by Cat Schield
He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late.”
“Yes,” she murmured. “We wouldn’t want you turning into a pumpkin.”
When his gaze snagged on her wry half smile, Grant was transported back in time. That night of the TCC ball, a similar grin had produced an urgent craving to taste her soft lips. He’d never acted in such a reckless manner before or since. Yet, here he was tonight, assailed by the same eagerness to wrap his arms around her slim waist and pull her body against his. To dip his head and ravish her mouth.
“It was nice to see you again,” he said, his tone made husky by the direction of his thoughts. “Best of luck with Zest.”
As he turned to leave, she lightly touched his arm with the tips of her fingers. The fleeting contact seared through the layers of cloth, stopping him cold. Her hand fell away as he turned his head to regard her.
“Before you go,” she began, her gaze direct and unflinching, “I wanted to ask if we could speak privately.”
Despite his earlier compulsion to get her alone, Grant’s impatience flared until he took stock of her expression and realized she wasn’t coming on to him. Her somber demeanor left him mired in concern. Before coming here tonight, he’d prepared himself to defend against her flirtation. He’d expected an encounter with her going one of three ways. Either she’d pretend he didn’t exist, act as if they’d never spent a combustible weekend together or turn on the charm in an effort to seduce him. He never imagined, however, that she’d go all serious on him.
He gazed around them at the crush of people and wondered how they could leave together without being noticed. “Now?”
She shook her head. “It’s something that I should’ve told you long ago. But I’d prefer not to do it here. Maybe I could come by your house one day this week?”
He was struck by a strong desire to drink deep of her green eyes and plumb the real reason she’d want to speak with him after five long years of silence. Did she think to persuade him to welcome her back into his bed?
Madness.
Or was it?
Already his body tensed with anticipation while hunger raked across his nerves and sent his willpower sprawling in the dust. If she set out to seduce him, would he have the strength to turn her away? Of course, given how he’d treated her last time, he was a little surprised she’d pursue him.
With an aggrieved sigh, he shook his head. “Nothing in the ensuing years has changed my mind,” he declared. “I’m not interested in starting anything up with you.”
Her eyes widened at his bluntness, but when her response came, it was delivered with cool composure. “That’s a very bold assumption on your part.”
Once again, Grant realized that he was not dealing with the same Harley Wingate he’d known half a decade earlier. He stared at her in confounded silence, suspecting she expected him to apologize. Let her wait. He’d only restated what he believed was best for both of them.
“You asked to speak with me at my home. After what happened last time, what else should I presume?”
“That maybe I wanted to catch up with you without all the eyes of Royal on us?”
“You want to catch up?” he countered, bewildered by her righteous tone. “Why now after no contact for the last five years?”
“I guess you’ll just have to agree to meet with me.”
Again, he was struck by her dignified manner. “Fine.” It occurred to him that the sooner this conversation was over the better. “I’m free tomorrow evening. What time works for you?”
“Eight o’clock?”
“I’ll see you then.”
* * *
Long after Grant left the party following their brief encounter, Harley’s hands trembled uncontrollably while her overstimulated nerve endings sizzled like a downed power line after a major weather event. She hadn’t been prepared to see him at the fundraiser, much less get close enough to demonstrate that she was as susceptible as ever to his powerful personality and simmering masculinity.
With her senses awakened by the clean scent of the soap and shampoo he used, Harley closed her eyes and let her thoughts dwell on the imposing fertility specialist. He hadn’t changed much since she’d seen him last. Although he maintained an impeccable appearance, Grant wasn’t one for extra frills. His effortless elegance the night of the TCC ball had been a sharp contrast to her own heavy hand when it came to applying her makeup and the ridiculous amount of time she’d devoted to shopping for her gown and accessories. That night, she hadn’t considered that the discrepancy in their approaches had demonstrated the disparity in their maturity levels. While she’d endeavored to be someone she wasn’t, he’d been utterly comfortable in his own skin. Stripping off her finery had made her more vulnerable than she’d ever known. Yet, she’d found a safe haven in Grant’s arms and had been changed because of it.
So many men she’d met, especially wealthy, influential ones like Grant, enjoyed bending people to their will. Despite her family’s influence in town, she’d known her share of badgering and bullying by males who wanted something from her. However, Grant seemed disinterested in using either his position or his charisma to manipulate others. Which was why she’d found the way he treated her so refreshing. He basically explained what pleased him, and if she showed any sign of hesitation, he merely shrugged and let the matter drop. When she stuck to club soda at the ball, he hadn’t ignored her request and pushed alcohol on her. He’d ordered the same and later whispered that she was all the intoxicant that he desired.
Besides the passion that he’d lavished on her body, Grant had spent an equal amount of consideration on her mind. Being taken seriously by someone as intelligent and renowned as the town’s preeminent fertility specialist gave her a taste of what it would be like to have someone respect her thoughts and opinions.
As the youngest girl raised with three brothers and a sister who always strove to do their best, Harley had known early on that she’d never be able to compete with them. Nor did she have to because she’d always been indulged by her family. Immune to the higher standards expected of her siblings, she’d grown bold and rash.
Such reckless, impulsive behavior was what had led her to set her sights on Grant and pursue him. She’d known who he was from the start. Having seen him navigate the halls of the Texas Cattleman’s clubhouse, cutting a dashing figure in his elegant suits and aloof manner, it was his untouchability that intrigued her. And made her wild to have her way with him.
But what had started out as an innocent enough idea to flirt with him escalated rapidly as they’d both succumbed to the red-hot chemistry that surged between them. Seized in passion’s exhilarating embrace, the unexpected intensity of those two nights with Grant had done a number on her heart. She’d gone from teenage temptress to a woman in the throes of her first feverish love affair. With her hormones raging and her emotions churned up, she’d fallen into the trap of believing that the intense sexual connection was the beginning of the most magical relationship of her life.
Thus, on Monday morning, when he’d discovered how young she actually was, as forthright as he’d been about his desire for her, he’d been equally upfront about his irritation at her trickery. With her young psyche reeling from his rejection, she’d been nearly out of her mind with humiliation and loss. Plummeting from delirious high to devastating low, she’d tried to remind herself that she’d never meant for her encounter with Grant to be anything more than a brief, casual fling.
In the days and weeks that followed, Harley had struggled to make sense of what had gone wrong. Doubts surfaced as she replayed how he’d denied the intimate connection she thought they’d made. She’d raged against his cruel dismissal even as the truth of his words ate at her. He was a doctor with an established practice and she’d just graduated from high school. The airs she put on during the TCC ball had been to convince him she was much older than her eighteen years. She’d done
a good job of fooling him. Too good. Discovering their thirteen-year age difference had slammed the door on any chance of seeing where the attraction between them might lead.
Only years later did she wonder if the annoyance he’d shown her had been anger at himself for being taken in by her playacting. Someone as straightforward as Grant wouldn’t understand why she’d go to such lengths to interest him when in his mind they were unsuitable. What made matters worse was how he’d lowered his guard while they’d been together. A man like Grant would hate feeling the slightest bit vulnerable.
Still, despite all the heartache she’d caused herself, Harley couldn’t regret it. If she hadn’t misled him, she wouldn’t have Daniel. So, even though she never got the chance to explore if she and Grant could make it as a couple, at least part of him would always be with her.
Pushing to the back of her mind all thought of her past mistakes, Harley circulated through the fundraiser, greeting people, answering questions about Zest and thanking those who made contributions for their support. Tonight, she needed to focus on the future and her plans for Zest. Plans that were in jeopardy thanks to the problems affecting her family’s company.
Her gaze roved the guests, searching for some sign of support from her family. She could always count on her older sister, Beth, who’d planned the fundraiser, but Harley had yet to see any of her brothers. Since returning to town last month, her contact with Sebastian, Sutton and Miles had been limited because of the troubles afflicting the Wingate businesses. Caught up in their own drama, they had little energy to spare on their baby sister. Nor could she blame them. She hadn’t come home in triumph. Zest was in trouble without the charitable funding she relied on from Wingate Enterprises.
With the company reeling from one devastating hit after another, the backlash against her family seemed to be without end. Of course, it didn’t help that Wingate Enterprises was also facing one disaster after another. There were lawsuits because of the fire at WinJet, the jet plant in East Texas, that killed one man and injured three others. The family members of those men had filed lawsuits against the company, claiming that the company had falsified safety-inspection records. Harley couldn’t imagine the company acting so irresponsibly, yet their names were being smeared through the press. And then while her brothers were busy trying to sort out that situation, during an inspection of the plant, drugs had been discovered. The DEA was quick to open an investigation and their first step had been to freeze all of Wingate Enterprises’ assets. Once news of this got out, the double whammy caused the company stock to plummet.
And put in jeopardy Zest’s future. Yet, even if the miraculous happened and Wingate’s current misfortunes resolved themselves in the next few months, she realized she’d been a fool to rely on a single source for her funding. And if she planned to take the nonprofit to the next level, she’d need a lot more corporate and foundation sponsors to make that happen.
Blowing out a breath, Harley cast her gaze around the restaurant. Despite being surrounded by friends and others who applauded what she was doing with her nonprofit, Harley felt more alone than when she’d been raising her son on her own halfway around the world. She’d invited her entire family to the event, but only her older sister had shown any interest in the project. As much as she appreciated what Beth had done, Harley wished she could rely on her family’s support. But she hated to burden her brothers with her financial concerns while they were contending with so many ongoing business problems of their own.
With each new revelation of the company’s wrongdoing, the entire family’s reputation was also under attack. The Wingate family had long been held in high esteem by the town of Royal, but as the scandals piled up, their influence was fading fast. No one felt the sting more than Harley’s mother, Ava. When she’d learned that Beth was planning the Zest fundraiser for Harley, Ava had offered up the unsolicited opinion that her youngest daughter should cut ties with Zest and let the nonprofit fail. This was the last thing Harley wanted to do, but while Beth had several solid ideas regarding fundraising, there was only so much money Harley could hope to raise given her family’s downward spiral. Besides, she needed to take a more global approach with Zest and that would require a lot more staff. Staff she didn’t have the means to pay unless she could convince someone known for their philanthropy to take a chance on her.
Her heart gave a little jig as she spied her aunt Piper cutting through the assembled guests in her direction. She’d always admired her mother’s younger sister’s ability to carry off whatever style appealed to her at the moment. Tonight, she wore her dark brown hair in a short edgy cut that showed off her elegant bone structure and highlighted her striking green eyes. A couple inches short of six feet, Piper Holloway could’ve strutted the catwalks of New York City, Paris and Milan with the best of them if she’d craved that sort of life. Instead, she lived in Dallas and owned a successful gallery.
“Aunt Piper!” Harley cried, touched that her aunt had made a special trip to attend the fundraiser. Throat tight, she threw open her arms, offering Piper a wholehearted welcome. “Thank you so much for coming.”
Harley had always adored her aunt, who she viewed more like an older sister. Because Piper was nineteen years younger than Ava, the optimistic and enthusiastic Piper related better to her nieces and nephews than their difficult and overbearing mother. Which was why Harley had been devastated by the tension that developed between her and her aunt when Harley refused to tell Piper the identity of her baby’s father.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Piper said, enfolding her niece in a hug.
It wasn’t the warm embrace of old, but Harley would take whatever affection her aunt was willing to give. When she first learned she was pregnant, her family had pressured her to reveal the father. Angered and humiliated by Grant’s rejection, she’d been convinced that her family would badger her to deal with him. Nor had Harley wanted to put Piper’s long-standing friendship with Grant in jeopardy by forcing her to keep secret that he had a son.
Now that Harley had decided to reveal the truth to Grant, she hoped that would enable her to repair her friendship with her aunt. Piper might continue to harbor some resentment toward Harley for her decision to keep her own counsel, but Harley was sure she could get Piper to understand that she’d acted in her aunt’s best interest.
“Zest is doing wonderful work,” Piper said. “And I know how dedicated you are to keeping it going.”
Harley smiled despite the lump in her throat. “We are helping so many people and I can’t let them down.”
“Did your mother come?”
The question made Harley wince. “No. I’m afraid she thinks Zest is just some foolish lark of mine. She has no wish to understand how much good we’ve done.”
Piper’s dark green eyes shone with sympathy. “I’m sure that’s not true. She’s just preoccupied with everything that’s going on with the company at the moment.”
Although Harley bit down on her lower lip to keep from disagreeing, something must’ve shown in her expression because her aunt sighed.
“I’ll talk to her,” Piper promised.
“It won’t do any good.” Harley made no effort to fight the resentment simmering in her. “She doesn’t believe in me. She never has. Why do you think I’ve been gone these last five years?”
Piper’s eyes widened at her niece’s grim tone, but nodded in understanding. “Family can be hard sometimes. Mostly they bring out our best, but as in the case with your mother, sometimes they can’t help but be compelled to turn us into the worst of ourselves.”
“That’s sure true.”
“It’s good that you’re home.” Piper squeezed her arm. “You’ve been missed.”
“That’s nice to hear,” Harley said, although she wasn’t sure her absence had any impact on her family. Except maybe relief.
She offered her aunt a wobbly smile, withholding the fact that she intended
to return to Thailand and the work that she’d left there as soon as possible. Too much was wrong in the world and she wanted to be a part of the solution. She didn’t want to upset Piper with her future plans, but she had no intention of staying in Royal.
Three
The day after the Zest fundraiser, Grant struggled to stay focused on the simplest tasks. Fortunately, he had only two patient appointments and no procedures scheduled. Despite his staff’s efficiency, he routinely oversaw all aspects of his practice and when he declared at noon that he intended to take the afternoon off, they all gaped at him. Grant pretended not to notice their confusion as he exited the clinic and headed to his car.
With eight hours to occupy himself before his meeting with Harley, Grant headed to the Texas Cattleman’s Club for lunch, hoping to distract himself with conversations about rising feed prices, coping with new government regulations or the slow but steady transformation of land use from grazing cattle to hunting.
Unfortunately, the club was buzzing about the troubles besetting Wingate Enterprises and the latest scandal surrounding the discovery of drugs on WinJet’s property. As he settled at a table, he overheard a nearby group of women discussing the opening of a DEA investigation into the company’s apparent drug smuggling and wondered how Harley was coping with the upheaval her family was going through.
Of course, the instant she popped into his mind, any hope of a peaceful meal vanished. Never one to speculate, Grant found himself consumed by curiosity. What was Harley so intent on saying to him after five years of silence? And why did they need to speak in private?
Frustrated at having so long to wait for answers, after Grant left the TCC, he spent a couple hours in his home gym. Usually working up a sweat enabled him to disengage his mind after a stressful day, but last night’s encounter with Harley had stirred up emotions he’d thought long buried. Dismayed that he was no less agitated after a vigorous circuit of lifting and cardio, he lingered in the shower for a long time and grappled with vivid memories of his time with Harley.