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The bedroom door opened and Calista appeared. She met his gaze solemnly. “Hi.”
“Hi,’ he said and waved to the chair beside him. “Have a seat.”
She walked to the chair and sank into it. A glass of white wine sat on the table waiting for her. She took a sip then set it down. She looked tired, he noted.
“How is Tami?” he asked.
“She’s trying to be tough, but she took a stuffed animal to bed with her,” she said.
His lips twitched in humor. “Has she said anything?”
“Not much, and that’s unusual. She did say she was sorry,” she said.
“That’s a good start. Realizing you did something wrong is the beginning of being different,” he said and took another sip of whiskey. “I should know.”
She met his gaze again. “Is that how it happened for you?”
“My so-called adoptive father beat me. He also threatened to beat my adoptive mother. He was manipulative. He trained me to lie, play games and exploit.”
She bit her lip. “But you’re not like that anymore, are you?”
He shrugged. “Everyone can be manipulative,” he said and shot her a pointed look.
She glanced downward. “I can’t say I’m innocent in that regard.”
“You had good reasons,” he said. “I accept that. In a way, I did, too. I was trying to survive. I don’t like to be lied to.”
“Most of us don’t,” she said, looking up at him. “Why haven’t you kicked me out?”
“Aside from the fact that I still want you,” he said and damned if he totally understood why. “It’s the right thing to do. Even though my father set up the scheme to trick your father, I benefited from it. You suffered. Your father believed what he wanted to believe instead of the truth.”
“He was a good man,” she said.
“He may have been a good man, but he was flawed.”
“That’s a cruel thing to say,” she said, her voice choking up.
“It’s true.”
She glanced away and a faint smile lifted her lips. “He knew how to make us laugh.”
“Keep that memory,” he told her, wishing he had some of the same kinds of memories.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“What do you want to do?” he countered.
She fiddled with the stem of her wineglass. “I thought for sure you’d hate me once I told you I married you to get support for my sisters.”
“Do you really think I’m surprised that a woman would marry me for my money?” he asked.
“It’s not totally like that,” she said, shooting him a look of chagrin.
“Then explain to me how it is,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“I was only going to marry you for six months,” she said.
“Ah,” he said. “That clause in the prenup.”
“Yes, I know it’s shameful, but I didn’t know how else to provide for Tami and Tina.”
“Why didn’t you just snag another wealthy man?” he asked. “The first one to come along?”
“Because it didn’t seem right,” she said. “At least, this way, you were partly responsible for my sisters becoming orphans. I told myself it was a six-month assignment, but the trouble was…” She trailed off and glanced away.
“The trouble was what?” he prompted.
“The trouble was that I liked you,” she said with a fierce frown. “And in bed—” She shook her head. “Then you were wonderful about Pooh.” She looked perplexed. “And now you’re being wonderful about Tami.”
He chuckled at her confusion. “Does this mean you want me to go back to your version of Satan?”
She looked at him for a long moment and shook her head. “No,” she said softly.
Her expression made his gut knot. He didn’t understand it and he sure as hell didn’t like it, but he wouldn’t ignore it. “You haven’t said what you want,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I didn’t expect you to be like you are. In another situation, I wish you and my father had never met. I wish you and I could have met with no ugly history between us.”
“Then let’s do that,” he said.
She swung her head upward to gape at him. “How?”
“Fresh start. Allow me to introduce myself.” He leaned across the table and extended his hand. “I’m Leonardo Grant, your husband.”
She stared at his hand for a long moment and paused. She met his gaze. “Hello, Leonardo Grant. I’m Calista French Grant, your wife,” she said and slid her hand inside his.
He felt a rocking sense of possession that soared through his blood. “I’m going to want more than six months.”
Her eyelids dipped, shielding her expression from him. “Okay.”
He stood and tugged her from her chair and pulled her against him. “Starting tonight.”
Two mornings later, Leo did his work from his home office. Calista took Pooh in for a checkup and he’d agreed to hang around until she returned. He asked Meg to tell him if and when Tami awakened. Midmorning, his housekeeper tapped at his door.
“She’s up, sir,” Meg said.
“Thanks. I’ll be in the kitchen in a moment.” He put his laptop on standby and walked into the kitchen where Tami sat at the bar looking lost.
“Good morning,” he said.
She glanced up at him. “Good morning,” she returned in a polite but flat tone.
“What do you have planned for today?”
“What can I do? I have no cell phone, no friends,” she said.
“You didn’t have real friends before,” he said.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You sound like Calista.”
“There are worse places, you know,” he said, sitting on the stool next to her. “The ghetto, jail.”
“Not that you would know,” she said.
“Actually I know more than most people would want to know about the ghetto,” he said then shrugged. “Did Calista mention that we have horses here?”
“Yes, but I’ve never ridden.”
“Want to learn?” he asked. “Or are you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid,” she said. “But who could teach me?”
“That can be arranged,” he said. “If you’re interested.”
“Okay. I’m interested,” she said. “Please,” she added as if she’d just remembered her manners.
“You have no idea how lucky you are that Calista loves you as much as she does,” he told her. “You would be foolish to take that for granted.”
Tami’s lower lip trembled. “I let her down.”
“Yes, you did,” he said. “But you still have the opportunity to make her and everyone else who cares about you proud. Including yourself. So why don’t you stop pouting and get on with it?”
“How can I? I have no phone, no car,” she said.
“Prove you can make good choices. Take an online course and ace it,” he said.
“She won’t let me near the computer,” she said.
“ETR,” he said.
Tami frowned. “ETR?” she echoed.
“Earn the right,” he said.
“How do I do that?”
“Ask Calista what you can do to help,” he said. “What are your favorite pancakes?”
“Blueberry,” she said.
“Meg,” he called. “Can you please get Miss French some blueberry pancakes?” He walked away to let Tami think about what he’d said. Something told him she would go horseback riding today.
Leo left for a business trip and checked in with Calista several times. He arrived back in town late on Thursday night and headed directly for the shower. After drying off, he went to bed, inhaling her sweet scent as he lifted the covers. In the darkness, he saw the outline of her body and heard her even breathing. He craved the feeling of her n**ed body against his.She was asleep, damn it. He would be a caveman to wake her. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. Her scent wafted through him, torturing him.
Suddenly he felt her move and her hand was on his chest. “How did you talk her into horseback riding?” she asked, her breath sliding over his neck.
“I planted the idea,” he said.
“Hmm,” she said and slid her lips against his jaw. “And the online course?”
“I may have mentioned it,” he said.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
His heart hammered against his rib cage. “Show me,” he told her.
Ten
Calista was relieved that Tami settled into a routine so quickly. Leo had suggested that Tami spend a semester at a local junior college before going away to school. Although Tami was disappointed, she seemed to understand.
Calista’s cell phone rang and she glanced at the caller ID, unfamiliar with the number. “Hello?”“Hi, this is your rock star P.I.,” Rob said.
Calista’s stomach twisted. “Hi Rob. Thank you for all the information you’ve sent me. I think I’ve learned as much as I need to at the moment, so I’ll just send you a check.”
“Whoa,” he said. “You’re not blowing me off, are you? Because you should know I’ve got some amazing new info. It’s hot.”
“What is it?” she asked reluctantly.
He laughed. “I’m not going to hand it over that easily.”
Calista frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean now you’re in a position to pay me what I deserve, and for this info, I deserve a lot.”
Her stomach sank. “I really don’t think I need any more information, but what were you planning to charge?”
He named a figure that took her breath away.
“You’re crazy,” she said. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
