by Jeannie Moon
Josh looked at the report in his hand, and it was like Caroline was there again, flooding his brain with sensations. He couldn’t get her out of his head. Since the morning she left the apartment, all he could think about was how she felt, tasted, and smelled. The sounds she made, from her laughter to her ecstatic cries in the bedroom, replayed over and over. The woman gave everything and Josh wanted more.
He almost called her this morning to ask for her help. He could have used more insight, asked more questions. He stopped himself and leaned against the wall. Who was he kidding? He just wanted to talk to her. To apologize for... hell, he wanted to apologize for everything. For taking her to bed, for blowing her off, for making her feel like she didn’t matter.
He should leave it alone. He knew he should but he couldn’t, and it made Josh wonder if an arrangement between them could work. He knew he wasn’t marriage material, but he really liked Caroline and he wanted to spend time with her. Could they be “friends with benefits”?
Exhaling, Josh pulled himself up, tugged at the cuffs of his dress shirt, and quickly surveyed his charcoal gray suit jacket for stray pieces of lint. Josh knew he’d be the youngest in the room and his father would try to use that to his advantage; intimidation was always in Dad’s arsenal, but Josh wasn’t going to back down this time. This project needed more vetting before they dumped millions into the purchase of the land, much less anything else.
Pulling up to his full height, he steeled himself and walked into the office. Around the large conference table, his father had taken the dominant place at the head and was chatting with the investors about his upcoming trip to Australia. He dropped in information about people they were going to see and invitations he and his mother had garnered from the “important folks” down under. The man was all ego, and Josh didn’t know how he could stand himself.
“Oh, good. You’re here,” his father said.
Josh noticed his father didn’t make any effort to introduce him to the investors, which was another power play. The only person Josh knew was the architect. He’d worked with Anton on the renovation of his loft. The man was brilliant and Josh knew he wouldn’t want to cut corners; of course Josh didn’t know if he’d go against the man hiring him. They all knew Will Campbell, knew his reputation, and knew he was the only important one in the room.
“Did you bring the report?” Dad took a sip of coffee.
“Right here.” Josh raised the folder so everyone could see. “I have some concerns about it.”
His father looked up and an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Josh had challenged him. And no one ever challenged Will Campbell.
“Concerns?” His voice was colder than usual.
“The report is incomplete. We need more information to establish whether or not the land is suitable for the project.”
“There’s no contamination, is there?” One of the investors posed the question, and just like Josh had, he thought it was all about the dirt.
“The soil seems fine, but we don’t know what’s underground. The engineering firm needs to run some additional tests.”
His father leaned back in the large, leather executive’s chair and made a “steeple” with his fingers. “I wasn’t aware you were an expert in these things, son.”
Josh had put up with a lot from his parents over the years, and if this had been a year ago, he would have gone along and not rocked the boat, believing his father did what he thought was best. Now Josh knew his father did what was best for Will Campbell and no one else.
“Certainly not an expert, but I was with... a friend... this weekend who is an engineer, and she felt the report could be more thorough.”
“She?” The emphasis on the word was dripping with such condescension that Josh almost didn’t want to respond. “Strange conversation for pillow talk.”
Josh leveled his gaze, hoping his father would take the hint and not go there.
“Okay,” he said, smirking. “What does your ‘friend’ the engineer say?”
“That there are additional tests that should be run. They aren’t expensive, relatively, and would give more detail regarding the suitability of the site.”
“I see.” Dad jotted a note on the paper in front of him, not even bothering to look up. “Is that all?”
God, his father was being such a dick. He’d turned to the investors, and if Josh didn’t know better he’d think the man was rolling his eyes. Josh was a partner in this firm, and for over ten years he had put late nights, blood, sweat and a lot of his own money into this company, and he was being dismissed.
Josh surveyed the gorgeous room that had been the site of company meetings since his grandfather bought this building decades ago.
Everything was finished and polished to a high-gloss shine. The room gleamed but nothing looked real. Nothing at all.
“Josh, I don’t know if—”
“Can the tests be done quickly?” Josh turned to the voice and saw the elder of the two investors leaning on his forearms. The man had just cut off his dad. Nice.
“A couple of months,” Josh said. “But the long-term savings will be worth it.”
“I think,” the gentleman said, “we should ask for the tests. With all the problems inherent in a project this size, we don’t want any surprises when we break ground.”
Anton nodded. “I agree. This area has given developers problems before.”
“But what about the zoning changes?” Will asked, seeming to sense the changing tides in the room, and making his voice sound more reasonable. “We need to get the permits in before those go into effect. If we don’t grab the land, we’re screwed.”
“We’ll be more screwed if we buy the property and we can’t build on it.” Anton closed his portfolio and threw it in his bag. Josh had to keep from smiling. He loved winning against his old man. He did. “I’m sorry, Will. Call me when you have something to work on.”
The investors were next, one of them patting Josh’s shoulder like he was about to get in trouble for cutting class.
The conference room door clicked shut and Josh waited for his father to look up. He didn’t. He just sat there and took notes while Josh felt himself getting more and more pissed off.
“So,” Dad finally said. “What the fuck was that all about?”
“Excuse me?” Josh asked. He knew his father was pissed and that was too bad. “You mean how I possibly saved the firm millions?”
“Don’t exaggerate. You came in here, panicked some people and delayed this project, which will cost us. What the hell were you thinking?”
Josh sat back and pushed the folder with the site analysis toward his father. “This is only a soil sample. What if something is buried on the site?”
“What? Do you think this could be placed on the EPA Superfund list?”
“It could be, but we won’t know what we’re dealing with until those additional tests are done.”
“So you nail some girl engineer and...” Will leaned forward, incredulous. “Did you seriously do an engineer? Are you fucking desperate?”
Deep in the pit of Josh’s stomach, rage bubbled up. Rage that he had never felt before. It was protective, it was possessive, and his instinct to react on Caroline’s behalf almost overcame his reason. Jesus. He couldn’t beat his own father to a pulp, could he?
He had to leave. He had to leave before his father said something else and Josh couldn’t be held responsible for what he did. Holy shit. When did he get this way? Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands palms down on the table before he leaned in. “I’m going to call the engineering firm and get a meeting with the project director who let this shit slip through the cracks. Then I’m going to get the tests scheduled.”
“You’re wasting time.”
“Maybe, but we will be thorough. You’re leaving for Australia in a few days, so let me handle it.”
“I don’t like being countermanded. You should have come to me first, not the girl you screwed.”
He had to get this conversation back to what mattered, the timing and the sale, before he flattened the old man. “If I’d done that, you’d have found a way to get around me. This is too important.”
“Because the girl you’re sleeping with says so.”
Josh straightened and tried not to tip his hand. If his father sensed even a little weakness, he’d use that to his advantage. No matter how bad he wanted to kick the crap out of him, Josh had to walk away. “Have a good trip, Dad.”
He didn’t hesitate getting out of there. Once he got back into the hall and was a safe distance from the conference room, Josh leaned against the wall and exhaled. Holy hell. His heart was pounding and heat was ricocheting around his body. He’d gotten the better of his old man, for now, and his first thought after realizing he’d taken control of this project was that he wanted to see Caroline. He wanted to hold her and this need to protect her was overwhelming him. Jesus, he had to get his shit together.
It was crazy.
Completely crazy.
Chapter 8
Josh’s car arrived at the building housing Roberts and Michaels Engineers, Architects, and Planners. The firm was large, with offices all over the country, but even though it had international reach, it supposedly handled local projects really well.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t his experience. The more he researched the kinds of land assessments that were supposed to be done, the more he realized the firm was cutting corners. What he wanted to know was why. He knew his dad was pushing for quick completion of the site survey, so just like he’d planned, he waited to schedule the meeting until his father was out of the country and pretty much unreachable.
He hadn’t seen Caroline since she stormed out of her sister’s house last Sunday. He’d thought about calling or stopping over. Maybe checking out a restaurant in her neighborhood, hoping he’d see her.
It wouldn’t be hard to run into her, but one wrong move and he’d be on the receiving end of a restraining order and a sordid headline in the Post. He was totally out of his element. Unlike other women he’d taken out, Caroline stayed on his mind.
All the damn time.
His reaction to his father’s jabs the other day confirmed that there was nothing about their relationship that would fit into his normal pattern, and that had him more spooked than anything. Entering the elevator, he pressed the button for the twenty-ninth floor, and the first thing he wondered was if he would see her. If he could persuade her to go to lunch with him. That would be safe. Controlled.
Then he thought about touching her. Would he be able to touch her? The feel of her was embedded in his brain. He was addicted.
God, he was a fucking mess.
He didn’t even know who to talk to about it. His best friend was Caroline’s brother, Kevin, and he was flying into town in a couple of weeks. But Kevin would probably kill him, so talking to him was out. He couldn’t talk to Jason because he would tell Meg, and she would definitely kill him.
No, Josh was on his own with this. The elevator opened and he stepped into the reception area. It reflected the firm... old and venerable... Josh could see why his father would gravitate toward these people. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with dark wood, the furnishings were large and luxurious, and the woman at the desk looked pinched and formal. Great.
“May I help you?” Shit, she sounded pinched.
Maybe if he turned on the charm. He could be charming. “Good morning. Josh Campbell to see Mark Strickland.”
He flashed his best smile for good measure.
“I’ll see if he’s available.” She picked up a phone and then snarled at him. Josh wondered who the hell she was.
“We have an appointment,” he added.
Holding the black handset to her ear, she sniffed. “Yes, well, I’m checking.”
Checking? Fucking hell. There should be no checking. Campbell Holdings was paying them over six figures to run a site analysis. There was no checking.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Campbell. Please wait over there. He’s on a call with London.” She pointed to a heavy leather sofa, very much like the one in his parents’ library. It appeared the place was as pretentious as it was inefficient.
“I don’t have time to wait. Please tell me where I can find Caroline Rossi, if you don’t mind.”
“Mr. Stickland asked you to wait here.”
“Mr. Strickland should not be wasting my time.”
The woman finally had the good grace to look at least mildly chastised. “Miss Rossi’s cubicle is down that hallway. It’s one of the first ones you’ll see.”
Josh smiled and went in search of the girl who was probably going to rip him a new one, but he had to see her.
He followed the receptionist’s directions and after two turns he found himself facing a very nicely designed cubicle farm. And while he wouldn’t normally consider cubicles nice looking, this area was workable. Most of the front walls were low, so there was line of sight, and it looked like windows were built into the side walls. The colors were subdued and earthy. It wasn’t a bad workspace for what it was. He asked a woman who was passing where he’d find Caroline and she pointed him to the cubicle that was three away from where he was standing. She was at her desk, glasses on, hair pulled back tight, punching something into a computer. She was looking at the screen and jotting things down on a big legal pad. She looked brainy and intimidating and hot as hell.
He knocked on the low cubicle wall and she snapped out of her trance. “Josh!”
“Hey,” he said.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m supposed to have a meeting with Mark, but he was busy so that gave me an excuse to see you.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip and Josh tried to gauge if she looked happy. He thought she did. He hoped she did. “You had an appointment?”
“Yeah, he’s held up.” He wanted to say he was an asshole, but he didn’t know if everyone within earshot would appreciate his assessment, so he kept his opinion to himself.
Caroline’s brows knitted together and she shook her head. “When will he learn? If you make an appointment with a client, you keep it.”
He stepped into her space and Caroline tilted her face toward his. She was twisting her fingers uneasily and Josh wondered why she was nervous. He was the one who’d fucked up. Her eyes were liquid, like melted chocolate, and he hated that he’d betrayed her trust and wanted more than anything to fix it. The silence stretched out and it crossed over into awkward. He didn’t say anything, but watched as she turned toward her desk. The opening and closing of the drawer caught his attention, and Josh didn’t know what to say when he saw Caroline stand with her gigantic purse. Yeah, this wasn’t going well. Was she making a run for it? Maybe she was going to hit him with the bag.
“Going somewhere?” That was smooth. Not.
“I usually go to lunch around now.”
He glanced at his watch. He’d have to remember that bit of intel. “Oh, okay.”
“Want to join me?” she asked. And just like that, Caroline had made things better.
He saw the corner of her mouth tease up. Damn, she looked good enough to eat, and it looked like he might be forgiven. “That should teach Mark.”
Caroline smiled and nodded. “It’s going to make him crazy,” she said.
“I’m counting on it. He’s trying to get the upper hand. I’m not giving it to him,” he responded. “So what are you up for?”
Caroline smiled up at him and shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
Josh raised an eyebrow and thought about that response. What he wanted was to find a bed and make her scream his name, but he’d settle for being able to look at that million-dollar smile of hers. Caroline must have read his mind, because her
cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. Yeah, it was time to think about lunch.
“Ah, sushi?”
“Bait?” she asked with a look of shock and disgust.
“I guess not. I though women always wanted sushi. Or a salad.”
“Do I look like I should be living on salad? Or bait?”
She looked perfect. He didn’t care what she ate as long as she was happy. “No.”
She smiled. “Good. How about a burger?”
He rested his hand on her back, between her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head, drawing glances from a number of people in the office. When they walked out, he figured they’d give Pinchface something to really snarl about. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Rossi. Burger it is.”
***
Caroline didn’t think she ever wanted to see Josh again. Until today, when he showed up at her office and stood close enough for her to catch his scent, feel his warmth. When he smiled his eyes crinkled at the corners, and Caroline could swear her toes curled. He was so much more than she ever expected, and her reaction to him was downright scary.
They left the building and as soon as they were on the sidewalk, and had walked a little, Josh stopped and took her hand. “I’m sorry about everything that happened at Meg and Jason’s. You trusted me with something personal and I had no right to blurt it out the way I did.”
“It’s okay. You had a point, about my writing, and I appreciate the way you took my side. I don’t usually have an ally.”
“I shouldn’t have told them, though. Your writing is yours and that was out of line.”
She wasn’t going to disagree with him, and he squeezed her hand to emphasize that he meant what he said.
