Dirty Little Secrets (Dirty Little #1)(10)

“I like learning how things work. The ultimate way to do that is to make it yourself, so that’s what I do.”

“Do you have your own company?” he asks, before taking a sip of his wine.

“No,” I reply, oddly flattered that he thinks that I would. “It’s more like I’m a contractor, and I’m my own boss.”

Caleb gives me a fond smile that’s so bright I wan to bask in it.

“What do you do?”

He takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. “I’ve got my hands in a lot of jars,” he says, grinning. “It would’ve driven my father crazy. For the most part, I suppose you could say I’m a venture capitalist.” He cringes when he says the words, like he’s waiting for some kind of judgment from me. Far be it from me to judge anyone for anything right now, so I just nod my head, encouraging him to go on.

“What other jars are your hands in?”

“Business consulting. Mainly for two guys that I’ve known since I was a kid, Ben and Oliver, but I do take on other work from time to time.”

Looking out over the park, I close my eyes as a cool spring breeze blows through my hair. “Which one of them owns the hotel?”

“That would be Oliver,” he says. “He owns a few boutique hotel chains in New York.”

“The city or the state?” I tease.

“Both. He’s looking to expand, but it’s taking some time. He drags his feet about pretty much everything. I’m going to have to send him a thank you note, by the way. For offering me that room while this renovation was being completed.”

His eyes are shining in the moonlight, and he looks so irresistible when he says the right things. It would be ridiculous if I actually swooned, so I manage to control myself. I do lean in and give him a soft, quick, chaste kiss. Mainly because I have to put my lips on his right now, but I’m not ready to take things further. Yet.

“And Ben? What does he do?”

“He owns a software company.” Caleb’s eyes widen so quickly that I can practically see an animated light bulb pop up in a thought bubble over his head.

“No,” I say, because I already know what he’s thinking.

“Maybe he has some work you can help him with.”

I shake my head. I don’t even need work right now, especially not working with a new client who will want to look into my references. I have a few projects I can work on from here, with businesses that already know and trust me. I’m having a difficult time getting that work done as it is.

“You haven’t even seen what kind of work I can do, Caleb. For all you know, I’m terrible. I mean, my work is excellent, but don’t go recommending me to him based on…” I wave my hand between us. “Whatever this is.”

He looks almost crestfallen at my answer, and I feel like a terrible person for shooting him down right away. He knows that I’m new in town, and for all he knows, I need to make some business contacts. It was very generous of him to even think of recommending me to his friend, but I absolutely cannot take him up on that offer, even if I was planning on staying in town.

“Thank you, though,” I say, sliding my hand down his forearm. “It was very sweet of you to think of me, but I don’t want to start having anything handed to me, okay?” Not to mention the fact that I don’t want to get involved in anything that will make it difficult for me to leave town. I’m already treading dangerous water where that’s concerned. I came here to hide out, not make connections. And yet here I am…

“I understand.” He gives me a smile that lets me know that’s the absolute truth.

“Thank you.”

“So,” Caleb says, looking down at his glass before his eyes meet mine again. “You said you’re new in town. What brought you here?”


Shit.

Of course he would ask the one question that I absolutely do not want to answer. I hate being the kind of person who skates around telling the truth using technicalities, but I’m going to be that person tonight. I don’t want to lie to him, but I also don’t want him to look at me like I know he will if I tell him the truth. If I tell him the truth, this ends right here. Right now. I’m sure of it.

Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want that. I want to make this last for as long as it can.

“I was looking for a fresh start in a place where I didn’t know anyone, and no one knew me. I just…I really needed to get out of Chicago.”

Caleb looks at me with this intense gaze, like everything in him is focused directly on me, and he can see my deepest, darkest secrets. “I understand needing a fresh start.”

“Yeah?”

He nods. “Yeah. I don’t want to assume anything, so I can only speak from my own experience, but sometimes being in a place where you’re constantly reminded of what happened there, or what used to be…it’s not good for you.”

Even though I’m not sure where this piece of information fits in the puzzle that is Caleb, he’s showing me a part of himself. He’s laying it bare for me to examine, and I feel like it’s only right for me to do the same thing. I’m feeling incredibly vulnerable tonight, and I don’t want to let anything slip that I shouldn’t, but I can share something with him. Don’t I at least owe him that?”