“Where’s that coming from?” He’d shared plenty with her last night. This wasn’t the moment to bring up the disastrous past year. Not when the pearly twilight bathed her in a luminous glow, making him want to take her inside for more loving.
“I want to know where you stand on certain things.”
“You’ve had enough grief today without adding mine. I’ve been betrayed one time too many. I don’t care to rehash it,” he said. “End of subject.”
“What do you mean end of subject?” Her eyes clouded with hurt. “I’d never do anything to betray your confidence, Nick. Surely, you know that.”
Her solemn tone tugged at his heart, but he remained silent. He’d heard plenty of assurances like that from Elizabeth who had often said, “Nick, I’m your best ally. Together, we’re brilliant. I’ll always be your champion.” Look where that had landed him—he’d damn near ended up in the state penitentiary serving time for something he hadn’t done.
But this was Ronnie, not Elizabeth. As she sat before him, her heart and soul shining in her wondrous eyes, his heart rose in his throat clogging it with emotion.
“I believe you,” he said gruffly. “Happy now?”
“More than you can ever imagine,” she said, hugging him around the waist. She wasn’t going to let it go at that, he realized, when she searched his eyes, her chin lifted at a stubborn angle. “What do you want most in life?”
“That’s a loaded question. What do you want most?”
“Professionally or personally?”
“Let’s start with professionally.”
“More than anything, I want to restore my reputation as a first class journalist,” she said without hesitation. Her eyes burned with determination and he could just imagine her fervor and dedication to every case she reported.
“Fair enough. And personally?”
She clasped her hands around her knees and leaned her head back to gaze at the stars in the horizon. Her face grew somber as she gathered her thoughts. She looked vulnerable, hesitant to divulge her feelings. That was a first. Ronnie’s feelings were usually laid out in the open for everyone to see, especially him.
“Actually…” She hesitated and smiled. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. This might sound lame because I love to roam free, being the first to break a story wide open. That gives me a real high.”
“Nothing wrong with that, Ronnie. It’s who you are.”
“Exactly, but I haven’t finished telling you how I feel. I used to get restless and always want to be on the go. But after this week, I’ve realized how lonely I’ve been. There’s been something missing.” She paused and looked up at the sky. “All of a sudden I want a place to call home. My studio is just my landing pad between assignments. I rent it furnished and I still have stuff in boxes from my last move.” She studied the stars as she spoke softly, keeping her gaze from connecting with his.
“Why haven’t you unpacked?”
She shrugged. “Part procrastination and part not knowing where I really want to be. I’m subletting the place for six months, and then I have to move on.”
“Where would you want to live?”
“I’m not sure. I have a lot of decisions to make,” she said, gazing at him with questing eyes.
“I’ve been thinking about where I want to go from here too,” he admitted. “But this place has grown on me.”
She sighed and her eyes turned dreamy. “I can see why. It’s truly paradise with the turquoise waters and all that glorious white sand. Even the sunsets are magical with their pink and purple hues.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful and there aren’t a lot of people to deal with,” he said. “You’ve seen the island before and after the hurricane hit. That doesn’t give you an idea of how peaceful it usually is.”
“True, but you can’t stay away from civilization forever…can you?” The profound expectation in her eyes rattled him.
She had a point. Before she had come, he hadn’t been able to stand being around people. Now he was dreading her departure. He’d grown accustomed to having her there, especially tonight when she smelled like an angel and all he could think about was burying himself inside her tight, velvety warmth. He’d never get his fill of her. She didn’t only bring him sexual pleasure—she made him feel alive.
“Nick?” she prodded.
“I plan to get back in the saddle and take the helm again at my foundation. I was expelled from it when I was indicted on insider trading charges.”
“You were chairman of the board, right?”
“Yes.” His mouth twisted. “Ironic isn’t it? Zack’s in jail and I’m no longer CEO because my name might tarnish my own foundation,” he said, disgusted at the paradox.
“Who runs the show now?”
“My ex-wife is the president, always has been. When we started the foundation, Elizabeth ran it full time while I worked and traveled. She serves under the direction of the executive board. Out of five board members, we’re down to three.” But not for long, he thought darkly. She was garnering public goodwill with her philanthropy, and buying time until Zack got out of jail.
“Is Fred one of them?”
“No. He used to be the secretary until I got kicked off. Then he quit.”
“So you only have three board members now?”
“Yeah, there’s Elizabeth’s family lawyer, Ron Comptel, and Pete Gershon, a college friend of ours. Pete’s a major party animal. He’s only on the board to boost his public image. He couldn’t care less about the fund, but as long as he continues to bring in big funds, we keep him on.”
“Hmm. One of those,” she said, her mouth pressed with censure.
Nick nodded. “Pete donates money. Ron, the lawyer, collects his fees for not doing much, and they all let Elizabeth run the show.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Hell no. I don’t trust Elizabeth. Or anyone in my prior life,” he added with a cynical curl of his lips.
“What are you going to do about it?” she challenged, her tone sharper than usual.
“The foundation is in my name. It was my brainchild and I plan to regain control.”
“Good.” She surprised him by giving his thigh a hearty slap. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”
“Why does that please you so much?” He took hold of her hand, struck by how strongly she squeezed his hand.
“I want you to be happy,” she said exuberantly, and kissed his jaw. “That’s why.”
Nick wound his hand in her silky hair and kissed her. Her mouth went soft and pliable beneath his, her lips parting and taking in his tongue with a soft little moan.
“I want you to be happy too. Very happy,” he drawled, insatiable for more of her sweet surrender. “Let’s go for a swim.” He tugged her hand as he rose from the steps. “The pool is sparkling clean and warm.”
“Sounds tempting, but not yet,” she demurred.
“I thought you’d be all for a skinny dip,” he said, sounding disappointed.
“Of course I am, but not yet.” Veronique squeezed his hand and gazed at him with anxious eyes, praying that the trust he’d professed didn’t vanish over what she was about to tell him.
His brows knitted together in puzzlement. “What’s wrong, honey? You look white as a ghost.”
“I have something to tell you. It’s important information.” Her heart thudded painfully in her chest when she saw his smile fade and his features sharpen with suspicion.
He sank down beside her, his large body landing with a thud. “What is it?”
She took a deep, calming breath. “It has to do with your foundation.”
“What about it?”
“Please listen to me and don’t get mad.” This was the dreaded make or break moment. If she could only get him to hear her out, he’d understand why she hadn’t told him earlier.
“Why would I get mad?” he asked, removing his hand from hers. He already looked troubled; she could only imagine his reac
tion when she filled him in on everything.
“I’ve been investigating your ex-wife.”
Nick’s dark brows snapped together. “Elizabeth?” He paused and drew in a sharp breath. “Why?”
“All during your trial, I wanted to reach out to you because I knew you’d been wronged. Then when I found out where you were, I started investigating the trial and everything related to your foundation.”
“What does this have to do with Elizabeth?”
“Something didn’t add up when only Zack was sent to jail. I believed you were innocent all along, but I had strong reservations about Elizabeth. That’s when I decided to investigate her activities.” Her words came rushing out as she stared at the transformation in him.
Nick’s skin was stretched tight over his sharp cheekbones, his jaw clenched, his mouth set as he stared at her with severe blue eyes. Anger reverberated in shock waves from his body. “Elizabeth is dead to me. She betrayed me more than you can ever imagine. Don’t mention her again,” he said vehemently before he got up and turned away.
She shot up and grabbed his forearm. “Don’t turn away from me! Stay and listen to what I have to tell you.” Her body shook with exasperation as she faced him, trying to get a grip on her temper. “Elizabeth is still screwing you over, Nick. She’s syphoning money from your foundation and sending it to an undisclosed account in Macau.”
He went as still as marble. The only thing moving in his rigid body was a ticking muscle in his jaw. His eyes targeted her like blue lasers.
“What are you talking about?” he said in a deceptively soft voice.
“Elizabeth gave instructions for funds transfers to two schools in North Carolina, but not all the money that was supposed to go to the École des Jeunes Travailleurs in Haiti got there. Only a small portion of it.”
“How much snooping did you do to find this out?” His voice was unnerving as he stared at her.
She thrust her shoulders back and narrowed her eyes at him. She was so anxious for Nick to trust her, she was beyond letting his caustic comments hurt her. Naturally, he would lash out. He had to be in shock over what she’d divulged, incensed at her for meddling in his affairs, and most likely furious with himself for not suspecting Elizabeth. She understood how he felt. Her initial reaction to the evidence had been a bone-chilling urge to hunt Elizabeth and take her down.
“Well?” he said, not taking his eyes off her.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with much-needed oxygen as she prepared for his interrogation. “I went to visit all three schools. The ones in North Carolina were thriving, but the one in Haiti was a disaster. The place is barely running with minimum resources. Pierre Morais, the director—”
“I know who the director is,” he said curtly.
“Yes, of course you do. Mr. Morais told me the school got very little support from the Cameron Hope Foundation. He also had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the scholarships. That’s when I began to suspect that the money was being sent elsewhere.”
“What evidence do you have?”
“I have a paper trail that incriminates Elizabeth from the trust company she used in Grand Cayman to the bank account in Macau.”
“Where’s the paper trail? In New York?”
“No. It’s here. I have hard copies of everything.”
“Here?” He stared at her incredulously. “You’ve been sitting on this information since you got here and you waited until now to tell me. Why?” he demanded, accusation sharp in his voice.
“I couldn’t do it before, Nick. I was waiting for one more document before I could tell you.”
“And now you have the document? How is that possible?”
“I don’t have it in my hands yet. I’m supposed to pick it up in Miami. I have the rest of the files in my room.”
He grabbed her hand and dragged her inside the house. “I want to see the papers. Now.”
She wrestled out of his tight grip. “Gladly, but stop acting like a caveman. No need to kill the messenger,” she said stalking ahead of him, her head high and her back stiff with indignation. She needed to cool her temper or they’d be at each other’s throats and all because of his evil, greedy ex-wife.
He whirled her around and kissed her hard. “I’m mad at myself, not you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She kissed him back just as hard. “Good! That’s how I feel about you.”
“And that’s why you’re off the investigation as of this minute,” he said, his mouth set in uncompromising lines.
Did he actually think she’d let him take over when there was so much at stake? “No way! This case is too important to me—to us. I’m going to be right beside you all the way. I have the information you need, the contacts, the—”
“Forget it. Whether that gunshot in Miami was random or not, the killing of your cat wasn’t,” he said bluntly.
Her chest hitched. “I know and that’s another reason why I’m not backing out. I need to avenge Slinky’s death.”
“And get killed in the process? I am not going to risk losing you,” he said, his tone resolute.
She crossed her arms and thrust her chin high. “If you refuse to cooperate, I’m not giving you all the information.”
“You play dirty.” Nick’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
“I have to. I’m a reporter,” she said smugly. “And besides, I love you. I’m not about to back down out of fear, not when we’re this close to breaking the case wide open. You need me.”
“I need you alive.”
“Exactly, but if you won’t work with me, I’ll do it alone. I started this investig—”
“Damn it. Why do you have to be so pigheaded?” he bellowed, rubbing a hand over his face.
“I’m not being pigheaded. I know what I’m doing, Nick!”
“I know you do, Ronnie. But you’re a target now. Aren’t you the least bit afraid?”
“No,” she said emphatically. “If I let fear get in the way of my work, I’ll never get anything done.”
“Aren’t you afraid of anything?”
“Yes, but not physical danger. I’m afraid of the emotional stuff,” she said, wishing he hadn’t asked it.
He studied her with curious eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Nevermind. This isn’t the time to get into it.” She couldn’t tell him her biggest fear was that he’d change his mind about wanting her. “I am not backing down on this case, Nick. Work with me or you get nothing.”
Nick swore under his breath. He looked up at the ceiling, dragged in a deep breath and expelled it forcefully. When his blazing eyes met her eyes, his face and neck were crimson. “I don’t like your tactics. We’re wasting valuable time arguing.”
“So quit arguing already.” She stood before him, square-shouldered and inflexible, with a determined gleam in her eyes.
His jaw clamped tight and the skin on his face tightened as he grasped her shoulders and hauled her upward until his steely eyes bored into hers. Standing before him on tiptoe, she raised her chin and stared him down.
“You think you’re invincible, Ronnie, but you’re not,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re good at what you do, but I refuse to be the source of your danger. If I agree, you have to follow my lead to stay safe. Agreed?”
She stared at him, speechless with exasperation. He was acting like she was an amateur and all because he wanted to protect her. She was damn good at her job, had always managed to stay out of harm’s way.
His fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Agreed?” he urged.
“Agreed,” she said, backing down only because she’d already pushed him to the limit.
“I’ll hold your feet to the fire,” he warned, releasing her shoulders.
“Fine. But just remember we’re partners.”
While he didn’t agree to the “partners” part, he didn’t disagree either. She took that as a good sign.
“We’ll leave f
or Miami first thing tomorrow morning,” Nick said.
“Okay. I’ll make the travel arrangements.”
“Good. Now show me those papers. Don’t wait up for me. I’ll probably stay up all night reading them,” he said evenly.
Chapter Nineteen
While Nick retreated to his office with the files, Veronique called her childhood campmate and hotel heiress, Theodora Behr.
“Hey, Teddy. It’s Ronnie,” Veronique said, missing her Heart Sister the minute she heard her cheery greeting.
“Ronnie!” Teddy squealed. “It’s about time you called! Where the hell have you been?”
“I’m on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and I just survived Hurricane Abby.”
“Ha, I’ll bet. Nothing ever changes. Where there’s a story, Veronique Whitcomb is on the scene. When do I get to see you?”
“Actually… I was calling because I need a favor.”
“Okay, what’s up?”
“I’m heading to Miami with a friend.”
“A friend? Male or female?” Teddy asked with a chuckle in her voice.
“Male, but I can’t get into it,” Veronique said quickly before Teddy wanted details. There was nothing she enjoyed more than discussing romance.
“Aw, why not?”
“Because it’s complicated.”
“When isn’t it complicated?” Teddy teased.
“I know, right? Anyway, I was wondering if you can get us a room at The Riviera for tomorrow night. I tried booking one, but there are no vacancies.” The Riviera Hotel was Teddy’s family’s luxury oceanfront hotel in South Beach, Miami.
“Hmm, could be because they’ve just started a massive renovation. I’ll call Sylvia now and make sure she works her magic to get you a room.” Sylvia was Teddy’s father’s executive secretary and Teddy’s surrogate mother since she’d lost her mom at a young age. “In whose name should I make the reservation?” she drawled playfully.
“Mine,” Veronique said, wishing she could say, “Make it in Nick Cameron’s name” instead. Teddy would’ve jumped up and down for joy and then gleefully tormented and teased her.
“Okay.”
“Thanks a million. Where are you living now?” Veronique asked.
“I’m in Paris for the fall. After that, who knows?”
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