A vibrating noise disturbed Cal from sleep, like the sound of plastic rattling against glass.
As he woke, he took a second to appreciate the sweet, fruity scent of Lucy’s hair, before placing a gentle kiss against the soft, delicate strands. Raising his head, Cal glanced at the clock-radio on the nightstand. It wasn’t yet two in the morning. When the disruptive noise continued, he looked around the room and then remembered that he’d left his phone on the glass-topped coffee table in the unit’s lounge room after dinner, before they’d gone swimming.
Carefully, he lifted his left hand from where Lucy had had it cuddled between her bare breasts and then slipped out the right arm that had fallen asleep beneath her neck. She muttered something softly in her sleep when the warmth of his body left her. As Cal began to inch off the mattress, the vibrating noise stopped as quickly as it had started.
Irritated more by the fact that someone was ringing him at this ridiculously early hour than by having actually missed the phone call, Cal continued in his mission to find the phone. He wanted to see who’d had the nerve to disturb his sleep. Hopefully it had just been a telemarketer, someone who had a time-difference to blame their inconvenient timing on. But, Cal wanted to make certain.
Padding naked and barefoot across the carpeted floor from the bedroom to the lounge, Cal found his thoughts drifting back to events of the evening. Their love-making had been incredible, addictive, and earth-shattering. He hadn’t been able to get enough. He’d barely let Lucy rest for five minutes after their phenomenal first time before ravishing her again. Cal had tasted her, all over, everywhere, but still couldn’t sate his hunger for her. His body ached for her, wanting to touch her, needing to be inside her, to fill her with everything he had. He had made her scream out and cry in pleasure, and she had done her darnedest to make him lose his mind.
When she’d bent her head low and taken him into her mouth, her tongue swirling over him, her lips kissing, caressing, sucking, he’d thought he was going to die. The ecstasy had been so intense, had been beyond his wildest dreams of what it would’ve been like to have her make love to him in that way. It was irresistible, mind-blowing, and sucked the life right out of him until he could have sworn she was some kind of erotic succubus intent on stealing his soul. But, then he’d come, long and hard—and he’d wanted her all over again.
At the coffee table, Cal reached for his smartphone just as the screen lit up again and the device began to buzz against the glass top once more. Picking it up, he saw Jack’s name flash across the screen. Puzzled as to why his good friend and his company’s loyal financial advisor would be telephoning him at this hour, especially since they’d had an extensive but cheerful discussion only the morning before, Cal answered the call and put the phone to his ear.
“Jack?” Cal kept his voice quiet so as not to wake Lucy.
There was a deep, masculine sigh. “Cal—finally. You need to come home.”
Fear gripped Cal’s heart. Had something happened—to his mother, to Toby? “Why? What’s wrong? Is my mother okay?” His voice was no longer a whisper.
Jack sighed again, this time sounding exasperated and exhausted. “No, Cal. It’s nothing like that. Charmaine is fine. But we’ve got a problem. An emergency board meeting has been organized for later this morning.”
On the other end of the line, Jack paused as though letting that news sink in before continuing. “Cal, a source is claiming that you’ve used company funds, not your own, to restore the Calypso.”
An incensed guttural sound escaped Cal’s lips, before he remembered that Lucy was sleeping only in the next room. “That is ridiculous,” he growled, trying to keep his voice low.
Snatching one of the pool towels from where he’d discarded them on the floor earlier that night, Cal wrapped it around his hips and headed for the balcony door. Once he was safely outside in the crispness of the early morning air, overlooking the dimly lit pool below and the hushed roar of the Pacific Ocean beyond, Cal continued.
“Jack,” he ground out his friend’s name through gritted teeth. “You and I both know that I’ve only ever used my own private accounts to finance the Calypso’s renovations. You’re in charge of Hawthorne Incorporated’s bankroll, for God’s sake. You can prove to them that I haven’t touched a cent. And why in heaven’s name would I? I have enough money of my own to fund the marketing strategies and refurbishment of this complex and a hundred more like it before I’d even make a decent dent in my reserves.”
“I know, Cal,” Jack agreed enthusiastically. “You don’t have to convince me. I’ve already prepared a statement for the board with proof that you haven’t touched anything from the company accounts since you started this project.”
“Then why I am being accused of such a slanderous fraud and summoned back to Melbourne in the middle of the night?” Cal’s free hand had balled into a tight fist and he had started to pace angrily up and down the small, tiled balcony. His chest was tight, aching with confined fury, but he was doing his best to remain in control.
Jack exhaled loudly. “The information the source provided rattled a couple of our older board members, those fond of by-the-book behavior and hard evidence. As the source couldn’t verify their claims, the board members are wary, but they need to hear it from you, Cal. They need to see the bills, the statements, proof of purchases, anything you have. Ultimately, their trust remains with you, most of them have known you for decades, but they feel obliged this time to ensure that your business methods remain above board.”
Cal was infuriated at the idea, at the mere thought of the people on his board of directors believing that he was able to commit such a deception, but after a few deep breaths, he reevaluated what Jack had told him. Although it insulted him deeply to have anyone he’d worked with for so long—and who had worked alongside his father—believe him capable of something so horrendous, it did unfortunately make sense for them to be cautious. While he and his company had never suffered such an atrocious betrayal from an insider, many of them—including Cal, himself—had witnessed the downfall of other businesses from such a scam.
“Alright.” The word left Cal’s lips as a chilling growl. “I’ll fly back tonight. I have some information here, but the rest I’ll email you on the journey home. Print out everything and meet me in the boardroom at six to prepare.”
“The board will be there at eight,” Jack told him. “And I’ve already sent the company jet to the Gold Coast to fly you home.”
Cal scoffed bitterly. “You sure the board won’t have a problem with that too, Jack? Me using company assets and all?”
Jack laughed painfully. “Don’t be a bastard, Cal. Your board still trusts you and once all this crap has been sorted out, things will return to work as normal. They just need to be reassured.”
Resignedly, Cal sighed. “It’s a shame they couldn’t just trust me outright.”
Jack was stoically silent. “A transparent business is a successful one,” he said softly. “The jet should already be at the airport. See you soon, Cal.”
The line went silent as Jack ended the call and Cal lowered the mobile phone from his ear.
Glancing back at the closed glass sliding door that led into the unit’s lounge room, Cal’s thoughts turned to Lucy. What was he going to tell her? He couldn’t just abandon her. Maybe she would sleep late and he could leave and return before she woke up? No, he had to tell her. But did he wake her? He didn’t want to frighten her or have her worrying about him while he was gone, and he just didn’t have time to explain everything. If she knew what was going on, she would want to come with him, he was sure of that. But, he wasn’t quite ready for them to leave the Gold Coast, for them to leave the place that had finally brought them back together again. As soon as he’d finished with the board, he wanted to come back and when he did, he wanted to find her here, waiting for him—so that they could pick up exactly where they left off.
No, Cal had to go and Lucy had to stay behind. He would be back to her before noon if he could and he would have her naked and back in bed before she had time to kiss him hello. But he wouldn’t wake her and he had to go now. He could send her a text message from the plane, explaining what he could without worrying her and that he’d be back on the Coast as soon as possible.
But, he had to go now.
***
“I love you.”
Cal had said those three special words so many times during the night and it had filled Lucy with such delirious happiness that she’d almost said it back to him. Yet, she still hadn’t found her nerve.
Cal held her heart, had her body, possessed her soul, but still a tiny part of her was fearful of his rejection, of his betrayal. She wanted to tell him, she really did. She was sure he already knew, yet she just couldn’t. It hadn’t been quite right, not yet. Although she knew they had moved beyond the past, that they were different people now, something inside her still needed him to understand, to know how deeply he’d hurt her back then. She wanted him to comprehend what he’d done and how dating all her friends, when he should have been dating her, had broken her heart. It seemed silly to expect something that in their current situation, their current relationship, seemed rather trivial, but it was what she needed. After that, Lucy was certain, there would be nothing holding her back from saying those three extraordinary words to Cal.
As Lucy’s semi-consciousness mulled over the thought, pondering when exactly might be the right time, she began to wake up further. She reached across the bed for him, seeking the hot, solid body of the man it was so obvious she loved, but her fingers felt nothing except cool cotton. Reaching her arm out farther, she ran it deeper beneath the covers and then back up to slip beneath the fluffy cushioning of the pillows. Still, she found nothing. No warm skin, no silky hair, no heated indentation. As realization hit, Lucy opened her eyes.
Cal was gone.
***
The board meeting had been briefer than Cal had expected. It seemed that all the members were quite certain that Cal couldn’t have been capable of what that secretive source was alleging. In fact, after quickly handing out the documented evidence that supported Cal’s claims, the board of directors seemed more interested in hearing about his success with the Calypso rather than condemning him for it.
Many insisted that this be something they consider for other developments in their portfolio that had noticed significant decreases in profit largely due to the age of the property or lack of substantial marketing. After excited discussion, it seemed, everyone was hugely in favor of continued collaboration with Insight Marketing, with some board members even suggesting that Hawthorne Incorporated’s own marketing team gather training and new ideas from the firm. Cal was more than overjoyed and when Jack called for a decision on the sale of the Calypso, the nays that answered were universal.
With a contented smile on his face, Cal exited his company’s building just after nine. As he stepped out into the bright sunlight of the unusually cheerful Monday morning and admired the vigorous hustle of the busy Melbourne street, he noticed a familiar face.
Looking impeccable in his lemon-colored business shirt and black slacks, and with every dark hair on his head slicked back perfectly in place, Trent approached him. The insane, shark-like grin that split his face appeared aggressively smug, while the hands in his pockets and the casual stride of his walk implied a cool uncaringness that didn’t quite match.
“I didn’t realize you were in the habit of making house calls?” Cal couldn’t stop himself from sounding sardonic.
Everything was starting to piece together in his mind, all the drama of the past evening, his board members’ concerns, the unnamed source who had started it all. Cal was beginning to think he knew exactly who was responsible—and that the culprit was standing right in front of him.
“Did you think you could have it all?” Trent taunted as he stopped in front of him. “Your company, the hotel?” He paused, his malevolent grin faltering slightly. “Lucy?”
Cal narrowed his gaze angrily. This self-obsessed prick was the reason he’d had to come back to town, the reason he’d had to leave Lucy behind—and because of what, his irrational infatuation with her? When was he going to get a clue and realize that he and Lucy, it just wasn’t going to happen?
“So,” Cal snarled. “I’ve got you to thank for my little detour this morning, do I?”
Trent laughed. “You don’t deserve her.”
“And you do?” Cal was fuming and had to dig his fingernails into his palms to keep from punching the asshole—or strangling him to death.
“I’ve never betrayed her,” Trent spat confidently as his hands slipped from his pants pockets and became fists at his sides.
“Neither have I,” Cal declared.
Trent’s grin sharpened. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”
Cal felt his upper lip twitch, aching to form a snarl. What the hell did that mean? And what the hell had Trent heard? Cal had never betrayed Lucy, he loved her, he always had. He would never have done anything to hurt her.
He opened his mouth to roar back a snide retort when a mental cog in his brain clicked into place and everything, the last fourteen years, began to make perfect sense.
He had betrayed her. In fact, he had broken her heart.
The thought of it stabbed a painful ache right through his chest and into his own heart. No wonder she had spent fourteen years avoiding him. Back then, he’d been so focused on how much he’d loved her, how much he longed to be with her that he hadn’t given much thought as to whether she truly loved him in return. As a teenager, he’d always believed that her love for him grew mostly from their friendship and so, the thought of altering that, of morphing it into something beyond pure and platonic, would eventually scare her away.
Cal hadn’t wanted to hurt her, hadn’t wanted to lose her and in turn, searched for a way to hide his own feelings. It was in that way, in dating all her girlfriends, that he’d ultimately betrayed her. Lucy had loved him, she’d always loved him and instead of giving their love a chance all those years ago, instead of asking a simple question—will you go out with me?—Cal had done the unthinkable and broken her innocent heart.
“What a jerk.” The quiet words slipped from his mouth as he stared through Trent, his mind focused on his own revelation.
“What did you call me?” Fury contorted Trent’s features and he stepped forward.
With a wave of his hand, Cal dismissed him. “Not you, you idiot. Me.”
Puzzlement clouded Trent’s vision and then he seemed to return to his previous focus. “Did you just call me an idiot?”
Exasperated, Cal raised his hands and glared at the insignificant man before him. “I don’t have time for this.”
As he moved to step around Trent, the slightly shorter man stopped him, moving in front of him to block his path again.
“We’re not finished here,” he growled at Cal.
“Keep your distance,” Cal warned him, “or I’ll be forced to signal for security to detain you.”
His green eyes blazing with anger and obvious hatred, Trent scoffed in his face. “Afraid of me, are you? Afraid of getting your precious suit dirty?” He reached a hand up to Cal’s collar and roughly straightened the black lapel of his suit jacket.
“Mr. Hawthorne, sir, do you need some assistance?”
Trent froze at the distant, yet intimidating sound of the authoritative voice.
Cal hadn’t even bothered to signal security and yet, they’d been alert as ever.
“Mr. Hawthorne?”
Cal relished the familiar sound of Dave’s voice, the security officer who usually manned the door to the Hawthorne building. He was friendly, astute and took his job very seriously. After this, Cal would have to look at giving the man a pay rise.
Raising an eyebrow as though in question, Cal stared at Trent, knowing full well that if he didn’t answer Dave soon, he would leave his post at the front door to come and investigate.
Quickly, Trent released his lapel and stepped away. “We’re not finished,” he told him.
The sound of heavy footsteps nearing them made Trent’s eyes widen and his behavior become skittish.
“Oh, I think we are,” Cal told him, smugly. “Understand this, Trent, Lucy never loved you. She barely liked you. And if you ever come near her or me again, you can consider yourself sued for defamation.”
Trent’s jaw dropped and rage flickered in his eyes. “You can’t do that.”
Cal crossed his arms over his chest and then shrugged. “I’m pretty sure I have enough evidence to prove that it was you who accused me of using company finances to fund a private project,” he bluffed.
Grimacing, Trent’s green eyes grew large and then larger still when the looming, dark-haired security guard reached them.
“Is there a problem, sir?” Dave’s hard gaze was trained on Trent as he moved to place himself protectively in front of Cal.
“N—no,” Trent stuttered, his nervousness obviously getting the better of him. Then he looked past the menacing member of security staff, to glare again at Cal. “But I work with Lucy! I can’t avoid her.”
Cal grinned. “Get a new job, Trent.”
Snide, entitled, conceited Trent suddenly looked helpless.
Never really as callous as he sometimes wished to appear, Cal sighed. “If you’re very lucky—and you behave,” he advised Trent patronizingly, “I may just speak to Julia about organizing a letter of recommendation before you leave Insight Marketing.”
Trent’s gaze became distant as though he seemed to be weighing his options. His brows furrow fiercely and then he bit his lower lip, anxiously.
“Sir?” Dave began again, moving slightly closer to him.
As though anticipating the movement, Trent jumped back in fright at the same time.
“Okay, okay. I’m going,” he told them both as irritation still contorted his angular features. He glanced one more time at Cal, his glare full of resentment. “I didn’t really want her anyway,” he lied. “She’s damaged goods.” With that he strode quickly away, leaving Cal and Dave watching his rapid retreat.