Chapter Five
“No! No, not this one.”
Leah snatched the puzzle piece from Caleb’s fingers and glided her thumb around the edges. “See, it curves right here,” she said. “It would never fit where you were trying to put it.”
She and Caleb had been working on this morning’s opening activity for the past ten minutes. When they arrived at Pinecone Lodge for a workshop that was billed as “the best determiner of how in-tune couples were to each other,” Leah was surprised to find tables with puzzles scattered on top of them, the kind with huge pieces intended for toddlers. She was even more surprised when Katherine announced that to complete this morning’s activity, couples simply had to put together this very simple puzzle.
And then the blindfolds came out.
Leah had since learned that a simple puzzle could turn into one of the most complicated things ever when you couldn’t see what you were doing.
She’d also learned that she and Caleb worked surprisingly well together. And that her neighbor was one of the most competitive people she’d ever met. Once Caleb discovered that points would be awarded—even though Geoff explained that the points really didn’t mean anything—his entire demeanor changed. He was all about winning.
It had been ages since she’d had this much fun.
It had also been a long time since she’d found herself this aroused in public. Despite the dozen or so people in the room, whenever Caleb bumped into her, Leah’s entire body would light up like firecrackers.
“What about this piece?” Caleb asked. He took her hand, and together their fingers traced the puzzle’s rounded cardboard edge.
A charge shot across Leah’s skin. There was something enticingly erotic about the delicate glide of Caleb’s calloused fingers brushing against hers. The blindfolds only added to the intimacy.
They managed to get the next puzzle piece in place.
“I think there’s only one left,” she said. Leah patted around the table, searching for the final piece.
“Got it,” Caleb called, and together they placed the last piece onto the puzzle. Still holding Leah’s hand, he lifted his and called out, “We’re done.”
Moments later, Katherine announced that they did indeed have a winner and that all couples could remove their blindfolds. When Leah took off her blindfold, Caleb’s beaming smile nearly blinded her.
“Good work, honey,” he said, that teasing smile growing wider.
He’d started with the endearments first thing this morning, claiming that if they were going to convince anyone they were engaged, then they would have to play the parts. Leah had become more comfortable with the idea with every second that passed.
“Not bad yourself, darling,” she returned with a cheeky grin.
The amusement sparkling in Caleb’s brown eyes set off a tingling in the pit of her stomach. It was maddening. She wasn’t some teenager with a schoolgirl crush, but that’s how she’d felt most of the morning. The funny, flirty banter they’d engaged in seemed foreign to her. She’d forgotten that this was how people in relationships weresupposedto act.
Leah wasn’t naive enough to think that this was all an act. She knew it was more than that. There was a serious dose of mutual lust going on here. It was only natural that two people who were physically attracted to each other would find themselves at this point.
As long as she kept reminding herself that it should not—wouldnot—move past this point. She’d allowed the emotional part of her brain to rule in the past, but that was not going to happen this time. History had shown her that she could no longer trust her own instincts, and that what she was feeling in the moment didn’t necessarily lead her down the right path. She had to be smart about what she allowed her heart to feel.
But a little flirting with Caleb? Yeah, she could handle that.
“Do you all understand the meaning behind the activity we just completed?” Katherine asked. “Do you see how adding the blindfold forced you both to rely on one another in order to successfully complete the tasks?”
The psychologist walked back and forth between the tables. “I observed you all as you worked together, and could see which couples did well, and which struggled. I can also see why the couples who struggled did so. At the end of today’s session, I would like to speak to any couple who felt that they did not work as effectively together as they thought they would. Let’s talk about why that was the case.” She turn directly to Leah and Caleb. “For those of you whodidwork well together, kudos! Keep up the good work.”
Leah leaned over and whispered in Caleb’s ear. “Of all the people here, who would have thoughtwewould be the couple who worked well together, huh?”
“I did.”
Leah was taken aback by the genuine sincerity in his voice.
“You did?” she asked. “Based on what?”
“Didn’t you notice? Everyone else talked over each other. We were the only two who actually listened to each other.” His eyes gleamed with mischief as he whispered, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we discovered that there were a lot of things we did well together.”
Desire shot through her.
