“That’s a bearing wall,” Madison informed her. “To get rid of that wall, I will have to find another way to distribute the weight of the top floor.”
Stevie appeared unimpressed. “Does that matter? It’s what I want.”
Pat kissed his wife’s pale cheek once more. “If my Stevie wants it, then it must be done.”
Madison’s smile was getting harder and harder to maintain, but instead of driving home her point, she simply pulled a pencil from her purse and made a few notes on the plans.
“Oh, and I want a big fish pond inside of the entrance. Not one of those puny things,” Stevie insisted. “A great big one. Fifteen feet wide with koi in it.”
“Water is very heavy,” Madison warned. “It will add a lot of weight to the lower floor.”
Pat waved off her concern. “You’ll figure it out.” His hand once more went about his wife’s slim waist. “Got to keep my Stevie happy.”
Madison made some more notes on the plans, inwardly cursing Hayden as she realized why he had left her alone with the Martins. This was going to be a long morning.
***
After an hour of suggestions, a ton of notes on her plans, and the beginnings of a headache, Madison had all she needed from the Martins to design the house from hell. She was rolling up her plans as Stevie was puttering around in the kitchen, when she caught a glimpse of the property beyond the patio doors. Pausing, Madison took in the rolling woods, sloping plotline, and shining lake behind the home.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Pat Martin spoke up beside her. “That’s the real reason we bought the place. The land.”
Madison walked over to the patio doors. “You don’t see anything like that in Dallas these days.”
Pat pushed the glass doors aside. “Come outside and get a better view.”
She followed him out to a wooden deck and enjoyed the pine-scented air drifting in off the lake. The tops of the pine and oak trees descending down to the lake were visible from the deck. The sloping ground was covered with deep green brush and winding trails that could be seen beneath the canopy of trees.
“I know Hayden is real hot to get his hands on this land,” Pat expressed, “and I can’t blame him. I’ll miss the hell out of this view.”
“The new property you have is just as beautiful,” Madison pointed out. “With the home we will design, you will have an even better view.”
Pat’s rumbling laughter encircled the open deck. “You’re a salesman just like Hayden. He told me the same thing.” His round, pasty face grew a little somber. “You should know I’m having second thoughts about selling this place and building on the other site.”
“Mr. Parr mentioned it.” Madison waited to see his reaction.
“I told Hayden if I didn’t sell this place, I would sell him my Turtle Creek land.” Pat Martin’s friendly face turned to her. “Then you could build that great house you designed for us for him instead.”
“I’m sure Mr. Parr would come up with his own design; a better design than mine.”
“You’re good,” Pat Martin laughed. “Harry doesn’t know what he has in you…or does he?” His brown eyes glided over her figure. “Forgive my bluntness, Madison, but Harry has been like a second son to me ever since he and my oldest boy, Josh, met in grade school. I want only the best for him, and I couldn’t help but notice how he looked at you during the party.”
Folding her arms over her chest, Madison tempered her irritation. “And you think he needs to get back together with his ex-wife, too, is that it?”
“No.” Pat shook his head. “Ellen Carpenter was a grade A bitch. My wife may love her, but I never did. I’m just saying don’t believe everything Stevie says.”
Madison’s eyes lingered on the land before her. “I appreciate the advice, Mr. Martin, but Mr. Parr is my employer, nothing more.”
“I understand, Madison.” She was about to turn to go when he added, “My second wife, Marg, was my secretary at the engineering firm I started. When my first wife moved out, Marg was there for me. We became friends, and then fell in love. I loved her every day until she died of cancer eight years ago.”
Madison glanced back at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Real love isn’t curtailed by boundaries… it breaks them.” He took a step closer to her. “Tell Harry to send over the new plans. I’ll take a look at them, and give him my final decision.”
“Yes, Mr. Martin.”
Stepping back through the glass patio door, Madison had an odd sense of relief. The doubts that had been nagging at her about her relationship with Hayden were stilled by Mr. Martin’s encouraging words. Maybe it could grow into something more, maybe not, but at least she knew he was worth the chance. Perhaps she could find with him what she had yet to find with any man; love. Only time would tell if they were meant for that. Time could be a friend or an enemy to any relationship, but love was the one constant that held time at bay. Love was timeless, and always worth fighting for.
Chapter 14
By the time Madison arrived at the offices of Parr and Associates, all hell had broken loose. People were scurrying about the halls on the thirty-third floor, and all the faces of her co-workers appeared troubled. She tried to wave down a few people she saw bustling about as she made her way to her office, but everyone appeared too busy to stop and talk.
“Madison,” Garrett Hughes called as he approached her just as she was reaching her office door.
“Good morning, Garrett.”
Garett came alongside her and took her elbow. Glancing about the hall, he whispered, “We need to talk.”
Madison’s eyes searched his face for some hint of what was going on. “Is something wrong?”
He opened her office door. “Let’s talk inside.”
Once they were inside of her office, Garrett shut her door. Madison gazed about for Adam and noticed that his chair was empty and his familiar blue backpack was nowhere to be seen.
“Isn’t Adam in yet?” she asked, stepping over to her desk.
“That’s what we need to talk about,” Garrett explained as he followed her across the room.
Dropping her purse and plans on her desk, she glanced back at him. His deep brown eyes were taking in her every move, as his wide mouth and sharp features accentuated the depth of his stare. For a moment she felt as if he were analyzing her, stripping her down and studying every detail. Her eyes glided over his trim body beneath the cut of his tailored blue suit, and a flush of heat rose to her cheeks.
“So what’s up, Garrett?”
“Harry fired your office mate this morning.” Garrett moved closer to her, lowering his voice. “He sent me to find you and warn you.”
Madison was shocked. She knew Hayden disliked Adam, but she had never imagined that he would fire the “sniveling weasel.”
“There’s something else you need to know,” Garrett confided. “I caught Adam spreading rumors about you and Harry. He was telling several of the office staff in the conference room yesterday that you two were sleeping together. I told Harry about it this morning, and soon after he let Adam go.”
Madison stood frozen to her spot by her chair. What could she say, especially to the head architect of the company?
“Not to worry.” He clasped his hands behind his back, appearing indifferent. “No one believes any of it, but now my job has suddenly gotten a lot harder because of losing Adam. His absence has put a big kink in my plans.”
Madison’s shoulders relaxed and she let out a long breath. “What plans?”
He nodded and moved over to the window. “Harry wants to expand out of the Dallas area. He was thinking of New Orleans, especially with the rebuilding going on since Katrina. I was sending Adam back to his hometown to get us started, and also because Harry desperately wanted him out of this office.” Garrett turned away from the window. “Now I will have to go instead, leaving the company short-handed and putting a lot more work on Harry’s shoulders. Without a chief architect, he
will have to directly supervise all of our design projects, in addition to managing the company.”
A wave of guilt crushed Madison. She had been the reason Hayden had wanted to get Adam away from the office, and because of her, not only was Adam out of a job, but the entire office had been thrust into turmoil.
“Garrett, I’m sorry. I feel like this is my fault.”
“No, it’s Adam’s fault. The little shit was always poking his nose where it didn’t belong. I knew Harry disliked him, so I thought sending him back to New Orleans was a good idea.”
Madison inched closer to the window. “But now you’re going to be uprooted and forced to leave Dallas.”
“Forced?” He raised his eyebrows. “Not at all. I’m looking forward to leaving. I’ve grown bored with Dallas, and New Orleans may be a bit more appealing for me.”
Madison crinkled her brow. “Appealing? How so?”
“Never mind about me.” Garret waved off her question. “It’s Harry I’m worried about. Without me around, he’ll have a lot more to do and he’ll need help. I just need to know someone will be keeping an eye on him while I’m gone. Harry tends to take on too much, and needs to be reminded every now and then that he’s human and not some kind of superhero.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
He smiled, highlighting the curve of his wide jaw. “Because he’ll listen to you.”
Madison could tell by the gleam in the man’s dark eyes that he knew about her and Hayden. She also wondered what else he knew. With Garrett Hughes, there was probably more going on behind his cool exterior than he let on. In many ways, he reminded her of Hayden. Both men were calculating, elusive, and controlling.
“So the official reason I’m here is to inform you of Adam’s demise,” Garret broke in, interrupting her thoughts. “Unofficially, I’m asking you to keep an eye on Harry.”
“I’ll try, Garrett. I promise.”
“It’s a shame we won’t have time to get to know each other better before I leave for New Orleans. I would have liked to have seen some of your designs. You really are a talented architect, Madison.”
“When do you leave?”
“In a few days. I’ll stop in before I go.”
She offered him a friendly smile, feeling a little sad to lose the one friend she had made in the office. “I’d like that.”
He turned abruptly and headed for her office door. “We’ll talk again.”
After he strode out of the room, Madison returned to her desk and sank into her chair. The long night with Hayden and the meeting with the Martins had not only left her exhausted, but also wondering where she was going to find the strength to get through the rest of her day. Imagining a tall mug of black coffee, she was about to go in search of the needed caffeine fix when the ringing of her office phone startled her. Stretching across the corner table, she picked up the phone.
“This is Madison B—”
“Did Garrett talk to you?” Hayden’s voice on the other end of the line abruptly cut her off.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to fire Adam?”
“Because I didn’t know until I came in this morning and found the little son of a bitch snooping through your desk.”
Madison paused and looked to her desk. “What? When was this?”
“After I dropped you at the Martins, I came to talk to him about where we stood with New Orleans, and I found him going through the drawers of your desk.” Hayden let go a long sigh into the phone. “Was there anything in your desk that could cause us problems?”
Madison’s stomach curled tighter. “No, of course not. I just keep work-related supplies in my desk, nothing personal.”
He sighed again, louder than before, and she could hear his frustration. “Come to my office and bring the changes the Martins made. Then we can talk.”
The sound of his voice was no longer soothing and comforting as it had been the night before. The aggravation was apparent, and she feared seeing a side of Hayden Parr that she didn’t want to know.
“All right,” she finally said, gripping the receiver in her hand. “I’ll be right down.”
Grabbing her plans, she headed to her office door and went to the thirty-second floor. As Madison approached Hayden’s office, she caught Emma darting out his double doors.
“Better be ready,” Emma warned. “He’s super grumpy this morning.”
Madison nodded, holding up the plans in her hand. “Thanks for the heads up.”
Easing inside the office, Madison waited while Emma shut the doors behind her before she turned to Hayden. After she was sure they were alone, she pivoted around and found him standing before his wide office window with his back to her. She edged closer to his desk, watching as he arched his back beneath his beige suit jacket and rubbed his hand behind his neck.
“You look tense.”
He showed her his profile. “To say the least.” He closed his eyes for a moment and then turned to her. “I’m sorry I snapped at you on the phone.”
She glanced down at the rolled up plans in her hand. “You didn’t snap at me. You were just a little abrupt.”
“I’m sorry I was abrupt.” He went around his desk to her side, and briefly rested his hand against her cheek. “How did it go at the Martins?” He stood back from her.
“Fine,” she answered, but then frowned. “You should know Stevie Martin was the one who notified your ex about me staying over at your place. She saw my car parked there all night and got suspicious.”
His brow furrowed, accentuating his angry scowl. “What did you tell her?”
“Only that we were working on their design plans until very late and you offered me a guest room since I had an early meeting with them.”
“Quick thinking. I like that.” He nodded with approval. “You can park in my garage from now on and not on the street. That should keep Ellen off my back.” His gray eyes grew colder. “Did Stevie say anything else?”
“She, ah, also warned me to stay away from you. She seems to believe you and Ellen are meant to be together. Apparently, she and your ex are pretty tight.”
“Tight? Hardly. Stevie Martin likes to think she’s part of the in-crowd, and used to kiss Ellen’s ass whenever she could.” He took the plans from her. “Ellen was very much into the social scene; who to know, where to go and be seen. All that bullshit used to drive me crazy.” He tossed the plans on his desk.
Madison motioned to the plans. “I thought you wanted—”
“Later. Right now I want something else from you.” He came around behind her and pushed her into his large desk.
“Hayden, what about…?” She nodded to the office door.
“No one will come in.” He stood behind her, running his hands up the sides of her black pants. “I told Emma I didn’t want to be disturbed while I was with you.”
“I thought we had to be discreet.” Her hands rested on top of his as they fondled her breasts.
“I am being discreet, the doors are closed.” He ran his lips along her earlobe. “But I just need to touch you right now.”
She closed her eyes and tilted her head against his chest. “God, I love your hands.”
“What else do you love?” he whispered into her ear.
“About you? Let me see.” She backed her hips into him. “I love the way you make me feel…calm and relaxed.”
“Funny, you do the same for me.” His hands drifted along her shoulders, kneading into the muscles of her neck and upper back. “What else?”
“What else do I love about—?”
“Mr. Parr,” Emma’s voice over the phone speaker made Madison jump. “It’s your attorney on three. He said it’s important.”
“Shit.” Hayden let Madison go and went around his desk to his phone. Punching down the intercom button, he barked, “Tell Marc to hold on.” He pointed to the chair in front of his desk for Madison to take a seat.
She motioned to the doors. “I should go.”
“Sit!
” he snapped, and again pointed to the chair.
She gave him a perturbed smirk and had a seat.
When Hayden took the call from his attorney, she watched him, intrigued by how his eyes drew together and the scowl on his lips deepened.
“What’s the word, Marc? Did you talk to Ellen’s attorney?”
Madison waited as Hayden sat in the black leather chair behind his desk. His eyes stayed on her as he listened intently to his attorney on the other end of the line.
“You already know my answer to that,” Hayden gnarled. “No more discussion on the settlement. She’s getting enough. Ellen can take the offer on the table and walk away, or let her attorney know I’ll fight her for the rest. I want this over with her, Marc. I need to move on with my life, and I can’t have Ellen threatening me every time she thinks I’m seeing another woman.”
Madison wasn’t sure how to react to his words. Instead of confronting his stern gaze, she kept her eyes on her folded hands in her lap, waiting for him to speak again.
“Since you’re my attorney, then no, I’m not seeing anyone.” He paused and nodded his head, listening intently. “Yes, there have been a few women since the divorce. I’m not celibate, Marc.”
That made Madison’s eyes fly to him. How many women have there been?
“No, I don’t know why she thinks that. The woman staying with me last night was an employee. We were working together on a design until very late. We had an early morning meeting with some clients, so I offered her a guest room as a matter of convenience.” He paused for a moment. “No, she’s no one that Ellen is acquainted with.” His scowl retreated and he smiled. “Yes, I remember what you told me about being discreet. I never flaunt my arrangements, Marc. You know what a private man I am.”
Madison noted his grin and considered his comment. Arrangements? Questions like raging flood waters began to eat away at her certainty. Did he treat all of his women the same way? Was this just a game for him? Perhaps some stupid fraternity challenge he shared only with Garrett?
That Night with You Page 20