by Leanne Banks
“She’s up, sir,” Meg said.
“Thanks. I’ll be in the kitchen in a moment.” He put his laptop on standby and walked into the kitchen where Tami sat at the bar looking lost.
“Good morning,” he said.
She glanced up at him. “Good morning,” she returned in a polite but flat tone.
“What do you have planned for today?”
“What can I do? I have no cell phone, no friends,” she said.
“You didn’t have real friends before,” he said.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You sound like Calista.”
“There are worse places, you know,” he said, sitting on the stool next to her. “The ghetto, jail.”
“Not that you would know,” she said.
“Actually I know more than most people would want to know about the ghetto,” he said then shrugged. “Did Calista mention that we have horses here?”
“Yes, but I’ve never ridden.”
“Want to learn?” he asked. “Or are you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid,” she said. “But who could teach me?”
“That can be arranged,” he said. “If you’re interested.”
“Okay. I’m interested,” she said. “Please,” she added as if she’d just remembered her manners.
“You have no idea how lucky you are that Calista loves you as much as she does,” he told her. “You would be foolish to take that for granted.”
Tami’s lower lip trembled. “I let her down.”
“Yes, you did,” he said. “But you still have the opportunity to make her and everyone else who cares about you proud. Including yourself. So why don’t you stop pouting and get on with it?”
“How can I? I have no phone, no car,” she said.
“Prove you can make good choices. Take an online course and ace it,” he said.
“She won’t let me near the computer,” she said.
“ETR,” he said.
Tami frowned. “ETR?” she echoed.
“Earn the right,” he said.
“How do I do that?”
“Ask Calista what you can do to help,” he said. “What are your favorite pancakes?”
“Blueberry,” she said.
“Meg,” he called. “Can you please get Miss French some blueberry pancakes?” He walked away to let Tami think about what he’d said. Something told him she would go horseback riding today.
Leo left for a business trip and checked in with Calista several times. He arrived back in town late on Thursday night and headed directly for the shower. After drying off, he went to bed, inhaling her sweet scent as he lifted the covers. In the darkness, he saw the outline of her body and heard her even breathing. He craved the feeling of her naked body against his.
She was asleep, damn it. He would be a caveman to wake her. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. Her scent wafted through him, torturing him.
Suddenly he felt her move and her hand was on his chest. “How did you talk her into horseback riding?” she asked, her breath sliding over his neck.
“I planted the idea,” he said.
“Hmm,” she said and slid her lips against his jaw. “And the online course?”
“I may have mentioned it,” he said.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
His heart hammered against his rib cage. “Show me,” he told her.
Ten
Calista was relieved that Tami settled into a routine so quickly. Leo had suggested that Tami spend a semester at a local junior college before going away to school. Although Tami was disappointed, she seemed to understand.
Calista’s cell phone rang and she glanced at the caller ID, unfamiliar with the number. “Hello?”
“Hi, this is your rock star P.I.,” Rob said.
Calista’s stomach twisted. “Hi Rob. Thank you for all the information you’ve sent me. I think I’ve learned as much as I need to at the moment, so I’ll just send you a check.”
“Whoa,” he said. “You’re not blowing me off, are you? Because you should know I’ve got some amazing new info. It’s hot.”
“What is it?” she asked reluctantly.
He laughed. “I’m not going to hand it over that easily.”
Calista frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean now you’re in a position to pay me what I deserve, and for this info, I deserve a lot.”
Her stomach sank. “I really don’t think I need any more information, but what were you planning to charge?”
He named a figure that took her breath away.
“You’re crazy,” she said. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Give me a break. You’re married to the wealthiest man in Philly,” he said, his voice full of cynicism.
“That doesn’t mean I write checks off his accounts,” she said.
Rob paused. “Oh. I wondered if he might tighten the leash on your spending habits after he walked in on you and me.”
“Leo doesn’t have a leash on my spending, and there’s nothing going on between you and me. There never has been.”
“If that’s true, then you better find a way to write the check for this info, because if you don’t want it, I’m going to sell it to the highest bidder and your sugar daddy may not like the way it turns out.”
“Are you blackmailing me?” she demanded.
“No, just trying to get my pay. You have my number. Call me if you’re interested, but don’t wait too long,” he said and hung up.
Calista stared at the phone, feeling sick to her stomach. Too upset to sit, she rose to her feet and paced. What did Rob know? He’d said it was hot. Would the information ruin Leo? She felt a knot of distress form inside her. She was regretting asking for Rob’s help in the first place. She’d thought Rob would at least keep everything he learned confidential. She’d thought he would be ethical.
Ethical. The word hit her in the face. Why should she expect anyone in this situation to be ethical when she couldn’t claim the same? Sighing, she shook her head. She was going to have to do something about this. She didn’t know how, but she had to do something.
That night after she watched a movie with Tami, Calista joined Leo for a glass of wine and mustered her nerve. “I haven’t mentioned this, but there are some checks I need to write and now that I’m not working…”
“Oh,” he said with a careless shrug. “I set up an account for you before we got married. I’ve made a deposit, but my accountant can also add funds. I would have given you the checkbook before, but you were so adamant about not spending my money. You have tuition payments for Tina, don’t you?”
She nodded, wondering if he still felt that was a sore spot.
“No problem,” he said. “Anything else on your mind?”
She looked away. “Maybe.”
“What?”
“This is awkward.”
“What?” he asked.
“Back when you partnered with your father on his schemes, did you do any of that after you turned eighteen?” she asked.
“No,” he said, his jaw tightening. “I ran away. I like to think my youth should excuse me, but I understood what I was doing, and I hated myself for it.”
“But you’ve turned yourself around. Look at what you’ve become,” she said.
“What’s that?” he asked. “How would you describe what I’ve become?”
“You’ve become a man,” she said. “You take responsibility for your choices. You’re vibrant and intelligent, and you may not think it, but you have heart.”
He shot her a sympathetic look. “I wouldn’t count on that last one too much.”
Disappointed and frustrated, she frowned. “You do. Look at what you’ve done for Tami.”
“Some would say that’s just payback,” he said.
“Then what about our marriage?” she asked. “You want to stick with it. That says something about you.”
“We made a deal, a bargain.” He slid his hand under her chin. “I
care for you. I want you. I’ll take care of you. But don’t expect the fairy tale. I think you and I both know better than that. Remember it and you’ll be happier.”
His ability to detach himself made something inside her freeze with fear. Was he truly incapable of emotion? Of love? Why did it matter? she asked herself. He was taking care of the financial end of things. That was all she’d ever wanted. Right?
Calista stared at him, suddenly slapped with the knowledge that her feelings for Leo ran deeper than she’d ever anticipated. And it hurt that he clearly didn’t return her feelings.
“Calista?” he said, lifting his eyebrows. “You agree with what I’ve said, don’t you?”
She bit the inside of her lip. “I see your point.”
“Hedging,” he said.
She played the girl card. “Do you really want to get into a messy emotional argument with a female late at night?” she challenged with a smile.
“God, no,” he said with a look of pure horror.
“Then let’s go to bed,” she said and told herself she would think about what he’d said some other time.
The next morning, she gave Rob a call. “I’d like to meet with you,” she said.
“You have a check?” he asked.
“Yes, but you’ll have to sign an agreement that you won’t give any of the information you’ve discovered about my father or Leo to anyone else,” she said firmly.
“Those are high demands. I could get some nice cash if I sold this to a tabloid,” he said.
“Or not,” she said. “Leo keeps a low profile. He’s not a Hollywood star or a jet-setter, therefore, you could be taking the risk of getting much less. Or nothing.”
“Oooh,” he said. “Somebody grew kahunas. Okay, meet me at Liberty Bar at seven.”
“No,” she said. “I’ve got the check. We’ll meet at three o’clock.”
“No can do at three o’clock,” he said. “I’ve got another job. Make it five-thirty and I can swing it.”
Calista hated the timing, but she needed to get this taken care of immediately. “Okay. Don’t be late,” she said and hung up.
Calista visited the bar where she was supposed to meet Rob and waited. Thirty minutes passed and he finally showed up. “Where have you been?” she demanded.
“I got hung up,” he said. “Where’s the check?”
“Where’s the information?” she retorted.
“You’re getting tough, girl,” he said and pulled out a manila envelope. “Check first.”
“Signature first,” she said and presented a legal document and copies for him to sign.
Rob read it and whistled. “You covered all the bases. Name changes and everything.”
“If you want the money, sign it,” she said.
He signed three copies of the document. “I don’t suppose you’ll give me a recommendation to your wealthy friends,” he said.
“I don’t like it that you changed the charge midstream,” she said.
“That was only done after I realized I didn’t have a shot at you,” he said.
Calista felt nervous with each passing second. She had the odd feeling that someone was watching her, but she didn’t know who. “Here’s the check,” she said.
Rob passed the folder to her and she stood. He followed and kissed her cheek. She drew back and frowned.
“You can’t blame me. I came this close to a Philly Princess,” he said, lifting his thumb and forefinger, pressing them together.
“You flatter yourself,” she said and walked away. She got into her car and drove to Leo’s house, the folder sitting beside her, nearly burning a hole in the passenger seat. It was dark when she pulled into the garage, and she winced when she saw Leo’s car already parked in its regular spot.
Praying he wouldn’t have noticed, she grabbed the folder and walked inside. The house was silent. George stepped into the hallway. “Mrs. Grant, where have you been?”
She didn’t like his suspicious tone, or was it her imagination? “Out,” she said. “And you?”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Mr. Grant is looking for you.”
“Where is he?” she asked.
“In your suite.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Her stomach clenched in knots, she climbed the stairs to their bedroom suite. She opened the door and found Leo facing the window, his hands on his hips. “Where have you been?”
“Out,” she said, walking toward him, hating the wall he seemed to have drawn around himself.
He turned and threw some photos on the table beside him. “I see you met with your friend again,” he said.
She glanced closer at the photos, seeing the damning visual of Rob kissing her cheek. Humiliation suffused her. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Oh, really?” he said in a cold voice. “Then how is it?”
“Are you willing to listen?”
“Why should I?” he asked in a dead voice. “You’ll only lie.”
Her anger jumped inside her. “Stop it,” she said. “You owe me the chance to explain.”
“I owe you nothing,” he said.
“Fine, then you’ll never know what I spent a hundred thousand dollars of your money on. At this point, I don’t even know. I just know I made Rob sign an agreement not to share the information.”
Leo paused and frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Rob said he had information about you, but it was big. He told me I had to pay. That’s why I asked you about money.”
Realization dawned on Leo’s face, but he was still cautious. “What information?”
She opened the folder. “Let’s find out.”
Leo scanned the report with skepticism. One of his security men had followed Calista and taken photos of her with the P.I. They’d been e-mailed to him and he’d printed them off, ready to throw her out of the house.
Now, he wasn’t so sure. Calista’s P.I. said his real name was Leonardo Medici and he had three brothers. Both his parents were dead. His father had died in a train accident. He was supposed to have died in the same accident, but an explosion threw him away from the train. He frowned as he read the story. Was it true? Was he the boy who’d survived?
According to the report, a woman had discovered him and taken him home. That was when Clyde had become his so-called adoptive father. That was when the abuse had begun.
“Oh my God,” Calista whispered. She looked at him. “You survived a train wreck. Not a car accident.”
He shook his head. “We don’t know that for sure.”
She lifted the written report, which was followed by photos of his brothers. “Look at them. They look just like you,” she said. “They’re your brothers.”
Too stunned to take it all in, he shook his head. “I put my own P.I. on this. Why wasn’t he able to find it?”
“Maybe, despite Rob’s obnoxiousness, he got lucky and dug in the right place. Leo, this is amazing. Momentuous. You have to call your brothers. They will be so happy you’re alive.”
“How do you know?” he asked and shook his head. “What am I going to tell them? I had a criminal past and have a fake marriage.”
Calista turned pale. “Is that what you really think?” she asked, shaking her head. “I know you don’t believe in all the romance, but do you really believe our marriage is fake? I thought we’d both decided we wanted a fresh start. I thought that meant we were building something real.”
Leo stood. The news about his family was too overwhelming. He didn’t trust it. He didn’t trust Calista. He didn’t want to count on her. He’d learned he couldn’t count on anyone. “What’s reality? What’s perception? I don’t remember these brothers. They’re not real to me. Why should I get in touch with them?”
“Because they’re your family,” she insisted. “And based on this report, they want to find you. Can you imagine how much pain they’ve experienced thinking you’re missing or dead? For all these years,” she said.
Leo walked to the window and stared outside. This was what he’d dreamed of for years, but he couldn’t go after it. He’d changed from whomever he’d been when they’d known him. And not necessarily for the best.
Calista gently touched his arm. “Leo, I know you had a terrible childhood after the accident, but you’ve come out of it an amazing person. You’ve become a man I could fall in love with,” she confessed and his gut tightened. “A man I have fallen in love with.”
Her admission struck him at his core, but he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t believe it. “My money is making life easier for you and your sisters. Don’t mistake your gratitude for love, Calista.”
He heard her shocked intake of breath and she snatched her hand away from him as if she’d burned it. Remorse surged through him. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her, but he couldn’t open up to her, especially now. “Calista,” he said, turning.
She backed away, shaking her head, tears in her eyes. “No.”
“Calista,” he said again, moving toward her.
“No, really. Don’t say another word,” she whispered and ran from the room.
She didn’t return to his bed that night and he didn’t go looking for her. Leo stared at the ceiling for most of the night. He couldn’t believe the P.I.’s report. He had brothers. His mother and father had died. Medici was his real last name. He whispered it. “Medici.” It rolled off his tongue with a strange familiarity.
What had happened to his brothers, he wondered. What kind of course had their lives taken? He’d stopped reading the report midway. Unable to tamp down his curiosity, he got up and began to read it. Damien Medici, 35 years old, married, successful CEO of his own business. Rafe Medici, 33 years old, married. One son, another child on the way.
Something inside him twisted at the thought of a nephew.
Leo swore under his breath. He didn’t know these people. This wasn’t real to him and it never would be. He shoved the report into a drawer and glanced at the clock. Four o’clock in the morning. Screw it. He would go into the office. He couldn’t stand being in his own skin at the moment. Work would be his panacea. It always had been.
When Leo arrived home that night, Meg greeted him, but Pooh didn’t.
