Chapter 88

Inside the VIP lounge. Calliope was in the middle of breaking down the pros and cons of opening a restaurant near Southaven to Ethan, when a strange wave of heat suddenly surged through her body. Sweat started beading on her skin like she couldn't stop it. She tried to power through, determined to finish her sentence. But tiny drops kept rolling down her flushed cheeks from her damp forehead, and her vision was starting to blur, edges going dark. Just as her legs gave way and she nearly fell, she vaguely heard a man's annoyed voice cut through the haze: "Everyone. Out!" Footsteps shuffled out fast. But Calliope couldn't move. It felt like her feet were stuck in clouds. Then her knees buckled, and she fell straight forward. Instead of hitting the floor, her burning skin landed on something cool-and it felt unbelievably good. "So hot..." she mumbled, like a little overheated kitten finally finding an ice cube, pressing her cheek against it, rubbing against the chill with abandon. Ethan's