Luciana decided to skip dinner tonight and went on a date instead, promising to meet me at the party later on. When I tried to argue that she needed to talk to Mark about her feelings, she gave me the evil eye. “I’m not ready for that. He’s going to be all over the woman he’s dating. You know, the one he’s been yapping about non-stop? So, why the hell should I pull him aside and talk about my feelings when he’s pretty much over it?”

Why was she being difficult? I groaned, wanting to hug and shake her good. “You won’t know until you’ve done it. Why don’t you want to risk it, Lu? Mark’s worth it.”

“I’m just… I don’t know, okay? No more about him for tonight. I can’t take it anymore.”

I nodded, understanding her situation. It was obvious that she feared Mark’s rejection. “If you say so. You’re the boss.”

Luciana flung herself through the air and hugged me. “And you’re the best!”

Almost an hour later, I was on my way to meet them for dinner in Notting Hill when I found myself telling the driver to change route and head towards Callum’s house in Chelsea.

It was drastic and unplanned… but I couldn’t get him out of my head. If I had to go on all night long wondering if he had dropped by my office because he might have wanted to ask again about his proposal, I couldn’t get past it.

You see, had he asked, I would’ve said yes, right then and there.

I was now standing on his doorstep, buzzing on the doorbell. It had been three years since I had been in his home. I had stayed in a hotel suite before I went into finishing school, but I remembered his home fairly well.

Half expecting to find Callum opening the door, I was relieved to find Nancy, his housekeeper who had been working for him for over a decade, greeted me with a toothy grin. “Miss Stella, lovely to see you again. You promised to visit me, yeah? But not once did you come and share teatime with me.” She gathered me into her warm embrace and patted my back, hard, before she took hold of my hands and admired me from head to foot. “You’ve grown into a fine young lady, Miss Stella. Now, how many hearts have your broken since I saw you last?”

Dear me. I grinned at Nancy. “You’re still as lovely as ever. I promise to drop by often.” I cleared my throat. “Is Callum home? I wanted to speak to him.”

Nancy snorted, grinning wickedly. “Boss is a tad busy, love, but you can wait in his study. He always hides in there after.” She closed the door behind me. “Let me show you the way.”

“It’s all right, Nancy. I know where it is, there’s no need to trouble you,” I offered, knowing that Nancy was going to retire for the night. She always left after dinner, she told me herself years ago. “You have a goodnight.”

“You, too, love. I’ll see you soon, yeah?” She hugged me again and then left me in the foyer.

Nancy knew the story behind Callum and I. She probably thought I was here about my funds or something related to my estate.

Nervous and jumpy, I strolled towards his study while I took in the paintings and my surroundings with newfound interest. His study was situated on the left wing, facing the gardens. I was about to turn left and head straight, but something halted my step.

My stomach recoiled.

My body tightened.

My heart thumped.

Eyes alert as they took in everything, moving towards the god-awful noise I had just heard. It was a faint sound.

So faint, in fact, that I wouldn’t have heard it if the house hadn’t been all that silent, but it was and I had heard it. It was a woman moaning Callum.

I was a glutton for punishment since I already knew what was going on, but something inside me needed reaffirmation, the need to see it—hear it again—was too much to even consider walking away. I needed evidence to convince me that it was truly happening.

A crashing sound came from the formal dining room as I slowly walked towards it.

The moans were getting louder now.

I bit into my bottom lip when I heard a familiar grunt. The grunt was an indication that he was about to finish.

And there it was.

Callum had the woman atop the antique dining table, obliterating the redhead to a pulp.

Move, Stella. Move.

However, I seriously couldn’t. I gasped loudly as he got rougher, but I suppose my gasp was loud enough for him to hear because Callum looked up, just as he was about to orgasm, shooting me those dark depths as he thrust for the last time. “Stella!” he groaned before I saw him surrender to his body.

Pressing my eyes together, I spun around and quietly left, headed towards the door, wanting this moment to vanish from my memory.

I was shocked. I was disappointed. I was a lot of things. Most of all, why did I feel hurt?

Callum and I were nothing.

I was out of his house in a flash and had to pause a few steps down to calm myself. My hands were shaky and I was breathing erratically. Then my heart jumped into my throat when I noticed someone was behind me.

“Stella?”

I registered the surprise in his voice.

It’s fine.

I can do this, I silently urged myself to be a civilized woman. Paste a smile then all will be well, I chanted in my mind before I had the capacity to turn around and face him.

Him.

All bare except his trousers on, zippered and unbuttoned. Hair in his usual disheveled state. Even if the urge to cry was high, I still noticed how gorgeous he was. This was truly quite out of character.

Huffing out a tiresome sigh, I spoke, as calmly as possible. “I hope I didn’t interrupt your night. Of course I should’ve thought that you’d be entertaining, but I wasn’t thinking properly.” He was still looking at me strangely. Great, fuck. Here comes the grandest excuse, but it was ingenious. “I came here to invite you to the fundraiser the Pisano’s are throwing.” My clutch purse was semi open so it was easy to take it out and hand him the invitation. “It’s two months from now,” I continued. “Uh, I really should get going and let you go back to your friend. Have a goodnight.” A tiny strand of hair fell off my loose chignon so I had to curl it behind my ear.

Our eyes clashed. His looked confused while I remained undisclosed as to why I really came here in the first place

Just when I was about to hail a cab, Callum finally found his vocals. “You came here at eight at night to drop me an invitation? Are you fucking with me?”

If only. “Yes, I came here specifically about the invitation, and no, I’m certainly not fucking with you. The woman inside is.” The redhead, who was probably still naked on the table, readying herself for dessert ‘cause the main course sure looked like it was a bloody success.

Angry, I hailed a cab, needing to get away from here. Luciana better come through tonight because I needed to vent or simply party and drown myself with great amounts of alcohol. Maybe I might even fancy a hot bloke to get hot and heavy with.

“You’re dressed to party.”

Oh, he was still standing there? The cab was now parked, waiting for me. “Yes,” I responded before heading towards it, not bothering to say goodbye as I opened the door and went inside. Just before I was to close it, he came up to me again.

What now?

“Wait!” Callum was now holding the cab door open while I sat there, bothered and speechless. “Stella—I—” he paused, seeking my face. I suppose we both mirrored each other quite well. Confused. “Stay safe tonight.”

“Always.” I nodded and then watched as he slammed the door shut and retreated inside his home again.

How many times will he be spending time in between her legs tonight? I thought rottenly as jealousy ate me whole. Truly, why should I be jealous? He did me a favor. A favor I practically begged him for. I should be grateful.

Callum never wanted me in that sense. He did as I asked, so I shouldn’t be even sulking when he had now moved on. He was fucking Callum Kensington for fuck’s sake! Women like me didn’t have a chance to compete and satiate the likes of his kind.

I should be feeling celebratory. I mean, after all, I wasn’t a virgin anymore. Wasn’t it time for me to explore sexuality and maybe find a great man to lose myself in? I wanted to be in a relationship and, well, tonight was as good as any to start prowling for one.