Hidden Threat

by Sherri Hayes

  No. No, no, no, no, no. Not today. She couldn’t see him today. After Saturday, she couldn’t bear it.

  The ride home in his car had been filled with tension. They hadn’t spoken. Not one word. When he’d dropped her off at her house, he’d unlocked the car doors and waited for her to exit. He was so still, she didn’t think he moved until she was through the front door. She had just tried to keep her eyes focused on getting inside and away from the strange energy between them. He’d appeared to be upset with her, but that didn’t make any sense. The car ride up was pleasant enough. It wasn’t until they reached the lake house that everything changed. He changed. As fast as she could, she’d unlocked her door and had closed it behind her. The bolt clicked shut, and seconds later she’d heard his car pull away.

  How was she going to sit through a meeting with him? What would he say? Would he be the Matthew who had driven her up to see her father or the one who drove her back?

  The only hope she had for a reprieve was Jason. Maybe he would come with Matthew and act as a buffer.

  ***

  At nine o’clock, Matthew picked up his phone to call Martinez. The fact that he’d forgotten to call his friend on Friday was still bothering him. He was getting sloppy, distracted, which proved his point about getting involved. And he wasn’t even involved with Cali Stanton; she was just his boss. All they had was a working relationship and that’s all they would ever have.

  Matthew woke up this morning the same way he had since the day he’d met her.

  It was getting ridiculous; he needed a release and soon. Jason’s style of clubbing and finding willing women to hookup for a night of fun was not his style, but he was almost to breaking point. Matthew was on edge more than he’d ever been before, and his temper was becoming a problem.

  Chicago did not have a shortage of clubs with woman ready to relieve my urges for one night, but…Ugh! He was not thinking of doing this, was he? Letting his head fall back against his chair as he waited for Martinez to pick up the line, he closed his eyes. Forcing his mind to run though mathematical equations to calm himself, he began to relax.

  The music on the line changed. It was a soft melody; one you would dance to and pull your lover close while breathing in the scent of her auburn hair. Matthew’s eyes popped open, and he almost threw the phone in frustration. Why couldn’t he go one day without thinking about her? he thought, slamming his hand down on the desk in frustration. One morning without waking up in a heated state, ready and willing to take her!

  Matthew let out a frustrated sigh. He was so distracted, he hadn’t realized the music had stopped. “You okay?”

  Martinez.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good,” Matthew said, running a hand over his face. “Please tell me you’ve got some news for me.”

  “Well I’ve got news, but I don’t think you’re going to like it much.” This seemed to be the story of his life lately, but Martinez had his attention.

  “What did you find?”

  “Well, like I said, Nikki’s good, and she managed to clean the tape up quite a bit. I think maybe you should take a look at it and see if you can recognize anything.” Matthew waited.

  “She couldn’t get a face; not that she didn’t try. And believe me, she’s not happy about it either.” He paused again, letting Matthew take in the information. “Man, someone tampered with the tape. You not only have a mole, but one on your security team. That is unless your security has holes in it, and knowing you, I doubt that.”

  Could this get any worse? “Thanks, Martinez. I appreciate it. I’ll stop by today or tomorrow to pick up the tape.”

  “Anytime. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Thanks.”

  Placing the phone back in its cradle, Matthew rested his elbows in front of him on his desk and allowed his head to fall into his hands. Not only a mole within the company but one on his team—it was beginning to look like he couldn’t trust anyone.

  Chapter 17

  Just before noon, Lisa popped her head into Cali’s office to ask about lunch, and Cali was glad for the distraction. Any distraction. Giving her order to her assistant, she asked if Lisa would like to join her.

  Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in the corner of Cali’s office enjoying fresh made sandwiches from the deli across the street. Conversation was slow to start, but after a few minutes, the air of professionalism fell away, and the girl talk began. It was as if they’d been friends for years.

  Lisa shared a few horror stories from college, while Cali shared some about her time in Africa. One story was about a young man she’d met just after arriving in Africa. He couldn’t have been older than sixteen, but he’d become infatuated with her, following her around at every opportunity. Although very sweet, it had become obvious after a couple of months that she would have to remove herself from the situation and had requested a transfer. The young man had been heartbroken upon her leaving and gave her a necklace he’d made out of animal bones.

  That subject had lead to men in general, and Cali decided to ask about Jason. “Jason got back from his trip alright?”

  At first, Lisa looked startled but then relaxed. She’d already known her boss was aware of her relationship. Why try to hide it? “Yes. He got back late Saturday night.” A quiet smile pulled at the corners of Lisa’s lips.

  Cali smiled back as she finished her sandwich. “Have you been together a while?”

  Finishing her own sandwich, Lisa gathered up her trash and walked it over to the trashcan beside Cali’s desk. “Three months.” She came back to her seat and added, “So no, not too long.”

  Cali didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. “Well, you look happy.”

  This time she got a full-blown smile from her assistant and the mood shifted. “I am.”

  Cali watched the woman, who was quickly becoming a friend, slip into a dreamy state and longed for that herself. Her experience with men was limited to her rebellious teenage years, and she didn’t really think those males really qualified as men. Once she’d figured out what she wanted to do, she’d pretty much sworn off the opposite sex to focus on her studies. She’d dated a few, of course, but it never went further. Although Cali had felt some level of attraction to the men she’d dated over that last ten years, she’d never felt the desire to fall into bed with them. That had all change when she met Matthew Andersen, and that was probably the most baffling of all.

  She was stuck in her daydream when Lisa’s voice pierced her thoughts. “So is there anyone special for you? Anyone you’re reconnecting with now that you’re back?”

  Of course, Cali’s first thought was of Matthew, but she quickly pushed it aside.

  “No. No, I’ve been away for so long, I don’t seem to know anyone around here anymore.” She laughed. “I spent my weekend hanging around the house doing laundry.”

  “Oh. Well then you have to come out with us,” Lisa said before she could stop herself. “Oh well…I mean if you want to. We’d love for you to come. It’s just a small group of us, but there’s this club,” she was getting excited now thinking of the possibilities. “The dancing is great and the guys…” Her voice trailed off dreamily.

  Cali laughed. “I thought you were taken?”

  “Doesn’t mean a girl can’t look, now does it?” she said with a wicked grin.

  This was the most fun Cali could remember having since she’d returned to the States. “Definitely not.”

  “So you’ll come?” Lisa asked, her voice hopeful.

  “Sure.”

  “Great! I’ll let Becky and Jen know.” Lisa got up and strolled toward the door.

  Their lunch hour was up. “Is Friday night okay with you?”

  Cali stood and walked back behind the big desk that was still covered with paperwork. “Friday sounds great.”

  By the time Lisa left the room, Cali had almost forgot about her afternoon meeting. Almost.

  ***

  Three o’clock rolled around, and a knock sounde
d on Matthew’s door. He’d been staring at his phone for the last ten minutes trying to come up with an excuse to cancel his meeting with Cali Stanton today. The problem was there wasn’t a valid reason.

  The knock came again, but louder this time. It could only be one person, and he knew if he didn’t respond this time, Jason would just come in anyway. “Come in,” he said without enthusiasm.

  Seconds later Jason was through the door and standing in front of him, hands on his hips. “What?” Matthew asked, staring up at his brother.

  “What?” he said, clearly unable to believe what he was both seeing and hearing.

  “What? Matthew you’re supposed to be upstairs right now for your weekly briefing. You’re still here. Why?”

  Matthew’s mind was scrabbling for an answer, but he didn’t come up with one fast enough to suit Jason.

  “What is going on? You haven’t been yourself for days, and now you’re missing meetings? This isn’t like you.”

  He didn’t need Jason to tell him he wasn’t himself; he knew that already. “I’ve just had a lot of things on my mind lately.” Grabbing on to the first thing he could think of besides seeing Cali again, he said, “I talked to Martinez. The tape was tampered with.”

  It took Jason only a second to fully grasp that information. “Who?”

  Matthew nervously tapped his fingers on his desktop as he glanced back to his computer screen. “I don’t know, but we have to figure it out. Until we do, we can’t trust anyone.”

  Jason just nodded. “What do you need me to do?”

  This was a strategic move, and one that Jason would always differ to his younger brother. “I just need to think.”

  After another minute, Matthew came up with an idea; not one to solve the mystery of the security tape, but one to solve his more immediate problem. Looking up at his brother he asked, “Do you think you could cover the meeting for me today? I’d like to pick up that tape this afternoon and take a look at it myself.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Jason turned to go back to his office and grab his suit jacket. “I’ll take care of it.”

  As Jason left the room, Matthew took one last look at the computer screen and the flashing message reminding him about the meeting he’d just handed off to Jason. He wouldn’t see her today. He’d stick with his plan. He could do this.

  Space. That’s what he needed—just a little time and space—then all would be normal again.

  Grabbing his jacket, he was out the door.

  ***

  The elevator doors opened, and Jason walked into the lobby of the executive suite. Lisa must have been deep in a project because he’d made it halfway to her desk before she looked up. When she saw him, her smile nearly knocked him breathless. It reminded him of Saturday night when he’d showed up at her door.

  The trip back from Ohio had been long, and a traffic accident on the highway had added an additional two hours to the normal ten-hour drive. His original plans had been to go home, shower, and sleep; the last two days had been long ones.

  His plans began to change the closer he got to home, the closer he got to her. The moment she opened the door and saw him, he knew he’d made the right decision.

  She was in his arms seconds after the door opened. Her lips crashed onto his before he’d even made it through the door. Not removing his mouth from hers, he managed to get them into the apartment and the door closed before her hands started reaching for his shirt. The two fumbled for clothing as they made their way to her bedroom, desperate to touch each other.

  He’d held her long after she’d fallen asleep that night, just glad to be home and in her arms once again.

  He’d been so lost in his memory and Lisa, he had a raging hard on by the time he reached the front of her desk. Not good. Taking a deep breath, he was glad he was wearing a jacket; more than one part of him was happy to see her.

  Lisa seemed to sense the shift in his mood, and her smile shifted from one of delighted happiness to secret knowledge. “And what brings you up this way?” she asked.

  “Matthew couldn’t make his meeting with Ms. Stanton today, so I’m covering it.”

  “Oh,” Lisa said taken aback.

  Jason could see her processing the same information he’d been mulling over on his way up here. Matthew’s excuse to pick up the tape from Martinez was just that, an excuse. His brother didn’t shirk his responsibilities, period. He’d work late, come in early, work through lunch, whatever it took to get the job done. What Matthew didn’t do was miss meetings or pawn them off on someone else. Jason may not be as detail-oriented as his brother, but he wasn’t stupid. Something was going on with his brother, and he was willing to bet it had something to do with Cali Stanton. His brother hadn’t been himself since he’d met her.

  Seeming to come out of her own trance, Lisa picked up the phone to let Cali know her appointment had arrived. She didn’t clarify that it was Jason and not Matthew. Lisa had made her own observations about Matthew and Cali. Hanging the phone up, she refocused on Jason. “She’s ready.” Jason straightened his shoulders before opening the door to his boss’s office.

  He’d only been in the office twice before; Matthew handled all the corporate business. It was a nice office, plenty of room with a large desk at the center in front of a huge bank of windows showing off the Chicago skyline. As the door closed behind him, she looked up. The surprise in her eyes was clear. She’d been expecting Matthew.

  “Jason!”

  “Hello, Cali,” he said, moving to the desk. “Matthew couldn’t make it today. I hope that’s okay?”

  He wanted to see her reaction and wasn’t disappointed. Her eyes darted to her desk, and she began fidgeting with the files in front of her. “Of course, he has a lot to do, I’m sure.” Seeming to regain her focus, she said, “Shall we get started then?”

  “Yes,” Jason said with a grin, “Let’s.”

  Chapter 18

  Thursday morning Cali made sure it didn’t look like she’d just hopped out of bed, grabbed her briefcase, and raced down the stairs. Jessie, as usual, was working in the kitchen. At her abrupt entrance, Jessie stopped what she was doing and glanced up. The look on her face was easy to read. Cali was thirty minutes earlier than usual and yet, looked like she was about to miss her train.

  Moving to the stool where she usually ate her breakfast, Cali set her case down.

  “Toast?” she asked on an exhale of breath. Cali knew she needed to slow down, or she’d be worthless when she reached the office.

  Jessie didn’t move immediately; she looked like she was about to ask Cali to explain her unusual behavior, and who could blame her. Cali was not acting like herself, but it wasn’t her fault. Really, it wasn’t.

  She needed to get to work early this morning and address the stack of paperwork on her desk. Lisa insisted they go shopping after work, adamant a new outfit was a must for tomorrow night. Cali still wasn’t sure about this whole going clubbing thing, but she didn’t have anything better to do with her Friday night.

  That, in and of itself, would not have been a problem if she had not overslept.

  And why had she overslept? Because in her drowsy dream state, she’d hit the snooze button one too many times in an effort to stay locked in her dream. The dream where she had her arms wrapped around the man who seemed to never leave her thoughts. The man who in her dreams had his mouth on her in so many amazing ways. Whose hands made her quiver.

  Cali sighed. The same man who’d ignored her all week.

  She knew it was intentional. It had to be. Monday, instead of having the security briefing with Matthew, Jason showed up at her door. Tuesday, Mariana, Matthew’s assistant, hand delivered some confidential documents to her, letting her know she was to e-mail Matthew to let him know she’d received them.

  And then, yesterday. Well, that had sealed it for her if there had been any doubt.

  She’d called down to his office, trying to find out if the next shipment marked on her calendar was leaving on schedul
e this week. Mariana answered and placed her on hold. Instead of transferring Cali, the woman had come back on the line to inform her Mr. Andersen was in the middle of something, could not be disturbed, and could she please send her inquiry by e-mail.

  Each one of these incidents separately would not amount to avoidance but combined—she was not a stupid woman. Matthew Andersen was keeping his distance.

  Jessie finally began to move and put two pieces of toast down for her. “Milk or orange juice?” she asked.

  “Orange juice, please.”

  Jessie poured the glass swiftly and set it down in front of Cali. Managing to clam herself a bit, Cali took a sip of her juice just as the toast popped up. Jessie waited until she’d set Cali’s breakfast in front of her before speaking. “Cali, are you okay?”

  Cali looked up. “Yes. Why?”

  Jessie leaned back against the counter. “I’ve known you most of your life. And I know you’ve been gone for two years, and maybe it’s that but…” She sighed. “You look…frazzled.”

  “Frazzled?” Cali almost laughed.

  She waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal. “Maybe that’s not the right word. It’s just, you seem to be…on edge lately like your senses are on high alert or something. I mean I know I’m just the help, but…well, I worry.”

  Cali took a minute and set her toast on her plate. “Jessie, you know you’re not just the help. You’ve been there for me more times than I can count, and I love you for it; but really, I’m fine. Work is just stressful. I guess I’m not as used to it as Dad.” Cali smiled trying to reassure the older woman. Jessie was right, of course; Cali’s nerves were on high alert lately, and it had nothing to do with the job.

  Jessie pushed herself away from the counter. “Oh. That reminds me.” She crossed the room and picked up a handful of letters, shifting through them. “Ah. Here it is.”