Playing for Keeps Read online

  “What did you just do?” she asked.

  He smiled.

  “No.” She pointed at him. “Take it back.”

  “Take what back?”

  “The wish you made for me. The wish for love. I don’t want it.”

  “What does it matter if you don’t believe?” he asked.

  She stared at him. “Dammit.”

  “Hear you’re going on a date,” he said.

  “Oh my God. This entire building is a loony bin. I need to change jobs.”

  Eddie just grinned. “Nah. You fit here. And you don’t need to talk to the fountain anymore, your wish is made now. It no longer matters whether you believe in love or not, it’s going to find you.”

  Her heart kicked hard. “No offense,” she said. “But that sounds more like a threat to me than a promise.”

  Eddie just rocked back on his heels with a smile. “Don’t worry—”

  “If you end that sentence with ‘be happy,’ I might have to hurt you,” she said.

  He laughed. “I’m a lover, not a fighter. And you know what? I think you are too.”

  “No way. I’d rather fight than love any day of the week.”

  “Well, technically speaking,” he said, “some things are worth fighting for. Love is most definitely one of those things.”

  His words stuck with her all through the night and the next day, through going home from work and attempting to get ready for the date with a man she realized she liked way too much. It put a lot of pressure on the “date,” one that she was sure she would manage to mess up.

  Caleb knocked on Sadie’s door, not quite sure what to expect. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she bailed, but she opened the door and Lollipop lost her ever-loving mind at the realization she had both of her people in the same spot at the same time. She literally bounced back and forth between them until Caleb squatted to stroke some calm into her.

  The dog immediately rolled over for a belly rub and Caleb’s heart rolled over as well. As surely as he’d fallen for the two-legged female in front of him, he felt the same for the three-legged one at his feet. But only one of his women was wagging her tail, thrilled to see him.

  The other needed time and, he suspected, patience. Good thing he had both in spades. Slowly he stood, taking in the sight of Sadie. She wore an incredibly sexy little black dress that showed off her curves in a way that had his mouth watering. And then there were the high-heeled black leather boots that climbed up her long legs, ending above her knees and a good hand span below the short hem of her dead sexy dress. Her makeup was soft and sultry and seemed to match the dress and boots for high-volume shock value.

  The sight of her literally took his breath.

  She smiled when he didn’t say a word. “I know you said gym clothes, and I’ve got them ready to go. The dress is Ivy’s idea. She texted a bit ago, suggesting I render you speechless from the get-go in order to take control. So I dug through my closet for a dress worthy of the mission.”

  Caleb looked her over again from head to toe and shook his head. He was definitely speechless, and she was the hottest thing he’d ever seen. Liking her tactic and the reason behind it, he smiled and nudged her back so he could move inside. There he kicked her door shut and then pressed her up against it, cupping her face.

  Sucking in a breath, her eyes dilated with excitement.

  She liked his move.

  So he gave her another. He got up close and personal, letting his body speak for him.

  “Oh,” she breathed, at the exact height in those heels to arch into him and line them up perfectly. “You’re happy to see me,” she murmured and settled her gaze on his mouth, biting her lower lip.

  She wanted him to kiss her.

  He wanted that too, possibly more than he wanted his next breath, but they were going out on a date first if it killed him. He wasn’t exactly sure why it was so important for him to do this, but he wanted to . . . well, woo her, he supposed. He wanted to show her there was more between them besides the off-the-charts sexual attraction.

  From the moment she’d said yes to this date, he’d known something she hadn’t, that tonight he was going to reveal himself to her in a way he never would have if she’d refused to go out with him. Lowering his head, he brought his mouth to within a fraction of hers. “Sadie . . .”

  Her eyes drifted closed and her fingers slid into his hair. “Yeah?”

  “You didn’t need the dress to be the one in control here. One look—hell, one smartass remark from you and I’m a puddle at your feet.”

  She stared up at him. “You shouldn’t tell me such things. I could take advantage.”

  “Please do,” he said, smiling when she rolled her eyes. “And Sadie?”

  “Yeah?”

  He pressed into her a little more, wanting to see her eyes go opaque with lust for him the way they had the other night. “We’re going to do this . . .”

  “Yes,” she breathed, nodding, tightening her grip.

  “And it’s going to be good.”

  “I know.” She tried to get a piece of that “good” right now but he pulled back and took her hand, opening the front door again.

  Her eyes flew open. “What the—?”

  “Date first.”

  She stared at him. “So you were just teasing me to, what, drive me wild with lust?”

  “Did it work?”

  “No.”

  He could see her nipples trying to cut through her dress. “Liar.”

  She looked down at his obvious erection.

  “Hey, I’m not even going to try to deny what you do to me,” he said, and though he was still smiling, he was dead serious.

  Her eyes were too. “So a date,” she said. “And then . . . ?”

  “Most definitely and then.”

  She nodded and walked out the door ahead of him, giving him a peek at the nonexistent back of her dress, and he groaned. “It’s going to be a long night.”

  “Your own fault,” she said and sashayed that sweet ass down the hall.

  Chapter 18

  #Mom

  Sadie wasn’t surprised when Caleb pulled up to a gym she’d gone to a couple of times on her friend Molly’s recommendation. She’d actually run into Caleb here a few times, but she preferred her gym, which was much closer to her apartment.

  That had been both for convenience and privacy.

  Three years ago, after breaking up with Wes and losing her way again, she’d had to change her life up. She’d had to learn some things about herself. Things like self-care. For her, self-care meant working out as a drugless way to fight depression and anxiety and find some peace of mind.

  And she’d needed peace of mind badly.

  She’d also found her inner girl power at a drop-in kickboxing class. It’d diffused her pent-up emotions like nothing else. After that, she’d taken more and had kept up with it, also taking some actual MMA workshops as well. She’d learned some great wrestling moves that she’d never had to put into action but had done wonders for her butt.

  Double win.

  She’d given up movies, eating out, and buying new clothes for the gym membership and it’d been about two and a half years now of going at least twice a week. She was both proud and fairly confident she could kick some serious ass if needed.

  She looked over at Caleb. “You’re more than a little overdressed for this, still wearing your armor for the day.”

  Caleb turned off the car and turned to face her. They’d dropped Lollipop off at his sister Hannah’s house for the night and their date had apparently officially begun. “You’re big on armor,” he said. “Your own. Mine . . .”

  She wasn’t sure where he was going with this so she didn’t say anything.

  There was a smile on his face but his eyes were very serious. “And you’re right. I’ve got armor, but it’s not my suit. My armor’s my skin, and it’s tough as an elephant hide, born of a life that hasn’t always been easy.”

  She knew all abou