“And that’s why my appearance is so important to me. Without it, I have no idea where I’d be. Don’t get me wrong. Talent and skill helps a lot. But looks sure as hell helped me get a foot in the door.”
“So they paid for your tuition?”
“Well, I could only stand working for him for so long. But one of his clients eventually hired me, and I bounced around a bit until I ended up with Luke and Michael. And from there, it was an amazing fit. I got along great with them and they didn’t treat me like a receptionist. There are sometimes I felt more like a partner with them.”
For the first time in years, Rourke felt grateful toward his brothers. The idea that they’d seen the potential in Cali. Given her a chance.
The image he’d had in his head of the two had been pompous, arrogant jerks, thinking how superior they were most of the time. Maybe Cali had a point. Maybe there was something in this family worth reconnecting to. Especially if they were about to get married and start having kids.
Maybe he should be around to meet his little nieces and nephews.
“I appreciate you telling me,” said Rourke honestly.
She shrugged. “I know so much of your family drama. It only seemed fair.”
He nodded, still grateful for the secrets she’d shared. “Have you talked to any of them recently?”
She shook her head. “When I left...it wasn’t pleasant. My mom was upset about the money I stole. Rightfully so. But they never wanted me to go to school. I think they thought they were protecting me. That I’d fail and end up dropping out just like everyone else in the family who had attempted college. So when I left, they told me to never come back. I thought they were just saying it. They weren’t.”
For the first time since she’d started telling the story, her eyes watered. Rourke reached out and set his hand over hers. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head and used her free hand to dab at her eyes, not moving away from him. “It was a long time ago and, from what I can tell, nothing has changed.”
He thought back to the first night he’d met Cali. Back when she’d told him to cut his losses and let go of the people who didn’t care about him. Now he knew what she was talking about.
Her family had cut her out and she’d chosen to move forward with her life and not let the past hold her down. But his family wasn’t pushing him away. They were actively trying to get a fresh start and clean the slate. Maybe it was time he considered starting over with them.
“Why did you let me stay here?” he asked, not wanting to think about his family anymore.
She shrugged. “It’s the least I could do. You came all this way and had nowhere to stay after doing such a big favor to me. I still think you should go to a hotel, which will be much more comfortable than my place, but you’re welcome as long as you want to be here.”
She had no idea what she was offering him. He wanted to stay as long as she’d let him, and if she didn’t put a time limit on this, he might become a permanent houseguest.
Her hand was still beneath his and he adjusted his palm so his fingers fell between hers. Not holding her hand, but making the motion undeniably intimate. “You know I’m not like him, right?”
She didn’t ask who he was talking about. She already knew. “You’re nothing like Easson. Everything about him, looking back, was cold and calculated. At the time, I thought he was a bit reserved and ambitious, like me. But you...you’re different. You say whatever comes to mind. Do whatever you want.” She reached up and stroked her fingers along his short beard. “You’re a bit more wild than he ever was.”
He rubbed his cheek into her hand, reveling in the feel of her touch. “You like your men wild?”
“I like you,” she said simply.
Rourke would’ve smiled in victory if the air hadn’t been so tense between them. The electricity was so thick that he was surprised they weren’t getting shocked just sitting there. And then he gave in to his wild side as he leaned in to take her mouth with his.
Even though she’d been slowly warming up to him again, he waited to see whether she would fight him. Run back to her room as she ordered him to stay on the couch.
But she pulled him in closer even as he pushed her back, crawling over her body as he pressed her into the arm of the sofa.
Her back arched against him as she unfolded her legs from under her. He didn’t break the kiss as he pushed her skirt up higher until she could wrap her legs around his waist. The kiss was fiery and untamed. His tongue tangled with hers, brushing against her teeth. Taking everything she was willing to give and then even more.
Cali moaned into his mouth and he drank in the sound. He’d never get tired of this woman.
One hand cupped the back of her head as he trailed kisses down her jaw to the lobe of her ear. The other hand rubbed up and down along her exposed thigh until he couldn’t stand it anymore. She must’ve had the same idea, because as soon as he pulled away, she sat up, pulling her blouse from her skirt and tearing at the buttons.
And then she was taking off her bra and all of his attention was drawn to her absolutely perfect breasts that were freed to his view. He leaned in, wrapping his arms around the small of her back, and pulled her breasts to his mouth. He took his time with her. Torturing the nipples one taut peak at a time. Working her up into a frenzy, only to switch to the other one until Cali writhed and bucked against him, begging for more.
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, Rourke leaned back and pulled at his shirt, dropping it to the floor right as Cali reached down to pull off her panties from beneath her skirt. He reached a hand out, stopping her. This was one article of clothing he’d gladly remove for her.
He slowly dragged the silky scrap of material down her legs, maneuvering one ankle free and settling more fully between her legs as he lifted her other leg up, pressing a kiss to the inside corner of her ankle as he pulled the panties free.
Then Cali was pushing up, caging his face in her hands as she kissed him passionately, fully. He growled against the kiss as he pulled her hips tightly against him and maneuvered them a bit farther down on the couch so that this time when he pressed her down, she was flat on her back. He reached out to intertwine one of his hands with hers, pressing it over her head against the sofa.
The couch was small and not the most comfortable place, but he wasn’t capable of carrying her to the bed at this point. He was too far gone with the need to touch her. Be with her. Slide inside her. He reached down with his free hand to undo his belt buckle and push his jeans over his hips. Not the easiest task with one hand, but he was damned motivated at the moment.
And then his cock was free, hard and ready for her. Demanding release.
He gripped her hand tighter as he took her mouth with his and his length slid home in one swift stroke. She arched against him and he swallowed her scream. Her tight heat enveloped him, and he practically shuddered at the pleasure that coursed through him.
But then he started to move.
Cali’s free arm wrapped around his shoulders, her sharp fingernails biting into his back as she urged him on. Her heels pressed into his ass, letting him know she didn’t want this gentle.
And he gave her what she wanted, taking her hard and fast, reveling in every moan and squeak he got from her. And when her orgasm hit, she let her head fall back, eyes closed, and let out such an erotic moan that he couldn’t hold back his release any longer. He buried his head in her neck and released her hand to grip her hips and hold her impossibly tighter as he came.
Afterwards, they both struggled to catch their breath. Cali’s hand stroked up and down his back. “I’m sorry,” she breathed against the top of his head. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
He chuckled into her neck before he placed a soft kiss to the sensitive skin there. “Trust me. No apology needed.” He felt her smile against him as she held him tighter. Lifting his head, Rourke looked down at Cali. Her hair was tousled and her eyes had the undeniable glow of a woman who’d just had amazing sex.
A sense of pride shot straight through him. He’d done that.
A cocky grin covered his face. “So does this mean I don’t need to sleep on the couch?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cali’s thumb pounded out a frantic rhythm against the side of her leg as she waited for Luke to show up. Her mind kept on playing out all the ways this would go wrong. He could stand her up. Maybe he found out what she’d been doing with Rourke and decided she didn’t deserve the reward/bribery money he’d promised. Maybe Evelyn decided she had been working with Easson and he’d renege on the offer.
The whole thing seemed too good to be true, so when Luke finally did show up, she didn’t even believe her eyes. He was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater. Strange. She’d assumed he’d be wearing a business suit. Didn’t one wear a suit to transfer millions of dollars to someone else?
What did she know? She wasn’t used to having this much money. Not that she had it yet.
“Hey.” She smiled, trying to act casual even as her heart raced inside her chest.
Luke smiled back. “Are you ready for this?” He glanced at the doors to the bank behind her.
Ready? Good grief, she just wanted to get this over with before he could change his mind. Even though she’d been thinking about it nonstop since they’d first made her the offer, she didn’t want to take any chances that he’d change his mind.
“I’m ready when you are.” She pulled the baby-blue cardigan tighter around herself as he held the door open to the bank for her. The banker must’ve been waiting for them because he rushed over to them, outstretched hand ready to shake Luke’s. It figured he would be a VIP client. The kind that had two million just sitting there and ready to transfer over to a nobody like her.
“Mr. Devereaux, it’s great to see you again,” said the man.
Cali tried to remember his name, considering she was sure she’d dealt with him before. It was Ben something...Snail? No. Snoil? No. Something slimy sounding though.... Snaith! Ben Snaith. “Hello, Mr. Snaith.” She held out a hand.
“Ms. Carson.” He gave a quick smile as he glanced between the two of them. “I have everything ready for you in my office, if you’d just follow me.”
Luke motioned with a jerk of his head for Cali to follow the banker and he took up the rear. They crossed past the clean-cut front of the bank where the customers stood in line for the tellers. Transactions this big went over the tellers’ heads, she supposed.
Ben led them to his office, which wasn’t anything remarkable. Beige walls, more gray carpets, and not many personal pictures on the wall. She wondered whether that was because he didn’t have a lot of family or because he valued his privacy.
Though she couldn’t say her workspace was much better. She didn’t have any family photos to hang. No cute dog or cat pictures to look at. All she had were a few knickknacks she’d picked up here and there. Nothing important enough to clear off once she decided to quit.
The thought made her somber as they sat down, but Ben didn’t seem to notice. “Do you have the account and routing numbers of the bank the funds are being transferred to?”
Cali nodded as she reached into her purse and pulled out a blank check. “Here you go.”
“Great. It won’t take me long to get it started and then I’ll need manager approval and you’ll be all set. Have you given any thought to how you’re investing these funds?”
That bright smile was now focused on her, and Cali bit back the urge to roll her eyes. This guy had probably never even bothered to learn her name, but now that she suddenly had money, she was worth talking to. “I have a few plans,” she said assertively as she waited for him to get on with it.
“Great,” he said, masking any disappointment. “Two million then?”
Cali held her breath as she glanced at Luke and waited for him to respond.
“Two million,” he agreed.
She exhaled and resisted the urge to jump up in the air and fist pump. She forced herself to sit there like a rational adult until Ben left to get the manager, leaving Cali and Luke alone.
“So are you taking any trips to celebrate?” he asked.
Cali shook her head without thinking. “Rourke is staying with me, so I won’t be heading anywhere for a while.”
He nodded, but she could see the wheels turning in his mind. “So exactly how close did you and Rourke get?”
After her initial slip-up, Cali regained her composure. “Rourke is a friend. It wasn’t easy for him to come back and I want him to know that he has someone there who’s...impartial.”
Luke cringed. “You know, don’t you?”
Cali tightened her lips as she considered her words carefully. “Rourke told me his side of the story. I wish you had told me too.”
“Damn it, that was so long ago. I was young and Lisa had all of us wrapped around her finger.”
Cali shook her head. “No, I’m not mad at you. We’ve all done things we regret. Some things that we regret and still wouldn’t change given the chance.” She thought back to the thousand dollars she’d stolen from her mother. She wasn’t there to judge Luke, but she also wasn’t there to tell him what he did had been understandable.
And as he sat there, looking for her approval, she realized just how much their relationship had changed over the years. Even now, knowing that she could leave and never see him again, he was explaining himself to her. She’d known Luke long enough to know he didn’t give two cents about other people’s opinion. But he cared about hers, and that touched a place deep in her heart.
“Luke...I wanted to say—”
Ben pushed open the door and a suited man who must’ve been the manager followed. He introduced himself before giving the approval, and, just like that, Cali was a millionaire. This time she couldn’t stop the smile. This opened the world to her. If she lived modestly and invested right, she would never have to work again.
Or she could find a job she truly wanted to do. Maybe a not-for-profit. Maybe go into the arts. She could get a new degree or travel. Maybe purchase some income real estate.
Anything.
Luke led her out of the bank, and as soon as they were free of the bankers, customers, and tellers, she threw her hands around his neck in a tight hug. “I can’t believe this,” she breathed as she tried to comprehend how much things had changed in just a click of a mouse button.
Luke hugged her back and pulled her in for a tight bear hug. “I can’t believe you did it. We never thought Rourke would come back in a million years.”
“It was easy. I just told him what a great guy you were,” she said with a teasing grin.
He let her go and gave a little snort. “You always did underplay everything you did for me.”
“But you never believed me,” she reminded him. “Which made the underplaying easier.”
“So are you really leaving me?”
She was quiet for a moment as she thought about how to word her answer. She couldn’t go back to being his assistant. She had enough money that she’d never need to, and she was convinced she needed to find her passion. Whatever the hell that passion was. “I need some time to myself.”
He nodded as though he didn’t expect her to change her mind at the last minute. “Well, Michael is taking Rourke over what has been happening with the business right now. If things with them get...heated, will you let me know? You’ll be seeing him right after. I just don’t want to fuck things up so fast after we just got him back.”
Cali thought of the way Rourke had listened to her babble on about her family drama last night. He seemed so different from the angry, abrupt person she’d met just a week ago. She’d like to think that he wasn’t the sort to tuck tail and run after one disagreement, but she knew he could be a tad unpredictable at times. Maybe it was one of the things she liked about him. She blushed as she remembered just a few of the unpredictable things he’d done after he’d carried her from the couch to her bedroom the night before.
“If he’s upset, I’ll
talk to him,” she promised. “But I can’t report back to you.” There was a line in the sand she needed to draw between the brothers. And this time, she was going to be standing on the side of the line Rourke was on.
Luke nodded. “Here’s hoping everything goes well then. I have to get back to the office, but you’ll keep in touch, right? And if you ever want a job or anything, you know who to call.”
“Don’t worry, Luke. You’re number one on my list.” For a moment, she thought he was going to say more, but then she was saved by the ringing of her phone. “I should get this.” She backed away. “I’ll see you around. Promise.” She turned away as she pulled the incessant ringing phone.
Please don’t be Easson, she thought as she looked at the caller ID, only to be swept in a wave of confusion. Well, it wasn’t Easson. Even more confusing, it was a number coming from Walter Farrell’s office. She’d called the place enough times that she must’ve programmed it into her phone.
“Cali here,” she said in her official tone. Probably someone who didn’t know she’d quit and needed to get a hold of Luke. Surprising, considering they’d seemed to get the message through to a lot of other people who had her phone number.
“Hi,” said a deep voice on the other end. “This is Colin Carter. I’m an associate of Walter Farrell. I was hoping I could get a meeting with you later today.”
Cali glanced over her shoulder, but Luke was already gone. Damn. “I’m sorry, but I’m no longer with DevX Tech. If you’d like, I can get you a number to call—”
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m calling to talk about Easson Harper. You were his date last Friday, isn’t that right?”
Well, there went the theory that money solved everything. Even with her now overflowing savings account, Easson was still a pain in her ass. “He was, but I haven’t seen him since. I don’t think I can help you.”
“I think you will. But I’d rather you do it on your own terms. What time works for you?”
Without any hesitation, Cali hung up the phone. From now on, the only pain in her ass would be Rourke, and she’d rather spend the rest of the afternoon dealing with him than with the endless pile of shit Easson seemed to be piling on her.
Taming The Boss (Billionaires In The City Book 7) Page 12
