“You mean when you’re finished with me?” She had to know his intentions. Enough was enough.
“I doubt I’ll ever be finished with you.”
I don’t want you to leave.
“I don’t know what the future holds for us, Sadie. All I know is I don’t want to stop seeing you and right now I don’t think I’ll ever want to.”
Stronger hope pushed at her defenses. It’s what made her stay with him. “Calan, you’ve lost two women you loved.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t love again. I see that now.”
“I don’t want to be a transitional phase to you.”
“You won’t be.”
“We’ve only known each other for a week.”
“Then let’s make it a month. A year. The rest of our lives.”
The rest of our lives…
Oh, to be able to explore that with him, to have a real relationship, with someone who genuinely liked her…
“Even if you leave now, you won’t be something transitional to me,” he continued. “You mean more to me than that. A lot more. I want to see where it leads.” He hesitated. “Do you?”
This was like choosing the people she associated with. Friends. Boyfriends. She hadn’t been very good at it before. Why would now be any different? Except Calan was different. Where the people before him hadn’t been worth the risk, he was.
“If you want to leave now, I won’t stop you. That’s why we haven’t left Bari yet. I need it to be your decision. It’s up to you.”
Sipping her wine, she made him wait. She had to be sure. She put her glass down and looked over at him. There was one more thing she had to do before she could put her uncertainty to rest.
“I need to call my dad.”
Calan studied her face but went along with her. “All right.” He reached for his duffel bag that he’d put on the snack bar and pulled out a satellite phone.
She took it and dialed her dad’s cell number.
“Robert Mancini.”
“Dad?”
“Sadie?” his voice boomed. “Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“Sadie Faye. Are you all right? I’m so sorry about leaving you in Albania. Please tell me you’re all right. Where are you now? I’ll make any arrangements you need.”
“I’m fine, Dad.”
“What happened? Why aren’t you home yet? When I hadn’t heard from you, I was so worried.”
“Well…” she looked over at Calan. “Something happened.”
Silence stretched over the line. “What is it this time?” There was that impatience again.
“I met someone.”
“You always meet someone. What’s he done to you?”
“He helped me. I met him the night you turned your back on me. I had to wait for a new passport, and now we’re taking a vacation together.”
Calan smiled when she said that.
“You just met this man. Are you sure you’re safe with him? I don’t want to get another call, Sadie.”
“You won’t. I’ll never call you again for help.” She wasn’t trying to be snide. That was the truth. She didn’t need to call him. She never had. It had only been an absurd need for his approval that had kept her so close to him. Being close to her father wasn’t the issue, but being close to him on her terms, was. He had to accept her for who she was, artist or not.
Calan had shown her that. She was fine on her own.
“Sadie.” She heard his contrition. “I didn’t turn my back on you. I know it was wrong to leave you in a country like Albania. You have no idea how I’ve regretted that. I’ve been going out of my mind wondering where you were and if you were all right.”
“I’m fine. That’s why I called. To let you know.” And to confirm that it wasn’t her choices that were wrong.
“Who is this man you’re with? How did you meet him?”
“Calan. He’s a…he’s a business analyst.” She nodded and smiled.
She could tell Calan was enjoying this.
“I’d feel better if you came home now. I’ll wire you some money.”
“I don’t need any money. I have my own.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on a yacht in Italy.”
There was a brief silence. “Don’t tell me you’ve met another Adam Krahl.”
“No. This one is different.”
“That’s wonderful to hear, Sadie. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy. Do you know that?”
“We’ll talk more when I get back.”
“When will that be?”
She looked up at Calan. “I don’t know. I’ll call you when I do.”
She said her farewell and handed Calan the phone. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Swiveling on the stool, she faced him. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
“Okay.” He waited but she could tell he was on the edge of his seat. He was going to love her question.
“Are you a nice guy?” she asked.
He grinned, recognizing the question she’d asked him in the hotel bar. “That’s one way to put it.”
She smiled back, that crazy, delicious infatuation burning strong again. “Are you going to ask me to have dinner with you now?”
“How about if I just walk you to our room?”
This was going to be such a good night. “And in the morning, I want to meet you somewhere for breakfast.”
“Okay. I’ll have our crew set it up on the sundeck.”
She shook her head. “You have to call me from the restuarant.”
He chuckled again. “I can do that.”
Good. She had to hear his voice. She leaned closer to him. “And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re starting over.”
He moved closer, too. “No, we’re taking this from where we left off.” He kissed her and her head swooned. With out danger looming, the only thing they needed to concentrate on was each other. And she was going to savor every moment.
“Go tell our captain that we’re ready to go.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0221-4
SEDUCING THE ACCOMPLICE
Copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Morey
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*All McQueen’s Men
Seducing the Accomplice Page 19