Tit for Tat Baby (15 page)

“You are my fiancé, Shell.  I
should not have acted …”

“Call, you know as well as I that our
engagement is different than most people.  You did not even ask me if I
would marry you.  We decided together it would suit both of us to be
engaged.  We never once spoke about marriage or anything more for that
matter.”

“Nevertheless …”

“Callum, we have been engaged for six
months, yet you still have not taken me to bed.”

“Shelly, I made a commitment to you
and I intend to honor it.”

“Yes you will, because I need you to
play the role we committed to.”

“I never intended for it to be role
play, Shelly.  You know that.”

“Callum, we both had only the best
intention when we decided to become engaged.  We have been friends for
nearly twelve years and quite frankly, my darling, having sex has not been a
priority for either of us.  Do you really want a sexless marriage with a
lover on the side? We might have to rethink the direction we intend our future
to take. We’re too much like brother and sister, you can’t deny that.”

“No, I can’t.”

They smiled at each other and Shelly
leaned back against the couch.

“So, she is the one.”

“What are you talking about?”

She laughed, a deep tingling laugh
full of mirth.

“Ahh, Callum, my darling.  I have
never seen you so passionate, so angry at a woman in all the years I have known
you.  If you haven’t figured it our yet, you better do so quick, else you
will lose her!”

She rose and stroked his chin.

“I came here to talk you into joining
me in Washington for two or three weeks.  I am pitching as the new partner
in a modeling school for underdeveloped kids.  It is important to
introduce my future husband, a family in my future.  The prerequisite is
someone committed to family.  They are keen on community service and you
know it has always been important to me.   I have to get the
contract, Call.  I am of the age where my modeling days are
dwindling.   This will be my opportunity to step away now and open new
doors for me.  I am tired of this life, Call!  I want it to stop!”

‘I owe you that much, Shell. 
Thank you.”

“No, my darling.  Thank
you!” 

She went on her toes and kissed him on
his lips.  She took his hand and drew him with her.

“You can’t hide in here the whole
day.  We are having lunch under the trees.  Even Jenna is there!”

Caitlin sat on Jenna’s lap when she
looked up and saw them walking closer.  They were holding hands and Callum
smiled down at Shelly. Connor growled when he noticed them too and once again
came to stand by Jenna’s side, with his arm around her shoulder.

She got a lump in her throat at the
gesture.  It was as if he knew she needed protection and little as he was,
offered it freely. Jenna avoided Callum’s eyes and politely returned Shelly’s
greeting. They took their seats and Connor said grace.  He sat down next
to Jenna and Caitlin took the chair on the other side.

Jenna watched the engaged couple
surreptitiously throughout lunch.  She wondered why Shelly was not more
upset about Callum’s reaction to her returning home in the early morning. 
The more she watched them, the more she wondered.  They smiled at one
another, but hardly touched each other, let alone kiss or hug.

They acted much the same as Kevin and she
did.  Jenna would bet her Master degree that they have never even slept
together.  She started to relax and watched them openly and with
interest.  It seemed to annoy Callum to no end, so she added a flirty
smile every time she caught his eye.

The twins demanded they all go
swimming after lunch.  Shelly immediately declined and reclined on one of
the deck chairs.  Callum had no other choice but to join her there to the
annoyance of the twins.  Jenna could not say no to the two pairs of pleading
eyes and went to change.  She stood with a one piece swimsuit and a purple
bikini with chains on the sides of her legs and between her breasts holding the
triangles together.  She decided on that one.  Why should she make
life any easier for Callum?  She tied a flimsy purple sash around her hips
and slipped flops on her feet.  She tied her hair in a ponytail and ran
down the stairs.

Callum’s attention was on the twins in
the pool and paid no attention to Megan and Shelly’s conversation.  When
they suddenly stopped talking and gaped to the door, he swung his head that way
and he cursed.  His shaft sprang to immediate attention and his hands
fisted on his thighs.  Those damn triangles were not a swimsuit!

Megan watched Callum’s reaction and
smiled.  No one would ever convince her that Callum had any intimate
feelings or desires for his beautiful fiancé.  Jenna walked past them with
a slight, but seductive sway to her hips.  Good for you, Jenna!  The
thought flashed through Megan’s mind when Callum’s eyes followed her down the
steps and then closed them.  His lips flattened when he uttered a soft
curse.

Jenna’s phone was on the table and she
ran back up the steps when it started to ring.  She picked it up and
smiled when she looked at the screen.  She swiped to answer and turned
away.

“Jason, what a surprise.  I would
not have thought any of you would be up as yet.”

Callum got up and followed her down
the steps to the side of the pool. He stood behind her glaring at her talking
on the phone.  His body was rigid with his fists on his hips.  Megan
looked at Shelly and their eyes met.  Her lips twisted and she smiled at
Megan.

“Megan, you know your brother better
than he knows himself.  I saw the look in your eyes when he told you we’re
engaged.  You did not believe him and you were right.  We decided
since neither of us had anyone special in our lives, why not get engaged. 
It kept unwanted advances at bay for both of us.”

“So, you never intended to marry?”

“Well …”

“I don’t believe it.  You are
going to get married, even though you don’t love each other?”

“I do love Callum.”

“As a brother, yes!”

“I am sorry, Megan.  We spoke
about it this morning.  We agreed that nothing has changed.”

“Unbelievable!  And you’re fine
that he can’t seem to stay away from Jenna?”

“As long as he does not act like this
in public, I am fine with it.  Megan … don’t worry, everything will work
out fine.”

“Yeah?  For who exactly?”

Jenna’s
tingling laughter caught their attention.  She ended the call and turned
around, still with a smile on her lips and walked smack into the same wall as
the night before.  Only this time he gripped her arms and kept her pressed
against him.  She drew a deep breath when his hard, fully aroused shaft
dug into her stomach.  His eyes shot daggers at her.

“Does toy boy lover miss you already?”

“As I said last night, honeybun, it is
none of your business.”

“I am warning you, Jenna do not push
me!”

“Or what?  Are you going to spank
me?”

“Maybe that is exactly what you need!”

“You are such a bloody
hypocrite!  Why don’t you go and hold your … fiancé’s hand!  I am
sure she must be livid with you holding me so close!”

“Leave Shelly out of this!  You
owe me an answer!”

“Leave her out … I don’t believe this!
Just you …!”

She slapped his arms away, ripped the
sash from her hips and dived into the pool.  The twins yelled happily and
immediately swam to her.  Fifteen minutes later she was out of breath and
begged for mercy.  She got out of the pool and stretched out on a deck
chair to dry off.  Not soon after Megan gathered the troops and they left.

Jenna ran to her room the moment she
said goodbye and took a leisurely bath.  She dressed in a black mini dress
with black high heeled Jimmy Cho shoes.  She brushed her hair until it
shone.  She looked sensual and mischievous with her smoky and charcoal
colored made up eyes and strawberry lipstick on her lips.  She slung her
handbag over her shoulder and walked down the stairs, checking if she
remembered to take her cell phone.  Satisfied that she had everything, she
closed her bag and walked to the garage.

She heard voices in the den, one being
Callum’s deep, raspy voice.  Ronan heard her footsteps and peeped out of a
door.

“Wh’re yer off te, Lassie?”

“I am meeting a friend for dinner,
Ronan.  I should not be too late.”

“Have yer told the Laddie?”

She glared at him. “I don’t have to
tell him anything.  See you later, Ronan.” 

Knowing full well he would be in the
den before she even started the car. She quickened her steps and got into the
Evoque and pulled out of the garage with a sigh of relief, which turned into a
groan.  Callum stepped in front of the car and she was forced to
stop.  He glared at her through the windscreen and held her gaze walking
to her door.  She sighed and pressed the button and the window whizzed
down.  He stood straight with his hands in his pants.

Jenna refused to look up at him.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

The silence that followed that
response was so thick it could be cut with a knife.  He leaned into the
window and nearly pressed his face into hers.

“Where are you going?”

“To dinner.”

His jaw turned rigid and his eyes
burned hers to a cinder.  A muscle jerked in his jaw and Jenna stared at
it, rather than his burning green eyes.  She felt his eyes move down her body
and back up, his breathing increased.

“If I find you with that bloody toy
boy again tonight, Jenna, I swear I will rip him apart! You might have spread
your thighs for him in your drunken stupor, but your will not do so again!”

Jenna gasped, then anger burst open
inside her and she punched him hard on his chest.  Her voice was brittle,
but ripped through his gut like a heated spear.

“Who says I was drunk when I spread my
thighs for him, honeybuns!  Now get out of my way.  I am late for my
date!”

She slammed her foot on the gas pedal
and pulled away, forcing Callum to jump out of the way, least he lost his head
in the process.

She drove to Midtown Business center
where she was meeting Jason and his cousins for dinner at the SQ Bar and
Grill.  The least she could do was to thank him for keeping her out of
trouble last night and taking her safely home.

He was already there with a tall blond
thirty something man and a blond woman that shrieked when she recognized Jenna.

“Jen!  What a surprise! 
Meeting you here of all places!  It’s been ages!”

Jason looked from the one to the
other.

“You know each other?”

“Yes, Cuz.  We were besties at
Varsity.  Jenna over here was of course the clever one. We all scraped
through, but she was at the top every year!  We’ve lost contact when I
moved here.  Do you remember my brother, Douglas?”

“Vaguely.  Especially that he had
no time for giggly Varsity girls!”

Douglas shook her hand and held it a
tad longer than necessary. He smiled at her.

“But I do remember you, Jenna. 
You are even more beautiful than you were then.”

Jenna relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed
catching up with her old Varsity friend.  She was slightly uncomfortable
with Douglas that kept looking at her, but flattered at the same time.  If
not for … on the other hand, why not?  Callum was engaged and there was no
future for her with him.  What better way than to find someone else to
start dating and making her forget about him?

Callum, of course had no intention of
making things that easy for her.  She felt his presence before she even
saw him and she cursed.  His eyes bore into hers and her mouth tightened
when she noticed the hand with the glittering diamond ring on his arm.

He walked directly to their table and incinerated
poor Jason with a laser beam stare before he turned to Douglas.  He rose
and smiled at Callum.

“Mr. McGregor, good evening, Sir.”

“Newman.  Mind if we join you?”

Jenna gaped at him, but he ignored
her.  Douglas could not arrange for extra chairs fast enough.  Jenna
simmered with rage.  Douglas turned to them and quickly explained.

“I hope you guys don’t mind? 
This is Callum McGregor, my Boss and his fiancé, Shelly Watts. This is my
sister, Lee and my cousin, Jason.  Jenna is a friend of ours.”

Callum nodded and looked at
Jenna.  She blatantly ignored him. 

“What a coincidence.  Miss Burkes
is currently on an assignment restoring the art at my home.”

“Really?”  Jenna, why did you not
tell me?  How long have you been here then?”

“Nearly three months.”

“I wished I’d known.  We could
have met up long ago!  What have you been doing to keep you busy?”