by Nicole Helm
Part of her wanted this. Wanted to keep waking up in his arms as long as it was this nice, this warm, this comforting. All the while the other part of her knew it was impossible.
She couldn’t do the long-term. It hurt too much to believe in long-term because something would inevitably end it.
Suddenly, Nate’s arms felt too heavy, too confining. She wiggled her way out and slid out of bed. He was still dead to the world, his big body sprawled across the mattress.
Vivvy found herself smiling. He was just so nice to look at, all tanned muscle and big, broad frame taking up a large portion of the white hotel bed. Yes, this part would be easy to get used to.
But her mind couldn’t let go of all the parts outside of a hotel bed. Sighing, she moved to her suitcase. Today, her mind had to focus on business. She was leaving tomorrow morning and had to leave knowing Ryan and Nate were behind her plan one hundred percent.
She could change her flight back to Monday morning, but sneaking one last peek at a sleeping Nate, she knew the best thing for both of them would be for her to leave as soon as possible.
What was that stupid old saying? If you love something set it free, and it’ll come back if it’s meant to be.
Not that this was about love. Just the thought of that four-letter word had her stomach sinking to her toes. What did she know about love?
Clothes for the day in hand, Vivvy went through her morning routine. Shower, blow dry hair, makeup, business suit. Today she needed the outward facade as much as anything. A reminder of what had to be accomplished before she let Nate distract her one last time.
She would gladly spend one more night in his arms. Maybe indulge in some of those weird feelings plaguing her, maybe even admit to them. Knowing she was leaving in the morning would make it easy to confess, because then she could run without having to face the consequences.
If somehow she and Nate ended up together again, she’d think about the possibility for something long-term.
Vivvy shook her head to clear it. Today meant business. She could fill her mind with Nate tonight and on the way back to LA.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she was prepared to have to rouse Nate out of bed without getting distracted, but he was already awake and pulling on his jeans.
Distraction alert. If she had her phone handy, she’d be tempted to take a picture. It was a shame her bosses weren’t women because then she wouldn’t have to make a television pitch. She’d just show them that.
“I warned you about that look,” Nate grumbled.
Vivvy had no idea why his morning gruffness was so cute. “What look?”
“The I-wanna-get-you-naked look. Because I’d be more than inclined to get naked, but you’re all dolled up and probably don’t want to get messy.”
“No, I don’t.” Well, part of her did. But it was the part of her brain she wasn’t listening to.
Nate surveyed her, then smiled. “You sure?”
She did not want to smile back, but her lips curved up anyway. “Yes, I’m sure. I have a lot to do today.”
Nate sighed. “If you say so.” He scratched a hand through his hair. “Any idea where my shirt went?”
Vivvy pointed to the discarded shirt, socks, and shoes at the end of the bed, but Nate bypassed them and headed toward her. And he kept moving toward her with a familiar gleam in his eye. Vivvy backed away, knowing that if she gave him even just a minute she’d turn into a spineless jellyfish and agree to however he wanted to spend the morning.
When her back hit wall, she held out her hand to stop his advancing body. “Nate, don’t—”
“I won’t.” His lips met hers, just a soft kiss, his hands resting on her hips. It wasn’t needy or demanding. It was sweet. Nice. Like a “good morning, glad to see you” kiss.
Crap.
“I think you should pack everything up and check out today,” he said against her lips, one hand moving off her hip to run through her straightened hair. “Then stay with me tonight.” His eyes held hers and then he kissed her cheek, then her temple. Featherlight brushes.
She closed her eyes, pushing away the warm, fluttery sensations spreading from her chest outward. Focus. Business. “We need to go. I have a lot to go over with Ryan.” Her voice was breathy and anything but businesslike.
Nate scrubbed a hand over his face. “Viv, I don’t know what you’re expecting out of him, but—”
“Nate, get dressed.” She pushed him toward his discarded shirt and shoes. “I have work to do at Harrington, as I assume you do if you want to make any money before this TV show pans out.”
He moved toward his clothes and pulled the shirt on, muscles moving enticingly as he did.
Oh, yum. Vivvy averted her gaze to her suitcase. “I need to get ready to check out.”
Nate moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist. “Yes, Vivvy. You can have your business all day, but you are one hundred percent mine tonight.”
His. She sighed. Maybe one more night of being his would be enough. Either way, she was willing to make it a night he wouldn’t forget.
Chapter Eleven
Nate pulled up to Harrington behind Vivvy’s car. For the first time in his life, he resented having to do work. Because work meant time away from Vivvy, and what time he had left with her was very limited.
He frowned. This whole thing was a mess. One more night, then say good-bye? That had seemed plausible just a few days ago, but now…
What? He had no idea what this was or how they could somehow try to figure it out. So even the prospect of one last night with Vivvy, while filling him with all sorts of mental images, left him feeling…
Confused.
It wasn’t a feeling he enjoyed. Especially watching Vivvy walk up to Harrington in complete control, a complete professional. One cool fucking customer. Why couldn’t he compartmentalize like her?
Because Harringtons didn’t have compartments. They wore every emotion on their sleeves. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Sighing, Nate followed Vivvy. Mom and Gramps wouldn’t be up at the office until afternoon, but Ryan and Dad should be there already.
His mood darkened even further.
When he stepped into the office, only Ryan was there. With a giant smile on his face. Not a normal sight. Even Vivvy sent a questioning look over her shoulder, but Nate could only shrug.
“Dad’s here,” Ryan announced with way too much excitement. “Waiting for you. I’ve been waiting for you, too. Some fun stuff is going to go down today, bro.”
Nate frowned at his brother, trying to get a read on what the hell he was talking about. “Did you drink a bottle of whiskey with breakfast?”
Ryan laughed. “Better. I found a way to get Dad off our backs for good…I think.”
Again, Vivvy looked back at Nate, but Nate focused in on Ryan. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Come on.” Ryan moved around the counter with a folder under his arm and gestured for Vivvy and Nate to follow. “Let’s head back to the conference room and have a little chat.”
“Does your brother do drugs?” Vivvy murmured as they followed Ryan back to the tiny conference room.
“Not that I’m aware of. Maybe he got abducted by aliens.”
“Or hypnotized by a Gypsy.”
Nate snorted, winding his arm around Vivvy’s waist as they walked. “Maybe all three.”
They walked into the conference room, where Jed was already sitting at the beat-up table. When he saw Ryan at the doorway, his scowl was evident, but once he noticed Vivvy was there, he smoothed it out into one of his practiced smiles. “Ms. Marsh. So good to see you again.”
Vivvy smiled her cool, businesswoman smile. “Mr. Harrington.”
Jed took a sip from a foam coffee cup, though Nate doubted it held just coffee, even this early in the morning.
“Now, Ry and Nate, why don’t you leave me and Ms. Marsh to talk about a few things. This was my—”
“I’m afraid that won’t do, Mr. Harrington. Nat
e and Ryan are an integral part of this. You, however, are not.”
Jed’s smile didn’t leave his face, but after years of practice in gauging Dad’s mood, Nate knew the slightly squinted eyes meant anger was brewing behind the polite, charming exterior. “I see my boys have given you the wrong impression about me.”
Vivvy moved past the doorway and slid into the folding chair across from Jed. Ryan and Nate followed suit, flanking her. It was like they were a team, all against Dad. Maybe he shouldn’t, but Nate enjoyed it. When he and Ryan fought with Dad, they never got anywhere. Too many emotions flying around. But with Vivvy?
Well, they might be on to something. Maybe she was the antidote to the Harrington civil war. Maybe she was exactly what they—what he—needed.
Jed tried to keep talking but was silenced when Vivvy held up a hand. “What your sons have said about you is irrelevant. My opinion about you was made up last night when you refused to leave my hotel room.”
Nate ignored Ryan’s questioning look.
“Your behavior prior to that—making an appointment and then being unreachable for days—was unacceptable. If this television show idea becomes a reality, we’ll have a tight production schedule. Your lack of follow-through leads me to believe you would be a hindrance rather than an asset to this endeavor.”
Jed’s face contorted into something between that fake smile and a nasty sneer. “That was one time.”
“But not the first or the last,” Nate added. “You’ve been disappearing for weeks at a time for as long as I can remember.”
Jed scraped back the chair, his body shaking with rage even as he tried to control it. “I left to find opportunities to help the family,” Jed said through clenched teeth. After a deep breath, some of the visible signs of anger faded. “It seems a father will always be made the villain for trying to do what’s best for his family if it doesn’t match society’s image of—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, shut up,” Ryan spat, tapping the folder on the table. “And sit down.”
Instead, Jed leaned over the table toward Ryan. “You shouldn’t be here, you measly piece of shit. Go back to Kansas City.” Jed turned his eyes toward Vivvy. “You want to talk about a man deserting his family, you look at this one. Did everything he could to get out without two words. Barely visits his mother at Christmas. Never sends money home even though we’re struggling and he’s rolling in it.”
A lie so thick it was laughable. While Nate kept most of Harrington’s success under wraps, he’d also kept his mother comfortable. There was no struggling at Harrington. Not really.
“Mr. Harrington, sit down.” Vivvy’s order wasn’t a snap or laced with any kind of anger. When he didn’t follow her order, Vivvy shrugged. “Bottom line for me is you’re a liability. There’s no place for you in anything Tyson might produce here.”
Jed’s eyes bulged and he sputtered. He looked at Ryan and then Nate with pure disgust. Nate wished he could feel happy, vindicated, something positive, but his stomach churned in knots and he just wanted this confrontation over. Just wanted Dad to disappear again and things to go back to normal. Or as normal as they could be with a man who left his family and returned to it as though they were never important enough to keep his full attention.
Nate moved his attention from Jed to Vivvy. Could he be enough to keep her full attention? Stupid question. And not the time to ponder it.
Jed pounded a fist on the table. “This isn’t over.”
“No, Dad, this is over.” Ryan’s voice was downright cheerful and he had a broad smile on his face. “There’s something else that’s over, too.”
Jed’s brows drew together in confusion as Ryan pushed the folder toward him. “What’s this?” he barked, not even bothering to pick it up.
Ryan leaned back in his chair, folded his hands behind his head. “Divorce papers.”
Jed paled. “What?”
“Well, the first step toward divorce papers anyway. Mom and I discussed it. She said she’s ready to cut ties with you.”
Jed looked down at the folder like it might bite. “Annie and I have been married for almost thirty years.”
“How many of those were you actually a husband?” Nate muttered. Maybe if this really happened, they’d all finally be off the Jed seesaw.
Still, Jed’s face didn’t contort in anger. No, by Nate’s estimation, Jed looked downright scared. “But... But I always come back. I can’t help I’m not perfect.” Jed pushed away from the table, swung around then back again. “What’d you do?” he demanded, pointing a damning finger at Ryan. “What’d you do to her?”
“I simply offered my expertise. Mom said this TV show idea was the last straw. She’s done with you, and she wants that to be legal.”
“But…” Jed raked fingers through his hair, kept turning away from the table then back again, muttering buts under his breath. “I’m going to talk to Annie. You can’t railroad her into this.”
Ryan held up his hands. “Be my guest, but after you do you might want to hire a lawyer. I’d recommend hiring outside of Demo.”
“I’m not hiring any lawyer,” Jed snapped. “And your mom and I aren’t getting a divorce. If she doesn’t like this TV idea…” This time when Jed raked fingers through his hair, he fisted them there. “Maybe it was a bad idea.”
Nate didn’t think he could be any more surprised if Jed stripped naked and started devil-worshipping right there.
“You what?” Even Ryan seemed confused by Jed’s complete turnaround.
“The hell I’m getting divorced after thirty years of marriage.” Jed tossed the papers across the table back at Ry. “The hell I am.” Then he stomped out of the room, leaving behind three very confused people.
“Ry, is this for real?”
“Yeah,” Ryan said on an exhaled breath. “Can you believe his reaction? I thought the divorce threat would make him happy, then I’d be able to convince him to leave for good. I didn’t think it’d send him running to Mom.”
“Well, what’s done is done. Now, Nate, I’m going to have to ask you to give me and Ryan a few minutes alone.”
“Huh?” Damn simultaneous response.
“Ryan and I have a few things to discuss. I’d like to do it privately. Do you mind?”
Mind? Hell yeah he minded, especially at the way his brother was grinning. But business Vivvy didn’t give much leeway for argument.
“Don’t worry. I’ll play nice with your girlfriend.”
Nate just grunted and left the room. Girlfriend. It was a stupid word, and yet that’s exactly what he wanted with Vivvy. The chance to be something to each other, to see where it might go. Nate strode to the hangar, ready to bang out his frustration in work. Nothing gave him a clearer mind than work, and he was going to figure out a way to make what he wanted happen.
…
Vivvy tapped her fingers on the table while Ryan went on and on about his life in Kansas City and how much work he’d put into it and how he couldn’t possibly jeopardize that for some television show.
The more he paced and balked, the less Vivvy bought it. He sounded like a man desperate to convince himself, desperate to hold on to something he didn’t even want, desperate to ignore the connection he had to Harrington.
It hit a little close to home.
“Let’s cut the crap, shall we?” Vivvy finally interrupted.
Ryan stopped mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open. “Huh?”
“All of this”—Vivvy gestured toward him—“is crap. You care about Harrington or you wouldn’t have come back, you certainly wouldn’t have stayed this long, and you wouldn’t have pulled that stunt with your father.”
“But—”
“I think you want to be a part of this show. Maybe you’re unsure or scared.” Still hitting way too close to home. “But it is what you want. I realize that it makes your life complicated, but you’ll have plenty of time to work out those complications before filming would start.”
Ryan sank into the ch
air his father had vacated not that long ago. “Just because you’re sleeping with my brother doesn’t make you a mind reader.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’m not blind, though. A person would have to be blind not to notice how much emotion you have vested in Harrington. Maybe it’s not all positive emotion, but you’re connected. Just like Nate.”
“Do you ever take offense to anything?”
She shrugged, unwilling to let her focus on getting Ryan’s agreement falter. “I try not to. Usually when people say nasty things they’re trying to deflect attention away from themselves. I won’t be deflected.”
Ryan sighed. “I’m not connected like Nate. I…” He frowned, stared hard at the table. “I’m not needed around here. Never was. Nate’s in charge. He holds it together.”
Vivvy wanted to sigh, but she kept the impulse in check. Dealing with the Harringtons and all their emotions was exhausting, but at least she was getting somewhere. “I can’t speak for your family. I only know that this idea will be twice as strong if you’re involved. If I can pitch this idea over the whole Harrington family idea, you’re going to have a better chance of keeping your family from being made a fool of.”
Ryan scowled. “It wouldn’t work with just Nate?”
“It might, but it’s less likely.”
“Because we’re identical twins.”
Vivvy grinned. “Attractive identical twins.” When Ryan snorted, she continued. “And you work well together. Whether that’s a twin thing or a brother thing or just luck of the draw, you guys make good TV. Well, once you loosen up a little.”
His scowl didn’t lift. “Why should I trust you? What’s in this for you?”
“A good TV show. Professional satisfaction. This is my job. Being successful is all I’m after.”
“What about Nate?”
For the first time in the conversation, she felt her power slip a little. “What about Nate?”
“Aren’t you partly doing this because you’re sleeping with him?”
“No.” She considered that. She really wasn’t sure anymore. “Maybe I’m exploring the alternate idea a little because I care about Nate and don’t want to see someone like your grandfather exploited. But, I came here thinking this would be a dead end. If it had been, nothing would have changed my mind.”