“True.” She glared at him. “Something’s off with you. I’m worried.”
Callum set his coffee on a side table just inside his office door. The sun had barely risen on this wintry morn, and his all-glass office filled with light. “Don’t worry.”
“We have that meeting with the marketing department at nine. Do you need new suit pants before then?”
“Oh, yes, please. Brioni down on Madison has my measurements. Well, you know that.” Shirlene was on top of everything, from his project managers to his marketing to which stylist he should use. “Will you call down and have them bring up some new pants?”
“I’ll get them here before the meeting.” She rolled her eyes and turned away, but then she whirled back. “But sometime soon you’re telling me how you ripped Brioni pants and who put that smile on your face.”
“I’m your boss, not the other way around,” he reminded her.
Shirlene snorted and hurried to her desk.
Callum picked up his coffee and sauntered to his own desk. Clicking on the marketing icon, he started reviewing the agenda for today’s meeting.
His cell phone rang. Cambree. He didn’t like taking personal calls at work, but his family was important to him. He stood and slid to accept the call. “Good morning, Cambree.”
“Hey, future brother-in-law. So Kiera and I flipped a coin, and I lost.”
“You lost what?” He paced to the windows, looking over the view of 5th Avenue and a horde of New Yorkers bustling to work. He loved his city. It was a beautiful December morning, cold and crisp, and the sun hadn’t risen fully.
“First of all, you’re going to be at Creed and Kiera’s wedding in Cancun on Christmas Eve, right?”
“Of course I’m going to be at their wedding.” What did his family take him for? He’d acknowledge he was a workaholic, but he wouldn’t miss his own brother’s wedding.
“Are you going to be there the entire two weeks?”
“Well, that’s … hmm.”
“Callum Hawk! Your brother was dead and he came back to life and now he’s reunited with the love of his life. We are going to celebrate as a family for two weeks, and you are not going to break your mama’s heart and miss this.”
Callum would’ve laughed at her feistiness, but he didn’t like being pushed around. “Cambree, you aren’t even in the family yet. I don’t think you can boss me around until after you and Emmett get married.”
Cambree laughed at that. “I can boss you whenever I like.” She lowered her voice. “We all love you, Cal, and we’re worried about you. You are going to work yourself to death.” Cambree, Kiera, his brothers, and his mom were the only ones who wasted the time to worry about him and called him Cal. He hated to admit that he liked it when they did. “Please. Promise me you’ll be there.”
Callum pulled in a breath. He thought through all the work that needed to be done before he could leave town from December twentieth through after the New Year.
“Cal …”
Believing Creed was dead for three months had about devastated him and his family. Cambree was right that his mom and the entire family needed this time together to celebrate and be reassured that they had each other, no matter how precarious life was. “Okay.”
“I want you to promise.” Cambree hadn’t been in the family for very long, but she knew his word was his bond.
“I promise to be there the entire two weeks.”
“Yes!” He could just imagine her dancing around. Cambree was perfect for Emmett. “Yeah, baby. I rock, I rock! I’ve got to call Kiera and tell her that I’m the bomb diggity.”
Callum chuckled. Cambree’s language was interesting, to say the least. “I’ll see you in a few weeks,” he said.
“No, wait.”
“There’s more?” He was about done with this interruption from work, especially after losing an hour this morning. Actually, that hour had been more than worth it. He remembered Lexi’s smile.
“Um … Kiera and I also have … a bet of sorts.”
“A bet? About what?”
“We both have the most perfect girls to set you up with. Beautiful, fun, accomplished—”
“No,” Callum interrupted. “I don’t do setups. You know this.” That wasn’t exactly true. He did setups for work and high-profile events to avoid the complications of romance. He didn’t do setups where the woman, or the people setting him up, had hopes of a relationship. He didn’t have time for a romantic relationship.
“Cal, please.”
“Cam, please.” He smiled but kept going. “You roped me into being in Cancun for two weeks so you can try to set me up? That’s low, sis.”
“I promise you will love my friend. She’s adorable and gorgeous. She’s a swimsuit model.”
Callum shook his head. The only girl he could picture right now was that blonde from this morning. Her fitted running apparel had revealed a beautiful shape, and her body pressed against him on the motorcycle had stirred something in him he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was too busy to date. Woman threw themselves at him constantly, but he knew it was just the money, fame, and the Hawk looks that drew them in. They didn’t know him. Didn’t care to know him. That had been reaffirmed time and time again by the women Isabel lined him up with for work and charity events.
“Cal, are you listening? Kiera claims she has two cousins much more perfect for you, but I think I’m going to win and you’re going to fall in love and be so happy, just like me and Emmett and Creed and Kiera.” She gave a dreamy sigh.
“No.” No to setups and no to falling in love. “You can’t set me up, Cambree.”
“Why not?”
“Because …” He scrambled. How to get out of this? Maybe he could find someone great to go on the vacation with him. But Cambree and Kiera were the most determined women he knew. Neither of them would back off on hooking him up with their cousins and friend, unless … “I’m engaged,” he blurted. He leaned against the window as the breath rushed out of him. What had he just said?
“You are such a big fat liar.”
“I’m not. I met someone and we … hit it off quick.” He grinned to himself, and then he made a vow. He’d go to Queensboro Park tonight and start knocking apartment doors near the park until he found her. Then he’d take her to dinner, and if the stars aligned he’d see if she was up for an all-expenses-paid trip to Cancun for Christmas.
“You’re engaged?” Cambree’s voice dripped with disbelief.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t you ma’am me. Just because I live in the South now doesn’t mean you can ma’am me. You’re engaged?”
“It’s not … official yet, but we’ve been dating and I’m going to ask her soon.”
“Wow. I didn’t know you ever looked up from your computer. And you’re bringing this miraculous and mysterious woman to Cancun?”
“Yes.”
“And you promised me you’ll stay the entire two weeks.”
Callum groaned inside, but if he could truly talk Lexi into going, maybe two weeks in Cancun wouldn’t be too bad. He could do most of his work from his phone and laptop, and Shirlene and his various department heads were more than capable of picking up any pieces. Still, the thought of being gone from work felt like a noose tightening around his neck.
“Yes,” he muttered.
“If you’re lying to me, I’ll make you babysit our firstborn and change diapers.”
Callum laughed. “Such torture. I’m not lying to you.” How had he just lied to Cambree? She was without guile and he prided himself on his honesty, but he really, truly couldn’t handle being set up with random women as his fiery sisters-in-law competed to see which of their girls he would like.
“Well, okay, then. Have you told your mom and dad? Do Creed or Bridger know?”
“It’s pretty recent. I’ll call them tonight.” Now he had to find a girl to be his fake fiancée. Isabel could come up with a good fit—a beautiful girl who would act the part but leave h
im alone when they were away from his family. But he really wanted to find Lexi again. He’d actually be excited to play the farce with her.
“What’s her name?” Cambree demanded.
“Lexi.” It slipped out so easily. She hadn’t even wanted him to drive her home this morning. How was he going to talk her into going to Cancun as his fiancée? Money was the easiest answer, but he hated the thought of buying a date. Had he really sunk that low? The dates Isabel set him up with were beneficial for all parties involved. Every social climber loved getting photographed with a Hawk brother.
“Cute. I’m going to like her, I can tell already.”
“You like everybody, Cam, so it’s not much of a compliment if you like somebody.”
“Ah, that was low, Mister. Besides you should be grateful I like everybody, or I wouldn’t like you. You intimidate the snot out of people.”
“I’m intimidating?”
“Yep. Terrifying. Okay, I’ll let you go. I know you have loads and loads of work.”
“Always. Good to talk to you, Cam.”
“You too, Cal.” She laughed. Cambree enjoyed life; that was for sure. It bugged him that she said he was intimidating, but that came with the territory of being a billionaire entrepreneur, right?
Callum dropped his cell phone onto his desk and groaned. What had he just done? He’d lied to his future sister-in-law. Guaranteed she wouldn’t hold this news in and Emmett would call Bridger and Creed. Bridger would spill to his mom before the morning was over, if he wasn’t off surfing some dangerous wave in Australia or throwing himself out of a plane without a chute.
A rap on his office door brought him from his misery. Shirlene bustled in, holding aloft a new pair of pants.
“Thank you.”
“It’s the job.” She held out the pants.
He took them and went into his private bathroom, changed out of his ruined pants, and walked back out. Shirlene waited, holding out her hand. He handed over the ripped pants.
“What do you want me to do with these?”
Callum shrugged. “Goodwill.”
Her face blanched. “You’re going to give pants that are worth a thousand dollars to Goodwill?”
“Sure. It’ll make somebody’s day.” He didn’t tell her that since this suit had cost twelve grand, the pants were probably worth a lot more than a thousand dollars.
She shook her head and walked out with the pants. “The meeting’s in Conference Room Four. I’ll have Kyle take care of the pants, and I’ll be right there.”
“Okay. See you there.” Callum downed a water bottle and stared out the window. How was he going to find a fake fiancée, and soon? He didn’t even know Lexi’s last name. If he couldn’t find her tonight, he’d schedule a meeting with Isabel to discuss options for Cancun.
He forced himself to turn from the view, pick up his laptop, and walk out of his office. As he walked through the four-story open area, he greeted each employee he passed. He loved the grand staircase that swept from floor to floor, connecting his companies more intimately than an elevator would and lending a classy feel to the office space.
He rushed down the front hallway to the conference rooms and entered the smaller one with his coffee cup in hand. Glancing around the room, he smiled at his marketing team. Many of them stood and came forward to shake his hand. He made an effort to know names and something personal about each one. It was a talent he’d been blessed with.
As he was asking Brody what his six-year-old daughter wanted for Christmas, he glimpsed a vision with long, blonde curls, a pink silky shirt, a straight skirt with some kind of floral pattern, and pink cowboy boots. Her blue eyes lit up as he focused in on her lovely face, and her rosebud lips turned up in a hopeful smile.
“Lexi?” He ran into somebody and dumped his cup of coffee down his suit.
Lexi’s eyes widened and her mouth fell into an O shape. Callum gritted his teeth against the rush of hot liquid dripping down his chest, the side of his abdomen, and all the way to his right leg. Luckily it had cooled from scalding and he wouldn’t have burns.
The room erupted in surprised and worried exclamations. Jared, the man he’d run into, was apologizing profusely.
“My fault.” Callum set the cup down and took the handkerchief Jared offered. “No worries, man.”
“Oh, my, goodness!” Shirlene entered the room, took one look at him, and threw her hands in the air. “There is something so wrong with you today!” She grabbed his arm and tugged him back toward the door. “Start the meeting without us,” she directed to Isabel, the head of marketing.
Isabel nodded. Callum could only focus on Lexi as he let Shirlene drag him away. Marketing, hot coffee spills, and ruined Brioni suits were the least of his concerns at the moment. Lexi was here! Her blue eyes were filled with concern, and he wondered what she thought of him. Between crashing his motorcycle this morning and dumping coffee on himself, he was definitely not acting like the Callum Hawk everyone admired—cool, wealthy, and always in control. He didn’t care what anyone thought, so long as he could talk to Lexi and see what she thought.
Was a miracle happening for him this Christmas and she’d agree to go to Cancun? He hadn’t prayed for a Christmas miracle since he was eight, when he’d prayed that his dad would teach him how investments worked and set up a small investment account for him to learn from. His dad had scoffed at him and told him to be a kid for once. With his mom’s help, he’d set up the fund himself at ten with a thousand dollars he’d been saving from birthday money and doing odd jobs like walking neighbors’ dogs and helping his mom’s employees with house and yard work. He’d cashed the investment out for two point three million dollars before he started college.
Shirlene released his hand when she knew he was following. They made it to his office, and she slammed the door closed behind them, folded her arms across her chest, and stretched to appear taller. “What is wrong with you today? Is your family okay?”
Callum nodded quickly. Those dark three months when they’d thought Creed was dead had been horrific for all of his family members. He’d kept working hard because it was all he knew to do, and he could sometimes bury the pain of losing his brother beneath loads of work, new properties acquired, and businesses taken apart and rebuilt.
“I need Lexi,” he said quickly.
“Who is Lexi?”
“That new girl. The one with the cowboy boots on.”
Shirlene’s eyebrows arched up. “Alexia Hall. She started today as a temp recommended by Cornell’s advisor, Ms. Kinley, to replace Holly. We gave her an advance and a four-month initial contract.”
Alexia Hall. It fit. She was perfect. Cowboy boots. Who wore cowboy boots to a business meeting, and their first day as a temp probably hoping for a permanent job? It was brave and irresistibly attractive. Why hadn’t she told him this morning that she was going to be working for him? His eyes narrowed. No wonder she’d acted so off. She wasn’t worried about him being a stranger who found out where she lived; she was worried about him figuring out who she was because she’d known he was her boss.
He’d have to assure her that her fears were unfounded. “Please bring Alexia here.”
“And you’ll stop acting like a psycho? Ripping your pants? Spilling coffee down yourself? Maybe you should just go home and change, send your suit out for dry cleaning, and go for a rowing trip or something.”
He’d been on Cornell’s rowing team in college and still loved to get out on the rivers when he had a chance. He rarely had the chance. “It’s a bit cold for a row today.”
“Then fly somewhere warm.”
Callum smiled. “Please go get Alexia.”
Shirlene blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. “You’re the boss.”
Callum waited until she pushed through the door and slammed it behind her before allowing himself a triumphant smile. His white shirt was stained, but the dry cleaners could get him all clean and pressed again. All he cared about right now was talking to Lexi.
She was working for him? Maybe two weeks’ paid vacation wouldn’t be too hard to talk her into.
Chapter Three
Lexi settled into a chair with the rest of the marketing team, trying to control her shaking hands. Callum had seen her, his dark eyes had lit with recognition, and he’d run into one of the marketing guys, spilling coffee down his expensive suit.
She felt like the coffee spill was her fault, just like the motorcycle accident. No way Callum Hawk made mistakes like that normally, as evidenced by his personal assistant flipping out and pulling him from the room. She tried to focus on what Isabel was saying as she started the meeting, but everything felt off. She wanted to talk to Callum alone, but who was she to dare request it? If he had any feelings for her at all, he was probably upset with her for not introducing herself this morning.
He’d definitely recognized her, despite her altered appearance—hair in loose curls, makeup on, and an outfit comprising her favorite shirt, skirt, and cowboy boots. She’d gotten a few odd looks at her choice of footwear, but she didn’t care. Her boots were comfortable, kept her feet and legs warm in the winter, and showed that she’d always stick to her roots, no matter that she was in the middle of a long-time dream—a real-life New York business meeting.
Focus, Lexi! She shook her head and gave it her best effort.
Shirlene rushed back into the room. Her eyes narrowed and she pointed at Lexi. “I need you.”
Lexi leaned back and put a hand over her heart. “Me?”
“Yes. Now!”
Lexi stood and looked to Isabel. The woman nodded quickly.
“Excuse me,” Lexi murmured, clutching her purse and making her way around the conference table. The room was dead silent, and every eye was on her retreat. Her heart picked up the pace as she exited the room and walked side by side with Callum’s personal assistant. She was going to be fired. Oh snot. This was her big opportunity, not only to find her place in the business world, but to finally have positive cash flow and be able to help pay for her mom’s surgery and treatments when a miracle happened and they found a donor match.
Hawk Brothers Romance Collection Page 26