Fortune's Perfect Valentine

by Stella Bagwell

  When he couldn’t find the right words to explain his feelings, she was quick to prompt him.

  “Yes? You hope we can do what?”

  Spend the rest of our lives together.

  The thought stuck in his throat and refused to budge. Was he losing his mind or his heart? Had he actually fallen in love and was just now realizing it? The questions were tumbling wildly through his head when she apparently grew tired of waiting on his reply and turned away.

  Wes forced himself to speak. “I was—just going to say I hope we have a safe trip.”

  On her way to the door, she glanced over her shoulder and frowned at him. “Why would you say that? Are you expecting trouble?”

  He was already experiencing big trouble, and it was standing right in front of him. “Uh—no. But one never knows about flying.”

  Shaking her head, she said, “Appearing on Hey, USA is much riskier than stepping on an airliner. But this time I’m going to be ready for any question Ted Reynolds throws at me. What about you?”

  A strange sense of resolve suddenly settled inside him. During the interview, he had to be honest with himself and everyone else. But he had no idea if Vivian would even be interested in the truth.

  “I know exactly what I’m going to say. So don’t act surprised when you hear it.”

  *

  The next morning, as soon as the big jetliner lifted off the ground, Vivian pulled out a book and began to read, giving Wes a loud and clear message that their trip was nothing more than the business of promoting My Perfect Match.

  After he’d stared absently out at the passing clouds for more than ten minutes, he had to break the silence or he was going to end up ramming his fist into the seat in front of him. And since he doubted the male passenger would appreciate the jolt, he said to Vivian, “I can’t remember the two of us ever taking a business trip together. This is a first.”

  She pulled off her glasses and propped the open pages of the book against her abdomen before she looked over at him. Wes felt his heart do a little flip as his gaze scanned her lovely face, downward over the pretty blue dress cinched in at her waist, and on to the pearls dangling from her ears. Had she always looked like this and he’d been too blind with work to notice? Or had she changed on the outside these past few weeks, the way he’d changed on the inside?

  She said, “We never had a reason to take a business trip together.”

  When she’d first approached Wes with the idea to create My Perfect Match, which now seemed like eons ago, he’d never dreamed the dating app would affect his life so much. He didn’t know how that little square with a red heart and silver key, the one he’d mocked and ridiculed, had managed to open his eyes to many things. Especially how he viewed love and marriage and women. During these past weeks since the app had evolved, Vivian had quickly and surely become an important part of his life. Yet with each day, each hour, he could feel her pulling away, and he didn’t know what to do to stop her.

  Why don’t you try being forthright with her, Wes? Why don’t you simply take her in your arms and tell her how important she’s become to you?

  For the past week, the pestering voice in Wes’s head had been haunting him with those questions. Yet each time he felt the urge to follow the simple suggestion, he backed down.

  Vivian wasn’t stupid. Nor was she gullible. He’d already told her he was against love and promises of forever. Was she honestly going to believe he’d had a change of heart? No. She would view his words only as a way to get her into his bed. As far as he could see, he had to find some other way to show her the sincerity of his intentions. But how? And would she ever give him a second chance to do that?

  “Have you ever been to LA?” he asked.

  “No. I can count on one hand the times I’ve been out of Texas.”

  “That’s good. I mean, this will be a good opportunity for you to see the sights. There are plenty of interesting places in the area to visit. And we’ll have this afternoon free to do whatever we’d like.”

  Her brows lifted. “Are you offering to show me around?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I want to show you around?”

  She shrugged and glanced away from him. “I assumed you would have a bunch of meetings scheduled. What with Robinson Tech always interested in buying out other companies, I thought you’d want to make the most of this visit to LA.”

  “Buyouts are Dad and Ben’s forte, not mine. While we’re in LA, I have no plans to step foot in any tech company’s offices. And the only meeting I have scheduled is the one we’re doing with Hey, USA.”

  Vivian groaned. “Just the thought of getting back in front of the camera and answering Ted Reynolds’s ridiculous questions gives me the shakes.”

  He reached over and took her hand. To his relief, she didn’t pull away. “Don’t think about it, Viv. Now that you have that first interview behind you, your nerves will be steadier.”

  “I hope you’re right. I’m going to try my best not to get brain paralysis this time. No matter how Ted Reynolds comes across, I want to do a good job stating my case for My Perfect Match.”

  His fingertips made lazy circles on the back of her hand, and suddenly he was remembering back to that moment at Ben’s wedding when he’d imagined himself slipping a wedding ring onto Vivian’s finger. Was that what she wanted from him? A long-term commitment?

  You’re not ready for an engagement or marriage. You’re not even sure if you know what love really means. Ben has already taken a wife. But you can’t compare yourself to your twin. Ben landing the COO position was proof of that. Besides, Vivian wants a man who’s completely compatible with her way of life. And you’re far from it.

  In spite of the inner voice of warning, Wes didn’t release his hold on Vivian’s hand. Instead, he held on to her until the plane landed at LAX.

  *

  Later that night, as she sat across the dinner table from Wes, it was easy to see he was making an all-out blitz to convince her to spend the night in his bed. French cuisine, a bottle of expensive wine, candlelight and soft music in the background were definitely romantic. And earlier in the day, as they’d toured around the city, he couldn’t have been more attentive and thoughtful.

  She had to admit, at least to herself, that she’d enjoyed every minute the two of them had spent together. Even so, she understood she couldn’t let her guard down and cave in to more of what he had to offer. Long before this day had arrived, she’d been telling herself that this business trip was going to remain just what it implied. Business. As much as she ached to be back in Wes’s arms and to feel his lips sending her to heights of incredible passion, she was resolved to stick to her guns.

  Having an affair with a handsome, wealthy businessman was exciting and pleasurable. But having and needing were two different things. And she needed a man in her life who wanted more from her than just being his sex partner.

  “There’s dancing in the next room,” Wes said as the two of them finished coffee and dessert. “Would you like to take a few whirls around the dance floor?”

  And have his arms wrapped tightly around her, crushing her body close to his? No. That much temptation would be too much for Vivian to bear.

  She looked across the table to the soft candlelight flickering over his rugged features and had to fight hard to hang on to her resolve. “No, thanks. The flight was tiring, and we’ve had a long day. I’d rather just go to my room and call it a night.”

  Something like disappointment flickered across his face, but it came and went so fast, Vivian couldn’t be sure. Especially when his response came out carefully measured.

  “Fine. If you’re ready, I’ll settle the bill.”

  Throughout the taxi ride back to the hotel, they exchanged only a few words between them, but Vivian could feel the tension building around them like steam in a hot shower. And with only a handful of inches separating them on the seat, it would be very easy for Vivian to reach over and touch him. But she was smart enough to know th
at one touch was all it would take to start their affair rolling again.

  Maybe she should be satisfied with that, Vivian thought as the taxi braked and swerved its way through the heavy city traffic. Judging from the years of romantic drought she’d gone through, finding a man who could fly her over the moon was not something to toss away lightly. She might never find another guy who could make her feel the things she’d experienced with Wes. But heaven help her, she wanted more than meeting a man in secretive shadows. She wanted one who’d be proud to be seen with her. She wanted a husband and children, a family to share the rest of her life with. She was determined not to be like her mother, alone and afraid to try love again.

  Even though it was a relief when the taxi finally pulled to a stop in front of the hotel, Vivian still didn’t have a chance to escape Wes’s company. With their rooms on the same floor and separated by only three doors, they were forced to ride the elevator together.

  When the doors of the lift swished open and they stepped into the corridor, Vivian desperately wanted to sprint away from him and lock herself inside her room. But more than making her look childish, it would prove to Wes that she was having to fight to keep her distance. And she didn’t want to give him that much satisfaction. He’d already taken her heart; there was no need to let him have her pride, too.

  Without speaking, they walked side by side down the wide hallway, their footsteps silent on the ornately designed carpet. Every guest on this particular floor was either still out to dinner or already gone to bed, Vivian decided. No one else seemed to be around, and by the time they reached her door, it felt as if the two of them were the only ones in the whole hotel.

  “It’s still early,” Wes said as he watched her fish an entry card from her handbag. “You could invite me in for coffee or—something.”

  She tried to give him a sly smile, but the longing tugging at her heartstrings prevented her lips from forming the expression.

  “I could,” she said. “But I won’t.”

  He stepped closer, and Vivian’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted him desperately, and no doubt he knew it.

  “Viv, we can’t go on like this. I don’t know—” He paused, shook his head and started over. “That’s not exactly true. I do know one thing. That night you asked me to go to your mother’s birthday get-together with you, I didn’t understand just how much it meant to you. Then later on, I realized how I’d made you angry. And I’m sorry about that.”

  Closing her eyes to block out the image of his troubled face, she said, “Forget about it, Wes. I did really want you to go, but later…well, the whole thing made me see that we just don’t belong together. No matter how wonderful the sex is.”

  Her eyes were still closed as she suddenly felt his hand cupping the side of her face, and then his lips were brushing against her forehead, sending shivers of delight over her skin.

  “Wes,” she whispered. “Don’t—”

  He didn’t allow her to finish. Instead his lips swooped over hers, and for the next few moments the only thing she could do was kiss him with all the hungry desperation she was feeling.

  Eventually, the sound of the elevator doors was quickly followed by voices. Wes instantly lifted his head and took a step back. While he glanced around at the intruders, Vivian used the moment as an opportunity to escape. She jammed the card into the door and jerked it open.

  “Good night, Wes. I’ll meet you down in the lobby in the morning.”

  He whirled back to the door just as she was shutting it, but not before she’d glimpsed the shocked look on his face.

  “Viv! Open up!” he urged in a hushed voice. “We’re not finished.”

  She tried to swallow away the aching lump in her throat. “I said good-night, Wes. And I meant it.”

  Expecting him to start banging on the door, she was surprised when long moments of silence stretched into more minutes. She finally decided he’d given up and gone to his own room.

  The reality shouldn’t have left her feeling lonely and miserable, but it did. She was cutting away all the sweet, romantic ties she had with Wes. It was the right thing to do. At least, she spent the rest of the night trying to convince herself it was right.

  *

  Wes was hardly in the mood to sit in front of a television camera and answer questions about My Perfect Match, he thought as the taxi driver steered him and Vivian toward the network broadcasting station. After tossing and turning for most of the night and fighting with himself to keep from walking down the hall and banging on Vivian’s door, he felt like hell.

  Never in his life had wanting a woman ever consumed or tortured him the way this thing with Vivian was. Why couldn’t he simply forget her and move on? There were plenty of women who were more than willing to go out with him. And a high percentage of those women would eagerly jump into bed with him at the first invitation. Unfortunately, most of them would try every angle they could think of to get their claws into him and the Robinson wealth.

  But not Vivian. No. She didn’t care about his money or his name. Dear God, his name. He wasn’t even sure about that anymore, he thought grimly. Maybe he actually was a Fortune, but even if he was, he was smart enough to know that belonging to the famous family wasn’t the key to winning Vivian’s heart.

  Is that what you want, Wes? Her heart? I thought all you wanted was her hot little body. Someone to snuggle up with for a while, then say goodbye to once you tire of her.

  Tormented by his mouthy conscience, he glanced over to see she was staring thoughtfully out the car window. If she was nervous, it didn’t show. In fact, she looked cool and collected. As if she’d made up her mind as to what she was going to say and was confident she’d say it right.

  And that sexy coral dress draped over her curves would certainly make the male television audience sit up and take notice, he thought. Since when had she started dressing like that? After he’d gone and fallen hopelessly in love with her?

  The answer to that last question shook him so deeply he didn’t say another word until they were inside the television studio, being ushered to the green room.

  “Are you all right, Wes? You look pale or sick, or both,” Vivian told him as they sat waiting on an orange couch.

  “I’m fine. Just feeling a little jet lag,” he lied. “I’ve been going over in my mind what I plan to say.”

  “That’s hard to do when we don’t know the questions Ted Reynolds will be asking.”

  He heaved out a long breath. “I have a pretty good idea what the questions will be. I’ll have to talk about all the beautiful dates the app has generated for me. And you’ll have to talk about the great guys you’ve been seeing. Think you can manage?”

  Her hazel eyes were dull as she looked at him. “It’ll be a snap. You see, you’ve taught me how easy it is to pretend.”

  “Viv, I—”

  Before he could say more, a young woman stuck her head through the doorway and beckoned to them. “Okay, you two. It’s time to take your places on the set. Follow me, please.”

  Wes quickly rose from the couch and reached a hand down to help Vivian to her feet. Once she was standing beside him, she said, “You were about to say something. Was it important?”

  Probably the most important thing he’d ever said in his life, Wes thought ruefully, but he’d missed the chance. And now it would have to wait until Ted Reynolds attempted to skewer them in front of a national audience.

  “We’ll talk later,” he murmured, while urging her out of the room.

  *

  Being in an actual television studio was far different than the remote telecast they’d done in Wes’s office, Vivian quickly concluded. There were cameras and bright lights pointed at them from every angle, not to mention the set itself, which up until now she’d viewed only on a television screen. The bamboo furniture, accented with bright pillows and shaded with tropical plants, gave the seating area a real Hollywood flair, while behind them, a plate glass wall revealed a view of a street lined
with tall palms and filled with bustling traffic.

  Before the cameras started to roll, the director seated Vivian and Wes close together on the couch. Ted Reynolds was apparently using the break between segments to stretch his legs. He was walking around the set with a coffee cup in one hand and a pompous expression on his face.

  What a phony, Vivian thought as he barely nodded a greeting in their direction.

  Maybe you’d better take a good look around you, Vivian. There’s more than one phony on the set of this morning show. You and Wes have been doing a pretty good job of faking an image and attempting to prove to a gullible audience that My Perfect Match delivers what it promises. Now you’re going one step further and pretending you’ve not fallen madly in love with your boss. Who’s the biggest phony here?

  “Three, two, one, you’re on!”

  The set director’s shout of warning pulled Vivian out of her dismal fog, and as their host introduced them, she forced a smile on her face. She’d gone this far; she could surely fake her way through the next few minutes.

  After a brief introductory chat with both of them, Ted said, “I have to admit I’m a bit shocked at how this dating app has become a huge craze across the nation. Robinson Tech must be feeling very happy right now. I certainly hope Hey, USA helped to push the sales.”

  “No doubt about that,” Wes agreed. “Everyone watches your show, Ted. You’ve helped millions learn about My Perfect Match.”

  Wes’s compliment put a smug expression on Ted’s face. “Well, it’s been great fun following this project. So tell us about your dates. The audience is anxiously waiting to hear the juicy details.”

  Wes and Vivian exchanged glances.

  “Who would you like to go first?” Wes asked.

  Smiling slyly, Ted gestured to Vivian. “Ladies first, of course.”

  Without naming names, Vivian related general details about the men she’d met through the app and the dates they’d been on around the city of Austin. And with a few chuckles added in, she even admitted that a few of them had turned out to be a bit boring.