Page 58 of Play for Power (Central Sparks #3)

“Well this is quaint,” Rosie teases as we climb out of the Uber at the front of my dad’s house.

Certainly nothing to brag about, this place.

It definitely shows the scars of a single father who worked three jobs and a fourteen-year-old boy who worked two.

I grunt an acknowledgment, kind of regretting agreeing to bring Rosie along, but she’s tough, she can handle herself around these idiots.

And really, if she can handle her own family’s shit, mine will be a walk in the park.

“Welcome to my childhood.” I gesture with sarcasm as we stand on the sidewalk gazing at the plain house with a dilapidated garden and fence that’s falling to pieces.

“So, how’d you go from this to a new Tom Ford every day and an apartment in Tribeca?” she teases, and I look down at her, her hands on her hips as she scans the house with a confused pout on her pretty face.

“See, I knew you were obsessed with me.” I poke her shoulder and she shoves me playfully with a sneer.

“You’re delusional.”

“And you’re keeping track of my suits.” I flick her on the nose because watching her scrunch it…just like that, is probably the most adorable thing ever. She swats at my hand.

“I’m a fan of fashion, I note the labels and the styles.

It’s less about you and more about an appreciation for designers.

” She gives me an adorable snobby pout and I push open the squeaky front gate to make our way up the path to the front porch.

I can’t help but chuckle at her feigned annoyance.

“Plus, it’s you who’s obsessed with me. Don’t think I didn’t pick up on the Chanel cologne you got—my favorite designer—or your habit of drinking your coffee black.

” She looks up at me like she’s won gold, and I can’t even correct her.

I just roll my eyes, unable to hide my smile.

“You’re so annoying.” I grunt at her.

“Ha! You love it ,” she teases in a voice I assume is mocking me.

I want to pick her up and throw her against this wall and maul her.

Everything about being with Rosie is so easy, and something about the teasing, her warm skin, her tiny bits of clothing, and the fact she offered to come here just really, really makes me want to kiss the shit out of her.

“Are you ready for this? It isn’t pretty,” I ask, stopping before we get to the porch to really look at her.

Her teasing smile drops into a pout, her all-knowing eyes analyzing me in the way she does, and if I wasn’t already so comfortable with Rosie knowing all the yucky parts of my life, it might feel too vulnerable.

But I’m learning that having Rosie know these parts of me actually isn’t all that scary.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” She shrugs and smiles hesitantly up at me. Her whiskey eyes gleam and I get lost in them for a moment. “Are you ready?” She pokes at my shoulder, but when I open my mouth to answer her, I’m cut short by the opening of the front door.

“Well, are you coming inside, or are you just going to stand out in the heat like an idiot?” Dad’s words are meant to tease, but the way his eyes simmer with something unpleasant has me giving him the same hateful smile back.

“Pops. Good to see you too.” His face brightens a touch with a flat smile that tells me, underneath his ego and pride, he does truly feel joy that I’m here. I just wish his reluctance to show it didn’t sting so much.

I shake his outstretched hand and let him pull me into a backslap embrace.

“Surprised you even recognized me. Did you remember the address or have to look me up?” Of course, he can’t help but dig at how long it has been since I’ve been home.

I don’t point out that it’s a two-way street and he doesn’t even know my address.

Instead, I offer a fake laugh at his “joke” and politely pull away from his embrace, giving him a placating smile.

I quickly move a hand to Rosie’s lower back, ushering her forward.

It’s not until my hand presses to the warmth of the skin there that peaks out between her tank and denim cutoffs, that I realize what I’m even doing.

When she is standing a bit closer, I quickly move my hand, clearing my throat of the air suddenly trapped there.

“Pops, this is my friend Rosie; Rosie, this is my dad, Robert.” I gesture between them. Rosie has that same confident stance: chin raised, shoulders back.

“Lovely to meet you.” She thrusts a hand between, wearing her usual mask of pleasantness that hides all her snarky.

He takes it, his eyes assessing her up and down in a way I’m familiar with.

Not inappropriate, just trying to work out her angle.

Guy doesn’t trust easily and it has the hairs on the back of my neck raised.

I hadn’t realized how tightly wound I was until his expression changes to a nice smile…

a hell of a lot nicer than he’s ever directed at me.

“Rosie. Well, it’s nice for Caleb to finally bring a girl home.”

“Nah,” I quickly amend, trying to fight off the pink I can feel heating my cheeks.

“Rosie’s just a friend, we’re here with Noah and his girl, Addy.

Going to spend tomorrow with them.” I clear my throat, feeling Rosie’s attention on me.

When I quickly glance in her direction, I can see her eyes narrowed slightly, but she hasn’t dropped her perfected mask.

She just nods and turns a placating smile back to Dad.

“Well, shall we?” He steps aside and gestures inside. Rosie claps her hands together and erupts with a bigger smile.

“Let’s. Sure smells good, what have you got cooking, Mr. Smith?” Rosie’s quick charm and bright confidence shine as she heads inside, walking around like she’s been here a million times. If she’s at all phased by my father’s brashness or the unfamiliar surroundings, she doesn’t show it.

“Please, call me Bob. And it’s my famous BBQ ribs.” He smiles at her over his shoulder as he takes off ahead of us.

“Ugh, yum. I love ribs,” she says as she follows after him, and I can feel my heart racing as we enter the kitchen, a smile spreading across my face.

“Love, we got company,” Dad says to his wife, and she spins from where she stands at the sink with a delicate smile.

“This is Caleb’s friend, Rosie.” I don’t miss the way his voice lingers on the word friend.

Dragging a hand down my face and praying for patience, I move forward, making sure to get a good look at Rosie’s face… waiting.

“Rosie, this is my wife. Vivienne.” I watch with barely restrained amusement at the way Rosie’s eyes blow wide, her cheeks pinken, and her lips part with shock.

Her eyes dart to me, blazing a fury as she closes and opens her mouth like a helpless fish.

I can’t contain it any longer. I double over, sputtering the laugh that is barreling through me.

My eyes sting with tears because I can’t handle the look of horror on Rosie’s face as she finally understands my hate for the name of her vibrator.

With blushed cheeks and, I think, a twitching eye, Rosie wipes her palms on her shorts before stepping forward and thrusting a confident hand in front of Viv to shake. “Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Smith.”

Viv smiles gently, shaking Rosie’s hand. “You too. And please, call me Viv.”

Rosie smacks her chest as she coughs and I have to cover my mouth as I continue to laugh silently, scrunching my eyes closed.

“The hell has gotten into you?” Dad scolds me from across the kitchen where he picks at the snacks Viv has on the bench.

“I’m…” I take a breath and wipe my hand down my face. “It’s nothing, sorry. I had a memory come up, and it…never mind.” When I glance at Rosie, I nearly lose my shit again, she is glaring so hard at me.

“So, Caleb. Why don’t you show me around,” she says pointedly through her teeth. I know better than to turn her down. She spins on a heel, leaving the room. I follow her, chuckling.

When we make it back near the front door, she spins back, furious, and slaps a hand to my shoulder.

“Ouch!” I flinch away from shock rather than pain.

“ Idiota estúpido !” I bite down on my bottom lip.

She is so fucking sexy when she’s fired up and spitting Spanish at me.

“You didn’t think to warn me!? Ay Dios, that was utterly humiliating.

She probably thinks I hate her because I stared like a fish out of water.

Juro que podría matarte ahora mismo !” She slaps me a few more times on the arm, light and in quick succession as I back away from her, unable to stop the chuckle.

“What is wrong with you!”

I raise a finger and bop her on her nose, just because I know she hates it. “That, pretty girl, is why I didn’t tell you first.” I grin at her smugly and watch as she swats my hand away again. “Far too entertaining watching your reaction.”

She huffs a breath that pushes her curls out of her face, and I lean back, crossing my arms. She mimics my stance, her scowl firmly in place.

“So, how many times have you come screaming out my dad’s wife’s name?

” I bite my lip again to smother my laugh when she unleashes another round of playful slapping on my arm.

But when I break out into another round of giggles, I see her scowl break into a reluctant smile and she starts to chuckle herself.

“ Conche tu madre , that was so embarrassing.” When she stops laughing, she covers her face and grunts. “And for the record. I don’t call out the name of my vibrator when I come. That’s just weird.” She drops her hands and goes back to her snarky, playful expression, and my chest warms.

See? Easy. It’s so goddamn easy to be around her. I reach a hand to absently rub at my chest and I can feel my smile easing just a bit as the tension between us grows once more. Rosie’s eyes drop to my chest, but then she clears her throat.