Beyond Broken

Beyond Broken
(The Bay Boys #3)
By Emilia Winters
PROLOGUE
The rain soaked through his black suit and plastered his hair to his forehead. But Caleb Montgomery
didn’t
notice. All he noticed was the numbness and the after taste of beer on his tongue.
He’d bought the suit, since he hadn’t owned one. Caleb hadn’t even blinked at the $976.84 receipt as
he’d
signed it. It was for his uncle, not him. Caleb still remembered the moment when John Montgomery
found out
about his lungs. All those years of smoking had finally caught up with him. Caleb had been with him
in that sterile
room. His uncle had joked about death even then, mere minutes after he’d received the news from a
very solemn
looking doctor. He’d told Caleb that he better not show up in jeans and a grease stained t-shirt to his
funeral. No,
he wanted Caleb in a ‘fancy suit.’
Caleb supposed $976.84 was fancy enough. He’d had the suit specially tailored and dry-cleaned.
Ready and
waiting.
And now it was soaked through. Typical October weather in the Bay Area.
But as Caleb took another pull on his beer bottle, he thought that it wasn’t so typical. It wasn’t
normal. It was
all wrong. Because John Montgomery was six feet under, unable to feel the rain he’d loved so much.
Caleb slid his eyelids closed, shutting out the world, feeling the icy droplets lash his skin as if punishing
him.
His uncle’s backyard fell away from his sight. All the shit he’d have to deal with tomorrow fell away.
The faces of
all those people who came to the funeral fell away. Their sympathy and words fell away.
Everything fell away until Caleb could feel no more.

ONE
The night had just gone from bad to worse.
“Shoot, shoot, shoot! No, please don’t,” Madelyn Ashby pleaded under her breath. She tried not to
panic,
even as her old Volkswagen pathetically sputtered and slowed.
She ran through a mental checklist as she maneuvered off to the side of the road. Her brother had
taken her car
in to be serviced less than two months ago. Surely it wasn’t…mechanical? Was that the right word?
Could it be
the oil? Shoot, she didn’t know. She knew nothing about cars. Nothing was blinking on her dash, so
she was
truly at a loss.
Her car gave one last shudder. And then the engine cut out completely. She tried starting it again
with no suc-
cess.
Quickly flipping on her hazard lights, Maddie took a deep breath, already fiddling with the hair ties on
her wrist.
She assessed her situation. She was somewhere between Benicia and Concord. And it was already
dark. The last
time she remembered glancing down at the clock on her dashboard, it’d read 9:40.
Pulling her phone out of her purse, she prayed that it wasn’t really dead like she thought as she
attempted to
turn it on. Her finger trembled as she pressed the slim button on the top, holding it down with
unnecessary force,
as though the harder she pushed the more motivation it had to power up. The screen showed no
signs of life, as
expected, and she let it drop back into her purse.
Maddie sat there for a few minutes, trying to control the panic that started to take hold. She was on a
dark road
in an unknown location with no means of contact. Her overactive imagination conjured up multiple
scenarios,
each one more horrifying than the last. What if she was kidnapped? Or drugged? Or killed?
You’re being stupid, she chided mentally, inhaling a calming breath. But she still had to do
something. She
couldn’t very well sit in her car all night. She needed to stay positive. She was always the one who
looked on the
bright side. That was what her friends had always told her, at least.
Making up her mind, Maddie pushed open the car door, feeling the biting chill of the late autumn air
even
through her black jeans. With dismay, she remembered she’d worn heels tonight. It had felt
wonderful to dress
up a little for dinner with some of her fellow grad students, but now she regretted it.
Stay positive.
With that mantra in mind, she tried to tell herself that there had to be a convenience store or a gas
station
nearby. Then, she could ring up a tow truck service and then ask her brother to come pick her up,
even though
he’d be furious at her. It would all be okay. But the longer she walked, the more she remembered
that she’d al-
ways been good at lying to herself.
She must’ve walked for at least two miles—at least that was how far it seemed with horror movie
scenes wreak-
ing havoc on her control—before she spotted lights. A thrill of relief coursed through her when she
saw that it was
the border of a town, with a gas station right at its edge. She hurried towards it as fast as her heels
would carry
her. Once she entered the station’s store, the clerk standing at the counter eyed her with indifference
even as she
beamed at him.
“Hi, excuse me, I was hoping that I could use your phone, if you don’t mind. My car broke down and I
need to
call a towing service,” she told him.
He jerked a thumb back outside. “There’s a pay phone out front, lady.”
Maddie flushed as she recalled her embarrassing predicament. “Well, you see…I actually don’t have
any money
on me. I’m having quite a night, let me tell ya. I left my wallet at a restaurant and I was heading back
to go get it,
but then I got lost because my phone died. And of course, my tank was low. Luckily I had an
emergency twenty
dollars tucked in my glove compartment so I filled up and was on my way again when…” she trailed
off, realizing
that she was rambling and that this poor man didn’t want to hear her troubles. Her brother
affectionately told her
that she had the annoying tendency to ramble on when she was nervous. Ever since then, she’d
always been
uncomfortably aware of the quirk.
The man must’ve taken pity on her. Or he just wanted to get rid of her because he sighed and craned
his neck
out the window, his gaze turned down the street. “Well, you’re in luck, lady. See that building a little
ways down
with the lights on?” He pointed in the general direction and Maddie thought she knew which building
he was refer-
ring to. She nodded. “That’s an auto shop and it looks like someone is still around. They’re nice
guys. They’ll
be able to help you out.”
Affection for this stranger blossomed in her chest and she smiled so widely that her cheeks hurt.
“Thank you
so much. I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, shaking his head. But, as Maddie headed out of the gas station and started
towards the
building, she thought she’d coaxed at least a little smile out of him.
With delight, Maddie saw that he was right. Montgomery Restoration & Repair was what the sign
said out front
and the lights in the garage were still on. Filled with renewed hope, she walked up, her heels clicking
loudly on the
pavement. She heard male voices, laughter, and the sound of tools clinking on cement. Some guy
was doing an
impression of his mother-in-law and Maddie couldn’t help but smile at his shrill voice. A few more
steps and she
rounded the corner of the L-shaped building and into the fluorescent lit garage.
An older man was hunched over the engine of a car and his long grey hair, pulled back with an elastic
band, was
peeking out from under the hood. “And then she tells me that she wishes her daughter had married
one of those
hot shot, suit-wearin’, white collar fellas instead of a dirty mechanic who always has grease stains on
his hands and
smells like sweat and oil. You’d think after thirty years, she’d lighten up. Jesus, that old bat…really
fuckin’ hates
me.”
The other man was actually a teenager she noticed. He looked like he could still be in high school,
with a pair
of cute dimples and acne scars. He was busy wiping his hands on a rag, his head thrown back in
laughter. But
when he righted himself, his gaze landed on Maddie and a startled look came over his features.
“Hi there,” she greeted softly with a small smile, stepping into the garage gingerly, as though she
might be
thrown out any second. She found it a little intimidating to say the least and it smelled like fuel and
cement.
“What the—” With a loud curse, the startled older man came up so fast that he banged his head on
the hood of
the car. Maddie gasped and started apologizing profusely as he turned to face her. “No harm done,
sweetie,” he
said with a grimace, rubbing the back of his head. “I never learn. Do you know how many times I’ve
hit my head
like that over the years? No wonder my wife thinks I’m dumb as rocks.” He started wiping his hands
on a dirty
rag, looking her over with curiosity. “What can we do for ya, sweetie?”
“I, uh…” she glanced at the teen and noticed that he looked a little pink in the cheeks. “My car broke
down a
mile or so away. The man at the gas station said you guys might be able to help?”
“Of course. Although, we have to charge more for a tow since it’s after hours.”
She flushed again, hating that her own stupidity was causing her more than enough problems for
tonight. “I
understand. It’s just that I left my wallet at a restaurant and I’m not sure I can get it back tonight.”
The older
man’s eyebrows raised a fraction and Maddie quickly hurried on, not wanting him to think she was
trying to scam
them. “But I can pay tomorrow, I swear! I can leave my name and address. Any personal details you
need so you
could track me down. Not that you’ll need to,” she hastened to reassure them. “And obviously you’ll
have my car
as collateral. I just—”
The older man started chuckling and the sound made Maddie relax. She decided she liked him. He
had a
warm friendliness that reminded her of her father.
“It’s alright. I just have to run it past the boss, is all. But we usually settle bills once all the work’s
done any-
way, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Maddie blinked as relief settled into her veins. But then she asked, “Oh, are you not the boss?”
His eyes twinkled. “Just ‘cause I’m old, sweetie, don’t mean I’m the boss.”
Her cheeks burned. “No, that’s not what I meant.”
“I know. I’m just teasin’. Not everyday I get to tease a pretty girl.” He gave her a harmless wink that
set her at
ease and then, turning his head towards a set of metal stairs on the far wall she hadn’t noticed,
bellowed, “Boss!
Come down here a minute, will ya?”
The stairs led up to a faded red door. On it was a placard that she couldn’t quite read, even though
she squint-
ed a little. A large window next to the door overlooked the garage, but the blinds were down, so she
couldn’t see
inside. Streams of light poked through the cracks. She figured it was an office of some sort.
A moment later, the door swung open and a jolt of shock passed through Maddie’s body. She tensed,
her heart
forgetting to beat for a couple moments, before it resumed its purpose with renewed fervor. For a
brief second, she
thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but even it wouldn’t be so cruel as to toy with her.
As the man descended the steps, a scowl on his achingly handsome features, Maddie felt as though
she was
seeing a ghost.
Caleb Montgomery.
The sign outside the building flashed into her mind. Montgomery Restoration & Repair. She
should’ve known
right then. But how could she have? Maddie hadn’t seen Caleb since he’d graduated high school, no
matter how
many times she’d hoped to catch a glimpse of him over the years. Almost ten years later, here he
was…
The first thing she noticed was his eyes. Of course, it was always his eyes that had captivated her.
Eyes so dark
that they were almost black. Obsidian eyes, as cold and harsh as the rock itself. Those eyes had
starred in her
teenage fantasies and replayed over and over in her dreams.
His hair was longer, she noticed. He’d worn it short in high school, buzzed close to his head. But now
it was
thick and full, a deep chocolate color that she wanted to run her hands through. She wondered if it
was as soft as it
looked.
Caleb’s obsidian eyes locked on her own. She forgot to breathe. How many times had she hoped he’d
look at
her? How many times had she been disappointed? But not now. His gaze was steady and she felt a
flush making
its way up her body, filling every vein, warming her. She’d never responded to a man as potently as
she did Caleb.
It was probably why she’d never been intimate with someone, because no man had ever quite
measured up. The
sad thing was…he probably hadn’t realized that she’d existed until now.
Maddie could see that time hadn’t changed her response to him. Except, time had changed them
both. Caleb
had never been young, but she could see the years in his broad shoulders and muscular thighs, in the
hard jaded
look on his face, in the tattoos peeking out from underneath his worn black t-shirt.
A sadness washed over her. No, Caleb Montgomery had never been young.
A memory rose unwillingly, no matter how much she tried to fight it. She remembered that day, one
of the last
days of Caleb’s senior year. The day where everything fell apart and she’d seen a guarded boy turn
into a cold man.
This man approached the three of them now, his booted footsteps falling hard on the concrete.
Maddie didn’t
remember him being this massive, but he was well over six feet tall, dwarfing her respectable five foot
seven frame,
even the added inches her heels gave her. Strong cords of muscle lined his arms. He wasn’t overly
bulky, but no
one could deny his strength. Even though he wore a black tee, she could still make out the broadness
of his shoul-
ders, the expanse of his chest, his tapered waist. He’d always been beautiful.
“What is this all about?” he grated, his voice rough. Even though his eyes were still on Maddie, the
question
was obviously directed to the older man.
There was no flash of recognition in his gaze and Maddie felt a part of her slump in defeat. Caleb had
never
even noticed her in high school, even though she’d had a crush on him from the first moment she’d
laid eyes on
him. Suddenly, she felt like that 13-year-old freshman girl all over again, pining for the mysterious,
brooding junior
from afar.
How pathetic.
Straightening her spine, Maddie reminded herself that she was a 25-year-old woman now. However,
she found
herself in an embarrassing situation…one she was loathe to disclose to him. She hated to play the
damsel in dis-
tress—not that Caleb Montgomery would have any interest in coming to her aid—but she was out of
options.
Putting on a small, shaky smile, she told him, “My car broke down. I need a tow, if it’s not too much
trouble.”
The expression on his face made her smile slowly die. Caleb thought it would be trouble, judging by
his glare.
He turned his attention to the older man. “Brian, I don’t have time for this shit. I need to get those
invoices sorted
and I don’t know if you’ve seen those files, but they’re an absolute mess.”
Maddie could hardly stop her flinch at his harsh tone, but Brian seemed unaffected. He smiled. “Oh,
come
on, boss. Have a little heart. Your uncle would’ve helped a little lady in distress.”
Maddie frowned inwardly at the ‘little lady’ part, but she was much more intrigued by Caleb’s
reaction. A shot
of fury and pain lit up his dark eyes before he carefully masked them again. Maddie’s heart ached at
the sight,
wanting nothing more than to comfort him as she’d longed to do when she’d been a girl.
He glanced at her once more, this time sweeping her from head to toe. His gaze left her feeling
shivery and
warm. “Fine,” he bit out. “Get it done.”
He started to turn but then Brian had the audacity to stop him. “You’ll have to do it, boss. I have to
finish
Rick’s car tonight since he’s comin’ first thing in the mornin’. And you know how the missus gets
when I’m home
after ten. Thinks I’m steppin’ out on her. It ain’t pretty. And Peter here,” Brian said, clapping a hand
on the
teenager who hadn’t uttered a word since she stepped in the garage, “needs to help because I’m old
and it’s rough
on my bones. Ain’t that right, Petey?”
Peter looked helplessly between the two men, his gaze darting back and forth like he was watching a
tennis
match.
Quiet rage poured off Caleb. Maddie could feel it as palpably as a touch. His jaw ticked with
restrained anger,
his fists clenching at his sides. Then he exploded. “Are you fucking kidding me with this shit, Brian?
Remind me
who owns this place. Last time I checked, it wasn’t you!”

Maddie cringed at his tone and unconsciously took a step away. Peter seemed to have the same
response be-
cause he mirrored her actions. Caleb was downright frightening when he was this angry, a side of him
she’d never
experienced.
“You do, boss,” Brian replied, grinning shamelessly, unaffected by his mood.
“Un-fucking-believable.”
“And stop cursin’ around the little lady. You should know better.”
“I’m this close to firing your old ass.”
“Yeah, yeah, like you haven’t threatened that before.”
Maddie watched the two men square off, although her eyes mostly lingered on Caleb. He and Brian
knew each
other quite well, that much was clear. And there was mutual respect there, despite the volley of
insults being
lobbed back and forth.
Maddie was tense as something unspoken seemed to pass between the two of them. Eventually,
Caleb’s furi-
ous gaze swung to her and she barely refrained from gasping at the hate she saw there. No, this man
was very dif-
ferent from the one she’d known. The teenage boy she’d loved had never been this icy, this cold.
“Get in the truck,” he told her through gritted teeth, jerking his head at something behind her. She
stood frozen
as he turned and made his way over to a small tin box on the work bench. She watched as he pulled
out a set of
keys and then stalked back. His eyes narrowed on her. “Now.”
She jumped and then spun on her heel, shock propelling her into motion. Then his words started to
penetrate
her hazy mind and indignation rose sharply in her chest. Nobody had ever spoken to her like that
before and she
didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“You could say ‘please,’ you know,” she informed him as she marched over to the tow truck parked on
the far
side of the lot. Her heels clicked loudly on the pavement as she hurried to keep up with him.
He didn’t even look at her. “Princess, you really don’t wanna fuck with me right now.”
Maddie tried not to be upset with him, but it was difficult. She already felt responsible for tonight’s
drama. If
her car hadn’t broken down, he wouldn’t have been bothered.
Still, it didn’t stop her from snapping, “Language.” She didn’t know what came over her. Usually, she
didn’t
even have a temper. She was mild-mannered. But she hated the way he was treating her…as though
she was noth-
ing more than an inconvenience.
Caleb stopped so suddenly that she ran into his back. Before her mind could register the hard muscles
she en-
countered there, he whirled on her, as quickly as a snake ready to strike. Even though he was
grinning, it was more
like a barring of his teeth. He looked like the devil, surprisingly seductive, yet hellbent on devouring
her in one
piece.
“I don’t have to help you, you know. In fact, I’d be happier if I didn’t have to haul your car back here
and deal
with your problems. I meant what I said. I don’t need this right now. I have other issues to deal with
that are
more important. So if you want to call another towing company, then by all means, go ahead. You
can even use
my phone, if it means you’ll get out of my sight faster.” His voice was soft as his words washed over
her. There
was no mistaking that lethal tone. He was like a panther, silently prowling, waiting to strike.
Maddie wouldn’t give him the chance. His eyes gazed down at her, even darker in the night.
Something about
him had always called out to her. And Maddie knew that she couldn’t rise to his taunt because he
looked like he
was itching for a fight, like he would relish it. In a calm tone, she murmured, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for
the trouble
I’m causing. I just…I just want to get home. It’s been a rough night. I’d be grateful for your help.”
Maddie stared up at him, not daring to look away. His eyes flickered with an emotion she couldn’t
place, but as
soon as it appeared it was gone. Caleb turned and resumed walking towards the truck and Maddie
silently fol-
lowed.
She braced herself for a long ride.

TWO
For the hundredth time tonight, Caleb wondered why the fuck he was driving this princess around and
they’d
only just turned out of the parking lot.
“Where’s your car?” he grunted, not looking in her direction.
The woman hesitated, but only for a moment, before pointing left. “It’s down that road. Not far
though.”
He gave no signal that he’d heard her and settled into silence. Caleb briefly wondered if she was one
of those
woman bothered by silence or if she was able to just sit there quietly without talking.
“Aren’t you cold?” she blurted out a few seconds later.
Nope, obviously not.
He gritted his teeth. “No.”
“But it has to be in the 50’s and you’re only wearing a t-shirt.”
“That’s not cold.”
“Well, I would be cold.”
Irritation made his jaw tick. Fucking Brian. If not for him, Caleb would still be in the office upstairs
trying to
sort through the receipts and forms that his uncle had obviously not given much thought to. Not that
he enjoyed
bookkeeping much more than having to drive this princess around, but he would at least be alone.
Caleb didn’t respond to her, hoping she’d take the hint. He still wasn’t sure why he decided to tow
her car
back. It would’ve been easier to just call another service and let them deal with her. But she’d looked
up at him
with those damn big brown eyes and the next thing he knew he was walking towards his truck.
It made him resent her all the more.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her. She was quite plain, he noticed, remembering her pale
skin, slim
nose, and light pink lips. There was nothing special about her features by any means. Her hair,
however, was
something else entirely, he thought begrudgingly. It was a soft brown with gold and red tints that had
shimmered
under the garage lights. He’d never seen anything like it before. He thought of it spread out on his
sheets or fisted
in his palm.
And she had freckles. A light smattering across the bridge of her nose. Innocent…yet alluring.
His fist clenched on the wheel.
Caleb had no business getting involved with a woman like her. Or any woman for that matter.
Sexually, he
never slept with the same woman twice. Sex had always been complicated for him. He had certain
kinks, but he’d
never had trouble convincing a woman to try them out. He could be charming when he wanted to
be. But most of
the time, he just wanted to be alone.
Like now.
“I’m not sure what’s wrong with my car,” she told him after a brief moment of silence. His hand fisted
tightly
on the wheel as she chattered on. “It just started sputtering out of nowhere. And then when I pulled
off the road,
the engine died and it wouldn’t start up again. I thought I was out of gas at first, but of course, that
couldn’t be the
case. I’d just filled up about twenty minutes before that happened. Well, not necessarily filled up.”
Jesus. If there was a God, like his uncle believed, He obviously wasn’t showing Caleb any mercy now.
He tried
to tune her out, but it was virtually impossible. Her voice wrapped around him in the small confines
of the truck.
“There was this group of men, you see. They were at the far end of the gas station and they made me
nervous
because they kept looking over at me and laughing. So, I tried to hurry and fill up, but my hands were
shaking and I
couldn’t make the nozzle fit, so I funneled in as much as I could to tide me over until I got back home.
And then
this happens of all—”

Caleb reached forward and flipped on the radio, cutting her off. He cranked up the volume so that if
she tried to
continue, she’d have to yell. He thought he caught a wounded look on her face because she turned
away to look
out the passenger window. He ignored the tiny flare of regret and drove on until he spotted a white
Volkwagen
pulled off the side of the road.
He didn’t bother asking if it was hers or not. He drove past and then swung a u-turn before pulling off
in front
of it. When he cut the truck’s engine, the silence in the car was deafening without the sound of
blaring music and
the woman sat there, her face still turned away. He noticed she was tugging on a hair tie wrapped
around her wrist,
snapping and twisting it.
The sight of her so quiet—even though that was exactly what he wanted—bothered him. He didn’t
even know
this woman’s name. Before he knew what he was doing, he murmured, “I’m sorry.” The words
rebounded around
the cab of the truck like an echo. She jerked a little, so he knew the words found their mark.
The woman turned to him, offered a small smile, something he would not have done had their
situation been re-
versed, and said, “It’s all right. My brother also thinks I’m annoying, so I don’t blame you.”
Caleb didn’t know what bothered him more…the fact that she’d just likened him to her brother or
that she for-
gave people so easily.
He pushed the door open and walked towards her car. He heard her high heels clicking on the
pavement be-
hind him as she followed. His body tightened; he’d always loved a woman in high heels. He imagined
them
pressing into his back as he thrust between her legs.
Angry at himself, Caleb shook his head and closed off his mind. He let it go blank, like he used to
when he’d
been younger.
“Keys?” he grunted.
He heard a jiggling sound as she pulled them from the back pocket of her dark jeans. He did a double-
take
when she dropped them into his outstretched hand.
Fucking hell. A pink rhinestone-encrusted ‘M,’ an assortment of touristy landmarks keychains, a small
little
plush dog with huge blue eyes, a mini flashlight. How the hell had this monstrosity even fit in her
jeans?
Caleb scowled down at the offending object and then glared up at their owner. She looked up at him
with those
wide innocent eyes that got him into this mess in the first place. And all he could think about was
bending her over
the hood of his truck and fucking her senseless, despite her ridiculous, tacky keychains.
He turned to unlock her door with a barely concealed growl, his body pulsing with angry desire. He
decided
then that it’d been much too long since he’d last had a woman.
Caleb slid into the driver’s seat of her car. Her delicate, citrusy scent was more noticeable in the
confines of the
little Volkswagen. His mouth watered, but everything that made him desire her more angered him.
He pushed the
thought away. The quicker he towed the car back, the sooner he could get away from her.
Caleb tried the ignition just once, to make sure it wasn’t the battery. The engine sputtered, a strange
clicking
sound he, unfortunately, recognized. Something she said nudged into his mind. He slowly climbed
out of the car.
“What did you mean when you said you funneled in the gas?” He was afraid he already knew the
answer and if
what he thought was true, he couldn’t believe her carelessness.
The woman must’ve noticed something in his tone because she took a step away. Good, Caleb
thought. She
should stay away.
“I…I couldn’t make the nozzle fit, so I held it there until some of the gas leaked in.”
Caleb took in a deep breath for patience. “And that didn’t seem odd to you?”
“I was just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible. I was nervous. There were men—”
“What color was the nozzle you used?”
“I—I don’t know. Green, maybe?”
“Un-fucking-believable,” he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. “You used diesel, didn’t
you?”
“Diesel? Is there a difference between that and gasoline?”
Fuck, this woman was clueless. Completely fucking clueless. Caleb didn’t know why but her
naiveness infu-
riated him. She was so young, even though she couldn’t be more than three or four years younger
than him. Crav-
ing the inside of his office, where he’d be alone, where no one could touch him, he told himself to
take calming
breaths. He’d be there now if not for this slip of a woman.
“You’re looking at a minimum of $450 to flush out your engine and fuel lines.” He ignored her gasp.
“And
that’s only if the spark plugs or filters aren’t damaged. If they are, then it can be up to $800.”
Caleb simply quirked a brow at her look of outrage.

THREE
Maddie couldn’t believe her ears.
“$800?” she sputtered, her eyes wide. “I don’t have that kind of money!”
She could barely afford her rent every month. She briefly thought about putting it all on her credit
card, but
then she realized her credit limit was dismally low.
“Not my problem, princess.” Caleb had the gall to actually smirk. “That’s not including the tow,
either. It’s
$100 for that.”
Teenage crush or not, Maddie wanted to swipe that smug look off Caleb Montgomery’s face.
“My car was only a mile away from your garage, if that!” she argued. There was no way she was
paying $100 for
twenty minutes of his time.
“After hours,” was his explanation as he crossed his thick arms across his chest. “It’s almost double
what it
would’ve been had your car broken down a few hours ago.”
“You’re deliberately taking advantage of me,” she accused, stepping closer. Fire ignited in her blood.
“You
know I have no where else to go!” Caleb had a backbone of steel and he wasn’t backing down. He
stepped closer
until they were almost toe-to-toe.
Glaring down at her, he said in a gravelly voice, “Then maybe next time, princess, you won’t put
yourself in a situ-
ation where I can take advantage of you.”
It sounded like a threat and a warning. But Maddie’s body reacted to the words in a way she didn’t
understand. She softened towards him as tingles shot down her spine, extending to the tips of her
fingers and
toes. He was so close that his scent wrapped around her. Her lips parted as she breathed in the
woodsy, musky
smell that sent awareness pulsing through her body.
Caleb gave her a look of disgust and stepped away. Her breath whooshed out of her. Embarrassed,
she prayed
that he hadn’t noticed the desire in her eyes.
Maddie drew in a calming breath. Looking at the empty, dark road in front of her, unable to meet
Caleb’s cold
eyes, she clarified, “So, even if you find nothing wrong with the filters or plugs or whatever else, it’s
still going to be
$550.”
“Yes.”
He turned from her and Maddie watched as he lowered down a large red bracket to fit against the
tires of her
car. It was attached to the truck, so once he securely pinned another bracket to cradle both of her
front wheels, he
climbed back in the driver’s seat and activated the lift mechanism.
It grated on her that it had taken only a minute. It would prove to be the most expensive minute of
her life. No,
scratch that. The most expensive minute of her life was when she’d stupidly funneled diesel into her
car. Maddie
didn’t know where she would get the money to pay for her costly mistake. She could ask her brother
or mom, but
her pride wouldn’t let her. She was a grown woman. She couldn’t always run to her family whenever
she had a
problem. No, she would figure this one out on her own.
“Let’s go,” Caleb told her, once he checked to make sure her car was secure. He climbed into the
driver’s seat
of the truck and she took slow steps around the cab, debating her options. She worked on campus
part-time, but it
went towards her tuition. She didn’t think she could commit to another job, especially with her work
load for grad
school, but she could try to make time. Maybe she could pick up a few freelance bookkeeping jobs
like she’d done
in college.
Then she remembered. Caleb said something about invoices when he’d been talking to Brian.
Maddie hurried towards the door and yanked it open. Caleb shot her a brooding glare, even as she
smiled at
him. After buckling in, she ran over the words in her mind, trying to figure out the best way to offer
her services.
She wouldn’t have much time to convince him. The garage was only a little ways up the street. A
mile, if that.
She watched his hands flex on the wheel as he turned onto the road. It was now or never…
“Look, I have an idea.”
Silence. At least he didn’t turn on the radio again. Maddie took that as a good sign.
“I think I have a solution to both of our problems.”
“Oh? And what problem would that be, princess?”
Maddie wouldn’t let his sarcasm cut her. She pushed on. “I heard you say something about getting
the in-
voices sorted and I just so happen to have bookkeeping experience. I was thinking—”
“No.”
“You won’t even hear what I have to say?”
“It’s not gonna happen. Don’t waste your breath.”
Frustration made her hands shake and she twisted in her seat, ignoring how the belt tangled. “I could
help
you. I’m quick, but I don’t make mistakes. I used to do bookkeeping in college. I’m good and I can
help you get
organized. I have references, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Your references are the least of my worries,” Caleb growled. “I run a business, not a charity.”
“I’m not looking for hand-outs!” she argued. “I’m willing to do honest work in exchange for labor.”
Caleb refused to say anything more. A tense moment later, Maddie saw the lights of the garage.
She’d run out
of time. But this was one of her final options, the last of which was taking out more loan money. As
though she
didn’t owe enough already. Her interest rates were already through the roof.
Caleb was scowling as he pulled the tow truck into his lot. Maddie fumbled with her hair tie as he
parked next
to the open garage. When he opened his door, she shot out of the truck. Maybe she had pride where
her family
was concerned, but she obviously had none around strangers. Did Caleb really count as a stranger?
She didn’t
know.
He gave her a look that would’ve stopped a lesser woman in her tracks. Maddie continued to
approach, her
eyes taking in the features she’d always longed to touch.
With a deep breath, she gave it one last try.
“Look, I know you don’t like me. But I honestly can’t afford to pay for the repairs on my car. We
could work
out a schedule, so you’ll never have to see me. I can come in late at night or early in the morning, or
whenever
you’re not here. Anything. I’m just asking for some sort of compromise. And I know this isn’t normal,
but I don’t
know what else to do. I can help you. No one likes bookkeeping, but I actually quite enjoy it. And I
won’t screw
up your business, I promise.”
Surprisingly, Caleb didn’t turn away from her gaze. He held her eyes until she felt like he’d never let
go. Mad-
die never wanted him to let go. She felt that same connection, the one that had always drawn her to
him from afar.
“I said no. And I meant it,” came his clipped, cold voice.
Maddie’s shoulders dropped. She looked away, nodding, defeated. With that, Caleb turned on his
heel and
headed towards the garage, leaving her standing like an idiot next to her diesel-filled car.
* * *
“Bring her car inside,” Caleb ordered Brian, tossing him the woman’s keychain monstrosity and the
truck’s
keys. “We need to flush out the engine tomorrow. She filled it with diesel.”
Brian whistled lowly, shaking his head. “Sure thing, boss.”

Caleb trudged up to his uncle’s office. With a sharp pang, he realized it was his office now. Every time
he en-
tered, he still caught the same whiff of his uncle’s spicy aftershave mixed with stale cigarettes. It was
probably an
unpleasant smell to most, but it felt like home to Caleb. His uncle had been gone a month now, but
Caleb hoped
the smell lingered. Given how much time his uncle had spent in this very room, he thought it just
might stay for-
ever.
He didn’t know why but he went over to the blinds and pulled them open. The garage down below
came into
view and he stood at the window for a brief moment, looking for the woman. A tightness loosened in
Caleb’s chest
when he saw her talking to Brian.
He studied her, taking in her unusual hair, her heels, her pert ass in those dark jeans. His fists
clenched, imag-
ining things he had no business wanting. In his mind’s eye, he could see her. Her soft wrists were
bound in his
nylon rope. The climbing rope would be too rough on her delicate skin. Her legs were spread open
for him in a
frog tie, her ankles bound to the backs of her upper thighs. That wonderful hair would be tickling her
rosy nipples
as she sucked the head of his cock, looking up at him with those innocent brown eyes.
Caleb let out a feral growl as he hardened violently. The picture was too clear in his mind. He could
make it a
reality. He’d seen her desire when they were standing on that darkened road.
No.
Something about her warned him away. Caleb had the strange feeling that if he pursued just one
night with her,
he’d want more and more.
It was best to stay away. He hadn’t lusted after a woman as much as her since Victoria. With that
thought, any
desire he felt fled, only to have fury take its place.

Caleb watched from above as she spoke with Brian. His uncle’s oldest friend patted her shoulder,
smiling,
probably reassuring her about her car. But from the dismal look on the woman’s face, he could see it
wasn’t
working. Brian handed her his cell phone and Caleb watched as she dialed a number before she lifted
it to her ear.
A boyfriend, maybe? There was no way that she didn’t have one. She might be plain looking, but
there was a
sensuality to her that men would gravitate towards.
He turned away, surprised by the jealousy he felt, but kept the blinds open. He still had work to do
before he
could call it a night.
Or you could just let her do all this work.
No. She’d be a distraction he didn’t need. Picking up another folder, he shut down his thoughts as his
eyes
ran over a seemingly endless stream of numbers.
Time ticked by as he glanced over the cost of parts, old business transactions, receipts. Numbers,
numbers,
numbers. Tax season was going to be a nightmare. After only twenty minutes, Caleb found he
couldn’t concen-
trate and he pushed the papers away with a frustrated grunt. Raking a hand over his tired face, his
gaze strayed to
the window and he pushed to his feet.
She was still there.
Brian was washing his hands in the sink on the far side of the garage, scrubbing with dish soap to help
with the
grease under his fingernails. Caleb watched as Brian finished and wandered back over to the woman,
who still held
his cell phone in her palms. She shook her head. Even Caleb could see the embarrassed flush that
pinkened her
cheeks.
Impulse had him reaching for the lights and his keys. Before he knew it, Caleb was locking up his
uncle’s office
and heading down to the main floor of the garage. He told himself it was because it was late and he
was tired, not
because some part of him was intrigued by this woman, whose name he didn’t even know.
Yes, he was simply tired.
It had nothing to do with those damn freckles.

FOUR
Clank, clank, clank, clank.
The sound made Maddie’s heart skip a beat. Her eyes automatically swiveled towards the metal
staircase that
wound up to Caleb’s office, only to see the man himself making his way down towards her and Brian.
Darn. She’d hoped to be long gone by the time he came out of there. Yet, she found herself in
another embar-
rassing predicament.
Her brother wouldn’t pick up his phone. He was probably with his girlfriend or something because he
usually
always picked up whenever she called. Unless, he was…well…
She cringed at the thought of her older brother’s sex life. Instead, she peeked up at Caleb out of the
corner of
her eye, trying to decide what her options were. She could call a taxi at this hour, but she still didn’t
have her stupid
wallet, so she couldn’t pay the driver. Did she have any cash lying around at home? Would the driver
believe her if
she said she was just going to run inside real quick? How much would a taxi cost from here to her
apartment?
Caleb’s deep voice reached her ears. “Why are you still here?”
Maddie glanced up at him, his sheer bulk filling her vision. He’d stopped only a few feet away, his
keys hanging
in his left hand. Brian wandered off to collect his things. Peter was nowhere in sight. It seemed they
were closing
up for the night and she still had no idea what to do.
With a sense of dread, she simply stared at him, debating whether or not she should give him another
reason to
think she was stupid. She figured the diesel was enough to last a lifetime for a man like him.
“Did you not hear me?” he asked, his voice low. Maddie started, unconsciously taking a step away.
Something
flickered over Caleb’s face when he saw the movement. Maddie could’ve sworn that he softened his
voice just a lit-
tle bit when he spoke to her next. “I’m closing up. You need to leave.”
“Aw, lay off her, Caleb,” Brian chimed in, stuffing his beefy arms into an old navy blue jacket. He
winked at
Maddie. “He has a crush on ya, is all. He’s always mean to the pretty ones.”
“Brian,” Caleb warned in a clipped tone, even as Maddie’s face heated up. Curse her pale skin. She
would
never be able hide her embarrassment.
A crush on her? Absolutely ridiculous. Besides, it was coming about ten years too late, as far as she
was con-
cerned.
“Your brother still not pick up?” Brian asked her, concern touching his features. Maddie shook her
head slowly,
opening her mouth to say that she would get a taxi, but Brian cut her off before she could get a word
out. “No
problem. Caleb here’ll take you home, sweetie.” She and Caleb both started to protest, but he cut
them off. “I
would take you myself, but my wife would work herself up if she knew I’d been out and about with a
young lady like
you.”
With that, Brian waved them both goodbye and, whistling, sauntered over to his car parked out in the
lot. They
both watched him drive away, his headlights glaring and taillights flashing, before all was silent again.
Maddie bent down to retrieve her purse, which she’d settled against a red toolbox with peeling paint.
Her throat
felt tight as she met Caleb’s eyes. They were unreadable, as usual. She forced a smile, clearing her
throat. “It’s all
right. I’m just going to get a taxi. I’ll come back tomorrow for my car.”
The moment she turned away from his obsidian gaze, her smile died. Maddie let her hair form a
curtain around
the side of her face so he wouldn’t see. She was exhausted. She just wanted to get home. But first,
she had to
find some way of hunting down a taxi, because there was no way was she going to admit to Caleb that
she let her
phone die.
Maddie made it maybe two steps before she heard him curse lowly.
“Get in the car,” he told her, quiet resignation permeating his tone.
“No, really, I’m just going to—”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Just get in the damn car. I still have to close up.” Caleb must’ve beeped his keys
be-
cause Maddie saw a shiny black SUV light up at the far end of the lot.
“Seriously, I—”
“Jesus, woman! Do you have to fight me on everything?” His eyes flashed with frustration.
Maddie was grasping at straws. Anything so that she wouldn’t have to endure a ride home with him.
“I don’t
even know you,” she protested, hoping her half-lie sounded convincing. Caleb, of course, wouldn’t
think anything
of it, because as far as he knew, they didn’t know each other. They’d only exchanged a few words
with each other in
high school. Obviously, Caleb didn’t remember, even though Maddie remembered every second.
“You could be a
serial killer or something!”
“You seriously want to play that card now?” Caleb asked, cocking a brow.
Maddie’s lips parted automatically at the picture he made. He was so unbelievably handsome that it
made her
chest physically ache…and yet he was so unbelievably rude.
“Stop wasting my time, princess. Get in the car so I can lock up.” He turned from her, striding
towards the
back of the garage.
Maddie blew out a frustrated breath and assessed her options for the billionth time that night. She
was sorely
tempted to walk back to that gas station and beg the counter clerk to call her a taxi. He seemed nice
enough.
But something told her that Caleb would catch her before she made it. The question was, would he
care
enough to even come after her?

Probably not, she thought. Still…
Maddie sighed and hitched her purse over her shoulder. Dejected, she made her way towards the
SUV, her
heels clicking loudly on the pavement. She shivered, the late night chill easily threading through her
thin cardigan.
Tugging open the passenger door, she slid inside and was immediately hit with the woodsy musk of
Caleb.
Maddie almost sighed, but she was too busy greedily drawing in breath to be bothered.
She’d noticed his smell briefly when they were in the towing truck, but to be completely surrounded
by it was
something else entirely. He smelled of a warm fire crackling inside a log cabin in the middle of
winter. A thor-
oughly comforting smell, one she wanted to wrap around herself, to bury herself in.
Maddie glanced over her shoulder. She watched as Caleb shut the garage and locked the doors before
turning
towards his car. Towards her.
She swiveled around quickly, assessing the interior to distract herself. It was a relatively new car, she
discov-
ered, with black leather seats and an impressive looking navigation and media system. And it was
clean too.
Freakishly so. Besides an empty coffee thermos in one of the cup holders, it was devoid of old fast
food bags, CD
cases, crumpled receipts, and sticky coins. She shuddered just thinking about her older brother’s car.
Thomas
didn’t know the meaning of clean.
Cold air chilled her again as Caleb folded himself in the driver’s seat. He didn’t look at her and Maddie
fiddled
with the straps of her purse, mentally preparing herself for a silent ride home.
Starting up the engine, he touched a few buttons on the navigation system. “Where do you live?” he
asked
gruffly.
Maddie watched his fingers, illuminated from the screen. They were strong and long, his fingernails
were cut
short, and yet there was still a smudge of grease underneath a few, something she found surprisingly
alluring,
masculine.
“In Concord,” she said quietly.
“Type in your address,” he ordered, taking his hand away from the screen. While Maddie typed in her
street and
apartment number with a trembling hand, Caleb turned his face away to look outside the window. He
would be
completely content to ignore her presence, that much was clear. Once she was done, she pulled her
hand away and
Caleb pulled out of the lot.
The drive was long. And silent. He didn’t even turn on the radio. It was like he was deliberately
trying to un-
nerve her. It was working. There was nothing Maddie hated more than uncomfortable silences. They
tugged at
her skin, made her feel like she was sitting on the edge of her seat and fidgeting.
She wouldn’t give in. She didn’t want to give him another chance to rudely cut her off, to hurt her by
making
her feel like a fool. So, she struggled through the silence as the miles ate up the freeway.
Twenty minutes later, they were nearing her apartment complex.
“You can drop me off here,” she told Caleb. Her voice was startling loud after the prolonged silence.
“I live
just up the road.”
A small lift of his shoulder, which she took for a half-hearted shrug. He smoothly pulled up next to a
curb.
“Thank you,” she said softly. Despite his cold treatment, she was grateful for the ride home. Still, it
was hard
to meet his eyes. “I really appreciate it.”
Maddie didn’t wait for a response. She didn’t expect to get one anyway. She unbuckled her seatbelt
and then
pushed open the passenger door. Just when she was about to close it, she heard him.
“You can start on the bookkeeping when you pick up your car tomorrow night,” he said in his gravelly
voice.
Her lips parted in surprise, eyes flashing to his. His obsidian gaze wasn’t focused on her, however, but
on the dark
road in front of him. “Be there at six. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s a lot of work.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice a little breathless.
Maddie stood there, staring at the man who used to be the boy she’d cared for ten years ago. A smile
spread
over her lips. Maybe Caleb wasn’t as heartless as he seemed. He couldn’t be, if he was giving her a
chance to pay
off her car repairs. That kind boy who’d helped her in the cafeteria that one humiliating day was still
buried deep in-
side this hardened man. That gave her more hope than anything.
She was just about to shut the car door when something occurred to her. Popping her head back in
with a
small smile, she said, “My name is Maddie, by the way. I didn’t introduce myself.”
Caleb finally turned his dark gaze on her. Cold, unreadable. He was still the same man. But even he
couldn’t
extinguish the sense of accomplishment boiling up within her.
So, she continued to smile at him, because she figured that eventually she’d break through that wall
of ice. “I
won’t be late,” she told him. And then she shut the door, waving at him before turning towards her
apartment
complex. Once she rounded the corner next to the leasing office, she heard the smooth purr of his
engine as he
pulled away from the curb.
* * *
Maddie.
Fuck. A sweet name for a sweet girl.
Caleb fisted the steering wheel, wondering if he’d just made a big mistake as he turned on the
offramp for the
freeway home. For fuck’s sake, what on earth had compelled him to give into her? Again! For the
third time in
one night.
It wasn’t the freckles. It wasn’t that damn glorious hair, or her shapely thighs, or the way she
squirmed in his
passenger seat on the ride to her apartment. And it certainly wasn’t because of those solemn looking
brown eyes
as she thanked him for the ride home. No, it definitely wasn’t any of those reasons.
Caleb cursed.
Maddie.
He only hoped that he had enough restraint around her. For her sake.
And for his.

FIVE
“Of all the stupid things for you to do!” her brother, Thomas, railed at her. In the car, his voice
seemed louder,
probably because Maddie had nowhere to escape to, especially flying down the freeway at 80—no, 83
MPH.
“It’s not like I purposefully put diesel into my car.”
“I would expect a newly licensed teenager to make a mistake like that. Not a 25-year-old grad
student, who has
been driving for almost ten years.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Maddie drawled. “I get it, okay? I messed up. I know I messed up, so you don’t have
to rub it
in.” The truth was, Maddie was extremely embarrassed already. More than embarrassed since Caleb
Montgomery
was the one who discovered just how much of an idiot she actually was. “And where were you last
night? I was
trying to reach you.”
Thomas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up. I was with Lara and
—”
“Ugh, spare me the gory details. I don’t need to know that my brother was getting laid last night,
thank you very
much.”
“Not so much getting laid, as getting laid into,” he mumbled. “Lara and I broke up last night. We were
fighting
when you called, so I didn’t hear it ring.”
“Oh, Thomas,” Maddie said, her brows furrowing, her irritation draining away. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t
realize
things were that bad. I just saw you guys three days ago and you seemed happy.”
“We were fooling ourselves,” he said, shrugging. “Anyway, I’m kinda glad it’s over, to be honest. We
just
weren’t right for each other, even though the sex was—”
“Nope, nope. Don’t want to hear it,” she said loudly, cupping her ears.
Thomas laughed and leaned over to ruffle her hair. “Okay, okay. Hey, speaking of relationships, did
you hear
that Mom went out on a date a couple nights ago?”
“Yeah, with Henry, right? The guy she met in Home Depot?”
“Yep, the dirty lumberjack,” he grumbled.
Maddie laughed. “You need to stop being so hard on the men Mom dates. I’m glad that she’s finally
getting
back out there. And you should be happy for her.”
“I just don’t trust a man in a plaid flannel shirt and a overgrown greying beard, okay?”
“Well, Mom seems to trust him and that’s all that matters. Besides, flannel is making a comeback.”
Thomas grumbled. “I still want to meet him before they go out again.”
“He has my seal of approval. He’s nice and he really likes her, so stop playing the overprotective son
and leave
it alone. Their relationship is their business.”
“We’ll see.” Judging from his tone, he wouldn’t let it go. “Can you really blame me though? I guess I
never
got to play the overprotective older brother with you, so now I’m the overprotective son.”
A little stung, Maddie frowned. She felt her cheeks heat and she turned her face out the window.
Staring out at
the passing cars, she said, “Thanks for reminding me how single I’ve been my entire life.”
“Ah, Maddie, you know I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, you’re every older brother’s dream, right?”
Maddie
threw him a glare. “Shit, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant—”
“Save it,” she said. “I get it.”
Thomas was silent for a brief moment and then declared, “Well, I’m glad for it. Now that you’re
older, you
know what you want. At least you don’t have any embarrassing, cringe-worthy, fumbling hook-ups to
remember.
You’ll be smart about it when a good guy eventually comes around.”
What Maddie didn’t tell him was that she wanted those embarrassing, cringe-worthy, fumbling hook-
ups to
remember, she just wouldn’t allow herself to have them. She’d always felt left out of some exclusive
inner circle,
especially in the later years of high school—where her friends bragged about making out with so-and-
so at so-and-
so’s party—and in college—where her friends seemed to have an endless stream of one-night-stands
and
boyfriends.
And how many times had she blushed and stuttered whenever a new, unassuming friend asked about
her love
life? Or when her group of girlfriends exchanged blow job tips when they were tipsy on a Friday night
and she sat
silently, nursing her wine, feeling horribly self-conscious, like something was wrong with her?
Yet, a part of her—that annoying, stubborn part—still waited. And waited, and waited, and waited
for her dream
man to come along. A dream man that had obsidian eyes and who she’d never seen genuinely smile.
It was silly. Completely stupid. Then again, she’d always been the hopeless romantic devouring
romance nov-
els, instead of doing her biology homework.
When Thomas pulled into Montgomery Restoration & Repair’s parking lot, Maddie felt her heart skip
a beat. She
tugged at her cardigan in nervous excitement, wondering if she should’ve worn her cute black blouse
with the bow
detailing underneath or if she was right in choosing the delicate peach top with intricate beading. It
was girly,
adorable, and it made her happy, so she allowed herself to be confident in her choice.
Turning to Thomas with a small smile on her face, she said, “Wish me luck.”
She wanted him to leave as quickly as possible, considering that he and Caleb were friends back in
high school.
They hadn’t been best friends or anything, but they ran in the same circle and had eaten lunch
together almost every
day. And for some reason, Maddie didn’t want Caleb to know that she went to the same high school
with him, or
that Thomas was her brother. She wanted a fresh start, a clean slate. Besides, they weren’t the same
kids they
were back then.
He was frowning. “You don’t have to do this, Maddie. I’ll help you pay for the car. It’s not a
problem.”
Considering he was an engineer, Maddie knew that money really wasn’t a problem. This was about
her pride.
She’d made the mistake and she would be the one to pay for it.
Spending time with my high school crush is just a bonus, she thought.
“No, I want to do this. Don’t worry. I’ll call you as soon as I get home, okay?” He was clearly
hesitant, so she
got out of the car quickly, clutching her purse. “Thanks for taking me to go get my wallet and
dropping me off.
Love you!”
And then she slammed the door and waved as she hurried towards the open garage. She breathed a
sigh of re-
lief when Thomas finally pulled away.
“Hey there, sweetie,” Brian greeted, wiping his greasy hands on an even greasier rag. “Caleb said
you’d be
comin’ around this evening.”
She nodded and smiled. “Yep! To help with the bookkeeping.”
He raised a brow. “Then you got your work cut out for you. Wait ’til you see that office. John was
never good
with numbers.”
“John?”
“Caleb’s uncle. He passed away last month. Lung cancer, but we all saw it comin’ the way he used to
smoke.
Caleb’s been tryin’ to keep it together, but it’s been hard on him,” Brian responded, frowning.
Maddie’s brows drew together and a pang went through her chest. “That’s terrible. I’m sorry, I didn’t
know.”
All she knew was that Caleb had come to live with his uncle and aunt when he’d been nine years old.
She didn’t
know what happened to his parents, but his uncle had practically raised him. Thomas had mentioned
once that the
two were pretty close, at least they’d been during high school. She knew all too well the pain of a
loved one’s death
and she didn’t wish it on anyone.
Poor Caleb.
“We all loved John, but he’d been sick for a while. It wasn’t a surprise in the end. Maybe that’s a
blessing,
when you know it’s comin’.”
“Brian, it’s none of her business,” came a sudden, harsh tone. Maddie whirled around to see Caleb
standing at
the top of the metal stairs in front of his office. His face was darkened with anger, his brows pulled
down and his
full lips pressed into a hard line. His gaze swung to her. “Get up here. You’re late.”
“No, I’m not,” she started, glancing down at her rose gold watch. He’d told her six and her watch read
6:02.
“I’m sorry, princess. I didn’t realize chatting with my employees when you’re supposed to be working
off your
payment to me was acceptable.”
Maddie’s eyes narrowed, but she remained silent, exchanging an exasperated look with Brian. He
gave her a
wink and she started ascending the stairs. Every step took her closer to Caleb and she told herself
that it was the
stair climbing that made her a little breathless, not the man who stood waiting at the top of them.
She could feel his eyes on her. When she finally reached the top and stood before him, he took in her
outfit
leisurely, which sent treacherous shivers shooting through her body. He ended at her favorite nude
kitten heels,
which she’d bought half price at Nordstrom’s Rack. His brow seemed to lower even more.
“This is a garage,” he sneered. “Don’t wear heels next time.”
She frowned. “It’s not like I’m working on the cars. I’ll be in the office. And I think this outfit is very
profes-
sional, don’t you?”
He didn’t reply, just sent her a dark look that prickled her skin with awareness. She may not like
Caleb’s atti-
tude, but her body certainly didn’t mind him. At all. Refusing to provide an answer to her question,
he gestured
her inside with a grand sweep of his arm as though she was the princess he mockingly called her.
Straightening her spine, she passed him, trying not to inhale his delicious, spicy scent on the way.
Then she
came to a sudden halt.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. Eyes widened, she took in the office. At least, what she thought was an
office.
Every inch of it seemed to be covered in paper, paper, and more paper.
“You said you’re good at bookkeeping, princess. Let’s see you prove it,” Caleb said behind her. He
was so
close, she could feel the heat from his body.
The mess was making her fidget. She liked to be organized. And because she craved order,
everything in her
apartment had its place, from her adorable cat mug—which she used to store pens on her desk—to
her book-
shelf—which was shelved by genre and the author’s last name. Sometimes, she organized it by the
color of the
book covers, but only when she was feeling particularly rebellious.
Yep, she was quite the rebel.
As Maddie’s brown, terrified eyes swept the expanse of the office, she realized she didn’t even know
where to
begin. Caleb brushed past her and resumed his place at the large wood desk on the left side of the
office.
When her brain finally processed what she was seeing, she stammered, “You want me to get through
all of this?”
Caleb shrugged, not looking at her as he started on a stack of paper in the middle of his desk. “You
offered.
And can I just say that your spark plugs were damaged, so the total cost for the car is $980.” He shot
her a smirk.
“Including tax, of course. As far as I’m concerned, I’m getting the bad end of this deal.”
“You can’t be serious! Have you looked around this office lately? You can hardly see the furniture.”
“This was your idea, princess. If you want off the hook, fine. But that’ll be $980 on your way out.”
“My car’s probably not even worth that much,” she grumbled quietly under her breath. Then she
blew out a
breath. If Caleb Montgomery was trying to scare her off, it wouldn’t work. “Fine,” she said, slapping
her purse
down on a stack of boxes by the door. “Where should I start?”
Judging by the look on his face, it was obvious that he had expected her to bolt the moment she
walked through
the door. Then he narrowed his eyes. “You’re the expert. You figure it out.”
High school crush, be damned. Caleb was a grade-A jerk.
With a rock-hard body and do-me eyes…
Maddie sighed.
This was not going to be easy.

SIX
Caleb looked up from the stack of papers in front of him for the millionth time in two hours and
automatically
sought out the small figure across the room.
Maddie was still working away, hunched over the makeshift desk she’d made out of cardboard boxes
and spare
chairs. She was rummaging through receipts and invoices dating back from who knows when. The
space between
her eyebrows was pinched and every now and again she’d grumble to herself.
Caleb had tried to fight stealing glances at her all evening. Eventually, he’d just given up. He held a
strange at-
traction towards her that spread through every nerve of his body. He wasn’t thrilled about it either.
If she swept
that glorious, couldn’t-stop-imagining-it-spread-out-on-a-pillow hair over her shoulder, or drifted

from one side of
the room to another, bending down to sort through boxes in those goddamn heels of hers, Caleb
would clench his
fists under the desk and take steadying breaths. And he stayed seated, because if he were to stand,
his hard-on
would probably scare even him.
It had definitely been too long since he’d last had a woman. Something he intended to remedy
quickly. Just not
with the one in my office, he told himself sternly.
This was ridiculous. She wasn’t stunningly beautiful. She didn’t have the full lips or the big tits that
he usually
preferred. She looked more like a schoolmarm than a seductive tease, but his cock sure couldn’t tell
the difference.
Maddie walked over to another pile of papers and boxes she had yet to sort through. Her dark jeans
stretched
tight over her generous ass when she bent at the waist. Caleb clenched his jaw and forced himself to
look away
with a dark frown. He would’ve thought she was doing it on purpose, but he’d caught the look of
utter focus on
her features. She was completely oblivious to her appeal, to the effect she had on men, and that just
made him
want to lash out at her even more.
“2001? Really?” she grumbled under her breath, flipping through a folder she’d uncovered. “This
place is a
disaster.”
Finally, something he could work with. It felt like a relief when he asked slowly, “What did you just
say?”
Her head swiveled in his direction. “I said, this place is a disaster. How can you even work in here?”
“Just fine,” he grated. “Maybe if you’d stop complaining, princess, you’d actually know what work
meant.”
“I’ve organized that entire side of the office already. I have more paper cuts on my hands than a—a…”
she
trailed off, her cheeks going an enticing pink. “Than a papermaker.”
Caleb raised a brow and drawled, “A papermaker?”
She waved a hand, “Or, you know, someone who deals with paper. A lot. Nevermind, it doesn’t
matter. What
I’m telling you is that I’ve been working my butt off for the past two hours and you think I’m just
fooling around?”
He felt a flair of amusement, which didn’t sit well with him. At all. To compensate, he snapped, “Are
you al-
ways this irritating?”
With narrowed eyes, she turned to face the boxes again and refused to answer, which…disappointed
him? With
a barely suppressed growl, he returned to his own work, only to find his concentration even more
shot than it’d
been a few moments before.
Luckily, his cell phone rang, providing a welcome distraction. Glancing down, he saw it was Lucas
Branford, a
good friend of his.

“Luke,” he said, accepting the call with a sideways glance at Maddie. He leaned back in his desk chair,
watching
her.
“What are you doing tonight? Kate’s out of town for a book signing and I feel like a night out.”
“The missus is away so you can play? And here I thought you were a ‘changed man,’” Caleb mocked.
Caleb
knew very well that Luke was utterly and disgustingly besotted with his girlfriend, but back in the day,
Luke had been
an unrepentant womanizer, to the extent that his contact list was crammed full of descriptions like
‘Hot Blonde #4
from Monarch’ and ‘Krazy Katherine from Polk.’
“Not my missus…yet.”
Caleb rolled his eyes, “Thanks but no thanks. Look, I don’t exactly want a night out with you texting
Kate every
few seconds, with Alex groping Olivia under the table, and Adam off in fucking la la land with Christie,
okay?”
“Awww, is someone a wittle jealous that he’s the last single man standing?” Luke cooed.
“We’re obviously not friends if you believe that,” Caleb said, dead serious. The last thing he ever
wanted was a
relationship. Been there, done that, and he’d been burned not once but twice. Or four times,
depending on the
definition of the word ‘relationship.’
Fool me once…
“Guys night out, I promise. No girlfriends. Just alcohol and living vicariously through you, since you’re
the
only one out of all of us that can still score with random hot chicks.”
Caleb’s eyes flickered to Maddie. He smirked and raised his voice a notch, “Random hot chicks?
Sounds like
a perfect night.”
Maddie stiffened and threw him a look over her shoulder before swiveling back around. She wasn’t
even pre-
tending that she wasn’t listening. For some reason, Caleb found that…refreshing.
Luke paused. “All right, who are you and what have you done with my friend Caleb? You know, the
one we call
a woman-hater because he bares his teeth at them like a rabid animal if they get within five feet.”
“You’re hilarious. Did anyone ever tell you to do stand-up?”
“Ah, I see. Maybe it’s just been too long between your…sessions.”
“Maybe it has,” Caleb murmured, his gaze on Maddie’s parted lips. She was staring down at the
folder in front
of her.
Caleb could practically hear Luke rubbing his hands together in absolute fucking glee. “Good. I’ll text
you
where we’ll meet. Let’s say 9?”
It was nearing eight now. That gave him an hour. “See you then.”
When he hung up, Maddie regarded him with those soft brown eyes, quirking a brow. “A friend of
yours?”
“None of your business.”
She shrugged. “Well, hope you’ll have fun tonight. You wouldn’t want to disappoint all those random
hot
chicks.”
Caleb almost laughed. “Jealous of them?”
She snorted, rifling through papers. “I pity them, actually. I hope for your sake they’re not irritating,
or all
you’ll do all night is nag them about how they’re not working hard enough.”
Caleb almost choked in surprise. Then calm as can be, Maddie flipped closed the folder she’d been
perusing
and faced him fully. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have other work to do at home which is due in the
morning. Same
time tomorrow? Great. No, no…no need for you to stand up, I’ll just get my car from Brian. Good
night.”
With that, she immediately swept from his office, snagging her purse at the last moment, leaving him
dumb-
struck in his desk chair. He didn’t remember the last time a woman had gotten the upper hand. He
was always
the one in control because he never wanted to feel weak again.

With an angry growl, he pushed out of his chair and stalked to the office door, wrenching it open with
enough
force to slam it against the wall. Maddie had already made it to the bottom of the stairs, but she
didn’t even turn
around when he stomped after her.
Chasing a woman. What had become of him?
Frankly, he was too pissed off to care.
“Did I say you could leave, princess?” he grated.
She turned to him, all wide-eyed innocence. “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware I was being kept here
against my
will. You know what they call that, don’t you?”
Caleb’s jaw clenched. He was torn between giving her a verbal lashing or taking her back up to his
office to
strip her out of those damn jeans—naturally the heels would stay on—and give her a good, proper
spanking.
“That office—” he started, jabbing a finger over his shoulder.
She cut him off smoothly, her tone positively chipper. “Isn’t going to be done in one evening.
Besides, it
sounds like you have plans. I’m just making myself scarce so you don’t have to go through the
horribly awkward
process of kicking me out.” She gave him a smile that…no, goddammit, his heart did not just skip a
beat. “Al-
though, I’m sure you’ve had lots of practice with that.”
It took him a second to catch onto her meaning—that little minx—but by then she’d already called out
for Brian.
“What’s all this, sweetie?” the older man asked from across the garage. He was getting ready to
leave, had al-
ready shrugged on his jacket.
“Caleb kindly said I could go home a little early. Could I please get my car keys?”
“Brian, don’t you dare give them to her. For all I know, she’d just take her car and never come back.”
She stiffened at his accusation and swung her gaze to him. “I’m not a cheat or a liar. When I said I’ll
do your
bookkeeping, I meant it.”

Caleb believed her. He didn’t know why, but he did. He never really thought that she’d back out of
their deal,
but he needed to regain control of the situation.
“You’re not leaving without a little insurance on my end, princess,” he told her, his tone dangerously
low. “Your
credit card details, for instance.”
Her eyes narrowed. “For all I know,” she started, repeating his words, “you’d steal my card number to
pay for
your little night out when I’m already working to pay you off.”
“Princess, what’s in your account couldn’t even pay for one of my nights out, if you can’t even afford
your car re-
pairs.”
It was a low blow and the color that flooded Maddie’s cheeks made Caleb almost regret his words.
Almost.
“You know nothing about me,” she said quietly. “So don’t you dare throw that in my face.”
“All right, all right, kids. Let’s play nice,” Brian intervened. Maddie looked away from Caleb, down to
the floor
of the garage. And just like the time when he’d blasted the radio to tune her out, he was bothered by
her silence.
Or maybe you’re bothered because you’re just an asshole, his mind whispered.
Pushing his sudden remorse to the back of his mind, he rumbled, “You still can’t leave without
insurance.”
Maddie straightened and looked him in the eye. “Fine.”
She dug into her purse, pulling out a wallet the size of a brick. The garage was silent as she unzipped
it, col-
lecting cards from various pockets. Seriously, how many pockets did that thing have? When she was
all done, she
thrust eight or nine black and white gift cards into Caleb’s hands. Their fingers made brief contact—
she had the
softest damn skin—before she pulled away like she’d been burned.
“What the hell is this?” he asked.
“My Sephora gift card collection from over two years of birthdays and holidays,” she told him.
“They’re worth
around $600 total.”
“You have over $600 of gift cards in your wallet? How stupid can you be?” Even Caleb knew not to
store
everything in one place. And hadn’t she lost her wallet the other night? Jesus.
She glared. “Take it or leave it. I’m still not giving you my card details.”
“And what the hell am I supposed to do with these?” he asked, glancing back at the cards. Wasn’t
Sephora a
chick haven for make-up and shit?
Fuck me.
“Nothing,” she told him, arching a brow. “They’re insurance, remember? Something to ensure I’ll be
here
tomorrow evening. And trust me, I won’t be coming back for your winning personality. But $600
worth of Nars,
Urban Decay, and Philosophy…well, I’d have to be as dumb as you think I am.” She turned to Brian
with a small
smile. “Now, can I please get my keys?”
Once Brian gave her the keys and she drove off in her perfectly humming Volkswagen, Caleb still stood
in the
same place, holding onto $600 worth of Sephora gift cards. And he had a sneaking suspicion that,
once again,
Maddie had gotten the upper hand.
Brian passed him, whistling, on his way out to his own car. He seemed extremely pleased about
something,
grinning from ear-to-ear.
“What?” Caleb snapped.
“Man, oh man,” he responded, letting out a chuff of laughter. “You’re in trouble.”
With a slap on Caleb’s back, Brian too left the garage and drove away. Caleb could hear his damn
whistling all
the way to the end of the block.
And in the back of his mind, Caleb feared that Brian was right.
SEVEN
Maddie silently fumed on the way home in her perfectly running car.
The minute she pulled away from Montgomery Restoration & Repair she plugged her iPod into the
stereo system
her brother had wired for her and blared the latest pop hit she’d downloaded. If Caleb had been
appalled by her
keychains, she knew he’d definitely be over her music choices. So, she turned it up even louder in
hopes that he’d
hear it.
Had she really given him $600 worth of Sephora gift cards? If the look on his face hadn’t been so
priceless, she
would’ve slapped herself. But little ol’ Maddie seemed to have gotten a one-up on him, so all she felt
was a delight-
ful smugness that overshadowed her annoyance.
As she pulled onto the freeway towards Concord, his accusations about her financial status rung in her
ears.
Princess, what’s in your account couldn’t even pay for one of my nights out, if you can’t even afford
your car repairs.
That one hit below the belt. What Maddie hated even more was that it was true. She had a debt pile
the size of
Mount Everest and she was barely scraping enough together for her crappy apartment each month.
The idea of
asking her mom or brother for help sent her spiraling into major mortification territory.
Maddie strongly suspected she’d gotten her pride from her father, which wasn’t necessarily a good
thing consid-
ering his pride may have killed him. Even though his death had been tragically sudden, the warning
signs had been
there and her mother had tried to make him go to the doctor’s office on multiple occasions. Yet, he’d
always
brushed her concerns aside, saying in his booming voice that he felt as ‘healthy as a horse’ and that he
would never
go near a doctor unless he was already on the way out.
Like a prophecy, that was exactly what had happened. Except by then, it’d been too late.
Maddie had awoken to her mother’s panicked yells. It had been the night before Maddie’s
homecoming
dance. She’d been overly excited about the possibility of Caleb being there. Maybe he would see her
in her pretty
royal blue dress with the sparkly hem and fall madly in love, just like in the movies.
She’d never had the chance to go.
Maddie had spent her homecoming at home, sitting on the couch and staring at the wall, as her
mother sobbed
upstairs. Thomas had been missing all day. He’d never spoken a word once they returned from the
hospital and
he’d taken his car and left. Maddie hadn’t been worried though. It was his way of coping. Deep
down, however,
Maddie had always resented him for it. She’d wanted to leave too—to get away from the house
where her father
had been laughing just the day before, to block out her mother’s crying, to not feel so helpless—but
she’d stayed.
In no time at all, Maddie pulled into her apartment complex. She had about fifty pages of reading to
get
through before she could head to bed and she needed to apply for a few internships while she was at
it. A paid in-
ternship would be fantastic, but she knew the possibility of landing one was quite slim in the museum
sector.
Twenty seven pages into her reading and Maddie’s mind turned back to Caleb, to that one moment in
high
school that had helped her cope with her father’s death. The week after her father passed away,
Caleb had stum-
bled upon her crying in a secluded courtyard during their lunch period.
A startled expression came over his face, taking her by surprise since it was usually so blank. No one
could ever hope to
read Caleb Montgomery, but Maddie saw his shock as plain as day. Embarrassed, she quickly dashed
her cheeks with the
back of her hand, trying to hide the worst of it. But he’d already seen.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, standing in front of her. He was so tall that he blocked the
sunlight pouring
in the small courtyard from above. His face was shadowed, but Maddie knew every dip and curve of
his profile.
Maddie’s mind still hadn’t caught up with the fact that Caleb was in front of her. Talking to her. It
seemed so
unreal. Plus, it didn’t help that her throat was still clogged with tears and she felt like a miserable
mess.
Her brilliant response? A shrug.
Caleb hesitated. She saw him glance back towards the hall he’d come down, probably wondering if he
should just
leave. She couldn’t blame him.
But the thought of him turning away from her, even with the state she was in, brought a new rush of
tears. As she
tried to hide them, he gruffly asked, “What’s wrong?”
A small hiccuping sob escaped her. “My dad died last week.”
“Shit,” she heard him murmur.
Maddie kept her face tilted down as he took a seat next to her on the bench. He was quiet. He simply
sat with her
as she softly cried. He didn’t say anything, but that moment was more comforting than anything
she’d experienced all
week.
Maddie had never told Caleb, but that afternoon in the courtyard had given her strength for the
weeks, months,
years to come. Whenever she missed her father, she thought about that moment. About how a
complete stranger
sat with her and was there for her when she was at her lowest point. And it gave her hope.
Caleb had stayed with her until the bell rang for fifth period. She’d mumbled a quiet ‘thanks,’ not
quite able to
meet his eyes, and then she’d scurried off to class. That was the last time she’d ever spoken to him
when they’d
been in high school, but her feelings for him had only deepened.
Maddie sighed, wondering if there was still a speck of the boy she’d once longed for in the man she’d
been with
today. If there was, she had yet to discover it.
She frowned. No, that wasn’t necessarily true. He gave her a ride home the previous night when he
didn’t
have to. And he’d given her the bookkeeping job when she couldn’t afford her car repair.
Only to throw it back in your face later, she grumbled, staring down at her textbook.
Still…maybe there was a hint of the boy in the man.
Maddie was itching to find it.
* * *
“You’re not serious,” Kyra said, her plastic fork paused mid-air over her pasta salad. “Caleb? As in
Caleb
Montgomery? The boy you were completely gaga for back in high school?”
Maddie nodded. “Yep. And he’s a bazillion times hotter.”
Kyra was still looking at her, wide-eyed. “I can’t believe you found him. I thought he moved away…
you know,
after everything that happened.”
Maddie looked down at her half-eaten sandwich. “Well, he’s definitely changed.”
“Did you tell Thomas?” Kyra asked. “Weren’t they close back then?”
“I haven’t.”
“And why the hell not? Don’t you think he’d want to know about one of his old high school
buddies?”
Maddie bit her lip. “Caleb doesn’t remember me. At least, I don’t think he does. If he sees me with
Thomas,
he might guess that we went to high school together and well…who didn’t know about him and his
aunt? It would
just make things unnecessarily complicated.” Kyra didn’t look convinced. “Besides, it’s not like I’m
planning to
marry the guy. I’m just working to pay off my car repair and after that, I’ll probably never see him
again.”
“Uh huh,” was Kyra’s response, a dark eyebrow raised in skepticism.
Kyra knew her better than her own family did sometimes. They’d been friends ever since they were
awkward
middle schoolers, bonding over the color of the bands in their braces. Kyra had had a rainbow of
color, whereas
Maddie had always chosen a subdued pink, not wanting to draw uneccessary attention to herself.
Kyra wisely changed the subject.
“Have you heard from Anne lately?” she asked, taking another bite of her lunch. Anne was their other
friend, al-
though she’d moved up to Seattle after they graduated from college. They still kept in touch, but their
communi-
cation had been less and less frequent of late ever since Anne got a new boyfriend.
“No, I haven’t. You?”
“Radio silence. But I think she’s coming down for the holidays to visit her parents. Maybe we’ll meet
the man
that’s completely stolen her from us,” she teased.
Maddie could never understand why girls went crazy over boys. A couple girlfriends in college had
done the
same thing: met a guy they fell in crazy love with and then she wouldn’t hear from them until they
either broke up or
resurfaced from the honeymoon phase. Maddie supposed it was because she’d never felt that way
about a guy
before. She’d never felt that all-consuming need that made everything else in life seem dull and
boring.
“At least I still have you,” Maddie said, smiling. Since Kyra worked in San Francisco, they often met up
for
lunch between Maddie’s library sessions or seminars. They were near the Ferry Building today and
even though it
was a little chilly out, the view of the bay and the fresh air was just what Maddie needed.
“Love you too, girlie,” Kyra said, winking. However, if Maddie thought she was getting off the hook,
she was
sorely mistaken. The change in subject didn’t last long. “So, when are you going to see him again?”
She sighed. “Tonight.”
“Think he’ll be the one you finally lose it to?”
“Kyra…”
“What? It’s a valid question. If he’s, and I quote, ‘a bazillion times hotter’ than he was in high school,
I don’t
know how you’ll be able to get out of there with your precious virtue in tact. In fact, if it were me, we
would have al-
ready christened his desk,” she said, waggling her eyebrows playfully.
“Gross,” Maddie said, scrunching up her nose, even when an unexpected flash of jealousy tore
through her
when she pictured Caleb and Kyra together. Her best friend was gorgeous, with straight black hair
and almond-
shaped eyes. Caleb would have zero complaints whatsoever. Plus, Kyra was more forward when it
came to men.
She knew what she wanted and she went after it.
Maddie watched as a ferry slowly made its way towards the pier, delivering tourists and locals alike.
Her father
had taken her on one of the ferry routes when she’d been little and she’d loved watching the white
wake it left be-
hind in the bay.
“You never answered my question,” Kyra reminded her, checking out a cute guy that passed by them.
With pure
confidence, as always, her friend gave a little flit of a wave and the guy smirked, nodding. If Maddie
had tried that,
she probably would’ve looked like she’d been possessed.
“For a good reason,” she replied, finishing off her lunch. She checked her watch and saw she had a
half hour
until her afternoon seminar.
“I’ll bet a thousand bucks that you won’t leave that man unscathed.”
Maddie rolled her eyes and stood, giving her friend a hug goodbye. “You’re a nut.”
But she didn’t take that bet.
EIGHT
Caleb knew Maddie had worn heels again before she ever stepped foot in his office. He’d heard their
delicate
sound clicking on the metal stairs moments after he heard her greeting to Brian and after Brian
introduced her to
Peter, the teenager who’d got a job working at the garage from Caleb’s uncle.
The other men usually left around five o’clock, but those two usually stuck around after hours to finish
up.
Peter, because Caleb knew his home life was fucked up, and Brian, because he actually enjoyed the
work, even after
all these years. Caleb, too, liked it, or used to. He’d grown up in his uncle’s garage and he’d had black
oil under
his fingernails ever since he could remember. But he hadn’t been able to stomach working on cars
since his uncle
passed. Plus, he’d never realized the extent of administrative work required to run this place.
When Maddie pushed open his office door, without knocking, Caleb automatically scowled in her
direction, even
as his eyes greedily took her in. She had on a light pink blouse and dark denim jeans—another
evening of hard-
ons, terrific—and those damn heels again.
“Good evening, Caleb,” she chirped brightly, swinging the door closed again to block out the radio
blasting from
downstairs. “How was your day?”
“I thought I told you not to wear heels.”
“You did. I just never said I would listen to you,” she said, in that same tone, as though he’d
pleasantly com-
mented on the weather and not attempted to scold her.
Disobedient women never sat well with Caleb. That was why he preferred to tie them up during sex.
No
surprises. And they were under his complete control. He felt safer that way because disobedient
women were no-
toriously unpredictable.
So why did he feel a strange, savage thrill run through him at her words?
“I told you—”
“Do we have to get into it already?” she asked, swinging her purse down by the door. “I just got here.
Surely
we can have an argument in, let’s say, an hour from now? It’ll be a nice break.”
Why that little…
“Also, I’m eventually going to need a computer today once I get everything organized. Shall I use
yours?”
Caleb could feel a muscle ticking in his jaw. “There’s a laptop you can use,” he said, begrudgingly.
“Perfect. Does it have a bookkeeping program on it?”
“Yes.” At least he thought so. His uncle had used it often enough in the office.
Maddie nodded once and then she turned towards the stack of boxes she’d been looking through
yesterday.
Immediately, she returned to work. And just like yesterday, Caleb watched her out of the corner of
his eye, feeling
like some crazy, perverted stalker.
As she thumbed through the stacks, Caleb noticed her nails were painted a bright red and his cock
hardened.
In his mind, he saw them raking down his chest as she was screaming though the force of her orgasm.
That bothered him. For one, he hadn’t had sex with a woman whose hands weren’t bound in some
way for al-
most ten years. Even Charlotte, his high school girlfriend, that treacherous, backstabbing bitch, had
allowed him to
tie her to the bed. To fantasize about Maddie, freed and uncontrollable, was troubling.
But the image was so vivid in his mind that he cursed, drawing Maddie’s attention, before she turned
away
again.
Caleb didn’t consider himself a Dom by any means. He was only into the ‘B’ in BDSM and it wasn’t
necessarily
a kink as it was a necessity. If women were free to touch his body or act on their desires when he
wasn’t prepared,
he’d, for lack of a better term, flag.
None of this answered the disturbing question as to why he had this unnatural obsession with the
brunette in
his office, however. He gave one last look at her nails and then forced himself to look away. If he
acted on his im-
pulses, it would be disastrous. For both of them. So he did the next best thing and ignored them.
For an hour, they worked in complete silence. The clock on the far wall ticked to seven and that was
when he
felt Maddie’s eyes on him. He met her gaze, raising a sardonic brow in question.
“An hour has gone by,” she informed him with a small smile gracing her pink lips. “You may start an
argument
now, if you’d like.”
His own lips almost quirked up in amusement but then he caught himself.
She mocked gasped. “Did I almost get a smile?”
“Has anyone ever told you how obnoxious you are?"
“My brother tells me almost every day.”
So, she had a brother. Caleb didn’t know why he found himself filing that piece of information away.
“Get back to work,” he grumbled.
She approached his desk. “What, no scathing remark? No complaint about how I breathe too loudly
or that I
breathe at all? Come on, there must be something.”
Just to appease her, he said, “Now that you mention it, I hate the way you rustle through papers. Fix
it.”
“Did you just make a joke?” she asked. Her eyes were twinkling with merriment and Caleb didn’t
remember the
last time he’d talked to a woman with that look of ease on her face. Sure, he’d socialized with his
friends’ girl-
friends, but he only interacted with them sparingly, and they knew to keep their distance. “Why,
Caleb, I’m
shocked.”
The sound of his name rolling off her tongue did things to him. More things than what she already did
to him.
He was glad there was a desk between them because for more than a brief moment he entertained
the notion of
bending her over it.
Again, that feeling of discomfort came over him.
“Well, you’ll be pleased to know that I won’t be rustling through papers as much. I think I’ve finished
orga-
nizing and I’ll need that laptop you said you had.”
“You should go home,” he found himself saying. Maybe he wouldn’t feel this way if she was out of his
office.
Out of his immediate reach. “You can start with the laptop tomorrow.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I’d rather start tonight.”
“Why? I thought you’d love getting out of here as quickly as you could.”
“I’d just like to get a jumpstart while all of this,” she waved a hand behind her at the newly organized
and
stacked boxes, “is fresh in my mind. Besides, I have fewer lectures tomorrow, so I don’t have a ton of
work to fin-
ish tonight. Tomorrow night is a different story though and I might be a little late getting here
because I have to
meet with a professor around four in the afternoon. I forgot to mention that but—”
“You’re rambling, princess,” he snapped, hating how he also filed away that she was a student.
She bit her lip, as though she had to physically stop herself from talking. “Sorry.”
Now, he felt like an asshole. Great. He rose to his feet, hoping that his erection wouldn’t be as visible
through
his black jeans. “Fine. I’ll set you up,” he said, but his tone sounded impatient.
A few minutes later, he managed to dig out his uncle’s laptop from the office closet. And then he also
brought
out a spare chair and a foldout table and set up a work space for her near the far end of the office, the
furthest away
from his own desk. If she noticed, she didn’t comment on it. He was aware that she was watching
him work and
her gaze felt almost like a touch. He barely refrained from shuddering.
He wasn’t sure if the laptop would even boot up. It hadn’t been used since his uncle had passed away
—hell,
even before then—so he was surprised when the blue screen flashed on.
“There,” he murmured, wiping away dust from the table with his bare hands and wiping them on his
jeans.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. She brushed past him to take a seat. Fists clenching, Caleb did
everything pos-
sible not to drag her closer. That same fresh, citrus smell permeated his senses, making his mouth
water. He
wanted to kiss her skin, to bury his face in the crook of her neck, to drown in that scent.
He cleared his throat and stepped away, watching the laptop boot up. An uncomfortable and charged
silence
stretched between them as she too stared at the screen. When it finally loaded and Caleb saw what
the desktop
image was, he felt like he’d been kicked in the gut.
It was of him and his uncle on a fishing trip. His uncle had loved to fish; Caleb liked it enough because
it made
his uncle happy. They were both smiling, holding up their catches of the day, his uncle’s arm wrapped
around his
shoulders even though Caleb dwarfed him.
The picture was taken shortly after Stella, his aunt, had left. A ball of fury rose up within him
whenever he
thought of her, a clawing, desperate sensation that made his chest feel like it was on fire. Quickly, he
cast his mind
away from her, a trick that had served him well over the years. He thought of that day to refocus his
thoughts, how
his uncle had been happier than Caleb had seen him in a long time. It had been years before they ever
received the
diagnosis. No trouble haunted them in this picture. Or, at least, no troubles haunted his uncle.
It took Caleb a few moments to realize that Maddie too was staring at the picture. His first reaction
was to slam
the screen shut because he didn’t want her knowing anything about his personal life. It would feel
like an
intrusion. Or an intimacy. And when it came to women, Caleb knew better than to allow either.
“You both look happy,” she commented softly. “Is that your uncle?”
Hot anger began to stir inside him. He reached out and slammed the laptop closed, hard enough to
make
Maddie jump. She rose from the chair. But it wasn’t fear he saw in her eyes when she turned to face
him, but
sympathy. Caleb hated that even more.
“Brian told me that he passed away recently,” she said.
Caleb’s lips pressed into a tight line and then he rasped, “You have no fucking right to bring that up.
It’s none
of your business.”
Maddie flinched at the loathing in his voice and brought out a hand to touch his arm. “Caleb, I—”
He tore himself away from her touch, giving her a glare. “Save your fucking sympathy, princess,”
spitting out the
word as though it were poison. His voice rose. “I’ve heard it all. Every combination of words that
people think I
want to hear. What are you going to say? That you’re ‘sorry for my loss?’ That I’ll be ‘in your
thoughts and
prayers?’ That my uncle was a great man and he didn’t deserve to die so soon? Or maybe you’d just
go with the
classic ‘my condolences?’”
“No, I—,” she started, her eyes beginning to look suspiciously glassy. Good, Caleb thought bitterly.
Some-
thing he was finally good at…making women cry.
“You think I want to hear any of it? Especially from someone like you? I don’t even know you! You
have no
fucking right to feel sorry for me.”
The office was quiet, as though all the air had gone out of the room. Even Brian and Peter were quiet
down-
stairs, no sign of the radio or the clanking of tools on concrete, which had once been something like
music to him.
All Caleb could do was stare at the woman in front of him. He told himself to turn away, to not give a
fuck
about what he’d just said, that it was all true. But for some reason, he just couldn’t tear his gaze away
from those
big, brown, sad eyes.
Finally, Maddie spoke. In a whisper, she said, “None of them.”
“What?”
“None of them,” she repeated, raising her voice. “I wouldn’t have said any words of sympathy. I
know what
it’s like to lose someone you love and how much it hurts. People lie when they say time cures all,
because it
doesn’t cure anything. It just makes it easier to deal with the reality that someone you love is gone
and they’re
never coming back. It hurts and it always will.”
Caleb swallowed the lump in his throat, but he never broke their gaze. His heart beat erratically and
he felt like
he couldn’t get enough air or that he was going to be sick, but he never, ever wanted to look away
from her.
“I hate those words too, Caleb,” she continued quietly. “And like you, I’ve heard them all. I wasn’t
going to say
any of them because I know how meaningless they truly are, no matter how well-intentioned.
Sometimes all you
need is someone to sit silently with you and not say anything at all. Even if they’re a complete
stranger.”
The last part came out as a whisper and his brow furrowed. Something nagged at his mind but he
couldn’t for
the life of him think what it was. So he stood there, like an idiot, which tended to happen to him a lot
where Mad-
die was concerned. The worst sensation of remorse was building in his gut.
Caleb raked a hand through his hair, opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it.
Everything he
thought to say sounded hollow.
Maddie nodded at him and then her gaze slipped to the door. “I think I’ll head out, after all. You’re
right, I can
start working on the laptop tomorrow.”
There was another clawing sensation in his chest, but this time, it had nothing to do with his aunt and
every-
thing to do with watching her leave. As she collected her purse from the ground and pulled out her
ridiculous col-
lection of keychains, he caught her hand in his own. Maddie looked up surprised, but didn’t pull
away. Caleb mar-
veled at how soft and small her hand was compared to his, just one more reason why he had no
business being
with someone like her. They were too different, night and day. She was like paper and he was
unrelenting steel.
But damn, her hand, her warmth, felt good.
Caleb felt like he should say something, so he went for honesty. Later, he would probably curse this
moment
and wonder why he even bothered. Right now, however, he felt that he owed her an explanation.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I have a temper. I say things that I shouldn’t because it’s easier for me to
keep
people out. I can be mean and I can say ugly things, but don’t for a second think it’s because of you.”
Maddie’s lips parted and he wanted nothing more than to taste those lips. He held himself back and
dropped
her hand, telling himself that he wouldn’t miss the connection.
Then he had to go and ruin it. “But this doesn’t change anything between us. If you’re looking for
something,
it won’t be me, all right? I can’t give you that. I’d rather you just come in to work. It makes for a
cleaner break.”
Caleb watched as her face dropped and it did strange things to his heart.
“If that’s what you want,” she said quietly after a while, nodding. Instead of relief, Caleb felt
unsettled. She
gave him one last look. “Goodnight, Caleb.”
Then she left.

NINE
Around 6:45 the next evening, Maddie finally pulled into the parking lot at the garage just as Peter
stepped out, a
worn backpack slung over his shoulder.
He paused when he saw her and she waved at him, smiling, when she climbed out. “Hi Peter, how
was your
day?”
“Good,” he murmured shyly. Maddie had never met a shyer teenager, but she thought he was sweet.
He had
dark hair, dark green eyes, and a lanky build, but she would bet that the boy could eat more than an
athlete.
Thomas had been much the same way in high school and Maddie had envied him for every dessert
and burger he
packed away, no added extra fat on him, whereas Maddie could eat a slab of cheese and feel it settle
around her
hips.
“Heading home? You must’ve had a long day.”
He shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at the garage, and then looked down at his feet, the tips of his
ears
pink, even in the muted light.
Maddie smiled and then locked up her car. “Well, I’ll let you get home. See you tomorrow!”
He gave a brief wave and then he was off, turning right onto the main street and disappearing in the
darkness.
When Maddie entered the garage, she asked Brian, “Is he always so shy?”
The older man huffed out a small laugh, digging through a toolbox at his feet. The radio was playing a
blues
station, an empty Coke bottle sitting next to it on the workbench.

“Yeah, he barely talked when John took him on, but he knows his way ‘round an engine so I guess it
didn’t mat-
ter much. He’ll warm up to you eventually. Much like our Caleb, he doesn’t trust anyone new. I don’t
think it’s
very good at home for him either.”
“Really?” Maddie asked, furrowing her brow. “How so?”
Brian shrugged. “Dad’s a drunk from what I hear. His mom doesn’t care much either. So, I let him
hang
‘round here after his work’s done.”
The thought of Peter, shy and distrustful, not wanting to go home at the end of the day made her
chest ache.
Maddie was blessed because she’d loved both of her parents—still loved them, even though one
wasn’t living—and
she knew they’d always loved her.
“He copes. He’s strong, even though he seems a little fragile. Don’t worry your pretty little head
about him,
sweetie,” Brian said, catching the look of dismay on her features. “He’s a good kid.”
She nodded and then turned to the stairs, thinking about his words as she climbed up towards Caleb’s
office.
When she reached the top of the metal staircase, she peered inside the open blinds. She could see
Caleb and he
was on the phone with someone. The deep timber of his voice reached her ears, but she couldn’t
make out what he
was saying through the door.
Their eyes connected and she took a deep breath, pushing open the door. She closed it quietly behind
her, not
wanting to disturb him.
“No, I’m not doing any restorations at the moment. I know. Yes. Not for some time. I’m still cleaning
up
here, but we can try to aim for after the New Year. What model is it?” He typed something into his
computer,
cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder. “The parts would be difficult to get.”
While he was busy, Maddie crossed to the laptop he’d set up for her last night. She turned it on, the
start-up
noise drawing Caleb’s brief attention before he looked away. Swallowing thickly, she sank into the
chair, keeping
her eyes fixed on the screen as the desktop loaded. The same background picture was there. Maddie
had half ex-
pected him to change it after she’d left, given his reaction to it. Now, she looked at it at her leisure.
Maddie guessed it was taken sometime after high school, since his hair was a little longer than the
buzz cut he’d
sported then. His uncle was a robust man with crystal blue eyes and crow feet extending from the
corners. They
both looked happy in the photo, fresh from a fishing trip.
Her chest ached. Caleb must’ve really loved his uncle. No wonder he was still bitter and hurt from
his
passing. But what she said last night had been true. Time didn’t heal. It only made the pain more
manageable.
She still cried whenever she thought of her own father.
“I’ll be in touch, Greg. Yes, you too.” The phone was set back in its cradle, the noise making Maddie
tense.
Without missing a beat, Caleb addressed her, “You’re almost an hour late.”
“Good evening to you too,” Maddie mumbled under her breath. Caleb scowled at her from across the
room,
but she felt somewhat safer, hiding behind her own desk now. She sighed. “I’m sorry. But I told you
yesterday
that I had to meet with a professor. I got here as fast as I could. I can stay later, if you’d like.”
Even he couldn’t argue with that, surely. She returned her gaze to the computer, replaying his words
last night
in her mind. If he didn’t want to be friendly, if he just wanted her to work, then that was fine. She
would work.
Last night, she thought they were making progress. She thought that his eyes had softened towards
her when
she told him about her own loss. She thought that maybe—a stupid, foolish part of her—they could
try to be
friends. The look in his eyes when he’d apologized was so sincere and she saw a glimmer of the boy
who sat with
her that day in the courtyard, listening to her cry but not leaving, despite his discomfort.
Then he had to hurt her. The look in his eyes had changed, morphing into a knowing, bitter
acceptance, like he
wouldn’t allow himself to get close to her. Like he didn’t want anything in his life that could hurt him,
ever. She
wondered if he was lonely, living a life like that, where he kept everyone at arm’s length. Maybe he
didn’t think
about it that way. Maybe he did it because it wasn’t a choice, but a necessity.
So, Maddie would help him push her away, if that was what he truly wanted. Who had she been
kidding any-
way, to think that this was her second chance with Caleb? And she had to ask herself, did she even
want someone
like him in her life? He was angry and bitter. He couldn’t string a sentence together without insulting
her. Sure,
she was physically attracted to him. What women wouldn’t be? But was he worth all the hurt?
She didn’t know. And it looked like she wouldn’t find out.
They worked silently. Caleb took a couple more calls, his voice filling the small office, coursing over
her until
her skin prickled. Every now and again, she thought he was looking at her, but she wouldn’t look up
for
confirmation. She threw herself into the work, which was easy, considering the bookkeeping program
installed on
the laptop was severely out-of-date and gave her sufficient distraction.
Once she got the hang of the program, however, Maddie grew more aware of the ongoing silence
between them,
feeling like she should say something to break it, to ease the awkwardness of it just a little. She
twitched and shift-
ed in her chair, her throat turning dry.
When she happened to glance up, her eyes widened when she saw his gaze on her. He looked almost
annoyed,
his mouth pinched down into a frown, the thin space between his brows creased. I’m sorry, was on
the tip of her
tongue, but then she looked determinedly away. Why should she be the one apologizing to him?
She’d done
nothing wrong.
She caught him looking at her a couple more times as the clock ticked by and each time unsettled her
even
more. It was almost as if he was expecting her to say something, like he waiting for it, anticipating it,
which con-
fused her even more.
Maybe he just wants another fight, she thought. Maybe he likes to fight.
She wouldn’t be the one to give in, however. She wanted to prove something to him, to herself,
although she
didn’t quite know what exactly. It still seemed important.
After a couple hours of working in complete silence, Caleb finally surrendered. In a gruff voice, he
asked, “Who
did you lose?”
Her brow furrowed, her eyes darting up to his. Looking resigned, he simply stared at her, waiting for
an
answer. It took her a moment to realize that he was referring to their conversation last night—if it
could even be
called a conversation.
She wanted to say, “I’m just trying to work, Caleb,” but it seemed childish to throw his words back in
his face.
And, despite the way he hurt her last night, she didn’t want to hurt or reject him.
So, she told him, “My dad.”
He was quiet for a moment and she returned her gaze to the screen in front of her, although she
couldn’t make
sense of the numbers.
“What happened?”
Maddie swallowed. “Pulmonary embolism. It was a blood clot in his lungs.”
“Did he suffer?”
Something in his tone made her look up again. She recalled Brian’s words from the first night she
worked
here. How Caleb’s uncle had passed away from lung cancer. How they’d all known it was coming,
how he’d been
sick for a long time.
Maddie didn’t know if her father had suffered or not. There had been symptoms, but he’d brushed
them off.
Towards the end, she didn’t know if he’d been in any acute pain.
“It was sudden.”
Not wanting to talk about it, she pushed out of her chair, going over to another stack of papers from
2010 she’d
organized, balanced on a couple boxes. Her hands were shaking and when she reached for them in a
hurry, des-
perately needing a distraction, she accidentally kicked one of the boxes, sending the papers toppling
to the floor.
“Darn,” she murmured, dropping to her knees. She heard Caleb’s chair creak and then felt his heat as
he
crouched next to her. “It’s all right, I got it.”
Their hands brushed, reaching for the same paper, and she snatched hers back so quickly that it made
him
freeze. She shuffled together the stack, but knew that she’d had to reorganize it before she could
enter anything
into the computer.
“Here,” he said, giving her what he’d collected.
“Thank you.” Even to her own ears, her tone sounded stiff.
She was just about to rise from the floor, but he took her by surprise and caught her hand, just like
he’d done
the night before. Staring down at where their skin met, her lips parted and then she met his eyes.
That same look of bitter acceptance was written over his features and he seemed to be struggling with
himself,
looking like he was on the verge of saying something but then second guessing himself.
“I should get back to work,” she said, her voice coming out as a whisper. They were too close, she
thought in
mild alarm. She could smell that same woodsy musk that made her mouth water. Her heartbeat
increased when
she imagined tasting his skin, but then she shook herself, knowing that it would never happen. Not in
a million
years.
His voice came out as a rasp. “I’ve always wondered whether it’s better for someone to go quickly or
to linger.
My uncle lingered. And by the end, I was wishing he would die. That’s fucked up, isn’t it?”
The pain in his voice hit her like a hammer and she froze under his grip.
“For five months, he was in pain. I watched him slowly wither away, becoming a shell of the man he’d
once
been. I try not to think of him like that, but sometimes I can’t not. On occasion, that’s how I
remember him.
Maybe it’s for the best that your father’s death was sudden. Sometimes, things are inevitable. Life
likes to fuck
with us all, doesn’t it? Sometimes, I’m thankful I got to say goodbye slowly. Other times, I wish he
died when they
found the cancer, because no one should have to go through what he went through, and no one
should have to go
through what I went through, what the people that loved him went through, because it’s hard to
come back from
something like that. But I’m sure you know that already. You’ve probably thought about all this
before, running it
through your mind, making yourself crazy with it.” He leaned closer. “What do you think of me now?
Do you
think I’m a monster for wishing he would die?”
“I—I think you did the best you could in an awful situation. That’s all you can do.” She swallowed the
lump in
her throat, her mind scrambled. “I’ve come to terms with my dad’s death. It took me a long time
though. And in
the end, I think you’re right. I’m glad it was quick. At the same time, I wish I could’ve said goodbye.”
The space between them was charged, the tension electric. Their dark eyes locked and held. Maddie
realized
that if she did this with anyone else, it would feel unnatural. It would make her fidget and would feel
like ants were
crawling under her skin. With Caleb, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
He brushed a piece of hair away from her cheek and her eyes widened. His fingertips were rough but
his touch
was gentle and for a moment, Maddie forgot how to breathe. How could such a simple touch affect
her like this?
Her lips were dry and she wetted them with her tongue. Caleb watched the movement, his gaze
flickering into
something else entirely. Maddie’s stomach clenched when she realized it was desire. Dazed, she
realized he want-
ed her, that he was as affected by her as she was by him.
Unconsciously, she leaned forward, just an inch or two, closing the space between them. For a
moment, she
thought he would kiss her. She wanted him to, wanted to discover what it would be like to feel his
lips on hers,
wanted to discover what a kiss felt like at all, since she’d never kissed anyone, except when she’d
kissed boys on the
playground before she ever even knew what a kiss was. Would he be rough? Or would he be
unexpectedly gentle
like his touch?
The moment was gone, however, when he pulled back those few inches she’d gained. His hand
dropped away
from her face and he averted his gaze, rising from the floor. For a moment, she was left reeling,
wondering what
had changed. The space felt cold now without his heat. She felt all wrong, like a puzzle that had been
put together
the wrong way, pieces jammed, edges misaligned.
Clumsily, she pushed to her feet and Caleb turned from her, retreating back to his desk. He said
nothing, so
Maddie didn’t either. Her face burned with embarrassment, with rejection, but she took her stack of
papers and sat
down at her own desk, trying to put the strange moment out of her mind.
Easier said than done. No matter how much she tried to concentrate on reorganizing the 2010 stack,
her mind
wouldn’t work. Maddie could still smell him, all around her. Her skin felt too sensitive, her breath
too shallow.
Finally, she saved her work and shut down the laptop, figuring that she could start fresh tomorrow.
She rose from her chair and looked at Caleb uncertainly. “I’m going to head out.”
He nodded, not looking up from his computer screen. “If you don’t have school work tomorrow, I’d
rather you
come in at noon. I won’t be here tomorrow night.”
Tomorrow was Saturday. She’d planned to spend the day in the library, but she could rearrange her
schedule.
Perhaps working in the same office when it was still light outside would keep temptation at bay.
When it was just
the two of them, with only Brian downstairs in the garage, it seemed too personal. Especially after
tonight.
“Okay,” she said quietly. “Good night.”
Then she left. It felt like a relief as she escaped down the metal staircase. Coward, her mind
whispered, but she
didn’t care. She just wanted to be alone.
Brian had already left for the night and the garage doors were shut tight. Thankfully, the side door
was unlocked
and she escaped the building without having to ask Caleb for help.
As she drove home, she thought of him still working in the upstairs office, alone, and it made her
chest ache.
TEN
Caleb hated going home at night. As he pulled up to his uncle’s house—now, his house, he supposed
—he
stayed inside his car, not opening the garage door, just lingering on the driveway and staring. For so
long, this
house had been his own personal hell. In high school, he hated coming home too. He stayed out late,
only to
sneak in in the early hours of morning, hoping that his aunt would be asleep. He would wake up at
the break of
dawn to leave. Sometimes, he went for a week—maybe two, if he was lucky—without seeing her.
But, in the end,
she always found him.
His hands clenched on the steering wheel, trying to calm his breath. Every night, he struggled with
this. It
would take him a good twenty minutes, sometimes an hour, before he’d open the garage door and
pull inside. He
hated this place. Even more now, because it was where his uncle had spent the majority of his
sickness. It was
where he’d died. It was where Caleb had seen him so diminished and where Caleb had felt the most
helpless. He
hated nothing more fiercely than feeling helpless. It was an emotion he knew too well.
To take his mind away from the house, he thought about Maddie. For a brief moment tonight, Caleb
had al-
most said fuck it and kissed her. He wouldn’t have stopped there. He would’ve stripped her down
and pushed her
back on the floor. He would’ve found peace between her thighs. He almost imagined that he
would’ve fucked her
gently, like how he thought she deserved. Or maybe he’d start out gently, but by the end, he
wouldn’t have been
able to hold himself back any longer and he’d spend himself deep inside, her walls clenching around
him, milking
him dry.
Caleb squeezed his eyes shut, bringing a hand to his head to pinch the space between his brows. Fuck,
he
wanted her. He barely knew her, but his cock didn’t seem to mind. What worried him the most was
that he want-
ed to kiss her. He hadn’t kissed a woman since Victoria, the fourth and last woman to betray him.
But, during that
strange moment between him and Maddie, he’d wanted to taste her lips, to nibble on them, to
explore the heat of
her mouth.
Maddie would’ve let him. Her skin had been soft—so damn soft—when he brushed her cheek. What
had pos-
sessed him to do that, he didn’t know. Now, he wondered if she was just as soft everywhere else.
Would her eyes
widen like they did tonight if he kissed down her body? Would her breath quicken when he suckled at
her breast?
Would her cheeks flush when he lapped at her opening, tasting her juices?
With a growl, he backed out of the driveway. He didn’t want to go into the house, he realized. Not
tonight.
What he wanted was to track down Maddie and finish what could’ve happened in his office tonight.
But he wouldn’t. Instead, he headed towards Alex’s house. He could stay there tonight.
Alex was one of his closest friends. They’d met years ago and Alex had been the first friend he’d ever
willingly
told his past to. Instead of judgment and pity, like he expected, Alex had done neither. He’d accepted
it and
moved on.
Alex didn’t seem surprised to see him when he opened his front door a half hour later and saw Caleb
standing
there.
“You want a beer?” was all he asked.
Caleb nodded and stepped inside.
Olivia, Alex’s girlfriend, was sitting on the couch, reading. She looked up and gave him a small smile.
“Oh, hi
Caleb.”
Out of all his friend’s girlfriends, Caleb liked Olivia the best. She was curvy and beautiful, with dark
hair and
clear blue eyes. Caleb and Olivia had gotten off to a rocky start in the beginning of their friendship.
Alex told him
later that he’d unsettled her when they first met, which had been Caleb’s intention. His friends knew
all about his
strange relationship with women and he didn’t want to get close to their girlfriends, mostly because
he didn’t trust
them not to fuck his friends over. Perhaps that was bitterness talking, but Caleb couldn’t help it.
He knew that Olivia would never hurt Alex willingly, in the same way that Alex would never hurt
Olivia. It had
been a little over a year since they first met and Caleb knew Alex would be popping the question
soon. Hell, he al-
ready had the ring.
Alex returned to the living room, holding out a cold beer, before settling himself next to Olivia, pulling
her
close. Caleb took a seat in the dark brown leather armchair adjacent to the couch. Already, he found
himself
relaxing. He’d come over, unannounced, more times than he cared to admit, but they always
welcomed him. Alex
knew how hard it was for him to go home some nights. Sometimes, he stayed the night in their guest
room. He
had a feeling that was where he was headed tonight.
“How’s work been?” Olivia asked, bookmarking her book and placing it on the coffee table in front of
her. The
television was on, playing football highlights.
Caleb shrugged. “I never realized how much administrative work there is. I haven’t touched an
engine in
months.” His uncle hadn’t realized how much administrative work was required either considering
the state of his
office. Caleb was cleaning up their records, but his uncle had done a half-ass job. He should’ve hired
an office
assistant years ago, something that Caleb planned on doing once the bookkeeping was up-to-date.
“Alex told me you hired someone to help organize the office.”
“Not exactly,” Caleb said, taking a long swallow of beer. “She’s paying off her car repairs.”
Caleb hated the way Alex’s brows shot up in surprise. “She? How old is she?”
“I don’t know. A few years younger than me, I’d guess.”
“Since when have you let a woman work closely with you?”
“Since never,” Caleb almost growled. “Trust me, I don’t know how it happened either.”
Actually, that was a lie. He knew exactly how it had happened. Maddie had turned those big brown
eyes on
him and he’d gone completely stupid in the head. Fuck.
“What’s her name?” Olivia asked curiously.
Caleb looked down at his hands. “Maddie.”
“Holy shit,” Alex muttered, his tone one of disbelief. “You want this girl, don’t you? Did you fuck her
already?”
“Alex!” Olivia snapped, shooting him a look. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
But Alex had already latched on, just like the sales executive he was. “She got one over on you, didn’t
she?
Why else would she be working at your garage? Man, when can we meet her?”
“Never,” Caleb snapped, his jaw clenching in irritation. Why had he come here again? “There’s
nothing going
on. She’s the most annoying, irritating, stubborn woman I’ve ever met.” The lies were dropping from
his mouth
like stones. He scowled. “And even if I do fuck her, that’s all it’d ever be.”
“Caleb!” Olivia snapped. “Jesus, I can’t believe you guys sometimes. You guys are worse than Luke.”
In response, Alex grinned and Caleb tipped up his beer. Olivia sighed, shaking her head, but Caleb
didn’t miss
the way her smile curved up slightly at the corners, like she was amused but trying to hide it. Alex
nuzzled his head
into her neck, dropping a kiss.
“I’m sorry, darling,” he murmured. “I can make it up to you later.”
Caleb barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Maybe he wouldn’t stay the night, after all.
“That’s if you get anything later,” Olivia said back, matching his tone, her eyes twinkling.
Alex groaned, shooting Caleb a dark look, looking like he was on the verge of pouting. “I’m
mistreated, as you
can obviously see.”
“Obviously,” Caleb drawled, trying to ignore the stab of jealousy that went through him. Often, he’d
wondered
what it would be like to be in a relationship like Alex and Olivia’s. Like any of his friend’s relationship,
for that mat-
ter.
He knew that he wouldn’t work right in a relationship. There were things that he needed that no sane
woman
would allow regularly. He was taciturn with a quick temper and had enough baggage to fill even
Alex’s massive
house. He didn’t even know if he could love someone anymore. He thought he’d been in love not
once, but twice,
with Charlotte, his high school girlfriend, and Victoria. How wrong he’d been.
He knew he had no business wanting or needing a relationship. He didn’t even really think he wanted
one. But
it was hard not to imagine it when he was around his friends, who were all in happy relationships with
good women.
A white mass of fur suddenly rubbed against Caleb’s leg and he reached down, plucking Bubbles, Alex
and Olivi-
a’s cat, off the floor. He’d always liked animals. They’d never fucked him over and only wanted to be
touched and
fed. Much like men, actually, now that he thought about it.
Bubbles curled up in his lap and Olivia said, “She’s always liked you.”
“Yeah, she likes you better than she likes me and I’ve been feeding her all her damn life,” Alex
grumbled. Olivia
laughed and Caleb couldn’t help but crack a smile. Bubbles had been a stray kitten and always hung
around Alex’s
house. He’d fed her, but when he started dating Olivia, she’d made him take her in for good.
Now, the happy cat purred on Caleb’s lap as he scratched under her chin.
“Ever think about getting a pet?” Olivia asked, watching the two of them.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m never home. It wouldn’t be fair. And I still don’t know what I’m
going
to do about the house.”
“I know someone who said they would help you sell it,” Alex said, clearing his throat. “If you wanted
to, that is.”
Caleb didn’t know if Alex had told Olivia about his past, but something told him that he hadn’t. The
two men
exchanged looks. Alex knew how much Caleb hated that house, but he didn’t understand why Caleb
was hesitant to
sell it.
“I don’t know,” he murmured. His uncle had loved that house. It had been in the family for a long
time. It felt
like a betrayal to sell it. “I’m thinking about renovating it and renting it out. I don’t want to live there,
but I don’t
know if I can sell. It’s something I need to think about.”
Alex nodded. “Luke knows plenty of contractors then.” Luke would, considering his family owned
one of the
largest construction companies in the United States, with a bank account to prove it. “Where are you
going to
live?”
Caleb had given up his lease on his apartment to move in with his uncle during those last few months.
“I’m planning to buy, to start putting money into a place. Once I’m done boxing up the house and
putting
everything in storage, I’ll start looking.” He’d had the idea for quite some time, before his uncle had
even been
diagnosed. He wanted a place for himself, something that no one could take away. A place that he
wanted to
come home to at night.
For some disturbing reason, his mind conjured up a picture of Maddie. He allowed himself to imagine
being
with her, truly being with her, if only briefly. What would it be like to go home to her, knowing that
she was waiting
for him? Would they sit comfortably on the couch, in silence, like Alex and Olivia? Would Maddie be
reading a
textbook while he watched a game? And when they went to bed at night, would she like being tied
up, perfectly ex-
posed to him so that he could play?
You’re being a fool, he told himself, pushing away the thought. It was an unattainable fantasy, one he
didn’t even
want. Or need.
Like he told Alex, if he was going to fuck her, that was all it’d ever be. No strings attached, just how
he liked it.
Much later that night, he did end up returning to his uncle’s house, despite Olivia insisting he could
stay. He
realized that he couldn’t keep running away. He stuck to the living room and the kitchen, not
venturing into any of
the bedrooms, even his own. And as he tried to get some sleep on the couch, the television
illuminating the dark
room, he thought about his fantasy of Maddie and it helped him fall asleep in relative peace.
ELEVEN
The first thing that Maddie noticed was that the garage was noisier during the day. When she
stepped out of
her car and made her way into the familiar space of steel, oil, and cement, the mechanics all turned to
stare.
“Hey, sweetie,” Brian called, taking a break on a plastic chair and sipping on a Coke.
“Yeah, hello, sweetie,” called another man, his tone making Maddie bristle. He was tall with a dark
beard and
piercing blue eyes. Handsome in a rough way, but something about him gave her the creeps.
Majorly. It was
most likely the leer.
Brian shot him a dark look. “She’s Caleb’s, Jones. I wouldn’t fuck with her if I were you.”
Maddie frowned. She certainly wasn’t Caleb’s anything, whatever that meant. But Jones seemed
surprised and
the other three men whistled and laughed, making Maddie shift in place. “What, does she have a
magical pussy or
something?” she heard Jones mumble to his friends. “I bet—”
“Say anythin’ more, boy, and I’ll break your fuckin’ jaw,” Brian said, pushing to his feet and taking a
step closer
to Jones, who raised his hands innocently in the air.

“Didn’t mean anything by it. Right, sweetheart?” he asked, throwing a wink.
Her heart was beating hard in her chest and Maddie swallowed, beyond uncomfortable. She wished
that Caleb
hadn’t asked her to come by earlier in the afternoon. She wasn’t used to men looking at her like she
was some kind
of object. Kyra had always been the one who easily fended off men, laughing like it was nothing.
Maddie, however,
felt slightly sick. There was no mistaking the way Jones’ eyes swept over her body, crawling over her
like worms,
making her want to scrub her skin until it was raw.
Maddie made her escape quickly, climbing the stairs. Peter came out of Caleb’s office, pausing at the
top of the
stairs to hold the door open for her.
“Hi, Maddie,” he said quietly, flushing.
She gave him a shaky smile. “Hi, Peter. Thank you.”
Then she stepped inside and the door swung shut. Already, she felt better, wrapped in the familiar
smell and
quiet of Caleb’s office, but her heart was still pounding. Caleb sat in his usual place at his desk, typing
away furi-
ously.
He glanced at her when she appeared, looked away for a brief second, before his head whipped back,
his eyes
narrowing.
“What is it?” he asked, pushing away from the desk, standing slowly.
His reaction made her both nervous and comforted. “Nothing,” she murmured quietly, slipping off
her purse
and jacket before stepping over to her own laptop.
“Maddie,” he said in a warning tone, a hint of a threat in his voice.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “They just…” she trailed off, not wanting to tell him what Jones had
said. Or what
Brian had said.
Caleb’s gaze drifted to the window and his jaw hardened. “Did they say something to you?” Maddie
shrugged,
avoiding his eyes. She didn’t want to make a big deal over what happened. She just wanted to forget
the whole
thing. “Tell me,” Caleb snapped, his anger rising. Instinctively, Maddie knew it wasn’t aimed at her.
“It was nothing, Caleb,” she said, starting up the laptop.
She could still feel his gaze and he waited only a brief second before he rounded his desk, striding over
to the
door before yanking it open.
“Caleb!” Maddie called after him, scrambling up from her chair to stop him. But it was too late. He
was al-
ready stomping down the metal stairs into the heart of the garage.
Maddie watched the door close, muting the sounds from below, but she did peer out the blinds of the
window.
Even though she couldn’t make out Caleb’s words, she could hear his tone, quiet and dark. He said
something to
Brian, who nodded at Jones, and then Caleb stepped up to him, speaking low, his body tense. He had
a few inches
on Jones, who had to crane up his neck. Maddie, high up in the office, even felt intimidated. Jones
backed away,
his head shaking, but the anger in Caleb’s features couldn’t be mistaken.
Finally, Caleb broke away from him and when he came storming back up the stairs, she stepped away
from the
window. When he slammed the door shut behind him, she said, “That was unnecessary.”
Traces of his fury lined his body and Maddie should’ve known better than to confront him when he
was in this
kind of mood. She hadn’t known him very long, but she’d learned how to read him.
“As long as you work here,” he started, his fists clenching, “they will not bother you. I promise.”
For some reason, Maddie hadn’t expected those words. They took her off guard and before she knew
what she
was saying, she asked, “And what about you?”
The moment the words slipped from her mouth, she knew she made a mistake. Caleb took a step
towards her,
until she could smell the heat of his body. The night before returned to her in a rush and her lips
parted, as though
in preparation. Caleb noticed. He gazed down at her lips, that same desire in his eyes. They blazed as
he rasped,
“That’s something I can’t promise, princess.”
And, like he was ripping himself away, he turned away from her, stalking back to his desk, his
shoulders
bunched tight. It had happened so quickly that Maddie wondered if she’d simply imagined the words,
a remnant of
a fantasy she shouldn’t want but did. He was all wrong for her—too mean, too cold, too everything—
but a reckless
part of her craved him. A part of her had always craved him.
For once, she didn’t want to fade into the background in a man’s eyes. She’d waited two years in high
school
for Caleb to notice her, to want her as much as she wanted him. And now, she finally had his
attention. She want-
ed to channel her inner Kyra, to finally take a chance on something meaningful. Maybe that was why
she’d never
been in a relationship. She didn’t take enough chances, didn’t put herself into a position where
someone could
break her or hurt her. She had always been safe, wrapped up and hiding behind her cozy, comforting
walls.
So, she took a deep breath and said quietly, “Maybe I don’t want you to promise that.” Caleb froze,
halfway
across the room, not quite at his desk yet. “Maybe I want you, too.”
He swung around again, the embers of his anger reigniting. His legs ate up the distance between
them until
Maddie was backed into the far wall, a furious, six-foot-something man boxing her in. He didn’t touch
her, but all
she would have to do was take one step forward and her curves would be molded to hard planes and
muscles.
“Too?” he bit out, his dark eyes seemingly even darker. “You think I want you?”
“I know you do,” she whispered, heart thundering, breaths coming out fast. Nothing about this
situation
seemed real, like an out-of-body experience. Had those words truly come from her own mouth?
He laughed, but it was dark. “How so?”

“I saw it last night. I see it now,” she murmured, licking her dry lips.
He didn’t deny her words as his eyes followed the pink flash of her tongue. A shot of adrenaline
pumped
through her body when she saw him swallow, hard. His voice was huskier when he asked, “You want
to be kissed,
princess?”
Maddie sharply inhaled. She didn’t even need to answer. Caleb saw her enthusiasm, the way her
eyes widened
ever so slightly, how her cheeks flushed pink, how she leaned forward.
He gave her a dark, knowing smirk that made her breath quicken. Stepping even closer, although
their bodies
still didn’t touch, he murmured, “Do you want to know something, Maddie? I haven’t kissed a woman
in almost
eight years.” Her brows drew, struggling to process his words. “But I have fucked a lot of women in
eight years.
What does that tell you?”
Maddie ignored the searing flash of jealousy and the bitter burn of humiliation that swept through
her. How
many women had experienced the man she’d once wanted all to herself?
Her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. “I know what you’re trying to do,” she whispered.
“And what’s that?”
“Scare me away,” she answered truthfully, the words tumbling from her lips. “But do you want to
know what I
think? I think you’re scared of me.”
“And why would I be afraid of you?” he asked, his defenses rising. A tangible wall. His eyes swept
over her.
His desire was gone, replaced with something that made her want to shrink away, something like
disdain. The high
that she felt taking charge had disappeared and she was left shaking as she came down. “You’re
nothing to me.
You’re just some irresponsible, spoiled, desperate little girl, wanting a taste of what I can give you.
Well, you know
what, princess? Get in the fucking line.”

Maddie stood frozen as Caleb backed away. Tears clogged her throat, her vision blurring, but she
couldn’t tear
her gaze from him.
Suddenly, she wished that she hadn’t been the irresponsible and foolish woman he thought she was
and put
diesel in her car that one night. She wished she’d never found him again, after all these years, that
he’d remained in
her mind as the boy that she fantasized herself in love with when she’d been young.
“You’re such a hypocrite, Caleb. You reprimanded Jones just a moment ago, when in fact you say
crueler things
to me and you don’t even bat an eye,” she whispered, her tone ragged. “Why do you do this to me?
In what way
have I ever hurt you like this?”
It was always one step forward and two steps back with him. This was why she never put herself in
vulnerable
positions. She wished she could go back in time to just a few minutes ago. She wished that she’d
never said any-
thing, that she’d just let him be angry over what Jones had said, but went about her work.
Caleb remained silent. He looked away when a tear dripped down her cheek and then with a
whispered curse,
he left the office. One moment he was there, another he was gone, retreating back down the stairs.
The door
slammed behind him and more tears fell until she was sobbing quietly, trying to pull herself together.
An irresponsible, spoiled, desperate little girl.
That hurt. Mostly because it was true. No, she wasn’t spoiled. She worked hard. But yes, perhaps
she was
slightly irresponsible and more than slightly desperate. She had thrown herself at him, only to be
rejected.
How would she ever face him again after this?
Maddie would have to, because she couldn’t simply walk away, no matter how much she wanted to.
Maybe
Caleb expected that of her, but she still owed him for her car repairs. She wouldn’t leave when her
work remained
unfinished.
So, she wiped away her tears and took a calming sip out of the water bottle she’d brought with her.
Once she
felt better, she booted up the bookkeeping program and got to work as best as she could. She could
only hope that
Caleb wouldn’t return while she was still here, even though she knew that she’d have to deal with him
eventually.
Maddie worked for a solid three hours and got a surprising amount of work done. As she looked
around the of-
fice, she calculated that she only had a week’s, maybe a week and a half’s, worth of work, if she could
keep this
pace. And then she’d probably never see Caleb again. A part of her was almost relieved.
As the laptop shut down, she gathered her things and couldn’t help but glance at Caleb’s desk, almost
half ex-
pecting to see him there. With a sigh, she jotted down a quick note, telling him that she completed
the 2010 and
half of 2011 files and that she’d come back the same time tomorrow.
Unfortunately, as she descended the stairs into an abnormally quiet and tense garage, she realized
that she’d
have to speak to Caleb after all. He was working on a car himself on the far right wall. His arms and
hands were
covered in oil and grease, sweat gleamed on his forehead, his hair mussed. He had earbuds in,
listening to music,
oblivious to his surroundings.
Maddie ignored the pang of longing that went through her, telling herself that she shouldn’t want him
after what
he said to her. Still, she couldn’t leave without speaking to him. It was too childish and much too
cowardly.
With her heels clicking, she walked by the other men, who all remained silent, even Jones. Brian
caught her eye
and jerked his head towards Caleb. “You guys get into a fight or somethin’? I haven’t seen him like
this since his
uncle died.”
That certainly didn’t make her feel good. She swallowed and looked down at the cement floor of the
garage.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Brian,” she murmured, her non-answer as good as any answer.
“All right, sweetie.”
She approached Caleb, dread settling in her stomach, but she tried to remain as indifferent as
possible. Easier
said than done.
He looked over as she approached, his lips pulling down into an even bigger frown. He remained bent
over the
engine of the car, forearms bracing him, but he stopped working and pulled out one earbud.
“I left a note on your desk detailing what I finished today,” she said, proud that her voice was even
and calm.
Still, she couldn’t quite meet his eyes, finding the insides of the car extremely fascinating. “I’ll be back
the same
time tomorrow.”
Then, she turned. But before she made it a couple steps, he suddenly said, “Maddie.”
She stopped, looking over her shoulder, an eyebrow raised. He looked at her, wiping his forehead,
smearing
black grease, which for some reason only made him more attractive, not less. For a moment, Maddie
thought he
looked uncomfortable. But this was Caleb Montgomery and she doubted anything could make him
uncomfortable,
least of all her.
He didn’t say anything and left his thought unfinished. So Maddie didn’t waste any more of her time.
She
walked towards her car and didn’t look back. Then she zoomed out of the parking lot, not able to get
away fast
enough.
TWELVE
On Sunday, the day after Caleb had called her desperate and irresponsible—which she still thought
about more
than she probably should—Maddie dreaded seeing him again. In her mind, she told herself she’d play
it cool, act
like his words hadn’t affected her…even though he’d seen her cry after he said them.
Caleb, it seemed, had the same plan. She went into the office that day—thankfully with no further
remarks from
Jones, although he’d glowered at her as she passed him—and nodded a greeting to him. Then she
took her seat
and got to work, trying to do her best to ignore that he existed.
Immature, perhaps, but necessary for her dignity.
Their only interaction that day was when, surprisingly, Caleb asked if she was hungry because he was
running
out to pick up lunch. If that was his form of an apology, he seriously sucked at it. Naturally, she’d
declined, even
though she had been a little hungry.
So, Caleb left, giving her a good half hour of alone time, which she used to clear her head and try to
recompose
herself. By the time he returned, she’d been studiously working, barely glancing up when he entered
with his deli-
cious looking sandwiches and chips, damn him.

When Maddie left that afternoon, she’d been proud. She wouldn’t let him get into her head; she’d be
strong
and she’d finish her work and then never look back. She could do it.
The next couple days passed in a similar fashion, although she had to come in the evening on both
Monday and
Tuesday due to classes and study sessions. They worked in relative silence. Maddie, however,
occasionally had
questions which meant she’d have to speak to him. But otherwise, it was like they were complete
strangers to one
another…although that was still technically true. They didn’t know each other. Not intimately, at
least.
And whenever Maddie thought back to that Saturday afternoon, when she threw herself at him, she’d
cringe and
flush, feeling like her stomach was tying itself into knots. She hated that Caleb held that image of her
in his mind.
She hadn’t even known where that throw-caution-to-the-wind woman had come from, but it certainly
hadn’t felt like
her.
Now she knew better.
Maddie liked their routine. It suited her just fine, although on occasion, she’d glance up to find
Caleb’s eyes on
her before he jerked his gaze away. Whenever she did discover that, her stomach would flutter, but
she convinced
herself that she didn’t care. He could look at her if he wanted, but nothing would ever come out of it.
If Caleb wanted to lie to himself, then she could lie to herself. It only seemed like a fair trade.
When Maddie stepped into the garage on Wednesday evening, she smiled when she saw Brian and
Peter. The
older man was telling him yet another story about his wife—who Maddie secretly knew he adored no
matter how
much he moaned and complained about her—and the teenager was laughing, something Maddie
rarely ever saw,
especially when she came around. He was slowly getting used to her presence though. He barely
blushed now
when he saw her, so Maddie figured that was progress.

“I come bearing cookies,” she announced proudly to the two of them, presenting them with a plate
she’d
wrapped up. She’d had a study session with a few of her classmates, so she baked some cookies the
night before
for fuel. She made sure to double the batch so she could bring some into the garage.
“Like an angel from heaven,” Brian declared, stepping over to snatch one off the plate as soon as she
uncovered
them. Maddie laughed when he wolfed it down in two bites, already reaching out for another.
Peter hesitated as he stood from his chair, perpetually shy, but she smiled when he said, “Thanks,”
and took one
for himself.
Maddie noticed an open notebook at Peter’s feet and a stubby pencil and eraser shavings lying next to
it. But
what fascinated her most was the beautiful sketch of a tree.
“Is that yours, Peter?” she asked, nodding down to the notebook. “I didn’t know you could draw.”
The teenager didn’t say anything, although his blush was back in full force as he hunched over to
retrieve his
notebook from the ground.
“Can I see it?” she asked eagerly.
“Yeah, show her your drawings, Peter. I’ve never seen anyone who could draw like him,” Brian
added, snatching
one more cookie before returning to the car he was working on.
Peter, although a little reluctantly, handed her his notebook and then immediately came to stand over
her shoul-
der as she peered more closely down at the tree.
“It’s not finished yet,” he said in a rush. “And I still haven’t shaded in the trunk right.”
Maddie’s eyes roamed over the fresh page hungrily. The tree, she discovered, was so much more
than she’d
initially realized. It was a mechanical tree, with metal branches screwed into the trunk and jagged
spikes jutting
deep into the earth as its roots. A mechanical bird, with a robotic eye and wind-up wings, sat on one
of the
branches. And blood was dripping from a large gap in the trunk, roughly closed with staple-like
stitches.
It was grotesque, a little disturbing, but darkly beautiful, which Maddie told him. “You’re so
talented,” she
added, unable to tear her eyes from the drawing. “Where did you learn how to do this?”
Peter’s face resembled a tomato and Maddie figured he’d been tortured enough, so she handed him
back his
notebook.
“I don’t know,” he started. “I’ve always been drawing.” He pointed down to the ground, where
another book
lay by his backpack, a very well-loved copy of a drawing guidebook. “But Caleb gave me that last
year. It’s helped a
lot.”
As she stared down at the book, her heart squeezed. Caleb had given that to him? The cold-hearted,
almost
cruel man who could barely string a sentence together without insulting someone? She wondered if
him and Peter
were close, even though she’d never seen them speak two words to each other. Peter had been
coming out of Cale-
b’s office one day, but other than that, Maddie just figured he tolerated Peter like he tolerated all of
his employees.
“Well,” she said, after an uncomfortable pause, “you’ll have to show me more of your drawings some
day. If
you want to, that is.”
Peter nodded hesitantly. “Okay.”
She smiled at him, just as a truck pulled into the lot outside the garage. Brian looked over his
shoulder before
wiping his hands on the rag hanging from his back pocket. Maddie jumped when he yelled, “Caleb!
Luke’s here!”
Two people climbed out of the truck. One was a very tall, very handsome man, with blonde hair and
the most
stunning blue eyes. The other was a pretty woman, her dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail,
and a perfectly
olive complexion that made Maddie envious.

Caleb had been talking to a ‘Luke’ on the phone, the first night she’d come to work for him. Perhaps
they were
friends. And she’d bet all of her Sephora gift cards that the woman he was with was his girlfriend.
No shit, Sherlock, she thought, when she saw them link hands.
“Hey Brian. Petey,” Luke greeted with a wide grin when they stepped foot in the garage. His eyes
lingering on
Maddie curiously. Luke’s girlfriend stopped at his side and smiled at her. “And you must be Maddie.”
That took her off guard.
A little flustered, Maddie said, “Um, yes. I am.”
Smooth.
The only way he could’ve known about her was if Caleb had told him. Damn, what did he tell them?
Did he tell
them about Saturday afternoon when she…?
Her face burned with embarrassment.
Then she heard the devil himself coming down the stairs from his office. She was too mortified to face
him, so
she looked at her half-empty plate of cookies.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Caleb asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He stopped
right at
Maddie’s elbow, joining the circle they’d unconsciously made. His scent drifted towards her since he
was so close
but she tried to ignore it.
“Nice to see you too, honey buns,” Luke sing-songed. Maddie would’ve laughed if she wasn’t so taken
aback.
Luke smiled at her, no doubt seeing her surprise. “We’re just meeting Maddie here, isn’t that right,
my little ray of
sunshine?” he asked, looking down to his girlfriend, with eyes reminiscent of an innocent puppy.
His girlfriend rolled her eyes and then looked at Maddie, an amused look on her face. “I’m Kate, by
the way.
This ridiculous oaf of a man is Luke.”
“You wound my masculinity,” Luke mumbled.
“Nice to meet you,” Maddie said politely, hiding her embarrassment behind a small smile.
Irritation radiated off Caleb in waves, which confused her because she thought that he and Luke were
good
friends. Hadn’t they gone out together last week?
“Luke,” he bit out.
“Yes, honey buns?” Luke asked, smiling. Caleb glared. The two men exchanged looks silently until
Luke finally
said, “I’m just stopping by. We were in the neighborhood,” which only served to irritate Caleb more.
“You live in the city,” he pointed out.
“And I may have spoken to Alex this morning…”
Whatever that meant…
Apparently it meant more to Caleb, since his hand clenched by her side. “Oh really?”
If possible, Luke’s grin widened.
Something unspoken was going down between the two men. Brian and Peter wisely stayed out of it.
In fact,
they had both returned to work, leaving just the four of them. An uncomfortable silence stretched
out, making
Maddie nervous. So, she did the only thing she could and thrust out the cookie plate still in her
hands. “Cookie?
I made them last night.”
“I like you,” Luke declared, snatching one up immediately, like he’d been waiting for her to offer. “I
like her,
Caleb,” he said, smiling, shoving the whole thing in his mouth.
Maddie shifted on her feet and Kate took pity on her. “So, you’re working with Caleb, Maddie?”
“Um,” she said, casting a brief look at the man in question, only to find him still glowering at Luke.
“Yes, I sup-
pose so. I’m helping him with some bookkeeping.”
“I see. Is that what you do? As a career, I mean.”
“Oh, no. I’m—I’m still a student actually.”
“Oh! What’s your major?”
Maddie figured Kate assumed she was still in college and she smiled. “I’m in grad school actually. I’m
getting
my Masters in Museum Studies.”

“That’s impressive,” Kate praised, a thoughtful, excited expression morphing her features. “I’ll have
to pick
your brain sometime if you don’t mind. A character in my novel is a curator and there’s only so much
research you
can do online before you need the real thing.”
“I’m not a curator quite yet, but I can try my best,” Maddie promised.
“Great, we’ll have to do coffee sometime.”
“Maddie needs to start working,” Caleb cut in quickly before the two women could launch into a
discussion
about what Kate’s novel was about.
“Why, we just got here, Caleb,” Luke said. Maddie got the distinct impression that he was baiting
Caleb in
some way.
“Uninvited,” Caleb said.
Luke sighed. “Oh, how you wound me, honey buns. How long have we been friends again?”
“Too long,” Caleb grumbled under his breath. “Now get out. I’ll see you on Saturday night.”
Luke pointed a finger, “You better be there. I reserved the table already.” He turned his gaze on
Maddie.
“Why don’t you come along with us? We’re going to McTeague’s on Polk. Kate can pick your brain
then.”
“I’ll be down the street that night actually,” she started. “At Hemlock Tavern. But thanks for asking.
I’m sure
you guys will have fun.”
Kyra had called her on Sunday. Apparently, she’d met a guy in her building who had a cute friend and
they were
all going out on a double date that night. Maddie was a little nervous about it and she knew Kyra set
something up
to take her mind off Caleb. Especially after his humiliating rejection, which she’d told Kyra about,
crying, once she
got home that disastrous day.
“Hot date?” Luke asked, wriggling his eyebrows.
Maddie was all too aware that Caleb was standing right next to her. She laughed, a little
uncomfortably.
“Something like that.”
Her answer only seemed to please Luke more. “Well then, I hope you have a good time. Maybe we’ll
run into
you, who knows.” He glanced at Caleb and grinned. “We’ll let you two get back to work. See you
Saturday.”
Maddie exchanged numbers with Kate right before they left with the promise to do coffee sometime
next week.
Maddie watched them pull out of the parking lot, still clutching her cookie plate like it was some
lifeline. Caleb re-
mained quiet next to her. When she turned to him, he gave her a dark look, his lips pressed tight,
eyes angry.
She almost wanted to throw her hands up in the air and yell, “What could I have possibly done now?”
But she
didn’t. Instead, she didn’t say anything, because she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong and he
was just in one
of his moods. She turned to the office stairs, setting the cookies down for Brian and Peter on her way,
and started
the climb in her heels.
Once in the office, like always, she got to work and tried not to look at Caleb at all, but failed. By the
time that she left, she realized that they’d only spoken a handful of words to one another. She told
herself that it was probably for the best.
THIRTEEN
What the fuck is wrong with me? Caleb thought the next evening, all too aware that Maddie was
studiously doing
her best to completely ignore his presence and wondering why it bothered him so damn much. This
was what he
wanted. This was why he’d lashed out at her, to keep her at arm’s length.
Caleb’s uncle had always called him fickle, no matter how steadfast he tried to be. His rising
restlessness only
proved it.
And his fucking jealousy. Jesus. When Maddie told Luke she had a date the night before, he’d wanted
to
punch something. He hadn’t been prepared for the unexpected burn deep in his gut. He felt like he
was strug-
gling against a force he knew would eventually consume him. He was beginning to wonder why he
should deny the
inevitable.
Because whenever he thought about Maddie, she was inevitable. That scared the shit out of him.
How could
one woman, who’d crashed into his life a week ago, have this much hold over him? They barely knew
each other.
Every exchange between them had ended in insult or hurt. Yet, something about her was magnetic.
She wasn’t the
most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but there was something honest and open about her that
Caleb craved.
Something naive that he wanted to corrupt. Something innocent that he wanted to seize.
If she was smart, she’d run and never look back.
He had to remind himself more and more often that she didn’t need him in her life. She had a good
future.
She was a student with bright ambition. Caleb imagined that she came from a loving family, despite
the tragedy of
her father’s sudden death. She probably had a handful of good, close friends. She probably had a cat
or a goldfish
or read before she went to bed or cooked a homemade meal each night. She didn’t need someone
like him. He’d
fuck everything up.
So why couldn’t he keep his eyes off her? He didn’t know why he continued to allow her to work in
the same of-
fice as him, since he got nothing fucking done when she was here. There was a perfectly good office
downstairs for
when customers came in. Why didn’t he set her up there?
You know why, he thought, as his treacherous gaze sought her across the office.
Maddie’s eyes were focused on the screen of the laptop. A stack of papers, receipts, and invoices sat
next to
her. She would nibble on her lip every few moments, looking so damned adorable that Caleb clutched
at the edge
of his desk so he wouldn’t get up and do something he would regret later.
For a brief moment, their eyes met and Caleb immediately looked away, swallowing hard. He
wondered what
prick was taking her out on Saturday and wondered why he loathed the faceless, nameless man as
much as he did.
He stared at the screen of his computer. And then opened up his email, telling himself that he needed
to do
something and he had hundreds of emails to sort through. He resolved not to look in Maddie’s
direction for the
rest of the night.

Twenty minutes later, when he couldn’t concentrate on emails any longer, his eyes strayed to his desk
phone
and realized he hadn’t checked the voicemail today. He dialed it up and sat for five minutes, listening
to client re-
quests for restorations and making notes. But the last voicemail made his blood run cold.
“Mr. Montgomery, my name is Carl Riggs. I’m sorry to inform you that Stella Montgomery has passed
away.
You’re listed as a beneficiary in her last will and testament and the reading will take place next week.
Please call me
at your earliest convenience. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
The lawyer left his phone number and a few other details, but Caleb wasn’t listening. Stella
Montgomery, his
uncle’s ex-wife, Caleb’s aunt, the woman he hated most in the world, was dead.
Before Caleb could fully process that fact, he was shaking. With relief, fury, and dark memories.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Not now. God, not now.
He pressed his trembling palms into his jeans, clenching the tight material between his fingers.
Frantically, his
eyes sought Maddie, needing something to ground him.
He felt like he was sixteen again and helpless. He felt like he was in his dark bedroom and he
watched, heart
pounding, as the door slowly swung open.
* * *
“Caleb?” Maddie asked before she realized it, slowly rising from her chair. She’d happened to glance
up at him
and what she saw frightened her. Caleb was pale, a sheen of sweat on his forehead despite the
coolness of the
office. His lips were pressed tight, his eyes glazed. He shook his head, but then let it collapse into his
palms until
his face was shielded.
“Fuck,” she heard him whisper. “Fuck.”

“Caleb, what is it?” she asked with a little more urgency. “Are you sick?”
“No,” he said, his voice raspy. “It’ll pass. I—”
But then he cut himself off, shooting up from his desk with an angry, pained curse, and heading
towards the of-
fice door. Baffled and more than a little concerned, Maddie watched as he escaped, his footsteps
falling hard and
unsteady on the metal staircase outside the door. After a brief moment of deliberation, she
abandoned her work
and went after him.
The garage downstairs was quiet. Brian and Peter had already left; the doors were already closed for
the night.
But Maddie spotted Caleb slip out of a door on the far left side of the garage. She followed.
The door led to a small concrete patio outside and it appeared to be a break area for the employees.
It was pitch
black out and the light that should’ve illuminated the small space was broken, cobwebs weaving up
the sides.
After Maddie’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she spotted Caleb crouched down in a corner, his back
to the wall
of the building, his head in his hands.
Maddie’s heart was pounding and she took a few tentative steps towards him. “Caleb, what in the
—”
“Just go back inside,” he snarled, his voice rough and angry. But underneath, Maddie thought she
detected
confusion or hurt, so she continued to approach.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong. Should I call someone?”
“No,” he bit out. “Just leave me the fuck alone.”
Maddie couldn’t tell if he was in physical pain or if he was having some kind of panic attack. If either
was true,
she had no idea what she could do for him, but one thing was for sure: she wouldn’t leave him alone,
no matter
how much he tried to make her.
So, she crouched down in front of him and reached out to touch his shoulder, slowly, as though he
was a wild
animal in need of taming. “Caleb.”
He flinched at her touch and finally showed his face. He was still pale and he was shaking. His hands
trem-
bled as he pushed her hand away. “Don’t touch me,” he said hoarsely, but his tone lacked its usual
viciousness. It
was panicked.
“Caleb,” Maddie whispered. “How can I help you?”
“Please don’t touch me.”
“Okay, I won’t. I promise,” she said slowly. She planted her palms on the cold concrete. “I’ll keep
them right
here.”
He drew in a shuddering breath, looking down at her hands. Even through the darkness, Maddie
could perceive
how frantic his eyes looked. Something in her ached when she looked at them and suddenly, she
knew what this
was about. At least, she thought she did. And if she was right, all she wanted to do was hold him.
Caleb’s breaths were coming out fast, like he couldn’t get enough air. Maddie wondered if anyone
had seen
him like this. And in the back of her mind, she knew that he’d resent her even more once this was
over. He would
think this was a weakness, one that no one should know about.
But for now, she wanted to do everything she could to help him. He’d helped her, all those years ago,
even if he
didn’t remember. Not just when her father died, but once more, when she’d made a fool of herself in
front of the
entire school cafeteria. He’d been the only one to come to her aid then and she wanted to repay his
kindness in
full, even if he didn’t want it.
“Can I do anything?” she whispered.
“No,” he croaked.
So, Maddie simply stayed with him. Caleb looked at her for a while, their eyes connected, not saying
anything at
all, and Maddie stared right back. It wasn’t uncomfortable, not in the least. It was simply…
acceptance.
Maddie didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually, Caleb’s breaths shallowed and the
trembling
slowed.
“Do you want me to get you something to eat? Or maybe some water?” she asked, quietly, almost
afraid to
break the lengthy silence between them.
He shook his head.
“Okay. How about I drive you home?”
“No,” he rasped, sounding like he’d just swallowed a handful of sand. “I’ll stay here tonight.”
Maddie didn’t argue with him. Something in his expression told her that he needed to, not because
he wanted
to.
“I can’t go back there,” he murmured quietly, almost to himself, like he forgot she was there.
“Where?”
“To his house. To her house. Jesus, I don’t know,” he said, pinching his brow. “Fuck, I can’t think.”
“Shhh, just rest, Caleb,” she said soothingly.
Another silence dropped between them and Maddie couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her. It
was a cold
November night and she’d left her jacket upstairs. And now that she wasn’t scared that Caleb might
be sick or
going through some sort of mental breakdown, the frigid air hit her like ice picks.
Caleb eventually noticed and said, “You should go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Maddie immediately shook her head. “No, I’m not leaving you. Not yet.”
The old Caleb had yet to return, but his lips still flattened into a grim line. “I’m fine, Maddie. It’ll
pass.”
“Then come back inside.”
“I…I can’t. Not yet.”
“Then I won’t either.” She sat more comfortably on the cement, but continued to keep her hands
planted, just
as she promised.
“Jesus,” Caleb whispered, staring at her. An annoyed spark lit up his eyes and Maddie was relieved to
see it
return. “You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, with a small half smile. “My father would be proud.”
Caleb made a sound and for a second, Maddie thought it might have been the beginnings of a startled
laugh.
But this was Caleb they were talking about and she’d never heard him laugh before, or even genuinely
smile when it
wasn’t a sarcastic smirk.
Slowly, Caleb stood from his crouched position, looking down at her sitting cross-legged on the
ground.
“Come here then if you’re cold,” he told her.
She blinked up at him, her heart skipping a beat. “What?”
“Come here,” he said again, gruffly.
Maddie didn’t know what ‘come here’ even meant, but she hesitantly pushed up from the concrete
and drew
closer to him. Caleb took her by the shoulders and gently pushed her into the wall.
“Keep your hands there,” he told her, placing them against the building wall. “And don’t touch me.”
“Okay,” she said, surprised she could even form that one word through the lump in her throat.
Caleb drew their bodies together, their fronts pressed tight, his warmth suddenly seeping into her
shivering
skin. She almost lifted her palms to pull him closer, but resisted at the last moment. Then he bent his
head down
and tucked it into the side of her face. His palms held her upper arms tightly, but she didn’t mind.
“Better?” he asked, drawing in a shuddering breath. She could feel how fast his heart was pounding,
an after-
effect of his panic attack most likely. She nodded against him, afraid to speak. “I just need a few
more minutes
out here. I just…I need this.”
This was, by far, one of the most surreal, strange moments of her entire life. Standing outside in the
dark, sur-
rounded by cigarette butts and empty soda cans, being held by a man she was convinced hated her, as
he tried to
calm himself down. She wondered if she would wake up at any moment. Or perhaps find that this
was all one big
daydream and she was still in a lecture hall or in the library or in Caleb’s office.
Either way, she didn’t know what to believe.
It was nice though. Caleb was warm and solid and he smelled like a bonfire in the woods on a cold
night, all
smoke and musk and forest.
They stood together for more than a few minutes because Maddie unconsciously counted the seconds
in her
head. She reached 472 before Caleb’s heart slowed to an almost normal pace. She reached 648
before his trem-
bling stopped completely. She reached 829 seconds before she felt his head lower into her neck,
before she felt the
tip of his nose trace a line to a sensitive spot behind her ear.
“C-caleb,” she whispered in surprise.
He didn’t say anything in response, although Maddie didn’t quite know what she wanted him to say.
A moment
later, he kissed her neck, the soft flesh of his lips brushing her skin. Maddie pressed her hands harder
against the
wall, staring at the the soft material of Caleb’s t-shirt, eyes wide.
His breath was scorching against her neck. His hands gripped her arms tighter. Between their bodies,
his
shaft hardened, shocking her. She’d never been in a situation like this and she was both terrified and
excited. She
felt like the world was tilting on its axis and she would fall off at any moment.
Caleb’s lips followed the curve of her jawline. Maddie shifted her head to the side, just a little bit, and
then their
lips met.
A sharp, surprised inhale from Caleb. A small gasp from Maddie. And then her eyes slid shut and all
she
could think about was Caleb’s lips on her own.
25-going-on-70 Maddie, as Kyra liked to call her, had never been kissed before, except when she was
six-years-old,
stealing kisses from boys on the playground. But those didn’t count. This kiss…this kiss certainly did.
For a man who hadn’t kissed a woman in almost eight years, Caleb made her head spin. He was both
demand-
ing and gentle, taking her lips hungrily before softly stroking her tongue with his own. Nibbling on her
bottom lip
before soothing it with a delicious suck. Maddie wanted to clutch him closer, wanted to bury her
hands in his thick
hair, wanted so many things that she felt like her skin was too tight.
All too soon, it was over. Caleb stumbled away from her, breathing hard, and the cold air that took
his place
made her shiver. Her body felt heavy, the space between her thighs aching with want and unfulfilled
desire. Her
lips felt swollen and she saw Caleb glance at them before he turned away, murmuring, “Fuck. Fuck!”
Dread was already beginning to pool in her belly, but Caleb surprised her. Instead of the cutting
remark she ex-
pected, he told her, almost gently, “You need to go home. Right now.”
She wanted to argue. She wanted him to kiss her again. She wanted to stay with him, to make sure
he was all
right.
She didn’t do any of these things. Shaken, like a coward, she murmured, “Okay.”
Maddie pushed away from the wall on shaking legs. With one last look at Caleb, she turned back
towards the
door, pushing it open before hurrying upstairs to the office to collect her purse and jacket.
She only felt like she could breathe again once she was in the safety of her own car.
Her first kiss…and she didn’t know whether it was the most exciting moment of her life, or the most
devastating.
FOURTEEN
Maddie stayed in her car once she arrived back at her apartment. The drive hadn’t helped calm her
nerves and
she desperately needed to talk to someone, to figure out what in the world had just happened
between her and
Caleb. So, she fished her phone out of her purse and dialed Kyra, the one person she knew with the
most expe-
rience with men.
“I don’t know if I did something stupid or not,” Maddie told her once her best friend picked up.
There was a pause on Kyra’s end. And then, “Please tell me you did something dirty with him.”
“It…it wasn’t dirty,” Maddie started uneasily. Despite her words, Kyra shrieked excitedly on the other
end and
Maddie had to hold her phone away to prevent permanent hearing loss. “He kissed me. Or…I guess
maybe I
kissed him? I don’t know. Everything happened so fast.”
“Oh my God, oh my God.”
Maddie sighed, placing an elbow on the steering wheel and propping her head up with her palm. The
same
palm Caleb had placed against the wall of the garage, telling her not to move.
“Okay, so wait, why is this a bad thing?” Kyra asked. “This is progress towards Caleb Montgomery
popping
your cherry.”
Maddie groaned and cringed at the same time. “Ugh, can you not describe it like that?”
“Was it good? Did you like it?”
“Of course I—” she cut herself off because she wasn’t actually sure. The kiss was good. Amazing.
Fantastic. Everything she’d ever wanted when she’d fantasized about kissing Caleb all those years ago
in high
school. It was when the kiss ended that doubts began to plague her. Those she didn’t like so much.
“I don’t
know. It’s complicated.”
“Start from the beginning.”
She was hesitant to. She didn’t want to tell Kyra that Caleb had a panic attack in his office and that he
needed to
go outside to calm down. It felt like she was betraying him somehow because she knew he would
never want any-
one to know about it. The fact that it happened while she was in the office would probably bite her
on the ass
tomorrow.
So, instead, Maddie told Kyra that they’d had a little fight—which wasn’t necessarily a lie because
they had had a
fight on Saturday and had barely spoken since—and he stormed out of the office. Maddie followed
him and they
talked.
“And then he noticed I was cold since I hadn’t brought a jacket with me. And he held me to keep me
warm,”
Maddie said quietly, remembering the shock and giddiness she’d felt. “And then it just kind of
happened. Sud-
denly we were kissing. Then, he broke away…and he told me to leave.”
Maddie heard Kyra blow out a breath on the other end. “Okay, don’t move.”
“What?”
“This calls for a proper night in. And we will analyze the shit out of this.”
Maddie swallowed. “What if it’s not a big deal? What if it didn’t mean anything?”
“Nonsense. Caleb Montgomery kissed you. Since when did that not mean anything?”
Kyra came over a half an hour later, armed with hot chocolate and popcorn, Maddie’s favorite
combination.
“Okay, let’s get down to business,” Kyra declared, clapping her hands together gleefully like they were
about to
solve the most important mystery in the history of mankind. Maddie supposed that in her mind, they
probably
were. Kyra had also had a little crush on Caleb in high school, although not to the extent of Maddie’s.
Kyra had
even tried to flirt with him once since they shared their gym period together, but apparently, he’d
shut her down
cold. Kyra had never quite gotten over it. “Tell me again, play-by-play.”
Maddie sighed, already digging into the popcorn, settling down on her small couch. She told her
again, trying
to clearly remember the lie she told so she wouldn’t mess it up the second time around.
“He so wants you,” Kyra declared, triumphantly.
Maddie’s stomach fluttered. In a way, she already knew that. She’d felt his…ahem…erection pressed
against
her earlier tonight. She’d seen the desire in his eyes that night in his office when he helped her pick
up papers off
the floor. For some reason, Caleb did want her…at least physically.
“Even if he does, he won’t do anything about it,” Maddie said, hearing the truth in her words even
though she
didn’t want to. “He doesn’t want me.”
Maddie knew that he was struggling with something. One minute, he seemed to want her, the next
he was
telling her that she was desperate. One minute, he was kissing her, the next he was telling her to
leave. How ex-
hausting it must be for him, that constant battle in his mind. Wouldn’t it be easier to just let go? How
bad could
the consequences seriously be?
Maddie sighed, suddenly tired. “I met his friend.”

“Who?”
Maddie shook her head. “No one you know. His name was Luke. Him and his girlfriend stopped by
the
garage last night. He knew about me. He knew my name.”
Kyra bounced excitedly on the couch. “Don’t you see? That’s all the proof you need! If he’s telling his
friends
about you, it means you’re important to him in some way.”
Maddie bit her lip, feeling her face heat up. “What if it wasn’t like that? What if he told them that I
basically
threw myself at him? Don’t guys brag about stuff like that?”
“Do you honestly think Caleb would brag about something like that to his friends?”
No, Maddie didn’t think he would. She couldn’t picture him drinking with his buddies, laughing over
his con-
quests…or almost-conquests. It just didn’t seem like him.
A little relieved, Maddie shook her head.
“Good. Now, we just need a plan for you to bag him.”
Maddie laughed, throwing a kernel of her popcorn at her. “You’re crazy. You make me sound like I’m
going to
kidnap him or something.”
“Basically. You gotta be crazy to get the good ones.”
Was Caleb a ‘good one’ though? Maddie would’ve answered yes in high school. Hell, she probably
would’ve
answered yes last week. But Maddie had seen a side of Caleb she wasn’t sure she liked. He could be
mean. He
could be nasty. He would say whatever the hell he wanted if he felt threatened by her. He’d lashed
out too many
times for Maddie to feel completely comfortable in his presence.
Then she remembered him tonight, shaking and crouched down in a dark corner. He’d let her see him
like
that—although Maddie supposed she hadn’t given him much of a choice. She wondered how long
he’d been suf-
fering from episodes like that.

Long enough to know how to calm himself down, she thought sadly.
“It doesn’t matter,” Maddie finally said after a lengthy pause. “Because when I go into the office
tomorrow,
Caleb will just try and push me away again. He’ll say mean things to make me want to hate him.”
Kyra furrowed her brow. “That’s fucked up.”
“I know,” Maddie said. “But even if I haven’t known him long, I know what he’ll do. And I’m just not
sure that
I want someone like him in my life, someone who feels the need to hurt me whenever he feels
something for me.
That’s just a recipe for disaster.”
“So, you’re giving up?”
Maddie thought about it. Then said, “He’s not in a good place right now. He might never be. So,
unless he
miraculously discovers that he wants to try something more with me and gets his life together, then
yes, I have to
give up.”
“Damn,” Kyra said, leaning back into the couch, staring at her wide-eyed. “Who are you and what
have you
done with my best friend, Maddie? You know, the one who’s been obsessed with Caleb since she first
laid eyes on
him? Who scribbled ‘Mrs. Montgomery’ in all her notebooks? Who made us eat lunch in the quad so
she could
see him at lunch?”
Maddie smiled sadly and lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug, despite her embarrassed flush. “I guess she
grew up
and realized that her prince charming wasn’t all that charming after all.”
Later that night, once Maddie’s last bottle of wine was emptied and they were both full of popcorn
and hot
chocolate, they laid on their backs on the living room floor. The people who lived above Maddie
sounded like they
were doing an intensive cardio workout that included a lot of jumping jacks and high kicks. Their
rhythm was
strangely calming.
“Remember in high school,” Kyra suddenly started with a wistful, nostalgic tone, “when Anne heard
from a
classmate that Caleb was going to some gig in San Francisco and she’d happened to mention it to
you?”
Maddie’s groan turned into an embarrassed laugh. “Yeah.”
“And none of us were old enough to drive yet so you made us all take BART in and we got lost near
the
Tenderloin?”
“Most terrifying night of my life,” Maddie muttered. “Remember that homeless man who chased
after us?”
Kyra laughed. “And we hid behind the dumpsters near Westfield?”
Maddie smiled. “That probably wasn’t the greatest of my ideas. We couldn’t even find the gig. But I
was
obsessed. A high school crush is a dangerous thing. Throw in raging hormones and it’s an absolute
disaster.”
“But that’s just it, I always thought that it went beyond a crush for you,” Kyra said.
“What do you mean?”
Kyra nibbled on her lip. “I had a crush on Caleb. I got over it in like, two days. Anne had a crush on
Caleb.
She got over it when she met Bobby. Almost every girl in our high school had a crush on Caleb
Montgomery at
some point. It was practically a rite of passage back then.”
“Are you saying that I was the creepy girl in high school who never stopped having a crush on Caleb?”
Maddie
joked. Sad, but it was partially true.
“No, I’m saying that what you felt for him went beyond what everyone else felt.”
Maddie shrugged, a little embarrassed. “Like I said, raging teenage hormones.”
“No, not that. It was like you alone could see something in him that no one else could. He was special
to
you. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s no shame in admitting it. It’s just a shame he
turned out to be
a complete asshole.” Kyra turned her head slightly to look at her, a small smile on her lips. “He’ll
never know how
wonderful you really are. That’s his loss.”
“Stop, before you make me cry,” Maddie joked even though her throat had already started to burn at
the words.
Maddie had never told Kyra or Anne about the day that Caleb sat with her in the courtyard after her
father died.
She’d never told anyone actually; it was their little secret. And while Caleb probably forgot about the
moment the
second he left once the bell rang that day, she’d carried that memory with her for years. Maybe she
had felt some-
thing deeper for him, but that was because he’d given her a reason to.
But she was 25-years-old now. She wasn’t a teenager any more, harboring an unrequited crush. Her
adult self
told her that Caleb Montgomery was heartbreak waiting to happen. She’d be a fool to put herself in
his path.
FIFTEEN
The next evening, Caleb was in the garage when he saw Maddie’s car pull into the lot. Brian had
already left—it
was date night with his wife, something that continued to amuse Caleb years after he found out about
their monthly
outings—but Peter was still hanging around, sketching on a plastic chair, his face rapt with
concentration.
Caleb had pushed himself to work tirelessly all day. The first thing he’d done that morning was return
the
lawyer’s call and tell him that he wanted no part in the will reading whatsoever. He didn’t want
anything of his un-
cle’s ex-wife, absolutely nothing. The unconcealed fury in his voice convinced the lawyer of that and
the poor man
had been hasty to end the call, saying that the money his aunt had left him—guilt money, as far as
Caleb was con-
cerned—would be donated.
And that was that. The thought of his aunt dead filled Caleb with the purest relief and the greatest
misery be-
cause it drudged up memories he wanted forgotten. He hadn’t slept at all the night before, had
tossed and turned
on the floor of his office, and grappled with control over himself. Thinking of Maddie, how right she’d
felt against
him, helped and seemed to keep him calm. But those thoughts also brought up a whole new set of
problems that
he didn’t have the energy or time to deal with.
Caleb wiped his brow, pushing himself out from underneath the car he was working on. He’d
volunteered to
take over Brian’s work for the night, but the truth was that he needed to. He needed something to
take his mind off
the woman who was making her way towards them. Dressed in a flowy skirt that hit right above her
knees, sheer
black tights, and a light pink sweater, Maddie looked every inch the innocent seductress Caleb knew
her to be.
And those damn, fucking heels again…Jesus.
Her nails were painted a dark burgundy today, he noticed, when he watched her push a strand of hair
out of her
face. He tried to ignore the way his body tightened with want and forced himself to look away.
Busying himself
with cleaning off his tools at the work bench, he heard her greet Peter in a chipper tone.
“Hi, Maddie,” the shy teen responded.
“Are you going to show me more of your drawings today?” she asked, seeming to ignore the fact that
Caleb was
only a few feet away, which irritated him.
“Um…” was Peter’s only response. Maddie was a cunning and determined little thing and soon, a
somewhat
baffled Peter found himself presenting his notebook to her. Caleb remembered those big brown eyes
of hers and
the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and how fucking persuasive they could
be. It was al-
most amusing how easily Peter caved, especially when Caleb wasn’t the one on the receiving end.
And as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, Caleb tried to forget the feel of her body against
his own, the
sweet smell of her skin as he ran his nose up her soft neck, the taste of her lips, the sound of her
breath and her
heartbeat hammering into his chest.
The wrench he’d been cleaning fumbled out of his grip and clattered on the concrete. He took a
steadying
breath and he stooped down to retrieve it. All it took to shut off those thoughts was thinking about
what led up to
that kiss…when Maddie saw him at his weakest.
In the background, Peter was making excuses for his work, saying, “That piece isn’t finished yet. I
haven’t got
the bird quite right. I don’t like that one. I need to fix the hand there.”
Which was a shame, because Peter was talented, even if the kid didn’t think so himself. Peter had
been the
artist of one of Caleb’s tattoos after all. And he wouldn’t have gotten it inked onto his body unless
he’d absolutely
loved the design.
“Have you ever thought about pursuing this?” Maddie asked, engrossed in his drawings, turning page
after page
of the notebook.
Peter paused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean like going to an art school. Or entering your drawings into contests. I can get you a list of
contests in
the Bay Area. A friend of mine helps judge some of them and a lot are for teenagers like you. I could
show her
your work, if you’d like, to see what she thinks.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Peter mumbled, the tips of his ears turning red. “I don’t think I’d win anyway.”
“I think you’ve got a great shot! I’ve taken my fair share of art and design courses in college and I can
say that
these are all very good.”
“I don’t know,” he replied, looking down at his feet.
Caleb knew that Peter wouldn’t ask for help. The poor kid came from a bad family. His dad was
drunk most of
the time and his mom had seen her fair share of drugs and was hardly ever at home. Peter had told
him once that
he’d come home one day to find his mom and another man fucking on the couch, his dad passed out
cold in the
next room. The teenager had been on the verge of tears, but Caleb knew that he wouldn’t let a single
drop fall.
When Caleb’s uncle had hired Peter, it’d been technically illegal since Peter hadn’t been sixteen yet.
But John
had given him cash under the table since things were so bad at home. Now that Peter was sixteen it
didn’t matter
much anymore, but Caleb gave him overtime hours whenever he could find them.
Maddie sensed his hesitation because she closed his notebook and smiled. “Well, you can think about
it and
I’ll bring you the list on Monday just in case you change your mind. It doesn’t hurt to have options.”
Peter didn’t say anything, just took his sketches and sat back down in his chair.
Maddie eyed Caleb, taking in the grease stains and dirty hands. Caleb resisted the urge to cringe
under her
gaze.
“Hi,” she said. “How are you?”
“Aren’t we past the point of pleasantries, princess?” he asked, wiping his hands on an even dirtier
rag. He really
needed to run them through the wash soon. Caleb figured he’d better get this over with. “I need to
talk to you up-
stairs.”
Caleb was having a difficult time reading her expression, which was abnormal. Maddie was like an
open book,
everything deliciously exposed for him to see. Not now, however; her features were guarded and that
bothered him.
She gave a curt nod. “Okay.”
She followed him up the stairs to his office, her heels clicking on the metal, every step tightening his
body,
putting him even more on edge. Caleb held the door open for her and she brushed past him inside,
setting her
purse down next to her workstation.
For the first time, Caleb noticed a change in the office. It was the smell. Instead of old cigarette
smoke and the
constantly diminishing smell of his uncle’s aftershave, there was an underlying scent that was
undeniably Maddie.
For some reason, the knowledge rocked him, like she was slowly weaving herself into his life, like little
seeds sprout-
ing roots.
Dumbstruck, he let the door close behind him with a loud bang and Maddie eyed him, facing him
fully.
“Look,” she started, taking a deep breath, “I already know what you’re going to say, so I’ll just save
you the
trouble. I’m just going to completely forget about last night.”
Caleb stilled. Whatever he thought she’d say, that hadn’t been it.
“It never happened, as far as I’m concerned and it was such a…an odd mistake. I can assure you that
it won’t
happen again. So no need to yell at me, or tell me that I shouldn’t expect anything from you, because
quite frankly,
I don’t. So, now that we’ve gotten that taken care of, I can handle things from here. You can go back
downstairs if
you’re busy.”
What the fuck? Was she excusing him?
As Caleb’s mind scrambled to play catch up, he had the strongest notion that he should be offended.
What she
said was, most likely, exactly what Caleb would’ve said, but she thought that what happened last
night was an odd
fucking mistake? And was he really that predictable to her?
His hands clenched at his sides but he didn’t move a single inch.
And why did it irritate the hell out of him that she didn’t expect anything from him? Because he was
completely
fucked in the head, that’s why. She’d said everything that he’d thought he wanted her to
understand. So why did
he feel defeated instead of relieved?

It was like a slap across the face. And, he realized with dawning dismay that, once again, Maddie had
gotten a
leg up on him. It was a power play. She knew what he’d say so she threw the words back in his face
before he
could even open his mouth.
There was one thing that Caleb wouldn’t allow and that was feeling powerless when it came to
women. He
knew of one way to immediately remedy it, a crazy idea, but one that his mind latched onto before he
could think of
another alternative.
Before Maddie could say another word, Caleb took a few steps towards her, ignoring the way her eyes
widened in
confusion, grabbed her behind the neck, and kissed her.
A surprised, muffled sound came from Maddie right before Caleb’s tongue swept inside, stroking her,
almost
groaning at how good she felt. She stood stiff with shock against him, but after Caleb nibbled on her
bottom lip,
she softened. Caleb would’ve grinned, if he wasn’t too busy exploring every inch of her mouth,
savoring it.
She didn’t clutch at him, like he half expected her to, and a small part of him was glad. As though she
remem-
bered the night before, when he’d placed her hands against the cold wall of the building, Maddie kept
her hands
firmly clasped at her sides. A thought entered his mind and shook him. What would it be like to feel
her hands in
his hair, running down his chest, raking down his back? Caleb almost shuddered at the image, his cock
pulsing in
his jeans.
When Caleb pulled away, their breaths were labored. Maddie’s cheeks were flushed, her lips red,
whisker burn
on her face since Caleb hadn’t shaved in a couple days. The look of her did things to him, made him
want things
he couldn’t have.
He had to remind himself why he’d kissed her in the first place, but the excuse felt so hollow in his
chest now,
especially since all he wanted was to drag her against his body again and stay in the office all night.
Distance, his mind screamed. Too close, too close.
His voice was gravelly and rough when he spoke. “You do like to be kissed, don’t you, princess?”
Maddie blinked, trying to make sense of his words. A masculine smugness filled him. The knowledge
that
he’d kissed her senseless made him feel high.
“Damn, I could kiss you all day long,” he whispered, staring down at her lips. When she leaned in
towards him,
he pulled his head back an inch, his eyes snapping up to hers. “But let’s not forget who’s in charge
here.”
With that, he stepped away. She had a smudge of grease on the delicate flesh of her neck, where he’d
grabbed
her. The sight of it equally disturbed and enthralled him. It was primitive, the thought that he’d
marked her in
some way. But it was also something that didn’t belong on her skin. It was too dark, too filthy. It
belonged in
Caleb’s world, not hers.
He saw the moment when she realized she’d been played. An understanding made her blush, but
what fasci-
nated him even more was the stubbornness that rose right along with it.
“You’re playing games,” she accused him, her lips still reddened from his kiss.
“Yes,” he said. “And I play them very well.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. It made him want to kiss all the
feistiness out
of her. “But you underestimate me, like always.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” he said, repeating her words with a smirk. She made a frustrated sound in
the back of
her throat, almost like a growl. “Claws coming out, princess?”
“Maybe.”
“Good,” he said, turning from her and opening the door. He still had to finish up Brian’s work. “On
occasion,
I may even let you get a scratch in.”
A sudden, strange calmness settled over her face, making it impossible to read her yet again. Caleb
frowned.
“No need,” she said, almost nonchalantly, turning towards her workstation and booting up the
laptop. “I think I
already did.”
Her words sunk in. And on his way out, Caleb slammed the door with more force than necessary.
But when he resumed his work in the garage, he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of
his kiss-
stung lips.
Maddie - 1
Caleb - 0
Let the games begin, he thought.
SIXTEEN
All Caleb did was grunt when she greeted him late Saturday afternoon. Maddie hadn’t been quite
sure what to
expect but his mood didn’t surprise her. The man had more mood swings than a woman going
through
menopause.
Then in the corner of the office, nearest his desk, she saw a wadded up jacket and an old grey
blanket. Maddie
frowned. Had he slept here again? She didn’t know why the sight of his makeshift bed bothered her
so much.
Before she realized it, she asked, “Did you stay here again last night?”
Caleb scowled. And that was the only answer she needed.
“You should at least get a good pillow,” she found herself saying when all her mind was telling her
was to shut
the hell up.
Caleb leveled her with a dark look, like he couldn’t believe she actually had the nerve to lecture him
on pillows of
all things.
He might not appreciate her concern, but he caught her looking at him massage the back of his neck
about an
hour later. The look he gave her dared her to say something, but Maddie wisely kept her big mouth
shut.
Another hour after that, she leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh and stretched out her
hands. “That’s
2012 done,” she murmured. Just two years and 11 months more to go until this office was officially
organized. She
didn’t know how John Montgomery had survived tax season for as long as he did with no audit in
sight, but Maddie
was almost impressed.
“Good,” Caleb said. “Get started on 2013.”
Maddie looked at the time. It was a half hour to six and she needed to be on her way home. She had
a date to
get ready for and she still wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
“Aren’t you going out with your friends tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t you want to get ready?”
Caleb gave her a smirk from across the office and Maddie was torn between wanting to slap it off his
face or
kissing those surprisingly soft lips again.
“Why don’t you just ask me if you can leave, princess?”
Maddie almost rolled her eyes. He’d remembered her plans for the night. He knew she had
somewhere to be
and yet again he was dangling it over her head with an imaginary fishing pole. “I could just walk out.”
“I could just magically lose one of your gift cards.”
Maddie forced a smile. “Oh, I didn’t know you liked Sephora. By all means, go ahead. I’ll go to bed
smiling
tonight knowing I helped you buy a new shade of lipstick that really compliments your skin tone.”
His jaw ticked, but Maddie thought he looked almost amused, not irritated. “Get started on 2013.”
Maddie stood up from her chair after she saved her work and shut down the laptop. “I have
somewhere I need
to be.”
“Oh, like on your date?” Caleb sneered and if Maddie didn’t know any better she’d say he was
jealous. But this
was Caleb Montgomery they were talking about and the thought of him getting jealous over her date
was so ridicu-
lous she didn’t even entertain it, no matter how much a part of her secretly wanted it to be true.
“Yes, actually. Unlike you, I can’t just put on a new t-shirt and call it a day. There’s a process.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Do you know how long it takes women to get ready for dates?” she asked, rounding her work station
to grab her
jacket sprawled out on one of the filing boxes. She shrugged into it just as Caleb stood. “Hours.”
“You look fine,” he replied, his voice verging on reluctance.
Maddie paused as she bent down to retrieve her purse. “What?” Did Caleb Montgomery just say she
looked
‘fine’? Was the world ending?
“Nothing,” he said, another scowl settling onto his features. Not like it ever really left…
“If that’s your version of a compliment, I’ll take it. Why, Caleb, I don’t think you’ve ever said anything
nicer to
me than saying I looked ‘fine,’” she teased. “I better prick my ego to let some air out or my head
won’t fit through
the door.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “You can stay another hour before getting ready for your date.”
“Why do you keep saying it like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you just stepped in something gross and it won’t come off the bottom of your shoe.”
“He’s probably a prick,” he grumbled. “You shouldn’t waste your time.”
“And now you’re giving me dating advice? When was the last time you went out on a date?”
Caleb raised his brows in that arrogant way that told her something along the lines of I don’t need to
date because
have you seen me?
Maddie silently, begrudgingly agreed. Besides, she couldn’t even picture Caleb out on a date. The
thought of
him in a nice button-up, wining and dining some girl was simply ludicrous. What she didn’t like was
the sharp,
unexpected stab of jealousy that went right along with that image.
She was going crazy.
“I’m leaving,” she declared, as if saying it out loud would make it true and propel her out the door.
“I’ll see you
tomorrow.”
But Caleb pushed the door closed, his body suddenly close and scalding hot against her own. Maddie
stared at
the dull, cracked wood of the door and felt Caleb’s breaths on the back of her neck.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.
Caleb let out a frustrated grunt. “I don’t know.”
His voice was rough. And Maddie realized that that was probably the most honest thing she’d ever
heard him
say. The thought softened her heart, just hearing how torn he sounded.
She turned to face him, his outstretched hand caging her in against the door. She could smell his soap
and that
woodsy scent that was unmistakably Caleb.
Maybe it was his proximity or the rapid pounding of her treacherous heart, but she opened her mouth
and
asked, “Are you going to kiss me again?”
Caleb stared down at her, his eyes unreadable and dark. Maddie watched them flick towards her lips
and then
back to her eyes. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “No. I only kissed you to
teach you a
lesson.”
Maddie cocked her head to the side and realized something. “You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m—” he cut himself off. “Jesus, you’re irritating.”
“So you’ve told me before,” she murmured, staring at him. They looked at each other for a few
moments,
silently. Then, she said, “I need to go now, Caleb.”
It took him another minute before he released his hold on the door. “Fine.” He backed away and
returned to
his desk. “But I expect you to make up for it tomorrow. I want to have this project done by next
weekend.”
“I’ll be done by Wednesday,” she said, feeling both disappointed and determined. After Wednesday,
would she
ever see him again?
He nodded, but wouldn’t look at her, so she did the only thing she could do and left.
* * *
Wednesday.
Suddenly, Caleb had an end date for whatever was going on between him and Maddie. The question
was…what
was he going to do about it?
His phone rang and Caleb glanced at it, seeing Luke’s name pop up on the screen. He was already
pissed off
that Maddie was probably home by now, getting ready for her fucking prick of a date. But he
accepted the call any-
way, even though Luke, out of all of his friends, was the one that knew how to push his buttons the
most.
“Just wanted to make sure you’re not going to bail tonight,” his friend said when he picked it up.
“I already said I was going to come.”
“Did you convince your girlfriend to come along?”
“Luke,” Caleb grated. Even the word ‘girlfriend’ set Caleb’s teeth on edge.
“No worries. I’m sure we can swing by her date and commandeer her anyway,” Luke said.
He was joking, completely joking, but Caleb’s mind latched onto the idea more quickly than he
thought
possible. Jesus, he was losing his fucking mind.
“Caleb?” Luke asked when there was a long, lengthy pause over the line.
What would she think if he showed up at Hemlock Tavern? More importantly, did he care what she
would
think? It was innocent. He just wanted to see who her date was…and to make sure he didn’t take
advantage of
her. Maddie was too trusting anyway. It wasn’t like he was going to interrupt the date or anything.
Yes, his intentions were practically angelic when he thought about it.
When he replied to Luke, his tone was slow and even, “I think there’s been a little change in plans.”
SEVENTEEN
Hemlock Tavern was packed, which wasn’t surprising on a Saturday night on Polk Street. Caleb
pushed his way
through the crowded bar area, earning glares and frowns, but he paid them no mind. He didn’t
particularly like
Hemlock Tavern. It catered to too many hipsters for his liking, but at least the lighting was dim and
there was a live
band.
His friends trailed after him, no doubt surprised by his sudden initiative when he’d told them they
were all head-
ing to Hemlock after a round of drinks at McTeague’s. Only Luke smirked, the bastard, and Kate knew
better than
to say anything.
Caleb spotted Maddie at the other end of the room and he stopped in his tracks, making Adam,
another good
friend of his, run into his back. But Caleb couldn’t take his eyes off Maddie. She’d curled her hair, the
soft waves
tumbling around her shoulders in abandon, and was wearing a thin-strapped floral dress that
managed to be both
demure and sexy as hell. The man next to her, a blonde with a scruffy jawline, leaned in close and
said something
that make her laugh.
And Caleb actually felt his heart fucking stutter.
Jesus Christ.
That put him in an even worse mood than he actually was. But he didn’t know if it was his reaction to
her or the
man next to her that made his mood darken.
“Move your ass, Caleb,” Luke hollered over the loud music, his words slurring a bit. For his size, Luke
was
somewhat of a lightweight. “We’re getting crushed back here.”
Shaking his head, Caleb managed to snag a table just around the corner from the main bar—but in
sight of
Maddie—beating out another large group who’d been hovering nearby, waiting for their chance.
“Hey man, we’ve been waiting for this table forever,” complained one of the aforementioned
hipsters. All Caleb
had to do was give him a look and the man was slowly backing away. “Never mind, all yours, pal.”
“Caleb, maybe we should let them have it,” Adam, always the nice one, commented.
“Sit down,” was all he replied, taking his own seat, which, naturally, had an unhindered view of the
woman driv-
ing him out of his fucking mind.
“Yeah, sit down, you sexy beast,” Christie, Adam’s girlfriend, chimed in, grabbing her boyfriend’s ass.
“Do you
know how long we’d be waiting for a table? It’s a goddamn miracle.” She craned her neck around to
look at Caleb
and winked. “I approve of your methods.”
Adam pushed his glasses up his nose, his cheeks going a little pink.
“I’m surrounded by immorality,” he grumbled, even as he took a seat next to Caleb, Christie following
closely
behind.
“Just wait until later,” Christie purred. “I can show you just how immoral I can be when it comes to
you.”
Alex coughed into his fist, trying to hide a grin, as he took a seat on the other side of Caleb, Olivia in
tow.
“Sometimes, I still can’t believe Adam’s getting laid at all.”
“Thanks,” Adam deadpanned, scrunching up his nose when he pushed away a sticky, half-empty pint.
“Our little virgin is all grown up,” Luke declared, wiping away an invisible tear. “I’m so proud.”
“Remind me why I even like you guys,” Adam said.
“So, Caleb,” Luke started and Caleb mentally braced himself. “See anything in here you particularly
like?”
He rolled his eyes when Luke started looking around, but he failed to spot Maddie, tucked away in a
corner with
her douche of a date and who Caleb assumed was the friend she’d spoken of with her date. Caleb’s
eyes briefly
paused on the friend, frowning when he thought she looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t place
her in his
mind.
“Yeah, why are we here?” Alex asked, eyeing him. “You hate this place.”
“Caleb’s brushing up on his stalking skills,” Luke replied, a wide grin on his face.
Olivia jolted in her seat. “Is she here?”
“Who’s she?” Christie asked, confused. But then realization struck her. “Is this the one Luke and Kate
met last
week?”
“Yes,” Kate replied, from her place beside Luke. “Maddie. She’s really sweet. I’m getting coffee with
her on
Monday.”
“That’s enough,” Caleb grated through a clenched jaw. Obviously, he’d underestimated how many
gossips he
had for friends.
Like he hadn’t even spoken, Alex asked, “Where is she?”

Like he would point her out to them…and just for good measure, he gave Luke and Kate a warning
look that said
don’t you dare point her out either.
“Let’s guess,” Christie said, bouncing up and down a little in her seat. “The one by the bar in the
purple dress?”
“No, too flashy for his tastes,” Alex speculated.
“The one with the headband right over there?”
“The one with the pink heels?”
“The one with the harem pants?”
“The one with the—”
“First round’s on me,” Caleb said, standing from his seat, and escaping to the bar. He liked his friends,
he re-
ally did. They’d been there for him for the past few years. They’d helped him when his uncle had
gotten sick and
when he’d eventually passed away. When the weight of his uncle’s business fell on his shoulders.
When he’d told
them about his aunt one drunken night. When he told them about his parents one drunken night.
And they’d
never judged him.
But fuck, sometimes they were too intrusive. He knew they just worried about him. They wanted him
to have
what they had…a good woman and a loving, supportive relationship. But they didn’t understand that
he wasn’t
wired for that. Not anymore. Caleb knew that even if he did have another relationship, it would be a
little fucked
up. It wouldn’t be normal. Sometimes, he would need to shut down. Sometimes, he’d say things he
didn’t mean
because he had a temper.
Yes, maybe he had fantasized about what something more would be like with Maddie. Would he
actually go
through with it? He didn’t think so.
So what the fuck are you doing here? he asked himself as he pushed his way to the front of the bar.
After he or-
dered the first round of drinks and waited for the bartender, he cast another glance at her. Suddenly,
his reasons
for wanting to make sure her date treated her right fell like lead. He knew he came here for purely
selfish reasons.
A part of him wanted to bolt out of the bar. A part of him wished they’d stay at McTeague’s. It was
too late for that
now.
When it came to Maddie, he thought that it was only a matter of time until they did something they
couldn’t
come back from. A part of him recognized the inevitability when it came to her. A part of him wanted
to give in,
but somehow he knew that if he did, nothing would ever be the same.
On his way back to the table, Caleb snuck another glance at her. He was proud when he didn’t drop
his tray full
of pints when he saw the bastard push a lock of that glorious hair away from her neck. Fire lit his gut,
making him
burn with restlessness.
He wished he had kissed her today in the office.
He deposited the drinks with a little more force than necessary when he arrived back at the table. His
friends
had wisely stopped speculating over who his mystery employee was, but they all eyed him curiously.
Caleb didn’t
even try to hide the fact that he was watching Maddie and Luke swiveled in his seat to follow his
gaze.
“Ah,” he said, smirking into his beer. “I’d never thought I’d see the day come when Caleb
Montgomery was
jealous over a woman.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Luke just laughed as the rest of the group craned their necks to see the woman in question.
“The one in the blue? Or the brunette in the dress?” Adam asked, pushing his glasses up his face for a
better
look, and Caleb shot him a dark look. Out of all of his friends, he figured Adam would be on his side.
Adam sim-
ply shrugged.
“The brunette,” Luke supplied helpfully.
“Aw, she’s so pretty, Caleb” Olivia said, like it was all Caleb’s doing for how pretty Maddie was.
“Who’s that
with her though?
“Her hot date,” Luke responded, throwing a smirk at him for good measure.
“Oh.”
“Let’s go over and say hi,” Luke suggested.
“Luke,” Kate said warningly, although she looked a little amused.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Caleb said, feeling a mild panic rise up in his chest. Because Luke would do
something like that.
And then, whether he was slightly drunk or just an obnoxious bastard, he turned in his seat and
yelled, “Hey,
Maddie!”
The world stopped for a brief moment. His loud voice carried over the music and Caleb watched as
Maddie
swung her head, her eyes landing on Luke, who was waving, even as Kate tried to shove his arm
down. The woman
must have the patience of a saint to be with Luke.
Caleb saw the moment recognition lit up her features and then her eyes scanned the table until they
connected
with his own.
And Caleb’s heart stuttered all over again.
* * *
He was here. He was here.
Caleb Montgomery was here. In Hemlock Tavern. With his friends. When she was on a double date
with
Kyra.
For a moment, Maddie’s mind didn’t compute any of this when her eyes found Caleb’s across the
crowded bar.
But there he was, looking at her with that dark gaze, nursing a pint of beer in his large hands.
And suddenly, Maddie knew it wasn’t simply a coincidence that he was here. This was another one of
his
games. She’d told him—well, maybe not him directly, but she’d told Luke and Kate when they came
to visit the
garage while he’d been standing there—where she’d be tonight.
Instead of irritating her, the idea that he’d come for her made her flustered.
“Who is that?” Kyra asked, once she’d turned in her seat to see who’d called out her name.
For a moment, Maddie couldn’t answer. And then, she managed, “Um, he’s a friend of Caleb’s.”
“Is he here?” Kyra asked in a low voice.
Maddie nodded. She had the strangest guilty sensation when she remembered that her date sat right
next to
her, whom she’d been having a great time with. Paul was handsome, charming, and he made her
laugh. No
complications. No second-guessing herself. With him, it was easy.
So why couldn’t she look away from the man sitting across the room?
“I should probably go say hi,” she said, glancing at Paul, who had his arm around the back of her seat.
“Do you
guys mind?”
“Not at all,” Paul said, smiling. He had a cute dimple in his left cheek. “As long as they don’t steal you
away.”
“No chance of that,” she promised, standing, smoothing out her dress with suddenly trembling palms.
“I’ll be
right back.”
As she walked towards their table, her eyes swept over Caleb’s friends. Luke and Kate were there, so
she didn’t
feel completely intimidated since she’d already met them, however briefly. She’d already made plans
with Kate on
Monday for coffee. But the rest of his friends, she studied.
She couldn’t help but notice that all of them were beautiful. A gorgeous dark-haired man in a crisp
button-
down had his arm wrapped around a curvy brunette with wide, blue eyes. Across from them sat an
equally gor-
geous man with floppy hair and wire-rim glasses and a stunning blonde in a flowing turquoise dress.
At the head of the table sat Caleb. He hadn’t changed clothes from when she’d seen him just a few
hours ago,
but his dark grey t-shirt molded to his broad shoulders and showed off the strong cords of muscle
lining his
bronzed arms. She watched as his eyes swept the length of her body, taking in her legs, the hem of
her dress, the
bared expanse of her shoulders and chest. And her heels. When she’d been dressing for her date,
she’d thought
of Caleb and picked out her sexiest heels with little black leather straps criss-crossing over her foot
and up to her
ankle. Even in the dim lighting, Maddie saw the way his hand tightened on his pint.
When his eyes connected with her own again, she saw the longing. Caleb Montgomery could deny it
all he
wanted, but he wanted her. The knowledge made her feel…powerful, which was a feeling she wasn’t
normally ac-
quainted with. It made her feel sexy and feminine, knowing that this proud, strong, gorgeous man
wanted her when
he could easily have any woman he wanted. He could point at any woman in this room, crook his
finger, and they’d
come running. Did it put an extra little swing in her step for his benefit? Hell yes. It was that or the
couple glass-
es of wine she’d had.
When she reached the table, Maddie felt flushed and out of breath. She stopped right by Caleb’s
elbow, so
close that she felt the heat radiating off of him.
“Hi,” she started. The table they were sitting at was high, so even though she was standing, it still put
him at
eye-level. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
He didn’t say anything, not like she expected him to. She turned her attention to Luke and Kate and
waved.
“Fancy seeing you here, Maddie,” Luke said, grinning. “Isn’t that right, Caleb? What a coincidence.”
Caleb’s hand tightened on the pint even more and Maddie looked at him before smiling at Luke and
Kate. “Nice
to see you guys again.”
“Since Caleb is too rude to introduce you, I’ll do the honors. This is Alex and Olivia,” gesturing to his
right at
the dark haired man and the curvy woman, “and this is Adam and Christie,” making a dramatic
sweeping motion
with his arm to the other couple. “Everyone, this is Maddie.”
“Hi,” she said to them, feeling a little bit awkward, more than aware that all of them were scrutinizing
her. “Nice
to meet you.”
“You work with Caleb?” Olivia asked, with a small, comforting smile. She had a very motherly vibe,
like she
knew Maddie was a bit intimidated by them all.
“Yes, I’m doing his bookkeeping,” she said, glancing at the man in question. “At least for a couple
more days.
I’m almost finished.”
“Do you live around here?” came another question, this time from Christie, if she remembered her
name cor-
rectly.
“No, I live in Concord actually, but I go to grad school in the city. I’m just out with some friends.”
Maddie ex-
plained, gesturing over to her own table. Christie asked her what she was studying and they chatted
for a few mo-
ments—Mad-die learned that Christie worked at a well-known art gallery—before an awkward silence
descended
and she glanced again at Caleb, wondering if he’d even acknowledge her.
When he didn’t, she looked back at the group and gave a small smile, hoping her disappointment
didn’t show.
“Well, I should probably get back, but I just wanted to come over and say hi really quickly. It was nice
meeting you
all.” She caught Kate’s eye. “And are we still on for Monday?”
“You got it,” the dark-haired woman smiled back. “I’ll text you the address.”
“Sounds great.”
“It was nice to meet you, Maddie,” which came from Alex, in a deep rumbly voice.
She smiled and gave them a brief wave. Then she turned to Caleb and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She’d only made it halfway back to her table when she felt a warm hand clasp her arm and Caleb was
turning her
around to face him. She was all too aware that every one of his friends was watching them and when
Caleb bent his
head towards her, Luke actually grinned.
“Let me come home with you tonight,” he rumbled in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
“What?” she whispered, wide-eyed, but even through the noise in the bar, she knew he’d heard her.
“Think about it.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she told him, pulling away to look him in the eye, her mind still
reeling.
“It isn’t,” he said, frowning. “But I don’t care anymore.”
Maddie watched him carefully. “Are you drunk?”
He seemed irritated by the suggestion. “No.”
“I’m here with someone, Caleb,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he said, more than a little irritated now. She watched as he tossed a glare over her
shoulder, in the
direction of her table. “Leave him. We can go right now.”
What scared her was that even though it was a crazy suggestion—absolutely ludicrous—she still
wanted to say
yes. Even though he was surly and rude and had just ignored her in front of his friends, she still
wanted to say yes.
What the hell was wrong with her?
She’d never been with a man before, had always wanted her first time to be with someone she loved,
but the
thought of being with Caleb set her blood on fire.
“I’m not going to leave right now,” the more rational part of her said. “I came with my friend
anyway. She’s my
ride.”
“I drove. I can take you home.”
“Caleb…”
“Just think about it, princess,” he repeated. It was his tone that did her in. Soft and intimate and the
way he
said ‘princess’ made it sound like an affectionate pet name.
“I have to get back,” she said quietly.
“I’ll wait outside when you’re ready to leave,” he told her, like he already knew she’d say yes, the
arrogant prick.
And with that, he turned and headed back to his own table. His friends’ gazes all swung around
immediately, act-
ing like they hadn’t been watching their exchange.
In a daze, Maddie retreated. Paul was looking at her and then looked over at Caleb across the room.
“A friend
of yours?” he asked carefully.
Kyra kicked her under the table and shot her a look that said we need to go to the bathroom now.
“Something like that,” she murmured, taking a hefty gulp of wine.
EIGHTEEN
Maddie looked at her face in the bathroom mirror and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyra
looking at her
expectedly.
“Well?” she asked. “What are you going to do?”
Maddie had told her what Caleb said. After a brief moment of repeated, “Oh my God, oh my God,”
from Kyra—
honestly, Maddie was just impressed that her best friend hadn’t shrieked in ecstasy—she’d gone
quiet.
“I don’t know,” Maddie said.
“What is your initial gut instinct? If you had to answer him right now, what would you say?”
Maddie’s initial gut instinct was to say yes. But she didn’t want to tell Kyra that. Kyra, out of all
people, knew
that Maddie was a hopeless romantic at heart. She dreamed of love, of being wooed, of a man that
respected her.
So, why had she chosen Caleb out of all men?
“If you’re having second thoughts, babe,” Kyra began quietly after Maddie’s hesitation, “then I don’t
think you
should go through with it.”
“I…I don’t think I’m having second thoughts,” Maddie admitted, just as quietly. Even though the
bathroom at
Hemlock Tavern was miraculous empty at the moment, she still expected someone—or worse, one of
Caleb’s
friends—to burst in at any moment. “That’s what scares me. I should not want this, right? I hardly
know him. I
mean, really know him…”
Kyra sighed, pushing a stray hair away when it fell into her face. “It doesn’t surprise me.”
“What?”
“Look, like I’ve told you before, you’ve always had a weird thing for him. And now that you finally
have him, I’m
not surprised that you’d want him.”
“You don’t think it’s a mistake?”
“It’s only a mistake if you think it will be, Maddie,” Kyra replied softly. “But if you really want my
opinion…I
don’t know if you should.”
Maddie had half expected her to be grinning, nudging her, telling her to finally give it up to the man
who’d
haunted her dreams for the last decade or so. As though sensing Maddie’s uncertainty, Kyra
remained calm, like
she knew that if she teased her, Maddie’s nerves would ratchet up even more.
Kyra looked over her shoulder at the bathroom door, making sure it remained closed before she said,
“I’m not
sure I’m his biggest fan, babe. Not after some of the things he’s said to you. But I know you. I know
that you’ll
obsess over this decision. I know that if you don’t go through with it, you’ll be wondering what
would’ve happened
if you had. But please, please, please, don’t romanticize this. Look at it for what it is and then make a
decision.
Caleb isn’t relationship material. He’s told you so himself. If you do this, don’t expect roses and a
proposal the
next morning. Expect him to be gone. And I’m not telling you this to hurt you, I’m telling you this
because I just
don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Thank you,” Maddie murmured, looking down at her hands. “I appreciate you telling me the truth.”
The truth was she wanted to give into him. She would regret it if she said no to him. And, sadly
enough, she
felt a little thrill go through her whenever she thought that Caleb Montgomery would be her first.
But she also knew that she’d be disappointed with herself if she did go through with it. She’d waited
for the
right guy to come along all these years. Maybe he would never come around. Maybe she’d be a
forty-year-old vir-
gin and live with twenty cats, who’d eventually eat her when she died alone. Maybe she would regret
this, but at
least she knew that she made this decision true to herself, to her values. Maddie didn’t want to
settle. Unless
Caleb gave her any indication of wanting something more with her, she wouldn’t sell herself short.
So what if telling him no might be one of the biggest mistakes of her life? So what if being around him
was hard
enough without wanting to jump his bones every second? She would survive. And she’d leave him
with her dig-
nity in tact and she’d be proud of herself, even if she went home alone, yet again, and cursed herself.
“I’m not going to do it,” she told Kyra.
Kyra tried to hide her relief. But all she said was a simple, “Okay. Then let’s get back to our dates.”
As luck would have it, right when they stepped out of the bathroom, Caleb was heading towards the
men’s
restroom. He paused when he saw her, and Kyra looked between the two of them and then said, “I’ll
see you back
at the table.”
Maddie shifted on her feet as Caleb stared at her, studying her, and then he said, “I see you’ve made
your
choice.”
He knew. If Maddie wasn’t so uncomfortable with this situation, that fact might even bother her, that
he could
read her so easily.
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “I’ve decided not to.”
He was silent, even as a man pushed past him to get to the restroom. Maddie glided a little closer,
realizing
they were blocking the way, but she couldn’t quite meet his eyes. So, she stared at the material
stretched over his
chest.
She felt like she owed him an explanation, even though she wasn’t particularly sure why. Something
told her
that it took a lot for him to ask her in the first place. The least she could do was give him a reason.
“I think it would be a mistake. I’m…” her face went red, debating what she should tell him. She didn’t
want to
tell him about her complete lack of experience, so she went for a half-truth. “I’m not one for casual
sex. I’d be
disappointed in myself, no matter how much I want to say yes.”
The last part came out as an embarrassed whisper, but she kept her chin high and didn’t look down at
the
ground like she wanted. She was proud of herself that she’d told him.
Caleb was silent, long enough that Maddie thought he might not say anything at all and she was
debating
whether to walk away or not. Then, finally, he rumbled out an, “Okay.”
Her eyes snapped up to his. “Okay?”
He nodded. “I can respect your decision.”
Well, that was…unexpected.
Some treacherous part of her, one she was ashamed of, had wanted him to fight, even if it was only a
little. He
gave in rather easily, though her mind had already been made up.
Stop it, she told herself. She was being ridiculous.
“Okay,” she said, dumbly. “Well, then, I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow.” She’d meant it as a statement, but
it came
out more like a question.
Caleb nodded. His head tilted a little, looking at something to her right. And then, suddenly, he
grabbed her
by the waist, ignoring her gasp of surprise, and kissed her. Maddie’s lips automatically parted, kissing
him back
without even thinking about it. The warmth of his mouth, the taste of his tongue, was familiar to her
now. It was
easy to get lost in it even though she knew she should pull away. It would only make it that much
harder to walk
away.
He sucked on her bottom lip and then she did the same. When she felt his fingers digging into her
waist like he
never wanted to let her go, she moaned and in response, Caleb’s hips tilted forward until she could
feel the hard
press of him against her stomach.
Heat flooded her, making her dizzy. A warm rush between her thighs made it hard to focus or think
about any-
thing but the man kissing her. He was dangerous with those lips. He could make her do anything
when he had
her like this.
A dry, forced cough sounded beside her and Maddie pulled away, dazed. Paul stood next to them.
He’d obvi-
ously been on his way to the bathroom and spotted them.
She gasped and pushed Caleb away. “Paul! I, uh…”
Her words faded away as she remembered the way Caleb saw something right before he kissed her.
When real-
ization hit her, she glared at him. That prick! He’d done it on purpose.
And all he did in response? Wipe his kiss-stung lips with the pad of his thumb. She shouldn’t have
found that
movement ridiculously sexy, but she did. Then, he said, “See you tomorrow, princess.” He walked
into the men’s
restroom, like he hadn’t just kissed her when Paul was coming towards them.
Later, she’d analyze his actions. She’d wonder why he’d done it. But right then, she was
embarrassed, angry at
herself, and furious at Caleb.
“Paul, I’m—”
He cut her off. “I’ll see you back at the table.”
Maddie bit her lip, feeling like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She reminded
herself that it
was only a casual date, that she didn’t need to feel like she’d been cheating on him or anything.
Although kissing a man while on a date with another is not okay, she told herself.
Paul walked past her and disappeared into the restroom. She wondered if Caleb would say anything
to him, but
she didn’t hang around to find out. Back at the table, Kyra eyed her, as did her date, Connor, no
doubt wondering
why her face was so red.
Maddie wanted to leave. She was reminded why she was more of a home body, who liked to stay in
and watch
reruns of comedy sitcoms on tv then go out to bars and do something as stupid as socializing. Surely,
Sheldon
Cooper would never kiss her to make another man jealous, or make her a naughty proposition and
make her want to
say yes. No, Sheldon Cooper wouldn’t play games.
When Paul returned to the table, the mood went steadily downhill, until Kyra said it was time to go.
It was past
midnight. Maddie wanted desperately to apologize to Paul, for what had happened earlier, but
couldn’t until she
could catch him alone.
On the way out, she didn’t glance at Caleb, but waved goodbye to his friends. She would deal with
him
tomorrow. As they were walking towards Kyra’s car, parked a few blocks away, she walked slowly
behind Kyra and
Connor and glanced at the man walking next to her.
“Paul, I’m really sorry about what happened,” she said. “I’m so embarrassed.”
He kept his eyes trained forward, his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his jeans. “It’s okay,
Maddie.”
“No, it’s not,” she argued. “What you saw…what I did…I’m not like that. I mean, I’m not the kind of
girl that
does that sort of thing, especially when I’m on a date with someone else. It was unexpected. And it
was a mis-
take.”
“You two obviously have some sort of history,” Paul supplied.
She supposed, in some way, they did.
“I’m helping him with his business,” she answered, because she didn’t know what else to say. “But
he’s not…I
don’t see anything serious with him.”
Paul finally looked at her. “So why did you kiss him?” he asked quietly.
Her face burned. “It’s complicated. But I can tell you honestly that I don’t think anything will happen
between
Caleb and I. He’s not like that. And I know that. I’m just sorry you got pulled into the middle of it.”
“I thought we were having a good time. I know I have no right to be jealous, but I like you, Maddie.
I’m not
going to pursue this,” he gestured between the two of them, “if you’re interested in someone else.”
Maddie thought that she could like Paul. He was kind, attentive, and made her smile. He should be
the kind of
guy that she went after. She realized that whatever she had with Caleb, it wasn’t going to go
anywhere. He wasn’t
emotionally available and she’d known it a few days after she first started working at the garage; he’d
told her
himself. Did she really want to get mixed up with someone like that? Did she really want to fall head
over heels in
love with someone like that? Because she had a feeling that if she continued down that road, she
would.
Maddie sighed and stopped walking, turning to face Paul. “Can we just start over?”
“What?” he asked, a quizzical look on his face.

“Let’s start over. Could you forget what you saw tonight and just pretend like we’re meeting for the
first time,
right now?”
Paul gave a hesitant laugh, but his smile was warm. “I think I can do that.” Then he held out his hand,
all
mock-seriousness. “Hi, I’m Paul.”
“Maddie,” she replied, laughing, shaking his hand.
“So, Maddie, hopefully you won’t think this is too forward of me, since we just met, but I think you’re
beautiful
and you have great smile. Would you like to get dinner with me sometime?”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
NINETEEN
Maddie stepped foot in the garage early the next evening. Even though if was almost five o’ clock all
the
mechanics were there, even Jones, the one that Caleb confronted after he made uncomfortable
remarks to her. She
waved at Peter and Brian, but saw that they were busy with work, so she went straight upstairs, not
wanting to both-
er them.
Caleb wasn’t in the office. His computer was still running, but the screensaver was on, so she
wondered where
he was. Mostly, she wanted to confront him about yesterday because he’d embarrassed the hell out
of her. Be-
sides, being annoyed with him was better than dwelling on the fact that he’d asked to come home
with her. That
was something she didn’t need to think about in detail, no matter how many times her mind turned
there.
He’ll show up eventually, she told herself and got to work, throwing herself in the pile of paperwork.
She only
had three days left of work, she estimated. However, she knew from experience that there were
always last minute
problems. Her timeline could easily extend until the end of the week. Perhaps a part of her wanted it
to.
A half hour went by quickly and there was still no sign of Caleb. It wasn’t a problem until she hit on
some ab-
breviations she didn’t recognize on a few invoices so she didn’t know how to properly organize them
in the com-
puter program.
Pushing up from her seat, Maddie went downstairs to the garage and walked over to Brian. “Do you
know
where Caleb is?”
“Yeah, sweetie, he’s around the back in the second garage workin’ on a restoration,” the older man
said, tilting
his head towards the lot.
The second garage?
But sure enough, there was a second garage. Around the corner and past the employee break area
where Caleb
had first kissed her was a smaller workshop, half the size of the main building. Inside was Caleb, as
well as a hunk
of metal that used to be a car, sans tires, held up by four metal blocks with wheels on them.
The hood was popped off completely, the flat, rusted piece of metal leaning against a wall in the
corner. Caleb
was leaning over the front of the car, cranking some mechanism with a chain that was slowly lifting
what she
thought was the engine out of the body.

He spotted her when she stepped a hesitant foot inside. She remembered that she was supposed to
be mad at
him, but it didn’t stop her from peering inside the car curiously. It looked beyond repair. Rusted
doors, rusted
interior. The leather seats were ripped, white fluffy filling spilling out. The steering wheel was
completely missing,
not to mention the dark stains covering the floor. The body of the car appeared to have once been a
vibrant blue,
but had greyed significantly over time and was now mottled with orange patches.
“So, this is what you do,” Maddie commented softly, straightening from her bent position.
Caleb nodded, not pausing his work. Maddie watched as his forearms flexed each time he gave the
chain an-
other pull. Slowly but surely, the engine continued to rise from the car, attached to some kind of
crank and lever
system.
“I don’t know much about cars,” she admitted.
“This is a 1963 Ford Falcon Ranchero,” Caleb supplied easily, which surprised Maddie. “Just got her in
this
morning.”
Something pinged in her mind. She remembered a telephone conversation she’d overheard last
week. “But I
thought you weren’t doing restorations until after the New Year.”
Caleb glanced at her. “I decided I needed a project.”
The way he stared made Maddie realize it was because of her. She flushed, shifting on her feet, and
swallowed
thickly.
Get yourself together, she commanded.
She cleared her throat. “You like doing this stuff?”
“Yes, I like doing this stuff.”
Maddie couldn’t help the smile that spread over her lips at his grumpy tone. It was almost cute. “It’s
impres-
sive work. How many have you restored?”

Caleb went silent. The only noise in the garage was the chain clinking, but Maddie waited patiently.
In fact, his
silence hardly bothered her anymore. She knew from experience that he’d either answer her or not,
but she was
done feeling awkward or uncomfortable if he chose to do the latter.
“Alone, I’ve done eight. With my uncle, maybe three times that.”
So, this had been their hobby. Well, perhaps ‘hobby’ wasn’t the right word, considering it was half of
their—or
rather Caleb’s—business, judging by the sign out front: Montgomery Restoration & Repair.
“This is a client’s car?”
He nodded. “He found it in a field.”
“But where do you get all the parts?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “They’re old cars.”
“Some companies still sell reproductions of the real thing. Otherwise, we upgrade,” he said, stepping
away
from the chain. “Either way, they don’t come cheap.”
“Doing this is good money then?” she asked, and then she flushed again. “Sorry, that’s nosey. My
brother al-
ways says I’m too nosey.” And then she felt uncomfortable because she realized that Caleb still didn’t
realize who
she was and didn’t realize that her brother had been a friend of his in high school. She also wondered
if he’d
recognized Kyra last night. She’d been a flirt in high school, after all, and had certainly tried her hand
when it came
to Caleb. But last night, he hadn’t even blinked an eye when they’d both emerged from the
restroom.
Caleb unhooked a part of the chain from the suspended engine. “Restorations bring in more than the
garage
some months, depending on the work load. Haven’t you come across them in the books?”
“Maybe,” Maddie said, shrugging. “Like I said, I don’t know much about cars. I noticed significantly
larger
payments every now and then.” She glanced down at the paper in her hand and stepped over a
toolbox to approach
him. “Speaking of which, I’m not sure what to group this under.”
Caleb glanced at the sheet in her hands, wiping his hands on his jeans. This close to him, she could
smell
him. That same woodsy smell, but now there were undercurrents of oil and salt, a surprisingly
pleasing smell.
Maddie wanted to lap at his skin, her body giving a throb of approval at the direction of her thoughts,
but she ig-
nored it and cleared her throat.
“I’ll have to sit down and research this one. Just put it on my desk with any others you find,” he told
her, thrust-
ing the paper back in her hands, this time with little black smudged fingerprints decorating it. She
stared at them,
at the swirls and ridges that were solely Caleb’s, and then lifted her head. She watched as he began to
push the
car’s body backwards, metal blocks and all, so he had space to unchain the engine.
The question was out of her mouth before she realized it. “Can I watch you for a bit?”
Maddie suspected that she could watch him for hours doing this and the thought of going back
upstairs to an
empty office and old laptop when he was down here doing this was mildly depressing. She didn’t
even know why
she found it so intriguing, but she strongly suspected that an equation of Caleb plus cars plus hard,
sweaty work
that displayed his generous muscles had something to do with it.
You’re supposed to be getting over him, she reminded herself. Watching him would most certainly
not help.
Caleb shot her an unreadable look, but he didn’t say no. He didn’t say yes either. He didn’t say
anything actu-
ally, just continued on with his work, so Maddie perched herself on the work bench, jumping up to
get
comfortable. Briefly, she worried about stains getting on her dress, but the sideways glance that
Caleb gave her
legs, even though she had tights on, made her forget all about it. He flipped on a light switch, since
the sun was al-
ready setting and the garage was darkening quickly.

A comfortable silence took hold. Although, Maddie thought that perhaps it wasn’t the same kind of
comfort-
able silence she shared with her brother, or mom, or Kyra. She didn’t feel antsy and her throat didn’t
start to close
up. With Caleb, she knew she didn’t have to say anything if she didn’t want to. Hell, he probably
preferred it if she
didn’t talk, but there was always an awareness between them. So, while it was comfortable, it also
felt charged, like
they were both saving up energy for something bigger.
Maddie watched as he lowered the engine onto a wheeled flat platform and then pushed it off into
the corner
with the hood. And then he went to work on the doors, unscrewing them with a fancy looking tool.
His back mus-
cles rippled under his t-shirt as he heaved off the passenger door and carried it to the wall, setting it
down gently.
After watching him do the same thing on the driver’s side door, she finally worked up the courage to
say, “I think
we should talk about last night.”
He glanced at her, wiping his forehead with his forearm. “What about it?”
“I’m mad at you, you know.”
He cocked an arrogant brow. “You don’t seem too upset with me, princess.”
“I want to know why you kissed me in front of Paul.”
“Why did you let me kiss you? Maybe that’s what you should be asking yourself,” he shot back,
scowling.
“Obviously, you weren’t too concerned about Paul.”
Her face burned because he was right. She had let him kiss her and she’d kissed him right back with
the same
amount of enthusiasm. The moment Caleb had stepped into her line of vision, all thoughts of Paul
had gone cata-
pulting out the window.
Maddie squared her shoulders, not wanting to back down. “Are you jealous of him?”
Caleb’s head snapped up so quickly she wondered if it hurt his neck. “No,” he snarled. “Don’t flatter
your-
self.”
“Then why does he bother you so much?” she asked, studying his reaction. Maddie might not have
much expe-
rience when it came to men, but Caleb looked a little too furious for something he was denying.
He sucked in a breath, staring at her. Maddie sensed he was about to lay into her, but at the last
moment, he
exhaled a few whispered curses instead and turned his back, snatching up another tool from the
opposite bench.
Maddie realized she was right. He was jealous. The thought unleashed a whole flurry of butterflies in
her
stomach and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.
Caleb still saw it though and he glared.
“Listen to me, princess,” he started, his tone low and angry, stalking around the car until he stood
right in front
of her. One step closer and he’d be nestled between her legs.
“I’m listening,” she chirped in a cheerful tone because she knew it would grate on him. A part of her
liked to
tug on the tiger’s tail.
Caleb was caught off guard for a moment, but then his features darkened. “You are just something
that amuses
me at the moment. A toy. A plaything. Don’t think for a second that you’re in any way special to me,
especially
something that I’ll get jealous over.”
“Tell me more,” she said, propping her head on her fist.
That surprised him. Maddie watched him falter. “You—you…”
“You’re so full of it, Caleb,” she told him. She leaned closer to him until their faces were level with
one
another. “This is what you do. Your modus operandi. You try and say things that you think will hurt
me to push
me away. But I don’t think for a second that you actually mean them. You told me yourself that you
have a temper,
that you say things you regret. Why would this be any different?”
Caleb went furiously silent.

“I know you feel something for me,” she told him softly. “You asked to come home with me last
night.”
He interrupted. “Maybe because I just wanted an easy fuck.”
Maddie tried not to flinch and clenched her jaw. Rolling her eyes in exasperation to cover it, she
retorted, “Not
so easy, after all, considering I told you no.”
“For now.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Caleb smirked and pushed away, returning to his work. Maddie saw the way his shoulders were
bunched, mus-
cles so tight they bulged, and she knew she’d gotten to him. She’d hit a nerve.
“Why do you do it?” she asked. “Why do you try and push people away?”
“Not people,” he corrected. “Women. And you know why? Because they’ve never given me anything
but fuck-
ing problems.”
“So that’s it then?” she asked. “You’ve had bad relationships.”
“That’s it?” he repeated, incredulous, blazing eyes turning on her. “You have no fucking idea what
I’ve gone
through, princess, so don’t try to compartmentalize my life so you can understand it.”
“That’s not what I meant, Caleb,” she said, frowning. “You’re right, I don’t know what you’ve gone
through.
You won’t tell me.”
“And don’t count on me ever telling you.”
Maddie took in deep breaths, pausing, because she knew this conversation would go nowhere fast.
She’d lied a
little. She’d heard a rumor in high school. Perhaps she’d known a little of what he’d gone through
and it made her
both sad and angry.
Suddenly, she wondered if this was the right time to tell him. She was starting to feel like she was
lying to him
by not telling him. Would he be angry? Would he lash out at her? Probably. But they were already
arguing. Why
not get this out in the open while she had the courage?
Taking a deep breath, she asked quietly, “You don’t remember me, do you?”
He stopped what he was doing. His brow furrowed as he stared at her. “What?”
She looked down at the floor of the garage briefly to avoid the intensity of his gaze and then met his
eyes. “I’m
Thomas Ashby’s sister. We all went to the same high school together. I was two years younger, a
freshman when
you guys were juniors.”
Caleb’s lips parted but he didn’t say anything. Maddie could see his mind working, trying to place her,
but
couldn’t.
A small, bitter smile came over her lips. “I guess I was quite forgettable,” she said, looking down at
her palms.
“But I didn’t forget you. One time, I slipped in a puddle of water in the school cafeteria and face
planted in front of
hundreds of students. They all laughed and whispered, but you were the only one that helped me up.
You told
them all to ‘fuck off,’ I believe.” Recognition finally dawned on his face. “But what I remember most,”
she began
slowly, “was that you sat with me in an empty courtyard and let me cry when my father died.”
Breath blew from his lips. “That was you?”
“I guess I was chubbier back then,” she said, forcing an awkward smile, “and I had glasses, but yes,
that was
me.”
Caleb went silent again as he ran a hand through his thick, dark hair, looking around the garage, trying
to
process it all. “Jesus.”
“I’ve never forgotten you,” she told him softly. “So, imagine my surprise when my car breaks down
and it’s
your garage that I happen upon. I thought I was seeing a ghost. I hadn’t seen you in years. Thomas
hadn’t heard
from you since high school. For some reason, I never expected to see you again.”
“Why are you telling me this?” he asked, not looking at her. He was looking out at the dark sky as the
last
streaks of the sunset were fading fast. “What are you playing at?”
“I’m not playing at anything, Caleb,” she said, pushing herself off the bench to land on her feet. She
ap-
proached him, warily, like he was a spooked animal who’d attack at any moment. “I just wanted you
to know that…
that…” she paused, wondering how to say what was on her mind. “That I may know more than you
think.”
Immediately, the second it was out of her mouth, Maddie knew it had definitely not been the right
thing to say.
He knew that she was referring to the rumor that had been circulating Caleb’s last few weeks of
school, the one that
his own girlfriend, Charlotte Callahan, had started. She could see it on his face.
His lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes resigned. And something about his expression broke
something in-
side her, because a part of her wished that the rumor hadn’t been true.
“It was true then?” she whispered, her throat closing up, eyes suddenly stinging.
“Get out,” he said lowly.
“Caleb—”
“I said, get the fuck out!”
Maddie let out a shuddering breath, the paper invoice still clutched in her hand, and then she turned
and fled
before he could see her cry yet again.
TWENTY
Rage.
Rage and memories and that hot, desperate feeling whenever he saw his bedroom door open in the
middle of
the night swarmed Caleb until he put his hands to his head and crouched on the dirty floor of the
garage. His
breaths came out fast until they were like sobs scratching at his throat.
Caleb wasn’t proud of it, but he immediately stood up and stumbled over the wood cabinet on the far
wall of the
garage. His uncle had liked his whiskey. Many nights were passed in this very garage where they’d
both had a
wrench in one hand, a tumbler of amber liquid in the other.
The bottles were all still there since Caleb hadn’t had the heart to move them. Like a morbid shrine,
they sat
glittering in the fluorescent light and Caleb reached in and grabbed the fullest one. And then he took
a long, burn-
ing sip.
The whiskey raced a fiery path down his throat and warmed his insides. He took another and then
another until
the panic slowly receded. It didn’t disappear entirely, but it was more manageable.
Caleb had always tried not to turn to alcohol whenever he felt a panic attack coming on. He was
afraid that he
might become dependent on it, but at the moment, he hardly cared. He felt like getting drunk, until
Maddie’s
words washed away from his mind, right along with the memories.
You don’t remember me, do you?
Caleb gave a bitter laugh and it echoed in the empty garage.
Oh, he remembered her, all right. Now he did. He hadn’t realized that the same girl he’d sat with
that after-
noon had been Maddie, sure, but he remembered the girl she’d described. He thought about her on
occasion…
remembered her glittering eyes and the tragic sadness etched, seemingly, into her entire body. Had
he known she
was Thomas’ sister? No. He simply hadn’t made the connection.
But the worst thing was that she knew. She knew his darkest secret, made not-so-secret by his bitch
of an ex-
girlfriend, who’d betrayed his trust in exchange for a juicy piece of gossip for her friends. The rumor
had spread
like wild fire around the campus. Everyone knew. It got so bad that Caleb had to finish the last two
weeks of high
school at home, although his uncle had never known about it. He hadn’t been able to set foot inside
that school
without heavy stares and whispers. He’d stayed home instead of going to his graduation ceremony,
feigning illness
so his uncle wouldn’t suspect anything.
He took another pull from the whiskey.
So many lies, when all he’d really needed was to tell one truth.
Another pull.
Another pull.
Another pull.
* * *
Maddie didn’t go home.
She stared at the door of the office for two hours straight, wondering if Caleb would return. But he
never did.
Slowly, she heard the men below leave, until she was sure only Brian and Peter were left, like usual.
When the clock
eventually slid to eight o’clock, there was still no sign of Caleb.
She’d gotten very little work done, unable to stop thinking about what happened in the garage. Every
time she
pictured that resignation on his face, she wanted to vomit. The horrible things he must’ve gone
through…
Maddie finally shut down the laptop, knowing that she’d wasted the evening. Realizing that she
wouldn’t be
able to go home tonight without knowing that Caleb was all right, or as all right as he could possibly
be, she ven-
tured downstairs, nodding at Brian, before making her way back to the second garage. She felt guilty
for bringing
up the past. The least she could do was apologize.
At first, Maddie thought that Caleb wasn’t there. The overhead light was still on, the harsh florescent
lighting il-
luminating the heap of metal on blocks, but there was no sign of him. At least until she heard a clink
of glass and a
clumsy curse.
Maddie hesitantly stepped towards the noise, rounding the front of the car, and peered into a
darkened corner of
the building. And there he was: slouched against the wall, one knee bent, one leg stretched out in
front of him, a
half empty bottle of alcohol dangling from his loose fingers.
“Caleb…” Her heart throbbed and she crouched down in front of him. “Why don’t you give me that?”
she sug-
gested, reaching for the bottle in his hands. It was whiskey. She wondered how much he’d had in the
past couple
hours.
A lot, judging by the look of him. His eyes were glassy, hair messy, cheeks flushed. He stared at her
and then
groaned, pushing a hand to his eyes.
“Oh, Caleb,” she said, biting her lip.
“Everything’s spinning,” he slurred.
“I bet.”
Maddie looked around, wondering what she should do, feeling responsible for his current state. It
was getting
late, but he was obviously in no condition to drive home. She briefly debated letting him stay in the
office, but the
idea saddened her. She hated seeing his jacket balled into a pillow and that ratty old blanket
sprawled on the floor.
“Stay here, I’ll be right back,” she told him, setting the bottle of whiskey on the work bench. She
hurried back to
the main garage and, thankfully, Brian was still there, cleaning off his tools.
“Brian,” she started, “it’s Caleb.”
“What is it?” the older man asked, frowning.
“He’s drunk.”
“What?”
“He had a bottle of whiskey. I don’t know where he got it, but it looks like he’s been at it for a while.”
Brian sighed, rubbing his temple. “Probably from John’s old stash. I’d wondered if he got rid of it.”
“He can’t drive in this state. He’s—” her throat tightened and she bit her lip to keep it from
trembling. “He’s
not…”
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Brian told her softly. “Let me help you with him. He can sleep it off in the
office.”
“I—I think I’d rather take him home, Brian,” she said, looking down to the floor of the garage. “We
argued
earlier. I feel partly responsible. It would make me feel more comfortable, knowing he was safely
home.”
“I don’t know,” Brian started hesitantly. “He might not want to wake up there.”
“Please, Brian. I…” her voice hitched, “I hate it when he sleeps in that office.”
The older man sighed. “I do too,” was his quiet reply. “All right. We’ll get him to your car. But if he
asks,
this was your idea.”
“Deal.”
Together, they rounded the corner of the garage and walked past the employee break area. When
Brian saw
Caleb, he whistled. “Now, Caleb, I’m impressed. How much did you drink?”
“Fuck off,” Caleb groaned.
Brian heaved him to his feet with a grunt and supported him with an arm around his waist. Maddie
felt help-
less, but Brian seemed to be able to handle Caleb’s weight all by himself.
“Go get your car ready,” Brian told her and she nodded, hurrying ahead in front of the two men.
Maddie
pushed the passenger seat back as far as it would go and turned on the ignition to blast the heater.
When they
reached the car, Brian unloaded Caleb, as gently as possible, into the seat and Maddie reached over
and buckled
him in. Caleb’s bleary eyes connected with hers for a brief moment before he shut them.
“His house keys should be on his desk,” Brian told her, even though she’d already known that. “I’ll
watch him
while you go get your things.”
Maddie retrieved Caleb’s keys when she arrived back up at the office and snagged her purse and
jacket before
flicking off the light switch. She’d only been gone a couple minutes but Caleb appeared to have
passed out when
she returned.
Brian gave her Caleb’s address, a suburb in Martinez not far from where she’d gone to school, and she
plugged
it into her phone for directions.
“Thanks, Brian,” she said. “I’ll make sure he gets home safe.”
“You do that, sweetie,” the older man told her, eyeing Caleb in the passenger seat. Then he looked at
her and
his features softened. “I don’t know what’s happenin’ between you two, but I will say that I’m glad
for whatever is.
He needs someone like you in his life, you know? Someone lovin’ and stable and, most of all, patient.
And don’t
you let him scare you off. He puts on a mean front, but he’s not that person underneath.”
Maddie thought over his words and then glanced at the man sleeping soundly next to her. His
features were re-
laxed, possibly the most relaxed she’d ever seen them. He wasn’t scowling or furrowing his brow. All
the lines on
his face were smooth and soft and it made her heart ache.
“Well, he hasn’t scared me off yet,” she finally told Brian, trying not to feel as hopeful as his words
made her
feel.
When she pulled up to a single story house in an upper middle class neighborhood after following the
directions
to the letter, she couldn’t help but be surprised because Caleb only lived about five minutes away
from her mom’s
house, the house she’d grown up in. Of course, it made sense, considering that they both went to the
same high
school together.
So, was this the house he’d lived in during school? Was this his uncle’s house? The house where…
She didn’t want to think about that, so she pushed the thoughts from her mind and pulled into the
driveway,
parking as close as she possibly could to the front door. Caleb easily had fifty or sixty pounds on her.
It would
take a miracle for her to get him inside if he was dead weight, so she reached over and brushed a lock
of hair away
that fell into his eyes.
“Caleb,” she said, softly. “Caleb.”
Maddie jostled his shoulder, feeling the hard muscle there. His t-shirt sleeve rode up a bit and she
paused,
staring down at the exposed skin. Dark swirls of ink peeked out before disappearing under the hem.
When she pushed at his shoulder harder, he came awake suddenly, panic flaring in his gaze as he
looked around
him like a spooked—albeit sluggish—animal.
“It’s okay,” Maddie soothed, keeping her voice steady. “It’s me. I’m just taking you home.”
His eyes shot to hers and he seemed confused. “Maddie?”
“Yes,” she whispered. She cut the engine and there was silence. “I can’t lug you to the door myself.
Do you
think you can walk?”
His head lolled around his shoulders but he nodded. He reached for the car door, but then realized he
was
buckled in. Maddie watched as he fumbled with the release button until she finally reached down to
help him.
She shot out of the car as he heaved himself to a standing position and she hurried around the front
to steady
him so he wouldn’t stumble and fall. Because all she needed right now was for him to get hurt. That
would just be
the cherry on top of her night.
Hesitantly, she wrapped an arm around his waist, wondering how he’d react, but the moment she
touched him,
he leaned into her. Stumbling to balance herself under his sudden weight, she huffed out a breath
and slowly
walked to the door. His body was like a furnace, blood rushing because of the alcohol. But even
under the smell
of whiskey, she smelled him and that comforted her.
Caleb was clumsy and once Maddie led him up the pathway to the front door, he collapsed in a heavy
heap by a
dead potted plant, leaning his head against the stucco wall and closing his eyes.
“Caleb,” she said, crouching down in front of him. “Don’t go to sleep. We’re not inside yet.”
He mumbled something that sounded like, “I’m not,” but she couldn’t be sure. Quickly, she dug out
Caleb’s
key from her purse. There were only four keys attached to the simple silver ring: his car key and three
silver ones.
She slid them all, one-by-one, into his front door until the last one finally turned the lock and she
pushed open the
heavy wood door.
An alarm blared from the inside, making Caleb jolt awake.
“Crap,” Maddie whispered, hurrying inside. Right next to the door there was a keypad to turn off the
alarm.
“Caleb, what’s the code?” He groaned. “Caleb!” A visit from the police would also be fantastic.
He opened his eyes. “Three, five, eight, three.”
Maddie typed in the code quickly, worried that the alarm would disturb the neighbors. She waited a
second, but
the alarm continued. “Caleb, it’s not working.”
“Star.”
Star? What did that mean? Her eyes scanned the keypad and then she saw a star symbol at the
bottom of the
pad and pressed it.
Blissful silence. Maddie let out a shaky breath and then set her purse down in the entry way. The
inside of the
house smelled stale, like no one had been living in it for a while. When she looked at the entry table
right next to
the door, she saw a fine layer of dust accumulated there.
“Okay, let’s go inside, Caleb,” she said to him softly. She held out a hand to help him up and he
grasped it.
Maddie teetered on her small heels but managed to, at least, assist in heaving him up. “Where’s your
bedroom?”
“No,” he bit out immediately. “No.”
Her brow furrowed. “Where do you want to go then?”
He half-raised an arm, pointing towards what she guessed was the living room. The house had an
open plan
layout and right beyond the faded grey couch, there was a slightly dated kitchen, with light wood
cabinets and a dark
green tiled counter. Maddie set Caleb down on the couch, but he slid to the floor, leaning his head
back against the
bottom cushions. Maddie stepped into the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets until she found a
clean glass.
She brought him a glass of water, which he took a few sips of but then thrust back at her. She sighed,
nibbling
on her lip, trying to decide what to do when he passed out again. Maddie didn’t feel comfortable
leaving him in
this state. She’d heard enough drinking horror stories in college to genuinely worry that he’d choke
on his own
vomit if she left him.
Maddie glanced around, noticing that despite the stale air, the living room looked lived in. A pillow
and a blan-
ket were sprawled on the couch and an empty plate and glass decorated the coffee table. Envelope
and bills were
opened and Maddie felt slightly guilty when she peeked down at one and saw a bill from the
mortuary.
There were no paintings or pictures. The small dining table on the far side of the living was
completely cleaned
off. There were sagging cardboard boxes lined against the wall, which she’d also noticed in the
hallway. If she
didn’t know any better, she’d think that Caleb was squatting here. He seemed to take up the smallest
space he pos-
sibly could in the house.
She went back to the kitchen and wondered if she should try to get him to eat anything, to soak up
some of the
alcohol. Opening up the fridge, all she saw was a half-empty jar of peanut butter, some condiments,
and a milk
jug. She rifled through the cabinets as well but only discovered protein powder, a box of crackers, and
a few pack-
ets of old oatmeal. She poured a glass of water for herself and then grabbed the box of crackers,
bringing them
over to the coffee table.
Hesitantly, she lowered herself onto the carpet next to him and snagged the blanket off the couch to
drape over
him. He stirred a little bit, but didn’t wake up, repositioning himself so that his cheek rested on the
couch cushion,
facing her.
Maddie looked at him, her eyes studying his closed eyelids, the dark, strong curve of his eyebrows,
the unshaven
stubble on his jawline, the pinkness of his full, pouty lips. He was so beautiful it made her chest ache.
She
couldn’t help but reach out and touch his warm cheek.
A phone rang and she pulled her hand away quickly and guilty. Caleb stirred again, the space
between his eye-
brows contracting, as she pushed off the floor to locate the phone. There was a handset tucked into a
corner on
the kitchen counter and she picked it up hesitantly, wondering who would be calling this late.
But she relaxed when she heard Brian’s voice on the other side. “I just wanted to make sure you two
got in all
right.”
“Yeah, we did,” she said quietly, sneaking a peek over at Caleb. “I got him settled in the living room. I
think I’ll
stay with him for a while, just in case.”
“Okay,” he said. “Take down this number and don’t be shy about callin’ if you need anythin’, okay?”
“I will,” she said.
He paused. “Thanks for doing this, sweetie. He won’t tell you, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate it once he
sleeps
off his whiskey binge.”

“I hope so.” She just hoped that she hadn’t crossed a line with him. In the morning, it could go either
one of
two ways. He could be grudgingly thankful and try to ignore what happened entirely. Or he would try
to push her
away even more…again. She knew which option she’d put her money on. “Thanks for your help,
Brian. I’ll see
you tomorrow.”
After she hung up and made her way back to the couch, she saw that Caleb had woken up again. He
was rub-
bing his forehead, but stopped when he saw her.
“What are you doing here?” he slurred.
“I helped you inside,” she told him patiently. “Here, why don’t you try to eat something.”
Maddie offered him a cracker, but he wouldn’t eat it.
“You’re like a fussy two-year-old when you’re like this,” she informed him, munching on the cracker
herself.
She’d skipped dinner after all.
Even drunk, Caleb shot her a dark look, which made her smile. She figured if he could still glare at her
in this
state, he’d survive. Maybe she wouldn’t have to spend the night sleeping on the floor and could go
home to her
own bed.
Still…
She debated getting something delivered since she didn’t want to leave him quite yet. Glancing at her
phone,
she saw that it was only nine o’clock. Had it only been an hour since she went to go check on Caleb in
the garage?
“Would you like me to make you some coffee?” she asked him, thinking that would help sober him
up. She’d
seen a coffee machine on the counter. Caleb shook his head. “Okay, well I’m going to order some
food if that’s all
right. Maybe you’ll eat pizza if you don’t want a cracker,” she muttered, almost to herself.
“What are you talking about, woman?” Caleb groaned.
“Nothing,” she said, biting back a smile. “Just rest.”

“Trying to.”
Maddie inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils. Then she made a call to the local delivery pizza
place her
family had ordered from all the time when she’d been younger. It had been years since she’d had it
last.
Caleb unsteadily pushed up from his spot on the floor.
“What are you doing?” she asked, hurrying to his side. He stumbled a bit and she reached out to
steady him.
“I have to piss.”
“Charming,” she deadpanned as he shook off her grip and clutched at the living room wall for
support. She had
visions of him falling in the bathroom and cracking his skull open, so she trailed him down the hallway
until they
reached a closed door at the end.
He saw her behind him and leaned heavily against the door frame. “Wanna watch, nurse?”
“Just hurry up. But if I hear you fall, I’m bursting in.”
Maddie thought he mumbled, “No need.”
Then he lumbered into the surprisingly neat bathroom and started unbuttoning and unzipping his
jeans without
closing the door.
She watched, dazed and confused, as he pulled down his black boxer briefs. And then all the blood
rushed to
her face in one dizzying heartbeat as she glimpsed flesh.
Maddie yelped and swung around so fast that she almost tripped over her own feet. Her eyes were
wide as she
listened to him do his business.
“I think I need help,” he slurred, an odd tone in his voice that she’d never heard before. It was
almost…teasing? Caleb Montgomery was teasing her?
She managed to choke out, “Do not talk to me while you’re peeing.”
A few moments later, she heard him zip up his jeans and flush the toilet. Figuring it was safe to turn
around,
she told him, “Wash your hands,” when he tried to escape out of the bathroom.
“Jesus,” he muttered, but turned to the sink, swaying. She couldn’t quite look him in the eye and her
gaze
strayed to his zipper. Gulping, she realized he hadn’t buttoned his jeans and she could see the band of
his briefs
peeking out.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she forced herself to look at the empty wall of the hallway. When
he was
done, she followed him silently back to the living room. She noticed they passed multiple closed
doors along the
way and asked, “Don’t you want to sleep in your bedroom?”
“No.” As though to emphasize his point he collapsed onto the couch.
“Do you always sleep here?”
He grunted something and she sighed, pushing his legs off one end of the couch so she could sit
down.
“You don’t have to stay,” he murmured, eyes closed. “I’m fine.”
Maddie was still worried about him and could see that even though he was more communicative, he
was far
from sober. As if on cue, he mumbled, “Fuck,” and shot off the couch, hurrying down the hallway.
Maddie bit her lip when she heard retching sounds. She ventured towards the bathroom, figuring
that it was for
the best that he was throwing up. At least it would get some of the alcohol out of his system.
She found him hunched over the toilet bowl, leaning his head against his forearm, which was draped
across the
white porcelain.
This was not how she thought she’d spend her Sunday night, taking care of a completely hammered
Caleb.
Maddie touched his back and he flinched away. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he hissed and she was so
surprised
at the venom in his tone that she slowly backed away.
“I’m just trying to help you, Caleb,” she told him, trying to stay calm.
“I don’t need your help.”
“Well, forgive me for disagreeing,” she snapped back, annoyance rising. “You’re not okay, Caleb.
You’re more
than drunk. I’m just trying to make sure you feel better because that’s what I’d want someone else to
do for me if I
were in your situation.”
“I don’t need anyone.”
The sad part was that Maddie knew he believed it. Besides his friends, did Caleb have anyone that
truly loved
him? Brian, of course, cared in his own way, but what about family? From what she’d heard from
Thomas, Caleb’s
parents hadn’t been in the picture for years. Were they dead? And his uncle had just passed away.
Who was left?
Possibly no one.
“Everyone needs someone,” she said softly, reaching past him to snag some toilet paper so he could
wipe his
mouth.
After he flushed and rinsed with mouthwash, he leveled her with a half-lidded gaze. “Why do you
care so
much?”
“Because I care about you,” she told him honestly.
He looked away. “You shouldn’t.”
He leaned heavily against the side of the sink and Maddie whispered, “Why do you think that? Why
are you any
less deserving of being cared for than others?”
“You don’t understand.”
“So make me understand,” she pleaded.
“I’m…” he waved an uncoordinated hand in the air, almost knocking down his stick of deodorant.
“I’m…”
“You’re what?”
“Tainted.”
Maddie’s lips parted and she repeated incredulously, “Tainted?”
He nodded and for a moment, Maddie felt guilty, like she was pumping him for information because
she knew
that if he was sober, he would’ve been tight-lipped.

“For so long,” he whispered and the pain in his voice made Maddie tear up. He put his head in his
hands.
“Two years. Two fuckin’ years.”
Maddie sucked in a breath because she knew what he was referring to. It had gone on for that long?
“Caleb,”
she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He flinched again and raised his head, his eyes dark, pupils dilated. “Please, don’t touch me.”
She lifted her hands immediately, raising them so he could see her palms. “I won’t. I promise.”
“You know,” he said, looking at her. “I know you know. I wish you didn’t.”
“Know what?” she asked. She needed to hear him confirm it. She didn’t know why, because if he told
the
truth, it would hurt. But she needed it.
“What she did to me. You know.” He slid down the bathroom wall, like his body was too heavy, and
Maddie
crouched down in front of him. He shook his head. “You know why I sleep there?”
“Where?”
He pointed out the bathroom door and Maddie guessed that he meant the living room. “She never
touched me
there.”
A strange sound rang in her ears and then she heard a muffled sob. She only realized it had come
from her
when Caleb raised his head. She didn’t know what to say, what to think. All she wanted to do was
embrace him,
but she couldn’t even do that.
“I wish,” she whispered, “that—”
She cut herself off. Wished what? That she’d known? That she could’ve stopped it? What would she
have
said? If Caleb’s uncle was his guardian and his own wife was doing sick things to his nephew, would
Caleb have
been taken away? Is that why he hadn’t told anyone?
“I wish I could’ve been there for you,” she finally settled on.
Caleb closed his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. “I wouldn’t have wanted that for you. You shouldn’t
even be here
now.”
His words confused her and she’d just opened her mouth to ask him why when the doorbell rang.
“What the hell,” he murmured.
“It’s the food,” she told him. For a moment, she debated ignoring the door so that she could stay with
him.
But when the doorbell rang again a minute later, she pushed off the floor and told him, “I’ll be right
back.”
She tugged open the front door and rifled through her purse for a twenty, telling the teenaged driver
to keep the
change. Setting the hot pizza box and the liter of club soda on the living room table, she went back to
the bath-
room, only to find that Caleb had shut the door. Maddie heard the shower running and only briefly
waited before
returning to the living room. Her appetite had disappeared after what Caleb told her, so she perched
on the couch
and stared at the dark screen of the TV.
Maddie was just about to go check on him when he appeared in the doorway, freshly showered, but
pale. He’d
probably thrown up again, so Maddie poured him a glass of the club soda she’d ordered to settle his
stomach. She
gave him a small smile when he drank it down. Hopefully it would make him feel better. Or, at the
very least, hy-
drate him.
His dark hair looked black when it was wet and she realized he’d pulled on a fresh pair of dark grey
sweats and
yet another black t-shirt. How many black t-shirts did this man own?
She nodded over to the pizza box. “Do you want to try and eat?”
He looked queasy at the suggestion. “No.”
She shrugged. “Well, you can have some in the morning. Greasy pizza is always good for hangovers.”
“Speaking from experience?” he asked, collapsing on the couch. He ended up partially on the arm rest
because
he’d misjudged the distance, but didn’t seem to care.
“Everyone has their drunken college days.”
His eyes closed again and he rested his head on the back of the couch. “Never went to college.”
“Oh, right,” she whispered, wanting to smack herself. She wondered if Caleb had wanted to go to
college, but
didn’t because of his uncle’s business.
Maddie stood there awkwardly, wondering if she should leave or stay. He seemed better than when
they’d ar-
rived at his house and she was certain that he’d be able to take care of himself now, even though
she’d been fussing
over him like a mother hen.
For a second, Maddie thought he’d fallen asleep again, but then he murmured, “Tell me something.”
“What about?” she asked, gently lowering herself onto the couch.
“Anything.” He let out a loud breath. “Tell me a good thing. From when you were young. Something
that
made you happy.”
Something that had made her happy from when she was young? Maddie’s heart ached as she
thought over his
request. Did he want to know because his younger years hadn’t been happy? From what he’d told
her in the bath-
room, it was easy for Maddie to believe.
She thought about it, searching through memories, although most were fragmented or broken from
when she
was a child. But then she hit on the perfect one and right as Caleb shifted his head to look at her, she
smiled.
“I could tell you about my tenth birthday.”
“Okay.”
“Um,” she said, tucking a hair behind her ear. “Well, my mom planned this huge party. She loves
organizing
events and playing hostess. All my friends and their parents and all the neighbors were invited. There
must’ve
been a hundred people packed in our backyard that day. At least, it seemed that way to me.
Everything looks big-
ger when you’re younger, you know?
“I wore this frilly pink dress that day. My mom kept it and I found it before I left for college when I
was cleaning
out my room. It was the most hideous thing you’ve ever seen, looking back on it, but I loved that
dress. I couldn’t
wait to wear it for my birthday and I pranced around our backyard and pretended I was some fairy
princess.” She
smiled. “And then I think I cried because one of the neighbor boys spilled juice on it and it stained.”
Caleb made a sound in the back of his throat and it might even have been a laugh.
“It was still a good day though. My mom hired this bouncy house for the kids. I don’t think I saw
Thomas at
all that day because he stayed in there with his friends. My dad was video taping the whole thing
when he wasn’t
barbecuing and I remember that my mom was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But
my favorite
thing about that day was this beautiful music box my dad gave me. I still remember it. It was pink
and gold and
when you pulled the top up, there was a little carousel inside that would go round and round. I think
it was prob-
ably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever owned. I remember it being really heavy too, but my dad said
that made it
harder to break, which wasn’t necessarily true considering that my mom broke it years later when she
was dusting
and it fell to the ground. It never worked right afterwards and eventually, it stopped working
altogether, around the
time my father died.” Maddie sighed. “But every night until then, I would fall asleep to it. For years.
Sometimes,
I still miss it. It was like a baby blanket or a teddy bear, you know? Something that was comforting
and nice to
have.” She looked over at Caleb, only to find that he was still watching her. “Did you ever have
something like
that?”
He blinked and furrowed his brow. “No.”

Maddie smiled sadly. She hadn’t really expected a different answer. She couldn’t exactly picture
Caleb, young
or not, cuddling a stuffed animal or a ratty old blanket as he slept. In fact, she couldn’t even picture
him as a child
at all, being young and silly and naive. She wondered what he’d been like, who his friends had been,
if he’d gotten
into a lot of trouble, whether he’d liked to play outside or indoors, whether he’d been as serious and
prickly as he
was now.
She didn’t know much about him at all when it came down to it. But she liked to think that she’d
uncovered a
little about the man sitting next to her over the past week and a half. And she could be content with
that.
At least until he offered her something more. If he ever did.
TWENTY-ONE
Caleb was warm when he woke up the next morning. His mouth was dry, his head was pounding, his
arm was
numb, but he was warm, which was an abnormal feeling considering he hadn’t turned on the heat last
night and it
was November.
When a familiar scent hit him and he opened his eyes only to see a mass of brown hair he’d nuzzled
into, clarity
struck. His arm was numb because Maddie was using it as a pillow and he was warm because their
bodies were
pressed so closely together, not an inch of space was between them.
For a moment, Caleb froze. His mind replayed the events of last night, as best as he could at least,
considering
his pounding headache, and was only mildly relieved that nothing happened between the two of
them. Or
disappointed. He couldn’t tell.
What he did remember was drinking himself into oblivion in the garage. Everything else was fuzzy
until he was
bent over the toilet and the panic he experienced when he felt someone touch him. It had been
Maddie, of course,
but for a brief hazy moment, he thought it’d been someone else.
He squeezed his eyes tight when he remembered the things he’d told Maddie, sitting on the bathroom
floor.
Jesus. He didn’t think he’d gone into details, but he remembered the look on her face. The hitch in
her breath like
she’d been on the verge of tears. And he remembered being ashamed because he didn’t want her
pity. Certainly
not hers.
The last thing he remembered was Maddie’s story. He liked listening to her voice and he liked the
way she
smiled a secretive smile every now and again. And he liked how happy her childhood seemed, if not a
little
jealous. What would he have been like if he’d grown up in a family like hers, where his parents
weren’t alcoholics
and druggies, or his sick bitch of an aunt hadn’t sexually abused him for two fucking years?
Caleb allowed himself to lie there, allowed himself to feel her warmth, savor her smell, because he
knew that this
wouldn’t happen again. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he must’ve passed out shortly after
her story be-
cause he didn’t remember anything else.
Judging from the light pooling into the living room, it was only early morning, but Caleb knew he’d
overslept.
Usually, by now, he’d have been outside on his morning run. He liked the feeling of the icy air stinging
his lungs.
Whenever he returned, he felt refreshed, new.
Even with a hangover, Caleb wouldn’t be able to function properly without his run. It calmed and
centered
him. He was the first to admit his addiction.
So, slowly, he pulled away from Maddie. They were both squeezed onto his couch, so it proved more
difficult
than he anticipated, but eventually he untangled himself. He stood over her, memorizing the softness
of her face,
the way her lips were parted in sleep, the dark lashes that fanned out over her cheek. A part of him
couldn’t believe
that she was here, in his uncle’s house, sleeping on his couch. He would wake up any moment from
this sweet
dream and be thrust back into a lonely reality.
He knew that in his dreams, though, he wouldn’t have a headache that felt like a jackhammer. After
pulling the
blanket over Maddie, he turned down the hallway to prepare for his run. He popped some painkillers,
chugged
some water, brushed his teeth, and laced up his shoes.
And then he was off.
* * *
Maddie woke up alone and more than a little cold.
Slowly sitting up, she glanced around, searching for Caleb. He wasn’t in the kitchen and the rest of the
house
was eerily quiet.
“Caleb?” she called out hesitantly. Her voice seemed to echo and she received no reply. Frowning,
she won-
dered where he’d gone off to. His car was still back at the garage but surely he wouldn’t just leave her
there. She
pushed off the couch to check and see if his keys were still on the entryway table, where she’d put
them last night,
but they were gone.
Biting her lip, she tried not to be too hurt. It wasn’t like she expected anything because of last night,
except, per-
haps, a simple thank you. She didn’t even have his cell phone number, so she could call and figure out
how she
was supposed to lock up his house with no keys.
She hadn’t meant to fall asleep last night. Then she woke up in the middle of night and found Caleb
pressed up
against her, his breaths fanning out over the back of her neck, and she didn’t have the will or the
heart to move. So,
she let herself drift back to sleep, in the arms of the man she cared too much about.
And now, he was gone.
Muttering to herself, she went to the bathroom down the hall. She splashed her face with water and
didn’t even
feel guilty when she rummaged through his medicine cabinet, looking for a spare toothbrush or
mouthwash. He
owed her fresh breath and clean teeth, at the very least.
Her face burned when her eyes landed on a box of condoms, nestled on the bottom shelf, and then
she swal-
lowed, looking away. So what if Caleb had sex? Perhaps regularly? It didn’t mean anything to her
anyway. And it
was a complete coincidence when her eyes landed on the expiration date and saw that in a few
months, they’d be
out of commission.
She ignored how that date made her feel a little bit better. He’d bought them a long time ago. That
didn’t
mean she wanted to know the last time he’d used them.
She slammed the medicine cabinet door shut with a little more force than necessary after she located
mouth-
wash and swished the blue liquid around in her mouth until her tongue burned.
Once she finished in the bathroom, she felt a little better. As she passed the closed doors in the
hallway, she
resisted the urge to snoop and be nosey, no matter how pressing her curiosity. That felt too private,
even for her.
It was obvious that even Caleb kept out of the rooms, for good reason. It was a little creepy even
being here by her-
self and she wondered why Caleb didn’t move out of the house, especially if he hated it as much as he
obviously
did.
Eyeing the cardboard boxes lining the walls, Maddie thought that perhaps he was in the process of
moving out.
When her stomach growled, she looked through the fridge and cabinets one more time, as though
they’d replen-
ished themselves magically over night. Not finding anything, she dug into the leftover pizza,
reasoning that she’d
bought it. She left a few slices for Caleb anyway when she replaced the box in the fridge.
Looking at the time on her phone, she realized that she had a couple hours until she had to meet Kate
for coffee
in the city and then head to her job on campus. She had no classes today, but had work until five o’
clock and
she’d hoped to squeeze in some library time beforehand. She needed to start applying for internships
at
museums. Without some experience, she wouldn’t be able to graduate from her program.
Yet, she didn’t know what to do about Caleb’s house. She couldn’t just leave it unlocked. Even
though it was
in a nice neighborhood, if something did happen, it would be her responsibility. At the same time, she
couldn’t
wait for long. She still needed to drive home, shower, and change before taking BART into the city.
Just as she was wondering if she could lock the door from the inside and escape through a window,
the lock on
the front door turned and Caleb walked inside. In earphones and running shoes, Caleb looked
absolutely drool-
worthy with his shirt plastered to his broad chest with sweat, his hair mussed, and cheeks flushed
from the cold
November air.
Maddie realized she was gaping when he spotted her in the kitchen and she closed her mouth. When
he pulled
out his earbuds, she said the first thing that came to her mind. “I was just debating crawling through a
window.”
A sardonic brow shot up. “Oh, really?”
Well, he’s in a fine mood this morning, she thought. He edged around her in the kitchen, opening up a
cabinet to
pull out the protein powder she’d seen last night. Maddie caught a delicious whiff of him as he
passed and all she
wanted to do was bury her face in his neck and smell him all day, despite her annoyance. Was that
normal? She’d
read about pheromones once, but she’d never really believed that someone’s sweat could smell good
until now.
“Well, I thought you left. Your keys were gone,” she told him, trying to mask the irritation in her
voice. “I
couldn’t just leave your house unlocked.”
He cast her a side glance as he scooped out his protein powder and mixed it with water. “I went on a
run. I
took my keys so I could lock up.”
“I realize that now. A note would’ve been nice.”
He scowled at her tone. “Are you pissed at me or something? Or are you just in a bad mood?”
“Seriously?” Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. “I drove you home and stayed with you all night
and you’re
going to throw that in my face this morning?”
“I didn’t ask for your help last night.”
“You weren’t in any state to ask for anyone’s help even though you clearly needed it,” she shot back.
Caleb’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “I don’t want to fight with you right now. My head’s
already
pounding as it is.”
Maddie had the strongest urge to scream but she bit back the cutting reply she wanted to lob at him.
“Fine.
Whatever.” She stalked over to her jacket, wondering why she even tried with him. Jamming her
arms in the
sleeves, she bit out, “Do you need a ride back to the garage?”
He studied her and then shook his head. “I’ll catch a ride with Brian.”
“Okay.” Fine by me, she thought. “See you later.”
Maddie resisted the urge to stomp to the door and reminded herself to act like an adult. She snagged
her purse
off the entry way table and looked through it to locate her keys.
Caleb sighed and she heard his footsteps as he trailed after her. “Hey,” he said.
She pulled out her keys and opened the front door. Looking over her shoulder, she murmured, “Bye.”
Before she could make it two steps, Caleb grabbed her wrist and pulled her back inside. “Just wait a
minute.”
She avoided his eyes. “I’m gonna be late.”
“Look at me,” he growled.
Barely refraining from rolling her eyes, she lifted her gaze. “What?”
Maddie thought that his features softened ever so slightly, but then dismissed the idea as quickly as it
came.
This was Caleb Montgomery, after all. He was about as soft as a desert cactus and twice as prickly.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his eyes briefly dropping to her lips. When had he stepped so close? “I do
appre-
ciate last night.”
“Okay.”
Now, had that really been so hard? she wondered.
He looked like he wanted to say something else and she waited what felt like a couple minutes for
him to spit it
out. But in the end, he didn’t. Instead, he nodded and said, “See you later tonight.” Then he released
her arm
and stepped back.
Maddie stared at him, but he kept his eyes trained just over her shoulder. Now he wouldn’t look at
her. Ignor-
ing her disappointment, she told him, “By the way, I used your mouth wash.” And just as she was
about to close
the front door behind her, she left him with another parting message. “Oh, and your condoms are
almost expired.
You might want to check on that.”
She pulled the front door shut just as his eyes narrowed.
And then she smirked all the way to her car.
Take that, you surly asshole.
TWENTY-TWO
Maddie quickly entered the coffee shop she was meeting Kate in, glancing down at her phone to
check the time.
She was a few minutes late since there was a slight delay on BART.
She spotted Kate, already at a table, in the corner, along with a familiar blonde. It was Christie, one of
Caleb’s
friends, who she’d met at Hemlock Tavern. Maddie waved when Kate spotted her and made her way
over.
“I’m sorry I’m a little late,” she said, putting her purse down and shrugging out of her jacket.
“No worries,” Kate said. “I hope you don’t mind, but Christie wanted to tag along when she found out
about
our coffee date.”
“Not at all,” Maddie said, smiling as she took a seat.
“I told my boss I had a doctor’s appointment,” the blonde explained, winking, “but I just had to come
and get all
the gossip on Caleb.”
“Um,” Maddie said, a sudden laugh escaping her. “Gossip?”
Christie waved her hand, beautiful gold bangles jingling on her wrist. “You know, an insider’s
perspective on
the mysterious man himself.”
Maddie didn’t follow and Kate must’ve seen the confusion on her face because the brunette said,
“Sorry about
her. She’s had too much caffeine already and is too nosey for her own good. But speaking of caffeine,
what can I
get you?”
“Oh, no, don’t worry about it. I’ll order.”
“Nonsense. I asked you here and I know you’re busy. Now, what do you want?”
Maddie caved when she saw how determined Kate was. “A latte, please.”
“Right.” She stood from the table. “I’ll be right back.”
As Kate ordered their drinks, Christie smiled over at her, wiggling her eyebrows. “So, about Caleb…”
Even from the counter, Kate yelled over, “Stop it, Christie.”
Christie pouted. “Oh, she’s no fun.” She leaned forward, whispering, “She’s just as curious, even
though she
won’t admit it.”
Maddie laughed. She liked Christie. There was something refreshing about her, lighthearted and
carefree.
She wouldn’t tell her that she’d just come from Caleb’s house after looking out for him all night, but
she figured
she’d at least give the blonde something. “Well, he seems to have an endless supply of black t-shirts.
And his car
is freakishly neat.”
“You’ve been in his car?” Christie asked, mouth dropping. “He doesn’t let anyone in his car. Not even
the
boys!”
“Oh,” Maddie said dumbly, wondering why. “Well, he gave me a ride home after what happened with
my car.”
“Woah, woah, woah, start from the beginning,” Christie commanded, just as Kate sat back down.
“And don’t
leave anything out.” She turned to Kate. “She’s been in his car.”
So, Maddie told them how she and Caleb met, leaving out the fact that she’d had a crush on him in
high
school. She figured that if she told Christie that, the stunning blonde would pop a blood vessel and
interrogate her
on what Caleb had been like as a teenager.
When she finished recounting that night, Christie said, “How romantic.”
Romantic?
Maddie laughed. “Caleb is probably the least romantic man I’ve ever met.” The thought of him giving
some
girl flowers or chocolate, or treating her to a candlelit dinner was actually hilarious. “I can’t picture
him doing any-
thing romantic for someone, especially for me.”
Christie exchanged looks with Kate. Maddie suddenly felt like she was about to be privy to some
information
she shouldn’t know.
“He told Alex and Olivia about you,” Christie said, leaning forward on her elbows. Maddie’s brow
furrowed.
They had also been with Caleb on Saturday night, if she remembered correctly.
“When?”
“I think early last week.”
“What did he say?”
“I’m not sure. Olivia wouldn’t tell us everything, but that’s not the point. The point is that he told
them about
you. This is Caleb we’re talking about. He doesn’t talk about women. Ever.”
A server brought over their coffees, which was a relief. Maddie didn’t want to think about why Caleb
brought
her up to his friends. She didn’t want to hope for something that would never happen. She took a sip
of her coffee
before answering. “I’m sure he just told them that I was working for him.”
“Then why did he drag us all to Hemlock Tavern on Saturday night? Caleb hates that place.”
So her suspicions had been correct. Caleb went there because he’d known that she would be there.
Again, she
didn’t want to read too much into it.
This time, Kate jumped in. “Do you like him?”
“What?”
“Do you have feelings for him?”
“I—I…” she stuttered, caught off guard. Frowning, she realized that she’d never questioned what
she’d felt for
him. It was like she’d always had feelings for him, always in the background, over the years, even
when she thought
she’d never seen him again. He’d given her a hopeful, beautiful moment in that courtyard, and it
wasn’t something
she’d ever forget.
Kyra’s words rang in her mind.
You’ve always had a weird thing for him.
Weird, indeed. And stupid.
Finally, she settled on a half-truth, “He makes it hard to have feelings for him.”
“I can imagine,” Christie drawled. “We didn’t exactly hit it off either.”
“How so?”
Christie shrugged. “I had a run in with him at a grocery store when I first started seeing Adam. Caleb
was a
little…cold. He was that way with all of us. But eventually, he warmed up. It took time though.”
Kate nodded in agreement and took a sip of her coffee.
Christie got a small, conspiratorial smile on her face a moment later. “Can I ask you something?”
“All right,” Maddie replied, slightly nervous.
“Does Caleb have his nipples pierced?”
Maddie was glad she hadn’t took a sip of coffee right at that moment because she would have spit it
out all over
the women sitting in front of her.
Kate sighed, shaking her head. “Christie…”
“What?” the blonde asked innocently. “It’s a genuine curiosity. So does he?”
“Um,” Maddie said, feeling her cheeks warm. “No, I don’t think so.” Oh no, she could feel a nervous
ramble
coming on. “I haven’t seen a, um, barbell or ring poking through his shirt, if that’s what you mean. I
mean, he
gets cold sometimes and he wears tight shirts, so his, um, nipples show, but—”
Christie burst out laughing and Maddie reddened even further, taking another sip to save herself from
the word
vomit. Even Kate tried to hide her grin, but ultimately failed.
“Oh my God,” Christie said, wiping away a tear. “I love you. I think we’ll be great friends. Damn.”
She leaned
back in her chair. “I really thought he did. There go my fantasies, right down the drain.”
“And what would Adam think about your fantasies?” Kate teased.
“Hey, my man is secretly a freak in the bedroom. And he knows I think all his friends are hot, Luke
included.”
That led to Maddie asking both of them how they met their boyfriends. And they each told her
condensed ver-
sions of their own romances—Kate worked for Luke after she rejected him in a coffee shop whereas
Christie and
Adam had started out as friends and morphed their relationship into an odd friends with benefits type
of thing be-
fore going exclusive.
“And what about you?” Kate asked. “Who was that guy you were with on Saturday night?”
“Oh, he was a blind date my friend set me up on,” Maddie said. “I’m seeing him again on Thursday
night for
dinner and a movie. We’ll see how it goes.”

Maddie had hardly thought about Paul since that night, which she felt slightly guilty about. He was
handsome,
kind, and they seemed to really hit it off, despite Caleb’s interference. But Paul gave Maddie a second
shot and he’d
texted her when she got home Saturday night to set up another date.
A part of her was looking forward to it. Being with Paul was nice. There was no drama, no fighting—
at least
not yet—and she’d really enjoyed herself on their double date. Would she think about Caleb on
Thursday night and
maybe wish that it was him taking her out instead? More than likely.
Kate glanced down at her watch. “Shoot, I didn’t realize how much time has passed. Would you mind
if I
asked you a bit about the museum stuff? You know, what I originally asked you here for before my
crazy friend
turned it into an interrogation.”
“I did not!”
Maddie laughed and realized that she could be good friends with these women. She felt comfortable
around
them. “Of course.”
So, Kate fired off some questions and Maddie answered them to the best of her ability. Christie
chimed in with
her experiences working in an art gallery and even though the two professions were different, Kate
still had a good
chunk of notes by the end.
When Maddie checked the time, she couldn’t believe that she’d sat there with them for two whole
hours. “Oh, I
have to get going. I start work in a half hour.”
“Where do you work?” Kate asked curiously.
“In my academic department,” she said, standing and pulling on her jacket, flipping her hair out of the
back
when she was finished. “It’s just administrative stuff, a couple times a week. Helps with the tuition,
at least.”
“I bet.” Kate replied, standing to give her a hug. “Thanks so much, Maddie. You were so helpful.
We’ll have
to get together again soon.”
Christie gave her a hug as well and they all promised to meet up again for drinks or a girls’ night. Even
though
Maddie wouldn’t be able to squeeze in a library session, she wasn’t too torn up about it. She’d had a
good time
and she tried to not think too much into what they’d told her about Caleb. Kate and Christie were
technically a part
of his group of friends, so she could only hope that nothing soured between the two of them.
Besides, once she finished working for Caleb’s business—which would only be a couple days away
now—she
hoped that there would be no hard feelings between them. They were adults and ideally, she’d like to
part as
friends.
TWENTY-THREE
What alarmed Caleb the most when he saw Maddie walk through his office door the next evening was
the way
his stomach jolted. Fucking butterflies erupted in his stomach like he was a goddamn teenager seeing
his crush in
the hallway at school.
It didn’t help that she was wearing a blouse that gaped in front as she bent down to deposit her purse
on the
floor. Caleb almost groaned when he spotted creamy skin and the round, tantalizing tops of her
breasts. His eyes
drank her in like he was a starved man. He hadn’t seen her at all the night before. After she left his
house, he’d
told himself that he needed to distance himself from her, so he’d spent that evening in the back
garage working on
the restoration. He only came back to the office when he was sure she’d left and the only proof that
she’d been
there was her sweet, lingering scent and a note taped to his computer detailing what she’d
completed. Caleb had
frowned down at the list, noticing that she’d gotten a lot done. He was all too aware that tomorrow
night was Mad-
die’s self-imposed deadline.
Caleb knew that he couldn’t hide out in the garage again. Not only did he have administrative related
work
tonight, but he also didn’t think that he could avoid her again. Begrudgingly, he admitted to himself
that he didn’t
want to. So, he silenced that little voice in the back of his mind that told him to be careful, that all the
women in his
life had eventually betrayed him, and tried to not look at the clock every few seconds, anticipating her
arrival.
When he heard the click of her heels on the metal staircase…that sound did things to him. Dark
things, needful
things. Things that if Maddie knew about, she’d probably be running for the hills.
He swallowed thickly.
“And here I thought you’d be avoiding me again,” she said when she spotted him sitting at his desk.
If he was being honest with himself, he’d also started to miss that fucking smart mouth of hers.
“I like those claws of yours, princess,” he drawled.
She ignored that and asked, “How are you feeling? Hangover from hell gone already?”
Caleb felt his lips quirk up but he smothered the smile before it could appear. “Right as rain.
Although I’m
sure you would’ve liked it to stick around longer, considering all the trouble you went through to
nurse me back to
health.”
“Who me?” she asked innocently, placing a hand over her chest. “I would never want another person
to suffer
unnecessarily.”
“Except me.”
Maddie sighed. “You know I wouldn’t want that. Truly. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Although I
think you
should stay away from whiskey for a while.”
“Trust me, I am. It was a mistake.”
Maddie hesitated. “Do you want to talk about it? Why you did it, I mean…”
Caleb’s lips pressed together and he ran a hand through his hair. “You already know why.” How
many people
could he say that to? Not that many, that was for sure.
“Sometimes, it helps to talk it out,” she said, shrugging. “But I also know you and I’m sure you’d
rather…”
“Forget it ever happened?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re right. But it happened. I can’t take it back. I knew it wasn’t a good decision beforehand,
during, and
after. So yes, I’d rather put it behind me.”
Maddie nodded. “Fair enough.”
For a second, Caleb wondered if his frankness hurt her feelings but she seemed to accept his words
just fine.
He relaxed. He liked that about her. She just rolled with the situation and didn’t pressure him.
“Now…get to work, you pain in my ass.” There was no rancor in his tone. Caleb thought he sounded
even
playful and he frowned, looking away.

Caleb thought he heard a chuckle from her, but he kept his eyes dutifully trained on his computer
screen, no
matter how much they wanted to stray to the woman who’d become something like an obsession the
past couple
weeks.
An hour passed by when he started to notice her fidgeting in her seat. She’d glance behind her at the
clock
every so often, even though he knew there was a time display on the laptop. She’d even taken her
phone out and
fiddled around with it until returning her attention to her work.
He was just about to ask her why she seemed so nervous when Caleb’s phone vibrated with an
incoming text.
It was from Luke, but he’d sent it to the group chat between himself, Caleb, Alex, and Adam.
Luke: Caleb, I heard you aren’t locking your woman down.
Caleb scowled in irritation, choosing to ignore the text since he had no idea what Luke was even
talking about.
Then Alex chimed in.
Alex: I think she’s too good for him anyway. Seemed pretty indifferent towards him on Sat. night.
Yeah, she was pretty fucking indifferent when she was sucking on my bottom lip that night, asshole,
Caleb thought.
He knew they were just baiting him, like they were prone to do.
Luke: Sounds about right after what she told Kate and Christie yesterday morning.
Adam: I’m wisely staying out of this one…
Caleb’s eyes narrowed on his phone. What had Maddie told them exactly? His phone was in the palm
of his
hand before he realized it and he started typing out a text.
Caleb: What did she say?
Luke: Ah, so he finally speaks.
Caleb: Asshole. Cut the shit.
Luke: Maddie’s going out with that guy again on Thursday. You know what that means? Make your
move al-
ready or a certain someone is gonna make his first!!
Caleb stared down at the text on the screen and then his eyes snapped up to the woman sitting on the
opposite
side of the room. Jealousy burned in his gut.
Before he knew what he was doing, he bit out, “You’re going out with that guy again?”
Her brows furrowed as she glanced at him. “What?”
“That guy you were with on Saturday. You’re seeing him again?”
Maddie stared at him and then realization hit. “That’s none of your business. How did you even find
out?”
“From Luke,” Caleb grated. “Who probably found out from Kate. Is it true?”
“Oh, what? Are you upset that your little sabotage stunt by the bathrooms didn’t work?” she threw
back at him,
standing up from her chair. She was getting annoyed. Caleb could always tell by the way her eyes
blazed and the
tops of her cheeks turned a light pink. In some twisted way, it had always turned him on.
Caleb stood and stalked over towards her. “You don’t honestly like that guy, do you?”
“At least Paul is nice and we weren’t at each other’s throats all night, which is something I can’t say
about you.
With you, one moment, we’re fine, the next we’re fighting!”
“Nice?” Caleb hissed, staring down at her. “Nice is just another way of saying boring. And I guarantee
that
Paul will bore you out of your fucking mind. You don’t want someone like him.”
“And now you’re the expert on what kind of man I want? You think I like fighting all the time? You
think I like it
when a guy drives me completely up the wall? Or sends me mixed messages all the freaking time?”
Caleb narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think you like it, princess. I think you love it.”
Maddie sucked in a breath. “I do no—”
“Yes, you do,” he said, taking another step towards her until their bodies touched. “I think you love
this. You
need to be kept on your toes, don’t you?”
Briefly, her eyes unfocused and he knew he was right. But when she spotted the smirk on Caleb’s
features, she
pushed him back. “You’re delusional,” she said softly.
“I think we both know who the delusional one is here.”
Her gaze swung back to his. “Why are you so jealous of Paul?”
He scowled, but the protest to her words died on his lips. Instead, he said, “He irritates me. You
won’t be
going out with him again.”
“You want to know what I think? I think he scares you,” she declared, crossing her arms over her
chest. “I
think you don’t want to admit to whatever the hell has been going on between us for the past two
weeks. But you
know what? It doesn’t matter anymore.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked in time with his pulse. “And why’s that?”
“Because I’m done,” she said, looking up at him with those big brown eyes that got him into this mess
in the
first place. At first, Caleb thought she meant she was done with their weird…whatever the hell they
were doing.
But then she said, “I finished twenty minutes ago.”
His stomach dropped. Caleb blinked and his eyes strayed to her work station, like the laptop and the
makeshift
desk would confirm her words. “You’re done?”
Maddie nodded and looked down at the floor between them. “Yes.”
Caleb’s first thought was: I’m out of time. He wondered why he felt so surprised. He knew that she’d
be fin-
ishing up sometime this week, but it hadn’t truly been a concern because a part of him ignored the
implications.
Now, they were staring him straight in the face.
Maddie would walk out that door tonight and there was no reason for her to come back.
Not unless I give her one, he thought.
Caleb’s eyes strayed to the clock on the wall behind her. It was nearing eight o’clock. How could she
be done
already?
“No, I’m sure there’s other work,” he said, furrowing his brows, looking around at the office, searching
for
something. Anything.
Maddie bit her lip. “Caleb…”
“How do I know the work you did is right? What if I find something that doesn’t add up later?” he
accused,
something that felt suspiciously like panic bubbling up in his throat.
Those brown eyes knew exactly what he was doing. It should unnerve him how much she understood
him, how
well she could read him. He couldn’t bring himself to care.
“You’ll just have to trust me,” she said softly. “And trust in my work. I told you I was good.”
“Yes,” he said, scrubbing a hand down his jaw. “Too good,” he murmured.
They stared at each other, only an arm’s length away. Caleb watched as Maddie took a deep breath,
steeling
herself for whatever she was about to say.
“Won’t you just tell me, Caleb?” she pleaded quietly. “It’s exhausting, what we’re doing. Wouldn’t it
be so
much easier just to say it and stop fighting against yourself?”
His heart started thumping uncomfortably in his chest and a strange mixture of acceptance and
resignation set-
tled deep into his very bones.
It would be easy. And yet it wouldn’t. She had to understand that. If he opened his mouth and said
that he
cared about her, that he didn’t want her to leave, that he wanted to see where whatever was
between them went, he
would be giving up some of the control he’d fought so desperately to hold onto for the past decade.
He’d offer her
some of his power on a silver platter and need to trust that she wouldn’t misuse it. His power was the
only thing
that had kept him sustained all these years.
She would make it so damn easy and so damn sweet to relinquish it.
Caleb’s lips parted, the words on the tip of his tongue. His mouth closed. Then opened. Then closed.
Fi-
nally, he did speak, but to tell her, “I might not ever be able to fully trust you. I’ve been stabbed in
the back too
many times to fully trust anyone.”
“You know I would never do that to you,” she said, her words tinged with defiant anger.
He wished that he could believe her words. “That’s what they all say, at one point or another.”
“I’ll accept that you think you’d never be able to trust me,” she stated. “But promise me one thing.
The mo-
ment that you realize you do, I want you to tell me. At least then I’ll know.”
His chest ached at her words.
Drive her away. Do it. Please. Please. Please!
His fists clenched at his sides, his mind screaming at him to end this. End this while Maddie still
looked at him
with that soft look in her eyes, because he didn’t think he would be able to withstand it when that
softness turned to
ice.
His treacherous mouth didn’t do that. “You’d let me kiss you right now, wouldn’t you?”
Her cheeks flushed. Without missing a beat, she confirmed, “I would.”
Caleb swallowed, her words affecting him probably more than she realized. “You like to be kissed,
don’t you,
princess?”
He’d said those words to her before, almost exactly where she was standing now, but that encounter
had turned
ugly. Maybe a part of him was trying to warn her away, to remind her of the ugliness inside him, to
give her one last
chance to retreat before he ruined everything.
She didn’t even bat an eye, but her smile came easy. “I like to be kissed by you.”
All his breath escaped him. Her words were his breaking point. He only had so much self-restraint.
Caleb
stood as still as a statue as Maddie stepped forward. He watched as she reached for him, her hands
soft-looking
and trembling, and placed her palms flat on his chest.
Caleb flinched at the contact, tensing, but allowed her exploration. He let her touch him. And for
once, her
touch didn’t remind him of darkness and shameful nights. His eyes closed as she ran her hands up to
his shoul-
ders, then curve around the back of his neck, before delving into his dark hair. He shuddered, but it
wasn’t with
revulsion.
“Caleb,” she whispered, face upturned, her hot breath fanning out over his lips.
His eyes were heavy on her. She was so close. All he had to do was lean down a few inches and then
he would
taste the sweetness of those lips for a third time. Tension was building up inside him, bubbling up to
the surface,
inch-by-inch. Caleb started trembling and then, with a lightening strike kind of realization, he
recognized that he
was terrified. Fucking terrified of this beautiful woman, with her soft eyes and glorious hair and kitten
heels, who
took care of him when he was drunk and sassed him when he was being an asshole.
Finally, he rasped, “What I feel for you scares me.”
And then he kissed her because he couldn’t stand it any longer.
The tension building inside boiled over.

TWENTY-FOUR

Their kiss was all heat and urgency and grasping hands and swallowed gasps. And Maddie thought
that it was
beautiful.
She felt light, untouchable, like nothing could hurt her, even Caleb.
“What I feel for you scares me,” he’d admitted. And Maddie had felt happiness as though it was a
declaration of
love. Perhaps she was naive. More than likely she was. She didn’t know anything about romantic
relationships,
but it didn’t stop her from surrendering herself completely to his kiss.
This is what she’d needed to hear…some kind of quiet affirmation that he felt something for her. That
he cared
for her. That he wanted to be with her. And those sweet words hung in her mind like an exquisite
painting that
brightened up an entire room.
When she’d finished up the last of her work, she’d felt a nervous uncertainty in the pit of her
stomach. For al-
most a half hour, she sat there, knowing that she should tell him that was she done, that her debt to
him was paid
off. But every time she was on the verge of saying those words, the words that would sever what
little ties they had
to each other, her throat would close up. The regret had already began to swamp her, regret for
letting another
chance with Caleb slip through her fingers. She’d have no reason to see him again. And she was far
from ready to
say goodbye.
So, as his palms slid up the material of her lavender blouse, bunching it up as he went, she let him. All
she
could do was helplessly arch into him. She never wanted to stop kissing him. It felt too good. He felt
too good,
pressed up against her, all hard muscles and intoxicating warmth. The moment his hands slipped
under her
blouse to feel her skin, he groaned and her heartbeat officially spiraled out of control. Her breath
came out in
gasps and pants and finally she had to turn her head to the side to get air. But Caleb didn’t stop
kissing her.
Those firm, pouty lips that she loved travelled down her jaw to nibble on her neck. The tip of his right
ear
brushed her cheek as he leaned down, sucking on her sensitive flesh like he wanted to devour her,
and she turned
her face and gently bit his earlobe.
Caleb shuddered. “Oh fuck.” He stood, his eyes blazing, and he reclaimed her mouth in a punishing
kiss,
pushing her blouse up higher until his hands brushed the satin cups of her bra.
Their teeth clashed together, the intensity of their kiss surprising Maddie. She loved it. She felt out of
control,
reckless, young. Was this the way her girlfriends had felt whenever they’d become obsessed about a
man? This all-
consuming, completely crazy need? Because surely she’d die if Caleb ever stopped touching her.
And when his fingertips pushed underneath her bra to stroke the heavy flesh there, she had to ask
herself…was
she ready for where this moment would eventually lead?
A part of her wanted to shy away, to laugh with nervousness. The other part recognized that this was
it.
She wanted him.
She wanted this.
She would take whatever he had to give because she’d waited a long time.
And it had always been him…
She shut down stray, worried, warning thoughts and just let herself feel. The strokes he gifted her
breasts sent
shivers down her spine and a rush of warmth pooled between her thighs. It was like every nerve-
ending in her body
fired to life. Everything was intensified. Every brush of skin, every quiet desperate sound, every taste
of his tongue
was heaven.
When he got impatient and reached down to tug off her blouse, she helped him. And after a flick of
his fingers,
her bra joined the small pile on the floor next to them.
He hissed out a breath when he saw her nipples pucker. For a moment, she felt self-conscious as he
stared
down at them. She’d never been naked—or at least half-naked—in front of anyone before. She liked
her body well
enough. She was an average weight, not too too big or too skinny. Her stomach was soft, as were her
hips,
thighs, and arms. Not jutting bones or harsh angles.
“Mmm,” Caleb murmured, brushing his thumb over her nipples. Maddie gasped, feeling stabbing
pleasure
shoot between her legs. Caleb leaned forward to capture her lips again as he pinched her flesh
gently. “Such per-
fect tits, princess,” he growled against her lips, cupping her breasts. They fit perfectly in his palms.
“Oh,” was her only response as he played with her…relentlessly.
And when he ducked his head to suck on her nipples? All she could think was oh my God, oh my God,
oh my
God!
Foreign pleasure assaulted her. His lips brushed over the sensitive peaks, teasing, and then he’d make
her
stomach tighten when his teeth scraped the delicate flesh. It was maddening, a perfect combination
of the sweetest
pleasure and dark pricks of pain. The space between her thighs was throbbing by the time he’d
finished and re-
turned to her lips, but his fingers wandered…down…down…down.
Maddie’s hands were still buried in his hair, but as he unbuttoned and unzipped the dark denim jeans
she’d
worn that night, her hands wandered to his as well. She could feel the thick length of him whenever
their bodies
pressed close. When she looked down between them, she saw the undeniable dark ridge of his
erection straining
in the tight confines of his jeans.
Just as she reached down to unbuckle his belt, he stopped her. Glancing back up at his face, she saw
the tur-
moil there.
“I can’t have you touching me from now on,” he murmured, his voice raspy. “Please.”
Disappointment flooded her, but she nodded. She understood that this must be complicated for
him.
Difficult. So, she took her hands away and kept them at her sides. In return, as though saying thank
you, he
brushed his lips over the tip of her nose and then he was pushing down her jeans. Her underwear
went with them,
the cold air sudden and shocking.
Just as she gasped, he lowered both of them to the carpeted floor of the office. It wasn’t comfortable,
but Mad-
die wouldn’t complain. Caleb lay her back and she nervously looked up at him, her lips parted, as he
rocked back
on his heels to gaze down at her bare body. The intimacy was unbelievable. Every inch of her was on
display
under the harsh lighting of the office, offered up for his leisurely exploration. She’d never felt more
stripped and
more exposed to one person in her entire life.
She resisted the urge to shield herself or shy away from him. This would take courage and she wasn’t
afraid.
Nervous, yes, but not afraid.
When his fingers trailed down from the valley between her breasts, dipping into her belly button
along the way,
and ending at the small dark curls between her thighs, she made a quiet whimpering sound in the
back of her
throat. Caleb’s fingers parted the flesh there and her hips lifted off the ground when he circled the
small bundle of
hidden nerves with the pad of his thumb.
He just watched her. His dark eyes were impossibly black as they roamed over her body and face.
“Say something,” she whispered.
He bent over her body, his thumb still lazily circling round and round. A fierce kiss stole her breath
and then
she moaned because he pressed harder between her thighs.

Oh my God.
“I imagined you like this,” he murmured against her lips. “So often. Even from when I first saw you
walk into
this garage.”
Her cheeks flushed even more when he pulled away, dropping a light kiss onto her breasts. She
gasped when
he entered her with a finger.
His brow furrowed. “Fuck, you’re tight, princess.”
Tell him, she thought. Now was the right time to tell him.
“Caleb, I…I…”
I’m a virgin.
But the words stuck in her throat. And when he pushed another finger inside her, trying to loosen her
up, all
thoughts flew out the window.
She wanted to touch him desperately. She wanted to peel off his t-shirt and explore the tattoos he
had hidden
away. She wanted to thread her hands through his thick locks and pull him down for a kiss. But she
kept her arms
next to her, her fingers curling into the thin, scratchy carpet beneath her.
When he leaned away, her heart gave another nervous jolt when he unbuckled his belt and pulled the
black
leather through his belt loops. He looked down at her, cradling the material in his hands, and then
said, “Maddie,
there are…I need certain things. I won’t be able to relax unless you’re…restrained.”
Maddie bit her lip, her eyes darting to the belt. “I promise I won’t touch you,” she whispered.
He ran a hand through his hair. “I know. I just…”
So, this was his kink. He needed to tie up his partners, restrain them so he would have complete
control, no
surprises. She understood why he craved that power.
Ignoring the warning bells going off, Maddie finally nodded and offered up her wrists. This frightened
her just a
little bit, but she knew that Caleb would never take advantage of her position.
Caleb kissed her palms as he wrapped her wrists with his belt. Before she knew it, he drew her hands
up over
her head and attached the belt to the leg of her desk, wrapping it around until she was securely
bound. He’d done
this before, she realized, a flash of jealousy cutting her. He’d tied her up so neatly and efficiently that
it couldn’t
have been his first time.
Stop it, she thought. He was here with her now. Not anyone else.
Once he was satisfied, he gazed down at his handiwork, at her body, at the way her breasts lifted
higher because
of her restrained arms, at the smooth hollow dip of her stomach. He leaned forward, sucking on her
nipples once
more until she was about to scream with frustration and yet beg him to never stop. Then he lifted
away, unbut-
toning and unzipping his jeans, and tugging down his boxer briefs underneath.
Maddie felt a full body flush consume her when she saw his cock for the first time. The first she’d
ever seen.
At least, in person. She’d always been curious about sex and she’d never shied away from pictures or
porn videos.
But Caleb’s cock was perfect.
Thick and long with a generous curve. The head was swollen pink, the veins on the shaft protruding,
and a
small drop of precum pushed its way from the tip. Maddie’s mouth watered. She wanted to taste
him, wanted to
lick up the sides of his cock until she made him moan with pleasure. Would he ever allow her to do
that? Or was
that against his rules?
She wiggled in her restraints as he reached into his back pocket and pulled a condom from his wallet.
He gave
her a dark, knowing look that made her bite her lip as he tore open the packet and rolled it down.
Maddie couldn’t believe that this was happening. It only seemed like a few moments ago, they were
arguing.
And now she was tied to a desk with a belt and Caleb was running his fist down his mouth-watering
cock, readying it
for her.
Caleb lifted her thighs, leaning down to capture her lips as he lined up their bodies. “Ready?” he
murmured.
Maddie nodded against him, not trusting her voice. She was doing this. She couldn’t believe that she
was
doing this. He was kissing her when she felt him press into her body, slowly, and then with a little
more force. It
felt wicked in some way that she was completely naked and he was still completely clothed. His jeans
rubbed
against her inner thighs, creating delicious friction.
Then she felt a pinch deep inside and she tensed. Caleb groaned against her lips, “Jesus, Maddie. You
feel so
good.”
Tears pooled as pain erupted, but she kept her eyes closed, hoping that he wouldn’t notice as he tore
through
her hymen. Caleb continued to thrust between her thighs, oblivious. She opened her mouth to say
something, but
then bit her lip at the last moment. She hoped that the pain wouldn’t last long.
When he drew her nipples into his mouth, tiny stabs of pleasure helped a little, but Maddie was a long
way off
from feeling the aching desire that she’d felt moments before. Every thrust reminded her of the belt
wrapped
around her wrists. She wanted to feel him, to explore the lines of muscles in his back and the cords of
his strong
arms. A part of her resented being tied up like this.
Caleb’s cheeks were flushed and his dark eyes were pitch black as he hovered over her. His fingers
delved be-
tween her curls again, finding her clit, but Maddie was too tense to relax completely.
“I’m about to come, Maddie,” he grated, his jaw locked tight. “Are you—”
She shook her head, cutting him off. Beyond embarrassed, she murmured, “I don’t think I can, Caleb.
It’s
okay, just…”
She trailed off and he frowned, lips parting. She was mortified. Completely mortified. She felt like a
freak.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted and then his eyes squeezed tight, his entire body going tense above
her. His
hips jerked as he orgasmed, settling himself deeper into her body and Maddie grimaced, feeling
another remnant of
shooting pain.
Caleb went still over her, chest heaving, and when his eyes snapped open, he looked almost
remorseful. His
hands cupped her head and he whispered, “Shit, I’m sorry, Maddie. I lost control.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered, feeling her throat burn. “Will you untie me?”
His fingers made quick work of the belt buckle and he massaged her wrists once they were free. He
was watch-
ing her. She could feel his gaze but she couldn’t quite bring herself to meet his eyes and she didn’t
know why.
She’d wanted this. So why did she feel like she’d just made one of the biggest mistakes of her life?
It hadn’t been awful, at least before he’d tied her up. But the bitter burn of disappointment made her
want to
cry. She’d always imagined sex to be a beautiful, natural thing, but now that she’d done it, it made
her feel…empty.
Caleb pulled out of her body, looking down to peel off the condom when he froze. Maddie felt his
body stiffen
and then his eyes swung to her.
Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach. “What?” she whispered.
She looked at the condom and then saw the blood. She swallowed thickly, her face paling, when she
met his
eyes again.
“Please fucking tell me that you just started your period or something and this isn’t what I think it is,”
he said,
his voice low and controlled.
Panic and embarrassment flooded her veins and her eyes darted away. “I…I don’t…”
You should’ve told him, you idiot! her mind screamed.

“Maddie,” he barked. Maddie could understand if he was a little pissed that she hadn’t told him, but
what she
hadn’t expected was the rage pouring off him. “Please tell me you weren’t a fucking virgin just now.”
Get yourself together, she told herself. She had nothing to be ashamed of just because she hadn’t
slept with
other guys before now. She didn’t understand why he was so angry.
So, she lifted her chin and said, “I was.”
“Fuck!” Caleb burst out, making her jump. “Fuck!”
He shot to his feet, ripping off the condom before flinging it in the trash, and zipping up his jeans.
Maddie sat
up, huddling in on herself to cover her naked body. She wanted to throw up. She felt the bile rise in
her throat.
Caleb ran a hand through his hair, pacing a little. “Why?” he asked, glaring down at her. “Why the
fuck would
you—”
He cut himself off and cursed again. Then he looked away like he couldn’t stand the sight of her and
stalked to
the office door, throwing it open and then slamming it shut on his way out. Numb, Maddie listened to
his foot-
steps down the stairs and then silence.
He left, was her stunned thought. He just left.
Maddie’s mind was reeling. Her ears rang. Everything around her looked like a fuzzy dream—or
nightmare,
rather—like things weren’t real. The office that she’d spent so much time in was now a strange,
unfamiliar place
and all she wanted to do was leave.
She thought that things would be different between them from now on, after what he’d told her.
Remembering
the naive hope that had sprouted in her chest earlier, now Maddie just felt like the biggest fool on the
planet.
She smelled like him. His scent was all over her skin. When she licked her dry lips, she tasted him. It
was too
much. She needed to leave.

He left.
Sobs escaped from her throat before she realized it and then she couldn’t stop them. She slapped a
hand over
her mouth to muffle them, but a few escaped. The space between her thighs ached as she pulled on
her clothes, a
relentless reminder that the last few moments had actually happened and she hadn’t just imagined it
all.
He left.
He left.
He left.
* * *
Caleb was crouched down in the dark corner of the second garage, staring at the rusted outline of his
current
work in progress. He’d stripped it almost completely and the next thing he needed to do was some
patch-up
work. He debated starting now, anything to take his mind off what just happened in his office with
Maddie.
She’d been a fucking virgin, you sick bastard, he thought, squeezing his eyes shut. Remorse and
revulsion hit him
hard, making him want to vomit. He hated himself. He should’ve known, but how could he have?
She didn’t tell
him. Still, he should’ve known when she tensed up. He just thought she needed time to get used to
his size.
She’d been tight; he’d figured it had been a long time for her. Now, he knew she’d been too tight.
“Fuck,” he whispered to the empty garage. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
He groaned, hating the images that assaulted his mind. Images of her, perfectly beautiful and bound,
lying
down in front of him. The way her whole body was flushed pink and the way those sweet, sweet lips
parted for him.
And then he lost control. Before Maddie, he hadn’t particularly cared whether a woman came before
he did.
He didn’t care what they thought about him because the women he fucked he never saw again. They
were all one
night stands, who understood exactly what they were getting themselves into.
But buried inside Maddie…seeing her delicate wrists bound, feeling the softness of her skin, and those
perfect
fucking breasts upturned just for him…he’d lost his fucking mind. She hadn’t orgasmed. And now, he
realized
just how painful it must’ve been for her.
He closed his eyes in remorse. Why didn’t she say anything?
He’d gotten pissed. Pissed at himself for not realizing what was happening. Pissed at her for not
telling him.
Pissed for hurting her. Pissed for wanting her so much.
And then he’d handled it badly. He knew that. He’d stormed out like a coward when he should’ve
stayed. He
knew he’d eventually hurt her. This was what he was afraid of. He had a temper. He got angry and
then he said
stupid shit that he couldn’t take back.
He knew that he needed to apologize, to explain himself. He didn’t know if she’d forgive him because
he didn’t
deserve her forgiveness.
With a steadying breath, he pushed up from his crouch and made his way back towards the office.
He’d only
been gone a few minutes. Surely she hadn’t left yet. Then he saw that her car was gone from the
parking lot and
his stomach dropped. He ran up the metal staircase and burst through the door, needing her to still
be inside.
The office was empty.
Her stuff was gone. The space where they’d been moments before was bare, save for his discarded
belt. Panic
flooded his veins and he snatched up his phone from the desk, only to realize that he didn’t even have
her fucking
number.
He knew someone who did though.

Dialing Luke’s number, he cursed when it went straight to voicemail. Of course, when Caleb actually
needed to
speak with him urgently, he didn’t pick up.
He left a voicemail. “Luke, I need you to call me. I need to talk to Kate.” He sent a text for good
measure and
then paced in his office as he waited for a reply.
When he fucked up, he fucked up badly.
All he could think was that Maddie was innocent. Pure. Good.
Just as he feared, he’d tainted her.

TWENTY-FIVE
Maddie didn’t stay at home the next morning like she expected to. The moment she’d woken up, her
mind re-
played, in painstaking detail, the events of the previous night and she knew, right off the bat, that she
wouldn’t be
able to sit on her couch all day and mope and cry. She’d gotten a good amount of tears out of her
system the night
before, her eyes still a bit bloodshot and puffy because of it, but she felt surprisingly calm.
She was wary of that calmness though. It felt like a facade. It wasn’t real. And sooner or later, it
would be
wiped away and she was afraid of what might be uncovered underneath.
Maddie went about her day as usual. She got up, showered, ate, and went to campus, where she
locked herself
up in the library and applied to five different museum internship programs that she needed to
complete for credits.
She briefly debated calling Christie to see if she knew of any programs, since the blonde worked as an
assistant
curator in a well-known art gallery. She might have connections in the museum sector. But then she
remembered
that Christie was one of Caleb’s friends—or at least, her boyfriend was—and thought better of it.
Diligently, she tried not to think of him too much. Every now and again, a stray thought would creep
in like
slow molasses, but then she threw herself into another task.
When she finally pulled out her phone around three o’ clock in the afternoon, she was surprised how
many
missed calls and texts she had. One call and voicemail was from her mother, whom she’d called the
day before but
missed.
“Hi sweetie, it’s me,” started the voicemail. “Just checking in. Why don’t you come over this
weekend some-
time so we can catch up? I feel like it’s been ages since I saw you last and I’ll make your favorite,
okay? Love you
and I hope you have a good day.”
Maddie smiled, her mom’s voice a comfort she desperately needed, at least until the next voicemail
started.
“We need to talk, Maddie,” started a deep, familiar voice that sent shivers down her spine. “Call me
back.”
Her first thought: how in the world had he’d gotten her number? But then she remembered that
she’d given it
to Kate and Caleb must’ve hunted her down for it.
Maddie looked around the library, half-expecting to see him there. She was in a secluded corner with
only a few
students at separate desks dotted here and there. The silence was almost oppressive, but Maddie
liked it. It felt
like a cocoon; she felt safe.
When she noticed people looking at her, she flushed and turned down the volume on her phone,
wondering if
they could hear Caleb’s voice over the line. When she pressed her phone to her ear again, she found
another voice-
mail from him, which came in late last night, only a couple hours after the first. “Maddie, please call
me back. I
need to explain what happened.”
Maddie looked down at the table in front of her. The space between her thighs still twinged
uncomfortably
whenever she shifted a certain way, a constant reminder of what happened. Caleb didn’t need to
explain anything
to her. She didn’t even know if she wanted to see him again, after what happened. He’d made her
feel worthless,
something to be used and then discarded. Even worse, she felt disappointed in herself. She’d always
prided her-
self on the fact that she wanted to wait for the right guy…only to throw her virginity at the first man
who’d have her.
What I feel for you scares me, he’d told her.
And she’d fallen for it. Hook, line, and sinker. A sour taste rose in the back of her throat.
She checked her text messages next. There were a few from Kyra, asking her about her day yesterday
and telling
her about the date she’d had the night before. Maddie made a mental note to call her later this
evening once she
finished in the library. Another text was from Paul, saying that he was looking forward to their date
tomorrow. Bit-
ing her lip, she realized that she’d almost completely forgotten about it. She’d need to call him later
to postpone.
There was no way she’d be able to go through with it now. Not in this state.
Another text was from her brother, telling her that he was going over to their mom’s house over the
weekend as
well and that he’d see her there. Her fingers hovered over the screen, wondering if she should tell
him that she’d
found Caleb after all these years. Surely, he’d want to know. In the end, she decided against it.
The rest were from an unknown number, but Maddie automatically knew they were from him.
Call me.
We need to talk.
At least let me know you got home okay.
Maddie…
She ignored his text messages and set her phone aside, deciding to return to her work. She had two
papers she
needed to get started on, both of them due in a few weeks for different classes. Now that she
wouldn’t be spending
a few hours at the garage each night, she could get them done quickly.
Maddie worked for a half hour until her phone lit up on the desk with another incoming call. Her
heart stut-
tered in her chest when she recognized the number and looked around, as though anyone would be
able to see that
he was calling.
She ignored it, but five minutes later, it rang again. She ignored it again, only for it to ring again
almost
immediately. Frustration, confusion, anger made her accept the call and when she lifted it to her ear,
she hissed,
“What?”
“I’m losing patience, princess. I can keep this up all day.”
“Losing patience?” she gaped, ignoring the way her heart skipped at the sound of his voice. “You
never had any
to begin with.”
A couple people shot her looks, even when she was whispering, so she got up from her seat and
scurried to-
wards the bathroom, figuring that she may as well get this over with. Maybe then she’d be able to
put him out of
her mind for good so she’d be able to focus on what was really important: her degree.
Keep your eye on the prize, she thought.
With that in mind, she locked herself in a bathroom stall.
“Why didn’t you return my calls?” he demanded, his voice even more gravelly on the phone.
The truth was that she hadn’t checked her phone until this past hour, but she didn’t tell him that. “I
have noth-
ing to say to you.”
A pause. Maddie could almost imagine him running a hand through that thick hair. She now knew
just how
thick and soft it really was.
“Will you come by later?” he asked her, his tone solemn.
“No.”
“I’m asking you to.”
“I know. And I’m declining,” she told him, trying to remain detached.
“We need to talk,” he insisted. “I need to explain…”
Her cheeks tinged with embarrassment and fury. “There’s nothing for you to explain, Caleb. I get it.
Trust
me, I get it.”
“You don’t ‘get’ anything. I need to—”

“You should be happy,” she told him, bitterness creeping into her tone. She was done with this
conversation.
“You got what you wanted. And I let you, so there’s no one to blame, right? We’re both adults and
we made a
choice. It was the wrong one, at least for me.”
“Maddie, I—”
“Nothing messy. That’s what you wanted,” she said, her voice softening. “I’m making it easy for you,
Caleb,
so make this easy for me too.”
He was stubborn. “I want to see you.”
“But I don’t want to see you.”
A brief silence. Maddie bit her lip, staring at the fading blue door of the bathroom stall. When he
finally spoke,
his voice was calm and determined, “I have $600 worth of your gift cards.”
She saw exactly where he was going with this and she stared at the door in disbelief.
“If you want them back, you’ll come see me once you’re done with your classes today.”
“You—you,” she stuttered.
“Have a good afternoon, princess.”
Then he hung up. Maddie pulled the phone away from her ear, staring down at it in incredulity. He’d
just one-
upped her. And he knew it.
Now, she had to decide whether her dignity cost $600 worth of gift cards. Unfortunately, she already
knew the
answer to that question. But it didn’t mean that she’d give into him.
She’d go to the garage tonight on her way home, listen to what he had to say, hopefully say goodbye
one last
time to Brian and Peter if they were around, collect her gift cards, and leave. She wouldn’t look back.
She had a
plan. And she’d always done well when she had a plan.
* * *

When Maddie pulled into what she had been considering her parking space at the garage later that
night, Brian
was just leaving.
“Caleb told me you’d finished,” he greeted her with a big smile. “But I had a feeling I’d be seein’ you
again.”
Maddie managed a smile and gave him a hug, even though her heartbeat was thundering in her
throat. “I’m
picking up some stuff, so I’m glad that I caught you before you left to say goodbye.”
“Ah, sweetie, I don’t think it’s goodbye. You’ll be ‘round, won’t you?” he asked, pulling away, peering
down at
her carefully. Maddie flushed when she realized he was fishing for answers. He thought something
was hap-
pening between her and Caleb, which she wouldn’t deny, but as far as she was concerned, whatever
had been hap-
pening was over.
“I’m afraid it is goodbye,” she told him. She pulled out a piece of paper and pen from her purse and
scribbled
on it. “But here’s my cell phone number if you ever want to reach me. I hope I’ll see you again
sometime.”
Brian looked down to the ground and then glanced over his shoulder at the garage. Peter must’ve
already left
because it was empty. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He took the piece of paper and folded it carefully into
his back
pocket. “But I know I’ll see you again, even if you don’t think so.”
He gave her another big hug, nodded at her, and then made his way to his truck parked on the far side
of the
lot. Maddie watched him go, but just as he drove past her on his way out, he rolled down his window
and said,
“Caleb’s in the back garage.” Then he hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “I don’t know what
happened be-
tween you two, but ever since you started workin’ here, he’s been different. It might not be easy for
you to see, but
I’ve known that boy since he was young. Somethin’ has changed.”
Then he drove away and Maddie stood in the empty parking lot, shivering. Nothing would ever come
from their
weird relationship. Nothing. She knew that as certainly as she knew the sky was blue.
But sometimes the sky is grey, or pink, or pitch black, she couldn’t help but think. She put a plug on
her thoughts
and walked around towards the second garage as the November air wove through the thin sleeves of
her cardigan.
It was like a punch in the gut when she spotted Caleb, with his tousled hair and dark eyes, his strong
body bent
over the restoration he was working on, his jeans perfectly cupping the firmest backside she’d ever
seen.
He turned when he heard her shoes tapping on the concrete and he rose from his position, snagging a
rag lying
on the work bench before wiping his hands. The movement was so innately masculine, so innately
Caleb, that
Maddie swallowed and forced her gaze away.
Every nerve ending of her body was hyper-aware of how close he was. Looking at him, knowing the
power, the
strength, of him, remembering the feeling of his length inside her, Maddie felt overwhelmed.
Mortified.
Disappointed. Her skin itched and her fingers fidgeted at her sides until she closed them into fists. It
was too
soon. She shouldn’t be here.
“You came,” he said, his eyes running over her body, assessing, as though assuring himself that she
was all
right. At least physically.
“You sound surprised,” she replied, avoiding his gaze, standing a couple yards away and not daring to
venture
closer.
“A part of me is.”
Maddie bristled at his words. Had he not expected her to come after all? Was this just another one of
his
games?
“I’ve had a long day,” she told him. “I’d like to get back what belongs to me and then I’d like to get
home.”
“Not before you hear what I have to say,” he said, approaching her. He was wearing a grey t-shirt
today and
Maddie looked at it instead of him when he stopped in front of her. “Maddie.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
Knowing he wouldn’t give in until she did what he asked, she raised her gaze. His eyes scanned her
face, his
brows furrowing at what he saw.
“I don’t like you like this,” he murmured.
“Like what?” she challenged.
“Indifferent and detached,” he replied, a hand coming up to brush back a strand of her hair. “Cold.”
Maddie was two inches away from screaming. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Caleb.”
His gaze was hard and probing and it made her feel warm and flushed. Silence spread between them
until he
said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She knew exactly what he was referring to and she flinched. Part of the blame for yesterday’s events
fell on her
shoulders. She should’ve told him. They’d both handled it poorly.
Honestly, she said, “The words wouldn’t come out.”
“You should’ve said something.”
Her eyes slid away at the anger in his voice. “I’m sorry. I know I should’ve told you, but everything
happened
so fast.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I would’ve…” he trailed off, biting off whatever words he would’ve
said.
“Fuck.”
She waited for him to say something else, but when he didn’t, she was hurt. He’d told her they
needed to talk
and that was all he had to say? She’d apologized to him, yet he didn’t say anything about the way
he’d stormed out
afterwards, leaving her alone in that office after what they’d just done.
Resignation steeped deep. The only other time in her life when she’d been this emotionally
exhausted was
when her father had died. And didn’t that say something? That she was comparing her relationship
with Caleb to
the death of her father?
Maddie shook her head, suddenly very tired. “It was a mistake coming here.”
Caleb reached out to take her arm, like he was afraid she’d leave. “I shouldn’t have left yesterday,
Maddie. I
need you to know that.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she murmured, looking up at him. “Let’s just forget it, okay?”
Whatever he read on her face made his grip tighten. “It does matter and I won’t forget it. That would
be easy
for you, wouldn’t it? To just pretend it never happened?”
She snatched her arm away. “I’ll do what I have to to move past whatever this is,” she said, gesturing
between
the two of them. “I’ve tried with you, Caleb. I’ve ignored things that I shouldn’t have. I’ve let things
roll off my
shoulders when I shouldn’t have. I’ve done a lot of things these past two weeks that I shouldn’t have.
But now, it’s
over. And I’m going to put it all behind me because I have to.”
Maddie was surprised by the anger on his features. “So, that’s it then? You decide that you’re done,
so it’s all
over.”
“Just yesterday, you wanted me gone, Caleb. You wanted to scare me away. That part of you, that
reflex to
push me away, will always be there. And I’ve just recently realized that you told me the truth. You’ll
never be able
to fully trust me. And without that, what’s the point? I should’ve listened to you and that’s my
fault.”
Caleb paced a few feet away and then returned, looking at everything but her. It hurt to tell him
these things, but
she thought that they both needed to hear it. Because of his past, Caleb would never be able to let
her in
completely. A part of him would always be detached because he wouldn’t want her too close. It was
under-
standable, of course, but did she really want to pursue something with him knowing that, when her
heart was al-
ready too invested? She just wished that she’d realized it sooner and maybe she could’ve saved
herself a fraction of
this pain.
Caleb didn’t say anything when he thrust his hand into his back pocket and pulled out her gift cards.
Maddie
had forgotten all about them for a moment and when he placed them into her hands, she stared
down at them, her
brow furrowed. They seemed so silly sitting in her palm and she deposited them in her purse without
a second
glance.
When she looked back at Caleb, his features were drawn. His voice was gravelly and rough when he
said, “I was
angry with you yesterday, but it wasn’t a fraction of the anger I felt for myself. I never wanted to hurt
you, Maddie.
Don’t think that what happened between us was just because I wanted to fuck you. It wasn’t about
that. I just
couldn’t understand why someone like you would waste something like that on me.”
The honesty in his voice broke Maddie’s heart because she knew that he believed it. He thought that
she’d
‘wasted’ her virginity on him. Her mind drifted back to the night she’d stayed with him when he’d
been drunk. In
the bathroom, he told her he was tainted. Maddie could see now that he believed it.
“It was my choice,” she whispered, staring up at him when tears started to fill her eyes. “I wanted to,
and so I
did.”
It didn’t change anything between them. Caleb would always hold a strange part of her heart and
perhaps she’d
never know why. It was just something about him. If he was different, if she was different, maybe it
would’ve
worked out between them. At the moment, they were just two puzzle pieces that wouldn’t fit.
Caleb saw the realization on her face, that it wasn’t meant to be, and nodded, blowing out a breath.
Maddie
leaned up and Caleb met her halfway and their kiss was slow and soft. She breathed him in,
memorizing the scent
of him, and then she pulled away.
“Bye, Caleb,” she whispered, pressing one last kiss to his cheek. She turned away and walked as fast
as her
heels would carry her to her car, where she finally allowed the tears to fall fast and hard.
Heartbreak sucked. And hers had just shattered like glass.

TWENTY-SIX
Three weeks passed and Caleb’s mood only deteriorated. His men at the garage knew to steer clear of
him.
Even Brian gave him a wider berth than usual and Peter didn’t even make eye contact anymore.
It had been a couple weeks since he’d last seen his friends as well. But this black mood, whatever the
hell was
wrong with him…he couldn’t shake it. He’d tried running longer than normal, pushing himself past his
daily five
miles until his whole body ached every night. He’d tried throwing himself into the restoration he was
working on.
He’d even tried visiting his uncle’s grave, wondering if what he was feeling was in relation to the
aftershocks of his
death.
Nothing worked. And at the end of the three weeks, Caleb knew it all had to do with Maddie, that
frustratingly
beautiful brunette whom he couldn’t go an hour without thinking about. He’d flipped to her contact
in his phone
over a dozen times, thumb poised over the call button. He’d debated texting her more times than he
cared to
admit. Everything in him screamed to contact her.
Then he would remember the night they’d said goodbye. He’d remember the look on her face when
she real-
ized that he wasn’t worth all the trouble he’d already caused her. He didn’t call her because he cared
about her.
He sighed, scrubbing a hand down his scruffy jaw. He hadn’t shaved in what seemed like weeks.
His computer screen in front of him began to blur. It was nearing ten on a Friday night, but he’d
declined to go
out with his friends. The last thing that appealed to him was getting hit on by sloppy drunk women as
his friends,
in their happy fucking relationships, looked on and laughed. Getting drunk appealed to him, but he
hadn’t had a
drop of alcohol since the night Maddie took him home and he didn’t intend to start bad habits now.
Brian had left over two hours ago and the garage had long since been locked up for the night. His
office was
silent, except for the low hum of his computer. His eyes drifted over to the table that Maddie’s
workspace had
been set up on, his sleepy mind half-expecting to see her there. After she’d finished her work, he’d
taken it upon
himself to keep up with the bookkeeping since he didn’t want to run into another mess, similar to the
one his uncle
had left him. It took a lot of trial and error—and extensive Googling—but he finally got the hang of it.
Still, he
couldn’t believe the amount of work Maddie had completed in such a short space of time. She’d
made it look easy.
Caleb’s head snapped to the door when he thought he heard something downstairs in the garage.
After lis-
tening for a moment, he shook his head and returned to his work. But then he heard the
unmistakeable sound of
an echoing cough and he slowly rose to his feet. A door closed and Caleb wrenched open his own
office door to
peer down into the dark garage.
“Who the fuck is down there?” he called out, eyes scanning the shadowy corners and darkened
outline of cars.
The light from his office illuminated very little, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. His
footsteps echoed
on the metal stairs as he descended, flipping on the overhead lights. The fluorescents blared down
unforgivingly,
but no one was there. All his employees had left long ago, as had Brian.
He checked the ground office door, but it was locked, as was the side door that led to the break area.
The
garage door was latched firmly and Brian had locked everything up properly on his way out. Caleb’s
gaze drifted to
the utility closet door, used mainly for storage, and walked over.
When he wrenched it open, he heard a whispered curse. And as Caleb’s gaze adjusted to what he was
seeing in-
side, dread filled him.
“Peter,” he started slowly, eyeing the teenager, who was currently sitting with his back against the
wall of the
closet. A blanket and a backpack were tucked up against him amid all the other crap that his uncle
had stuffed in
there over the years. Peter had cleared a narrow space, just big enough for him to lie down. “What’s
going on?”
He was afraid he already knew the answer to his question, judging by the fact that it looked like Peter
had been
squatting here for at least a few days, if not more. How long had this been going on? Did Brian
know? No, Caleb
didn’t think so. Brian wouldn’t have let the kid stay here at night. It was nearing winter and the
garage was cold.
The teenager was red in the face as he stared up at Caleb in horror. He looked terrible. His hair
looked greasy,
his clothes wrinkled, and a sheer sheen of sweat dotted his forehead. Caleb frowned. It looked like
the kid was
sick, not to mention dirty. He racked his brain, trying to think back to the last time he’d seen Peter, or
noticed him,
but he couldn’t remember.
Fuck, he’d been moping around like a damn kicked puppy for too long. His fists clenched. He
should’ve no-
ticed this.
Peter didn’t say anything. Caleb asked, “How long has this been going on for?” A shrug and Peter
looked
down at his lap, where his sketchbook was sprawled out. Caleb’s heart clenched at the sad sight and
blew out a
breath. Softening his voice and crouching down so he wouldn’t loom over the boy, he said, “You
should’ve come
to me, Peter. I didn’t know things were this bad.”
“I just…” Peter said, voice wavering. He let out a wet sounding cough. “I just can’t go home
anymore. I
can’t.”
Caleb sighed, running a hand through his hair and peering around the space Peter had made for
himself. “You
can’t stay here.”
“I k-know.”
“Are you sick?” Caleb asked, desperately wanting to call Maddie. Peter had always liked her. She’d
know what
to do in this situation. She’d be able to comfort him more than he could.
A sniffle and a shrug. Caleb reached out and felt the teenager’s forehead. It was clammy and hot with
fever.
Caleb closed his eyes, remembering exactly what it was like being alone as a teenager and not
wanting to go
home. His mind was already made up. He just hoped he was doing the right thing.
“Come on,” he said, standing and holding out a hand to help Peter up. “You can stay with me. At
least until
you figure out something else.”
Peter shuffled his feet and looked down, his backpack hanging limply in his hand, sketchbook hugged
close.
“Go get the car warmed up, okay?” Caleb murmured softly, handing over his car keys after fishing
them out of
his pocket. “I’ll be there in a second.”
He watched as the boy nodded and slowly made his way out the ground office door, his walk slow
and
sluggish. Caleb made quick work of the office and shut everything down. The car hadn’t even had a
chance to
warm up by the time he returned.
The drive to the house was silent. Peter’s gaze was glued out the window, even when Caleb swung by
the store
to get him some medicine and food. When they pulled up in the driveway, Peter peered at the house
curiously, but
didn’t say anything. Caleb could tell that he was embarrassed, embarrassed that he found himself in
this situation,
embarrassed that he needed help at all. Caleb understood. No one liked to be pitied. It didn’t change
the fact
that Peter needed help.
“Are you hungry?” Caleb asked once they got inside. Peter stood in the entryway, unsure in an
unfamiliar
place. He shook his head, darting a glance up at him before looking away. “You should eat a little
anyways. I’ll
heat up some soup. Take a seat,” he said, pointing at the couch. The coffee table was cluttered with
cans and
empty paper plates and Caleb dumped them in the trash, wondering how he hadn’t realized how dirty
the house had
become, before he microwaved some soup.
Once Peter ate a little, Caleb made him wash it down with a couple spoonfuls of medicine that would
help bring
his fever down and then showed him where the bathroom was. “You’ll feel better after a shower.
There’s sham-
poo and soap in there. And I’ll go get you a towel.”
Caleb returned only a couple minutes later, but when he pushed open the door, Peter was in the
process of
undressing. The teenager froze, his t-shirt half over his head, and Caleb cursed when he saw the dark
mottling of
bruises over the teenager’s torso.
“What the fuck, Peter? How long has this been going on?” Caleb demanded, staring at the sheer
number of
them. Peter tugged down his shirt, unable to conceal a wince, but he didn’t say anything in his
defense. “Peter, tell
me right now or I swear to—”
“Please don’t tell anyone,” he pleaded, his voice cracking. “I know people in the system. I’ve heard
things.
Bad things. I only have a year and a half until I’m eighteen. Please don’t say anything.”
“Peter,” Caleb said, closing his eyes. “You can’t ask me to do that. This is serious.”
The teenager was on the verge of tears. “Please, I’m begging you! Don’t say anything. Only a year
and half
more. That’s all. Then it won’t matter.”
Jesus.
“What were you planning to do?” Caleb asked, his jaw pulsing. “Live in the garage for that time?
Your parents
would come looking for you.”
“They don’t even know I’m gone,” Peter said. Caleb was surprised by the bitterness creeping into his
voice.
“They won’t come looking for me.”
“You don’t know that,” Caleb said. He blew out a breath, pinching the space between his brows.
“Please, Caleb,” Peter pleaded. “Please.”
Caleb looked at him and then his eyes strayed to the dirty t-shirt covering up the boy’s bruises. He
couldn’t
send Peter back into a home like that. Nor could he bring him to the attention of the state. Caleb had
heard sto-
ries as well. Sometimes, the kids were worse off in the foster system.
Caleb handed Peter the towel. “Get cleaned up. I’ll leave fresh clothes outside the door.”
Then he turned and shut the bathroom door, staring at the dark expanse of his hallway. He didn’t
know what to
do. If he didn’t say anything, Peter would be his responsibility. Was he ready for the consequences if
someone did
find out? Was he ready to care for a teenager?
He snorted. No. He was sleeping in a living room, for fuck’s sake.
After leaving a fresh pair of clothes for Peter, he ventured into the bedroom he had as a teenager, for
the first
time in months. The air was stale when he pushed open the door, but everything was neat and
exactly how Caleb
had left it. The room was perfectly fine, if not for those dark, ugly memories. It would have to do for
Peter. At
least it wasn’t a utility closet.
Peter found Caleb standing in the doorway of the room once he was done showering. The boy
already looked
better, even in fresh clothes that hung off his lanky frame, and a good night’s rest, in a bed, would do
him good.
“You can stay in here,” Caleb said, nodding into the room before turning away from it.
“Are you going to report me?” Peter asked, eyeing him, his backpack dangling from his fingertips.
Caleb knew
that if he said yes, the teenager would run. And he didn’t want that. He cared about Peter. If
something hap-
pened to him because of this…
“No,” Caleb said, almost gravely. “I won’t.”
“Really?” Peter asked, hope lighting up his exhausted eyes.
“You can stay here, under certain conditions,” Caleb told him. “School being one of them, since I
know you’ve
been ditching.”
Peter ducked his head, but didn’t deny it.
“You can start classes again once you’re feeling better,” Caleb told him, crossing his arms over his
chest and
staring down at him. “Just know that if your parents come looking for you, I won’t be able to do
anything, Peter.
Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Peter whispered, nodding. “I understand.”
“Good.” Caleb nodded at the bedroom. “Go get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly, before ducking into the room. He peered around before closing the door
softly.
Caleb heard the lock turn on the door and he almost smiled. Some things would never change and
teenagers
were one of them. He just hoped that he was doing the right thing.
TWENTY-SEVEN
“Oh my God, oh my God,” Maddie whispered, tears clogging her throat as she stared down at the
white stick in
complete shock.
“What is it?” Kyra asked on the other side of the door, voice urgent. All Maddie had to do was open
the bath-
room door and then Kyra bit her lip, eyebrows drawing together. “Oh, honey.”
“What does this mean?” Maddie demanded, thrusting the stick she’d just peed on in Kyra’s hands. “It
can’t be
right!”
Kyra looked down at the pregnancy test and looked at the box it came in just for confirmation. Every
second of
silence was robbing Maddie of breath and she burst into tears. Between sobs and hyperventilating
and her thun-
dering heartbeat, she felt like she couldn’t get enough air.
“Shhhh,” Kyra soothed, setting the test down on the sink and rubbing Maddie’s back in slow circles.
“Honey, it
will be okay.”
“This can’t be happening,” Maddie whispered, staring at her best friend in shock. “It was one time.
And he
used a condom.”
“One time is all it takes,” Kyra noted, her expression solemn. “And condoms can break. Did you
check it?”
“I don’t know,” Maddie cried, vision blurring through the tears as she wiped at her face. “We didn’t…
he…we
kind of fought afterwards so I didn’t notice anything unusual.”

No, no, no, this was all wrong. Maddie had always wanted kids. A lot of kids. She wanted a big
family one
day—the key words being one day. Not right now. Finding out she was pregnant was supposed to be
a joyous
occasion, one she would share with her partner or spouse, not crying all over her best friend,
frightened, when she
was less than a year and a half away from getting her Masters degree.
And oh God, what would her mom say? What would her mom think? And what about school? Her
career, her
internship?
This can’t be happening. This isn’t real.
Seven weeks. It had been seven weeks—and three days to be precise—since Maddie had last seen
Caleb.
When she missed her period over a month ago, she told herself it was just stress. She’d missed a
couple in the
past; it was no big deal. Everything that had been happening with Caleb, and working two jobs, and
school…she
just figured it made sense. The possibility that she was pregnant had never even crossed her mind
because it was
something that she’d never had to consider in the past.
But she’d expected her period a few days ago and when she voiced her concerns to Kyra, her best
friend had
brought over a test, just to be sure. For the first time, Maddie had to confront the idea that she could
be pregnant.
Until a few moments ago, she’d still been in denial.
“We’ll make you a doctor’s appointment, okay?” Kyra whispered, wrapping her arms around Maddie’s
trembling
body. “Just to know for sure.”
Maddie latched onto that idea. “Yeah, maybe it’s just a faulty test.”
Kyra’s lips pressed together. Even as Maddie said the words, she still knew the statistics. She knew
that these
tests were usually correct. And she had missed not one, but two periods already. The signs weren’t
pointing in her
favor, but she still wanted confirmation.
And Caleb…
God, how would she tell Caleb?
“T-this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be,” Maddie whispered into Kyra’s shoulder. “I have
another year and
a half of school left. I have my internship and my job. How can I possibly have a…a baby?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Kyra said. “Let’s just be sure first.”
One doctor appointment later, Maddie wasn’t just sure. She was pregnant.
* * *
“What?” Maddie’s mom asked, wide-eyed. She looked like she’d just been slapped across the face. If
Maddie
didn’t feel so sick, she would’ve found her expression comical.
Thomas sat next to Mom on the same couch that had always been in the house for as long as Maddie
could
remember. Unlike her mother, he looked about ready to do murder.
“I got the results from the doctor yesterday,” she murmured, looking down at her lap where her
fingers were
fiddling. She’d chewed her fingernails down even though she’d never had the bad habit before. “I’m
two months
along.”
“I can’t believe this,” her mom said, brows furrowing. “I didn’t even know you were seeing
someone.”
Thomas was still quiet and Maddie cast him an anxious look.
“I wasn’t seeing him, technically,” she admitted, deciding that she may as well be honest, even as her
cheeks
heated to unbearable degrees. They would find out eventually. “It’s Caleb,” she said, looking at
Thomas. No
flicker of recognition lit his eyes until she said, “Caleb Montgomery.”
Thomas went red. “That fucking bastard!” he exploded, rising from the couch.
“Thomas!” her mom scolded. “When you’re under my roof, you’ll watch that mouth of yours!”
It was like Thomas didn’t even hear her. He pointed at Maddie and stalked closer. “How did you even
meet
him? Where?”
Maddie looked down. “When my car broke down…it was his garage that repaired it. I’ve been doing
his book-
keeping to pay off what I owe him.”
“That’s not all you’ve been doing obviously,” Thomas said, his tone quietly furious.
That stung. A lot. And then she got pissed.
“How dare you say that,” Maddie said, hands trembling as she stood up from the couch. She poked
his chest
so he would back up. “You have no right to judge me! It was my choice. You think I haven’t been
agonizing over
this ever since the possibility that I could be pregnant even entered my head? I haven’t been able to
sleep! I
haven’t been able to eat! I never planned for this to happen. And the least you, my own brother, can
do is not at-
tack me when I already feel like shit!”
Thomas looked stunned by her outburst. Then he looked downright aghast when she burst into
tears. Sobs
racked her body. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She’d shed more tears this past
week than she
had her entire life. She’d been up for almost 50 hours straight. She’d gotten only a handful of hours
of sleep ever
since she peed on that damn stick and she was at her breaking point.
Maddie felt his arms come around her and he buried his head in her hair. “I’m sorry, Mads,” he
whispered. “I
didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did, you asshole,” she whispered, but her arms came around him regardless. She heard a
small, hesi-
tant laugh come from him. Just like that, they were fine.
When they pulled away, Maddie saw her mom crying.
“I’m sorry,” Maddie told her, coming to sit down on the couch beside her, wiping at her own cheeks.
“I never
wanted to disappoint you.”
“Oh, honey,” she cried, reaching out to touch her cheek. “You’re an adult now. And this is your
decision.
We’ll stand by you no matter what.”
Maddie wouldn’t lie. She’d spent a lot of time thinking about how easy it would be to make it all go
away. She
could go on with her life with no disruptions. She could continue school and get her degree on time.
She
wouldn’t have to be a single mother trying to support herself. She wouldn’t have to move back in
with her mom or
brother.
But Maddie knew what her decision would always be. She was keeping the baby. It would be
difficult, but
Maddie would have no regrets. She knew that if she decided to get an abortion, there wouldn’t be a
day that would
go by where she wouldn’t wonder, where a part of her wouldn’t mourn.
“What did Caleb say?” Thomas asked, his voice tightening when he said his name.
Her heart thudded in her chest. “I haven’t told him yet. I haven’t seen him for a while and I wanted
to tell you
two first.”
“Do you want me to go with you when you do?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Maddie shook her head. “No, I think I need to do it by myself.” She shot him a look. “Without
worrying that
you might punch him mid-conversation.”
“He knocked up my baby sister,” he growled. “He has it coming.”
That night, Maddie stayed at her mom’s place in her old room. Her mom fed her until she was stuffed
to the
gills with lasagne and bread and salad.
“You’re pregnant now, honey. You need to eat for two,” she’d told her. And Maddie couldn’t argue.
She’d
been neglecting her health for the past week and now that a little bit of the anxiety was lifted after
telling her family,
she felt a little better.

That night, despite having a full belly, she only slept for a few hours and when she woke up in the
morning, she
knew that she had to tell Caleb, regardless of what he might say or do. Still, it didn’t stop her from
feeling like she
was preparing for battle as she showered and dressed.
Either way, she knew he wouldn’t take the news well.

TWENTY-EIGHT
Caleb was distracted as he made his way up to the office. He didn’t notice the familiar car in his
parking lot or
the knowing, pleased look that Brian shot him as he passed by. He’d had a long morning and
afternoon of boxing
up his house after he’d dropped Peter off at school and he still wanted to make some headway with
the restoration.
He was almost finished, although it had been slow going for the past few weeks.
After Peter moved in with him and he fully realized that he’d been sleeping on a couch in a house that
he hated,
he’d made an easy decision. He needed to move. He needed to put the past behind him and get his
shit
together. And yes, maybe his uncle had loved that house. And yes, it was the house that Caleb had
spent most of
his life in. But they were miserable years for him and he’d been holding onto the house for all the
wrong reasons.
His uncle was gone. He was the only one left and he couldn’t live there. Not anymore. He just
couldn’t believe
that it had taken him this long to realize it.
When he opened his office door and saw the woman who’d been plaguing his thoughts for the past
two months
sitting in her chair at the desk he’d made for her, his brain temporarily short circuited. He stared at
her, wondering
if he was finally losing it, wondering if he was hallucinating. Because no woman in her right mind
would come back
to him after what he’d done.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone coming out unexpectedly harsh.
Her lips pulled tight for a brief moment and Caleb knew that he’d hurt her, but she rose from her chair
to stand
before him, something like frightened determination etched into her features.
Caleb quickly shut the door. “I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. You just caught me off guard.”
It wouldn’t be the first time, he thought.
His eyes drank her in. Frowning, he realized that she’d lost a little weight. Her cheekbones were more
prom-
inent, her clothes fitting looser. Peering at her face, he saw dark circles under her eyes.
“You look terrible,” he told her.
Maddie almost smiled. “You were always so charming, Caleb.”
Her voice still sounded the same, lyrical and sweet. Caleb felt something fill inside him that had long
been
drained. He realized that this was the first time he’d seen her in his office since that night. His gaze
automatically
trailed to the floor, where he’d last seen her, bound to the desk, naked and waiting.
His gut clenched with dark lust. Voice thick, he asked, “What are you doing here, Maddie?”
She bit her lip, eyes straying to the door like she longed to leave, which didn’t make sense because
she’d come
here willingly. He certainly hadn’t begged.
Then Caleb realized something else. She was nervous. Caleb slowly approached her, steps evenly
measured,
until there was only about a foot between them. This close, he could smell her and see every
endearing freckle on
her face.
“What is it?” he urged.
“I—I was just passing by and…” she started, swallowing.
“Bullshit,” he said, his tone low. “What’s wrong? Are you in trouble?” He couldn’t think of any other
reason
why she’d be here. His eyes flicked down to her pink lips and watched as she licked them nervously.
His hands clenched at his sides. Fuck, he still wanted her. After two months, he felt starved.
Needful.
Strung out.
“Or maybe,” he said slowly, “you came for something else.”
Her eyes, sweetly wide, jumped up to his in shock. “Caleb.”

He might never get another chance to taste her lips, so he did something stupid and leaned down. His
hand
came to grasp the back of her neck and he brushed his lips against her own, softly at first, goddamn
chaste to
some. No tongue, just the feeling of her soft flesh against his own.
She shuddered when he deepened the kiss. She’d turned him into a kissing fiend. He’d gone almost a
decade
without kissing a woman and then Maddie came along and he couldn’t get enough. But she tasted so
sweet and if
Caleb wasn’t careful, he’d become addicted. He feared he already was.
Ever so slightly, she softened against him, as though she couldn’t help herself. Maddie felt it too,
whatever this
weird pull between them was. They were both helpless against it, reduced to nothing more than
thoughtless ani-
mals.
She mumbled something against his lips. Feeling like he was drugged, he whispered, “What?” Then
he kissed
her again, not wanting to go a second without feeling her against him.
But she pulled away. With kiss stung lips, she looked up at him, took a deep breath, and said the
words that
would change his life forever.
“Caleb, I’m pregnant.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“I was a couple months late, so I took a test last week. And then a doctor confirmed it a couple days
ago,” she
said quickly, eyes turning glassy, words that didn’t make sense tumbling from her lips. “I’m
pregnant.”
Maddie looked terrified, but she watched him carefully. And when her words finally hit home, he
backed away,
running a hand through his hair. A thousand different thoughts streamed into his mind at once.
Overwhelmed, he
said, “We used a condom. It can’t be mine.”

Hurt and hot fury flashed over her face and Caleb already knew he’d said the wrong thing. He winced
when he
realized what had just come out of his mouth.
“Maddie, wait,” he started, reaching for her. But she swatted his hands away, her face turning red.
She
snatched up her purse off the desk and made her way towards the door. Right when she got it open,
he grasped her
arm and slammed the door closed with his palm so hard that the doorframe rattled. He pressed his
body against
hers so she wouldn’t be able to leave. He needed some time to think.
“Let go of me,” she seethed, struggling against him.
“Will you just stop and let me process this?” he grated, boxing her in.
“I’d never had sex with anyone before you,” she said, still beyond angry. “And you have the nerve to
question
whether or not the child is yours? Who the hell do you think you are?”
He blew out a breath, feeling his temper rise. “You caught me off guard, Maddie. How the fuck did
you think
I’d react? Did you think I’d be happy about it?”
“No, but I at least expected you to take some form of responsibility!”
“I am!” he exclaimed. Trying to reign in his frustration, he murmured, “Shit, Maddie, I am. Just give
me a god-
damn second, okay?”
She went silent, but Caleb didn’t move an inch. He wanted to make sure she stayed put so he could
work
through what she’d told him.
The condom must have broke. Despite his words, he knew that Maddie wasn’t the kind of girl to
sleep
around. She’d only ever been with him and he hadn’t checked the condom afterwards, he realized.
He’d been reel-
ing from seeing the blood, from finding out that she’d been a virgin, that the state of the condom had
been the last
thing on his mind.

And the condoms. Hadn’t Maddie said something about his condoms when she’d been over at his
house?
That they would need replacing? The condom he used the night they had sex had been from that box
and he didn’t
even remember when he’d put it in his wallet.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Fuck. This was all his fault. And now, they would both pay for it.
A child.
I’m going to be a goddamn father and I can’t even get my shit together, he thought bitterly.
He peered down at Maddie and saw how exhausted she looked. This had been more than hard on
her.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”
“This isn’t something you just ‘get through,’ Caleb,” she told him. “This is a child. This will change
both of
our lives. Irrevocably.”
He ran a hand through his hair, seeing his options clearly laid out for him. If his uncle was still alive,
the old
man would have demanded that Caleb made an honest woman out of Maddie and married her before
the child was
born. John had always been an old-fashioned son-of-a-bitch. Although marriage was a little extreme,
Caleb could
see the old man’s logic. The thought of Maddie pregnant and alone didn’t appeal to him. At all.
Thoughts of his
own childhood, his parents, the broken family he’d come from rose into his mind, even though he’d
long sup-
pressed those memories and it made him want to vomit just thinking about it.
No, he didn’t want his child to go through what he’d gone through.
And if he was being honest with himself, Caleb wanted Maddie, and not just because he lusted after
her either.
He’d driven himself mad these past two months, ever since she’d left him.
He made his decision in about three seconds. He only had to convince Maddie that it was a good
idea.
Blowing out a breath, he told her, “I bought a house in Walnut Creek last week. We’ll move in over
the week-
end.”
Her brow lowered in confusion, “We?”
“You should end your apartment lease and give them notice you’re moving out.”
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“You’ll be moving in with me,” he informed her.
Her jaw dropped. “No, I won’t be.”
Caleb just raised a brow that said, Oh, you’re not? Try me.
Maddie got flustered. “Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean this changes anything between us.
You can be
in the child’s life obviously, but we’re better off not together.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “This changes everything, princess.”
* * *
He couldn’t be serious.
Maddie gaped at Caleb in complete disbelief.
“Look at you, Maddie,” he said, his gaze raking down her body. “You’re not taking care of yourself.”
She felt herself flush, but she couldn’t deny his words.
“And now, I’ve just become very invested in your well-being. And how exactly did you think you’d be
able to
manage this pregnancy if you couldn’t even afford car repairs?”
Maddie knew that he wasn’t being malicious, just pointing out facts. It still didn’t stop her from
feeling like
shit. And when she lowered her gaze, he cupped her cheek.
“What were you planning to do?” he asked softly.
“I’m going to stay in school,” she murmured. “The baby’s due in August. I’ll be on summer break by
then and
I can take the fall semester off if I need to.”

Caleb shook his head. “I know how much school is important to you, Maddie, but you can’t get too
stressed
out. It won’t be good for either of you.”
“You can’t tell me whether I’ll stay in school or not, Caleb,” she snapped. “I’ve already made my
decision.”
He stared down at her, assessing. His thumb swiped her cheek and he got a strange look on his face.
“And
I’ve made mine.”
She frowned. “I’m not moving in with you.”
“Think what you want,” he said, the picture of confidence. “But I guarantee that you will be. If you
want to stay
in school, fine. But you won’t be working on campus anymore, you won’t be throwing away money
on your apart-
ment lease, and you’ll be living with me so I can keep an eye on you and the baby.”
“I will no—”
“Have you eaten today?” he asked, eyebrow quirking.
“I…” No, she hadn’t. Her stomach had been in knots all morning just thinking about coming to tell
Caleb that
she was pregnant. Food had never even crossed her mind.
“That’s what I thought,” he said, temper rising. “It’s past four fucking o’clock, Maddie, and you
haven’t eaten any-
thing!”
“I didn’t know how you’d react,” she mumbled. “And I was in classes this afternoon.”
“This is exactly what I’m talking about. Jesus.” His lips pinched down into a scowl. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To go get food in you. And lots of it.” He pulled both of them away from the door so he could open
it and
Maddie knew better than to argue with him when he was in this kind of mood. Maddie had gone
through a lot of
different scenarios in her head when she imagined telling Caleb the news. But one of them had not
been that he’d
be pissed over her health and demanding that she move in with him. Out of all the things he could’ve
done—from
yelling at her, to denying that the baby was his, to simply walking out of the office—this caught her off
guard…this
overly attentive Caleb.
Maddie trailed after him as they went down the stairs, passing Caleb’s employees and a confused
looking
Brian. Peter was just entering the garage as they were exiting and he looked at Maddie in surprise,
then at Caleb.
“I won’t be home tonight,” Caleb told him. “Make sure you set the alarm before you go to bed.”
Peter only nodded and watched as they trailed past him towards Caleb’s SUV. Maddie could feel
everyone’s
gaze on them as they walked across the parking lot and climbed into the car.
“What was that about?” she asked him quietly when they drove out of the lot.
“I found him sleeping in a closet about a month ago,” he said, still sounding a little pissed. “And then I
found
out that his son-of-a-bitch father has been beating him where no one could see for the past year.
Needless to say,
he’s been staying with me.”
Her heart both softened towards Caleb and went out to Peter. “Oh my God. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine now. His parents haven’t come looking for him yet.”
“You think they will?”
He cut a look over to her at a red light. “I don’t know. They don’t seem to give a shit as far as I can
tell.”
Maddie held his eyes until the light turned green and then he was speeding towards the freeway,
hand clenched
on the wheel. She didn’t know what made her do it, but she reached over to clasp his hand. “You did
the right
thing, Caleb.”
“Did I? Because he’s been enduring that for a year and no one did anything about it.”
“How could you have known unless he told you?” she argued.
“He told me he had problems at home.”
“Anyone could see that he did,” she said. “But who could have known they were that bad?”
“The signs were there,” Caleb insisted.

“Don’t blame yourself for what happened to him. It wasn’t your fault. And now, you’re doing the
best you can
to help him. It can’t be easy taking in a teenager.”
“He’s a good kid. He’ll be moving in with us,” he said, like he was distracted, and then his eyes
strayed to the
speedometer and he cursed, letting off the gas when he saw he was going almost 90 miles per hour.
“Jesus, you’re
fucking pregnant,” he murmured to himself. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing anymore. Fuck!”
“Caleb, it’s okay,” she said, trying to calm him down. The news was finally hitting him. And it was
hitting him
hard. He was beginning to fully realize the extent of their situation.
His hands were shaking when he pulled off at the next exit and into an empty parking lot close to the
freeway.
And when he stumbled out of the car for fresh air, Maddie watched him helplessly as he paced back
and forth near
the hood, hands raking through his hair. It was cold out, but Caleb only had on a thin cotton t-shirt.
She unbuckled her belt and got out of the car, wrapping her arms around herself and slowly
approaching him.
“Caleb,” she said softly.
“Get back in the car,” he grated, not pausing in his pacing.
“Caleb, come on,” she said, shivering. “Let’s go.”
“I said get back in the goddamn car!”
Maddie liked to think that she had pretty good intuition when it came to Caleb. She knew when to
back off and
when to push. And right now was a time to push. He wasn’t angry at her. He was angry at their
situation, as ex-
pected, and she knew that he blamed himself, that he somehow thought this was his fault. He was
probably a little
scared, like her, and when he was scared, he lashed out.
So, Maddie went right up to him and put her arms around him. He stiffened in her embrace for a
moment, but
then blew out a breath and crushed her to him.
“Why don’t you ever do what I tell you?” he rasped in her ear.
“Because I think you like to be kept on your toes,” she responded, echoing words that he had once
told her.
His gaze told her that he remembered those words well and Maddie’s breath caught in her throat at
the expres-
sion on his face. If she ever thought that he hadn’t had feelings for her, all those doubts could be
completely
erased in that moment.
“Fuck, I missed you, princess,” he murmured, threading a hand through her hair.
Even though she knew that she shouldn’t say it, she found the words slipping from her mouth. “I
missed you
too.”
And then his mouth was on hers and they were kissing like mad. It was the most intimate, intense,
vulnerable
thing she’d ever experienced, even more so than being tied naked to a desk. She started crying
halfway through,
but it didn’t stop them. All their fears, frustrations, and hurt came out in that kiss until nothing was
left of either of
them but their feelings for one another. Completely exposed.
When Maddie finally broke away, she wasn’t cold anymore and Caleb’s skin was unbearably warm.
“This keeps happening,” she whispered, pressing her forehead into his chest. “Why do I keep letting
this hap-
pen?”
“Why fight it?” he whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss just below it before inhaling her scent. “I’m
done fight-
ing it.”
“We’re bad for each other,” she answered honestly.
He tipped her face up. His dark eyes glowed.
“Then let me prove how good we can be too.”

TWENTY-NINE
Maddie woke up sprawled on her stomach, with her cheek pressed against something very hard and
her legs
pinned to the mattress by something heavy. She blinked her eyes a few times and found that she’d
been using
Caleb’s chest as a pillow. He was still sleeping soundly next to her, his dark eyelashes fanning out
over the tops of
his cheeks. One arm, which had to be numb by now, was tucked underneath her and the other was
looped over his
head, knuckles brushing the headboard.
Maddie watched him for a moment, feeling more rested than she had all week. The nausea, however,
crept up
on her. The morning sickness had started a few days ago, the same time as her doctors appointment.
If throwing
up in the bathroom, mid-appointment, wasn’t an indicator of pregnancy, she didn’t know what was.
Bile rose in her throat and Maddie shot off the bed, jostling Caleb in her scramble. Thankfully, she
made it to
the toilet in time, but embarrassment mounted when she heard heavy footsteps behind her, Caleb’s
presence filling
the small bathroom.
Maddie moaned, cheeks red, into the toilet once her heaving slowed. A tissue was thrust into her line
of vision
and she took it, wiping her mouth, before flushing.
“This situation seems familiar,” Caleb noted, his voice gruff with sleep.
Maddie realized he was referring to the time when he’d been drunk and she felt a little less
embarrassed.
“I guess we’re even,” she murmured, avoiding his eyes as she brushed her teeth. She was all too
aware of his
intent stare and the way he crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorway. He was still dressed
in his jeans
from the previous night and his hair was deliciously ruffled.
She still wasn’t sure how he’d managed to weasel his way into her bed last night—not that anything
happened
between them—but after Caleb bought her enough food at a local restaurant to feed a small town,
she’d been too
sleepy to even argue with him when he informed her that he was staying the night. He’d spewed
something along
the lines of, “I just want to make sure you sleep tonight.”
The moment Maddie’s head hit the pillow of her soft bed, the world melted away. The next thing she
knew, she
was entwined with Caleb’s body and it was morning. She almost resented how refreshed she felt.
“What time is it?” she murmured, splashing her face with water. It felt unbelievably odd to have him
in her tiny
apartment, especially since she hadn’t seen him since November, this man who she thought about
more than she
wanted to.
“Almost nine,” was his response.
“Nine!” she exclaimed, finally turning to face him. “I’ve been asleep for over twelve hours.”
“You obviously needed the rest,” he said, those obsidian eyes scanning her face. His mouth was
turned down
into a disapproving frown, telling her that he was still displeased about the way she’d been taking
care of herself.
She sighed, not even bothering to argue, and soaked in his sleepy face, wondering when—or if—she’d
ever see
it again this way.

If he has anything to do with it, then I’ll be seeing it almost every morning, she thought, frowning.
“About last night,” she began. “You can’t possibly still think that moving in together is a good idea.
Surely you
can see now that there’s no need for it, Caleb. And I told you that I’ll keep you in the loop with the
pregnancy. And
when the baby is born, you—”
“Let me guess, I can see the baby whenever I want? We’ll split custody? I can have the baby every
other
Christmas? Absolutely not,” he grated, his face going dark. “I refuse to be half a parent.”
Her brows drew down. “What are you talking about?”
“I know how this works, princess,” he said, his voice dropping low, body inching towards her until her
back was
pressed against the bathroom wall. “And I won’t do it.”
Maddie swallowed, staring at him. She wasn’t afraid of him. Quite the opposite actually, even when
he was try-
ing to intimidate her.
He’d never spoken of his parents. Maddie figured that even Thomas didn’t know. But there had to be
a reason
why his uncle took him in and so she opened her mouth and asked, “Is that what your parents did?
Were they
separated? Divorced?”
He gave a bitter laugh. “You don’t want to ask me about my parents. Because if you do, you’ll never
look at
me the same.”
“I can’t understand you if you don’t tell me anything about you, Caleb,” she said. “You expect this of
me. You
expect me to move in with you, to give up my life here, my independence, and yet you offer nothing
in return. I
won’t do it. We’ve already been down this road and look where that led us.”
The treacherous part of her mind whispered, Right back to him, that’s where it led you.
Caleb was silent. His eyes were calculating and it filled her with disappointment. He still believed she
would
betray him. He still refused to trust her. In his eyes, the baby just upped the stakes of what he had to
lose if she
ever turned her back on him.
So, she was surprised when he said, “My parents were legally separated until my dad died when I was
eight. My
dad was a good parent, even if he did drink too much. My mother,” his face tightened, “was more
concerned where
she would get her next score than her son. She would bring men home and it was only until I was
older that I real-
ized she would fuck them for money in the back bedroom, when I was sitting only a few feet away.”
Maddie
flinched. “I remember being hungry. I remember being scared because her front door lock was
broken and she
lived in a shitty neighborhood. I went back and forth between them, every Saturday, like clockwork.
Saturday was a
day that I was either very relieved or full of dread. I lived out of a bag. My friends at school would go
home to one
house, to a mom who packed them lunches and a father who played catch with them on weekends,
and I resented
them. Every single one of them. I’ve known hate from an early age, princess, and I know what it’s like
to be one
part of a jagged, fucking broken family and I literally can’t stomach the idea of my child going through
that too.”
“Caleb,” Maddie whispered, her throat tight and scratchy, her mind reeling from what he’d just told
her. Qui-
etly, she said, “You know we wouldn’t treat our child the way your parents treated you.”
“When my dad died, I lived with my mother full-time. For almost a year,” he murmured, staring down
at her, yet
not seeing her. It was like she hadn’t even spoken. It was like he couldn’t stop now that he started.
“And I try not
to remember it. I think a part of her must have hated me. But now, I realize it was pure indifference
and somehow
that hurt even more. She wasn’t present in my life even when I was right in front of her.” His eyes
narrowed and
then he refocused on her. There was something defiant in his gaze when he told her, “My uncle found
her in her
bedroom one afternoon. She’d OD’ed sometime in the night and I hadn’t even realized it.”
Shock flooded her body and her hand flew to her mouth to cover a gasp.
“That morning, I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and walked to school, in the same house where
my mother
was dead and I didn’t even realize it. And you know what I felt when my uncle picked me up from
school that day?
I felt relief. I felt relief that my mother was gone.” The pain in his eyes was excruciating. “That is the
ugliest part
of me. And now you know. Are you satisfied?”
He seemed upset with himself. Perhaps upset that he’d even told her. Maybe he hadn’t meant to tell
her every-
thing, but he had.
Caleb pushed away from her and stalked out of the bathroom, back into her small bedroom and
snatched up his
keys off the dresser. Maddie was frozen in place but once she realized what he was doing, she
followed him quick-
ly.
“Caleb, please don’t leave,” she pleaded, her voice cracking. What he’d told her struck her to the
core. “You
need to stop running away. One of us is always running away and I don’t want to do it anymore!”
Caleb paused at her bedroom door and turned. His expression was blank, but Maddie could sense his
pain, his
regret. “You’re asking me to stay after what I just told you? Don’t you have any self-respect? Any
sane person
would be running.”
She refused to be stung and slowly approached him. “Don’t do that, Caleb. Not again.”
His jaw clenched and he looked away from her, at the carpet, at the walls. Gently, she grasped his
face, ignoring
his flinch, and tilted it down so he was looking at her. For the first time, she saw how frightened he
was and she
felt her heart expand in her chest. A part of her had been frightened ever since she first encountered
him all those
months ago because she recognized that this man had the ability to destroy her. Now, looking into his
eyes, she
saw that she could destroy him as well.
When he’d asked her to move in with him, she hadn’t comprehended what he truly wanted. But after
what he’d
just revealed to her, now she understood.
“You’re asking me for everything, Caleb. Aren’t you?” she whispered.
His eyelids fluttered shut as he allowed her to touch him. He was as still as a statue, his breaths
shallow and
measured. Unable to help herself, even knowing that she shouldn’t, she brushed her lips across his
eyelids, his
cheeks, the tip of his nose.
Right before she reached his full lips, she murmured, “Okay.” She sighed, wondering if she was
making yet
another mistake. “Okay, Caleb…we’ll do this.”
His arms came around her waist when she kissed him. His hot tongue swept inside and she thought
he sagged
with relief.
“With conditions,” she murmured against him.
Caleb pulled back, wary. “And what are they?”
“We take this slow,” she told him. “I’ll move in with you, but I’ll have my own room. And you won’t
interfere
with my school schedule. I’ll do everything as I normally would until the doctor says otherwise.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding. “Agreed.”
She broke out of his arms when his gaze dropped to her lips. “Speaking of which, I need to get to the
library.”
Caleb frowned, but didn’t stop her. “Come by the garage when you’re done.”
“Maybe if you ask, I will.”
He paused. “Will you come by once you’re done?”

“Maybe,” she said, not even bothering to hide the teasing note in her tone, trying to lighten the
mood. She
thought the corner of his mouth quirked up. “My car is still at the garage,” she reminded him, eyeing
the keys in
his hand.
“Damn, I forgot,” he murmured.
“You mean, something slipped by you?” she asked, smiling, picking out her clothes for the day.
“Where you’re concerned, princess, it seems like a lot does.”
THIRTY
Caleb’s stomach was knotted as he awaited Maddie’s reaction. She entered the empty house quietly,
her foot-
steps echoing on the hardwood floors, as she looked around the front entry way and at what Caleb
planned on being
the living room just beyond that. It smelled of fresh paint and sawdust. The house had been
completed only a
month before so Caleb considered himself lucky that his realtor had happened to show it to him. He’d
gone into a
bidding war with another family, but he’d won out in the end.
The moment he’d stepped into this house, he’d known this was where he wanted to make a fresh
start. It was
brand new. A clean slate. Something that didn’t connect to his past or his family, something that was
just his,
something to be molded and changed. He hoped that Maddie would see that as well going into this
new stage of
their lives. As he watched her take in her surroundings, a foreign feeling rose in him, something that
felt like panic
and need and affection all rolled into one. And it scared the shit out of him, although he was used to
that feeling
where Maddie was concerned. She’d swept into his life and it had never been the same since.
Caleb couldn’t take her silence any longer as she roamed from empty room to empty room.
“Well?” he asked, his voice unexpectedly harsh and loud. He softened his tone. “Say something.”
She looked so beautiful, standing in her printed cotton dress and tights, that it made his chest
physically ache.
And she’s carrying your child, he thought, that same foreign feeling washing over him once again.
“It’s wonderful, Caleb. Really. I just…” she trailed off, looking around.
Her expression made him frown. “You don’t like it.”
“It’s not that,” she told him, turning to face him completely. Her cheeks were tinged pink, a sign of
her
embarrassment. “I’m just worried that I…I won’t be able to afford the payments.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, brows furrowing, completely flabbergasted.
She shrugged, her soft brown eyes connecting with his. “It’s a lovely house. A new house, in an
upscale
neighborhood. We’ve never discussed money before, but it seems inevitable now.”
Dawning realization and then offended disbelief made him stare at her for a good thirty seconds
before he asked
slowly, “You think that I’ll ask you to make payments?”
“Well, I—”
“You think that I expect you, the woman carrying my child, to pay me?”
“I wouldn’t be comfortable living here for free, Caleb.”
“You were going to do it with your mother eventually,” he pointed out, glaring.
“She’s my mother,” she said. “My family. It’s different.”
Her insinuation stung, especially after what he’d told her the morning after he’d found out she was
pregnant.
“And our child will be my family, even if you don’t consider yourself a part of it,” he’d all but growled.
“Caleb,” she murmured, gliding closer to him. “That’s not what I meant.”
“You want to talk about money?” he asked, staring down at her, still feeling the pulses of his temper
and hurt.
“My uncle’s business was and is very lucrative. You should know that. You’ve seen the numbers. I’ve
been work-
ing for him since I was sixteen and you know what I did with that money? I saved it. And then I
invested it when I
turned twenty-two. My uncle left me money and his business and his house, which is in the process of
being sold
as we speak. You know what that all means?” he asked. “It means that I’ve already paid for this
house. In full.”
Her mouth parted. “What?”
“So you can keep your payments. They’re unnecessary. But even if I hadn’t already paid for this
house, I
wouldn’t accept your money and you should know that,” he grated. He was still pissed that she’d
imply he
wouldn’t take care of her financially. “We’ll have a joint account and you’ll use that. Once it’s set up,
we’ll pay off
your student loans so we’re debt-free and then I don’t want to talk about this again.”
Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish and she couldn’t seem to get any words out. She finally
sput-
tered, “N-no, Caleb. This crosses so many boundaries.”
He gave her a look that said try me. “If you want to keep your personal account, that’s fine. But I
expect you to
use the joint one liberally, especially for the baby.”
Maddie crossed her arms over her chest, which he couldn’t help but notice pushed up her breasts.
She seemed
to realize that she’d get nowhere with him. When he was in this kind of mood, he could be the most
stubborn son-
of-a-bitch and he knew it. He got what he wanted and he was used to it.
“We’ll talk about this later,” she finally said, in a tone that said over my dead body, and then she
turned to inspect
the rest of the house.
* * *
“So, let me get this straight,” Kyra said slowly, munching on the sandwich she’d bought for lunch.
They were at
their favorite spot near the pier. Maddie had just finished a morning library session and she planned
to take the
rest of the afternoon off to finish packing up her apartment. “You’re mad at him because he wants to
pay off your
student loans and because he bought you a house and wants to pay for everything? Am I missing
something?”
“Well, when you put it like that, of course it sounds like I’m the crazy one,” Maddie grumbled,
irritably. “It was
the way he said it! He is so high-handed and arrogant.”
“But you knew that about him already,” Kyra pointed out. “If you ask me, it’s kinda hot. Those guys
are always
the best in the sack if you know what I mean.”
“Ugh, you are no help at all,” Maddie muttered.
Kyra laughed, nudging her shoulder. “Okay, but in all seriousness, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”
“He’s not only asking me to move in with him and try and make this relationship work, but he’s asking
me to
give up my independence too,” Maddie said slowly. “I’m not comfortable with that. I don’t want to
be completely
dependent on him if things go south.”
“Sounds to me like you’re expecting them to,” Kyra noted.
Maddie sighed. Was she? “It’s hard not to think that given what’s happened between us. I’m not
holding my
breath. Caleb’s no good at the relationship thing. He’s told me himself. And me? I’ve never been in
a rela-
tionship, not to mention the fact that I’m pregnant with his child. I don’t see how this will ever work
out, no matter
how much I might want it to.”
“If you’re not positive when things are tough, then of course it never will. Don’t set yourself up for
failure, Mad-
die,” Kyra told her. “Just take it slow, like you plan on doing. It’s not going to be all roses and
rainbows in the
beginning. But let him make it easier on you. If he wants to pay for things, let him. Guys are weird
about money,
and in all honesty, money is going to be the least of your problems anyway.”
Maddie blew out a breath. Kyra was right. Money was just a small needle in a haystack of many.
“Fine, but
I’m not using the joint account.”
“How long do you think you’ll be able to get away with that?” Kyra asked, giving her signature smirk.
Then,
since her best friend knew her so well, she changed the subject. At least slightly. “How did your
family react when
you told them you were moving in with your baby daddy?”
Maddie looked down at her half-finished sub. “My mom’s concerned, naturally, but I told her that I
think it’s for
the best, trying to make this work, so she’s okay with it.”
“And your brother?”
“He’s…” She sighed. “He’s not happy about it at all.” He’d gone red in the face when she told him and
then
yelled at her for about fifteen minutes straight, hardly pausing for breath, telling her all the reasons
why he thought it
was a terrible idea. Needless to say, he wasn’t Caleb’s biggest fan, regardless of the fact that they’d
been friends all
those long years ago.
“He’s always been over-protective,” Kyra said. “He had to be when your father died. He’ll come
around even-
tually.”
“I hope so,” Maddie murmured. “Because Caleb is going to be in our lives now, for the rest of our
lives,
whether Thomas likes it or not. It would sure make holidays easier if they got along,” she joked,
trying to lighten
the heavy mood.
“That’s the spirit,” Kyra replied, smiling, then she glanced at her watch. “Shit, I need to get back to
the office.”
Standing, she said, “But I’ll swing by after work to help you pack up the rest of your stuff. Big day
tomorrow!”
Moving day, she meant. Tomorrow would mark the first day of her and Caleb—and Peter, of course—
living to-
gether and she’d be lying if some part of her wasn’t completely and utterly terrified.
* * *
Caleb knew he was in for it when he spotted a black Mercedes pull into his lot and then watched as a
familiar fig-
ure unfolded from the car.
He’d known that this confrontation was inevitable, so he wiped his hands off on a rag, tossed it onto
the work
bench, and approached the unmistakably furious form of Thomas Ashby.
“Thomas,” he greeted when they were only a few feet apart. “I—”
Caleb expected the punch that exploded across his jawline. He welcomed it even. His face throbbed
with pain
as he massaged the tender spot before meeting the eyes of Maddie’s brother, someone he’d once
considered a
friend.
A quick glance over his shoulder revealed Brian and a couple other of his employees staring at the two
of them.
Brian stood, tense, waiting. They didn’t know that this was Maddie’s brother. And only Brian and
Peter knew that
she was pregnant.
“I deserved that,” he mumbled at Thomas, looking back at the man in front of him. Time had hardly
changed
the carefree boy he’d known a decade ago. He’d always been the charming one, the life of the party
out of their
group of friends.
“You’re damn right you deserved that, you son-of-a-bitch,” Thomas snarled. “If Maddie hadn’t
stopped me
when I found out, I would’ve delivered that hit a whole lot earlier.”
There would be a bruise tomorrow, but Caleb shook off the pain. “You wanna hit me again?”
“Don’t tempt me,” Thomas said, narrowing his eyes.
“Do it,” Caleb said, voice quiet. “I knocked up your sister. That has to make you—”
He was cut off by another punch and Caleb gritted his teeth, but he did nothing to stop him. He just
took the
hit.
“It makes me fucking furious,” Thomas hissed, clutching his right hand. Caleb could see his red
knuckles, but
even though they had to be killing him, Caleb knew that Thomas could keep this up all day if he
wanted to. “She
had everything going for her until you ruined everything!”
“You don’t think I know that? You don’t think I know I fucked up her life?” he asked, staring Thomas
right in
the eye. “I care about Maddie. And I wish that things had turned out differently for her, but I can’t
change what’s
already happened.”
“You could let her go,” Thomas grated.
“I’ll never let her go. Or our child,” Caleb said quietly, just as he spotted a familiar car pull into its
parking
space. A second later, the woman of the hour raced out of her car. And she looked pissed.
“I told you not to come here,” Maddie said to her brother, striding up to him and poking him in the
chest. “And
I told you…” she trailed off when she caught sight of her brother’s knuckles and then she swung
around to look at
Caleb. Whatever she saw made her cheeks flush in anger. She whipped back around to her brother.
“You hit
him? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What the hell is wrong with me?” her brother yelled down at her. “Do you not see how fucked up
this situation
is? Do you not know how fucked up he is?” he asked, stabbing a finger at Caleb.
Caleb’s lips pressed together, shame creeping over him. His skin crawled.
Maddie went eerily silent and when she spoke, her voice was hardly more than a whisper. “How dare
you come
here and do this. You’re my brother. I didn’t expect you to be happy about this, but you need to
accept it. I al-
ready have. Caleb already has.” She sucked in a breath, trying to calm down. “I love you, Thomas.
But this is my
life now. And I really hope you’ll still want a place in it.”
Thomas stared down at her, but the rage still hadn’t left his eyes. Caleb knew that feeling only too
well.
“This is a mistake,” Thomas said, shaking his head. “He’s bad news, Maddie. He’s not right for you.
And
he’ll bring you down with him. That I can promise you.”
With those parting words, Thomas stormed back to his car and peeled out of the lot, leaving Maddie,
Caleb, and
his employees staring after him.
THIRTY-ONE
“He’s wrong, you know,” Maddie murmured, her words breaking the silence that had descended
between them
as Maddie gently tended to his scraped jaw. Caleb had tried to dissuade her fussing, but at the sight
of blood from
the skin Thomas had scraped off, she’d insisted. So now, she made herself feel better by blotting
away the blood
and holding an ice pack Brian’s wife always packed in his lunch to his face, trying to keep his jaw from
swelling too
much. The garage’s bathroom wasn’t the cleanest of places, but Caleb let her tend to him as he sat on
the closed
toilet lid.
He hadn’t said much since Thomas left, but she knew that her brother’s cutting words had wormed
their way in-
side his head. Maddie could just slap her brother for saying what he did. They’d hurt Caleb, but
Maddie felt the
pain as acutely as if they’d been flung at herself.

“Is he?” Caleb asked, his tone hard. “Thomas spoke the truth.”
Maddie sighed, knowing Caleb believed it, even if she didn’t. She gently brushed the other side of
Caleb’s jaw,
the side Thomas hadn’t hit, liking that he no longer flinched away when she touched him. That was
progress,
wasn’t it?
“Thomas is angry. But I think he’s more angry at himself than anyone,” Maddie confided. “He thinks
that he’s
failed me in some way. He still thinks that I’m his kid sister and that it’s his job to protect me and
make sure I get
through life untouched and unhurt. But that’s not realistic, is it?”
“You can’t blame the man for trying,” Caleb murmured, his eyes burning into her own. Their bodies
were close
and every time Maddie shifted, her thigh brushed his knee.
“He took on a lot of responsibility when my dad died. He thought he had to become the man of the
house.
He thought he not only had to look out for me, but my mom too. It wasn’t something that he asked
for, but he
took his new role very seriously and he’s always been protective. So, please, don’t take what he said
to heart.”
“How can you say that?” Caleb rasped. “How can you say that what he said isn’t true? I’ve fucked up
your
life.”
“No, Caleb, you haven’t,” Maddie said easily. “True, this isn’t exactly the way I thought my life would
go. But a
baby isn’t the end of the world. It’s just a…reordering of events.” Her cheeks began to burn when she
thought of
that moment in his office that changed everything. “And I said yes, didn’t I?”
Maybe it was just her imagination, but she thought that Caleb’s skin burned hotter at her words. It
was sud-
denly stifling in the bathroom.
“Yes, you did,” he said, his tone husky.

Maddie knew that he was thinking about that moment as well, so she cleared her throat. “Let’s stop
playing the
blame game and get on with our lives. My brother will come around eventually. He always does.”
“Oh, so he’s been in this situation before? He’s used to punching guys who get his sister pregnant?”
Caleb
asked wryly. Maddie smiled, getting used to Caleb’s dry humor. “You already know how this
situation will play
out?”
“No, but I know how the next couple days will play out.”
Maddie thought his gaze softened when he looked up at her again. “And how’s that, princess?”
“Tonight, I’ll finish packing and you will too,” she told him. “Tomorrow is the big moving day, which
will be full
of stress, and moving boxes, and setting up furniture, and eating mostly fast food. Oh, and your jaw
will probably
hurt pretty badly too. And then on Sunday, my brother will have calmed down and he’ll come by to
see the new
house. He’ll apologize to me and to you, but he won’t be sorry for hitting you, just for what he said.”
Caleb’s hand ran down her arm until he clutched her hand in his own. Goosebumps erupted over her
flesh,
sparks following in the wake of his fingertips. “And after that?”
“After that,” she said, her voice suddenly turning more breathless, “we just take it one day at a time.”
“Okay,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving her own. “I’m good with that.”
* * *
Maddie didn’t mind moving. The idea of starting off fresh had always appealed to her and a new
home was rife
with possibilities. But the thought that she’d be sharing that home with Caleb terrified her. So, when
Caleb picked
her up early the next morning, loaded up the last of her boxes in the trunk, and set off towards their
new house, she
wanted to throw up and it had nothing to do with her morning sickness.

“Everything is going to be okay,” he murmured, when they pulled up to the curb, as though sensing
her growing
anxiousness. Surprisingly, the movers had already arrived with all of Caleb’s boxes and were waiting
to be let
inside. Peter was nowhere in sight, although Caleb had told her that the teenager had opened up the
garage with
Brian this morning.
The house itself was beautiful. When Caleb had first taken her to go see it, she’d fallen in love. It was
a corner
lot in a new development with ample privacy. With its grey exterior, dark indigo shutters, and wide
porch, it was
both welcoming and relaxing and Maddie already pictured sitting outside during the summer,
enjoying the warm
breezes and the quietness of the neighborhood. But the outside had nothing on the house itself. Two
stories, four
bedrooms, two and half bathrooms, an open plan kitchen and living room, and a backyard to die for…
it was every-
thing that Maddie had ever dreamed of.
And Caleb wanted to share it with her.
“Ready?” he asked, once he came around to help her out of the car. Ever since he found out she was
pregnant,
he’d been treating her like glass.
She nodded, just as Caleb took her overnight bag from her. When she shot him a look, he shrugged.
“I don’t
want you lifting anything today.”
“My bag weighs about ten pounds,” she pointed out. “I don’t think it’ll kill me. Besides, we’re moving
today,
Caleb. How can you expect me not to lift anything?”
One of the movers approached. “Mr. Montgomery?”
Caleb nodded. “Yes. Give me a second and I’ll let you guys in.” And then, with his palm on the small
of her
back, he led her past the men to the front of their new house. Once the door was opened, he looked
at her and
said, “I put your stuff in the bedroom at the end of the hall upstairs. I’ll send the movers up with the
bed first, if
you want.”
“The bedroom at the end of the…” Her brow furrowed. “But that’s the master bedroom.”
He shrugged. “It’s yours.”
Maddie was already shaking her head. When she’d said that she wanted separate rooms, she’d
meant that she
would take one of the guest bedrooms, not the master suite. “Caleb, no. That’s your room.”
“It doesn’t matter to me where I sleep,” he told her. “I’ve been sleeping on a couch for the past
year.”
“If it doesn’t matter, then take that room. It’ll just make me uncomfortable, knowing that it should be
yours.”
Just like the stubborn man she knew him to be, his eyes narrowed and Maddie knew she’d lost this
round.
Caleb could be notoriously single-minded when he wanted something.
What she didn’t expect him to do was lean in closer until she could see the pupils of his dark eyes.
She swal-
lowed thickly, suddenly warm, as his gaze flicked to her lips and then back up.
“Guess that just means I’ll have to find a way to get into your bed sooner,” he murmured. Maddie’s
lips parted,
a shock of arousal burning down her chest to pool between her thighs, wondering if she’d heard him
right. Before
she could say a word, he turned towards the stairs, her bag still in his possession. Right before he
rounded the cor-
ner at the top, he called down, “Can you go open the garage for them? I’ll be right down.”
As though in a trance, she floated towards the garage, nodding at the movers as they passed with
boxes, think-
ing about Caleb’s words and their implication. She hadn’t really thought about what living with him
meant for that
part of their lives. Maddie knew without a doubt that sex would just complicate their situation, more
so than it al-
ready was. And Maddie didn’t even know if she wanted to have sex with him again. Her first time
wasn’t exactly
spectacular and what stood out the most was the way she’d felt afterwards: abandoned and empty.
She never want-
ed to feel that way again.
She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t realized Caleb returned downstairs. He was looking at her
as he ap-
proached the garage, studying and assessing as he was prone to do.
“Stop overthinking it,” he told her.
She frowned. “And how did you know I was overthinking anything?”
He touched the space between her brows, her breath hitching slightly at the contact. “Because of
these lines
here.”
When one of the men squeezed past them, Caleb stepped away, but leaned against the wall, his arms
crossed.
Maddie stared at him and then her eyes strayed to the hallway behind him. The hallway of their new
house.
She looked down at her feet, her eyes straying to her stomach and she wondered when she’d begin to
show.
“Does any of this seem real to you?” she asked. It was starting to hit her. Like a sledgehammer.
“Because I’ve
had time to wrap my head around all of this, but somehow, it still feels like a dream.”
“A good dream? Or a bad dream?”
“I’m not sure yet.” She bit her lip, meeting his eyes. “And I’m scared.”
Maddie couldn’t pinpoint why exactly, but Caleb softened at her words. He snagged her hand and
pulled her
closer and even with movers milling around, he leaned down until his lips were on hers. And she
kissed him back,
even though it confused her. It felt good, right. He felt right.
“You don’t need to be scared anymore,” he whispered. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”
She looked up at him and said quietly, “I’ve been thinking about our fight.”
His lips quirked. “Which one? We’ve had a lot.”
“The one about money.”
“And?”
“I want to compromise.”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t up for negotiation.”
“Caleb,” she said slowly. “We are going to compromise on this.”
He drew in a breath and Maddie became very aware of how closely pressed together they were.
“Okay. Tell
me.”
“I’ll use the joint account, but only for the baby. And I want to pay off half of my student loans. My
job on
campus counts towards them, so I’ll work there until the doctor says otherwise.”
Caleb looked down at her. If Maddie didn’t know him as well as she did, the gaze would’ve been
intimidating.
But she knew he was just processing…and trying to figure out a way to dissuade her from it.
“You’ll also use the joint account for the house. And you can work until the doctor says otherwise,
but after
that, I’ll pay off the remaining balance. Deal?”
She knew it was the best she would get, so she blew out a breath and nodded, almost solemnly.
“Deal.”
Then he did something she’d never see him do before. He grinned. A genuine, honest smile. And the
result
was just as devastatingly beautiful as Maddie thought it would be.
Hook, line, and sinker.
I’m a goner, she thought.

THIRTY-TWO
Two months passed in the blink of an eye. And every day, Maddie thought about that moment
between her and
Caleb in the deserted parking lot, where he’d said that he wanted to prove how good they could be
together. And
every day, he did.
Of course, it had been difficult at first. Maddie had to adjust to living with two men, as she was sure
they had to
adjust to living with her. The first week had been filled with unpacking boxes, visits to furniture
stores, and ex-
hausted nights in between classes and work.
What was most difficult was coming home to Caleb each and every night.
Mostly, Maddie was finding it more and more difficult to sweep their situation under the rug. She’d
put all
thoughts of a romantic relationship on hold as she adjusted to her new life, but now that every day
she was becom-
ing more and more pregnant, and every day Caleb became more and more irresistible, as if he hadn’t
been already,
Maddie was starting to sweat bullets.
And she just knew that Caleb realized it.
He’d given her space, as if he sensed that she needed that time. She began to see a side of Caleb that
she’d
only caught minor glimpses of before. Gone was the man who’d once cut her with his sharp-edged
words, who’d
once shown her more ugliness than kindness.
Caleb was so much more than just bitterness and anger. He believed in loyalty and hard work. She’d
over-
heard him one night on the phone with Alex, one of his close friends, who seemed to be ranting about
a problem at
work. Caleb had stayed on the phone with him for an hour giving words of encouragement, even
though she knew
he had to be dead tired from a tough work week. And Maddie heard him the next night checking up
on how every-
thing had worked out. He was a good friend. He was the kind of man where if someone earned his
trust and loy-
alty, they had it for a lifetime.
And some nights, she even had to drag him home from the garage or else he would be doing
paperwork until
two in the morning, or working on one of the numerous restoration orders that were flooding in. It
seemed that
Caleb was excellent at his job, but Maddie had already told him—more than a few times—that he
needed to hire
more help. He would kill himself trying to do it all, as independent as he was.
He didn’t hire new help, but he did take Peter on as an apprentice to help with restorations. Maddie
was
pleased to note that every day the once shy teenager seemed to open up just a little bit more. He’d
always been so
skittish before and had never liked to ask for help, but even Maddie could see that he was happier.
Most nights
after dinner, he would sit at the kitchen counter all evening, sketching in his book, art supplies littered
around him,
while Maddie sat on the stool next to him and studied. They were content, quiet nights, and Maddie
had never felt
so at peace. Caleb would find them both there whenever he managed to pull himself away from the
garage and he
would watch her for a few moments—making Maddie’s skin tingle and awareness sweep through her
body—before
turning in for the night.
Besides those moments, Caleb hadn’t made a move on her and…it disappointed her. She’d finally
broken
through Caleb’s hostile outer layer and now that she’d gotten that taste, she wanted more. But she
didn’t know
how to bring it up. He seemed okay to leave their ‘relationship’—if she could even call it that—on
hold for now,
just as she had done in the beginning. Now, she was beginning to resent that each night they went to
separate bed-
rooms, even though she’d been the one to insist on it.
Then, there had been ‘the box.’
The first week, when Maddie had still been unpacking boxes, she’d discovered a box of Caleb’s that
the movers
had deposited in her room by mistake. When she lifted the lid, it had been filled with rope. Of all
kinds, neatly
wrapped and organized. And she knew. She just knew what they were for. He’d once told her that
he needed ‘cer-
tain things’ during sex and she remembered the way he’d expertly tied her up with his belt that one
night so long
ago.
She’d touched the manila rope, felt its roughness chafe her fingertips, and suddenly, she was struck
with jeal-
ousy so potent that tears sprang into her eyes and she’d had to close the box lid before she burst into
tears. She
couldn’t help but wonder when the last time Caleb had used the contents of the box. The thought of
some random,
faceless girl, tied up with those ropes for Caleb’s pleasure, made Maddie almost…envious. They’d
never discussed
whether they were going to be monogamous or not—the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind until
then—but
Maddie couldn’t stomach the idea of Caleb with another woman. It was too painful.
When she handed over the box to Caleb that first week, he’d been shifting furniture in the living
room, muscles
flexing. He froze when he saw it in her hands and she didn’t say anything when she handed it over to
him. His
gaze was rapt, trying to gauge her, as usual, but she liked to think she gave nothing away. She was a
coward for not
confronting him about it, but what could she say? That first week, she didn’t want to think about
them. She didn’t
want to think about what that box meant, so she stayed silent and walked away. Caleb had never
brought it up
again and neither had she.
But she was getting restless. It had been almost two months since that moment and every day, she
was wishing
that she had said something. She found herself wishing that she’d told him to use those ropes on her
and not
some other girl, which only confused her more. Was she ready for sex with him again? Maddie didn’t
know if it
was her hormones or the way that Caleb looked at her, but she wanted him more and more with each
passing day.
You’re not doing anything about it either, she’d often thought. Caleb hadn’t made an obvious move.
Sure, he
touched her if they were ever close to each other. Her waist, her hair, her arms. Sometimes in the
mornings, when
they maneuvered around one another in the kitchen, Maddie got the impression that he couldn’t not
touch her, like
he needed to feel her, to be close to her. He never kissed her though. He hadn’t kissed her in weeks
and she didn’t
want to think about the implications.

Maddie wished that there was a clear path when it came to Caleb. She wished she knew if she was
making the
right choice by protecting her heart, or if she should just go for the plunge and pray that she surfaced
if worse came
to worst.
To make matters more complicated, not only was she dealing with her relationship with Caleb, but
she also
hadn’t spoken to her brother. At all. The prediction she’d given Caleb after Thomas had punched him
was only
half true. Thomas didn’t come and apologize that Sunday. It had been two months since the
confrontation in the
parking lot and Maddie had not heard from her brother. When she talked to her mom about it, her
mom only told
her that he needed time to process what was happening and everything would eventually work out.
It didn’t stop her from feeling disappointed, even lost. Her and Thomas were close. She hardly went
a couple
days without hearing from him, so to go almost two months with radio silence was hard to swallow.
Unbearable,
even. But she had to give him time. She only hoped that he’d come around eventually.
* * *
“You’re home early,” Maddie said, surprised to see Peter snacking in the kitchen when she came
home from the
library one afternoon. He usually bussed straight to the garage after school. The teenager was about
as addicted
to that place as Caleb was. She ruffled his hair, noting that he’d need to get another haircut soon.
“Did you have a
good day?”
Peter nodded, chewing around a mouthful of chips, and he stood to relieve her of the two bags of
groceries
she’d picked up on the way home. His sketchbook was open in front of him, a rough drawing of a
dragon forming
on the page, with scales that resembled intricate chainmail. Peter’s fingers were smudged in lead and
he had a
smear of it on his cheek.
“You know he wouldn’t want you carrying these,” Peter commented, shifting the bags onto the
counter.
“Well, it’ll be our little secret then,” she teased. Caleb seemed to think that her being pregnant meant
that she
should just sit at home all day and not lift a finger. If he could chain her to the bed, Maddie was
absolutely certain
he would.
The thought sent a shock of arousal racing through her, which wasn’t the first time that had happened
whenever
she thought about Caleb’s proclivities. Yes, Maddie thought, he would absolutely want to do that.
Too bad he won’t, she thought, frowning, the all too familiar feeling of frustration swamping her.
As Maddie put away the groceries, she noticed that Peter was quieter than usual, which wasn’t saying
much. Al-
though he had always been shy, he’d become at least a little more outgoing living with them, so she
grew con-
cerned.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, brows furrowing together, leaning her hands on the island in the
middle of
the kitchen and eyeing the boy sitting on the other side. Then she spotted a mark on his jaw when he
tilted his
head. An angry red mark that she’d seen before on Caleb after her brother had paid him a visit. “Oh
my God, what
happened?”
She raced around the island to inspect his face more closely. But there was no denying it. He’d been
hit on the
side of his face and it looked painful.
When the boy clenched his teeth together, remaining silent, she said, heart racing, “Peter, tell me
what happened
right now. Who did this?”

More silence ticked past, but he finally admitted, “I went home after school. I didn’t expect my dad to
be there,
but he’d been laid off from work apparently.”
“Why’d you go home, sweetheart?” she asked, worry making her bite her lip.
A red tinge spread over his cheekbones. “I wanted my birth certificate.”
“What? What for?”
“I want to apply for a driver’s license,” he admitted, mumbling, looking down at his sketchpad and not
meeting
her eyes. Quickly, he added, “I know I don’t have a car or anything, but I still want it. All the guys at
the garage
have one.”
Tears sprung up in her eyes at the longing in Peter’s voice. Through a tightened throat, she said,
“Well, if you
want a license, then you’ll get one.”
Peter shook his head. “I didn’t get my birth certificate. He wouldn’t give it to me and I ran out before
he could
land another hit.”
Maddie’s heart squeezed and anger at the disgusting human being that was Peter’s father
overwhelmed her.
How could anyone harm the gentle, sweet kid in front of her?
“He…he said that my mom ran off last month,” he whispered, eyes unblinking. “With some guy from
down the
block. He blames me for it. Said if I hadn’t gone away, she’d still be around.”
“Peter,” Maddie said, brushing his hair back away from his face. “You know that’s not true.”
The teenager stayed silent and Maddie felt a little piece of her heart break at the acceptance on his
face. She’d
do anything to change it.
So she asked, “Do you know where he keeps your birth certificate?”
Peter lifted his gaze slowly and nodded. “I think it’s in the closet in his bedroom.”
“Then let’s go get it.”
He shook his head, eyes wide. “Are you nuts? Caleb would never let you.”
“Well, he doesn’t have to know until after we’ve already gotten it. He won’t be home until later
tonight. And we
can wait at your house until your dad leaves or falls asleep. We’ll go in for a quick minute and then
leave.”
He tilted his head to the side and eyed her. “I don’t feel good about this.”
“I want you to get what you want, sweetheart,” she murmured. “You could have your license by the
fall if we do
this today.” Maddie could sense that she was wearing him down. “Do you know if your dad leaves
the house at
night?”
Peter slowly shook his head. “No, but he usually passes out on the couch by six or seven.”
Maddie looked at the clock. That was a little under three hours away. “Caleb won’t be home until
nine at the
earliest, so that’ll give us time.”
“Maddie…I don’t know. I don’t think—”
She smiled down at him. “Don’t you worry. I’ll leave him a note if it would make you feel better. Let
me deal
with Caleb after we’ve gotten your birth certificate, okay?”
Peter swallowed hard, but finally nodded.

THIRTY-THREE
As luck would have it, when Maddie and Peter pulled up to his dad’s house later that evening, they
only had to
wait about a half hour until his dad passed out on the couch. Peter would pop out of the car every
now and again
to peek through the windows, navigating through trash and dead, long grass, but this last time, he
turned and gave
her a thumbs up.
Maddie got out of her car and quickly walked up to the house, glancing around. They weren’t in the
best neigh-
borhood, but luckily, most of the houses on the street were dark and no one was walking around
outside.
Just as she reached the front porch, Peter pulled out his key and opened the creaking door. His eyes
were wide
and panicked, so Maddie tried to be calm for his sake, although it didn’t stop her heart from trying to
beat its way
out of her chest. During the drive, all she’d been doing was second guessing herself. It wasn’t
because she was
scared of what might happen if Peter’s dad caught them, but how Caleb would react when he found
out. Every time
she talked herself out of going, every time she told herself that they were being stupid and reckless,
she would
remember the longing in Peter’s voice.
All he wanted was one little thing. He was a great kid and, as far as she was concerned, he was a part
of their
odd little family. She wanted to give him whatever he wanted because he deserved it. If he wanted
his birth certifi-
cate, then he’d get it.
Maddie would just have to deal with Caleb later. She couldn’t keep something like this from him.
The two of them crept inside the dark house. The smell hit Maddie first. The air was stale and sour
and the
unmistakeable smell of rum lingered. It didn’t take much for Maddie to become nauseous these
days. She’d read
that morning sickness was only supposed to last sixteen weeks—which was almost exactly how far
along she was—
but Maddie had a sneaking suspicion that she’d be one of those lucky women who got to enjoy that
stage for
longer.
Her face must’ve paled because Peter whispered, a little embarrassed, “You should go wait outside.”
Maddie shook her head, trying to ignore the smell and just focus on what they came there to do. “No,
I’m
okay. Let’s hurry.”
A quick peek into the living room showed Peter’s father—a middle-aged man dressed in a stained
navy blue t-
shirt and beer gut hanging over his jeans—sleeping, the television playing a history documentary of
the Prohibition
era of all things.

Maddie watched Peter as he looked in on his father. It must be hard to see a parent in that state and
it sad-
dened Maddie that he seemed almost unfazed. How often had he seen his father in this state?
Maddie couldn’t
even imagine growing up in a home like this. She’d lived a charmed childhood, with a family who’d
loved her and
provided for her. It broke her heart that Peter had lived like this most of his life, that Caleb had grown
up in an even
uglier situation.
And now, looking at Peter’s father, Maddie could finally understand what Caleb had been afraid of
when he first
wanted them to move in together. He didn’t know what a healthy family was like. He’d never
experienced it, even
living with his uncle because of his sick bitch of an aunt. Maddie knew that Caleb wanted his child to
never ever go
through what he had. That was why he worked so hard, why he didn’t want him and Maddie living
apart, why he
bought a nice house in a good neighborhood, why he took in Peter.
It was hard for Maddie to not fall a little more in love with him because of it.
Swallowing down her tears, she realized that Peter was already making his way down a darkened
hallway, so she
followed after him, cringing at every sound they made. Peter turned into a bedroom and they
rummaged through
the closet, looking for the box that contained his birth certificate. As the minutes ticked by, Maddie
grew more and
more nervous.
“It’s not here,” Peter whispered. “It’s not here. I know it was in a brown box, I’ve seen it. He must’ve
moved
it.”
“Do you know where he’d—,” Maddie started to ask but then jumped, her heart jolting, when she
heard a loud,
repetitive banging, followed by a muffled, angry voice.
“Someone’s at the front door,” Peter said, wide eyes turning on her. He looked around the bedroom,
his eyes
landing on the window. “We can get out through there and go around the back.”
Maddie heard a loud groan from the living room. Heavy footsteps made their way to the front door.
The door
creaked as it opened and then…Caleb’s voice.
Peter and Maddie looked at each other at the same time with the same wide-eyed expression.
Oh crap.
“Where the fuck are they?” Caleb seethed, his voice tight. “I swear, if you laid one fucking hand on
them—”
“Who the hell are you?” Peter’s father slurred. “Get the fuck outta my house!”
There was a loud banging sound and Maddie and Peter both rushed out of the bedroom and back into
the living
room. They saw Peter’s dad thrown up against the wall, a seriously pissed off Caleb cornering him.
“Caleb, don’t!” Maddie exclaimed, rushing towards them. “We’re here. We’re fine.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Peter’s dad shouted when his bleary eyes turned on her.
When Caleb whipped around, there was no mistaking the relief on his features when he spotted her.
But it
quickly morphed into rage as he backed away from Peter’s dad and walked towards them.
“Can you tell me,” he started, his voice deceptively quiet, “why the fuck I come home to a note saying
you both
have come here and why the fuck you thought it was okay?”
Double crap.
Caleb was perhaps the most pissed off she’d ever seen him. That was saying something, because
Maddie liked
to think that she’d seen him in all the stages of being pissed off. The man had a short temper, that
was for sure.
She cleared her throat, her eyes darting to the large figure of Peter’s dad, who seemed disoriented
and
confused. “We came to get Peter’s birth certificate.”
Caleb was three seconds away from losing it. And Maddie knew that the shit hit the fan when his
eyes focused
on Peter, who was lingering in the doorway and looking terrified. Caleb saw the red swelling on his
jawline, which
would turn into a bruise in the coming days, and he whirled back around to face Peter’s father.
“Did you hit him?” Caleb asked quietly.
“What the hell are—”
“Did you hit him?” Caleb asked, his words clipped in ice and rage. The older man’s face paled and
even Maddie
found herself backing away a couple steps.
By the way things were going, if Maddie didn’t stop this, she’d be bailing Caleb out of jail tonight. And
that was
one way she didn’t want to spend her evening. Even from behind, Maddie saw the way his shoulders
tensed, his
fists clenching and unclenching.
“Caleb,” she murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just go. Please.”
“Go to your car and drive home,” he grated. “Both of you.”
“Caleb, please. Don’t do this. Come home with us.”
“I’m not doing anything,” he said. “Now, go.”
Maddie turned him so he was facing her. His skin was hot beneath her fingertips, muscles bunched.
“Promise
me you’ll be right behind us.”
His eyes were dark, but some of his anger lessened at her words. “I won’t be a minute.”
Peter tugged at her arm, eyeing his father, who had zeroed in on him. “Come on, Maddie, let’s go.”
“You stay right there, you little shit. I’m not finished with you,” his father yelled, stumbling when he
tried to
come after Peter. Caleb pushed him back, harder than was necessary, and the older man fell to the
floor, dazed and
groaning.
With a backwards glance at Caleb, Maddie let Peter take her out of the house and back to their car.
She
wouldn’t leave until Caleb walked out, but she couldn’t see them from where she’d parked the car.
She nibbled at
her fingernails nervously, counting down the minutes.
“He’ll be okay,” Peter quietly comforted.
“I hope so,” Maddie whispered, on the verge of tears.

* * *
Caleb wondered how the hell he’d found himself in this situation. When he came home early from
work, look-
ing forward to a quiet evening of relaxing, he knew something was wrong when the house was empty
and when he
spotted a note on the kitchen counter from Maddie.
For the rest of his life, he’d never forget the raw panic that had clawed at his throat when he read that
note. If
anything had happened to her…he didn’t know what he’d do.
A strange mixture of disgust and pity overwhelmed him as he stared down at Peter’s father. The man
looked
like he hadn’t bathed in days and his bloodshot eyes told Caleb that he’d probably been drinking for
just as long.
Instead of his quiet evening, he was now facing down Peter’s drunken father, in a shitty house that
reminded
him of his mother’s. All it was missing were the tracks of white powder on the coffee table and a
stream of strange
men.
“Get up,” Caleb ordered.
“Just get outta my house, fucker!”
“Not until we come to an understanding,” he grated. When the man didn’t climb to his feet, Caleb
reached
down and hauled him up by his t-shirt, shoving him against the wall.
“Where’s Peter’s birth certificate?” Caleb asked. He didn’t know why Maddie and Peter had come
here looking
for it, but he knew it had to be for good reason. So he wouldn’t leave here without it.
“I’m not telling you anything. Get out before I call the police!”
“Maybe you should call them,” Caleb said. “Maybe then I can tell them how you’ve been beating the
shit out of
your son for years. I’m sure they’d love to know that.”
Even drunk off his ass, the older man knew that calling the police would mean trouble.
“Now, I’ll ask you one more fucking time. Where is his birth certificate?”
“In the bathroom,” the man mumbled.
Caleb didn’t know why it would be in there but he said, “Go get it.”
Peter’s father got pissed at the order. It was like a light switch going off in his head and it made Caleb
more
alert. “This is my fucking house. I’ll do whatever the fuck I want!”
Caleb wasn’t prepared for the punch that came his way, but thankfully, the older man was
uncoordinated and
missed. It didn’t stop Caleb from letting his own fist fly into his face, breaking the man’s nose in the
process. His
knuckles hurt like a bitch afterwards, but the pain alleviated some of the tension that had been
building up.
“What the fuck, man?” Peter’s father roared, voice nasally, clutching his nose as blood streamed out.
“Go get the birth certificate,” Caleb hissed. “Don’t make me ask again.”
The threat was clear and as the older man stumbled towards a door leading off the hallway, Caleb
followed to
make sure he didn’t try anything stupid. Next to the most disgusting toilet he’d ever seen, there was
a brown box
and Caleb retrieved it before Peter’s father could get blood on anything. He rifled through the papers
until he lo-
cated the birth certificate and he folded it into his back pocket before returning to the living room.
“Are you happy now?” the older man asked. “Get out and don’t come back!”
Caleb faced the man. “If you ever lay a hand on Peter again or come after him, I will make sure you’re
locked up
so fucking fast that it’ll make your head spin. Do you understand me?”
“He’s my son! I’ll do what I want with him.”
“You’re no father. You don’t give a shit about him. That’s why you don’t even know where the fuck
he’s been
for the past couple months!”
“He always comes back. He doesn’t stay away for long.”

Rage made Caleb’s vision swim, but he tried to calm himself down. Eyes narrowed, he reached into
his back
pocket and drew out his wallet, locating a blank check he kept in there for emergencies. He knew
people like Pe-
ter’s father. Hell, his own mother had been exactly like him, living for the next bottle or high. Caleb
didn’t care if
this man drank himself to death, just as long as he stayed away from Peter.
He wrote out a check for $10,000 and slapped it down on the coffee table. When Peter’s father saw
the
amount, his eyes bulged out of his head and his grubby hands snatched it up, pocketing it quickly. It
made Caleb
sick.
“That will keep you drunk off your ass until Peter is eighteen. Do whatever the fuck you want with it,
but don’t
you dare bother him again.”
Caleb didn’t care that his name and old address was listed on the check. Peter’s father could find him
again if he wanted to, a thought that he almost welcomed. But Caleb knew he wouldn’t ever see this
man again. Peter wouldn’t either, not unless he wanted to. This ‘father’ would choose money over
his own child and it sickened him.
With one last look at a pitiful excuse for a man, Caleb turned and slammed the door on his way out.
Now, he had an infuriating woman to deal with.
THIRTY-FOUR
Maddie felt like she was walking to her own grave as the three of them entered their home. When
Caleb had
stormed out of Peter’s father’s house following their confrontation, all he’d done was gesture for
Maddie to follow
his car back home. Maddie and Peter had both been silent the entire way as they followed his black
SUV and as
Maddie gingerly stepped into the house, strangely enough, she felt like tucking her tail between her
legs.
Caleb locked the door behind them, turned, and eyed them both. The car ride home obviously hadn’t
dulled his
rage. If anything, it seemed he’d worked himself up more. After a silence so thick that Maddie
thought she could
cut it with a dull knife, Caleb reached around and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back
pocket. He handed
it to Peter and Maddie looked down at it the same time that he did.
A prick of joy went through her when she saw it was his birth certificate.
“You found it!” Maddie exclaimed.
Peter stared down at the document before meeting Caleb’s eyes. “Thank you,” he said, tone grave.
Pointing down the hall to Peter’s bedroom, he grunted, “Go do homework.” Translation: get lost so I
can rip
Maddie a new one.
Peter glanced at her and said, “She was only trying to help me. It’s my fault.”
Caleb only stared and waited until Peter slowly turned and shuffled to his bedroom. Maddie
squeezed his hand
as he passed. He looked worried, but Maddie knew that he had no reason to be. Caleb would never
hurt her. He
just needed to let off some steam and he’d be fine.
The moment his bedroom door shut quietly, Caleb grated, “Upstairs.”
Caleb followed her up and she was all too aware of how closely he followed her. Maddie didn’t know
where he
wanted to have this argument, so she picked her own bedroom, which was the farthest away from
Peter’s room. At
least he wouldn’t hear Maddie get taken down a notch.
The moment Caleb shut the door behind them, she sighed and said, “Look, I’m sorry. I already know
that I
shouldn’t have gone there and that you wouldn’t like it, but it was really important to Peter. I figured
that it
wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”
“So you decided to break into a drunk, abusive man’s house, who probably has about a hundred
pounds on you,
while you’re pregnant?” Caleb hissed, looming over her. “And on top of that, you thought that you
could hide it
from me?”
Whenever he took that tone with her, she felt defensive. “I know that what I did was stupid, but I
wanted to do it
for Peter. It wasn’t like we were going to confront the man or anything. Peter knew where his father
kept his birth
certificate and he knew that he passed out on the couch around a certain time. It was going to be
fine.”
“Where you ever going to tell me?”
“I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep it from you. I knew you’d be upset, but yes, I was going to tell
you once
we got back.”
“And you expect me to believe that?” Caleb asked, eyes narrowed.
Maddie bristled. “I’m not a liar. I left a note. And you’re just saying these things right now because
you’re
itching for a fight.”
“Looks like you’re itching for one just as much as I am, princess,” he sneered, backing her against the
wall. His
gaze swept over her body and damn her hormones, but they reacted like he lit them on fire. “Tell me
everything.”
So, as Maddie looked up at him, all too aware that her sensitive breasts were pushed against his
chest, she start-
ed from the beginning. Caleb’s jaw clenched when she recounted her conversation with Peter, that
he’d gone home
after school, that his father had hit him, about the driver’s license, about how they waited outside
until the all clear.
During her story, his hands came up to grip her arms a little too tightly, but she didn’t complain.
Maddie won-
dered if she’d worried Caleb more than he was letting on. The thought softened her, at least until she
saw that his
knuckles were scraped raw on his right hand.
“Caleb, what did you do?” she demanded, snatching up his hand. “I swear to God, all men do is punch
each
other!”
“It’s called communication.”

Was that a joke? If it was, she wasn’t amused. At all. “That isn’t funny.”
He pulled his hand away, but Maddie always got the distinct impression that he liked it when she
fussed over
him. “He swung first. I didn’t start it.”
“Oh, and I’m sure that you were completely innocent.”
“He had it coming,” Caleb murmured darkly. “I only wish that I’d gotten in more hits.”
“Caleb!”
“Don’t try and distract me. I’m not done with you,” he said, shoulders bunching. “If you ever do
something
this stupid again, I swear that I’ll—”
She didn’t know what prompted her to say it, but she found the words slipping from her lips before
she could
stop them. “Tie me up with all your rope so I can’t leave the house?”
She knew that she shocked him. All the breath left his lungs in a hiss, eyes widening slightly. There
was no
mistaking the sudden lust in his gaze and it left Maddie reeling.
“Don’t give me ideas, princess,” he warned, his voice husky. The mood in the room had changed so
swiftly that
Maddie grew dazed. His body seemed impossibly hot against her own. Her nipples pebbled in
reaction, so much
so that Maddie wondered if he could feel them against his chest, even through her bra.
“Why bother with rope when you have your nice, shiny belt?” she whispered, referencing the night
he’d tied her
to the desk in his office.
He sucked in a breath and then rasped against her ear, “Keep teasing me, princess, and I’ll have you
bent over
my knee so fast you won’t know what hit you.”
“Oh, trust me, I’ll know what hit me.”
His eyes narrowed and Maddie knew that it was game over. She’d tugged on the tiger’s tail and now
she would
pay for it.

* * *
Caleb couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he was reacting to Maddie’s words as if she were
whispering
dirty, filthy things into his ear. His cock pulsed in anticipation.
The woman in front of him had put him through the wringer. Not just tonight, but ever since they’d
first moved
in together. Living in such close proximity to her and not being able to do anything about it was the
purest form of
hell. She’d made it all too clear in the beginning that she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything
physical with him.
Caleb had understood. She’d been overwhelmed with her changing situation, with the pregnancy,
with school, so
he hadn’t pushed her.
But he was nearing his limit. He’d fantasized about all the wicked things he wanted to do to her,
imagined tying
her up in such a way so that her perfect breasts were at his mercy—and oh, he’d be merciless—and
her sweet pussy
was on display for him. He’d stroked his cock to release so many times these past couple months that
he couldn’t
even fathom keeping count. Every time he saw her, or brushed against her, or smelled her soft scent,
he wanted to
rip her fucking clothes off and bury himself inside her to the hilt. On the counter in the kitchen,
against the hallway
wall, on the hood of his car, on the bench in the garage, he didn’t care. He was like a man possessed.
He had
never been more attracted to a woman in his entire life.
He’d pushed himself to work harder as a distraction. He’d tried to tire himself out at work so that the
moment
he stepped foot in the house, he went straight to bed. Then he’d wake up the next morning and do it
all over again.
He’d never made a move because she’d never given him any indication that she was ready for
something more.
But dammit, she was flirting right now and if that wasn’t a suggestion, he didn’t know what was.
The feeling of Maddie’s soft, warm body pressed against his own, knowing that she could feel the way
his cock
hardened against her stomach through his jeans, was almost his undoing.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, princess,” he warned, his voice barely more than a growl.
“But I never got the chance to finish last time,” she quipped, big brown eyes staring up at him. When
the true
meaning of her words hit home, shame made him flush. No, she hadn’t finished last time, indeed,
because he’d
been too busy coming his brains out to make sure that she did. “Why, Caleb Montgomery, are you
blushing?”
Fuck.
She was teasing him and enjoying it. And Caleb didn’t know whether he should spank her until her
ass was
bright red or make her come her fucking brains out just to prove a point.
There was only so much a man could take…
So he settled on option two. She was finally giving him the sign he’d been looking for. Now, it wasn’t
only
about his desire, but his masculine pride.
The corners of Maddie’s lips were turned up in a sexy little smile that drove him crazy. But he
watched those
lips part, her pink tongue darting out to wet her lips, when he unbuckled his belt and tugged it loose
from his belt
loops in one swift motion.
“Did you mean this belt, princess?” he murmured, watching her eyes widen as they traced the strap of
black
leather. He craned his neck down, bracing one arm on the wall above her head, so he could suck and
bite on her
earlobe. A sharp intake of breath and a feathery moan made him smirk. “Now, be a good girl,” he
whispered in
her ear, “and give me your lips. I need to taste you.”
She obeyed almost immediately. Her head turned and then he captured her lips in a brutal, punishing
kiss.
And she gave just as good as she got. By the end of it, her delicate hands had made fists into his t-
shirt and her
lips were red from his bites and he was grinding his erection into her, unconsciously seeking relief
from the con-
stant, unyielding ache.
Looking down at her, he murmured, his breathing labored, “If you say yes to me right now, there’s no
going
back. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said, quirking a brow. There was still a bit of sass left in her, which Caleb really fucking
loved.
Biting back a growl, he pulled her over to the full length mirror, throwing his belt on the bed for later.
He posi-
tioned them so he was behind her, so she could watch as he undressed her. Their size difference
struck him.
Maddie looked so small compared to him, which worried him because he knew that he could be rough
in the heat
of the moment. He didn’t want to hurt her.
Gently, he trailed his fingers down the nape of her neck, watching her eyes flutter closed before
snapping open.
Caleb made quick work of the buttons of her blouse and she shrugged it off her shoulders, exposing
her pink lace
bra underneath.
Honeyed cream. That was what her skin looked like. Flawless and smooth and Caleb couldn’t stop his
roaming
hands. Maddie was already beginning to show, evidence of that night months ago, and Caleb had
never seen any-
thing so beautiful.
“You’re so fucking soft, princess,” he murmured, trailing his lips over her neck.
She was trembling beneath his roughened fingertips as they rasped over her arms, her waist, the soft
roundness
of her belly, ending at the button of her jeans, which he made quick work of. She kicked her flats and
jeans off,
shortly followed by her panties, until she was standing in his arms clad only in a delicate pink bra.
Caleb swore his hands shook as he unclasped it and he groaned the moment her breasts sprung free.
His eyes
devoured them in the reflection of the mirror and Maddie let out a soft little sigh, leaning her head
back against his
chest, when he brought his palms up to cup them. She bit her lip when his fingertips swiped over her
pebbled nip-
ples.
He’d dreamed about these tits.
“Oh, that feels good,” she breathed. Caleb’s cock pulsed at the pleasure in her voice and he moved
around her,
not wanting to wait one more second to suck on her sweet, perfect breasts.
“Damn, I love these,” he rasped.
“I c-couldn’t tell,” Maddie gasped as he closed his lips around one nipple, plucking at the other
relentlessly with
his fingertips. He sucked as much of her tit into his mouth as he could and he still wanted more. Out
of the cor-
ner of his eye, he saw her hands come up, as if to grasp his hair to steady herself, but at the last
moment she
paused and brought them down to her sides.
That wouldn’t do. Right now, he felt strong, in control, focused. He could handle her touch.
He stood to his full height again and her eyes flashed up to his, frowning. Why did you stop? was
what her ex-
pression asked him.
Greedy girl, he thought, smirking, before grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and pulling it over his head.
“You can touch me now,” he told her, his voice so guttural it was almost unrecognizable. “I’ll tell you
when
you’ll need to stop.”
“Okay,” she whispered, eyes trailing over his exposed chest, a little dazed. Caleb took it as a
compliment.
Maddie brought her trembling hands to his chest, tracing one of his larger tattoos, before sliding her
palms up to
wrap around his neck. Pressing their bodies together, she lifted up on her toes to kiss him and he met
her
halfway. Every slight movement made her nipples brush across his stomach and dark lust slammed
him.
Focus, he ordered himself.
Caleb had a mission to accomplish. And even though he planned to make her come until she passed
out
tonight, he would still make her beg first, just to punish that smart mouth of hers.
So, Caleb slowly dropped down to his knees in front of her and pulled one of her thighs over his bare
shoulder.
He placed one of her hands on his other shoulder and gave it a squeeze so she’d know to keep it
there. When she
nodded, he relaxed.
His gaze zeroed in on her exposed pussy. His mouth was practically watering as he gently ran a finger
through
her wetness, coating it with her juices. She was drenched. Maddie’s fingers curled into his shoulder
when he
began circling her sensitive little clit with his thumb, her soft moans filling the room. The sounds went
straight to
his cock.
Maddie didn’t contain her cry when he sucked her clit between his lips.
“Oh my God,” she breathed.
Caleb groaned at the taste of her and knew that he’d quickly become addicted to it. He hadn’t eaten
pussy since
Victoria even though he’d been with plenty of women since. With them, he’d never particularly cared
about their
pleasure. He’d fucked them to get what he wanted and if they got off on it too, then fine. When it
came to Maddie,
he already knew that he’d eat her out any chance he got.
He slipped a finger into her tight sheath, feeling her walls close around him. This time, he knew that
he would
need to prepare her better.
Mercilessly, he lapped at her, alternating between focusing on her clit or finger fucking her or both.
Maddie’s
whole body was shaking and every time she exhaled, she moaned, seeming unable to help herself.
Caleb knew she
was right on the edge, so he slowed his movements, kissing the inside of her thighs, feeling how
soaked they were.
His gaze roamed up upwards, eyes catching on her flushed skin, her heaving breasts, her glassy eyes,
and part-
ed lips.
“Look at yourself in the mirror, princess,” he growled, his breath gliding over her folds. Her wide,
unfocused
gaze darted forward to do as he asked. “I want you to watch as I bring you to the edge over and over
again. But I
won’t let you come until later.”
“Now, t-that’s just cruel.”
“It’ll be worth the wait,” he promised, smirking.
And then she cried out when he curled his finger inside her, nudging her G-spot, and Caleb had never
heard a
sweeter sound.
True to his word, he brought her to the edge over and over and over again until they were both
gleaming with
sweat and Maddie began to mindlessly beg. Her head thrashed from side to side, damp hair sticking
to her fore-
head, knees on the verge of buckling, and Caleb knew it wouldn’t take much to set her off. She grew
so sensitive
that Caleb only had to lightly blow on her clit and she would be a second away from coming. It was
the highest
form of erotic power. Caleb was addicted.
But he knew it was finally time to put her out of her misery. He didn’t even know how much longer
he could
last. Her moans and cries filling his ears had him on the edge. His cock was throbbing so hard that it
felt like it
had its own damn heartbeat.
Maddie’s eyes showed her distress when he rose from the floor, scooping her up in his arms to keep
her legs
from giving out. Carrying her to the bed, the taste of her still on his tongue, he snatched up the belt
he’d left there
and laid her down. A moment later, he had her secured to the headboard, her wrists bound, her body
completely
exposed to him.
Gazing down at the space between her legs, he noted how aroused she was. She was absolutely
dripping, her
plump lips engorged with blood. Pink and lovely. One touch and she’d climax immediately.
“You wanna come, princess?” he rasped.
Her pants were heavy in the quiet room and she squirmed in his belt. “Y-yes, Caleb. Please. I-I can’t
take
much more.”
He gave her a dark grin, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down his legs, his briefs shortly
following until
he was as naked as she was. His cock bobbed against his taut abdomen, the tip gleaming with
precum. He
couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this hard, except when he’d been with her the first time.
When her eyes fastened on his cock, he growled, “I’m just getting started, princess.”
THIRTY-FIVE
Maddie felt everything…from the teasing caress of the sheets below her, to the strand of hair that fell
over her
shoulder, brushing her nipple, to the cool, unrelenting leather wrapped expertly around her wrists.
And she felt his eyes on her, those dark, wicked eyes that made her feel like she was slowly, slowly,
slowly losing
her mind.
Maddie twisted in her restraints, feeling a sharp jab of pleasure shoot through her when she clasped
her thighs
together. Anything. She’d do anything to orgasm. She was almost there, just one touch from Caleb
and she’d be
drowning in the pleasure he’d given her just a sampling of.
She’d never been so desperate to come. Caleb was standing at the end of the bed, completely naked,
with those
hot as hell tattoos covering the skin that she’d give anything to lick. His body was magnificent. Lean
and toned
from working on cars for hours on end and his long, morning runs. He was glorious…and the arrogant
bastard
knew it.
“Look at you,” he rumbled, eyes gleaming as he came around the side of the bed, staring down at her
body. In-
stead of feeling powerless in her restraints, she felt sexy, coveted. When she saw the possessive look
in Caleb’s
eyes, she was the one with all the power…but she was still his to torment.
Maddie arched up into his touch with a gasp when he ran his fingertips over her nipples, gliding down
her
rounding belly, and came to rest just above her throbbing clit. She twisted, trying to make his touch
slide down
just a little bit more.
“One day, I’ll keep you like this for hours,” he murmured softly. “Mine to play with whenever it
pleases me.”
Maddie was surprised that the thought aroused her. Another gush of wetness coated her thighs and
Caleb
made a sound that was a cross between a growl and a groan when he saw it.
Lowering onto his stomach, he slipped between her thighs on the bed, pulling both of her legs over his
shoul-
ders, placing his mouth until his lips were inches above where she needed him the most.
“Maybe I shouldn’t let you come,” he mused darkly. “You didn’t come last time, which you made
perfectly clear
to me just now.”
Frustration and intense desire made her want to scream. He was toying with her, taunting her with
the words
that she’d thrown at him. Obviously, Maddie had struck a nerve with that one.
“Caleb,” she said, licking her dry lips. She didn’t even recognize her own voice. “Please!”
“Ask me nicely to lick your pussy until you come, princess,” he said and each word made her nipples
pebble
tighter, if that was even possible. “Let me hear those filthy words from those sweet lips.”
Maybe he didn’t expect her to say them, but Maddie was above feeling embarrassed at this point.
She was too
far gone and if she had to beg him to give her relief, then she’d do it with no shame.
“Caleb,” she panted. “Please lick my pussy and make me come. I want to come so much.”
“Fuck,” he grated harshly and then his mouth was on her, sucking on her clit, his fingers stretching her
so sud-
denly that she was coming a second later. Her orgasm took her by surprise and a little scream
escaped before she
could muffle it into the side of her arm.
It was too much. She could feel Caleb groaning between her thighs, his tongue and fingers still
working her
into a frenzy; she could feel the sharp bite of her teeth sink into her arm, the thrashing of her limbs as
pleasure tore
her to pieces. She couldn’t get enough air and even when she could, the intensity of her orgasm stole
her breath all
over again.
It felt like it went on forever. Never-ending. And when Maddie finally came down, her first thought
was: I don’t
think I’ll ever be the same again.
But Caleb wasn’t done.
It was like he had something to prove because when Maddie finally caught her ragged breath, she
realized that
those dark eyes were staring up at her and he was still working away between her thighs. Panic shot
through her
when it hit her that he didn’t intend to stop. She tried to roll her hips away when it became too
intense, but he
growled and clasped her in place, pinning her down so she couldn’t move her lower half.
Then she was coming again.

Impossible, was her last desperate thought, but she shortly proved herself wrong. Her whole body
froze as her
second orgasm crashed down on her…
Her third came a few minutes later.
Then her fourth, her fifth.
Afterwards, Caleb only relented when she begged and babbled in incoherent words. Her whole body
was limp,
shiny with sweat, and her throat was raw from screaming into her arm. It would be bruised tomorrow
from her
multiple bites, in addition to her wrists from her thrashing.
In a pleasure drugged daze, she watched as Caleb rose onto his knees, his lips wet from her juices.
She shud-
dered when he licked them and his fingers clean, that wicked, wicked man. Between them, his
impossibly hard
cock rested against her. Rapt, she watched him smear a small bead of precum with his thumb over
the angry, red
head and groaned when he saw her lick her lips.
“Another time, princess,” he promised, leaning down to rasp in her ear. “I’ll feed my cock between
your lips
and let you drink me down.”
Helplessly, her pussy throbbed in answer.
He kissed her lips and she tasted herself on them. It was erotic and naughty and she loved it. As he
retreated,
he gave a little suck on one of her straining nipples and Maddie cried out softly, her body tingling in
response. She
was sensitive everywhere. That little contact bordered on pain, but a good kind of pain. The kind of
pain that she
wanted more of.
And then, Caleb’s cock nudged her entrance and he slid easily inside.
“Damn,” he whispered, his eyelids briefly closing before popping open to look down at her spread
before him.
Maddie’s lips parted when she felt him throb inside her.
It felt different this time. There was very little pain, just a slight twinge when he’d first entered. She
was better
prepared and without the pain, there was only a strange, intense pleasure and a feeling of fullness.
“I’m already addicted, Maddie,” he murmured, covering her body with his own. His hands landed on
both
sides of her head, their lower halves completely pressed together, creating pressure on her clit. Every
thrust was
heaven.
“C-Caleb,” she whispered, panic clogging her throat. Already, she felt her orgasm rising and she was
worried
what it would be like. All the ones that came before kept building and building in intensity…and the
first one had al-
ready been mind-blowing, life-altering. This one just might kill her.
“I’ve got you, princess,” he soothed, even with his voice tight with desire. “It’ll be good, I promise. So
fucking
good.”
He was right. Not even a moment later, she was coming for what felt like the millionth time that
evening. It
was so intense that it bordered on pain—the most exquisite pain, unlike anything she’d ever felt
before—and when
Caleb felt her clamping down around him, he muffled his shout into her neck and then he was
groaning her name.
His hot seed spilled inside her, coating her walls in lashes. And then their ragged breathing filled the
room.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caleb’s arms tremble with his exertion and then he rolled off her
so he
wouldn’t crush her.
Dazed, body tingling, and so incredibly exhausted, Maddie barely felt Caleb loosen the belt that held
her wrists.
He massaged them with his fingertips and her eyelids fluttered shut. Just the thought of moving made
her even
sleepier, so she just laid there, not caring that she was a sweaty mess or that she wouldn’t be able to
walk tomorrow.
“Good?” Caleb murmured, his lips grazing her jawline.

She didn’t trust her voice, but she turned her head so she could kiss him, her eyes already closing in
satisfied—beyond satisfied—exhaustion. She hoped that was answer enough.
The last thing she remembered before she passed out was Caleb pulling her closer and the sound of
the belt
dropping on the floor beside the bed.
THIRTY-SIX
After one of the most restful sleeps of her life, Maddie woke up nauseous and a little aroused, a
somewhat
alarming and strange combination. Her whole body tingled from the overstimulation from the night
before and
when she moved her legs, the space between her thighs throbbed lightly.
Caleb was still sleeping soundly next to her, on his back, his naked thigh resting next to her hip. He
was com-
pletely out, which pleased Maddie because she figured that he wasn’t getting nearly enough sleep
anyway. He’d
been working himself too hard, coming home too late and leaving too early.
Looking at the clock, she muttered, “Shoot,” when she realized that she’d missed her earliest class of
the week
by almost two hours, considering it was a little past ten o’ clock. Making a mental note to stop by her
professor’s
office when she got to campus today, she shimmied out from underneath Caleb’s arm without waking
him and
stumbled towards the bathroom on shaky legs. Her whole body was sore, as though she’d taken a
weight lifting
class at the gym for five hours as opposed to the sensual torture Caleb had put her through last night.
And despite her rising nausea, when she looked in the mirror, Maddie saw a different woman.
Flushed cheeks,
bright eyes, rounding belly, and whisker burn around her nipples from Caleb. She touched between
her thighs and
her knees trembled.
Remembering that she hadn’t showered or brushed her teeth last night, she quickly remedied the
latter and then
hopped into the shower, turning it on as hot as she could stand. But she was sensitive everywhere.
Even sliding a
soaped-up loofa over her body bordered on too much. She wondered how she’d be able to get
through her day like
this.
Right after she rinsed out the conditioner in her hair, her skin prickled and she turned to see Caleb
leaning
against the bathroom counter, his arms crossed over his chest, an impressive erection jutting from his
body.
Through the steam and the glass door of the shower, he was watching her bathe herself. Her lips
parted and she
automatically reacted, a rush of desire making her skin feel like it was on fire. Was it healthy to be
this attracted to a
man? One who made her light up like a flipping firework?
Maddie watched as he uncrossed his arms and then reached for the door, intending to join her. When
he
closed it behind him, enclosing the both of them in the small space, he backed her against the tiled
wall, their bod-
ies sliding together. Then he was giving her the sweetest kisses, his arms wrapping around her like he
never want-
ed to let go, and it was possibly the most romantic moment of her life.
A dreamy smile came over her face and Caleb ran his palms down her body until he cupped her
around the
waist, pulling her even closer.
He still looked a little sleepy, like he’d woken abruptly from a deep sleep, and with water gliding down
his body,
wetting his dark hair in the process, the result was absolutely devastating.
Without thought, she murmured, “You’re so handsome, Caleb.” And beautiful. And sensual.
Everything
about him took her breath away.
His face was unreadable, but his brow lowered just a little bit, like he was confused and maybe just a
tad
uncomfortable. Hadn’t anyone complimented him before? How could anyone not have?
“It’s true,” she whispered, hesitantly sliding her arms around his neck, her breasts pressing into his
stomach.
She held his eyes so he’d see the truth in them.
He didn’t say anything but he did lower his head until his forehead rested on her shoulder and then
they were
simply holding one another, naked, under the spray of the hot shower. And Maddie didn’t know if it
was her out-of-
whack hormones or because she still felt overwhelmed by what happened last night or both, but she
started tearing
up.
And she just knew, right then and there, that she loved the man standing in the circle of her arms.
The wound-
ed, beautiful, short-tempered, loyal, generous man whom she had perhaps always loved.
With that same clarity, she also realized that she could never tell him. He’d never accept it. The
thought of
him pushing her away yet again was too painful to even stomach.
So, she would take what she could get. Did that make her a little pathetic? Perhaps. But when it
came to this
man, she didn’t care. He mattered too much.
And the old saying goes: love makes fools of us all.
They stayed like that for a while, neither moving, and Maddie was content to just stay where she
was. Even-
tually, Caleb rumbled in her ear, “How do you feel this morning?”
Even though her cheeks were already flushed from the steam, she swore they got hotter. “I feel…
everything,”
she admitted, her tone a little breathy.
Caleb made a strangled sound that sounded like a mixture of a cough and a groan. “You’re killing me,
princess.”
Maddie felt his erection between them twitch and even with everything they’d done last night, she
suddenly felt
shy. This—whatever ‘this’ was—was all new to her, so she didn’t know what to do or what to say to
him. But that
was okay since he seemed content to stay quiet.
Eventually, he rinsed himself under the hot spray and Maddie watched, transfixed, as his muscles
flexed and
gleamed. She felt like a voyeur watching him, but no one could expect her to look away?
Maddie took her time studying the tattoos that he’d revealed to her the night before. The one that
she’d noticed
all those months ago peeking out from underneath his shirt sleeve was a beautiful abstract, swirled
design that
spread out over his shoulder. There was a smaller tattoo on his opposite arm, on his inner bicep, that
simply read
00:00, like a timer would. But the largest one on his body was the one that ran the length of his left
torso, edging
onto his chest. It was a weathered black oak tree, all roots and bare branches and sharp angles. She
spied his un-
cle’s name expertly hidden within the lines of the tree and her heart softened for the millionth time
towards this
man.
Caleb saw her looking at it as he rinsed the soap off his body. He tugged her under the spray,
warming her
skin, as she looked at it up close.
“It’s one of Peter’s drawings,” he told her.
“It is?” she asked, surprised, even though she shouldn’t be. One of the first drawings she’d seen of
Peter’s had
been of a tree, very similar to this one, except a little more macabre.
Caleb nodded. “When I saw it, I knew I wanted it.”
“He is very talented. It’s beautiful,” she murmured, tracing one of the branches and liking it when he
let her.
“You’ll have to tell him that. That kid still thinks that what he does is just average. Never good
enough.”
Maddie agreed, but despite all her suggestions to him over the past few months to enter his art into
contests so
that he could finally realize that he had talent fell on deaf ears. She figured that he’d do it when he
wanted to…
eventually.
“You don’t think he’s too upset over what happened last night?” she asked quietly, voicing something
that had
been on her mind. “I saw that house, Caleb, and the way his father was. How could he not feel
something?”
“I’m sure he does,” he told her. “But it’s different when you grow up with that, Maddie. He’s
probably seen it
for most of his life. It’s his ‘normal.’”
She shook her head. “Not anymore though. I just hope his father leaves him alone.”
“He will,” Caleb said, his voice hardening, but the anger wasn’t directed at her. “Trust me.”
She nodded and then took his hand, running her fingertips over the scrapes that resulted from Caleb’s
con-
frontation with Peter’s father. If Caleb said that he wouldn’t be bothering Peter, then she believed
him.
She pressed her lips to his knuckles and watched as something lit up in his eyes, although she couldn’t
figure
out what exactly.

“Caleb?”
“Yes, princess?” he murmured, voice gone all husky.
“You’re going to be a great father.”
* * *
Caleb sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. He’d only been at work a couple hours and he couldn’t
get
focused. Every time he allowed his thoughts to wander, he thought of Maddie, and trying not to think
about her
only made him want to think about her even more.
Leaving for work after their shower together had been one of the greatest tests of willpower he’d
ever
experienced. All he’d wanted to do was wrap her legs around his waist and take her against the wall
of the shower
until he brought them both release, but two things had stopped him. One being that she was
probably too sensi-
tive from the night before. The second was that she’d shaken him to the core and he couldn’t even
pinpoint why.
No, he thought, blowing out a long breath. He knew why. It was the way she’d looked up at him with
those
earnest, soft eyes, like she saw every part of him—the good and the bad and every little corner where
darkness
festered—and she still accepted it all. And that was something that he couldn’t wrap his head
around. Complete
acceptance.
Focus, he commanded himself, forcing himself to stare back at his computer screen, like that alone
would make
him work. He was in the process of setting up another restoration with some tech millionaire in
Silicon Valley who
had a thing for old cars. He’d heard that Montgomery Restoration & Repair was the best in the Bay
Area…and he was
right. But Caleb would have to hire a couple of guys for the job since the client wanted a quick
turnaround. Caleb
usually handled most of the restoration jobs, just at a slower pace, but the pay that the millionaire
was offering was
more than enough for Caleb to justify hiring more men.
More than enough, he thought, looking at the multiple zeros. It would be enough to pay off the
remainder of
Maddie’s school debt, pay for a nursery for the baby, and then some.
And even though he knew that he should be on the phone right now with the millionaire, sealing the
deal, his
eyes kept straying to his cell phone, wondering what Maddie was doing and whether she liked what
they’d done last
night.
You’re going to be a great father, she’d said and those words would be branded onto his brain
forever. He hadn’t
realized how much he feared he’d make a terrible father until Maddie voiced her faith in him. It
meant more to him
than she probably realized.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was reaching for his phone. He might as well call her or else
he wouldn’t
get any work done. He told himself that he’d done it more than enough times these past few months,
that he called
her all the time to check up on her while he was at work. But for some reason, this felt different.
After the intimacy
of last night and what happened in the shower this morning, this felt like he was writing her a fucking
love letter or
something.
“Hi,” she murmured when she answered and Caleb swore that his heart skipped a beat. He could hear
the
smile in her voice.
Frowning and rubbing his chest, he grumbled, “What are you doing?”
Smooth, Montgomery. Real smooth.

“I see it’s my afternoon check-up call already,” she teased. Then she ran through her list, which she
seemed to
spout off just because she liked to poke fun at him and his overbearing ways when it came to her
health. “I’m walk-
ing back to campus after lunch with Kyra. No nausea today, my water consumption is optimal, I had a
sandwich,
an apple, and two brownies, and I don’t have a temperature. Would you like to know anything else?”
“Smart ass,” he mumbled, but he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over his face. He’d found
himself
smiling more in the past couple months than he probably had in his entire life. Before he realized it,
he was admit-
ting, “I just worry about you.”
Maddie’s voice softened. “I know.”
Clearing his throat, he leaned forward in his office chair, elbows coming down hard on his desk. He
was at a
loss for words and he didn’t like it.
“You know what I read today?” she said after a brief pause. “That at sixteen weeks, the baby is the
size of an
avocado. An avocado, Caleb. Can you believe that?”
Something fluttered in his chest. Yes, he had already known that. Every week, he researched online
what to ex-
pect, so he was always prepared. Not only was the baby the size of an avocado, but he—or she—
could begin mak-
ing facial expressions. Caleb didn’t know what to think about that, but after he’d read it, he’d simply
stared at the
screen of his computer, in awe.
Caleb looked down at the palm of his hand, thinking that the baby would fit there perfectly right
now. “Is that
so?”
“Yes,” she said, her tone excited. Caleb listened to her talk about what else she’d read, content to
simply hear
her voice. Warning bells went off in his head, telling him that he was getting in too deep. For once, he
ignored
them.
A knock sounded on his office door and Caleb called, “Come in.” Peter, looking like a scared puppy,
appeared
in the doorway. Into the phone, he said, “Maddie, I gotta go. Peter just got here.”
“Okay,” she said. “Go easy on him.”
Caleb smirked, waving at the boy to come towards the desk. “I will.”
After he ended the call with her, Peter spoke up, his voice a tad shaky. “Brian said you wanted to talk
to me.”
“Don’t be so nervous, Peter,” Caleb said, picking up a small booklet that he’d picked up from the DMV
on his
way to work. He held it out to the boy, eyeing the yellowing bruise his father left on his jawline.
“Here.”
“What is it?” Peter asked, his words laced with suspicion.
“A driver’s manual. You’ll need to study it and take an online class before you can take your permit
test.”
The teenage boy’s lips parted. “You—I…I thought…” Swallowing, he reached out to take the booklet.
He
stared down at it blankly before admitting, “I thought you would kick me out of your house, for
bringing Maddie
with me last night.”
Caleb chose his words carefully. “I’m not going to deny that I wasn’t pissed. But I know how stubborn
she can
be and she told me what happened. Everything’s fine. But in the future, I want you to tell me if you
have any prob-
lems, especially if they involve your dad.”
Peter nodded, still staring down at the booklet. “I will.”
“You study that,” Caleb told him. “And once you pass your tests, we’ll talk about finding you a car.”
Peter’s head snapped up at that, his eyes wide. “Really?”
Caleb bit back an amused smile. “Yes. But I don’t want you getting marked down for single thing, you
under-
stand?”
Peter nodded enthusiastically. “Okay. I won’t. I promise.”

The boy was just turning to go back down to the garage, renewed excitement in his step, when Caleb
stopped
him. “And Peter?” He turned. “It’s your house too, you know. It won’t ever be taken away from you,
no matter
what you do. You never have to worry about that.”
Caleb watched the boy’s face tighten, looking suddenly like he was about to cry and Caleb was
reminded of just
how young he was, how he’d never truly been taken care of. Peter nodded and turned his face away
quickly.
“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice tight. Then he hurried out of the office, closing the door softly
on the way out.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Maddie was on the floor in the living room when Caleb came home later that evening. Spread out
before her
were library books and she busy typing away at her computer, trying to finish a good chunk of a paper
that was due
next week. But she was all too aware of Caleb’s presence filling the room and she forgot the point
that she was try-
ing to make at the end of one paragraph because of it.
The man was just too good looking for his own good.
“Hi,” she murmured, still feeling a little shy. All she wanted to do right now was jump him. He looked
sexy in
his blue jeans and heather grey t-shirt, even with smudges of grease running up and down his
forearms, like he’d
only half-heartedly wiped them away. She’d been on edge all day because of their activities last
night, but she knew
that she was too sore to do anything about it…and he wasn’t exactly helping matters looking like
that.
What was it about a man that worked with his hands?
“What are you doing?” he asked, coming to sit down on the couch, his eyes taking in her cross-legged
position,
her messy bun, and open notebooks.
“Working on a paper.”
“What about?”
She smiled, her eyes straying back to her computer. “An artifact at the British Museum.”
“Tell me about it.”
So, she told him about the ‘Teotihuacan Ocelot,’ which had been discovered at the base of the
Pyramid of the
Sun. And he listened as she rambled on and on about the speculation of its purpose, the research
she’d done for
the past few weeks, which led her to talk about the importance of their gods in religion.
Best of all, he didn’t seem bored by it. He soaked it all in like the sponge he was. Maddie knew that
he’d never
pursued higher education. His loyalty to his uncle and his uncle’s business had prevented that. But he
was natu-
rally intelligent. He would’ve been the kind of college kid that didn’t need to study and he would’ve
still aced all his
finals with flying colors, the one that skewed the curve and left all his peers grumbling.
“What do you think you would’ve studied if you’d gone to college?” she asked him, curious.
He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve always known that I would take over the garage,” he said. “And I’m lucky in the sense
that I like
doing restorations and working on cars and I get paid for it. I pay myself for it. The business side, all
that paper-
work, not so much, but it’s a small price to pay in order to do something that I want to do.” She
smiled, liking his
outlook. “Besides,” he continued, “now I have you to teach me what I missed out on.”
She swallowed hard, her stomach fluttering. He was teasing her, but it was the now I have you part
that made
her treacherous heart beat a little faster. It was an easy realization that she loved him. Natural,
even. But Caleb
was complicated. What she felt for him might never be mutual and she had to ask herself if she was
willing to ac-
cept that.
No, she thought, sullenly. Eventually, it would eat away at her. But what else could she do? She’d
now seen
his passion first hand. What would it be like to be loved by a man like him?
“Where’s Peter?” he asked.
Maddie looked back at her computer screen. “In his room. He said something about studying.”
She thought his lips quirked up. “Good.”
“Are you hungry?” she asked, knowing how much food Caleb could eat. Most nights when he came
home, he
was ravenous. Maddie had never gone food shopping as much as she had these past few months.
Feeding Caleb
and a teenage boy was no joke. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be home so there are some leftovers in the
fridge.”
“I’m good for now. Brian and I ordered out a couple hours ago.”
A silence fell, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was…charged. Maddie tried to finish off her paragraph
but she
could see Caleb watching her out of the corner of her eye. She wondered if he would sleep with her
again, even if
they didn’t have sex. Should she ask him? Invite him? If she did, what would she say? Maybe he
liked having
his own space…
Blowing a strand of hair that had escaped her bun out of her eyes, she glanced at him. Her nipples
pebbled in
her bra when she imagined crawling over to him and parting his jean-clad thighs before pulling his
zipper down.
She blushed and forced herself to look away.
“Am I making you nervous?” Maddie could hear the smirk in his voice. “Or is it something else?”
“It’s something else,” she murmured softly, her blood pounding in her veins.
If he was surprised by her answer, he didn’t show it. “I’ve been thinking about last night. I’ve been
distracted
all day.”
She took a sharp intake of breath, her eyes darting over to the couch. His dark eyes were hooded, a
lock of hair
brushing his forehead that she wanted to smooth back. Her lips parted to speak, but then closed.
Finally, she
said, “Me too.”
“I need to know whether you liked what we did,” his voice dropping an octave.
“Are you kidding?” she asked, disbelief replacing any semblance of a filter.
He shrugged, saying, “Some women don’t like being tied up. It makes them feel like they have no
power.”
Isn’t that what you want? she wanted to snap, suddenly beyond irritated at the mention of ‘some
women.’ And
jealous. So unbelievably jealous. How many women did he discover didn’t like to be tied up?
“I didn’t feel powerless, Caleb, in case you hadn’t noticed,” she finally bit out, hoping her voice didn’t
sound too
tight.
But she knew she blew it when he hesitated. “Maddie…”
“What?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She stared at her laptop screen like her life depended on it.
“Maddie.”
She made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat. “I’m sorry that I don’t want to know how
many women
you’ve been with, that’s all.”
“Ah,” he said, furrowing his brow. Maddie hated the way he casually leaned back against the couch
cushions.
“There’s no reason to be jealous, princess.”
She didn’t even bother denying his words, but the slightly amused lilt in his tone made her even
madder. She
typed a mixture of jumbled words on her laptop, just for something to do. Why was she feeling this
way? She felt
even worse than when she’d found that box of rope mixed in with her stuff after the move. It wasn’t
like they were
married…it wasn’t like they’d even talked about having a serious relationship.
No, I’m only pregnant with his child and living with him, she thought irritably. What the hell were
they even
doing?
“Maddie, come here,” he said.
“I need to finish this.”
She heard him sigh, get off the couch, and before she realized it, he’d plucked her off the ground. She
cried out
in surprise, grasping his shoulders in a panic, before he returned to the couch and pulled her down
with him so she
straddled his thighs.
“I’m going to say this once,” he said, his hands settling over her leggings-covered ass, holding her in
place.
She could feel the heat from his palms seep through the thin material and despite how upset she was,
she felt her
body respond to his closeness. “I’ve been with very few women in the past five years. The last one
was almost six
months before my uncle had been diagnosed, okay?”
Her brow furrowed. “But the ropes…and you said you’d been with a lot of women in the past eight
years.”
“Yeah, to piss you off when we were fighting,” he said. “The majority of those women had been right
after I
found out my ex-girlfriend had been cheating on me. I’m not proud of it, but there were a lot during
that time
period. I was twenty. They thinned out after a couple years.”
What? His ex-girlfriend had…cheated on him? Who the hell would cheat on Caleb?
Maddie shook her head stupidly. “I don’t understand. She cheated on you?”
“Yes.”
Before her brain could process that, her jaw hung open and she blurted out, “Was she out of her
flipping mind?”
Caleb lips twitched. “Arguably.”
Puzzle pieces were starting to come together. “Did you…care about her?” For some reason, she
couldn’t bring
herself to say ‘love.’
Caleb tilted his chin down. “I thought I did.”
She swallowed hard. His mother, his aunt, his high school girlfriend, and now this girlfriend…
Maddie wondered how in the world he’d managed to stay sane and not hate the entire world. He’d
suffered
pain, betrayal, loss. He was so unbelievably strong that it boggled her mind.
And then—damn her hormones—she burst into tears. They weren’t soft, trickling tears either, but
ugly ones.
Really ugly ones. Poor Caleb looked like she slapped him in the face and she probably would’ve found
his expres-
sion hilarious if she didn’t feel so devastated.
She fell face first into his shirt. “I-I’m sorry. I c-can’t…” but she couldn’t say anything more.
Maddie felt his hand come around to cup the back of her head. “What’s wrong?”
Everything, she wanted to say.
“I-I’m just u-upset,” she hiccuped through her sobs.
“That I cared about my ex-girlfriend?” he asked, tone incredulous.
“N-no,” she said, lifting off his shirt, which she’d thoroughly soaked with her tears. Taking deep
breaths to try
and calm herself down but failing, wondered how to explain everything that was running through her
head. So, she
went for honesty. “You’ve been through so much, Caleb. And I h-hate your mother for not taking
care of you, and
your aunt for abusing you, and Charlotte flipping Callahan for telling everyone about it, and your ex-
girlfriend for
cheating. It makes me s-sick to my stomach just thinking about it all, about how they treated you!
Because you’re
such a great man. Y-you’re strong and loyal and you endured it all even though you didn’t deserve
any of it.”
Caleb’s voice was ragged and Maddie could see the way he chose his words carefully. “I don’t want
your pity. I
don’t want you thinking that I was a victim, Maddie.”
“But you were,” she whispered, staring straight into his eyes as she wiped away the tears staining her
cheek.
“And there’s nothing wrong with that. You were a victim of other people’s selfishness and
viciousness. It doesn’t
change the way I see you. Nothing will. And I don’t pity you, Caleb. I admire you.”
“How can you say that?” he rasped. “After how I’ve treated you? All the ugly things I’ve said to
you?”
“Because I know you, Caleb,” she murmured, sniffling, pressing her body closer. “I feel like I’ve known
you my
whole life. And I know that deep down, you do care about me.”
All his breath left him and Maddie marveled that she’d just been talking about the people of
Teotihuacan only
twenty minutes ago.
Caleb leaned his head back against the couch, looking up towards the ceiling, exposing the column of
his neck.
“I tried to push you away, Maddie,” he admitted softly, blowing out a tired breath. “But after a while,
I realized that I
didn’t want to anymore.”
She stared at the smooth skin of his neck, at the way his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed, at
his five
o’clock shadow that caused the marks around her breasts and between her thighs. And she loved him
so much
that she wanted to cry all over again.
Leaning forward slowly, she pressed her lips to his neck and listened to his breath hitch. But he didn’t
stop
her. He let her explore his skin, nibble on his earlobe, and suck softly at the space just below it. She
tasted the
saltiness of his skin from his long day at work and she loved the way he tasted. Caleb shifted under
her, pressing
his groin between her legs, and he groaned.
She wanted to give him everything. She wanted to be everything that he needed and wanted and
desired.
Maddie moved her head so she could suck on his bottom lip and when she met his eyes, she saw his
lust. She
let it feed her own.
“Tonight, I want you to show me what you like,” she whispered. She was going for it. There was no
time to be
shy now.
His eyes widened slightly, lips parting. Even as he shook his head, there was no denying the way his
hips
ground more needfully into her. “You need to rest. You’re still sore from—”
“It isn’t anything I can’t handle,” she told him. “I want this.”
She was wearing him down, not that it was taking much.
“You know how stubborn I can be. You may as well give in now and save some time,” she teased.
He made a sound in the back of his throat. “Maddie…I don’t know…”
“Please,” she whispered, dragging her lips over his lightly. His eyelids closed and when he opened
them again,
his eyes were dazed and unfocused. And she realized that she was seducing him. And it felt exactly
like it did when
he had tied her up last night and she’d still driven him crazy. “Please, Caleb.”
He shuddered. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure.”

THIRTY-EIGHT
Caleb trailed the end of the rope over Maddie’s exposed breasts and she felt her breath quicken, the
rapid thun-
dering of her heart visible under her flushed skin. The thin, white rope that he’d brought into her
room only a few
moments before wasn’t as rough as she expected, but the sensation was still startling. Even more
startling was
Caleb’s reaction to it. He seemed quieter—which wasn’t saying much since he wasn’t exactly a talker
—but when
Maddie really looked at him, she could see that he looked as affected as she was
His eyes held an alertness and a raptness that she’d never seen before. She shivered; he looked like
he wanted
to devour her. She’d never felt so desired in her entire life.
He’d stripped himself of his shirt when he’d entered the room, exposing those rippling, smooth
muscles and
black tattoos, but his jeans—held up by that maddening black leather belt—still hung on his hips. His
erection
was prominent and he shifted it in his jeans as he trailed the rope over her naked body.
Caleb walked around her body to tease the rope over her back and ass. She held her breath when he
cupped her
backside, kneading the flesh, as though he couldn’t help himself, and moaned when he unexpectedly
nipped her
neck with his teeth.
One word to describe Caleb when he was like this: intense.
It rolled off him in waves, making her both excited and wary. Even as her body responded to his
appreciative
and erotic touch, she honestly had no idea what to expect.
Her knees almost buckled when he inserted a finger into her from behind, feeling only a slight twinge
from her
soreness before it gave way to pleasure.
“Already soaking, princess,” he murmured into her ear, goosebumps breaking over her flesh. The
sensitivity
that she’d experienced all day felt amplified and she felt like she was already on the verge of coming.
He brought
his finger up to her lips. “Taste how sweet you are.”
She wrapped her lips around his finger and he muffled a groan as her tongue lapped at it. She tasted
her
juices…and it made her feel deliciously naughty. She protested when he drew his finger away, coming
to stand in
front of her once again.

“Don’t worry, princess,” he rumbled, his voice past the point of gravelly. “I’ll give you something else
to suck
soon.”
Her lips parted and a gush of wetness flooded her pussy when she imagined sucking the hardened,
thick length
between Caleb’s thighs. She’d never given a blowjob before, but her enthusiasm and curiosity made
her eager. Al-
ready, her mouth was watering for it.
“Kneel down,” he ordered, his fists tightening over the thin rope. Maddie immediately did as he
asked, her
knees digging into the soft carpet as she knelt in from of him. Her eyes darted to his erection, which
seemed to
pulse in his jeans.
She watched as he retrieved the other ropes, of identical type and length, off the bed and then eyed
her position
on the floor.
“If it ever becomes too much,” he started, “or if you want to stop, then please tell me. I won’t be
upset. Far
from it. I just want you to be comfortable, Maddie.”
She swallowed and nodded. Caleb watched her for a few more moments, like he was waiting for her
to speak
up and back out, before crouching down next to her left side. The rope felt cool against her skin as he
wrapped it
around her upper thigh a few times before knotting it and then continuing to wrap it around her ankle
just below.
He was quick, efficient, and Maddie tried not to think about how many women he’d practiced these
knots with.
He’s mine right now, she thought.
He did the same to her right leg until her thighs were bound to her ankles. It was surprisingly
restrictive and it
felt odd not being able to stretch out her legs or move from her position. Her butt was planted right
on the balls of
her feet and the rope tightened slightly whenever she fidgeted. Maddeningly frustrating…yet erotic.
Next, he asked her to cross her arms behind her back, her hands grasping the opposite space just
above her
elbow crease, which forced her to arch her back, pushing out her breasts even more. Caleb wrapped
the third rope
he’d brought just under them and threaded it around the back and secured her arms into place so that
she couldn’t
move them either.
Caleb checked the ropes, asked her if anything was too tight, and when she shook her head, then he
finally
relaxed. His darkened eyes hungrily roamed over her body and she felt like a present, a plaything,
and she found
that idea…arousing. Her breasts were practically pouting for attention; every breath she took made
the sensitive
undersides rub against the rope.
Caleb swallowed so hard that Maddie heard it. He rasped, “This is a common frog tie. The first time I
saw
you, I fantasized that I tied you up like this…and your hair,” Maddie gasped when he gently pulled a
section of hair
over her shoulder and tickled it over one of her pebbled nipples, “was brushing your tits and you were
sucking my
cock so sweetly, like you never wanted me to take it away from you. And trust me, princess…I
wouldn’t ever take it
away from you.”
Maddie’s breaths were positively ragged after he told her that. He’d wanted this? From the very first
time he’d
seen her in the garage?
“I jacked off to that fantasy for months,” he continued and Maddie swore that her juices were wetting
the carpet,
she was that turned on. “But that fantasy pales in comparison to actually seeing you like this.”
“Unbutton your jeans, Caleb,” Maddie pleaded, her voice hoarse. She squirmed in the ropes, but
every move
she made seemed to make them tighter, making her more crazed. “Now!”
Caleb cursed low under his breath. He dragged over her reading armchair that she’d placed in the
corner of her
bedroom and sank down into it. He unbelted, unbuttoned, and unzipped, and when he pulled his
pulsing, ready
cock out, Maddie tried to squeeze her thighs together but then remembered that she couldn’t.
“Come here and get what you want, princess,” he said, his hand lazily stroking the length of him and
Maddie al-
most climaxed on the spot.
Then she realized that he’d purposefully placed his chair a few feet away. In the position she was in,
she’d have
a hard time maneuvering herself over to him. A part of her was thrilled at the games he liked to play.
The other
part wanted revenge. And she would get it.
Carefully, she inched her knees forward and every movement made her breasts bounce and tremble.
Caleb’s
eyes were glued to them and he groaned every time she advanced towards him, running a palm down
his face in an-
ticipation.
What seemed like decades later, she finally reached him. He opened his knees wider, his jean covered
thighs
brushed the sides of her breasts as she knelt between his legs.
Maddie didn’t care that she’d never done this before. She didn’t care that she was tied up, or that
Caleb had
just made her put on a show for him, or that she’d have to deep clean the carpet tomorrow because
she was soaking
it. She only cared about the man sitting in that chair, with his beautiful cock that she just needed.
“Oh fuck,” he grated, his head tilting back in unexpected pleasure, when she leaned forward and took
his cock
into her mouth. She avoided his sensitive flesh with her teeth and channeled all of the information
she’d ever read
about this by focusing on the crown, sucking the tip and wedging her tongue against the scorching
underside. He
shuddered, his eyelids fluttering closed, so Maddie figured she was doing something right.
He tasted hot and a little salty with a musk that was undeniably Caleb and Maddie felt like she
couldn’t get
enough. When his hands came to grasp her hair, she glanced up, her mouth full of him.
Caleb hissed, blowing a sharp breath out between his teeth, when their eyes connected. “Keep
looking at me,
Maddie. You look so beautiful sucking my cock.” His sentence was punctuated by a groan when she
dabbed her
tongue over his slit. His abdomen contracted and Maddie tasted fresh precum rise out of his shaft.
“Fuck, Mad-
die,” he breathed, eyes wide. “Fuck! Just like that. Yes.”
There was nothing hotter than watching Caleb like this. He seemed to be on the verge of losing
complete con-
trol and she didn’t know if she’d be able to handle him if he did.
“Enough,” he finally snapped when she started licking the sides of his cock, up and down, and she
gasped in
surprise when he hauled her up off the floor like she weighed nothing more than a feather.
His eyes were wild, untamed, as he settled her on his lap, spreading her knees so that they were
wedged against
the sides of the chair. Unable to move without the risk of falling, her legs were spread open almost
obscenely over
him, something that Caleb took full advantage off.
Maddie moaned, thankful that Caleb had one arm around her waist as an anchor, as that sinful, dirty
man ran
his scorching, pulsing cock against her wet slit. Up and down, up and down, up and down. Her head
lolled to the
side, eyes closed, as he circled the head on her clit. And then he pulled her body closer and latched
his lips on one
of her nipples, sucking fiercely.
“Caleb,” she gasped out, when she felt her body tightening unexpectedly. “I’m gonna come.”
In a flash, he wrenched her down onto his cock with a growl and Maddie’s mouth opened in a silent
scream as
her orgasm hit her hard.
“O-oh my God, oh m-my God,” she whispered, choking on her own voice. Caleb was relentless
between her
thighs. His hips pistoned underneath her, fast, and the sound of flesh slapping flesh filled the room.
And then her
ears were ringing with her orgasm and she felt like time stood still. She couldn’t move, couldn’t make
a single
sound, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Then, impossibly, she was coming again while still in the
midst of her first
orgasm.
I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, she thought wildly. But she did.
Sweat dotted Caleb’s forehead and when he felt her coming around his cock for a second time, his
face flashed
and he followed her into oblivion. Jet after jet of hot semen filled her and she rolled her hips
shamelessly once she
could, trying to get every last drop.
Maddie collapsed on top of him once they both finished, her breaths ragged and hoarse. Caleb’s heart
thun-
dered underneath her cheek and she liked listening to it, knowing that she’d been the cause.
After a few minutes, she felt the ties on her arms and underneath her breasts loosen and then Caleb
was drop-
ping the rope on the floor beside the chair. She laid her hands against Caleb’s warm chest bonelessly,
feeling the
blood rush back. She hadn’t even realized that her arms had been slightly numb from the position.
When he dropped the ropes that had been binding her legs, he shifted her so that she was more
comfortable.
Maddie lifted her head and saw his warm, content gaze on her, his eyes half-lidded.
His lips caught hers and Maddie breathed into it.
“Good?” he murmured, nipping at her bottom lip.
She smiled sleepily. “I think I’m gonna like this.”
And Caleb actually chuckled and his laugh melted her heart. She buried her face in his chest and
smiled like a
fool.
They rested like that for a few moments, in between Maddie stealing a few kisses, before Caleb
hauled them both
up and, cradling her in his arms, took them into the shower.
And Caleb practically worshipped her there.
He tenderly washed her body, hands skimming gently over her curves, down her back, between her
legs, where
he lingered longer than necessary. He nuzzled her neck, bit on her earlobe, and took her lips often,
giving her kiss-
es that left her knees weak.
Afterwards, he dried her off and tucked them both into bed, pulling her body against his. As she
tumbled to-
wards sleep, she felt his comforting breath on her neck and his heat at her back.
And throughout it all, it gave her hope.
Because if Maddie didn’t know any better, she’d say that Caleb Montgomery was falling in love with
her.
She fell asleep with a smile.
THIRTY-NINE
Caleb gritted his teeth when he felt Maddie clamp down around him, her scream echoing around the
kitchen,
and then he was biting her shoulder and emptying himself into her.
Can’t last, can’t last. Fuck!

He shuddered with his orgasm, a harsh curse tearing from his throat, before releasing Maddie’s hands
that he’d
clasped in one palm behind her back.
Three hours, he thought, exhaustion and satisfaction crashing down on him. He’d lasted three hours
away from
her before he’d torn himself away from a restoration in frustration and drove home, knowing that
Maddie had taken
the day off and Peter was at school. When he’d appeared in the kitchen doorway, seeing her make
lunch, her eye-
brows quirked up in surprise before a knowing flush colored her cheeks.
Next thing he knew, he was bending her over the kitchen counter and bunching her dress up around
her waist.
No time for ropes or foreplay, but Maddie was almost constantly aroused these days, so she’d been
more than
ready. It had been two weeks since he’d introduced her to bondage. And even he was having a
difficult time keep-
ing up with her sex drive…and her curiosity.
His cock twitched inside her when he thought about what he’d shown her over the past couple
weeks. She
seemed to love all the positions he’d tied her up in so far, but her favorite still seemed to be the frog
tie.
“Good afternoon to you too,” she mumbled, a small laugh escaping her.
“You’re driving me insane,” he groaned against her shoulder, before he gently pulled himself out and
helped
clean her up.
Her cheeks were still pink when she smoothed her dress down and Caleb eyed her bare, shapely legs
—on dis-
play courtesy of the warmer weather. He forced himself to meet her eyes, feeling the urge to bend
her back over the
counter for a second round.
“Do you think the doctor will know what we just did?” she teased, gazing up at him with those brown
eyes and
freckles.
“He won’t say anything if he knows what’s good for him,” Caleb grumbled, fingering a lock of her hair.
He was
more than a little jealous and irritated that her OB/GYN doctor was male and Caleb probably would
be for the re-
mainder of her pregnancy.
He glanced at the time on the stove. They still had three hours until Maddie’s appointment, which
still gave
him more than enough time to do something he’d been meaning to do for a while.
“Do you have to get back to work?” she asked.
He didn’t answer. Instead he nodded towards her library books and laptop, which currently
decorated the
island. “I’ll let you get back to work. And I’ll come pick you up in a couple hours, okay?”
“Wait,” she called, after he kissed her nose. She held out the chicken wrap she’d been making for
herself.
“You haven’t eaten, have you?”
Sometimes, she knew him too well.
“I’ve been distracted,” he mumbled, but took the wrap from her, knowing she wouldn’t let him leave
without
eating. She watched in amusement as he devoured it in three large bites, scrunching up her nose in
disbelief.
“It still amazes me how you do that. Peter too. I watched him eat a burger yesterday in ten seconds
flat.”
“It’s a talent,” he murmured, leaning over to kiss her one last time. “Thanks. I’ll see you in a little
bit.”
“Okay,” she murmured, smiling, seeming like she was on the verge of saying something and then
catching her-
self at the last minute. She’d been doing that a lot lately. And Caleb thought he knew what she
wanted to say…but
he wouldn’t allow himself to reflect on what was becoming more and more obvious to him every day.
Once he climbed back into his SUV parked in the driveway, he dug out his phone from his back pocket
and
searched through the contacts. Caleb hoped that the number he was looking for still hadn’t changed,
or else he’d
have to resort to sneakier methods.
Once he reached the name in his contacts, he pressed ‘call’ and waited as the phone rung.
Caleb was just about to give up when, on the fifth ring, Thomas finally picked up. “You’re probably
the last per-
son I thought I’d ever see calling my number again,” the man said, irritation laced liberally into his
tone.
“I was worried that you might’ve changed your number since high school,” Caleb told him, staring
through the
bay windows at the front of their house. He could just make out Maddie perched at the island
counter, munching
on another wrap she made for herself as she flipped through the pages of a library book. His cock
pulsed in his
jeans when he realized that anyone walking by their house probably could’ve seen what they’d been
up to only fif-
teen minutes before.
“There was no reason for me to,” Thomas said. “What do you want, Caleb? Why are you even
calling?”
“I’m calling because I want to sort our shit out. I know you’re still not speaking to Maddie and it’s
upsetting her
more than you probably realize,” he said, gripping the leather of his steering wheel hard.
“It’s none of your damn business what goes on between me and my sister.”
“It is when I’m partly the cause and when I’m living with her and when she’s having my child!”
“Don’t fucking remind me,” Thomas snarled over the line. “I’m still trying to forget.”
“You think trying to forget is going to make your future nephew or niece go away?” Caleb asked, his
voice low,
steady. “This is getting out of hand, Thomas. We need to talk. Face-to-face. And you can swing your
fists at me
all you want as long as this gets resolved. Today.”
Thomas went silent. Caleb hoped that even he realized that this couldn’t go on much longer. Maddie
missed
him. Terribly. She might not voice her frustration about her brother to Caleb, but he could see it,
plain as day,
when Thomas refused to return her texts or phone calls. Maddie wanted her family involved in her
pregnancy and
she was already almost five months along. And Thomas was just being a stubborn little bitch, as far as
Caleb was
concerned.
“Where are you?” Caleb asked. Thomas only hesitated another moment before he spouted off his
work address
only twenty minutes away. “I’ll be there soon.”
With one last lingering look at Maddie through the window, he backed out of the driveway and sped
towards the
freeway.
A short while later, Caleb was pulling up into a cluster of office buildings and he was just about to pull
into an
empty space outside of the building number Thomas had given him when he spotted the man in
question towards
the back of the lot. He was leaning against his Mercedes, smoking, and Caleb frowned before making
his way over.
He slammed his car door shut, but didn’t bother beeping the lock. “Since when did you start
smoking?” Caleb
asked, halting only a few feet away from Maddie’s brother. The two didn’t really look alike at first
glance, which was
why he’d never made a connection between the two of them, even in high school. But the more he
looked, the
more resemblance he saw, like the slightly upturned nose, or the similar shape of their mouths.
Thomas took another drag on his cigarette before tossing it to the ground, snuffing it out with the
bottom of his
boot. Even in high school, Thomas had never smoked. Caleb had smoked his fair share, marijuana
included, but
the man in front of him had always been straight-laced to the core.
Thomas pinned him with a glare. “Don’t tell Maddie. She doesn’t know.”
Caleb shrugged, but in reality he felt weird about keeping this from her. His uncle had died of lung
cancer. If
Thomas followed that same path, Maddie would blame herself. Alternatively, what Thomas did was
his business.
He decided he’d worry about it later. The two of them stood in tense silence for a few moments.
Thomas’s
gaze was planted firmly on the cracked, black pavement between them. He looked tired, Caleb
noticed, with dark
circles under his eyes. Caleb probably looked a little tired too, but only because he shared a bed with
an insatiable,
pregnant woman who had a thing for his kinks.
“How is she?” Thomas finally asked. His voice caught at the end, betraying his nonchalance and
revealing his
worry. He cared deeply for his sister, that much was clear. But his pride was too great.
“Pregnant,” Caleb said, crossing his arms over his chest. Thomas’s jaw clenched and Caleb relented,
telling
him, “She keeps herself busy. She’s still going to class, working on campus, and she’s shadowing a
curator in the
city once a week. She’s keeping herself too busy, if you ask me.”
“She was never one to take the easy way out,” Thomas mumbled. Like a sponge, he seemed to
absorb the infor-
mation like water, yet Caleb could see that he still wanted more. “And she’s…healthy?”
“The pregnancy is going perfectly,” Caleb said, trying to keep the little hint of pride out of his voice.
If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be a father in a few months time and actually be
happy about
that…Jesus, he didn’t know what he would’ve done.
“She has an appointment later today,” Caleb offered. “Just a regular check-up, but I’m sure she would
like it if
you were there.”
Thomas shifted on his feet. “I don’t think that’s the best idea.”
“Look,” Caleb bit out. “You need to get over whatever the hell your problem is with me. It isn’t fair
to
Maddie. You can hate me all you want. I don’t care. Just be there for her, okay? You’re her brother
and you two
not talking has been wearing on her for months.”
“She probably doesn’t even want to see me now,” Thomas murmured, swallowing.
“What are you talking about?”

“The things I said to her last time…they were ugly.” Maddie’s brother sighed, shaking his head, before
meeting
Caleb’s eyes. “I don’t hate you, Caleb. We were friends once after all and I’m just overprotective. I
would’ve acted
the same way had it been any other guy. Everything…it was all just anger and frustration. And every
day that
passed without me responding to her, or reaching out to her, it just got harder and harder.”
Caleb’s brow furrowed in irritation. “Just come today. Trust me when I say she wants to see you.”
“I don’t know,” Thomas said softly.
“It’s at three o’ clock,” Caleb said sharply, rattling off the address. “If you want to make up with your
sister
today and move past whatever this is, then I’m sure I’ll see you there.”
With that, Caleb turned away and climbed back into his SUV, before pulling away. For Maddie’s sake,
Caleb re-
ally hoped that Thomas would be there.
* * *
“These things always make me nervous,” Maddie confessed to Caleb, staring out the passenger
window as he
pulled off the freeway towards her doctor’s office. “For some reason, I always expect bad news.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, princess,” he told her, his tone strong and sure. Maddie marveled
that at one
time, whenever he called her ‘princess,’ it had usually been bit out with a sneer. Now, the word
floated over her,
soft and wonderful.
“And I hate getting blood drawn,” she complained.
Caleb smirked, rubbing the edge of his lips with his thumb, his eyes still on the road. God, he was
sexy.
“I’ll kiss it better later,” he promised and Maddie felt her blood start to pound.
“Don’t get me started, Caleb,” she warned, ignoring the urge to fan herself. It seemed like all she
thought about
these days was sex. Sex, sex, and more sex. She fantasized about Caleb on the hour, every hour, if
not more.
Fantasized about what they’d done the night before, or that morning…fantasized about what they
would do later.
“The doctor won’t need the lube at this rate.” It was meant as a joke but Caleb’s lips turned down
into a scowl.
She shook her head, amused. “I still don’t know why you don’t like Dr. Cochrane.”
“Maybe because he’s a man who has regular access to your pussy,” Caleb growled under his breath.
“Caleb!” Maddie exclaimed, rolling her eyes. But inside, she was delighted. He was jealous. “You’re
ridicu-
lous.”
“Out of all the doctors you could’ve chosen, it had to be the one with a dick,” he continued.
“He has excellent recommendations,” she shot back. “And I tried a female doctor, remember? But
how could
we trust her to do a good job when she couldn’t even get my files straight?”
Caleb’s jaw clenched. “She was incompetent, wasn’t she?”
“Yes,” Maddie said, hoping he understood why she’d changed her mind and switched doctors. Caleb
had been
with her at every appointment, the very picture of support. She only hoped that he supported this
decision as well.
“Fine. I won’t say anything to him,” Caleb promised. “But if he lingers down there longer than
necessary, I
swear—”
“Oh my God,” Maddie mumbled, her face flaming, relieved that they were pulling into the parking
lot. Caleb
helped her out of the car like the baby was a size of a basketball and not an avocado, but Maddie
would be lying to
herself if she said she didn’t like it at least a little bit.
As they both walked up towards the front entrance of the doctor’s office, Maddie spotted a familiar
figure leaning
against the outside wall and her heart stuttered in disbelief and joy.
“Thomas?”
Her brother detached himself from the wall and approached, albeit a little hesitantly. “Hi Maddie,” he
mur-
mured, a half smile on his face.
“I’ll go check you in,” Caleb told her, dropping a kiss on her cheek as he brushed past. The two men
exchanged
a silent look before Caleb disappeared inside the building, one she couldn’t even begin to decipher.
Overwhelmed, happy, and confused, Maddie promptly started crying, which only served to frustrate
her, which
only made her cry more.
Thomas looked flabbergasted. “Maddie, I—”
She launched herself at her brother, feeling his familiar warmth and bulk as she wrapped her arms
around him,
hugging him tightly. He only hesitated for a brief moment before he clutched her just as fiercely.
“I missed you,” she whispered, unashamed that she was getting tears all over his shirt.
“I missed you too, Maddie,” he said, voice tight. “I’m sorry. About everything. I’m the biggest
asshole on the
planet.”
And just like that, a load was lifted off her shoulders. Maddie wasn’t one to hold a grudge. It took too
much
energy, and she loved her brother too much.
“I forgive you,” she told him, leaning back so she could see his face. “But how did you know?”
“Caleb came to see me,” her brother admitted, although a little begrudgingly.
“He did?” she asked, swallowing thickly.
“He basically told me to get my shit together because I was hurting you,” Thomas murmured. “And he
was
right. I shouldn’t have let it go on this long.”
Caleb had done this? She blinked with the new information and then felt her stomach flutter. Every
day, it
seemed like she fell deeper and deeper in love with him.
“I’m just glad you’re here now,” she said in a daze, smiling up at him.
“Me too.”
Maddie hugged him again, feeling more tears prick her eyes. She stood there as long as possible, but
even-
tually, she knew she had to be a couple minutes late to her appointment and Caleb would come
looking for her
soon.
“Come on. Come sit in on a boring appointment with me while Caleb tries not to murder my male
doctor,” she
told him. “And you’ll get to hear the baby’s heartbeat.”
“That doesn’t sound boring at all,” Thomas said softly. As they walked into the building, Thomas said,
“Mad-
die, no one will ever be good enough for you. But I figure you could do worse than him.”
If that wasn’t her brother’s seal of approval, she didn’t know what was.
“How did that taste coming out of your mouth?” she teased.
Her brother’s face was solemn. “Like vinegar.”

FORTY
At twenty-two weeks, that avocado was starting to resemble a basketball.
“What are you doing?” Caleb asked when he entered the master bedroom. He was dirty from a long
day doing
restorations. Maddie knew that he had some big, demanding client, and even though he’d hired a
couple guys and
brought Peter on, he still worked long hours.
“I’ve gained almost twenty pounds,” she informed him, staring at herself in the mirror. She’d been in
the
process of putting on her pajamas for the night. And even though she looked at her body every day,
for some rea-
son, tonight it had just struck her how pregnant she was looking. People were starting to touch her
stomach.
Strangers. And her boobs looked like she’d already gained a cup size; her face was also a little fuller.
He came up behind her and spread his palms over her protruding belly. He smelled like sweat and
delicious
musk and she felt her body already start to respond. “And what a good twenty pounds it is,” he
murmured, staring
at her overflowing boobs, and she rolled her eyes, jabbing him lightly with her elbow. He smirked and
unclasped
her bra. “Come shower with me.”
Maddie sighed, but followed him into the bathroom and watched him strip down, tossing his dirty
clothes into
the hamper. Underneath the spray of the shower and the warm steam, she watched him soap up his
body and she
felt like she was getting a private show, watching those muscles gleam and shift. She was half
surprised she didn’t
faint with how fast the blood rushed from her head down to between her thighs.
“Caleb,” she murmured and she knew that Caleb knew what she wanted.
He eyed her, already semi-hard himself, but he’d been denying them both for the past week now.
Maddie knew
it had something to do with her advancing pregnancy. Now that she was looking more and more
pregnant, Caleb’s
delicate treatment of her had become even more maddening. They hadn’t used his ropes for almost a
week and a
half now and when they did have sex, it was slower, not as intense. Not that she didn’t enjoy it. He
still restrained
her hands and her orgasms were beyond powerful, but they felt more like long, drawn out, gentle
waves, than a
thunderstorm.
“Later,” he said, swallowing hard. “Once a day, remember?”
Oh yeah, and he had that stupid rule. He thought that any more than that wouldn’t be good for her.
Her stom-
ach had cramped up pretty badly after a particularly rigorous session a couple weeks ago and needless
to say, it had
freaked Caleb out enough to call her OB/GYN in the middle of the night.
She pressed her body against his, although her stomach didn’t allow them to be as close as she
would’ve liked.
Still, she liked the heat of his skin, the feel of him.
He swallowed again.
“The doctor said it’s normal for cramping. I’ll be fine.”
“Maddie…”
She brushed his lips with her own and his eyes closed as he grappled with control. “Just real quick,”
she
whispered. “Please?”
The ‘please’ did it. With a growl, he turned her, placing her hands on the shower wall.
“Is this what you want?” he rasped, surging into her from behind.
“Yes,” she moaned, eyelids fluttering closed in bliss.
Later, she was still in a daze when they turned in for the night. Maddie turned on her side, on her side
of the
bed, liking that they even had sides now, and smiled contentedly into Caleb’s naked shoulder. He was
on his back,
tracing her thigh lightly with his fingertips.

Her breath hitched when she felt fluttering, soft movements from inside, the feeling still so alien that
it took her
by surprise every time.
“What is it?” Caleb asked.
“The baby’s moving again,” she whispered. A bigger thump came, near her belly button. “Oh!”
Caleb peered down at her stomach, even though the room was dark, and then she felt his warm
hands. Caleb
was the only person she liked touching her stomach.
“Can you feel it?” she asked.
“No,” he started to say, but then the baby gave one more big thump. “I felt that.”
His voice was soft, a little awed, and he kept his hands on her stomach until Maddie couldn’t perceive
any more
movement. Caleb went silent and Maddie thought he might’ve fallen asleep. But then he said, “I still
can’t believe
we’re having a girl.”
Maddie felt her throat tighten at the emotion in his voice. She expected to start crying yet again,
which was ex-
actly what she’d done at the ultrasound appointment.
Dr. Cochrane had reassured her that it happened all the time when she’d tried to apologize. Caleb
had seemed
struck speechless as he peered hard at the monitor where the blurry outline of their baby was
displayed.
“I know,” she whispered, stomach fluttering, and it had nothing to do with the baby. “I can’t believe
she’s due
in less than four months. I don’t feel ready.”
She worried that she’d make an awful mother. She didn’t know anything about taking care of babies.
Her
mother had assured her that it was natural to feel that way, that she hadn’t known what the hell she
was doing when
Thomas was born. Eventually, everything would fall into place.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said, the quiet confidence in his voice wrapping around her, comforting her.
Maddie was beyond relieved that she had someone there to support her in all this. How single
mothers did it,
she had no clue, but they must be some strong, strong women.
“And we should probably get started on a nursery,” he added.
She was positive he felt her mouth turn into a smile against his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They both went quiet again. Maddie wondered where Caleb wanted to put the nursery. The fourth
bedroom
was a spare room, but Caleb used it as his office on occasion, and Peter had some art supplies in
there. That left
the guest bedroom that Caleb had been sleeping in before he started sleeping with her.
Sometimes, when Maddie had time to just stop for a moment and think, she marveled at the direction
her life
had turned. Obviously, nothing had gone according to plan, and she wondered whether she would
change any-
thing if given the chance. If she did, she wouldn’t be growing life inside her, a life that she was
growing to love
more and more each day. She wouldn’t have been given a second chance with Caleb. And there was
no one else
that she could even picture sharing a life with. These past few months had been some of the happiest
of her life.
He made her happy.
Of course, nothing was ever perfect. Their future was still tumultuous. But Maddie had been trying
to stay in
the present, to enjoy what was happening in the moment, to embrace her pregnancy and make the
best out of an un-
planned and unconventional situation.
So far, it had been working out well. Very, very well.
Some things, however, weighed heavy on Maddie’s mind, like where she and Caleb stood. Ever since
she start-
ed showing, her classmates, and even some professors, had tried to slyly pry into her love life. Some
commented
that they hadn’t even known she was seeing someone, to which she blushed and stuttered something
incoherent.
Or they would ask whether ‘the father’ wanted a girl or a boy.

She wasn’t even sure if Caleb could be considered her boyfriend. They’d never talked about a serious,
monog-
amous relationship. They’d never even gone out a date, unless she counted that one time after she
told him she
was pregnant and he practically force fed her every entree off a restaurant menu because he thought
she’d lost too
much weight.
And she was too cowardly to bring it up. Didn’t that tell her something? She was afraid of what his
reaction
might be and wondered whether he’d pull away from her because of it. She liked what they’d come
to build with
each other. She liked waking up to him and going to sleep with him every night. She liked that he
teased her in the
kitchen every morning after he came back from his morning run and that he dropped Peter off at
school on his way
to work. She liked that he checked up on her throughout the day and that she could call him
whenever she
wanted. She liked their quiet, peaceful evenings together and the passion that followed once Peter
went to bed.
She didn’t want to mess up anything. But how long could she continue to hold her tongue? How long
could
she continue to deny her instincts and not just blurt out that she loved him? How long could she keep
fooling her-
self and thinking that everything would just work itself out eventually?
That was the worst part because Maddie just knew that Caleb loved her too. He might not have
realized it; or he
might’ve realized it, but he just didn’t want to acknowledge it. It was in everything that he did…in the
way that he
kissed her, and watched her as she told him about what she’d studied that day, and the way his voice
softened when
he called her ‘princess.’ It was in his smile and laugh, both of which he now offered more freely, or
when he
couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her, or the way his eyebrows drew together in concern whenever
her hormones
got the best of her.
All the signs were there. And that was what kept her going; it was what gave her hope. She just
needed him to
realize those feelings, to give him time to process them. He’d had enough pain and betrayal in his
life. She didn’t
want to push him when it came to romantic attachments because she knew how complicated it could
be for him.
Which was another thing that lingered on her mind. Caleb wouldn’t tell her about his aunt’s sexual
abuse. He
kept that part of him so closed off, completely shut tight, that Maddie wondered if it was even
healthy.
And every now and again, it would slip out, seeping through the cracks, leaving him shaken.
A couple times since he’d started sleeping with her in the master bedroom, he’d woken up with a
start, sweating,
his eyes darting around the dark room. It was like a jolt; it was like a light switch being turned on. A
light sleeper,
Maddie woke up whenever it happened, feeling the bed tremble and shake and Caleb’s gasping
breaths. He’d have
to flip on the bedside lamp and illuminate the room before he could calm himself down. And Maddie
felt helpless,
watching him sit with his back to her on the edge of the bed, running his palms through his damp hair,
listening to
his deep inhalations.
The first time it happened, she’d asked him, hesitantly, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” he rasped, his voice harsh. “Just go back to bed.”
He’d risen from the bed and locked himself in the bathroom for five, ten, fifteen minutes and when
he’d finally
return, he’d clasped Maddie to him tightly, very tightly, and fell back into a restless sleep.
The second time it happened, it had been her fault. She’d had a hard time falling asleep that night,
worrying
about her student loan debt and that she’d have to cut back on her work hours soon, and almost
unconsciously,
she’d been tracing the dark lines of Caleb’s tattoos.

He’d been in a dead sleep, but had come awake with a start, snatching her wrist and squeezing it
hard, as
though in warning. She’d cried out more in surprise than in pain and when Caleb realized what he
was doing, he’d
dropped her wrist like he’d been burned.
“Shit, Maddie,” he’d cursed, hurriedly flipping on the light so he could inspect her wrist. “I—I’m sorry,
I
didn’t…dammit…”
“No, I’m sorry,” she’d said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
She’d tried to assure him that she was fine, but it had left her a bit shaken. Caleb sensed it. He’d
pushed him-
self out of bed and told her that he was going on a run, even though she’d tried to dissuade him. After
he left, Mad-
die had lain in bed, wide-eyed, knowing that he couldn’t not talk to someone about it. Every time
she’d tried to
breach the subject with him, he’d shot her down.
And he never brought the incidents up again. It was odd because Caleb was usually so confrontational
when it
came to work or his friends. If something was bothering him, he didn’t hesitate to act on it, to try and
make it
better. He knew what he wanted and he usually got it, by sheer determination or stubbornness
alone. When it
came to this, however, he’d rather it all just disappear.
Maddie looked at him now. She could make out his sharp profile in the darkness, the cracks around
the win-
dow blinds illuminating just enough of the room. He’d fallen asleep, his breaths slow and deep. And
even though
her cheek was nestled against his shoulder, she made sure not to touch him.
But sometimes it felt like she was running a race she couldn’t win. And as she fell into a troubled
sleep, such a
divergence from how content she’d felt only moments before, she wondered how much longer she
could keep up
this facade before she cracked into a million pieces.

FORTY-ONE
It finally happened during such a normal part of her day. So suddenly and so unexpectedly and so
carelessly
that she almost didn’t realize what had happened before it was too late.
Caleb had called, like he did in the afternoons when she went to campus. They talked about their
days so far;
Maddie told him about yet another encounter with a stranger on BART who touched her stomach—
why did
strangers like to touch other strangers stomachs anyway?—and Caleb told her that they were one day
away from fin-
ishing the big restoration they’d been tirelessly working on, only to find out that their client had
another car coming
their way.
The money was good, Caleb had told her, so of course they would take it. But it meant some more
late nights
and another few weeks of stress.
They were ending their call and Maddie was distracted walking back to campus after lunch because a
cyclist was
trying to weave his way around her and she kept stepping accidentally into his path.
So when she said goodbye, she almost didn’t register that she said, “I love you,” right after it. It felt so
natural,
so easy, that the words had slipped right out.
It was only when her thumb was hovering over the ‘End Call’ button that she froze in the middle of
the
pathway. The cyclist cursed and flipped her off as he rode away but she didn’t even care. The call was
still run-
ning, which meant that Caleb hadn’t ended it on his side yet. More importantly, she wondered if he
heard what
she’d just said.
Of course he heard, you idiot! her mind screamed.
She lifted the phone back up to her ear but was met with silence.
“Caleb?” she asked quietly, her heart drumming in her ears. She felt like she’d just swallowed a
mouthful of
sand. And even though her morning sickness had subsided for the past month, she was suddenly
very, very
queasy.
She heard a quick inhale over the line and then he said, “I gotta go.”
And then he hung up.
He hung up.
The rest of the day she had a pit in her stomach full of dread. Every minute, she checked her phone,
wondering
if he’d tried to call her again or text her. Nothing. She debated calling him to explain, but what would
she say?
That she hadn’t meant it? That she didn’t love him?
She wasn’t a liar. Those lies would taste like salt if they came off her tongue.
She couldn’t focus, couldn’t study for the rest of the afternoon, but she knew that if she took the day
off and
headed home, she’d be even more anxious there. Filled to the brim with it.
Maddie wondered if she should just play it off, pretend like it never happened and act like it was just
one of
those slips of the tongue.
Then she realized that she couldn’t do that either, that she didn’t even want to. If she did that, she
would be
even more of a coward than she already was for not saying those words long ago. No, this was her
opportunity.
She would face this head on, no matter how nervous it made her.
Truthfully, a part of her was relieved. Maybe now, those words would spark confrontation. Maybe
Caleb would
finally acknowledge what Maddie wanted him to acknowledge and they could move forward in their
lives knowing
exactly where the other stood.
The other part of her, however, wondered if she’d just ruined everything.

* * *
Caleb never gave her the chance to confront him. That night, he sent her a text saying that he had to
work late,
to not wait up for him. When he didn’t come home at all—Maddie had tossed and turned all night in
an empty
bed, listening for his SUV to pull up in the driveway—she knew that she’d have to fight for him, even if
it was
against him.
For the next two days, he avoided her and every hour that he did made Maddie sick to her stomach.
When he
eventually came home late the next night, he didn’t come into her room and slept in the guest
bedroom. He was
gone when she woke up, the sheets on his old bed rumpled. Already, she felt cracks squirming their
way into her
heart.
Please don’t do this, Caleb, she silently pleaded.
Eventually, those nerves turned into determination. Why was she acting like saying I love you was a
nail in her
coffin? If she had been with anyone else, saying I love you for the first time should’ve been a happy
event, not a
mistake that she felt guilty over. She’d done nothing wrong. What she said to him was the truth,
even though she
hadn’t exactly meant to say it.
And Caleb seemed to think that he could make it all go away if he ignored the problem for long
enough. That
was what he did with his past, but it was clear that that wound continued to fester. There was no
doubt in Maddie’s
mind that if she let this go, if she let him get away with this too, then there would be no hope for
them in the future.
This would eat away at her, slowly.
All her fears were finally coming true.

So, four days after she told him those three fated words, she found herself pulling up in the parking
lot of Mont-
gomery Restoration & Repair. She parked in her parking spot, the one she’d always parked in when
she worked for
Caleb all those months ago.
It was late—a little past eight at night—but the sky still held streaks of pink and orange. It was the
second week
of May, she was twenty-five weeks pregnant, and she was about to confront the man she loved. The
calm and
warmth of the evening did nothing to settle her nerves, but she wouldn’t stand by and let him throw
what they had
away. He meant too much to her.
The garage was already closed up for the night. Brian had left over an hour ago since he dropped
Peter off at
their house on his way home. Maddie knew that Caleb was most likely working on the new
restoration in the back
garage, rather than in his office, so she followed the building around, her sandals silently padding her
footsteps.
She’d given up heels weeks ago since her ankles started swelling.
When she saw Caleb, her heart leapt in her throat. He was working, thankfully alone, sweat gleaming
on his
brow. That same intensity she’d come to associate with him was rolling off him in waves. He was in a
bad mood,
she could already tell, and he looked like he’d gotten next to no sleep. The man was running on fumes
at this point
and he still insisted on working himself to the bone.
He froze when he saw her, that brief moment confirming what Maddie had been afraid of, that he had
been
avoiding her purposefully, before he smoothed his expression over. His eyes ran over her, like he was
making sure
she was whole and in tact and the baby was fine, since he hadn’t called her in the afternoons like he
usually did to
check up on her.
He didn’t stop working when she came to a stop just inside the garage, but he asked, “What are you
doing here,
Maddie?”
The question was casual, like she hadn’t told him she loved him, like he hadn’t slept in the guest
bedroom for
the first time in nine weeks, like he wasn’t breaking her heart at that very moment.
She ignored his question and asked instead, “Do you remember when I first told you that I was
pregnant? And
it didn’t really hit you until you were driving and you needed to pull off in that deserted parking lot
and you were only
wearing a t-shirt even though it was practically freezing outside? And you told me that you’d missed
me…” Tears
were already beginning to clog her throat. “And that you wanted to prove to me how good we could
be together?”
Caleb stopped what he was doing, but he wouldn’t look at her. He stared down at the stripped car, all
old metal
and red rust, and Maddie wished that instead of the car, he’d try and fix them.
“I do,” was his response, his voice both tight and soft.
“Well, you have, Caleb. You’ve proven it to me,” she told him, a small, trembling smile floating over
her lips.
“And since that moment, and even before then, I’ve loved you.” His small flinch at those words, like
they were
blades as opposed to words, hurt more than his avoidance. “A-and I know you heard me say them the
first time.
So you can deny what I feel, you can try to avoid me and this situation all you want, but it doesn’t
make them any
less true, Caleb. I love you. And there’s no reason why I should be ashamed of it. Loving someone is
a good
thing. It’s a beautiful thing.”
He still wouldn’t look at her. His fists were clenched at his sides, his jaw locked tight, and he still
wouldn’t look
at her.
His voice was quiet and deliberately careful, almost clinical, when he finally responded to her words.
“I can’t love you the way you want me to, Maddie. I’m sorry.”
Just like that, Maddie mused, wanting to cry and laugh at the same time. Just like that, Caleb thought
he could
dismiss her, reject her, and apologize all at the same time in a succinct and neat five seconds. All that
was missing
was a pretty bow on top.
“See, the thing is, Caleb Montgomery, is that I know you,” she shot back, fire feeding into her veins.
“And I
know that you already love me, so don’t try and tell me that you can’t or you won’t or you don’t.
That’s what breaks
my heart. That you would so easily throw away what I want you to have and not even bat an eye as
you do it. That
you won’t allow yourself to even acknowledge what you feel for me. And I won’t do it. I won’t wait
around every
day, hoping, praying, that maybe you’ll finally realize it!”
His head snapped up at that and finally she saw some of that heat, something that told her he was at
least feel-
ing something right now. With an ugly scowl on his face, he shot back, “Love means nothing, Maddie.
You say you
love me, but I don’t care. I don’t want it, okay? And if you plan on waiting around for me to return
your love, then I
don’t know what to tell you.” He laughed, but the sound was bitter. “Why can’t you just be happy
with what we’ve
had? Who the fuck cares whether I love you or not? We’re having a child, Maddie. We’re good
together. We’re
friends. And, as a bonus, the sex is pretty fucking fantastic. Why does it even matter?”
It was like a slap across the face.
“Don’t do that,” she told him, proud that her voice didn’t shake, even though she was reeling
inwardly. “D-
don’t try and cheapen what I feel.”
He shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
“So that’s all we are to you?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Friends with…with
benefits?”
“No, we’re friends with benefits having a child together. Don’t read into a situation, Maddie, because
you might
not like what you find there.”
Maddie didn’t know how long she stood there, processing, breaking, wondering how in the world
words, simple
sequences of sound, could hurt so much. She felt humiliated, hopeless, and her heart was splintering
into a thou-
sand pieces. The worst part was that she knew that he’d try and do this. She knew that he’d try to
hurt her, that
this wouldn’t be easy.
But for the first time, she began to doubt herself, began to question if she’d read everything all
wrong. Terribly,
terribly wrong. He’d said those words with such conviction that she accepted them. She hated that
he had this
power over her.
How could the man she’d been living with for the past five months, the man she’d been sharing her
bed, her
body with, suddenly seem like a stranger?
“I have work I need to finish, Maddie,” Caleb said sharply, clearly dismissing her. He walked towards
the bench
to change out his tools. “I’ll see you at home.”
He had the last word. Maddie didn’t even think that she could form a coherent sentence at this
point. Before
she knew it, like her body was on autopilot, she turned on her heel and walked back towards her car.
She was
numb the entire way home, his words replaying in her mind on an endless loop.
Once she got home, she checked in on Peter and told him she was heading to bed. And even though
he looked
at her oddly, he bid her goodnight and she waddled upstairs.
Maddie sat on the edge of her bed, not bothering to get undressed. She’d barely gotten any sleep the
past four
days, but she wasn’t physically tired, just mentally exhausted.
Then she shook her head when it hit her.

No, she thought, suddenly. No. No, it’s all wrong.
Caleb Montgomery was a liar.
He could tell her that he only thought they were friends with benefits until he was blue in the face,
but Maddie
didn’t believe it. She hadn’t made up anything, hadn’t imagined things that weren’t there just
because she wanted
them to be there. She didn’t care what he said, but Caleb did care about her. Deeply. And she
wouldn’t allow her-
self to be fooled because then it meant she didn’t have faith in her own feelings, that she didn’t have
faith in him.
However, she meant what she said. She refused to wait around for him to finally acknowledge his
feelings.
She wouldn’t be pulled around on a string like a toy, waiting for Caleb to throw her a bone every now
and again.
In her mind, she had no other choice. Caleb had demanded everything when he found out she was
pregnant.
She’d moved in with him, taking a chance on their future together, throwing all her eggs in one
basket. But she
absolutely refused to be here now, in the house that she’d comfortably and lovingly nestled herself
in. Not when
he’d flung ugly words at her in a very deliberate attempt to distance himself. How could she respect
herself if she
stayed?
Until Caleb figured his shit out, figured out what he wanted from her, she needed to distance herself.
She would
make sure that he was still involved in the pregnancy, but physically being around him, smelling him
on her sheets,
remembering the way he’d tenderly caressed her in their shower, or wrapped his arms around her
stomach from be-
hind in their kitchen, would be her own personal form of hell. It wasn’t an option to stay at this point,
not when her
heart was breaking.
Even though it hurt her to do it, she rolled out her suitcase from her closet and started packing up her
essentials. She left a note for Caleb on her bed when she was done and then trekked down the stairs
and to the
opposite side of the house to knock on Peter’s door. When he opened it, he frowned.
“I…I know something’s not right, Maddie,” he said quietly, uncomfortably even though concern shone
in his
eyes. “Do…do you want to talk about it?”
She reached out to smooth back a lock of his hair, already missing him, wondering how to go about
this.
“Caleb and I got into a fight. And I think it’s best if I go for a little while, just to give us some space.”
Peter processed that information, eyebrows drawing together. “But you’ll come back, right?”
She almost lost it right there, but she cleared her throat, taking a deep breath. “I-I hope so.” Peter’s
shoulders
sagged, but he nodded. “Can you help me with my suitcase?”
“Yes.”
Once her car was loaded up, she hugged Peter fiercely. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Call me if you need
anything.
And there’s a fresh tub of sorbet in the freezer,” she added, knowing it was Peter’s favorite, trying to
lighten the
mood.
He managed a small smile, standing on the driveway with bare feet, hands tucked into the pockets of
his flannel
pajamas. “Thanks, Maddie.”
Then she got into her car and drove away. And the farther away from the house she drove, the harder
she cried.
FORTY-TWO
Caleb flung the tool back onto the bench harder than he’d intended, beyond frustrated, and then
stalked over to
the shitty sink they’d installed a couple years ago on the far side of the small garage. He splashed his
face with
cold water, then his neck, his arms, feeling overheated, hungry, pissed, and tired. So fucking tired.
He dried his face with his shirt, but he didn’t feel any cleaner. Caleb knew that not even the hottest of
showers
could clean off the taint that was clinging to his very bones. He felt like he was drowning in it.
His eyes wandered over to the spot where Maddie had stood only a couple hours before and he felt
that same
restlessness take over him.
Why couldn’t she just leave it alone? he thought. The pain, the realization that had slowly shadowed
her entire
face wouldn’t leave him. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her, and he hated himself all over
again. What he’d
been fearing, what he’d already known…she loved him.
Fuck!
He’d been happy with her. The happiest he’d ever been in his entire life. He’d finally started looking
forward to
his future, his future with her and their baby girl, and then Maddie said those words to him and it was
like a sucker
punch in the gut. Immediately, it was like a defense mechanism went into effect. He pulled away
from her. Dis-
tanced himself. Because it was easier.
Tonight, he’d hurt her. Because he’d needed to.

He squeezed his eyes shut, but she was there, and he gave a bellow of frustration, feeling his blood
run hot and
rapid in his veins.
He was useless here. It was already past ten at night and he felt like he could sleep for a hundred
hours, to
make up for all the hours he’d tossed and turned this week, jolting in and out of sleep, reaching for
Maddie’s warm
body, only to realize that he wasn’t in their bed. The worst part was that he resented her for it.
Resented her for
making him want her, need her, for wiggling into his life so thoroughly that he couldn’t even imagine a
life without
her in it.
He took no pleasure in the drive back home that night. Usually, it was one of the best parts of his
day. He
liked his job, took pride in what he did, but going home, knowing that Maddie would be in the living
room, reading
one of her books with her hair up, belly slowing growing each and every day, knowing that Peter was
safe and
sketching happily at the kitchen island, knowing that he’d find peace the moment he stepped into
that house…there
was no greater feeling.
When he unlocked the front door and stepped inside the house that night, it was dark and quiet. The
light in
Peter’s room was off and Caleb figured he’d gone to sleep already. Maddie wasn’t in the living room
or the
kitchen. She was probably tucked in bed already, sleeping on her right side, like she was prone to do,
hair softly
brushing her cheek.
Just the thought of her filled him with longing, but he tried to ignore it. They’d get over this bump
eventually,
but even Caleb knew that she wouldn’t want to see him tonight. He’d talk to her in the morning when
she was
fresh and make her realize that love was just a word, that it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of
things, but that
what they had together was real. The life they were building together was real. That was all that
truly mattered.
It still didn’t stop him from stopping outside the master bedroom. No light was seeping out from
underneath
the door and it was quiet inside. A part of him was so tempted to just saying fuck it and tell her that
she’d been
right, about everything. But that scared the shit out of him and even as he reached for the door knob,
he knew he’d
never open it.
Tomorrow, he reminded himself, pulling his hand away. She’ll understand. She has to.
He turned away.
* * *
Peter was quiet on the car ride to his high school. Caleb had been dropping him off for quite some
time now
every morning after his run, so immediately, he knew that something was off.
“Did you schedule your driving lessons yet?” Caleb asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
Peter had passed his permit test just the week before and true to his word, he hadn’t missed a single
question.
So, Caleb had agreed to pay for his lessons and even though he hadn’t told Peter yet, he already had a
lead on a car
for him when he finally got his driver’s license.
He nodded in the passenger seat, looking out the window. “My first one is next Monday.”
“Good.”
Then it was quiet again.
“Are you excited?” Caleb asked.
All he got was a shrug and Caleb didn’t push him anymore. A few minutes later, the high school came
into
view, a line of cars lined up on the street, parents dropping their kids off in a little roundabout area
closest to the
school entrance.
“You can just drop me off here,” Peter mumbled. They were at least a quarter mile away from the
gates. Caleb
usually waited in the carpool line to drop him off right in front and they were in no rush this morning.
He’d
planned to go into work late after he had a talk with Maddie this morning.
“We have time,” Caleb said, casting a glance over at the teenager.
“It’s fine. I can walk.”
Caleb frowned, but pulled up next to the sidewalk, right next to the edge of the football field. “Is
something
wrong, Peter?”
Peter stared straight in front of him, fumbling with a flap on the backpack that Maddie had bought for
him when
she’d realized how worn down his old one was.
“Did I do something?” Caleb prodded again when the teenager stayed quiet.
“I may be just a kid,” Peter started, voice quiet yet careful, “but I like to think that I can read people
pretty well.
And Maddie is probably one of the kindest people I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve never seen her as hurt
and upset as
she was last night before she left, no matter how much she was trying to hide it from me, and I know
that you had
something to do with it.” Peter turned to stare at him straight in the eye. “I don’t know what
happened between
you two, but I hope you realize that she didn’t deserve it. Whatever it was.”
With that, Peter pushed the passenger door open, slipped out, and slammed the door behind him.
Hard.
Caleb was still trying to process his words, feeling that knife twist in his chest when Peter said that
Maddie had been
upset last night, but then he realized something.
He accelerated to catch up with Peter and rolled down his window. “What the hell do you mean by
she left last
night?”
Peter stopped and gave him an odd look. “You mean, she didn’t tell you?”
Panic started clawing up his chest. Her door had still been shut this morning when he went out for a
run and
when he returned, but he thought she’d just been getting some extra sleep.
“What happened last night?” he asked, his words coming fast.
“She said you guys got into a fight,” Peter said, eyeing him. “She said it was best if she left for a little
while.
She had a suitcase. I helped her bring it downstairs and into her car and then she drove off.”
Disbelief made him process the information slowly, but no matter how long he sat there, the fact still
remained.
Maddie had left him.
Caleb shook his head, fists gripping the wheel until his knuckles turned white, and then he was pulling
away
from the curb, leaving Peter looking after him with a puzzled expression, and speeding back to the
house.
He refused to believe it. Maddie had to be at home still. She had to.
Caleb’s heart pounded in his chest the entire drive and when he finally pulled up into the driveway, he
immedi-
ately opened the garage, which he rarely used. The space where Maddie usually parked her car was
empty.
He charged through the garage and through the door leading into the house.
“Maddie!” he yelled, taking the stairs two at a time. He burst into the master bedroom. “Maddie!”
It was empty.
Caleb looked at the neatly made bed, feeling his stomach sink and throat burn, before pulling open
the closet
door. Her suitcase was gone. After a quick glance in the bathroom, he saw her toiletries were as
well.
He fisted a hand in his hair, trying to stay calm, but already he was beginning to feel a sense of loss so
devas-
tating that it made him want to sink to his knees.
On Caleb’s side of the bed, he saw a folded up piece of paper and he snatched it up, almost ripping it
in the
process of opening it. Maddie’s soft, feminine handwriting took up the page and his eyes moved over
the words
quickly, but every one he read turned his mood darker and darker.
Caleb,
I hope you understand why I need to do this. I need time away from you, from our situation, to think
things through
and to decide what’s best, not just for the baby, but for me as well.
I hope you know that I would never try and cut you out of the pregnancy. I know how important it is
to you and I
want you to be involved. I meant what I said when I told you you’d be an amazing father. Just
because we don’t live
under the same roof, it doesn’t make that untrue.
I’ll see you in a couple weeks at the next doctor’s appointment, if you still plan on coming. I do hope
you’ll be there.
There was nothing more. She didn’t tell him where she was going or when—if, Caleb’s mind
whispered—she
would come back. Caleb reread the note three times until it really sunk in that she’d left him.
Are you really surprised? he asked himself bitterly. After what you said to her last night…
Immediately, he pulled his cell phone out from his back pocket and dialed her number, taking deep
breaths on
every ring that she didn’t answer.
Pick up, pick up, pick up.
Finally, her voice drifted over the line and Caleb felt a dizzying wash of relief.
“Caleb,” she said. Her voice was quiet, tired, as though she hadn’t slept and he clenched his jaw.
“Where are you?” he demanded, trying to keep his voice even. If there was a way to pull her through
the phone
and back into his arms, back into their bed, where she belonged, he would do it in a heartbeat.
Maddie sighed and a few seconds ticked by in silence. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what
to do and
there’s a lot I need to work through before I’m ready to do anything. I hope you’ll give me that time.”
Caleb was anything but a patient man. Especially when his pregnant, kind, playful woman didn’t want
anything
to do with him.
He squeezed his eyes shut, sinking down on the bed, her note loosely dangling between his fingertips.
Again,
he asked, “Where are you?”
“Caleb…”
“Maddie, I swear, if you aren’t back by tonight, I will fucking lose it.”
Another sigh. “The baby’s fine, okay? You don’t have to worry about her.”
His chest squeezed. She thought that the only reason he wanted her back was because of the baby.
Did she
really think that he cared so little for her?
Friends with benefits, his mind taunted. Remember?
He felt like he’d swallowed a mouthful of sand. And maybe a mouthful of crow too.
“Maddie,” he started, voice surprisingly even. “Come back home. Please.”
“Caleb, I won’t,” she said, irritation starting to creep into her tone. Caleb was pleased to hear it.
Anything was
better than the monotonous, empty ring of her words.
Anger and frustration made him say, “Is this my punishment? For what I said?”
Maddie almost choked on her laugh and for once, Caleb hated to hear it. It sounded harsh and biting,
nothing
like the laugh Caleb could listen to for hours. “If anything, this is my punishment, Caleb, for falling in
love with you
in the first place. I knew that this would happen. I can’t say that I’m not surprised.”
The words hurt more than Caleb expected. Squeezing his eyes shut, he rasped, “Where are you? We
need to
talk.”
“I don’t want to see you right now,” she told him, sounding on the verge of tears and Caleb clenched
his fists.
“Just give me time, okay? I’ll see you in a couple weeks.”
A couple weeks? Caleb instantly rejected her words. A couple weeks without seeing her seemed like
a lifetime
and he wouldn’t have it.
“No, I—”
She cut him off. “I need to go. Bye, Caleb.”
She hung up. He stared down at the phone in his hand and barely refrained himself from chucking it
across the
room.
Two weeks? No fucking way. He looked at the date on his phone and saw that it was Friday. Even
though he
was tempted to drive into the city right now and wander around her campus looking for her, Caleb
knew that the
chances were slim that he’d actually find her. But tomorrow…tomorrow was when she interned at
the museum.
He knew when she started and when she ended. When she finished tomorrow afternoon, he’d be
there and he’d
convince her that this was foolish, that she needed to come home, that he didn’t want them living
apart for even
another night.
It seemed so long since he’d last held her, tracing the freckles on her soft skin as she drifted off to
sleep. All be-
cause of three little words and Caleb’s inability to accept them. He’d pushed her away, denied himself
the comforts
of their bed, the comforts of her, and now…he was fucking miserable. What had it even been for?
He glanced back down at the note, still pinched between his fingertips. No. He refused to simply wait
around
until Maddie made a decision about their future. He needed to talk to her, to be near her. The rising
panic in his
chest wouldn’t disappear until he was.
He’d give her today, no matter how much he would agonize over it.
Tomorrow was another story.

FORTY-THREE
When Maddie stepped foot outside the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park after her shift, she was
not in the
best mood. Her ankles were swollen from being on her feet for most of the day, she barely got any
sleep last night,
and her eyes were still a little swollen from all the crying she’d been doing. In short, she felt like a
complete mess.
A sad, mopey, pregnant mess.
To make her day even better, not even a minute out of the museum, she saw Caleb. He was standing
several
yards away, arms crossed over his chest, as he scanned the crowds. It was a Saturday and the
museum was usually
pretty busy. Families, couples, and students milled around the entrance, either leaving or just
entering, and it took
a little while for Caleb’s eyes to meet hers. When they did, Maddie almost—almost—did an about
face to retrace
her steps back inside. She didn’t want to do this right now. She just wanted to go back to her mom’s
house. She
wanted to hole up in her childhood bedroom, eat copious amounts of pistachio ice-cream, and then
sleep the rest
of the afternoon and evening away.
She ignored that her treacherous heart gave a little stutter at the sight of him. She ignored that she
immediately
reached up to straighten her hair before she frowned and gripped the material of her new maternity
dress. She ig-
nored the way her eyes devoured the sight of him, watching him uncross his arms and start towards
her, a gleam of
determination in those dark eyes. She even ignored the way women around him stopped to blatantly
check him
out, ogling everything from his lips, to the shifting muscles in his arms, to his firm backside, cupped
perfectly in his
dark jeans.
Mostly, it just hurt her to look at him. Last week, she would’ve thought of him as hers and she
would’ve
thought that there was no reason to be jealous of those women because she was the one who got to
see that back-
side in the flesh and she was the one that knew it was just as perfect as his jeans marketed.
Now, she knew better than to think that.
Maddie swallowed. Her exhaustion had been momentarily pushed to the side when she spotted him,
but now it
crashed back down on her. This was the man who’d broken her heart a couple nights ago. This was
the man
who’d lumped their entire relationship into the friends with benefits column after she confessed that
she loved him.
And it still stung. A lot. His rejection of her. His easy dismissal of her feelings. All he thought was
that they
were good together and that the sex was pretty fucking fantastic, to quote him word for word.
She knew why he was here. It pissed her off because he couldn’t even give her some time to work
things out in
her head. He’d been perfectly fine avoiding her for the past week, after all.
Maddie stopped walking, letting him quickly stride the rest of the way to her since she saw this
meeting as un-
avoidable.
“We need to talk,” Caleb said when he reached her. His hand reached out to grasp her hand, as if he
couldn’t
not touch her and that just irritated her even more.
She pulled free and took a step back, placing a hand on his chest to stop him from invading her space.
“I’m
tired, Caleb. My feet are throbbing and I just want to go home.”
“Let’s go home then,” he said easily.

“To my mom’s home,” she snapped back.
In clear frustration, he ran a palm through his hair, eyeing her. “Maddie, this is ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” she repeated and there went another stab to her gut. “You think that what I told you
was
ridiculous? Do you think that what I feel is ridiculous?”
He exhaled a sharp breath. “That’s not what I meant. Of course, that’s not what I meant.”
“Enlighten me then. What exactly did you mean by this is ridiculous?” she asked, her eyes narrowed.
A young couple gave them a long glance as they passed by and Caleb glared until they averted their
eyes. He
looked around them and then jerked his head to the side. “My car’s parked over there.”
“I’m not going with you,” she said, taking a step around him and walking past.
“Okay, then we’ll go to your car.”
“I took BART in.”
“Jesus, Maddie,” he cursed, grabbing her arm to stop her. “Will you just give me ten fucking minutes
and talk
to me? I need to explain some things.”
Maddie sighed wearily, squeezing her eyes closed and trying to take deep breaths. Her pulse was
rapid and she
knew it was due to stress. That couldn’t be good for the baby.
“Fine,” she snapped. “Ten minutes. Then I’m going home.”
“Fine,” he said in return, but his voice was softer than hers. He led her to his car, which was parked
on the
street in front of the museum. He must’ve gotten there early or he must’ve been really lucky to get
such a good
spot. When he unlocked and opened the door for her, she had to hop a little to get into the passenger
seat, but the
moment she sat down, she felt instant relief. She actually sighed and then kicked off her flats, only
realizing after-
wards that she might not be able to get them back on.
Caleb looked at her when he got in, watching as she leaned down to massage her calves.
“They do know you’re pregnant, right?” he asked, irritation rolling off of him. Maddie knew he didn’t
like her
working this much and she wanted to tell him to stop stressing out because it was only one day a
week. But even
she was beginning to wonder if she should take it easier, especially since she’d started getting
headaches this past
week.
“You wanted to talk,” she reminded him, glancing out the passenger window.
When she looked over at him, he had both hands draped over the top of the steering wheel, like he
needed it to
ground him. He was staring straight ahead and then said, “I can’t tell you what you want to hear,
Maddie. I’m
sorry. I just wanted to explain what I meant the other night.”
“I understood perfectly, Caleb,” she said, confused by the disappointment that filled her anew. She
had just
naively hoped that perhaps he needed time to figure out what she already knew…that he cared
deeply for her too.
For weeks, she’d held herself back. She had bit her tongue every time she wanted to tell him how she
felt be-
cause she’d been—justly—afraid of how he might react. And it shouldn’t be like that. She should’ve
been excited
to tell him.
The hopelessness of their situation hit her all over again. And she felt like a fool.
Then it hit her, like a sledgehammer to the stomach.
“This was never going to work out, was it?” she murmured, defeat making her shoulders slump. She
stared
down at her belly and put a hand there when she felt the baby give a light kick. And, even though she
hated herself
for it, she missed the nights where Caleb would touch her there and she would be able to see every
emotion on his
face.
“Don’t say that,” he said, his gaze darting over at her words, trying to read her. Whatever he saw in
her face
made him shift towards her, his hands reaching out to cradle her face in his palms. “Don’t say that,
Maddie,” he
pleaded.
“I was kidding myself,” she said, closing her eyes. His hands were warm on her face and she didn’t
have the
strength to pull away. “I thought that if we lived together, if we played family,” her lips twisted
bitterly, “for long
enough, then a relationship between us would just happen naturally. And I’m so stupid for thinking
that, for want-
ing that.”
“Maddie—”
“I can’t force it though,” she continued. “I can’t force you to have feelings for me, or for you to want
to be more
than just our child’s father, or for you to just let me in. And it wasn’t fair for me to expect that of
you. I know that
all you want is for her to grow up in a healthy, normal environment. I get it. But…I don’t think this is
the way to go
about it, Caleb. Not anymore. This isn’t healthy. And it’s not normal.”
Caleb stared at her, the space between his brows pinched, his mouth tight. “I thought…I thought
what we had
was good, Maddie. I thought you were happy.”
The way he said those words made tears sting her eyes. “I was happy, Caleb,” she said. “You did
make me
happy. I just—I can’t live like that, always wondering and never knowing. I wanted to give you
everything, but then
I realized that you weren’t able to reciprocate. And don’t I deserve to be loved, Caleb?” She forced a
small smile
on her lips, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I think I do, at least. And it’s not fair for me to be in a
situation like
that, knowing that we’re only playing pretend when I want the real thing.”
“We’re not ‘playing pretend,’ Maddie,” he growled. “We were building something. It might not have
been con-
ventional, but I wasn’t pretending that we were anything more than what I expected us to be.”
She closed her eyes.
There it was. The root of their problem.

Caleb didn’t want anything more than what they already had—a comfortable friendship. With perks,
of course.
Maddie wanted his love and for him to accept hers.
“And what happens if down the road, you meet someone? Or I meet someone else?” she asked,
looking at
him. His hands slid off her face and he fell back against the driver’s side door, a scowl emerging.
“What happens
if I fall in love with him and he falls in love with me? What then? Would you just stand aside and let
it happen?”
His jaw ticked so hard that it was like a throb and he shifted his head so that he looked out the
windshield, away
from her. This was what confused her. He would act like this. He would act like a jealous lover—he
did it with
her doctor, with the flirty check-out guy at the supermarket, with basically any man who looked at her
twice—yet he
still insisted that they were just friends. Was it because she was pregnant? Maybe he wasn’t even
jealous. Maybe
he just felt threatened since she was carrying his child.
She almost laughed. Yet another thing that she’d read wrong…
Her voice hitched when she spoke next. “I’m just trying to point out that even though our
arrangement might
work now, it would fall apart in the future. I—I don’t want to spend the rest of my life waiting for it to
happen,
Caleb. It would eat away at me until nothing was left. And I need you to understand that. And I need
you to give
me time to get over you.”
“So,” he said, voice guttural, “you’ve already made up your mind?”
“I was prepared to fight for you, Caleb,” she whispered, wiping her cheeks. “But even I can see that
this is a los-
ing battle. I can’t fight for you when you don’t even want to be won.”
Her words hung heavy in the air.
Caleb was silent.

He still wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were darting between watching the people, the families,
walking down
the sidewalk towards the museum, and the cars passing them by.
“Caleb,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his hand. And he flinched. Maddie withdrew her hand,
biting
her lip, tears blurring her vision. He hadn’t done that in so, so long, not in months, that she’d
forgotten the way it
made her feel.
Caleb’s fingers twisted the key in the ignition but he still wouldn’t meet her eyes. He murmured, “At
least let
me drive you to your car. Did you park in Walnut Creek?”
Maddie paused. It would be so much easier if she just got out of this car, if she didn’t sit next to him
for the
long drive back home.
Then she decided that it didn’t matter. Not in the long haul. Caleb was going to be a part of her life
forever
once the baby was born. For their child’s sake, she preferred that they remained friends. That would
be the best
case scenario in this situation. It was such a simple act, him driving her so she wouldn’t have to take a
bus to the
BART station, and if it made him feel better, then so be it.
“Yes, I did,” she said quietly.
Caleb gave a sharp nod, waited for her to buckle her seatbelt, and then he was pulling away from the
curb.
This was going to be the longest car ride of her life.

FORTY-FOUR
Maddie directed him to her car in the parking lot at Walnut Creek and Caleb slid into the space next to
it. He
could feel her eyes on him, could feel how close she was, and he had the urge to just pull her across
his lap and
wrap his arms around her so she would never leave him again.
During the entire drive out of the city, her words had been burning tracks in his mind. They hurt. The
defeat in
her eyes, the sure steadiness of her voice as she spoke about how hopeless their future was
together…he could see
the cracks burrowing their way into her heart and it fucking tore at him. He hated that he was the
cause of her pain,
of her resolve.
Maddie was finally giving up on him. After everything that they’d been through, after all the fighting,
after all the
ugly words he’d thrown in her face, this was the final straw for her. And he deserved nothing less.
Even if he did love her, even if he couldn’t stomach the thought of a future without her and couldn’t
imagine
waking up with anyone else, Caleb didn’t know if he could be everything that she wanted him to be.
He would al-
ways be broken in some way. Maddie had begun the process of putting him back together, but there
were pieces
missing that could never be recovered. He feared that he could never be whole for her. And that was
what she
wanted.
The thought of letting her go was met with a dizzying and fierce resistance. Maddie might believe that
they were
over, but he was a determined man. A selfish one too. She might have given up on him, but he would
never give
up on her.
Right at that moment, he could start. He could try and explain why this was so difficult for him, to try
and give
her something that he knew she’d wanted for a long time—for him to open up. He just wasn’t sure
how far he was
willing to go.
When she reached down to unbuckle her seatbelt, he reached across the console and caught her
hand.
“I—,” he started, but the words stuck in throat. And it was so damn frustrating. He tried again, “I
need you
to…”
Shit, he was awful at this.
“Caleb?” she asked, brows furrowing.
He must’ve sat there for five whole minutes—and Maddie didn’t move, as if sensing that he needed
time—until
he could find the words. When they tore from his throat, they were ugly and bitter, but he was glad
to be rid of
them.
“All the women who have ever fucked me over in my life have told me that they loved me.”
Maddie’s hand stiffened in his own. He ignored that they were sitting in a parking lot, that people
passed by his
car every now and again, looking at them curiously before averting their gaze.
“My mother. Charlotte. Victoria.” He paused, his hand tightening before he continued. “Stella, my
aunt.”
Maddie’s lips parted. “She…she…”
“Does that disgust you?” he asked, his lips twisting.
“Caleb—”
“She told me on multiple occasions that she loved me. I hated her fucking guts, yet I let her fuck me
and I let
her tell me she loved me.”
There it was. The shame, the hatred, the ugliness. It stabbed at him, chewed at his innards,
consumed parts of
him that could never be reclaimed. So many years of that bleakness, that darkness, always wondering
why it had
happened to him. Always wondering why he had allowed it, why he hadn’t spoken up for himself,
defended him-
self.
He struggled with it still. They were old memories and they only surfaced when he least expected
them to.
They were memories that would always be under his skin until the day he died, but he’d learned to
live with them, to
coexist with them, so that they didn’t consume him.
Maddie was utterly silent. Caleb wondered if she was even breathing.
“It didn’t happen all the time,” he told her, voice rumbling in his chest. “Maybe once or twice a
month. She
was conflicted about it, can you believe that? She’d come into my room at night, when my uncle was
asleep, and
every time I heard that door creak open, I wanted to vomit. And I hated when she touched me. If I
didn’t wake up
when the door opened, she would wake me with her hands. And it would be dark, but it made my
skin crawl.
Afterwards, she’d tell me the same thing. That she loved me. That I couldn’t tell my uncle because he
wouldn’t
believe me. She’d threaten me. She’d panic, I remember that. She would whisper to herself that it
was wrong.
That she wouldn’t do it again.”
Maddie pressed her fingers to her mouth, tears pooling and catching in her lashes, and Caleb felt her
hand
tremble. He wanted to look away, to hide away from her when the disgust would inevitably enter
into her gaze. He
didn’t know if he could handle seeing it.

“She’d leave me alone for a couple weeks, maybe three, and then it would happen again. And it went
on for al-
most two years. And then I found my out,” he murmured, pausing to take a breath. “She’d left her
email open one
day. She was an accountant at a law firm in the city and I found emails from someone she worked
with that seemed
odd to me. I did some more digging and eventually found some documents she’d hidden in a folder at
home and
found out that she and this partner of hers had been embezzling money by manipulating the
accounting records at
the firm. I found bank statements in foreign accounts with her name on them. They’d stolen over
$150,000 over a
period of a year and a half and no one had caught on to what they’d been doing since they only took a
little at a
time.”
“Oh my God,” Maddie whispered.
“I had proof and I took all of it. Shortly after that, I confronted her. I was in my senior year. She was
furious.
And scared. I told her that she would never touch me again or else she’d go to prison. I’d make sure
of it. To this
day, I regret not exposing her. After that, she left. She quit her job, left my uncle, and disappeared. I
don’t think
she trusted that I wouldn’t say anything, not with prison time hanging over her head, or me speaking
out about the
abuse. My uncle didn’t understand at first. He was sad, angry. The person he’d known was a lie and
we never
heard from her again.”
“Did you—,” her voice was hoarse when she spoke. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Did you ever tell
him?”
Caleb ran a hand through his hair and was surprised when he saw it was shaking. “No. I didn’t.
About ei-
ther.”
“Why not?” she demanded, wiping at her cheeks. A spark of fury lit her gaze, which made his brows
furrow.
“After what she did to you, you should’ve torn her apart and not have looked back. It’s despicable!
She deserved
prison. She deserved worse!”
Shock pierced him. He had expected her disgust, her pity. He’d even prepared himself for her
revulsion.
What he hadn’t expected was for her to be inflamed, and on his behalf. An unfamiliar emotion
choked him.
“I just wanted her gone,” he admitted, voice ragged, like he hadn’t spoken for decades. “I wanted her
out of my
life forever.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Caleb,” she whispered, eyes glassy with tears. “She’s still in your life. Even
now. I
can see it.”
He closed his eyes.
“I know.”
Caleb remembered the helpless look on Maddie’s face when he’d woken up in the middle of the night,
sweating,
panicked. He’d brought that wall between them. She’d wanted to help him, had tried to talk about it,
but he’d shut
her down and pushed her away.
“I didn’t want you to look at me differently,” he murmured, turning his head away, frowning. “I didn’t
want…”
he trailed off, not knowing how to explain it.
“I understand, Caleb,” was her quiet reply.
With her words came relief. Unbelievable relief that staggered him. He’d imagined telling her about
his aunt
hundreds of times. It had always been hanging over his head and now that pressure was gone.
“You told me once that I was a victim,” he started. “And that there was nothing wrong with that. And
you were
right.”
“Caleb…”
“She was thirty years older than I was. I was sixteen when the abuse started. Sixteen. Younger than
Peter is
right now. I was young and she was the most manipulative person I’ve ever met. I’ve come to terms
with a lot of
what happened, but this will always be with me, Maddie. I realized a long time ago that it will never
be gone, no
matter how much I want it to be.”
“What happened to her?” Maddie asked quietly.
“She’s dead,” he said, clenching his jaw. “In November, I got a call from a lawyer, saying she left me
money in
her will. I told him I wanted nothing to do with it. He didn’t tell me how she died and I didn’t ask.”
“In November?”
Caleb nodded, leaning his head back against the head rest. “It was that night,” he murmured. “When
you
found me outside. When we kissed. I’d just received the voicemail.”
Her lips pressed together in realization but she didn’t say anything. She just continued to hold his
hand. And
he remembered her words to him so long ago, when she’d found out that his uncle died.
Sometimes all you need is someone to sit silently with you and not say anything at all.
He remembered that day in the courtyard when they were in high school. Of course, he hadn’t
realized that girl
and Maddie were one in the same, but he remembered that brutal pain and loss in her brown eyes
and remembered
sitting with her. He remembered feeling helpless, but not in the same way that his aunt had made
him feel. It was
a good helplessness because he could at least offer comfort to someone who needed it.
Caleb realized that Maddie was the person who understood him best in the world. Even over his
friends, Brian,
his uncle. She’d seen all facets of him, but mostly the dark and the ugly, and she still loved him. He
didn’t de-
serve to be loved by someone like her.
“Maddie,” he said.
“Yes?”
“I lied that night. In the garage. I know we’re not just friends.”
Her breath hitched as she stared. His gaze took in those big eyes that had gotten him into so much
trouble in
the first place, those light freckles that aroused him, that glorious hair he loved running his fingers
through, and
those soft lips he loved to kiss.
“And I know that I’ve given you no reason not to…but I need you to not give up on me,” he told her.
“Because I won’t ever give up on us.”
FORTY-FIVE
Maddie sighed and tossed her paperback onto her night table in frustration. Groaning, she tried to
push into a
more comfortable position. The baby felt like she was practicing for the Olympics inside her uterus
and even
though Maddie had just gone to the bathroom ten minutes ago, her bladder already felt like it was
close to bursting.
Pregnancy was no joke. And she was only twenty-seven weeks in. Another three months like this?
When
everyday she would just get bigger and bigger and her body would ache more and more? She already
felt over-
whelmed but reminded herself to just take it one day at a time.
After relieving her bladder once again, she returned to bed and flipped off the light, in an attempt to
go to sleep
for the third time. It was two in the morning and she had class at eight. Her mom had gone to bed
hours ago and
Maddie had tried everything from reading one of her driest textbooks, to reading an old Penguin
Classic, to listening
to soothing music, to drinking a glass of warm milk. Her brain would just not shut off.
That and she’d been having some abdomen pain lately. She’d called her doctor the day before, but
since her
appointment was coming up, he just told her that she might feel some discomfort since the baby was
two pounds
now and that he’d give her a thorough check-up when she came in.
It had been almost two weeks since she’d seen Caleb, the longest two weeks of her life, it seemed.
That day, sit-
ting with him in his car as he told her about his aunt’s abuse, had been rough and emotional. Just
thinking about it
brought another flurry of anger towards his aunt.
And what he’d said…how could she not feel a flutter in her chest every time she thought about him
saying he
wouldn’t give up on them? Just remembering that familiar look of determination in his eyes made her
pulse soar.
But so far, he’d done nothing and Maddie battled with the potent disappointment she felt, which only
served to
confuse her even more. She’d wanted space, hadn’t she? She’d been convinced that they weren’t
right for each,
that they should try and live separate lives, but then he’d done the one thing that she’d been trying to
get him to do
for months…he’d opened up to her about his abuse. It had given her hope. Maddie allowed herself to
entertain
the notion that perhaps this was a first step in the right direction. If he could open up to her, trust her
with his
darkest memories, then perhaps he’d be open to the possibility of a relationship.
Yet, besides his daily calls, he’d made no attempt to see her.
She shouldn’t even be as pissed as she felt over that. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, but she
couldn’t help
but wonder if he’d changed his mind.
This up and down with him, feeling uncertain one moment and so sure the next, was tiring. But this
space had
given her a lot of time to think and process. She realized that perhaps she had given up too soon.
She’d always
known that Caleb was prickly, that he had a temper, and he said things he didn’t mean. She also
knew that he was
loyal, devoted, and treated her like a queen when they were together.
He was as complicated as complicated could be.
So, she decided that she’d try not to overanalyze anything. She’d just go with what felt natural in the
moment,
take things day-by-day, and see where they came out on the other side.
It didn’t change the fact that she missed him like crazy though. She missed Peter. She missed their
house.
She missed everything.
Maddie shifted onto her other side, trying to get more comfortable, but the ache in her abdomen was
back. She
tried sitting up in bed to see if the change in position would help, but it just made it worse.
And as the pain became more acute and spread to her back and shoulders as another hour ticked by,
she started
to realize that something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Saliva filled her mouth and she felt like she
was on the
verge of vomiting. It felt like she was being repeatedly stabbed in the abdomen, on her right side, and
it was only
when tears were streaming down her face and she was gritting her teeth against the pain, that she
fumbled for her
phone on the night stand. She didn’t even know if she could make it down the hallway to her mom’s
room.
As she sobbed, she dialed Caleb’s number, wanting nothing more than for him to be here right now
and feeling
so incredibly scared.
* * *
Caleb jerked out of sleep like he’d been dreaming he was in a free fall and his eyes darted to his
phone, vibrating
and chirping loudly, on the night stand. The alarm clock read 3:09 and dread stole his breath when he
saw Mad-
die’s name flash on screen.
“Maddie?” he answered. “Maddie! What’s—”
His blood turned to ice when he heard her crying. “C-Caleb, something’s w-wrong.”
“What is it?” he demanded, already jumping out of bed to pull on clothes. He’d been sleeping in the
master
bedroom, mostly because the sheets still smelled like her and it comforted him.
“I—I don’t know. My s-stomach and my back,” she sobbed. “I’m scared, Caleb.”
He fumbled with the button on his jeans. He tried to be calm for her, even though he felt a rising
panic the
likes of which he’d never experienced before. “Try and relax, princess. Where’s your mom?”
He heard a sharp inhale of breath. “Down the hall.”
“Maddie,” he started. “You need to go get your mom, okay? Can you do that?”
A sob was his answer and Caleb gritted his teeth, frustrated and feeling helpless that he wasn’t there
with her
right now. All of his worst fears were coming true. If something happened to Maddie…
No. He couldn’t think like that.
“I’ll try,” was her response.
Caleb heard her bed squeak as he stabbed his arms into a shirt and then he was heading out of the
bedroom and
downstairs. Maddie’s mom lived near his old house, but that was almost twenty minutes away.
Maddie would be
able to get to hospital quicker if her mom drove her there immediately.
Fuck, fuck fuck!
On the other end of the line, Caleb could hear her ragged breaths and he talked to her as she made
her way to
her mom’s bedroom, but every step she took seemed to cause her tremendous pain. A little relief
swept through
him when he heard a door open and her mom’s groggy voice, which then turned alert when Maddie
told her what
was wrong.
“Which hospital, Maddie?” he asked, quickly scribbling out a note for Peter before making his way out
to his car.
She was still crying and then he heard her mom tell her to give her the phone.
“Caleb,” Maddie’s mom said, “I’m going to take her to Contra Costa. Do you know how to get there?”
“Yeah, I know where it is,” he said. He’d met her mom a couple times before when Maddie had
invited the
older woman over for dinner. She’d always been polite and friendly towards him, even though he
knew that
Thomas had probably painted him in a less than favorable light, but Caleb could sense that she still
didn’t trust him
completely. “How does she look?”
There was a pause and then she lowered her voice, “She doesn’t look good, Caleb.”
Swallowing hard, he started up his car and backed out of the driveway. It was pitch black outside, all
the houses
on the street dark. “I’ll meet you guys there. Can I talk to her real quick?”
The phone was passed back to Maddie. “C-Caleb?”
“I’m on my way to the hospital, princess,” he murmured, accelerating towards the freeway, hoping
that there
were no cops around. “I’m going to try and call Dr. Cochrane and then I’ll call you back. Everything
will be fine,
okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“Maddie,” he started, wanting to tell her so many things. But words felt so inadequate. “I’ll see you
soon.”
Once he knew that they were on their way to the E.R., he dialed Dr. Cochrane’s number. The doctor
picked up
on the fifth ring, but Caleb felt no guilt whatsoever that he’d interrupted the man’s sleep. Once he
explained the
situation, Dr. Cochrane said, “It could possibly be preeclampsia, but they won’t know for sure until
they take urine
samples and take her blood pressure. Have you noticed if her hands and feet have been swelling
more than
usual?”
Frustration ate at him because he hadn’t seen her in almost two weeks. “No, she didn’t tell me that
anything
was out of the ordinary.”
“Ah, I see,” the doctor said and Caleb hated the knowing lilt in his tone. “Well, the problem is that
these symp-
toms can come on very suddenly. At the last check-up, everything was normal.”
“And what are the treatment options if it is? Is she in any danger?”
“It’s very rare that preeclampsia leads to death.” That word made Caleb temporarily stop breathing.
“The only
thing that can cure it is delivery. But she’s only twenty-six weeks.”
“Twenty-seven,” Caleb corrected.
“Forgive me, twenty-seven. The earliest we can induce a delivery is at thirty-seven.”
“And in the meantime?” he asked, gritting his teeth. He would not just stand around and watch
Maddie in pain
for another eleven weeks.
“Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of options until we have a diagnosis. I mean, it could be
preeclampsia,
but it could also be a UTI, gallstones, appendicitis, or just because her uterus is growing.”
“And what about the pain?” Caleb demanded. Just remembering her racking sobs made him want to
yell in
frustration.
“Again, there aren’t a whole lot of options. It would be Maddie’s decision to take painkillers, but
ibuprofen is
generally not recommended in the third trimester, which is just right around the corner for her.”
Fuck!
“I know this isn’t what you want to hear, Mr. Montgomery,” Dr. Cochrane said. “But just let Maddie
get
checked out first and see what the doctor says. Depending on the diagnosis, then we will decide what
the next step
will be.”
Caleb dialed Maddie’s number again when he hung up with the doctor, but it went to her voicemail,
which wor-
ried him. He told himself it was probably just because they’d reached the hospital already. His foot
pressed hard-
er on the accelerator and he shot down the freeway.
By the time he was pulling into the parking lot of the E.R., he was out of his mind with worry and he
hurried into
the reception area. He discovered that Maddie had already been admitted and the security guard let
him pass once
he checked in.
She was in room 112 and when Caleb stepped foot inside, he was staggered by the sight of her.
Maddie was
lying upright in bed, an IV hooked into her arm, and noticeably still in severe pain. Her jaw was
clenched and she
kept squirming on the bed, like she couldn’t find a position that didn’t cause her discomfort.
“Maddie,” he said, crossing to her bed. Maddie’s mom, Cindy, was sitting, tense, in one of the two
chairs in the
room, clutching her daughter’s hand.
“Caleb,” she sobbed. She was crying so hard that it racked her body. She looked exhausted, beyond
pale, like
she hadn’t been sleeping much lately, and sweat gleamed at her brow.
“How are you doing, princess?” he asked hoarsely, brushing a strand of hair off her face. Her face felt
a little
warm to the touch and he shot a look over his shoulder, searching for a nurse. The sight of her in
excruciating pain
was awful. He wished that he could take it all for her.
She didn’t answer, just shook her head.
Caleb glanced at Cindy. “Have they run any tests?”
The older woman nodded. “Just blood, urine, and blood pressure. They can’t do a CT scan because
she’s
pregnant. We’re just waiting for the doctor to do an ultrasound.”
Caleb ground his teeth. “This is ridiculous. Where the hell is the doctor?”
“Did you reach Dr. Cochrane?” Maddie asked, huffing.
Caleb stroked her hair, trying to keep calm. If he lost his temper, it would only make her tense. He
was all too
aware of Cindy’s eyes watching them both carefully, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He needed
to touch
Maddie, to reassure himself, if anything.
“He said it could be a lot of things and that we needed to wait on the diagnosis,” he said, not wanting
to alarm
her unnecessarily. “Which should hopefully be any minute now. I’m going to go see where the doctor
is, okay?”
Heads would fucking roll if a doctor wasn’t in this room in the next few minutes. With that thought,
he turned
out of the room.

FORTY-SIX
The pain was like nothing she’d ever experienced in her life. Maddie hardly even noticed when the
doctor en-
tered the room, looking a little frazzled, a dark-eyed Caleb following right behind her, and she didn’t
even care that
Caleb probably behaved a little badly to get her in there. She’d kiss him for it later.
“Okay, Ms. Ashby,” Dr. Taylor said, shooting a hesitant look at Caleb. “Let’s see what’s going on
here.”
Maddie endured the questions, the gentle probing of her abdomen and side, and the ultrasound by
the doctor.
Her demeanor seemed to change rapidly as the tests continued, and once the blood work and urine
samples re-
turned, she said, “I’m afraid that it’s appendicitis, Ms. Ashby. We’re going to have perform an
appendectomy.”
Surgery? she thought, dazed.
“Oh my God,” her mom murmured.
Caleb recovered faster. “Are you serious? She’s pregnant! She can’t have surgery.”
“We’ll do a laparoscopy. It’s less invasive with quicker recovery time,” Dr. Taylor explained, although
she was
still wary of Caleb. “There are risks, of course, with any surgery but pregnant women have undergone
this proce-
dure many times and their babies are perfectly healthy, I assure you, Mr. Montgomery.”
Caleb was furious, Maddie could tell. But he also recognized that it was a necessity. Appendicitis…if
she
didn’t have this surgery, the organ could rupture. She could die and so would the baby.
“W-when can we do it?” Maddie asked.

Dr. Taylor turned to her. “Immediately. If we wait too long, it will put both of you at risk.”
Maddie met Caleb’s eyes and she could see that he was scared. They both were.
“Okay,” she said. “L-let’s hurry.”
* * *
Caleb had stopped believing in God a long time ago—if he ever had in the first place—but it didn’t
stop him
from sending up a prayer because he figured it couldn’t hurt. He was willing to try anything at this
point.
They’d wheeled Maddie in for an emergency surgery a little over a half hour ago. It was five in the
morning, the
waiting room was virtually empty and eerily quiet, except for the mounted TV that played news reels
over and over
again. His footsteps echoed on the white tiled floor as he paced up and down the room. He’d tried
sitting, but the
nervous energy welling up in him was unbearable and he needed an outlet.
Cindy watched him from the chair she’d claimed. Dressed in her pajama bottoms and the sweatshirt
that Caleb
retrieved for her from his SUV, she looked a little fragile, but a lot like Maddie. She’d spent the first
half hour
googling appendectomy procedures during pregnancy and whatever she found there seemed to
comfort her
slightly. But the strained lines around her mouth and eyes betrayed her calmness.
“Everything will be fine, honey,” she told him, probably tired watching him pace. He was probably
making her
anxious, but his heart felt like it’d beat out of his goddamn chest. “You’ll see.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
“Well, aren’t you the little optimist,” she teased and he recognized what she was doing. She was
trying to relax
him, just a little. And for a moment, it reminded him so much of Maddie that it stole his breath,
because if this
procedure took a turn for the worse, would he ever have the chance to experience her again?
It was hard to not let dark thoughts enter his mind, even though he knew that in all likelihood, the
procedure
would be a success. Appendectomies were performed every day. Her appendix hadn’t ruptured and
she was get-
ting the damn thing taken out at that very moment.
Still…he’d never felt more terrified.
Her phone beeped and she glanced down at it. “Thomas is about ten minutes away.”
She’d called him shortly after the two of them were shown to the waiting room. He’d been angry that
Cindy
hadn’t called him sooner, but she hadn’t wanted to worry him until they knew what they were
dealing with.
Caleb sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He’d sent a text to Peter, explaining the situation and
that Brian
would take him to school that morning. He didn’t know how long he’d be there, but he wasn’t leaving
Maddie’s
side when she eventually came out of surgery.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Cindy asked, after a brief pause.
He shot her a confused look. “Talk about what?”
“About what happened between you two,” she answered, eyeing him. “Maddie wouldn’t talk about
it. But a
mother knows things and I picked up on what she wasn’t saying.”
Caleb couldn’t do this right now, not when he was worried out of his mind for Maddie.
That motherly sixth sense seemed to extend to him. “Or we don’t have to. But I do want to tell you
something.” That got his attention. “I just want to say that I was worried when Maddie first told us
she was
pregnant. How could we not be? She’d always been so focused, so driven on finishing school and
starting her ca-
reer, that getting pregnant was probably the last thing I ever expected from her. She’s never even
dated, as far as I
could tell. So, of course, I was a little alarmed and curious about who the father was. And when
Thomas told me
about you, that you weren’t good for her, that you had a past, I tried not to cast judgments until I saw
it for myself.
And I’m glad that I didn’t.”
So, Thomas had tried to sway her opinion of him. Not that Caleb had expected anything less.
“Caleb, I know you care about her.”
“‘Care?’” Caleb repeated dumbly and then he gave an exhausted laugh. “‘Care’ is completely,” he
struggled to
find the right word, “inadequate for what I feel for her.”
“Love, then,” Cindy said, waving her hand. “Whatever you want to call it. I’m just trying to say that I
see it.
And I’m not worried anymore. I know you two will get over whatever you’re going through and that
you’ll make her
happy. I feel it.”
Her words made him still. She’d said it so easily, so inconsequentially.
Love, then.
He’d thought it time and time again—that love was just a word—but had he ever truly explained it to
Maddie?
He’d fully intended to a couple weeks ago, when he told her about his abuse, but perhaps, he’d never
verbalized it.
Had he?
Caleb closed his eyes and sank back down into a chair.
He wasn’t any good at this. And Maddie was the one paying for it.
“How do you know I’ll be able to make her happy?” he asked, staring down at the tile.
He remembered her words in the car, asking him what would happen if she eventually fell in love with
someone
else down the road. And he’d been hit so fucking hard with loss and jealousy and hurt, like he was
already grieving
for that day. Because in the back of his mind, he figured that eventually, that could become true.
Caleb had never
seen himself as being able to give her what she needed in the long run because he knew that she
deserved better
than him, that she’d want someone better when she realized that.
But what if all she ever really wanted was him? What if he was good for her? What if he’d been too
trapped by
his own demons that he couldn’t see that until now?
“Because you look at her the same way my husband used to look at me,” Cindy said, a sad smile
crossing her
lips. “And I know that there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for her. Love is a scary thing, isn’t it? It
makes you
realize that you’d endure anything for another person, that you care about someone so much that it
worries you
until you’re sick, because you realize that your heart is outside of your body and that you can’t protect
it anymore.
You feel that way about her. And you’ll feel that way about your daughter when she comes into this
world. It’s the
nature of the beast.”
Caleb didn’t say anything. When he raised his hand to wipe it down his jaw, it was shaking. And he
prayed and
prayed that Maddie would be okay, because they had a lot to talk about…and Caleb had a lot to tell
her.
“I can see why my daughter loves you, Caleb. You’re a good man.”
Thomas chose that moment to appear and after Cindy recounted everything that the doctor said and
Maddie’s
older brother calmed down enough to take a seat, Caleb could still sense that there was tension
between the two of
them. There might always be tension between them, but Caleb hoped that one day, they would reach
a good place.
Another hour came and passed. By the time the doctor who’d been operating on Maddie finally
appeared,
Caleb felt like he’d aged five years in five hours.
“How is she?” he asked, all three of them standing from their seats.
Caleb felt pure relief when the doctor said, “She’s fine and so is the baby. Everything went perfectly.
You’ll be
able to see her soon.”
And Caleb wondered if, perhaps, there was a higher power after all.
When one of the nurses finally allowed them to visit her, she was awake, although a little groggy,
since anes-
thesia had been necessary, despite the lighter dose. She’d be monitored throughout the day, but
could be released
later that night if the doctor signed off on it. When Dr. Taylor said it was a quicker recovery time, she
hadn’t been
kidding.
The moment he saw her, a burst of emotion fizzled in his chest and he could finally relax after the
hours of
uncertainty and fear he’d just experienced.
They’d been sitting with her in the recovery room for a few hours when Cindy said, “Thomas, let’s go
find the
cafeteria. I’m starving.” She squeezed Caleb’s hand. “We’ll be back in a little while.”
Sixth sense, indeed.
Maddie was more awake now. He pulled his chair closer to the bed and she rested her cheek on the
pillow so
she could look at him. Threading their fingers together, being mindful of the IV still in her arm, he
brought her
hand to his lips.
“You don’t look so good,” she murmured, teasing.
His lips twitched. “Neither do you, princess.”
“I just had surgery. What’s your excuse?”
“Going through hell and back,” he deadpanned.
She sobered and was quiet for a moment. “I’m just glad everything is fine.”
He kissed her palm. “I don’t know what I would’ve done, Maddie, if things turned out differently.”
“The baby wasn’t harmed, Caleb,” she soothed, brow furrowing.
Shaking his head, he murmured, “Not the baby. You. You have to know that I would’ve always
chosen you, if
given the choice.”
Maddie’s lips parted when she digested what he was saying. She looked at her hand, clasped in his
own, and
then met his eyes again.
His chest tightened and he took a deep breath, needing to tell her.
Everything.
“In the waiting room…I—I realized that I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy.” The
words hung
in the air, heavy yet beautiful. “I realized that I was punishing you for my own insecurities and that it
was never a
question of what I felt for you, even though that’s what I led you to believe.”
“Caleb…” she whispered.
“I can never be whole for you, Maddie,” he admitted, licking his dry lips. “Not with everything that
happened in
the past.”
“I don’t need you to be whole, Caleb,” she said. “I just want you to be there. With me.”
This woman was a marvel. She gave him more than he deserved.
“When you told me that you loved me,” he started, “I said that love means nothing and that I didn’t
care.” How
could I have been so callous, so cold? he wondered, squeezing his eyes shut briefly in remorse, before
he sought her
eyes, needing that connection. “What I should’ve told you was that love is a word, Maddie, and what
I feel for you
goes beyond a simple word.”
Her breath hitched and she stilled, like she was afraid to move and shatter the moment, and he
smiled.
“There’s really no word for what I feel for you, but I suppose the word ‘love’ will have to do, although
it pales in
comparison,” he murmured. “Maddie, I love you. You…you were right. I was just too afraid to admit
it, but I’m
not anymore. And I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for too many things that I will spend the rest
of my life
making up to you, if you’ll give me another chance.”
It was, perhaps, the most unromantic declaration of love in the history of mankind, with her, fresh out
of
surgery, and him, running on an hour of sleep, and them, in a fucking hospital of all things, but he
couldn’t wait an-
other minute without her knowing.

“And I know that I don’t deserve another chance. I—I didn’t even deserve the second chance, but I
won’t give
up. And you know how single minded and relentless I can be,” he warned. His pulse accelerated in
excitement
when he saw a familiar twinkle enter her eyes. “I’ll use our baby girl to make you take me back if I
have to.” Mad-
die snorted out a laugh and he’d never heard a sweeter sound. “I’ll hold your love for me over your
head too.”
“Oh? You will?” she asked, quirking a brow.
He sobered. “If I still have it, that is.”
The teasing smile on her face faded as well but the soft look in her eyes didn’t vanish. She let go of his
hand
and brought her fingertips to his face, tracing his brow, the hard line of his nose, his lips that he knew
she loved to
kiss.
“You’ve had my love since you sat with me that day in the courtyard, Caleb. My stubborn heart
knows who it
wants…and it’s always been you,” she confessed. “It always will be.”
His breath hitched that time. Then he was leaning over the bed, his lips finding hers, and he felt,
rather than
saw, her smile.
“I want to make this work, Caleb,” she whispered, afterwards.
“We will, princess,” he told her.

FORTY-SEVEN
“Don’t open them yet,” Caleb murmured into her ear and Maddie couldn’t keep the grin off her face
even if she
tried.
“The suspense is killing me,” she informed him.
He chuckled. “You’ll live.”
Keeping her eyes closed, she reached out her arms and touched the cool wood of the door, the door
of the guest
bedroom, she assumed. Caleb said he had a surprise for her when she first moved back in over a
week ago, once
she was released from the hospital, but he refused to show her until her week of bed rest was up.
Caleb took the
doctor’s orders very, very seriously, but he’d stayed with her during that time, even taking the week
off work to be at
her side. Bed rest wasn’t so bad after all, especially when a girl had a gorgeous hunk playing nurse
and keeping her
happy with cuddling and generous foot rubs.
It was hard to be her sometimes.
Mostly, Maddie had the urge to pinch herself. Mostly, she thought that being this happy couldn’t be
possible.
She was waiting to wake up from a wonderful dream.
Every day that passed when she didn’t wake up, however, gave her more confidence. She began to
accept that
yes, she could be this happy. She accepted that she made Caleb happy and there was no greater
feeling in the entire
world.
Well, except for being loved by him, of course. The knowledge that she loved him with everything she
had and
that love was returned, that Caleb embraced it, was indescribable.
That she didn’t know if she’d ever get over.
“Can I open them now?” she asked when she heard Caleb push open the door.
Being mindful of her right side, where she’d had the surgery, he guided her into the room and then
said, “Okay,
open.”
Her eyes flew open. And she gasped.
The guest bedroom was gone. Caleb’s old bed, the dresser, the nightstand. In its place was a
nursery. A fin-
ished nursery.
“Caleb!” she exclaimed, eyes wide as she took everything in. “Did you…how did you…when—”
Behind her, he kissed the back of her neck. “I had some help.”
In awe, she glanced around, her gaze darting from one thing to the next, afraid to miss even the
smallest of
details. A pristine, white crib was placed against the right wall, an adorable spinning mobile over it,
with stars and
crescent moon cut outs. A new changing table sat on top of a low dresser on the opposite side of the
room and
when she pulled open the drawers, it was already stocked with diapers, cleansing wipes, and
powders.
A beautifully elegant cream colored rocking chair sat underneath the window, a side table and a
bookshelf, filled
with toys and frames and books, flanking it.
The walls had been painted a soothing soft dove grey color. Pink accents dotted the room, from the
towels on
the changing table, to the shade of the floor lamp beside the crib, to the pink patterned rug, to the
whimsical paint-
ings of birds and bunnies and woodland creatures on the walls.

Everything was so…perfect.
Naturally, she started crying. Caleb knew by now that it didn’t mean she was upset. In fact, it was
quite the
opposite.
She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder, ignoring the way her skin pulled a little
under-
neath her bandages. Caleb let her cry all over him and get it out of her system and when she pulled
away, wiping at
her face, she asked, “How in the world did you do all this?”
“Like I said, I had some help,” he told her, looking around. “Alex, Luke, and Adam helped me with the
furniture,
which Olivia, Kate, and Christie helped pick out. And Kyra,” he said, “painted the walls and bought
the paintings
for you.”
“Kyra?” she asked. “My Kyra?”
Caleb’s lips quirked. “Yes. Your brother gave me her number, despite his better judgment. And she
gave me
quite the tongue lashing when she finally got a hold of me.”
“And she kept it from me?” Maddie asked in disbelief. Kyra couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.
“When did
you do all this?”
His chin lowered and he met her eyes. “I started the day after I met you at the museum.”
“You’ve been doing this for the past two weeks?” she murmured, amazed. “I thought…I thought that
maybe
you’d changed your mind.”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I just…I didn’t see you for almost two weeks. I thought…” she trailed off, overwhelmed.
Caleb frowned and then realization dawned. “I wanted to see you every goddamn second, Maddie. I
was just
giving you space. And I wanted everything to be perfect for when you came home.”
“When?” she asked, raising a brow, feeling a well of happiness bubble up when she realized that he
hadn’t been
avoiding her. That he’d been doing this for her instead. And she felt so lucky. So incredibly lucky to
have this
man in her life.
Caleb shrugged. “I wasn’t going to let you go, Maddie. I would’ve worn you down eventually. I am
the most
stubborn man alive, you know.”
She grinned. “And I’m glad for it.” She spun around, taking in the room, feeling tears well back up
into her
eyes. She needed to have everyone over for dinner soon so she could thank everyone properly. She
had some ter-
rific people in her life and she would be forever grateful.
“Do you like it?” he murmured in her ear.
“Oh!” she exclaimed when she realized she hadn’t even told him what she thought. She turned in his
arms and
beamed, lifting on her toes so she could press kisses on his face and neck. “It couldn’t be more
perfect. I love it.
I love you. Thank you for doing this, Caleb.”
He looked down at her. “I have one more gift for you.”
Then he crossed to the mirrored closet and slid open the door. He plucked something off the top shelf
and
when he brought it over to her, cradled in his large palms, she couldn’t even speak.
It was a music box. Pink and gold and heavy. She took it and opened it. Inside was a carousel that
spun
around and around as a beautiful lullaby played.
It was the music box she’d described to Caleb, when she’d watched over him at his old house that one
night so
long ago, the one that her father had given to her, the one that she’d listened to almost every night
when she’d been
younger. It was almost an exact replica of what she remembered.
Her throat burned and she couldn’t look away from it. It was one of the best gifts anyone could have
ever given
to her because it was like a piece of her father was there, present in their growing, expanding lives,
and Caleb’s senti-
ment wasn’t lost on her.
“She can listen to it when she goes to sleep at night,” he said softly.
Maddie was destined to be an endless, crying mess that day, but it was okay because they were good
tears.
Caleb wrapped his arms around her, the music box pressed between them, and she told him, “I fall in
love with you
more and more every second. How is that possible?”
“It’s entirely possible,” he whispered to her, brushing his lips across hers. “Because I feel the exact
same way,
princess.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded, pushing his forehead against hers. Then he repeated words she’d said to him. “And
loving some-
one is a good thing. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she whispered, smiling. “It is.”
She sealed his words with a kiss.

EPILOGUE
“Oh my God, oh my God,” Maddie whispered into Caleb’s ear. “We should…oh…not be doing this
right now.”
Caleb bit her neck, not caring if he left evidence of this moment for everyone to see. His hips surged
into her,
feeling her clench around him. Maddie’s body certainly thought that they should be doing this right
now.
“Why not?” he rasped.
She bit her lip, dazed eyes meeting his. They were against the wall in their bathroom upstairs.
Maddie had
been getting ready for their daughter’s second birthday party, but when he’d seen her in her dress,
with her damn
perfect legs and teasing eyes, he’d had to have her. Immediately.
“Maybe because guests will be arriving,” she moaned when he reached down between them to find
her clit, “any
moment.”
He gave her a grin, the one that she said made him look like a devil, as he strummed his fingertips
between her
legs. “I’ll be quick then.”
Maddie let her head fall back against the door and she let him have his wicked way with her. Her
hands
clutched at his chest and shoulders as he continued to pump into her. She loved to touch him. And it
had taken a
long time, but he loved it too. They still liked to play with their ropes, but being with her like this,
with nothing
holding them back, was something special.
Moments later, Caleb had to clasp his hand over Maddie’s mouth to stifle her loud moans as she
climaxed.
And when he felt her pulse around him, he was right there with her, coating her walls with his hot
seed.
Maddie sighed happily, smiling, and Caleb helped clean her up and straighten out their clothes. She
looped her
arms around his neck and pressed kisses to his lips.
“Love you, princess,” he murmured into her kiss.
He knew that Maddie never got tired of hearing him say that, so he said it often. He’d said it when
their daugh-
ter, Kinsley, was born on a sunny August afternoon, when he’d proposed to Maddie, tucked in a cozy
cabin during a
snowstorm on their first vacation together, when Maddie had received her Master’s degree last June,
during their
vows when they got married almost a year ago, and every single day in between.
“I love you,” she whispered, eyes glittering, giving him one last lingering kiss, like she never wanted to
stop.
Then she took a deep breath and pulled away. “Are we ready?”
“Let’s go relieve your mom and Peter of babysitting duties,” he said and they made their way
downstairs.
Friends and family were expected to arrive in the next ten minutes or so and Maddie still had to set
up the food.
When they went out into the backyard, Caleb’s chest threatened to explode when he saw Kinsley, his
beautiful
daughter. He wondered if he’d ever get used to the feeling. No matter how many times he saw her, it
was always
the same reaction. Cindy had been right that morning in the hospital. When Kinsley had been born, it
was like an-
other piece of his heart had torn free from his chest and was given to her on a silver platter. It was
beautiful, yet
maddening. The panic he felt everyday, worrying that something might happen to her, or to Maddie,
was
excruciating. Sometimes, he just stood in her nursery at night, watching her sleep, just to make sure
that she was
all right.
Maddie told him she felt it too and it made him feel a little better. And knowing that he had her, his
beautiful
wife, by his side meant everything.
Caleb strode over the grass to where Kinsley was playing on the little playground he’d set up for her
and he
snatched her up in his arms. She squealed in delight and clutched at his neck as he kissed her.
“Were you good for Grandma and Peter?” he asked.
“Yes,” she giggled, placing her little hands on his cheeks. Caleb smiled, smoothing down the beautiful
hair
she’d inherited from Maddie. Caleb was glad that she looked just like her mother, from the hair to
her eyes, to the
shape of her face. She’d gotten his coloring though and his stubborn streak, according to Maddie.
“She was a little angel, like always,” Cindy said, touching Kinsley’s chubby cheeks. “Now, I’m going to
go help
your wife set up the food.”
Peter was sitting on one of the swings, his girlfriend that he’d brought home sitting next to him. He
was home
for the weekend for Kinsley’s birthday party, but he’d have to drive back down to Los Angeles
tomorrow, where he
attended college. Even though the teenager had been resistant to the idea of even applying for
college at first, Caleb
had wanted to give him an opportunity that he himself never had. Peter was talented and if he still
decided that he
wanted to work at the garage once he completed his four years as an art major, then Caleb wouldn’t
stop him.
Looking at him now though, with his head bent close to Beth’s, giggling, Caleb knew that he was
happy in L.A.,
that he was coming into his own there. The knowledge filled him with satisfaction.
Maddie was smoothing tablecloths over the plastic tables they were using for the party and he made
his way
over to her. She smiled when she saw them. “There’s my little baby,” she cooed at Kinsley, smacking
a loud kiss
on her cheek, much to their daughter’s delight.
“Need help?” he asked her, shifting Kinsley in his arms.
“No, we’re almost done,” she said, giving him a kiss, right as the doorbell rang. She looked at Kinsley.
“Go
help your daddy greet your guests, okay?”
“‘Kay!” she said, bouncing in Caleb’s arms. Kinsley had been looking forward to her birthday party all
week.
She was quite the social butterfly at two-years-old. At parties, Caleb would watch Kinsley flit from
one person to
next, pointing at things and asking questions. Everyone adored her.
An hour later, their backyard was full, music drifted from the outdoor speakers, and happy shrieks
from children
and adult chatter filled the air. The children, mostly neighborhood kids Kinsley’s age, played on the
playground and
the bouncy house they’d rented.
Cindy and the man she’d been dating were talking to a couple of Maddie’s co-workers from the
museum. Brian
and his wife had brought their grandchild over to play and the older man was currently soothing the
overwhelmed
three-year-old. Kyra and Thomas were manning the food tables and making sure that everything was
stocked.
Even though he hadn’t told Maddie yet, Caleb strongly suspected that something was going on
between the two of
them and had been for quite some time. Caleb knew that Maddie wouldn’t mind that her best friend
and brother
were seeing each other, but they seemed to think so.
He and Maddie were standing with their group of friends. Maddie had become quite close with
Olivia, Kate,
and Christie, which Caleb was grateful for. His friends meant a lot to him. They’d been there for him
for years and
they were all starting a new chapter of their lives…a chapter full of marriage and children.
Alex and Olivia had gotten married around the time Maddie had given birth to Kinsley and they were
expecting
their first child any day now. Olivia waddled all around and Alex fussed over her like a mother hen,
but Caleb
seemed to recall that he had been the exact same way right before Maddie had given birth. No
matter how many
children they had, he would always act that way.
Luke, his outspoken jokester of a friend, and his girlfriend Kate tied the knot just a few months ago,
but they
weren’t in any rush to have children. They wanted to travel before they eventually got around to
starting a family.
Next week, they were off to Greece for a solid month. Kate had just finished another book and Luke
had surprised
her with the trip.
As for Adam and Christie…Adam had popped the question to his long-time girlfriend at the beginning
of sum-
mer and all the women were excitedly starting to plan the wedding. Christie wanted it to be ‘geek
chic,’ whatever
that meant. And whenever she told people that, Adam would just shake his head, blushing a little.
“Uh oh, Caleb,” Alex said, drawing his attention. The four guys were sitting in lawn chairs, nursing
beers, while
the girls chatted nearby. “Looks like Kinsley has a friend.”
Caleb craned his neck around to where Alex nodded and sure enough, his daughter and one of the
little neigh-
borhood boys were playing together. He watched, slack-jawed, as Kinsley gave the boy a kiss on the
cheek. The
boy clutched her and gave her one back, in that clumsy toddler fashion.
And Caleb knew that it was all innocent but it just served as a reminder that his daughter was two
already…and
in the blink of an eye she’d been a teenager and he’d have to start worrying about boys for real.
There was no fuck-
ing way that she’d even be allowed to date until she was thirty, but Kinsley was going to be a sneaky
one and Caleb
would have to keep an eye out.
His gaze sought out Maddie’s and she chuckled when she saw his frustration. She broke away from
the girls
and came up behind him, leaning down to drape her arms down his chest. “Don’t worry, papa bear,”
she teased.
“She’s two.”
“Who the hell is that kid anyway?” he grumbled, taking a long pull from his beer. “Where are his
parents? I’d
like to talk to them.”
Luke thought it was fucking hilarious, Adam looked amused too, but at least Alex understood why he
was unset-
tled, since him and Olivia were also having a girl. Alex shot him a sympathetic look before his eyes
sought out his
very pregnant wife.
Maddie’s soft laugh in his ear calmed him down a little and she leaned over him to give him a kiss.
“I’ll go get
your little girl.”
Caleb watched as his wife’s hips swayed over to Kinsley and as she dropped down into a crouch to
greet their
daughter’s friend. That same frantic panic scratched at his chest as he watched her because he loved
her so
damned much that it frightened him.
Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe that it had been over two years since that autumn night she’d
stumbled into
his garage. With all the ups and downs of the beginning of their relationship, with the pregnancy,
with Caleb’s own
stubbornness…sometimes he was surprised that Maddie had chosen to be with him. Once Kinsley
had been born,
then came the late, exhausted nights of caring for an infant, of Maddie juggling school and being a
mom and a wife,
of Caleb running a business and being a dad and a husband.

No, it hadn’t been easy.
But it had been so damn worth it, he thought, as he watched his family from across the backyard of
the house
that Kinsley would grow up in, the house that him and Maddie would grow old in together.
Two years ago, he would’ve never thought that he would’ve been so lucky as to find her. Now, he
believed they
were meant to be. Maddie had found him, late one night, when he’d least expected it.
Through her, Caleb had finally found happiness.
The End

Beyond Broken

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Beyond Broken

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Beyond Broken

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Beyond Broken

(The Bay Boys #3)

he wanted Caleb in a ‘fancy suit.’

Everything fell away until Caleb could feel no more.

The night had just gone from bad to worse.

even as her old Volkswagen pathetically sputtered and slowed.

expected, and she let it drop back into her purse.

ways been good at lying to herself.

call a towing service,” she told him.

uncomfortably aware of the quirk.

be able to help you out.”

so much. I really appreciate it.”

warm friendliness that reminded her of her father.

way, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Her cheeks burned. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

Come down here a minute, will ya?”

teenage fantasies and replayed over and over in her dreams.

was obviously directed to the older man.

warm. “Fine,” he bit out. “Get it done.”

on my bones. Ain’t that right, Petey?”

who owns this place. Last time I checked, it wasn’t you!”

“I’m this close to firing your old ass.”

“Yeah, yeah, like you haven’t threatened that before.”

lobbed back and forth.

didn’t like it. Not one bit.

her car hadn’t broken down, he wouldn’t have been bothered.

ing more than an inconvenience.

She braced herself for a long ride.

only just turned out of the parking lot.

“Where’s your car?” he grunted, not looking in her direction.

“Aren’t you cold?” she blurted out a few seconds later.

Nope, obviously not.

He gritted his teeth. “No.”

“But it has to be in the 50’s and you’re only wearing a t-shirt.”

“That’s not cold.”

“Well, I would be cold.”

It made him resent her all the more.

His fist clenched on the wheel.

the time, he just wanted to be alone.

this happens of all—”

pulled off the side of the road.

snapping and twisting it.

gave people so easily.

pressing into his back as he thrust between her legs.

when she dropped them into his outstretched hand.

what he thought was true, he couldn’t believe her carelessness.

should stay away.

“What color was the nozzle you used?”

“I—I don’t know. Green, maybe?”

“Diesel? Is there a difference between that and gasoline?”

breaths. He’d be there now if not for this slip of a woman.

Caleb simply quirked a brow at her look of outrage.

Maddie couldn’t believe her ears.

then she realized her credit limit was dismally low.

$100 for that.”

twenty minutes of his time.

until they were almost toe-to-toe.

ation where I can take advantage of you.”

that he hadn’t noticed the desire in her eyes.