The Teacher's Billionaire (17 page)

“I'll do that,” he replied before they both fell silent content to enjoy their surroundings and each others company.

Dylan had no idea how long they sat there before the ringing of his cell phone broke the peaceful silence around them. Surprised he even had service out there, he yanked the phone from his jeans pocket.

Marty Phillips. The man's name appeared on the screen.
Bloody hell.
Now what does he want?
After telling Callie he'd be right back he walked a few yards away before pressing the talk button.

“What?” Dylan snapped not caring if the campaign adviser heard his annoyance or not.

Perhaps detecting Dylan's feelings, Marty didn't bother with any small talk either. “Have you spoken to Miss Taylor about skipping the fundraiser next weekend?”

The man sure knows how to ruin a nice afternoon
. “I told you Phillips, I'm not going to do that. Warren wants her there, and she wants to go. End of story.” Dylan didn't mention the role he'd already played in convincing her to go in the first place.

“Someone might pick up on the family resemblance.”

The tone of the man's voice never changed, but Dylan knew he was ticked. He'd spent enough time around Marty to notice the clipped edges to his words. “No one will notice, Marty.”

Most of the people at these types of events were so self-absorbed they wouldn't notice if a whole legion of women walked in resembling Warren.

Callie wanted time to stop. Not forever but for a little while. The weekend was quickly slipping away, and she wasn't ready for Dylan to return to the city.

With a small sigh she watched him from where she sat. Who was he talking to anyway? She couldn't hear him. Yet his mannerisms suggested he was having a disagreement with someone. If she asked he would probably tell her. So far he'd been nothing but completely open and honest with her. Even during his second visit to her apartment when she'd questioned why her father hadn't come to see her himself, he'd been honest.

She loved that he was always so honest with her. It was the complete opposite of what she'd experienced in her last relationship.

Callie didn't remember the last time she'd thought of Michael Adams, but sitting here watching Dylan she couldn't help but compare the two. She'd meet the corporate lawyer through a mutual friend. For the first few months, he'd been the perfect boyfriend even though they had few things in common. Sometime around their third or fourth month together things started to change. He became secretive and abusive. Not physically abusive but emotionally abusive. Despite being told the obvious by her mother and close friends, Callie had denied there were any problems. It had taken her a year and half to see the real Michael. That had been two years ago.

Michael and Dylan were like night and day. Dylan sometimes teased her but always in a good natured fashion. And never once was he anything but a gentleman; pulling out chairs and opening doors.

Men like Dylan didn't come along often. She suspected he might have ruined her for anyone else. No other man would ever be able to compete with him in her eyes.

Enjoy being with him while it lasts.
That was basically the same thing Lauren had told her earlier that week. Minus the while it lasts part. Lauren seemed to think wedding bells were a possibility. She always had believed in fairy tale endings. Callie was to practical to believe her and Dylan would ever reach the altar. Still she planned on enjoying her time with Dylan while she could. Who knew how much longer she would have with him. For all she knew after the fundraiser in New York, she may never spend time like this with him again. He was to polite to back out of his offer to have her stay with him in the city, so she had at least one more weekend with him, but who knew after that. He had been unusually quiet at breakfast that morning. Maybe he'd been reconsidering their relationship or even regretting their involvement? Perhaps he'd been trying to decide when and how to end it.

Always the pessimist. Maybe he really had been tired.

Dylan sat down next to her again. “Sorry about that. I don't believe I even got cell service out here.”

Callie handed him one of the granola bars from her package. “Everything okay? You looked agitated over there.”

Instead of answering right away, Dylan bit into his bar. “Issues with an acquisition I've been dealing with. I told them I'd handle it tomorrow.” He finally answered after chewing and swallowing his food.

Chapter 11

Callie shifted in her seat in an to get comfortable. But it didn't help no matter what position she moved to. What she really needed was to get off the train and relax.

Maybe she should have taken a personal day, and caught an earlier train. She had considered it. In the end though she dismissed the idea, and opted to work her normal hours before heading to the Amtrak Station. After all it was her first day back at the summer camp she worked at over summer break.

It's almost over. The next stop is Penn Station.
A strange mixture of excitement and apprehension churned in her stomach making her very happy she hadn't eaten anything since lunch.

Another whole weekend with Dylan. Just the thought made her almost giddy. But she also had the fundraiser to deal with. For the up tenth time she wondered if she'd made the right decision regarding both Dylan and her father.

Should she be going to this event? Should she really be trying to fit into this alien world of theirs? In many ways she felt like the proverbial square peg trying to be shoved into a round hole. No matter how much one tried, it just wasn't going to work. What if that was the case here? Maybe it would be better if she didn't waste the time and the anxiety.

Then there was Dylan. She'd gone back and forth all week regarding her decision to stay with him this weekend. Twice she almost told him she changed her mind about getting a hotel room for herself. The weekend before was magnificent. Regardless she kept wondering if she should end things with him this weekend before she got in any deeper. It might be easier to cut ties with him now rather then later.

The train rolled to a stop. “Penn Station,” a voice boomed over the PA system.

Too late to go back now. You're here.
Gathering up her overnight bag and borrowed gown, Callie followed the rest of the passengers down the aisle towards an exit and some much needed space.

The minute her feet touched the platform, she spotted Dylan walking towards her. Momentarily she stopped breathing at the sight.

Lauren's right he is an English god.
And at least for now this god dressed in a charcoal gray suit was hers.

Don't get to used to it.
The thought brought a frown to her face.
Get your act together. You should be happy. Smile.

Dylan's own smile wavered slightly as he reached for her. After giving her a quick kiss he asked, “What's wrong?” He sounded concerned. “You look as if you just lost your best friend.”

Letting him take her bag, she forced her lips to form a smile. “Just a little tired.” Callie really wasn't lying she was tired. She'd barely gotten any sleep the night before thinking about her trip this weekend and then had been up at five thirty to make it to work on time.

“Why don't we skip going out for dinner and head straight to my place.” Taking her hand in his, he lead her towards the exit. “We can have something delivered. Whatever you feel like eating. You name it, we can find it in the city.”

She'd only been to New York City once. It'd been a school trip her freshman year of high school. The class arrived late in the morning and spent the whole day visiting museums and shopping. The city was so congested and alive that day. She had wondered if it was always like that even late at night. Judging by the amount of traffic around them and people still on the sidewalks it was. Obviously the city never slept.

Callie breathed a tiny sigh of relief when Dylan pulled his Aston Martin into the underground parking lot of his building. Personally she hated driving in the city, and did it as little as possible. People seemed so much more aggressive there. Yet it hadn't fazed Dylan in the least.

“I couldn't drive in that everyday,” she admitted when he opened the car door for her and helped her out.

Dylan slipped an arm over her shoulders. “You get used to it. But I don't do it everyday. Often I have a car pick me up.”

He had access to a car that could take him to and from anywhere he wanted and he still paid to own a car in the city. Man did that seem like a waste. “If it was me, I'd have it pick me up everyday. I wouldn't even bother having a car.” She followed him into the elevator.

Dylan shrugged. “I like to drive. It's my alone time. That's why I drove to see you last weekend instead of flying.”

A few seconds later the elevator doors opened in a foyer that looked like it came straight from a movie. Several framed canvases hung on the walls and a large crystal vase filled with fresh flowers was positioned on either side of the ornate door. Dylan opened the door and allowed her to walk in first. The marble tile from the foyer flowed into the penthouse apartment before ending at two hardwood stairs that lead to an open living room filled with black leather furniture and glass tables. To her it looked as if the room had been decorated straight from some interior decorating magazine.

Callie couldn't imagine living here. Everything was cold and sterile. The was nothing to indicate who lived there. No personal touches. No pictures of family. Yet she didn't tell Dylan that as he gave her a quick tour. This was his home. She assumed he liked it the way it was. Why else would he decorate it this way?

“Finally, this is my office. I probably spend more time in here then in any other room.” Dylan pushed another door open.

She was speechless for a moment. This room looked so unlike the rest of the apartment.

“I love it,” she told him stepping inside. “It's beautiful.” Now this room told her something about the person who lived here.

Dylan gave her a 100 watt smile. “This is the only room I helped decorate.” She could hear the pride in his voice.

Callie wandered over towards the floor to ceiling bookcases. They were filled with everything from the classics to books on science and finance. “It's an English library.”

Crossing his arms he leaned against his massive desk. “I had my grandfather's office at his country
estate in mind when I did this room.”

She knew his maternal grandfather was an Earl and his father was a Viscount. She guessed the men she saw in the pictures with him were his father and grandfather. There was a definite family resemblance.

After looking at the pictures on the self, Callie walked to look at some on a side table. “We really do look like sisters.” She picked up the picture in the middle. It was an informal shot of Dylan with Warren, Elizabeth and their children.

“Our eye and hair color are completely different but we have the same shape face and nose.” A wave of sadness washed over her. She'd always wanted a sister. Now she had one, and the woman couldn't stand the sight of her.

Carefully she placed the picture back. “Why does she hate me?” Although she'd wanted to ask him before, she'd intentionally avoided the topic. Tonight her curiosity won out though.

Dylan walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “She doesn't hate you.”

“Yeah right. Did you already forget about my run in with Sara?”

He forced her to turn around. “Sara has been burned by people in the past, so she has some trust issues. She'll come around.” After dropping a quick kiss on her frowning lips he continued, “Now, no more talk about Sara. I can think of many other more enjoyable things we can be doing.”

Moving slightly he placed a trail of kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Joy bubbled up inside her and all thoughts of Sara Sherbrooke left her. “I thought you were hungry,” she asked sounding slightly breathless.

Dylan stopped kissing her long enough to yank her shirt over her head and toss it on the floor. “I am. For you.” He pulled the elastic out of her hair causing her hair to cascade down her back. “I've missed you.” He didn't give her a chance to respond. Once again his lips settled over hers sending her every coherent thought into outer space. As his lips slanted over hers again and again, Callie melted against him and held on tight for the ride. Her entire body pulsed with desire, with expectation. Finally when she thought she could know longer take it, Dylan picked Callie up cradling her lovingly against his chest and carried her back to his bedroom.

He had no desire to move and disturb the sleeping woman in his arms, but if he didn't get up soon and get them something to eat, his growling stomach would wake her anyway. Carefully Dylan untangled himself and pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt.

After ordering from his favorite Thai restaurant he selected a wine from the rack. Opening the bottle he poured himself a glass and gazed down at the street below. Since the food wouldn't be there for another thirty minutes or so he figured he would let Callie sleep. When she'd gotten off the train she looked exhausted.