“Caleb,” she called again, and I was back in my office.
I parted my lips and placed a gentle, sensual kiss on the skin just beneath a wildly beating pulse in her throat. Her breath came out in a rush. I felt something inside me weaken and break. How long could I hold myself back? I closed my eyes and savored the heady rush of her taste, before I pulled back, and behaved like a civilized man again.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. It took everything I had to pull away and take a step back. I couldn’t rush this. She needed time. Time to fall for me all over again.
She stared straight into my eyes. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I was too occupied,” I said lamely. I prayed she would believe me despite how unimpressive the excuse sounded. “I have a project that I need to figure out immediately, so for the last two days I have focused on it completely.”
“You could have sent me a text.”
That would have been the most convenient option, but it hadn’t even occurred to me to do that. I’d been out of the world for too long. “I will,” I replied sincerely. “From now on, I’ll send you messages every chance I get.”
She smiled suddenly and it warmed my heart. I had been forgiven. That was her all over. No matter how bad someone was to her, she was quick to forgive. All they had to do was say sorry. And her bastard uncle knew that.
“Okay,” she said and turned around once again to pull the door open.
I knocked it back shut and a frown appeared on her smooth forehead. I only had one question for her. “Why won’t you kiss me?”
The scowl fled and she smiled at the reminder of her exact question to me two nights ago. “Are you mocking me?”
“No, but I’m wondering how you thought you could leave without kissing me.”
She flattened her hand on my chest, right over my heart. I was certain she could feel the erratic thumping. Then she lifted herself onto her toes and inched closer to me. Our lips touched.
Her kiss was warm and sweet, and I completely lost myself.
She groaned softly into my mouth as I tightened my hold around her waist and pressed her into my hardness.
I kissed her passionately, sucking desperately on her tongue, and drinking in as much of her essence as I could. She tasted like heaven and I could have gone on forever, a knock on the door startled her and she gasped and pulled away.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “Mr. Wolfe,” Maxwell’s voice came through the door. “We’re waiting for you.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said, never taking my eyes off her. I waited until the footsteps went away before I took a step back. The loss of contact brought a chill to me.
“I’ll send you a message,” I promised.
She nodded, ran her fingers through her hair, and quickly exited my office.
Outside, Anne and Maxwell were waiting, no doubt curious as to what business I could have with the flower delivery girl. She didn’t look any of them in the eye. I watched her almost sprint through the door, and hurry towards the elevator. Only when she disappeared from sight did I return my gaze to the two employees standing before me.
Anne seemed to be fighting back a knowing smile, but saying nothing she turned around and returned to her desk.
Maxwell coughed delicately and I focused on him.
“The file of resumés,” he said. “I gave them to you earlier.”
“Oh yeah,” I replied, dragging my attention away from Willow. “It’s in my office. I’ll go grab it. You go on ahead.”
“See you in the conference room,” he replied and went in the opposite direction Willow had gone.
20
Willow
I received his text just as I got to the first intersection on my journey back to the shop. As I waited at the red light, my heart thudding in my chest, I tried my best to restrain myself from checking it, but I could only wait until I stopped at the next red light. I grabbed my phone and the moment the home screen lit up, I saw the golden words.
Hello Caleb here.
I put the phone down and grinned to myself. Who sends a text like that? But the sensation of joy that flooded my chest couldn’t be denied. He made contact. He said he would and he did. I was dying to reply, but I had to wait until I got back to the shop. By that time another message had pinged its way into my phone.
The moment I cut the engine, I unlocked it and read the next message he’d sent.
Sorry for not keeping in touch. I do want to get to know you better, but I have to work late tonight at the office for the next few days. Any ideas?”