“Thank you.” She took a long drink. “Did you lift weights?”
He nodded. “Running for you, I suppose?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
“Are you training for something?”
“I try to do a few half marathons each year.”
“That’s great.”
Lexi thought this conversation was considerably less than great—it was stilted and boring, and she hated the way they were tiptoeing around each other. “Is it tough not to battle Joseph every day?”
He laughed. “Toughest part of vacation.”
“I know that’s a lie.”
“What do you mean?”
“The toughest part for you is not working fourteen-hour days.”
He shrugged but didn’t disagree. She realized it was probably more like sixteen, as she’d heard he usually got to the office by five and didn’t leave until nine or later. His lunch breaks to exercise and spar were his only breaks.
Lexi clutched her water bottle and walked past him to her bedroom. “I’m going to hurry and shower. They said the shuttles are leaving at eight.”
“I’ll order some room service for breakfast. What would you like?”
“Oh. Thank you. Some yogurt, fruit, eggs, and milk would be great.”
“Gotta have the milk.”
“Dairy farmer’s daughter.”
He smiled warmly at her. She felt like that smile was a small breakthrough. “See you in a bit,” she said.
Rushing through a shower, she didn’t bother washing her hair. Kiera had given her a brochure on the adventure park they were going to, and they would be zip-lining into water and swimming through caves as well as riding in amphibious vehicles through mud and water. It all sounded fun to her. She liked the thought of a muddy adventure.
She didn’t worry about makeup either, but she still packed a bag with sunscreen, lip gloss, her wallet, and a towel. She almost threw her phone in for taking pictures, but she’d requested Callum leave his phone, so she decided to do the same. She hurried back into the main area, where Callum had his phone in his hand. He started guiltily and said, “Sorry, just texting Shirlene about some issues she’ll have to deal with today.”
He hurried back into his room. Lexi pushed out a long sigh and looked over the breakfast spread. Callum was either really hungry or he’d ordered more food than they’d ever eat.
Callum came back out, his phone nowhere in sight, and pulled out her chair. “Hungry?” He gave her a smile that made her want to melt at his feet.
Was she destined to fall for this perfectly wonderful man who could never have an uninterrupted moment? She’d grown up on a demanding dairy farm where they hadn’t hired much help until her dad got hurt. She knew how it was to milk and feed cows around the clock. Her dad didn’t take vacations, but after he put the work in, he focused on his family. She didn’t know that Callum could ever do that. She had visions of them being married and her leaning over the couch to kiss him good night, and he didn’t even look up from his laptop, simply murmuring, “Good night.”
Yet when he’d asked her to “please fall” last night, it was the sweetest and most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. To have Callum Hawk say it while leaning in about made her declare her undying devotion. Yet she knew herself well enough to know she wanted an equal partner. Yes, she wanted a hard worker and she planned to work hard herself, but she also wanted someone who could put work down and walk away. Focus on the people in the room with him.
“Starved,” she responded to Callum, sliding into the chair.
He bent his head and offered a quick prayer. It touched her heart that he asked a blessing of health and recovery for her mom. She’d talked to her mom last night, and her mom was feeling stronger each day. Hannah would be there today, so that made Lexi happy, even though it hurt to think of not being with them.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Sure.”
Neither of them said anything else as they ate, and the tension grew more and more awkward. Everything she’d thrown at him last night hung between them.
His phone rang from his bedroom, and he stood quickly. Lexi’s eyes went wide. He truly couldn’t make it out of the suite without responding to a call. Was she asking too much of him? Did anyone have the perfect balance of being responsible to their work yet saying no when they needed to? She didn’t want to be the demanding, unreasonable girlfriend. Yet she wanted to be important to Callum.
Callum’s face blanched with indecision; then he sank back into the chair and took a long drink of juice. He forced a smile at her and said, “Shirlene will take care of it.”
She nodded, impressed that he was trying. “Are your businesses ever not … demanding?”
Callum shook his head. “No, sadly. I’ve just got my hand in too many pots.”
“Meaning?”
“I have a lot of businesses and they’re diverse, and even though I have great people working for me and running them, there’s always something or someone that needs my attention.”
She nodded and finished her fruit. “Thank you for taking today off.”
“Sure.” Though he smiled, she could feel the uncertainty and worry that today was causing him. Would today bring them closer together, or would he resent her for asking him to step away? Either way, she didn’t know if it would prove that he could take a break. It was a Saturday, three days from Christmas, and he was supposed to be on vacation. She thought of the way he’d ignored her the two and half weeks after she’d first agreed to be his fake fiancée. Working for him, she’d caught a small glimpse of how busy and important he was. Callum didn’t have the time or head space for a relationship, and she was crazy to let herself fall, no matter how beautifully he asked.
Callum thought Xplor Park was a very interesting phenomenon. He and Lexi went from cave tubing and swimming to driving amphibious vehicles over beautiful and interesting routes. After they ate a delicious lunch, they headed to the zip lines. As a business owner, he wondered how the owners undertook such a vast theme park, especially the miles of tunneling through caves. He wanted to talk to the developers and investors and see profit and loss sheets. He wondered if such a park would succeed in the United States, but figured another location would be smarter—too many things wouldn’t be up to code in America and people were more willing to throw money away when they were on vacation.
He reached for his phone to take some notes, only to remember it wasn’t in his pocket. He said a quick prayer that everything would go smoothly with work today. He’d emailed every project manager, his team of lawyers, his marketing director, his board, and Shirlene to explain he was going to take the next five days off. That would get him through the wedding and back to Snow Valley with a full day spent with Lexi’s family with no work interruptions. He’d told them he would respond to emails at night and in the mornings, but to please refrain from calling him if at all possible. It was a huge leap of faith on his part, and if it didn’t prove to Lexi that he was serious about a relationship with her and could put her first, nothing would.
Lexi glanced over at him as they climbed the stairs, already in their zip-lining harnesses. She looked cute in a blue tank top kind of suit with floral shorts over the bottoms. The harnesses made her shorts poke out at odd angles. Had she noticed his mind spinning or his hand reaching for his phone? She’d been delightful and fun through each of the activities. He felt like they’d had a great day together.
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “What’s been your favorite thing so far?”
“The amphibious vehicles for sure.”
“You have to admit I was brave to let you drive.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I only crashed once.”
“Luckily I have a good lawyer or two if Emmett decides to sue for bodily harm.” She’d run smack into the back of Emmett and Cambree’s side-by-side. They’d both laughed so hard that tears had been streaming down Cambree’s face.
“Thank you
. I might need those names.”
“You didn’t like the cave swimming or whatever they called that?”
“The caves were cool to see, but that water was disgusting. Did you like it?”
“Come on, the farm girl is worried about a little green water?”
She pushed at his shoulder. “We don’t swim in the manure.”
They reached the back of the queue for the first zip line. There was a group of six waiting in front of them. Callum had been introduced to one of the men this morning: Logan, one of Creed’s SEAL buddies. The group smiled at them, then returned to chatting about what activities they’d done.
The maze of zip lines stretched off across the jungle. Callum could see the ocean to their far right and some ruins to the left. He pointed them out to Lexi.
They watched the six in front of them clip into the side-by-side lines two at a time and take off. With two of the couples, the guide told the women, “Too small, you get stuck. Clip in with the big man.” Callum would watch as the grinning men would pull their dates close—or maybe their wives—clip in together, and soar off into the air. Lexi was small. He hoped she was small enough she had to ride in his arms.
They reached the platform and the young guide looked Lexi over, then winked at Callum. “Sorry, lady. Too small. Clip in with the tough guy.” He pointed at Callum.
Callum’s chest swelled. Lexi looked up at him, so innocent and beautiful. He stepped up right behind her until his chest brushed her back. He felt her pull in a breath.
The attendant clipped them both in, and Callum wrapped his arms around her waist. “Jump,” the attendant called.
Together they jumped and soared off the platform and through the air. It was a smooth ride over the jungle, occasionally seeing some amphibious vehicles or a tiger or jaguar pit or a walkway. Callum enjoyed the flying sensation, but having Lexi cuddled into his chest was more enjoyable than anything he’d done in a long time. Any worries over work flew far from his mind.
They sped toward the end of the line, and Callum could see Lexi was going to slam into the mat. He twirled them around, and his back took the impact. The breath was knocked out of him and the bruise from the cow was a sharp dart of pain.
Callum helped Lexi get steady on her feet while the attendant unclipped them both. They moved to the side, his arm around her shoulders. “You okay?”
She glanced up, her cheeks almost as pink as those irresistible lips, and her blue eyes lit up. “I loved it! Did you?”
He nodded.
“Thanks for protecting me at the end.” She lifted the back of his shirt and pressed her cool fingertips to his bruise. “Did that hurt you?”
“No,” he lied, relishing her touch.
“You ready for the next one?” She pulled her hand back and beamed up at him.
“Let’s do it.”
Lexi laughed and hurried to the next set of stairs. Callum rushed to stay close to her. If days focusing on Lexi were like this, he would hardly miss work.
Lexi loved all the activities at Xplor Park, but mostly she loved being with Callum without any interruptions. Bridger and Britney had joined them at lunch and they’d seen others of his family and lots of wedding guests throughout the day, but without his phone or computer, Callum completely focused on her. Was it selfish of her to want his undivided attention? He’d told her last night that he’d prove he wanted to be with her. He’d done a good job of that today.
They got back to their suite late, and Lexi was exhausted but exhilarated from being with Callum. She started walking toward her bedroom, anxious to shower.
Callum grabbed her hand. She turned and stared up at him. Why did he have to be so handsome to her? With his dark skin and eyes and manly sculpted face, it was no wonder he’d been touted Most Eligible Bachelor so many times.
“Do you want to sit in the hot tub before you shower?” His eyes were apprehensive and invested in her.
Lexi felt a rush of desire at the thought of sitting close to him in the hot tub, but also a lot of gratitude to him. He was asking her to stay with him longer rather than hurry to check his computer and phone. It was a sacrifice, and she knew it. “I’d love to.”
He smiled and held on to her hand, walking her through the main room and out onto the balcony. He released her hand to unclip and lift off the hot tub lid, then took her hand again and helped her in. Lexi slipped off her shorts and tank top, revealing her blue swimsuit underneath. She eased into the hot water. It was almost hot enough to be uncomfortable, but her body adjusted quickly and she sighed as she relaxed against a headrest.
Callum slid his shirt off and dropped it on a chair, then climbed in and sat down close by her side. “Do you want the jets?”
“Can we just enjoy the quiet for a minute?”
“Sure.”
She opened her eyes to see him staring at her.
“Fun day?” he asked quietly.
“The best. I loved the zip lines so much.”
“I never would’ve guessed,” he said drily.
She laughed. After they’d found the zip lines, that was all she’d wanted to do, and they’d done the two different sets of zip line courses multiple times.
“I liked them too. I loved how every time the guy would say, ‘Too small, lady, ride with the big guy.’”
Lexi grinned. Riding through the air pressed close to Callum had been the best part of all. “Was I really too small to reach the end by myself, or had you palmed them money to make them say that?”
Callum chuckled. “You made sure I was stripped of everything. I didn’t have my phone or wallet all day.” The park was all-inclusive, so he’d locked his wallet in a locker.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“For?”
“Leaving everything behind for me.”
He nodded, studying her face.
“And asking me to sit in the hot tub instead of rushing to your computer and phone.”
His eyebrows lifted. “I didn’t know if you’d notice.”
“Was it hard?” she asked.
Callum searched her face, then admitted, “My brain is programmed to work, so yeah, it was hard, but being with you makes everything good.”
Lexi smiled. “You’re a good man, Callum Hawk.”
Callum wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her onto his lap. Lexi’s breath came out in a pop. The move had been quick and decisive, and she loved it. She was almost level with his face in this position. His arms holding her close to his bare chest made her hotter than the water. “I’d love for you to tell me that I’m a good kisser,” he said.
Lexi bit at her lip and wrapped her arms around his neck, shifting closer to him. “I’d love to tell you that also, but I have to try your lips out first.”
He smiled. “I’ve kissed you twice. That didn’t count?”
“No.” Though those kisses had rocked her to the core. “Those were for show. I want you to kiss me for no one but us.”
Callum pulled her even closer. “I want that too. Are you asking, then?”
She nodded. “I’m officially asking. Please kiss me, Cal.”
He grinned, taking his time and slowly covering the distance. The waiting was torture, but at least it was almost over.
Their lips met, and Lexi wasn’t sure if bubbles erupted in the hot tub or just inside of her. She gave herself completely to the kiss, and Callum’s lips were everything she’d envisioned they could be—warm, supple, and a perfect match for hers. The kiss continued until she grew overheated and lightheaded.
Callum gently deepened the kiss, and the tingles were suddenly inside of her mouth. She wanted to scream and giggle. Instead she savored his every touch and did her part to keep up her end of this mind-blowing kiss. His lips were tender, not demanding. She felt cherished and—did she dare hope—loved?
Callum broke the kiss and hugged her close. The feel of his firm body surrounding her had her trembling almost as much as his kiss.
He abruptly lifted he
r to a standing position in the hot tub and stood next to her. “You’d better head to your room and lock your door.”
Lexi stared up at him. “What?”
“After a kiss like that, I need some time to cool off or I might try to force you to elope before Creed and Kiera have a chance to get married.” He winked down at her, but there was a serious edge to his voice.
Lexi stepped out of the hot tub and wrapped up in a beach towel that was stacked on a table nearby. “Thanks for today.”
Callum nodded and gestured for her to go in. He didn’t wrap up in a towel and he didn’t follow her. Lexi agreed that the kiss had been dynamite, but she was reeling that it had affected Callum so strongly. He had to be joking about forcing her to elope. They’d both admitted that they wanted more than this fake engagement, but one day together couldn’t change both their futures. Could it?
Chapter Nineteen
Callum worked late into the night, responding to everything he’d missed that day and trying to do preemptive work for Sunday so he could focus on Lexi and his family. His people had done a great job today and nothing had been too out of control. The good news was that Sunday should be even slower than Saturday. Thank heavens it was the weekend and close to the biggest holiday of the year. If Lexi had asked him during a normal work week to leave his computer and phone behind, he didn’t know that he could’ve complied.
On Sunday he actually slept in—a novel experience for him. He showered and got ready quickly. Sunday was the one day he didn’t lift weights or spar.
He walked out into the main room in a white button-down and gray slacks. He’d left the tie behind and left his top buttons undone. He assumed church on vacation would be a little more casual. Lexi was eating a bowl of fruit, reading something on her phone, and dressed in a pink floral dress that was fitted at the top and flared from the waist. It showed off her lean shoulders and calves to perfection.
Hawk Brothers Romance Collection Page 39