In the Eye of the Storm / Catering to the CEO

by Samantha Chase

  “Adam?” Cassie reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”

  Her touch burned, and he quickly pulled free of her. “All right?” he sneered. “No, I’m not all right, dammit! What the hell is going on here?” His eyes scanned the table, and he was met with nothing but confusion from six pairs of eyes.

  With her voice no more than a whisper, Cassie reached out to him again. “Why don’t you sit down?”

  “I don’t need to sit. I think I know what’s going on.” His gaze snapped to his mother’s. “It always ends up like this, doesn’t it? I almost thought that it was going to be different this time, that this family, these people, were going to be different. Clearly, I was wrong.” There was an edge to his voice, and when he noted the fear in his mother’s eyes, he almost apologized. Almost.

  “Adam, please,” Bev said, her voice trembling slightly. “Whatever it is that you’re thinking, you’re wrong.”

  “Am I?” he sneered. “You mean that I’m not being propositioned for a job or investments? Again? You’d think you’d have learned after the last time. It always comes to this—money. Well, I’ll tell you what, I’m not interested in investing,” he spat as he looked at Stephen. “Or hiring,” he said to Lauren. “Or whatever it is you’re cooking up,” he said finally to Cassie. The look of utter devastation gave him pause, but then he remembered her words again, “Believe me, I will not be telling Adam about the baby,” and knew that she was no different. She couldn’t be trusted. His first assessment of her was the right one, and he was a fool to think otherwise.

  Kicking the chair away from him, he strode from the table out of the restaurant and out of their lives.

  Chapter 16

  Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, and yet it all had no meaning to Adam. He worked twenty hours a day, seven days a week, doing everything he could to erase the time he’d spent with Cassie and her family from his mind.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t working.

  Thanksgiving had come and gone without a word from his mother. That was something that had never happened in his entire life. After all the debacles with Bev’s previous relationships, she had never forgotten Adam on a holiday—even if she was only able to call. Running a tired hand over his face, Adam sighed. Instead of being thankful that he was through with the Jacobs family, he had to be honest and admit that he missed them…and Bev. They had never gone for this long without speaking.

  A quick glance at the calendar showed that it was a mere three weeks until Christmas. He tended to travel over Christmas, choosing to spend the holiday with strangers overseas than in his own home. This year that held no appeal. Adam contemplated picking up the phone and calling his mother—to check in and make sure she was okay—but shame kept him from making the call. At that moment, he saw the tears in her eyes once again and heard the tremble in her voice and didn’t want to face the possibility of hearing it again on the other end of the phone.

  Adam was shot out of his depressing thoughts as Grace walked through the office door with the day’s mail. She tossed it on his desk with a snort of derision that was becoming her trademark these days. Apparently, she had heard about what had happened with Cassie and her family and had taken sides. Her displeasure with Adam was evident every time she looked at him. He was about to comment on how he was getting tired of her childish behavior when she turned and faced him.

  “Stephen Jacobs is here to see you.” It was as if she’d thrown down the gauntlet. One eyebrow arched, and she folded her arms across her middle as her expression dared Adam to refuse to see him.

  Swallowing hard, he simply stared and said, “Show him in.” He watched as Grace strode from the office. His mind raced with the thought of what Stephen Jacobs could have to say to him. Why now? After almost six weeks, why show up now? He didn’t have to wait long because Stephen was a man with a purpose; he walked into Adam’s office and directly up to his desk, where he tossed an oversized envelope down.

  “Your mother doesn’t know I’m here,” he bluntly stated. “I’m not going to pretend to understand or excuse your behavior at our last meeting, but your mother and I are going to marry on Christmas Eve, and I know it would mean a lot if you were there.” With that, Stephen turned and headed out of the office.

  Adam jumped up from his chair. “Stephen, wait!” he called after him.

  Stephen turned slowly and faced Adam, his expression guarded. “What do you want, Adam?”

  Walking around his desk, Adam felt a sense of desperation. “Is she okay? Is there anything I can do for the wedding?”

  A small smile played across Stephen’s face as he let out a pent-up breath. “Bev’s fine. She misses you, and she’s embarrassed by what happened, but other than that, I think all the wedding planning has kept her busy.” He placed his hands in his trouser pockets and continued to stare at Adam. “We decided to have it at the house, nothing fancy, the family. All you need to do is show up.”

  While Adam knew that Stephen was trying to do the right thing, he had his doubts that he’d be welcomed by anyone at the event. “I don’t think it would be such a good idea for me to come. I don’t want to ruin your big day.”

  Stephen shook his head. “You don’t get it, do you? Family forgives one another. You’re Bev’s son, and that makes you my family. Having you there would mean the world to her, and I want to do everything possible to make your mother happy. This isn’t about you, Adam, this is about Bev.”

  “I know, I know,” Adam said, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. Things got…awkward there at the end, and…well, I want everyone to be able to enjoy themselves, and I don’t think my being there is going to make that possible.”

  “Nonsense,” Stephen said, and he stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Like I said, family forgives, and this isn’t about you. We’re getting together for a small wedding and some dinner.”

  Though the statement was meant to be reassuring, Adam recalled that he had made a debacle of every dinner he’d attended with the Jacobs family. Then Adam remembered how excited his mother and Cassie had been when they talked about having the wedding at Adam’s house on the beach. He cringed at the memory of how he’d killed their excitement with his selfishness and distrust. He didn’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness. “Why don’t you have a seat and we’ll talk about this?” he suggested.

  The smile that spread across Stephen’s face told Adam everything he needed to know.

  * * *

  “And you’re sure he’s not coming?” Cassie asked for the tenth time, as she put the finishing touches on the large, festive centerpiece on the dining room table.

  “Oh my God,” Lauren mumbled. “Please do not ask that question again.” Placing the groceries in the refrigerator, she turned to Cassie. “We’ve been over this a million times. Dad invited Adam to the wedding. He declined. Instead, he offered the use of his beach house as a gift to Dad and Bev since he knew that Bev had expressed interest in having the wedding here.”

  “Still…don’t you think it’s odd that—”

  “No!” both Katie and Lauren snapped.

  With a sigh, Cassie took a look around, pleased with the progress that they’d made. It was two days before Christmas, and apparently Adam had even sprung for a decorator because when they had arrived earlier in the day, there were several elaborately decorated Christmas trees set up around the house and twinkly lights donning the exterior. There wasn’t much else for them to do preparation-wise, so she tried to focus on the menu for the rest of their stay.

  Lost in her own thoughts, she missed the look her two sisters exchanged. Soon Bev and Stephen arrived, followed by Matt.

  “I think everyone is arriving today,” Bev said, excitement in her voice. What was originally supposed to be the family had grown. Besides Cassie, her siblings, and the bride and groom, Be
v’s sister and brother-in-law were flying in, and Stephen’s brother, Mark, was driving down for the festivities. Because the guest list was growing a bit and Cassie wanted to be able to relax, she had two of her servers who were going to be alone for the holidays come to stay with them. The extra hands were going to be a blessing on the day of the wedding.

  With nine bedrooms, there was plenty of room for everyone without having to use the master suite. For some reason, Stephen and Bev had refused to use it, as had everyone else. Cassie had chosen one of the smaller bedrooms for herself, not allowing herself to go to the top floor. The memories were still too strong and hurt too much. Would she ever be over Adam? Would there come a day when she didn’t think about him? Long for him? Ache for him?

  Probably not going to happen while she was staying in his house, she thought miserably to herself. Dammit.

  “We have one more surprise,” Stephen said as he got everyone’s attention. When all eyes were on his, he continued. “I didn’t want to say anything until I was completely sure, but it looks like my sister Rose and her husband will be joining us for all the festivities too!” He hadn’t seen his siblings in more than five years, so the fact that they were coming for his wedding was great news for everyone.

  Silently, Cassie did the room count again. Okay, maybe Uncle Ed and Aunt Rose would take the master suite and she wouldn’t have to worry. She didn’t realize that she’d spoken the words out loud until Stephen commented, “Nonsense, you know your aunt, she hates to be higher than the second story. Fear of heights and all. Take the master suite, Cass, and be done with it, okay?” His tone was light, and Cassie was sure that he had no idea what he would be subjecting her to.

  Over the course of the next two hours, all the guests arrived, and it was joyful chaos. Poor Matt got stuck with moving everyone’s luggage all around the house, and the noise level was near deafening at times. Cassie looked at the time and saw that it was nearing four o’clock, and she instructed her servers to get the prepared snack trays out of the refrigerator and to put the lasagna that she’d made ahead of time into the oven so that they could all be eating dinner at five thirty.

  When she felt that everything was under control, Cassie decided to face her demons and walked up the stairs to the master suite. As soon as her feet touched the plush carpeting, she felt her knees buckle. Forcing herself to keep moving, she shut the door and walked to the bathroom to freshen up.

  So many memories assaulted her that she felt as if she were being smothered. Everywhere she looked she could see Adam, feel him. Every touch, every word played through her mind, and with a cry of despair, she stormed from the bathroom out onto the balcony and faced the cold winter air. She welcomed the frosty bite as she stared out at the ocean. There was a time when all she wanted was to be able to look out at this view anytime she wanted; now she knew that for the next several days it would make her sick.

  With a fortifying breath, Cassie stepped back into the bedroom, closed the door to the balcony, and walked across the room, knowing that sleep was going to elude her tonight. At the doorway, she turned and looked at the bed. Like a flash of light, it hit her; she had told Adam that she loved him that last night they’d spent here. Was that what freaked him out? Was that why he had turned on her the way he had?

  A lone tear rolled down her cheek. What did it matter? He was gone, refusing to come to his own mother’s wedding so that he wouldn’t have to see her. How was that for rejection? Wiping the stray tear away, Cassie walked out of the room and went to the kitchen to check on the meal.

  As she suspected, no one seemed to have noticed her absence. A quick peek into the oven showed that the lasagna was cooking nicely and that her staff had the situation under control. She turned toward the refrigerator and was grabbing a bottle of water when someone came up behind her, placed a firm hand on her hip, and leaned against her.

  She’d know that touch anywhere.

  With a gasp of surprise, Cassie turned toward Adam’s smiling face. “Sorry I’m late, darling. I didn’t miss dinner, did I?” He kissed her lightly on the cheek and had to hold in a laugh at the expression on her face. She was surprised to see him; he wasn’t sure if it was a good surprise or a bad one.

  Cassie stared at Adam as if he was from another planet. What in the world was he doing here? Her entire family had promised her that he wasn’t coming! A quick glance around the room showed no one other than herself to be surprised by his appearance. Taking a cautious step back, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

  With an easy chuckle, he looked at Cassie and smiled, touching a finger lightly to her nose. “My mother’s getting married. Where else would I be?”

  Before Cassie could find the words to tell him exactly where she thought he should be, Adam was being welcomed by her traitorous family. She stood, mouth agape, as her brother shook his hand and welcomed him. Her father followed suit, and then both of her sisters walked over and hugged him! Blinking rapidly and wondering what on earth was going on, she almost choked as Katie handed Ella to Adam and he readily took the baby into his arms!

  The room began to tilt and spin, and Cassie reached behind her to hold onto the counter to stay upright. It was like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone. Any minute she expected to pass out, but luckily one of her servers approached and had questions about the meal. Thankful for the distraction, Cassie busied herself. Unfortunately, time moved quickly, and before she knew it, she found herself seated next to Adam in the formal dining room and being served dinner.

  Conversation rang out all around her, but all Cassie heard was her own heartbeat drumming in her ears. Adam hadn’t said anything else to her since his initial comment, and she was thankful for his silence. She took a deep breath, reached for her glass of water, and took a long drink from it.

  “Everything looks and smells wonderful, Cass,” Matt said as he stood to toast the soon-to-be bride and groom.

  Cassie was sure that his words were eloquent and wonderful, and she raised her glass at the appointed time but still couldn’t focus fully on any of it. She could smell Adam’s cologne, feel the heat of his body next to hers. Dear Lord, how on earth was she going to survive the next three days?

  Dishes were being passed, and without touching a thing, Cassie found her plate full. Looking around in confusion as to how it all got there, she turned to find Adam smiling at her. “I hope you don’t mind, but you were holding up the line.” His tone was light and easy and very unlike she had ever heard him speak before. He looked so relaxed that Cassie found herself wanting to smile at him but couldn’t seem to make her face cooperate.

  “Um…thank you,” she murmured and then turned her attention to her meal and began to eat. The food was like sawdust in her mouth, and she hoped she was the only one feeling that way. A look around the table showed her that everyone seemed to be enjoying the meal, so she let herself relax.

  Once dinner was done and everything cleared away, people dispersed around the house. The men had taken over the game room, while the women sat around the fire in the living room talking about the wedding. Cassie stayed in the kitchen longer than was necessary and finally forced herself to relax.

  A dessert buffet was put out, and everyone ate and visited some more. Before she knew it, people were starting to say their good nights and walking to their rooms. Now that Adam was here, Cassie figured she’d bunk in the game room with her servers. Not wanting to face Adam in the bedroom, she went up and began collecting her things. She was almost done when she turned to find him standing in the doorway.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I didn’t realize that you’d be here, everyone said that you weren’t coming.” She cursed the tremor in her voice and was thankful that her hands were busy putting clothes in her suitcase so that he wouldn’t notice them shaking as well. “I had no idea that so many relatives were going to be here, so I’m going to bunk down in the game ro
om with the girls.”

  Cassie was waiting for Adam to play the role of the gentleman and tell her that it wasn’t necessary for her to leave because he would, but he didn’t. Instead, he walked into the room, sat on the bed, and removed his shoes. She stopped her packing and merely stared at him. Mild disappointment swamped her when he didn’t make the offer to be the one to leave. When he stood to put his shoes away, Cassie went to the bathroom to collect the items she had placed in there earlier. When she came out, her suitcase was no longer on the bed. She found Adam emerging from the walk-in closet.

  “Where’s my suitcase?”

  “In the closet.” His response was said lightly as he walked to the bed and reclined against the pillows, his smile serene.

  Many emotions were raging inside Cassie, but confusion won. “Why? It’s been a long day, and I need my things.”

  “Amy and Madison are already camped out. All you’ll do is wake them up, and they’ve got a lot of work to do over the next couple of days.”

  Sighing heavily because she hated having to talk to him like he was a child, she said, “Be that as it may, I have to sleep somewhere.”

  “Sleep here.”

  Cassie looked at Adam as if he’d lost his mind. All her anguish and frustration from the past six weeks boiled to the surface. “Sleep here? What is wrong with you? You humiliate me—again, might I add—in front of my family, and then I don’t hear from you for more than a month, and now you think you can waltz in here and ask me to sleep with you?” Realizing that the bedroom door was open and her voice was getting near a screech, she stormed over and shut it before rounding on him again.

  “I’ll admit that it’s my fault that you assume that I’d want to. I mean, after all, you’ve done this in the past, and somehow I manage to keep ending up in bed with you. But not this time, Adam. I’ll sleep out on the damn deck first!” Feeling confident that she had made her point, Cassie turned and headed for the closet to retrieve her luggage.