The Ruthless Caleb Wilde. Sandra Marton

jacket.

      “I said, I’m afraid your jacket is creased.”

      “Oh. It’s nothing. Just—just forget about—” He took the jacket, laying it over the back of an upholstered chair that had seen better days. Dammit, why couldn’t he come up with a coherent sentence? “Uh, I’ll just wash up, if that’s okay.”

      “Oh, of course. I’ll put on the coffee. Do you think the driver would want a cup? I could take it down to—”

      “He has a thermos. Drivers from that company always—” He shook his head. Amazing. After all that had happened to her tonight, she could still think of someone else’s needs. “But I’ll tell him you thought of it,” he said. “He’ll be pleased.”

      Somehow, he made it to the closet-sized bathroom.

      Caleb turned on the cold water.

      He had to get his head together.

      Sage was a good-looking woman. Hell, she was beautiful. Bottom line. So what?

      She lived in a bad location. Worked in one, too. But he wasn’t her protector. He wasn’t her guardian.

      And he didn’t want a one-night stand with her, either.

      She wasn’t the kind of woman meant for casual sex.

      He cupped his hands under the water and splashed it over his face.

      “A cup of coffee,” he told the mirror. “And then you’re out of here, dude.”

      He opened the door. Went into the kitchen. Drank coffee. One cup. Fast, while she did the same thing, because yes, it really was time to put an end to this.

      “Excellent coffee,” he told her, with a quick smile.

      “I grind the beans myself,” she said, returning his smile.

      “Well,” he said finally.

      He stood up. She did, too. They walked to the door.

      It wasn’t much of a door.

      Hollow, not solid. No peep hole. A chain, but a chain on a door like this was like loading a gun with foam-rubber pellets.

      It looked good, but it didn’t serve any purpose.

      “You forgot something,” Sage said.

      Caleb swung toward her. She held out his jacket.

      “Thanks,” he said, and took it from her. He hesitated. “Will you be okay?”

      “I’ll be fine,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

      “Look, maybe you should call a friend. Maybe you shouldn’t be alone here tonight.”

      “Really, I’ll be all right.”

      Caleb looked at the sofa. It was ugly as sin and built for a doll house, but it had a big throw pillow at one end and a blanket folded over the back.

      “Looks comfortable.”

      She blushed. Why? Did she know what he was going to say? Because he knew, even before he got the words out.

      “I’m staying,” he said. “On that sofa. Until morning.”

      “No,” she said, “really, that isn’t—”

      He took out his cell phone. Spoke to the limo driver. Told him he’d changed his plans.

      “Tell your boss to bill me, and to add two hundred dollars for you. Yeah. Sure. You’re welcome.”

      “No,” Sage said again. “Wait—”

      “Remember what I said about getting my own way when I want to?” Caleb unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, rolled them back. “Well, this is one of those times.”

      “But I’m fine. I’m safe. I’m—

      “I know some people,” he said briskly. “I’ll make some calls in the morning, see what we can do about finding you an apartment and a job.”

      “Caleb. Really—”

      He lifted his hand, brushed a strand of golden hair back from her cheek.

      “Here’s something you need to learn about me,” he said in a low voice. “I can be as stubborn as a mule.”

      His eyes swept over her face, lingered on her lips. The desire to kiss her beat hard within him, but he wasn’t going to do it. He was staying the night to protect her, not because he wanted her.

      Liar.

      He wanted her. Badly. But he wasn’t going to take advantage. No way was he going to do that. He could kiss her, though. Just once …

       Dammit!

      “Go to bed,” he said roughly. “Get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

      She didn’t argue.

      He wondered if that meant she was having the same problem, if she was thinking similar thoughts …

      Caleb gritted his teeth.

      No way was he going to try and find out.

      Instead, he watched her walk into the bedroom and close the door. Then he sat down on the sofa, kicked off his shoes, lay back. He didn’t expect to sleep but, eventually, he dozed …

      A sound woke him.

      It was Sage, standing just outside her bedroom, watching him.

      CHAPTER THREE

      THE light from the street cast a soft illumination over her.

      She wore the sweats he’d seen her in earlier. Her pale golden hair was tousled; her feet were bare.

      She looked soft and sweet and so desirable he wanted to get to his feet, go to her and take her in his arms….

      But he didn’t.

      She was watching him with a stillness that told him she was trying to decide what to do next.

      He could only hope that decision involved him.

      He kept as still as she, though every part of him was alert to her presence. He slowed his breathing, looked at her from under the screen of his lashes.

      His pulse was racing. So were his thoughts.

      Was she coming to him? Was she going to bend over him and kiss him? Go into his arms and part her lips to his?

      Or was she simply prowling her own apartment for far less dramatic reasons? Maybe she just couldn’t sleep.

      Caleb waited for some answering sign. A couple of minutes went by before one came.

      She looked away, then walked quietly into the kitchen.

      He let out a long breath. It was a disappointment … and yet, it wasn’t.

      He hadn’t stayed the night for sex. He’d stayed to protect her … and wanting to make love to her didn’t have a damned thing to do with that.

      It was greedy. Completely selfish. Altogether male. And she deserved better, if for no other reason than that she’d put her trust in him.

      He had to honor that trust.

      Honor, not to put too fine a point on it, was the primary principle by which he lived. It was the same for all the Wilde brothers.

      Their old man had been too busy building a four-star career in the military to have been much of a father, but he’d managed to instill a basic code of ethics in his sons.

      Honor. Truth. Duty.

      If a man committed to those things, he could look at himself in the mirror without flinching.

      A dim light went on in the kitchen.

      Caleb heard the