2. Callie

Kane was gorgeous.

I’d seen pictures of him, of course I had. I’d been researching him ever since Sawyer mentioned him. Those were photo-op pictures, though and they did not do him justice in the slightest.

He stood over me, his dark brows pulled together in concern. The cloud blue shirt gracing his shoulders really made the trickle of gold in his iris stand out, and his dark skin turned dark copper in the late afternoon sun. Black twists sat atop his head, and there was so much concern on his face that I was certain I must have knocked my head this time.

Died and gone to heaven, surely?

“I said,” Kane repeated, his words finally bleeding through my shock. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry I didn’t see you. You came around the corner so quickly that I didn’t have time to react.”

He was asking me if I was okay?

I blinked up at him, unsure of how to get my mouth to obey the thoughts rushing through my mind.

Kane stepped closer and crouched down, placing his hands on my arm and with a gentle tug, he guided me back up onto my feet.

“Again, I’m terribly sorry. Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“No,” I replied, finally finding my voice. His touch seared through the light fabric of my blouse and burned so hot it was as if he was touching my bare skin. “I’m not hurt. Just terribly, terribly clumsy today it would seem.”

“We all have those days,” Kane chuckled. His touch slid from my upper arm down to my elbow and even though he took a step backward, the contact remained. It was oddly grounding, considering we were strangers, and I quickly smoothed down my skirt as I steadied myself.

“I’m sorry. I should have looked where I was going, but I was in such a rush.”

“Somewhere to be?” The corners of Kane’s eyes crinkled when he smiled and only when I smiled back did he remove his hand from my elbow.

“Yes, actually,” I chuckled as warmth returned to my cheeks. Now that the shock was fading, embarrassment was rearing its ugly head. “You.”

“Me?”

Holding out one hand, I smiled brightly. “Kane Lewis, welcome to Crane Enterprises. I’m Callie Everheart, Mr. Crane’s assistant.”

Recognition bled lightly across Kane’s face and he nodded, then he gently took my outstretched hand and shook it.

“If this is how Sawyer introduces people, should I prepare for a Rugby tackle when we reach his office?” His brow lifted and his lips teased into a smirk.

“Perhaps,” I grinned. “Best get your pads in order, just in case.”

“Understood.”

“This way.” With a soft chuckle, I began to lead the way to Sawyer’s office but Kane stopped me immediately with a touch.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

I flashed him a warmer, more genuine smile and nodded. “Trust me, that’s not the first tumble I’ve had today.”

“Just what kind of work happens here,” Kane mused with a light laugh, talking mostly under his breath as he followed me through the office.

His presence at my back was oddly comforting, although I couldn’t decide if that was because he had been so gentle or if I was simply slotting back into my role and accepting the familiarity of it. Either way, the walk was short and after I waved him toward the waiting area, I hurried into Sawyer’s office with a short knock on the door.

“What?” Sawyer barked, not lifting his head from his desk.

“Mr. Lewis is here,” I announced.

Sawyer’s head snapped up, then his eyes narrowed slightly and I could have sworn I saw something akin to concern flash in his eyes.

“Why do you look so… frazzled?”

“Me?” I straightened up and self-consciously smoothed one hand down over my abdomen. “Well you see, I ran into Mr. Lewis in the hallway. Accidentally of course but he’s here early and I had already been a little thrown by what happened?—”

“Are you alright?”

I paused, and an uncertain sensation bloomed through my chest. That was the second time he had asked me that question, but this time was different. Getting a read on Sawyer was like balancing on a knife”s edge, but there was definitely a shadow of concern in his eyes.

“I’m okay,” I assured him, fighting a small smile. “I fell but you’ve already seen how bad my balance is today.”

Sawyer’s eyes dragged slowly down me and then he nodded.

“Anyway. Kane is here, sir.”

“Show him in.” Sawyer stood and his eyes locked onto Kane through the two-way glass that lined the wall between Sawyer’s office and the main floor.

I faltered slightly at being interrupted but it was common for my rambling to get away from me. With a nod, I retreated back to the waiting area.

“Mr. Crane is ready for you,” I smiled, gesturing toward the inside of the office.

Kane stood, and as he entered the office, a shadow fell across his face. The gentleman I’d crashed into was locked away under armor as he prepared to face the only other CEO in the country capable of giving him a run for his money.

If I remember correctly, I was sure they had another history beyond their companies, but my hectic day had removed all non-important details from my mind.

“Mr. Lewis.” Sawyer slunk around his desk like a wild cat, approaching Kane, who paused in the middle of the room.

“Mr. Crane.”

Such formalities sent a tingle down my spine and I pressed my lips together, watching Kane hold out his hand to shake. He was the first to make a move. That had to be a good thing, right? Or was it just another show of confidence?

The inner workings of silent men were a mystery to me.

There was a painfully long pause during which time slowed down, and even the birds visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping around the outside of the office seemed to hang in the air, waiting.

Finally, Sawyer accepted, and he gripped Kane’s hand firmly enough that paleness bled across his knuckles.

Two of the most powerful men in New York City were meeting and shaking hands like friends, not business rivals. That was a good start in my eyes. Loathe as I was to leave them, I was now confident that they wouldn’t try to kill each other so I took my leave.

I hurried toward the break room where most of their snacks had been set up earlier during my own morning break. Being away from that office, and both of those men, had me breathing like I’d been smothered up until that moment.

They were both sexy and a selfish part of me hoped that the deal would go through so that I would get to see Kane again. If they chose to work together, then the fact that they were easy on the eyes was a bonus for me especially if I was mostly invisible.

And yet Kane’s touch lingered like a soft brand against my elbow, and even Sawyer’s hint of concern played in my mind. Was I tricking myself? Was I seeking things that weren’t there?

Maybe my mind was simply looking for something that would justify the crippling embarrassment of falling – literally – for both of them. A tremble shot through my body followed by a rush of goosebumps as I poured Sawyer’s coffee.

“Calm down,” I scolded myself when it took three attempts to strain the green tea. The draining adrenaline from two run-ins with the floor and Kane’s touch on my arm made my fingers tremble. It was taking all my strength not to burn myself with the hot liquid.

All I had to do was take them refreshments; then I could return to my desk and ride out the rest of my shirt hassle-free.

Easy.

Setting the cups on the tray, I filled one small plate with ginger nuts and headed back to the office. When I entered, the air was still thick with tension but Kane and Sawyer had moved to sit on the sofas near the windows overlooking the city. Sawyer sat on the left with his arm over the back and one ankle crossed over his knee, a position of power while still appearing open. Kane sat across from him, his legs spread wide and one arm draped on the armrest.

“Tea!” I declared, wincing when my voice pitched higher than I intended. Setting down the tray, I handed Sawyer his mug of coffee, then offered Kane his tea as well as the plate of biscuits.

“Ginger nuts?” Kane’s brow lifted.

“I read they were your favorite,” I explained. That didn’t make me sound like a stalker, did it?

“You’ve been reading up on me?” He flicked those warm brown eyes at me, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Research,” I replied, straightening up.

“Is that a requirement?” There was a slight teasing lilt to his voice that I was certain wasn’t my imagination.

I think.

“I have to be aware of who you are and what you do, especially if you’re going to be working with my boss. Plus, I wanted to know as much as possible about what your company does.”

“Golden Dove?” Kane leaned back with his tea in hand. “That depends. How do you feel about affordable healthcare?”

Such a question felt alien when the answer was so obvious but given the way the world was run, not everyone was so lucky.

“I think it’s important,” I replied. “My mother is actually… unwell and the cost of getting her the care she needs is eye-watering on a good day. The bad days are when I consider selling my kidney.”

Kane snorted softly, amused. “Maybe you should ask for a raise.”

I glanced back at Sawyer who was watching me intently. “What do you say, boss?” I grinned.

Sawyer didn’t say a word and my heart skipped another nervous beat.

“Anyway.” I turned back to Kane, preparing to excuse myself. “The costs take you by surprise. I think that’s the biggest issue. The biggest scare too, because no one prepares you. You want to do everything you can for the people you love but when you’re hindered by bills you can’t pay and medication you can’t afford?—”

I caught myself before I rambled on too much about my feelings, then clasped my hands together.

“Please, enjoy.”

“You should stay.” Kane drinks deeply, eyeing me over the top of his cup.

“Excuse me?” Sawyer finally pipes up from behind and I turn so I can see the both of them. The air thickened around me and it suddenly felt like I was right in the middle of an invisible battle.

“Surely you don’t mind,” Kane said smoothly. “It would be a great help, for me at least, to have someone impartial to the business side of things. After all, who could provide better insight than someone in our target market?”