Other than tonight, Bastion had never let her down before. If he said he was going to do something you could damn well believe he'd do it. Since he routinely ignored or circumvented pesky things like laws she was better off not knowing the details. "Fine. You deal with it," Callie readily agreed and really didn't care how he handled the situation. "Who is she?"
"Who?"
"The woman you're so hot for that you left my ass swinging in the breeze to bid on," she snarked with her usual sass.
Even though he knew everything there was to know about her life, the man who was the closest thing that she had to family remained somewhat of a mystery. He never discussed his past for any reason, with anyone, herself included. He was very private about his personal life and she respected that enough not to pry. So it was no wonder that he shocked Callie into complete silence by admitting, "My wife."
She hadn't even known he had a wife!
CHAPTER TWO
Ford
Having awakened from another of those damnable erotic dreams, Ford lay there panting until his heartbeat regulated. He was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his chest sticky with the evidence of the orgasm that had him shouting her name aloud. Callie. God, he couldn't wait to fuck her. To make each and every one of his damned dreams become a reality.
Anticipation filled him as he slid from the tangled sheets and strode into the bathroom to relieve his bladder while the shower heated up. Stepping inside the glass door, he stood in the center while the numerous showerheads pelted his body from every direction much as they had in his dream.
Shower sex with Callie was going to be fucking phenomenal. This morning's dream had her on her knees, just like he'd imagined the night before. She'd been so fucking beautiful with his cock in her mouth. Those stunning amethyst eyes staring up at him in complete adoration. Annnd just like that, he was as hard as granite again.
Fuck.
There was no fighting the irresistible pull she had on him so he fisted his cock and closed his eyes. Reliving the dream that was still so vivid in his mind, Ford could see her head bobbing up and down to the rhythm of his hand. Feel the damp strands of her short black hair as he'd plunged his fingers through it to guide her motions.
Short black hair?
What the fuck? Callie had long platinum blonde hair that faded into a deep purple at the ends, so why the hell would he fantasize about it being black? Sure, his preferred type had been dark hair in the past, but now that he'd seen her, he couldn't imagine anything sexier than her dual-colored hair.
Unless it was the lip rings. Fuuucck. He'd almost forgotten about them, though they were a new addition and not something he'd dreamed about before. This time she'd had tiny silver hoops wrapped around each side of her lower lip. The metal had felt warm and slick as his sensitive cock slid past them.
Concentrating on the mental image to see if he'd missed anything else, he noticed that she looked a hell of a lot younger. Way too fucking young like Bimini. Bimini! Of course. He'd read that dreams were just compilations of subliminal messages the brain had received throughout the day. His aversion to Bimini's youth must have transferred onto Callie in the damn dream.
Aww, fuck. Talk about a cockblocker. Thoughts of the younger woman had effectively killed his erection again. Ford released his flaccid cock and laughed softly at the realization that all he had to do was think of Bimini to get rid of an unwanted erection. The little minx would be madder than hell if she knew.
However, he didn't give a damn how she felt. Callie was the only woman he had room in his thoughts for. Starting with figuring out a way to change her unflattering and misconstrued perception of him. Not knowing exactly why she disliked him was a problem, but he was confident of finding a way around it.
Two hours later he was still pondering the issue.
Having decided that flowers ought to be a nice start, as soon as he got to the office, he'd ordered a special bouquet to be sent to her. Now he was on pins and needles waiting for her response, which was why he was staring into space and wondering how long it took to deliver flowers when his office door burst open.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Hammersmith," his secretary said anxiously as she followed behind the interloper. "He wouldn't wait to..." The rest of her apology was cut off by the door slamming in her face.
He'd been expecting some version of this visit ever since the hammer had dropped the night before. It was good to see that Baines was as predictable as he'd assumed the man would be. Too bad he'd made the effort for nothing. Ford wasn't backing down and he had no intention of going away as the bastard presumably wanted him to.
Baines stalked across the room and tossed a cashier's check on his desk before growling, "Consider this reimbursement for your bid. Stay the fuck away from Callie."
"I'd hate to see an article in the society section about a fashion designer who didn't honor a charitable pledge," he opined in a bored tone and picked up the check. Not that he'd actually carry out the threat, but the other man didn't know that. "Publicity like that would be bad for business."
"You're right," the man known as the Dark Lord agreed in a menacing tone. "I'd much rather see your name in the obituaries."
"Or yours in the crime section," he countered with a smug smile and tore in half the check written for ten times the amount that he had bid. "You can't buy me off or scare me away, Baines. I won a date with Callie and I intend to claim it."
"Are you so fucking desperate that you'll stoop to chasing a woman who hates you?" The other man bit out.
When it came to Callie, damn right he was. "She'll change her opinion of me after our date," he replied confidently.
"If you persist in this and hurt her, know this," Baines grated harshly. "I will find what you hold dear and destroy it."
The threat had sounded like a promise and it assured him that the other man was not bluffing. "It would appear that I already know what you hold dear," he replied evenly since it was obvious that the ruthless bastard cared a great deal for Callie. "But rest assured, I have no intention of hurting her."
"You just want to fuck her," he snarled viciously.
"Absolutely," he confirmed without hesitation since that was a priority. "But if it turns out that we're compatible in other areas, I'm open to having a relationship as well."
Ford had never seen anything as menacing as the other man's expression and truth be told, it was unnerving as hell when Baines placed both hands flat atop the desk and leaned forward. "Would you die for Callie, Hammersmith?" He ground out between gritted teeth. "If the answer is no, you're not the man she needs so stay the fuck away."
That said, Baines stormed out of the room leaving Ford to wonder if the man had meant that literally or figuratively. Considering who had posed the question, his merciless reputation, the tone of the conversation, and the comment about Ford's obituary, it was most likely a metaphorical death threat.
If not, the idea of giving his life for a woman he barely knew should have been preposterous, but it wasn't. It was her eyes. The vulnerability in those unforgettable amethyst eyes had reached inside and roused his protective instincts. Bizarre as it may seem, he knew that he wouldn't hesitate to place himself between Callie and danger even at the expense of his own life.