He smiles down at me.“I have a lot of money.”
“And I hate cooking.”
“Lucky for you, I’m very good at it.”His thumbs trace small circles against my sides, making it hard to focus on our ridiculous conversation.
“I like ridiculously expensive coffee.”
“I’ll make sure I stock your favorite brands.”
A laugh bubbles up from my chest, genuine and surprised.
“So what do you say?”He kisses the tip of my nose, and I see the hint of vulnerability in his eyes.It’s costing him a lot to ask me.I couldn’t sacrifice my pride, but he could.For me.
“Where are you planning to take me?”I ask, my voice coming out breathier than I intended.
“Wherever you want.”His eyes search mine, suddenly serious.“Anywhere.Just say the word.”My heart feels too big for my chest, expanding with an emotion that I never thought I’d feel for anybody.The elevator comes to a stop, but neither of us moves as the doors slide open.
“Eve,” Caleb says, and there’s something in the way he says my name—like it’s precious, like it matters—that undoes me completely.
I rise up on my toes and press my lips to his again, softer this time but no less intense.His arms tighten around me, pulling me flush against his body as he deepens the kiss.I feel it everywhere—in my fingertips, in my toes, in the center of my chest where something that feels dangerously like hope is blooming.
When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathing hard.The elevator doors have closed again, and I have no idea if we’re still on the ground floor or if we’ve started going back up.I don’t care.
“Is that a yes?”Caleb asks, a hint of uncertainty in his voice that makes me want to kiss him all over again.
I smile, feeling lighter than I have in years.“That’s a yes, Wilder.”
His answering smile is like the sunrise, and as he reaches around me to press the button for the lobby, I think,I am in so much trouble.But for once, trouble looks an awful lot like happiness.
The drive back to my place is filled with a delicious kind of tension.Neither of us is speaking, but the silence isn’t awkward—it’s charged with all these unspoken things hovering between us.I catch him glancing at me at red lights, and each time his eyes meet mine, my stomach does this ridiculous flip.God, when did I turn into such a cliché?
“You’re quiet,” he says, finally breaking the silence.
I shrug, trying to seem casual even though my heart is racing like I’ve had six espressos.“Just thinking.”
“About...?”he prompts, one eyebrow raised.
“About how I distinctly remember you telling me you don’t do commitment,” I say, giving him a sideways glance.
Caleb’s lips quirk up at one corner.“Maybe you changed my mind.”
“So we’re no longer friends with benefits?”I ask, trying to sound casual despite the flutter in my chest.
“Enemies with benefits,” he corrects, and I can’t help but chuckle.He reaches over and takes my hand.“I’ve never wanted to put a label on a relationship before,” he admits quietly.“But with you, I want one.”
The vulnerability in his tone makes my breath catch.This is Caleb Wilder—arrogant, confident, infuriating Caleb—letting his guard down for me.The realization settles warm and heavy in my chest.
He glances at me, eyes searching mine as we stop at a red light.“You do want me, don’t you, Eve?”
My heart hammers against my ribs.For a moment, I can’t speak past the lump in my throat.All my carefully constructed walls, all my defenses against exactly this kind of moment—they’re crumbling like sand.I’ve spent so long protecting myself, keeping everyone at a distance, that the rawness of his question leaves me exposed in a way that terrifies me.
“Yes,” I whisper, my voice catching on that single syllable.
His eyes darken, and I see something there I've never allowed myself to recognize before—a reflection of the same terrifying, exhilarating feeling that’s been building inside me for weeks.He lifts our joined hands and presses his lips to my knuckles, the gesture so tender it makes my chest ache.
Relief washes over his features, but there’s still a hint of uncertainty there.“You should know I won’t be that easy to shake off if I piss you off—which will be frequently.”
I smile at him, blinking back the unexpected moisture in my eyes.“That’s okay.I don’t plan to let go of you either.”The light turns green, and as we move forward, something shifts between us—something solid and real and a little bit terrifying.But in the best possible way.
