The Ruthless Caleb Wilde

“Mr. Wilde?” Another professional, pleasant smile. “You’re welcome to stay, sir, but I’m sure you know it isn’t necessary. We’re a certified facility and we absolutely guarantee a legal chain of custody.”

“Yes. Of course. I, ah, I thought I’d see if Ms. Dalton keeps the appointment.”

If she didn’t, the receptionist said, they’d notify him.

“Of course,” he said briskly. “And I do have another appointment …”

The doorbell rang. The receptionist pressed a button, the door swung open …

Sage stepped into the office.

Not yesterday’s Sage, doing her best to look cool and competent in a suit and pumps. This was the Sage of that night three months back, the Sage who’d gone into her bathroom and worked whatever magic it took to make a woman look sweet and innocent.

Her face was makeup-free. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was dressed in old-looking jeans and an even older-looking T-shirt.

And she was shocked to see him.

Her eyebrows rose, her lips parted—and for one crazy moment, he thought she almost looked glad that he was there.

Wrong.

Her brows drew together, her lips turned down and she said, “What are you doing here?”

Caleb cleared his throat.

“I thought I’d—I’d stop by, just in case you had any—any questions …”

She shot him a look of such disdain that it made him flinch. Then she swept past him.

“Sage Dalton,” she told the receptionist in a steady voice. “I have an appointment with Dr. Fein.”

“Good morning, Ms. Dalton. The doctor will be with you shortly. I have some papers for you to fill out.”

Sage took a clipboard stuffed with what looked like enough pages to fill an encyclopedia, and sat in a straight-backed chair beside a small table.

Time to leave, Caleb told himself. His presence was unnecessary. And unwanted.

He glanced at his watch.

He really did have an appointment. With Caldwell. The man had suggested breakfast but Caleb had reached the point at which the thought of breaking bread with him made his gut knot.

The appointment wasn’t for another hour.

Why not stay around for a few minutes? Sage didn’t want him here but what she wanted wasn’t the issue. Legality was. There might be legal questions she couldn’t answer.

He took a chair across from hers. She didn’t look up. The room was silent, except for the scratch of her pencil.

At five of ten, she rose, went to the reception desk and handed over the forms.

At four of ten, a woman in a pale yellow smock emerged from a hallway behind the desk.

“Ms. Dalton?”

Sage got to her feet. So did Caleb.

“I’m Janet. Dr. Fein’s nurse.” She smiled pleasantly. “She’s ready to meet with you and chat a bit before we get to the procedure. If you’ll just come with me.”

Sage nodded.