Chasing Red (Chasing Red 1)

He looked at me like he knew what I was thinking. He smiled knowingly and whispered, “You’re worth waiting for, Red. I know it.”

Chapter Twenty-one

Veronica

A little while later, I’d decided to call it an early night and was about to curl up with a book when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

“Red?”

“Come in, Caleb.”

He opened the door halfway, poking his head in.

“Well, now, since you blew up like a cheetah on crack, there went my dinner,” Caleb teased, smiling charmingly. He opened the door all the way and entered.

He’d just had a shower and was rubbing a towel to dry his hair. He was barefoot and shirtless. A few drops of water glistened on his chest. My eyes roamed downward to his flat stomach, and then down to the exposed V line until it disappeared in his jeans. He hadn’t fastened the top button. My mouth felt dry.

I looked away, feeling heat creeping up my neck. I knew I was blushing. And I knew he was grinning. He probably was half naked on purpose.

“I’m hungry,” he said. But he said it in a hungry voice, like he wanted to eat something…and when I looked up into his eyes, I knew.

He was hungry for me.

Good Lord.

“Do you—” My voice sounded hoarse so I cleared my throat. “Want me to cook something for you?” My stomach growled, and I realized I was hungry too.

He blew out a breath. “I think we need to get out of here before I eat…someone.”

My mouth dropped open, and I’m pretty sure my face was beet red.

He bit his lip, grinning. “Why don’t we go out to eat? It’s a holiday tomorrow so we can stay up late.” He winked. “Wear a dress, Red.”

I was so stunned by what he’d said about eating someone that I just nodded before he left.

In a daze, I padded to the bathroom to get ready.

I had a dilemma. The only dress I had was the red bandage dress I’d worn at the club, and he had already seen me in it.

I let out a frustrated breath. This was ridiculous. I’d had no problem wearing the same clothes before. I couldn’t afford new clothes even if I wanted any.

But Caleb made me want to look beautiful for him. For once in my life, I wanted to impress a boy.

What was Caleb’s type? I racked my brain, thinking of all those times I’d seen him with a girl draped on his arm. I’d never really paid much attention to him before—his type and my type did not mix—but the times I had seen him, I did notice the girl was always blond.

Yeah, his usual type was blond. And my hair was black as midnight.

I stared at my image in the mirror. My dark hair fell straight as a pin to my waist. Should I curl it?

I only applied a little powder and the red lipstick that he’d named me for. My eyes were too big, my mouth too wide. Should I apply more makeup?

When I put the dress on, my boobs looked enormous. Were my hips too wide? They looked like I just gave birth. Would he think I wasn’t sexy in this dress?

What was happening to me? Where had all these insecurities come from?

I shook my head. I was attractive in my own way, and I knew it. I did not need self-esteem issues bringing me down just because the most popular and gorgeous boy I’d ever met had asked me out on a date.

What did a girl do on a date? I knew there were rules for this, and I had no idea what they were.