The CEO Buys in (Wager of Hearts #1)

by Nancy Herkness

  “Hey, Chloe, what’s up?” Her friend’s familiar voice steadied her.

  “I’m really sorry, but I can’t continue at Trainor Electronics.” She took a deep breath and fumbled for a reason. “I feel like I’m here under false pretenses.”

  “You mean because you’re involved with the big boss?”

  “Was involved with him. We broke up on Saturday. I just saw him for the first time since then.”

  She heard Judith blow out a breath before she said, “Well, you predicted it would end. I told you the job has no probation period, so he can’t fire you as revenge. My advice is for you to tough it out until you get over him. Time heals all wounds, and the great salary and benefits will help the process along. And I’m not saying this because of my fee.”

  Chloe rested her forehead against the cool metal wall. “Judith, I did something stupid. I fell in love with him.”

  “Oh, damn. I was afraid of that.”

  “I hurt him, Judith. I did the same thing all the other women did. Used him for what he could give me.”

  “That’s garbage and you know it.”

  “It feels like that to me. And he believes it.” Chloe felt her decision come into focus. “I’m sorry, but I have to resign.”

  Judith’s sigh sounded in Chloe’s ear. “Okay, sweetie. Can you at least tell Roberta in HR that it’s a family issue? It’s almost true.”

  “Of course. I’ll make it clear you were shocked and disappointed by my decision. I don’t want to damage your relationship with Trainor Electronics.”

  “I know you don’t. You’re too nice for this whole mess. And I’ll keep working to get you placed, so don’t worry about that.”

  Chloe thanked Judith and hung up. She felt a curious sense of lightness. Guilt about the way she’d gotten the job had been weighing on her.

  She marched out of the stall to touch up her makeup before taking the elevator to the HR floor. Once Roberta got over her astonishment, she was surprisingly sympathetic, saying she understood the issues of having elderly relatives. Chloe wished she didn’t have to leave a company where the employees were treated so well. It proved that corporations weren’t all heartless.

  Chloe walked out of the HR office and headed back to the elevator. She reached for the “Down” button and then drew her hand back.

  She wanted to see Nathan one more time. To tell him she’d been wrong to take the job. She didn’t expect him to want her back, but she hoped he would think better of her. If he ever thought of her again. The contempt in his eyes on Saturday indicated he might dismiss her from his mind as not worth the trouble.

  She stretched her hand out again, hesitated a moment, and pushed the “Up” button.

  Chloe stood in front of the desk where it had all started. It seemed incredible that in just two weeks she’d experienced so many highs and lows.

  As she waited to find out if Nathan would see her, she remembered the first time they’d made love, and Nathan’s words as he’d walked away from her in the hospital. Maybe this was a bad idea.

  “Mr. Trainor is available now,” Janice said. She was a pleasant-looking fortyish woman, with short brown hair and a slight midwestern twang. She gave Chloe a smile. “I hear you did a great job when I was sick.”

  “Thanks.” Chloe couldn’t manage any more conversation because flutters of nerves were tightening her throat. She shifted her grip on her handbag and strode past Janice to pull open the big door into Nathan’s office, bracing herself for whatever he might sling at her.

  His desk was unoccupied, so she turned toward the windows. He was standing with his back to them. She could see the breadth of his shoulders, the length of his legs, and the way he had his hands thrust into his trousers pockets, but his face was in shadow. Not helpful.

  She closed the door, walked halfway across the carpeted floor, and stopped, holding her bag in front of her body with both hands.

  “How’s your first day of work going?” Nathan asked.

  His mundane question threw her off balance. “I, um—it’s not.”

  He moved forward a step and waved to a chair. “Tell me about it.”

  She ignored the invitation to sit. “I came to tell you that I’ve resigned.”

  “Is Phil that hard to work for?”

  “No, of course not.” What was going on here? “I resigned because what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have accepted the job, knowing that we were . . . involved. My only excuse is that I feel responsible for Grandmillie.”

  “I understand that.”

  Chloe flung her arms out. “Why are you being so polite? You hated me on Saturday. And I deserved it.”

  His shoulders lifted and fell on an expelled breath. “Not hated, but you struck a serious blow.”

  “I don’t blame you for anything you said. I acted like the worst kind of opportunist.”

  He took another step forward. “Look, neither one of us behaved well. I engineered the job here for my own convenience. If my motives had been as altruistic as I claimed, I would have found you a position at another company. So let’s say we both could have done better and leave it at that.”

  “Oh. All right.” She’d expected—maybe even wanted—more emotion from him. This calm, rational conversation was depressing. Their relationship hadn’t been deep enough for her presence to bother him a mere forty-eight hours after it ended. Well, that proved what everyone had told her all along, and it made her want to curl up in a ball and weep. “Fine. I just wanted you to know.” She half turned.

  “Chloe.” She pivoted back, a stupid little flame of hope coming to life in her heart. “My father came to see me yesterday. He brought back the sword.”

  The flame flickered out. “I thought you told him to keep it.”

  “I did.” Nathan took another step in her direction. “You were right about the wedding invitation. He wanted a second chance.”

  “Are you giving it to him?” Chloe held her breath for his answer.

  He didn’t answer her directly. “He told me pride is a wall that separates you from the people you love. He said that he was willing to make the first move and the second move and as many more moves as it took until I agreed to give him that chance.” He kept walking toward her as he spoke.

  Her heart turned a somersault in her chest. “How many moves did it take?”

  He stopped several feet away from her. “Two.” She could see his face now, but it was unreadable.

  “I’m glad.” She’d wanted that for Nathan and his father. She decided to ask one daring question. “So you believe in second chances?”

  “For some people.”

  Chloe could barely breathe. “Which ones?”

  His gray eyes were focused on her face. “The ones I love.”

  She swallowed her pride because she couldn’t help herself. “Am I one of those people?”

  Nathan closed the distance between them, coming so close that she could see shadows under his eyes and a dusting of stubble that showed he hadn’t shaved. He looked down at her and uttered one word. “Yes.”

  And then she was locked in his arms, her mouth against his as she wrapped her fists around his lapels to pull them closer together. He kissed her with a desperation that echoed her own, his embrace so intense it made her struggle to breathe.

  He lifted his head a fraction of an inch away from hers. “Tell me I’m one of those people for you, Chloe.”

  “I love you, Nathan. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to. Everyone told me not to, but I couldn’t stop it.”

  He smiled in a way that made her knees go weak. “I’m irresistible.”

  “To me.” She pulled his head down to give him her kind of kiss, one that held an apology and a promise.

  When she ended the kiss, he shifted his hands to her shoulders, holding her away from him. “You’ve brought so many good things back into my life, darling. I have so little to offer in return.”

  That last statement struck Chloe as funny. “I don’t mean to be mater
ialistic, but you’ve offered me a lot of things. Jewelry from Tiffany’s, clothes from Saks Fifth Avenue, airplane rides, dinners at gourmet restaurants.”

  “And you’ve thrown most of them back in my face,” he pointed out.

  “You still don’t get it. All I want you to offer is yourself.”

  He released her and held his arms out from his sides. “That’s what I’m doing. All I am is yours.”

  “That’s a heck of a lot,” Chloe said, her heart squeezing with overwhelming joy as she threw herself against him so he closed his open arms around her. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him again.

  “I need to explain the bet,” he said, his voice serious.

  A tremor of apprehension shook her. “Do I want to hear this?”

  “I’m not sure, but you deserve to know.” He led her to the couch and sat her down beside him in an echo of their scene in the hospital lounge. Not the image she wanted right now.

  He swiveled to look at her. “Remember Teresa?”

  Chloe nodded. “She had great shoes.”

  Nathan smiled briefly. “The night before you came to work for me, I found out she lied to me about our first meeting. I’d thought she might be different from the other women who just wanted something from me, but—” He shrugged. “I met Gavin and Luke that night. We got drunk together and made the wager you heard us talking about.”

  Nathan took both her hands in his warm, strong grip before he continued. “We each had one year to find a woman who chose us for ourselves and not our money or power or fame. If we failed, we had to forfeit something very important to us. But if we won, we won a lot more than just the bet.”

  “So you think you’ve won?” Happiness raced through Chloe.

  “Darling, I’m sure of it. But I don’t care about the wager. Knowing you love me is all I need to be a rich man.”

  EPILOGUE

  A few months later

  Even though the interior of the Rolls was toasty, Chloe snuggled up to Nathan, stroking her hand down the satin of his tuxedo lapel. “I still can’t believe I get to walk into these fancy parties holding hands with the best-looking man there,” she said.

  Nathan threaded his arm around her waist under the velvet cape she wore. The warmth of his palm on her hip seeped through the thin blue silk of her evening gown. “I used to hate those parties. Now I spend them thinking about how I’m going to make love to you once we leave. It’s a significant improvement.” His hand slid lower.

  Chloe trapped his wandering fingers under hers. “You said we have one stop to make before we go home, so no wrinkling the dress.” She tilted her head up to give him a hot look. “Yet.”

  He gave her thigh a quick squeeze before moving his hand to a less dangerous spot. “Do you think Grandmillie will have fired her new companion by the time we arrive?”

  Chloe chuckled. “No, she likes Taleesha. She says she’s a woman of good sense. I’m so relieved.”

  “Hank at Jersey Caregivers must be even more relieved.”

  “Grandmillie is particular about who she spends her time with.” Chloe sighed. “I knew she would be.”

  “She’s allowed.” Nathan shifted on the seat so Chloe found herself plastered against him. “Phil gave me an earful today about how selfish I was to force you to leave Trainor Electronics. He had lunch with your boss and heard all about the great work you’re doing for Allitel.”

  “At least I’m not working for a competitor,” Chloe said as gratification made her grin. Judith had found her the job three weeks after she’d resigned from Trainor Electronics. Chloe had made Nathan swear not to intervene in any way, so she knew she’d gotten the position on her own merits. “It’s almost as good a company to work for as Trainor.”

  “And the location is convenient.” Nathan bent to kiss the side of her neck.

  Delicious shivers danced down over Chloe’s breasts at his touch . . . and at the thought of her occasional lunchtime visits to Nathan’s office. They would barely manage to wolf down one of the sandwiches Janice ordered for them before Nathan would have her stretched out on top of his desk or bent over one of the armchairs.

  “Dad says you need to come down to visit Allitel’s regional office in Raleigh. He wants to take you out to dinner at a great restaurant he knows there.” Nathan picked up her free hand and toyed with her fingers. “I might join you there.”

  Nathan and his father were finding their way to a new relationship, but he still liked to have Chloe around when he was with the general. The Marine had taken a liking to her, and it softened some of the edges of his forceful personality, making it easier for Nathan to connect with him. Angel’s presence also helped, and Nathan was coming to terms with the prospect of having a very young half sibling. In fact, Angel had asked him to be the child’s godfather, much to Nathan’s initial consternation but ultimate pleasure.

  “I’m sure I can come up with an excuse for a road trip,” Chloe said, “as long as you’re coming too.” Especially now that Grandmillie had Taleesha.

  Nathan’s hold on her tightened. “You didn’t really think I’d let you go without me.”

  “Well, you went to Japan for four days alone.”

  “Only because you wouldn’t quit your job and come with me.”

  Chloe laughed. He had suggested she do that, which had made her heart flutter with delight because he wanted her company that much.

  The Rolls glided to a stop, and Chloe peered out the window. They were parked in front of a brownstone adorned with fantastic gargoyles and ornate curlicues, all thrown into high relief by dramatic up-lighting. A small black shield was attached to the wall beside the door with the gold initials B. C. intertwined.

  “What is this place?” she asked.

  “The Bellwether Club.”

  “This is where you made that bet.” Chloe sat back.

  “Yes, and I brought you here to prove that I won.”

  “Luke and Gavin already know me,” Chloe said, not moving from her seat. Although she now considered the two men friends, she hadn’t quite forgiven them for the part they’d played in the four most miserable days of her life.

  “They need to see the ring,” Nathan said.

  Chloe wiggled the fingers of her left hand to make the sapphire and its surrounding diamonds flash in the light. She still felt like a bit of a show-off wearing it. “It doesn’t seem real yet.”

  He lifted his hand to take her chin and turn her face toward his. “Darling, there’s nothing more real than what we have between us.” The playful gleam was absent from his eyes as he said it.

  He kissed her and pushed the car door open, taking her hand to help her out of the car. “Now let’s go rub it in.”

  A staff member met them by a marble-topped table decorated with a giant bouquet of flowers, taking Chloe’s cape and Nathan’s overcoat. “Ms. Hogan is waiting for you in her office.”

  “Ms. Hogan?” Chloe threw a questioning glance at Nathan as he led her down a wide hallway carpeted with jewel-colored Oriental rugs.

  “Frankie Hogan is the keeper of the betting paperwork. She’s also the owner of the club.” He ushered her into a cozy room furnished with plush green wing chairs and a warmly glowing fireplace.

  The inner door was open, and a slender woman stood framed in it, her white pageboy catching gold glints from the fire. She wore a pantsuit so dark Chloe couldn’t tell exactly what color it was. “I’m Frankie Hogan. Welcome to the Bellwether Club,” the woman said, the rasp of her voice reminding Chloe of smoky Irish bars. “You must be Chloe Russell.”

  “I am.” Chloe shook Frankie’s tiny hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

  “I told them all they had to bring in the women who had the misfortune to fall in love with them,” Frankie said, but a twinkle in her eye took the sting out of her words. She scanned Chloe’s face for a long moment. “Come in.”

  Chloe followed her through the door into a large office that looked nothing like the rest of the club. It was brightly lit and held c
lean-lined modern furniture designed for function as well as form. Steel-framed French doors gave onto a garden featuring a sensuous abstract sculpture, now dusted with snow.

  Frankie stopped in front of what appeared to be a cupboard door before she turned to Chloe. “Let’s see the ring.”

  Chloe held up her hand, the bright light glittering off the facets of the gems.

  “Nice,” Frankie said, throwing an approving glance at Nathan. “Substantial but not ostentatious.”

  Nathan laughed. “I had to balance my desire to let everyone know she belonged to me against Chloe’s accusations that I don’t live in the real world.”

  “Ha!” Frankie barked as she typed in a combination that opened the door. Behind it was a massive utilitarian safe with a dial and a slot. Frankie put her body between the dial and her two guests as she twirled it. Then she pulled a strangely shaped key from her pocket and fed it into the slot.

  “No biometrics?” Nathan asked. Chloe loved that his inventor’s mind was always working.

  “I’m not having someone cut off my thumb to open a damned safe,” Frankie said, swinging the foot-thick door open.

  “Wise,” Nathan said.

  The older woman pulled out a leather portfolio, shuffled through the papers in it, and removed a thick cream-colored envelope. “I understand you’ve decided I should mark the still-sealed envelope with ‘wager satisfied’ and my initials. You wish me to retain it until the end of the one-year time frame of the bet.”

  “That’s correct,” Nathan confirmed.

  Frankie carried the envelope to her desk, where she picked up a black fountain pen, scrawled the two words and her initials on the vellum, and blotted it.

  “Why not just shred it since you’ve won?” Chloe asked, a little miffed that the bet would linger on.

  “We want to destroy them—or reveal them—all at the same time.” He took Chloe’s hands in his and faced her. “We were gambling with the most important of our possessions: our hearts. A wager like that deserves the respect of ritual.”