by Karen Booth
“Matt. Hi.” Nadia’s gaze flew to Hideo, then returned to Matt. She frantically scanned the room, obviously trying to take note of who saw them together. She kept her distance from him, which made part of him die on the inside. All he wanted to do was touch her. Kiss her. Hold her in his arms. He was in trouble. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling this way.
“How’s your night with Hideo? Shayla thinks he’s hot.”
“Shayla thinks everything with a penis is hot.”
Matt laughed, which at least lightened his mood. “Very funny.”
“It’s true. I’m sure she has the hots for at least five or six guys at work. I’m positive she has the hots for you, although every woman at work has some sort of thing for you.”
Was she trying to deflect to make him feel better? Was she trying to make a point that if he couldn’t have her, there were plenty of other women he could have? “Shayla used to date my brother, Zach. If that’s true, I don’t notice it.”
“Of course you don’t.” Nadia sighed and looked away for a minute. “I should probably get back to Hideo.”
Once again, Matt was saddled with disappointment. “Don’t go. Stay for a minute. Talk to me.”
Nadia cast him a look that made him feel foolish. “Matt. What kind of person would I be if I just stranded him? He’s here from out of town. He doesn’t know anyone.”
She was right. Matt needed to get a grip. But he also had to get these feelings off his chest. It felt like he was being crushed by them. He made sure no one was looking and took her hand, leading her to a corner. “I need to tell you one thing. I felt sick when you were dancing with him. I couldn’t handle it. I can’t handle it.”
She narrowed her eyes on him and cocked her head to one side, her beautiful blond hair cascading down her shoulder. “Seriously?”
“Honestly? I was surprised how much it bothered me.”
“You don’t strike me as the jealous type.”
“I’m not. But apparently all bets are off with you.” He dared to step closer, hoping the darkness of this corner of the room afforded them at least a little privacy. “I saw his hand on your back and all I could think was that my hand is the only one that belongs there.”
“Matt, we talked about this. I like you a lot, but we both know this won’t work. I can’t lose my job and you’re not the kind of guy who gets serious, anyway. I’m a one-man woman and I don’t do well with casual. It’s just not in my DNA.”
Matt swallowed hard, his mind racing. She had such a talent for pointing out every obstacle between them. “What if it was more than casual?”
“What? That’s crazy? Like announce it to the company? You do not want to do that.”
No. He wasn’t ready for that. It would be reckless and premature. But he might be ready for something else—anything to prove to her that he really was serious about his feelings for her, even when he couldn’t see a way to make it work between them. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about you and me taking a step forward behind the scenes. Away from the public eye.”
“Like what?”
“Meet my parents. Come have dinner at their house.”
Nadia didn’t speak for several moments, just blinked like crazy. She turned away for an instant and when she turned back, she looked scared. “Shayla was right around the corner. What if she heard us?”
“I doubt she heard a thing. The music is loud. Just tell me if you don’t want to do it and I’ll never mention it again.” Moments like this were the real reason he never put his heart on the line. He couldn’t stand the thought of rejection.
“No. I mean, I’m not sure. Let me think about it, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Please. Think about it. I’m serious about the invitation.”
“Okay.” She stepped closer and kissed him on the cheek. “Try to have a good night, okay?”
“I will,” he said, then watched her disappear into the crowd. Of course, that was a lie. Matt wouldn’t have a moment of fun while Nadia was with another man in the same room.
Nine
The morning after Gideon Johns’s party, Nadia woke to a text from Shayla.
Matt is going to freak out. I need Teresa St. Claire’s phone number so I can get control of this mess. Call me.
“Good morning to you, too,” Nadia mumbled to herself, sitting up in bed and leaning back against her upholstered headboard.
Following Shayla’s unpleasant but completely in-character message, was a link to an online business journal article filed in the wee morning hours. The headline made Nadia’s stomach lurch:
Liam Christopher to Unveil Sasha Project at Richmond Industries Exclusive Retreat
She quickly scanned the article, which was mostly direct quotes from Teresa. Apparently she had spoken to the reporter at the party and they had been digging for details of the retreat. It was becoming a source of gossip since so no one knew exactly what was set to happen at it, only that an invitation was highly coveted and impossible to get. The problem was that Nadia knew very well that she’d been the person to spill the secret of Sasha to Teresa. If this was anyone’s fault, it was hers.
Nadia had to get out in front of this and she needed to start with Teresa. It was still early in the day. There was a very good chance Matt didn’t know about this yet. Unlike a lot of CEOs, he made a habit of keeping his phone in his home office while he was asleep. The man suffered enough interruptions in his life. He needed to get sleep.
She hopped out of bed, wrapped herself in her robe and padded into her cute but modest kitchen to make coffee. As soon as it began to drip into the carafe, she dialed Teresa’s number.
Teresa answered before there was a single ring. “Nadia, I swear I didn’t say a thing. You have to believe me. I would have called you earlier but I didn’t want to wake you.”
“If you didn’t say anything, then how do you explain what it says in the article?”
“I don’t know what to tell you. You’re going to have to believe me. I didn’t say a thing. I wouldn’t say a thing. We talked about this last night. I can’t afford for a single thing to go wrong with the retreat.”
“Did you do the interview?”
“I talked to that reporter for less than two minutes. He was lurking at the end of the party so I introduced myself, and when he realized who I was, he asked about the retreat. All I said was that it was going to be fabulous and people would be talking about it for years to come. I swear that was all I said. The word Sasha did not cross my lips. I have no idea where he got that other information.”
Nadia sucked in a deep breath. The Richmond Industries main office was occasionally a leaky ship, and the information could have come from any number of people. For that matter, Nadia had no idea how tightly the information was controlled at Liam’s company, Christopher Corporation. Still, there were a few indisputable facts staring her in the face. First, the article had only mentioned the name Sasha, and not the nature of the project. That much was good. The damage was contained. Second, Teresa had no real reason to sabotage the retreat or Sasha, so what she was saying had to be true. And third, regardless of those details, Nadia had slipped in front of Teresa and she had to come clean with Matt.
“Okay.” Nadia pulled a coffee mug out of the cabinet. “I’ll smooth things over with Matt, but I can’t promise he’ll be able to do the same with Liam. You might have to do that much yourself.”
“I thought I was staying away from Liam. Remember? Giving Matt’s best friend a wide berth so as not to look unprofessional?”
Nadia took a long sip of her coffee. “At this point, our first concern is keeping him from blowing his top, especially to Matt. I don’t think smoothing feathers is an unreasonable idea.”
“All right then. I’m on it. I’ll need you to text me his address. It’s Saturday. I’m going to have to track him down at home.”
“I’ll send it as soon as we get off the phone. Let me know how it goes, okay? I’d like to know where we stand.”
“I will. And Nadia?”
“Yes?”
“I owe you one.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not a person who keeps score.” Nadia hung up and glanced at the clock. It was only a little after seven thirty. She knew Matt’s Saturday schedule well. He typically slept until seven, then did an hour-long workout, staying away from his phone and the news. It was his detox time. Which meant Nadia had about twenty minutes to get cleaned up, get to his house and convince him that Teresa had not sunk the ship. At least not on purpose.
She had no interest in talking to Shayla, nor did she want Shayla to think she was ever going to adopt the habit of taking orders from her, so she sent her a text.
I have everything under control. Consider yourself out of it.
* * *
Teresa tried Liam by phone as soon as she got off her call with Nadia, but he didn’t answer. She wasn’t surprised after the way she’d acted last night, kissing him on the dance floor. Seeing her name on the caller ID was probably enough to make him turn his ringer to mute and block her number. He might even chuck his phone into Puget Sound. Which meant that she was going to have to track him down in person. She was going to have to swallow her pride, twice, up close and personal.
For that reason, she knew she needed to put her best self forward. That meant striking a balance between business polish and weekend casual—form-fitting jeans, her favorite Jimmy Choo black boots and a sleek black cardigan that showed off just enough of her assets to hopefully keep Liam off-kilter enough to accept her apology. Or more accurately, apologies, plural.
Coffee in hand, she raced over to Liam’s through driving rain. She was still angry with herself for the way she’d acted at Gideon’s party, although now that the fog had cleared and she had the perspective of a new day, she knew the reason she’d done it. She’d regretted not kissing Liam one other time in her life—the night they met. Regrets did nothing but hold you back as far as Teresa was concerned, and she did her best to avoid them by not being afraid to go for it. Trying and falling flat on your face was preferable to being left with questions. Teresa did not do well with the unknown or chances not taken. She always wanted to know what she was up against or what was out there in the world for the taking.
Liam’s house was in Leschi, which was situated on Lake Washington. It was one of the most affluent areas of Seattle, like West Mercer, where his childhood home was. But Leschi was more diverse, more new money than old. Teresa had to wonder if this had been a conscious decision for Liam, in an attempt to distance himself from his father. Yes, Liam was a formidable businessman, but he was still working for his dad, still living in his shadow. Perhaps that was part of the reason he was so protective of the Sasha project.
Much like the man himself, Liam’s house was an elegant fortress, with tall stone walls and a modern wrought-iron gate. She rolled down her window, heavy rain still falling, and jabbed the button for the intercom, then quickly pulled her arm back inside the car. The sleeve of her sweater was already soaked.
“Yes?” a woman’s voice said through the speaker.
“Teresa St. Claire to see Liam,” she called loudly, to avoid having to stick her entire head out the window. Several moments ticked by, the rainwater rolling into her car and dripping onto her pants leg. It would be just like Liam to send her away or make her sit there while she got waterlogged. But instead, the gate rumbled and swung open. Teresa rolled up her window and pulled up in front of the house. She turned and looked in the back seat for her umbrella, but it wasn’t there. She hadn’t been smart enough to bring a rain jacket, either, which meant she was about to arrive on Liam’s doorstep decidedly less polished and put-together than she would have liked.
She sprinted to the heavy double doors, trying to dodge the rain. Luckily, the entrance was covered, but Teresa didn’t have a second to compose herself. Liam was standing in the doorway, filling it up with his broad shoulders and formidable stature.
“What do you want?” Even through the deafening rain, Liam’s voice boomed. As jarring as the noise was, Teresa couldn’t help but be drawn to it.
“We need to talk and you didn’t answer your phone.” Still winded from her sprint from the car, she smoothed her wet hair back from her face.
“We have nothing to say to each other, especially after that stunt you pulled last night. Or should I say two stunts, after that interview you did? Are you trying to get Matt to fire you? Or is sabotaging me your primary goal?”
A droplet of water fell from the end of her nose. “Are you seriously going to send me away when I’m standing on your doorstep like a drowned rat? Can I at least have a towel and borrow an umbrella?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. The man wore his displeasure the way most guys wore clothes—out in the open for anyone to see. This was not the Liam she’d met that night at his parents’ house. He’d changed over the last few years. He was harder, and not in a good way.
Finally, he stepped back. “Fine. But you’re only staying for a few minutes.”
Teresa ducked inside, but stopped on the area rug on the other side of the threshold. Liam disappeared into what appeared to be the living room, but she didn’t follow. She didn’t want to drip water all over the pristine dark hardwood floors in the foyer, or on the expensive leather club chairs visible from her vantage point. Beyond, a fire crackled in the fireplace and all she wanted to do in that moment was sit in front of it and have a polite conversation with Liam, but she now knew that wasn’t going to happen.
He stalked back into the foyer with a fluffy white towel and handed it to her, then stood back, arms folded across his chest. Teresa gathered her hair in a bundle and squeezed it with the towel, unable to keep from admiring Liam, who was wearing a fine charcoal cashmere sweater and dark jeans. In terms of things she wanted to curl up with, Liam was now at the top of the list.
“I take it you read the interview,” she said.
“You just torpedoed years of hard work.”
She shook her head. “But I didn’t. The word Sasha did not cross my lips. I swear.”
“But you know about it. So why should I believe you?”
“Because believe it or not, Liam, I want you to be successful with your endeavor. I want Matt to be, as well. I need you both to walk out of the retreat weekend being nothing but impressed with me.”
A grumble escaped his throat. “Kissing me on the dance floor isn’t a great way to impress the man who hired you.”
Now they were on to the second thing she was going to have to apologize for. How quickly this conversation was going from bad to worse. “So you talked to Matt about it?”
“I didn’t have to. He saw it. Everyone saw it, Teresa. What were you thinking?”
Teresa looked up at Liam and those fierce eyes of his. Would she see a softer side of him ever again? Or was she doomed to get nothing but his steely exterior? The only way to find out was to put a chink in his armor, and her best weapon was the truth. “You want to know what I was thinking? I was thinking that you’re one of the sexiest, most mysterious and interesting men I’ve ever met. And that the night I met you and you asked me out, the thing I regret most, aside from turning down your invitation, is not kissing you.”
The instant she was done making her confession, Teresa realized she’d hardly taken a breath. Her heart was pounding as she waited for Liam to answer. React. Something. There was an edge of surprise on his face, but there was something else going on behind the shield of his eyes. He was thinking about what she’d just said. Thinking hard. And since no words were coming from his lips, she had no choice but to assume the worst.
“I don’t know what’s going through your head right now, but it’s the truth, okay?” She took the towel and placed it gently on a console table
next to the front door. “I came here today to explain myself. I swear I did not tell that reporter about Sasha. And I came to apologize. I’m sorry I kissed you, Liam Christopher. I’m sorry you’re so appalled by the fact that it happened.” She turned and reached for the doorknob, yanking the door open. The rain was falling even harder now, but Teresa didn’t care, and rushed out onto the landing.
“Stop,” Liam said. “Wait.”
Teresa did as he asked, looking back over her shoulder at him. “What? Do you have something else horrible you need to say to me?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?”
“For thinking the worst of you. I had no idea you felt that way about the night we met.”
She turned and shook her head at him. “So now that you know that I wanted you, you’re willing to forgive me? I had no idea you had such a fragile ego.”
“I don’t. But at least I know now that you didn’t kiss me for some ulterior motive. And I know now that I’m not crazy.”
“Crazy about what?”
“For thinking we had a connection that night we met. All these years later and I was still doubting myself.”
For some reason, Teresa had an awfully hard time buying the notion of Liam being anything less than supremely confident. It would take some time to get her head wrapped around it. Time away from here. Away from Liam. “Well, now you know what it’s like for the rest of us.”
* * *
Nadia made it to Matt’s house five minutes later than she wanted to arrive. His security detail buzzed her through the gate and she pulled up in front of his palatial home. The last time she’d been here was the morning after the hospital fund-raiser, when everything between them had started to change. She’d once thought that going to bed with Matt would be like a dream, and although the actual event was even better than she’d ever dared to imagine, everything else had become more complicated.