by Leanne Banks
“I’m so lucky you worry about her. I do, too. If anything changes and you need help, let me know. Now that I’m not working, I can be down here in no time.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I have it under control.” Sharon glanced around. “Where’d your puppy go?”
“Oh, no,” Calista said, a spurt of anxiousness driving her to her feet. “Pooh likes to chew. We better find him.”
Minutes later, they found him in the kitchen, his head in the trash can. “Pooh! Stop!” Calista said, pulling on the dog’s collar. “I’m sorry.”
Sharon giggled. “No big deal. At least he didn’t make a mess.”
“Good point,” Calista said. “I should probably head back now.” She gave Sharon a hug. “Let me say goodbye to the rest of the crew.”
She embraced her sisters, and her cousin’s husband and son. As soon as she got into her car, Sharon’s words weighed heavily on her. Was it so obvious to others that she was unhappy?
Pooh panted beside her, making a whining sound.
“What’s wrong?” she said, patting the dog. “Did you find something in that trash can that didn’t agree with you? Serves you right for being a naughty dog.”
Pooh continued to pant, standing then sitting, standing again and whining.
“Sit down and rest,” she said. “We’ll be home before you realize it.”
At that moment, Pooh got sick. Distressed, Calista pulled off on the side of the road and cleaned up as best as she could. She put Pooh outside and waited while the dog got ill again. After several moments, she put the dog back into the car and drove to Leo’s home.
She called her cousin. “I hate to bother you, but could you tell me what was in your kitchen garbage can? Pooh is sick.”
“Oh, no. I can’t think of anything that should bother him. Let me see, there was an empty can of tomato sauce, an empty carton of orange juice. I threw out some old grapes—”
Calista’s heart sank. “Grapes, that’s it. They’re toxic to dogs.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Calista.”
“I need to get him to a vet. I’ll call you later,” she said and pulled in front of the house.
She ran inside and Meg, the housekeeper, greeted her. “Mrs. Grant, welcome—”
“Excuse me, I need to find a vet,” she said. “The one I regularly use is downtown. Pooh is sick. He needs immediate treatment.”
Meg shot her a blank look. “I’m sorry. I don’t know of a vet. I—”
“I’ll check my phone,” she said, panicked. “We need an emergency animal hospital. Damn this is slow.” While she waited, Meg brought her the yellow pages. Calista grabbed the book and ran toward the door.
“Where shall I tell Mr. Grant you are going?”
“Emergency vet,” she called over her shoulder and rushed to her car. Before she could open the door, however, she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced back and saw Leo. “I just talked to Meg. What’s the problem?”
Calista felt a twinge of relief at the sight of him. “He’s sick from eating grapes out of my cousin’s garbage. They’re toxic to dogs.”
Leo shook his head. “I didn’t know that. Let’s get him to the emergency vet.”
“But I don’t know where,” she said.
“I do. George gave me a tip just before I headed out the door. Give me your keys. I’ll drive.”
Calista petted the dog as she sped on her way. Pooh’s breathing was shallow and his eyes were closed. Even though she hadn’t had the dog very long, Pooh had brought her enormous comfort during the last two weeks. She was devastated at the thought of losing the animal.
Leo spun into the graveled parking lot of the vet hospital and Calista carried Pooh inside. “He’s had grapes,” she said to the receptionist.
Within twenty minutes, the vet was working on the dog. Calista wrung her hands as she was instructed to wait outside. Wrapping her arms around herself, she fought tears as she paced. She felt like such a terrible owner. She’d barely had the dog two weeks and look what had happened.
Leo put his arms around her and the gesture undid her. She burst into tears. “Oh, Leo. I didn’t think much of him getting into the trash until he got sick on the way home. I feel so awful,” she said. “And he’s been such a good little dog. He didn’t deserve to have me practically kill him.”
“You didn’t kill him,” he said, stroking her hair. “And you don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”
“I should have been watching.”
“Stop blaming yourself. Maybe he’ll be okay,” he said.
Perhaps it was crazy for her to cling to him, but she had no desire to resist. Leo might not admit it, but he was attached to the dog, too. Pooh was something that had drawn them together. She could laugh and forget about all her complicated resentment and desire for him. He could relax and enjoy a pet. She suspected he hadn’t had a pet for a long, long time, if ever.
Seconds later, an assistant appeared. “Dr. Keller has him stabilized if you would like to see Pooh.”
The middle-aged balding man with the sympathetic face extended his hand to Leo and Calista. “You did a good job getting him here so quickly. I think he’ll recover.”
Relief coursed through her and she swallowed a sob. “Thank you,” she said. “I feel so terrible.”
The vet shook his heard. “These things happen. He’s lucky you got him here so quickly. We’ll keep him overnight.”
“Will someone be here to watch over him?” Leo asked.
“Of course,” the vet said.
Leo nodded. “Here’s my cell number,” he said, handing the doctor a card. “Call me for any reason.” He led Calista from the building to the car and opened the passenger door for her.
“I’m sorry I was such a sap,” she said, sinking into the seat. “I’m usually more pulled together.”
“People get attached to animals,” he said, pulling out of the parking lot. “Unfortunately when you get a pet, you set yourself up for loss.”
Calista blinked at his assessment. “If that’s the way you think, then why did you act like you liked Pooh too?”
“I wasn’t acting,” he said, irritated. “I’d have to be an ogre not to like that dog. He’s affectionate and playful. I’m just stating a fact. When you get a pet, loss is likely to be part of the equation.”
“You say that as if you’ve had some experience in the area,” she said, searching his face.
He frowned and swore under his breath. “None that I can recall,” he said.
Calista looked at him and felt a strange shifting inside her. He was the strongest, most compelling man she’d ever met. For all that strength, though, she sensed a need in him, a need he would likely deny. A need she wanted to fulfill. Where had the urge come from? It would be incredibly dangerous for her to give into her feelings, but she was beginning to wonder if she could stop herself. She felt as if she were walking on a precipice, and keeping the balance was becoming more impossible with each step.
If she were smart, she would turn her head toward the window and continue to play keep-away with her emotions. At the moment, though, she couldn’t imagine doing that. She reached across the seat and put her hand on his arm.
He glanced toward her.
“Thank you for going with me,” she said. “I could have done it by myself, but having you there made it easier for me. I’ve had to do most everything on my own since my parents passed away. I’m not used to depending on anyone.”
“You’re married to me. You can depend on me now,” he said.
In the back of her mind, Calista knew she shouldn’t, but just for a little while, she decided to allow herself the luxury of pretending that she could.
Nine
“I hope you don’t mind, but I really don’t feel like a big dinner tonight,” Calista said after Leo led her into the house. She liked the feeling of his arms around her too much.
“You’ve had a rough day. Take a shower. I have a few more calls to make then
I’ll come upstairs and join you in about an hour,” he said. “I’ll ask Meg to bring up some sandwiches for us.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Go on,” he said and gave her a gentle nudge.
Calista took his advice and climbed the stairs to Leo’s suite. Instead of taking a shower, though, she gave into the temptation to take a bath. She had an hour after all. While she drew the water in the large, luxurious tub, Meg appeared with a glass of chilled wine. Calista smiled and thanked the woman. A thoughtful gesture from Leo, she suspected. She stripped and stepped into the tub, sinking into the hot water.
Her mind racing between worry for Pooh and concern for her sisters, she turned on the bathroom sound system to Michael Buble. She told herself to stop thinking for just a few minutes. Pooh was in good hands and she was working on her sister’s future.
Lifting the glass of wine to her lips, she took a sip and closed her eyes.
“Well this is a sight for sore eyes,” Leo said.
Her eyes flashed open at the sound of his voice and she sat up then sank under the water, her wine splashing on her chest. A sound of exasperation bubbled from her throat. “Did you consider knocking?”
“Hell, no,” he said, resting one hand on his hip while his other hand held his glass of wine as his gaze seemed to devour her. “It was so quiet in here I wondered if you’d fainted.” Moving toward her, he set his wineglass on the side of the tub, and her heart skittered like a stone tossed across a river.
“I obviously haven’t,” she said, watching as he pulled his shirt over his head and unfastened his slacks. Seconds later, his boxers hit the floor. Had the water grown hotter?
“You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” he said more than asked as he stepped into the bath.
“You didn’t exactly give me a chance to refuse,” she said, trying not to be fascinated by the width of his shoulders and muscular body. His physique was impressive in every way.
“No need to thank me yet,” he said with a wicked grin as he pushed her into a sitting position and slid behind her.
“Leo,” she said. “I thought the objective was for me to calm down.”
“You will,” he said, skimming his mouth over her bare shoulder.
“How can—”
He held his wineglass to her mouth with the silent instruction for her to take a sip. She did, but she didn’t feel one bit more calm. “I don’t see—”
He slid her slightly to the side and tilted her head upward. “Trust me,” he said and lowered his mouth to hers.
Trust him? How could she possibly? He slid both their bodies deeper into the water. She barely noticed the sound of him placing the wineglass on the side of the tub. His kiss was so compelling. A half-breath later, she felt his hand on her skin, skimming down to her breasts. The combination of the warm water, his seductive touch and the sensation of her back against his body sent every thought but him from her mind. He taunted her nipples at the same time as he drew her tongue deeply into his mouth.
She tried to roll over to face him, but he pulled back, shaking his head. “Uh-uh, not now.”
Calista frowned, but his hand traveled down, further down between her legs and he found where she was already swollen and sensitive. She gasped against his mouth and he kissed her again. She felt his strength beneath her, his obvious arousal against her, as he kissed her and played with her sending her into the stratosphere. His caresses made her breathless, mindless. Her climax racked through her from head to toe. “Oh, Leo,” she whispered.
“Now, you can turn over,” he said.
She rolled over and covered his lips with her fingers. “No, now I want you to stand up.”
He frowned, his eyes glittering with desire. “Why?”
“Just do it,” she whispered.
Sighing heavily, he stood, the water coursing down his strong thighs, his erection jutting proudly. Still weak from the way he affected her, she rose to her knees and skimmed her hands up his thighs to cup him.
He let out a sigh of utter sexual frustration.
Holding his gaze, Calista lifted her lips and took him intimately into her mouth.
He said things that sounded like a combination of curses and longing. He wrapped his fingers in her hair and shook his head, drawing her head away from him. “Enough,” he muttered.
Heedless of their wet skin, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, laying her on the bed, immediately following her down. “Hold on,” he said. “I have to have you.”
He took her in one sure thrust. She gazed into his dark eyes and the power she saw there made her feel as if she should look away. She felt as if he were taking more than her body. He was taking her soul.
When Calista awakened the next morning, she felt exhausted. Leo had made love to her several times during the night. She peeked through her fingers and saw that he was gone. She felt a twinge of disappointment, but told herself not to be surprised. Leo was almost always gone in the morning. A terrible loneliness sank inside her.
Growling in frustration, she threw off the covers and rose from the bed. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered. “Lying in bed like some pitiful, sappy, helpless woman in love. I’m not helpless and I’m not in love,” she told herself and glanced into the bathroom mirror. She’d made a plan, and she was working the plan.
The woman in the reflection, however, told a different story. Calista lifted her fingers to her swollen lips. Her skin was pale, her eyes bloodshot, her hair a tumbled telltale tangle. Worse yet, the expression in her eyes was full of sadness and longing.
Unable to bear the sight of her naked emotions, she closed her eyes and turned away, taking a deep breath. She turned on the jets to the shower, determined to wash her vulnerability down the drain.
“Calista,” Leo said from the doorway.
She jumped at the sound of his voice, wishing she was dressed. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest in a feeble attempt to cover herself. “I thought you’d left.”
“Almost,” he said and offered her a steaming cup of coffee. “I waited to talk to the vet. They want to keep Pooh one more night.”
Concern rushed through her as she accepted the coffee. “Did something happen? Did his condition worsen?”
He shook his head. “No, I just told them I want them to make sure he’s well. In that case, he said they’d keep him another night on IV support. We should be able to pick him up tomorrow.”
“You’re sure?” she asked, setting the coffee on a table inside the bathroom.
He shot her a half grin. “Yeah, I’m sure.” His gaze fell over her body. “Now, you’d better hop into that shower before I decide I need to distract you like I did last night.”
Calista didn’t know if her body or her emotions could take it, so she quickly stepped under the spray. She didn’t linger, reaching for a towel as soon as she got out of the shower. She lifted the cup of coffee for a quick life-giving sip and noticed it was laced with vanilla and hazelnut. Surprised, she felt her heart take a dip. Leo took his coffee black. He wouldn’t come within an inch of her girlie cappuccinos. She wondered if Meg or Leo knew her tastes.
Bombarded with more social invitations since they’d attended the expand-my-brain program on Saturday, Calista sorted out the few possible events she thought might interest Leo. She also talked with her sisters and cousin, reassuring them about Pooh.
Her cousin came back on the line after Calista finished talking to her sisters. “I hate to have to tell you this,” she said. “But I’m pretty sure Tami has been smoking again.”
Calista’s stomach clenched. “But that’s terrible for her asthma.”
“I know. I’ve told her the same thing. I’m not sure what to do next. You know that when Fall rolls around, she’ll go away to school and neither you nor I will be able to say a thing to her.”
Calista sighed. “I’m not liking this,” she said. “Not at all. Do you think it would help if she talked to a doctor?”
“I don’t know. She’s a teenager. I
t’s hard to tell her anything. I’m keeping close tabs on her, though. I’ve told her I want her to start bringing her friends here instead of going out.”
“What does she say to that?”
“She doesn’t like it, but I’m not giving her much choice,” Sharon said.
“Thanks. I’ll think about this. There’s got to be a solution,” Calista said.
“I just wanted you to know. We’ll talk soon,” Sharon said.
“Yes, we will. Goodbye.”
Calista stewed over the news about her sister after she disconnected from the phone. Tami should know better. She’d had plenty of frightening asthmatic episodes.
“Mrs. Grant,” Meg said, interrupting her thoughts. “You have a visitor. Mr. Rob Miller.”
Calista felt a dart of surprise followed by extreme discomfort. “Oh. Um. He’s a business colleague. Last week, he told me he needed to ask me a few questions about my projects. Please show him onto the back porch. I’ll be down in just a moment.”
Why had Rob shown up here without any warning? Her heart pounded in her chest out of fear. How could she explain him to Leo? Her hands turned clammy and she felt terror chill her to the bone.
Taking a deep breath, she struggled for composure. She would calmly arrange to meet him some other time at some other place. Calista walked from her makeshift office upstairs down to the back porch and closed the door behind her.
Rob turned to greet her. “Nice place,” he said.
She bit her lip, but kept her voice low. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you call first?”
“Your cell phone changed. I called your work number and they said you were on extended leave. Hey, if you don’t want the information—”
“No, no,” she said, her stomach twisting. “What have you learned about Leo?”
“It’s not just about Leo,” he said. “It’s about your father.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I hate to be the one to tell you, but I think you should know. I also knew you shouldn’t see this in a report.”
Her heart hammered against her chest in apprehension. “What? What is it?”
