When it rang a second later, I barely refrained from jumping out of my chair, glad no one was around to see. I hit the button to take the call.
“Why are you calling me?” I grumbled into the phone.
“Why are you texting me?”
“Hell if I know,” I admitted, leaning back and forcing myself to relax. “Thought I’d check in.”
“Well, you’ve got about half an hour before I turn off my phone for the evening.”
Yeah, great. “Remember we agreed no sex.”
Cav laughed. “I don’t recall that being specified.”
“Very explicitly,” I growled, my tone going dark. “I know you remember it.”
He laughed again. “You’re seriously worried about that?”
I was, and I had no fucking idea why.
“Edge, it’s our first date.”
“It’s not a date,” I countered hotly.
“Technically, it is. That’s what you call it when a man takes a woman out to dinner, shares a good meal, some fantastic wine, and sparkling conversation.”
Semantics.
“And yes,” Cav continued, “we agreed. No sex. While I’d give my left nut to feel that woman wrapped around me, I’ve got more control than that.”
Just hearing him say that twisted something inside me. And again, it had nothing to do with jealousy and a hell of a lot to do with desire. In fact, it had me wondering exactly what it was I wanted from this entire situation. From Jamie. From Cav.
While I hadn’t been with a man in years—hadn’t found one I preferred—I had a definite attraction to Cav. Did the man swing that way? Yeah. He did. However, Cav and I had never had that sort of relationship. For one, I couldn’t really see how it would work. We were both Dominants and I knew without question that I was not the sort of man who would allow anyone to dominate me. As for Cav…well, I honestly didn’t know.
“What else you got?” Cav asked. “You talk to Zeke yet? Tell him what’s goin’ on?”
My shoulders tensed again. I leaned forward, placed my elbows on the desk. “No. I’m avoiding him.”
“Figures.”
I could hear the contempt in Cav’s tone. The man did not approve of me dancing around Zeke. I happened to agree with him. I needed to address the situation, but I just wasn’t ready.
“Where are you taking her?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.
“Acadia.”
I sat back, my heart slamming into my ribs. For Cav to take Jamie to Acadia, a five-star restaurant that would cost him a pretty penny, he had to be serious.
“Problem with that?” Cav asked, evidently amused by my lack of response.
“Not at all. What’s the plan after that?”
“Haven’t thought it through that far. Figured we’d start with dinner, see where it goes from there.”
“You’re not giving me much here,” I said, aiming to lighten the mood, but failing since my voice reflected my edginess.
Cav’s voice deepened when he said, “Are you lookin’ for details, Edge? Is this your inner voyeur comin’ out?”
“Perhaps,” I said truthfully, staring at the closed door to my office.
I was met with silence on the other end of the line, but I could practically hear Cav thinking, so I waited him out.
“We need to talk, Edge,” Cav finally said, his voice gruff, deeper than usual.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “We probably do.” I had no idea what that conversation would entail, but I figured we were likely on the same page. Where it went was anyone’s guess.
“I’ll come by your place tonight.”
I sat up straight. “Tonight?”
“Yeah. After my date with Jamie.”
I swallowed hard. I wanted to avoid him but couldn’t. I knew we had some things to address. Not only where we planned for this thing to go with Jamie but also whatever it was he and I had been skirting for years. Regarding the tension between me and Cav … that, I figured, would work out the way it was supposed to. With Jamie, it was complicated. I was attempting to see it as a project, but I was fooling myself. Dominating her was at the very top of my to-do list, so this getting-to-know-you thing was merely a ruse to get where we wanted to be.
However, I had gone along with this plan to give me some time to think, to figure out how to discuss this with Zeke. It wasn’t that I was scared of the man. I merely didn’t want to cause a rift between us. We were friends, and I intended for us to remain friends.
“Edge?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’ll be home around midnight.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
“If you get there before I do, just let yourself in. And Cav?”
“Huh?”
“I was wondering if you’d be interested in helping out with the upcoming training class.”
I was met with silence, but I waited him out.
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
I smiled to myself. “Okay, let me rephrase. Should Jamie be added to the roster, would you be interested in helping out with the upcoming training class?”
