She stared into Miles’s intense green eyes and asked herself if she could risk shattering their fledgling relationship, and the answer was a resounding no. He was different than any other man she’d ever dated. And he wanted her. Really wanted her. That was a feeling she’d never experienced before. Most of the other men she’d gone out with had always kept themselves aloof, except if they’d wanted sex.
Maybe part of that had been her fault. Choosing men who were commitment-shy because deep down Chloe was afraid to trust completely, or to give herself to another without restraint. Losing her dad and seeing how his death had affected her mom had left deep emotional scars. Loving someone so completely was scary. There had always been something lacking in her previous relationships—whether it was her partners’ fault, or her own. But now, even after this impossibly short time, she knew exactly what that something was. Intimacy and commitment. And Miles appeared to be prepared to give both those things to her.
“Don’t think you can scare me away so easily,” Chloe said, deliberately keeping her tone light even though what they were discussing was 100 percent serious. “I absolutely want to spend today and the weekend with you. And I hope our friendship won’t stop there, Miles. Besides, who else is going to cook me eggs like these?”
She saw him visibly relax and realized, with some relief, that she’d struck just the right note.
“Well, aside from Martha, who retired several years ago and who lives in Texas, there isn’t anyone who can cook eggs just like these, so it looks like we’re stuck with each other. In the best possible way, of course.”
She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. She really liked how he spoke seriously one minute, then resorted to humor the next. This was going to be a very provocative weekend. But, it occurred to her, today was only Friday.
“Don’t you have work today?”
He shrugged. “One of the perks of being the head honcho. I can delegate, and I did. I rang my office while you were in the shower. They’ll manage just fine without me for a day. I want to give you my full attention, get to know you better. You know, the usual stuff people do when they like each other.”
Like? She had no doubt she was in danger of more than liking him. And she suspected he felt the same way. The novelty of that was incredibly refreshing.
“That sounds like fun. I’d like that. Have you thought about what we might do today, aside from pick up a change of clothing for me, that is?”
She plucked at the lapels of his robe. When she’d put it on she’d caught the faint whiff of his cologne and it had done crazy things to her insides. She had felt like a giddy schoolgirl wearing her boyfriend’s sweater for the very first time. It was ridiculous, really, and yet it had left her feeling as if her blood fizzed in her veins. She was looking forward to spending time with him far more than she’d anticipated.
“I thought we could go for a stroll around the aquarium then maybe head to Navy Pier? You up for that?”
“Fish followed by carnival rides? You bet!”
“So, did you want to think about that a little?” he teased with a laugh.
“Absolutely not. I hardly ever got to do things like that as a kid, so you can be sure I’ll make the most of the day. How about I clean up here in the kitchen while you shower and get dressed. Then we can get started.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Miles answered. He leaned over and kissed her briefly on the mouth. “I really like your enthusiasm, but you’re really bad for my work ethic. That’s twice now this week I’ve played hooky to be with you.”
She felt a dip in her tummy. “Is that okay? I mean, you said you’re the boss and all, but can you afford to be away from work this much?”
He kissed her again. “Don’t worry. I have an excellent team working for me. Sometimes I feel quite redundant around the place.”
“Okay, then. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” he confirmed.
“Fine. Now hurry up and get ready so we can go and have some fun.”
* * *
Miles rushed through his shower and got dressed. When he came out of the bathroom, he noticed that Chloe had already made the bed and picked up her clothing from last night. The girl moved fast, he thought, with approval. In fact, he liked the way she moved, period.
She was downstairs waiting for him in the foyer, dressed in her cocktail dress and heels again. He felt that now-familiar tug of attraction when he saw her. Man, it didn’t matter if she was dressed to the nines or simply wearing his robe and fresh from a shower. The magnetic pull between them did not abate in any way.
“I feel strangely underdressed,” he said, gesturing to his T-shirt and chinos.
“You look perfect,” she replied, then blushed.
He cocked his head and looked at her. “Perfect, huh? You’re good for my ego.”
She laughed out loud. “Somehow I don’t think your ego needs a lot of boosting.”
He pulled a face. “Are you saying I’m conceited?”
“No, in fact, with someone with your level of privilege, you’re refreshingly unpretentious.”
He studied her again. “My level of privilege?”
She waved her hand to encompass the lavish entrance of his home. “Need I say more?”
“Okay, you made your point. Let’s go get you into something more suited to a day out with an unpretentious man of privilege.”
“Are you going to tease me about that all day?”
“No, I’m sure I’ll find something else to tease you about,” he said lightheartedly.
But her comment had stung just a little. He’d grown up in a family with immense wealth and privilege and a father whose sense of entitlement had made him a difficult man at the best of times. Miles had done everything he could, his entire adult life, not to become the man his father was. But did a man have to live in a hovel and dress like a pauper to make his point? Miles had never thought so. Yes, he was wealthy, but he’d earned that wealth based on sound business decisions and his own intelligence. And he’d held on to it and continued to build it in the same way.
As he and Chloe drove out to Midlothian, he wondered what had prompted her remark. Obviously she’d been burned somewhere along the line. But how badly, and would it make an impact on their chances of building a future relationship?
And was he putting the cart before the horse by overthinking this entire thing? They’d only just met two days ago, after all, and they’d been more intimate in that time than he’d been in any of his past three relationships. He’d brought her home, and he never did that. He’d always wanted an out, in the past. But with Chloe, he just quite simply wanted her.
He reached across and grabbed her good hand and gave it a squeeze. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her look up at him and smile. He smiled back, realizing he’d probably laughed and smiled more in the past forty-eight hours than he had in the past forty-eight days.
Yeah, he wanted her, and sure, they might not be financial equals, but he had no doubt that when it came to the things that were important to him, like honesty for example, he and Chloe were very much on the same page.
Six
He really needed to take time off more often, Miles realized as they left the aquarium and headed to the pier. Chloe had exhibited a genuine delight in all they’d seen so far, and he found her enthusiasm infectious. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d really relaxed and simply been in the moment like this. And sneaking kisses when she wasn’t expecting them was fun, too.
However, walking around in a state of semiarousal all the time was something to get used to. Especially if he was planning to spend more time with Chloe. When they’d arrived at her house, she’d suggested he come in with her while she packed her bag for the weekend so he could advise her on wardrobe selections. Of course, being in her bedroom with her like that—well, one thing had led to another, and w
hile he hadn’t yet replenished his supply of condoms, it turned out that Chloe had a healthy supply of her own. Less one, now, he thought with a deep sense of satisfaction.
When they reached the pier, she dragged him onto the Ferris wheel. They were stalled at the top while people loaded in a car at the bottom, when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He’d already told work, no calls unless it was a life-or-death situation—and in their line of work with clients all over the world in difficult circumstances, that could actually happen.
He slid his phone from his pocket and checked the screen. Sebastian? The elder of his twin brothers rarely called, but in light of the news reports about WinJet failing their safety inspection, hard on the heels of the news they were being sued by employees hurt in the recent fire at the plant, Miles knew this had to be important.
“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to take this,” Miles said to Chloe.
“No problem,” she replied breezily. “I’ll just remain enraptured by the view.”
She gave him a look that went from head to toe and back again, and Miles couldn’t help the pull of attraction that flared under her gaze. He answered the call.
“Sebastian, what can I do for you?”
“What? No hello, brother, long time no see?”
There was an edge to his brother’s voice that confirmed to Miles that this was definitely not a social call.
“I’ve seen the news. I assume that’s why you’re calling?”
Miles was careful to keep his choice of words as vague as possible. While there was little chance of being overhead way up here on the Ferris wheel, he wasn’t about to take any unnecessary risks, either. Through the phone, he heard his brother sigh heavily.
“I wish I was calling under better circumstances.”
His lips firmed into a straight line and he waited for his brother to continue.
“Look, Sutton and I have been talking. Something’s not right about the whole situation, and we need someone with very specific expertise to make sure that the rot hasn’t spread to our other companies.”
“Expertise such as?”
“Someone we trust implicitly who is capable of doing a full forensic sweep of our systems. You’re probably aware that we’re being charged with criminal negligence in the jet plant fire, which our legal team is working on now. But it gets worse.”
“Worse?”
Sebastian sighed again. “Look, I’ll cut straight to the chase. During the independent safety inspection, drugs were found on the WinJet premises.”
“What? Like a personal stash?”
“More like a considerable quantity for supply and distribution. The DEA have been brought in and they’ve opened an investigation. I can’t tell you how serious this is. Based on their findings, they could have a case to present against us for drug trafficking.”
Miles felt as if he’d been dealt a physical blow. A string of curse words escaped his mouth, and Chloe looked at him in concern. He reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before thinking carefully about his reply to his brother.
“And, of course, you guys knew nothing about it, right?”
“Of course not.” Sebastian sounded deeply insulted. “Look, you might not want to be a part of this family in a commercial sense, but I’d like to remind you that dirt sticks. If we’re going to be tarred with this brush, it will affect you, too.”
“I’m aware of that, and I know that you’d never dream of going down that road so don’t get on your high horse with me, okay?” Miles fought the urge to lay a few more truths at his brother’s door. Things like better IT security and plant surveillance, just to name a few, but that would be akin to locking the stable door after their entire breeding stock of horses on the ranch had bolted. “What do you want from me?”
“Can you come home? We’ll give you access to all systems. Look, with the fire, everything is in disarray but one thing has become very clear since the investigation. Corners have been cut, and Sutton and I think it has to be someone at a higher level who authorized or instigated it. That someone has to have left a trail somewhere. We need you to find it.”
Miles tried not to allow emotion to rule over common sense, but hearing his older brother tell him they needed him—well, it was hard to remain dispassionate after a comment like that.
“When?” he asked.
“Ideally? As soon as possible. We can send one of the company jets to collect you today. Can you be ready in about four hours?”
He could, but that would mean leaving Chloe behind on what was supposed to be a weekend getting to know one another. Of course, she’d be there when he returned, but now that she was with him, he didn’t want to leave her. But the pull of family was strong, no matter how much he tried to pretend otherwise, and what his family was going through right now was deadly serious with far-reaching ramifications.
“Look, let me confirm with you in about an hour or so. There’s something I need to take care of first.”
“Something?” his brother asked wryly. “Or someone?”
And there it was, the usual big brother banter.
“I’ll call you back,” Miles said, deliberately ignoring Sebastian’s question.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Miles disconnected and shoved his phone back in his pocket. Chloe was watching him carefully.
“Miles? Are you okay? You look like you’ve had a shock.”
Yeah, he had received a shock. Hearing that the DEA were potentially preparing a case against his family for drug trafficking was hellishly serious.
“Family stuff,” he gritted out without really saying anything at all. The car they were in on the Ferris wheel was nearing the exit point. “C’mon, let’s go somewhere where we can talk.”
Holding her hand, they exited the car, and Miles moved them through the crowd until they found a quiet spot on the edge of the pier.
“Chloe, I’m sorry, but our weekend plans are going to have to be put on hold.”
“Of course, if your family needs you then they take precedence.”
He felt the knot in his stomach begin to ease. He wasn’t sure why he’d thought she’d object to the change in their plans. Maybe it was because the women in his experience to date, his mother and eldest sister included, had been the kind who disliked last minute changes in plans. Not that his mom or sister were princesses, far from it. They were sharp, intelligent and insightful women in their own right, but they also liked things their way.
“Thank you for understanding.”
* * *
Chloe studied Miles’s face carefully. He definitely looked conflicted by the news disclosed in the phone call. With the sounds of the pier and the music playing on the Ferris wheel, she hadn’t been able to make out much of the conversation the two men had shared, but she’d seen the change in Miles’s body language and his face had grown strained and serious. It still was.
She wondered what on earth had happened in the Wingate family that was so dire. That it had to do with the fire at WinJet was most likely. But even with the safety investigation and the bad publicity, they had more than enough money to make a payout to the injured parties and to ride out the storm until things settled down again. So what else could it be?
Chloe was suddenly reminded of her original plan with Miles Wingate. To get close, to find out secrets if she could, then to expose his family for the dirty, low-down scum they really were. She’d been distracted by the powerful physical attraction between her and Miles. Maybe this was the reminder she needed to get back on track and focus on the revenge she’d been planning for all her adult life. The revenge that she hoped would return her mother to being the woman she’d been back when Chloe’s dad was still alive.
Dare she ask Miles what was involved in this sudden change to their plans? Of course she dared.
“What’s wrong? Is there
anything I can do to help you?”
He gave her a quick grin, but she noticed it didn’t reach his eyes. Whatever this was, it had really done a number on him.
“This is something I need to take care of personally.”
“Oh, secret squirrel stuff?”
That got a laugh out of him.
“Yeah, something like that. One of the family businesses had an accident. There’s been an investigation into the cause, etc., but they need me to go deeper.”
“Not something you can delegate, then?”
“Unfortunately, no. I’m really sorry, Chloe. I’m going to have to head to Texas later today.”
“So soon?” She couldn’t help the exclamation from spilling out. “Do you know how long you’ll be away?”
“No. While that’s not a problem for me with my business, it is a problem for us.”
An idea came to mind. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m still on summer break. Maybe I could come with you?” She deliberately hesitated a moment. “If you want me to, that is. Of course, I understand if you think I’m being ridiculous. After all we’ve only just met and—”
Miles kissed her into silence.
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day! After all, you’re already packed, right? We’d only need to stop by my place and then head out to the airfield. My brother said he’d send a plane. I just need to tell him when we’d be ready.”
Chloe didn’t know whether to sing for joy that her suggestion had been so willingly picked up, or to regret the rashness of it. Now it was out there, she needed to work with it.
“I’ll need to make a few arrangements before we go,” she told him. “Get my mail collected and someone in to water my plants. You know, the usual stuff. If you could run me back home, I could set all that up, add a few more things to my suitcase, then I can get a cab to the airport to meet you.”
He nodded. “I’ll tell Sebastian to send the plane to Midway. But I won’t hear of you taking a cab. I’ll wait for you to get your things ready. I’ll get my assistant to pack for me and meet us at the airport.”
Black Sheep Heir Page 6