Free Sunrise at Sunset by Jaz Primo Page B

insisted with sudden urgency. “The others are waiting for us.”
    Waiting for us , he levelly repeated in his mind. “Sure,” he conceded. “Have a good time, Mel.”
    “Bye then, Caleb,” she offered a little too politely.
    He was still contemplating the conversation with Melanie when Katrina arrived. She was dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and an emerald blouse underneath a stylish black leather jacket. Her red hair cascaded casually around her head and down below her shoulders. She looks amazing.
    She glanced down at him with a smile as she practically posed in the doorway. Her green eyes took in the faded blue jeans he wore, as well as the way in which his trendy, dark blue T-shirt fit snugly over his muscular chest. As her eyes met his, she noticed that his eyes appeared to be slightly strained, or perhaps agitated. Her smiled faded somewhat, and she adopted a concerned expression.
    “Caleb, is everything okay?” she asked.
    He considered her for a moment before realizing he was feeling happier once she arrived. There was no need to mention the conversation with Melanie. “Me? I’m great,” he replied. “Thanks for asking. You?”
    “Great,” she answered with a friendly smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. He’s being evasive , she mused as she noted the slight change in his pupils, the sound of his voice, and the almost negligible change to the muscle tension in his face. As vampires went, she was a very observant predator.
    “I’m really glad you called earlier,” he genuinely offered.
    That’s honest , she noted by reading his body language and voice inflections. She returned his smile in earnest.
    He handed the paperback book to her and offered, “Please, keep it as long as you like.”
    She took it, making sure to flip through to the table of contents before casually scanning the description on the back cover. “Thanks,” she offered before carefully probing, “You’re up here late again, and on a Friday night no less. Shouldn’t you be out entertaining…what’s her name?”
    “Melanie,” he offered with a wry expression.
    Ah, so that’s what’s bothering him , Katrina considered, feeling far happier about that than she thought she should have. “Sorry, bad topic?” she casually ventured.
    He frowned. “I’m beginning to think so.”
    She arched an eyebrow at him, but her smile widened wickedly. His heart rate increased slightly as he noted her expression and misinterpreted it as potentially negative. He’s nervous about that , she noted.
    “You know, Caleb,” she began innocently, “Nobody’s perfect. Relationships aren’t easy for any of us.” A major understatement in my experience, and perhaps his , she thought. The latter postulation was based upon her own intuition more than anything substantive.
    He wanly smiled and admitted, “Guilty as charged.”
    She supportively smiled at him and subsequently heard his stomach growl. An amusing thought crossed her mind, and she struggled to avoid grinning. “Well, I’m ready to render judgment,” she smoothly announced with a sober expression.
    His eyes playfully glinted up at her from where he sat.
    “I sentence you to dinner with me tonight,” she declared with a note of finality.
    He grinned and held his wrists out to her in mock submission. “Haul me away,” he quipped with the flash of a cute grin. “I’m yours.”
    Oh Caleb, you really shouldn’t have said that , Katrina thought slyly as a sudden surge of desire ran through her body.
    As they walked out to the parking lot, he felt embarrassed about the prospect of driving Katrina around in his older Honda. Fortunately for him, she offered to take them to the restaurant in her Audi. He again marveled at the impressive driving experience the sleek automobile offered, and that was just from the passenger seat. But while he was grateful for Katrina shuttling them around town, he insisted on paying for dinner.
    They selected one of his favorite restaurants,