Page 44 of Shameless With Him

Chapter 9

Zoey

My hand shookas I filled two water glasses from my pitcher before putting the thing back into the fridge. I didn’t even ask him if he wanted ice, but I didn’t think I could handle ice just then. What if my hand shook, and the ice just rattled around the whole time? I was already going to have to deal with possible water sloshing out of the glass as it was. I shouldn’t add any more obstacles.

“Water, right?” I asked, my voice breathy. Really? I was an adult. I’d been alone with a man before. I had been alone with Caleb before, countless times. Okay, not necessarily countless because we’d usually been near friends, family, or another woman, but I had been with him enough.

And we hadn’t kissed every time.

Except with the way he was currently looking at me, his eyes dark, lids hooded, lips parted just enough that it sent shivers through me, I had a feeling I was lying to myself. Just like I knew he had been lying to me earlier when he’d said that we were just going to talk. Oh, we might be talking, but I had a feeling if he didn’t leave right then, it wasn’t going to be the only thing we did.

Was this part of my actual non-existent plan?

No, I didn’t think so.

I really should have written down ideas.

1. Spend time with Caleb.

2. Show Caleb that I’m actually a really great person.

3. Be near him so my soul can be happy.

4. Truly figure out if it’s just a crush or if I am deluding myself.

5. Get Caleb Carr to love me.

Not a very good plan. Number five needed a whole subset of its own and should have been the title of the primary plot, but I think I was losing my mind. As always.

“Water’s fine, Zoey. You okay?” he asked, and I swallowed hard.

“Just peachy.”

He raised a brow, and I held back a groan.

“Did I just say the phrase just peachy?”

“I think you did.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever said that before in my life.”

“There’s always time to start,” he said, laughter in his eyes.

“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?”

“Just a little. But not cruelly.”

“So. Water. Yeah.”

“You said that.”

Again, laughter in his eyes. But there was still heat there, and it wasn’t lost on me that he wasn’t saying anything either. We were both circling around the fact that he was here, and I didn’t know what would happen next.

I should have had that plan ready. But it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“The baby shower was wonderful. I guess next will be Lacey’s bridal shower.”

Caleb shook his head. “I don’t have anything to do with that, do I?”

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