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“I’m not going to accept it.” He ripped the paper in half, rose to his feet, then rounded the desk to turn her chair to face him. Placing a hand on each of the chair arms, he had her trapped and she had no alternative but to listen to him. “Talk to me, Alyssa. Tell me what’s brought on this sudden decision to bail out of a job I happen to know you love.”
His face was only inches from hers and it took every ounce of her concentration to remember what he’d said. “You were wrong,” she finally blurted out before she could stop herself.
He frowned. “About what?”
Defeated, she fought to keep her voice even. “The gossip hasn’t died down about us. If anything, it’s led to more speculation among the employees.”
“That’s it?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
“No.”
Caleb’s gut churned with a mixture of anger and desperation. He’d known they were still the favorite topic of idle conversation around the office and although he wasn’t happy about it, he’d done his best to ignore it. Trying to set the record straight once again would only make matters worse and add more grist to the rumor mill.
Unfortunately, that was only the tip of the iceberg. The possibility of Alyssa leaving the firm was what had him tied in knots. He wasn’t proud of having to rely on her without her knowing it, but he needed her expertise to keep things running smoothly until he got a grasp on what he was supposed to be doing.
But as important as her business acumen was to him, the real reason his stomach churned like a cement mixer whenever he thought about her leaving Skerritt and Crowe was far simpler. He’d hated to admit it, even to himself, but he just plain didn’t want to face coming to the office without her being there.
Noticing a tear at the corner of her big blue eyes, he removed her glasses and gently wiped it away. “Did you overhear something, sweetheart?”
She nodded. “According to some, you and I are having a grand old time in here.” She rolled her eyes. “Several times a day.”
He chuckled. “I’m good, but I wasn’t aware that I’m that good.”
Her cheeks turned a pretty pink. “I wouldn’t know any-thing about that. But I do know that I can’t effectively supervise when everyone thinks I’m sleeping with the boss.”
Lifting her chin with his index finger, he stared at her for several long seconds. God, she was pretty and it tore him up to see her upset like this.
“It’s going to be all right, Alyssa. I promise.”
“I don’t know how.”
She looked so dejected, it was all he could do to keep from taking her into his arms. But that would only add fuel to the fire if someone walked into her office and caught them.
As he continued to stare at her, a germ of an idea began to form. It was crazy enough that it just might work.
“I think I have a solution that will stop the tongues from wagging and allow you to keep your job here,” he said, smiling.
She looked doubtful. “I’m listening.”
“Let’s go along with the rumors.”
He laughed when she looked at him like he might not be playing with a full deck. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Probably.” He took her hands in his, then pulling her to her feet, took her in his arms. “My grandpa used to say that sometimes the only way to put out a fire is to throw kerosene on it.”
“In other words, insanity runs in your family?”
Caleb grinned. “Grandpa did have his share of peculiarities, but most of the time his logic made a hell of a lot of sense. Toss a little fuel on a fire and it burns itself out real quick and that’s the end of it. Leave it alone and it can smolder for a while, then flare up again and again.”
“Would you care to explain how that relates to our current problem?” To his satisfaction, she’d wrapped her arms around his waist and seemed genuinely interested in hearing him out.
“If we come out in the open and tell everyone that we are romantically involved, there won’t be anything left to speculate about.” He paused as something else came to mind. “In fact, as of right now, we’re engaged. Then, in a few weeks, we’ll announce that we’ve changed our minds and decided to just be friends.”
“Now I’m sure you’ve gone over the edge.” Pulling away from him, she stepped back and shook her head. “It would never work.”
“Sure it will. And the sooner we announce our big news the sooner we’ll be back to business as usual.” Giving her a quick kiss, he reached over to press the button on her intercom. He wasn’t waiting for her to come up with any more arguments why his plan was faulty. “Geneva, call a mandatory meeting of all employees for two this afternoon in the lobby downstairs.”
“Consider it done,” the secretary answered. “Is there anything else?”
“Nope. That’s it. Thanks, Geneva.” Turning back to Alyssa, he smiled. She had that deer-in-the-headlights look again. “Relax. In about an hour, we’ll make our big announcement and the problem will be over.”
She sank into her chair as if her knees would no longer support her. “Or just beginning.”
“Trust me, sweetheart. An engagement is just what the doctor ordered to take care of this little problem.”
She sighed. “Which doctor would that be? Kevorkian?”
Laughing, he headed back into his office. “Hang on to your sense of humor and everything will work out great. You’ll see.”
When he closed the door behind him, Caleb walked over to stare out the window behind his desk. A fake engagement? What the hell had he been thinking?
But when Alyssa had shoved her resignation at him, he’d felt like his stomach had dropped to his shoe tops. And it hadn’t been entirely due to the fact that he needed her to stay at the firm and keep things running while he took his classes.
The simple fact of the matter was he didn’t want Alyssa to leave because he had a case of the hots for her and there didn’t seem to be any way he could stop it. Not even reminding himself of his miserable track record with a career woman had lessened her appeal. Since their trip to Roswell last week, all he’d been able to think about was how soft and sweet she’d looked when she slept and how good it had felt to hold her.
He took a deep breath and shook his head in an effort to clear it. If they were going to convince the Sker-ritt and Crowe employees they were wild about each other, it was going to take some planning.
A slow grin spread across his face. They had an entire weekend to get their act together and he knew the perfect place to hold their strategy session. Now all he had to do was convince Alyssa to go with him.
“This is never going to work, Caleb,” Alyssa said as they walked out of her office into the deserted hall.
“Just follow my lead and act happier than you’ve ever been in your life.” He waited for her to step onto the elevator. “I’ll take care of the rest. Did you get your purse?”
She nodded. “Although I can’t understand why you think I need it.”
“You’ll see.”
His grin told her that he had something up his sleeve, but she didn’t have time to think about what it could be. What was about to take place was foremost in her thoughts and had her wondering if they’d both lost their minds. In just a few short seconds, the elevator doors were going to open and they’d tell the entire Skerritt and Crowe staff they were engaged.
When the elevator came to a halt on the ground floor, Caleb grinned and took her hand in his. “Ready?”
“No.”
“Smile,” he whispered as the doors swished open.
Stepping off the elevator, instead of looking deliriously happy, she’d bet everything she owned that she looked more like she was about to throw up. The sick feeling intensified when she watched several of her colleagues exchange knowing glances.
“Since our trip to Roswell last week, there’s been a lot of speculation about the nature of the relationship be-tween me and A.J.,” Caleb said, getting right to the heart of the matter. “That’s why we’ve called you all here this afternoon. We want to end the speculation and set the record straight, once and for all.”
There was no turning back now. She took a deep breath and trained her unwavering gaze on Caleb. She wasn’t certain she’d be able to get through the next few minutes if she had to look at anyone else.
“Yes, there’s something going on between me and A. J. Merrick.” Her heart skipped several beats when he looked down at her and smiled. “I’d like to announce that as of this afternoon, Alyssa and I are engaged.”
Stunned silence reigned for several seconds before the crowd suddenly broke out in a round of enthusiastic applause. But when Caleb pulled her to him and kissed her like a soldier returning from war, the cheers were so loud it was almost deafening.
When he raised his head, he announced, “Alyssa and I are leaving town for the weekend, so don’t try calling us. We’ll be busy making… ” His pause and suggestive grin caused several knowing smiles. “Wedding plans,” he finished. He pointed to Malcolm. “You’re in charge until we return on Monday.”
The kiss and Caleb’s announcement that they were going away together had taken her by surprise, but he shocked her beyond words when he swept her up into his arms and carried her from the building to the uproarious cheers and applause of the Skerritt and Crowe employees. Unable to find her voice and not knowing what else to do, she threw her arms around his shoulders and hung on for dear life.
“What in the name… of all that’s holy… do you think you’re doing?” she finally managed to squeak out as he walked across the parking lot toward his truck.
He laughed. “I’m whisking you away like any white knight worth his weight in beans would do when he’s won the hand of his fair maiden.”
“Don’t you think you’re taking this farce just a bit far?” she asked when he opened his truck door and deposited her on the bench seat.
When she started to scoot over to the passenger side, he slid behind the steering wheel and pulled her up against him. “If this is going to work, we have to look like we’re wild about each other, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“Don’t you think everyone would expect us to spend time together away from the office?” he asked, starting the truck, then backing it from the parking space. “And especially right after we got engaged?”
She sighed. “All right, you’ve made your point.”
He gave her a grin that curled her toes inside her black pumps. “We’ll drop by your apartment for you to get some clothes together, then head up to my place to hide out for the weekend.”
Feeling as if her life was spinning out of control with no hope of recovery, she gasped. “I beg your pardon. When did this fiasco escalate to me actually going away with you?”
As he drove the truck out onto the street and headed in the direction of her apartment, he shook his head. “Think about it, Alyssa. Ed Bentley lives in the same complex you do. In fact, he and his wife live in the building across the street from yours. Even if you stayed in for the entire weekend, he’d notice your lights going on and off and know you were home.” He gave her a pointed look. “The success of our plan hinges on this, sweetheart.”
Her temples began to throb and her stomach felt as if it had been filled with rocks. “Why did I ever let you talk me into this?”
“Because the rumors and gossip were getting to you.” He took her hand in his to give it a gentle squeeze. “Besides, we need to map out a game plan for how we’ll play our engagement and eventual breakup.”
Everything he said made perfect sense, but that did little to lessen the apprehension building inside her as he steered the truck into her apartment complex. She didn’t even have a clue where he lived.
As if he’d read her mind, he smiled. “Be sure to bring a jacket. It gets chilly at night.”
“You live in the mountains?” Somehow, she wasn’t surprised.
“Yep. About twenty miles from here, in the East Mountain area,” he said, parking in front of her building. He shrugged. “I never have been much of a city boy.”
She took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. “I’ll pack accordingly.” When he started to get out of the truck, she shook her head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few minutes alone to collect my thoughts.”
He stared at her for a moment before he nodded. “Don’t forget to pack your swimsuit. I have a hot tub and pool.”
As she entered her small apartment to begin packing a few things for her weekend away with Caleb, Alyssa wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Why on earth had she allowed him to talk her into such a ridiculous scheme?
But as she finished folding clothes into her small bag, then made arrangements with Mrs. Rogers to take care of her parakeet, Alyssa knew exactly why she’d gone along with Caleb’s plan. She simply didn’t want to leave Skerritt and Crowe to find a position elsewhere. Other financial firms might offer the same opportunities to do the work she loved, but there was one thing they didn’t have—a handsome CEO with hazel eyes, a sexy as sin grin and kisses that turned her into melted butter.
Six (#ulink_93c17418-96fe-5b79-bf02-dc35d602e559)
Opening the wrought-iron gate, Caleb wondered what was going through Alyssa’s pretty little head as he led her across the courtyard to the front door. The farther out of the city they’d driven, the more silent and speculative she’d become.
“If you’re worried about the sleeping arrangements, don’t,” he said when they entered the house. He set her small case down to punch the deactivation code into the security system. “There are three extra bedrooms. You can take your pick.”
“I really hadn’t given where I’d be sleeping much thought.” When he turned to face her, she gave him a sheepish grin. “I’ve been mentally calculating how much stucco homes cost and what the investment potential in real estate is on this side of the Sandia Mountains. I would think that the equity would build quickly since this area seems to be growing pretty fast.”
He chuckled as he picked up her overnight case. “Once an accountant, always an accountant, huh?”
“Something like that.” She gave him an odd look. “With your background in business, wasn’t it something you considered when you moved here?”
“Not really.” He wasn’t about to tell her that the house had been given to him when he’d accepted Emerald’s offer to take over the firm or that his background in business started two weeks ago when he’d walked through Skerritt and Crowe’s front doors. “I was more interested in the fact that it’s fairly secluded and has several acres of land.”
She seemed to accept his explanation and, breathing a little easier, he followed her into the great room. But his heart damned near hammered a hole clean through his rib cage when she stopped to stare at a portrait of a middle-aged Emerald Larson and her infamous playboy son, Owen—Caleb’s late father.
“Are they your relatives?” she asked, smiling.
The picture was at least twenty-five years old and it was apparent that Alyssa hadn’t recognized the pair. Hopefully, she wouldn’t.
“That’s my grandmother and father,” he said cautiously.
Gazing at him a moment, she nodded. “There’s a strong family resemblance.”
He placed his hand at the small of her back to usher her toward the bedrooms before she had a chance to study the picture closer and figure out who they all were. He hadn’t lied to her thus far and he wasn’t about to start now. If she’d recognized the Larsons, he’d have admitted to being one of the heirs to the Emerald, Inc. conglomerate. But she hadn’t. And although omission of the facts was something he wasn’t proud of and continued to struggle with, being outright dishonest was out of the question. It just wasn’t his style.
“Feel free to check out the other two bedrooms, then decide which one you want,” he said, opening the door to the room closest to his. The room had been done in yellow and green and looked a little more feminine than the other two bedrooms. “They all have their own private bathroom, but this one is the only one besides the master suite that has a sitting area.”
“This is fine,” she said, glancing around. She walked over to the French doors on the opposite side of the room to look out at the patio and pool. “It’s a lovely area and your home is beautiful, Caleb. You must love living up here.”
“Thanks.” He set her bag on the end of the bed, then walked over to stand behind her. “The terrain is a lot different here than in Tennessee, but I’m getting used to it.” He didn’t tell her that it was a far cry from the humble farmhouse he’d grown up in or that he was having a hard time thinking of it as his, even though it had been signed over to him when he’d accepted Emerald’s offer.
“I’d like to hear about where you used to live,” she said, sounding wistful. “I’ve never been east of the Mississippi, but I’ve heard the southern states are quite beautiful.”
“They are. Back home when I look at the mountains, I’m used to seeing them covered with trees, and everything is green. Here it’s just as pretty, but in a different way. There aren’t as many trees and everything is shades of tan, brown or orange.” Without thinking, he slipped his arms around her waist and drew her back against him. “I’ll have to take you to see the eastern mountains sometime.”
He heard her soft intake of breath a moment before she turned to face him. “Caleb, what are we doing?”
Staring down at her, he wondered the same thing. She was the type of woman he’d vowed to steer clear of, yet there was something about Alyssa Jane Merrick that he couldn’t resist. He wanted to show her where he’d grown up, wanted her to know who he was and what had molded him into the man he’d become, and he wanted to know all about her. And that scared the living hell out of him.
Suddenly needing to put a little space between them in order to figure out what the hell had gotten into him, he kissed her forehead then, releasing her, started for the door. “While you get your things put away and freshen up, I’ll go see what I can scare up for supper.”
As Alyssa watched him leave the room, she sighed heavily. It hadn’t been lost on her that he’d avoided answering her question. Could he be as confused about what was going on between them as she was? What was happening between them?
She certainly wasn’t an expert at affairs of the heart, but it was evident there was something drawing them together. They couldn’t be in the same room for longer than five minutes without being in each other’s arms.
What was there about Caleb Walker that made her forget the lesson she’d learned five years ago at the hands of a man just like him? Hadn’t she suffered enough humiliation when she’d learned that men weren’t above using women to achieve their own goals or advance their careers?
