I bid farewell to my sister just as she was crawling into bed. Dexie’s pregnancy is kicking her ass. She’s almost in her third trimester. I’m glad. I know that she’s anxious to meet her baby. I’ve been bugging her to find out the baby’s gender, but she told me that she doesn’t want to know until the baby is born. Rocco is on board for that.
I admire their patience. If I ever get pregnant, I’ll want to know as soon as possible.
I took the subway to Calder’s studio even though Rocco offered to call me a town car when I told him I was going out to meet someone.
My brother-in-law has many connections in this city. Although he’s fine navigating public transportation or utilizing an Uber or a taxi at times, he’s most comfortable walking.
Dexie is the same. They don’t wear their wealth for the world to see. They do good things with the money they work hard to earn. I suspect the sculpture Dex ordered from Calder is one of the few extravagances she’s indulged in other than their townhouse.
As I approach the building that houses Calder’s studio and loft, I look up. He occupies the top two floors. Light seeps out from the floor where his studio is located. The space above is dark.
My mind wanders to what his home looks like. Is it furnished in natural woods and dark tones, or is it a blank canvas that only contains the essentials along with a few of his sculptures?
I don’t have a home of my own.
I’ve spent my time since graduating college living in London and Brazil. I feel at home in my sister’s townhouse, but that’s not a forever scenario.
As soon as I lock down another job, I’ll have a new place to rest my head for a year or two.
Eventually, I’ll find my way back here so I can be close to my sister and her family.
Just as I’m about to grab one of the door handles, Calder appears on the other side dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt.
I’m dressed almost identically, although I slipped a light blue cardigan over the T-shirt. I don’t need my nipples causing a distraction tonight, and since I noticed a chill in the air in Calder’s studio, I came prepared.
“Raelyn,” he greets me as he shoves open the door. “You’re right on time.”
I’m early.
“It’s important to be punctual,” I say with a smile. “I don’t like making anyone wait for me.”
That was about as subtle as a freight train speeding down the track in the middle of the night. If he doesn’t realize I’m referring to the waiting game he played with me yesterday, he’s dense.
“Some people are worth waiting for.” He smirks.
Why does that smirk make him hotter than he already is? If he combed his hair this morning, I can’t tell. The messy hair combined with his cologne makes me want to reach out and touch him.
He looks past my shoulder toward the street. “I ordered some take-out. It looks like it’s here.”
When I realize that he didn’t come down here just to greet me, disappointment washes over me.
I step aside to let him pass to retrieve the food.
He carries on a brief conversation with the driver about the snowstorm the other night.
As he wishes him safe travels, I catch a whiff of something heavenly.
His hand lands on the center of my back as he steps next to me. “I hope you like pizza.”
I look down at the square box with red and green lettering on it. “Who doesn’t?”
“Bauer.” He chuckles as he motions for me to walk into the lobby of the building. “I don’t know how he considers himself a true New Yorker. He won’t eat pizza or hotdogs.”
I turn and look at him. “What won’t you eat?”
His gaze trails over my body from head-to-toe before he looks into my eyes. “I’d rather talk about what I want to eat.”
A rush of heat courses through me before my cheeks bloom pink with a blush. “We should get to work.”
He stares at me intently. “We should.”
We stand there for what feels like endless moments staring at each other. The sound of the lobby doors opening turns us both in that direction.
A man in a wool trench coat and black slacks rushes past us in silence toward the elevator.
“Good evening to you too,” Calder calls after him.
The man jabs a finger into the elevator call button just as the doors slide open. He boards it without a word to either of us.
As soon as the doors close, Calder looks at me. “Fucking jerk.”
I burst out laughing, which lures a smile to his lips.
“Let’s get upstairs.” He turns toward the elevator. “We have a long night ahead of us.”
Chapter 13
Calder
I’ve never watched a woman eat. Sure, I’ve sat across from my share of women while we’ve had dinner, but I’ve never paid attention.
For me, it was always about what followed the meal.
I’ve dated. Hell, I’ve been in a couple of semi-serious relationships, but nothing ever lasted beyond a few months.
I could blame it on the women I was involved with, but it’s hard-as-hell to deal with me. I own that.
For one thing, I work at night.
That started years ago when I couldn’t shake a bout of insomnia. I tried the obvious remedies, including mediation and CBD oil, but nothing gave me what I needed. A clear head so I could get at least a few hours of restless sleep.
Once I switched up my schedule, I found that I could sleep more during the day. I can catch a solid four or five hours in the morning. I did that today after Bauer and I completed the base of Dexie’s sculpture.
Raelyn takes another bite of the pizza. A fucking adorable sound escapes her. It’s a cross between a moan and a giggle. I take it to mean that the pizza is a win.
“This is so good,” she comments as she swallows the bite. “It’s hard to know where to find great pizza in New York.”
“There’s a place in Brooklyn you should try. I’m due for another visit. We can go together.”
Her head pops up. “What do you mean?”
She’s blushing again, but this time it’s barely noticeable. I notice, though, because she’s a vision. Everything from her long lashes to the natural pout of her lips is captivating to me.
“I mean, we could ride the subway to Brooklyn, walk two blocks, sit in a couple of uncomfortable wooden chairs and share a pizza.”
“I’ll pay half,” she blurts out. “Since it’s not a date, I should pay my fair share.”
I struggle to hold in a smile. “Whatever works for you.”
She nods as if my response is acceptable.
“Are you in a relationship, Raelyn?”
The pizza slice in her hand drops back into the box. “What did you just ask me?”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
She shakes her head. “No.”
“Are you sleeping with anyone?”
Her eyes widen as her entire face goes red. “Oh my God. Why would you ask me that?”
I lean back on the stool I’m sitting on. “Curiosity.”
“Well, in that case, are you?” she spits the question out before her hand darts to cover her mouth. “Don’t answer that.”
“Don’t answer what?” I rake a hand through my hair. “Do you want to know if I’m dating anyone, or are you more interested in whether or not I’m fucking anyone at the moment?”
She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Both. No, I mean, I don’t want an answer to either question.”
“Yes, you do,” I press.
She locks her eyes on mine. “I said I don’t.”
“For the record, I’m not dating anyone, and since you and I are the only two people in this room, I am not fucking anyone at this moment. That’s not to say…”
Her hand darts in the air. “Don’t say you want to… you aren’t going to say you want to sleep with me, are you?”
I shake my head.
Her gaze drops. I know disappointment when I see it.
I lean forward again, inching my hand across the table until it’s almost touching her. “Sleeping next to you isn’t what I’m interested in, Raelyn. Having you in my bed is.”
She bolts to her feet. “You can’t just say that.”
I follow her lead and stand. “Why not?”
“We barely know each other,” she points out with her hands on her hips. “We’re supposed to be working on a sculpture for my sister, not talking about sex.”
I drop my gaze to the front of her T-shirt and the outline of her hardened nipples beneath it. “Why can’t we do both?”
“We just can’t, Calder.”
I crack a smile. “That’s not a reason.”
She takes a deep breath. “It would complicate things.”
“What things?”
“Things,” she answers.
She crosses her arms over her chest.
I do the same. “Let me make this clear, Raelyn. I’m very attracted to you. If you ever find yourself attracted to me, I’m available. You say the word, and I’ll drop my clothes.”
With that, I turn and walk toward the sculpture we need to work on.
Before I’m a foot away, I hear her whisper, “What’s the word?”
I turn back around to find her taking another bite of pizza. She tosses me an innocent wave. “I’ll be right there to help.”
Fuck me. I want this woman. It seems as though this time, I’m the one having their patience tested.
Chapter 14
Raelyn
“How did it go with Calder last night?” Dexie asks as soon as the door closes behind Rocco. Even though it’s Saturday, he’s off to a meeting.
“Fine,” I say, not wanting to delve into the details of that uncomfortable sex talk we had.
I only spent two hours at Calder’s studio last night.
The majority of that time, I was holding the end of a tape measure while Calder measured a piece of metal over and over again. He finally gave up, told me I could leave, and locked the doors to his studio behind me.
I was in bed by midnight and up at six to get started on my ornament orders.
“Fine?” she repeats back with a fair bit of attitude in her tone.
I laugh. “That’s what I said.”
Dexie crosses the kitchen to grab an apple from a fruit bowl. “Are you two hitting it off?”
I catch the apple when she tosses it to me. “We’re working on a project together. It’s not really about us hitting it off.”
“I’ll take that to mean you are.” She chooses another apple and takes a bite of it.
“Take it to mean we’re not,” I counter with a smile.
She studies me from across her kitchen. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a holiday fling.”
It might. I’ve never been the type to be devastated after a breakup, but I’ve never had a one-night stand or a sex-only agreement with a man. Calder Frost seems like a heartbreaker, and I like my heart just as it is – in one piece.
“I have work to do.” I slide off the stool. “I need to work on my ornament orders before I go to Calder’s studio later.”
“I’ll help.”
I glance at her. “You will?”
“It’s the least I can do.” She sighs. “You’re doing me the biggest favor in the world by helping Calder so he can get the sculpture done in time for Christmas. Tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”
“I could use help with packing up the orders I’ve finished,” I say, stepping closer to my sister. “It’s easy. Package the ornament. Print a label. Apply it, and that’s it.”
Dexie moves to embrace me. “I can handle it. I’ll even take them down to the post office and mail them.”
I step back, resting my hands on her shoulders. “We’ll do that together. Maybe we can fit in a quick lunch on the way back.”
“Pizza?” She asks, her eyes lighting up. “I haven’t had pizza in forever. Have you?”
Last night while I was staring into Calder Frost’s eyes.
I keep that to myself. “Pizza it is.”
***
I arrive at Calder’s studio at precisely ten minutes before eight. This is one of the few times I wish I were prone to being late.
The reason is simple.
Calder is standing in the lobby with a woman in his arms.
Her hands are pressed against his chest as she looks up and into his eyes.
The moment feels too intimate for prying eyes, so I spin around and face the street.
As traffic passes, I yank my phone from my coat pocket and scroll through my unread emails. I click on one, but I have to read it twice before the words of gratitude from a customer who just received her ornament order sink in.
I try to read another message, but I can’t.
I don’t understand why annoying stabs of jealousy are piercing my heart.
I’m not sure I even like Calder Frost.
Why do I care if he’s just come from having sex in his studio with the brunette who is clinging to him? Maybe she’s an ex begging him to take her back? Or perhaps it’s the reverse, and he’s the one about to fall to his knees to plead with her to give him another chance.
I suck in a deep breath and will myself to think about anything other than Calder.
“Raelyn?”
When I hear his voice behind me, my stomach twists into a tangled knot. He says my name slightly different than anyone I’ve ever known. He puts more emphasis on the ‘l,’ so it sounds lighter or charming.
I can’t explain it, but I’ve come to like it.
I spin to face him because I can’t exactly pretend that I’m not me for more than half a second.
The brown-haired woman standing next to him smiles. “I’m Magnolia. It’s so nice to meet you. My brother told me about you.”
I look at her eyes. They are the same breathtaking blue shade as Calder’s. I shouldn’t take comfort in the knowledge that she’s his sister, but I do.
“I’m Raelyn,” I offer even though she knows that.
“I’m getting married in six weeks.” She waves her left hand in the air. The streetlights cast enough light that the diamond sparkles.
“Congratulations,” I offer. “That’s very exciting.”
“So exciting.” She bounces up and down in her brown boots. “Calder is going to be my man of honor.”
Is that what he is? Is he a man of honor?
I turn to look at him. “Congratulations to you as well.”
His expression doesn’t change. “Raelyn and I need to get to work, Mags. We’ll meet next week for more wedding planning.”
She grabs his face and plants a kiss on his cheek. “I used to knock his Lego towers down when he was a toddler. Now, look at him.”
I am.
Calder Frost is breathtaking with an imprint of red lipstick on his cheek and an almost smile on his lips.
Chapter 15
Calder
I don’t know if Raelyn’s intention is to kill me, but I’m worried I’m about to drop dead.
The second she shrugged out of her wool coat, and I caught sight of the tight red sweater she’s wearing, my heart stopped mid-beat.
I can’t prove that, but there was an instant ache inside of me. That only worsened when she turned around, and I got a glimpse of her ass in the pair of faded, torn jeans she’s wearing.
The knee-high black boots are back, which isn’t helping my current cock situation.
I’m rock hard.
Thank Christ I’m standing behind the sculpture.
Her gaze travels over my jeans and the black sweater I’m wearing. Approval dances in her eyes and grazes her lips when she softly smiles.
“What’s on the agenda tonight?”
I want to answer with what first springs to mind. Fucking - raw, uninhibited, tear the sheets apart fucking.
“I’m going to work on the sculpture,” I answer with the aid of my brain, not my dick.
Her hands drop to her hips. “What
am I going to do?”
Sit on my face?
Drop to your knees?
Touch your pussy for me?
“Paint,” I answer, holding on to the last bit of self-control I have.
She shifts her gaze to the sculpture. “That needs to be painted?”
Hell, no. I wouldn’t let paint within ten feet of anything I create. The natural inconsistencies in the metal are what add depth to my sculptures.
“No, that.” I point at a workstation I set up earlier.
I deliberately set it up behind me so I could witness her reaction. I’m not disappointed.
I see the surprise in her eyes when her hands dart to her chest. She smiles. It’s the most beautiful goddamn thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Calder?” My name escapes her in a strangled sigh.
“Yes?” I answer because I’m not going to steer this conversation. I want her to do that.
“Did you get all of that for me?”
I nod. “Do I look like the type of guy who paints balls?”
She lets out a light laugh. “No.”
She steps toward me, and for a brief moment, I think she’s going to wrap her arms around me and kiss me. What I wouldn’t give for a taste of those ruby red lips.
But she walks around me toward the table that now doubles as a workstation.
When she reaches it, she takes a full minute to look everything over. “I can’t believe this you did this.”
With my hands shoved in the front pocket of my jeans, I stalk toward her. The urge to touch her is real.
I have no idea why this woman makes me feel things, but she does, and if I can do something to make her life easier, I’ll do it.
She turns to face me. We’re no more than six inches apart. “You bought so many ornaments and all that paint. I paint with acrylic on these. Oil on canvas.”
I point at the table. “Use the acrylic for the balls, and if you feel inspired, there are some canvases in the storage room. I bought one of every size. I can dig up an easel too. Bauer has one or two around here somewhere.”
Her eyes find mine. “Why did you do this? I’m supposed to be here to help you with the sculpture.”
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