“You’re saying that our marriage would constitute a violation of this clause?”
“Yes.”
She lifted her chin and met his direct stare. “What do you want to do, Joshua?”
“What I don’t want is a divorce.”
What he was offering her was a chance to heal, to trust, and to become whole again. They had been given a sixty-day reprieve.
But should she accept it? Could she afford to believe him and wait? She’d waited a week for him to return to Oaxaca. The week became a month, the month two, then thirteen. She had waited thirty-three years to become a wife, and now, at thirty-four, she had to wait a second time. She had succumbed to Joshua’s seduction before—it would not happen again.
“I’ll meet with my attorney and have him draw up the papers. I’ll also instruct him not to file them until I authorize him to do so,” she offered as a compromise. “If our marriage is worth saving, then there won’t be a divorce.”
“And if it isn’t, Vanessa?”
“Then I won’t wait the two months.”
Joshua felt as if he’d won a small victory. He had gotten her to delay filing for a divorce. He’d almost lost her once, and he’d make certain it would never happen again.
Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her silken cheek. “This will be the last time I’ll ever touch you at Grenville-Edwards Aerospace.”
She nodded, praying silently for the two months to pass quickly.
Chapter 20
Vanessa opened the door of her house to the ringing of the telephone. She was tempted to let voice mail pick up the message, but changed her mind.
Reaching for the receiver, she picked it up before it switched over. “Hello.”
“How was your day, Beautiful?”
Berating herself for answering the telephone, Vanessa recognized the silken male voice coming through the receiver. She’d gone out with Stanton Reid a half dozen times in three months and they continued to see each other, though both knew their liaison would never progress beyond friendship.
She didn’t want to talk to Stanton—not now. Not when her head was filled with conflicting issues regarding her husband. Regardless of how much she denied it or protested, Joshua Kirkland was legally still her husband.
“Long.”
There came a sensual chuckle. “I take that to mean that it wasn’t good.”
“It was tiring, Stanton.”
“If that’s the case, then I’ll keep this brief. Are you available for Saturday evening? My brother is throwing a little something for his wife’s fortieth birthday, and he wanted me to bring someone.”
Dropping her handbag and leather tote onto the small round table, she cradled the telephone receiver between her shoulder and chin. “I don’t know,” she replied honestly. She’d planned to go into GEA to get a head start on Preston’s corporate budget projection.
“When will you know?”
“To be frank with you, I don’t know. I have to go into the office on Saturday, and I have no idea how long I’ll be there.”
“All work and no play make for a dull Vanessa,” Stanton teased.
“The last time we went out you told me I was very exciting.”
“And you’re that, and more. What if I play it by ear and call you around six? If you’re up to it, then we’ll go. If not—no problem.”
“Okay,” she conceded.
“I’ll talk to you Saturday.”
“Bye, Stanton.”
She hung up the phone, kicked off her low-heeled, black, patent leather shoes and headed for the staircase leading up to her bedroom. What she needed was time to think and time to relax, and she could do both quite well in a tub filled with soothing bath crystals.
Within minutes she’d stripped off her clothes, filled the oversized sunken bathtub with warm water and a profusion of redolent lavender crystals, and stepped into the tub amid an extravagance of silken bubbles.
Resting her head on a large sponge bath pillow, she closed her eyes, still seeing Joshua’s image looming behind her lids. What was it about him that made her doubt her own sanity?
There was no doubt that she’d been attracted to him at first sight, and that the intensity of attraction had escalated with each day she spent with him. But a week was hardly enough time to know him or develop the enduring trust that is one of the hallmarks of love. What she had done was mistake love for attachment, or for the hope of fulfilling a fantasy.
She had prepared herself to marry Kenneth, but when that hadn’t manifested she had substituted Joshua for Kenneth. She smiled. There was no real mistaking the two men, because they were complete opposites—in and out of bed.
Why, she continued to ask herself, had Joshua confessed his love for her within days of their meeting, and why had he proposed marriage? A marriage he still did not want to end in divorce. Was it possible that he actually loved her?
Opening her eyes, she stared at the brass fixtures along the outer ledge of the bathtub. She’d lost Joshua in Oaxaca, and he’d come to her in Santa Fe. But why hadn’t he come to her before he presented himself in Warren’s office?
She hadn’t known whether it was shock or rage that had rendered her speechless when she saw him for the first time in more than a year. Whatever it was she had remained in control, enough control to give her the opportunity to assume a role where everyone would believe that she and Joshua were strangers.
Vanessa had to be honest with herself—did she still love Joshua? Could she love him enough to give their marriage a second chance?
Vanessa headed toward the cafeteria to order breakfast before going up to her office. She’d slept fitfully throughout the night, her dreams filled with images of the days and nights she had spent in Mexico. The dreams were not reminiscent of the ones she experienced before Joshua walked back into her life, but were fraught with erotic visions of their passionate lovemaking. The recollections were vivid enough to wake her, and she lay waiting until her traitorous body quieted with the ebbing passion. She waited until the sky brightened with the beginning of a new day and left her bed, deciding to go in to work early.
As she walked into the cafeteria she spied him immediately. He sat facing the entrance, but he wasn’t alone. His head was tilted at an angle as he listened intently to what Jenna Grant was saying. His rapt expression indicated that he was enthralled by whatever she was telling him as her fingers rested on the sleeve of his suit jacket.
Vanessa stared, experiencing a range of confusing emotions. Was she to stand by and watch another woman openly flirt with her husband and not react? She remembered Lisabeth’s rejoinder when Warren had introduced Joshua. Is he married?
Her husband. For the first time in more than a year she thought of him that way. At that moment she realized she still wanted him—as her husband.
Making her way to the counter where trays of breakfast foods were lined up, she picked up a plastic container and filled it with sliced seasonal fruits. Moving along the counter, she filled cups with orange juice and coffee. The cashier greeted her with a bright smile, rang up her purchases, bagged them, and chatted incessantly about the beautiful weather they were experiencing.
Vanessa had to agree with her, although she hadn’t taken full advantage of it. She had to find a way to take her vacation in days, despite her increased work schedule. Even if it meant working longer hours during the week, she needed to take some time off and get away from GEA, where she wouldn’t be constantly reminded of the man who had seduced her and continued to seduce her, with just his presence.
She made it to her office without encountering anyone and closed the door firmly behind her. Switching on the computer, she entered her password and waited for it to boot up between bites of fruit and sips of coffee and juice. Then she began the onerous task of entering Preston’s figures from his spreadsheets.
The buzzing sound of the intercom startled her, and she jumped. Glancing at the clock on a side table, Vanessa realized she had been working steadily for
more than ninety minutes.
Swiveling on her chair, she pushed a button on the telephone console. “Yes?”
“Warren wanted me to remind you that you’re late for this morning’s meeting.”
Vertical lines formed between her eyes as her gaze swept over the large calendar on her desk. “I don’t have anything down for this morning, Jenna.”
“Aren’t you filling in for Preston?”
Mumbling an oath under her breath, Vanessa realized that she hadn’t checked with Preston for his listing of regularly scheduled meetings.
“Tell Warren I’m on my way.”
It was only her second day as Acting CFO and she was going to be late for a meeting. And how, she thought as she saved the numbers she had put into the computer, was she going to make her deadlines if she spent all her time at meetings? Gathering a pad, pen, and the keys for her office, she headed for Warren’s.
Jenna flashed Vanessa a facetious smile as she neared her. “I just want to let you know that Warren is on the warpath.”
She shot the flirtatious woman a derisive half-grin. “Thanks for the warning.”
What she wanted to tell the secretary was that she’d seen Warren in the full throes of his celebrated temper, and not once had she ever felt threatened. What unnerved her more was the silent rage she’d occasionally glimpsed in Joshua Kirkland. The paling of his eyes and the stillness in his body never failed to cause a shiver of caution within her. Something unknown, unspoken, communicated that he was more than he’d presented to her.
She walked into the opulent office, noting that the thunderous expression on Warren McDonald’s dark brown face vanished as his gaze swept over her.
Warren stood up and came around his desk to greet her. “In case you’re not aware of it, Preston and I usually meet at nine-thirty every Wednesday morning.”
Vanessa smiled. “Are there any other meetings I should know about?”
He cupped her elbow and led her over to a love seat in an alcove facing a wall of windows. “Check with Jenna and she’ll fill you in.” He seated Vanessa, then dropped down beside her.
She looked at Warren beneath lowered lashes, wondering why she had not succumbed to the man’s overall captivating manner. He was in his mid-fifties, and appeared more virile and appealing than men half his age. His large, powerful-looking body was magnificent, his dusky skin smooth, and his short, cropped hair was liberally sprinkled with gray. His dark eyes were clear and sharp, always assessing everything and everyone quickly.
He stared at her profile, his gaze caressing her hair and body before returning to her face. “How are you holding up with the additional workload?”
Turning her head, Vanessa stared at him staring back at her. “I don’t know yet. I’m coming in early and staying late. Preston told me that you need next year’s budget projections before the middle of next month, so that has become a priority for me.”
“Let me see if I can’t get an extension for you.” Leaning over to a side table, he pushed a button on an intercom. “Jenna, please tell Kirkland that I’d like to see him in my office.”
Vanessa bit down on her lower lip in frustration. She didn’t want to see Joshua again—not after seeing him with Jenna in the cafeteria earlier that morning.
Her mental objections were ignored when he entered Warren’s office and stared at her seated beside Warren. His gaze shifted to the other man’s arm stretched out over the back of the love seat.
“Have a seat, Kirkland,” Warren ordered, pointing to a side chair several feet from where he sat with Vanessa.
Joshua complied, draping one leg elegantly over a knee. Dark brown socks with minute tan checks complemented his tan slacks and brown, Spanish cordovan slip-ons. His gaze shifted leisurely from Warren McDonald to his wife. Jenna had been more than willing to suggest that Warren was in love with Vanessa. Judging by the older man’s body language Joshua concluded that the chatty Jenna was right.
Warren squared his wide shoulders under the finely woven fabric of his custom-made shirt and smiled at Joshua. “What is the very latest possible date you’ll have to have the budget projections?”
The arching of one pale eyebrow was the only change in Joshua’s impassive expression. “I thought you had committed to July tenth.”
“I know,” Warren conceded, “but Vanessa may need more time.”
Joshua stared at Vanessa. “How much more?”
Vanessa calculated quickly. It would take her at least a week to transfer Preston’s figures to the computer, and another week to put together three, six, nine, and twelve-month projections.
“An additional week.”
Joshua crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re asking the impossible. I can give you three days, but not a week. “I must have it by July thirteenth, or—”
“I’ll submit it to you by the thirteenth,” Vanessa interrupted. She swallowed and tried successfully not to reveal her annoyance. Turning back to Warren, she gave him a warm, inviting smile. “I need your approval for my vacation schedule. I’d like to take Mondays and Fridays off during the months of July and August.”
Warren stared down at her, his gaze softening. “Take whatever time you need.”
“Thank you,” she countered softly.
“Miss Blanchard?”
Vanessa’s head swung around and she stared at Joshua. There was no mistaking the sudden chill in his voice when he’d said her name. Her gaze narrowed as she tilted her chin in a defiant gesture. “Yes, Mr. Kirkland.”
“I’d like to know why you’re taking time off, while asking in the same breath for an extension for the budget projections.”
She took his chiding tone as a personal affront. It was the second time he’d humiliated her in front of a co-worker, this time in the presence of her boss.
“Mr. Kirkland, do you really think I would not have factored in my days’ off when I projected submitting the budget projections?” The air in the office was suffocating as she glared at Joshua.
Warren missed the undercurrent of stinging tolerance between the two other occupants. “Jenna’s typing a memo that will go out to everyone in our administrative office before the end of the day. There’s been a lot of uneasiness about the impending merger, and I want to put everyone at ease by inviting them to my home next Saturday evening for what could be termed as an extended staff meeting.” He smiled at Joshua. “It will also give you an up close and personal look at everyone in a more relaxed setting.”
“Is this a mandatory staff meeting?” Vanessa questioned as a slight frown marred her smooth forehead.
Warren nodded, amusement inching the corners of his mouth upward. “I’d say so. The only other requirement is that everyone bring their spouse or significant other.”
Feeling the heat from Joshua’s gaze on her face, she refused to look at him at the mention of spouse. She would attend Warren’s dinner party, but not with her husband. She would ask Stanton to escort her.
“Will you need me for anything else?” Joshua asked Warren. He wanted to get out of the office and away from Warren McDonald. It disturbed him to see Vanessa doing to Warren what she’d done to him the night he met her at La Mérida. She was silently seducing the CEO.
“No. And thank you for your time.”
Joshua stood up and walked out of the room without saying another word, leaving Vanessa staring at his retreating back. Was their marriage worth saving, when they were at each other’s throats each time they met? It was obvious they could never work together, and she wondered if they would ever be able to live together.
Chapter 21
“I don’t like what’s going on around GEA,” Lisabeth Nelson complained softly as she leaned over the table at the restaurant where she and Vanessa usually shared lunch. “People are coming into my office asking if they’re going to be laid off. And now we get a memo from Warren mandating that we come to a party at his house next week. I see it as a gesture to fatten the calf before it’s slaughtered for the feast.�
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Vanessa pushed the contents of her plate around with a fork. She had eaten two forkfuls of her salad before feeling full. Glancing up at her dining partner, she shook her head. “None of us know what our future is going to be. If this merger doesn’t go through this time, there’s always a possibility of another in the future.”
Lisabeth stared at Vanessa, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you know something I don’t?”
She shook her head. “I know what you know.”
“Joshua Kirkland has everyone spooked.”
The mention of his name garnered Vanessa’s complete attention. “What about him?”
“He intends to personally interrogate every employee. If there is one thing I do know, it’s that every employee of GEA is loyal and competent.”
“What is he trying to ascertain using this method?”
“Assess everyone’s efficiency,” Lisabeth replied.
“I don’t know about manufacturing, but we in administration are unquestionably overworked and understaffed.”
“There’s no waste in manufacturing, either.”
“Then what does he want?” Vanessa felt it strange that she could discuss her husband so objectively.
“I asked him the same thing, and he said that when he offers GEA to this other company he wants to make certain there’s no excess fat. And if he has to, he will streamline GEA to the point where it can almost run itself without employees.” Lisabeth paused and took a sip of sparkling water. “The scary part was that he was smiling when he said that. There was this half-smile on his lips, but his eyes were cold as ice. I didn’t wait to hear any more. I ran the hell out of his office as fast as I could. Warren will have to fire me for insubordination if Joshua Kirkland ever calls me back to his office.”
Vanessa knew what Lisabeth was talking about. She’d seen the cold stare from Joshua often enough to know how intimidating it could be. “There are always losers with mergers, and it seems as if it’s the little guys who lose. Top-heavy CEOs never have to give up anything.”
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