by Day Leclaire
“He asked Dad for Sweet Nothings, too?” Rebecca asked, appalled.
“He probably would have been willing to settle for the manor if you hadn’t put yourself in the middle. I’m sure he’s heard about your efforts on your father’s behalf and this is his way of circumventing them.”
“I couldn’t sit by and do nothing.”
“Actually, you could have.” He waved her silent before she argued the point and placed his cup and saucer on the coffee table in front of them. “All of this is pointless to discuss. The bottom line is that both Paulo and the TCC need to be paid off or there will be consequences for both you and your father. If it were just your father, I wouldn’t lift a finger to help. But for you…”
She bowed her head. “I thought you hated me.”
“I’m willing to agree to your proposal. That’s all that should matter to you.”
She looked up at him and he could tell from her expression that she’d darted off on another path of concern. “Will Rodriquez come after you if you help us?”
“Paulo and I go way back.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Once again, you haven’t answered my question. Will he come after you?”
“Are you going to put yourself between the two of us now?”
She offered a short laugh. “Apparently.”
“Don’t. In fact, I think I’ll have my lawyer put a clause in our agreement that you’ll stay away from Rodriquez or I have the right to call the note due.”
Her eyes widened. “Is that even legal?”
He shrugged. “That’s why I hire a team of very expensive lawyers. It’s their job to make my wishes legal.”
This time her laugh came more easily. Some of the strain eased from her face. “Then we have an agreement? You’ll loan us the money to pay off both my father’s debts, and use Sweet Nothings as collateral?”
“Yes. There might be the odd ‘and, if, or but’ to figure out. But we can sort that out at a later date.”
She nodded. “Okay.” She drew in a slow breath. “Thank you, Alex. I know this isn’t what you’d either planned or wanted.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“But I’ll find a way to make it up to you. I promise.”
“You can start by staying well away from Rodriquez.”
She offered a small, calm smile, one that had always succeeded in driving him crazy. Unable to resist, he leaned in and cupped the back of her neck, drawing her closer. His mouth played over hers and he felt her instant surrender. With the softest of moans, she opened to him, gave as thoroughly as she received.
They drifted back against the couch cushions and he accepted this moment out of time as sheer indulgence on his part. It couldn’t continue, not now that they’d agreed on the loan. But today, for this brief interlude, he’d accept what she so generously offered. As though afraid that he’d call a halt to the embrace, her fingers threaded through his hair, anchoring him in place. Unable to resist, his hands slid downward over bridal ivory, cupping the generous weight of her breast in his hand. She moaned again, just a sweet breath of sound that he drank in as though it was the most precious of nectars.
He couldn’t get enough of her, wanted to discover all the ways in which she’d changed since he’d last made love to her. He swept downward over the narrow dip of her waist, the flare of her hip, to the flirtatious hem of her dress that had somehow managed to creep up toward her thighs. Slipping beneath, he found the silken length of her spectacular legs and inched upward in tantalizing circles until he reached the scrap of lace protecting the heated core of her. She gasped when he penetrated the barrier and pulled her mouth free from his.
He froze at the desperate longing gleaming in her eyes, and the full weight of his actions crashed down on him. Did she want him because she had feelings for him, or because he’d agreed to loan her father the money he needed? Carefully, he eased back, feeling a distinctive chill replace the blazing heat of only seconds before.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked suspiciously.
She stiffened, disbelief stealing away her cloak of passion. “You can’t seriously believe that I’m offering you some sort of down payment on your loan?” she demanded.
“You think our affair was the result of a bet. Why wouldn’t you also believe I’d expect more from you than just your business as collateral? After all, I’m keeping your father from going to jail. So why wouldn’t I make you part of this devil’s bargain?”
She studied his face for a long, thoughtful moment, then shook her head. “I would hope you have too much integrity to do such a thing.”
“Unlike before? Tell me what’s changed, Rebecca.”
“You’ve changed. I’ve changed. People change, Alex.”
“And then, of course, there’s the fact that I have money.” He pulled free of her arms and stood, regarding her coldly. “Others will suspect you’re paying me off with your body. You realize that, don’t you?”
She sat up and adjusted the clothing he’d left in such delightful disarray. “I’ve never concerned myself with what others think.”
He released a humorless laugh. “You will. When word of our arrangement gets out—and no matter how careful we are to keep it quiet, it will get out—we’ll see how long you continue to feel that way.” He walked to the door and paused. “My lawyers will be in touch. But I’m warning you, Rebecca. If you go anywhere near Rodriquez, the deal is off.” And with that final warning, he left.
How had she done it? How had Rebecca managed to take his thirst for revenge and quench it with a single kiss? Alex climbed into his Jag, put it in gear and flew down the Huntington drive. The stately oaks lining the drive passed in a blur of deep autumnal russet.
He’d clearly lost his mind. Here was his perfect opportunity for revenge and he was allowing the woman who’d helped destroy his life—and the lives of his family—convince him to give it up. Again. Of course, Sebastian Huntington had played a big part in that, since it was through him that Rodriquez had managed to get so close to Rebecca, which had forced Alex to act.
None of that changed the bottom line, he reassured himself. He had his plan in place. Granted, it was a new plan, but the end results would remain the same. When Huntington finally realized that his friends had deserted him and he wouldn’t be able to finagle his way out of his current predicament, he’d be left with one choice. To sign over the deed to Huntington Manor and leave town. In the meantime, Alex would make sure the embezzled funds were returned to the TCC with interest. Then he’d clear off any outstanding Huntington debts, including Paulo Rodriquez’s. He frowned at the reminder.
Paulo.
He’d have to talk to his onetime friend and find out what the hell was going on. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d touched base. Maybe once in the past year, when he’d asked his old friend to keep an eye on Alicia after the arson fire. Even then, it had been by phone. But the fact that Paulo had chosen to go after Sebastian Huntington raised red flags. It was time for a face-to-face reunion.
To his surprise, he found Paulo waiting at El Diablo. He was leaning against the black McLaren he’d been driving earlier, a sleek machine that must have set him back a cool mil. He grinned when he saw Alex pull in and lifted his hand in greeting.
Alex climbed out of his own vehicle. He crossed to Paulo’s side and gave him a hard hug. “Good to see you, man.”
“My address hasn’t changed any more than I have.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s you who’s changed, eh? Maybe the barrio isn’t good enough for you anymore?”
“You know that’s not true.”
They’d just chosen different paths in life. Paulo’s wasn’t one Alex cared to follow. He’s always assumed they’d both understood that fact and made peace with it. Now he wasn’t so certain.
Paulo let the comment pass and inclined his head toward the barn, still in the process of being rebuilt. “Problems?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” And it wasn’t
. Once Huntington’s complicity in the arson fires had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt—and despite the man’s protests, Alex suspected it would be—there would be retribution. And it would taste sweet, indeed. He deliberately changed the subject by gesturing toward the McLaren. “I see you’ve bought yourself a new toy.”
It was the perfect distraction. “It’s just in. I think I own the only one like it in the entire state.” Paulo’s avid gaze ran over the sleek lines of the car, examining it with more passion than he would a woman. “Make my day, Alejandro, and tell me you aren’t just a little envious.”
“Maybe a little.” Alex smiled. “Though I’d think you’d choose something a bit more subtle, something the cops don’t instantly peg as belonging to you.”
Paulo clasped his hand to his chest. “You wound me, amigo. The cops have no reason to stop me. I’m a legitimate businessman these days.”
“I gather that includes your business with Sebastian Huntington?”
An expression of amused delight appeared on Paulo’s face and his grin flashed white. “I wondered when you’d figure that out. Accept it as a gift from an old friend.”
Alex stiffened. “Tell me what you’ve done.”
“Consider it payback for what Huntington did to you, little Alicia and Tía Carmen.”
“You scammed him.”
Paulo gave an impatient click of his tongue. “He was easier to train than a dog. I said, ‘roll over’ and he asked how many times. Even after the first deal went bad, he came back begging for more. He made it easy. Too easy.”
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Alex forced a smile to his lips. “Come inside and have a drink while we discuss it.”
“Nothing to discuss.” Paulo rubbed his hands together. “Soon, you and I will both own big Texas homesteads. You will sit in your El Diablo, while I am lord of Huntington Manor.” His eyes took on a frenetic glitter. “And when I submit my application to the TCC, you will get me approved. You and my beautiful new wife.”
Alex didn’t like how this was going down. Not even a little. “Congratulations. I didn’t know you were engaged.”
“Oh, I’m not. Yet. But I have a feeling Rebecca Huntington will do almost anything for her dear papá. Especially if it keeps him out of jail, yes?”
“Becca?” he said, stalling. It confirmed his worst suspicions.
“I’ve wanted a taste of her for a long time.” Paulo’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t deny me that taste, would you, mi amigo? Not considering I was honorable enough to keep my hands off her while you took your fill a few years back.”
“Honorable.”
The word tasted like acid in his mouth while fury burned in the pit of his stomach. The mere idea of Rodriquez putting his hands on Rebecca had the most base and brutal instincts ripping through him. The bitter irony tore him to shreds.
His friend was right. Chances were, Rebecca would do anything to save her father. Hadn’t she all but offered herself to him in exchange for his help? And hadn’t he taken advantage of that fact not even an hour ago? How did that make him any better than the man standing before him? At least Paulo was honest in his desires, while Alex had wrapped his up in the pursuit of revenge and justice.
“There’s only one problem, Paulo,” Alex found himself saying. He could only pray he could pull this off without incurring his old friend’s wrath. “I’ve agreed to pay Huntington’s debts. If you’ll tell me what he owes you—”
“Have you lost your mind? This is the man who made your life a misery. The man who destroyed your family. The father of the woman who—” He stopped dead and swore. “Of course. The woman.”
“It’s done. Let it go and walk away.”
“No!” Paulo cut him off with a slicing sweep of his hand. “That’s not going to happen. I’ve worked too long and hard to allow that cabrón to escape vengeance.”
“He didn’t do anything to you. It’s not your revenge to take.”
“Don’t you understand?” Paulo’s retort bit sharp in the quiet night air. “I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this for your sister. For your mother.”
Alex refused to allow the lie to stand. “You’re doing this because it’s the only way you can force Rebecca into your bed.”
Paulo’s expression turned ugly. “Do not interfere, hombre. We have been friends a long time. But no one, not even one I consider mi hermano, takes what I regard as mine.”
“Rebecca Huntington isn’t yours. She never was and she never will be.” Alex stepped closer, ignoring the way Paulo’s hand shifted to the back of his jeans. There was only one way to get through to a man like Rodriquez. “The lady belongs to me. Her father belongs to me. Huntington Manor belongs to me. And I will protect what is mine.”
Rage swept across Paulo’s face, ripping apart any remaining shreds of civility. “You are making a mistake, Montoya.” He tore open the door of his McLaren and slid in, gunning the powerful engine. “A big mistake.”
Hitting the accelerator, he forced Alex to jump to one side as he sent the car screaming down the drive, a rooster tail of gravel kicking up in his wake. Getting the nicks and scratches out would cost him a pretty penny, which wouldn’t help his mood any. Alex glanced across the yard, surprised to see his foreman, Bright, standing on the portico of the sprawling ranch house, a shotgun leveled in the direction of the retreating taillights.
“He had a gun,” Bright called. “Tucked in the back of his belt.”
Paulo always had a gun tucked in the back of his belt, but Alex didn’t bother to explain that fact. He lifted a hand. “Thanks, Bright. Everything’s fine.”
For now. But for how much longer? Not only did Alex have to deal with Paulo Rodriguez, but he’d now committed himself to paying off the TCC debt—along with whatever Huntington owed Rodriquez. Even more pressing, he needed to make a decision about Rebecca, as well. Was he going to prove he was as savage as Rodriquez by sacrificing his honor and taking what she’d offered? Or was he going to do what his mother would have considered the “noble” thing and help the woman he’d once loved?
His intellect strained toward noble. Unfortunately, the rest of him wasn’t listening.
Rebecca unlocked the front door of Sweet Nothings and flipped the discreet sign in the window from “Please visit later” to “Please come in!” She’d already started the coffee percolating on the vintage serving table that separated the retail area of the store from the section containing the cozy sitting area and the dressing rooms. And she was literally counting the minutes until the freshly ground beans finished brewing. She’d managed two whole hours of sleep last night and it showed. Thank God for makeup, since it managed to hide most of the damage.
She couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or dismayed when the morning started out dead slow. At least it gave her time to put out a shipment of new inventory and catch up on her billing. She was on her third cup of coffee when the bells above the doorway released a light, sweet chime, signaling her first customer of the day. To her delight, it was Kate.
“Thank goodness it’s you.” Rebecca headed for the silver service and topped off her own coffee, then poured a second helping into another delicate Lenox cup and saucer. She handed it to her friend. “All I’ve gotten whenever I call is your voice mail.”
Kate accepted the coffee with a grateful smile. “I know, I know.” She took a sip and moaned. “I swear you make the best coffee in the entire county. Maybe the entire state.”
Rebecca took a restorative sip and then handled the situation the way she always did—confronting it head-on. “Okay, what’s up? I can tell when you’re trying to avoid something, and you have avoidance written all over you.” She mentally braced herself. “What’s going on? I’ve left a thousand messages. Why haven’t you gotten back to me?”
Her friend winced. “I’m sorry. Things got crazy after lunch the other day.”
“So, you have been ducking my phone calls.”
Kate held up a hand. “Only until Lance got his
facts straight. Plus, I wanted to be with you when we spoke.”
Rebecca stared in dismay. “It’s that bad?”
Sympathy swept across Kate’s pretty face. “Yes,” she stated bluntly. “It’s that bad.”
“If this is about the TCC accounts…” It took every ounce of resolve for Rebecca to meet her friend’s eyes. “I know about it and it’s true.”
“Oh, sweetie!”
“The money will be replaced,” Rebecca stated emphatically. “Every last dime. Alex has agreed to loan us the money in the meantime.”
“Alex?” Kate looked as amazed as Rebecca felt.
“See what you miss when you don’t return my calls?” Her flash of humor died and she met her friend’s gaze. “I’m determined to see he’s paid back as quickly as possible, even if I have to take on a second job to do it.”
Kate caught her lip between her teeth. “There’s something else you should know. I’m not really supposed to tell anyone, but you should have some warning.”
“It’s about the arson fires, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Kate caught Rebecca’s arm in hers and guided her to the divan adjacent to the tea table. “Sit before you fall down.”
“He didn’t do it.” Tears welled up in Rebecca’s eyes and she blinked fiercely to hold them at bay. She wasn’t a crier, but between her father’s confession, the interludes with Alex and the lack of sleep, her self-control was pared down to a mere thread. “I swear, Kate. Dad’s admitted to taking the money, but he swears he had nothing to do with the refinery fire or Alex’s barn. And I believe him.”
“Of course you do,” her friend said in a soothing voice.
“I know he’s not the easiest man to like,” Rebecca confessed with difficulty. “He’s hard and…and arrogant. And he’s made mistakes. But he wouldn’t endanger lives.”
“Darius Franklin is looking into it. I trust him. He’s a good man. He’ll get to the bottom of everything.”
“I spoke with him the other day and I agree with your assessment. He is a good man. He…he advised we get a lawyer.” Without warning, Rebecca dissolved. Her cup rattled against the saucer and Kate rescued it before the fragile porcelain could shatter. Without a word, the two embraced and rode out the storm. At long last, Rebecca pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks.