Page 77 of Untouchable

“His assistant said that he had another meeting at five, so we’ve rescheduled for tomorrow, if you don’t mind fitting it into your lunch slot.”

“That’s fine. Thanks.”

Caleb massaged the sore muscles of his neck and wondered what was happening to him. He was never absent-minded. He never let anything distract him from his job.

“If you don’t mind my asking, sir,” Linda asked hesitantly, pausing in the process of turning to leave.

Caleb raised his eyebrows and waited.

“Is everything all right? Is there anything I can help you with?”

Damn. He must be in bad shape if Linda was willing to break her normal professionalism to ask him a question like that.

“No, but thank you. I’ve just been… distracted lately. It’s personal stuff.”

Linda nodded with a sympathetic smile. “You’re welcome. I believe it’s not uncommon with a new relationship. I do hope everything works out.”

Having said that, she made a quick exit as if afraid that she’d overstepped. Caleb stared at the door she’d closed behind her.

She thought he was in a new relationship. Maybe that was what everyone thought.

There was no reason for people not to think so. He hadn’t taken Kelly out in public or on any sort of date, but she was living with him, and he’d been going home most evenings far earlier than he usually did.

He hadn’t even gone into the office for the past couple of Sundays.

He supposed hewasin a new relationship although he and Kelly had both been running in circles to avoid using that language.

There was no reason not to use it though. He was with Kelly in a way he hadn’t been with any woman—maybe ever. He wasn’t about to give her the send-off anytime soon, and he would be very unhappy if she decided she wanted to leave him.

Over and over for the past few weeks, he’d been on the verge of running, aware that he’d gotten in so deep with her that he’d have a hard time coming out of it. When she was crying in the middle of the night. When she walked into his office with cords in her hand, offering herself to his hands. When they’d had sex on the couch and she’d felt as real to him as she ever had before. Each time, he’d been torn between the fear of her getting too close and the fear of her never being close enough.

His instinct for self-preservation was strong, but his need for her was stronger.

And his strongest need at the moment was to keep her safe from whoever was threatening her.

She wouldn’t tell him who it was because she wanted to protect him, but she didn’t understand.

Other people needed to protect themselves from him.

He needed to get working again. He needed to stop brooding about all these unanswered questions. And he needed to stop picturing her face when she came, when she cried, when she laughed.

How was he ever supposed to work if he couldn’t stop thinking about her?

He couldn’t though. For one of the few times in his life, he simply couldn’t focus on work. Not when there was something more important to do.

He stood up, compelled to go find Kelly and talk to her now. He wanted things to move forward. He didn’t like his current emotional limbo.

Just because he’d never done something before didn’t mean he shouldn’t do it now.

He wanted to do it now. With Kelly.

Linda looked startled when he asked her to call down for his car, saying he was heading home. It was just after five, but he usually stayed later than that.

He called out goodbyes to the staff he passed as he left the executive suite, and he was determined and inspired as he rode down the elevator.

He would talk to Kelly. He would get a few things settled. She would know that she could trust him to do whatever she needed him to do, that she could fully depend on him.

As he was passing through the lobby, a feminine voice stopped him.