“So,” he said with enough false cheer to make him wince, “we’re in Brooklyn now, huh?”
It was a stupid question. It deserved a stupid answer. But she was too polite for that. Instead, she swung toward him.
“Yes.”
He nodded wisely. “What part do you live in?”
“It’s called East New York.”
“Interesting name.”
That won him the tiniest twitch of her lips.
“It’s an interesting neighborhood.”
“Meaning?”
“Have you ever been in Brooklyn before?”
“Does a housewarming party in Park Slope maybe seven, eight years back, count?” That won him a faint smile. He wanted to pump his fist in the air but he settled for smiling at her in return. “No, huh?”
“No,” she replied. “Definitely not. Park Slope is upscale. It’s full of lawyers and accountants and … What?”
“That’s who I was visiting that night,” Caleb said. “A lawyer buddy whose wife is a CPA.”
“You’re not going to tell me you’re a CPA!”
“You’re right, I’m not.” He smiled. “I’m an attorney.”
“I wouldn’t have picked you as either.”
“Why not?”
Why not, indeed?
Well, because lawyers and CPAs were supposed to be coolly logical, weren’t they?
But this man had acted on pure instinct. He’d protected her. Saved her. She hated the very concept of violence but seeing him put her attacker down had thrilled her.
His behavior was so masculine. Tough but tender. The sexiest possible combination. True, she didn’t know much about men, well, except for David, whom she adored, but it was impossible to imagine him taking care of her like Caleb.
She was pretty sure he was the guy who’d given her a hard time on the balcony, but when it came to basics, he was the only man who’d looked past her awful costume and come to her rescue.
Now, he was trying to get her to relax. That’s what these conversational forays were all about. She appreciated the effort but what she really wanted was to curl up in a tight ball and pretend she wasn’t here, the way she used to when she was a little girl.
He wouldn’t let her do that.
And he was probably right.
Pretending a thing wasn’t happening hadn’t worked when she was a kid. And it wasn’t working right now.
“… still waiting,” Caleb said.
Sage blinked. “Waiting?”
“Sure. To hear whether it’s good or bad that you wouldn’t have picked me for a lawyer.”
He was smiling. Her heart gave a tiny extra beat. He had a wonderful smile. And he was incredibly good-looking.