By the time she got home, she could almost fool herself that she’d pulled her act together. Right up until the moment she got inside and saw the red eye on her answering machine winking at her across the room.
Five
Irene’s voice filled the air with the modulated tones that gave witness to her impeccable upbringing and her private school education.
“Callie, it’s been two weeks. Call me in the morning. Surely you have something for me.”
Callie hit the erase key, but it did nothing to clear the frustration that still hung in the air with a palpable presence. Something for Irene? She had nothing. Absolutely nothing, except a growing sense of admiration for a man she should not have allowed to kiss her tonight.
Of course he was ruthless. Look at where he’d come from, what he’d achieved on his own. Was it possible that the Palmers had it all wrong and that it was merely strong business acumen that kept Josh one step ahead of them on so many contracts lately? As far as poaching staff went, that kind of thing happened everywhere. Of course he wanted to surround himself with the best of the best. It was no less than what he offered himself.
Her inner muscles clenched tight as she thought of what he’d offered her tonight. Of the promise inherent in his kiss, the impression of his hard body against hers and of his statement that he wanted to “see” her again.
Callie flopped down on a nearby chair, not even bothering to switch on a light. It was crazy. She’d gone to work for Josh Tremont bent on discovering where he had his inside track on the Palmers’ business plans and now she was doing what she never dreamed she’d allow herself to do. She was falling for him.
Day by day a little harder, week by week a little deeper. What had started out as merely a physical attraction was rapidly turning into something more. Something she wanted to explore without the sense that their interaction was something that should be totally forbidden.
She was there purely at Irene’s behest, she reminded herself, to do what she could to save Palmer Enterprises from further losses. Not to do anything as foolish as falling in love.
Oh, no, surely not love. She didn’t even know what that was. Her upbringing, for want of a better word, had made up in abuse for what it had lacked in care and attention. For self-preservation she’d fled as soon as she’d turned fourteen, relying on her wits and a well-honed instinct to survive to keep her safe on the streets for two years until an error in judgement had seen social services and the police finally catch up with her.
She’d initially fought placement in one of Irene Palmer’s foster homes, but after realising that no matter how many times she ran away they were always going to bring her back, she decided to accept what they offered.
That chance to turn her life around and make better choices had been a rebirth in more ways than one. But Callie had always been careful not to trust too deeply and not to like anyone too much. Relationships with others were surface only, never deep. Her world had always been on ground that was too shaky for that.
No, she couldn’t be falling in love with Josh. It was too crazy for words. But nobody said she couldn’t enjoy this for what it was worth. She was a normal, healthy woman with normal, healthy appetites. And maybe, just maybe, she could prove the Palmers’ fears wrong about Josh.
Monday morning Callie was instantly aware of the deep sense of emptiness in the office when she arrived. Usually Josh was at his desk a good hour or more before she arrived, but today his absence was a physical thing.
She’d no sooner reached her desk than her phone started to ring.
“Callie, I’ll be working from home today and I need you to access my computer and e-mail some files to me.”
Surprised that he didn’t have a link from his home computer to the office, Callie quickly jotted down the file names that Josh rattled off onto her notepad.
“Is there anything else?” she asked, determined to keep the same level of professionalism as he obviously exhibited.
“Yeah,” his voice dropped an octave. “I can’t wait to see you again, but it’ll have to wait until I get back from Sydney.”
“Sydney?” Callie refused to acknowledge the surge of pleasure his words had sent through her.
“Unexpected trip. I’ve already organised the jet and I’ll be leaving in a couple of hours for the airport.”
“I’ll reschedule your appointments. When do you anticipate being back?”
“All going well, tomorrow, maybe Wednesday afternoon at the latest.”
Callie ran her eye over his electronic diary, mentally shifting his appointments to ensure the least disruption. “Okay, that should be fine.”