by Erica Breyer
What a day.
∞∞∞
Carrick snatched up his phone at the first ring.
“I’ve just been on the phone with Mrs. Hanson’s doctor.” It was Patricia. She got straight to the point.
“What’s the plan?” he asked, not wasting time on niceties either.
“She needs surgery as soon as possible. The specialist in Geneva needs first-class flights here and back. He can clear the time in his schedule – if I get him a flight tomorrow, he can operate on Tuesday – but we’ll need to cover the cost. His hourly rate is…impressive, very impressive,” she emphasized.
“Fine,” Carrick replied. “Set it up.”
“We can book an additional day if necessary, in case of post-op complications. He’ll need accommodation.”
“Good idea,” Carrick agreed. “Go ahead.”
“His requirements are...also impressive,” she said.
“Trish, I really don’t care what his requirements are or how ‘impressive’ his rates are. If he needs pink jellybeans in his suite, get him some,” he answered.
“It’s just that—” Patricia stopped.
“Just that what?”
“I’m not sure if the fund will have the resources to cover this, Carrick,” she said bluntly.
“You have access to my private account. Use that,” he said.
“Okay,” Patricia said smoothly. It wasn’t her job to ask unnecessary questions.
“Trish...I don’t want this process stalling because someone didn’t get their jellybeans. I trust you with this. Do whatever it takes,” Carrick told her.
“I’m on it. Don’t give it another thought,” she said.
“Thank you,” he went on, “and Trish, I need you to set up a meeting at Head Office. Tomorrow afternoon would be good. I want Miss Hanson there.”
“No problem,” she replied. “Although, do you think now is the right time? The circumstances—"
“I understand your concern. But if she’s going to need time away from work, I want the team up to speed on what she’s been busy with.” ‘I’m such a dick,’ Carrick thought.
“Good point,” Patricia replied. “Which reminds me, I’ll speak to Jackie about arranging leave forms. I imagine Kelly will need a day or two to handle things.”
“You’re right,” Carrick said. “Probably the rest of the week. Get in touch to make the necessary arrangements. I’ll leave that in your hands.”
“Consider it done,” she said.
“Thanks, Trish,” Carrick said before ending the call. He stared at the screen for a moment, wondering if he should send Kelly a message, then decided to leave her in peace.
∞∞∞
“Babe!” Taneka cried when Kelly walked into the office the next morning. She was up and rushing across the room, wrapping Kelly in a warm embrace before she had a chance to reply. “How are you? How is Mom?” she asked, her dark eyes filled with concern.
Kelly gave a faint smile. She was exhausted. After they’d left the hospital the night before, she and Jarrod had made their way home, then prepared dinner in silence. She couldn’t eat, but she had to do something to stop her thoughts from consuming her.
“She’s resting. They’re keeping her heavily medicated to manage the pain.” The words brought a lump to her throat. “How did you—?”
“Patricia called yesterday. Me and Jay were at my folks’ place. We’ve been praying for her.” She gave Kelly another squeeze, then peered into her face. “I didn’t expect you to come in today, actually. You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep much,” Kelly admitted. A warm bath and herbal tea had done little to settle her thoughts before bed. She’d tried reading but ended up staring at the same paragraph for forty minutes. A sweet message from Carrick had made her smile for a moment.
‘In my thoughts. Try to sleep,’ it said simply.
So much had changed in such a short time. She couldn’t believe she’d gone from Saturday’s euphoria to…this.
“I told Patricia I’d cover for you this week,” Taneka said. “You don’t need to be here, you know.”
“Oh, hon,” Kelly’s voice broke. “Thank you.” The woman had the biggest heart in the world. Kelly pulled herself together. She needed to focus. “Patricia asked me to a meeting at HQ this afternoon. They want me to give a quick run-down of the new system we’ve set up.”
Taneka’s eyebrows lifted. “Today? Are you up to it?”
“I’ll be fine,” Kelly reassured her. “I can’t expect the whole world to stop turning just because I have some personal problems. Besides, it makes sense to explain it all, in case I…” She cleared her throat. “In case I need more time off.” It amazed her that she’d actually been able to get so much personal leave, considering she was so new to the company. “I can’t keep taking advantage like this, though.”
“Babe, you’re not taking advantage – you make up for every minute you’re gone. Besides, look at the changes you’ve been making. You’re amazing!” Taneka worked to set her mind at ease. “And in case you hadn’t noticed it, Cross is a great company to work for. They really take care of us. You’re an asset to the team, and they value you. Embrace that.”
Kelly relaxed a little but remained subdued. “Anyway, I just came in to print out some files to take with this afternoon. I’ll be out of here in a bit.”
Taneka gave her a final hug. “You just let me know if you need any help, okay?”
Kelly nodded at her friend, then set to work. Focusing on her job was probably good for her right now.
Chapter 16
Kelly straightened her skirt and smoothed her hair back, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. It had been a while since she’d worn corporate office wear, and she’d almost forgotten what it felt like. Her time at the site had given her a taste of the freedom of sneakers, and she wasn’t sure she was thrilled to be back in a suit.
Her conversation with Patricia Parker that morning ran through her memory.
‘Mr. Cross will be joining us today to get an update on your report. I think we could implement some of your processes across our other projects.’
Finally! At last, she was getting to meet the big boss himself. Kelly took a deep breath and smoothed the top page of her report, tucking it into a folder. She’d made enough copies for herself and everyone else in the meeting, and she was certain she’d covered everything that needed to be discussed.
Despite this, she still felt a knot of apprehension unfurling in her stomach. Perhaps it was because of the build-up to this day. All this time with Cross Construction and her boss had always been too busy to join any of their meetings. Part of her was intimidated. He ran a huge, successful organization, why on earth would he have time to introduce himself to little Kelly Hanson? She was just one of hundreds of people who worked for him. Anyhow, he couldn’t be that scary. His company had already done so much for her family.
‘Cut it out, Kelly, you’re great at your job. You’ve got this!’ she told herself, taking a deep breath and pulling her shoulders back. She strode to the boardroom door, tapped once, and then opened it, stepping into the room. The rest of the group were already seated around the boardroom table, pouring over a spread of papers that took up much of the surface.
“Ah, Kelly, thank you for coming in today. I know you have a lot going on right now,” said William Randall, who was seated to the right of the table. Patricia faced him, and Jackie sat beside her. She looked up when Kelly entered, and smiled warmly.
The seat at the head of the table was turned away from her, hiding the occupant of the chair, although his shoulders protruded past the backrest. Kelly caught a glimpse of the back of his head, dark hair brushed against the stark white of his collar, which was offset by the navy of his suit jacket. There was something familiar about the set of those shoulders. The scent of sandalwood and lemon. And man. She stopped herself from letting her mouth drop open and stepped forward around the table, clutching her folder to her chest.
“Kelly, good to see you. I hope things are progressing positively with your mom,” Patricia said, and Kelly nodded. “Won’t you take a seat next to Mr. Cross? It’ll be easier to explain your report.”
Kelly reached the empty seat and set her folders down on the gleaming table. Then looked up into eyes the color of rich, hot chocolate.
“Hello, Kelly,” said Carrick.
∞∞∞
It was the longest meeting of Kelly’s life. She had absolutely no idea how she got through it. Her emotions were at war. All she could think about were Carrick’s strong hands, the way the crisp white cuffs of his dress shirt brushed against the bones of his wrists. The line of his throat where his collar pulled tautly against his neck. Did the others know about the inky swirl of tattoo that twisted towards that throat? The throat that she’d been dotting with kisses just days before. The jawline that she’d nipped, the lips she’d nibbled. His face, his eyes. Those chocolate eyes…
He hadn’t said a thing. Not a single sign of acknowledgment of her – of them – the entire time they were in the boardroom. She’d stumbled through her presentation, and he’d made appropriate comments. The rest of the group seemed oblivious. She barely let herself breathe. Every time he moved, she’d inhale the scent of him, and a rush of memories would tear through her mind. Images of him…the lines of his body. The thought of them entwined in passion. His hands on her hips, her breasts, her—
It was almost too much to bear. By the time they adjourned, it was all she could to do to say her goodbyes, gather up her belongings, and get out. She fled. The sound of his voice behind her barely registered as she made it to the elevator.
“Kelly…Kelly!” he called. She was pushing the button to call up the lift, her finger hitting the touchpad with unnecessary force. The damn thing worked off body heat anyhow. She stabbed at it again.
“Dammit. Dammit. Dammit!” she muttered, trying to bite down a sob. He was beside her, his hand reaching out to covers hers.
“Kelly. We need to talk,” he said, his voice low.
Kelly turned to face him. “Oh, we need to talk, do we?” she whispered furiously. “I’d say that’s an understatement! What the—" She was interrupted by the doors swishing open, and he ushered her in, his hand on the small of her back. She flinched and brushed it away.
Carrick frowned, withdrew his hand. “I…I’m sorry,” he said simply, reaching to the elevator control panel and pushing a button for the Ground Floor. They needed privacy.
“Sorry?” she spat out at him as the doors shut. “All this time, you’ve been letting me think you were just one of the guys on the site. All this time you’ve been lying to me. Why? Do you think I’m some kind of fool? Do you—"
“No!” Carrick interrupted, reaching out again and then dropping his hand. “No, I would never do that. Not to you…not to anyone, but especially not to you, Kelly.”
“Then why?” she whispered, tears welling, threatening to spill. ‘Why would you string me along like that? Why not tell me from the start? Why not tell who you were?” She stopped and rubbed the bridge of her nose between her eyes, blinking hard to keep those tears at bay. “I don’t know who you are… John? Your name is John Cross?”
“I am Carrick. John Carrick Cross… But I’m Carrick,” he said firmly, his jaw setting. “My father is John Cross. And I have no intention of going through life as John Junior.”
Kelly stared at him for a moment, wanting to keep raging but feeling other emotions creeping in. He’d told her about his father. The animosity between them. She could feel that he was telling her the truth about that. The doors of the elevator pinged open, and he put his hand to her elbow, guiding her out. She didn’t resist. She didn’t want to. So much of her heart had attached itself to this man. She wanted to hear him out.
She wanted to punch him in the mouth.
She clenched her fists and remained silent as he led her out the doors of the building to where his car was parked.
The freaking Bugatti.
She flashed him a furious glare, and he shrugged ruefully, opening the door for her and waiting for her to slide in before heading around to get in on the driver’s side. The interior was pristine, not even a stray parking stub in sight. It still had that ‘new car’ smell, for Pete’s sake.
She preferred his pickup.
“Let me take you home. We can talk on the way. I’ll get your car sent over later,” he said firmly. Kelly nodded. He’d messed up, so he could take care of the damn details.
Jackass!
The engine roared to life, and he pulled out of the parking bay. The CEO’s spot, of course…she should have known. She was guessing the apartment wasn’t ‘Lester’s’ either. The longer she remained silent, the angrier she became. Finally, once they were on the road, he turned his attention back to her.
“I never had any plans to deceive you, Kelly,” he said. “Your first day on-site, I was there to meet you…to welcome you to the team.” Kelly remembered the day. How she’d assumed he was just another laborer. She’d been rude to him. Dismissive. She groaned inwardly but maintained her stony silence. It didn’t excuse the weeks and weeks of subterfuge afterward. He’d had a million chances to set things right. Certainly before last weekend.
That weekend. Oh, God, that weekend. So much happened. So much had changed.
“Yeah, I know I could have come clean,” he said as if reading her thoughts. “I’ll admit, in the beginning, I got a bit of a kick out of messing with you.” She saw his mouth twist ruefully.
“The notes?” she asked, folding her hands on her lap. If they were loose, she might slap him. Or stroke his face. She couldn’t decide at that moment.
“Yeah, that was me,” he admitted. “I’m sorry. I had no idea what you were going through at the time. If I’d known—”
“Taneka told you?” Kelly pressed.
“Yes, she did. I felt like the biggest dick on earth. And I made her promise not to let the cat out of the bag, so don’t hold that against her…that was on me,” Carrick murmured, his eyes on the road ahead. The car chewed up the tar like it was on air, and he maneuvered it deftly, as if he’d been behind the wheel his whole life. She tore her eyes from his hands on the steering wheel. It was too hard not to imagine them on her. He’d handled her body with the same skill. She felt a shiver ripple across her skin and shook her head.
“But why? Why did you keep up the pretense?” she asked. “By then, surely you’d grown tired of the game?”
“It wasn’t a game, Kelly,” he said earnestly, flashing a look at her. “We were spending time together, I got to know you…your family.” He sighed. “That’s something I’ve always wanted. That sense of family. Togetherness. You’re so close. I loved being part of that.”
“What’s wrong with your own family?” she bit out cruelly. “Why can’t you have that with them?” Low blow.
He frowned. “You know the answer to that. They were never like that. Never like what you have. My father was all about…money. Success. Things.” He waved a hand across the steering wheel. “This car. I got it just to show him that I could. It means nothing. It’s just a ‘thing’.” His jaw worked, and he was silent for a moment. “At first, I thought you were like that too.” He said the words in a rush, as if he was afraid of her reaction, and she looked at him sharply.
“But…why…?” She stopped talking. She knew why. She’d been a cow. Superior, condescending. How many times had she told Taneka that Carrick was a loser? That she wasn’t interested in men without money? Of course that wasn’t true. It was a knee-jerk comment she made when she felt threatened. Her father…the men who’d expected her to take care of them. Those guys were losers, sure. But Carrick? Never. He was different. She hadn’t wanted to see it at first, but it was pretty hard to ignore.
She heaved a sigh, rubbing her forehead. Her head hurt. The car was slowing, and she looked up to see they were pulling up outside her house. He brought the car to a halt, cut the engine, and turned to f
ace her. His eyes were intense as they locked with hers. He raised his hand to cup her jawline, and this time she didn’t push him away.
“Kelly, I know I messed up. It was so damn stupid of me. I got caught up in it all, and somehow I didn’t know how to come clean. Today’s meeting was kind of my way of…ripping off the Band-Aid, I guess. I was a coward. I knew you would have to see who I was, but I didn’t know how to face the fallout. Having the others there meant you couldn’t—” He stopped.
“Couldn’t what? Cry? Slap you? Call you an ass?” she demanded.
“Leave,” he said simply. Kelly took a sharp breath. His eyes never left hers until she turned her face into the palm of his hand, where it still cupped her cheek. She shut her eyes tightly. It was too much. This was all too much. She couldn’t think.
“Carrick, I… I need time to process this,” she whispered. “It’s a lot. Things aren’t clear right now. My mom…”
It was Carrick’s turn to draw a sharp breath. “Of course,” he said. “I know you have a lot on your plate. I don’t…I don’t want to add to your burden. If anything, I want to help. Make it easier for you. You know that, don’t you?" Kelly stayed silent. How could anything be easy right now?
“I have to think,” she said. She’d run out of words. She drew away from him. From his touch. His hand on her face. The comfort he promised. She reached for the door handle, fumbling to get out.
Stupid car.
He’d already climbed out and opened the door for her by the time she’d figured it out. He reached out a hand to help her from the low bucket seat. For long moments they stood facing each other, almost touching, but not. His eyes searched hers, waiting for an answer. Some sort of sign. Kelly took a deep breath. Inhaled him.