Shockingly, Sadie slept deeply the rest of the night and woke up at . . . She squinted at the time. “Nine o’clock?” she gasped. “What in the . . . ?” Okay, so it was Monday, her day off, and she didn’t need to get up, but she hadn’t slept this late in . . . well, ever.

She didn’t have to roll over to know she was alone in the bed. Scratch that. Lollipop lifted her sleepy head and wagged her tail in greeting.

Sadie had no idea when Caleb had slipped out. After round two—no, make that three, she’d been dead to the world. Normally, her cold fingers and toes and nose woke her up, but not this morning and suddenly she realized why.

Her heat was on.

Slipping out of the covers, she headed straight for the thermostat in the hallway, followed by a sleepy Lollipop.

The furnace, which she’d left off, was on now and set at sixty-eight degrees.

Sixty-eight.

Panic gripped her. She couldn’t afford it that high. She opened her laptop and went to her account to see the usage and saw that someone had paid her bill.

For the rest of the year.

Seeing as it was February, this was a huge deal and her eyes narrowed. “Oh no he did not,” she said to Lollipop, who smiled up at Sadie and sat.

On Sadie’s foot.

Since Lollipop was finally putting some meat on her bones and was getting too big for Sadie to easily pick up, she dropped to her knees and cuddled the dog close. “You love me more, right? Even though he’s handsome and smells good and just paid to keep us warm for the next year?”

Lollipop licked her chin.

“Thank you.” Sadie moved to her fridge for the leftovers she’d gotten from Rocco, but when she opened the door, she froze in shock.

The fridge was stocked. Like fully stocked with fruits and veggies and a whole assortment of goodies that had her just staring in disbelief. She turned to find her phone, which she knew damn well she’d left on the counter last night, as usual forgetting to plug it in.

It was still on the counter but plugged into her charger. She stared at it for a full moment and then called Ivy. “Question,” she said when her friend answered. “If a guy you’re not dating pays one of your bills and then sneakily fills your fridge with food and also charges your cell phone, do you freak?”

Ivy was quiet for a beat. “I think,” she finally said very gently, “you take a deep breath and then another one, and then you set aside your pride and ego to make the decision.”

“What decision? Whether or not to get a restraining order?”

“No,” Ivy said patiently but heavy on amusement, “the decision on whether the fact that he’s trying to take care of you in probably the only way he knows how makes you feel cared for and special, or does it make you want to set up an alarm so you can zap his very fine ass with a stun gun if he tries it again?”

Sadie sighed. He did have a very fine ass . . . “Maybe a combo? What do you think?”

“I think you’re feeling cared for and special, and that freaks you out.”

“I’m not freaked out.”

“You’re practically hyperventilating,” Ivy said.

Oh God. She was. Because she did feel cared for. And maybe, dammit, special. “He can’t just do this sort of thing,” she said. “I’m a big girl and I take care of myself.”

“Noted,” Ivy said. “But you’re telling the wrong person. And Sadie?”

“Yeah?”

“Have some faith. Remember my spicy chorizo and fried egg breakfast tacos?”

True story. She’d had some faith and then eaten every bite and licked up the crumbs—not so unlike what she and Caleb had done to each other in the deep dark hours of the night . . .

There were many things Caleb loved about his job. Mostly that it rarely felt like an actual job. Yeah, he had fingers in a lot of areas. Space. Energy. Climate change . . . But he’d been lucky with his investments, very lucky, which meant that he was able to push profits to areas that weren’t necessarily profitable but needed to be explored, like infrastructures for developing nations, rebuilding after natural disasters . . .

If there was a downside to the job, it was that the more he diversified, the more time he had to spend managing everything. Which was the reason he’d just been to Idaho, London, then New York, and now D.C. It was a week past the incredible night he’d spent in Sadie’s bed.

Idaho had been just a stopover to check in and see Kel. His cousin had been quiet lately, too quiet, and Caleb sensed a restlessness in him.

Something Caleb could understand.

They’d ridden horses, shot the shit out of a few boxes of clay targets, and then gone at each other in the gym until neither of them could move. Kel had sisters, two of them, and Caleb thought of them as fondly as he did his own sisters, but neither had been in town so Caleb and Kel had spent the evening drinking each other under the table and swapping stories.

The rest of the trip—New York, London, and D.C.—was a blur of work. Sienne had met him in D.C. They’d had several long but productive meetings and had then flown home. After landing, they’d met up with his team in his office for a debriefing, after which everyone but Sienne left. Exhausted, Caleb leaned his head back in his chair, closing his eyes for a minute.

A flash of Sadie’s lips on his skin came to him, her breath hot on his neck, followed by the remembered sensation of her legs wrapped around him, her hardened nipples pressed tight against his chest as she arched up into him. The gasp that escaped her mouth when he finally slid into her with one smooth stroke . . .

Great, and now he was getting hard at work. His eyes snapped open and he shook it off. He had decisions to make about where this was going with her, and though his heart had already made those decisions, his brain kept reminding him to be cautious.

In his pocket, his phone buzzed a text. It was Sadie and he felt a smile curve his mouth. They’d been texting during the days, calling at night.

Sienne picked that exact moment to look over his shoulder and her brows vanished into her hair. “How does she know about that tattoo?”

He stood and he slid his phone away without comment and headed to the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m done for the day,” he said.

She stared at him as if he’d just announced he was the tooth fairy. And for good reason. He never took off without a close-the-day one-on-one meeting with her. “You don’t have a dinner meeting . . .” On her iPad, she thumbed her way to his calendar. “I don’t see anything—”

“It’s personal.” He’d meant it when he’d told her that he was looking to get more of a life. Or at least better balance. He knew that was what was playing into the odd restlessness he’d been feeling. Although spending the night with Sadie a week ago now had done a number on that restlessness . . .

He wanted another night.

A lot more nights, lost in her arms, her touch, where he felt . . . well, a whole lot of things he hadn’t in a damn long time, and not a single one of them related to his work.

He brushed a kiss to Sienne’s cheek. “You’re off too. Go see your big sexy husband and have dinner together before midnight for once.”

Now she was concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. And we talked about this. You’re always after me to get a life. That’s what I’m doing.”

He watched her go from concerned to annoyed in two point zero. “If this is a date,” she said, “you didn’t let anyone vet her.” She brought up her notes application. “Is it Sadie?”

“None of your business.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Wow,” Kayla said, waddling into the room with Hannah right on her heels. “Tension’s thick enough to cut with a knife in here, what’s going on? Are we brawling? And why didn’t we get an invite?”

“I want to be on Sienne’s team,” Hannah said. “She fights the dirtiest.”

“Hey,” Sienne said and then paused. “And true . . .”

Perfect. Caleb shook his head. “No one’s fighting. I’m leaving for the night.”

“Perfect,” Hannah said. “Then we’re going to have a girls’ night disguised as a meeting so we can put it on the company card.”

“I need to add something to the meeting’s agenda,” Sienne said. “The topic’s Sadie Lane.”

“No,” Caleb said. “Not happening.”

Sienne put a hand on his arm. “You know we vet everyone you intend to date as a matter of course. It’s called protection, Caleb, and we have a very good reason for it.”

She was the only one on the planet who could make him feel like a stupid teenager. “Whatever.”

“You know you’ve won an argument when the other person says ‘whatever,’” Hannah noted.

“You used to be the nice one,” he said. “And Sadie isn’t like anyone I’ve dated before. For one thing, we’re not dating.” A fact he intended to fix, but that wasn’t up for discussion either.

Sienne pulled out the big guns and moved in close, setting her head on his shoulder, looking up at him with deceptively sweet eyes. “We do this because we love you.”

“I forgot just how dirty you fight,” he murmured, but he slid an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Stay out of her personal life. Note that I’m not even going to bother asking you to stay out of mine. See you all tomorrow.”

He drove to the Pacific Pier Building. It was another dark night but the courtyard was alight with the soft glow of the lampposts and the strings of lights.

He headed straight to the Canvas Shop, his heart starting to pick up speed at the thought of seeing Sadie.

Rocco was working on a client’s upper arm. He didn’t even look up as he said, “You the one who paid her gas bill and filled her fridge?” When Caleb didn’t answer, Rocco lifted his gaze, his own hard and unforgiving. “Why?”

Caleb slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, a little surprised to be having this conversation. Not to mention the fact that his answer was complicated. Something about the tough, impenetrable Sadie made him want to take care of her. It was instinctual, much like it was to take care of his sisters—not that he felt anything close to brotherly for Sadie.

“I don’t think anyone should be cold or hungry,” he finally said.

Rocco’s gaze bore into his and then suddenly his eyes softened very slightly and he nodded. “For the record, she didn’t tell me. I overheard her talking to herself, which she does when she sketches.”

This was more words than Caleb had ever heard Rocco utter in a row. He glanced toward the back. The privacy curtain was pulled across the area where Sadie worked. “Is she here?”

Just then, from behind the curtain, came a loud, furious male voice yelling “Motherfucking, cock-sucking son of a bitch!”

Caleb quickly moved toward the curtain, but Rocco stopped him. “She’s not in trouble,” he said. “Mini Moe’s just completing a Prince Albert.”

Caleb felt his eyes go a little wide. “Those are real?”

“Yep.”

Holy shit. He resisted the urge to cup his favorite body part as he pictured what he knew of a Prince Albert piercing. “Why?” he managed. “Why would anyone do that?”

“It can enhance your sexual experience,” Rocco said.

“And you’ve . . . ?” Caleb gestured to Rocco’s lower half.

“Fuck no.”

“Where’s Sadie?” he asked, hoping like hell that Rocco wasn’t about to answer that she was back there with Mini Moe and his client.

“She just took Poops A Lot for a walk.”

Caleb laughed. “Don’t let Sadie hear you call her that. She doesn’t like it.”

Rocco actually grinned. “Why do you think I do it? She’ll be back any second. If you want to live, I suggest you come up with a better reason for doing what you did, one that doesn’t involve pity.”

“It wasn’t pity,” Caleb said. “I care about her.”

“Good,” Rocco said. “But you’re still going to need a better reason than that. I suggest lying out your ass.”

“About what?” Sadie asked.

At the sound of her voice, Rocco grimaced at Caleb with a you’re on your own look and then bent over his client, mouth zipped up tight.

Okay then. Manning up, Caleb turned to face Sadie and Lollipop. If he thought his heart had been locked down and the key thrown away, he was wrong. His heart wasn’t locked down, not for the dog and most especially not for the woman. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Sadie said, quiet. Mistrustful after the partial conversation she’d overheard.

Not Lollipop. She strained at her leash at the sight of him, whining and crying to get closer after a week without him.

Sadie let loose of the leash and the dog flew through the air to get at him. He caught her up and hugged her close as she squirmed and cried with sheer joy, licking his face and whatever else she could reach.

“Traitor,” Sadie said and crossed her arms. “Lie about what?” she asked again.

Caleb didn’t bother to look back at Rocco for help. He was trying to figure out his best options just as Mini Moe appeared from the back. The big Samoan stood in front of the curtain, beefy arms closed over his chest.

“He needs a moment,” Mini Moe said.

“Understandable,” Rocco muttered.

Something on Caleb’s face must have given him away because Sadie went brows up, slightly amused. “We could get you a Prince Albert if you’re interested. I couldn’t do it for you, I’m not licensed, but I could assist Mini Moe.”

Could one feel oneself go pale? Because Caleb was pretty sure that’s what he did. “No,” he said as Mini Moe looked at him with renewed interest. “I’m good, thanks.”

Mini Moe went back to his client. Rocco had just finished with his own client and together they stepped into the courtyard for fresh air, leaving Caleb and Sadie alone.

“So you’re back,” she said.

“I am.”

“And you’re here.”

“Wanted to see you,” he said.

She held his gaze, her own deep blue eyes seeming to see straight into his head, hell, also his soul in a way no one else could. It was both thrilling and unsettling. She saw a different side of him than most. She was also one of the few people in his life who went toe-to-toe with him and could call him out on his bullshit.

They hadn’t yet discussed what he’d done after he’d left her bed. She hadn’t brought it up during the week he’d been gone, not in a text, not on the phone. He’d gotten the impression she’d been saving that conversation for a face-to-face, and he had no idea if she was pissed or not. She didn’t make him wait.

“Thanks for what you did,” she finally said. “But it wasn’t necessary. I can take care of myself.”

“I know,” he said.

“So why did you do it?”

With Rocco’s advice to lie bouncing around in his head, he went with the utter truth. “Because I care about you.” He bent his knees a little to see directly into her eyes. “Is that so hard to believe? I care about you, and the thought of you being cold while trying to sleep or going to bed hungry drives me insane. It keeps me up at night, which means the why of it is really entirely selfish. I wanted to be able to sleep.”

Her lips twitched. “And did you?”

“No, I didn’t. I’m pretty sure it’s because I’m also sexually frustrated.”

She laughed. “How can that possibly be? We used a whole string of condoms!”

He smiled at her amusement. “I think it’s you.” He lowered his voice and ran his fingers along her jaw, liking the way her breath caught at his touch. Taking a risk, he pressed into her and murmured, “I’m not finished with you, Sadie. I want more. Go out with me.”

She froze. “Like on a . . . date ?”

“Yes.” He cupped her face in both hands now. “Is that really so strange?”

“But . . . I already put out.”

He smiled. “I want a date,” he repeated stubbornly. “A grown-up date without using our baby as an excuse to see each other. Just you and me. What do you say?”

Sadie continued to stare at him. “I don’t use Lollipop as an excuse.”

“We both use her,” he said. “Yes or no, Sadie?”

She looked over at Rocco, who’d come back inside. He shook his big shaggy head. “Don’t look at me, baby doll. I’d say yes to him in a hot second, but he doesn’t swing that way.”

“This is nuts,” Sadie said. “No one dates anymore.”

“So let’s show ’em what they’re missing,” Caleb said. “Go out with me tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Too soon? Tomorrow then. Whenever you want.”

She stared at him like he’d lost his mind. But it was the opposite. He was just realizing how much he wanted this.

“What would we do?” she asked.

“Date stuff,” he said and smiled because damn, she was cute standing there panicking at the thought of spending more time with him.

“Like go to a horror flick where I get scared and you get to comfort the little lady?”

“Are you telling me you’re scared of horror flicks?”

She blinked as she gave this some thought. “No, just chainsaws.”

“Well, that’s just common sense,” he said. “Are we going to do this, Sadie?”

She chewed her lower lip in indecision. On the one hand, she was looking adorably sexy trying to figure out if she trusted him or not. On the other hand, she’d taken a tour of his body with her sexy mouth and yet she couldn’t decide if she wanted to go out on a date with him.

The odds weren’t exactly in his favor.

“Can I think about it?” Sadie finally asked.

Caleb over looked at Rocco, who shrugged like, take it, man, it’s the best you’re going to get .

Probably true. “Sure, you can think about it,” he said, realizing this was the first time someone had asked him that. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Everything with Sadie Lane so far had felt like a first . . .