Show Me How to Love (Caldwell Family Book 1) (28 page)

*

Andre watched Mikayla swim across the pool. Tomorrow they would go home and this fantastic weekend would be a memory swallowed up by the crap that came with being a Caldwell. He and his brother were leaving for Kansas City then Dallas on Monday. A last minute trip that would take him away from Mikayla and put his focus back on C.E.S., something he’d neglected in the past two months.

That’s why he’d needed her to understand where his feelings were. That he wanted to make their relationship last.

Her head, covered by the ugliest green swim cap he’d ever seen, popped out of the water. She blinked several times before opening her eyes and grinning. Who was he kidding? She could wear a hat made out of old banana peels and still look beautiful.

“Aren’t you going to get in?”

He spread his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. The tops of her breasts floated on the surface, their soft swaying stirring desire through his groin. “If I get in, it won’t be to swim.”

“You’d have to catch me first.”

In a flash, he sprang up from the chair and dove into the pool. The water muffled her delighted shriek and she scrambled to swim away. He caught her quickly and pulled her above the surface.

“You could have warned me you’re faster than a submarine.” She said breathlessly.

“Then you wouldn’t have dared me to catch you.” They were in the five foot section and he wrapped an arm around her waist and walked her to the side of the pool. The drops of water on her skin sparkled like diamonds in the afternoon sun. He lowered his head and kiss them away from her chocolate shoulders.

“This weekend was perfect. I don’t want to go home.”

He lifted his head, there was something more than just regret about returning to work. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

His need to protect, find out who or what threatened the smile on his woman’s face reared up. “Is there anything I can do?”

Water slapped against his chest and she readjusted her arms around his shoulders. “No. It’s normal work stuff. That’s all.”

The look in her eye said there was more. He pushed aside his annoyance she wouldn’t confide in him. He’d laid down the ground rule that if it didn’t concern her he wouldn’t bring it up. There was no doubt she’d call him on his own rule if he insisted she spill her guts.

He pulled her back to the middle of the pool. Kissed her and let his hands ease away the strings holding together the back of her bikini. She grinned and responded by pulling on the waistband of his trunks. All the encouragement he needed to make love to her in the pool, but beneath his desire he couldn’t shake the feeling he missed something by not being able to hear everything going on in her head.

*

“Ready to go?”

“Not really,” Mikayla said with a sad smile. “But, I might as well be.”

Andre gave her a knowing look before handing her bag to the waiting limo driver. He turned back to her. “I’m going to do one last check of the room before we go.”

“I never knew you were this OCD.”

He laughed. “You’ve got a long time to learn everything about me.” He turned and took the stairs two at a time.

Mikayla watched him go with what had to be the widest
I’m in love
grin on her face. She’d never been this happy. With Brenden, the love had come easy. They’d both been excited about their relationship, ending college and taking the next step. But the deep, overwhelming, hot burning feelings that were invoked when she thought of Andre made her relationship with Brenden seem like a high school crush.

Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and Renee’s number flashed across the screen.

“He did it.” Came her friend’s frantic greeting. “That fool ran off to Vegas with that tramp.”

Mikayla turned to check for Andre. There was no sign of him, still she walked out the front door.

“That’s his mistake to make. Plus you gave him your blessing.”

“That was given in anger. He had no right to go there with me.”

Mikayla could imagine Renee pacing across the room. When riled up, she couldn’t keep still to save her life.

“I agree, but you said it yourself. Your brother can be an ass.”

“He’s still my brother, and I do care about him. Mikayla, I can’t let him marry her. She’s going to break his heart, again. You remember how torn up Ryan was when he returned from Paris. How’s he going to handle it when she’s back with Andre?”

“Hey! She’s not going back to Andre.”

“Well, if not him then someone else. What are we going to do?” Renee’s apologetic tone didn’t alleviate Mikayla’s annoyance.

“I’m not doing a damn thing,” Mikayla said. She tried to push back the anger. Tried not to let her friend’s flippant dismissal of her relationship with Andre bother her. But it hurt with the pain of a mutant bee sting.

“You should have told him instead of hinting around. It’s not my place. I’m out of this.”

“Mikayla, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You love Andre, and I made a promise to be nice. And after everything you’ve said, he has to care about you. Old habits die hard. But, please, you’ve got to understand this is driving me crazy. Ryan is making a terrible mistake.”

“I can’t help you, Renee. The moment Ryan stepped in that closet he relieved me of all responsibility toward him.” Andre opened the front door and stepped out. He saw her on the phone and frowned. “Look, Renee, I’ve got to go. I’ll be home soon. We’ll talk later.”

She ended the call and slipped it back in her purse. He glanced at her purse then met her eyes.

“Everything okay?”

She nodded and gave him a tight smile. “Mmmhmm. Ready?”

His lips pressed together while he slowly tapped his phone against his hand. Questioning eyes bore into her, and she knew he waited for her to elaborate. Unable to take the scrutiny, she turned and strolled down the stairs to the limo. Mikayla wasn’t about to ruin a perfect weekend and mention why Renee called.

Several seconds later, she heard his sigh before he came down the steps. The driver opened the door for them and they slipped into the back of the limo.

CHAPTER 32

“Mikayla, come to my office.” Philip Caldwell gave the order and turned away taking long strides down the hall to his office.

Instead of dropping her purse to the floor and letting out a frustrated sigh, she gritted her teeth and followed. Easing into the week with a cup of coffee and the memories of her weekend in Miami with Andre was out of the question.

Philip sat behind his desk and motioned for her to sit across from him. She set her purse on the back of the chair and sat on the edge.

“Before you get started,” she said. “Renee called yesterday and told me about Ryan. My position hasn’t changed. I won’t get involved.”

Philip held up a hand. “Though I think you and Renee could have talked him out of being so foolish. That’s not the reason I called you in here. It’s about Charity.”

“What about her?”

“She’s threatened to sue the company if we don’t take disciplinary action against you.”

Mikayla slid back in the seat. She blinked several times as her mind tried to comprehend what she’d just heard. “You can’t be serious. She was blocking my way out of the office. She refused to let me pass.”

“That’s not the story she’s telling. I believe you, but she’s spoken to a lawyer.” Philip pinched the bridge of his wide nose. When he met her eyes, his were full of remorse. “She’s documented instances of our family showing favoritism to you. And gone so far as to say we encouraged you to prostitute yourself to Ryan in order to secure your promotion.”

Don’t sell yourself to Ryan Caldwell to get what you want
. Her dad’s voice rang through her head.

“I didn’t.”

“I know that, but she’s serious about filing suit. She must have been planning this for a while. She’s gathered evidence and even taken statements from other employees.”

Which explained Charity’s frequent break room gossip session with co-workers.

“What are you going to do?”

“If we don’t fire you, she’s going to the media with this story.”

Years of trying to hide her discomfort crumbled. Her hands shook and her jaw dropped. Her apartment. Her car payment. Her bills. She had some savings, but not nearly enough to cover expenses for more than a few months.

“You’re firing me?”

“No. I would never go against you. You’re Renee’s best friend and after what Ryan did to you,” Philip shook his head. “I pushed you two together. You were the first woman who held his attention after Paris. I shouldn’t have been so obvious in my approval of his attraction.”

“You couldn’t talk me into doing something I didn’t want to.” She’d been so focused on living the perfect life, she’d thought her and Ryan together was a good idea.

“We can trade blame all day. Despite Charity’s accusations, you received the promotion because of your work.”

“I almost cost us millions in Hartsville.”

“But you worked out a solution. Did you ever find the blackmailer?”

Mikayla shook her head. “Apparently no one knows anything. After things began to work out, I let it go.”

Philip nodded. “I’ve got to do something to pacify Charity. As much as I hate dealing with people like her, if she goes to the press with her lies the bad publicity could ruin other deals we have under negotiation.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Philip glanced away, the first time she’d ever seen him appear hesitant. “I’m making Charity deputy director of acquisitions and increasing her pay.”

Mikayla’s spine stiffened. She sat up. “By how much?”

“I’d rather not disclose her salary.”

Meaning, she’d make the same as Mikayla if not more. Then hold this threat over the family’s head every time she disagreed with Mikayla on anything. Work would become a living hell instead of the joy it once was.

Mikayla clenched the arms of the chair. She wanted to lash out, demand Philip fight back, or go find Charity and show her a real shove. But Mikayla understood what had to happen. Philip and his family were pillars of the community. This scandal would tarnish that reputation and leave a dark cloud over the company name.

Slowly she pried her fingers from their death grip on the chair. Her heart went from a fast angry pace, to a slow, reluctant thud. “You’ll have my resignation by the end of the day.”

Philip’s jaw dropped. The shock in his eyes provided comfort knowing he hadn’t expected her to resign.

“You can’t quit.”

“You and I both know it’s easier to pay Charity off than fire her. I also can’t work with Charity after this. I care about Caldwell Development and its reputation. I won’t let my lack of judgment jeopardize the company.”

“That’s not necessary.”

Mikayla stood. “Yes it is.” She picked up her purse and calmly placed the strap on her shoulder. She tried to appear rational, when inside her emotions threatened to explode. She didn’t know what she would do. There were no other job prospects. Her resume hadn’t been updated in years. Tears burned her eyes and her throat tightened.

No. She would not break down. She would get through this.

“If you think about it,” she said, defeat wrapped around her words. “You’ll realize I’m right.”

She turned and hurried out of the office. There was nothing left to say.

Renee stood just outside of her office door. One look at Mikayla and Renee’s smile mangled into a frown. “Are you okay?”

“I quit.”

“What are you talking about? Is it because of Ryan?”

Mikayla shook her head. “For once, this has absolutely nothing to do with your brother or your cousin.” The tears she fought ratcheted up the burn factor. “I’ll call you later, okay.” She rushed around Renee and down the hall
. I have to get out before I make a fool of myself
.

On the way to the car, Mikayla pulled out her phone to call Andre, then ended the connection before the second ring. He would be on his way to Kansas City right now. No need to burden him with her problems while he tried to get a new contract. Plus, there wasn’t much he could do to help. Though right now, having his shoulder to literally lean on wouldn’t be so bad.

She stopped for a six-pack of strawberry ale, a large bag of cheddar sour cream potato chips, and a pack of gummy bears. Being forced to resign from your job was a good enough reason to eat horribly. Her eyes strayed to the cigarettes behind the counter and she purchased a pack of those too.

Mikayla changed into yoga pants and a tank top then parked her behind on the couch. She stared at the ceiling with one hand in the chip bag and the other holding a cigarette. The situation required a plan of action. Finding a new job was at the forefront, but her body was numb from shock, discouragement, and anger. All she worked for gone.

This was her fault. One irrational moment and Charity took the opportunity to go after what she wanted. Things never turned out the way they should when she spontaneously reacted.

Andre was the only anomaly. She popped another chip in her mouth and hoped their relationship didn’t end in disaster as well.

She would look for, and find, another job.

Tomorrow.

Her cell phone rang right as she reached for the bag of gummy bears.

“Hi Renee.”

“Hi Renee? That’s how you’re answering the phone after my dad just made the biggest mistake of his life letting you walk out the door.”

Despite the seriousness in Renee’s voice, Mikayla laughed. “It’s not the biggest mistake in his life. If you calm down and look at things rationally, you’ll realize my leaving is for the best.”

“What are you going to do, Mikayla?”

Mikayla took a long drag on the cigarette. Like one of Pavlov’s dogs, the sensation stimulated her a craving for Andre.

“I’ll figure it out. People lose jobs every day and survive. I will too.”

“I don’t understand how you can remain so calm when things go crazy. I’d be screaming at the unfairness of it all.”

Mikayla glanced at the half eaten bag of chips and the smoldering cigarette in her hand. She grabbed another gummy bear and popped it in her mouth. If Renee could see her, she wouldn’t think she was handling the situation very well.