A Business Prize?

"You are officially insane."

"I am." Caleb sighs happily. A stupid grin on his lips, hands spread out on his office couch,head laid back, feet up on the coffee table. A position he hasn't used in a long time. All is right in his world. "Talk about getting a taste of heaven!"

It was just supposed to be breakfast. He had resolved to that. But that was before he walked back into the cabin's bedroom and found an angel ready to be ravished. He had tried to keep his hands to himself, he really did. But all those sparks, the sexy sights, the need, the clear desire in her eyes… it was as if nature was tormenting, teasing, tempting and daring him, all at the same time. Not even her unwelcome change in topic could distract him from his intense need that assaulted his senses. He didn't know when he let his control slip. His hands developed a mind of their own as they exposed, explored, touched, setting him on fire that only intensified with her unwillingness to stop his adventure. He has never seen a more beautiful sight.

"I take it your time out was satisfactory." Darren takes a seat opposite him, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Almost satisfactory." The satisfied look in Layla's eyes pops up, making Caleb's grin grow wider. Oh, the chance to satiate his woman.

He would have loved to stay longer than a day, would have loved to bury himself deep the entire time, but that is not his style. Especially not with her. As enchanting as his set up in front of the lake was, it's not what Layla deserves.

She will be his soon. Body, mind and soul. Once he takes care of the mess surrounding her. Call him selfish, but being her distraction from the things she wants to escape was not enough for him. So he kept everything basic, but hot enough for a body shattering experience for her. Saving the best for when he will be the sole object of not only her desires, but her entire soul.

"Are you even listening?"

"Nope." Caleb allows himself to drown in the memory of Layla's tight grip on his arm muscles as she held onto him for support, that possessive kiss that was a result of his hand's sexy adventure on her perfect body.

"The Men in Business party." He finally says, hesitantly choosing to let go of his fantasies.

"What about it?"

"It's time Layla got introduced to her future world properly."

"Woah! Are you sure? You know I'm all for you being back and all, but throwing her out ther–"

"I want everyone to know that she's mine. I want everyone to know that I'm in love with her." So not his style, but apart from rubbing Simon's loss in the bastard's face, Caleb really does feel like shouting it on top of the world that this beautiful girl is his.

"We both know it's not everyone you care about knowing." Darren scoffs. "And just so I'm getting this clearly, are we talking about yours as in body, mind and soul kind of yours?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Caleb loses his unusual posture and faces Darren, a smirk on his face. "My love life may be the reason we are here, but you are not that privileged."

Darren scoffs. "Then what exactly are we allowed to talk about sir? Your foolish idea of revealing your hand before the other player does?"

"Damn right. This time I want him to see me coming, I want all of them to see me coming." It's cocky of him but Caleb intends to have his sweet revenge right in the open and it will begin with him flaunting Simon's ex fiancée right before their world while she looks like the sexy goddess she is. He wants Simon to regret ever tucking her away while he went about cheating on her.

"I want him to watch as everything he owns falls apart right in front of him and the world." Caleb grins at the bold headlines on his favorite business show.

"Young Towers sets their sights on probably one of the most future brilliant minds of the business world."

Next to it, is a perfect picture of Layla in her graduation gown, receiving the biggest student achievement award. Her bright and beautiful smile reminding him of the treasure that the E.R had so selflessly granted him the day of her accident.

"I wonder why he never nurtured her."

"Probably knew Jones Industries was the better end of the deal once he realized who she was. And what better way to keep her from finding out who she was than never letting her reach her full potential by making her his trophy wife. Never really letting her be anything, providing her with everything she needs and wants all the while making millions off of her heritage." Caleb clenches his fists, hating the picture he just painted.

"Don't be him in that regard." Darren gives him one of those don't go messing anything up looks.

"That's your job. I have a feeling anything I have to offer will be frowned upon." Layla still refused to have him influence any part of the decision for her to get this job. If only that were possible.

A soft knock on the door pauses their conversation.

"That's probably her." Caleb straightens up, feeling a bit nervous all of the sudden. He hopes this is one more surprise she'll be happy about.

"Well, here goes nothing." Darren decides to play doorman and heads to the door to let the person in.

Just one foot into his office and Caleb swears the light flooding his office just became brighter. She's the perfect definition of an angel or business executive in her black business suit that he must say was definitely made for her. However, her face is anything but that of a business executive with all the confusion that just flooded her face, taking her breathtaking smile along with it.

"W…What are the two of you doing here? Wait, is that me?"

"Oh crap!" Caleb totally forgot about that and now it's too late to switch the damn thing off. He watches with dread as Layla tunes into the business news with a curiosity he doesn't like.

"Why is my face on the most famous business show ever?"

"That would be my doing." Taking Caleb's fall is Darren's specialty but they both know that won't cut it. Not today, and not with her. This will have manipulation written all over it in her head. Not what Caleb was aiming for.

"Darren?"

"As your future employer, I'm pleased to meet you." Turning into his usual business executive self, Darren extends his hand for a professional handshake.

"Wait, you are the company's president? I was told that I was meeting him here."

"Was the company's president, actually. This is the guy you are looking for."

At that Caleb grins, making sure to hide the uncertainty now surrounding his big reveal. "I should have just told her over a normal conversation like normal people do."

"You?" More confusion flashes on Layla's face, making him wonder how she hasn't figured it out by now.

"Yes, me." Caleb tries to sound as casual as he can in the face of his impending disaster.

"I'm sorry, but we couldn't keep the news from getting out." Darren finally presses a button to summon the dark screen on the T.V.

"Somehow I'm having a hard time believing that." Layla turns and her retreating back is all Caleb needs to know that his plan to lightly introduce himself just went to hell.

"Wait! Layla! Damn it!" Caleb catches her just outside his office. "Please. Talk to me, I can explain." She doesn't take another step and he takes that as a good sign.

"Tell me, in what world did you think this would be okay?"

Hate, pain, betrayal and a million other emotions flash in her furious eyes, sending him into panic mode. He's losing her, and fast.

"Layla…"

"Don't touch me!" She takes that dreaded step away from him, leaving him cursing himself. "It's about him right? You won and now you want to rub it in his face, is that it?"

"Damn! She's right." But he's not admitting to that because that's not all there is to it.

"Is that all I am to you? A business prize?"

Caleb goes pale at her question. He didn't see this making such a horrible turn and he has no idea what to say next.

"Damn right you are!"

Caleb whips his head to the side. This will probably be the one time that he is glad to have Janice barge in on his conversation.

"Janice?" More surprise paints Layla's face. At least it's not fury.

"Corporate affairs."

Caleb's eyes widen. "Are you insane?" He mouths to his best friend. More lies is not what he needs right now.

"Coffee?"

"What?!" Both he and Layla shoot Janice confused looks.

"I'm dying for a cup of coffee and seeing that this interview is about to be delayed, I could do with one. Come." She grabs on to Layla and before Caleb knows it, he is left all alone.

"Insane plans need insane solutions." Darren appears by his side, bringing Caleb out of the shock of how this turned out.

"Thanks for calling for backup."

"You should probably be ready to spill the beans. That backup will only do so much."