when she'd mentioned Gwyn. Was it possible that Sheila was jealous?
"I'll tell Mike you'll be by later this afternoon." Returning her attention to the order form she'd been filling out, Sheila dismissed Caleb.
He draped his arms around the computer and leaned over it. Sheila gasped and jumped simultaneously. Caleb grinned mischievously.
"I thought you were going over to Amber's," she said.
"I didn't say I was going anywhere." Caleb rounded the desk and grabbed Sheila's right hand with his left. "I think I'll pass on lunch with Gwyn today."
Sheila jerked her hand out of his grasp and glared at him. "Oh, I see. Gwyn was just another one-night stand for you, huh? She was fun last night, but today you want something different—someone different."
Caleb perched his hip on the edge of Sheila's desk. "I wanted someone different last night, but the lady I really wanted to be with wasn't available."
"Is that right? Who, pray tell, is this unavailable lady you wanted to be with instead of Gwyn Baker? She must really be something, considering Gwyn is the gal every guy in Crooked Oak has the hots for."
"She's something special—my unavailable lady. But the more I pursue her, the more she backs away. Maybe you can help me figure out how to make some points with her."
Sheila raised her gaze quickly, stunned by his request. "I don't have time for your games, Caleb. If you want to play, go play with Gwyn or someone like her."
"You aren't interested in helping me make points with the lady I want?" Caleb asked, a comical forlorn look on his face.
"Will you please go away and leave me alone. All you're doing is trying to aggravate me. I know exactly what you're getting at and it's not going to work. I'm well aware that this unavailable lady you're talking about is me."
"Ah, you guessed my secret." He grabbed her hand, brought it upward and pressed his lips against her soft flesh.
Sheila quivered, the sensation spiraling through her body like a puff of shivering wind. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he pursuing her when there were far more attractive women than she willing to fill his lonely hours? Didn't he realize that she couldn't succumb to his flirtation without losing her heart? And she knew Caleb Bishop. He might actually want her for one night or even several nights. But he wasn't the marrying kind, and that was the only kind of man she needed. She couldn't think only of herself; she had to consider Danny in any decisions she made. Any man she took an interest in would automatically become potential father material in her son's mind. She could hardly have a casual affair with Danny's idol without giving her son false hopes. She might understand that dating Caleb would be only a temporary arrangement, but Danny would delude himself into thinking the new man in his mother's life was going to stick around for the long haul.
She jerked her hand out of his once again. "Tell me something, Caleb—why would you prefer my company to Gwyn Baker's? She's prettier than I am, smaller than I am, more feminine than I am, and I'm sure she's far more experienced in bed than I am."
Caleb was momentarily taken aback. He wasn't accustomed to such frank honesty from a woman. But what had he expected? This wasn't just any woman. This was Sheila Hanley. Sheila Hanley Vance, the only woman, other than his sister, who'd ever been completely straight with him. She hadn't been impressed with his high-school-jock, teen-heartthrob image twelve years ago and she sure as hell wasn't impressed with his superstar-stud image now.
"Who says Gwyn's prettier than you?"
"Don't try that on me!" Narrowing her gaze, she gave him a dirty look. "I'm not some naive teenage girl willing to put out in the back seat just because she thinks the guy she's had a crush on for years has finally fallen for her. That Sheila is long gone, so save your sweet talk for someone gullible enough to believe you."
"I suppose you have a right to still be pissed at me about
"I'll tell Mike you'll be by later this afternoon." Returning her attention to the order form she'd been filling out, Sheila dismissed Caleb.
He draped his arms around the computer and leaned over it. Sheila gasped and jumped simultaneously. Caleb grinned mischievously.
"I thought you were going over to Amber's," she said.
"I didn't say I was going anywhere." Caleb rounded the desk and grabbed Sheila's right hand with his left. "I think I'll pass on lunch with Gwyn today."
Sheila jerked her hand out of his grasp and glared at him. "Oh, I see. Gwyn was just another one-night stand for you, huh? She was fun last night, but today you want something different—someone different."
Caleb perched his hip on the edge of Sheila's desk. "I wanted someone different last night, but the lady I really wanted to be with wasn't available."
"Is that right? Who, pray tell, is this unavailable lady you wanted to be with instead of Gwyn Baker? She must really be something, considering Gwyn is the gal every guy in Crooked Oak has the hots for."
"She's something special—my unavailable lady. But the more I pursue her, the more she backs away. Maybe you can help me figure out how to make some points with her."
Sheila raised her gaze quickly, stunned by his request. "I don't have time for your games, Caleb. If you want to play, go play with Gwyn or someone like her."
"You aren't interested in helping me make points with the lady I want?" Caleb asked, a comical forlorn look on his face.
"Will you please go away and leave me alone. All you're doing is trying to aggravate me. I know exactly what you're getting at and it's not going to work. I'm well aware that this unavailable lady you're talking about is me."
"Ah, you guessed my secret." He grabbed her hand, brought it upward and pressed his lips against her soft flesh.
Sheila quivered, the sensation spiraling through her body like a puff of shivering wind. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he pursuing her when there were far more attractive women than she willing to fill his lonely hours? Didn't he realize that she couldn't succumb to his flirtation without losing her heart? And she knew Caleb Bishop. He might actually want her for one night or even several nights. But he wasn't the marrying kind, and that was the only kind of man she needed. She couldn't think only of herself; she had to consider Danny in any decisions she made. Any man she took an interest in would automatically become potential father material in her son's mind. She could hardly have a casual affair with Danny's idol without giving her son false hopes. She might understand that dating Caleb would be only a temporary arrangement, but Danny would delude himself into thinking the new man in his mother's life was going to stick around for the long haul.
She jerked her hand out of his once again. "Tell me something, Caleb—why would you prefer my company to Gwyn Baker's? She's prettier than I am, smaller than I am, more feminine than I am, and I'm sure she's far more experienced in bed than I am."
Caleb was momentarily taken aback. He wasn't accustomed to such frank honesty from a woman. But what had he expected? This wasn't just any woman. This was Sheila Hanley. Sheila Hanley Vance, the only woman, other than his sister, who'd ever been completely straight with him. She hadn't been impressed with his high-school-jock, teen-heartthrob image twelve years ago and she sure as hell wasn't impressed with his superstar-stud image now.
"Who says Gwyn's prettier than you?"
"Don't try that on me!" Narrowing her gaze, she gave him a dirty look. "I'm not some naive teenage girl willing to put out in the back seat just because she thinks the guy she's had a crush on for years has finally fallen for her. That Sheila is long gone, so save your sweet talk for someone gullible enough to believe you."
"I suppose you have a right to still be pissed at me about
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