On His Terms (3 page)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She couldn’t get
him
out of her mind.

And why not?

It just didn’t make any sense to her. Maybe she didn’t realize just how lonely she’d
been feeling lately. His touch, his voice, it had somehow seemed to wash away her
pain altogether, even though he’d only been close to her for a few brief moments.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

And when Hale Westbrook had kneeled down to rescue her after she’d fallen,
Kallie
felt so safe.
 
It was the first time in a very long time that a man had actually taken care of her,
rather than simply admiring her cleavage as she served him a plate of eggs and
homefries
.

This is so ridiculous.
 
You don’t know a thing about him.

She had to find a way to get him out of her mind. It was a total waste of her time,
and the last thing she needed was a distraction at this point in her life.

Plus, she told
herself,
she would never see him again.

* * *

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ally darted off onto
Monagan’s
Trail, a path that she had run probably hundreds of times. Today was a perfect day
for one of her cleansing runs- the sun was burning brightly, but the air was cool
and crisp. Ally was always amazed that she could come to a trail like this and not
find a single soul enjoying its beauty like she so often did. But she wasn’t complaining,
she didn’t mind having the entire path to
herself
.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Or so she thought.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She’d felt a lot of different emotions on her many trail runs, but never fear.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Until today.
 
A few times, she turned around, certain she was being followed.
 
Someone was watching her run.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fear tingled her spine, and she gripped her cell phone, wishing she’d just run on
the road like Julie always told her to do.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Ally Shore?” a very large man in a dark suit spontaneously appeared nearby.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ally screamed at the top of her lungs, terrified at the man who towered over her.
And she was utterly alone.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here on behalf of Hale Westbrook.” His
voice was deep, really deep.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She was dumbfounded.
 
“Hale Westbrook?”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Let me explain, Ms. Shore” he said, determined to get her to relax. “I’m Charles,
Mr. Westbrook’s personal assistant.”
 

She watched his every move. He didn’t look like any personal assistant she had ever
seen. As he adjusted the spiral wire coming from his ear, she began to visibly tremble.
This man was probably three times the size of her. He could crush her in an instant
and nobody would have a clue.

Until the rubber sole of one of her New Balance sneakers got discovered sixteen years
from now.

“Mr. Westbrook would like to meet with you. He wants to make it up to you. Said you
falling was all his fault.”

“Make it up to me?” she was beyond confused.
 
This couldn’t be real.
 
Maybe she was on a hidden camera show or something.

“Here’s Mr. Westbrook’s card. Call him ASAP- he’s a busy man.”

By now she felt relatively convinced that Charles was not going to dismember her and
hide her body in the woods, but she couldn’t let go of the shakes. She reached her
trembling hand out to the giant and took the card from him.

“Sorry if I scared you. I needed to get to you alone- this needs to be kept confidential
for now. Until further notice.” Not even the slightest smile on the giant’s face.

“I can’t tell anybody that the governor wants to apologize to me?” she was both confused
and annoyed at the rules she was being forced to comply with.

“He wants to make it up to you, not apologize.”

She looked at the card, looked up at the bone-crushing assistant, and nodded.

“One more thing, Ms. Shore,” Charles looked down into her eyes. “Are you in a relationship?”

“What? No. Why?” she shook her head.

“Call the number, Ally,” he smiled. “Have a great day.”

* * *

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ally ran back home, fast, all the while having the strangest feeling in her stomach.
She had no idea what all of this was about, but found it completely odd that she was
to keep quiet about it all.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Why the hell did he ask if I’m in a relationship?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And then came the next thought, fast on its heels.

Could Hale Westbrook really be interested in me?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
But she discarded that ridiculous notion just as quickly as it had come into her mind.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She took the business card out, looked up at the sky, and reached into her pocket
for her phone.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She would never forgive herself if she didn’t at least see what all of this was about.
 
A moment later, she’d dialed the number and there was ringing on the other end.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“This is Hale.” A stern but familiar man’s voice came through.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She took a shaky breath and then spoke.
 
“Hello, this is Ally. Ally Shore.
From the diner.
I fell and you helped me up. Your bodyguard gave me your card.” She was proud that
she was able to get so many words out, but equally disappointed in herself for being
so nervous…
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Yes, of course. How are you feeling? You fell pretty hard.
”.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“No permanent damage. Thanks for coming to my aid,” Ally said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“It was my pleasure, Ms. Shore,” he said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Your bodyguard…”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Charles isn’t a bodyguard. He’s my personal assistant. Helps me with my campaign
mostly.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Your assistant said that…” She
paused,
embarrassed that he might somehow see her blushing through the other end of the phone.
 
“He said you wanted to make it up to me.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Not quite. But he needed to say that to you, otherwise you might never have contacted
me.” She could almost hear him smirking through the phone.

Ally was so confused. And if she was already skeptical about this whole situation,
and politicians in general, now she was downright distrustful.

“So your bodyguard lied to me?” she said.

“He’s not my bodyguard. And he had to do that, as I said. It was my only chance.”

“I’m very confused Mr. Westbrook,” said Ally.

“I have a proposition for you. But we need to discuss it in person.” His voice took
on a very serious tone.

Ally couldn’t believe what was happening. Here she was, standing right outside her
sister’s apartment, talking to billionaire Hale Westbrook about a proposition—something
that required him to see her in person.
 

He continued, “My email address is on the card that Charles—the man you like to call
my bodyguard—gave to you. If you want to hear more, send me an email and I’ll reply
with a meeting location and a time to discuss this further.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As much as Ally was skeptical of this whole scenario, her heart was pounding like
a drum. Her body was telling her that this was exciting, whatever
this
was.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“I want to know more before I meet with you,” she insisted.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“We need to meet in person. I can’t budge on that one,” said Hale.