The Teacher's Billionaire (10 page)

“
Man am I glad to see you,” she told Lucky who immediately greeted her. While she'd been away, Lauren had come by to feed and walk him.

Leaving the unpacking for later, Callie made herself a cup of tea and called Lauren to see if she could come over. She needed someone to talk to, process things with. She'd learned so much since Helen's confession. It felt like she had all these pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, and now she needed to put them together.

“
Be right over, chickie.”

Callie hung up the phone to wait. Man did it feel as if her life had been turned upside down and inside out. Everything she thought she knew to be true was wrong. She'd never known a single lie could conceal something so earth shattering.

True to her word Lauren knocked on Callie's door twenty minutes later. “Thought we might need some comfort food,” she said holding up a bag from Callie's favorite Chinese restaurant.

Callie smiled and gave her friend a quick hug. “You're the best. You know that. Don't know what I'd do with out you.”

Lauren laughed. “You'd probably be a recluse living with thirty dogs and everyone would just refer to you as the crazy dog lady.” Lauren put the bag of food on the table, her smile fading. “So how did it go? Was it hard?”

“
I wouldn't say hard. More like...awkward. Strange.” Callie tried to think of the best adjective to describe meeting Warren Sherbrooke. She couldn't come up with a perfect one. “He seemed very nice. Not at all what I expected.”

Across the table Lauren remained silent as she pulled containers of food from the bag.

“
I think he truly loved her. When talking about my mom he seemed genuine. I guess he could have been faking it, but I don't think so. And why would he? It's not like it matters now.”

“
So how did it happen? Were they dating? Did he say?”

“
He said they actually talked about getting married once he finished his MBA at Harvard.”

Lauren's eyes got wide. “Seriously! Man, your life would've been so different if they had!”

“
Tell me about it. You know how much I always wanted a dad like you. But I don't think it would've worked out for them. Can you picture my mom married to Warren Sherbrooke?”

“
No. But if they were really in love they might have made it work.” Lauren dug into her container of sweet and sour shrimp. “Do you think your mom loved him?”

Digging into her own container of chicken lo mein, she nodded. “I don't think she ever stopped. You know she never dated. Whenever she did talk about my father she always got really sad.”

For a few minutes they ate in silence. “How did you leave things? Are you going to see him again?”

“
He said he wants me to be part of his family. That he wants to get to know me. I promised to keep in touch.” She twirled the noodles around with her fork.

“
But?”

Callie shrugged. “I'm not sure I want to. Can you picture me fitting into his world? You remember what it was like in high school.” She couldn't help but grimace at the memories.

“
That was a long time ago, girlfriend. If you think he's sincere and it sounds like he is, I think you should give him a chance. Get to know him better. Then, make your final decision.”

Callie knew Lauren was right. “We'll see. I don't think his wife likes the idea. She was polite but there was something about her.”

Lauren put down her container of food and reached for a dumpling. “Were his children there?”

“
Just my half-sister Sara, who definitely does not want me around.” Callie didn't mention Dylan although she didn't know why. Never in her life had she been so attracted to a man in the same way. Without intending to her thoughts drifted to their day together. It'd been the first date like situation she'd been in for awhile, even if it hadn't been a true date. But that wasn't why it'd been so delightful.

Dylan had been easy to be around. He'd been funny and charming. She'd actually forgotten who he was and why they were together. Instead it had felt as if she was just spending time with a good friend, an exceedingly handsome friend, who did crazy things to her insides.

Lord was he gorgeous.
She couldn't help but picture him that day on the beach.
Don't go there.

The picture stayed despite her orders. Disgusted by her lack of control, Callie pushed the partially full container of food away. Sitting and envisioning Dylan on the beach wasn't helping her to sort out her feelings regarding Warren and his family. Rather it only complicated the situation.

As if I need this to be anymore complicated.

“Feel like going for a walk, Lauren?” Maybe some fresh air would help clear her head. If nothing else it would help burn off all the extra calories she'd just consumed.

***

Three days had passed since Dylan jumped on the family's private jet and headed back to New York City. During those three days, he'd thought of not only Callie but his damn agreement with Phillips. If he'd honestly felt Callie was any kind of threat, he wouldn't feel at all uncomfortable with keeping an eye on her or better yet having someone do it. But he didn't feel it was necessary. Never the less late Wednesday afternoon Dylan found himself in front of her apartment door again. Earlier that morning he'd flown into Boston. After a long and tedious business meeting he'd checked into his hotel suite before driving to Slatersville.

Once again running his excuse for being there through his head, Dylan knocked on the door. Immediately, he heard barking followed by Callie's voice telling the dog to calm down.

As usual she pulled the door open without asking who it was first. “Oh! Hey,” Callie greeted her eyes wide. It wasn't hard to tell she was surprised to see him. “Come on in,” she continued pushing open the screen door.

“I hope this isn't a bad time.” He followed her into the kitchen. Today all kinds of papers and a laptop computer covered the table.

Reaching for some papers she quickly started to stack things up. “No, no. I was just about done with this.”

Dylan watched as she started to open her mouth to speak again, but then stopped and chewed her bottom lip instead. Automatically he envisioned himself nibbling on her lips.

Back to reality. Stay focused. This is Warren's daughter.

“I have some business meetings in Boston this week. Today's ended a little early, so I thought I would stop in and see you,” he explained using the story he'd settled on earlier. And it wasn't a complete lie. Since he'd known he was coming to the area to check up on her, he had his executive assistant reschedule some meetings that he planned to attend in Boston next month to this week.

“Sunday I had to leave suddenly and I didn't get a chance to see how things were going for you.” While it had sounded like a plausible excuse in his mind, now that he'd spoken it aloud it sounded weak. Pathetic.

Callie didn't immediately respond. Instead her intense blue eyes held his gaze as if searching for something. Worried that she might learn something he didn't want to share he looked away.

“Good... okay, I guess. A little surreal but I'm glad I went.”

Dylan watched as she spoke and continued to remove papers from the table. Although she was trying to appear calm, he could tell from her rapid movements and haphazard manner that she was flustered.

“Do you want something to drink? A coffee or some lemonade? Or something to eat? I was just about to start cooking dinner.” The words rapidly tumbled out of her mouth, and she clutched her papers and books tightly against her chest like a shield.

Am I really making her nervous?

Though she hadn't actually asked him to stay, he pulled out one of the colorfully painted chairs and sat down. It felt like the right thing to do. “Whatever you're having. I was going to see if you wanted to go out, but home cooked is even better.” He'd originally planned to take her somewhere for dinner as an excuse to spend time with her. Staying here would work even better.

“Let me put this stuff away, and I'll start cooking.”

Dylan let his eyes follow her as she walked down to one of two doors off the short hall to what he guessed was her bedroom. Without intending to he thought of how shapely and tanned her legs appeared that afternoon on the beach. Much to his disappointment today her legs were completely hidden by a loose pair of gray yoga pants.

Thoughts of their day on the beach immediately brought back memories of how soft her skin had felt when he'd rubbed sunscreen on her back. It had felt like satin under his hands. He wondered if the skin on the rest of her body was just as smooth and soft. Images of him peeling off her clothes to find out overtook him. Immediately he felt his body respond.

Don't
.
She's not for you.
Untucking his t-shirt to hide the evidence of his arousal, he hoped she didn't notice the change when she came back. If she did, would she guess what prompted it? Talk about embarrassing. It wasn't like he was a teenager who'd never been around a beautiful woman before. Hell, he'd dated Victoria Secrets models in the past.

Was this really happening? Was she really going to cook dinner for Dylan? It was just too bizarre. Thankfully she already planned to make an actual meal tonight. Some nights she just threw together a sandwich for herself. Cooking for one could be a pain in the butt. However, earlier that morning she'd taken the tomato sauce and meatballs she'd made the week before out of the freezer so she could make lasagna tonight. Lasagna with a side of meatballs was one of her favorite meals. And one that usually lasted for a few nights.

Setting her papers and laptop down on her bed she wondered why he was really there. He'd said he was in Boston on business. Callie didn't doubt that could be true, but Boston wasn't exactly next door. It took about forty minutes to get to her apartment from there.

Don't look for lies.
He has no reason to lie to me. He's probably just being a gentleman again and checking to see how I am for Warren.
Although if that was the case, why hadn't her father just called. Warren had her phone numbers. It just didn't make a lot of sense. Could he be interested in her? The sudden crazy thought popped into her head. It would explain his unexpected visit. Was it possible?

In your dreams maybe.
Now, just go back out there, cook dinner, and enjoy another few hours in Dylan's company. Taking a deep breath she slowly exhaled.
Just pretend you're cooking for you and Lauren.

“What can I help with?” he asked when she returned.

“Do you know how to cook?” Callie immediately regretted asking the question. At least to her own ears it sounded crass. It didn't seem to faze Dylan though. He just shrugged and gave her a boyish smile that made him look more like a college student rather than the CEO of a major cooperation.

“Only a little,” he acknowledge. “Basic stuff. Enough to survive without either eating out or getting take out every night.”

She didn't need any help. She could throw together a lasagna in her sleep. However if he had something to do than maybe she wouldn't feel as if he was so focused on her. Since his arrival her body had been on high alert and having him just sitting there watching wouldn't help.

“Umm, there is some stuff in the refrigerator for a salad.” Normally, Callie didn't have anything but the meatballs with her lasagna. She didn't need to. But if it kept him busy she was all for it.

“Even I can handle that,” he teased in his English accent that she loved. She could sit and listen to it all day in fact.

Has the kitchen always been this small?
It seemed like every time she moved she bumped into Dylan. He'd gathered the vegetables from the refrigerator and spread them out further down the counter. Pausing in her own preparations, she watched him struggle to peel a cucumber. In addition to removing the skin he was hacking the vegetable to death.

“You can leave the skin on you know.” She reached for more pasta, so she could start another layer of the lasagna.

Pausing he looked over at her. “I hate the skin. Can't eat cucumbers if they have skin on them.”

“Do you want some help then? By the time you get done there isn't going to be anything left to eat.”

His hand was warm when he handed her the cucumber. The brief contact brought back memories of the brotherly kiss he'd given her. Though it had been innocent, she felt herself blushing.

“It's all yours,” he said starting to cut up a tomato.

Placing a steaming pan on the table, Callie went back to the counter to grab the meatballs. “It's not a five star meal, but I hope it is okay. Sorry I don't have any wine to go with it. I've been meaning to pick some up but haven't gotten around to it.” Callie knew she was a fairly good cook, but compared to the meals Dylan usually ate she feared something would be lacking.

“It smells great,” Dylan assured her pulling out a chair for her.

Just as surprised tonight as she had been the first time he had done it, Callie sat without replying. Having anyone pull a chair out for her was such a foreign event, she didn't know what to make of it. Leaning back her bare shoulder brushed against his hand and tiny jolts of electricity danced across her skin. Moving forward away from him she asked the first thing that came to mind. “Are you in Boston for long?”