“Kate’s husband? What was he doing contacting you?”
“He actually came to see you. But since you were gone, I suppose he figured I was the closest he could get to you. He said to tell you that Kate hasn’t forgotten about the meeting with Gerald—she thinks she’s going to have a meeting with Dad. Ben, there’s no way in hell you can make that happen.”
“I’ll think of some way to work it,” Ben assured him. “All I have to do is get them in the same room together. It’ll be like setting a keg of dynamite near an open flame and just waiting for it to combust.”
“Great. Just great,” Wes said cynically. “And what’s left after the explosion?”
“The truth.”
Wes sighed. “Somehow I expected you to say that.”
“I can always count on you to read my thoughts,” Ben said with amusement. Then, in a more serious tone, he asked, “Is that all Foster had to say?”
“Very nearly. He talked about his wife being gravely ill for a while. Apparently, she’s not been out of the hospital long. She’s planning on remaining here in Texas, at least until winter is over, and from what Foster said, she’s still too weak to make engagements. So I wouldn’t expect to set up a meeting anytime soon.”
There was a thoughtful pause before Ben replied, “That might work to my advantage. It will give me more time to gather evidence related to our father’s real identity.”
To Wes’s relief, the private line between Wes and Adelle began to blink. “Uh, Ben, Adelle is calling. It has to be important for her to interrupt.”
“Sure. I’ll be in touch,” Ben told him.
“Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.”
“Don’t worry, I intend to,” he replied, then laughingly added, “And this is one time I don’t wish you were here, little brother.”
Ben ended the call, and Wes punched Adelle’s line. “What’s up?” he asked the moment she answered.
“Sorry to interrupt you and Ben, but your father wants to see you in his office in fifteen minutes.”
Damn! The last thing Wes wanted was to face his father today. Especially after the information he’d just exchanged with Ben. How could he look the man in the eye without speculating and wondering who he really was and why he refused to be forthright with his own children?
Just pretend, Wes. The same way your mother has pretended for the past thirty-five years that Gerald Robinson loved her.
Shaking away that dismal thought, Wes asked, “Do you know why he wants to see me?”
“I think it’s something to do with My Perfect Match. I’ll print up its latest sales data so you can take it with you.”
“Thanks, Adelle. And once you finish with that chore, would you tell Vivian I’d like to see her in my office in about an hour?”
“Vivian? You mean you two are back on speaking terms?”
Speaking terms was a long way away from his relationship with Vivian, but Wes wasn’t ready to tell Adelle, or anyone, about his growing feelings for his coworker. Mainly because he didn’t know how to even describe his feelings for the woman or where they might be headed.
“We—uh, have settled our problem,” Wes told her.
Instead of replying, she abruptly hung up the phone. After staring comically at the receiver, he was tossing it back on the hook when the door opened and Adelle stepped inside.
Without a word, she marched over to his desk and, before he could guess her intentions, leaned forward and planted a kiss in the middle of his forehead.
“Adelle, since when did you start having cocktails at lunch?”
She wagged a finger at him. “It isn’t necessary for me to be half-intoxicated to kiss you. That’s a thank-you.”
“For what? Keeping you out of an old folks’ home?”
She chuckled knowingly. “No. That kiss is for not being like your father.”
“I don’t get it. What does Dad have to do with me and Vivian?”
She cast him a clever smile before heading out of the room. “For a while there I was afraid you were growing as heartless as he is. Thank God I was wrong. Congratulations.”
Chapter Ten
When Vivian arrived in Wes’s office later that afternoon, he immediately locked the door and pulled her straight into his arms. After kissing her thoroughly, he pressed his cheek against her silky hair.
“I’ve been waiting all day for this!”
His eagerness lifted her heart, and she laughed softly as she pressed her palms against his chest and looked up at him. “Wes, we had breakfast together this morning. It’s only been a few hours since we parted.”
“It feels like days to me.”
Rising on the tips of her toes, she planted kisses along his jawline. “Thank you for the roses. They’re gorgeous.”
He rubbed his nose against her cheek. “Mmm. I’m glad you liked them.”
“Justine read the card and wanted to know who W was. I made up the name Wayne and told her the roses were from an app date. Afterward, I felt a little ashamed.”
His warm hands roamed her back, and Vivian was amazed at the familiar flare of desire shooting through her. Even after their long sessions of lovemaking last night, her body was already craving more. The reaction was shocking and frightening at the same time. It was one thing to want a man, but she was on her way to losing all control.
“I understand you don’t like deceiving your friends. But for right now, I don’t see any other way of handling the situation.”
Situation. Yes, Vivian supposed that was what she was to Wes. But even that knowledge wasn’t enough to douse the fire his touch built in her.
“So did you call me to your office for work or just to see me?” she asked.
“I want to do more than see you. I want to carry you over to the couch and make love to you. But unfortunately, I have more meetings this afternoon—the next one in less than ten minutes—so I won’t. We’ll save that for tonight.”
A thrill rushed through her. “Tonight? We’re meeting tonight?”
“I’ll come to your place.”
“What about the media following you? We’re supposed to be going on app dates,” she reminded him.
“To hell with app dates. I’ll be careful and shake any media who might be tailing me.”
Another sobering thought struck her, and she pulled away from him and walked across the room to where the warm, wintery sun slanted across the polished wooden floor.
“That interview with Hey, USA is going to be coming up in a few days,” she said. “How are we going to handle that? I’m not sure I can sit there beside you and pretend you’re just my boss.”
He walked over to her and drew her back against him. “It’ll be easy. I’ll talk about all the great dates I’ve been on, and you’ll chat about the wonderful men you’ve met. We’re going to make it sound like a success, whether it is or not.”
Two weeks ago, all that mattered to Vivian was that she proved the theory of My Perfect Match would work. That compatibility was the only thing a man and woman needed to bind them together. Now, she was going against everything the site stood for. Something crazy had happened to her. And yet she’d never felt so exhilarated or happy in her life.
“I wanted it to be a success,” she said in a small voice. “I still do.”
“And it will be, Viv. It is already. In fact, I just got back from a meeting with Dad. I was expecting him to harp on the products with sluggish sales this past quarter. Instead, he was praising my initiative on My Perfect Match. He’s ecstatic over the sales, and he’s expecting our exposure on Hey, USA to boost them even higher. I assured him we wouldn’t let him down.”
Surprised, she twisted around to face him. “Mr. Robinson has taken notice of My Perfect Match? I can’t believe it. I mean, Robinson Tech offers all sorts of items to the consumer. The app is just a little minnow swimming among some huge fish.”
“In spite of Dad’s questionable personal past, everyone will admit he’s a hell of a good businessman. He
takes notice of everything. And he’s eager for the rest of your Perfect apps to be developed.”
“Oh! That means I need to be working late nights until they’re finished.”
“Not on your life! Your nights are going to be spent with me, not here at Robinson Tech.”
The possessive note in his voice sent a rush of excitement through her. Yet at the same time, she wondered how their clandestine affair was going to play out. With her on the losing end?
Don’t think about that now, Vivian. For once in your life, grab the pleasure Wes is offering you and let tomorrow worry about itself.
Heeding the words of advice going off in her head, Vivian wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled the front of her body next to his.
“Hmm. Spending my nights with you does sound more gratifying. I think I’ll follow my boss’s orders,” she murmured as she tilted her face up for his kiss.
“Yeah. This boss,” he said just before his lips came down on hers.
*
The next week passed like a whirlwind for Vivian. Since she’d never had an affair with a man before, she wasn’t sure if the romance had her head in a fog or if keeping the relationship a secret was the reason it seemed as though her life was spinning out of control. In either case, she was slowly starting to wonder if she’d made the worst decision of her life. Or the smartest one.
Most any woman in Austin would have jumped at the chance to have a red-hot affair with Wes. Thanks to Robinson Tech, his family was known nationwide. He had more money than most regular folks would know what to do with, plus he was about as good-looking and sexy as a man could get. And yet she couldn’t help but wonder if he was the right man for her. If she took away the mind-blowing sex, what did they really have in common?
He could dine at the finest restaurants or have a personal chef if he wanted. Vivian had to make do with cooking something economical for herself or bring home a meal from a fast-food diner. He lived in a two-story mansion, while she called home a one-bedroom apartment. He could travel to far parts of the world just for the fun of it, while she had to save up just to travel down to San Antonio to watch a Spurs game. No, other than the fact that they both talked computer language, the main points of their lives were hardly compatible.
Tonight, as she moved around the small kitchen table, preparing the place settings for a meal she was planning to share with Wes, nagging doubts continued to travel through her head. Last evening she’d pushed her hair into a winter cap and donned a pair of dark glasses before taking a taxi to Wes’s place. And each time he’d come to her apartment, he’d driven an old, beat-up pickup truck and worn a disguise to throw any media off his trail.
The ringing of her cell phone caused Vivian to pause, and, thinking it might be Wes, she walked over to the countertop to glance at the caller ID. Instead of Wes, the number belonged to her sister, Michelle.
With one hand still clutching several pieces of silverware, Vivian scooped up the phone and managed to swipe it before jamming it to her ear.
“Hey, sis, are you busy?”
Vivian returned to the table to finish her task. “Hi, Michelle. I’m busy, but I have a few minutes for you.”
“Oh. With it being Saturday night, I expected you were probably getting ready to go out on one of your app dates.”
Vivian inwardly groaned. A few days ago, the idea of keeping her relationship with Wes under wraps was a bit thrilling. Each time they’d made plans to meet, she’d felt a little like Mata Hari. But this evening she was wondering if Wes would ever invite her out to a real dinner date; would he ever feel comfortable showing the public that she was his woman?
“Actually, I’m having someone over for dinner tonight. In fact, he’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“Really? I’m surprised you’d invite a stranger to your apartment.”
Vivian frowned as she moved around the table, placing the last pieces of silverware on folded napkins. “What makes you think he’s a stranger?”
Michelle made an impatient noise. “Well, if he’s an app date, it’s clear you’ve not known him long.”
Finishing with the silverware, Vivian leaned a hip against the edge of the table. “It could be a case of love at first sight, you know.”
Michelle replied with mocking laughter. “Oh, please, Vivian. You? You’re the most careful, cautious and reserved person I know. You’d be the last woman on earth to come down with a quick case of lovesickness.”
A flash of annoyance shot through Vivian, but then a cool breath of reality quickly followed. Michelle was right. Up until she’d developed My Perfect Match and this thing with Wes had boiled out of control, she’d approached every date as though it was an amber caution light.
“Don’t worry, sissy. This guy doesn’t have murder on his mind.” Unless breaking a heart could be considered the same as committing homicide, she thought grimly.
“I’ll sleep better tonight just knowing that much,” Michelle said drily, then went on, “I was actually calling to remind you that Tuesday is Mom’s birthday. I’m going to cook dinner for her, so I thought you’d want to come over. Maybe bring her a little gift. I got her a CD collection of disco music. So you might find her a book or something. You know how she likes to read.”
“Disco music! For Mom?”
“That’s right. She grew up during that era. I thought it might give her the urge to get out and go dancing.”
Even though her sister couldn’t see her, Vivian shook her head. “I thought you didn’t want Mom to consider marrying again.”
“Who said anything about marriage? Sometimes she seems lonely. I just want her to get out and have some fun. Not get hooked up with some dirtbag who’d ruin her life all over again. And since you brought up the M-word, how are you doing on finding the right man to spend the rest of your life with?”
Was Wes the right man? Or had she fallen in love with the wrong man?
She purposely evaded Michelle’s question. “I can’t predict that just yet,” she said, then couldn’t stop herself from adding, “I do have one I’m seeing exclusively for right now.”
“Hmm. Well, why don’t you bring this favorite man to Mom’s birthday dinner? We’d love to meet him. And it would give him a chance to meet your family.”
“I’ll give it a thought, sis.”
*
Michelle’s suggestion stayed with Vivian all through the evening until finally, after she and Wes had finished their meal and a long round of lovemaking, she brought up the subject of her mother’s birthday.
“I suppose you’ll be going,” he murmured.
The two of them were cuddled in the middle of her bed, and now his hand was gently stroking up and down the length of her bare arm.
“Of course. You wouldn’t miss your mother’s birthday celebration, would you?”
He paused for a moment before he said, “That depends on the guest list. Besides, my parents are always hosting some sort of party. But I always acknowledge Mother with a card and gift.”
“That’s a cop-out.”
“Thanks. I love being told I’m a negligent son.”
She shifted in his arms so that she was facing him. “I just meant that your mother would probably choose your company over a gift.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right. Most of us kids are busy with our own lives now, and Dad—well, he’s never showered her with attention. Not the kind a husband should show his wife.”
At least Wes recognized his father’s faults, Vivian thought. The encouraging sign had her touching her fingertips to his cheek. “I was wondering, Wes, if you might like to go with me Tuesday night. I’d really like to introduce you to my sister and mother.”
He went quiet for so long that she knew his response wasn’t going to be the one she wanted to hear.
“It’s nice of you to ask, Viv, but I’m not sure it would be the right thing to do. Your family might not understand.”
“I could just bring you as my boss. Since we’re work
ing closely together on the Perfect apps, it wouldn’t look like anything more than a coworker relationship.”
He groaned. “Viv, do you honestly think we could pull that off? Your mother and sister would have to be blind not to notice the electricity popping between us.”
She sighed. “I suppose you’re right. But what would be so wrong about them knowing the two of us are romantically involved? Neither one would say a word to anyone if we asked them to keep it private.”
His gaze dropped from hers, and Vivian tried to ignore the little pain that was slowly winding its way between her breasts.
He said, “I’m sure they wouldn’t. But I—just don’t think we’re ready for that sort of thing just yet, Viv. You understand, don’t you?”
“Sure. No problem, Wes. Let’s forget it, shall we?” She smiled in an attempt to cover up the deep disappointment she was feeling. “The night is still young. We don’t want to waste it all on talk, now do we?”
Gathering her close, he pressed his lips against hers. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
*
By the time Wednesday rolled around, Wes was beginning to realize that something was going on with Vivian, and whatever it was, he didn’t like it. For the past three nights, she’d come up with excuses not to see him, and though he wanted to question her head-on, he didn’t. After all, he didn’t have a claim on her. He couldn’t expect her to make her life his. Also, a part of him feared that, if he did confront her, she might just come out and end everything between them. Wes wasn’t ready for that. Not by a long shot.
Maybe if he knew what he’d done or said to put her off, he might have a chance of fixing things. As it was, the only thing he could figure was that she’d decided he wasn’t compatible with her.
Compatible, hell! The sex between them was perfect! What more could she want?
Think about it, Wes. The woman wants love. Marriage. Children. All the important words you’ve not so much as breathed to her. What do you expect from her? To be happy spending her time with you in the bedroom? Since Ben’s wedding, you’ve not even taken her on a date. You’ve hidden her as if she was something shameful in your life.
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