by Sherri Hayes
Walking back, she handed Cali the letter. “This came yesterday. It says confidential, and it’s addressed to you and not your father. I thought maybe it was to do with your Doctors Without Borders stuff.”
Cali glanced down at it quickly. On the surface, it didn’t look like anything from the non-profit group she’d been working for, but she didn’t have time to worry about that now. Thanking Jessie, she quickly finished off her toast and juice, stuffed the letter in her case, and slid off her stool. As quickly as she could, she got into her car and drove to the office.
Cali pulled into her space in the parking garage. One of the advantages of being the boss was her well-placed parking space. Quickly exiting, she pushed the alarm on her key ring and walked briskly to the elevator. Just as she rounded the corner, she saw the doors begin to close and picked up her pace, slamming her hand against the button to reopen the doors.
She gave a thankful sigh as she watched the doors catch before they slid open.
She didn’t waste time scrambling inside. Realizing there was someone else in the elevator as she entered, she got her bearings and turned to apologize to whomever she’d just delayed. As her eyes came up to meet the other passenger’s face, she found herself staring into the crystal-blue eyes of her fantasies.
Her mouth went dry, and she leaned back against the wall of the elevator just to keep herself upright. Cali couldn’t speak, and as she stared, his eyes grew colder, more distant until he looked away. The elevator began its ascent, and she watched his shoulders stiffened, his posture erect and his eyes staring dead ahead.
He didn’t say a word to her until the doors opened to his floor. The pause was slight, and he said it so low, she almost didn’t hear him, but she did. Just before exiting the small space, he whispered, “Good morning.”
She watched him walk away until the elevator doors closed and she began to move upward once again. More confused now than ever, she blindly entered her office and took her seat. Good morning? The first words he’d spoken to her since Saturday, and they were good morning? Allowing her head to fall into her hands, she let her fingers trail through her hair in frustration. This man was driving her insane!
***
Matthew sat behind his desk and stared at his computer screen. There was an e-mail open, but he wasn’t seeing it. He was seeing her as she’d looked this morning in the elevator.
Clearly out of breath when she rushed through the doors, she hadn’t noticed him at first. When her eyes had met his, he’d been drawn into them. Those eyes. Her eyes. The ones he’d been seeing in his dreams day and night ever since he’d laid eyes on her. He’d hoped distance would help. It hadn’t. His dreams had kept coming.
And this morning. He groaned internally. This morning she wasn’t wearing her normal pantsuit. Today, she was wearing a skirt and blouse with a jacket that hugged every last curve she had. Her legs called to him the moment he’d seen them, and he wanted to press her up against the wall, push her skirt up around her hips and take her.
It had been with that thought that he’d pulled himself out of his fantasy, fixing her with a hard stare. What was she doing to him and why? It was not appropriate to be thinking about his boss this way, and yet, he couldn’t stop. Distance wasn’t working, and he didn’t know what else to do.
A knock at his door brought him back to reality, and his brother entered moments later. He’d been expecting him, of course. They were going to go over the security tape together again this morning. Matthew had viewed it more times than he could count, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing something.
Yesterday he’d finally given in and enlisted Jason’s help. His brother wasn’t as good with the details, but he still had a good eye. There was something familiar about the shadowed figure on the tape, but he hadn’t been able to place it.
Jason’s initial viewing hadn’t yielded anything other than an agreement that there was something. Both had decided to look at it with fresh eyes this morning.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Jason looked at the man in front of him and saw the mess that was becoming his brother. He still had no idea what was going on with him, and every attempt at prying had resulting in a flash of Matthew’s used-to-be-rare temper. So instead of getting into an argument, he pulled a chair over so he’d have a good view of the security screens and sat down. “Let’s get this over with.”
Both men directed their attention to the monitor and the mystery woman. Things hadn’t changed overnight but they took in details this time as they re-watched the video over and over. After an hour, her identity was still unknown, but they now had a body type and build, as well as some of her mannerisms. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something.
They knew it was an employee of Stanton Enterprises, narrowing the list down.
And since the tape was tampered with, the possibility it was someone with access to security narrowed the field down considerably more. As Matthew and Jason went their separate ways, a thought that he should go over this new information with Cali crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The last thing his mind or his body needed right now was another run in with Cali Stanton.
***
At four-thirty, Cali sat back and looked at the remaining pile on her desk. It was about half the size it’d been this morning. It had taken her a while to focus after her run in with Matthew, but after several cups of coffee and a call to her father, she’d managed it.
Deciding enough was enough for today, she began to straighten her desk and organize the stack for tomorrow. Lisa’s methods worked like a well-oiled machine, and Cali’s work went quickly.
As she reached the bottom of a pile at the front of her desk, she realized there was a letter she’d never seen before. Picking it up she noticed it was still sealed and had no postmark. Flipping it over, she opened it, pulled out a single sheet of white paper, and read it.
Africa misses you.
Cali flipped the sheet over to see if she was missing something. Nothing. Turning around, she held it to the light but again, nothing. Strange. Africa misses you?
Just then, she remembered the letter from this morning, the one Jessie had given her. She’d completely forgotten about it.
Tossing the strange letter down on her desk for a minute, she reached into her brief case and extracted the white envelope marked Confidential. It was thick and obviously contained multiple sheets of paper. No wonder Jessie had assumed it’d come from her previous employer.
Curious now, she opened it quickly and pulled out a thick stack of folded papers—at least ten sheets. Unfolding them, she found she was staring back at herself. It was a picture of her kneeling beside a little boy who’d just broken his arm. She remembered him; he’d been one of her patients almost a year ago. He and his father had been hunting outside of their village, and he’d tripped while running, trying to keep up with his father and landed with his full weight on his left arm.
Where had this picture come from? She didn’t remember anyone being there taking pictures.
The next one was similar but with a different patient and a different injury. They were all the same, twelve photos. All pictures of her in Africa with her patients.
Cali picked the envelope back up to see who the sender was, but there was nothing. It had been mailed locally, but that didn’t mean anything. Doctors and nurses came and went frequently. It could have easily been a friend who was in town, or someone had sent them to a family member requesting they be mailed to her, but why no note, no explanation?
Before Cali could contemplate any further, a soft knock sounded on her door, and Lisa poked her head it. “About ready to go?”
For once Cali was more than ready. Tossing the second letter beside the first one on her desk, she grabbed her jacket and case. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
Chapter 19
Friday
Cali walked into his office, looking stunning, as always. Her hair hung down around her shoulders in loose curls.
He stood as she approached him and moved out from behind his desk to meet her. They stood for a moment just looking at each other before Matthew crushed his lips to hers.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest. Her lips were so full and soft under his. Sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, he worried it with his teeth. She brought her hands up to cup his head and moaned into his mouth.
He needed to taste her.
Letting her bottom lip go with a slight pop, he used his tongue to follow the outline of her lips, teasing, begging. She opened to him, and he sighed as his tongue ventured inside. She tasted wonderful, just as he knew she would. Her tongue met his and a battle began. Cali’s responsiveness thrilled him.
Needing to feel her too, his hands came between them and released the button of her jacket. Breaking their kiss, he looked down. There was nothing between him and her skin except a black lace bra. His fingers move inside her jacket and up her sides until they were on either side of her breasts. Thumbs moving to caress her nipples, his breath caught as she arched into his hands. Her hips pressed into him, and he knew she could feel him hard against her stomach.
Wanting to feel the softness of her breast in his mouth, he bent down and pushed away the thin lace. She gasped as his lips circled her nipple and he sucked. Her hips ground into him, causing a moan of his own to escape. He wanted her. He wanted her here. Now.
Releasing her nipple, he flipped their position and leaned her back against his desk. She didn’t resist, and he ran his hands up her legs until he found the thin piece of material separating him from what he was seeking. Hooking his thumbs at the sides, he swiftly removed the lace panties and tossed them out of the way.
Spreading her legs, he quickly relieved himself of his pants and settled between the legs of the welcoming woman before him.
Pressing into her heat, he couldn’t remember a time when he felt better. He bent down and placed a kiss on her mouth as he started to move. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him tighter. Her breath came faster, and she began to moan, sending him into a torment of need.
Just as he began to picked up speed and bring them both to a release, his intercom began beeping. He tried to ignore it, but whoever was on the other end was persistent. Reaching over, he tried to hit the intercom button, but it just kept beeping at him.
Matthew’s eyes flew open. The beeping was his alarm clock, not his intercom.
Matthew’s head flopped back against his pillows. What was wrong with him? He hadn’t reacted like this to a dream or a girl, for that matter, since high school.
Deciding the last thing he needed to do was continue to lie in bed and think of Cali Stanton. He pushed the sheet away and got up. It looked like the extra workouts weren’t working. He’d have to think of something else and fast. This was getting out of hand.
***
Cali had totally forgotten about the letters until she walked into the office and saw her desk. She still had no idea where they’d come from or who had sent them. By nine o’clock, she was no closer to getting any answers.
Opening her briefcase, she placed them at the bottom of her bag for later consideration when she had more time. For now, she had a board meeting. After that, an hour to catch up on the stack that seemed to have grown overnight, and then she was off to a working lunch with Peter Carson.
Cali groaned at the thought of spending her lunch hour and beyond going over financials. It seemed the trouble Stanton Enterprises had experienced over the last two years made tracking every penny a necessity. So, her father had taken to meeting with his CFO at least once a week, which was now her responsibility.
Grabbing her jacket and a fresh cup of coffee, Cali left for the boardroom. Most of the board members were already there and greeted her warmly when she arrived. At nine o’clock sharp, the meeting was called to order. Everyone took their seats and got down to business.
***
At four o’clock, a defeated Matthew gave a sharp knock on the door to his brother’s office before entering. Jason was on the phone, so Matthew plopped down in a seat and waited for his brother to finish.
When Jason looked up, he found a disheveled Matthew. It was almost comical.
When he ended his call a few minutes later, he sat back in his chair. Not saying anything, he just waited. He hoped Matthew would finally tell him what was going on and why he’d been acting so strange lately. The words that came out of his brother’s mouth were not ones for which he was prepared.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go out tonight. Hit a club or something.” Matthew’s body language was all over the charts. He was tapping his fingers in a steady rhythm on the arms of the chair. His back was stiff, and he looked like he was getting ready to bolt at any second.
Jason blinked. “You want to go to a club?”
He watched his brother swallow and then nod. Maybe being in a more casual environment would help his little brother. It sure couldn’t hurt. “Yeah, sure. How about I swing by about seven?”
“Yeah…yeah. That’ll be good.” He ran his hands down his legs nervously and stood. “I’ll see you then.”
Matthew rushed out the door, leaving Jason in shock. Who was this person, and what had happened to his brother? He hadn’t seen Matthew this rattled since high school when he asked his two-year crush to the prom.
And what was with the sudden desire to go clubbing? Matthew never went to clubs. Okay, maybe not never but almost never. Jason didn’t think Matthew had seen the inside of a club since they’d gone out three years ago. His brother hated clubs. Said they were nothing but meat markets, and he wanted no part in them.
The question was what had changed. Why was Matthew willing to go to a place he loathed?
He would figure out what was going on with his brother one way or another.
Before he could think on it any further, his phone rang, and once again, work pulled him back in.
***
At six-thirty, Lisa pulled into Cali’s drive. The house was massive. She’d only been to the Stanton estate once before to drop off some paperwork for Alvin, but it was no less impressive the second time. Getting out of the car, she walked to the door and rang the bell.
A minute later, the door opened, and Cali whirled into view. “Hi,” she said, securing an earring just under a stray curl. Stepping back, she motioned to Lisa. “Come in. I just need to grab my shoes, and then I’ll be ready.”
Cali disappeared around the corner, leaving Lisa in the foyer. The house was no less extravagant on the inside. Creating a spacious feeling, the ceilings were at least twenty feet high. She was still admiring her surroundings when Cali reappeared. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Lisa and Cali met Jen and Becky at a casual barbeque restaurant called Hoggies.
Cali had never been there before, but apparently, this was a regular meeting place for the three women. Jen and Becky welcomed her with open arms. It turned out Becky was a nurse at Chicago Memorial and Jen was a swim coach at DePaul University.
The three women had met in college and stayed in contact over the years. Becky and Lisa were from Chicago originally and had been ecstatic when they learned Jen was taking a job here to be closer to her sister. Cali found out the three got together every month for a girls night out, and they were happy to have a new addition.
Cali could hardly keep up with the questions being thrown at her. None of the women had been overseas, and they were fascinated with her time in Africa. She did manage to get in a few questions of her own. Jen and Becky were both single and unattached at the moment. Lisa’s involvement with Jason was common knowledge among the women. And as Cali found out, they wanted an updated play-by-play of the secret office romance that was becoming anything but secret.
After finishing their desserts, the ladies took a few minutes to freshen up before they left for Faux, a local dance club. It was about seven thirty, and Lisa assured Cali that the place would be hopping on a Friday night. It was about twenty minutes away, and accordi
ng to her companions, it had the best dance music in the city.
***
Matthew and Jason arrived at a high-class dance club, at seven thirty. The place was already crowded with people wanting to put the workweek behind them and have some fun. Matthew was not into this type of fun and was beginning to regret his decision to come here in the first place.
Jason tilted his head to the bar before disappearing into the crowd. After a moment’s pause, Matthew followed. By the time he reached his brother again, Jason already had a drink in his hand. Getting the bartenders attention, Matthew ordered something for himself and then sat down. If he was here, he might as well do what he’d set out to accomplish.
Taking a long pull on his beer, he began to survey the room. Many of the females here were too young. He was a thirty-one-year-old man, and he had no desire to sleep with some young thing only a year or two out of high school, no matter how much she just wanted to have a good time.
Finally, after twenty minutes, he spotted someone who had potential. She had long brown hair and looked to be in her late twenties. She was currently dancing with a small group but didn’t appear to be attached to anyone. Finishing off his drink, he set it down on the bar and stood, bracing himself. He could do this. He had to do this.
Taking a deep breath, he began to move through the crowd. Bodies pushed into him as he closed the distance between himself and the woman of his focus. Just as he reached her group, the song changed. Perfect.
When he tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around to face him. Her eyes ran up and down his body once before meeting his eyes. “Would you like to dance?” he asked. Without a word, she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her closer and tried to let the music consume him.
