Page 59 of Playing Dirty
“About?”
His gaze cut to mine. “About the fact that guys like Matt don’t always stay down. Corner a man like that, humiliate him? He might just crawl away and lick his wounds…or he might come back swinging.”
I didn’t respond right away, because hell, I’d already thought the same thing. Sawyer had a way of saying it like he was reading it straight off a case file.
“You’re saying he’ll make trouble?” I asked.
“I’m saying it’s possible,” he said, taking a slow sip. “He’s got secrets, and he’s got motive to keep them buried. You’ve just made him desperate.”
My jaw ticked, but I kept my voice even. “If he tries, I’ll handle it.”
Sawyer smirked, like he knew exactly how much I meant that. “Figured you’d say that. Just…keep your eyes open. And hers.”
I followed his glance to where Callie was laughing with Colt over something the twins had done, and yeah—he didn’t have to tell me twice. I wasn’t letting anything touch her again.
Sawyer rejoined the group, and the conversation shifted like it always did when we were all together—fast and loud. Colt brought up the Las Vegas car show somewhere between refilling wine glasses and passing plates.
“You still in for next month?” he asked me.
I grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it. Thinking I’ll take the ’49 Ford F1.”
Tessa’s head whipped around, and Callie’s squeal joined hers in perfect harmony. “You have a ’49 Ford pickup?” Callie asked, eyes wide.
“Bought it with some others with my Powerball dough,” I said, leaning back in my chair.
Tessa clapped her hands, already plotting. “First road trip for the twins!”
“And first car show for me,” Callie added, with that sparkle back in her eyes. “You’re letting me help, right?”
“Sweetheart,” I said with a slow smile, “you can help with anything you want.”
When night began winding down and everyone was heading out, Callie had curled up against me on the couch, warm and soft and fitting like she’d been there all along.
“You know,” she whispered, her breath brushing my neck, “I think I love you. Maybe I have for longer than I want to admit.”
I went still, holding her gaze. “Good,” I murmured, a slow grin tugging at my mouth. “Means it’s official—you don’t hate me anymore.”
She rolled her eyes, but there was no heat in them. “I don’t think I ever really did. I just… tried to. Because deep down, I knew you were right about Matt.”
I chuckled low. “Darlin’, you’ve got no idea how much I like hearing you say that.”
Chapter Eighteen
Cover Story
Callie
Icouldn’t remember the last time I’d had a morning like this—no alarm blaring, no mental checklist already shouting in my head before I’d even opened my eyes. No dodging Matt’s moods or calculating my words over burnt coffee. Just a warm kitchen that smelled faintly of fresh grounds and whole wheat toast, the sunlight spilling through the big windows, and the easy sound of Rhett moving around barefoot on the hardwood.
I curled my fingers around my mug, savoring the weight and the heat. Across the counter, Rhett leaned one hip against the butcher-block island, watching me like he had nowhere else to be. His gaze wasn’t impatient—it was… lingering. Like I was worth studying in slow detail, that look alone did something dangerous to my insides.
“You planning to nurse that cup all morning, Cal?” His voice was low and a little rough, the kind of sound that always seemed to wrap around me.
“Maybe,” I said, stretching my legs out beneath the table until my toes brushed the rung of the chair opposite me. “Feels like I finally found the pause button.”
One corner of his mouth ticked up. “Can’t argue with that.”
I was about to tease him back when my phone lit up against the tabletop.
