Chapter 31 #3
On the far side of the closet was an entire wall of bespoke suits organized by cut and color.
Daniela wandered down the long row, trailing her fingers across the jacket sleeves.
She wondered if she’d ever get to enjoy the privilege of seeing Caleb in one of these suits.
She bet he looked freaking amazing in the Brioni Vanquish—hell, all of ’em.
Her clothes were neatly folded on the dressing bench, next to her boots.
She pulled on her bra and jeans, then slipped into one of Caleb’s clean t-shirts.
The burnt orange Texas Longhorns shirt hung off her body like a nightgown, but it felt soft against her skin and smelled like him.
She hoped he wouldn’t mind her wearing it, maybe even borrowing it for good.
When she came out of the closet, Caleb stood at the wall of glass overlooking the city skyline.
The way he held his phone up to his ear accentuated the bulge of his bicep.
As if that wasn’t sexy enough, his ass looked incredible in those gray sweatpants, so round and juicy her mouth literally watered and her fingers itched to curl into each muscled cheek.
He glanced over his shoulder, his expression softening when he saw her in his shirt. His obvious pleasure warmed her insides as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist, pressing a kiss to the indent of his spine and feeling his muscles flex beneath her lips.
“When did you send it?” he spoke into the phone, nodding after a moment. “I’ll have to check my mail and get back to you.”
“I can check for you,” Daniela said softly enough that his editor wouldn’t hear.
Not that she would have. Though Daniela couldn’t make out what the woman was saying, she could hear the excitement in her voice, and she seemed to be doing all the talking while Caleb listened and nodded, occasionally chuckling.
Hearing Daniela’s offer, he looked back at her and mouthed, You don’t mind?
Of course not, she mouthed back. Where’s your mail key?
He led her to the kitchen, opened one of the drawers and fished out a small ring of keys. After pointing out the mail key and apartment key, he dropped the set in her palm, brushed his lips over hers and whispered, “Thanks, baby.”
“Anytime,” she whispered back. As she headed for the door, he caught her wrist. When she glanced back, he pointed to her bare feet and mouthed, Shoes.
She mouthed the word Oops and grinned as she passed him on her way back to the bedroom, where she slid her feet into his slides. They were size sixteen and ginormous. She might as well be wearing scuba diving flippers.
Grinning, she kept them on, grabbed her phone and shuffled out the door, moving slowly so she wouldn’t trip and fall in Caleb’s slides.
He had moved to the living room and was reviewing a document on his laptop while his editor continued talking his ear off. He glanced up, did a double take and broke into a crooked grin when he saw what Daniela wore on her feet.
Giggling, she left the apartment and rode the elevator down to the lobby. There was a different security guard stationed at the front desk, a fortysomething white guy with bushy eyebrows and hairy hands. He nodded to her and she smiled back.
Just as she reached the bank of mailboxes, a prickling sensation of being watched made her pause and look around. The lobby was empty save for the security guard, who was bent over his phone scrolling through social media.
She looked toward the double glass doors at the front of the lobby. There was a black SUV parked outside the building. As she stared, the tinted rear window lowered to reveal a familiar face staring out at her.
She froze in shock.
Hoyt Philbin.
What the hell was he doing here? And what did he want?
Only one way to find out, unfortunately.
She reluctantly crossed the lobby and walked outside.
“Miss Roarke.” Philbin’s languid smile crawled across her skin like fire ants. “Nice to see you this fine morning.”
“This is the second time we’ve run into each other in less than a week,” Daniela said suspiciously. “Are you following me?”
His smile didn’t slip a notch. “We’ve got things to discuss. Get in.”
Daniela frowned, glancing back at the building. Caleb had been standing at the windows earlier. What if he’d returned to that spot? What if he happened to look down and see her climbing into a strange black SUV? How would she explain herself?
She shook her head at Philbin. “I don’t think—”
“You can either get in,” he calmly warned, “or I’ll follow you inside and make a scene that will surely get back to your new beau.”
A chill ran through her. Somehow she knew he wasn’t bluffing.
His driver got out, walked around to the other side and opened the back door for her. Gritting her teeth, she went around the rear of the SUV and climbed into the cool darkness of the backseat. The driver slammed the door shut behind her and returned to his side to stand guard.
She glared at his boss. “What do you want?”
Philbin wore a perfectly tailored dark suit, a narrow silver tie and polished black wingtips. He sat with his legs elegantly crossed and his hands folded in his lap.
“Aw, look at you wearing your boyfriend’s clothes.” His flinty blue eyes raked over Daniela, taking in the too-big Longhorns shirt and too-big slides. “How adorable.”
His mocking condescension raised her hackles. “Again I ask, sir, what do you want?”
He gave her a hard look. “You’re starting to test my patience, Miss Roarke. I’m not paying you to play house with Caleb Thorne. You’re supposed to be getting me the goods on him and his father.”
“I don’t have any goods to give you,” Daniela said tightly.
“That’s disappointing to hear. Very disappointing.” His lips thinned in grim disapproval. “I know you may find this hard to believe, Daniela, but Caleb Thorne is no Boy Scout. When he practiced law, it wasn’t uncommon for him to engage in unscrupulous conduct that could have gotten him disbarred.”
I did things I’m not proud of….
She stared at Philbin as a chilling possibility struck her. “Are you after Crandall Thorne or his son?”
Philbin smiled narrowly. “To successfully dethrone a king, you must first strike down the fearless prince to kill the bloodline and prevent future uprisings.”
Icy dread congealed in her veins. “Leave him alone,” she hissed without thinking.
Philbin’s eyebrows shot up. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me. Stay the hell away from Caleb.”
He stared at her for a moment, then threw back his head with a roar of laughter.
Daniela frowned, darkly tempted to stab him in the throat with Caleb’s mail key. She wouldn’t get away with it, of course. His goon/driver would rugby-tackle her to the ground before she’d made it even three steps. But it was a pleasant, albeit twisted, fantasy.
“Oh dear. You really have fallen head over heels, haven’t you?
” Philbin tsked and wagged his head at her.
“Your brothers assured me you were a sensible, level-headed young woman. They said if anyone could resist the legendary Thorne charm, it was you. How wrong they were. Frankly, Daniela, I’m feeling a bit swindled.
Perhaps I should demand a refund of my retainer. ”
“Fine by me,” she said hotly. “Doing business with you was obviously a big mistake.”
“Your brothers would strongly disagree.” He sighed and regarded her pityingly.
“You’re not thinking clearly right now, Daniela.
You’re caught up in the first blush of love, and it’s clouding your judgment and making you irrational.
But you need to understand that you and your brothers entered into an agreement with me.
Money changed hands, promises were made.
I fully expect you to uphold your end of the bargain. ”
Daniela lifted her chin defiantly. “I’m not telling you anything.”
“That would imply you have something to tell.” He narrowed his eyes and stared hard, suspicion in his voice. “Has he confided in you or not, Daniela? If you have any incriminating information—”
“Why are you so obsessed with Crandall Thorne?” she burst out angrily. “Maybe you’re the one who’s hiding a graveyard of skeletons. Maybe you’re the one who needs to be investigated and exposed!”
“Is that a threat, Miss Roarke?” There was no trace of the congenial mayor that the public knew and loved. There was cruelty behind those blue eyes, the cruelty of a ruthless man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
Putting herself in his crosshairs probably wasn’t the wisest idea.
“Don’t trifle with me, Miss Roarke.” He bared his teeth in a menacing smile.
“It’s a holiday weekend and I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give you a little more time to come to your senses.
You have one week to bring me useful information.
If you fail to deliver…” He let his voice trail off, the threat clear.
A shiver of foreboding ran down her spine.
“Talk to your brothers, Daniela. They’ll remind you just how high the stakes are.
They’ll help you see reason. Because believe me, little girl, you don’t want me for an enemy.
” Leaning back in the seat, Philbin smirked at her shirt and made a sign with his index and pinky fingers extended. “Hook ’em, Horns.”
Daniela shot him one last glare, then opened the back door and jumped out. She’d barely slammed the door before the SUV peeled off.
Trembling with anger and fear, she hurried back inside the building and was halfway across the lobby when she remembered her original reason for coming downstairs. She doubled back to retrieve Caleb’s mail, which included a package from his editor.
As she passed the front desk, the security guard nodded to her, giving no indication of whether he’d seen her climb into the backseat of Philbin’s SUV. Surely he must have. If he mentioned it in passing to Caleb, she was toast.