at me twice, or in any way that made me feel as though I didn’t belong, which made it much easier to relax and enjoy myself.
Saturday morning we all had breakfast together, then Caleb and Remy took Owen to a nearby family park for a few hours for a round of mini-golf and go-karting, while Raven insisted us girls enjoy a bit of pampering at the spa since my sprained wrist wasn’t conducive to handle those more challenging and fun games. We opted for pedicures, then met up with the boys for a bite to eat once they returned.
After lunch, Raven, Cara, and I took Owen down to the beach while the men went to the lounge to watch a football game. While Cara and Owen kicked around a beach ball on the sand, Raven and I reclined on lounge chairs beneath umbrellas, sipping on fruity drinks that had been delivered to us.
“So, what’s going on with you?” Raven asked, setting her drink on the small table between us. “And don’t tell me you’re fine, because that would be a lie.”
It was the first time we’d been alone together since arriving at the Hamptons, and leave it to my best friend to be blunt. “There’s just a lot that’s happened this past week, as you well know.” I lifted my braced hand to make my point.
She didn’t look convinced. “Did something happen between you and Caleb? The two of you seem…off, and you especially seem quieter than usual and more closed off.”
I glanced out at the ocean and sighed, because I couldn’t deny her claim. At least her impression about my mood lately, because I knew I was the one who’d created that divide between myself and Caleb.
Caleb had been nothing but attentive since our night together after the gala, but not in an overbearing way. I knew he was concerned about my wrist, which was still in a brace, but I realized now that the issue with Mark was resolved, Caleb’s actions toward me were more…subdued. It was as though he’d taken his cues from me, clearly sensing, and respecting, those walls I’d re-erected to keep my emotions safe from potential heartbreak. Like a man who was completely in tune to my needs, he was giving me space, free from pressure or expectations.
It’s what I thought I wanted, that pulling back was necessary…yet I missed our easy flirtations. The way he’d touch me just because he could. How he’d looked at me as if I was the only woman who mattered to him. I still saw glimpses of those things, but it was clear that Caleb was letting me figure things out, without making me feel smothered, which was one of the things I loved about him.
Yes, I loved him, and it made me wonder, despite my misgivings about fitting into his world, if losing Caleb and that deep, undeniable connection between us was worth it. Was I letting my pride and insecurities get in the way of what could be the greatest love of my life? But then again, I really had no idea where I stood with Caleb, and what would happen once the custody case was over.