Rebel

by HELEN HARDT

  Why fight it? I’d get it out of my system. I’d even pull out my vibrator if I had to.

  One evening ought to do it, and then I’d be freshly cleared out, kind of like doing a quick clean on my hard drive.

  I was just about to leave when Charlie knocked and then opened my door.

  “I thought you’d left,” I said.

  “No, I was getting caught up on some filing. A call came in for you.”

  “Crap. Who is it?”

  “Riley Wolfe.”

  I arched my eyebrows. “Really? All right. Put her through.” I picked up the buzzing phone. “This is Lacey.”

  “Hi, Lacey. I’m sorry to disturb you. This is Riley Wolfe, Derek Wolfe’s daughter.”

  “Hi, Riley. What can I do for you?”

  “Are you free for a drink tonight? Or even dinner? I’d like to talk to you about something.”

  “As a matter of fact, I’m not. I was just—”

  “Please. Everything’s on me. We can go to the most expensive restaurant in town, if you want. I really need to talk to you.”

  So much for my relaxing bath and glass of wine. I could still say no, but something in her voice sounded almost…desperate.

  “No need to break the bank on my account. Just tell me where to meet you.”

  Riley Wolfe had long dark hair, and curse her, she resembled Rock the most of her three brothers. Her eyes were brown, like Roy’s, but the rest of her? Rock’s male beauty in a female form would equal his little sister’s. I’d originally thought Riley most resembled Roy, but that was before Rock Wolfe had come stalking into the conference room that first day. Rock might not be as pretty as Roy, but he had that windblown look that his sister shared.

  I couldn’t help thinking of him every time I looked at her.

  She was quiet, which perplexed me, considering she’d invited me here to talk about…something. Something about her father’s estate, I assumed. I wouldn’t know about anything else.

  She ordered a dry martini, double.

  Yeah, she was serious about something.

  I ordered a gin and tonic. Single.

  She took a long sip of her drink when it came, and then finally looked at me. “Lacey, I know you’re wondering why I asked you here.”

  “Yeah, it had occurred to me.”

  “It’s going to take me a while to gear up to this, okay? Bear with me.”

  “Sure, Riley. Whatever you need.” Now I was really confused.

  “Tell me a little about what you do.”

  Clearly, she was trying to break the ice, feel more comfortable with me. But she knew what I did. I was a trusts and estates lawyer.

  “I’m a trusts and estates lawyer.”

  “Interesting. I’m a model.”

  Yes, I know that.

  “Riley, forget the small talk, okay? If you need some time, we don’t have to talk. We can finish our drinks, order some food. Whatever works for you.”

  “Sorry. I’m just not very good at small talk. It’s stupid. I know you’re a lawyer, and you know I’m a model.” She smiled timidly.

  “I do.” I took a sip of my gin and tonic. Refreshing. “But I don’t know what kind of work you’re doing. Are you still doing mostly runway work?”

  She nodded. “I do a lot of it. But I do have some big news. I’ve just been signed to be the face of Dominique Cosmetics. It’s a French brand.”

  An expensive French brand. I knew it well. “That’s wonderful! Will you be traveling?”

  “Yeah. I’m supposed to leave for Paris next week. I haven’t told my brothers yet.”

  “They’ll be thrilled for you.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “Maybe?”

  “They’re really protective of me. Except for Rock, of course. I hardly know him. He left when I was only six or seven.”

  Military school. Maybe Riley would have some answers.

  “Reid told me he went to military school.”

  “He did. He and Dad had some kind of falling out. We never talked about it.”

  “Oh?”

  “Well, if they did, I was too young to remember. No one even mentioned Rock after he left. Mom and Dad didn’t, anyway. Sometimes Reid or Roy would reference times before he left, but it was always something I had no memory of.”

  Wow. This young woman had a brother she didn’t even know. That was a shame.

  “Rock seems like a good guy,” I said. “A little brash, but a good guy.”

  “I honestly have no idea. The will was a complete surprise to all of us. We all thought Reid would be put in charge.”

  “I know. Like I’ve already told you, I tried to talk your father out of it, but he was determined.”

  “I don’t understand it at all. Dad never even mentioned Rock. It was like he didn’t exist. And then, to put him in charge of the company? It’s crazy.”

  I nodded. Though I had come to believe that Rock, once he believed in himself, could accomplish anything.

  Silence for a few moments. Clearly Riley wasn’t quite ready to divulge why she’d invited me here, so maybe I could open her up a little by asking about her brothers.

  “Tell me about your family. I know you and Rock don’t really know each other. What about Roy and Reid?”

  “You must know that Roy’s an artist. He’s a genius, really. His paintings hang all over my apartment.”

  “I’d like to see his work sometime.”

  “He has some work at the Gallery Galileo on Fifth.”

  Fat chance I’d get over there. “I’ll try to pop in sometime.”

  “Anyway, he’s a quiet and studious type. He spent most of his time alone in his room. He had very few friends when we were younger. Then Reid is the total opposite.”

  I’d heard stories about Reid Wolfe. He’d always been completely professional with me, but he was known as a womanizer. “He’s definitely not shy.”

  “No. He’s broken a lot of hearts, including some of my model friends.” Riley smiled timidly. “I warned them all beforehand, but Reid has this bizarre effect on women. They love him.”

  “It’s his charisma,” I said. “He oozes it. Plus he’s devastatingly good-looking, but so are your other two brothers.”

  “They are. Our family got blessed with good-looking genes, I guess.”

  “Are you kidding? All of you are beautiful. Even your father, at his age, was a very handsome man.”

  Riley’s cheeks reddened a little. “He was.”

  “And your mother is still a beautiful woman.”

  “She is.”

  More silence. Family talk seemed to be over.

  The waiter came to take our order. I chose a ten-ounce strip, rare—couldn’t help thinking of Rock—with broccolini and rosemary polenta. Riley ordered a tilapia filet broiled without oil or butter with brown rice and carrots. Clearly a model’s meal.

  Still silence.

  Until my phone buzzed in my purse. Normally I wouldn’t check it during a dinner meeting, but we weren’t talking. “Would you excuse me?” I fished my phone out of my purse.

  A text from a number I didn’t recognize. A number with a Montana area code.

  19

  Rock

  I’m exhausted after my first day. Can I buy you a drink?

  I texted those words to Lacey. I didn’t tell her who I was, but I figured she’d know.

  I waited.

  And waited.

  Then—

  Are you kidding me?

  I leaned back in my supple leather executive chair and couldn’t help a laugh.

  I started to text her back, when another from her came in.

  I’m at a dinner meeting.

  Where?

  None of your business.

  Is it a dinner meeting? Or a dinner date?

  Again. None of your business.

  She had a date. Damn her.

  Not that I wanted any kind of exclusivity. We’d just met. But all I’d been able to think about all day was getti
ng her back in my bed.

  I typed into the phone. Meet me later.

  No, thank you.

  Playing hard to get, huh? That wouldn’t fly with me. I had better things to do than chase women.

  I texted back. Have it your way.

  A few minutes passed.

  I will. Have a good evening.

  I sighed. A full wet bar lined one wall of my office—a spacious room that was nearly as big as my entire cabin in Montana. I could have a drink to relax, and then I’d make my way back to my empty hotel suite.

  I fixed myself a bourbon on the rocks and sat back down behind my desk. I was actually more exhausted now than I’d ever been after a day of good old-fashioned manual labor. Crazy.

  As fatigued as I was, I’d have no problem fucking Lacey Ward until the wee hours of the morning.

  Aw, hell. I had to try again.

  I picked up my phone, but it dinged with a text. From her.

  Your sister wants you to join us. We’re at Gramercy Tavern.

  I hadn’t stopped to think about why Lacey was having dinner with Riley. I’d just hopped in the elevator, gone down the street, and hailed a cab as quickly as I could.

  When I got to the restaurant, I hightailed it in.

  “May I help you, sir?” the tight-assed maître d’ asked.

  “Yeah. I’m here to meet my sister and my…er…attorney.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but we require a jacket and tie.”

  I was still clad in my jeans and my one decent shirt. “I don’t have a jacket and tie. So if you’ll kindly show me to my party—”

  “If you could tell me whom you’re supposed to meet, perhaps I could let them know that you won’t be able to join them.”

  “Are you fu— serious? My sister is Riley Wolfe, the model. I’m Rock Wolfe, the new CEO of Wolfe Enterprises.”

  “Oh!” The man nearly fell into a bow. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Wolfe. Please follow me.”

  He led me to a small table in a dimly lit corner of the restaurant. Lacey looked amazing. She was all navy blazer but I knew what she was hiding underneath. My sister looked beautiful, as always. Too thin, though. I didn’t like what modeling was doing to her. And her eyes…

  I had to stop myself from gulping. I recognized that look in her big brown eyes. To me, she was still the six-year-old begging me not to hurt her daddy. My heart hurt just thinking about it.

  So I decided not to think about it.

  “Ms. Wolfe, your brother,” the maître d’ said.

  “Great. Thank you. Sit down, Rock.”

  Lacey’s cheeks were pink. Damn. Pink cheeks made for a hard cock. Crazy shit.

  “I’ll send your server over right away, but is there anything I can get you in the meantime, Mr. Wolfe?” He unfolded my napkin and placed it across my lap.

  “Bourbon on the rocks. Thanks.” And don’t come near my lap again.

  “Any particular bourbon?”

  “I don’t know. The first one the bartender can get his hands on works for me.”

  “Of course.” He bowed again.

  Being Derek Wolfe’s spawn apparently made me royalty all of a sudden.

  I opened my mouth to speak when the server appeared. “The ladies’ meals are almost ready, so do you know what you’d like, sir? That way I can get it started and get it out as soon as possible.” He handed me a menu.

  I set it aside. “Just get me a T-bone, very rare. Baked potato with sour cream, and whatever vegetable you have.”

  “Very good, sir.” He bowed and left.

  Yeah. Fucking royalty.

  “So, ladies, thank you for inviting me to join you.” I grabbed the bread basket that was next to me. Nothing I recognized, but I took one anyway. “Could you pass the butter, please?” I said to Lacey.

  She handed me the tray. “It was Riley’s idea for you to join us.”

  That’s what Lacey’s text had said, which was strange, since my sister and I were virtually strangers.

  My sister’s cheeks turned pink. “Lacey mentioned that you texted her, and I thought it might be…nice. We could do some more catching up.”

  “Sure, that’d be great.” I took a bite of my roll that appeared to have sunflower seeds and some kind of olive in it. Hmm. It was pretty good.

  A few moments passed in silence.

  “I figured since you invited me,” I said to Riley, “that you’d start.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Sure.” She cleared her throat. “How was your first day at the company?”

  Something I didn’t want to talk about. But as long as I stayed at the helm, the company was a quarter hers, and she had a right to know.

  “Not bad.” Not good, either.

  “Reid showed you the ropes?”

  “A few of them. It’ll take a lot longer than one day for me to get the hang of this.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

  Silence again.

  Why had my sister invited me here again? I was truly flummoxed. She didn’t care how my day had gone. I could see it in her eyes. Again.

  The server finally interrupted our silence, bringing our meals. Creamed spinach. The one vegetable I couldn’t stand. My own fault. I’d told him to bring me whatever vegetable they had. Silly me. I thought vegetables meant vegetables, not vegetables drowning in white glop.

  For what this dinner was costing my sister—I assumed she was paying—I ought to eat every bite. But no creamed spinach was crossing my lips.

  I had my standards.

  I cut a piece of my meat. Looked perfectly cooked. Nice and red. “How’s yours?” I asked Lacey.

  She swallowed, nodding. “Delicious.”

  “Rare?”

  She reddened. “Yes. It’s perfect.”

  I couldn’t help smirking. I’d taught her how to enjoy a steak cooked to perfection. I’d like to teach her a lot more.

  But that would wait.

  I turned to my sister. This woman had once been the sweet little girl I’d tried with everything in me to protect from our deplorable father. I wanted more than anything for her to be happy. But she wasn’t. I could tell.

  “How was your day?”

  She swallowed her bite of fish. “Good. I didn’t have any bookings today, so I just did some reading.”

  “What are you reading?” Not that I’d have a clue. I hadn’t read a book in a while, but I used to love reading. A long time ago, it had been an escape for me. Now—or rather, up until four days ago—my escape was big sky Montana and the outdoors.

  “I’m trying to do the classics. I’m working on Moby Dick.”

  “Sis, I remember that from high school.” We’d been forced to read it at that enslavement camp my father had sent me to. “It’s about the most boring thing ever written. If you want to do the classics, try Dickens. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but my favorite is Great Expectations. Or read Dracula or Frankenstein. Or anything by Robert Louis Stevenson.”

  Lacey turned to me, staring. “You’ve read the classics?”

  “You find that surprising?” I arched an eyebrow at her.

  “Well…no. Of course not. And I agree with you about Moby Dick. Are you enjoying it, Riley?”

  “Not in the slightest,” she said.

  All three of us laughed at that, and for a minute, I saw the happy little girl my sister might have been.

  Finally. Now I could relax a little.

  20

  Lacey

  I had no doubt that Rock Wolfe was intelligent. I’d already surmised that during our first encounter. But well-read? That one surprised me.

  Still, I wondered why Riley had invited him to join us. She’d obviously wanted to talk to me about something. Maybe she changed her mind and saw inviting Rock as an out.

  I had no idea, but I was going to find out. I just had to wait for the right moment, and that wasn’t going to happen with Rock sitting at our table.

  My chance came when Riley excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.

 
I stood. “I’ll go with you.”

  When we were safely in the powder room, I said, “Riley, what did you invite me here for? Is it something you’re okay talking about in front of your brother?”

  She looked away, her cheeks red. “I… I changed my mind. I really don’t want to talk to anyone about it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Yes, I am.” She went into a stall.

  No need for me to stay. I did a quick makeup check and left. As the bathroom door closed behind me, a retching sound came from inside. Was Riley making herself vomit? Did models really do that? Poor thing. Something was bothering her, but I couldn’t force her to talk.

  Rock had cleaned his plate, except for the spinach, when I returned to the table.

  “She okay?” he asked.

  Did he know something? I didn’t know for sure she was puking, or that she was making herself do it, and I didn’t want to spout off to Rock and cause him worry when I wasn’t sure what was going on.

  “Why shouldn’t she be?” I said.

  “I just didn’t know you and my sister were that close.”

  “How would you know anything about her? Or about me?”

  “Okay, okay. Calm down.”

  He was right, of course. Riley and I hardly knew each other. Something was bothering her—something she’d been willing to share with a stranger, but she’d lost her nerve. That was why she’d insisted on inviting Rock to join us. He’d given her an out.

  “Truthfully, she—” I stopped when I saw Riley returning out of the corner of my eye.

  “Truthfully what?”

  “She’s coming back,” I whispered.

  He nodded. “Everything okay, Sis?” he said once she’d sat down.

  Riley looked a little pale. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  “Good. Anyone up for dessert? I could go for a big slab of cheesecake myself.” Rock smiled.

  God, he was so good-looking.

  “Nothing for me,” Riley said, a little shakily.

  He turned to me. “How about you? Or do I eat by myself?”

  “I’ll have a cup of coffee.” I smiled. “And a bite of your cheesecake.”