Despite the windows, the wood paneling lent gloom to the space. The chairs and sofa were all dark masculine leather. Law books covered every shelf. And a twelve-point buck head was mounted above the empty fireplace. The thing never failed to give him the creeps.
“What took you so long?” JJ asked from behind his imposing mahogany desk in a gray three-piece Brioni suit and silver tie, his hair slicked back. Was it too much to ask that he defy Caleb’s expectations by standing beside the minibar? Would it be wrong for the man to relax with a glass of the best scotch money could buy once in a while instead of reserving it for his clients?
His gaze drifted to his mother’s portrait, which hung on the far wall. Her dark curls fell over one shoulder. The light blue of her gown emphasized the paleness of her skin. An ache settled in his chest. His father had commissioned the painting right after they had gotten married. His mother had been three months pregnant with him at the time. The smile on her face killed Caleb.
But for the painting, the house didn’t have any other pictures of her. It was the only clear image in Caleb’s mind. With every year that passed, his memories grew fainter, like the eventual fading of a photograph exposed to sunlight. It shamed him that he couldn’t even remember the sound of her laugh anymore.
As if reading his mind, his father said, “Margaret was always such a vibrant woman. She had a smile that could light up a room. Every time she entered a space the air grew lighter.”
Caleb finally let his gaze take in the man who looked like an older version of himself. He prayed day and night that he wouldn’t turn out like the soulless bastard his father was. All he did was work, leaving room for nothing else. If losing someone he loved meant Caleb would have to endure this kind of pain, then he would rather not love at all.
“Father,” he said like a curse instead of an acknowledgment.
“I got a call from Richard not an hour ago,” JJ said, gaze narrowed.
Amber’s father. Shit. Of course daddy’s little girl would run straight to him.
“He said you broke his little girl’s heart.”
“She crossed a line,” Caleb said in a clipped tone. “We were just having fun. It was time to move on.”
“Margaret would be very disappointed to hear that, were she alive today,” came his father’s equally clipped reply.
Mention of his mother snapped Caleb’s tentative hold on his control. “Like she would be proud of you? That’s precious. What would she think if she saw you now?” The instant rage in his father’s gaze should have warned him off, but he kept on talking. “Don’t you remember what having fun is like?”
“It’s time you take responsibility for this ‘fun’ you’re talking about and clean up your act.”
Taken aback, Caleb blurted out, “What do you mean?”
“I’ve allowed you to run wild long enough. Your callous disregard for the feelings of others almost cost me an important client.” JJ leaned forward, placing both hands on the damn desk. “You can kiss your gap year good-bye. At the end of summer, you’re heading straight to Yale. No more fun and games.”
Of all the days for his parental instincts to kick in—when for years his father had been content to neglect him—why now? Dread washed away all of his anger like a cold shower. The tips of his fingers grew damp. “You agreed. You said if I got into Yale and two other universities I could defer admission. Nathan and I already have plans for Europe at the end of the summer.”
“Consider all your plans canceled.”
“All because I broke up with Amber?” He ran his fingers through his windswept hair, not completely understanding what was going on. Stifling the urge to pace, he locked his knees and stood his ground. “I’m not going to Yale.”
“You’re going to Yale. Or I’m cutting you off.”
Caleb sucked in a breath. Without his father’s money he had nothing. He thought fast. There had to be some way of salvaging the situation. Then he realized who he was talking to. High-powered lawyers were always up for a negotiation. So he said, “There’s nothing I can do about Amber, but you have to at least let me make it up to you. Let me earn the gap year back.”
JJ pushed away from his desk and moved to stand by one of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grounds. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, a pensive expression on his face. “You’re willing to do anything?”
“Yes,” he said without thinking of the possible consequences of his immediate agreement. Always read the contract before signing, was what his father used to say. At the moment, Caleb was ready to make a deal with the Devil himself for the return of his precious gap year.
Turning away from the window cast his father in shadow, giving the man a sinister appearance. “All right.”
“All right, what?” Caleb asked hesitantly. What exactly had he gotten into?
“For the return of your gap year . . .” JJ lifted a finger for his first condition. “You’re taking a summer internship at the firm—”
“But—”
“Do you want this gap year or not?” He interrupted Caleb’s interruption.