Callum (15 page)

When he raised his head away from her, she looked at him, puzzled. He knew she had questions, knew that there would be more than he could deal with later. But right now, he just wanted to sleep.

He gave her another kiss and then settled them into bed, pulling the cover over them. Within moments, she was breathing evenly beside him, telling Callum she had fallen asleep. He was tired, but his mind would not shut down. He should feel settled. After a good hard ride like that, he should feel relieved, but he still itched from the inside out. It was as if nothing was settled.

Phoebe awoke to the sound of clothes rustling. She stretched and grimaced at her tender muscles. What was that about? Then, in that next instant, it hit her. She blinked, then opened her eyes and saw Callum by the bed. He already had his pants on and was pulling on his shirt. Lord, the man was beautiful. The sculpted muscles, the golden skin…the memory of her husband paled in comparison. Most men would not measure up. As he pulled on his shirt, she watched the play of muscles beneath his flesh. How did she get so bloody lucky? There couldn’t be a heterosexual woman alive who could resist him.

She glanced at the window and couldn’t see the sun peeking through the heavy drapes. So there wouldn't be a second act. Bugger. It looked like he was sneaking out, as if he were ashamed. Phoebe tried to ignore the prick to her heart, but it didn’t work. It never did. But, she would be damned if she would let him know it.

“Leaving before morning?”

He stiffened at the sound of her voice. Her heart sank even lower. Of course, he wasn’t interested in something long term, not with someone like her. He turned to face her eventually, his frown frostier than the north wind.

“I didn’t think you would wake before I left.”

The words, easily spoken, felt like a hundred little darts to her ego…to her soul. Damn Callum Lennon. Well, she wouldn’t let him see her pain. She didn’t want to see his pity again.

“I expect that you should at least say good-bye after a shag like that.”

Phoebe was happy she could keep her tone light. It was difficult with that frown of his. The wonderful lover she had enjoyed just a few hours earlier was no more. The cold, hard stranger was back. She would mourn the loss later. Right now, she needed to make sure he didn’t know how much this was hurting her.

“I thought it best to leave before anyone saw me here.”

She said nothing, and he looked a bit uncomfortable. Well, good. If he was going to leave her like a thief in the night, then she wouldn’t make it easy for him.

“I’m trying to protect your reputation.”

“Ah, okay. I assume we will not be discussing this, correct?”

Something she couldn’t discern moved over his face, but he shut down his emotions too fast. Damn him, and damn her for falling for the wanker again.

“I dinna say I wouldn’t discuss it. It’s that I don’t think there is much to discuss.”

Phoebe felt the barb as if he had jabbed her with a knife, but she refused to fall apart in front of him. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. “Of course.”

He hesitated, apparently not expecting that answer. Of course he didn’t. Men like Callum Lennon expected women to beg. She’d done that once with her husband, and she’d promised herself she would never be that weak again—not for any man.

“Well, I’ll be off.”

She said nothing. He really looked a bit befuddled, as if he didn’t know what to do. And it did not sit properly on him. He was a man of action, someone who always felt more comfortable with being out in front. She had observed that in the time they had spent together. She got a sadistic thrill out of knowing she had caused this.

He looked at her one last time, and she had to fight from stopping him. She’d been raised to be politically and socially savvy. This was one of those moments where she would normally try to smooth things over. She refused.

Then, without another word, he opened the door and slipped away, shutting the door behind him. The loud click echoed through the almost silent room.

She fell back in bed, and for a moment, she felt numb. It was wrong, so very wrong to feel this way after the lovemaking they had shared. She had been married to Simon for five years and never had experienced sex like that. Of course, he had said she was frigid and had thrown his affairs in her face. She had thought he was right, until Callum had proven him wrong.

Even though she felt the sting of tears against the back of her eyes, her sob caught her off guard. It was her own fault for falling for another attractive man, one completely out of her league. She would allow herself to cry it out. She deserved that. After the best night of sex of her life, she deserved a little self-pity because she knew it was the last time.

Dammit.

Callum walked up the massive staircase to the private suite of rooms that housed his cousins. His legs were aching from the run he had just taken. He’d pushed himself too far today, but it didn’t help him. The damned woman was still on his mind.

Phoebe. That woman never reacted the way he expected. He had expected something more than she had given him. An argument. If she had argued with him, he wasn't sure he would have left her. In fact, if she had, there was a very good chance that they would have ended up in bed again.

"You look like hell," Anice said as she stood at the top of the staircase.

"I love you to, cousin."

She smiled, but he could tell there was something simmering behind the facade. Anice could mask most of her emotions, unless you could read her eyes. The look in them right now showed her worry.

“What’s going on?” he asked. He brushed past her and knew without a doubt he couldn’t show her any kind of sympathy. Anice didn’t like to be coddled.

“Just a few problems,” she said as she fell into step beside him. Apparently, he wasn’t going to get any kind of break this morning. Paybacks were hell.

“Bloody hell, Anice, don’t make me drag it out of you.” He pushed his door open and stepped into his suite. She followed without invitation. After living together as many years as they had, he knew her habits well enough.

“I think we might have a leak in marketing. Angus said he’s going to investigate, but apparently a few of our plans have made it to the papers.”

He rolled his eyes. This was nothing new to them. She needed to talk to him about something else, but she was trying to gain the courage to do it. Usually he would allow her the time, but this morning he was still too raw.

“Anice, just let me know what you really want to talk about.”

She frowned at him. “If you’re in a bad mood, we can deal with this later.”

“No. Now. Later I’ve got some meetings in Edinburgh.”

She drew in a deep breath. “Angus told me you had an altercation with Dr. Chilton a couple of nights ago.”

“And?”

His testy tone didn’t seem to stop her. It never did.

“I think you need to be very careful with that one, Callum.”

Weary, so bloody weary, he wanted to scream. His family loved him and meant well. He understood that. If any of them had any idea what had gone on the night before, they’d probably read him the riot act. And still, it didn’t matter. It didn’t affect the need he had for the infuriating woman. Right now, it was taking every bit of his control not to march to her room and take her again.

He rolled his shoulders and threw his sweat-soaked towel on his bed.

“If I have to hear concerns about Phoebe one more time, I’m going to start knocking heads.”

She studied him for a second longer than he expected. When Anice got on a roll, she rarely stopped to consider. But she was now.

“You called her Phoebe.”

“What?”

“You called her Phoebe. You usually call her Dr. Chilton.”

He sighed. “Anice, let it go. I might want the woman, but I understand my duty better than any of you.”

Callum was sick of saying that—of living it. It had been a bloody long time since he’d been carefree. He would give ten years of his life to be able to just have a day when he didn’t have to worry. To throw every caution he had to the wind and just live.

But he had lost that right years ago when he made one very bad mistake. He always regretted it, but not more than he did at the moment he had awakened next to Phoebe and realized it would be their one and only night together.

“Callum.”

He glanced at her and saw the pity on her face. Dammit. Anice might not be as savvy as the rest of them, but she had a soft heart. Many times, she seemed to sense when one of them was hurting, and unlike the men of the family, she always wanted to talk about it. If any of them knew how much he wanted Phoebe, it would be Anice.

“Let it go.”

She nodded. “I’ll let you know about the marketing department issues.” With one last look at him, she slipped out the door and left him alone.

With a sigh, he sat on his bed and tried his best to forget his night with Phoebe, but he knew it wouldn’t happen. He didn’t want it to happen. He wanted to remember one of her sighs—and the way she’d moaned his name. That one act would be imprinted on his memory for eternity.

He didn’t know if he should curse that or thank God for it.

A few days later, Phoebe was finally getting into her studies when Anice interrupted her.

“Do you have a moment?” she asked. Before Phoebe could answer her, she continued. “I was wondering if you could give me some advice about a man.”

Phoebe bit back a groan. In the three days since she’d been stupid enough to let Callum bed her, she’d been trying desperately to avoid the whole family. Callum had been easy to evade. He had all but disappeared. Most days, she didn’t even see him. She knew he had been in his office before she arrived, but the only explanation Angus had given her was that Callum was busy at another of their field offices. Phoebe should be thrilled, but she wasn’t. The first day, she had been thankful. Then, she had been irritated, which made no sense at all to her. It showed just how insane the impossible man was making her. She wanted to be near him at the same time it made her crazy to think that they would be in the same room.

Angus had been soothing at first, keeping to himself, allowing her the silence she needed. For as long as she could remember, she had escaped into work. It had been a little harder than usual, but she had done it. Then, the questions started. For a day and a half, Angus had tried to pry information from Phoebe about her personal life. All of the Lennons had been in and out today. All except Callum, thank goodness. Now this.

“Phoebe?”

Phoebe shook herself out of her thoughts. “I don’t think I’m the woman you need to talk to about this.”

She blinked. Phoebe had tried to keep her tone light, but she knew anyone with half a brain could hear her pain. From Phoebe’s experience with the woman, Anice had a brain and a half.

“But…you’ve been married.”

Phoebe nodded.

“And you were in the same career field.”

Phoebe nodded again. “Yes, he was a few years older than I.”

Anice snorted and eased a hip onto her desk.
Oh, bother.
Anice looked like she wanted to have a good long chat, and all Phoebe wanted to do was get back to work. Since Callum was avoiding her, she hoped she could finish her work before they actually had to spend any time alone again. With every member of the family popping into the office whenever they felt like it, she was getting very little work done.

“Really? I didn’t know that. I guess that makes sense, though. You’re so young to be so accomplished. Did the age difference give you any worry?”

“Worry?”

“Did you have any issues because of it in your marriage?”

She studied Anice for a moment. “Don’t you think you should talk to a family member or a girlfriend about this?”

She shrugged and slipped off the desk. She roamed the office, rearranging things. Phoebe had a feeling it was Anice’s way of coping with uncomfortable conversations. “All we have is each other, and if I try to talk to my brother or cousins about it, they will run a background check on him.”

Phoebe couldn’t fight the smile. She could see Callum doing that without a problem.

“And stop smiling. It isn’t cute or just them looking out for me. I can’t go out on a date with a man just for fun without them sticking their noses in my business.”

“It is kind of sweet that they care so much.”

Anice tossed her hair back over her shoulder, crossed her arms beneath her breasts, and frowned. “You have no idea. You’re an only child. And you’ve no idea exactly how long I’ve been putting up with it.”

With a resigned sigh, Phoebe closed the diary and sat back in her chair. “They do it because they care.

“I understand that, but my first…date wasn’t a pleasant experience. Fletcher, who we all know sleeps with any attractive woman who is still breathing, threatened him. He was sitting at the table cleaning a broadsword. As did all the others. Then, Callum, he was the worst. He just stared at my date with one of those looks of his.”