"I will."
Confusion reflected in her eyes. He'd wager tonight hadn't been what she'd anticipated at all. For him it had been an unexpected bonus.
"See you Monday. We'll talk more then."
"Yes, Monday."
She was operating on autopilot now, and the realisation gave him a sense of supreme male satisfaction. Obviously, their kiss had rattled her as much as it had him.
Callie took her keys from his outstretched hand, her fingertips tingling as they brushed against his palm. She still couldn't quite believe that he'd kissed her, nor could she rationalise her overwhelming reaction to that kiss. Somehow she had to pull herself together and get herself home. From hidden reserves of strength she dragged up the automatic behaviour required to clip on her seat belt and start her car.
As she drove up the driveway, she stole a look in the rearview mirror. Josh stood exactly where she'd left him, bathed in the golden outdoor lighting, a strong silhouette watching her as she drove away. Her breath quickened in her chest as she felt the strength of his perusal through the dark night air and she lifted a hand to her face, her fingertips resting against her lips as if by doing so she could relive his touch all over again.
By the time she got home, she could almost fool herself that she'd pulled her act together. Right up until the moment she got inside and saw the red eye on her answering machine winking at her across the room.
Five
Irene's voice filled the air with the modulated tones that gave witness to her impeccable upbringing and her private school education.
"Callie, it's been two weeks. Call me in the morning. Surely you have something for me."
Callie hit the erase key, but it did nothing to clear the frustration that still hung in the air with a palpable presence. Something for Irene? She had nothing. Absolutely nothing, except a growing sense of admiration for a man she should not have allowed to kiss her tonight.
Of course he was ruthless. Look at where he'd come from, what he'd achieved on his own. Was it possible that the Palmers had it all wrong and that it was merely strong business acumen that kept Josh one step ahead of them on so many contracts lately? As far as poaching staff went, that kind of thing happened everywhere. Of course he wanted to surround himself with the best of the best. It was no less than what he offered himself.
Her inner muscles clenched tight as she thought of what he'd offered her tonight. Of the promise inherent in his kiss, the impression of his hard body against hers and of his statement that he wanted to "see" her again.
Callie flopped down on a nearby chair, not even bothering to switch on a light. It was crazy. She'd gone to work for Josh Tremont bent on discovering where he had his inside track on the Palmers' business plans and now she was doing what she never dreamed she'd allow herself to do. She was falling for him.
Day by day a little harder, week by week a little deeper. What had started out as merely a physical attraction was rapidly turning into something more. Something she wanted to explore without the sense that their interaction was something that should be totally forbidden.
She was there purely at Irene's behest, she reminded herself, to do what she could to save Palmer Enterprises from further losses. Not to do anything as foolish as falling in love.
Oh, no, surely not love. She didn't even know what that was. Her upbringing, for want of a better word, had made up in abuse for what it had lacked in care and attention. For self-preservation she'd fled as soon as she'd turned fourteen, relying on her wits and a well-honed instinct to survive to keep her safe on the streets for two years until an error in judgement had seen social services and the police finally catch up with her.
She'd initially fought placement in one of Irene Palmer's foster homes, but after realising that no matter how many times she ran away they were always going to bring her back, she decided to accept what they offered.
That chance to turn her life around and make better choices had been a rebirth in more ways than one. But Callie had always been careful not to trust too deeply and not to like anyone too much. Relationships with others were surface only, never deep. Her world had always been on ground that was too shaky for that.
No, she couldn't be falling in love with Josh. It was too crazy for words. But nobody said she couldn't enjoy this for what it was worth. She was a normal, healthy woman with normal, healthy appetites. And maybe, just maybe, she could prove the Palmers' fears wrong about Josh.
Monday morning Callie was instantly aware of the deep sense of emptiness in the office when she arrived. Usually Josh was at his desk a good hour or more before she arrived, but today his absence was a physical thing.
She'd no sooner reached her desk than her phone started to ring.
"Callie, I'll be working from home today and I need you to access my computer and e-mail some files to me."
Surprised that he didn't have a link from his home computer to the office, Callie quickly jotted down the file names that Josh rattled off onto her notepad.
"Is there anything else?" she asked, determined to keep the same level of professionalism as he obviously exhibited.
"Yeah," his voice dropped an octave. "I can't wait to see you again, but it'll have to wait until I get back from Sydney."
"Sydney?" Callie refused to acknowledge the surge of pleasure his words had sent through her.
"Unexpected trip. I've already organised the jet and I'll be leaving in a couple of hours for the airport."
"I'll reschedule your appointments. When do you anticipate being back?"
"All going well, tomorrow, maybe Wednesday afternoon at the latest."
Callie ran her eye over his electronic diary, mentally shifting his appointments to ensure the least disruption. "Okay, that should be fine."
"Good. Will you miss me?"
Her breath caught on a soft gasp. Of course she'd miss him, but she couldn't admit that.
"It'll give me a chance to catch up a bit," she hedged.
Josh laughed, the sound sending a tingle of longing from her ear to her core. "You can admit it, you know."
"Admit what?" Callie remained deliberately vague.
"That you're looking forward to seeing me again. How about dinner on Wednesday night? We'll go somewhere private and intimate. Would you like that?"
Callie hesitated before answering. Of course she'd like that. In fact, she couldn't wait. The realisation that she'd be alone in the office for the next couple of days was tinged with disappointment already.
"Yes, I would like that. Shall I make a reservation somewhere?" she replied, her voice uncharacteristically husky.
"I'll take care of it," he answered, again in that low tone that made his statement all the more intimate. As if he was going to take care of a great deal more than a simple dinner booking.
Desire simmered through her veins in gentle waves and she shifted on her ever-so-sensible office chair in a way that lacked prudence altogether.
Wednesday. Two days, two nights. It was an eternity and yet so close. The anticipation of his return was going to have her at fever pitch and he knew it. That simple fact alone should have her changing her mind, refusing his invitation, but she wanted more. She wanted him.
"I'll get onto those files for you. Can I access them with my fingerprint and password?"
"I've already spoken to Drew about your print ID on my station, but you'll need my password," Josh said, before rattling off the access letter and number combination she'd need.
He trusted her enough to give her his private password. A swell of joy hit her. Hard on its heels, though, came the diminishing reality of what she could find out with that information and, more particularly, what Irene would expect her to find out.
Callie pushed the thought from her head. She'd been entrusted with this key, she didn't dare abuse that trust. Not when her every instinct told her that Josh Tremont was far more than what everyone else suspected. Not when her heart urged her to obey instinct over rationality for the first time in her life.
As soon as Josh ended their call, Callie walked through to his office. Settling herself into his chair, she couldn't stifle the strange sensation of warmth that permeated her skin. Everything about this room spoke of the man he was, his presence and personality indelibly stamped in its atmosphere.
She gave herself a quick mental shake and logged in to his computer, using her print scan and the password he'd given her. She held her breath a moment as the system hesitated before opening fully, and then she was in. Free to peruse everything and anything that took her fancy.