by Eden Ashley
All eight cylinders came to life as the Jeep roared into the left shoulder. Kali stared down the dumbass responsible for the delay. Seeing a handicapped sign hanging from the old man’s rearview mirror made her madder. She jerked the steering wheel sharply, cutting off the old guy to merge back into traffic. He honked his horn. She laughed and extended her middle finger through the open sunroof.
Her finger was still in salute when the Jeep pitched wildly to the right. Kali gripped the wheel with both hands and fought for control, but the vehicle fishtailed. Tires were squealing. More horns blared as other cars struggled to miss the careening automobile. It was miraculous that she made it safely onto the shoulder. Kali brought the car to a complete stop, checked both mirrors, and stepped out into the emergency lane. Her legs were shaking.
The old man with the handicapped sign slowed enough to cast a meaningful glare in her direction. Then he gave her the finger and punched the gas.
The rear right tire had blown out and nearly killed her. A spare rested beneath the cargo area, but Kali had no idea what to do with it. She dug around inside her purse for her cell phone but couldn’t find it. Emptying the contents, she searched again. Her stomach gave a sickened twist. Kali remembered leaving the phone charging on the dresser.
She peered down the interstate hopefully. Not a car was in sight. Clenching her teeth, she let out a frustrated groan. “Mr. Richards is going to kill me.”
Kali shoved her things aside and sank into the seat, wishing she had paid attention in shop class on the day they were taught how to change a stupid tire. She was still wallowing in self-pity when the dusty pickup pulled into the emergency lane and stopped behind the Jeep.
Kali was apprehensive. Stories of road rage had made recent headlines. She stared at the tinted windshield and tried to glimpse what she was up against. Do I need to lock the doors or make a run for it? If she spotted a piece of steel, Lisa’s Jeep was going to become a three wheeler.
When the driver emerged, Kali knew everything was going to be okay. Relief and excitement surged through her at once. Rhane swung out of the pickup and strode down the blacktop, the morning sunlight exaggerating his near-perfect features. He was a living daydream.
A finely tailored suit, sans the jacket, fit his tanned body like a glove. The cut and line of the black fabric screamed expensive. Kali could have peeled him like a banana. And as he walked up to her with complete disregard for her personal space, she almost had to kick herself so as to not jump his bones right there on the side of the road.
He smiled one of his easy smiles. “That was some driving.”
She edged forward and invaded his space in return, daring him to step back. They stood toe-to-toe. Their faces floated only inches apart. While it felt good to have her confidence back, Kali was surprised by how much she wanted to kiss him. “I’m glad someone appreciated it.”
“I didn’t appreciate the rude gesture.”
“That was for the old guy.” She waved her hand dismissively.
“Nice,” he said, but his tone clearly meant it wasn’t.
She looked up at him with fake shyness and lowered her voice. “Well, maybe you should teach me some manners.”
Rhane licked his lips. “My lessons can last for hours.”
“That’s great, because I’m a slow learner.”
“I don’t believe you.”
He stole the space that remained between their bodies and kissed her. Slow and deep, he took his time. He held her neck gently, his thumb pressed into the hollow of her throat. The touch held both seduction and danger. Warm fingertips slid beneath the soft cashmere of her sweater. Kali lost focus as his fingers trailed lazily across her skin. The earth swayed, making her dizzy. She held onto his shoulders and shuddered. The kiss ended, but his hand still lay hot against her skin.
“Where do you keep your spare?”
“What?” Kali shook her head, trying to understand.
Grinning, he caught her lips again but not nearly for as long. “If I stand here any longer with you, it’s going to get illegal. I should change that tire now.”
“Oh, right.” She cleared her throat. “It’s in the rear cargo floor space.”
Rhane waited a beat, regarding her wordlessly. Then he went to retrieve the spare. Kali stayed put until he called her to the rear of the Jeep.
“Kali?” He hoisted the tire up as she came to him and set it down on the pavement. “Your spare is no good. I can put it on for you, and it would get you to where you’re going. But you definitely won’t make it home…especially if you repeat another kamikaze performance.”
She closed her eyes and leaned against the car. “I’m already so late.”
“I saw an auto shop off the next exit. Go there and get a new tire, problem solved.”
She frowned at him. “No, problem not solved. I have to get to my job pronto and work on a special assignment for my boss. He trusts me to be there.”
“Working on a Sunday? Who’s your boss, Mr. Trump?” Rhane checked his watch and grimaced. “Okay then. I can drop you at work on my way in. How far is it?”
Kali shook her head again. She felt herself getting more agitated with each suggestion. “I can’t leave this car here! It’ll get towed to some hick wreck yard that will take days to find.”
He raised one eyebrow slightly. “What’s your solution then?”
Kali thought about it. She had just met him but it was worth a shot. “Can’t we swap? Take my car and get the tire patched or whatever. I can take your nice, shiny and new truck to work and not get fired.” She flashed her most dazzling smile.
He looked at her like she was nuts. “You just met me. What makes you think I’ll let you take my truck?”
Moving toward him, Kali rested one palm against his cheek. His eyes were translucent in the sunlight, two seas of emerald bordered with flecks of amber. She leaned in close, wanting to drown in them and nearly did so. Her lips brushed softly against his as she spoke. “You won’t refuse me.” She felt him tremble.
A long moment passed. “I think you’re right,” he finally said, and held up a key.
Snagging it, Kali smiled gratefully. Then she walked away, throwing her hips deliberately because she knew he watched her. “Don’t worry,” she called to him. “I promise to thank you later.”
Placing one foot on the runner, she hauled herself into the truck. The dark grey leather molded to her form as sank into it. Kali sighed, remembering how Rhane’s lips and hands felt against her body. She wriggled in the seat.
“You might need this, Kalista.”
Startled, Kali jumped about four inches. She adjusted the shoulder belt in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks were flaming, but she found the nerve to look at him. Rhane was holding her purse.
“Oops, I almost forgot. Thanks.” She took the bag and started the truck. The engine came to life with a purr, and the time displayed on the clock. Six a.m. was approaching fast. She was already ridiculously late. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. Besides, Kali was curious about him. Such a nice suit had to mean Rhane had been headed somewhere. And it certainly wasn’t to deliver pizzas.
“Will you be late for work?”
“Not really, it was a business meeting.”
“Will you make it?”
He shrugged. “It’s via satellite and can’t happen without me. I’ll reschedule.”
She nodded, wanting to know more but lacking the time to pry. She put the gear in drive but kept a foot on the brake. “How did you fix Greg’s car so fast?”
“I know a guy,” he answered vaguely. “And I threw a lot of money at him.”
“You loaded or something?”
“You could say so.”
“I really wish I had more time to finish this conversation.”
He scratched his head. “I’m glad you don’t,” he said and smiled.
Kali grinned back and was about to go, but stopped again. Her smile faded. “Rhane?”
“Yeah?”
“I usually don’t do this. Go around kissing strange men I’ve just met.” They’re usually teenage boys, she amended silently.
His expression was unreadable. “I surely hope not.” He leaned into the window. “Are you free tonight?”
“Can’t wait for that thank you?”
He winked. “That, and I’d like my nice, shiny and new truck back.”
“Then it’s a date.” With an earsplitting grin pasted across her face, she pulled out into traffic. Looking into the rearview mirror, she noticed Rhane watching her until he was a tiny dot in the distance.
Chapter 13
Kali got to Mack Ventures, Inc. forty-five minutes late and quietly walked inside. The upstairs office was empty and cold, heated by a dinosaur of a unit that took an hour to put out any warmth after being turned on. There were no cubicles or walls for dividers. Secondhand desks and office chairs were arranged so as to promote a team environment while well-placed rugs, potted plants, and worn sofas defined the separate spaces. Antique flourishes and vintage décor, picked out by Mack himself, gave the office an unexpectedly homey appeal.
Two levels down housed storage for unsold artifacts found by the company. It was where the real money was spent. State of the art filtration systems, laser security and habitat control units were all utilized to ensure that company assets remained in pristine condition and thus retained their highest value. Kali loved going down to the basement to observe the pieces of hidden history that held on so tightly to their secrets. It gave her a glimpse of the future she hoped to embrace after finishing college.
The job came with other perks, too. Last summer, Mack had allowed her to go with the team to the Argentinean coast as a junior historian. Her duties were very similar to what she did in the office, only the recording and translating of data actually occurred in the field. And then Mack had taken her on a dive. Shortly thereafter, Kali decided the legal profession was not meant for her.
Kali got the coffee machine going, the only thing in the office Mack had invested more than fifty bucks on, and took a seat at her cluttered desk. She busied herself sorting through paperwork while waiting for the computer to start up. There was also a week’s worth of voicemail needing her attention. Sensing the presence of someone else in the room, she spun her chair around. Mack was looming over her desk as usual.
He was relatively young, three decades and a little change. Straight out of college, Mack had turned his thirst for adventure into a paying gig. And it wasn’t long before he’d amassed a small fortune. Of average height and build, superior intelligence was the quality that put Mack above the rest. Kali speculated that it was the same characteristic making him unsatisfied with everyone else.
Today, his someone-pissed-in-my-cereal scowl was a lot more pronounced. He glared pointedly at Kali and then at the clock. “Good afternoon.”
She followed the look and tried not to cringe. “I know. I got a flat tire right before the exit. The spare was crap. I’m sorry, Mr. Richards.”
His frown deepened. “I asked you here at five. I expected you to be here ten minutes before that. I didn’t get to where I am today by pressing snooze.”
She bit her tongue and waited for the rest of the lecture. It never came. Instead, Mack surprised her by saying, “I’m glad you made it in okay. I didn’t know behind your cute face was a brain that knew how to use a lug wrench.”
Kali stared at him blankly, only having a faint idea of what a lug wrench looked like. “Actually, someone came along and—” she stopped as he tossed a thick manila envelope on her desk.
The package landed with a heavy thud. “I want those recorded and logged by seven.”
“No problem.” She forced a pleasant smile.
“That’s my girl,” he said gruffly, and then went to his own desk.
When it became obvious that Mack was too busy to bother her again, Kali went to the coffee pot. She poured herself a cup and downed the steaming liquid quickly. Filling the mug again, Kali went back to her desk. The manila envelope was waiting. She picked it up and dumped the contents. Every site specific was there: pictures, data logs, numbers. A few things needed translating to English. But legal petitions that should have been filled out and submitted to the proper authorities prior to the dig were incomplete. A crucial agreement had the big red letters of denial stamped across it. Several entries seemed irrelevant, but that wasn’t unusual. There was a new grad on the team.
Kali tapped a pen thoughtfully against the desk. Not my problem, she decided. All the snow could melt in Alaska before she would confront her boss about the contents of the folder. Arriving late had put her on a thin ledge. She wasn’t going to do anything to make Mack shove her off.
For the next hour, she plugged away at the computer, compiling everything into the database as best as she could. But it was more difficult than usual to navigate the data and locate necessary details to complete her reports. Even Mack’s log entries, typically almost ritualistic in their neatness, seemed jumbled and hurried.
Kali glanced over at Mack’s desk a few times. He remained absorbed in his own project. Then he must have noticed the extended silence from her keyboard because he swiveled his chair around. Kali went back to work. His chair squeaked impatiently, and she lifted her head. His frown was more severe than earlier.
“What are you doing?”
His tone made her hesitant. “I’m sorting.”
Mack rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. “I don’t want you to sort. I want you to record what’s there in an organized manner.”
Kali took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. Then she calmly replied, “There’s a lot of information here. More than the usual, so it needs careful attention.”
“That’s why I asked you to come in early.”
She considered her next words. Alaska could use a warmer climate. The wildlife might even enjoy it. “Maybe it would help if we went over the documents together. There might have been a few legal oversights.”
His reaction gave away nothing. “Figure it out. That’s why I keep paying you.”
Mack turned away. Taking it as a sign of dismissal, Kali returned to the paperwork on her desk. In ten minutes or so, the rest of the office would start to arrive. Then Mack would have other targets to micromanage.
Keys jingled as he left his chair and came to stand over her desk yet again. Kali looked at him expectantly and wondered what else she was doing wrong.
“I’m going into my office for the rest of the morning and I am not to be disturbed. Let everyone know when they decide to get here. And send Wes in.”
“I will.”
“Thank you.” He nodded curtly and retreated to his main office in the more isolated section of the second level. Kali sagged in her chair, relieved that he was gone.
The room soon filled with coworkers. A dozen pitiful souls, committed to working seven days a week until the busy season was over, filed in looking tired, hung over, or both. Instead of a clatter of chains and fetters, the whizzing time clock announced their arrival as they punched in. Kali returned each of their zombie-like greetings without stopping her work, until she heard the unmistakable cheeriness of a familiar voice.
“Good morning, all!”
The greeting came from Wesley, a fairly short guy with sparkling blue eyes that could charm anything out of anyone. He was lovable and friendly. Everyone liked him, even Kali. He had been a friend of her late father, remaining close after the death of her parents. In fact, Wes had played an integral role in the adoption. He was also the office manager of Mack Ventures Inc., and had recommended Kali for the job she currently held.
Making his way over to her desk, Wes leaned over and planted a brotherly kiss on her cheek. “Good morning, Kali.”
“That’s sexual harassment,” she said with an easy smile.
He chuckled. “That’s only Monday through Friday. On the weekends it’s perfectly acceptable.” He lowered his voice. “Where’s the dragon?”
; “He lumbered in his office less than ten minutes ago. He said to send you in.”
“Great.” Wes pulled a large bag of donuts from behind his back. “I brought breakfast.” He added in a loud stage whisper, “There’s enough for the whole office so we don’t have to worry about favoritism.”
Several other employees looked up with smiles. A few laughed. Shannon, a pretty blonde with legs that went on forever, gave Wes the finger. Then everyone laughed. It was all good-natured though. Shannon was in a perpetual love/hate, on again/off again relationship with the boss. When the two were on, Mack was in a noticeably less grating mood. It made all their lives easier.
Wes glanced toward Mack’s office and pressed a finger to his lips. The laughter died down. “Everyone help yourselves to some breakfast, but please get to work. Or at least pretend you’re working.” He set the bag down and moved away as everyone swarmed in. It took a few seconds for the donuts to disappear. Only the greasy bag remained, forlorn and empty on Kali’s desk.
Wes shook his head. “So much for breakfast. I’ll have to buy you lunch.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s the thought that counts.”
“That’s something people say when they’re disappointed. Lunch is on me and we’re not discussing it further.”
She really laughed then. “Yes, sir!”
Wes grinned back. Then his expression grew serious. Leaning away slightly, he slipped both hands into his pockets. “Did Mr. Richards call you in early this morning?” His voice had dropped again.
“Yeah, he wanted me to compile this report.”
He looked around the room, giving the impression he didn’t want anyone to overhear what was to be said next. Kali looked too. Everyone was busy.
“Wes, what’s going on with you?”
“Kali, put it away for now.”
“What? I have to get this done or Mr. Richards will be pissed.”
“He’s always pissed. Just leave it. And we can’t talk about it here.”
She had no clue what was happening, but Wes was really anxious about that particular report. So she agreed to put it aside until he had a chance to explain.
