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He’s barelytouchedme, but there’s already an ache between my thighs that borders on unbearable. I press into his hand, silently willing him to take more, do more, and suddenly he’s gripping my hips, pulling me tight so that all I can feel is the very long, thick press of him against my ass.
“Lucie,” he says, his voice a low growl, “be very careful with what you say to me. I have a lot less self-control than you think.”
And then he walks away, and the door has slammed shut before I manage to collapse in a chair.
How did that happen?
How did Caleb—so single-mindedly focused on the company and his career—wind up letting go like that, and how did I wind up urging him to do it? Ineedthis job. I need our working relationship to remain uncomplicated and friendly.
I guess that means we need to discuss what happened, but I have no idea what I’d say. If this was a movie starring Sandra Bullock or Reese Witherspoon, I’d confess that I’ve had a crush on him since I was six, that I came back to the lake once I turned twenty-one only to see him—unaware they’d moved—and met Jeremy instead.
But what good would that do? He’s moving away and doesn’t want kids or a relationship. Molly was right when she said he was a dead end.
I’ll apologize.
It wasn’t entirely my fault, but I’ll apologize simply to set things right. I’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what that was about, but I really value our friendship…can we pretend it didn’t happen?’
I put it off for the rest of the afternoon, and it’s not until I’m leaving to pick up the twins that I veer toward his office.
“He left town,” Kayleigh snarls at my back. I turn. Her face is as impassive as ever, but there’s a small gleam in her eyes. I get the feeling she likes delivering disappointing news. “I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
I’m sick of Kayleigh’s attitude and too disappointed about Caleb’s absence to hide it. “WhywouldI know?”
Her mouth presses flat. “You’re down here a lot.”
“I’ve been in Caleb’s office maybe five times since I started, which hardly seems excessive.”
She shrugs. “If you say so.”
Has my crush on Caleb been that obvious? Or has she simply picked up on something I’m only just realizing myself:
He wants me too.
25
LUCIE
One week later, I once again put on the green silk dress, the one that inexplicably seems to irritate Caleb, drop the kids at school, and head straight to San Francisco for the conference. My presentation isn’t until noon, but Mark assumed I’d want to be here at ten for Caleb’s opening panel and there was no subtle way to suggest that seeing Caleb before my presentation might do more harm than good. In the days that have passed since that afternoon in the break room, the incident has taken on a life of its own, looming larger in my head with every minute that passes. God, I wish we’d cleared the air before he left.
I valet park my car and head to the hotel lobby, clutching my bag and the new laptop that was delivered to my desk a week ago. The scene is far more chaotic than I anticipated: there are news crews and police, conference attendees and people who don’t appear to be here for the conference at all but who are murmuring, their phones poised.
Caleb is standing with Mark, his gaze already on me, his brow furrowed. He sends Mark off and walks toward me, that worry never leaving his face. I expected him to finesse this, toact as if nothing’s wrong. Instead, he’s looking at me like I’m someone Mark was supposed to fire but did not.
God, is he going to fire mehere?
He reaches me and places a hand on my elbow, moving me off to the side and out of earshot of people walking by.
He pinches the bridge of his nose before he speaks. “Your father is on his way,” he says, his hand tightening around my arm as if I might need support. “He didn’t announce it until this morning. He’s going to be on my panel.”
My brow furrows. It’s so different from what I expected him to say that I can’t quite make sense of the words. “Who?”
He moves to my side to shield me from the mob. “Your father. I have no idea what’s going on...someone like your dad usually books these kinds of appearances months in advance. I just found out myself or I’d have warned you. You don’t need to be here if you don’t want to be.”
My shoulders sag in relief. “Jesus, Caleb, you looked so worried. I thought you were going to fire me. I couldn’t care less where heis.”
“Fireyou?” he repeats, jaw open. “Why the hell would I fire you?”
I shrug, ignoring the heat rushing to my cheeks. “You know.”
