She blinked in surprise. “Anniversary?”
“Yes. We were married three months ago on this date.”
“Three months?” She chuckled. “Really?”
“Yes, really, and I thought we should celebrate because we’re still together. Neither of us has given up on the other.”
Her smile softened. “And to think, our friends never thought we’d last this long.”
He loved her sense of humor. “I know. How dare they not believe in us!”
She lifted her menu and looked it over. He should read his menu too, but all he wanted to do was stare at her and dream of what it would be like to have her love – all her love.
They briefly chatted about the menu and what looked good, and when the waiter came, gave him their order. Once the waiter left, Calvin reached across the table and took her hand. She seemed willing to hold hands with him, which lightened his spirit.
“How was your day?” he asked.
Excitement lit up her face. “Oh, you’ll never believe it, but I got another large order this morning. This buyer is here in California, and it’s not as big, but it’s still bigger than I’m used to.”
“That’s wonderful, Rayne. You totally deserve it.”
“And how did your day go?” She tilted her head slightly. “Did you hire an investigator?”
“Yes, I did, and as luck would have it, he’d just finished a job.” He winked. “I convinced him to start on his new case right away.”
“Thank goodness. Sally will be so happy.”
He nodded. “Good. I like making people happy.”
“Coming from a true lawyer.” She chuckled.
“What can I say? I’m a lawyer who likes to see others happy. Except for those who are on the other side of the law, of course.”
“Calvin? Would you ever represent a criminal?”
“Probably not, unless it’s obvious that he was framed, and I can prove his innocence.”
She stared at him in silence, but for some reason it wasn’t awkward. She glanced over his face and attire – navy-blue suit with a white shirt and black tie. He was relieved that she studied him so intently. He hoped she was comparing him to Eddie because Calvin knew the other man would come up lacking.
“Calvin, you know what I’ve realized?”
“No, what?”
“I don’t know much about your father.” She slowly shook her head. “I know my father didn’t like him very much when I was growing up, but I never knew why.”
“I told you he was in a nursing home, right?”
She nodded. “Do you go to see him much?”
“No.”
“Does he remember you?”
“Once in a while, he does.”
She squeezed his fingers lightly. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how that would feel.”
“I’m used to it by now. As I mentioned before, my father started acting this way not long after my mother left her family and moved to Paris.”
“What kind of man was he before he became forgetful?”
Calvin sighed as memories flooded his mind. “He’d been a good father, I guess. He always came to our games. All of my brothers and sisters and I were involved in sports. Dad was always there to cheer us on. We were happy to have at least one parent who cared.”
“I’m glad, too.”
“I wish I could talk to him now.” Calvin frowned. “I’d love to introduce you to him – and see his reaction.”
She laughed. “Gads, don’t I know it? If only my father was still alive, too.”
“Tell me about your childhood. Did you have a good life?”
“Yes. My parents spoiled me since I was the only child, but once I graduated from high school, they were resolved to make me grow up fast. They helped me a little in college, but I went to school full-time and worked part-time. I shared a small apartment with two other girls so that we could afford to pay rent and utilities. Believe me, that was a major culture shock. I was a little snot in school, but thankfully, I matured the way my parents had hoped.”
“I can’t imagine you any different from the way you are now.”
Sighing, she leaned forward. “And how do you see me now?”
“You’re beautiful, but you know that.” He winked. “But it’s more than your looks that makes you the remarkable woman I see.” Still holding her hand, he stroked his thumb across her knuckles. “I see how very intelligent you are and that you have a head for success. You want to do things yourself, which at times will make you stubborn, but it also makes you determined. And I see how much you care about people.”
“Not like you do, Calvin. I’ve never met a man with so much kindness and who thinks of others’ feelings.”
“Don’t praise me so highly.” He shook his head.
“Why not?”
“Because sometimes I don’t think of others first.”
She chuckled. “Name one time that I know about.”
Using his other hand, he drummed his fingers on the table, hoping to come up with an example to give her. Just when he thought he’d failed, a name popped into his head and he grinned.
“Okay, what about Rona.”
Her brows creased. “Rona?”
“Yeah, that woman at the elevator, the first time we met.”
Slowly, Rayne’s smile stretched. “Yes, I remember her now.”
“I wasn’t thinking of her feelings at all. I wanted to stop her from stalking me, which is why I grabbed and kissed you. And of course, once we started kissing, all I could think about was the gorgeous woman in my arms who kissed perfectly.”
Rayne’s cheeks reddened. “So that’s one person. And, she probably deserved it for stalking you.”
“Probably?” He lifted his brows. “No probably about it. She did deserve it.”
They laughed together, and the sound of her voice was like angels singing. He couldn’t get over how she made him feel. If only he could make her feel the same way.
Their meal arrived, so he had to release her hand. They chatted about mundane things while they ate. It surprised him that she kept her attention on him the whole time. Not once did he see her looking at the other people in the room. Of course, he couldn’t tear his gaze from her, either.
As dinner wound down, he paid the check and took her hand back into his. Her skin was so soft and so warm. Like her heart. He didn’t want to return home, only because he wanted to show her off – show the town that he had married the prettiest woman alive. But on the other hand... if they went home, they’d be alone. He’d take her in his arms and kiss her goodnight. And, if luck stayed with him tonight, maybe the kiss wouldn’t just be a goodnight kiss at all, but a welcome into her heart kind of kiss.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He stood first then helped her out of her chair. She wrapped her arms around his arm, almost in a hug, as they left the restaurant. Many pairs of eyes turned their way, and Calvin walked out to the car, feeling like a king next to her.
Since he’d parked close to the restaurant, he didn’t need the valet service. They didn’t talk as they walked to the car. He stopped by the passenger side door, but she continued to hold onto his arm. His heart thudded anxiously as he gazed into her eyes. Night had settled over the city, although the street lights gave him enough light to see the blue in her eyes turn darker.
“In case I forget to tell you,” she said in a tender voice, “I really enjoyed myself tonight.”
The rhythm of his heart accelerated. “So did I.” He caressed her cheek. “You’re an amazing woman and so much fun to be with. I think we should do this again very soon.”
“Yes, I think so, too.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Calvin held his breath. She wants to kiss me! He didn’t care that they were out in the open where people could see them. He wasn’t going to turn her down this time.
As he slid his arms around her waist, he backed her up against the car. Her breathing quickene
d, and she rose up to meet his seeking mouth. The moment their lips met, his heart soared to heaven. The sweetness of the moment buzzed in his head, making him feel like he floated on clouds.
A soft moan rattled from her throat. He tightened his arms, but suddenly, something jerked him away from Rayne’s sweet embrace. The low growl from the man behind Calvin snapped him back to reality. He spun around and looked into the irate eyes of the jealous ex.
“Eddie,” Rayne gasped. “What are you doing here?”
The man’s face was crinkled with anger. “Get your mouth off my woman.”
Calvin shook his head in disbelief. Was this guy serious? “She’s not your woman any longer. She’s my wife.” Glaring at Eddie, he stepped closer. He wasn’t afraid of this wimp of a man – even if he reeked of alcohol. Calvin was going to protect what was his. “And unless you want to wear my fist for the rest of the evening, you’ll turn around and leave right now.”
“Calvin, no.” Rayne moved between the two men. She gazed at him, silently pleading, before shifting her attention to Eddie. “This is not the time or the place for this conversation. Go home.”
“No,” Eddie snapped. “Not without you.”
Finally, she must have noticed her ex’s stench because she wrinkled her nose. “Eddie, you’ve been drinking.” She fanned her hand in front of her face. “Go home and sleep it off. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Eddie scratched his cheek, keeping an evil eye on Calvin. Pointing, Eddie nodded. “This isn’t over.”
Calvin arched an eyebrow. “Actually, it is. She is my wife. Now leave us alone.”
Eddie grumbled and stumbled off.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Calvin turned back to Rayne. Tears clung to her long eyelashes. His heart twisted. She still had feelings for the other man. Calvin could read her body language, especially when she moved to the car, opened the door, and climbed inside.
Calvin’s heart crumbled. How could he repair the damage now?
TWELVE
Calvin rubbed his eyes for the fifth time in one hour as he sat with the other associates in a firm meeting. Lack of sleep made him one tired man this morning, but whenever he thought about what happened last night, anger poured through him, making him want to tear Eddie apart limb by limb. The night had been perfect, just as Calvin had wanted. The kiss was also perfect, until Eddie ruined it. But the final blow was seeing the sadness in Rayne’s eyes as she watched Eddie leave. Then when they arrived home, she’d hurried straight to her bedroom, closed the door, and Calvin hadn’t seen or heard from her since.
Finally, the meeting was adjourned, and he hurried out of the large conference room and headed toward his office. He withdrew his cell phone from his pants pocket, checking if he had any calls or texts. Last night he’d texted Rayne once to see if she was all right. She hadn’t replied. So bright and early this morning before heading into work, he’d texted her again. Still no reply.
His heart sank. No! He would not give up on Rayne. Somehow, he must convince her how wrong Eddie was for her, and that he was the right man for her.
He made a quick turn before he reached his office then headed toward the lobby’s front door. As he passed the secretary’s desk, he said, “I’m taking a quick break.” She was typing something on her computer, but she gave him a nod to acknowledge him.
He called Rayne as he entered the elevator, but he lost signal once the doors closed. Tapping his foot, he impatiently waited for the elevator to take him to the bottom level. He hurried out into the lobby and tried calling Rayne again.
It rang once. Twice. Please answer. Three times.
“Hello?”
When she answered, he sighed with relief. It still wrenched his heart to hear the sadness in her voice, though. “Hi. It’s me.”
“Hi.”
“I...” He stopped near a wall and rested his shoulder against it as he stared out the large glass windows. “I’m sorry I missed seeing you this morning. The associates had an early morning meeting.”
“Okay.”
He squeezed his eyes closed and rubbed his forehead. “Are you all right? I’ve been worried about you.”
“Calvin, this really isn’t a good time.”
“Are you at work?”
“Yes.”
He held the phone closer to his ear. “Will you have lunch with me?”
Silence stretched on the other end of the phone. He gritted his teeth and repeated in his mind, say yes.
“I... Yes, Calvin. I’ll have lunch with you.”
He blew out a pent-up breath, grateful to have progressed this far to win her back. “Thank you. I’ll pick you up—”
“No, I’ll meet you. Where do you want to go?”
“Wherever you want to.”
“Freddie’s. The sandwich shop on the corner of Main and Fourth.”
“I know the place. I’ll see you there at twelve-thirty.”
“Okay. Bye.”
His chest didn’t feel as tight as he disconnected the call and slid the phone back in his pocket. Now, he needed to order some flowers for her and have them delivered to her office at eleven-thirty. He vowed he would make up for this obstacle that had been thrown in his pathway and get back on track with winning her love.
He moved away from the wall and heard the elevator doors open. He quickened his step, but then someone slammed into him, tilting him off balance. He righted himself before he could fall to the floor, but then noticed the woman who’d bumped into him sprawled on the floor.
Inwardly, he groaned. Rona.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said, reaching a hand down to help her up.
“No, it’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
She took hold of his hand. Just as he was able to pull her to her feet, one of her legs gave out, and she grasped his arms, trying not to fall again.
“I’ve got you.” He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her upright. “Can you walk on your foot?”
“I... I think I sprained my ankle.”
He glanced around the lobby for a bench. A few people were watching, but they didn’t make any move to come and help. There was an empty bench against the far wall.
“Will you be able to walk over to that bench?”
“I think so.”
Taking it slowly, he helped her, but she buckled on him again. This time, she cried out in pain.
“Yes, I sprained my ankle.”
“Were you heading to your office?” he asked her, looking down into her brown eyes.
She cringed in pain. “Yes. But, can you help me to my office? I’ll get an ice pack on my ankle, but I’d rather sit at my desk if you don’t mind.”
He really did mind, but only because he knew that she’d been stalking him for a few weeks before he married Rayne. Just as he opened his mouth to give her an excuse why he couldn’t, he recalled the conversation with his wife during their romantic dinner. Rona was the one whose feelings he hadn’t cared about. Perhaps now was the time to change that. She was injured. He would help her because he wanted to be the man Rayne saw in him.
“No, I don’t mind.” He smiled, even if it wasn’t fully. He picked her up in his arms. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ll take you to your office.”
As he passed the people in the lobby, they gave him smiles and nods of approval. At least they thought he had a kind heart.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I WASTED six months of my life with... him.” Rayne wiped the tissue under her wet eyes as she sat at her desk. The picture she’d had taken of her and Eddie had been sitting on her desk this whole time. Now it sat at the bottom of the garbage can.
Dusti hugged her before sitting back in the chair next to Rayne’s. “Is that why you’re upset? Because Eddie isn’t the man you thought he was?”
Rayne nodded. “I’m such an idiot for believing that he was the one who’d make me happy.” She inhaled shakily. “Oh, Dusti. You should have seen the way Calvin glared at him. He was so brave. So
heroic. But Eddie just kept on pushing.” She licked her dry lips. “And then when Calvin looked at me like it was all my fault...” More tears slid down her cheeks. “It broke my heart. I couldn’t look him in the eyes, or even talk to him.”
“No. Calvin isn’t like that.” Dusti patted Rayne’s arm. “If you explain everything, he’ll understand.” She smiled. “Woman, that man loves you. Anyone who has seen him watching you knows how he feels. I’m sure he doesn’t blame you for Eddie’s drunken outburst. Nobody does.”
Rayne pointed to herself. “I do.” She took another unsteady breath. “I told him to wait for me. I told him we couldn’t see each other romantically during the year I was married to Calvin. And then what do I do? I start to have feelings for Calvin and push my memories of Eddie out the door.” She wiped her eyes again. “I’m the one who drove Eddie to do this.”
“So now, here’s the real question you need to ask yourself.” Dusti gave her a no-nonsense stare. “Do you want Eddie back? Or do you want to continue with your happy life being married to a wonderful man?”
Rayne’s chest tightened and she closed her eyes. More tears fell down her face. She’d already made that decision when she’d gone out to dinner with Calvin last night. But that didn’t make her feel any less guilty right now.
A knock came upon the door. Rayne sat up and quickly wiped her eyes. Lacey opened the door and peeked inside.
“Hey. I have a special delivery for you.” She pushed the door opened further and walked in holding a crystal vase with tons of yellow roses with red tips.
When Lacey set them on Rayne’s desk, she pulled the card sticking out from the top and opened it up.
90 flowers – one flower for each day we’ve been married. I wouldn’t trade the memories for all the money in the world.
More tears filled her eyes as she clutched the card to her bosom. The yellow rose with red tips meant – falling in love. Her heart burst with happiness. He loved her! As she pondered her feelings, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she loved him, too.
“Oh,” Rayne gasped and jumped to her feet, looking at her friends. “There’s no way I can tell Calvin that I’m in love with him if my face is red and puffy.”
Secretly Matched Page 8