“Correct.”
Julie sidled past Laurella, who smiled apologetically. Calum could be overly brusque at times. She should know, having been on the receiving end of his venomous tongue on plenty of occasions.
Julie, however, seemed remarkably untroubled by his curt manner. “Good luck, Laurella,” she said, stepping into the hallway. “Try not to stab the miserable bastard. I still need him to come to the McShorey meeting with me tomorrow.”
Laurella giggled. Right there was why Julie still worked for Calum. She was one of the few people who refused to let his mood swings get to her, and she gave as good as she got.
The second the door closed, Calum strode across the office. His hands cupped her face, and pinning her with his hips, he kissed her. “God, I missed you,” he groaned and kissed her again.
“You saw me a few hours ago,” she said, tilting her head as he nipped along her jawline. “And I thought we were keeping it professional at work.”
He drew back. “I am being professional. I didn’t kiss you until Julie had left.”
She fixed him with a stare. “There was no need to be so rude to her. I expect you to apologize. You basically threw her out.”
“That’s right. So I could do this.” His mouth slanted over hers, his tongue slipping between her lips. He ground his groin into her, forcing a low moan from her throat. The sound must have spurred him on because he increased the pressure of his hips.
“Is it time to go home yet?” he murmured, pressing tiny kisses to her neck. He slipped the strap on her dress down her arm, moving her bra strap out of the way, which allowed him unfettered access to trace along her shoulder with his tongue.
The hairs stood up on the back of Laurella’s neck, and her head began to spin with need. “Calum, stop.” She didn’t want him to stop, but if he carried on, she’d do something very unprofessional involving her mouth and his cock.
“What if I say no?” he said, smirking. “Because you might say the words, Laurella, but you don’t mean them.”
“Of course I don’t want you to stop,” she said, knowing there was no point denying it. Her flushed face and short, quickened breaths gave her away. “But you agreed we’d keep work and our personal lives separate.”
Calum stroked his chin thoughtfully then stepped back, giving her space to recover her poise.
“I might have to renegotiate terms, because I’m having trouble keeping my hands off you for a few minutes, let alone an entire day.”
Tell me about it.
“If I can’t kiss you, what can I do for you?” he asked.
“I wondered if you had any free time this morning to come to the Sorensen’s pitch with me.”
Calum’s eyes widened in surprise. “Last time I asked you about that, you made it very clear that you’d cut off my balls if I dared poke my nose into that account until you’d nailed the initial marketing pitch.”
Her face heated. She’d uttered those exact words only two weeks earlier. So much had changed in such a short space of time that it had her head spinning.
“That was before.”
He grazed his teeth with his tongue. “Before what?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Stop teasing me.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not teasing. I found your words cutting and hurtful, so yeah, I’m going to make you work for that apology.”
“Settle in for a long wait, then,” she muttered, irritated. Then she saw the twinkle in his eye. “You are a mean man.”
He laughed and slipped his arms around her waist then dropped a quick kiss on the end of her nose. “Of course I’ll come. With us working together, Sorensen’s doesn’t stand a chance.”
Calum swung Laurella up in the air the minute they rounded the corner from Sorensen’s offices.
“You nailed it.” He planted a kiss on her lips.
“We nailed it,” she said. “Zane is going to be thrilled.”
“I can’t believe the size of the order they placed. If the first month goes well, this could become a regular thing. And it was all down to your pitch, which was the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen.”
She arched a brow. “Are you admitting Zane was right to bring me on board?”
He smirked. “Don’t get too arrogant, sweetheart. That’s my job.”
She laughed and slipped her hand through his arm. They walked back to their building, chattering excitedly. Once inside, they headed straight to Zane’s office. To land such an influential account—well, Sorensen’s had businesses all over the globe. This triumph could be the start of a major growth spurt for Necron.
Calum knocked once on Zane’s door then pushed it open. He gestured for Laurella to go on in ahead of him.
“Got a minute?” Calum asked, unable to keep a smile off his face.
Zane leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin. “When I saw the two of you together, I was inclined to say no. But as you’re both smiling, it shouldn’t be too much of a risk to say yes.”
Calum pulled up a second chair in front of Zane’s desk, and he and Laurella sat. “We have some good news. Laurella, go ahead.”
His heart stuttered at the grateful smile she sent his way.
“We got the Sorensen’s account,” she said.
Zane’s eyes widened, and his mouth parted. “You’re kidding?”
Laurella briefly frowned. “I’d never joke about such a thing.”
Calum grinned. “He didn’t mean it like that. It’s an expression of surprise.”
“Oh.” She made a face. “I still get confused occasionally.”
“How much did they take?” Zane asked.
“Twenty percent more than our projections,” Calum said.
“Holy fuck.” He grimaced. “Sorry, Laurella.”
“No need to apologize,” she said. “This is an exciting day. The beginning of a very exciting time for Necron. I just know it.”
“This calls for a celebration. We haven’t had a company get-together this year, so I think this is the perfect excuse.” Zane pressed the intercom that went through to his PA. “Ellie, grab your party planner and that little black book of yours. I’ve got a job for you.”
Chapter 19
Laurella climbed out of the cab, careful not to trap the thin heel of her stiletto in the hem of her evening gown. Ellie, Zane’s PA, had worked miracles in the last two weeks to put this event together. It had started out as a way of thanking the staff for their hard work, but in the end, Zane had expanded it to include their most treasured customers. Poor Ellie had to scale up from a gathering of between fifty and a hundred, depending on whether employees brought partners, to the eventual guest list containing close to two hundred names.
Her relationship with Calum grew by the day, but Laurella wasn’t yet ready to go public. Calum had gone along with her wishes, even though he didn’t like it very much. His agreement to do something he didn’t want to said more about his feelings for her than any words he might utter.
She found the event room and handed her coat to the cloakroom attendant then slipped the ticket into her purse and stepped inside. She sought out Calum but couldn’t spot him. She did, however, see Julie. Laurella waved.
Julie waved back, held up a glass, and mouthed “Prosecco?”
Laurella nodded and headed over to the bar area. By the time she got there, her glass of prosecco was waiting.
“You look stunning, Laurella,” Julie said, giving her a quick hug. “I wish I had your Mediterranean skin tone. You can get away with much more vibrant colors, and that red looks amazing on you.”
“It can be a curse,” she said. “I can’t wear pastels at all. They look awful. Your sky-blue dress is beautiful, and the cut is perfect for your figure.”
Julie smoothed a hand over her hips. “Hides a multitude of sins, more like. My mother had what they call childbearing hips, and she passed them down to me. Bitch.”
They burst out laughing. A couple of girls from fin
ance joined them, and Julie regaled them all with stories of her parents. Laurella listened with half an ear. She continually scanned the room, waiting for Calum to appear. When he did, her breath caught in her throat.
The black tux and crisp white shirt fitted him to perfection. His hair was a little longer than his usual preferred style. It grazed the collar, and all Laurella could think about was pushing her hands through it later when she kissed the hell out of him.
He hadn’t seen her yet, so she could watch him unobserved. He shook hands with several guests, his smile warm and friendly, but he still had a reserved aloofness that she recognized from their early interactions. Calum might be a complex man, but he’d allowed her to peek beneath the public persona.
She spotted Zane heading toward Calum. They shared a quick word then disappeared. Cramming down disappointment that he hadn’t immediately sought her out, she turned her attention back to the group.
“What are your thoughts on our gorgeous sales director, Laurella?” Sally, one of the finance girls, asked.
Laurella’s heart stuttered. Shit. Had they noticed her checking him out? She decided to play dumb. “Sorry?”
“Nalini and I think he’s hot. I bet he’s amazing in bed.”
“Urgh,” Julie said. “Do you mind? That’s my boss.”
“Oh, come on, Jules,” Sally said. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it?”
“Not even once.”
Julie winked at Laurella, who was desperately trying to figure out how she could retreat… fast.
“He doesn’t have the right equipment to attract me,” Julie said.
Sally’s brow furrowed. “Huh?”
Julie leaned in. “I’m gay,” she said, clearly enjoying the embarrassment she’d caused Sally, who flushed bright red.
“Oh, shit. Sorry, Jules. I didn’t know.”
Julie laughed. “No need to apologize. It’s not like I walk around with a flashing neon sign on my head.”
Awkward moment over, Sally turned her attention back to Laurella. “So, come on, Laurella. Calum Brook. Hot or not?”
With a sinking feeling, Laurella realized—too late—that Sally was one of those girls who latched on to a subject and wouldn’t let go until she’d gotten her answer. All three girls laid their interested eyes on her.
She shrugged. “Italian men are hotter,” she said, hoping that by not answering the question directly, she’d get away relatively unscathed.
“So you wouldn’t, you know… not even if he threw himself at your feet?”
She inwardly groaned. “Not even if he got down on his knees and begged,” Laurella said, hoping that would be the end of it.
“Ms. Ricci. A word, please.”
Laurella froze as Calum’s deep baritone voice rumbled in her left ear. Sally gave a horrified stare while Julie grinned. Nalini simply fixed her gaze on the floor as though she were praying for it to open up and swallow her whole.
“Of course,” Laurella murmured. There was still a chance he hadn’t heard… wasn’t there?
He took her by the elbow and propelled her forward. Laurella glanced up. His jaw was set, and a nerve jumped in his cheek. Yep. He’d heard. And by the looks of him, he wasn’t happy.
“Calum—”
“Don’t say a goddamn word,” he said.
As they passed through the crowds, he murmured the odd greeting but didn’t stop to speak to any of the guests. They stepped outside the event room, and Calum opened an adjacent door. Inside, laid out on a large rectangular table, were the prizes and awards Zane planned to give to the top-performing employees later that evening.
Calum ushered her inside and kicked the door closed. Before Laurella could say anything, his mouth crashed down on hers. He was already hard. Whether that was from desire or anger, Laurella couldn’t know. Whichever of those emotions was most prevalent, it didn’t matter, because she melted beneath his kiss. His tongue played with hers, a dance she was beginning to know well. Her breathing grew heavy as he rubbed his erection against her.
And then he pulled away. He took three steps back and glared at her with a flushed face and mussed hair where Laurella had shoved her hands through it. “From the looks of you, sweetheart, I won’t need to be begging anytime soon.”
Agitated, she glared at him. “Don’t be so childish,” she snapped. “You’d rather I spilled the truth? Because if I’d answered Sally’s question honestly, I’d have told her that I find you so hot I want to turn the air conditioner up whenever you’re near. I’d have said that when we’re apart, I crave your touch. I’d have shared that when you’re inside me, nothing else matters apart from you and me and how connected we are in that moment. Is that what you’d rather I’d said?”
By the time she’d finished her rant, her chest heaved, and she was short of breath.
“Christ, you’re beautiful when you’re angry,” he said. “And, yes, I’d rather you said all those things. I don’t want to hide our relationship any longer, Laurella. I thought I could do this. I wanted to go along with your wishes, but then a few minutes ago, I heard a couple of guys who work for McShorey’s talking about you. They were saying how stunning you are, how they planned to steal a dance later. One of them said he was going to ask you on a date. And it made me furious. I wanted to put my hands around their throats and warn them that if they laid a finger on you, I’d fucking kill them. You’re mine—and I want everyone to know it.”
She hesitated, but only for a second. Closing the distance between them, she flung her arms around his neck and drew his head down toward hers. This time, she kissed him, pouring every ounce of what she was feeling into the kiss. She’d been wrong to make him wait, wrong to expect him to keep secrets from his best friend, wrong to hide their relationship so that everyone thought she was fair game, like a prized cow at a cattle market.
By the time they broke apart, her lips felt swollen and raw. Undoubtedly, she’d need to reapply her lipstick. But she didn’t care. What did it matter if everyone in the room next door knew she’d been thoroughly kissed for the last few minutes?
“Okay, let’s go public.”
Calum’s answering smile took her breath away. He captured her hand, and together, they walked back into the event room. During the few minutes they’d been gone, almost everyone had arrived, and the place was packed.
“Let’s get a drink,” he said, towing her toward the bar.
Julie, Sally, and Nalini were standing exactly where she’d left them a few minutes earlier, and as she and Calum drew closer, Julie looked over. Her eyes dipped to where Laurella and Calum were holding hands, and they widened in surprise.
“Well, well, boss. You sly old fox,” Julie said. She turned to Laurella. “And as for you, all I can say is you’re one hell of an actress. How long has this been going on?”
Calum kissed Julie on the cheek. “None of your goddamn business, you nosy bitch.” He added a grin to cushion his words. He definitely had a soft spot for Julie, and at least her sexual preference made it easier for Laurella to keep her jealousy at bay. However, Nalini—and even more so, Sally—were a whole other prospect. From the way Sally shot daggers in Laurella’s direction, the young finance analyst clearly was not happy that Laurella hadn’t been candid when questioned before.
“We hadn’t exactly planned to tell anyone, and certainly not tonight,” Laurella said, facing Julie, but her words were meant more for Sally’s benefit. Necron was a small company, and Laurella could do without making enemies.
“That’s true.” Calum slipped his hand around her waist and kissed her temple. “But I got sick of sneaking around. And I wanted to stake my claim.”
Julie laughed. “Piss on your territory, you mean. Watch this one, Laurella. He has a tendency to like to own things.”
Laurella chuckled while Calum whispered, “She’s right. You are mine,” in her ear.
She shivered. There was something delicious about the way Calum said ‘mine.’ Even for an independent woman
like her, being wanted was addictive.
“I guess we’d better go fess up to Zane,” he said, picking up his drink from the bar. “He’ll get pissy if he isn’t told personally that his best friend is off the market.”
He led her through the crowd once more with off the market playing on a loop in her mind. She metaphorically hugged herself. Calum was what Papa would call ‘Quite the catch.’ Smart, successful, hard-working, ambitious. She’d also add—although not for Papa’s ears—handsome, hot-as-all-hell, and fantastic in bed.
Goodness, was she really considering telling her family about Calum? That was a big step. The second they found out she was in a relationship, they’d expect them both to fly to Italy so everyone could grill Calum and give him the seal of approval. Or not. It could go either way. Her family had never liked Alessandro, her former fiancé. They hadn’t quite come out and said as much, but they’d never made him feel welcome. When he’d cheated on Laurella, and she’d broken off their engagement, each and every member of her family had been quick to tell her how happy they were and that they’d never thought Alessandro was good enough for their Ella.
“Zane,” Calum called out, holding his free hand in the air. He sidled through a couple more people, shaking hands with one or two. Finally, they reached Zane, who homed right in on where their hands were knitted together.
“Fuck me. Does this mean what I think it means?”
Brienne, Zane’s girlfriend, rolled her eyes. “Smooth, Zane. Real smooth.”
Calum hitched a shoulder. “No need to make a big fuss about it. Just thought you should know.”
Zane grinned. “So this is why the white flag of surrender has been waved. I wondered why I hadn’t had to dodge any bullets at our recent board meetings.”
“Zane!” Brienne glared at him.
“It’s okay, Brie,” Calum said. “We’re used to him. And now we’ll say no more about it.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m pleased for you both, although clearly you got the better end of the deal, Calum.” He shook Calum’s hand and gave Laurella a brief hug. “My commiserations to you, lovely lady, for having to put up with this asshat.”
Against All Odds (A Brook Brothers Novel Book 2) Page 15
