Trying to dismiss his disappointment that Lacey had left without him, he thanked Jess for the ride.
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. Daddy should be out at any moment. I’m sure you’re both starving. What do you say we all grab a bite to eat first?”
“That’s a fine idea.” Arthur Wingate came strolling out of the dressing room at that exact moment and beamed at his daughter. “Why, this will give the three of us a great chance to catch up a bit. Don’t you think, son?”
Alex scrambled to think of a reason why he couldn’t possibly stay for dinner but was at a loss. The only thing left to do was make the most of an unpleasant situation. And he’d heard the restaurant at the club made a killer steak. “Sure. Sounds good.”
Jess insisted that the dinner be purely sociable and refused to allow either man to discuss business, which helped Alex to relax during the first course. At least he wouldn’t be grilled on first quarter earnings revenues or the next shareholders meeting. Although that didn’t stop father or daughter from gossiping about the other board members. Alex made sure to keep his mouth shut and his ears open as they aired their friends’ dirty laundry.
“…but of course Marcus’s new wife— Alex, you remember Marcus don’t you?” Jess asked.
Alex shook his head. “I haven’t had the pleasure.”
Wingate looked concerned. “That’s right. I believe he was elected to the board while you were overseas. And then he was away when your father passed. It’s a shame you haven’t gotten to know him; I have a feeling the two of you would get along like gangbusters. Don’t you think so, Jess?”
Jess still seemed to be recovering from shock after learning he didn’t already know this legendary Marcus.
“I have a brilliant idea.” Eyes sparkling with excitement, she announced, “I’m throwing you a party.”
“What? Why? No. I mean no, thank you.” But Alex’s refusal was drowned out by her father’s booming voice which was praising her wonderful plan.
“That’s a great idea, sweetheart. It’ll give all the board members a chance to get to know the prodigal son—er, no offense, son—in a nice, casual environment.”
Jess was nodding excitedly, and Alex sat and watched in bewilderment as the father and daughter went into a whirlwind of party planning, railroading him every time he tried to utter a protest.
It was settled. Jess would host a cocktail party at her father’s house that Friday. Alex, scrambling to come up with a conflict, blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I can’t make it on Friday.”
They both turned to him with a look of surprise. Alex was fairly certain they’d forgotten he was at the table until that moment.
“Why not?” Jess asked.
“Er, Friday night the employees have a happy hour.” He saw the Wingates share an amused look and barreled on. “I think it’s important at this point to show the employees that I’m part of the team. Get to know them outside of work.”
Jess gave him a blank look and then shrugged. “Fine. Invite them. Invite whoever you want. The more the merrier, right Daddy?”
And just like that, Alex’s last, and most feeble, line of defense was effectively shot down.
Alex bid father and daughter goodbye and ran into the hotel lobby. He didn’t stop to overanalyze his actions before stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the sixteenth floor. Lacey’s floor.
His heart was racing with adrenaline and a newfound optimism. For the first time since he’d discovered he was expected to take his father’s place, he was beginning to feel confident. Maybe he could pull this off after all … with Lacey’s help.
He knocked on her hotel room door, practically bouncing on his toes as he mentally rehearsed how he would thank her for what she’d done for him. But when she opened the door, clad in a robe and her damp curls loose around her shoulders—all words got caught in his throat.
She was staring up at him in surprise. She wore no makeup, just a rosy glow from the shower—and Alex was certain she’d never been more beautiful.
The silence stretched on for a moment too long, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. “Did you want something?”
“I-uh-I—”
Lacey’s look of surprise turned to amusement as she watched him flounder for words. “Do you want to come in?”
He shut his mouth and nodded. Once inside, he turned to face her. “I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.”
Her sudden smile knocked the air straight out of his lungs and left his brain an addled mess for the second time in as many minutes.
“So I take it the steam room was a success?”
He returned the smile and did his best to avoid looking down. He was willing to bet she was naked beneath that robe. He took a deep breath and willed his mind to focus on anything else.
His agony must have shown on his face because Lacey was watching him with concern. “Alex, are you all right?”
“Yeah, I uh—I just need some air.”
She took a step closer, and he smelled the warm, clean scent of her skin. It was his undoing.
“Oh God, Lace, you are so beautiful.” It came out in a rush of air and was met with stunned silence.
He saw her cheeks flush at the compliment, and she seemed unsure of how to respond. “Thank you.”
Alex ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here.” But he made no move to leave. He couldn’t bring himself to turn away, not when she was standing there, so close he could reach out and touch her.
Her breathing was ragged. She licked her lips and pulled her robe closer around her body. She felt it too.
“Lacey, do you want me to leave?”
If she said yes, he would leave without argument, without protest. Please don’t say yes.
“No. Yes.” She shook her head in frustration and threw up her hands. “I don’t know.”
Alex resisted the urge to reach out to her and pull her into his arms. He tried to command his rational mind to work. “Is it because of Sam?” he asked. The thought that she was in love with another man was enough to make Alex’s fists clench in rage. But he wouldn’t push her if she truly was committed to Sam. He would not be that guy.
Now it was Lacey’s turn to fumble for words. “No, it’s not that. Sam is not—I mean, Sam and I, we’re not—”
“I swear to God, Lace, if you say ‘it’s complicated—‘” he started.
Lacey let out a rush of air. “We’re not together.”
He stared at her as she paced back and forth in front of him. “What do you mean? Did you call it off? When did this happen?”
Lacey raised a hand to stop his questions. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. Just know that Sam and I are never going to be married.”
He had to stop a torrent of questions that were dying to escape. The details could wait. Just knowing that she wasn’t going to marry another man was enough. The relief was overwhelming. She was free to be his. Elation rose in his chest at the very thought.
“What about you and Jess?”
Her question put a momentary pause on his joy. He knew what Jess wanted. And what his grandfather and her father wanted. His gaze swept over the sweet, caring, stunning woman before him.
Well too bad for them, because Alex knew what he wanted.
“There is nothing between us.” He grinned at the look of relief on her face.
“But today at the club she said—”
“I can only imagine what she said,” Alex interrupted. “But it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be with her again. When I was young, I was an idiot. I couldn’t see how selfish she was or how fickle. But now, after everything I’ve been through, I can’t not see that side of her. You know?”
Lacey nodded. “She could be useful for the election, though. She made it clear that she could ensure your victory.”
He took a step closer until she was mere inches away and studied her face. “Do you think I need her help?”
“With your help,” he added.
Her grin was cocky as she planted a hand on her hip. “Well, of course with my help. You’d be hopeless without me.”
He laughed as he pulled her into his arms and cupped her cheek with his palm. “You know that’s true.”
She was soft and warm pressed against his chest, filling a void he hadn’t known existed. He traced a forefinger down her cheekbone and over her lips, watching as her eyes grew heavy with desire.
He let one hand slide down her back to press her bottom closer against him as his lips found hers in a kiss that made him forget his name. Her tongue flickered against his lips, and he groaned in sweet agony as he captured her mouth with his own and slid his tongue along hers.
The feel of her pressing against him, trying to burrow closer against him was almost enough to push him over the edge. His mouth trailed along her neck, and he heard her gasp for breath when he parted the robe, baring her beautiful round breasts.
She moaned his name when his lips followed his fingers down to her rosy nipples. He nipped and suckled as she writhed against him, her hands burrowed into his hair.
The hotel telephone ringing brought them to a jarring halt. Lacey wriggled out of his grasp and pulled her robe tightly across herself, covering her naked body. They were both panting and Alex ached to pull her into his arms but the ill-timed phone call had brought them both into reality.
“We can’t do this,” Lacey said. Her voice was breathy and her expression pleading as she faced him.
Alex cursed under his breath and turned to pace the room, hoping the movement would help to alleviate the desire that was still pumping through his body.
“Why not?” he challenged. “We’re two consenting adults. Neither of us in a committed relationship, at the moment at least,” he added with a nod toward her ring finger.
“That’s not the only thing standing in our way and you know it.” Lacey had turned away from him and was rifling through a drawer looking for clothes.
“If it’s Jess you’re worried about, I thought you agreed I could win this thing on my own.” Alex hated the insecurity he heard in his voice. He hated how much he needed Lacey to believe in him. But he did. He could face Wingate and the rest of the board with confidence if he knew that Lacey trusted him to do this. He needed her by his side.
He let his breath out in a rush of relief when she spun around with a look of impatience. “I know you can do this on your own.” She stalked toward him, impatience clear in every movement. “Listen to me, Lawrence Alexander Newsom. You are more than qualified to lead this company and to take responsibility for the employees and their future. Understood?”
He nodded meekly in the face of her drill sergeant pose and the rude pointer finger that was shoved in his face.
“Then what’s the problem?” He watched with regret as she slipped a pair of panties on beneath her robe and reached for a pair of jeans.
“The problem is, you can win this election on your own, but you can’t afford to make any enemies. You can’t afford to alienate your biggest ally or turn this into some competition where Arthur Wingate and his daughter are out to sabotage you.”
Alex opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand to silence him. “Let’s face it. Jess wants you. And while I don’t think you should play along with her game, I also think it would be incredibly stupid to piss her off. Hell hath no fury and all that.”
Alex walked toward her, but she had turned so she could slip into a bra and T-shirt.
“I can handle Jess.”
Fully clothed, she turned to face him, and the sad look in her eyes was enough to assure him that this was just as difficult for her. “Jess isn’t the only problem,” she said. “My job and my reputation are at stake. I can’t afford to risk it all over some physical attraction.”
Her words stung as though she’d slapped him across the face. “Is that all this is for you?” he asked. “You think this is just physical?”
Lacey looked away and had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I don’t know what this is. And neither do you.”
“That’s the point; we haven’t had a chance to figure this out.” He tipped her chin up, so she was forced to look at him. “I know there’s more to this, Lace. There’s desire, yes, but there’s also an understanding. A connection. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”
Lacey’s eyes grew misty and he saw her lower lip tremble at his frank admission. “Me neither.” Her voice was so soft he could barely hear her.
He brushed a stray curl out of her face and leaned in so his forehead was touching hers and their lips were so close he could feel her warm breath on his cheek. “So what are we going to do?”
He felt her shrug. “I don’t know.”
She sounded so forlorn, he wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go. “Meeting you has been the only good thing that’s happened to me since my father died.”
The admission seemed to surprise her. He looked into her eyes. “I know the timing is off, but I don’t want to let this go. I don’t want to let you go.”
A slow smile spread across her face and lit up her eyes.
“Let’s make a deal,” he said. “We’ll keep it strictly professional until the election and after that, no matter what happens, we give this thing between us a fair chance.”
After studying him for a moment, she gave a little nod. “Yeah, okay. It’s a deal.”
Alex felt like he’d just won the Olympics. They had a shot. He would have an opportunity to show Lacey how amazing she was and how much she meant to him. Life was good.
“There’s one problem, though,” Lacey said.
Alex felt his heart plummet at her look of disappointment. It was Sam. She wasn’t ready to move on. “What is it?”
“I live in San Francisco, and you live in New York,” she said.
Alex stared at her in surprise for a moment before laughing with relief. She scowled up at him. “It’s not funny,” she protested.
“It kind of is,” he said. “You do remember that I’m a pilot, right? And that my family owns a fleet of private jets?”
The blush that spread across her cheeks as she bit her lip to keep from laughing was almost too cute to bear. “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”
He leaned down so his lips were close to her ear—and dangerously close to her lips. “Lace, if you think three thousand miles could keep me away from you, you’re crazy.”
Chapter Nine
ALEX HAD TAKEN Jess up on her offer to invite anyone and everyone he wanted to the cocktail party she was throwing in his honor. Which meant, he’d invited the entire fifty-person New York City branch of Newsom Industries. Which meant, the party was all anyone could talk about that week.
“So who are you bringing as your date?” Raj was half buried in the break room refrigerator looking for the last can of orange soda.
“No one. This is a networking event for me, remember? I’m only going to make nice with the board members.”
It was a partial truth. If Alex had his way, his charming public speaking coach would be his date. But they’d both agreed that would be a terrible idea. He could only imagine Jess’s reaction if he showed up to the party that she was hosting with another woman on his arm.
He’d managed to evade Jess since their meeting at the country club. It hadn’t been too hard since he had legitimately been working around the clock. Between catching up on the company’s current status with his grandfather and Lacey’s barrage of lessons and practice speeches, he hadn’t had time to socialize with anyone. He’d only seen her when she’d stopped into the office to say hello or bring him lunch and even then, their little chats had been interrupted by urgent phone calls and meetings.
He wasn’t a monster. He’d felt guilty every
time he’d seen Jess—kissed her on the cheek, let her believe that there was a chance they would get together. Not that he thought her heart would be broken if she knew the truth—that he would rather date a tarantula than get involved with her again—but because he knew he was leading her on.
He’d heard enough gossip from their mutual friends and could read between the lines when talking to Jess to know that she’d recently been dumped by the man of her dreams. A guy who was her social equivalent, wealthy and handsome, by all accounts. It wasn’t exactly great for his ego to realize that he was her backup plan—the guy she could count on to love her if all else failed. But he could still understand that she was disappointed with life—with the hand she’d been dealt.
And now he was playing her just like she’d always played him. He supposed it was karma, but that logic didn’t thaw the guilt that ate at him every time she was near.
It wasn’t like he was professing his love or making promises he didn’t intend to keep. But he wasn’t being upfront with her either. He was letting her believe what she wanted to believe because it served his purpose.
He should be better than this.
But it was almost over now. He just had to make it through the weekend with no confrontations or upsets, and he might just stand a chance at defeating Marcus for the position of president. Step one, get through tomorrow night’s party.
“What about you, man? Are you bringing anyone?” Alex asked.
His outgoing friend turned shy. Alex’s eyes widened. “Uh oh. What’s that look about?”
Even beneath his friend’s dark skin, he could see his skin flush with embarrassment. “It’s nothing. I just—I was thinking about asking Heather.”
“Heather? As in, sweet and friendly receptionist Heather?”
Raj nodded. “It’s a dumb idea, right? I mean, she’s probably already got a date.”
Alex tried to hide his amusement. He’d never seen his friend crush on someone before. He suddenly felt like he was back in middle school. “No, man, I think it’s a great idea.”
Less Than Three: A Romantic Comedy Page 9