Oh, boy. Her tummy clenched, and heat pooled between her legs at the thought of what he might consider his favorite dessert.
“We were going to have dinner tomorrow night.”
“That’s a given. If you like, tonight can be just dessert. A perfect end to a busy day. Meet me, Kate. I need to hold you.”
His comment took her breath away.
“Then, yes. I’ve been watching my calories like a good girl. I think I could enjoy dessert tonight.”
He laughed and lowered his voice. “That’s my girl. Later, lady.”
“Lat—”
A knock at the door interrupted her. “Hold on—someone’s here.”
She looked up to see a man loitering on the other side of the glass. Who was that? Could it be…The last person she wanted to talk to today or any other day.
“Damn. I’ve got to go. It’s Clark. What on earth could he want? And where’s Sarah?”
“You’re alone?”
“Relax. It’s the middle of the afternoon, and my building isn’t exactly deserted. I’ll see you tonight. Don’t worry.”
As she put down her cell and scooted back her chair, the door to her office opened, and Clark stuck his head in the room. His body soon followed.
As if they’d been apart for only a few hours, he began, “Hey, beautiful. I was in the area and thought I’d stop in to say hello. Having a good day?”
Big smile on his face, not an ounce of trepidation. No apology for showing up unannounced or uninvited. Acting as if nothing had happened between them and it was just another day in the neighborhood. How obtuse could a man be?
“Cash? Clark is here. I’ll see you later.”
“Be careful, Kate. Something tells me this guy isn’t functioning on all cylinders.”
She hung up and laid the cell on her desk as she rose.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, angry but cool and controlled. “We’ve said all there is to say to each other. I thought I made it clear the other day—I never want to see you again.” She glared at her former fiancé, his back leaning against the closed door of her office.
He ignored her animas and made himself comfortable in the chair facing her desk. “No, Kate, you’re wrong. We haven’t said all we need to say. I don’t think you believed me when I said I was sorry for the way I ran out on you. I know it was a shitty thing to do. I don’t know what I was thinking—I guess I got scared. We’d been through so much together. I panicked.”
She pushed off, made her way around the desk, crossed her arms, and sat facing him.
Clark stared at her. Traces of joviality disappeared from his face. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he meant it when he said he still loved her. But this was a lark. She’d learned the hard way he was a man of expediency.
“I knew the minute I walked out the door I’d made a mistake. I would have given you some time, tried to get us back together, long before now, but the company sent me on assignment to Honduras—a new mining operation.”
“Congratulations. I understand the senoritas are especially attractive south of the Equator.”
Though he took her sarcasm in stride, that flash of mean flickered in his cold eyes. He didn’t appreciate her attitude. That she returned his stare without a reaction seemed to throw him.
“There hasn’t been anyone since you, Kate.”
She laughed.
Clark may have been out of the country, but he wasn’t alone for the last year and a half. Gigi had kept tabs on him—knew every move he’d made, and he’d seen two women since breaking up with her. Two. The liar.
Not that she cared.
Suddenly, a huge weight lifted, and freedom took its place. She didn’t care. The hurt she’d carried in her heart was gone.
Kate stared into the handsome face of the man she’d mistakenly thought she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, have a family with, grow old with…and he meant nothing to her. She was free of him. Free of the pain and humiliation, and, thank God, free of the self-doubt his abandonment left behind.
Because of Cash. He had freed her from the chains Clark had used to control her.
“I love you, baby,” he continued earnestly, as if nothing was wrong. “What we had—I want it back. Seeing you again made me realize how much I missed you—missed us. Please, baby, please give me another chance.”
Time, pain, and objectivity allowed her to see right through him. Had he always been this arrogant? This shallow?
Probably.
She gazed over his shoulder as he spoke, hearing his meaningless pleas without listening. The image of Cash’s wry smile, the sparkle in his deep blue eyes, the expression of tenderness when he listened to his daughter, the feel of his arms holding her, his body covering her. Those were the images that caught and kept her attention. The only man she was interested in giving a chance to or taking a chance with was Cash Montgomery. There was no comparison between Clark and him. None.
“You’re not paying attention, Kate,” Clark uttered sharply, stepping into her space, his hand reaching toward her. “We could be so good together, like we were, baby. We need to give it another try. I love you. I’ve always loved you. For some reason, I just lost my way. You’ve got to forgive me—let me try again. I’ll make you happy this time, I swear it.”
Kate smiled as a drawn silence reigned. His hand dropped, and he straightened. She really didn’t need to say the words. Her lack of response surely told him everything he needed to know.
Clark’s entire expression changed as he realized his speech had fallen on deaf ears. Eyes narrowed, nose to nose, his voice low and threatening. “You owe me, Kate. Owe me for all the nights I held your hair while you gagged from chemo. All the nights I spread the medicine over your burns from radiation and fought to keep you from seeing how disgusted I felt looking at you, disfigured and raw. All the days I called every hour on the hour to check on you, and tried to help you choke down the nourishment you needed. That was me, Kate. No one but me. Have you forgotten? Because I haven’t.”
“No,” she quietly replied.
“I’m here, groveling in front of you, asking for your forgiveness. Asking for a chance to win back your love. Don’t you think you owe me this much?”
Mindful of the affairs he’d had all the while she was ill, it was all she could do not to lash out at him for the cheater he was.
“No,” she quietly replied again, staring him full in the face. Strong. Defiant. Unmoved.
Clark braced. Roughly grabbing her chin and forcing her head up, he let his eyes bore into hers.
“Look at me,” he commanded, spittle spraying her face, his teeth bared in a grimace. “I’m baring my soul to you. ‘No’ is unacceptable. You owe me, Kate. And I’m not going to back off and give some blind lothario an opportunity to steal you from me. A blind man! He wants you because you’re the only woman he could get. You forget I know you as well as any man, and your insatiable need to fix things—make things right for all the unfortunates of the world—is what’s gotten to you. Well, it’s not going to happen, lover. You belong to me. That kiss in front of the restaurant meant nothing. Staged for my benefit—to make me jealous. A fool could see right through it.”
“If you believe that, you’re more pathetic than I thought. His kiss seemed real to me—in fact, it was one of our best kisses ever. Cash has the ability to make a woman feel loved and wanted as so few men can.”
Clark laughed, his hot breath making Kate gag as she tried to pull away. His fingers tightened painfully on her face as she stared into the wild eyes of a man she’d once known and loved, a man who’d become a frightening stranger.
Lips pushed into a painful pucker from the strength of his grip, she tried to jerk away. He only gripped harder.
No more.
Strength she had no idea she possessed rose within her. She crossed her wrists and slammed them upward, breaking his hold, and forcing him back a step.
“Keep your filthy hands off me.” This time,
she invaded his space. “You come into my office and dare to threaten me? You, who lied and cheated your way through our entire relationship? You sniveling excuse for a man. You are nothing more than a bully. And you will never, I repeat, never have an opportunity to treat me with such cruel disrespect again.”
As most bullies do, when confronted with opposition, Clark retreated, straightening his jacket and trying to regain composure. His head jerked as he adjusted his body within the confines of his suit, and he took a step back.
“It, it wasn’t a threat, Kate. You misunderstand…”
“I misunderstood nothing. Quite the opposite. I clearly understand exactly what and who you are. This time, Clark, you should listen to me. We. Are. Over. Done—finished. You stripped me of my dignity and broke my heart. Fine. But I survived and moved on. You should do the same.”
Silence reigned in the room. Clark took a deep breath and stared into her eyes.
Chest heaving, menace flowing from every word, Clark warned, “This isn’t over, Kate. I’ll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to get you back, so get used to seeing me and hearing from me. Tell your blind friend to hit the bricks. You’re mine—you belong to me. We belong together.”
“Get out of my office and don’t ever come back.” She pointed at the door.
Suddenly, Sarah barged in. “Everything okay in here?” she asked sharply. “We could hear you all the way in the break room. Kate, should I call security?”
Clark popped his neck, straightened his tie, and pulled at the bottom of his coat. “That won’t be necessary, Sarah. Kate and I were just discussing getting reacquainted after my extended absence. Our enthusiasm got us a little carried away. Until next time, darling. I’ll be in touch.” He exited the room.
Kate fell back in her chair, hands shaking from the ugliness of the altercation. “Sarah,” she said, her voice breaking, “please notify the guards downstairs. No further deliveries from Mr. Burgess, and under no circumstances is he to get beyond the lobby.”
“Is he dangerous? Shall I call the police?”
Kate shook her head. “If it happens again, I’ll file for an injunction. But I’ll require an escort to my car this afternoon, and probably until further notice.”
Sarah’s eyes widened, and a frown formed between her brows as she searched her boss’s face. “He’s creepy. You should be careful.”
“I intend to be.”
Creepy was a good description of her former fiancé. She’d have to call Cash. If Clark was as unbalanced as she suspected, Cash’s attentions may have made him a target for Clark’s shenanigans. Rubbing the heat on her sore face, a shadow of concern for Suzanna came to mind. Surely Clark wouldn’t hurt a child?
The jury was out on that one. The expression on his face had been scary. She’d never seen this side of his personality. Nor had he ever touched her with such anger and menace. This Clark was a different person than the man she’d known. That, or he’d kept his true nature under wraps the entire length of their relationship. Was that even possible? Certainly something was wrong. Changed. Off.
Clark had become unpredictable, possibly dangerous—who knew what to expect next?
Chapter Thirteen
Once she’d calmed down, Kate grabbed her purse and keys. Sarah looked up as she passed her desk.
“I’m heading home. I think I’ve had enough for today, and I have plans for tonight.”
“Kate, promise me you’ll be careful. Clark might be waiting for you downstairs. Wouldn’t you like me to call for an escort?”
“I parked next to the elevators, but you’re right. I promise to scope out the garage and have my keys in hand.”
“Then have a good evening.” Sarah attempted a smile.
Kate hovered between the doors of the elevators until it dinged. She couldn’t stay there all night. Searching the dimly lit garage, she could see nothing out of the ordinary and hurried to her car.
Taking her place in line to exit the parking garage, Kate called Cash. She wanted to warn him about Clark, and she wanted to hear his voice. For some reason, she associated him with safety. Steady, strong, reliable, protective. Already he was becoming a necessary part of her life. What did it mean, and how had it happened so soon? She shook her head as she waited for the gate to lift—life was like that sometimes. Full of curves. Right now, all she knew was that she needed him.
He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, lady. Just thinking about you.”
Kate’s heart did a flip-flop, and she glanced in the rearview mirror to see a soft smile curl her mouth. The sound of his voice did it for her. Made her blood warm.
“I’m cancelling my date with the girls tonight. I was just wondering—are you and Suzanna free for dinner? I have steak, and I make a mean twice-baked potato.” The way to a man’s heart…
He didn’t hesitate. “Time?”
“Seven too late? I know Suzanna probably has homework. She can do it at my desk after dinner. I have a nice set-up in my spare room and wouldn’t mind her using the computer.”
“Seven is perfect. She can bring her tablet. She has a school thing today, and I’m picking her up on my way home.” His deep voice lowered intimately. “Glad you called. Wanted to see you tonight.”
Feeling a throb at her core, Kate pushed back on her leather upholstery to quiet the burn. The rumble in that voice. He could read the phone book and it would turn her on.
“Kate?”
“Seven it is. See you then.” She hit End Call before he could comment on her breathless reply.
She had to cool it. No denying she liked Cash, but they had a long way to go in this—whatever it turned out to be—to let herself fall too hard, too fast. From all appearances, he was sweet, kind, and a great dad. But she owed it to herself to keep some protective barriers for comfort, after being burned by Clark and with the pain of his abandonment now fresh in her mind due to his reappearance in her life.
And what was that all about? Clark claiming to still love her? Wanting her back?
As if there was a chance of that happening. The man in her office wasn’t the same man she’d been engaged to. His grip on her face had hurt. If he didn’t back off, she’d have to take out a restraining order as Sarah suggested. Such a shame. Such a waste of time—and time was something she’d grown to appreciate through cancer treatment.
As she pulled into her covered parking space at the condo, Kate turned off the engine and sat staring at the concrete wall with her number on it. If she didn’t want to drift through meaningless moments in her life, if every second had to count, why was she running from her growing feelings for a man like Cash Montgomery?
Swallowing, Kate faced the truth. She was falling for him. It was time to put on her big-girl panties and open herself up to the possibility that he could be it for her. If she got hurt in the process of finding out—well, that was a chance she’d have to take.
Living meant taking the good with the bad, the pain with the joy. These last few years she’d been alive, but she hadn’t been living. The battle for living had been hard fought. It was not to be wasted.
“No more going through the motions and pretending. Time to make peace with my fear. Time to start living—really living—again,” she whispered out loud as she swung out of her car.
Crossing the garage, she headed for the stairs to her front door, where she paused to listen. All quiet next door—Cash’s car hadn’t been in his assigned space. She had time to freshen up and get things ready for dinner.
Kate punched in Ellie’s number, walked through the door—and froze.
A cry erupted. Her knees grew weak, and she slumped against the wall just inside her door.
Her entire apartment was flooded with white roses.
The table top, counters, end tables. Dozens and dozens of them. Large arrangements, small, all with plain cards sticking up through the centers. Their scent overwhelming, the white forming a funereal sea all around her.
A cold, hard knot formed in he
r stomach. Fear—genuine, gut-wrenching, terrifying fear—hit her for the first time in a long time. Clark. The signature white roses. She had no idea how he’d gotten the flowers inside, but she had no doubt they were from him.
The shaking started again. Behavior such as this wasn’t rational. Added to the irrational confrontation with Clark in her office, it spelled a dangerous sickness.
An obsession. A danger.
She quickly checked the whole apartment to make sure the man wasn’t waiting for her in it somewhere.
Ellie answered. “Kate, I was just getting ready to leave.”
“Don’t,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m going to have to cancel tonight. Can you call Gigi for me?”
“Sure, but you sound funny. Is everything all right?”
“No, it’s not, but I can’t talk right now.”
A distressed sound came from her friend.
“I don’t want you to worry. I’m home. I’m safe, and things are under control for now. But Clark has filled my townhouse with flowers…white roses. He came to the office today, and we had a very ugly scene. I’m going to take out a restraining order in the morning.”
“My God, Kate!”
“Yeah—Cash is next door, and I’m in for the night, so if you could call Gigi and fill her in, I’d appreciate it.”
“Keep everything locked up.”
“It’ll be okay. Cash is here.”
“Sounds like things are progressing between you two. Promise me we’ll get together soon. I want details—and I do mean details.”
Kate laughed and heard the tension in her own voice, but it was the best she could do.
“I promise.”
Sounds of pounding on the door, someone urgently calling her name, registered in her consciousness. Suzanna and Cash. They must have arrived home close behind her and heard her cry out as they came toward their door.
Suzanna didn’t need this madness or to see her state of panic. She flew to the door and opened it a crack, blocking the room with her body from the child’s line of sight. Cash must have sensed something wasn’t right or could smell the overwhelming rose fragrance.
A Little Night Music Page 13