“Stop shaking. He’s not going to hurt you,” Shirlene said in an undertone.
“Callum Hawk?” Lexi whispered back. Despite how comfortable she’d felt with him early this morning, he was still the Callum Hawk and her boss.
“No, Santa Claus.” Shirlene rolled her eyes. “He’s a nice guy, no matter how intimidating he appears.”
“What does he want with me?” Maybe she wasn’t going to get fired. Maybe.
“I don’t know. How do you know him?”
Lexi bit at her lip as they approached a reception area that had amazing views overlooking the city, obviously expensive woodwork, and gorgeous flower arrangements. Graceful stairs arched down and down and down with smooth wood railings Lexi wouldn’t mind sliding on if she wasn’t shaking so bad. Sliding away from facing Callum sounded pretty great right now.
Shirlene stopped outside the door and looked at her, waiting.
Lexi fiddled with her purse, then forced herself to strap it on her shoulder. She blew out a breath and admitted, “I darted across the street this morning and he almost hit me with his motorcycle.”
Shirlene looked her over more carefully. “The ripped pants and the smile,” she said.
Lexi arched an eyebrow. She knew he’d ripped his pants, but she had no clue what “the smile” meant.
Shirlene rapped on the door, and Lexi’s heart started racing again. When Callum swung the door open and flashed her his trademark grin, she was sure she’d either die of heart overexertion or pass out. Maybe if she passed out he’d catch her. Not a bad option.
“Lexi.” His voice was warm and welcoming. “Come in.” He gestured into his light-filled office. “Thank you, Shirlene. Can you take my place at the marketing meeting?”
“Of course.” Shirlene hurried away.
Stiff and uncertain, Lexi walked slowly past him in the open doorway. Callum closed the door behind them and put his hand on the small of her back like he had this morning. It had a hundredfold effect with his bare palm and her thin, silky shirt. He needed to put gloves back on if he was going to touch her, or she would definitely die of heart failure.
He escorted her to a deep brown leather couch and they sat side by side. His dark eyes were hyper-focused on her and filled with questions, and was she crazy to think they had desire and welcome in them too? She broke from his gaze and looked around the massive office. The tinted floor-to-ceiling windows were fabulous, and everything was tastefully done with mahogany desks and side tables, fresh floral arrangements, and a waterfall making up the wall behind her.
“Lexi,” he murmured, pulling her attention back to his handsome face. “I didn’t know how I’d find you again.”
Lexi swallowed. What to admit to right now? “I’m sorry. When I realized it was you this morning … I should’ve told you I was your new marketing person, but I froze.” She gave him a wan smile. “I hoped you wouldn’t recognize me when you saw me again.”
His eyes widened. “How could I not recognize you? I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”
“Really?” That brought as many thrills of pleasure as his hand on her back had earlier. She loved the way he was looking at her now, like she was the best Christmas present he’d never expected.
He nodded. “Shirlene’s been cussing me this morning for smiling and being off.”
“You should always smile. It looks good on you.”
Callum chuckled.
“So you’re not going to fire me?”
“Fire you? No way. I need you, Lexi.”
“Excuse me?” She leaned away. Why would this powerful, successful man need a lowly temp? He was nothing like the cool, perfect billionaire they portrayed him as, but then, was anybody ever like their media persona?
He took her hands in both of his and stared intently at her. Just like that, her heart was becoming a problem again.
“Okay,” she rushed out. “You need to cool it with touching me or I’m going to have heart failure and mess up your day more than a bike wreck and spilled coffee.”
He laughed. “It’s a risk we’ll have to take.”
“Me dying of heart failure?” Now that wasn’t cool of him.
“I’m going to need to touch you to make this work.” His voice was deep and sultry and this was … all wrong.
Lexi blinked at him, yanked her hands free, and stood. Oh, crap. No! Apparently Callum Hawk wasn’t the cool, perfect billionaire. He was one of those men who thought he could get any woman to do anything he wanted because of his money, fame, and looks. The bitter taste of disappointment at her dream man being a jerk was almost worse than knowing she was going to lose this dream job. “No, you will not touch me, and if you think I’m one of those girls, I quit.”
Callum stood too, concern etched into his brow. “Lexi, forgive me. I didn’t mean …” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I’m not trying to proposition you.”
She arched her eyebrows. “‘I’m going to need to touch you to make this work’?”
“That came out completely wrong. I was holding your hands and you are so beautiful and funny.”
Lexi glared at him. She didn’t care for the compliments or him “not trying to proposition.” It sure had sounded like a proposition.
“I apologize again.” He held up his hands. “That sounded horrible.”
“It sure did.” She folded her arms under her chest. “You want to explain, or am I walking?” Dang it, dang it, dang it. Would she be able to get another position like this, ever? Her counselor at Cornell was going to be so disappointed. Her family was going to be so disappointed. Heck, she was disappointed. She glanced over Callum’s well-built frame in that perfectly tailored suit. Of course a man this flawless had to be a snake underneath.
“I need to hire you.”
“You already did.”
“No.” He waved a hand. “Not as a marketing person. I’ve got plenty of those.”
Lexi’s heart, which had been racing, now felt frozen, and her stomach plummeted. He didn’t think she was worth anything as a marketing person. “I’ll have you know that I’m graduating with a master’s from Cornell and I am at the top of my class.”
He nodded. “I’m sure you’re amazing at marketing and I’m happy to have you on my team, but I also need you as my fake fiancée.”
The air whooshed out of Lexi. If she weren’t so upset that he was disregarding her expertise and hard work, she’d be tingling all over at the thought of being this man’s fiancée. No. She was not for hire as anybody’s arm candy. His earlier line about needing to touch her to make this work made sense now, and she felt sick. “I’m sorry. That’s not happening.”
“Please. You’d be perfect. I felt an instant attraction to you this morning, which is what I need so my family will believe I actually like you.”
Lexi’s eyes widened.
“That came out wrong also.” He blew out a breath. “I don’t normally get flustered like this.”
Lexi didn’t know if she believed him. He was messing everything up in her mind right now.
“I need the perfect fake fiancée, because the truth is, I don’t date.”
“You date all the time. I follow social media. And you have an extra motorcycle helmet in your saddlebag.” She shot him an imperious glare. Why was he lying to her?
“I have dates set up for me by Isabel for important events. Sometimes those women get a ride on my motorcycle.” He gave her a placating smile. “I don’t have time for relationships.”
“That’s horrible.”
He shrugged. “My work is too important.”
Lexi was really not liking this guy anymore. He wasn’t cool and professional. He was cold and a definite workaholic. Did he think his time was too important to waste it on real people?
“So I need to hire you to go to Cancun with me for two weeks. It’s my brother Creed’s wedding, and my future sisters-in-law, Kiera and Cambree, are both trying to set me up.” He shuddered. “So I lied to Cambree and said I w
as engaged, and that’s why I need you.” He gave her the smile she’d thought was irresistible earlier. It had lost its power on her.
“I’m not being your fake fiancée.”
“You have to. You have spunk and you won’t be intimidated by my family. I mean, look at the cowboy boots. Who wears cowboy boots to a marketing meeting at Hawk Enterprises? Nobody.”
“Now you’re making fun of my cowboy boots?”
“No.” He put his hands up. “I like your cowboy boots, and I like the way you put yourself together. My family will buy it. They’ll think I’m in love with you, Cambree and Kiera won’t be pushing their friends on me, and you can just have a fun paid Christmas vacation, except for when I need you to pretend you’re with me.” He smiled. “Easy.”
Lexi backed away and shook her head. “No. I’m not some bimbo that earns my way by my looks, and I am going home for Christmas.” She’d promised her family. She could not miss Christmas. She needed to be with her mom.
Callum gritted his teeth and pushed a hand through his hair, messing up the perfectly sculpted locks. If he weren’t such a jerk, he’d be irresistibly sexy. “This isn’t coming out right. Listen, I don’t want some paid escort; my family will see through that. I want someone innocent and beautiful like you. You have to feel that we connected this morning.”
Lexi wasn’t about to admit how smitten she’d been with him—up until the last ten minutes. “I can’t miss Christmas,” was all she said.
“I’ll pay you, a lot.” He nodded as if money made this all right. Of course, she could definitely use the money for her mom, but not like this. “You name the price. And a spot in my marketing department or wherever you want to work. I can’t move Isabel or Shirlene, but any other position, you name it and it’s yours.”
Lexi wondered if her jaw could truly hit the floor. Name her price? Whatever position she wanted? It would be a dream come true, if she didn’t feel as if he was using her like some two-bit hooker. She hated that she actually considered the offer. Two weeks’ vacation in Cancun for the money she needed to help her family and her dream job secured. Her mom’s medical bills and her school debt would be no worry anymore. Could she ask for enough to hire help for her dad?
Horrific reality set in pretty quick. For a large sum of money and her dream job, he was asking her to be a paid escort for a high-profile billionaire, steal someone else’s position in his company as if that person didn’t matter, and miss what very well might be her mom’s last Christmas.
“I won’t be your prostitute,” she snapped. She shook her head and hurried around him to grab the door handle.
Callum caught her before she could press the handle down and escape. He wrapped his palm around her hand, and warmth seared into her skin. Lexi made the mistake of glancing up at him. His dark eyes pled with her. His face was much too handsome for such a scoundrel.
“Please, Lexi,” he said in a low rumble. “I didn’t mean to treat you like a prostitute. It would be a business deal. Besides pretending for my family, I won’t touch you. I promise.”
“You’re touching me right now.” She hated the breathless sound of her voice. Unfortunately, she really liked him touching her.
He lifted his hand, and she could breathe again. “Please,” he repeated. “Tell me what you want and it’s yours.”
Lexi held his gaze and said, “I want you to never come near me again.”
Callum’s eyes widened. He didn’t say anything, simply stared at her.
Lexi pushed down the door handle, swung the door wide, and rushed out of there. She hurried to the elevator, not making eye contact with anyone. The elevator finally arrived, and as the doors closed, she felt like she could breathe again. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she blinked angrily. Callum Hawk was nothing to cry over; the tears were for her loss. She’d lost the job she’d dreamed of, and the man who she’d thought was amazing, daydreamed about, and couldn’t wait to meet was nothing like she’d hoped.
She made it to the street and shivered as she realized she’d left her jacket in the small cubicle they’d given her this morning. At least she’d kept her purse with her. She glanced back up at the building, way up fifty-four floors to where she imagined Callum Hawk was standing superior over the world. He could keep her jacket. He wasn’t going to affect her anymore.
She walked slowly along the city streets, wondering how she was going to tell her parents and her counselor from Cornell about her failure. Frustration and then anger roiled inside her. This wasn’t her failure. This was all Callum Hawk’s fault. She prayed she’d never see the man again.
Callum sat in his office chair, toying with a pen. Hawk Enterprises, it said on the side. His company. His pride and joy. He had so much—success, fame, family that loved him. Yet he felt like he had nothing. How could he have messed everything up and offended Lexi so badly? Usually he was brilliant at public relations and negotiations, but he’d failed big time today. It had to be because she was the perfect mixture of beautiful and cute and he’d never felt so drawn to a woman. He’d messed up his delivery because he was so caught up in her. It wasn’t her fault. It was his fault for not staying in control.
A sharp rap at his door brought him back to the present.
“Come in,” he called, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He needed to have Shirlene go buy a new suit or go home and change. He was still damp from the coffee spill. That didn’t bother him as much as his injured pride and regrets over how things ended with Lexi. He’d put her in a horrible position, and she’d been brave enough to stand up to him. She was seriously impressive, and he was a serious idiot.
Shirlene walked in slowly, holding a white jacket. “I’m assuming by the reports I’m hearing about the way she stormed out of here that Miss Hall is no longer with us?”
Callum blew out a breath. “I think that’s a proper assumption.”
“Would you like me to have someone send her jacket to her apartment?”
Callum stood so quickly that Shirlene took a step back. “That’s Lexi’s jacket?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know where her apartment is?”
Shirlene arched her eyebrows and nodded.
Callum strode to her and took the jacket from her fingers. “I’ve got to go change my suit anyway. I’ll drop it by.”
Shirlene’s eyebrows were doing a dance. “Are you sure that’s the smartest plan?”
“Probably not, but I need to apologize.”
“I’ve never heard you apologize. Can I come?”
Callum actually smiled. He hadn’t thought he could smile again after Lexi stormed out of here, but he felt a surge of happiness at this opportunity to make things right. He’d retract the fiancée offer and beg her to come back to his marketing department. Maybe in time she’d see he wasn’t a fumbling idiot.
He didn’t know what he’d do for Cancun, but Lexi needed to understand that this was all his fault and that he was sorry—that was more important than doing the walk of shame when he showed up to the wedding trip without a fiancée. He wondered how aggressive Cambree’s swimsuit model would be and shuddered. He’d talk to Isabel about other options later today.
“No,” he told Shirlene. “But maybe I’ll record it for you. Text me her address.”
“You got it boss. Let’s not tell H.R. about this, though.”
“Good plan.” He had messed everything up so badly, H.R. would be in a panic if they knew.
Callum practically ran for the elevator. When he got inside, he pressed Lexi’s jacket to his nose. It smelled like … coconut. He liked it. Now if only he could talk the owner of the jacket into thinking he wasn’t an overbearing ogre.
Chapter Four
The cold forced Lexi to take a taxi to her apartment. She stood in the middle of the studio apartment and looked around. There wasn’t much besides her bed and an old couch, but it was supposed to be her spot. Her chance to reach her dreams. She’d walked out on that when Callum propositioned
her. Why was the fact that she’d never see him again as painful as losing her shot at a fabulous career and the ability to help her parents? The man meant nothing to her. At least, he shouldn’t.
Her phone rang and she pulled it out of her purse. Her dad. Oh, criminy, not right now.
“Hi, Dad.” Sinking onto the couch, she tried for chipper and upbeat. How was she going to tell him she’d lost her job? They’d barely saved up enough to prove they could pay for her mom’s medication if they found a kidney match. You couldn’t get approved without it. What would happen if they found her a kidney now?
“Lexi, I, oh, I c-can’t even. Oh, Lex!”
“Dad?” She stood back up, gripping the phone. His voice sounded happy, but why was he stuttering and unable to form a coherent thought? Her dad was a cowboy who never got overly excited and always spoke his mind. Was there something wrong with her mom? Had she declined worse?
“Lexi! They found a kidney!”
Lexi’s breath rushed out of her and she sank back into the couch, weak with relief and sheer joy. “Oh, Daddy.”
“I’m just so happy, love. Your mama’s doing a bunch of testing or she would’ve called. She’ll call you as soon as she’s done. Because of the money you put in our account from your advance, we had enough to prove we can pay for the medications she’ll need after, and it was like the stars just aligned. Can you believe it? I’m so happy.”
“Me too, Dad. Oh, me too. Have you called Hannah?” Her little sister was in a physician’s assistant program at Creighton University in Nebraska. They were all so proud of her, but between her schooling, Lexi’s schooling, her mom’s treatments, and paying for help to run the farm, money was nonexistent. Luckily most of Lexi’s school had been paid for with scholarships, until her master’s. That’s what student loans were for.
If only she had a way to pay those loans back. Callum Hawk had ruined everything.
“Yes. Hannah’s so thrilled. Except …” His voice dropped. “She’s going to have to drop out of school for a while.”
Hawk Brothers Romance Collection Page 27