“I know, Daniel. Before you even say it, but you know how Mr. Harmon is. Stubborn!”
Daniel and Callie nodded knowing this was very much like Paul. “Now he didn't want to worry any of us and that included the two of you, but I think we're at the point, right now, we can't really honor that request. I fear the love of my life is slipping away from me as we speak and we need to get some affairs in order…” Her voice broke as she spoke. “I need the two of you to be strong and do what he taught you to do for that law firm. You know that was… is his pride and joy. The two of you know what's going on with it better than I do. He needs the two of you to work together, not apart, to keep it going. Whatever… tension you have going on right now, work through it. The board will have questions. We’re counting on you.” She laid a hand on Daniel’s shoulder and squeezed Callie’s hand.
Daniel nodded again slicing a glance in Callie's direction, and she glared back. She was not feeling him at the moment. The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife at the moment. She had half a mind to let him have it when Maggie walked away, but as the older woman said, they did have to do this for Paul. They had to work together, not apart.
“The law firm is the least of your worries right now, Maggie. I mean that. We will take care of the board and whatever issues they have. You worry about your family and yourself. Please, if you need anything... anything at all…” Daniel took the woman’s hands and cradled them between his. Callie could see the emotion building in his eyes as he was unable to finish the sentence.
“Don't hesitate to let either of us know, Maggie. We’re here.” Callie spoke up, helping him out. “I know that, dear, and I appreciate you so much; you and this stubborn man here,” she said patting Daniel’s hand before slipping away from his hold. “Now, the two of you run on and get some food. We didn't get a chance to eat lunch back at the house, and I’m sure you’re starving. Don’t you dare come back here worrying over me. I’m fine. You have plenty to talk about. The board was calling Paul just this morning. That is why he called you over for lunch. They have plenty to say. Figure out a way to deal with them.”
“No, we’ll bring you something back. You didn't eat either,” Callie insisted as Daniel's phone buzzed in his hand. He frowned at the caller ID. “What is it?” Callie asked, turning to him. “It’s somebody from the board. I have to take this,” he said, putting the phone to his ear and walking away from them. Callie turned to Maggie and raised a brow. Once again, Daniel was conducting the firm’s business without her.
“You two can do this, together. I know you can. I know he's a bit stubborn and overbearing at times—”
“At times?” Callie rolled her eyes. “Try most times.”
Maggie chuckled. “Okay. Nine times out of ten, but he has a big heart, and he means well. I can tell the way he looks at you, he has feelings for you.” Callie’s cheeks warmed at the thought. “Oh, I can see those feeling are mutual.” Maggie patted her arm. “Why don't you go see about him? If the board’s calling, there's a reason. You both should be involved in that conversation. I'm going to go back and sit with Paul. I'll be in touch if there are any updates.” Maggie turned and reentered Paul's hospital room, leaving Callie alone in the hallway of the busy hospital.
She inadvertently rubbed at her arm, looking around her. It had been several years since her parents died, fifteen to be exact, but she still remembered that night like it was yesterday. She needed to get out of here. She turned and ran smack-dab into Daniel’s chest. His arms went around her, steadying her. “Hey, we need to talk about…” He stopped and looked into her eyes. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she fibbed. “It's just, you know, the whole Paul situation is upsetting…” She trailed off when he still examined her face with a look of concern, his blue eyes penetrating her face. “This isn't just about Paul, Callie. What's going on?” There was his self-concern she’d never heard with him before.
They’d gotten closer lately, but not that close. The question was intimate and warmed her insides. But she still had a bone to pick with him and he wouldn’t have her swooning. He didn't need to know about every detail of her being there and what happened with her parents. That was many years ago, but there was still a wound she wasn't willing to share.
Daniel may be able to pry in Paul's business, but he wasn't going to do it to her. Especially not here in the middle of this damn hospital where she couldn't stand being in in the first place. She pushed at his shoulder until he dropped his hands from her arms. He searched her face for answers and she didn’t keep him waiting long.
“You shouldn't have pushed Paul back at the house. If he wanted to be home, and comfortable, that was his business. You shouldn’t have interfered…”
He cocked a brow at her. “Are you saying it's my fault he's in the hospital right now? Because I ‘interfered’?
“I'm saying if you weren’t your usual pushy self, he may be comfortable right now in his house and not in this God-forsaken hospital, hooked up to tubes, and whatever else, with Maggie holding visual over the bed. And then you called his sons when that wasn't his wish—”
“They deserve to know,” Daniel growled.
“That is not your call. Their mother should have been the one to tell them. What is going on with you being so… involved in that family, anyway?”
“Are you jealous of the relationship I have with the Harmons?” he asked, leveling his gaze at her.
“I'm not jealous of anything,” she bristled, turning from him and crossing her arms over her chest like a child.
Daniel chuckled; putting his hands on her shoulders, he turned her back to him. His voice was low for only her ears. Despite the hustle of the ER, his gentle words were all she could hear. “Call it what you want, kitten. I'm not against you on this. I promise you that. We have to work together now. We made that woman in there a promise and I’ll be damned if we break it. We should not be fighting or arguing whatever this is in the middle of the hospital. I don’t want to fight with you anymore.” He brushed a piece of her raven colored hair from her cheek before dropping his arms around her.
She allowed him to hug her. She wanted to feel his warmth. She needed to get the hell out this hospital.
He slipped his hands down her arm until his hand connected, linking his fingers through hers and pulled her from the umbrella of his embrace. “Let’s get you out of here. This hospital clearly has you upset,” he said as if reading her mind. They walked toward the elevators and he hit the button for ‘down’. “I hope you share with me one day why that is, Callie.”
Chapter 13
Despite Maggie's protests, they stopped at a deli across the street from the hospital and picked up warm sandwiches, bags of chips and, of course, deli pickles. You can't have a good sandwich without a deli pickle. They took the food up to her. Before she shooed them back out of the room, they checked on Paul’s progress. There was no change. He was still sleeping. They promised to check back in later that afternoon. Their sons should be showing up by the end of the day, tomorrow at the latest.
Daniel did not make a fuss and stayed in the hospital as long as he saw Callie was uncomfortable. He wanted to know what that was about, but he wouldn't push her. She’d already voiced her annoyance for his intrusions in Paul and Maggie's affairs. But, he was close to them. They were like his family. He hoped he would get to know her like that if she would let him. But Callie seemed like a tough nut to crack. He wanted to break through that exterior but he’d respect her space, for now.
She agreed to follow him back to his house since it was closer to the hospital than was her place. They would discuss their plan of attack for the firm and the board over lunch. He knew he had to share the situation with her. He did not want her to think he was going about company business without her. He had promised the Harmons they would work together and play well in the sandbox. He did not want any more scolding from Maggie today.
He waited until she pulled into
his driveway behind him before exiting his vehicle. He came to the driver’s side and opened the door for her.
“Any idea how long you'll have this rental?” he asked, still not keen on the fact she thought she had to go get a rental instead of taking a ride with him. But they weren't there yet. He wasn’t her man, and it wasn’t his concern. He wouldn’t mind it being his concern. He didn't think he would have these types of feelings for her, but she was finding a place in his heart quicker than he thought possible.
She stepped from the car, slamming the door behind her. She leveled her eyes on him raising a brow. “Does my car being in the shop bother you that much, Daniel?”
“Just making friendly conversation, Miss Johnson.” He winked at her.
She offered a wry grin and answered. “The garage will call on Monday morning to let me know where they are with my car. I'll probably have this for at least the rest of the weekend.”
No need to drive the car if you're spending the weekend with me. But he wouldn't dare say that. That would be the quickest way to have her hop right back into the rental and speed like a bat out of hell from his driveway.
“How long have they had your car? You don't think they're giving you the runaround, do you?” He glanced at her.
“I've gone to this garage for years. I know them well. They would not screw me over.” Her tone was dry, and he recognized it as a queue to back the hell off. That was the ‘I'm a strong independent woman and don't need a man to tell me anything’ side of Callie coming out again.
They entered his four bedroom home with an open floor plan on hardwood floors. She turned around once and then in the opposite direction, mouth slightly agape, taking in his home. He threw his keys in the bowl on a table by the front entrance and watched her look around.
“Penny for your thoughts, Callie?” he asked slightly amused at the expression on her face, a mix between shocked and confused.
“It's just... I did not take you for the single-family home and driveway type.” She focused her attention on him.
“Oh, is that so? And, what type did you expect me to be?” he asked, dying to hear her response. He knew he came off as a bit of a jerk to some, but the real him surprised people. But, no one, especially at the law firm, ever had the balls to stick up to him, except for her. She, of course, did not disappoint.
“The cocky bachelor in a major city type. High power attorney. I would expect you to have a high-end million dollar condo on an upper level overlooking the city with something tacky like fur rugs, all black with stainless steel finishes.”
“Ouch, not the fur rugs.” He placed a hand on his chest, feigning a blow to the heart. “So the typical metro-male is how you pegged me?”
“Well, to be quite honest, yes,” she shrugged.
He let out a loud laugh. “You are so… honest. I like that. Well, as you can see that is not my style. I’m more of the modern craftsman type. I like to work with my hands when I can. A lot of wood.” He winked at her as he took her by the hand leading her further into his home. He placed the bags from the cafe, with their lunch, on the expansive kitchen island, before pulling out one of the stools for her. “Do you want to talk in here or the dining room?” he asked.
“Here is fine.” She took care getting up on the stool, smoothing her dress around her ample hips and thighs. Her toned legs flexed as she adjusted her feet in the high heel pumps.
“Do you want to take off your shoes?” he asked, not taking his gaze away from her legs, remembering how they anchored around his waist as he moved inside her.
She cleared her throat, and he glanced back up at her. His face warmed as he knew he’d been caught staring; like the cat that ate the canary.
“Do you want me to remove my shoes, Mr. Morrow?”
He wanted to tell her he could help her with that. Maybe throw one of those long legs over his shoulder, while he stood in front of her and pressed right into her heat where she sat, but he refrained.
“I want you to be comfortable in my house, Callie. If you want to leave your shoes on… feel free.”
Humor flashed in her blue eyes as she smirked at him. She crossed one leg over the other, revealing creamy skin up to mid-thigh. She slid one black pump off, then crossed the other leg revealing the side of that thigh to him and removed that pump. She let both shoes dangle from her manicured fingertips, right in front of his face. “Now, what should I do with these, sir?”
He moved the shoes from her hand, and kneeled down beside her, placing the shoes under the kitchen island right below her. He took great care standing back up running his fingers up the side of her shin to the back of her knee as he went. He was just a breath from her skin and could have landed a kiss there as her flesh goose bumped under his touch. “Your legs are so smooth, kitten,” he whispered, hearing the reverence in his tone. He looked up at her from his kneeling position in time to catch her gulp in air as she watched his movements. He winked at her, standing back up. As if they hadn’t just shared a moment and he couldn’t see her chest pump in and out with shallow breaths, he walked away from her to the opposite side of the counter. “Something to drink to go with lunch? I have wine, bottled water, beer?” He asked as if nothing was going on. Although his heart was beating and his dick was like steel behind his damn pants, he’d go at her pace. There was something that closed off the Callie he’d been with earlier this morning from the woman sitting here in his house. No, she wasn’t immune to his touch, thank God, but… that feisty girl was back.
She sat straight in the chair; the look of desire in her eyes switched off. “Glass of wine would be nice. Thank you.”
“One glass of wine for the lady coming right up.” He turned to the wine cooler, situated next to his dishwasher, and pulled out a bottle of white wine, chilled crisp to just the right temperature, and fished around a drawer for his wine opener. He could feel her eyes on him watching him as he moved with ease around the only place he had sanctuary. Other than work, this is the only place he had some peace. Work had been a bit of a cluster. He needed to fix that. Especially with her...
The best way to get to know someone was to open up. Right? Maybe she would open up if he did. He cleared his throat as he poured her wine into a long-stemmed glass. “I moved to this area right out of high school. My... father died when I was still a teenager. He had cancer, too,” he said thinking about Paul, his second father, being taken from him with the same illness.
“My mother and Maggie were best friends growing up in Georgia. Maggie came to Penn State to pursue her career also as a lawyer. That is how she met Paul. My mother had told Maggie I had dreams of being a lawyer and wanted to know if Paul could take me under his wing to mentor me since my own father was no longer with us. My two sisters stayed in Georgia around our mom. We had a house similar to this when I was growing up. When I started making money as a lawyer, I moved from the small ‘bachelor pad’ as you would say to something that reminded me of family. The house is ridiculously big, I know, but I hope to have a family here someday. Oh, I’m sorry. Here you go.” He slid the full glass of wine across the island to her, avoiding eye contact. He didn't want to deal with any judgment in her eyes, or facial expression. He thought she had him figured out as something he wasn't and he wanted to set the record straight. Explain what made him tick. Why he was so close to the Harmons. Why he lived in this house. What made him Daniel Morrow… He didn't want Callie to think any less of him than she already did… And he wondered why he even gave a damn...
When she finally spoke, he looked up at her. “I didn't know any of that about you.” Her voice was calm and held a hint of wonder to it.
Does my life intrigue her? Does she want to know more?
“Well, you have to admit, Callie, we’ve worked together for a year and other than barking orders at each other, and barely saying hello, there wasn't much time for anything else. We really didn't get into the personal side of our lives. But, I figure now we’ve been… intimate, more than once, and we will work t
ogether on a more personal level, we should get to know each other better. What do you say?”
She sat quiet for a minute, as if she were contemplating his words, and nodded once in response. She didn't verbally respond. He was hoping she would open up about what made her tense at the hospital, about her past, her parents and about her likes, dislikes… anything. But, she did not delve into it. Instead, she grabbed for the paper sack with their lunches inside and started pulling sandwiches and soup from the bag. She slid his roast beef on rye to him, while she took her chicken salad on a toasted croissant and seasonal fruit, and set it up in front of her.
“So,” she said, obviously broaching the subject as carefully as possible. He unwrapped his meal and waited through her sandwich inspection and a sip of Chardonnay. “You got a call when we were at the... hospital. You said it was somebody from the board. Was it serious? Maggie had mentioned they called Paul this morning asking questions. That is why he wanted us over for lunch.” She took a bite of her sandwich, awaiting his answer.
He could, and had no other choice but to, respect whatever reason she had for changing the subject. He’d answer what she needed to know. They had some work to do anyway and now was the time to dive into this.
“Yeah, so the call was from the president of the board, Lauren Tillerson. She had mentioned the board was interested to know our plan moving forward now that Paul was declining in health and it's inevitable he will not be returning to his duties. They want to meet with us, preferably sometime next week, to go over our plans. They also have ideas they want to bring to the table. I have a feeling those ideas will be implemented right away. I told her we would meet with the board and the partners Monday over a lunch meeting.”
Callie nearly choked as she took a sip of her wine. “Monday? As in the day after tomorrow?”
Daniel heaved a sigh. “I know. Nothing like a short-ass notice to icing this weekend’s cake.” He reached into his refrigerator and pulled out a long-neck beer. Popping the cap, he took a long swig before speaking again. “I figured we could call a caterer or something... Maybe they can come in and help. Do you have anybody you work with on corporate functions and events? I know in the past Paul had you handle all those things before…”
For You I Will Page 9