Oak, Sophie - Away From Me (Siren Publishing Classic) (5 page)

Chris Linwood was the best present Heather and Greg could have given her. He was the registered nurse who had helped her through her surgery. Chris had been the one to push and prod her into getting better. He’d been the one to hold her hand when she came out of surgery in so much pain she thought she would die. He’d heard her crying for Callum.

She shook off the thought as she shook off the sand from her khaki shorts. Being the manager of Decadence Resort didn’t call for formal clothes. Her staff had simple uniforms, but she tended to wear whatever she liked.

“You said he was in the Angelina Suite? Maybe I’ll take him a gift basket.” Gaby shook her head as Chris got excited. “Don’t think it’s going anywhere. He’s still a guest. I just want to take a look. If he’s as hot as you say he is, maybe I’ll make an exception.”

“I stand ready to take over so you can debauch yourself for the weekend.” He gave her a saucy salute.

She had to smile. She walked up toward the gorgeous plantation-style resort she called home. She wouldn’t actually start a red-hot affair with the Dom in the Angelina Suite. But it couldn’t hurt to look.

* * * *

Twenty minutes later, Gaby checked herself out in the ornate mirror outside the resort’s most expensive suite. She made the mental note to talk to reservations. They should have notified her the minute the suite was reserved. She hadn’t checked on his name, but she knew he had to be a VIP if he could afford the Angelina Suite.

Her brown hair was just starting to get long enough to curl. She grimaced. The tropical humidity was not being kind to her. She didn’t bother to wear any makeup, other than a bit of mascara and some lip gloss. At least her boobs looked good. They were perky in her neat little polo. And despite what her asshole former Master had said, she was gaining back the weight she’d lost. Her curves were coming back with a vengeance. If she didn’t stay away from the buffet, she would be right back at pleasingly plump.

She held the very nice fruit basket in one hand and plastered a professional smile on her face.

“Come on in,” a masculine voice said after she knocked. The door swung open, but all she saw was a nice view of a ripped back. “I’ll just slip into some pants and be right with you.” The gorgeous towel clad figure with the deep voice disappeared behind the bathroom door without ever letting her see his face.

He reminded her of Callum. She sighed as she looked around the suite. Everything looked like it was in its proper place. It was a gorgeously decorated room. The art on the walls were abstracts done by up-and-coming artists. The sofa and chairs were all Italian leather, and her feet sank into the rich carpet that covered the floor.

She opened the curtains to give the new guest the best view of the ocean. The Angelina Suite had a stunning balcony that overlooked the blue Caribbean. She took in the sight of white sand beaches and a turquoise blue ocean. The sun sparkled on the waves as they lazily took and gave up territory. She smiled at the scene before her.

Couples walked hand in hand, a woman played like a child in the sand, building castles that would last only as long as the low tide. She took a deep breath. The day smelled like clean ocean breeze and sandalwood. The smell brought her right back to Cal. When he’d put his arms around her, she had been able to smell the soap he used, clean sandalwood. The scent had always made her feel safe. God, she thought, was she ever going to forget him?

It had been two weeks since that night in the gazebo. The first week had been fueled by a righteous fury, but now, it had died down to a sadness she couldn’t seem to shake. She smiled and went about her business, but ripping Callum out of her heart had been hard. She just seemed a little empty now.

What was she doing here? She was never going to hit on this guy, no matter how hot he was. She needed time. She needed to be with herself for a while, maybe a long while.

“Uhm, I just wanted to drop off your gift basket and welcome you to the resort,” Gaby said in her most professional voice. “Let us know if you need anything. Just call the lobby.” She walked across the suite and had her hand on the door when a voice stopped her.

“Why don’t I just call you, Gabrielle?” The voice was dark and deep. It was a voice that haunted her.

Her breath caught. She forced herself to turn. “Callum?”

He was a sight in black jeans and nothing else. His dark hair had been towel dried and curled around his ears. A sheen of moisture gleamed across his cut torso. Her mouth watered at the sight of his six-pack. She’d always craved his body.

“In the flesh, so to speak.” There was a satisfied smile on his face that told her he was reading her like a book. “It’s good to see you, Gaby. I thought we should talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She shouldn’t have told him about the cancer. She didn’t need his guilt. There was absolutely nothing for him to feel guilty about. She forced herself to smile. “Now, I have work to do. Please let the front desk know if you need anything. I hope you enjoy your stay.” She turned to go.

“Gabrielle.” He barked her name like an order. Gaby stopped, unconsciously used to following his commands. “You will not walk away from me. We are going to talk this out. You lied to me. You left me under false pretenses. I want some answers.”

“I don’t owe you anything, Cal. If you’re pissed about the money, I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

His fists clenched at his sides, a sure sign he was emotional. It almost never came across in his voice, but she could tell by the tension of his body. “I don’t give a shit about the money. I want to know why you didn’t tell me you had cancer.”

She sighed. It wouldn’t do any good to reopen old wounds. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m fine. You’re fine. We were in a relationship that was going nowhere. Now, we can both find better partners.”

“Is that why you’re here? Are you fucking the guests to figure out what you need?”

A hot anger rushed through her. How dare he accuse her of that. “Screw you, Callum. Like I said, call the desk if you need anything.”

He reached out to grab her. His hand was gentle but insistent. “Gaby, wait. I’m sorry. I’m screwing it up again. I just want to talk. I’ll keep a civil tongue in my head. Please have dinner with me. I’ve spent the last two weeks working day and night so I could spend time with you. Check through my things. I didn’t even bring my cell.”

Her eyes widened. Cal was surgically attached to his cell phone. He was always working. His hands worked gently, stroking up and down her arms. It was a familiar gesture. She knew she should pull away, but she found herself unwilling to move away from him. “Are you serious?”

“I shut down my office and cleared my cases,” he explained. “You were wrong, Gaby. I’m not fine. I haven’t been since you walked out on me.”

She was quiet for a moment. She couldn’t believe he would actually stop work. Whatever he had to say to her must be damn serious. It seemed beyond dangerous to spend time with him. Any weakness would be used ruthlessly. It wasn’t cruelty on Cal’s part. It was just who he was. She should walk away.

“All right,” she heard herself saying. Her voice came out softer than she liked. She forced her tone to be no nonsense. “But just dinner. Nothing else.”

He smiled, showing even, white teeth. He held his hands up in supplication. “Just dinner. Just talking. I have questions I need you to answer. In return, I’ll answer any questions you have for me.”

She swallowed. Was he serious? When they had been together, he’d blocked off huge portions of his life that she wasn’t allowed to discuss with him. She should still walk away, but she was so curious. “I eat at seven in the main dining room.”

“Gaby.” He said her name like a prayer. It forced her to turn and really look at him. She noticed the weariness around his eyes and the way his forehead creased with worry. “Thank you.”

She nodded and walked out of the room.

* * * *

Callum watched her across the table. The main dining room was a vision of modern dining. The colors were muted, but elegant. The tables were covered in clean white linens. It was very different from the old, sturdy hotel Greg had sent him out to scout. It had been one of the first deals he’d brokered for Greg. At the time, the resort had been lovely, but dated.

Even Cassie had noted the hotel’s old-fashioned feel on the many occasions he had taken her here.

Cal wondered just how much Gaby had contributed to the stunning rehab of the place. He saw touches of her aesthetic everywhere. Gabrielle had exquisite taste. She had taken their home to an entirely different level.

Why had he never brought her here?

The waiter smiled at Gaby with obvious affection. Cal had noticed that her staff seemed to adore her. Greg had said she was strong, but she looked fragile to him. She was lovely in a purple skirt and low cut white blouse. The white of the blouse contrasted with her tan skin. Still, she was too thin. He wondered if she was eating properly.

He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and let her know that he would handle everything from here on out. He would talk to her doctors. He had already dealt with the bill collectors, but he didn’t mention they wouldn’t bother her again. All she would have to do was rest and concentrate on being in remission. He would take care of her.

“You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to keep a cleaning staff,” she explained with mirth in her eyes. She was so animated. Her eyes lit up when she talked about working at the resort. “They all come in and are so excited about working at someplace this beautiful, but the first orgy they have to clean up after makes them think twice. Can you believe that Greg actually ordered cloth couches? They’re gorgeous, but do you know how hard those suckers are to clean? I switched everything to leather. It’s much simpler. He moaned about the cost, but then he saw how fast our cleaning bill went down.”

Her expression was so cute he had to laugh. Then he thought about the fact that she ran orgies, and he frowned. “Are you sure this is the best place for you? Shouldn’t you be close to a hospital?”

They had tiptoed around the subject of her illness. She had acknowledged that she had cancer, but now, it was in remission. It seemed to be all she was willing to say on the subject.

“I love the sun and beach,” she replied with a dreamy smile. “And Chris is a murse, so we’re good.”

“Murse?”

She speared a cucumber. “It’s his name for male nurse. Apparently, it’s a very hot job for a gay man. He claims to get a lot of tail out of it. Anyway, he also rides my ass about my eating habits and checks me on an altogether too often basis. He deeply enjoys taking my blood pressure.” She popped the little vegetable in her mouth, her lips caressing it briefly before it disappeared.

Callum played with his fork. He wanted to reach out and grab her hand. He used to like to play with her fingers while they ate. Even better than that, when they were alone, he loved to pull her into his lap and feed her. She was naked, of course. He took a quick swallow of his tea. He was getting an erection. “I’m glad Greg hired him.”

“He wouldn’t give me the job unless Chris came along,” Gaby admitted.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He carefully kept all accusation out of his voice.

Gaby’s gorgeous gray-green eyes suddenly found the white table linen endlessly fascinating. He noticed the fine lines on her face that hadn’t been there before. He wanted to lean over and kiss them, enjoying the lovely way her face was maturing. She would be beautiful at eighty. He would still want her.

He reached out and forced her chin gently up. He looked into her eyes. “It might not have been the best relationship of your life, but I was honest with you, Gaby. And I tried to take care of you.”

She nodded. “It wasn’t your fault that you couldn’t love me.”

The very sentence made him feel guilty. “Did you think I would kick you out? How could you believe that?”

“I didn’t,” she replied. “I knew you would stand by me.”

“Then why did you leave?”