Unspoken 3 (2 page)

The last day and a half had been too chaotic, and I decided to slip out of the office a little early in order to get a head start on my dinner date with Cain. The night before had supposed to have been special, but with everything that had happened, it was anything but. It was hard to believe how quickly the last few weeks had flown by, and how well I’d gotten to know Cain.

5:30 my place? I’m cooking! ;)
I was anything but a good cook, but tonight I was going to make the only thing I made well: lasagna.

Sounds great! I have to make stop and I’ll be over.

I stopped by the market and picked up a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine, and the few remaining items I needed for my special dish. I secretly hoped there was truth to the saying that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach; Cain was already in mine.

See you soon! :)

I made it home in plenty of time to get dinner started, my apartment cleaned up a little and I took a quick shower. I slid into something comfortable, yet sexy. It was supposed to be a working dinner, but I couldn’t resist. I quickly finished the lasagna and slid it into the oven as the doorbell rang.

Cain looked amazing, as usual. “Hello, gorgeous!” He leaned in and kissed me softly. His smell mesmerized me and I almost didn’t notice the huge bouquet of flowers he was holding. “For you.”

“They’re beautiful, thank you.” I quickly kissed him again, this time taking just a moment longer. The kiss ignited a spark and I felt electricity coursing through my body. 

Cain shut the door with one hand and tossed the bouquet of flowers on the foyer table. “Jennifer…” He murmured, like a starving man who’d just discovered a buffet.

Before I knew it, my shirt was off and Cain’s hands were all over me. I worked the buttons on his shirt quickly and carefully, running my hands over his bronze skin. I could feel the power building between us, as if we were both about to explode.

I kissed the curve of his chest and found a few sensitive places to linger. Cain pulled me closer to him with his strong hands. His lips brushed my neck. We shed the rest of our clothes and I led him to my bedroom. The bed felt soft and plush under my naked skin. We kissed again, our passion rising even higher. Cain’s skillful tongue urged me on and I couldn’t help but press against him, my desire rising like waves in the ocean. Soon I was as ready as he was. “Cain! Now, Cain!”

His hand was in my hair, his thumb stroking my jaw. “Look at me, Jennifer. I want to see you when we make love.” I looked at Cain’s face, his blues eyes sparkling with desire and his lips pink and full.

“I am looking, Cain. I see you. I want you.”

With a moan, he was inside me, moving slowly, watching me enjoy him. I worked against his muscular body, suddenly wishing I had taken the top spot. Cain was showing much more control than I had at the moment. “Cain!” I whispered.

He continued to watch me; it was an exhilarating, sexy experience. We fueled one another’s fire with our ardent attention to one another, until we climbed to the heights of release together.

We lay there, panting, afterward; his dark head lay on my chest and I stroked his hair. He kissed my stomach and grinned up at me. “Something smells amazing!”

“Oh no! Dinner! I’ll be right back. Will you get the shower started for us?” I quickly hopped up and ran to the kitchen, not waiting for his answer.

In a few minutes, we were laughing under the warm water, taking turns lathering one another up.

“Hand me that shampoo.” I did and Cain squirted some in his hand. “Turn around…no really, I want to do this.” I had never had anyone wash my hair before—except my stylist—but it was nice. His hands were gentle and he chuckled when I complained about soap in my eye. I rinsed and turned to face him. He was looking at me, sweeping his hair back with his hand. I suddenly felt self-conscious.

“What?” I asked.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” His white smile gleamed at me.

“I bet you say that to all the girls you shower with.” I kissed him and snuck past him, leaving him in the shower to run and dry off.

I grabbed an oversized jersey and panties out of my dresser and threw them on. By the time Cain joined me in the kitchen, everything was ready.

His hands were on my waist and he kissed my neck again. “Ok, Ok, now. It’s not time for dessert yet.” I giggled. “Besides, I thought this was supposed to be a working dinner? Remember? I’m supposed to be giving you some tips.”

“I know. I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Well, let’s just stay focused from now on.” I gave Cain wink and a smile. “Can you open the wine? I think we’re ready for dinner, now.”

Cain grabbed the corkscrew and slowly opened the bottle of wine. “Jennifer, do you think I have something to hide? I mean, does it seem that way?” A look of concern covered his face.

“No! Not at all.” I put my hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean that at all. I know tomorrow will be hard for you, dredging up the past and all. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings. I know you have a lot riding on this.”

“Thank you for saying that. I guess… It’s been a rough couple of days and if my own girlfriend didn’t believe me...”

I let the words hang in the air for a moment. It was the first time in a long time that I had begun to feel like someone’s girlfriend. Like a part of a real couple.

“Let’s eat and I can give you some pointers.”

We finished eating and Cain reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “What kind of message is this sending?” He laughed as I playfully pushed his hand away.

“It’s telling me you would rather play than be serious.” I gave him a stern look, followed by a playful smile.

“Ok, so, what do I need to know?”

“You have a strong, charismatic presence when you speak, but I have noticed a few things you can improve on, For example, you rub your hair when you get nervous and you shift a little when you’re making a tough decision.” He raised his eyes in surprise. “These are things you want to stay away from, going forward. You need to send the message that you are confident, and being honest.”

“I am, and this meeting is important to lay everything out on the table.” Cain motioned to the crowded dinner table as if presenting a grand prize.

“There! Like that? The way you moved your hands, you exposed your palms. That’s a sign you’re being honest. Most people don’t realize they are doing it, but it’s a tell.”

Cain and I spent about an hour going back and forth on what he was going to discuss and the best way to address the group, where to look, how to look and, most importantly, what not to do. I felt confident he was going to do well.

Cain’s phone rang and he nervously pulled it from his pocket. “Work. Do you mind if I get this? I’ll keep it short.”

“No, go ahead. I’ll get started on these dishes.” I stacked the dishes and carried them to the kitchen, giving Cain some privacy. I took the time to check my own phone and email. Tomorrow was going to be an eye opener, and I wanted to make sure there were no new surprises before I showed up at the office the next day. Seventeen new emails; nothing appeared important.

This is weird.
I had two emails, sent from my own home email address to myself. It looked like spam, and I hesitated before opening them, but finally did.

“Thought you may want to see a couple of these again. The last two are my favorite!”

I scrolled down and saw picture after picture. Christopher and I sailing on the Casual Sun, a friend’s boat. He and I with friends, at a clambake, sophomore year. Me kissing Chris with the sunset behind us… the pictures continued through the email, until the last two.

It was me, wearing nothing but Christopher’s dress shirt. That was the one and only racy picture I’d ever had taken and he had talked me into it. The last was a picture of Cain and I together at his house. It was a picture taken from outside, of us kissing.

I wanted to scream, but nothing came out, but a few words and a gasp. “Why? Who…?” I felt violated. Cain must have sensed something wasn’t right as he quickly came into the kitchen. I tried to close the laptop sitting on the counter, but I wasn’t fast enough.

“Jen? What is it? Are you okay?” I stared at the screen and then at Cain. Tears filled my eyes before I could even think of what to say. He grabbed me and pulled me to him. I took a deep breath, determined not to cry, and just stared at the computer.

Cain moved his finger over the mouse pad. The screen was frozen, displaying half of the picture of me in Christopher’s shirt and the picture of Cain and I. I stared back from the monitor, my hair half-hiding my face, the bottom of the shirt bunched up in my hands playfully, showing a tiny sliver of pink underwear. Cain’s face reddened slightly and he closed the computer quietly.

We just looked at one another. I didn’t know what he was thinking; or even what I was thinking, for that matter. I blurted out, “Those pictures were on my laptop, the one that was stolen. I had forgotten all about them…and the last one…someone is watching us.”

“Someone is watching you. I don’t like this. I think I should stay tonight.”

“What? No, you can’t do that. You need to go home and get some rest. That meeting is at 9:30 and you’ve got to be on your toes. I’ll be fine.”

“Jennifer, whoever has your computer is following you. They know what you are up to. They may be out there now.”

“Cain, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you, or Reese, or hell, even my father, if I need help. I promise. You need to be ready for tomorrow. Promise me you won’t worry.”

“Ok.” Cain reluctantly agreed. “Tell me, are there other pictures like that? Why is this person sending them to you?”

              “No, Cain. The others are pretty boring, just me and Christopher—a bunch of pictures from college and some weekends with friends. Obviously this person wants to humiliate me and it seems like they are trying to scare me aware from you, for some reason.”

Cain ran his fingers through his hair. I could tell he was having second thoughts about leaving. “On second thought, come stay with me. I think that’s the best idea.”

“I can’t do that—I am
not
going to let this person win. Somehow, he knows about the hell Christopher put me through, and he thinks he can hurt you through me. I can’t have that.” I became more convinced the more I talked.

“Are you sure? Should you call Aimee, or Reese, maybe?”

“I am absolutely sure. Now go home and get some rest.” I grabbed his hands and looked at his face. I could detect the slight, dark shadows that had gathered under his eyes. It didn’t matter; he was still the most handsome man I had ever seen. I had to stand on tiptoe to kiss him; I was barefoot, without benefit of my usual high heels. He grabbed my bottom and pulled me close to him. “You call me if you hear a leaf fall. Ok?”

I nodded and he kissed the top of my head. “You got your phone?”

He smiled. “Yes, I have it. I mean it. You call me.”

I smiled at him and closed the door behind him, securing the deadbolt.

I sat and waited to watch Cain’s big black car slide out of my parking lot and down the hill. I checked all the doors and windows before I went back to the dishes. Within thirty minutes, I crawled into bed. I left the bathroom light on and the door ajar—for the first time since I was a kid. I opened the wooden drawer of my nightstand and reached for the small can of pepper spray I kept hidden there. I had taken a course a few summers ago on how to use it properly. I had been pretty fast then, and I hoped I remembered how to use it properly.

After some fitful tossing and turning, I eventually fell asleep, somewhat happy. I could still smell Cain’s cologne on my skin.

The sun was barely up when my eyes popped open. I didn’t jump out of bed right away, I lingered awhile, thinking about the night before. I replayed the intense, frantic lovemaking, the soapy shower, the freaky email. Despite the last part, it had been a good night with Cain. I reached for my phone and stared at the clock.
6:15…plenty of time.

I hoped Cain was still at home, though I had no doubt he was up. I sent him a quick text, wishing he were next to me, but I knew better; neither one of us would have slept last night.
Morning, mister. Be sure to wear a white shirt.

I waited and ran my hand along the empty side of the bed where I wished Cain were lying. It took him a minute to respond.

Good morning. Everything Ok? Promise to wear something blue.

I couldn’t help but grin. I could imagine the flirtatious smile creeping over his chiseled faced. I knew what he was talking about. For our first lovemaking session, I had worn a sapphire blue bra and panties set. He had approved of the ensemble.

Everything is perfect. No doubt last night was just to scare me. And okay… I know exactly what to wear - :)

I got up and ransacked my closet. I finally decided on a gray pinstripe pencil skirt and a fitted gray jacket, grabbed my promised bra and panty set and headed to shower. On a whim, I wore my sapphire necklace, just to remind Cain that I had remembered to wear blue.

I was out of the house by 7:00am, with my laptop under my arm. I wanted Reese to check it for malware, or whatever surprises I might have covertly downloaded to my computer from that email. I knew opening it had been a dumb move.
Lesson learned.

The morning started off quiet and I hid in my office until Reese got there. Dad was already there.
He really needs a social life. I can count on one hand how many times I remember Dad actually going on a date.
I gave him a wave as I passed by his open door and received a nod in return.

The other attorneys and interns were busy setting up for the day, and our team was focused on what was going to be discussed in our meeting. This meeting could make or break Cain; I knew it and so did he. It all boiled down to culpability, really. I thumbed through random files, reminding myself that I needed to stay sharp, professional and on point, no matter what. Reese came in shortly after.

“Is Cain ready to finally come clean with everything?” Reese smiled and shot me a sarcastic look.

“I think he’s ready to be more open to the possibilities. Remember, he asked for this meeting. He hasn’t shared with me what he wants to discuss, but I’m sure we both have our ideas.” That was the one thing Cain has kept very close to his chest, other than me. I had no idea what he was planning to unload on us, but I was sure it was well overdue.

“Just remember, Jennifer, this is your dad’s show, right now. It’s up to him to figure out
if and whether
we keep going on this. Although I’ve never seen your dad give up on anything, or anyone, including you.”

Reese’s statement stung. I always knew Dad was tough on me, but he always seemed to be there in a crisis. “Yeah, well, how about you, Reese?” I quickly changed the subject. “I’m probably stupid for keeping this so quiet, but I’m still getting messages from whoever broke in. Take a look at this. Most of it is pretty innocuous, except the last photo. I’m worried that because I’ve opened it there’s something installed on my laptop.”

“That should be the least of your worries!” Reese quickly angered as I explained the emails and photos. “You should have told me immediately. You should have called the police. Someone is obviously stalking you, and I have a hunch who it is.”

Reese plugged away at the computer. For an old guy, he was sharp with a computer. “I guess he thought you’d keep it to yourself. I’m glad you didn’t try to delete it—it would have been ten times worse.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“I’ll email Detective Jackson and let him know about this. Just to keep him in the loop. I think, with this guy, it is better to be safe than sorry. He’s definitely a loose cannon. I mean, he knows he’s busted on the whole security thing, yet he insists on playing this cat and mouse game with you. I don’t know. Something’s not right here.” Reese slung himself back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. His partially bald head shone under the bright fluorescent lighting. I felt a little panicked. If Reese was this worried, maybe I should be too.

“So you think this is Dylan, for sure?” I already knew the answer to my question, and my instincts told me the same thing. I just hadn’t had the nerve or been ready to have the discussion with Cain. “Reese, you don’t think he’d…”

“No. I think he’s already hit you with his best shot, but you had better be careful. Don’t take any chances and stick with crowds until this is over with. You got me?”

I didn’t argue, just nodded and answered my desk phone. “Thanks, Cynthia.” I hung up the phone and started gathering my things. “Okay, Reese, Dad wants to see us. He says to bring the employee profile results, too.” I grabbed my tablet. “I can just pull them up here.”

We moved into the office next door and for the next hour we reviewed all of our findings and everything we currently knew about Vawter, the data breaches, Cain, and Dylan.

The desk phone buzzed, letting us know that Cain had arrived. We headed to one of the smaller meeting rooms, where Cain was waiting for us. I noticed immediately how amazing he looked, his tailored white shirt fitting snuggly against his perfect body. I wondered what else he was wearing. I forced the ridiculous grin from my lips.

I shared a measured smile and sat at the table with the rest of the gathering. It was only my father, Reese and Thomas McAleer, a senior attorney. Thomas was a nice guy, as far as I knew. Intelligent and studious, he was quiet—you wouldn’t know what he was thinking until he hit you with a question. I had seen him in action.

We all gathered around the conference room table and Cain took the lead in the meeting.

“Thank you for meeting me at such short notice. I know your firm has been investigating everything and really looking into the initial issues of the data breaches. As you are probably all aware, things have taken a turn.” Cain took a moment and paused, looking into each person’s eyes and holding their gaze. It was apparent he was in business mode; as his eyes met mine I sensed the levity of the situation.

The group nodded their heads in agreement and Cain continued. “After speaking with each of you individually, and collectively, I decided that I—and Vawter—need a brief separation from Dylan. I’ve asked him to take a leave of absence until we have things sorted out and we’ve all had a chance to review everything going on.”

“Was this strictly business, Mr. Parker, or was there a personal element to this as well?” Thomas already knew the answer and I was curious where he was going with all of this.

“Yes. There was a personal element to this as well.” Cain avoided making eye contact with me, but I knew a part of his decision was due to Dylan’s hitting on me. “Dylan and I have been friends for a very long time—like brothers, so this was very personal—but I didn’t let that, and haven’t let that, cloud my judgment on how I run this business. It’s why I’m here.”

Cain continued to describe the details of the break-in, the phone he found in his desk, the claim of extortion, everything.  His delivery was perfect. Honest. The team seemed satisfied with the information he presented.

“Cain, it’s important that we have all of the facts, and I—we—know this is a tough situation, especially because it involves someone so close to you.” My father reflected on the statement. “Is there anything else we should know?”

“Dylan.” Cain’s voice broke slightly as he glanced upward to the left, a sign he was digging deep into difficult memories. “We were close. He was close to my family, my dad. We got distant after he passed. I don’t know if it was because my father excluded him from his will, or something else. He would never talk to me about it.” Cain tried to remain strong and focused.

Thomas leaned back in his chair, tapping his finger lightly on the table. I knew he had a question, but he was measuring how to ask it. “Tell me, Cain, why did your father leave Dylan out of the will? Did they have a falling out? According to what you’ve shared, your father plunked down a significant amount of money for Dylan.” Thomas flipped through his notebook. “Paid his college tuition, purchased his first car…he may have even slid some cash around to keep the kid out of trouble. So why, in the end, did he cut him out?

I tried not to look shocked but I was; Cain was too. I resisted the urge to twist my hair, but I reached up and touched my sapphire. Cain’s eye caught mine.
Stay calm and be honest.

“Like I told you, after my brother, Jase, died, my father became attached to Dylan. I don’t remember a specific argument or falling out. Dylan came around less and less when my father became sick. I don’t even think they talked the last few months of his life.” Cain sighed, “I’m sure there was more to the story, but my father was a secretive man. I didn’t even know how wealthy he was until he passed away. It was shocking to see those numbers.”

Thomas jotted some notes, but seemed content with the answer. “I’m sure the thought has crossed everyone’s mind here, but I need to ask for myself, Do you think Dylan is behind this? I mean, everything seems to point to…”

“Thanks, Thomas, that will be enough.” Dad cut him off before he went too far. “I think we all have a good feel for what’s going on here, no need to push this further.”

“That’s Ok, Mr. Dunning. I didn’t at first, but I’m beginning to believe Dylan is to blame for the things that have happened with the company data. I don’t believe for a minute he’s behind anything else. I think this is all just a very bad, and unfortunate coincidence.” Cain’s hands lay flat on the table, his thumb slowly drawing circles as he delivered his response to the group.

“Cain, thank you for sharing all of this with us. Let me pull the team together and we’ll get back with you.” Dad slid out his chair, and the small group began to disperse. My father and Thomas left us first, obviously to meet in private.

Reese looked at Cain with concern. “Listen, we all know there is more going on here than what was discussed, Cain. That email that Jennifer received was spyware. I’m pretty sure she wasn’t going to tell you, but I wanted you to know. Keep an eye on her. I know that somehow, all of this is tied together in a really bad way.” His voice was gruff and bossy but I knew he meant well. He patted Cain on the shoulder and left.

“He’s right, Jennifer, you’re staying with me tonight. No arguments. I don’t know what this guy is thinking, and neither do you.”

“No arguments here. I’ll be there. What time?” I rocked in my heels nervously, another “tell.”

“Let’s say seven.” Cain still had a seriousness in his voice and eyes. His face was like a rock.

“Cain…” I whispered, turning my back to the door so no one could see me. I discreetly pulled my jacket collar to the side and let him see the shiny blue strap of my bra. I tried to make light of the situation.

“Nice… I want to see it all… later.”  He smiled down at me and we left the meeting room. I stupidly waved goodbye to him when he got in the elevator. The receptionist’s eyes followed Cain and then shot back to me, noticing I was watching her. She smiled, acknowledging my catch.

I spent the rest of the day combing through additional details of the data breach, the Pegasus issues and discussion we’d had with Alice Bennett, with Reese. I had more questions for Alice Bennett, and felt there was more she wasn’t revealing. Everything just seemed to being going downhill quickly, and I couldn’t reassure myself that it would all be worked out soon.

“Reese, I’m headed out. Any chance I can take my laptop tonight?” A part of me hoped he’d tell me it wasn’t ready.

“Yes. Do me a favor, be careful and for God’s sakes, don’t open any more emails that are questionable. If you see anything, hear anything—
anything
—call me. Got it?”

“Got it.” I felt overwhelmed. At one point in my life there hadn’t been a man in sight that cared about me, especially one that showed it. Now I had three watching over me like bodyguards. I grabbed my laptop and a few files and left the office.

As I walked to the car in the bustling garage, I could feel the excitement building. A night with Cain in his amazing house. Just the two us. The daydream took me away as I walked to my car, only to be pulled back to reality with an incoming text.

Such a lovely family!

I scrolled down the text from the unknown number. Two more pictures from my laptop; one of my mother and I when I was a kid, just before she passed, another of my father and I together at my college graduation. My heart skipped a beat and I felt the cold wave of fear enter my body. Another text followed.

BTW You look great today!

I froze in my tracks as I looked at the picture. It was from moments ago as I exited the lobby elevators. I calmly looked around the garage. I was no more than fifty steps from my car and thankfully I wasn’t alone. I debated whether to run to the car, or back upstairs.

Before I could make a decision, my phone rang. I quickly answered it as I scanned the garage. “Alight, you son of a bitch! What the hell do you want? Why are you doing this?”