Page 6 of Love is Grand

“I’m ... good. Yeah, good.”

But I wasn’t good. I was a bumbling idiot, absolutely nothing like the society woman who had sidled up next to Cal at the hotel, interrupting us when we first met.

“You never called or texted.” His eyes bored into me, forcing me to remember what he’d said to me back then.

You take the lead, and I will follow.

Not meeting his intense gaze, I shrugged. “I’ve been busy. You know, with Weez and helping Dad.”

Cal didn’t respond, and the pause floated between us. One beat, two beats, three ... until I couldn’t take it anymore. Knowing he didn’t believe me, I began to ramble like I did when I was off-kilter.

“It’s just not a good time for me to start something with anyone, especially a long-distance thing because I have to think about my daughter, you know, because she misses her dad.”

Cal leaned closer, never moving his hand. Nervous, I scanned the room to see if anyone was watching us, if anyone suspected anything. I hadn’t mentioned knowing Cal to anyone.

“You mean her deadbeat dad?” he asked.

“Cal, don’t. You don’t know.”

“I know enough,” he said, his tone low and pure gravel.

Unfortunately, that growly voice did things to me I couldn’t explain. I blamed getting knocked up at nineteen and not knowing a sexy come-on from a quickie on the beach, but if I were honest, I’d admit that Cal was different. Also, he wasn’t the commitment type, no matter what he said. This I knew.

“I know enough too,” I said quietly. “I know that this is a fun time for you, one that could leave me with a lifetime commitment.”

“I see you’re wearing the anklet.”

Typical Cal. After only a few days spent together, I knew he was the king of redirection. I assumed this was what made him a successful divorce attorney. He could easily steer a discussion in whatever direction he wanted.

“We should probably separate,” I said quickly, “and go mingle.”

His hand tightened on mine, not in a painful way, but in a no-fucking-way way. “No reason. I’ve talked to a bunch of people who I didn’t care about seeing, and now I’m seeing the one person who I wanted to see. I gotta say, it came as a surprise when Rylan said you were coming.”

My throat felt like it was going to close. “You didn’t tell her, did you? We—”

He shook his head. “Of course not. Neither did Adam.”

“Oh, come on!” My voice rose to practically a shriek at the end. Quickly reining myself in, hoping no one had noticed, I said, “Adam knows? He’s not going to keep secrets from Ry.”

“He will when he doesn’t want Rylan to know I was here spying on her.”

Instead of giving him a useless rebuttal, I downed the rest of my mojito.

“Want another?” Cal leaned in a bit and inhaled near my hair while asking, as if I couldn’t order my own drink. His voice even lower, he said, “You smell so fucking good.”

Those words, meant only for me, hit me square in the chest, radiating warmth in my heart like I knew they shouldn’t be doing.

“I’m driving later.”

“I’ll take you.”

I scoffed. “And what, leave my car here? No thanks.”

“I’ll drive your car.”

“Oh, you drive on the wrong side of the road now? Last I remember, you took a private car from the Ritz everywhere you went.”

“I do. Well, I’m at the Grand now, thanks to Ry, but that ass did manage to set me up with a driver and car.”

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