Page 44 of Love Notes & Lifelines
“I—I didn’t want to lie. I…”
“And that is why you’re still here when I don’t work with liars, Stella.” My name rolls from his mouth like a lover’s caress.
“But…”
Why am I even arguing? It’s not like I have any other options. But am I really going to live with this man? Holy crap. I’m going to live with this man. In the same house. And he’s groped me, intimately. Geez, I really wasn’t myself that night.
“Okay,” I agree quickly. Yup, I guess I am. I can’t even believe this is happening right now.
“Done. I’ll have a contract drawn up by morning.” He takes a step back, and the cold air that washes in leaves me weak in the knees. He turns at his desk. “By someone not named Caleb.” He winks, and my jaw nearly unhinges.
“You’re not the only one with secrets, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart.
Sweetheart.
Stupidly, that becomes my new mantra as I make the long walk home.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BECK
“Show me,”I say removing my suit coat and dropping it over the back of my chair. We’re in the conference room with the blinds closed and have taken advantage of every available surface while Elijah babysits Caleb.
Teddy, who doesn’t look a day over twenty, nods like his head’s on a spring and he can’t stop the movement.
“Teddy, are you nervous?”
He lets out a breath that shifts papers across the table, and a chuckle bubbles up in my chest.
“Okay. There’s no need to be nervous,” I say, attempting to keep my tone light. “Stella told me the gist of her hunch, now I need you to show me what you’ve found.”
For the next two hours, this kid walks me through the files and numbers that don’t match up.
What the hell is Caleb up to? He’s shifting money and deals around, but it’s not missing from anywhere, and the deals that do go through have all been approved by me.
“Sir?” Teddy speaks up with a crackle in his voice. How long have I been sitting here staring at this one file?
“I’m sorry. Go ahead.” A new headache builds, pressure forming at my temples.
“Well, I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that he’s shifting money to set you up for something big, and not necessarily good.” That was my thought too. “My father is a cynical man, and he would say there’s a deal coming that will blow up in your face, and when it does, they’ll leave a trail leading straight to you. I think he’s angling to prove that you’ve been embezzling from your own company.”
He places three more files on my desk, and it paints a pretty clear picture, but it doesn’t tell me what deal or when. It’s a never-ending circle of messes. The one thing it does give me is ammunition to cut Caleb loose.
It will be messy, but it’ll be fast.
“Your father sounds like a very smart man,” I say. “You must be aware that I recently became a father—or father figure—to my nieces.”
“Yes, sir. My dad was a single parent. I can appreciate how much work it is.” He has more optimism than Daisie Dog when she sits beneath Ruby’s highchair.
I really like this kid.
“I appreciate you, Teddy. And I’ll be honest with you. The girls aren’t doing well in my penthouse, so I’ll be bringing them home to the Outer Banks for a while. This office will remain open with Elijah in charge, and I’ll be in one day a week until we find a more permanent solution.”
He nods, and he might be holding his breath, so I push on quickly.
“But Caleb will be leaving us shortly, and I’d appreciate it if you’d take over his office.” He pales, and I chuckle. “Not his job, not yet anyway, but after this, I can assure you that you’ll be fast-tracked here. For now, I want you in that office, following every single thing amiss in these folders. You only report to me or Elijah. Is that clear?”
