by Angelo, Judy
She groaned. How could she have fallen for the one man she’d met who wasn’t falling over himself to impress her? How could she be in love with the one man who had ever looked at her with an expression of disgust?
She didn’t know how she could have fallen for the worst man in the world she could ever have chosen. One thing she knew for certain, though: Roman Steele must never know what she felt for him.
*****
“Serena, you’ve been there all of six weeks and you’re telling me that you’ve learned all you can?” Richard’s voice was sharp with annoyance. “The plan was for you to be there for six months not weeks.”
“I know, Dad,” Serena replied, trying to keep her voice calm and soothing, “but I’ve learned so much in the time I’ve been there. I think it’s time I join you and learn about the family business.”
“I’ll have to talk to Roman about that.” Richard sounded unconvinced. “Is this something you both agreed on?”
“Not exactly,” she said, her voice hesitant, “but I’m sure he’ll agree that it’s time for me to move on.”
For a moment there was silence. Then Richard spoke. “Okay, I’ll give him a call. But I want you to understand that if you decide to break the internship and start working with me the same rules apply. You’ll be here to work, not play around.”
“I understand,” Serena replied, her voice subdued. She felt a little hurt at her father’s statement but how could she blame him? Her history had not exactly been one of dedication and interest in anything to do with the family business.
Now, though, things had changed. She really had learned a lot from Roman and she’d also learned a lot about herself. To her surprise she’d enjoyed the world of business, coming up with new product concepts, taking them from the seed of an idea to birth into the marketplace. Roman had opened her eyes to her abilities and given her newfound confidence in herself. He’d never once expressed doubt because of her lack of experience. Instead, he supported her every step of the way, offering her diverse opportunities to utilize her talents, making her feel she belonged. Too bad he hadn’t found it in his heart to love her, too.
She shook her head. It was no use thinking about Roman anymore. It was time to move out and move on. “I’m ready to join you, Dad,” she said, her voice strong with determination. “I’ll come right away if you’ll have me.”
Serena was not surprised when her father called her late that afternoon to tell her that Roman had agreed that she’d learned enough from him and she was ready to move on to the family business. No, she wasn’t surprised, but she could not help feeling hurt that he’d made no attempt to keep her. Her father made it sound as if Roman had not even questioned her decision to move on. She sighed. He was probably glad to see the back of her.
The day she packed up her things and left the offices of Steele Industries, Roman was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t even had the courtesy to come and wish her well. Obviously, she was of so little importance to him that he could not even spare the time to bid her goodbye. Well, if he wasn’t thinking about her, then she certainly wouldn’t think about him. At least, that was what she told herself. Easier said than done.
Serena started at Van Buren and Associates the following Monday morning. There was no fanfare at her arrival and she didn’t expect it. She was treated like a regular employee, assigned to her task, and instructed to execute them according to deadline just like everyone else.
Eventually, as she learned more about the business she began to take more initiative. She asked her father to allow her to work more closely with the heads of each department so she could learn as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. She spent a few days in the manufacturing plant working with the operations manager, then with the sales manager working in the field, then with the marketing director meeting with the advertising agency.
Every evening she went home feeling satisfied with a day well spent, knowing that soon she would become a valuable asset to her father. She would be one of the few people in the company with such a broad knowledge base, covering all aspects of the company’s operations.
Despite all that her nights ended with a feeling of dejection. She could not get Roman Steele off her mind. He was always in her thoughts but was he thinking about her, too? She doubted it.
Sometimes she wondered if she’d made a mistake in declining her father’s offer for her to move back home. No, she told him. She needed this feeling of independence. It was part of growing up. She’d even reminded him of the speech he’d given her about budgeting. How would she ever learn if she didn’t have to live within her means? And so they’d agreed that, at least for one year, she would remain a salaried employee and she’d be responsible for her own bills. She’d be leading the corporation one day. This was just another part of her preparation for that day.
The drawback was that she was left all alone each evening with no one to talk to, no one to reign in her mind that constantly wandered to a man who could not care less about her.
And what was the use of having friends who were halfway across the world? Serena sighed and picked up the phone. She’d call the one person in the world she knew she could always talk to, no matter what the time of day.
Sylvie picked up the phone on the third ring. “Hello?” Her voice was bright and cheerful, no matter that it was almost eleven o’clock at night.
“Grandma, can you talk?” Serena tried to keep her voice light and happy but there was a tremble to it that must have given her away.
“Are you alright?” There was a world of concern in Sylvie’s voice.
“I’m fine,” she replied with a soft sigh. “I just need to talk.”
“It’s about Roman, isn’t it?”
Serena bit her lip. “How did you know?”
Sylvie chuckled softly into the phone. “I know you, Serena. Your father told me about your sudden departure from Steele Industries. That could only mean one thing. You had a falling out with Roman. And it had nothing to do with work.”
“But how could you know?”
“Child, I’m a woman with several decades head start on you. I know when a man’s involved.” Then her voice turned serious. “I wanted to ask you about this but I didn’t want to be a nosy mother hen. It’s your life and I have to let you learn at your own pace. I knew you’d reach out to me when you were ready.” For a moment Sylvie was silent. Then she said, “Do you want to talk?”
The question opened the floodgates for Serena. Without telling her grandmother everything she revealed that for the first time in her life she’d fallen head over heels for a man who, ironically, did not feel the same way about her.
Sylvie gave a soft laugh. “Now you know how those young men felt, the ones you dismissed so easily.”
Serena sighed. It wasn’t much fun when the shoe was on the other foot.
“But how do you know he doesn’t love you, too?” Sylvie asked.
“How could he? He rejected me.”
“Did he? Or did you walk away?”
Now what kind of question was that? She’d walked away because he’d rejected her. What was her grandmother getting at? “He was the one who-”
“How badly do you want this, Serena?” Sylvie asked, cutting her off. “What have you done to let him know how you feel?”
What had she done? Hadn’t she done enough? She was about to say just as much to her grandmother when the words sank in. She, more than most, knew how fleeting life was. She’d only had her mother the first six years of her life. She’d almost lost her own life two years later. If she wanted anything in life she needed to act decisively and act now. Life flew by a lot faster than generally thought.
Could she afford to deny herself whatever happiness life could offer? No, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Even at the risk of being rebuffed she needed to know for sure. She had to see Roman one more time.
***
Roman lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip of Bacardi as his eyes skimmed the room. Ther
e were beautiful women everywhere, all in attendance at the agency’s launch of the Enchanted product line. Members of the press milled around with cameras hanging from straps around their necks. Models preened in front of them, posing for pictures.
But as his eyes scoured the room there was one woman, only one who he wished would fill his vision. But she was nowhere to be found.
He’d had Theresa send invitations to both Richard and Serena. Richard was there but he’d come alone. The disappointment of Serena’s absence was bitter on Roman’s tongue.
He could not believe that he, a calm and collected man at the mature age of thirty, had been floored by a slip of a girl. Try as he might, he could not get her out of his mind. Serena had come into his life, grabbed hold of his heart then walked away…taking his heart with her. But whatever the cost - his friendship with Richard, his pride or her scorn - he had to see her again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next morning did not come fast enough for Roman. Now that he’d made up his mind to take action he wanted to move right away. He’d beat himself up over the past few weeks since Serena left. He knew he was the one who had driven her away and he felt like a heel for treating her that way. Still, he justified it with the thought that it was all for the best.
The guilt was eating him up. How could he explain his actions to Richard? Would the man accept that he’d fallen in love with his daughter? Hell, he hadn’t believed it himself. He’d never believed in love at first sight but here he was, the victim of the very thing he’d derided.
And then there was the matter of the difference in their ages. Would Serena, fresh out of college, really be interested in him?
These were the questions that swirled around in his mind, immobilizing him when all he wanted to do was find her and make crazy love to her.
Now he pushed those questions to the back of his mind. He was going to swallow his pride and self-doubt and seek her out. If she slammed him and told him never to contact her again then he would have to honor that. But he had to know how she truly felt.
He leaned forward and reached across his desk then picked up the phone receiver. Before he could change his mind he dialed the number for Van Buren and Associates.
It took just a few seconds for someone to answer the phone and advise him that Ms. Van Buren was not in office. Damn. He didn’t want to wait till tomorrow to talk to her. He scrolled through his phone and found her cell phone number. He dialed. It went straight to voicemail. Now what?
He stared at the phone, deep in thought. Maybe this was just not meant to be. Then he shook his head. No, he would not give up so easily. He got up, reached for his jacket and grabbed his car keys. He had to find her.
***
Serena hopped into her yellow Porsche, a belated graduation gift from her father, and sped out of the parking lot of her apartment complex. Now that she’d made up her mind nothing was going to stop her.
She was on her way to Roman’s office. She had no appointment but she was determined to see him today. She had to hear from his own lips what he felt about her.
Serena rode the elevator to the tenth floor where she was met, as expected, by Theresa. She was shocked when the woman greeted her with a smile.
“Good to see you again,” she said warmly, then gave her a look of curiosity. “You’re here to see Mr. Steele?”
“Yes, how did you guess?” Serena said cheekily then smiled back at her, genuinely relieved at the woman’s pleasant demeanor. Maybe, now that she was out of the picture, Theresa had let her guard down. “Is he in?”
Theresa shook her head. “I’m sorry. He rushed out of here about half an hour ago. Said there was something urgent he had to do.”
Serena’s heart sank. She’d spent several minutes preparing for this meeting Roman, coaching herself on what she would say. Now that she was all psyched up Roman was missing. She wanted to get it out while she had the courage. After today would her fear keep her away?
Hiding her disappointment behind a bright smile, Serena thanked Theresa. “Please let him know I came by,” she said as she headed back to the elevator.
Downstairs in the parking lot Serena sat in her car for a full five minutes, fighting the urge to cry. She’d wanted resolution. She just couldn’t go on like this. But he was not here so no matter what she wanted there was nothing she could do.
Taking a deep breath, she turned the key in the ignition. She had to get out of there before she broke down altogether. She put the car in reverse and began to back out of her spot beside a big black Dodge Ram pick-up truck.
There was a loud bang. Serena screamed and slammed on the brakes. Then she whipped her head around. She’d run into a sleek black car.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. Where the heck had that come from?
She hadn’t seen or heard anything. Oh Lord, she’d probably been too distracted. And now she’d gone and destroyed somebody’s car. What if someone was hurt?
Serena flung open the door and hopped out then dashed toward the car. She didn’t even glance at the damaged vehicles. Instead, she flew to the driver’s seat. All she could think was, dear God please don’t let anyone be hurt.
As she got to the door of the black Mercedes Benz it opened and a tall, dark haired man in a navy blue suit got out. Serena gasped.
“Roman?”
“Serena.”
“What are you doing here?” They both came out with the words, each taking a step toward the other then they stopped just two feet apart.
“I came to see you,” Serena said, her heart thumping wildly. Just the sight of him, the way a stray black curl had fallen onto his forehead, made her body tingle in response. The memory of his hands, his lips on her body, the images came flooding in, making the heat rush to her face. Even in the confusion of the accident he looked gorgeous.
“And I went to see you,” he said, his lips curving in a crooked smile. At her look of confusion, he continued, “I thought you’d be at your apartment. When I didn’t find you there I decided to come back to the office and then try calling you later.”
“You were looking for me?” Serena’s voice was a breathless whisper. Dared she even think it? Had Roman missed her even half as much as she missed him?
“I was,” he said, and this time as he looked down at her the smile was gone and there was a serious look on his face. “Serena, this is neither the time nor the place but there is something I have to tell you.”
“Yes?” She held her breath as she stared up at him. For the first time she saw uncertainty in his eyes. Roman reached out and took both of her hands in his. He pulled her into the shadow of the truck. “I know I’ve been a jerk these last few weeks-”
“These last few weeks?”
He chuckled. “Okay, ever since we met. But it was for a good reason. Or what I thought was a good reason at the time.” He took a deep breath. “From the first day we met…I fell in love with you.”
Serena’s heart soared. She took a step closer. “But…why did you keep pushing me away?”
“There was so much standing between us. I was your boss-”
“So?”
“Come on, Serena. How do you think that would have looked?” Roman gave her his signature smile, crooked and captivating. “And remember your father left you in my care. I still don’t know how I’m going to break this to him.”
Serena took a step closer until they were only a hair’s breadth apart. “Trust me,” she whispered, “he already knows. When I went running back to Daddy I know he guessed there was a man involved. He knows me. That man could only be you.”
Roman chuckled then shook his head. “And then there’s that thing about our ages.”
Serena frowned. “What thing about our ages?”
“I’m nine years old than you.”
Serena laughed. “That’s it? I thought you were in your forties.”
Roman glared down at her but there was a huge grin on his face. “You don’t mind my age?”
Serena sna
ked her arms around his waist. “I absolutely love it. Why do you think I never got involved with a man my age? Too immature. Now you? You’re just old enough to match my maturity.”
At that Roman laughed out loud. “So, have I done a good job of taming the princess?”
“You’ve done an excellent job,” she whispered, smiling up at him, “a job I hope will never end.”
“Never fear, little one,” Roman said softly as he looked deep into her eyes, “you have me for life.”
And there in the parking lot, in the full view of anyone who wished to see, Roman wrapped his arms around Serena and gave her a kiss that told her without a doubt that he meant every word.
EPILOGUE
Serena woke to the most beautiful day of spring she’d ever seen. It was also the happiest day of her life. Today she would marry the man who had captured her mind, her heart and soul.
She hopped out of bed and ran over to the window to breathe in the fragrance of the flowers under her window. Simply delicious.
Serena smiled as she stared out her bedroom window. She’d moved back home to spend time with her father before the wedding but last night was the last she’d spend under this roof as Serena Van Buren. By the end of the day she would be Serena Steele.
She leaned out of the window to get a better view of the south lawn. The decorators were already bustling about, making sure the trellis and its trimmings were in order. It would be a garden wedding right on the lawn where she used to play with her mother. Maybe her mother would look down on her today and send her wedding blessings on the breeze.
There was a knock at her door and Serena spun around to see her father peeping in. “Ready for your big day, Princess?”
“Oh, Daddy, it’s like I’ve been ready all my life.” She went to him and stepped into his arms. When he released her from the hug she saw that his eyes were shiny with unshed tears.
“Your mother would be so happy,” he said, looking down at her with a smile. “You made an excellent choice for a husband.”