day.â
âYour luck was my loss,â Calista said. âI wish I had a little luck so I could talk you into speaking at my event.â She waved off the comment, silently letting Sabrina know she wasnât pressuring her. âBack to the extreme sport otherwise known as Ryan Walker. Iâm pretty sure you can come up with some exhilarating activities with that man that do not include skydiving. Donât let him talk you into it.â A slow smile slid onto her lips. âHeâs hot, girl, and he looks at you like he wants to gobble you right up.â
âNo,â Sabrina said dismissively, and then because shecouldnât help herself, leaned forward and asked softly, âHe does?â
âOh, yeah,â Calista assured her. âWhat a way to leave the political white collars behind in style. And honey, with a man like that all to yourself, I donât blame you for wanting to protect your privacy.â
Sabrina bit her lip. âThis isnât about Ryan.â
Calista offered a coy look of her own. âMaybe not,â she said. âBut I wouldnât blame you if it was.â She reached into her purse and slid a card to the table. âListen, the paper is only a few blocks from my office. We should have lunch. A real lunch, no politics. Just friends.â
The two of them would never manage âno politics,â which was why Sabrina accepted the card and said nothing but, âThank you. That would be nice.â
âTranslation,â Calista said knowingly, âno, thanks.â
âItâs not you,â Sabrina said. In fact, she felt she quite clicked with Calista. And that was the problem. âI really need a clean break from politics, and youâre clearly immersed in that world.â
âIâm not going to talk you into speaking, am I?â
âNo,â Sabrina agreed. âYouâre not.â
Calista pursed her lips. âI respect that, but Iâm still hoping youâll change your mind.â
It wasnât long until Ryan returned and did what appeared to come naturallyâgot right to the point. âSo, Calista. How about calling Marco and telling him to give Sabrina her interview?â
âOf course,â Calista agreed. âI never meant to have this be some sort of quid pro quo. If Marco made it seem otherwise, Iâll happily kick his backside.â
Ah, sibling love, Sabrina thought, with wistful amusement. Sheâd never experienced it, but often thought a friend for life who she could always count on would be a joy.
âThen you wonât mind calling Marco now, I assume,â Ryan commented. It wasnât a question.
Calista shook her head and glanced at Sabrina. âDid I mention I never jumped out of that plane? He pushed me.â
âI encouraged you,â Ryan corrected, and gave Sabrina a sideways mischievous look that said the word push might be the most accurate.
Calista scoffed and retrieved her cell from her purse. âI felt a distinct push. Like now. Only this time I donât mind. Iâm calling Marco.â
Several minutes later, Sabrina had not only bypassed Marcoâs manager and set a time for her phone interview with Marco, but also one with his lead mechanic. She was on the way to her six-week exposé. Now, she just needed Frankâs thumbs-up.
Sabrina and Ryan said their goodbyes to Calista and laughed their way across the parking lot. âTell me you didnât really push Calista out of the plane?â
âNudged is more like it,â Ryan said, yanking open the door to his shiny blue Dodge Ram. âMarco had just told me weâd go by your place if there was time before his flight. I made sure we had time.â
His hands settled on her waist, and she stepped onto the ledge to climb inside the truck when a moment of spontaneity hit her. She turned and faced him, her hand resting on his chest, their bodies so very