Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7)(28)

“I have no doubt,” he said, still holding one of her hands. He took the other as well and squeezed gently. “I think you could probably do anything you set your mind to.”

No one had ever said those words to her, not ever, and when she felt the back of her eyes sting unexpectedly, she closed them in self-defense.

“Sadie.”

She shook her head.

“Look at me. Please?”

It was the damn please that had her opening her eyes. He’d closed the gap so that if she so much as took a breath, they’d be touching.

So she did just that. She took a deep breath, and then their bodies were up against each other, his warm and hard. Everywhere. “What’s happening?” she whispered.

“I believe you’re deciding between kicking me in the nuts and kissing me.” One side of his mouth curved very slightly as he lifted their still joined hands above her head, against the wall. “But that last part might just be in my dreams.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Yes, it’s just in my dreams?”

She meant to say yes again, she really did. She even opened her mouth to say it, because this was insane, this incredible . . . craving she had for him. It made no sense. Less than no sense, and yet . . .

She went up on tiptoe and touched her mouth to his.

He froze for a single beat, and then he was kissing her back. And in that very moment, it suddenly made perfect sense. As his hands dropped hers and his arms came around her, she felt . . . moved, more moved than she could ever remember. It was like her entire body had just come alive and even more terrifying, her heart had come along for the ride. Again her throat tightened and her eyes prickled, but she didn’t pull away. She did the opposite. She tried to deepen the kiss but Caleb pulled back a fraction to look into her eyes, using his thumb to swipe at a tear she hadn’t even realized she’d shed.

“What’s this?” he asked very quietly, cupping her face in his big hands.

She shook her head. “I’ve got something in my eye.”

“Try again.”

“Arf!”

They both looked down at Lollipop, who had pulled the leash as taut as she could get to sit on one of Caleb’s feet and was staring up at them impatiently.

“I think she’s jealous,” Sadie murmured.

But Caleb wasn’t interested in a subject change. “Sadie.”

“What?”

“You know what.”

“Look, I don’t know what that was, okay?” She lifted a shoulder. “Temporary insanity? Stupidity? Pick one.”

He didn’t laugh. Instead, he gave another slow head shake, like maybe he didn’t know either, but then, with her face still sandwiched in his palms, with Lollipop on his foot, he kissed her again.

And then again.

Sadie . . . melted. That was the only word that worked for what happened to her. It was just that his body heat soaked into her and he smelled good, way too good, and she got drunk on it. She could feel herself curling closer, and then closer still for more. She wanted to take her mouth on a tour of his entire body, wanted to feel his muscles ripple and roll beneath her hands as she touched him. She wanted a whole hell of a lot of things, and each and every one of them shocked her.

This time when he pulled back, it took her a long moment to focus, but when she did, she found him looking more uncertain that she’d ever seen him.

“You’re right,” he murmured. “That’s definitely insanity—temporary or otherwise.” Then he took her by one hand and Lollipop by the leash and they walked down the alley to the street and to Ivy’s taco truck.

Ivy grinned and waved at the sight of them, but as per the girl code, she didn’t say anything embarrassing. She did however surprise Sadie by coming out and giving Caleb a warm hug.

“Thanks for the software update,” she said.

“Anytime.”

Ivy turned and hugged Sadie too, whispering in her ear, “That’s a good look for you, the happy glow.”

Whoa. Was that really the look she was projecting?

Ivy hopped back into her truck, all business now. “So. What can I get you?”

Caleb turned to Sadie, gesturing for her to go first. “Um . . .” She eyed the menu she had memorized. Nerves demanded she go for comfort food. “Two trailer park tacos,” she said, mouth watering at the idea of the eggs, hash browns, cheese, and maple bacon tacos.

“Double that,” Caleb said. “And add a side of grilled chicken for Lollipop, no heat.”

They ate sitting at one of the two picnic benches near Ivy’s taco truck, their view being the marina at the bottom of the hill and the bay beyond that. Sadie was jaded about a lot of things, but she never got tired of that view.

Afterward, Caleb offered to drive her and Lollipop home. She panicked. The forecast was for icy rain and record low temps, so she’d planned on sleeping in the Canvas Shop again for heat. “Why?” she asked.

He was surprised at the question. “Because I have a car and you don’t?”

“I have a car, it’s just being fixed,” she said. “And . . . I’m not going home yet. I’ve got some things I want to do in the tat shop.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. What she wanted was another heart-stopping kiss. And then there was the 90 percent of her that wanted to invite him home and jump him. Okay, make that 75 percent because she couldn’t remember if she’d shaved her legs that morning. Or what kind of undies she had on.