Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7)(75)

“I like you,” he said, ignoring her insecurity, “because you’re—”

“Weird? Impulsive? Loony-toons?”

“Well, yes,” he agreed with a smile. “But also smart and smartassy, and sexy and adorable—”

She held up a finger. “Okay, you’re going to need to take that one back. I am not adorable.”

“Sorry, but you don’t get to auto-correct my opinions,” he said. “You’re also grumpy in the mornings—”

“You’re supposed to be listing the stuff you like about me.”

“I am. You’re not the only one who’s messed up, in case you’ve forgotten. Anyway, you’re also incredibly beautiful and—”

“Okay, stop.” She closed her eyes. “I know I asked, but I’m not emotionally equipped for that many adjectives.”

He stepped into her and waited until she opened her eyes. “I think about you,” he murmured. “I think about you just about all damn day long. Yesterday, I spent hours thinking about what you’d done to me in the shower that morning and I got hard. In an office meeting about budgets.”

“My knees are still sore,” she said.

“I’m working on a new product. Soft, giving tile.”

She laughed, and he smiled. “I’d do just about anything for you,” he murmured. “Something you haven’t figured out yet. Ask me what you want to ask me.”

She blew out another breath. “Will you come as my date to my family’s rehearsal rehearsal tonight?”

“I’d love to.” He kissed her, taking his time about it too. She was just about to yank him back to bed when he headed to the door. “Text me with details and what time to pick you up.”

And then he was gone. She picked up her phone and . . . changed his contact name from Do Not Even Think About Falling For This Guy to . . . Too Late, It’s Happened.



Before Caleb picked up Sadie for the evening at her family home, he made a few pit stops, the last being to Spence’s penthouse apartment at the top of the Pacific Pier Building.

Spence was sitting cross-legged on the floor of his and Colbie’s living room, surrounded by tools and drone parts. Colbie was sitting on their couch with a laptop, her fingers whirling away, probably hard at work at her next novel.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Caleb said to her but she just waved at him.

“No worries. With this guy . . .” she jerked her chin at her fiancé, Spence “. . . I can work through a drone drop. Literally,” she said dryly and went on typing.

Caleb turned to Spence. “I thought we solved your drone problems. In fact, we made a mint on the sale of the computer program.”

“We did,” Spence said and tossed aside two parts he’d been holding. “I’m making improvements. Or trying. And failing.” He finally looked up and did a double take at Caleb’s expression. “Hey, honey,” he said to Colbie, eyes on Caleb. “I need a beer. I’m going to go grab a six-pack. We’ll be right back.”

Caleb followed him out of the apartment. “How much beer are we getting that it takes two of us?” he asked as they took the stairs up to the rooftop and not down to the ground floor. “And since when do you keep it on the roof?”

Spence cut his eyes to him and then strode out across the rooftop right to the edge, where he sat with comfortable ease.

Caleb, not quite as comfortable with the five-story drop, remained back a few feet. Or twenty.

“Forget the beer. What’s going on with you?” Spence said.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. The last time I saw that particular look of panic on your face was when you first hooked NASA on a proposal for state-of-the-art payload software. They wanted to pay you more money than you’d ever seen for a program you hadn’t finished yet and weren’t even positive you could.”

Caleb blew out a breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. He studied his shoes for a long minute.

Spence waited, but he didn’t have the same amount of patience Caleb did. “Man, I’m hungry. Spill it.”

Caleb pulled his hand out of his pocket and thrust a small black box at him.

Spence took it and lifted the lid. A giant diamond ring wrapped in a swirl of black diamonds and another swirl of white diamonds winked at them both from a velvet cushion.

Spence raised a brow. “Well, this is awkward. I’m sort of already spoken for.”

“You’re an asshole,” Caleb said.

Spence didn’t even attempt to argue this. “And?”

Caleb closed the box and shoved it back into his pocket. “You’re not going to try to talk me out of this?”

“Why would I?”

“It’s sudden.”

Spence shook his head. “You’ve been falling for Sadie for over a year now. She’s been falling for you right back. Everyone but you two know it.”

Caleb stared at him in surprise.

“And who am I to talk?” Spence asked. “I fell in love with Colbie in less than three weeks. Hell, I fell in love with her on day one when I accidentally knocked her right into the fountain.” He clapped Caleb on the shoulder. “When are you going to ask her?”

“I don’t know.” Caleb shook his head. “Maybe after I talk her into loving me back, which could still be a while.”