If It Drives (Market Garden, #7)(59)

At the hotel, James got out, and the two men exchanged the usual handshakes and formalities, though with considerably less coordination and enunciation. Patrick staggered into the lobby, and James slid back into the car without even looking at Cal.

The privacy screen stayed up on the drive home. Cal assumed they were headed home. It was very late, and James hadn’t told him to go anywhere else, so that was where he went.

In front of the house, he left the car idling and stepped outside. The property was quiet compared to the rest of the city, even at this time of night, and the crunch of Cal’s dress shoes on gravel seemed to echo off the front of the big, empty house.

The place seemed extra dark, too, but that was because he’d put on his sunglasses just before he’d got out.

He pulled open the passenger door and stood aside. James stepped out, wobbling a little, and as soon as he was upright, faced Cal. He eyed him, probably wondering why on earth Cal had on shades this time of night.

“Anything else, sir?” Cal asked.

“Um.” James glanced at the house. “I wondered if you’d come in. For a cup of coffee.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir.”

“Why not?” James was drunk enough to really ask him that.

“Because.” Cal took his sunglasses off and stared James right in the eye. “You’re drunk and that means you’re in no state to give consent for me to f*ck you. I can of course take you to Market Garden to get a pro.”

James frowned. “Just coffee, Cal. I didn’t . . .”

“You’ve just come out of a strip club and you want to drink coffee?” Cal scoffed. “I. Don’t. Think. So.” More like an itch that needed scratching, but he was done offering that kind of all-inclusive service.

“That wasn’t what I intended.”

“Then I apologise, sir. It’s been a long day.” Cal couldn’t bring himself to meet James’s eyes. “Is that all, or do you require anything else, sir?”

“You are going to leave, aren’t you?” James said it quietly.

“Once the replacement has been trained, yes.”

James looked at him, but Cal kept his gaze at a point just past James’s temple and slightly behind him. “Anything else, sir?”

James shook his head and turned, somewhat unsteady on his feet, and damn him, but Cal wanted to make sure he didn’t break his stupid neck on the way to bed. He couldn’t help that impulse. He still cared about the man.

But he forced himself to not move a muscle until James had opened the door and gone inside.

Then he parked the car and went to the cottage, where he stripped out of his clothes, had the quickest possible shower, and fell right into bed. At least he’d managed to sleep better than he had recently, now that the decision was made.

The next morning, even with just four and a half hours of sleep, he felt much better. He was waiting outside the door at the usual time. It didn’t give him any grim satisfaction to see James squint against the light when he finally emerged.

James stopped beside the car, and Cal bit back a groan.

Just get in the f*cking car already.

“We’ve got a little time before my meeting. I’d like to talk.”

“About?”

“About the other night.”

Cal stiffened. “We should get to your meeting, sir.”

James flinched at the last word. “Afterwards, then? I know it’s not an easy thing to discuss, but I think we should.”

Cal took off his sunglasses and met James’s eyes like he had last night in this exact same place. “You made it clear what you want and what you don’t want the other night. I can respect that, but I’m not going to subject myself to it time and again, knowing I’m just a substitute for the guys you pay to . . .” To leave when you’re through with them. “The guys at Market Garden give you what you need. You give them what they need. All I want is to be left out of it so I can get what I need.”

James’s lips parted.

“Traffic is heavy this morning,” Cal said through gritted teeth. “We should go.”

For a moment, he thought James would push the issue, but he just stood there, looking bewildered and perhaps struggling to comprehend what Cal had said.

“Mr. Harcourt.” Cal motioned towards the car. “We should go, sir.”

“Right. Sure.” James stepped into the car, and as soon as the door was shut, Cal swore under his breath. He didn’t feel any better for having got that off his chest, and he doubted he would feel better until he didn’t have to think about this. That meant not talking about it, and it definitely meant not having these uncomfortable moments with James.

Uncle Bill, please find someone soon.





When James came out of his meeting, Cal was waiting as always.

“Where to, sir?”

“To Jermyn Street. Another meeting at three.”

Cal checked his watch. It wasn’t even one o’clock yet. Good. Plenty of time.

They were halfway there when the privacy screen opened.

“Change of plans, Callum.”

“Yes, sir?”

“We’re near Hyde Park, yes?”

“Ten minutes away, sir.” Too close to Knightsbridge and all its fancy hotels by far.