stayed up.”
“I can’t believe you thought I would go to sleep.” There was a bottle of red on the coffee table and a glass that she filled and handed to me. “By the way you look right now, I’d almost think you got it on and whacked your head on the ceiling of his car. But I know better …” She clicked her glass to mine. “Start talking, missy.”
Twenty-Two
When I stepped into the lobby of Caleb’s building, his doorman took a copy of my ID and escorted me to the elevator, where there was only one button to press and that was PH. The doorman hit it for me, and I rose so many stories that my ears popped. When the door finally slid open, it took me a moment to realize I wasn’t in a hallway, like when I got off my own elevator. This was a foyer, where light music greeted me along with the smell of tomato sauce.
That was when it hit me—I was inside Caleb’s condo. The downtempo global funk was his choice of music, and the heavenly scent was from whatever was being prepared in his kitchen.
“Hey,” he said as he entered the space, a dish towel draped over his shoulder, the aroma of food getting stronger, as though he were bringing it with him.
Casual wasn’t the way I would describe this man, but that was how he was dressed. A pair of weathered jeans hugging his legs, an unbuttoned polo shirt that showed hints of his chest. It quickly became my favorite look on him.
“Hi.”
He held my lower back, hauling my body closer to his. “Thanks for coming. You look fantastic.” His mouth hovered over me while he cupped my face, taking me in for several moments before pressing his lips against mine. The kiss lasted only long enough for me to breathe him in, the woodsy, citrusy scent enveloping me.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” he said, looking at the box in my hand.
“It’s just some dessert.”
“You baked?”
I laughed, remembering the last time I’d attempted crack-and-bake cookies, forgetting they were in the oven and returning to a kitchen full of smoke. “That’s definitely not one of my skills.”
He reached forward with his other hand, now holding both sides of my face, his lips warming mine for a second time. “You have many other talents.”
He walked me farther into his home, and when I turned the corner, the space immediately took my breath away.
“Wow.” I couldn’t hide the amazement on my face. “Caleb, I don’t even know what to say. This place is spectacular.”
There were windows everywhere, surrounding almost the entire perimeter, capturing all angles of our magnificent city. The condo was completely open, rooms divided by the placement of furniture.
“The sun rises there”—he pointed to a spot filled with multiple high-rises, none as tall as his—“and sets there.” He turned us, the opposite view just as magical.
“Your home is stunning.”
“Thank you.”
He moved us closer to the glass, the sun just starting to lower, heavy swirls of deep orange and aqua in the sky.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to wake up to this.”
I felt his eyes devouring me, but I couldn’t drag mine away from the outside scenery.
“You’ll know tomorrow morning.”
As his words sank in, my cheeks surely gave away my reaction.
When I turned to him to respond, he instantly led me into the kitchen, where he took the pink box from my hand and set it on the counter, untied the string, and lifted the lid.
“I didn’t know what flavor you liked,” I admitted as he looked at the assortment of cookies. “So, I guessed.”
His grin was even more delicious than the gooey chocolate on the inside of those treats. “And which one did you pick?”
“Not the rainbow chip, although it’s excellent.” I laughed and winked. “I went with the Oreo.”
“You did very good.” He went over to the double oven, covering his hands in mitts before he reached inside the bottom one. “Let’s see if I did as well with choosing what to cook for you.” He set the casserole dish on a trivet, the top full of lightly browned cheese.
“Tell me you didn’t make eggplant parm.”
“You don’t eat chicken,” he said, recalling our conversation from the bar. “That’s probably what I’m best at, but eggplant comes in at a close second.”
I closed my eyes, inhaling a smell that I wanted to bottle. “I feel like I’m dreaming.”
“Wait until you taste it.”
Once he put a piece on each plate, I brought