Kathleen glanced up after putting the batter in the muffin tins. “Okay.”
Her undemanding acceptance was disappointing.
“Will you be free Tuesday to come over for a meal at my place?”
“I have an appointment to view an apartment at six, so it will probably be seven before I can get there. That isn’t too late is it?”
“No. It isn’t.”
She rinsed the bowl and spoon she’d been using.
Feeling guilty for reasons he didn’t even understand, he slid in behind her to press close. He tugged the band holding her hair free and brushed it forward over her shoulder before skimming the nape of her neck with a kiss. She shivered at the caress. Her response triggered a raging hard-on, and he slid an arm around her waist to cup her belly, holding her against him so she could feel how his body responded to her.
When he scraped his teeth along the sensitive area between her neck and shoulder, Kathleen reached back to cup the back of his thigh and pull him in closer. He caressed her breast and felt the nipple harden beneath her T-shirt. God, she had beautiful breasts. Large and soft. She pressed back against him harder.
His heart raced so fast it was hard to catch a full breath. It had been too long. He wanted to lose himself in the moist heat of her body and forget everything.
But the aftermath of doing it too soon might bring reality crashing down on them both. If he wanted whatever this was to survive beyond one encounter, he had to wait.
The sound of a car door slamming saved him from having to make a firm decision. Kathleen spun to face him. “I think you are a tease, Callahan,” she accused without heat.
“Your brother’s home—early.”
Understanding suffused her cheeks with color.
He leaned down and kissed her. “It makes me feel like a teenager again, sneaking around with you,” he breathed against her ear.
The apartment door opened. She turned back to the sink, hiding her flushed cheeks. “I’m getting my own place this week,” she murmured.
*
Cal hadn’t been gone even an hour before he regretted his quick retreat. To take his mind off of what was really eating at him, he filled his evening with grocery shopping for the week and doing laundry and household chores.
By bedtime he decided if he didn’t get his act together he was going to blow it with Kathleen. He needed to get his head out of his ass and just go for it. If her brother hadn’t shown up when he did, they might have gotten farther along, and all this self-recrimination would be hindsight. But how would she have felt if they’d made love before she’d seen exactly what she was getting?
The one had to come before the other.
Settling back on his bed, he reached for his cell phone, and keyed in Kathleen’s number.
“Hey, Callahan.” Her voice had the softness of approaching slumber.
“Hey, Rose.” He could feel her smile across the line and his tension eased. “I should have brought you home with me. Doing shopping, chores, and laundry alone sucks.”
“We could have entertained each other between loads,” she murmured.
“Maybe we could have finished what we started while we were cooking dinner.”
“You are such a tease,” she complained.
“Would you have been ready for more, Kathleen?”
She remained silent for a moment. “When I’m with you, I want to say yes. When you’re not here, my mind runs in circles with all the reasons we should take it slow.”
His tension eased. “In case I miss the message when or if you are ready…be sure to hit me over the head or something,” he teased. “Guys usually need a road map to understand what women want.”
“I’ve noticed that with every one of my brothers. I was hoping you were a cut above.”
He caught himself grinning like a fool. “Naw. Just a regular guy like all the rest.”
“Well there’s comfort in that, too. I wouldn’t want you to gain too much insight into my feminine mystique.”
He chuckled. “Have you spoken to your mom? Is she okay?”
“Yes, I called her earlier. Her hand is going to be fine.”
“Good.”
“If you ever decide you want to date someone else, Callahan…”
Damn. He hadn’t meant to remind her of her ex. All he could do was continue to reassure her. “I won’t lie or cheat on you, Kathleen.”
“The same goes for me, Callahan.”
He started to say he trusted her, but thought of everything it entailed. He had to stick to his plan. “Want to know what I’ve been dreaming of since we first met, Kathleen?”
“I’m going to be brave and ask what?”
“Your mouth. You have the sexiest damn mouth I’ve ever seen, and I dream of how many ways we can kiss…among other things.”
She caught her breath.
“Does that sound like a man who’s interested in anyone but you?”
“No.” Her breathing sounded ragged.
His was, too. He was hard as stone again and aching for her. If he so much as touched his cock he’d probably go off. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Callahan—”
The way she said his name nearly did him in. “Sweet dreams, honey.”
*
The moment he hung up, Kathleen clenched her legs together and bit her lip. He wasn’t even in the room and he’d seduced her. The way he looked at her at the ice cream shop came to mind, and she stifled a groan, because the memory made the sensitive ache in the most intimate part of her body intensify.
Her desire for Lee had been lukewarm compared to this. Thank God she hadn’t married him. She never would have known this kind of passion with him.
If making love with Cal even came close to the excitement of the buildup, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand it.
She’d just met him, and she was already in trouble. He called to her emotions in ways Lee never had.
Had she instinctively held back from Lee, somehow recognizing his feelings only skimmed the surface? She sensed Cal’s emotions ran deeper because of everything he’d experienced.
She had to be careful. She had to keep things light, at least until they were both ready for more. Otherwise she wouldn’t be the only one who ended up hurt.
Chapter 11
‡
Kathleen studied the plan she was building in AutoCAD. The bare bones were taking shape. The four-story structure wasn’t the tallest building she’d worked on, but it was the most complex. It was going to take time and many more meetings with the client.
She rubbed her eyes and tilted her head back to relieve the tight muscles in her neck and shoulders. She needed a break. She saved her work, then saved it again to the external hard drive and the cloud, plus she sent a link to the latter to J.D. Allison, her immediate supervisor, with a note about her progress, before shutting down her computer.
She rose and stretched, then rubbed her hands together to create friction and placed her warmed palms over her eyes. The shadowed blackness of her eyelids soothed her eyestrain, but it also provided an opportunity for Cal to pop into her mind. He had a way of doing that if she wasn’t busy.
Instead of waiting for Tuesday, he’d called her and invited her over for dinner on Monday. They’d been together nearly every night since then for a meal, a movie, looking at apartments for her, and, of all things, miniature golf.
Every time she was with him she wanted to throw caution to the wind and jump his bones. When they were apart she was grateful he was taking it slow.
He seemed to want more, but something kept him from easing things to the next step. It didn’t take a mental giant to guess what held him back.
She’d yet to figure out a way to approach the subject without making him feel exposed. Men didn’t react well when you uncovered their vulnerabilities. And Cal had a doozy.
She could push things along physically and just sweep right past it. But… She’d have to deal with her own vulnerabilities first
, however. Despite her reservations, her body warmed to the idea, and heat rushed into her face.
She was at work, for heaven’s sakes. She couldn’t think about this right now. She dropped her hands.
“Need a break?” Hillary asked from where she leaned against the edge of the dividing wall between their cubicles.
Kathleen shifted to face her. She definitely needed a distraction. “Yes. I think I do.”
“Let’s go fix a cup of tea or something,” Hillary suggested.
“Okay.” She reached for the ceramic mug she’d brought from home and her baggie of green tea bags and artificial sweetener.
“You’ve come prepared today,” Hillary said.
“Yeah. If I’m going to make the deposit and first month’s rent for my own apartment, I’ll have to economize until I get my first paycheck.”
They wandered down the brightly lit corridor to the staff break room, which was actually a full kitchen with white Shaker-style cabinets set off by a gray countertop. Three round tables painted white with their padded gray upholstered seats sat empty. The room was always in use during lunch, but right now they were the only ones. Kathleen filled her coffee cup with water and put it in the microwave to heat while Hillary found a cup in one of the cabinets to use.
“So, any plans this weekend?” Hillary asked when they settled at one of the tables with their drinks.
After what happened the week before, Kathleen felt reluctant to share things about her personal life with this woman. “I woke up this past Saturday to two flat tires, and ended up spending all morning getting them fixed. Luckily I had a friend who volunteered to help me.”
“It sounds like you’re having a round of bad luck.”
“Yes, I am. They were new tires, too. We’re going to some of the museums in Balboa Park this Saturday. I forgot to ask how your evening went with Mr. Warren.”
Hillary shrugged one shoulder. “We had drinks and came back here. I picked up my belongings, and he went one way while I went the other.”
So they’d both been in the office when her files were deleted and her drawings locked in the plan hangers. Cal was right. She wasn’t going to be able to get beyond it until she knew what had happened.
Kathleen leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Hillary, if you’re interested in him, why don’t you tell him?”
She remained silent for a moment. “He knows. He’s still too busy chasing after the new kids to see what’s right in front of him.”
Kathleen turned her cup in her hands. “Well, I can promise you I’m not one of them.”
Hillary eyed her. “I’m surprised.”
Kathleen raised her brows. “Why?”
“He’s an attractive man.”
For once in his life Lee was handy. “My fiancé and I broke up and called off our wedding before I moved out here. We were together for three years, so I’m still a little raw.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I just want to concentrate on my career right now.” And office romances seldom worked out well.
“I felt the same way after my marriage ended.”
Kathleen nodded, encouragement. “How long were you married?”
“Five long, lonely years. Steve was a Marine, and deployed for most of our marriage. While he was gone I finished my degree and found this job. When he came home, he received transfer orders. We’d become strangers by then, and neither of us had the energy to try and fight our way back from it. He left and I stayed.”
“I’m sorry, Hillary.” She felt real sympathy for her. “Any children?”
“No. He wasn’t really home enough for us to discuss having any. Now my biological clock is ticking and I’d like to have one, but I don’t have a volunteer.” She smiled, but there was an emptiness to it.
“I can’t even picture my ex with a child.” Lee had been all about Lee. With all his serial screwing, he’d run the risk of fathering a child. Hadn’t it even worried him? “I’m glad I escaped before it was too late. I come from a big family, and I want children. Not as many as my parents have, but two would be nice.” She took a sip of her tea. “Maybe it’s time to get back out there and search for what you need, Hillary. Life’s too short to settle for anything less.”
Hillary’s eyes narrowed and her cheeks flushed. Her mouth thinned with anger. “Paul isn’t less. You don’t know him like I do.”
Shocked at the woman’s sudden anger, Kathleen eased back in her seat and stirred her tea. “You’re right. I don’t. But if he homes in on the less experienced employees, maybe he’s looking for someone who needs him. You and I both want to do everything ourselves. Ask for his help with something. If he feels you really need him, he might come around.”
Hillary’s expression cleared, and Kathleen could see her working to regain her composure. “You could be right. Thanks for the suggestion.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m sorry I snapped your head off.”
“Love is an emotional minefield sometimes. I understand.”
“That’s a good way of putting it.” She stared at a point just over Kathleen’s shoulder. “I’ve held on for so long, I just can’t give up yet.”
There had never been any question of holding onto Lee. The betrayal had been too much. But then Hillary and Paul Warren weren’t in a committed relationship.
Kathleen gladly returned to work. The whole conversation had been very uncomfortable. Hillary’s lightning quick flash of rage had been frightening. Though Hillary had been friendly from the first, Kathleen didn’t really know her. But she knew enough that she didn’t want to take their relationship past a working one. The only podmate she felt comfortable with was Dave. He had a fatherly air about him, encouraging trust.
She missed the team of graduate students she’d worked with on projects. They had built a comradeship among them almost immediately because they had a common goal. That was still the case here. She just had to find the key to making it work. But sharing anything personal with her team was off limits.
*
The heavy apron filled with metal dragged at Cal’s waist. He reached in and grabbed one of the high strength tension control bolts and worked it into place. After he fitted several more, he reached down to lift the hydraulic shear wrench. He plugged the hub over the bolt and flipped the switch. Once the correct tension was reached, the end of the bolt twisted off, and he dropped the small stub into a container to be thrown away later. He wondered idly how many bolts and nuts would eventually be used in the structure. It seemed he had placed at least a quarter of them since he’d been working this job. At a tap on his shoulder, he turned to find Ron Rains standing behind him.
“Tom needs to see you in the office. He sent me up to take your place.”
Cal nodded. Ron backed off the beam, giving Cal room. Even though he wore a safety harness and was tied off to a security line, Cal took care as he walked along the metal beam until he reached the stability of the concrete floor poured days ago. Because he couldn’t feel his foot and was placing it through motor memory rather than feel, he always got a small buzz of adrenaline after getting off the beams. He presented the wrench to Ron like he was passing a torch and the guy grinned. He removed his apron and passed it on as well.
Ron had hooked onto the security line and was tightening the bolts he’d just placed by the time Cal reached the elevator. The pounding, revving sound of the work going on changed in tempo and pitch as he rode down to the bottom floor.
He crossed the fifty feet or so to foreman’s trailer, and barely made it inside when Tom looked up and said, “The head office wants to see you, Cal.”
Though he’d been waiting for it to happen, the punch of it still left him with a sour burn in the pit of his stomach. The hope that it might be over something other than his job was slim. “Did they say why?”
“No.” Tom’s expression remained deadpan.
The temptation to ask if Tom was going to stand behind him was strong, but pride held his tongue. “Who am I supposed to as
k for once I get there?”
“Mr. Wiley.”
So the owner wanted to see him. This couldn’t be good. “I’ll be back to finish my shift.”
“Take the rest of the day with pay. If you’re dealing with company business, you get paid for it. Tomorrow will be soon enough for you to fill me in on what he says.”
Yeah, kick in a few extra bucks to make losing his job go down easier. As if it would. He left the trailer, crossed the yard to the turnstile box, and shoved through onto the street before removing his hard hat. With every mile his anger swung from full out boil to a simmer and back again. Driving some of the less busy roads, he made it to the office in half an hour.
He spotted Kathleen’s vehicle in the parking lot and wondered if he could swing by and see her after the meeting. If he was upset by the outcome, he might not want her to see him.
Despite the emotion tightening his chest and stomach, he felt in control. If he was getting fired, he didn’t have anything left to lose by speaking his mind. He pulled off his safety vest and left it in the front seat with his hard hat.
The reception area of the building opened up to a wide staircase leading up to the second floor. Wrought iron spindles twisted in a decorative pattern supported the highly glossed bentwood handrails on either side. His eyes lingered on the fine craftsmanship as he wandered to the reception desk.
A young woman sat at the desk behind a computer. As he approached, she ran her eyes over him and smiled. “May I help you?”
“I have an appointment with Mr. Wiley.”
She flipped her long blond hair to her back. “And your name, please?”
“Cal Crowes.”
“Mr. Crowes, you can have a seat right over there while I call upstairs.” She pointed to one of the brown and cream upholstered chairs placed around a squat, heavy coffee table in front of her desk.
“I just came off the job and I’d like to wash up.” And get his temper under control.
“The restrooms are just on the other side of the staircase to your right.”
“Thanks.” He strode around the staircase, and, finding the men’s room, quickly washed his hands and face. Finding only an electric hand dryer, he used the sleeve of his shirt to dry his face and folded back the cuffs to his elbows.
Breaking Boundaries (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 5) Page 12