Whatever You Like

by Maureen Smith

  Morgan glanced dubiously out the windows. “I ain’t going back out in that downpour.”

  “You have to,” Lena said with a chuckle. “I haven’t had a chance to go grocery shopping yet, so I don’t have any food.”

  “Ever heard of takeout?”

  “Wimp.”

  Morgan chuckled, returning her attention to the photos. “You certainly did a lot in one week. Oh, look at those beautiful mountains!” She turned the laptop toward Lena. “Where was that?”

  Lena glanced at the screen and smiled. “That was an island called Hokkaido. Very scenic lakes and forests. We went hiking through one of the national parks and bathed in the hot springs.”

  “Out in the open? Naked?”

  Lena bit her lip, blushed and nodded.

  Morgan grinned, and began clicking eagerly through the slideshow.

  “What’re you doing?” Lena asked.

  “Trying to see if Roderick shows up naked in one of these pictures.”

  Lena laughed. “You wish!”

  “I do. I really do.”

  Grinning and shaking her head, Lena rose from the sofa and started toward the kitchen. “I’m getting a takeout menu. What’re you in the mood for?”

  “Japanese food, thanks to these pictures. But I’ll settle for some deep-dish.”

  “Pizza it is, then. Do you want the usual—”

  Suddenly Morgan gasped.

  Alarmed, Lena spun around. “What? What is it?”

  Morgan lifted her head from the laptop and stared at Lena. “Come look at this photo.”

  With a puzzled frown, Lena retraced her steps to the sofa and peered over her sister’s shoulder. The moment her gaze landed on the photograph in question, she understood why Morgan had reacted so strongly.

  It was one of the pictures that had been taken by the friendly tourist at the Imperial Palace East Garden. He must have snapped off a shot before Lena and Roderick were ready, because they weren’t looking into the camera. Roderick was smiling tenderly at Lena. And she…oh, God. In that brief, unguarded moment she’d gazed at him with her heart laid bare.

  With just one press of a button, a complete stranger had exposed a truth Lena had been trying to outrun for days.

  “Oh. My. God.” Morgan gaped at her. “You’re in love with him.”

  Lena pressed her fist against her mouth, but the choked sob escaped anyway.

  Morgan’s expression softened with concern. “Lena?”

  She shook her head helplessly, tears scalding her eyes and blurring her vision. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she whispered.

  “What do you mean?” Morgan asked gently.

  “I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong.”

  “Handle what?”

  “Our arrangement.” Lena gulped painfully. “The damn deal we made.”

  Morgan rose from the sofa, draped a comforting arm around Lena’s shoulders and steered her back to the sofa. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  And just like that, the story came pouring out of Lena, along with the tears. She told her sister everything, starting from the night she and Roderick met to their bittersweet goodbye at the airport yesterday morning. By the time she was finished, she’d gone through half a box of tissues and sobbed through Morgan’s new designer shirt. Morgan, God bless her, didn’t seem to mind.

  “Oh, sis,” she soothed, gently rubbing Lena’s back. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “I know,” Lena mumbled miserably. “I was ashamed to tell you. Not only had I slept with a client, but then I agreed to continue sleeping with him for money. I could only imagine what you’d think of me.”

  “I would have thought that you’re human,” Morgan said with wry amusement. “Only a superhuman could have resisted such a tempting offer from Roderick Brand. As you may recall, I’m the one who told you to let him be your sugar daddy.”

  Lena managed a teary laugh. “You weren’t serious about that.”

  “Says who?”

  Shaking her head, Lena drew away and leaned her head back against the sofa. Staring up at the ceiling, she whispered hoarsely, “God, I’m such a mess.”

  “Yes, you are,” Morgan agreed softly. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”

  “You could start by telling him how you feel,” Morgan suggested.

  Lena swallowed hard. “I could. But I don’t think I could handle it if he didn’t return my feelings.”

  “Well,” Morgan said speculatively, glancing at the laptop screen, “judging by the way he’s smiling at you in this photo, I’d say your chances are pretty good. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.”

  Lena followed the direction of her sister’s gaze. Her heart squeezed at the memory of what Roderick had said to her as they posed on the bridge. I want as many souvenirs as possible.

  Did she dare hope that he felt the same way about her?

  “Even if you don’t tell him yourself, he’ll know the moment he sees this picture.” Morgan smiled quietly. “I did.”

  She had a point.

  Lena pushed out a shaky breath and raked a hand through her hair. “Okay. Suppose I tell him how I feel, and he asks me to quit my job at the agency?”

  “I’d fully expect him to,” Morgan said pragmatically. “Why would a guy like that want to share his girlfriend with other men?”

  Lena frowned. “But what about Poppa? Even if you and I pooled our resources, we couldn’t afford to pay for Lakeview Manor on our salaries. We explored that option before, remember? We couldn’t make the numbers work.”

  “Okay,” Morgan said slowly. “Here’s another thought. If you and Roderick were dating, he could pay for the retirement home. Hell, he could build Poppa his own private facility, something even bigger and better than where he is now.”

  Lena’s frown deepened. “Poppa’s my responsibility, not Roderick’s. There’s no way I’d ask him to foot the bill just because we’re dating—”

  “And he happens to be filthy rich.” Morgan grinned.

  Lena scowled.

  “Anyway,” Morgan pointed out, “you probably wouldn’t have to ask Roderick to do it—he’d do it on his own. For you, and for Poppa. Didn’t you see the way they bonded?”

  Lena groaned. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I haven’t even told the man how I feel about him.”

  “When does he get back from Japan?”

  “I don’t know. Monday, at the earliest.”

  “That’s almost a week away! You can’t wait that long to tell him, Lena.”

  She sighed heavily. “I know.” Hell, if she waited another hour—let alone five days—she’d lose her nerve and talk herself out of saying anything.

  Rising from the sofa, Morgan said, “I’d better let you get to it.”

  On second thought. “No, Morg, don’t go yet.”

  Her sister hesitated. “Why not?”

  “You braved the nasty weather just to come over here and have dinner with me, so that’s what we’re doing. I’ll call Roderick later.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” Lena mustered a wobbly smile. “Family first.”

  Morgan’s dark eyes twinkled. “If my hunch is right about Roderick’s feelings, he’ll soon be family, too.”

  After Morgan left, Lena summoned the courage to call Roderick. She knew it was after 7:00 a.m. in Tokyo. With any luck, she could catch him before he headed to the office.

  Her heart thudded while she waited for him to answer the phone. One ring, two, three—

  “Hello.” His deep voice sounded clipped, distracted.

  Lena swallowed and tried to calm her shaking nerves. “Good morning.”

  There was a pause. Then, in a gentler tone, he said, “Hey, beautiful.”

  Her knees went weak, and she sank to the sofa. “Hey, yourself. I thought I’d try to reach you before you left for the office.”

  “I’m on my way now.
Just marinating in traffic.”

  “Oh.” She felt a pang of guilt. “I guess if you’d taken one of those other penthouses, you’d have been closer to the office.”

  “Pretty much.” He paused, then added softly, “But none of those other places had a teahouse.”

  Her heart soared. “I’ll never forget—”

  The rest of her declaration was drowned out by the sudden cacophony of blaring horns, followed by Roderick’s muffled expletive. A moment later he came back on the line sounding disgusted. “Sorry about that. Damn crazy drivers.”

  “Worse than Chicagoans?”

  “Most definitely.”

  She grinned. “How’d I know you’d say that?”

  He hummed a noncommittal note, distracted again.

  She heard papers rustling in the background. She envisioned him in the backseat of his chauffeured car, dressed in one of his impeccably tailored suits, leather briefcase open on his lap, his black brows furrowed in concentration as he perused documents on his sleek, high-tech laptop.

  “If this is a bad time, I can try you later,” she offered.

  “No, this is fine. I’m in meetings all day, so this is probably the only chance we’ll get to talk.” She heard tapping as his fingers flew rapidly across the computer keyboard.

  Inwardly she sighed. Great. She’d called to pour out her heart to him, to tell him that she loved him and didn’t want to live without him. And he was multitasking.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered darkly. “It’s been one of those mornings.”

  “I understand. Really, I can just call you tom—”

  “No, it’s okay. I just had to send off that last message. The rest can wait until I get to the office.” He blew out a deep, ragged breath. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” I miss you. I miss hanging out with you. I miss falling asleep in your arms and waking up with you inside me. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same without you.

  “Did you go to work today?” he asked her.

  “I did.”

  “You should have stayed home. You got in late from a twelve-hour flight.”

  “I know, but I had that professional development training that I promised Ethan I’d attend if he gave me the week off. Tomorrow’s Friday, so at least I have the weekend to catch up on sleep.”

  “You won’t, though. You’re like the Energizer Bunny.”

  She laughed. “Look who’s talking.”

  He chuckled softly. She waited for him to make a suggestive remark about his staying power, but instead he asked, “How’s your grandfather?”

  Ignoring a stab of disappointment, she replied, “He’s doing great. I called him when I got back and told him I’d see him on Saturday to give him his souvenirs.”

  “Cool.”

  “Of course,” Lena drawled wryly, “Morgan couldn’t wait till Saturday to receive the gifts I brought back for her. All I had to do was mention clothes, and she rushed right over after work.”

  Roderick chuckled. “A clotheshorse, just like my sisters.”

  Lena grinned. “They’d probably get along fabulously.”

  “Probably.”

  Lena found herself holding her breath, hoping he’d suggest that their sisters should meet. But he said nothing more.

  She cleared her throat. “I was just, um, showing Morgan the photos from my trip.” She hesitated, biting her lower lip. “Have you looked at them yet?”

  “Honestly, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance. All hell broke loose after you left yesterday.”

  “Really? I’m sorry to hear that.” Guilt gnawed at her. Maybe things had slipped through the cracks while he was spending so much time with her. “What’s going on?”

  “Kawamoto’s company—my company—just got slapped with a patent lawsuit by one of our competitors.”

  “Oh, no,” Lena exclaimed. “That’s terrible, Roderick.”

  “The lawsuit is baseless,” he said grimly, “but trying to unsnarl this mess is going to cost time, money and resources I hadn’t anticipated. I’ve been on the phone with the lawyers and company execs since the crack of dawn.”

  “No wonder you sounded so tense when you answered the phone,” Lena murmured sympathetically.

  “Yeah.” He heaved a long, deep breath.

  A knot of dread tightened in Lena’s stomach. “With all that’s going on,” she said quietly, “it doesn’t sound like you’re going to be able to return home on Monday.”

  There was a heavy pause. “I’m not. In fact, it may be a while before I’m back in Chicago.”

  Her heart plummeted. She was afraid to ask, but she knew she had to. “How long?”

  “I can’t say right now. At least three months. Maybe more.”

  Lena closed her eyes. She felt as if she were drowning, slowly suffocating.

  “I’ve authorized the release of the grant funds. Your college should receive the check next week.” His tone was suddenly brisk, impersonal. As if he were merely concluding one of his business transactions. Was that all she’d been to him? A business transaction that had served its purpose, but had now run its course?

  “Thanks,” she murmured. “Ethan will be very pleased.”

  “I’m sure. How soon will you receive your promotion?”

  “I don’t know…I haven’t given it much thought.”

  “Of course.” His tone was faintly mocking. “You have other sources of income.”

  Anger flared in her chest. “That’s right,” she said tartly. “I do. And now that our little arrangement is over, I can go back to earning my ‘other sources of income.’”

  “Right,” he drawled sarcastically. “New people, new experiences.”

  Taken aback by the unexpected assault, she whispered harshly, “Why are you doing this? Why are you saying these things to me?”

  He fell silent for so long she wondered whether they’d lost their connection—literally and figuratively.

  “Roderick—?”

  “Look, I need to go,” he said abruptly. “I’m at the office, and they’re waiting for me to start a meeting. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t bother,” Lena snapped.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. It was fun while it lasted, Roderick. We both got what we wanted out of the deal, so there’s no need to drag this out any longer.”

  “Is that what we’re doing?” His voice was chillingly soft.

  “Take care of yourself, Roderick.” She forced the words past a throat clogged with raw emotion. “I wish you the best.”

  He paused for a long moment. “So that’s it.”

  She swallowed. “Yes.”

  “Whatever you say, Lena.” The line went dead.

  Calmly and deliberately, she disconnected, then dialed another number.

  On the second ring, Zandra answered, “Hello?”

  “Zandra. It’s Lena.”

  “Hey, Lena. What’s up?”

  She took a deep breath. “I’m ready to come back to work.”

  There was a pregnant pause. “Are you sure?”

  Lena closed her eyes to prevent the tears that threatened. “As sure as I’ll ever be.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Nursing a glass of champagne, Lena swept a disinterested glance over the crowd of fashionably dressed strangers. It was another Saturday night. Another elegant ballroom. Another swanky function attended by some of Chicago’s movers and shakers.

  And she couldn’t wait to go home.

  “Having a good time?” asked her companion, Dylan Chapman, an attractive, dark-haired Englishman who was in Chicago on business.

  Lena forced an upbeat smile. “Of course. You?”

  Amused green eyes met hers. “About as good a time as you’re having,” he said with a smooth, cultured British accent.

  A guilty flush heated Lena’s face. “I’m sorry,” she murmured sheepishly. “I’m afraid I haven’t been very good company tonight, have I?”

  “It
’s not you. It’s this bloody soiree.” He raked a distasteful glance around the room. “I’d rather swim buck naked across the English Channel in the middle of February than be forced to endure another one of these dull, pretentious gatherings.”

  Lena nearly spit out her champagne. “Dylan!” she gasped.

  He grinned at her. “I’m sorry—was that too candid?”

  “Well, no, not really.” She laughed, using a napkin to dab at her mouth. “But I don’t understand. If you don’t want to be here, why did you come?”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice,” Dylan admitted with a wry grimace. “The company I work for expects me to attend these dreadful functions and schmooze with all the right people.”

  Lena gave him a rueful smile. “And schmoozing’s not really your thing.”

  “Not by any stretch.” He smiled winsomely. “My only consolation is that you were able to accompany me this evening. I was crushed when I contacted the agency three weeks ago and Miss Kennedy told me you’d be unavailable for a while.”

  Lena arched an amused brow. “Crushed?”

  “Inconsolable.” He grinned. “I’m glad I took a chance and called the agency again. Let that be a lesson to anyone who says persistence doesn’t pay off.”

  Lena chuckled. “I’m flattered that I made such an impression on you, Dylan, considering that our previous encounter consisted of a ten-minute conversation at a party held over four months ago.”

  “The best ten minutes of that whole dreary evening, I assure you.” He smiled at her. “Since neither of us seems to be enjoying ourselves, what do you say we cut out early and grab a cup of coffee somewhere?”

  Lena smiled. Dylan was a smart, funny, attractive man whose company she enjoyed. But the way he’d been flirting with her throughout the evening made it obvious that he was interested in more than sharing coffee with her. The last thing she wanted to do was lead him on. God knows she’d had more than enough drama with clients.

  “Not that your offer doesn’t sound tempting,” she answered smoothly, “but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.”

  Dylan chuckled. “It’s just as well. The gentleman who’s been glowering at us for the past five minutes would probably take great satisfaction in dismembering me if I tried to sneak out of here with you.”