Worth the Risk(17)
“I guess the other night I was just thinking I have a lot to make up for.”
She wrapped her arms around her brother’s wide shoulders, squeezed him as hard as she could. “No, you don’t.”
His arms came around her in a hug that nearly crushed her ribs. “I want you to be happy, Han. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” He drew back, looking like maybe he wanted to say more. “I better get going.”
She stretched up and kissed his cheek. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to be happy either.”
Luke just nodded and set off across the field alone. She wondered what he did exactly. What he’d seen. Why he was home now and for how long.
Seemed the tables were turning with her and her brothers. It was her turn to worry about them now. It felt good.
—
“Dee, can you get me Allen Mason on the phone?”
“Certainly, Mr. McKinney.”
“Also, line up a call with Crenshaw. If not today, then tomorrow.” Stephen released the intercom and spun his leather chair to a second computer. He worked hardest when he was trying to forget something and today he was running full speed. You get enough balls in the air, you can’t look down, can’t look around. Not even at yourself.
He continued scrolling through a list of figures, double-checking the numbers that would likely win him a bid on a high-end resort off the coast of Indonesia. One that would make people feel better? A vision slammed in. Hannah’s sad eyes staring at a beer case, her lashes heavy with unshed tears. Her smile that knocked the breath from him over candlelight. Then that sharp look of shock and hurt on her face standing in the doorway at his brother’s.
That’s the one he couldn’t get out of his mind. It was arrogance he’d let get in the way when she wouldn’t give him her phone number. Because he didn’t lose. Well, he sure as hell hadn’t won.
Maybe it was just his mother’s voice in his head or his Catholic conscience, but he felt an overwhelming need to apologize. He might be a ruthless ass in business, but he didn’t hurt people intentionally. Or he didn’t use to. Had he changed that much?
It was a fine line between shutting down to heal, to survive, without turning off completely. For years he’d danced dangerously close to that line between a man who felt too much and a man who felt nothing.
The people he spent time with didn’t care, weren’t hurt. Business associates were just as hard, and women wanted nothing more than a really good, really expensive time. He didn’t like that he’d hurt Hannah.
Maybe he’d look her up, just a quick phone call, smooth things over. But to what end?
Before he could figure that out, there was one quick knock on his door and Dave entered.
Stephen shook off the personal and shifted his attention to a stack of papers, giving his initial where needed. “What’s up, Dave?”
“I finished up the Lennox deal. It all went down about like we figured.”
“Okay. Send me the file and I’ll look it over.”
“No need to look it over. It’s taken care of.”
“Great.” Stephen raised his eyes to Dave’s. “But I’ll take a look just the same.”
Dave held his gaze for a long second and there was just the slightest ripple of tension. Then it was gone. “I also met up with Stan Goodwin. Had a nice golf game.”
“Good.” It always helped to have positive relationships with the city planner’s office.
“So, what about that new property I told you about? Want to ride out there later?”
“Not today. I don’t have—”
There was a delicate knock and before he said “Come in,” a leggy brunette in a cherry-red pencil skirt and breast-hugging blouse slipped through.
“Hey. Camila.” Dave waved her in. “You’re just in time. Stephen’s going to scope out that area we spoke about earlier.”
Great. Dave was so hot for this, he’d already made noise to their lawyer.
“Sounds fun,” she said with just a hint of the sexy Cuban lilt she dialed up and down at will. “But I came by to go over the Fieldstone documents.” She lifted her leather briefcase.
“Well, ride along.” A satisfied smile spread across Dave’s face. “When we move on this, we’ll need you up to speed.”
“If we move on it,” Stephen said clearly.
“Of course. If. I’ll hold down the fort here.”
“Great,” Camila said. “Besides, I’m starving.”
The feral look in her eyes said she wasn’t just talking about food, and Dave’s smile slipped even as Camila’s grew. She loved nothing more than to know a man wanted her. It was no secret Dave did.