“Son of a bitch.What is he doing here?”
Caleb glances down at me.“My guess would be stalking you.”
“Damn it.”We’re both standing at the corner.“This is becoming a problem.”
Caleb looks over at Luis, considering my words.“I gave you an out.Just take it.We’ll hang out a couple of times.Hold hands.He’ll think you’ve actually moved on.”
“He’ll tell my mother.”
“And?”Caleb blinks.“What can she do?”
“Aside from making my life miserable?”I ask tightly.
“Eve.”I look up at Caleb, and he looks serious.“So what if your family thinks we’re dating?It’s a good cover.Even if you don’t like me, I’m your best bet.There’s no downside to this.”
“I’m sure I can think of one if you give me enough time,” I mutter.
“Eve.”
I throw my head back with a groan.“Fine.You’re right.Oh god, this sucks.”
“Thanks.”Caleb grins.“I like the idea of dating you, too.”
“Fake dating,” I remind him.“We’re just going to hang out a couple of times in public, and once he leaves me alone, that’s it.”
“And if we fall into bed together, let’s consider it an unfortunate side effect.”Caleb waggles his brows at me.
“Stop that.”I begin walking.“We’re not sleeping together.”
“Of course not,” he says pleasantly.
“I mean it, Caleb.Once was enough.”
“You’re absolutely right,” he agrees as we reach the building.I can feel Luis’s eyes boring into the back of my head.
“Can you actually try to sound like you mean it?”I demand, irritably.
“How can I, Lopez?”Caleb leans down, pretending to brush a strand of my hair off my cheek, his eyes filled with laughter.“You have such a cute butt.Makes me want to see how my handprint will look on it.”
We’re already in the building now, and he heads towards the elevators as I stay stock-still, my brain catching up to his words.
That jerk!
But he’s already stepping into the slowly filling elevator, and I hurry to catch up.
Like hell is he touching my ass.
* * *
Back at the office,I throw myself into research, trying not to think of Luis stalking me and Caleb’s casual arrangement I just agreed to to keep him at bay.I have more important things to worry about, like finding craftsmen who might be available on short notice.But every call leads to another dead end—everyone who’s any good is already booked for months.
By five o’clock, the office is empty except for Caleb and me.Even Joshua left early, claiming he had dinner plans.Iris is in meetings with the board, trying to buy us more time.
“We need to pull an all-nighter,” I say, rubbing my temples.“There’s no other way we’ll have everything confirmed by Wednesday afternoon.”
“Agreed.”Caleb loosens his tie, and I try not to watch the way the fabric slides against his throat.“I’ll order dinner.Chinese okay?”He’s no longer in the cheerful mood from this afternoon.
“Fine.”I turn back to my screen, then pause as my laptop screen flickers strangely.For just a moment, a command prompt appears and disappears so quickly I almost think I imagined it.
