When I’m With You (Indigo) (7 page)

“Ouch.” He groaned and quickly moved out of the door’s path before it slammed shut. Reaching down, he rubbed at the throbbing spot. “Oh, dammit, Caitlyn!” He knew she didn’t hear his last remark because the cab had sped off into traffic, its taillights disappearing into the darkness of the night.

If Marcel could have reached his own behind, he’d have kicked it because he’d hurt her deeply, something he never meant to do. There was nothing he could figure out or say that would make a difference tonight. With the night’s cool breeze swirling around him, he silently vowed Caitlyn would come to understand he didn’t get to where he was by giving up. He was a master when it came to designing a plan, and his next one included her in his life. He wasn’t going to give up on her.

Not by a long shot.

* * *

“What in the world?”

Caitlyn entered her office Monday morning and dropped her briefcase to the floor. Her gaze roamed over the floral arrangements covering every square inch.

She made her way to her desk and discovered a single rose with a card on her chair. She opened it and read:

I’m sorry.

M.B.

“Yeah, right. You should’ve thought of that before you decided to play Robin Hood.” She sniffed the fragrant flower. Finally, she tossed it in the trashcan, plopped down hard in her chair and scooted closer to the desk.

She rubbed the aching throb at her temple. She was more frustrated with herself than she was angry with Marcel. It took a lot for her to curse, and in the past forty-eight hours, she’d invented and uttered words that didn’t exist. “He’s lost his damn fricking-ass mind,” she mumbled, kicking the trashcan.

Around ten o’clock, Marcel, dressed in a tan suit with a French-cuff shirt adorned with solid gold cufflinks, knocked on Caitlyn’s office door and walked in without waiting for a response.

Caitlyn didn’t move. The same thunderclouds from Friday night shadowed her eyes as her heart slammed into her chest. “Do you mind explaining why all of these flowers are in my office?”

He walked over and stood on the opposite side of her desk. “It was the only way I could think to let you know how sorry I am.”

“Yeah, right.”

“After you left, I realized I should have been completely honest with you, especially after we started seeing each other.”

“My, my, that’s the first honest thing that’s come out of your mouth since I’ve known you.”

He blew out a hard breath. “Caitlyn, I’m really sorry.”

“You said that already.”

“Will you accept my apology?”

She glared at him.

“Well, will you at least try to forgive me?”

“Yes…I mean no…I mean—” She threw her hands up in the air. “Hell, right now, I’m not sure what I mean.” With her head down, she closed her eyes, and massaged the back of her neck.

Marcel rounded her desk and squatted beside her chair. “Caitlyn, if I could take back the other night, I would.” He rotated her chair so she faced him. “I never meant to hurt you” he whispered, his mouth mere inches from hers.

She turned her head away, praying he didn’t see in her eyes that she believed every word he said.

Marcel stood, bringing her with him, and placed a soft, feathery kiss at both corners of her mouth.

“Marcel…no.”

His response was low and husky. “Yes.”

“All right, you’re sorry.” She pushed on his chest. “But your apology chances nothing. Our relationship isn’t going to work.”

His brows bunched in confusion. “Why not?”

“Because of who you are.”

“Hold it right there.” A harsh frown distorted his features, and he stepped back. The button of his suit coat slipped free, and with both hands at his waist, he assumed a wide-legged stance. “Let me see if I’m understanding this. You were okay with our relationship before you knew I was a philanthropist, right?”

“That’s not—”

“No, let me finish here. Before you found out, everything seemed to be going along fine between us, right?”

She threw her hands in the air out of frustration. “But you lied to me.”

“I never lied to you, Caitlyn.”

“That’s right, you didn’t lie. You just conveniently decided to omit the truth about some things.” She sucked in a deep breath and released it. “Marcel, it’s just that—”

“Talk to me, Caitlyn!”

“Don’t you shout at me,” she warned.

Marcel raked his hand over his hair and his tone softened. “All right, I’m sorry. Come on, cat eyes, just what?” When she didn’t answer immediately, he coaxed her again in a gentle but forced tone. “Caitlyn?”

“It won’t work out.”

“Why?”

“We’re from two different worlds.”

He closed the space between them and placed both hands on her arms. “I can’t help the fact that I’ve got money. And just for the record, I’m not ashamed of it.” He paused, searching for the right words. “Money doesn’t make a person, okay? I didn’t steal, kill, or sell drugs to get it. I worked hard…damn hard…for it, and I’m not going to apologize for that.” His voice softened to a whisper. “Nor will I apologize for what I decide to do with it.” He ran his strong hands up and down her slender arms. “There’s something between us, and you know it.”

At the moment, she wasn’t buying his argument and mentally counted to ten, hoping it would keep her from going ballistic at the nerve of him thinking he could barge into her office, say a few sweet words and things would be like they were before. He had some balls.

“There can be no
us
because there’s no trust.” She stepped back and went to her desk to retrieve the letter she’d drafted and held it out to him.

His brows knitted together. “What’s this?”

“I can’t accept the salary or the car.”

“They come with the grant.”

“
They
may come with the grant.” She pointed to herself. “I don’t.” She glared at him through narrow eyes when he stared back speechless. “And don’t you dare take that grant away from my kids.”

“Trust me, I’d never do that.”

She nodded.

He took the letter, crumpled it and threw it somewhere near her desk. “We’ll get back to that in a minute.” With his focus dead on her, he closed the gap between them. “First, we need to discuss us, this thing between you and me.”

Before she could mouth a protest, he walked around her to the door, and in one swift motion closed it and turned the lock.

Caitlyn stood in the middle of her office fuming. “You can’t just come into my office and take over.”

“I’m not taking over,” he advised calmly. “I’m taking care of some serious business. There’s a difference.”

Her hands landed on her hip. “You’re the most arrogant man I’ve ever met.”

He inched closer and assumed the same position as she did. “And you’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever wanted.”

Caitlyn broke the silence first and spoke with what little of her patience remained. “I’m going to say this once, and I’ll say it slow so that you get it the first time around.” She walked over to the door and placed her hand on the knob. “I’m not one of your pastime passions. There is no we, no us, no nothing.” Unlocking the door, she snatched it open. “Now get that through that thick skull of yours and leave.”

In two powerful strides, Marcel was in front of her. “That’s where you’re wrong, kitten. Despite what you think about me or your perception of who I am, you can’t deny there’s something between us.”

She inched up her eyebrow. “You wanna bet?”

A confident smile touched his lips. “I’ll bet every dime I’ve got on it.” He caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “And the feelings between us tell me I’ll win this bet, lady, hands down.”

Without waiting for her response, he walked out.

“Vic, haven’t you heard anything I’ve been telling you?” Caitlyn asked her best friend over lunch at Kincaid’s.

Vic took a bite from her celery stick and gave Caitlyn a nonchalant nod. “Yeah, I heard you.”

“Well?” Caitlyn coaxed.

Vic slung her auburn dreads over her shoulders and shrugged. “Well, what?”

“Come on, Vic. Whose side are you on?”

A soft curve touched the corner of Vic’s lips. “Based on what you’ve just told me? Marcel’s.”

Caitlyn’s mouth dropped. “What?”

She’d been miserable for two weeks, ever since Marcel walked out of her office. Her concentration had flat lined two seconds after he’d left, and since then, Caitlyn had felt like a member of the walking dead. She was more frustrated now than she was angry because her heart was overruling every objection her mind could think of to remain mad at Marcel. Her heart said to trust him. She’d called Vic and hoped lunch and some one-on-one girl time would lift her out of her funk. Never in a million years had she expected Vic to take Marcel’s side, and suddenly she was right back at square one. She was mad as hell.

Vic chuckled and chomped on her celery stick. “Close your mouth. It’s summer and a fly might land in there.”

“But, Vic—”

“Look, you asked the question, not me.”

“But—”

“Caitlyn, you owe the man an apology. Plain and simple.”

Stunned, Caitlyn stared at her best friend. “How do you figure?”

Vic wiggled her broad hips in her seat until she found a comfortable spot. With both elbows on the table, she laced her hands in front of her. “Let me see if I’ve got this right. You’re mad at him because he didn’t tell you he was a philanthropist, right?”

“Right.”

“Went postal on the brother when you found out, right?”

Caitlyn nodded.

“Can’t…or won’t…can’t figure out which, accept the man’s apology after he admitted he made a mistake, right?”

Caitlyn stared off in the distance.

“Did I get it all, sweetie?”

“Vic—”

“Nope, not finished yet. Let me ask you this. Did you tell him everything you’ve gone through for the last three years?”

Caitlyn lowered her head and shook it from side to side.

“Why not?”

Caitlyn’s head snapped up. “Because that’s not something you tell a person when you’re just getting to know them!”

Vic slapped the table. “Bingo.” She grasped Caitlyn’s hand. “Sweetie, not every man is like that no-good bastard, Cole.”

Caitlyn stared down at their hands. “Vic, I’m scared. I’m just at the point where I’m getting my life back on track—”

“
Sssh
. Listen, I know what you’re going to say. It’s been almost three years since you’ve heard from him, right?”

“Right.”

“All right then. Stop trying to analyze everything and figure out where all the pieces will fit. Sometimes you have to step out on nothing but faith. At some point, you’ve got to learn how to trust again. Understand what I’m saying?” Vic pushed the tray of appetizers to the side. “You really like him, don’t you?”

“Vic, I swear I’ve never felt this way about any man in my life.”

“That boy got you dripping like a faucet between the legs, huh?”

Caitlyn looked mortified. “Vic.”

“Child, please” Vic waved a silencing hand in front of her. “Girl, we’ve been through too much together to get prim and proper now.” With a sly wink, she asked again, “Well, does he?”

Caitlyn appeared chagrined. “Yes. Satisfied now?”

Vic smiled. “It’s not about me. It’s about you, and I say go for what you know.”

“He’s so arrogant and makes me so mad, I can’t see straight at times.”

Vic sighed. “Get over it. You ain’t exactly Mother Teresa yourself, you know?”

“Do you know he had the nerve to tell me I was stubborn?”

Victoria chuckled. “Hell, I’ve been telling you that for years. So both of us can’t be wrong, right?”

“That’s not funny, Vic.”

“Didn’t intend for it to be.”

Several minutes later, Caitlyn smiled. “Vic, what would I do without you?”

“I’ve been asking myself that for almost seventeen years.”

Caitlyn grabbed her purse. Where to next?”

Vic signed her credit card slip to pay for lunch and grinned. “Trust me, all right? Don’t you know by now I know how to shop until I drop?”

* * *

Marcel rifled through the well-stocked liquor cabinet behind his father’s bar like a stray dog trying to find food in a back-alley trash bin. He glanced at the neatly stacked bottles and wondered which beverage would take the edge off his nerves the fastest. It had been the longest two weeks of his life, and he was about to lose his mind. Caitlyn had managed to do two things no one else had done since he’d entered adulthood: ignore him and flat-out tell him no. She wouldn’t take his calls at her office and didn’t answer them at home. Seven weeks ago, he’d had only one priority: secure a new car dealership. Then he’d met Caitlyn. Since then, his life hadn’t been the same. God, she was wonderfully exasperating, stubborn as a mule, and had caused him more than one sleepless night.