Taming The Boss (Billionaires In The City Book 7) (7 page)

“What about that guy texting you? He didn’t seem like your biggest fan.”

Cali felt the blood drain from her face. Of course he wouldn’t have forgotten that. “If he wanted me dead, I’d be dead,” she said with her now dry throat.

“But this guy didn’t want you dead. He’d have to be an expert marksman to make those shots while you were moving.”

“Only one was while I was moving,” she said weakly. “The second tire was shot while I was stopped.”

“Mother—” Rourke broke off and turned away from her as he looked out over the water. Once he appeared to have collected himself, he twisted back around. “And you really didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”

“For all I knew, you were the one who shot at me. You’re not exactly my biggest fan.”

He tightened his lips as he glared down at her. “So now you’re accusing me, is that it?”

She shrugged and tried to keep her cool. She didn’t think Rourke was the type to hide in the shadows while he did his dirty work, but she was just mad enough to make him sweat a bit. “Is it really such a strange thing to think? One minute you’re kissing me, then you’re hauling me off your property, then you’re warning me away from you and then you’re kissing me again! You’re hardly the measure of sanity here.”

“You’re a piece of work, you know that?”

“I’m aware,” she said, unapologetically.

“But you’re not nearly as strong as you pretend to be, are you?”

She squared her jaw and refused to back down. “What can I say? You have an uncanny ability to find my vulnerable spots. But don’t think I can’t find yours.”

He nodded. His dark eyes raked over her as though sizing her up. “So I’m worth two million dollars to you?”

“You’re worth two million to your brothers.”

“Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m not going back to New York with you. Ever. I’m also not giving you any money. But you and I are going to have dinner at the one Italian restaurant in town in front of everyone tonight so they stop giving me shit, and, if it makes you feel better, you can tell yourself you can use the time to convince me to talk to Luke.”

“Meeting with me in public is rather risky. It would be much too easy for me to cause a scene.”

“I swear to God, Cali, if you keep pushing me, you’re not going to like the consequences.”

Considering she was already dealing with the consequences of pissing off a military-trained murderer, she was willing to take whatever Rourke had to dish out. She stepped closer until she was just an inch away from Rourke, almost touching him front to front. “Why, Rourke,” she said sweetly. “I’d love to go out to dinner with you. What time would you like to pick me up?”

He leaned in just the tiniest bit to show he wasn’t intimidated. “I’ll be here at seven sharp. I expect you to look your best.”

“I’ll wear my cutest skirt for you.” She smiled.

He crooked his head as he looked down her body. “I can take you, Cali Carson.”

For a second, she didn’t know whether he was talking about in a fight or in bed. Hell, at this point he was probably talking about both, the lines were so muddled between them. “Keep telling yourself that, Devereaux.”

Rourke bent down as he studied the impression in the dirt around him. He didn’t think he’d be able to find anything considering how fast the leaves had been falling from the trees the past few weeks, but he’d hit the jackpot.

The sun had shone just right to illuminate the ammunition shells that were left on the forest floor. He bent down and pulled his shirt over his hand so he could pick up the shells without getting fingerprints on them and put them in the front pocket of his shirt. He was willing to bet he could get Sheriff Steve to run prints on them. It was a hell of a favor to ask, but Steve was one of the few people who knew about the large donations Rourke had made to the police department. He owed Rourke and this was an easy enough way to pay him back.

Rourke leaned back on his feet and studied where the gunman had been. It looked as if he’d been lying on his stomach in the prone position when he did the firing. There were some cigarette ashes that hadn’t been blown away by the wind yet. Chances were, whoever this guy was, he’d been there for a while. Rourke tried to think of any chain-smoking military-trained people he knew of, but this far away from the city there were plenty.

He stood and looked around. He didn’t see any type of foot tracks around him. Maybe if he’d been here right after the shooting happened and in the daylight he could’ve seen something, but at this point the forest had destroyed any other evidence he might find.

For now, all he could do was hope that Steve could get a read on the prints and that this guy didn’t wear gloves while he loaded his gun. Rourke glanced down at his watch. It was already three p.m. Thanks to Cali, he’d lost most of his day, and considering he had to pick her up in a few hours, he probably wouldn’t get any work done.

He wasn’t really sure what he was going to do about Cali. She had him in a tight spot, and he wasn’t sure how dirty she was willing to play. She talked a good game, but every once in a while, he’d see a flash of something in her eyes. A bit of fear, or a bit of vulnerability, that he knew she didn’t want him to see.

And he really wished he knew what the hell happened earlier in the day. He knew kissing her was a bad idea, but he was just so angry and overwhelmed he lost control. It was so hard to be around her, knowing how hot she was in his arms. How quickly she went up in flames the last time he touched her. He figured she thought he was trying to punish her, but that wasn’t the case at all. If he had his way, her climbing into bed with him wouldn’t be a punishment at all. He wanted to make her come so many times that she forgot he even had brothers. So many times that she forgot Luke’s name.

But when she pushed him away, she gave him a look that made him feel like the lowest of low. As if he was scum of the earth for even thinking about touching her.

It was a shock to both of them; it was the first time Rourke realized that someone had hurt her. Someone had done something to put that fear in her eyes, though she was trying to hide it with everything she was worth.

And that fear drove him crazy. Because he shouldn’t care about her. About what happened in her past or what was happening in her present or future. But the fact was that someone had taken a shot at her, literally, while she was in his town, which meant she was under his protection. Even if they were in their own private war, he was the only one allowed to give her blows.

A quiet anger snaked through him at the idea of someone coming into his territory and threatening Cali. Sure, she was strong and much too smart for her own good, but physically she wasn’t that imposing. Her heels she wore the first two times he met her made her taller, but in her tennis shoes, she was only five foot seven. And her frame was athletic enough to show that she worked out, but it was slim. He was probably double her weight, if he had to guess.

His hands turned into tight fists as he thought of someone taking shots at the defenseless Cali in the dark, deserted road. What Rourke would give to have five minutes alone with the son of a bitch.

But his revenge would have to be shelved temporarily. He’d have just enough time to make it into town and drop the shells off with Steve before getting cleaned up for his “date.”

Even though Cali thought she was getting the drop on him tonight, he had his own ulterior motives. As much as he wanted her out of his hair, he couldn’t have her running around when she was in danger. As long as she was here, she needed to be close to him. And that meant that after today, she’d be staying with him at his house. She just didn’t know it yet.

~~~~~

Cali looked in the mirror. She really wished she had access to her vast collection of clothes back at her apartment, but this would have to do. He’d dropped off her bag, thankfully, so at least she didn’t have to worry about borrowing something from Mary.

Even though she and the aging beauty were probably the same size, Cali didn’t favor the hippie chick look that Mary pulled off effortlessly.

She’d stuffed a dress in her overnight bag at the last minute and that was paying off now. It took up hardly any room, so it hadn’t bulked up the bag. It was a blue paisley pattern, but the pattern was just slightly darker blue than the background so it wasn’t overwhelming but also wasn’t as boring as a straight blue dress.

The waist was tight, but extra material around the top hung over to give the top a slight billowy look while the skirt hugged her hips, letting what ass she had actually stand out. Really, it wasn’t bad for a date dress because it was big enough to be comfortable but still flattering.

She was in a small town, so she kept the makeup simple. Her collection of cosmetics had cost thousands of dollars as it had steadily grown over the years, and she used the basics to turn her decent complexion perfect, and added a neutral, light eye shadow with a cat-eye liner and a nude pink lipstick.

As much as she loved to dress up and put on makeup, doing her hair was her least favorite part. Instead of filling it with product and hairspray, Cali twisted her hair into an easy, pretty braid. The roots had been freshly touched up just two weeks ago when she’d gone on her weekend trip with Easson.

She winced at the memory. As much as she tried not to think about her short romance with the man who’d had her so fooled, the reminders kept coming up. Looking back, all the pieces clicked into place. How he’d casually run into her at the gym. How he’d had almost the same music on his phone, right down to her favorite Taylor Swift song.

And all of it had been a lie. After that night at the Farrell party, she’d found out that he’d joined the gym just days before he “accidentally” bumped into her. And, from the file that Evelyn had shared with her, everything he’d told her about his childhood and life was one big lie.

This was a man she’d spent the night with. Shared her body and some of her deepest secrets with. Which actually could work out in her favor. If he was truly mad at her for “betraying” him, at least he knew that the only friends she truly had were the Devereaux brothers, and they were already under protection. There was no one he could hurt to get to her.

Ahh, the joys of not speaking to any of your family members.

“Cali,” called Mary from the first story. “Rourke is here for you!”

Well...now or never. Cali gave herself one more once-over in the mirror. After okaying the final look, she slipped on her four-inch ankle boots and glanced around the room to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.

The bed-and-breakfast really was charming. The bed was decorated with a pink floral quilt, and even though the brown of the paneled walls and flooring was overwhelming, the view of the ocean along with the clawfoot tub and pedestal sink in her personal bathroom more than made up for it.

Once Cali was certain she had everything she needed in her bag, she steeled herself for her night with Rourke. She really didn’t know what to expect from him. Dealing with Rourke was like dealing with a volatile stick of dynamite. She never really knew when it was safe or when she should be ducking for cover.

She carefully made her way down the stairs. Her high heels made more noise on the pristine wooden staircase than she wanted. She looked down and tried to stop herself from falling like a klutz and smiled in victory as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
Ha. Take that, stupid wo...

Her mind froze as she looked up to see Rourke waiting for her. She’d seen a lot of men dressed up for dates, but none of them did it quite like Rourke Devereaux.

He was still in jeans, but this pair was a dark wash and not a hole or spot of paint in sight. They fit him in just the right way to show off how tall he was. He wore a black shirt with the top three buttons undone until just the barest hint of chest hair was visible. His short beard had been trimmed, but, really, his face didn’t need much work. The son of a bitch was already too handsome, and now everything he wore, from his black boots to the casual way his hair was slicked back served to make him look even better.

“Hi,” she said. The word came out much more breathlessly than she intended.

His dark eyes looked her over, and she realized that he almost always gazed at her like that. As if he was imagining the things he’d do to her once he got her alone. “You look good.” The brisk way he said it made it sound more like an accusation than a compliment, but she’d take it.

“Thank you. I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Oh my goodness, you two look adorable!” shouted Mary from the door to the kitchen.

Cali stiffened as she realized they weren’t alone, but before she could say anything, Rourke had crossed to her side and set an arm around her waist. “How are you, Mary?” he asked, even as he pulled Cali in closer. It took everything in her to appear natural and relaxed in his arms so she wouldn’t give away just how strange this whole thing was to Mary.

“I’m just flashing back to the first time I saw Stewart waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. You two just look picture-perfect.”

Cali could feel the blood rush to her face at the praise. “It’s just a date,” she murmured.

“Pshhh.” Mary gave a wave of her hand. “You two have something special. I knew it the moment Rourke and you showed up last night. But don’t let me keep you any longer. You two have a fun night.”

“Thanks again for everything, Mary,” said Rourke, once again showing that chivalrous side that he kept so hidden from her.

Cali echoed his thanks before Rourke escorted her outside. But instead of dropping the lovey-dovey act as soon as the cool fall air hit them, he kept his arm around her waist as he led her to his truck. “Those shoes look dangerous,” he said as she made her way carefully over the aged concrete of the driveway to his truck.

“Trust me,” she said. “I can handle a pair of heels.” They reached the truck and Rourke, still acting the gentleman, reached over to open the door for her. “Besides,” she added. “They make my legs look fantastic.”

Cali started to climb into the big truck as gracefully as possible in her skirt, but suddenly Rourke’s hands were on her waist and lifted her into the truck. She let out a tiny squeak of surprise as she settled into the seat and Rourke’s gaze fell to her now exposed thigh.

“Oh, I noticed,” he said in a deep, husky tone before he pushed the door shut.

A warm heat pooled in her stomach and it took a second for Cali to figure out what it was. Arousal. This caveman Neanderthal was turning her on. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to push all those warm fuzzies away. This made no sense. Sure, he was attractive, but she’d worked with Luke and Michael for years without ever once being tempted to throw away her career for an affair.

So what made Rourke so different? She knew that a part of her was happy that he wasn’t using her in the same way Easson had. Was that throwing off her entire libido?

Rourke climbed in the truck and started it up, backing out of the driveway without a word. Cali searched her mind for small talk options. No need to start the night out with her reasons he should reunite with Luke and Michael. She aimed for lighter fare. “So does this place remind you of Georgia?”

He seemed a bit taken aback by the question. “Um...the climate is a bit different.”

“It has the small-town thing. You came from a small town, right?”

“Is this you trying to get me to reminisce about the good old days so I’ll decide to go back with you to New York?”

Okay, so he had part of the reason. “Maybe I’m nervous and didn’t know what to talk about.”

He let out a little chuckle. “You don’t mince words, do you?”

“I don’t have the time to be a delicate flower. Besides, your brother likes that about me.” It was risky to bring up Luke around him, but if she wanted to have any type of normal conversation with him, Luke was going to come up.

“So you two never dated?”

She scoffed. “Except for Evelyn, Luke really never
dated
.” Slept around, sure. But no dating. “I never slept with him, if that’s what you mean. He was getting enough action that he never felt the need to mix work and play, you know?” He snorted and she continued, “I like to think that even if he did make a move on me, I’d have enough self-control to not mess up the best job I’ve ever had.” Not that Rourke probably thought she was the best example of self-control, but he would have to take her word on this one.