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She wanted him again, right now, wanted to shove their computers aside, crawl into his lap, and beg him to put his hands and his mouth on her.
But everything was different now. All those weeks ago, when she’d naively jumped into his arms on this plane, she’d told herself it was simply about feeling good and having fun in bed.
Yet all along, the truth was that she’d secretly been hoping for the fairy tale.
With Cal playing the part of her prince.
It wasn’t his fault he’d broken her heart and crushed her silly, secret dreams.
But she wouldn’t dare risk it again.
Chapter Sixteen
The two weeks before Lyssa’s doctor’s appointment were interminable. Cal couldn’t stop thinking about the baby and his desperate need to confirm that everything was all right with its growth. And Lyssa seemed determined to keep him at arm’s length.
In a complete reversal from his always-on-the-road behavior of the previous weeks, he hadn’t left San Francisco once, instead conducting his business by phone, text, email, and video calls. When his associates insisted on face-to-face meetings, he said no.
Lyssa and the baby were far more important than any business deal.
Lyssa, on the other hand, was out of the office more than she was in it. It was true that she had plenty of meetings about the upcoming gala, but she hadn’t so much as let Cal take her to lunch or dinner since they’d been back. She always claimed she’d just eaten, or that all she wanted to do was sleep.
Cal spent his spare time reading every book, article, or blog he could find on pregnancy and childbirth. It was, he quickly realized, a bad idea. Between the pregnancy books and the firsthand accounts he found on the Internet, there were not only too many opinions, there were also way too many horror stories that gave him the cold sweats.
What’s more, every time he tried to get Lyssa to talk about any of the elephants in the room—their relationship, telling her family, even baby names—she wriggled her way out of it with another gala setup, phone call, or meeting, or by claiming there was no need to rush. Of course they’d tell her family before she started showing, she insisted, and until then, they needed to give themselves time to figure things out.
He knew she was still processing the major changes in her life and future. He had to be patient and give her time. After all, it was her body, her parents, her brothers. Her stakes were so much higher than his.
But God, he wanted a stake in her and her baby’s life. A big, real, solid stake. One that came with a ring and the word forever and Lyssa in his bed every night and in the sunshine drinking coffee with him every morning.
The day before the doctor’s appointment, they had a meeting with Gideon and Dane in the conference room. They’d been keeping Gideon informed about the foundation’s progress in bits and pieces, but it was time to review the big picture with him.
“I swear, Lyssa, you’re glowing,” Gideon noted after he said hello and hugged her. “The news must be great, huh?”
Lyssa’s eyes shot to Cal’s, before just as quickly moving away. Right now, the two of them were the only ones who knew why she was glowing. Yes, the foundation was doing very well. But pregnancy suited her even better.
Once Gideon knew about the baby—and that Cal was the father—he wouldn’t be grinning like that at Cal anymore.
Lyssa went through the numbers—the massive total of donations they’d already received, along with the various organizations they’d already begun to fund, the San Jose property they’d put an offer on for the halfway house. The more she tallied, the bigger Gideon’s eyes grew.
“I had no idea we’d come this far. I know you’ve been working hard, but this blows my mind.” He looked stunned. “I don’t know how you guys have done so much, so quickly.”
“It’s not just us,” she replied. “We’ve got agents in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle looking for facilities. We considered building our own, but with all the empty office space out there right now, it doesn’t make sense. We’re also researching equipment for the rehab centers. As for the fundraising, you can thank Dane for that. He’s brought us the bulk of our major contributors.”
Dane held up his hands to ward off the praise. “I handed over a list of names, but between the two of them, Lyssa and Cal are the ones doing the work of a staff of ten.”
Gideon looked at them all, and Cal thought he saw tears in the big guy’s eyes. “When I asked you to head this foundation, Cal, I had no idea it would grow into something like this, let alone in little more than three months. You and Lyssa have turned my vision into something extraordinary. I’ll never be able to thank you both enough.”
