Frostbite

As he wishes him safe travels, I catch a whiff of something heavenly.

His hand lands on the center of my back as he steps next to me. “I hope you like pizza.”

I look down at the square box with red and green lettering on it. “Who doesn’t?”

“Bauer.” He chuckles as he motions for me to walk into the lobby of the building. “I don’t know how he considers himself a true New Yorker. He won’t eat pizza or hotdogs.”

I turn and look at him. “What won’t you eat?”

His gaze trails over my body from head-to-toe before he looks into my eyes. “I’d rather talk about what I want to eat.”

A rush of heat courses through me before my cheeks bloom pink with a blush. “We should get to work.”

He stares at me intently. “We should.”

We stand there for what feels like endless moments staring at each other. The sound of the lobby doors opening turns us both in that direction.

A man in a wool trench coat and black slacks rushes past us in silence toward the elevator.

“Good evening to you too,” Calder calls after him.

The man jabs a finger into the elevator call button just as the doors slide open. He boards it without a word to either of us.

As soon as the doors close, Calder looks at me. “Fucking jerk.”

I burst out laughing, which lures a smile to his lips.

“Let’s get upstairs.” He turns toward the elevator. “We have a long night ahead of us.”Chapter 13CalderI’ve never watched a woman eat. Sure, I’ve sat across from my share of women while we’ve had dinner, but I’ve never paid attention.

For me, it was always about what followed the meal.

I’ve dated. Hell, I’ve been in a couple of semi-serious relationships, but nothing ever lasted beyond a few months.

I could blame it on the women I was involved with, but it’s hard-as-hell to deal with me. I own that.

For one thing, I work at night.

That started years ago when I couldn’t shake a bout of insomnia. I tried the obvious remedies, including mediation and CBD oil, but nothing gave me what I needed. A clear head so I could get at least a few hours of restless sleep.

Once I switched up my schedule, I found that I could sleep more during the day. I can catch a solid four or five hours in the morning. I did that today after Bauer and I completed the base of Dexie’s sculpture.

Raelyn takes another bite of the pizza. A fucking adorable sound escapes her. It’s a cross between a moan and a giggle. I take it to mean that the pizza is a win.

“This is so good,” she comments as she swallows the bite. “It’s hard to know where to find great pizza in New York.”

“There’s a place in Brooklyn you should try. I’m due for another visit. We can go together.”

Her head pops up. “What do you mean?”

She’s blushing again, but this time it’s barely noticeable. I notice, though, because she’s a vision. Everything from her long lashes to the natural pout of her lips is captivating to me.

“I mean, we could ride the subway to Brooklyn, walk two blocks, sit in a couple of uncomfortable wooden chairs and share a pizza.”

“I’ll pay half,” she blurts out. “Since it’s not a date, I should pay my fair share.”

I struggle to hold in a smile. “Whatever works for you.”

She nods as if my response is acceptable.

“Are you in a relationship, Raelyn?”

The pizza slice in her hand drops back into the box. “What did you just ask me?”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

“Are you sleeping with anyone?”

Her eyes widen as her entire face goes red. “Oh my God. Why would you ask me that?”

I lean back on the stool I’m sitting on. “Curiosity.”

“Well, in that case, are you?” she spits the question out before her hand darts to cover her mouth. “Don’t answer that.”

“Don’t answer what?” I rake a hand through my hair. “Do you want to know if I’m dating anyone, or are you more interested in whether or not I’m fucking anyone at the moment?”

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Both. No, I mean, I don’t want an answer to either question.”

“Yes, you do,” I press.

She locks her eyes on mine. “I said I don’t.”

“For the record, I’m not dating anyone, and since you and I are the only two people in this room, I am not fucking anyone at this moment. That’s not to say…”

Her hand darts in the air. “Don’t say you want to… you aren’t going to say you want to sleep with me, are you?”

I shake my head.

Her gaze drops. I know disappointment when I see it.

I lean forward again, inching my hand across the table until it’s almost touching her. “Sleeping next to you isn’t what I’m interested in, Raelyn. Having you in my bed is.”