Sunrise at Sunset by Jaz Primo Page A

address when she’ ha first settled in Atlanta.
    “That’s very kind. Thank you,” he replied sincerely.
    She was feeling very pleased with herself at that moment.
    But the subject of Melanie quickly returned to the forefront of Caleb’s thoughts. “I guess I should explain the little event that was going on when you arrived,” he ventured anxiously as he gestured for Katrina to take a seat and then sat next to her on the couch.
    “Was she the complication you spoke of the other night?” she asked.
    “Yeah, and it’s not what it looked like,” he supplied earnestly. “I never raised a hand at her. We were just arguing, and –”
    “It never once entered my mind,” she interrupted him with sincerity. “I could tell when I arrived that you were calmer than she was, and she was quite animated after my arrival, whereas you seemed to be seeking to diffuse the emotion in the room.”
    Caleb nearly gaped at her frank and rather accurate assessment of the situation. “That’s pretty much it,” he muttered absently. “She thought I was cheating on her.”
    “And were you?” Katrina asked plainly, despite recalling the presence of Greg in the hallway. She was curious how he would respond. Melanie had obviously already decided that Caleb was no longer of interest to her, and her own assessment of Melanie was already rather negative after all she had overheard, observed, and discerned. All the better for me , Katrina thought.
    “Yes, it could be viewed that way from a certain perspective. At least in my opinion,” he replied, suddenly critical of himself.
    “Oh, really?” she asked. It was important to know that Caleb could take responsibility for his own actions with a degree of honesty. Score one for Caleb , she noted.
    “Well, I did go out with you while I was technically still supposed to be exclusively dating her,” he mused. “But it’s felt so wrong between Melanie and me these past few weeks. I don’t know. I’m still feeling a little confused about everything right now.”
    “So, would you say you have devotion issues?” she pressed with a mild injection of teasing.
    He considered her question and searched deep within himself for a moment. Nobody had ever asked him questions like this before. He swallowed as he gazed into her eyes. “I really don’t think I have devotion issues with the right partner,” he assessed as openly as possible.
    She smiled slightly and considered him. Yes, I suspect he’s correct , she determined.
    “I wouldn’t blame you if you thought poorly of me,” he added self-consciously. “Or even if you got up right now and walked right out the door.”
    “Would you like for me to go?” she asked softly as her green eyes bored into his. She read the answer from the reaction in his pale blue eyes before he uttered a response.
    “No, not at all,” he insisted gently with a vulnerable expression. He wanted more than anything for her to stay. He realized things had happened so quickly that evening with Melanie, but he’d already been thinking about Katrina very soberly the past few days. He was fully aware how special her introduction into his life already felt to him.
    She smiled back at him, adopted a more quizzical expression, and asked, “You seem innocent enough, but why do I get the impression that you get into trouble a lot?”
    He briefly recollected the campus parking lot incident, as well as that evening’s event with Melanie. “Just my luck, I guess,” he quipped with a grin. “I’m just walking, talking trouble, I suppose.”
    Her smile turned predatory as she countered slyly, “Well, I think I know just how to take care of troublemakers.”
    Maybe it was the way she looked at him, or perhaps it was the sound of her voice at that moment, but no matter the reason, Caleb felt an immediate urge to kiss her. And unlike the night at the restaurant, he leaned his body towards her without hesitation until his face was nearly touching hers. She didn’t