"I don't want you to fall for Michael."
Her gaze darted to meet his. "You don't get a say in my love life."
"True, but here's the thing. You're my sister and I love you."
"I love you too. And?"
"I see when you're lying to yourself and I think you're denying your feelings for Michael. I’ve thought so for a long time. The way you always perked up and checked yourself in a mirror when he walked in a room was a huge signal."
She let the necklace go and felt her skin radiate heat. "I never did that."
“Okay.” His sarcastic tone rang in her ears at the same second his phone rang. He checked the call and clutched it in his hand. "Then why do you blush? Either way I have to go. See you later."
She followed him to the door where he hugged her.
Once he let her go, she waited for him to walk away and then locked her door. A moment later, she rushed into her bedroom, their conversation forgotten. Tonight's benefit was formalwear and she had a peach dress that made her look angelic and thin. If Michael had that glow in his eyes when he stared at her, then all the trouble to get ready was worth it.
She rushed and fixed her makeup to match her hair. The pendant stayed now. She had intended to wear it to her wedding but had forgotten it at home. Maybe it was a sign. At least Brandon had found it and she could wear it again.
The doorbell chimed and she checked her dress. Then she swung the door wide open to see Michael's sexy dimples. Her gaze drifted lower and checked out his hot body covered in a black tux clearly made for his every muscle. He leaned against her door and asked, "Are you ready?"
This was time to fix her mistakes in Mexico and give them a shot. She reached forward and tugged him inside. As the door closed, she pressed her back to it and stared into his blue eyes. "Michael, I want to talk to you."
He glanced up and down her form. There should be no secrets. This was it.
"You look amazing, Calliope."
She stood straight and ignored her goosebumps or how electricity shot through her. "I still think I'm falling in love with you."
He stepped back. "What?"
No. The words rang true. He wasn't a replacement. The nervousness dampened her skin and she took a deep breath. "I know you don't love me. It's okay, but I just need to say the words."
He reached for her and a sigh escaped through her parted lips. He leaned closer. "That's just it—you're the one I wanted, more than I wanted Christmas, but I don't deserve you."
More than presents and laughter and being with those who loved her as they sang near a pine tree? Seriously? She shook her head and clung to his shoulders. "What are you saying?"
"Kiss me. Now." He pressed his lips to hers.
Nothing else mattered anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and followed his lead. Tonight she’d told the truth and she was his.
Chapter 10
Michael kept his hand on the small of Calliope's back as they made their way through the crowded mansion on Starr Island. If they had stayed in her apartment, he'd have wanted to rip her clothes off, but her words 'I love you' haunted him. Calliope deserved more than him, but the thought of letting her go sent bile up his throat. Going out meant he had a delay in responding.
The clink of glasses as a group in the distance laughed made Calliope turn her head. She should have been at parties for the past few years and not in hiding. He pointed her toward the back and she reached out and squeezed his arm.
He stood taller and led her toward the bar. He motioned for service, when he spotted his sister and her new fiancé. He ordered a glass of Pinot Gricio for Calliope and a whiskey neat for himself. Her touch lingered on his offer of the glass, and then she withdrew her fingers despite how she wanted to hold him. Without a word, she composed herself and nodded at his sister who hugged her right away. "Hey, it's been a long time."
"You're here with Michael?"
His face felt hot. Sandy would have an opinion.
Calliope put her hand on his shoulder. "He invited me."
Sandy placed her glass in front of her lips in attempt to block the huge grin on her face. "I knew he liked you."
No. Michael stepped in front of Calliope and blocked his sister from her view. "Sandy, when is your wedding?"
The grin on her face flickered and she crossed her arms. Without a word, he understood that she needed to back off. She dropped her arms and reached out for Colt's hand. She stared into his eyes as she said, "We're still picking venues. Once I know the place and their calendar, we can make a final decision."
Calliope bounced forward. "I remember seeing you kissing at the senior breakfast at the Rusty Pelican."
High school. Michael stood taller. His sister had been visibly upset her freshman year of college and acted like someone broke her heart. She never mentioned who. His hands curled into fists. "Wyatt, how long have you been making my sister wait?"
Sandy stepped in front of Wyatt. "Michael, what matters is that he asked me to marry him and I said yes."
Calliope shrugged and his attention went toward her as she played with her necklace. "I like the Rusty Pelican, Sandy. It's overlooking the intracoastal and has that giant room for a reception."
Then over her head, he saw Peter Morgan and his wife. He’d let this thing with his sister and Wyatt go for now. It was time to say hello to his potential investor so he could get Calliope out and no one would know anything. He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Glad Calliope could help. Talk to you both later."
He led her away from his sister and into the crowd. Calliope bumped into Jennifer Gonzales who then gave her a dirty look. He quickly tugged Calliope’s arm and managed to her away from the other woman as Calliope asked, "Where are we going?"
Home. The thought made no sense. He slowed. "I want..." to be alone with you wouldn't make sense, since he’d brought her here. He pressed his lips together and felt someone tap his shoulder. He glanced over. "Let me introduce you to Peter Morgan and his wife Belle."
Her gaze narrowed. "Yes." She then held out her hand to shake Belle’s and Peter's hands as she said, "It's a pleasure to see you both."
"Belle, this is Calliope Campbell. I met her in the bank today. She has a seat on the board at Morgan Enterprises."
Her eyes widened. "I never go."
He glanced at the clock, and his palms felt sweaty so he made a fist and hoped no one noticed.
Peter said, "Calliope, Michael will ask you to make an exception for tomorrow afternoon's meeting." He tapped his wife's shoulder and pointed toward the Hawke sisters as he told his wife, "We must go. Please let me know."
Calliope stepped away from him and lifted her chin. "What's he talking about? I refuse to be pushed around and used again."
“I’m not Chris.” As he brushed his finger on her arm, he had a jolt. He'd plead his innocence away from the crowd as his stomach filled with knots. She probably wouldn't believe he hadn't known. "We'll talk about it in private."
She nodded and pointed toward the doors that led to a patio and then a walkway where a yacht was docked and the bay overlooked Miami. "Walk with me to the Intracoastal then. I want to know what's going on."
His head buzzed with the question of what to do when she refused to believe. His feet dragged but then he squared his shoulders. "Fair enough."
Without a word, they smiled and nodded their way through the party. The small walkway behind the mansion provided dark corners where they might sit on a bench and talk. She led him toward one of them that was surrounded by palm trees. Once they were away from people, she flipped her hair behind her shoulders. "Earlier you demanded we come. What's going on?"
His muscles tightened. He imagined how she'd look at him with glassy eyes and then walk out of his life forever as he said, "I am starting an investment firm and Morgan Enterprises has offered to fund. The vote is this month and there are some that believe I am a risk because of my father."
She hugged her waist as she stared at him with fawn-like eyes tha
t refused to blink. "Did you sleep with me to get my vote?"
This was exactly what he’d feared would happen if she found out. His legs widened to anchor himself. "Absolutely not. I didn't even know you had a seat on his board. Why would I know that?"
"I guess you wouldn't." She dropped her arms. "I'm just on edge that we came here and you're avoiding being alone."
"I'm not." A sinking feeling in his chest grew wider.
"You didn't say anything when I said I loved you. Is this why?"
His head spun as he tried to follow her train of thought. "I didn't say anything because you deserve better."
"Michael, all I want is to be with you. I left you in Mexico because I spent years of my life wishing Chris was a good enough replacement for you. I always wanted you. It doesn't have to be hard."
His body loosened and his stomach slowly unknotted. "Calliope, I'm not the guy for you."
She batted her eyelashes. "Because you don't love me?"
"Because I do." He reached out to hold her. He wanted to take her as his right now and not let go. No one ever believed in him so easily.
Then she acted like he wanted a hug and her arms wrapped around his neck. She smelled like roses and his body couldn’t deny how much he wanted her as she said, "You do?"
"Yeah."
She kissed his neck and then then stood on her tiptoes. "So let's go inside, say goodbye and then go home. I want to be alone."
If she believed in him, then anything else was possible. He traced her arms around him and then unwrapped them. He placed his forehead on hers. "I can't say no to you. Give me five minutes. I want to tell Peter I don't need his deal."
She grabbed his suit jacket for a second. "Don't do that on my account."
Home with Calliope sounded good. He had one person to shake hands with for his company and then he was free with no obligations. He took her hand in his and placed it on his heart. "As long as you promise to miss the vote."
"So can we go?"
If he shook this hand, he'd not have to do anything important at all tomorrow, except take Calliope again and again. "Five minutes and I'm yours for the night."
She dropped her hands and winked. "That's a good start. I'll go talk to your sister."
In five minutes, he’d leave with the prettiest woman he ever met. For once he had everything he ever needed. Tonight, she'd be his.
Chapter 11
Calliope kissed Michael lightly and then felt a hum in her skin as she walked inside the mansion and glanced around for Sandra and Wyatt. She wouldn’t interrupt if they danced, but if they were just talking, it would be fine for a few minutes. Michael squeezed her hand and then they walked off in the direction of Peter Morgan and a few other men.
She adjusted her dress and headed toward the bar, where she’d last seen his sister. She bumped into Matthew Morgan, who was supposed to star in her brother's film, but he seemed distracted. She continued and then she felt a chill race up her spine. She turned and saw her blond, blue-eyed ex-fiancé standing close to her. She crossed her arms as he said, "Calliope."
"Chris." She nodded. Every cell in her body wanted to explode, but she held back her fury. She held up her head and glared at him, daring him to speak.
"It's good to see you." He lowered his gaze and his cheeks were slightly red.
No. It wasn't good to see him. She took a deep breath. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Clearly." She raised her eyebrow as she glanced around for a sign of Roxanne. The woman wasn't close. She rolled her shoulders and then turned to leave. "I should go."
He reached out and caught her wrist. "Are you here with Michael?"
"Yeah." She tugged her wrist out of his grasp as bile collected in her throat.
"Be careful there."
Her forehead wrinkled as she crossed her arms and glanced at a waiter that passed. "Why? You’re the one who can't be faithful."
"Your judgment isn't the best all the time. Right now it's revenge sex you're having."
Revenge? Was that why Michael had a hard time believing her feelings? A bitterness grew in her stomach as she felt her hands ball into fists. "Who is in my bed or not in my bed is no longer your concern."
"I wish it was." His voice softened. The bile dissipated until he finished his sentence. "You do know Eva is pregnant."
Michael's ex. She took the champagne off the waiter's tray now and swallowed it in one swig. "What?"
"So you didn't know."
This wasn't a question. Something ate at her insides, and it felt like a wolf wanted to growl from within her soul as she lifted her chin. "I know you cheated on me and Roxanne is pregnant."
Chris reached out and put both his hands on her forearms like he'd hug her. "I still love you and want you back."
She wiggled her shoulders to shake him off as she avoided his gaze. "If you loved me, that wouldn't have happened."
He reached up and cupped her chin. "It was a stupid mistake. I'd put you first for the rest of our lives if you forgave me and took me back."
"No." Her mind flashed to the night before the wedding and Chris's last kiss as he escorted her to her hotel room. She felt cold and bored. Then her mind returned to this afternoon as Michael made her body ache to feel all of him.
"I'd forget your fling with Michael and we could both start fresh."
If he had fathered a child, at least it had been before he’d ever kissed her. She threw her hands up to get out of Chris' arms. "No."
A familiar hand brushed the small of her back. She turned slightly and saw Michael while she stepped closer into his arms. He smelled like a home she never had as he said, "Calliope, is everything okay?"
All of this could be worked out. She turned to face him. His blue eyes mesmerized her. She swallowed and asked, "Michael, is Eva pregnant?"
With an intake of breathe he surveyed both of them. "How do you both know that?"
"So she is." Her shoulders slumped.
He glanced at Chris like he was a snake. "You both shouldn't know. She told me the only one who knew was the father."
"Chris just told me." She pointed and stepped to the side.
Michael stepped in front of her and placed his hand on her side to ensure she was far behind him as he asked Chris, "Did you father two children while cheating on Calliope?"
"It's not how it sounds." Chris backed up. "And we both know she's better in bed than Calliope."
Before she could even gasp, Michael's hand balled into a fist and he punched Chris.
Chris lost his footing and stumbled. Then he reached out and punched Michael as another man put his hands around Chris to stop him.
She jumped forward and grabbed Michael's shoulders. No one should fight because of her. Everyone stared at the pair of them. The silence was deafening. Finally, he glanced at her and she pulled Michael away. He followed while she said, "Michael, let's get out of here."
"Gladly." She reached for his arm and held him close as they made their way through the crowd and away from Chris.
Once they made it out the front door, there were only a few groups that were saying goodbye to each other. Calliope reached up and traced Michael's face to survey where Chris had touched him. In the dark she couldn't make out much of a bruise, though he'd feel it. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. My hand will be fine." He nodded and reached toward his face and drew her hand lower.
She whispered, "It was quite a punch."
"He hurt you." His face hardened.
Her body trembled so she squeezed his hand. "So you hit him for me and not Eva."
His chin rested on her forehead. "For you mostly but Eva deserves better than getting involved in that jerk's web of lies."
If he kissed her, would it hurt his face? She felt her nipples harden in her gold dress. "He made it seem like you were the father of Eva's baby."
"Eva and I were over six months ago. How... why did you go back to Chris the first time?"
She closed her eyes and prayed.
Then she heard a a voice behind her and she stepped away from Michael to give room. A second later Sandy said, "Sorry to interrupt. I wanted to know if my brother was okay?"
Michael met her gaze and then turned toward his sister. "I'm fine, Sandy."
His sister shook her head and checked the side of his face. "You've never picked a fight with anyone except to defend me in elementary school."
"That was a long time ago." Again he met her gaze until Wyatt Colburn came beside her.
Sandy stepped away from her brother and closer to her fiancé. "My brother was my hero then just as you're Calliope's now. Glad you're okay."
With his key, Michael let the car flash it's lights and held up his hand to point toward her, "Let's get going."
"Okay." Calliope waved, but Sandy reached out and hugged her.
Wyatt shook her hand. A few seconds later, she was with Michael and he placed his hand on her back to guide her toward his car. When he opened it and she slipped inside, she felt a jolt of energy she hadn’t felt since she was with him in Mexico. A second later, Michael took the driver’s side seat and started the car. The second he drove away, he asked, "So why did you go back to Chris?"
"I'll answer when we get home." Her entire body felt hot as she avoided his gaze. He must not have believed her that Chris was always the stand in for Michael. She had to figure out how to make him believe her and she needed time to figure out how.
Silence came between them as she watched the palm trees float past the window.
He held onto the steering wheel as he said, "I'll take you home."
"No. I want to go to your home tonight." She reached out and touched his arm. "Okay?"
He nodded and then drove toward Sunny Isles. As they crossed the bridge a few minutes later, she felt her heart began to pound.
He handed his car keys to a valet and led her inside. A doorman called the elevator for them and he placed his hand on her back. Her lips ached for a kiss, but instead goosebumps grew on her arm and entire body as they waited for the ride. Finally the elevators doors opened and he led her to the door of his place. The tingling sensation grew in her lips as he closed the door behind him, and they were alone. She hugged her waist as he placed his keys on a table and said, "Here we are. Do you want a drink?"
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Sin (The Marshall Family Saga Book 3) Page 6