His expression stoic, he took a step toward her. “Let me explain, Alyssa.”
“I think your grandmother explained things quite clearly. You’ve been using me to keep the firm running while you played at being the successful businessman.” A sudden rush of emotion threatened to choke her and she had to take a deep breath before she could finish. “You know, I never paid much attention to the tabloid headlines about Owen Larson and his nefarious escapades.” She laughed humorlessly. “I should have. Maybe I’d have recognized the same traits in his son and avoided making a fool of myself.”
“Alyssa—”
Shaking her head, she impatiently wiped a tear from her cheek. “I can only imagine how pathetically desperate for a man I must have appeared to you. The frumpy numbers cruncher whose entire life revolved around her job.” Straightening her shoulders, she drew on a lifetime of being taught to face the enemy with courage and grace. “But that no longer matters. Please tell your grandmother that I don’t want, nor do I need, the compensation she mentioned.”
His scowl deepened. “Compensation?”
“I’m certain she was unaware that you had devised your own way of appeasing me.”
He shook his head as he quickly stepped forward to place his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not like that, sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me that.” Jerking from his grasp, her shaky voice rose considerably as she fought to keep her emotions in check. “Don’t ever call me that again.”
“Dammit, Alyssa, listen to me.”
“Why should I? You haven’t been honest with me thus far, why should I believe you now?”
“You have to calm down and see reason.”
Struggling to keep the torrent of tears in check just a few moments longer, she glared at him. “I don’t have to do anything but leave, Mr. Walker. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
Her legs felt as if they might not support her as she walked over to pick up the small overnight case she’d packed when they’d stopped by her apartment the evening before. Heading down the hall, she stopped at the first bedroom she came to, quickly changed out of his shirt and into her own clothes, then called a cab.
When she walked out into the hall, Caleb was waiting for her. He’d changed into a chambray shirt, worn jeans and scuffed boots.
If he thought reverting to his good-old-boy persona would make a difference, he was sadly mistaken. “Excuse me,” she said, starting to walk past him. “I’ll wait outside for my ride.”
He stood stock still. “I’ll drive you back to Albuquerque.”
“No, you won’t.”
Folding his arms across his wide chest, he looked dubious. “Then how do you expect to get back home?”
“If I have to, I’ll walk.” She brushed past him. “But that’s no longer any of your concern, Mr. Walker.”
“Don’t be so damned stubborn that you do something foolish,” he said, following her down the hall to the front door.
When she turned on him, her body trembled with a combination of anger and emotional pain. “We’ve already established that I cornered the market on foolishness.”
Opening the door, she walked out and slammed it behind her. As she hurried down the driveway, she remembered that she’d left Sidney’s cage in the family room. But she couldn’t go back for the parakeet. She’d have to call later and request that Caleb bring the bird to the office.
Right now, she needed to put as much distance as she could between herself and Caleb. If she went back, he’d realize that she’d fallen hopelessly in love with him. And that was something she’d rather die than have him do.
Caleb stood watch until Alyssa got into the cab, then, turning away from the window, he walked out onto the patio. Everything inside him shouted for him to go after her, to bring her back and make her listen to reason, to convince her to hear what he had to say. But she was hurting right now and just knowing that he was the cause of it tied him in knots.
He’d had every intention of telling Alyssa about himself last night. But when they’d gone into the bedroom, he’d been so hot for her again that they’d made love until they’d both fallen asleep from complete exhaustion. Then he’d planned as soon as he finished his shower to serve her breakfast in bed, tell her everything, then ask her to make their engagement real.
But, Emerald had beaten him to it. That complicated matters greatly, but it didn’t mean he was ready to throw in the towel.
Alyssa needed time to calm down. And he needed time to make a few plans.
If there was one thing he’d inherited from his paternal grandmother, it was her determination. The old gal hadn’t gotten where she was today without it and he fully intended to use her legacy to win back the only woman he’d ever love.
Chapter Ten
A lyssa sniffed back a fresh wave of tears as she sat on her couch, staring at her apartment walls. She’d expected Caleb to call on Monday after finding her resignation on his desk, along with a request that he leave Sidney in Geneva’s care. But by close of business Wednesday, she realized that he didn’t care about her leaving Skerritt and Crowe. And it was apparent he didn’t intend to return her bird.
“The least he could have done was give Sidney back to me,” she muttered miserably.
When the doorbell rang, she sighed. It was probably Mrs. Rogers again. The older woman had been sweeping her walk Saturday morning when Alyssa had gotten out of the cab and, taking one look at Alyssa’s red-rimmed eyes, the woman had decided to lend moral support. She’d been over at least twice a day since, and today it appeared that she was going to make it three times.
Getting up from the couch, she walked over to open the door. “I’m fine, Mrs.—” She stopped abruptly. “You aren’t Mrs. Rogers.”
The red-haired, freckle-faced young man in a white courier’s uniform grinned and shook his head. “Afraid not.” He glanced at the clipboard in his hand. “Are you Ms. Alyssa Jane Merrick?”
“Yes.”
“I have an express for you,” he said, handing her an envelope marked Urgent. “Could you please sign on line twenty-four?”
Signing where the young man indicated, she started to thank him, but he was already halfway back to his delivery truck. When he squealed the tires as he pulled away from the curb, she decided that he took the company’s claim of being the speediest delivery service in the world a little too seriously.