Checkmate

by Diana Nixon

  “I always wanted Max to be yours.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. No shit?

  “I always secretly hoped that one day we would be able to become a real family.”

  “Seriously, Pam? How old are you that you honestly believe in these twisted fairy tales?”

  “I thought you still loved me!”

  “After I saw you screwing another man in the bed that you and I used to share?”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks, but they didn’t affect me anymore, I was finished with her drama, and her bullshit, and her lies.

  “Does Max know the truth?”

  “No. I didn’t have time to tell him before he had to leave.”

  “You know what?” I rose to my feet and slowly walked over to Pamela. “There was a moment that I actually wanted your dreams about us becoming a family to come true. You have a wonderful son, and his only problem is you. Because now you have to do your best to give him what you took away from him, all those years ago. Go, find Justin and tell him about Max. If he’s a decent man, he will do you and Max right.”

  “What if he doesn’t listen to me?” She complained.

  “If what Max told me about him is true, he will listen to you. Moreover, he’ll accept his son and will love him more than you ever have.”

  I took my jacket and headed for the door. I felt sorry for Pamela, but it surely wasn’t enough to make me want to be with her again. Besides, I seriously doubted I would be able to be with anyone but Scarlett. Even though she didn’t want to see me, I still hoped that one day things would change.

  Chapter 16

  Dominick

  Six months later

  “Sweetheart, are you sure you don’t want me to go with you to San Francisco? Three days is too long to sleep without you here.”

  I looked and Candace, lying across my bed with her black hair spread all over my pillow. She and I had been dating for two months already, which was the longest relationship I had had since my relationship with Pamela. We met at one of the charity auctions. I wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, but she looked so sweet and nice, I thought it was time to stop eating my heart out. Besides, I was sick and tired of my own hand jobs, and my balls totally agreed with that opinion. Again, I started thinking like a greedy bastard, but it was all Scarlett’s fault. She made me believe that I could feel again, and then she threw my feelings into my face, and now I was back to my usual self. With only one exception — I thought that dealing with one woman at a time was more than enough for starters.

  That’s why today I wasn’t surprised to see Candace in my bed. She moved into my house a couple of weeks ago, and surprisingly enough, her presence didn’t irritate me. She was a great cook, and her sexual needs fit mine perfectly.

  “It’s a business trip, Baby,” I said, leaning to kiss her. “You will get bored sitting in the hotel room, waiting for me.”

  Unlike my previous girlfriends, Candace wasn’t a celebrity. In fact, she became popular the day she started dating me. She was the owner of a small art-gallery and hated the press.

  “Why don’t you invite a few friends and have a small party in my absence?”

  “You know how much I hate parties,” she said, rolling onto her stomach. “I will probably call my sister, I haven’t seen her for weeks.”

  “I’m sure you and Laura will find something interesting to do while I’m away.”

  “I’ll miss you,” she said, smiling up at me.

  “I’ll miss you too,” I said, hoping I sounded sincere.

  I didn’t love Candace and we both knew it. But I liked her enough to let her become one of the few constants of my life. She was beautiful, intelligent, and always knew how to please me, in every sense of the word.

  Oliver once said that I was using her to make myself forget about Scarlett. Maybe he was right, I don’t know. I tried not to think about Scarlett. But we still worked in the same company, and like today, we didn’t have a choice but to talk to each other.

  She called me early in the morning, saying she wouldn’t be able to attend the tonight’s meeting with the heads of Leighton’s Advertising, and I wondered if it was just a coincidence, or if she was intentionally avoiding seeing me. Whatever her intentions were, one thing I knew for sure — I did want to see her.

  We haven’t seen each other for months, and I hardly knew anything about her personal life anymore, but I was dying to know more. Partially because deep down in my heart, I still missed her. Every time I saw her number flashing on my cell’s screen, my pulse accelerated. I tried to sound calm and maybe even a little indifferent, but when I heard my name on the other end of the line, something broke inside me, over and over again.

  I thought that my wounds weren’t that deep, but apparently I was wrong, because even after six months they were still fresh and bleeding.

  I was a little afraid of going to San Francisco. I knew I would see her sooner or later, but right now, I felt like a teenage boy before his first date. I was nervous, and no words seemed to be good enough to say to Scarlett when we finally were able to meet again. There were so many things I wanted to tell her, but for some reason, I thought she wouldn’t care.

  Not even once in those rare moments that she decided to call, did she ever ask me anything about how I was doing, feeling, or what I was up to since she had been away; she only wanted to ask about how business was here in New York. She always sounded somewhat guarded, and I wondered if she ever had the same reaction to hearing my voice as I had hearing hers. Her voice was like music to my ears, almost like heaven’s angels were there singing directly to me through her; it was the most wonderful sensation after being apart from her for so long. Whatever she was saying, made me think about things that were the opposite from business strategies or new projects; I simply didn’t want to think about work when it came to talking to Scarlett. I still craved her, and no matter how much I hated myself for that, I couldn’t help it. I was still in love with her, and I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to get over it, not in this lifetime anyway. Love doesn’t just disappear like a whisper riding on the waves of wind. That is something Scarlett apparently didn’t understand, my love couldn’t just die and blow away.

  I only felt mildly guilty for thinking so passionately about Scarlett with Candace filling a partner’s role in my life. This is how love and life worked: when a relationship ended, it was only natural to find someone new. What’s the saying? When one door closes another door opens? Well, I opened my own new door with Candace; she wasn’t Scar of course, but she cared about me and I cared about her. So, life moved on. I kissed Candace good-bye and left.

  She knew I couldn’t offer her any kind of commitment, but for now, we both were okay about that. Even though Scarlett and I spent so little time together, it still felt like I had a million memories with her. Like the way my skin burned with all of her touches, or the way her lips parted when I leaned in to kiss her, or the way she would watch me when we made love, or the way she moaned when I was inside her…

  No one, not even Candace made me feel the things that I felt with Scarlett, in bed or anywhere else for that matter.

  Was it possible to fall out of love with her? I hoped so. After all, that’s what I have been trying to do this entire time.

  That’s why I was so afraid to see her again. I didn’t want those feelings back. She was my weakness, my Kryptonite, and I hated the mere thought of being weak again. For a moment, I even thought I would be happy to know that she could be dating someone else. Because it was about the only thing that could stop me from…

  No, I shouldn’t think about that, I said to myself. I had a girlfriend now, I wouldn’t cheat on her, and I was quite happy with the way my life was now. I couldn’t let Scarlett ruin my inner peace again. And I didn’t want to pick up the pieces of my broken heart again; twice was more than enough. Between Pamela and Scarlett they shattered my heart, and both times I thought that I’d never be able to move on again, and look I moved on from Pamela wit
h Scarlett’s help and now I’ve moved on from Scarlett with Candace’s help, and now I am doing just fine. I don’t need either one of them for my heart or soul to be complete.

  I had a room booked at the Fairmont Heritage Place in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, so I asked my driver to take my luggage there, and I personally went to Leighton’s Advertising. Scarlett did a great job in collaborating with the company, so I didn’t doubt that today I would hear only positive feedbacks about her work. Stefan was still worried about his daughter, but we both knew that when it came to work, she dedicated herself to her obligations and never did anything that would cause harm to her father’s company, which I knew she still wanted to head.

  The meeting with the Leighton’s board was appointed for 2:00 in the afternoon, so I still had about half an hour to look around.

  “Mr. Altier, right?” I heard someone saying. I turned around and saw a dark-haired girl, coming towards me. I guess she was in her mid-twenties, tall and skinny; not my type exactly.

  “Yes, that’s me and you are-?”

  “Melody Stanaway. I’m Mr. Leighton’s secretary.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “He asked me to accompany you to the meeting hall. Now if you’ll please follow me, it’s upstairs,” she said, nodding to the elevators.

  I thought it was my chance to get to know more about Scarlett.

  “Is Ms. Wilson going to join us?” I knew she wouldn’t, but I still hoped I would see her today.

  “Maybe tomorrow. She and Derek are out today for a meeting with one of our clients.”

  “Who’s Derek?”

  “Oh, he’s Mr. Leighton’s son and her boyfriend.”

  A very unpleasant feeling formed inside me. And I knew exactly what it was. Fucking jealousy…

  “Thanks for the detailed answer,” I said to Melody.

  Her cheeks blushed. “Sorry, sometimes I don’t know how to keep my mouth shut. Our company has always been just like one huge family. It’s so easy to forget who you are talking to.”

  I nodded curtly.

  So a family, huh? Must be very convenient to have a boyfriend whose company you are going to swallow in its entirety soon. I wondered if he realized that… I knew that Scarlett would never use anyone for her own benefit, but the thought that I could be wrong was more thrilling than the fact that I was about to see another man embracing her. Crap, I was so not ready for this…

  Two hours later, I thought my head would explode from the amount of information that I was supposed to be thinking about. People kept talking around me, but I could hardly think about anything but Scarlett’s arrival. About five minutes ago, we were informed that she would join us and my pulse accelerated at the mere thought of the impending meeting.

  “We are awfully sorry for missing this meeting,” said a masculine voice behind me. “But Scarlett and I have great news — one more seven-digit contract in our pocket!”

  The men around me applauded grandly.

  “And you must be Dominick Altier?” Said the guy who was about my age, outstretching his hand in greeting to me.

  “Yes, I am,” I said, shaking it.

  “I’m Derek Leighton,” he said. “Scarlett told me so much about you.”

  “Did she?” It was rather surprising to know that she discussed me with her new boyfriend.

  “Je suis charmée de vous voir, monsieur Altier— It’s a pleasure to see you Mr. Altier.”

  My blood froze in my veins at the sound of the words. Slowly, I turned around and saw her…

  She was standing just a few feet away from me, wearing that mesmerizing smile that I missed so much. She was still stunning, just as the last time I saw her. The curls of her silky hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, and I could barely stop myself from running my hands through them. Her blue eyes were shining brightly, it was so easy to drown in their depths. Her lips were still as kissable as I remembered. She was wearing a simple white pencil skirt and a matching jacket, but she still looked damn sexy. I felt my cock hardening in my boxers. Until now, I didn’t even realize how much I actually wanted to see her again.

  “Good to see you too, Ms. Wilson,” I said, forcing a smile. I could barely think straight and I hoped no one would notice my tensed posture.

  “Scarlett is our invaluable treasure,” Derek said, wrapping one arm around her waist. “How could you ever let her move here?”

  My eyes followed his possessive gesture and I suddenly wanted to break his arm. It would be so easy just to reach over and break it with my bare hands… Although, I’m certain that Scarlett wouldn’t appreciate that very much, it would certainly make my day, speaking personally anyway.

  “It was hard to make her stay,” I said, meeting Scarlett’s stare. I could swear she was as tense as I was.

  She smiled slightly and took a step away from Derek, breaking free of his embrace. Did she know that I didn’t like it? Could she read it on my face? Or maybe she didn’t want me to know about her new relationship? Whatever it was, I was glad that she was standing closer to me than to Derek now.

  “Why don’t we take a break and ask the secretary to bring us coffee?” She said, looking at the rest of the executives in the conference room.

  “Great idea,” Mr. Leighton said, rising to his feet. “We’ve already discussed the most important issues. I think we can finish this meeting tomorrow. What do you gentlemen think?”

  “Great idea, Dad,” Derek said. “Scarlett and I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch the first flight to San Diego this morning.”

  I looked at Scarlett, raising my eyebrows in a silent question. Do they sleep together? Of course, they do, idiot; they are dating!

  She ignored my meaningful stare and excused herself to take care about the coffee.

  “So how do you like California?” Derek turned to me.

  “It’s hot as always,” I said loud enough to be heard from the hall. Of course, I wasn’t talking about the damn weather.

  “Scarlett hates California, and I love it so much! I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I don’t even know what we will do after we get married. We should probably think about-”

  “You’re getting married?” I asked in a cold voice. I didn’t really care about his reaction, I still wanted to kill him with my bare hands.

  “Well, I haven’t officially proposed yet,” Derek said, his eyes travelling to Scarlett and Melody, entering the room. “But I’d love to see her as my wife. She’s amazing.”

  “Yes, she is,” I said quietly, watching her.

  She moved around the room, talking to the participants of the meeting, and I couldn’t help but admit how easily she could mingle with people around her. Apparently, I was the only exception to that rule.

  “Dominick, you like it hot and sweet, if memory serves.” I didn’t immediately realize what she was talking about.

  “The coffee, I mean,” she said with a small smile.

  “Your memory doesn’t fail you. You always knew what I liked most.”

  Our gazes met and I could swear, I saw the familiar fire burning in her eyes. She remembered every second that we spent together, just as well as I did.

  “Here you go,” she said after a short pause, handing me a cup of coffee.

  “Does your menu offer anything else?” I took a sip and smiled at her.

  “Cookies?” She said, barely holding back a smile.

  “I’m not a fan of cookies, but I wouldn’t mind another kind of dessert.”

  She smirked. “I don’t know about France, but here it is usually served after the main course.”

  “Then why don’t you have dinner with me? Tonight.”

  I knew it was a dangerous game to play, but damn me, I wanted it even more than I ever had before.

  She shook her head. “I can’t. Derek and I-”

  “Are dating, I know. But I’m not asking you to sleep with me. Unless, that is what you want instead of dessert.”

  “You will never change, wil
l you?”

  She crossed her arms, watching me cautiously. There was a battle happening behind her eyes, we both knew that she was considering my invitation.

  “Why would I change if you still like the old me?”

  “You give yourself too much credit, Mr. Altier.”

  I looked around to make sure that no one else could hear me and said in a whisper, “Then why don’t you take me down? If memory serves, you always liked being on top.”

  “Why don’t you go to hell, Dominick?”

  “Relax, Scar. I only wanted to make sure that you are a good girl now. After all, I know how demanding it can be to be your toy. Poor Derek. Does he know that you sleep with him just to be closer to controlling his father’s company?”

  “What?” She said a little too loud.

  “Is everything okay, Sweetheart?” Derek asked, coming to stand beside us.

  “Yes. Dominick had just surprised me with some news,” she said, trying to play it cool.

  “Good news I hope,” he said, kissing her hair.

  I almost retched at the gesture. Why did karma always have to be such a bitch?

  “I was actually asking Scarlett to have dinner with me,” I said, enjoying anger that her eyes responded with. “We haven’t seen each other for so long, we can hardly find time to talk on the phone, and there are so many things we need to discuss.” I smiled pleasantly at the two of them.

  “Sure, you can go for dinner with Dominick,” Derek said to Scarlett.

  “But what about our plans for tonight?”

  “I didn’t know we had plans.”

  Oops… I could hardly stop myself from laughing, that’s what happens when you lie Scar, that bitch called karma comes and slaps you in the face.

  Now, it was my time to celebrate. “Then I’ll pick you up at seven,” I said. “Text me your address.”

  Derek smiled at me. “Now I know that my girl will be in good hands.”

  Oh, yeah, definitely. She will be in my hands very soon, you’ll see soon enough lover-boy.