Nodding, I tried not to cry. I hated when he manipulated me like this. “I’ll work on something for you here and we will work on the board together, but you have to get your act together, Uncle. You can’t just blow through money.”
He beamed as he rushed over to me and gave me a small hug. “That’s my girl.”
“Go home, Uncle. I will have you here by the end of the week,” I whispered. And against my better judgment, I hugged him back.
“Yeah, okay. Don’t let me down.” He let go of me and left my office.
I felt like a child again. The only time I ever got love or affection from him or anyone else in my family was when they were taking something from me.
But we were family.
With a sigh, I moved back to my chair, and as I fell against it, I leaned back and closed my eyes.
You’re okay, Coraline. You’re fine. You don’t need their affection. You’re fine.
“Ms. Wilson?”
Couldn’t I get a second to think?! Jeez!
“Yes, Constanza.” I opened my eyes and kept looking up at the ceiling.
“You know the new investor?”
I sat up. “Kelly Laoghaire?”
She nodded at the door. As of this morning we’d received close to eighty million dollars from the Laoghaire trust.
“Send them in!” I said quickly as I fixed my hair, and smoothed out my dress.
I was already moving towards the door, ready to greet them, when Declan Callahan stepped into my office, wearing a fitted suit, and a smile that spread across his face.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wilson,” he said as he held out his hand to me.
I stood there, too dumbfounded to move…and a little too happy to see him as well.
DECLAN
By the time she got over her shock, I was already siting in one of the chairs in front of her desk. To say that I was impressed would’ve been an understatement. Her office was simple, classic, and elegant. The walls behind her desk displayed her degrees and awards, and I could only imagine how hard she must have worked to be able to get a corner office on the top floor.
“Kelly Laoghaire?” she whispered as she walked to the side of her desk. Her dress was far too tempting; the golden zipper that ran from the back of her neck all the way down to her ass made my hand twitch.
“Yes. Kelly Laoghaire. It was my mother’s name before she became Kelly Callahan.”
“The money?” She slowly processed.
“The money they left to me before they passed away. Once again, I’m in your hands, Ms. Wilson.”
Her mouth parted and I wished it hadn’t because all I could think of was wanting to hear her moan.
She shook her head at me as she took a seat in her leather chair like a queen on her throne.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I’ve been looking for place to invest in. Why not you?”
“Why do I have a feeling that this is about more than just my bank?”
She was holding herself back, I could see it the way she crossed her legs, and in the way her eyes drifted from my lips to my neck and back to my eyes again before they completed the circuit once more.
I smirked. “Because you’re smart. In all honesty though, I came here because I couldn’t reach you on your phone.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to be reached.”
“Maybe you were worried I wouldn’t try to reach. Maybe you’re afraid you will like spending time with me, or maybe even love it. ”
She paused and I knew that I was right.
I should have come earlier. Why was I always so slow when it came to her?
“That’s a whole lot of maybes, Mr. Callahan.”
“Fine. Allow me to clarify then. I came to clear up any confusion between us.”
“So this is what you meant by making your own magic?”
I shrugged. “I do what I can with what I’ve got.”
“Declan, I am not Cinderella.”
“Good, because I’m not Prince Charming. I prefer black.” I was referring to my clothes, but the smile that crept onto her face proved that she had taken a dual meaning.
“You aren’t playing by the rules.”
“Of course not. I’m a Callahan, we make our own rules, so you might as well get used to it now.”
“Declan, we had sex, and it was great. So why not end this on a high note and just walk away?”
“Because I have no desire to, and I always do what I desire. You should too. I honestly have no idea why you’re fighting this so hard.”
She didn’t answer and I hoped it was because she didn’t have an answer.
“You don’t take rejection well, do you?”
“No. But you haven’t rejected me. Instead you’ve put me at arm’s length. You pulled me in, fucked me, and pushed me out again. And since I had to hand over eighty million dollars just to see your face again, you could at least take me out to lunch…”
“Declan—”
“Don’t think of it as a date, think of it as a client luncheon. I thought you were all prepared to make nice with Kelly Laoghaire? You almost jumped me when I walked in before you realized who I really was.”
“Fine. Where would you like to go? And since this is a client luncheon, I’ll pay.”
“Surprise me, Ms. Wilson.”
She nodded and reached under her desk for her bag before rising. Following her out. My eyes were glued to her ass, and judging by the way she added a little extra sway to her step told me that she knew it too. She closed her door, spoke to her secretary, and then silently walked to the elevator with me.
She was so close.
“Ms. Wilson?”
We both turned to the black man who was handing an armful of files over to her secretary.
“Mr. Stevens, meet Declan Callahan, owner of the Laoghaire trust,” she stated.
His eyes widened and he reached out to shake my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Not really. I shook his hand.
“We were just about to head to lunch.”
I glanced at her. Do not invite him.
“Really? My schedule—”
“Mr. Stevens, thank you, but I’m sure I can handle it,” she said with her head held high.
The elevator doors opened behind us and we stepped in.
“We’ll talk when you get back,” he said.
“Of course. Thank you again—”
I pressed the doors close.
“Declan.”
“He has a thing for you.” And I didn’t like it at all.
“No, he doesn’t.” She shook her head and laughed as if it were impossible.
She was clueless as to the effect she had on men. Before he realized who I was, he’d looked at me with a mixture of annoyance and jealousy. His eyes were filled with lust the second they’d fallen on her.
For a split second I thought of them together, and as if to claim her I put my hand on her ass.
“Declan.”
“If you don’t like it, then tell me to let go.”
She didn’t say anything, but glanced up at the cameras instead.
“Those things don’t have audio,” I replied before I squeezed a handful of her ass, enjoying how firm it felt in my hand.