Chance(52)

Caleb Foster is ruthless when it comes to business. He'll take on anyone who threatens what he has built for his family. I've never seen him back down from anyone, but tonight I see traces of the boy who used to tease me endlessly.

"I stole one of your sweatshirts."

"I don't have sweatshirts." He tips his chin so his forehead touches mine. "Do I look like a sweatshirt kind of guy to you?"

I tap him on the shoulder. "I'll bet you have sweatshirts. I'll check out your closet."

"You stole some dude's sweatshirt," he teases. "Why the f*ck would I let you look in my closet? Do you know how expensive the suits are that are in there?"

I pull my hand over my mouth to stifle the laughter. "You got those suits for free. You own the company that makes them."

"Good point." He furrows his brow in a mock scowl. "Now, back to the clothing that you've been stealing. What's up with that?"

I stretch my legs beneath the sheet, pulling it up higher to cover my breasts. "When we lived next door to each other, I took one of your sweatshirts. You left it hanging on the railing of your stoop."

His breath catches as he brushes his lips over mine. "Why? Why did you take it?"

I kiss him harder before I pull back to rest my cheek against his. "I wanted something of yours for me. I wanted to have it when I slept. I still have it."

"We wasted forever." He strokes his hand over my hair. "We f*cking wasted forever."

***

"I can't believe you got me a ticket." Graham waves the embossed invitation in the air as if it's the golden ticket to a chocolate factory raffle. "I'm actually going to a Foster Foundation Gala."

"You are." I turn to flash him a smile. "We're both going to sit with Fosters."

"You'll introduce me to all of them, right?" He adjusts the bow tie of the tuxedo he rented. "You do know all of them, don't you?"

"Most of them." I half-shrug as I point to the back of my dress. "Can you zip me?"

I'd chosen a dress from one of the Arilia boutiques. Caleb has no idea that I'm wearing a dress fashioned by one of the company's designers. I paid for it myself because I want to surprise him. I may not see myself working for his family, but I can support them. Wearing this dress to this event is going to show him just how much I treasure my life long connection to him.

"That dress fits you like a glove." Graham motions for me to twirl. "Let me see the entire thing."

I twist around slowly, wanting to make certain he catches me in every angle of the royal blue dress I picked for tonight. "Do you like?"

"I love." He brushes past me. "There's a sapphire necklace in your jewelry drawer. I'm going to grab that."

I don't stop him. I want to look as perfect as I can. Tonight is the night I get to enjoy being Caleb Foster's official date.





Chapter 49


"Do you work for Gabriel?" He holds out his hand to gently take mine.

I need to check my social media profiles. Apparently, someone has hacked into them and listed Gabriel Foster as my employer. "I work for Corteck, but I'm an old family friend of the Fosters."

The corner of his mouth slides into a grin. "I'm a Foster."

"No." I laugh nervously. "I'm an old friend of Gabriel, Caleb and Asher."

He points towards where Asher is standing next to his mother. "Then you're a friend of my cousins. I'm Ben."

"You're Dr. Ben Foster," I feel the need to correct him. "You're the founder of the Foster Foundation."

His eyes float towards a beautiful woman standing next to the bar. "My brother, Noah and I are co-founders and my wife, Kayla, she's the brains behind it all."

I know without having to ask that the woman at the bar is Kayla. I can sense it just from the way he looks at her. "I've heard a lot about the Foundation. I think it's an amazing endeavor."

"It's something we started for our mother." His eyes dart to the floor for a brief moment. "She died when we were teenagers. We wanted to help others in her name."

I stare at him as he speaks, noting how much he looks like Caleb, Gabriel and Asher. It's obvious that they all come from the same gene pool. It's not just the familiarity of his smile that I recognize but it's the strength in his brow and the shape of his nose.

"Corteck is donating some software for us tonight. You're a part of that, aren't you?"'

I quickly scan the room for Caleb. I want to be able to introduce myself as his girlfriend although we've never established that's who I am to him. My eyes roll past Ben's head to a clock on the wall of the hotel's dining room. He's late. He told me he'd meet me here at six. It's almost seven and there's no sign of him.

"My boss, Clive Parker, is here to make the presentation. He said you're friends with his wife."

"Lilly." There's a lilt in his voice as he says her name. "We’re close friends. You know her, don't you?"

I nod absentmindedly. "I should check in with Clive to make sure everything is set. You'll excuse me?"

"Of course," he says politely.