C.A.K.E

Chapter 4: You Knew She Was Comin'

"Close your mouth, Casper. You're drooling." Karma rolls her eyes, and breezes away from the front door toward their bedroom.

They just walked Arden and Elliott out of their home. Casper has to admit, he did a horrible job at hiding his affinity for Arden. Touching her felt like shoplifting, a rush of guilt, and intoxicating adrenaline. Given the opportunity, he would make Arden his next five-finger discount. He stares at the door a moment longer, before going after the one woman who should have his concern.

"I was telling her goodnight. I have to look at her to do that."

"You were looking at her breasts." Karma glares at him.

"I was saying goodnight to a friend."

She kicks off her heels and shoves them into their assigned space in the walk-in.

"Here's a word of advice, women's eyes are above the chest area. Remember that, next time you're touching another man's wife."

Casper shrugs. "All I did was dance with her."

"But that's not all you wanted to do. I've seen the way you look at her." A hint of wounded jealousy sparks in her expression.

"Then you shouldn't have invited her over here."

"You're not even going to deny being attracted to her?"

"That is not what I ... " He drags his hands over the trimmed hairs of his goatee. "What was this—some sort of test?"

"If it was, you failed with flying colors." She turns her back to him, while she removes her earrings.

"Because you set me up."

A flash of clarity that comes with several years of marriage strikes him. No, that's not right. Be apologetic. Don't make any more excuses.

He grabs Karma's elbow and asks her to look at him. "I was wrong."

"Yes, you were." She lets him pull her into his arms.

He kisses the crown of her head. "If she makes you that uncomfortable, we don't have to see them again."

"I didn't say that." She lifts her head from his chest. "The Stones are the type of well-heeled people we need as friends."

A revelation dawns on Casper, and he looks down into Karma's brown eyes with a knowing smirk. "Her father ... You knew she was Senator Mitchell's daughter."

Karma moves away from his incredulous stare.

"Former senator," she corrects. "But still very connected. And yes, I thought I recognized her at the culinary school. I wasn't sure until Elliott confirmed it tonight."

"You can't just use people to get what you want."

"Get off the damn high horse, Casper." She stabs his chest with her finger. "The only reason you want Elliott around is to lust after his wife. Can you honestly tell me you want to be his friend?"

She's right. Casper knows seeing Arden means seeing Elliott as well. He makes polite conversation with Eli because he's trying to ignore how much he wants to take a long stroll through the forbidden garden of Arden.

Arden is a charming woman. Friendship is as far as my interest in

nose up like she

attracted to

least." He leans against the chest of drawers and crosses

paid to know when a man is lying." She

she used to when they were still in high

of thought. All he can concentrate on are the doe eyes looking up into his. What he says next is the truth, at

think of

his fingers get lost in the thickness of her hair. Karma smiles and an impish giggle leaves her parted lips. Seeing the laugh lines crease her cinnamon complexion, makes

and sucking the blush pucker that is her greeting card for the world. She relaxes, lets him lead. Casper lifts her and lays her body on their bed with a feather-light touch. After some unzipping and unbuttoning, they're both naked as the day

her warm, sugary center. He goes slow, tasting her. How many licks does it take to get to the center

with a power and presence that demands the undivided attention of the senses. Having lost his concentration, he lifts his head. Karma flies from

most significant contributions to classical music is cut short with Karma's whispered "hello." Her voice moves farther from the open door of the bedroom, its tone quiet and

left leg and her right foot arched like she's ready to

bites one of her black-lacquered nails and laughs with a clandestine gleam in

way . . . I'll make up something ... "

saunter back to the master bedroom. Her seductive simper disappears and her graceful gait halts, when their eyes meet in

"Who was that?"

slides past him.

and eyeballs her.

neglects to put on underwear. There's

I have

"Can't Frome do that?"

the totem pole. You know, I do all the grunt

Casper nods. "Uh-huh."

of clothes into her YSL duffle bag. She slings the

And with that, Mrs. Callaghan is out the door and speeding out of the circular drive in her black Mercedes E350.

Good thing it's almost midnight, and their house sits at the end

sheets off the bed. In the bathroom, he splashes icy water on his face and gargles with a bit of mouthwash. After cleansing his wife's taste from his palate, he throws himself on the bare, pillow-top mattress and closes his

leg comes to rest across his waist, and a soft arm lays across his chest. He reaches down and pulls her thigh snug to his body. Her hair caresses his dark skin like strands of velvet, as she settles her head against

her back. She lifts her head and he opens his eyes. Arden and her scarlet lips are smiling back at him. She's wearing one of his pinstripe dress shirts. Its starched fibers are the perfect complement to her feminine curves. Sienna-hued curls fall in her face, inviting his hands to send them bouncing and swaying in the

him, her voice sweet as fresh lemonade on a summer day. "You don't need her ... I'm

letting his thumb smooth over the small scar on her right cheek. She tilts her head to kiss his

glad you came," Casper whispers into the shadows, immersed

lies down in his arms again and

the next night, then vanished again Sunday morning. After she ran out of their marital bed like it was on

excuses are getting even flimsier. She didn't even bother to spin a tale for canceling their plans to visit the Horizons exhibit at the Birmingham Museum of Art tomorrow. She and Frome, the chief prosecutor, need to prepare for Pollard's cross-examination on Thursday. That

a stapler and other office supplies at an

What takes a lesser person a month to do, he managed in two weeks. And now he's twiddling his thumbs for seven

Big Brother doesn't see just how much free time he has on his hands, he pulls out his Google tablet to work on a personal document. The words, "Lee walks onto the set of his first

long enough to make any headway. The constant challenge it presents is what

now returning my calls? ... What the hell, Cain?" Casper sounds upset. But he could never be mad at his baby

had in college. And that girl was ten different shades of

This is exclusive content from Dramanovels.com. Please visit Dramanovels.com to support the author and the translation team!

Comments ()

0/255