Playing for Keeps Read online

  “None of your business.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “Wow,” Kayla said, waddling into the room with Hannah right on her heels. “Tension’s thick enough to cut with a knife in here, what’s going on? Are we brawling? And why didn’t we get an invite?”

  “I want to be on Sienne’s team,” Hannah said. “She fights the dirtiest.”

  “Hey,” Sienne said and then paused. “And true . . .”

  Perfect. Caleb shook his head. “No one’s fighting. I’m leaving for the night.”

  “Perfect,” Hannah said. “Then we’re going to have a girls’ night disguised as a meeting so we can put it on the company card.”

  “I need to add something to the meeting’s agenda,” Sienne said. “The topic’s Sadie Lane.”

  “No,” Caleb said. “Not happening.”

  Sienne put a hand on his arm. “You know we vet everyone you intend to date as a matter of course. It’s called protection, Caleb, and we have a very good reason for it.”

  She was the only one on the planet who could make him feel like a stupid teenager. “Whatever.”

  “You know you’ve won an argument when the other person says ‘whatever,’” Hannah noted.

  “You used to be the nice one,” he said. “And Sadie isn’t like anyone I’ve dated before. For one thing, we’re not dating.” A fact he intended to fix, but that wasn’t up for discussion either.

  Sienne pulled out the big guns and moved in close, setting her head on his shoulder, looking up at him with deceptively sweet eyes. “We do this because we love you.”

  “I forgot just how dirty you fight,” he murmured, but he slid an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Stay out of her personal life. Note that I’m not even going to bother asking you to stay out of mine. See you all tomorrow.”

  He drove to the Pacific Pier Building. It was another dark night but the courtyard was alight with the soft glow of the lampposts and the strings of lights.

  He headed straight to the Canvas Shop, his heart starting to pick up speed at the thought of seeing Sadie.

  Rocco was working on a client’s upper arm. He didn’t even look up as he said, “You the one who paid her gas bill and filled her fridge?” When Caleb didn’t answer, Rocco lifted his gaze, his own hard and unforgiving. “Why?”

  Caleb slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, a little surprised to be having this conversation. Not to mention the fact that his answer was complicated. Something about the tough, impenetrable Sadie made him want to take care of her. It was instinctual, much like it was to take care of his sisters—not that he felt anything close to brotherly for Sadie.

  “I don’t think anyone should be cold or hungry,” he finally said.

  Rocco’s gaze bored into his and then suddenly his eyes softened very slightly and he nodded. “For the record, she didn’t tell me. I overheard her talking to herself, which she does when she sketches.”

  This was more words than Caleb had ever heard Rocco utter in a row. He glanced toward the back. The privacy curtain was pulled across the area where Sadie worked. “Is she here?”

  Just then, from behind the curtain, came a loud, furious male voice yelling “Motherfucking, cock-sucking son of a bitch!”

  Caleb quickly moved toward the curtain, but Rocco stopped him. “She’s not in trouble,” he said. “Mini Moe’s just completing a Prince Albert.”

  Caleb felt his eyes go a little wide. “Those are real?”

  “Yep.”

  Holy shit. He resisted the urge to cup his favorite body part as he pictured what he knew of a Prince Albert piercing. “Why?” he managed. “Why would anyone do that?”

  “It can enhance your sexual experience,” Rocco said.

  “And you’ve . . . ?” Caleb gestured to Rocco’s lower half.

  “Fuck no.”

  “Where’s Sadie?” he asked, hoping like hell that Rocco wasn’t about to answer that she was back there with Mini Moe and his client.

  “She just took Poops A Lot for a walk.”

  Caleb laughed. “Don’t let Sadie hear you call her that. She doesn’t like it.”

  Rocco actually grinned. “Why do you think I do it? She’ll be back any second. If you want to live, I suggest you come up with a better reason for doing what you did, one that doesn’t involve pity.”

  “It wasn’t pity,” Caleb said. “I care about her.”

  “Good,” Rocco said. “But you’re still going to need a better reason than that. I suggest lying out your ass.”

  “About what?” Sadie asked.

  At the sound of her voice, Rocco grimaced at Caleb with a you’re on your own look and then bent over his client, mouth zipped up tight.

  Okay then. Manning up, Caleb turned to face Sadie and Lollipop. If he thought his heart had been locked down and the key thrown away, he was wrong. His heart wasn’t locked down, not for the dog and most especially not for the woman. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” Sadie said, quiet. Mistrustful after the partial conversation she’d overheard.

  Not Lollipop. She strained at her leash at the sight of him, whining and crying to get closer after a week without him.

  Sadie let loose of the leash and the dog flew through the air to get at him. He caught her up and hugged her close as she squirmed and cried with sheer joy, licking his face and whatever else she could reach.

  “Traitor,” Sadie said and crossed her arms. “Lie about what?” she asked again.

  Caleb didn’t bother to look back at Rocco for help. He was trying to figure out his best options just as Mini Moe appeared from the back. The big Samoan stood in front of the curtain, beefy arms closed over his chest.

  “He needs a moment,” Mini Moe said.

  “Understandable,” Rocco muttered.

  Something on Caleb’s face must have given him away because Sadie went brows up, slightly amused. “We could get you a Prince Albert if you’re interested. I couldn’t do it for you, I’m not licensed, but I could assist Mini Moe.”

  Could one feel oneself go pale? Because Caleb was pretty sure that’s what he did. “No,” he said as Mini Moe looked at him with renewed interest. “I’m good, thanks.”

  Mini Moe went back to his client. Rocco had just finished with his own client and together they stepped into the courtyard for fresh air, leaving Caleb and Sadie alone.

  “So you’re back,” she said.

  “I am.”

  “And you’re here.”

  “Wanted to see you,” he said.

  She held his gaze, her own deep blue eyes seeming to see straight into his head, hell, also his soul in a way no one else could. It was both thrilling and unsettling. She saw a different side of him than most. She was also one of the few people in his life who went toe-to-toe with him and could call him out on his bullshit.

  They hadn’t yet discussed what he’d done after he’d left her bed. She hadn’t brought it up during the week he’d been gone, not in a text, not on the phone. He’d gotten the impression she’d been saving that conversation for a face-to-face, and he had no idea if she was pissed or not. She didn’t make him wait.

  “Thanks for what you did,” she finally said. “But it wasn’t necessary. I can take care of myself.”

  “I know,” he said.

  “So why did you do it?”

  With Rocco’s advice to lie bouncing around in his head, he went with the utter truth. “Because I care about you.” He bent his knees a little to see directly into her eyes. “Is that so hard to believe? I care about you, and the thought of you being cold while trying to sleep or going to bed hungry drives me insane. It keeps me up at night, which means the why of it is really entirely selfish. I wanted to be able to sleep.”

  Her lips twitched. “And did you?”

  “No, I didn’t. I’m pretty sure it’s because I’m also sexually frustrated.”

  She laughed. “How can that possibly be? We used a whole stri