That Night with You

by Alexandrea Weis

  “Let Ellen know no more threats, or I’ll get nasty.” He nodded as he listened to his attorney, but his eyes never left her. “Keep me posted on what she plans next. Thanks, Marc.”

  After he hung up the phone, Madison held her breath, wanting him to speak first. Unable to take the silence any longer, she stood from her chair and reached for the plans on his desk. Hayden sat back in his black leather chair, carefully watching her.

  “I wanted you to hear that conversation because you need to know what we’re dealing with when it comes to my ex. You’re important to me and I want you to know everything that’s going on in my life.”

  She gave him a reassuring smile. “Important? Funny, I got the impression that I was one of those ‘few women since the divorce’ keeping you from being celibate.”

  He stood from his chair as she unrolled the plans over the top of his desk. “I was being discreet.”

  She kept her focus on the plans. “Yes, since you’re such a private man.”

  He came around to the front of the desk. “You’re angry. Why?”

  “Did you tell Garrett about us?”

  “No,” he rubbed his hand over his chin, “but he knows how I am with women.”

  “‘How you are with women’?” That set her off. “How many women have you been with since your divorce?”

  “I already told you about—”

  “How many, total?” she cut in.

  He sat back on the edge of his desk, folding his arms over his chest. For several seconds he observed her, adding to Madison’s unease. Sometimes his eyes could be so invasive.

  “Including you, eight,” he eventually disclosed in his deep voice. “However, none were serious, just flings.”

  “Am I a ‘fling’ or one of your ‘arrangements’?”

  He scratched his head, appearing uncomfortable with the question. “Madison, you have to understand that the only woman I’ve had a lasting relationship with was Ellen.”

  “And look how that ended,” she quipped, returning her eyes to the plans.

  His mouth fell slightly open and his eyes glowered at her. “Where is this coming from? I thought you understood about me…about how I am.”

  She gazed up at him, biting her lip to curb her anger. “I did, but maybe I’m changing my mind.”

  “What brought this on? Up until this morning you were fine with the way things are between us,” he declared, raising his voice.

  “I was, and then I heard you tell your attorney that I was just an employee. It made me think maybe you don’t want to admit we’re together.”

  “You’re being ridiculous. You know why I’m doing that,” he coolly replied. “We have to be careful.”

  “Careful? If that’s the case, then perhaps we should be staying at my place, away from the prying eyes of your neighbors.”

  “Your place is too small, and then there is Mrs. Leder to contend with.”

  “Is it always going to be this way between us? Sneaking around, keeping everything we do a secret?”

  His eyes transformed into two icy orbs. “You agreed to this, and you’d better start coming to terms with that. Stop expecting me to shout your name from the rooftops like some lovesick poet.”

  “I never asked for that, Hayden. I simply want some respect…as your lover.”

  “Respect? And would telling everyone we’re sleeping together give you the respect you think you deserve?” He uttered a malicious chuckle. “I seriously doubt that.”

  She had a point, but obviously was doing a crummy job of getting it across. “That’s not what I meant. I guess I would have liked a little acknowledgement. I’m not asking for any declaration of emotion, but maybe….” Befuddled, she sagged against his desk, tossing her hand in the air. “Maybe it’s all happening too fast.”

  A few tense moments passed between them, and then Hayden inched closer to her. Placing his hands behind his back, he edged his face in front of her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I think I know what you’re trying to say, Madison, but you have to understand that, before I met my ex, I’d never been emotionally involved with any woman. I never liked complicated relationships, never wanted one. I just seduced a woman I wanted, and when the desire died, I moved on. In between dating, I played around…a lot, but having intense feelings for someone…that had never been me.”

  She pondered his confession, not quite sure of how to take it. “And I guess Ellen changed all of that for you, didn’t she?”

  “No, she didn’t change anything.” His voice was touched with bitterness. “I met someone before her who made me realize that I wanted more with a woman. Ellen was just a poor substitute for the one I did want.”

  Madison didn’t know what was worse: suspecting he still had feelings for his ex-wife, or knowing there was another woman who had forever won his heart. Suddenly, everything made sense.

  “I think I understand, Hayden.” She went back to the plans.

  “No, I don’t think you do.” His arms went about her waist. “Maybe when this mess is over with Ellen, we could talk about making some changes.”

  She cocked an eyebrow to him. “What kind of changes?”

  “Make this something less discreet.” His hand settled on her backside. “I could take you to that cozy pizza place I like, or maybe attend a party…things like that.”

  Inwardly Madison rejoiced, but calmly told Hayden, “That sounds promising.”

  “Just give me some time. Okay?” He touched his forehead to hers. “Change is difficult for me, but I would like to change for you.”

  Giddy with the hope, she smiled. “Take all the time you need, Mr. Parr.”

  “You know how much I like it when you call me Mr. Parr.”

  Her hand crept inside his jacket and caressed his soft brown shirt. “I know.”

  Hayden quickly spun her out of his arms and spanked her butt. “Any more of that, I’ll have to throw you over that desk and….” Hayden’s eyes roamed over her figure. “There’s always the desk at my house. We could test it tonight. I have a dinner meeting with clients, but you could go over to my place after work, since you now have my code, and wait for me.”

  “Maybe I need to go home and pay bills or something.”

  “I’d prefer you waiting for me at my place, naked, draped over my desk, and holding those handcuffs Mrs. Leder gave you. What do you think?”

  Madison shifted her focus to the plans on his desk. “If that is what you desire, then I’m all yours, Mr. Parr.”

  ***

  It was after lunch when Madison finished going over the changes to the Martin home with Hayden. She was rolling up the plans as he reached for his jacket hanging behind his desk chair.

  “I’ve got to get to a meeting, but I’ll see you tonight.” He slipped on his jacket. “I should be there about eight. Don’t forget to pull around back and park in the garage.”

  Madison was about to reply to his comment when the doors to his office flew open.

  Standing in the doorway, a beautiful brunette in a blue silk Alexander McQueen dress and black stiletto heels was glaring at Hayden.

  “Hello, asshole!”

  “God damn it, Ellen, you can’t come barging in like that,” Hayden loudly exclaimed.

  Ellen. The name immediately registered with Madison. So this is his ex?

  Madison immediately recognized her own slight resemblance to the slender and sensual woman with the perfectly made-up face, stunning sharp features, and piercing green eyes. As Ellen stormed in the doors, Madison lingered over the heavy amount of gold and diamond jewelry covering her neck, fingers, and wrists. The assertive sway of her hips and her blatant disregard made it appear as if she were the one in charge at Parr and Associates. Even the overpowering smell of her perfume saturating the office, reminded Madison of someone who had no concern for the welfare of others. From her expensive designer clothes to her stiletto heels, the ex-Mrs. Parr was the epitome of a wealthy, beautiful, and very spoiled trophy
wife.

  “Who’s that? Another little bimbo?” Ellen snarled, nodding to Madison.

  Hayden’s face was a deep shade of crimson. “Madison, this is my ex-wife, Ellen Carpenter.”

  “Still Parr, darling. I don’t plan on ever going back to Carpenter.” Ellen tossed her Louis Vuitton handbag on his desk, scattering several papers about. “You screwing this one, too? Does she know what twisted shit you’re into?”

  “Stop it, Ellen.” Hayden came alongside of Madison and motioned to the door. “Get started on those changes and bring me the new plans when you’re done.”

  Madison avoided looking over at his ex-wife. “Yes, Mr. Parr.”

  “She’s just your type, Hayden. You always had a thing for green-eyed brunettes.” Ellen moved in front of Madison, blocking her way. “Sure you aren’t his newest bimbo…Madison, was it?”

  “Ellen, don’t start intimidating my staff!” His loud voice made Madison jump. She had never heard him speak like that to anyone.

  “Staff?” Ellen moved out of the way just as Madison rushed for the office doors. “Let’s talk about your staff, you son of a bitch.”

  “Jesus, Ellen,” Hayden yelled, following Madison to the doors.

  “Where in the hell do you get off firing Adam like that, you bastard?”

  Madison wasn’t even through the doorway when Hayden slammed the doors closed behind her. The loud thud that resounded about the hallway made Madison flinch.

  “Oh shit, are you okay?” Emma came alongside Madison. “I couldn’t stop her. She just pushed her way in.”

  “I’m fine,” Madison assured her.

  “That woman is such a bitch,” Emma blew out between her pink lips just as more shouting erupted from Hayden’s office. “Every time she comes here she sets him off.” Emma waved at the plans in Madison’s hand. “Take a bit of advice—”

  Hayden’s use of a few choice expletives came through his closed office doors, interrupting Emma.

  Cringing, the buxom secretary turned back to Madison. “Stay in your office. Trust me, after a few rounds with his ex, he’s looking for the first person to rip apart.”

  “Thanks, Emma,” Madison mumbled, and started toward the elevators.

  Pressing the call button, Madison stewed over the encounter. Ellen was nothing like what she had expected, and the physical similarities between the two women had been disturbing. It seemed Hayden had a preference for women who looked a certain way, making Madison wonder if he was genuinely interested in her for who she was, or for how she appeared.

  Chapter 15

  For the rest of the day, Madison followed Emma’s advice and stayed in her office, working on her design. Well, not so much working, but thinking. Meeting Ellen had bothered her more than she cared to admit, and as she readied herself to go home, she reconsidered her rendezvous with Hayden. After his heated confrontation with his ex, and an evening with clients, she considered if the man might need to be alone. Taking the elevators to the first floor lobby of the Renaissance Tower, Madison decided that it would be best if she went straight to her apartment instead of heading to Hayden’s. Perhaps a little time apart would be good for them.

  During the long drive in traffic, she evaluated her time with Hayden. The man was intense, sexy, a fantastic lover, and made her feel protected, but was that it? What about emotion? Would what they had started lead to anything more permanent? As she dodged in and out of cars on the I-35, Madison contemplated if giving her his house code was more out of convenience than caring.

  Her grip tightened on the steering wheel of her Rogue. “No. He does care about me. He wants to change for me.”

  But you don’t know that. Not for sure, a devilish voice in her head countered.

  That was the crux of what had been bothering her ever since she had laid eyes on his ex-wife. Did he really care about her, or was she just someone who suited his tastes for the time being? Sure, he had made her feel special, but doubts about his intentions lingered. As she headed down the off ramp, Madison carefully weighed his every word since the moment they had first laid eyes on each other in the elevator. When her blue apartment building rose on the horizon, she was no closer to an answer about her relationship with Hayden. If anything, she was more confused than ever.

  On returning to her empty apartment and dropping the overnight bag on the floor, she immediately felt restless. Preoccupying her mind with bills, unpacking her overnight bag, and sorting through the mail filled in some time, but as the sun disappeared from her living room window, Madison found her edginess increasing. She kept checking her cell phone and waiting to hear from Hayden, wondering what he would say when he returned to his home and found that she was not there.

  It was almost seven when she decided to change into her shorts and a T-shirt. “I can’t sit around here anymore,” she muttered, tying the laces on her running shoes. “I’ve got to get my mind off him.”

  Starting her slow, warm-up jog along the darkened streets, she tried to think of anything but Hayden. After repeated attempts to occupy herself with current affairs or the latest Hollywood gossip, her thoughts meandered back to her boss. Kicking her run into high gear, she gathered it was hopeless; the man was getting to her. Then, as pictures of him naked next to her in the shower earlier that morning popped into her head, Madison began to regret not going to his house. Halfway through her run, she turned for home. Maybe she could make it to his place before him, so he would never know of her reservations.

  Once inside the glass doors of her building, she opted to skip the elevator and ran up the stairs to the fifth floor, invigorated by her desire. When she pushed her apartment door open, she was stunned by an unexpected visitor. Hayden was standing in the middle of her living room with his back to her, taking in the view from her window.

  “What are you doing here?” she questioned, shutting her door. “How did you get in?”

  He had left his beige suit jacket on her sofa and rolled up the sleeves of his light blue shirt. “Your landlady heard me knocking on your door,” he replied, never turning from the window.

  “Mrs. Leder let you in?”

  He faced her, the fatigue evident in his eyes. “After I thanked her for the handcuffs, she let me in with her key. She said you went for a run.” He waved down her running shorts and the slightly damp Dallas Cowboys T-shirt she had on. “Is that what you were doing…running away from me again?”

  Madison went to her kitchen, eager for something to drink. “Actually, I was thinking…and I didn’t run away.”

  He followed her. “Thinking about me?”

  “About us,” she corrected.

  In the kitchen, he took Madison’s arm and pulled her to him. “Is that why you weren’t at my house when I got home?”

  “No. I thought perhaps you might want some time alone after your day.” Madison tried to back away from him. “I need to change my clothes.”

  He held on to her, and the intensity of his gaze shattered whatever resistance she had left. His lips moved to within inches of hers. “Talk to me.”

  Madison’s lower lip trembled. “Hayden, do you still love your wife?”

  His stern gray eyes analyzed her features. “How can you possibly think I still have feelings for Ellen? You saw how we were today.”

  “I know, but she does look an awful lot like me. Your sister said something about it at the party, but I was taken aback when I saw her today. It makes me wonder if I’m just your type.”

  “What? What is my type?”

  “You know…the kind of woman you like being with. Green-eyed brunettes, like your ex-wife mentioned.”

  His laughter bounced about the small kitchen. “Madison, if you only knew….” He let go of her and rested his hip against the white Formica countertop. “There’s a reason why Ellen made that remark.” He took a moment, collecting his thoughts. “After that first night with you, I had a friend in administration at the UT Arlington Architecture School search the database for female students named Ma
ry. I was on the verge of hiring a private detective when the same friend I asked for help announced that he had found you.” He paused and sucked in a guarded breath. “He told me he was setting me up on a blind date with the woman I had hoped would be you, but it wasn’t. It was Ellen.”

  “Did you tell her about me?”

  “After we began dating, yes, I told her about Mary. I think it’s always bothered her that I wanted to find you.”

  “What made you stop looking for me?”

  “I met Ellen. I thought she could help me forget about you.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “For years I’ve wondered if you were all right, who you were with, if you had married. And then one day you walked into my elevator, and here we are.”

  Madison inched closer to him. “Do you know how many times I had to stop myself from going back to your place after that night? I often daydreamed about knocking on your door and having you sweep me into your arms.”

  He wrapped his arms about her. “Why didn’t you come back to me?”

  She delighted in the way the recessed lights above shadowed the contours of his rugged face. “Because I thought you were an asshole who wouldn’t remember who I was.”

  “Maybe I’m still that asshole.” He kissed her cheek. “When you weren’t at my house, I got scared; scared that you had run out on me again. Driving here, I realized I had to change things between us now, and not after I settle things with Ellen. So let’s start over. Do you still need a date for your roommate’s wedding?”

  “What about being discreet?”

  “To hell with being discreet! I don’t care who knows about us anymore.”

  Madison felt the thrill of victory in her bones. She was making headway with her cool and elusive Mr. Parr. “Then yes, I still need a date.”

  “Good. I’ll be your date.” His hands glided over her damp T-shirt. “Now that we have settled that… how long will it take you to pack a bag so we can head to my place?”

  She curled into him, running her fingertips along his soft shirt. “Let me jump in the shower and then—”