“You try every day,” Joseph retorted. “How’s that black eye feeling?”
So he had fought this guy before? No wonder he’d gotten a black eye. Lexi couldn’t believe anyone could survive fighting a brute like this.
“Threw a filet mignon on it Friday night and it was all better.” Callum smirked.
Joseph let out a grunt. “A chuck eye would’ve worked just as well, rich boy.”
Lexi heard rustling and noticed a dozen men from the gym were gathering around the ring. One of them gave her a welcoming smile. She forced a smile in return and focused back on Callum as he put a mouthguard in.
A bell dinged, and Lexi’s body clenched in fear. Callum looked tough, but this monster was going to destroy him.
Joseph let out a bellow and rushed at Callum.
“Cal!” Lexi cried out, jumping to her feet.
He dodged Joseph, landing a punch to the man’s side and then shoving him toward the ropes. Joseph slammed against the ropes and bounced back, growling in frustration. He whirled and stalked toward Callum.
Lexi’s breath rushed out. Callum had avoided the initial beating, but Joseph looked like an enraged bear. Callum, on the other hand, looked as cool and relaxed as ever. He glanced down at Lexi and gave her a sly wink. She gasped in surprise.
Callum bopped back and forth for a second as Joseph prowled toward him. Then Callum pushed off with his right foot and flung himself at the man. His fists started flying so fast that Lexi had no clue what kind of punches he was throwing or how any man could handle the onslaught, even one as tough-looking as Joseph.
Joseph got in a few hits that drove Callum back, but Callum just kept coming. The muscles in his upper body were taut and efficient as he landed punch after punch into Joseph’s chest and abdomen. Callum never went for the face or head. She noticed Joseph trying to hit Callum in the head a few times, but Callum would duck or feint and the blow would glance off. She didn’t even want to think about the punch that had given Callum the black eye. A solid punch from Joseph would’ve downed most men, but Callum took more dead-on punches from Joseph than she wanted to think about, and he just kept on fighting, executing brilliant moves. Callum was quick, light on his feet, and tougher than any man she knew, her dad included.
A bell rang and both men stopped swinging and backed away, spitting out their mouthguards. Lexi had been clenching her hands together so tightly her shoulders ached. A dull throb rested in the back of her neck from the tension and fear.
Callum held out his glove, and Joseph bumped it. “Thanks, man, that was fun,” Callum said easily.
“Always fun to try to knock down the billionaire.” Joseph grinned. “See you after the holiday.”
Callum inclined his chin. “I’ll be here.”
Joseph sauntered off, looking much more beat-up than Callum.
Callum glanced down at Lexi and smiled. “I’ll shower quick and we’ll get some lunch.” He dodged under the rope and jogged toward the locker room.
Lexi couldn’t close her mouth. She’d just witnessed the most intense battle of her life. She’d seen a few fights at high school, but nothing like this. Then these grown, tough men bumped gloves and said, Thanks, fun times, see you soon?
She shook her head, but it didn’t clear. Who in the world was Callum Hawk? He wasn’t anything like she’d assumed. Anything. And the way he’d looked boxing it out with no shirt on? Aye-aye-aye! She was not going to be able to lounge on the beach with that man for two weeks.
She smelled the man standing next to her before she noticed him. Sweat, and lots of it. She turned, and Joseph grinned. He was at least a foot taller than her and twice her width. He’d taken off his headgear but still had no shirt on, and his sheer mass loomed over her. How had this man not destroyed Callum?
“You with Hawk?” he asked.
She nodded.
“He’s fun to fight.”
“That was … fun?” She shuddered.
He burst out with a laugh that blasted in her face. For some reason, Lexi broke into giggles at his genuine laughter. When they both sobered, he studied her. “You’re a pretty lady. I hope you’re nice to my billionaire buddy. He’s the best man I know.” He didn’t wait for her to reply but strode away to the weights section.
Lexi blinked. She suddenly wanted Callum to hurry. She had so many questions for him and was ready to get to know the man behind the billionaire façade.
Ten minutes later, Callum strode out of the locker room, looking his usual dapper self. His dark hair was damp and gelled perfectly, his smile was confident and alluring, and he filled out that spendy suit to perfection. Some men called greetings or congrats to him on the fight. He responded to all of them, but then he caught her eye. The warmth that burst from his gaze made her take a step forward. She was drawn to him like a tracking dog to its target.
He reached her and grinned. “Thanks for watching. Hope that wasn’t too boring.”
“Boring?” She laughed in disbelief. “That was vicious and tough and inspiring.” She was gushing, but she couldn’t help it. He was like a machine with a handsome wrapping.
“Joseph’s a beastly stud.”
“I wasn’t talking about Joseph.”
Callum’s grin widened. “Don’t tell him that. He’ll really thump me after Christmas.”
Lexi shook her head. She doubted any man could thump Callum. He should be boxing professionally. “Joseph thinks very highly of you.”
Callum took her elbow and escorted her through the gym. “Ah, that warms my heart.” He smirked at her, but then he got serious. “Joseph was shot down in Afghanistan and was one of four survivors. He lost twenty of his buddies. The boxing helps him deal with his PTSD.”
Lexi didn’t quite know what to say. She glanced around the gym before Callum pushed open the door and escorted her out into the cold, bright day. “Are a lot of those men vets?”
“Yeah. My brother Emmett introduced me to a man named Scar Walker. He came out of the military and played for the Titans before he started the Sparring for Vets program. They now have gyms across America that are free to vets.” He got out their helmets and handed hers over.
“How did you get in, then?” Was he a vet? She’d never heard anything about that.
His smile faltered. “Donate enough money and they’ll let you in anywhere,” he muttered. Callum climbed on the bike.
She didn’t follow, instead focusing on him. “They all seem to accept you.”
He nodded. “It took a few years and a few black eyes. They’re good guys.”
“Why’d you keep coming back? You could go to the Core Club or some other richie gym.”
Callum laughed. “I like the feel here. I need the break from interacting with high-power ‘richies’ all day. Real relationships that have nothing to do with money.”
Lexi suddenly couldn’t look at him. Their relationship was fake and only formed because of money. She climbed onto the bike, and Callum put his hand on her leg. His last comment seemed to float away. A sensation of desire and happiness rushed through her. She’d seen couples on motorcycles with the guy’s hand on the girl’s leg, and for some reason she’d always loved it. Such a sense of being together.
She shook her head. She and Callum were not together. He was an enigma like she’d never encountered and was completely out of her league.
“You okay with a quick lunch?” he asked. “I don’t usually stay away from the office for longer than two hours.”
She was brought back to the reality of Callum being a billionaire workaholic. She supposed the success part didn’t happen unless you were dedicated like him. She also realized Isabel had expected her back in an hour. “That sounds good. Isabel’s probably wondering what happened to me.”
“I’ll text her in a minute.” He started the bike and pulled out into traffic. It wasn’t as busy as it had been at noon, but it was still slow going.
They stopped at a sandwich shop, and he texted Isabel and Shirlene. They ate quickl
y, neither of them saying much. Lexi didn’t know where to start her questions. Maybe on the plane tomorrow they could get to know each other better.
When they got back to his building and into the garage, Lexi swung off the bike and waited for Callum. She handed over the helmet and he put them away.
“So what’s the plan for convincing people that we’re dating?” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Maybe you should take me to some high-profile place tonight.” Even as she said it, her neck tightened. She’d have to spend more of the money in her account on a dress, heels, and jewelry to go to some swanky club. Would they spot her as an imposter at first glance?
Suddenly, the thought of acting like she belonged with the Hawks was too daunting to tackle. Maybe she needed to hire a shopping consultant. Did you just google “consultant to make me look wealthy and accomplished”? No, she had no time to shop and primp. They were leaving in the morning. She’d just have to make the best of it with the clothes she’d already bought.
“Sorry.” Callum directed her toward the elevator with his palm on her lower back. Luckily her coat was too thick to get the full impact of his delicious touch. “I’m going to have to work late tonight to be ready to go to Snow Valley in the morning.”
The elevator arrived and they stepped in. Lexi fought the surge of disappointment. She knew he worked long hours, and she had been the one to demand he take her to Snow Valley before they went to Cancun. She could hardly wait to see her parents. Hannah wouldn’t be there yet, but it would be wonderful to go home. What would Callum think of her parents, her humble house, the smell of manure and hay that never quite left?
“What should I wear for tomorrow, by the way?”
Lexi grunted out a surprised laugh. “I was just thinking how I had no clue how to dress for Cancun with your family, and you’re worried what to wear to podunk Snow Valley?”
Callum smiled. “All you need for Cancun is a bikini and some flip-flops.”
Lexi arched an eyebrow at him. “I don’t wear bikinis.”
His eyes roved over her face, but they didn’t dip to her body, which she really appreciated. “My loss.”
She shook her head. “Just don’t wear a ten-thousand-dollar suit tomorrow.”
“That might be tough, but I’ll find something under a grand to put on.” He smirked at her.
The elevator doors opened, but Lexi was nowhere close to being done with this conversation. How could she be so intrigued by Callum one minute and so frustrated with him the next? They came from different worlds and she was having serious doubts that they could pull off their fake engagement.
Lexi understood he had to work tonight, but if he thought taking her to a veteran’s gym where nobody had snapped a picture of them and an out-of-the-way sandwich shop for lunch would convince anybody they were dating, he was sorely mistaken. She had no clue how the media really worked, but she imagined they’d cry foul if all of a sudden Callum Hawk was engaged to a no-name marketing temp.
She whispered close to his ear as they strolled toward her desk, “We really need to show that we’re together, or when pictures start leaking from Cancun your entire staff is going to call our bluff.”
Callum glanced down at her. His dark eyes filled with a mischievous light, and she wondered what on earth he was planning. They reached her desk, which was simply a cubicle in the middle of the marketing department, not a private office like a lot of the employees had. There were a few employees walking past, and she saw some people watching them through their office windows. Callum drew attention everywhere he went, and of course his employees wanted to make good impressions on him.
Callum kept his arm around her waist and drew her in tight to him. She pulled in a quick breath, but that was a mistake as his spicy, delectable cologne filled her nostrils. She thought she smelled citrus and amber mixed with something yummy she couldn’t distinguish.
“What cologne do you wear?” she blurted out.
He smiled. “Tom Ford. Do you like it?”
She nodded, unable to form a coherent thought with him smiling at her like that and smelling so good.
“Thanks for going to lunch with me, sweetheart.” He smirked as he used the pet name she claimed didn’t fit his persona.
“Sure,” she managed, realizing he was taking her advice. Probably too little, too late for the fake fiancé act, but who was she to complain when the Callum Hawk was holding her close? She had a hard time pulling her gaze from his handsome face, but she noticed a lot more eyes were on them now. They were gathering a crowd.
Callum bent down, and before she could protest or even process, his lips met hers. His lips were firm and warm, and if she’d thought his touch on her hand, arm, or back had made her tingle, she hadn’t known what tingle meant. Her lips came alive with pleasure receptors. He increased the pressure of the kiss, and Lexi arched up onto her tiptoes, pressing closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
She could’ve kept kissing him all day, but he broke the contact and gave her a peck on the cheek, then whispered in her ear: “I think that will ignite enough rumors of us dating.” He released her and stepped back. “See you in the morning, sweetheart.” Nodding to a few openmouthed employees, he strode away, back to his busy, important life.
Lexi felt like she’d had cold water splashed in her face. That kiss. That fabulous, all-encompassing kiss. He’d only kissed her to prove they were dating. His words afterward showed exactly how unaffected he was by the overwhelming kiss that she’d been completely invested in.
Her shoulders sagged and she slunk into her cubicle, praying she had enough work to keep her busy the rest of the afternoon so she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. Any marginally perceptive person would recognize how dejected and humiliated she felt right now.
Chapter Eight
Callum picked Lexi up at her apartment at six a.m. the next morning in an actual limousine. Yikes. She’d never been in a limousine. She had a large suitcase and carry-on, so she was glad it wasn’t his motorcycle, but she missed wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing close to him. They were taken to a private airport, and quicker than she could’ve imagined, they were loaded into a beautiful white jet with a smiling, pretty attendant, and the pilot was telling them they had clearance to depart.
Callum settled into a tan leather seat next to hers and smiled over at her as she clenched the armrests. He looked really good in some casual dark gray pants and a soft blue T-shirt. She supposed it was the most casual clothing he owned, and she prayed it didn’t really cost close to a thousand dollars like he’d teased her. Guaranteed, they’d both smell like manure by the end of the day.
“Everything okay?” he asked, glancing at her grip on the armrest.
Lexi tried to nod, but the plane was taxiing to the runway now. She closed her eyes and started repeating a prayer: “Keep us safe, please keep us safe.”
Callum’s hand closed over hers. Lexi’s eyes flew open. He didn’t even appear to notice that the plane was gaining speed. “Do you not like to fly?” he asked.
She swallowed and shook her head. “I like to fly; I just don’t like … takeoffs!” She screamed the last word, clinging desperately to his hand as the plane lifted off the runway and shot off into the sky. Her stomach jumped to her throat.
Callum laughed.
She pulled her hand free and glared at him. “Not funny.”
“Sorry. I fly so often, it’s lost the magic. It’s fun to see you get excited about it.”
“Excited? Is that a nice way of saying I’m a freak-out?”
Callum smiled. “You bring a lot of excitement to life, don’t you?”
Lexi’s stomach settled as the plane rose more gently and then finally leveled out. She wanted to ask him what he meant. Did she bring excitement to him? There was no way to ask that graciously, so she refocused. “We need to get some background on each other so people believe we’ve actually gone on a date, besides the pummeling arena yesterday.”
He no
dded, still grinning at her like she was an adorable five-year-old.
“Stop smiling at me,” she said.
Callum’s eyebrows lifted. “You have an issue with me smiling?”
“No, but you’re smiling like I’m a child or a funny meme or something.”
Callum’s eyes grew serious, and the dark spiciness of them reminded her of how much she liked his cologne. Tom Ford. Dark, spicy, and delicious. “You make me smile because you’re genuine and unique, but I could never ignore the fact that you’re the furthest thing from a child. You are all woman, Alexia Hall.”
Lexi’s stomach swirled with heat. She fanned herself and looked around. “Is there air I can turn on?”
Callum smiled again and gestured to the flight attendant. “Marci? Can you please bring Miss Hall a cold water and turn the air up?”
The woman nodded and walked briskly away.
When Callum turned his focus back on Lexi, she had to blink and look away, scrambling for something normal to say instead of telling him his compliments made her want to jump into his arms. “This is a beautiful plane. What kind is it?” She glanced around at the spacious seating arrangements and beautiful tan wooden interior.
“An Airbus,” Callum said.
“Do you have … other planes?”
He nodded.
Lexi couldn’t fathom a world of owning even one plane. She had only flown to school and back and home for Christmas each year. Her family’s vacations consisted of camping in the mountains near their home or occasionally going to Jackson Hole and rafting the river or splurging on a day of snow skiing.
The attendant returned, handed her the water bottle, and then gave them each a paper to fill out. It was a menu with breakfast items and beverages on it. “Whenever you’re ready to order.” Marci smiled and walked away.
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