Oak, Sophie - Away From Me (Siren Publishing Classic) (10 page)

“Why?”

Cal turned and regarded the man who served as Gaby’s confidant. It was a role he hoped to take over. “I don’t know if it works, but some people think positive energy can be healing. If Gaby believes this, then why can’t I add mine to hers?”

The nurse’s entire face softened. “All right. Why don’t you go put on a pair of sweatpants or something comfortable? I’ll show you a few techniques. How long do you intend to stay?”

“As long as it takes.” Cal’s reply was sure.

Chris laughed. “Then I should have plenty of time to teach you.”

* * * *

Gaby stared at her admin. She stood over Jackie’s desk and felt her eyes narrow and her heart rate speed up. It took a moment to let it sink in.

“He did what?”

Jackie swallowed once, and then twice, before finally answering. Her eyes looked owl-like behind her glasses. “He asked for the financials. He wanted to review the P&L and asked for a detailed accounting of capital expenditures. He also wanted to look at the Fuller file.”

It was the only lawsuit she’d had to deal with since she’d taken over the resort. It was a minor annoyance, something every hotel had to deal with. A guest had slipped in the hall coming in from the pool. Gaby knew her staff had done everything they should have done. It was just a question of settling. Why the hell would Callum need to look through her books and read a file on an open lawsuit? He was supposed to be a guest. Guests didn’t come into the management office to make sure their former subs were performing adequately.

“And you just gave it to him?” Gaby was aware her voice had taken on a distinctly menacing tone. Her admin looked startled.

“I…he asked for them.” Jackie’s hands twisted in her lap. Her brown eyes were suddenly watery behind the lens of her glasses.

Gaby gave herself a second to check the anger that was threatening to bubble over. It wasn’t really Jackie’s fault. Cal could be very intimidating when he wanted to be. He was probably furious with her for ignoring him all day. It was obvious Cal was on a power trip. She couldn’t hold her poor admin accountable. “Okay. So he came in and threatened you. I will deal with him, Jackie. I am sorry you had to deal with that.”

Jackie shook her head, and a dreamy little smile crossed her face. “Oh, no, Gaby. He was really nice. He asked if you were in, and when I told him you weren’t, he looked so sad. I think he likes you.”

The last bit was said with a little sigh, as though Jackie really envied her. It set Gaby’s teeth on edge. “So you just turned over our financials to him because you were worried he had a broken heart?” More than likely, she’d turned it over because he had startlingly piercing blue eyes and a devastating smile.

Jackie took a moment. She seemed a little confused. “I thought Mr. Hall sent him.”

“I would have informed you if Mr. Hall had sent someone to review our finances.”

For a moment, Jackie seemed to be getting the notion that she had done something wrong. She sat up straight in her chair and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. She shook it off and gave Gaby an encouraging smile. “I don’t think he’s out to do anything bad. He seems like such a nice man. When he ordered in lunch, he asked me what I wanted, too. He even made coffee for me. Isn’t that nice? Such a nice man wouldn’t do anything bad.”

“You should be glad you live on an island, Jackie. You would be horribly murdered by the first serial killer to come along.”

Gaby turned and strode out of her office. She checked the clock in the hall. It was almost eight. Cal had requested a table for two in the main dining room at eight o’clock. Gaby had no doubt that he’d been sure she would be sitting across from him. This whole episode with the financial data was Callum’s way of forcing her to meet with him.

It was just like him. He couldn’t possibly take no for an answer. She’d spent the entire day avoiding him. He’d shown up to her meditation hour and sat down beside her, offering to hold her hands in his. He’d said something about adding his energy to hers, and she’d fled. It had been too close to what she wanted from him.

Since that time, his number had popped up on her phone three times an hour. Her voice mail was full. After the fiasco on the beach the night before, Gaby had decided that the only way to keep her hands off Callum was to avoid him altogether.

He was only here for a week, and then he would retreat back to his precious law office. There was no way he would stay away from work for too long. She knew deep down that he didn’t intend to stay here for a whole week. He thought he could snap his fingers and give her those intense looks of his and she would be on the next plane to Vegas with him. He would, no doubt, sign all the paperwork the cheapo wedding chapel would require, and then he would set her back at home on a shelf. He would take her down when he needed her, and he would forget about her the rest of the time.

He’d said he thought about her always. The words floated through her brain. Cal never lied to her, even when it would hurt her to know the truth. Oh, she didn’t doubt he fudged a bit about jeans that didn’t particularly flatter her, but then, that wasn’t something that mattered to Cal. This would matter to him.

No. He was just trying to get her under control. He couldn’t find her today, so he was letting her know he would cause trouble if she tried to avoid him again. Damn him. He was trying to use her business to force her hand. He would find out just who he was dealing with.

Gaby strode into the elegant dining room. She didn’t care about the people who looked at her. She stood out among the well-dressed diners. This was a black-tie dinner. The elegant, Asian-inspired, five-course meal was being served by efficient, discreet waiters and waitresses.

Nothing ever shocked this group, Gaby knew. But now they all stopped to look at her. Gaby was dressed in cutoff jean shorts, a slightly dirty white T-shirt, and sneakers. She knew her hair looked a mess because she’d spent the day working on the resort’s docks. It was the one place Cal would never expect her to be.

Though she’d tried to clean up in the bathroom in her office, she’d been distracted by the news that Cal was checking her accounting.

She spotted him across the room. Of course, he had the best table in the house. Cal wouldn’t settle for less. And he had replaced her, she noted. He was sitting in his tux talking to someone else. It looked like a man. They sat together at the table overlooking the magnificent Caribbean. Cal laughed. His dark head was thrown back before he continued to speak to his companion, and Gaby knew she’d had enough.

As she walked up the four stairs that took her to the upper dining area, Cal looked over. He saw her, and a smile broke across his face. His eyes lit up, and she saw him mouth the word “Gaby.” He looked at her like she was the sun in the sky. It momentarily threw her off. Then, Cal’s companion turned.

“Hello, G,” Chris said with a grin.

Her best friend was sitting with the enemy. “How could you?”

Chris’s green eyes widened. “How could I what? Look this fabulous? It isn’t easy, G. It starts with amazing genetics…”

Gaby practically growled at him. “You know how I feel about him. How could you sit here with him after everything he’s done to me?”

“What exactly have I done, Gabrielle?” Cal’s voice was flat. His smile was gone. Gaby knew it was completely irrational, but for a moment, she wished it would come back. “I have cared for you. I put my life on hold to follow you and try to mend our relationship. I hoped to spend the day with you. When you refused to answer my calls, I stepped back because I knew you needed space. What about any of that do you find fault with?”

Gaby felt her mouth turn down. Stubborn pride welled up inside her, causing her to stand a little straighter. He wasn’t turning this around on her. “Oh, yeah, Cal. You really took a step back. You went to my admin and requested my books. How dare you?”

“Uhmm, Gaby. Let’s calm down. You’re making a bit of a scene, dear.” Chris looked around the room.

Cal’s fingers were drumming along the table. “Gabrielle, when it became obvious you were going to great lengths to put distance between us because you’re afraid to be alone with me…”

Gaby practically screeched. “Afraid!”

“Yes, pet.” Cal kept his voice quiet, his eyes taking in the crowd that was surely watching them. Gaby didn’t care. “You’re afraid because you know I can have you on your back with your legs spread, begging me to fuck you. Relax. I mean to give you time.”

“Oh, yes, that’s why you went to my admin and tricked her into giving you my books.” Gaby pointed her index finger at him and did nothing to lower her voice.

“Tricked?”

“Gaby, seriously, why don’t you sit down?” Chris looked around the dining room. Gaby could see his embarrassment rising, but he’d betrayed her by dining with the enemy. He was supposed to be on her side. “We can have dinner, and Cal can tell you all about his new investment.”

“I don’t care about his new investment. I want him gone. I’m going to call security.”

Cal took a deep breath. “I am being patient, Gabrielle. If you don’t want to talk tonight, then I’ll wait. If you don’t want to talk tomorrow, then I’ll wait. If seeing me in the dining room upsets you, then I’ll go back to my suite and eat there alone.”

His refusal to fight was making her crazy. She wanted…she wasn’t sure what she wanted, but it wasn’t for Cal to walk off the battlefield. She wanted him as pissed off as she was. “You’ll leave my resort, and you’ll do it tonight.”

“Sit down, Gabrielle, before you make a complete fool of yourself.”

“You’re the one who’s made a fool of himself. That information you stole was proprietary. You aren’t this resort’s lawyer. We have a lawyer in Bridgetown.”

“You also, as of three days ago, have a new owner, Miss Sullivan.”

Gaby took a step back. The truth flooded her system. Greg wouldn’t do this to her. He knew how important this place was to her. He wouldn’t let Cal buy in and have control of her job. “No. Greg would have told me. Heather would have told me.”

“Heather doesn’t know. I asked Greg to keep it quiet.” Cal stood up. He sighed and held his hand out. “Please sit down and join us. I was just talking to Chris about how to tell you. I bought in because Greg explained how much it means to you.”

But Gaby wasn’t really listening. She heard what he said, but all that went through her brain was that he had never taken the time to bring her here. She remembered the pictures he had in boxes in his closet of him and his wife here at this resort. He’d brought Cassie, but he hadn’t found the time to bring her. He hadn’t thought of this place associated with anyone but his Cassie until he needed to control her. Thinking only of wiping that inviting smile off his face, Gaby picked up his two fingers of fifteen-year-old Scotch and threw it in his face.

She knew it was a mistake the minute she did it. The glass fell from her hand, and she stood stock-still for a moment. Her eyes finally took in what her friend had tried to warn her about. Everyone in the dining room was watching. She looked at Cal. What had she been thinking? Why had she pushed him? “Callum, I am so sorry.”

“Not as sorry as you’re going to be, pet.” He calmly used his linen napkin to wipe the Scotch from his face. He looked down at his formerly immaculate dress shirt and silk bow tie. He shook his head as he pulled the tie off and tossed it on the table.

Gaby took an all-important step back. It was past time to calm down. Cal was too still. It was making Gaby very wary. “Cal, let’s talk about this.”

“Too late.”

Gaby turned to run, but he was on her in an instant. Before she could make it down the steps, he hauled her up and over his shoulder. Her ass was high in the air, and he smacked it soundly.

“Asshole!” Gaby yelled when his hand came down on her backside.

Cal smacked her other cheek. “You’ll get one for each and every time you curse at me, pet. When you add it to the punishment you’re about to get for embarrassing me and yourself in front of our guests, you’re in for a rough night.”