“Shit, woman.”
“This,” Syd said, sliding out from under him, and trying to maintain her balance as she got to her feet, “is all your fault. If your car hadn’t stalled none of this would have ever happened.” She extended her hand to him.
He took the hand she offered and joined her up on the landing, and as soon as he was by her side he pulled her roughly into his arms. “Well, I can tell you one thing, darlin’. However it happened, I’m damn happy I met you.”
Caleb tipped his head down to hers and kissed her tenderly. She molded herself against him and looped her arms around his neck. He reached behind her and cupped her ass, pressing her into him.
“Someone’s starting to get happy again,” she quipped.
“Have you looked in the mirror, baby? Most men can’t help but get happy around you.” He kissed her nose. “Unfortunately, this one’s pretty close to passing out at the moment.” He waved his hand in the air and explained. “Time difference.”
She nodded. “Okay, come on, big guy.” Syd went on her tiptoes to nibble on Caleb’s chin and reached down to grab hold of his hand. He threaded his fingers into hers and followed her into her bedroom. Syd didn’t bother turning on the light and instead walked to the window to open the drapes, leaving the milky moonlight to fend off darkness and shadow.
Syd pulled Caleb toward the unmade bed and they collapsed into it. Caleb lay on his back and Syd cuddled into the crook of his arm, one of her own wrapped around his middle. Puff bounded into the room and hopped up her little stairs to get on the bed, snuggling between their legs.
“Time to recharge,” she whispered, giving Caleb a squeeze.
“Sounds good,” he murmured into her hair.
Sounds good, she thought sleepily as her eyes closed. His arm around her was strong and loving, sincere and solid.
Forget good, she thought. This somehow feels right.
Caleb awoke to the feathery sensation of a soft fingertip tracing the contours of his chest and abdomen. Without moving, he opened his eyes and shifted his gaze down and to the left. Syd’s head hadn’t moved from his shoulder and he smiled.
The room was still bathed in moonlight and Caleb turned to the clock. It was barely even midnight—they’d passed out for less than two hours.
He reached a hand up and combed his fingers through the dark waves of her satiny hair.
“Mmm,” she murmured, snuggling closer to him. She threw her leg over his and slid her foot up and down his calf.
“What are you doing up?”
“I don’t know,” she said, sighing.
“What is it, darlin’?”
“I still can’t believe you’re here, that you wanted to be here, that I wanted you to be here so badly. Good things like you don’t happen to me anymore,” she whispered.
His brow furrowed. “No one should have those thoughts, Syd, especially not you.” He kissed the top of her head. The way she sounded, what she said, reminded him of the sadness he’d seen in her eyes back in Banff, and it troubled him. Again, he had an overwhelming need to reassure her. “Syd, you’re smart, fun, beautiful and so much more. There’s a whole world of goodness out there for you. You should always be blessed with those things in your life.”
She gripped him tighter, and when the warmth of teardrops landed on his chest, his heart broke. “Aw, baby,” he whispered, and maneuvered his body so that he was on his side, facing her.
He tenderly caressed her cheek and she buried her head against him, as if embarrassed by the sudden tears. He hooked a finger under her chin and brought her lips to his. This was unlike the kisses of pure passion they’d shared earlier—he wanted this kiss to convey nothing but tenderness, care and hope.
He didn’t love Syd. Hell, they barely knew each other. Still, he did know there was something there and that something scared him a little. He had experienced this once before, and the last time it had blossomed into love. It hadn’t happened this quickly, though. One thing was for certain—he sure as hell hoped that whatever was developing between him and Syd didn’t result in the same dreadful outcome as the last real relationship he’d had.
He mentally shook memories of his relationship with Meg out of his head and focused his attention on Sydney.
He kissed her again, moving his tongue lightly along the seam of her lips. They parted and their tongues danced languidly along each other. He moved his hand to her body, tracing the gentle dip of her waist and the inviting curve of her hip. Her hands were at first pressed against his chest, and now she slid them along him—one on his hard abdomen, the other wrapped around his back.
They lay there, kissing and caressing each other affectionately, exploring in a way they hadn’t bothered with earlier. He had never experienced anything quite like this. He wanted the hands on the clock to remain unmoving when he was with Syd, allowing him the time he needed to unlock all the mysteries of her body and mind. Above all, he ached for her to believe without a doubt he could be both her strength and safe haven. He needed her to trust him, to sense he couldn’t bear to hurt her in any way.
Caleb reached over to the bedside table, snatched the last of the condoms he’d brought and tore the packet open. In a matter of seconds he was ready and he grabbed her leg, drawing it over his hip. He entered her deliberately, inch by agonizing inch, and she quivered.
Chests heaving, they lay together in a tangled mess, staring at each other in the dusky darkness. When Syd averted her eyes, he coaxed her to meet his gaze once again.
“I hate the sadness in your eyes, baby,” he whispered. “Let me take it away.” He leaned forward to kiss her and she choked a sob against his lips.
He pulled his mouth from hers and gathered her in his arms, holding her as close to him as humanly possible. He closed his eyes and tried to control his own emotions as she cried softly.
“Shh, baby, it’s okay. Shh,” he murmured, resting his cheek on the top of her head, stroking her hair until she finally fell asleep in his arms.
Chapter Twenty
Syd woke with a start and freed herself from the tentacles of the bed sheets to flip over and read the clock.
Four o’clock in the morning.
Shit. She still had a million things to do before she left to go to Seattle, and there was no getting back to sleep now. Especially after the dream she’d been having.
She was dreaming of Caleb. Again. But this dream was different—it was so vivid, so real. She plopped back onto the mattress and groaned softly. She rolled onto her side, pulling the blankets up around her, and caught a scent.
Caleb’s scent.
She wasn’t dreaming.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. CJ. He was here.
Syd sat up straight in bed and glanced around the room. But where was he? She turned toward the master bathroom, but the light was off and it appeared no one was in there.
She climbed out of bed and grabbed a thin robe from the en suite, throwing it over her shoulders and tying the belt in a knot as she scanned the room. His clothes were nowhere to be found.
Maybe her mind was playing tricks, and it really was a dream, after all. She laughed softly. She was beginning to confuse herself.
I’m losing my mind.
Still, part of her refused to believe she was slowly going crazy, and she drifted into the hallway. She peeked into the spare bedroom, when a thought suddenly struck her. Of course his clothes weren’t in her room—he’d already been naked when he’d come up there with her.
A slow smile spread across her lips. It really had happened.
She continued searching for him, moving to the stairs. She found an empty condom wrapper on the landing, along with one of Puff’s toys. Where was the little bugger anyway? Normally the Pomeranian would follow her around like a fuzzy shadow. She moved down the stairs and padded to the back of the house. She peeked into the family room and found her clothes, along with Caleb’s, scattered all over, exactly as they had left them.
Then she spotted him
. He was in the kitchen, by the French doors that led into the back yard. He had pulled a cushioned dinette chair out and was straddling it, his arms laid across the back, chin resting on his forearms, looking out into the moonlit yard. Puff was curled into a little ball by his feet, snoring lightly.
“There’s my rock star,” she whispered.
Caleb turned to her and smiled affectionately. “No, darlin’. When the lights go down, I’m just an ordinary man.”
Syd cocked her head to the side, taking him in. He had put his jeans on and nothing else. The moonlight played shadows of light and dark across his face and muscled back and made his blond hair almost glow. Seeing him sitting there like that, seemingly at such peace, evoked a million emotions. She walked over to him and planted a light kiss on his neck.
“Don’t move.” She scooted off and ran to the basement, carefully navigating the stairs in the dark before flicking on the overhead light. She rummaged through a few boxes, pulling items out and tossing them on the floor until she found exactly what she needed. She made her way upstairs and hauled her bounty into the kitchen, directly opposite Caleb.
“What’s all this?” he asked as she set up the easel. He began to straighten up.
“No! No, no, don’t move!” Syd squeaked, putting a large pad of drawing paper on the easel. “Go back to exactly the way you were.”
“What are you doing, baby?”
She smiled at him. “I want to draw you. Now sit still.”
He chuckled and rested his chin back on his forearms. “So, you’re an artist too, huh?”
“I got it from my mom,” she said softly. “She was…amazing.”
“So are you,” he whispered.
She smoothed the hair back off her face and gathered it into a haphazard bun at the base of her neck. “Back atcha, Mr. Jones,” she said, winking at him. She turned on the light behind her and dimmed it to the point where she could still see what she was doing. “Okay, don’t move and keep looking straight at me. I only need about”—she grabbed a pencil and tapped it against her lips—“half an hour or so. Maybe less. I can do the rest another time without my muse.”
“Take your time, darlin’. I’m going to sit here and enjoy the view.” He grinned suddenly. “It would make it much easier on me if you took your robe off, though.”
“But then the focal point of the sketch would be much lower,” she retorted, her eyes flicking to between his legs.
Caleb chuckled as she set to work.
Syd began outlining his face, starting with those gorgeous azure eyes, and from there moving to his shoulders and back. She lightly shaded with the pencil, only enough to point out where shadow and light fell.
“So do I get you all to myself today?” he asked out of the blue.
Syd frowned as she worked with the pencil, putting the finishing touches on her drawing. “I’m afraid not, CJ. I have to go to Seattle. My flight out is this afternoon.”
“Shit, are you serious?”
She nodded. “Unfortunately.” She put the pencil on the easel and got up to stretch. “Okay, stud. I’m done.”
He stood, triggering Puff awake. “Lemme see,” he said, taking a step toward Syd.
She grabbed the drawing and held it away from him. “No peeking! This is just a sketch so I can remember what you look like. I want to put this on canvas and paint you. You’ll see it when it’s done. Not before.” She stuck out her tongue at him and rushed the sketch pad back into the basement, where it would be safe from Caleb’s prying eyes.
When she returned, she found Caleb on his haunches playing with a now fully alert and energized Puff. He was moving his hand in circles on the floor and she was chasing it, yipping excitedly. Syd leaned against the wall, watching them and smiling softly. It’s like a little family, she thought. A little family she’d never have.
Puff seemed to sense her owner and froze mid-hop, staring up at Syd with her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth, tail wagging at light speed.
“Looks like you made a new friend,” she said as Caleb stood. She came up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“It’s not fair you have to leave so soon,” he whispered, resting his cheek on top of her head. “We’ve barely had any time together. We just started this.”
She stared for a moment into his deep blue eyes, butterflies in her stomach fluttering nervously. There was no letting him go. Not yet.
Don’t do this, she thought to herself as she opened her mouth and uttered the words, “Come with me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Caleb let out a loud groan and stretched from head to toe. He had no idea how his whole body could feel as if it had been used and abused, muscles sore and aching, yet at the same time how he could be so incredibly relaxed and satiated. He curled his lips into a small smile and reached across to his left, only to find the bed sheets cool. He opened his eyes and surveyed the gloomy darkness. He was alone. Frowning, he wondered where Syd had wandered off to. A creak of a door sounded and a light shone in from the bathroom, illuminating the hotel room and forcing him to squint.
“Oh, crap,” she whispered. “I didn’t wake you up, did I? I was trying to be ninja-like.” Syd walked to his side and bent to give him a light kiss on the cheek.
He shook his head. “No, you didn’t wake me up, darlin’. What are you doing up so early?”
She snorted. “Early? Caleb, it’s nearly eleven o’clock!”
“It is?” He turned to the little clock radio on the oak nightstand to his right.
“Yes, silly,” she chuckled. She walked over to her suitcase, rifling through it for a moment before exclaiming, “A-ha!” She held up a silver pendant victoriously. “There you are.”
She continued talking while she latched the chain around her neck. “I’ve got a lunch meeting at the restaurant. I should hopefully be back at around five p.m. And then we’re all done here.”
“And at that point, you’re all mine, correct?” he asked, his grin devilish as he gazed up at her, a million naughty thoughts running through his mind.
She sat on the bed beside him and slung on her heels. She looked fantastic in a blush-pink blazer and a pair of white dress pants.
“Are you trying to give everyone at the restaurant a heart attack?”
She creased her brow. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“No blouse under the blazer. Every man you meet is going to have a hard-on.”
“Jealous?”
“You make it hard for a man to let you out the door alone, that’s all.” He examined her from tip to toe, his gaze finally resting on hers. “God, woman, you have to stop looking so damn good all the time.”
She chuckled and leaned over him, running her fingers through his tangled hair. “And you make it hard for this woman to leave to begin with,” she countered, moving her hand down his neck, along his collarbone, and at last stopping on his chest.
He took her hand in his and brought her finger to his lips.
She frowned and sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay hanging out while I work? I’ve hated abandoning you the past couple days.”
“No, no, darlin’. It’s okay. Gives me a chance to gather my strength again and do a little more writing. Truth be told, I’d have to say I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
“Well, I’m certainly glad you’re here.” She kissed his nose, chin and lips.
Caleb took the opportunity Syd being so close presented, and pulled her into his arms.
“I don’t want to go,” she whined, her face buried in his neck. “I just wanna stay right here with you all day.”
“Don’t worry, Syd. Once we get back to Vancouver we’ll have all the time in the world.”
She straightened up and looked at him, a slight frown creasing her brow. “Yeah, about that.”
Caleb’s stomach immediately tightened. There was something in her tone that raised about a hundred bright red flags. He hoisted himself up and leaned back against the he
adboard. He grabbed her hand and began massaging the palm with his thumb. “What about it?”
Syd didn’t meet his eyes.
Caleb’s heart jumped into his throat.
“Well,” she began hesitantly, “when I get back to Vancouver, I’ve basically got week after week of meetings. I won’t really be able to dedicate any time to you.”
“Oh,” he said softly, more hurt in his voice than he intended. “Well, I’m sure you don’t have meetings every single day. You’ve got to have a break, right?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“But you’ll be available on weekends. I can come up to see you then.” He clenched his jaw. He sounded desperate. He hated that he sounded so desperate. He hated that he felt desperate. Going weeks without seeing her would be impossible. He’d barely survived a week as it was.
She latched onto a piece of long hair that had come loose from her haphazard bun and began twirling it around her index finger. She shook her head again. “There’s so much stuff going on right now, CJ. On the weekends too. Commitments I’ve already made, a weekend with a friend, business dinners and such.” She let the silken lock go and sighed. “I hate this, you’ve no idea, but I can’t drop this stuff, no matter how much I want to spend time with you.”
“Ah.”
She can’t make any time for me?
Shut up, Caleb.
She finally met his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Caleb. I wish there was a way.”
He let out a puff of air and brought the back of her hand to his lips. “Don’t worry, it’s okay, Syd. You did have a life before I came into it. I can’t expect you’ll be available all the time.” He smirked at her. “And I certainly can’t expect my girlfriend to reorganize her life because of me.”
Her olive eyes widened and she stared at him, lips slightly parted. “Girlfriend?”
He grinned. “The position for girlfriend is not filled at the CJ Mattress headquarters. You’d be a perfect fit.” When the shock didn’t leave her features, he continued, “That is, if you want it.” He smiled softly. “I just wanted you to know that I’m kinda hooked on you, Syd.”
Little White Lie Page 11
