“I guess you’re right,” I said. “And since you insist this isn’t a date, I don’t need to dress up.”
“Does that mean sex is off the table? I’ll have to rethink if this is a date,” he mocked, yanking a dark hoodie from the closet.
“It’s not a date. And, yes, sex is off the table,” I said, though I knew the action in the shower could technically be considered sex. Better not to reflect on it. And, really, he had the power to change my mind with a single kiss. He knew full well what power he had over me.
Caleb peeled off my shirt, stopping my thoughts.
“I was going to wear the hoodie over Mya’s shirt,” I said, reaching for my stolen shirt. His skill at disrobing a woman was scary. Again, something not to reflect on.
“Too late,” he said as he flung the shirt and tugged me close. We were together with skin-to-skin contact. Warm, delicious contact. “Are you sure we can’t go out tomorrow night?”
“I already have plans,” I said, nudging away.
After a soft kiss, he said, “Let’s go out tonight. Better yet, let’s stay in. I can find Jessica tomorrow night.”
“What if she skips town?” I asked. “We have to find her tonight. If she flees the country, you’ll never get your money back.”
“There’s a good possibility I’ll never get my money back either way.”
“We have to at least try,” I urged. “We’ll go on our date in a few nights. You can wait until then.”
“I know. I just want you so bad it hurts.”
“You never know, it may be a long wait in the car. I may just reciprocate your thoughtfulness,” I said with a smile and turned to leave. As I was heading out the door, I heard a distinct whimper. I couldn’t help but smile smugly.
* * *
“Is this where Jessica lives?” I asked when Caleb pulled alongside luxury condos.
“No, her boyfriend lives here. I found out he is still in town. I already checked Jessica’s house and she wasn’t there. I think she may be hiding here.”
“What should we do? Do we just wait?”
“I don’t really know,” Caleb said. “My plan was to wait and see if she comes out.”
“That could take a while,” I said, settling into the seat for a long wait. Thankfully, the company was stimulating. Potentially very stimulating. “Do you know which unit he lives in?”
“No.”
“Do you know his name?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know Jessica’s boyfriend lives here?”
“I have a hunch.”
I eyed him. “You have a hunch?”
“I’m sure she told me at one time or another.”
“That’s not reassuring. We could be sitting here for days.”
“Plenty of time to reciprocate.” He grinned.
* * *
“We’ve been sitting here for three hours,” I groaned and shifted in the seat. “I’m getting stiff.”
“Me too,” he agreed. “Why don’t we walk around and see if we can’t locate which unit it is.”
I nodded and pushed open the passenger door. Sitting in a confined space with Caleb was both wonderful and stressful. We chatted and laughed until my sides hurt. It’s comfortable to be with him, I reflected. It’s as if we were childhood friends. Maybe it seems that way because sometimes he’s mischievous and provoking just like a young boy. It’s quite endearing. However, the smoldering glances he rakes across me remind me that my hands should probably stay on my side of the car, which is quite the feat when he keeps reaching over to hold my hand . . . massage, stroke, and tease. He loves teasing, and I have to admit, I love it when he does.
I stretched and scanned the building. “Let’s read the names on the door. Maybe one will sound familiar.”
Caleb walked around the car and slipped his hand in mine as we walked toward the building. “It might help. I can’t remember if Jessica told me his name. I hate to admit it, but I tend to tune out most of what she says.”
“Typical man,” I stated. I would have joked, but really, it’s typical.
“I guess I am when it comes to Jessica. She has a demanding voice, but it’s the same drill over and over again: Photoshoot. Models. Meetings. Interviews. This list goes on and on. It’s easier just to look at the calendar every morning than to listen to the constant demands.”
“Those are things I’m glad I don’t have to worry about. I can understand why you would tune her out after a while. Sometimes a person just needs a break.”
“I wish I could take a break. Now that my money is gone, I’ll have to work hard just to recover a tenth of what I had.”
“Do you need starting cash?” I asked. “I can front you enough for the low-limit tables.”
“I was going to withdraw cash from my credit card. It will be enough to start with,” he said with a delayed smile. “Thank you for offering. Why don’t we go tomorrow and play?”
It’s rare that I have an opportunity to play at the same table as Caleb. With his luck it will only take a few days to make enough money to move his way up to a higher-stakes table, leaving me in the wake of his destruction. I should take the opportunity while I could. However, I wasn’t ready to sit down and play quite yet.
“I’ll meet up with you for a couple hours,” I compromised. “I’m not in the frame of mind to play longer than that.”
“I’ll take whatever time you give,” he said.
“Should we meet at Tropical Rain at two?” I asked.
He squeezed my hand. “Sounds perfect. I didn’t want to go back to Lost City anyway. I’d hate for my competition to get wind that I’m broke.”
“They’d think you were down on your luck,” I admitted, thinking of the feeding frenzy it would cause if anyone was dumb enough to believe Caleb could be reduced to chum. Players that have dreamed of playing against Caleb would seek him out at the tables they could afford. It’d be an amateur player’s dream.
He nodded. “They’d pounce if they sniffed a weakness. Little do they know I only have one weakness.”
“What’s that?” I asked, wondering if there was a secret play I had yet to learn.
“You,” he said with a shy smile.
That single word was a caress to the soul. I swallowed. “Shall we look at the names?” I asked, pointing to the resident listing.
He glanced at the names. His finger ran down the list until he stopped at Peter Lemwise. “This name is familiar,” Caleb said. “I wonder if he could be the boyfriend.”
“Should we ring the doorbell?”
“It says he’s in unit ten.” Caleb peeked through glass doors. “I don’t see unit ten. I bet he’s on the other side.”
“Let’s look and see if his lights are on.”
We quickly rounded the back of the building and looked through the glass doors again.
“The even numbers are on our right. I see six and eight,” he said.
“Do you think ten is on the second floor?” I asked, glancing at the unit above us. “There’s a light on.”
Caleb walked a few feet from the building and looked up. “It must be. I see some movement.”
“Should we wait out here and watch for a while?” I asked, scanning our surroundings. “There’s a bench over there.”
Caleb gave a nod and we headed to the bench. He sat down and circled his arms around my waist before I could sit. He pulled me to stand in between his legs, nuzzling into my belly. My fingers raked through his thick wavy hair.
“I was thinking about what you said the other night,” Caleb mumbled, still buried in my hoodie.
“What was that?” I asked absentmindedly. His silky strands wound their way through my fingers.
“That you want a real relationship,” he said, lifting the hoodie enough to kiss my exposed stomach. “That you love me.”
My fingers stalled. “I’d rather not relive that moment. And I never said I wanted a relationship. I was asking what you wanted.”
“I disti
nctly heard you say you want a relationship with me,” he said, looking up with knowing blue eyes.
“I was tired. I must have had jetlag that night,” I said, excusing my behavior. The way his eyes delved into mine made me want to confess.
“Nadia, I know what I heard, and I’m happy. I want to be in a relationship with you. I want to be the only man in your life. I want you. You and only you. Say you’ll be mine.”
Oh, damn! My knees nearly buckled. What happened to starting at the beginning?
“Say something,” he said, pulling me down on his lap.
“I wanted to start at the beginning. We never had a beginning.”
“Yes, we did. Do you remember when we first met a few years back?”
“You took my money,” I said sourly.
He smiled. “I seem to recall taking everyone’s money that night. We were heads up. Just you and me sitting at a table for . . . how long did we play? It must have been three hours.”
“Four.”
“And during that time we talked and laughed. Do you remember the evil stares directed at us?”
“Yes. The handful of girls there were glaring at me since I was tabled with the newly titled ‘Sexiest Man of Poker,’ and the men were glaring because we were too loud.”
“I remember that night vividly. Do you know I laid down winning hands just so I could sit with you longer? I couldn’t wait to play you again. Had I known I wouldn’t see you again until years later, I would’ve asked for your number.” He smiled fondly. “That was our beginning.”
I nodded. A great beginning. Though winning that round would’ve made for a better beginning. I can’t believe he’d tossed hands for me . . . and I still lost. I wish I would’ve known he was interested then. It hadn’t seemed like he had treated me any differently than any of the other women there. He treated each one to the same flirtatious smile. After that, I had avoided him so I wouldn’t get trounced again.
“Then you won’t mind going on a few dates with me,” I said, still remembering the night I met him. “It’s important to me.”
“I’ll do whatever you want me to. I’ll go on a thousand dates just to be with you.” He captured my mouth with his, lightly grazing his tongue on my lips until I gave in and kissed back. His tongue delved into my mouth as he took command over the kiss in a deliriously wicked way that made me forget to breathe.
He pulled back after a few minutes with a soft chuckle. “So much for our stakeout. All we’ve done so far is talk and kiss.”
“Then perhaps we can consider this our first date.”
“I’d like that,” he said, bringing me in for another kiss.
I was lost.
Chapter 8
“The light turned off,” Caleb said, nudging me from my comfortable stupor.
I unwound myself from his arms. We had been sitting on the bench for over an hour, waiting for some sign that Jessica was in unit ten. Well, that wasn’t all we were doing. There had been mind-numbing kisses and roaming hands. But most recently, we were cuddled together, watching the window.
“Do you think the boyfriend went to bed?” I asked.
“I doubt it. Let’s head to the front. I bet he’s heading out.”
Caleb and I hurried to the front door. We rounded the corner just as Catarina strutted out.
“Cat?” Caleb called.
She turned in our direction. Her eyes brightened when she saw Caleb and then darkened when she spotted me a step behind.
“Hello, Caleb,” she drawled with bedroom eyes. “I’ve missed you at Lost City. Where have you been?”
He glanced at me before answering. “I’ve been . . . occupied. Do you live here?”
“For now,” she said, stepping close. “Would you like a personal tour?” she asked before flicking her eyes at me. “No pets allowed.”
Caleb reached behind to give my hand a reassuring squeeze.
“I’d like a tour,” he said. “Do you have time now?”
Cat linked her arm with Caleb’s and urged him to the front door. “I always have time for you,” she purred.
I followed behind, wondering if I should stay outside instead. The decision was made for me.
Cat whipped her head around. “You’re not invited.”
Caleb turned and said, “It will only take a few minutes. I’ll be back soon.”
A sly smile escaped Cat as she opened the door and pulled Caleb in. “We’ll see about that.”
The door slammed shut. I watched through the glass doors as they walked up the staircase. Soon they were out of my range of vision. I watched for lights. Nothing.
Quickly racing to the back, I made it in time to see the light flip on. Cat waltzed past the window with Caleb in tow. Her long limbs clung and weaved around him, capturing her prey. His body was rigid as she pawed at him.
“Dear Lord, she’s going to devour him,” I muttered.
“Who?” a voice asked.
I squeaked and whipped around to find a man standing near me. It was hard to make out his features in the dark shadows. Tall and thin with dark hair were the only things I could discern.
“Are you talking about Cat?” the man asked, pointing to the window.
I returned my gaze to the window. Caleb stepped back, untangling himself. Catarina jumped forward, crushing him against the wall.
“Do you know Cat?” I asked, watching as Caleb sunk down to dodge out of her arms.
“Yes. Unfortunately, I fared better than your friend.”
“Unfortunately?” I repeated, wondering how he could be more unfortunate than Caleb who was now trying to block Cat as she climbed over the dining room table to feed on him.
He sighed. “I’d give anything to be in that guy’s shoes.”
Cat pounced, tumbling Caleb to the floor.
I winced. “I think he’d trade places with you.”
Watching the window for movement after the tackle, I asked, “Do you live here?”
A hand flew up in the window, followed by a leg.
“I live in unit ten.”
My eyes shot over to him. “Isn’t that unit ten?” I asked, pointing to the active window.
“No. That’s unit eleven.”
“I thought even numbers were on the right side.”
He shrugged. “It must have been a mistake when they built the condos.”
Cat popped up with a devilish smile and then dove back down. I knew there was no reason to be jealous since Caleb was doing his best to fight her off. But it was a losing battle and my hands fisted together, eager to take a swing at . . . a punching bag. Nope. Her. I definitely wanted to take a swing at her. It’s been too long between rounds with my punching bag.
“Do you know that guy?” he asked.
“He’s my date.” At the man’s open-mouthed reaction, I said, “I don’t suppose you’d let me inside the building.”
“Charging in to defend your man?” he joked.
I shrugged. “He seems to be losing, and she’s a manipulative woman. I wouldn’t want him in there too long without backup.”
“I’ll let you into the building.”
Caleb popped up, his disheveled hair sticking every which way. Cat clawed him to the ground again.
“How are you at impersonations?” I asked.
“Not very good. Who did you have in mind?”
“Can you pretend to be a cop?”
His dark eyes slid to me. “That’s illegal.”
“I have to gain entrance somehow. I don’t have enough muscle to knock down the door. And she won’t open the door for me. You don’t happen to have a crowbar, do you?”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” the man said, turning his attention to the window.
We watched as Caleb deflected Cat’s advance and jogged to the door. Cat jumped on his back, wrapping her limbs around him like a vine strangling a tree, halting his escape in mid-motion.
“Are you sure about that?” I asked. “Just knock on the door and say, ‘Police. Open u
p.’ I’m sure she’ll let you in.”
“Why not call the cops instead?”
“They take too long.” When he didn’t budge, I knew I was on my own. “Fine. Just let me into the building. I’ll knock on her door and hope for the best.”
He dug his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, allowing me in. I jogged up the stairs and listened at the door.
“You know you can’t get away, Caleb. Remember how good we were together?” Cat cooed. “Just give in. You know you want me. Every man does.”
There was a scuffle.
“Enough!” Caleb barked.
She laughed. “I love a man who plays hard to get.”
I raised my hand to knock but was blocked. I turned to find the tall man next to me. In the light I could see what the shadows had hidden: a strong face with dark, deep-set eyes. His tall, lanky stature didn’t quite fit with his chiseled jaw line and laser stare.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered and raised his hand to rap on the door.
The scuffling halted.
“Who is it?” Cat called.
“Police. Open up!”
I nearly hugged the man. He sounded like a real cop.
There was more shuffling and finally Catarina cracked open the door. “What’s this about?”
“Ma’am, open the door. I received a complaint about a domestic disturbance.”
“Is sex really a domestic disturbance?” she asked, flashing a devious smile.
“It is when you’re attacking your partner.”
Her eyes narrowed and scanned the man’s jeans and T-shirt. “You’re not wearing a uniform.”
“I’m undercover. Open the door.”
“Let me see your badge.”
Crap!
I bumped the man out of my way and charged the door. Cat jumped back with a shriek as I bulldozed my way in. Muffin’s abrupt nature was rubbing off on me, but I didn’t care.
Squeeze Play Page 6
