“You have quite lost your tongue and although I hadn’t thought it possible I’m finding a woman so quiet, extremely unnerving. Look at me, please.” Unable to deny him, she looked up and his expression went from concern to relief. “Why so quiet?”
Blushing, her eyes fell, “I’m embarrassed, I never cry. I’m sorry for crying all over you, Mr. Castillo.”
“Never? You will call me Rafael, I believe we have moved beyond last names.”
She could only nod, calling him Rafael felt too personal. “I haven’t cried since my mom died. At first, it was so the twins wouldn’t be upset or concerned. Then it became important to never break down. Like, if I did, it would be admitting I was weak.”
“Look at me, it is not weakness. Your load has been a heavy one, you must have been still quite young yourself when you took on such a large responsibility. Not many people would have been able to bear something so difficult without breaking down from time to time. There should be no shame in that. I’m sure you have been under some strain over the last few days, since the boys were arrested. With my rude words, it was more than enough to send you over, again, I apologize for that.
How old were you when they came into your care?”
“For the last seven years but I was there when they were born. I was thirteen when my mom met their father. From the moment I met him, I hated him. There was just something about him, he was too slick, too macho. She wouldn’t listen, she’d been without a man in her life for a long time and she would do whatever it took to keep him. When he began to slap her around she blamed me, not him or even herself, it was all my fault. Then he hit me and she yelled at me as my head rang from the blow, if I had kept my mouth shut he wouldn’t have had to hit me was all she said over and over. I knew I had to get out before it got worse. The next day I moved out and in with my best friend’s family. She didn’t care, she said it was best for everyone.
It was more than a year before I heard from her again and it wasn’t because she missed me. The idiot was in jail on a drug charge and she had just had the twins. She begged me to move back in with her because she was overwhelmed by having two small babies to take care of. Stupidly, I said yes. When he got out of jail ten months later she told me I could go back to living with my friend. No, thank you and I’ll miss you. It was, bye see you. So I moved back in with my friend and her family. If it hadn’t been for their support I wouldn’t have gotten out of high school with a diploma.
I never talked to her again after that. One day I got a call from Houston CPS with the news she was dead and she had left a will giving me custody. CPS confirmed I had my own apartment and a job then left with a wave and good luck. Never mind it was a one bedroom and the job was part-time because I was in school full time. I dropped out of school and my job was happy to have me go full time. It took a few months before I was able to move us to a two bedroom but we lived better than I think we would have if my job hadn’t come with a discount on rent.”
“What happened with your job?”
“I worked for a property management firm as an assistant manager for an apartment complex and the owner sold the property. The buyer had their own property management firm and there weren’t any full time openings with my firm. For a while I filled in here and there. I was beginning to get desperate, it was all over the place in Austin without consistency. My old boss offered me a position here in Dallas but I stayed too long in Austin looking for a place there. The twins acted like I was the wicked witch of the west for talking about moving from Austin, so I stayed longer than I should have trying to find something. I couldn’t find anything, my savings were dwindling and the cost of living is so much lower here than in Austin. When my old boss told me they were interviewing other people, I gave up and made the move up here. For now, I fill in at the property management company my old boss works for and I wait tables at a family restaurant as a second job. I’m sorry I cried all over you, it wasn’t just what you said, I have been feeling like a failure for months.”
“You aren’t a failure, don’t say it again.” His words were firm and his eyes glowed with a warning. Embarrassed all over again, she dropped her head and sipped her tea. “Eat another sandwich, give me five minutes and I’ll take you home.” He flicked back a cuff, glanced at a thin gold Rolex on his wrist and was up and moving back to his desk. “Lisa, cancel my five o’clock and tell Benito I’m out for the day. I’m sending you the excel file, I want it redone, it doesn’t include the projections for the additional landscaping the client added last week. Have it ready and back to me by ten tomorrow. I’ll be in late so let Javier know he’ll be doing the conference call on his own and make sure I get good notes.
Eat another sandwich or I will make you.”
She had been staring at him and blushed when his eyes flicked back to her. Turning back around, she selected a smoked salmon sandwich. It was so good the triangle disappeared in three bites. When he came back to her, she was on her second sandwich and he shook his head as she rushed to finish.
“Take your time, we are in no rush.”
“You don’t have to take me home.” She tried to reassure him.
“Yes, I do. You still seem a bit unsteady and Dallas traffic is bad enough even with all your senses about you. I also want to meet the twins and speak with them. After what you have told me it seems I have been a bit over-reactive. However, I don’t think simply letting them off without understanding the seriousness of their actions and the chaos they caused is the right thing either. It was their fault, not yours. As you admitted frankly and I’m glad you didn’t try to cover for them in that regard. They know right from wrong, you are doing the best you can under the circumstances you have been dealt, they are not. Instead, they blame you and that isn’t right. If I see something can be done with them then I will do the best that I can. Will you allow me that freedom?”
Standing, she put her purse over her shoulder and was surprised when his arm went around her waist as he guided her from the room. She was so surprised she forgot his question. They were in the elevator before she realized he was waiting for her response.
“I don’t understand the question.” She huskily admitted, he was so close it was hard to think. How did he smell so good? The heat of him against her was making her head swim from all her senses going into overload from him. His hand was on her hip and she never wanted it to move.
A small smile played over his beautiful mouth, a stray thought of what it would feel like against her own caused a blush that had her looking down. “I’m asking for you to allow me to handle the situation we find ourselves in. I want to be able to decide the punishment for the twins.”
At the word punishment her head came up. “What kind of punishment are you thinking of?”
“I’m thinking they work it off at the construction site they destroyed, with the men who have to repair the damage they did. Where are you parked, in the garage?”
“I’m on the street. I found a space a block down. Is that safe? Aren’t the men going to be angry and take it out on them? I’m not against them working, I think it would be good, actually.” Now that they were outside with the bright sun beating down on her, she came back to her senses. Except his hand was still on her hip and she could have sworn his grip tightened when she moved away slightly.
“I will take care of the men on the site. They will not be allowed to be mistreated or bullied. The havoc they wrought on the site is still being cleaned up and they should see the results of their destruction.”
Nodding, she was startled when he pulled her closer. A screeching car and the driver yelling had her realizing she had almost walked right out into the street without stopping. Embarrassment fizzled away in an instant when he didn’t loosen his grip on her. Carrie’s body began to slow burn from heat welling up from the center of her. This wasn’t like when he held her as she cried, and her body was reacting with need for more.
“Careful, mi dulce, just a moment for the light to change. Are you on this side of the street or should we cross?” His words were light but his eyes were knowing and she blushed to see people around them. What the hell was the matter with her?
“This side of the street. Thank you, okay, yes. I’ll leave it in your hands and support your decision.” Proud her voice wasn’t as shaky as she felt she pointed out her car. It was a late model car her brothers frequently complained about but she loved how dependable and gas friendly it was.
When she saw her car, she stopped and began to root around in her large purse, she was all thumbs. Loosening his grip he stepped away, she knew he was looking at the traffic, not her and she finally found the keys. She pulled them out and he immediately took them from her. He scanned the busy street and led her out onto the street. Hitting the button to unlock the car, he opened the door for her. When she was settled into the passenger seat, he walked around and got into the driver’s seat. She smiled when he got in and he was bunched up because of his long legs. He caught her smile and chuckled as he forced the seat back. It was a rich, throaty sound that stole her breath. Carrie was surprised to find he was willing to laugh at himself, she wouldn’t have thought it from the
time in his office. His smile was lethal to a woman’s sensibilities was her last thought as she forced her eyes off of him and out the window.
The soaring sounds of Chopin came through when he turned on the car. She was quick to turn it down low. Her drive had been hectic and she’d flipped to her CD player instead of the radio. “Sorry, you can turn it off if you want.”