by Talia Hunter
“Yeah.”
“What was it?”
“A secret. If I told you, she’d have my balls on a plate.”
John groaned. “I knew it. She’s asked you to give a speech, hasn’t she? You’re going to tell everyone about Vegas.”
“Damn right I’m going to talk about Vegas. Everyone, including your in-laws, should know all the gory details about you and that so-called lady who just happened to be—”
“Stop!” John waved his hand in a cutting-off gesture, just about knocking over both their beers in the process. “You’re lying. You wouldn’t do that to me, would you buddy? Tomorrow’s going to be perfect. Perfect.” He thumped his fist on the table as he repeated the word. “I’m gonna get to be with the woman I love for the rest of my life.”
“Forever is a hell of a long time,” said Blake. “What if you start to get on each other’s nerves? What if you make each other miserable?”
“Not gonna happen.”
“How do you know?”
John grinned, lifting his beer bottle as though to salute with it. “I know because I’m a lucky sonofabitch, that’s how I know.”
“But—”
“But, nothing!” John slammed his beer back down on the table a little too hard and it fizzed out of the top. “Listen, Blake. This woman’s got you all sour-mouthed, but it’s about time you left the past behind and thought about your future.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His friend grabbed his arm with a hand damp from spilled beer. “You’re a good guy, Blake. You’re better than your parents, that’s for sure.”
“You never knew my—”
John waved the objection away. “That’s not the point! The thing is, you’re better than them. Trust me on that, okay buddy? You deserve to fall in love with a good woman and to have her love you back.” He looked down and finally noticed his beer had spilled. “Oh crap. Whoops.”
“Caylee thinks I’m a thief.”
“You are a thief, buddy. You are—”
“Thanks a whole lot.”
“Not finished. I was going to say, you’re a thief of hearts.” John dropped him a big wink and grinned as wide as only the very drunk can. “Geddit?”
“Yeah, I got it.” Blake sighed. The next drink he bought John was going to be a nice big glass of water.
…
Dinner had been an endless series of long, controlled breaths and forcing herself to stay seated. The doctor hadn’t said one thing that wasn’t either objectionable or annoying. Caylee had to give him credit, though, not many people could be so offensive and get away with it. He knew he had her trapped. If she tried to argue or contradict him, he managed to remind her that he controlled her funding.
She turned down dessert, praying that Dr. Partington would do the same. To her horror, the snake-man murmured something about ordering coffee and picked up the menu. He was making her physically ill. If she had to be in his company for one more minute, she was going to say something she’d be sure to regret.
She patted her lips with her napkin, then put it down on the table. “Doctor, I’m afraid I have a small headache coming on.” It was an understatement; her head was throbbing. The shocks and horrors of the day had become a tight, aching knot of stress between her eyes. “Would you mind if we skipped coffee?”
“Oh.” His narrow eyes blinked. “Of course.”
They stood, and she let him come forward to escort her out of the restaurant, as he obviously wanted to do. As they got to the door, the doctor put his hand on the small of her back to guide her through. His hand stayed on her back as she went from the brightness of the restaurant to the dark night outside. She stopped abruptly when she felt his hand slide down to cradle her butt.
“Let’s stop pretending, shall we?” He drew her farther into the dark, his nasty voice hot and eager in her ear. “I can arrange for you to get funding for another year of research. However, if I do something for you, you need to do something for me. It’s only fair, don’t you think?”
She pulled away and turned to face him. The odious snake! She knew what he wanted—it was obvious by the way his eyes ran over her body while his little pink tongue inched out to wipe across his lips. But she wanted him to say it out loud. Once he spelled out what he was asking her to do, she’d go straight to the board of the foundation he was supposed to represent and repeat exactly what he’d said. He wouldn’t get away with this. Oh no. She meant to give him just what he deserved.
“What exactly do you mean?” she asked.
His smile was a leer. “You know what I’m talking about, Caylee. You’re a smart girl, so don’t play dumb.” He reached out, grabbed her upper arms, and pulled her toward him. His hands squeezed her flesh so tightly it was painful. “Play nice, pretty girl, and I’ll make it worth your while.” His mouth was horribly close, his lips sickeningly wet. “Play nice now for daddy.”
…
Blake stared at the door Caylee and the doctor had left through, tuning out John’s drunken ramble. His friend was getting emotional, rattling on and on about his love for Jenna. It would be touching if he didn’t keep swaying off his stool.
The doctor had put his hand on Caylee’s back as he escorted her out the door, and Blake played it back in his mind. How dare he touch her? He should go after them to make sure the doctor didn’t try anything. But Caylee already thought Blake was a jerk. If he started throwing his weight around he’d only make it worse.
Besides, Caylee was perfectly capable of looking after herself. She was an intelligent, resourceful woman. She didn’t need him to— Hell, who was he kidding? He knew damn well she could take care of herself, and he was going to check on her anyway.
Blake stood up. “Back in a moment.” He barely waited for John’s nod before heading to the door. He’d take a quick look to make sure she got back to the suite okay and she’d never know he’d checked up on her. Then he’d spend the rest of the night trying to get John sober and himself drunk.
He pushed open the restaurant door and peered out into the dark night. And saw them. The doctor’s pale, thin hands were gripping Caylee’s arms. He was pushing his face close to hers, and she was pulling away, her expression disgusted.
How dare he? Anger flooded through Blake in a hot thick wave. He might have driven Caylee away, but he could protect her now. In three quick steps he had reached the man and pulled him away from Caylee. His fist came up and drove into the man’s face. The man fell to the ground, blood pulsing from his nose.
“Wha da—?” The doctor’s voice was a muffled, nasal squeal as his hands came up to cup the blood. “I thing du broke by dose!”
Blake turned to Caylee. “Are you okay?”
She looked pale in the darkness. Her hands were clapped against her mouth, and he ached to put his arms around her and draw her close. But cold metal bars still imprisoned her eyes.
“How dare you,” she hissed.
Blake took a step backward. In spite of the hot rage that still pounded through him, his voice came out icy. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve just lost me my funding and destroyed my career. Are you happy now? I was going to complain to the funding board about being sexually harassed and see if I could get my funding request assessed by someone else, but I no longer have the moral high ground. You’ll be lucky if Dr. Partington doesn’t have you arrested for assault.”
“Caylee—”
“You’re a bully, Blake. A bully, a thief, and a liar.” With each word his heart died a little more, shriveling and turning cold in his chest.
“Did you expect me to stand by and let him—?”
“Get out of my sight, Blake. I mean it.”
She spun around and disappeared into the dark night.
Chapter Fourteen
Caylee barely slept. She lay awake all night, thinking over everything that had happened while trying to keep her thoughts as calm and logical as possible.
She shouldn’t have spoken so harshly to Bla
ke when he’d swung in to defend her. She’d been upset, and her pounding headache had made it hard to keep her cool. It wasn’t that he’d punched Dr. Partington that had made her so furious. No, the snake had deserved it. It was the fact that Blake had leaped to her rescue instead of letting her handle it her own way. It was too much to stomach after having to listen to the snake demean her because she was a woman. She didn’t need protecting, or coddling, or looking after. Blake, of all people, should have known that.
Caylee got up and showered. She dressed, then gazed in the mirror as she brushed her hair, letting the soft curls fall around her face. She did look better with it down, tumbling onto the lovely silk top that was cut a little lower than she was used to, but that she could now admit suited her as well as Blake had said when he bought it for her. She put the hairbrush down and slipped on a pair of high heels that made her feel tall. Blake had promised she’d look modern and exciting, and he’d delivered. Her new look gave her confidence and, now that she’d calmed down, she wasn’t about to take his gifts and throw them back in his face out of spite.
She closed her eyes, remembering the pain in his eyes when she’d called him a bully. She’d thought of him that way for a long time, but had she been fair? Blake used to enjoy goading her, but when she was sad, hurt, or angry—when it really mattered—he was the one she’d talk to. He’d listen seriously, nodding but not interrupting, and then he’d say or do something to make her feel better. Deep down, she’d known he respected her, and that knowledge was like a small flame burning inside her, helping to keep her going when things got tough.
This morning she’d give her presentation, and she was far less prepared than she’d wanted to be. But sometime during the night she’d come to a decision. She wouldn’t just ask them to recognize the value of her work, she’d demand it. So what if she hadn’t managed a final run-through of what she would say? She’d worked hard enough over the last few years that she knew her research was worth listening to. So what if she’d already lost her funding? She’d make them listen, all of them. She was going to march in there looking like the successful researcher she was, and own that presentation. They wouldn’t know what had hit them.
She grabbed her flash drive and speech and walked swiftly to the conference room. Another speaker was on before her, so she had to sit quietly, waiting until it was her turn to go onto the stage. The speaker took a long time and he could have been speaking in Arabic for all she took in. When he finished, the applause was light for a room filled with people. They were tiring of the conference and many of them were eager to go home.
The speaker left the stage. Her turn now.
With her steps slow but sure in her high heels, she made her way to the podium. Her hands weren’t shaking. She gave her flash drive to the techie to plug in to the projector, and then clasped her note cards firmly as she stared out at the big, mostly male crowd, preparing herself. The admiring looks she saw in many eyes gave her confidence. Her appearance had captured their attention, and they were going to be just as appreciative of what she had to say, she knew it.
Then she saw him.
Blake was slipping in through the back door, wearing a nice suit. He wasn’t supposed to be here; he had to be at his friend’s wedding this morning. So what was he doing at her presentation? He met her eyes and nodded to a chair. He was silently asking if he could stay.
His handsome face was lifted to her, his faded blue eyes so familiar it seemed like there hadn’t been any time in her life when they hadn’t been around.
She wanted to ask him why he was there, but she didn’t need to. As if he could read her thoughts, he gave her a small smile of encouragement. “You’re going to be great.” She couldn’t hear him, but she was sure that was what he’d said. He knew how important this presentation was to her and, although she’d pushed him away and made it clear she didn’t want to be with him, he was still willing to be here for her, to support her. If she let him.
She gave him a small nod and he slipped into the seat. Having him there felt right. She could do this. Blake knew it, and she knew it too. No matter what else he’d done, he believed in her without reservation. With him watching, the best of her came out. She was both the beautiful woman who knew she looked sensational in a silk top and high heels, and the dedicated mathematician, the researcher with something important to say. She didn’t have to choose a part, and she wasn’t afraid to become the person she wanted to be.
Caylee cleared her throat and started to talk. She spoke about the numbers she worked with, the magic of them, the beauty. She spoke as though she were talking just to Blake, and she took him through the discoveries she’d made, the excitement she’d felt each time she uncovered the golden mysteries that affected everything in our world in the most wondrous and amazing ways. She let her voice weave the spell of them so he’d be able to see and understand it as she did. His eyes never left her, and their soft blue was alight with discovery. His eyes opened up to her words as though she was leading him through a beautiful garden he’d never been able to see before.
She talked until she realized she’d gone on for too long, way over the allotted hour, and when she stopped it was like waking from a trance.
The room erupted into applause. Caylee blinked. She felt dazed. What had she done? Maybe it was lack of sleep, or all the tension of the last few days, but whatever it was, she felt different from before. She liked this new Caylee who seemed to be made up of all the best parts of all the Caylees she’d ever been. She’d never go back, would never allow anyone to speak to her like Dr. Partington had last night. She’d shown who she was to the men in this room, had laid all her work out in front of them, and they approved. No, they more than approved. They were cheering as though she had done something remarkable.
As Caylee waited for the cheers to die down, Blake approached the stage.
“That was incredible.” His eyes were shining. “You were amazing. I knew you would be, but still, you bowled me over.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped down off the stage. The applause had finally quieted, and someone else was moving behind the podium to announce details of the break between speakers and what time they would reconvene.
Blake lowered his voice and spoke softly, so only she could hear him. “Caylee, I know you have no reason to believe me, and you’re leaving in a few hours so it hardly matters now. But I want you to know that I took your diary the night I left because I wanted something of yours to remember you by. I should have told you before. I took it from your room without asking, and I feel terrible. But I didn’t take anything else. And I never read your diary. I just wanted to be able to look at it, to remember all the times I lay on your bed watching you write in it.” His lips twitched into a sad half smile. “I pretended you’d written about me, that you’d confessed your true feelings for me. But if I ever opened the diary, I knew that dream would vanish. I wanted to keep being able to pretend.”
She nodded but she wasn’t sure what to say. Did she believe him? Yes, she did. But could she trust him? She still wasn’t certain. “Aren’t you supposed to be at your friends’ wedding?”
“Yeah.” He ran his hand through his hair and gave her that rueful grin that made him seem almost boyish. “I’m late and they’re going to kill me. But they can’t start without me, so…” He gave a half shrug. “I know I’m not your favorite person, but if you have a few minutes before you have to leave, will you come down to the beach so I can say good-bye?” He glanced over his shoulder as though he could see the beach through the conference room walls. “The wedding’s going to be right outside, so you won’t be able to miss it.”
She shook her head. “I have to call the university and see if I can get more teaching hours now that my funding’s gone. Then I’ll only have time to collect my things and organize a taxi to take me to the ferry.”
“I understand.” His voice was light, but his eyes were clouded. “I’ll say it now then. Good-bye Caylee.” His mouth
twitched down as he said the words, and she felt something inside her tighten uncomfortably. Before she could say anything, he’d turned and was gone.
The announcement finished and some of the men she worked with at the university crowded up to her, congratulating her and telling her how much they’d enjoyed her presentation. She smiled and thanked them. It should have been the biggest triumph of her life, but the speech had marked both the end of her career and the end of her time with Blake. She forced herself to smile hard enough that nobody could suspect how badly she wanted to cry.
“Dr. Reynolds?”
Caylee turned and saw a plump man with thinning hair and a friendly, crinkled face. He put out his hand and she shook it. “I’m Dr. Greene,” he said. “I’m a private investor and I’ve been looking for a project to fund. And I must say, Dr. Reynolds, your speech impressed me more than any I’ve ever heard. Now, I’d like to know if you’re satisfied with your current funding arrangement?”
Caylee opened her mouth and closed it again. She took a breath. “Tell me, Dr. Greene, exactly how much money are you offering?”
Caylee shook hands with Dr. Greene, then left the conference, avoiding the multitude of men who wanted to waylay her. She went straight back to the suite and picked up the telephone.
Lana answered on the fourth ring.
“It’s me,” said Caylee. “Lana, I need to ask you something.”
“Sure, ask away.”
“You remember all those years ago, the night Blake left? Was there anyone else in the house?”
“Anyone like who?”
“Like a boy who might have been visiting you.”
There was a long, puzzled silence. Finally Lana said, “I don’t remember. Why?”
“Because I don’t think Blake stole Grandma’s ring or the money. And if he didn’t do it, then it must have been someone else. Mom had taken me to my Stanford interview and we didn’t get home until late. You would have been alone, unless you had someone over.”
“God, Caylee, it was so long ago. How am I supposed to remember if I had a guy over or not?”