Accidentally on Purpose (Heartbreaker Bay #3)(36)

“Have to admit,” he said as they walked along the water toward Fisherman’s Wharf, winding in and out amongst a good-sized crowd, “I was surprised when you agreed to come out with me tonight.”

“And I was surprised you had room in your busy social schedule.”

He laughed, not insulted. “You can’t believe everything you hear.”

She cocked her head. “So what percentage of what I hear would you say I should believe?”

He flashed an easy grin. “Fifty. Sixty tops.”

When they got to Pier 39, they stood in the west marina under a setting sun and watched the sea lions doze on the docks. “Sure has been nice having you around ever since Archer got Spence to hire you as building manager last year,” Caleb said.

Elle took her eyes off the water and stared at him. “What?”

Caleb smiled. “Yeah, we all like having you around. You soften the boss up—not that he’d ever admit it.”

It was difficult to speak evenly with the blood rushing through her ears. “I got my job through a headhunter,” she said with what she felt was remarkable restraint. “Not Archer.”

“Uh . . .” Caleb finally clued in and read her expression. Whatever he saw in her face clearly tipped him off to the fact that he’d screwed up in a very large way because he swallowed hard and backed up a step. “How about some food, yeah? We could get—”

“Caleb, what did Archer have to do with me getting the job?”

“I don’t know.”

“Caleb.”

“Christ, Elle,” he said, shoving his fingers through his hair, looking pained. “Can we please forget that I said anything? I overheard Spence and Archer talking about it once a long time ago and I was just looking to make conversation with the hot chick instead of staring at you like a dumbass.”

She did her best to let it go but failed utterly. Because here was the thing. Spence owned the Pacific Pier Building. Spence and Archer were very close friends. It didn’t take her nearly complete accounting degree to do the math here. Somehow Archer had known she needed work and he’d had Spence hire her—for the job she’d so carefully sought out, the one she’d assumed she’d gotten on her own.

Caleb was tense now and she did feel bad about that because it wasn’t his fault. Archer was a dead man walking. She laid a hand on his arm and his muscles jerked.

He laughed in soft apology. “You know,” he said, “I thought I wanted you to touch me. I thought that a whole helluva lot. But right now I’m just scared.” He turned to face her. “I shouldn’t have said that about your job. It was thoughtless.”

“You said it because you thought I knew,” she said, capable of placing blame where it was due, and that wasn’t on him. “Not your fault, Caleb.”

Not looking like he felt any better about it, he nodded. And then his phone went off with a text.

“Shit,” he said, reading it. “This wasn’t supposed to happen but I’ve got some work stuff going on with Spence and he needs me.”

“It’s okay,” Elle said, sensing a rat. A very cute, sexy geeky rat in glasses named Spence.

“I’m sorry,” Caleb said with genuine regret. “Let me drive you home.”

She glanced over his shoulder and felt her back teeth grind together. “No, it’s okay. I’m going to stay. Don’t worry about me, Caleb. I have a feeling something’s going to come up for me too.”

Like committing murder . . .

Caleb pulled her in for a quick hug and a kiss on her cheek. “Rain check,” he said.

She smiled and watched him walk away before turning to Archer, standing on the other side of the pier.

He pushed off the beam he’d been lazily leaning against and walked toward her.

“Two for two,” she said. “You know, if you’re not careful, I’m going to think you’re into me.”

“I am into you,” he said.

“Because I’m suddenly unavailable to you and dating others?”

“I told you,” he said. “Mike’s a player. I did you a favor.”

“And Caleb?”

“A good guy,” he allowed. “But you’re off-limits to him.”

She crossed her arms. “And why is that? And it better not be because seeing others date me suddenly made you want to do the same.”

His gaze never left her. “I don’t want to do the same as Mike or Caleb.”

“No?” she asked.

He gave a slow head shake. “No. Because dating isn’t all I want to do to you.”

Not amused, she crossed her arms and glared at him. “Correct me if I’m wrong but you’ve had an entire year to act like a jealous idiot, Archer.”

“Well, I’m dyslexic, so . . .”

She was so mad that she actually couldn’t access most of her vocabulary. “You’re insane” was the best she could do.

“In a good way, right?”

“Oh my God.” Tossing up her hands, she turned to go anywhere but here.

“You wanted a date tonight,” he said to her back. “Go out with me.”

She faced him again. “Tell me one good reason why I would do that.”