Ropes of Lies

by Kathy Noumi

  By nine thirty I had zero battery power left. Not a flippin’ inch of me could move. Between a full day of meetings, a two-hour workout, and the hefty hour-long drive home, I hardly the energy to eat. I grabbed some wine, cheese, and fruit from the fridge.

  I was about to pour myself a glass when I heard a knock at my door. Who the hell could that be? Eden had texted earlier saying she’d be at the office until ten.

  As soon as I unlocked the door, Tommy pushed past me without a word. He headed for the den.

  “Hello to you, too,” I grumbled. Spoiled brat.

  “J. R., explain the shitstorm brewing right now.”

  I strode past him over to the leather couch. “Calm the fuck down.”

  Tommy’s forehead creased and his pupils dilated. “Calm down? Fuck you. Tell me what the hell is happening.”

  I gripped him by the shoulders, making eye contact. “Our father has done something unforgiveable.”

  He threw up his hands, pushing mine off his shoulders. “That’s nothing new.”

  “He’s been making illegal deals. Apparently, for years.” I rubbed my forehead, squeezing my temples. “He’s trying to frame me for this shit. I never thought he would go this far, but he has, so all I can do it figure out how to prove I had nothing to do with it.”

  Tommy blinked repeatedly. “But—what in the hell…”

  “Look, he’s done the damage. We have proof of it.”

  My brother went straight to the decanter of bourbon and poured himself a double. “Are you seriously telling me he would stoop so low as to let you take the fall for him? It seems farfetched, even for him.”

  “Is it?” I asked, but it came out more of a statement than a question. “He’s the same man who knocked up another woman while you were still in utero. Our half-brother is only three months younger than you, if you’d forgotten. That man knows no boundaries. He doesn’t know what it means to be a real father, or have a family, so no, I don’t think this is farfetched, even for him.”

  Tommy opened his mouth then shut it, pressing his lips together in a tight line. What I said made sense—our father, the monster, cared for himself above everyone else. Tommy couldn’t deny it.

  My brother hadn’t dealt with him on a day-to-day basis the way I had, mired in a world where our father played boss. Tommy had gone to art school and wrapped himself up into a tight cocoon, so much so that we hardly knew anything about his work. Although spoiled, Tommy had always seen the good in people and the beauty among the shit. His greatest qualities made him blind to our father’s flaws.

  “So what are you going to do?” Tommy sipped more liquor.

  “About the merger? Nothing.” I strode over to my small wet bar and poured myself a matching glass of bourbon. Once I’d poured it, I glared at it. Eden. She’d be here soon. While I set my glass back down, I stared at his dwindling tumbler. “I’ll take over the new company instead of this one, even if I have to override the board to do so. But I’ll have to lie low for a little while before going ahead.”

  “Why not just leave? Leave him be and go live your life?”

  “Because after everything he did to Mom, to us, he can’t get away with treating me like his puppet. We aren’t there to serve him whenever he feels he needs to brighten his image or smile pretty for the cameras. All he’s ever done is control us, manipulate us, and put us down. I know you never wanted any of this.” I held up both hands. “But all I’ve ever wished for was to run this company.”

  “Even if it means destroying the thing you want to save?”

  “Scorched earth.”

  Tommy shook his head, his disapproval clear. Then he looked up with the same blue eyes our father possessed. “I know we fight all the time, but I stand by you, always.”

  “Thanks, Tommy.”

  He let out a deep sigh. “Just a small piece of advice, though. Revenge is only a way to channel the anger, not defuse it.”

  “On the contrary. He needs to pay for all the bullshit he’s put us through.”

  “Don’t you get it? He’ll always win.” He took a seat on the deep brown chesterfield, wrapping his arm around a pillow. “He is not worth it.”

  “It’s worth it to me.”

  After drinking most of my bourbon and eating all the cheese in my kitchen, Tommy crashed in the guest bedroom. Soon after, Eden messaged me. Her one-word text read: Left.

  I threw on a fresh shirt, combed my hair, and waited in the den. After three failed attempts at writing a work email, I closed my laptop. Adrenaline spiked my every nerve ending. She’d be arriving any minute.

  Why in the hell did I want to tell her in person? Texting would have been easier. But I couldn’t risk breaking the confidentiality clauses I’m sure were still in place courtesy of my fuckhead father. Even if I had, Eden probably would have still stormed into my office, knocked me across the face, and walked out without batting a lash. Damn, her feistiness did me in. My cock twitched at the thought of her slapping me.

  Real smooth, Romeo.

  My whole body jerked when my phone’s loud chime shattered the silence of the house. The screen lit up, Eden’s name shining bright. The text read: I’m outside. Should I knock?

  Without responding, I flew off the couch, sped to the door, and found Eden’s car parked out front. She turned off the ignition then proceeded to climb out, her dress clinging to her slender figure. Leaning against the doorway, I drank in the sight of her: the sway of her hips, the nervous habit of fiddling with her necklace, the way she peeked at me through her alluring lashes. Did I have it in me to tell her? Would she think it a good thing?

  The chances of her taking it well were most likely zero. When she found out would she get in her car and drive away? The need to flee increased with her proximity. The sour taste in my mouth lingered. I didn’t want to tell her.

  No matter how intelligent, beautiful, and incredible Eden happened to be, she saw herself as my rival. I had no doubt she’d think I’d be her new boss, which, at this point, was a possibility. There could only be one head of corporate development, and I knew she hadn’t been promoted to that position yet at P & L. Even if there were two head developers, the fact remained: I wanted to take over the company. Would she ever agree to working under me? Doubtful. Her world was about to come crashing down. And in her eyes, I’d always be to blame.

  I swallowed the ball of doubt lodged in my throat. “Miss Black.”

  “Winthrop,” she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

  “Come in.” I moved aside, allowing her to pass.

  She stopped in the entryway. “Beautiful place you have here.”

  “Thank you. Glad you approve.”

  Her voice dipped to a near whisper. “You live here alone?”

  I furrowed my brow. Was she serious? “Yes. Why?”

  “A big house for one person.” Eden pivoted while she gazed around the foyer. “I pegged you for a condo kind of guy, not a suburban living sort of man.”

  Rubbing my neck, I admitted, “I’m partial to the extra space.”

  She arched her brows. “Interesting.”

  “This way.”

  Eden trailed a foot or two behind me. After a short walk, we reached the arched doorway of my living room. The tall ceilings made our footsteps echo. “Would you like a drink?”

  She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

  “All right. Let’s sit then.” I pointed to the sofa.

  Eden sat on the single armchair. Clever girl. “What did you need to tell me?”

  I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs to the brim. With an exhale, I said, “So . . .”

  “Dammit, Jameson. Tell me already.”

  “Okay.” I wiped away the sweat on my brow. “WSquared is merging with P & L.”

  Eden blinked at me. “Uh, excuse me—what?”

  “Our companies are joining.”

  Her chest rose and fell in quick bursts. “What are you talking about?

  “I had nothing to do with it. My fat
her did this without notifying a soul.”

  She pulled her top lip in between her thumb and pointer finger, squeezing so tightly it turned white. After looking from me to the coffee table then back again, she finally spoke. “How”—she cleared her throat—“how is this possible?”

  I worried the creases on my forehead. “He doesn’t answer to a board, so he has full control of the company, at least until after the merger.”

  The wooden legs of her chair scraped across the floor as she shifted to sit at the edge. “Jameson—”

  “I know.”

  “Does this mean you . . . Does this mean you’re . . . my . . .”

  I went to sit in front of her. “Boss? Maybe.”

  She hid her face in her hands. “Oh God.”

  I reached for her wrists, pulling them away from her face. “Hey . . .”

  “Your father will never let anyone but you be the boss,” she murmured. When she peered up at me, something in her eyes had changed. The gears churned in her head. When life altered her plans, she overthought, overanticipated, and overreacted. The softness in her stare had vanished, replaced by a fire. “How the fuck do I always end up fucked by a Winthrop?”

  Eden’s tone cut into me with the force of a freshly sharpened knife.

  “Eden. I didn’t know. I swear to you.”

  “And you think I’d believe your lies?” she hissed, digging her knife deeper.

  I held up both palms. “How would this benefit me?”

  “Your precious goddamn company is all you’ve ever cared about. Don’t act like you wouldn’t set fire to us all if you had the chance.” Her hands trembled, and she yanked them away from me. “When you can’t have what you want, turn to plan B. Right, daddy’s boy?”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “Glad to know you think so highly of me.”

  “Don’t give me that shit!”

  “What am I supposed to say?”

  “I don’t know.” She pinched her temples. “Fix this.”

  “The deal is done.” I reached for her hands again, but she backed farther out of my reach. “My hands are tied. If I could fix it, I would in a heartbeat. Come on, Eden . . . you know how my father is.”

  She stared me down. “If you think for one second I’ll allow you to boss me around, you’re dead fucking wrong, Winthrop.”

  I glared right back. “You think I would disrespect you like that?”

  Eden tugged at her hair and exhaled a loud huff. “God, I hate you.”

  Oddly, her reaction wasn’t coming close to what I had pictured. Still, the tightness in my chest persisted. Eden couldn’t truly hate me . . . could she?

  She stood. “I need to go.”

  “Wait.” I grabbed her hand. “It hasn’t gone public yet, so you can’t tell anyone. I shouldn’t even be telling you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sure thing.”

  Before I let her slip away, I said, “I don’t want this to change anything between us outside the office.”

  Eden let go of my grasp. “It already has.”

  She scurried to the front door, slamming it behind her. The house fell silent. I leaned against the entrance to the living room for a long time after she’d departed. Her sweet scent clung to my shirt. Just when things were smoothing out between us, this had to happen? What the fuck?! I’d cursed my father a million times in the last few days, but there never existed a curse powerful enough for this moment, standing here alone without Eden. How did he manage to fuck things up for me at every damn turn?

  It had been three days since the merger announcement, and I expected my father’s return, or at least I hoped for it. After a half hour, a change of clothes, and one piping hot coffee, I emerged set for work. Tommy remained asleep in one of the guest bedrooms, but I decided to leave him. He drank more than I had at Drumbar with Nathaniel, and I figured he needed the day off.

  After a thirty-minute delay due to a roadside accident, I pulled into the underground garage of the WSquared building. When metal doors of the elevator pinged open, I marched in and ordered Donna to hold my calls. Inside the four walls of my office, I ran my hands through my hair. Piles of contracts were stacked up around me. I let out a defeated huff, my mind wandering back to the night Eden came here. She’d been so deliciously frustrated, all fury in those stockings I loved so much. I let my palm slide over the desk where she’d been laid out, lost in the moment. Not thinking about consequences or work.

  Now, everything was crumbling around me, including the progress I’d made with Eden. I needed to convince her I wouldn’t be her superior. After wasting so many years hating her, I couldn’t bear another second of it. Eden had been right—the merger changed everything, but we could make it change for the better. At least I intended to try.

  A knock came from the other side of the door. “Yes.”

  “Sir.”

  “Come on in.”

  Donna cracked the door enough to stick her head in. “There is a woman here to see you.”

  I stood. “Who?”

  “A Miss Black, sir.”

  “What?” I asked myself more than Donna. Eden was here, and I couldn’t think of a good reason for her presence. Shit. “Let her in, Donna.”

  The door swung open, and Eden slipped in. Donna silently performed the do-you-need-anything flail behind her, but I gave a quick, dismissive wave.

  God, she looked fucking hot, wearing those damned stockings again and a new perfume; it filled the surrounding air, drawing me in from all sides. She also had on a plaid skirt that came to mid-thigh, a simple white button-down, and the hottest heels I’d ever seen on a woman.

  She cleared her throat, eyeing the couch for a moment. I came around the desk and stepped closer, shrinking the gap between our bodies until we stood only inches apart. “Good morning. What a nice surprise.”

  She gazed up at me from beneath those long lashes. “So many surprises this morning.”

  “Eden—”

  “Save it, Winthrop. I need to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

  I frowned, tilting my head to one side as I let my hand drift to that spot on her neck, right beneath her ear, and slid my thumb in smooth strokes at her jaw. “What are you talking about?”

  She backed away from me. “So, it’s true?” Her question sounded like a statement rather than an inquiry.

  “What’s true?” I ran a hand through my hair.

  “You’re officially my new fucking boss. And you’re trying to act like this is going to all be okay.” The vein in her slender neck pulsed. “This isn’t a loss for you, now is it?”

  “It may seem that way, but—” I stopped myself. How could I put this?

  “First, you outbid me on my dream project, then you pull the City Net rug out from under me. So, thanks to you, my promotion not only won’t happen anymore, but now you’re going to be my flipping boss. You can’t possibly convince me this is a loss for you,” she hissed, her cheeks flushing.

  “You think I had a say in any of it? I planned on speaking to my father about having us both head up our own teams.”

  “Plausible deniability. Well, isn’t that dandy.”

  Eden had pressed the entire slew of do-not-touch buttons all at once. If I had a panel board in my brain, the full set of blinking lights would be flashing. “You know what else is perfectly dandy for me? That your defiant little mouth is in my office.”

  “Don’t you even da—”

  “Dare what, princess?”

  She gaped at me. When she didn’t move away, I reached for her waist then crushed my mouth to hers. I bit the bottom lip and teased her with my tongue. A moan escaped her. She inhaled between kisses, her bag dropping to the floor beside her. The thud echoed around us, but neither of us flinched.

  I drew back. “You are such a goddamn tease, and I can’t seem to help myself when you’re around,” I whispered into her neck. “What are you doing to me?”

  Eden gripped my face, pulling me up to meet her gaze before shaking her head at me. W
hen she opened her mouth to speak, the door swung open and my father barged in. Eden let go of me immediately, dropping her hands to her sides.

  Fucking hell.

  I turned to him. “Hello, Father. How nice of you to show up to work for a change.”

  He eyed Eden, then me, blinking enough times to make the knot in my gut return. Without another glance her way, he zeroed in. “Morning, Jameson. May I speak with you? Privately?”

  “Miss Black, I’ll just be a minute. Wait here.”

  “It’s okay, I need to go.”

  I gave her the don’t-leave glower before turning back to my father. “I’ll finish up here then meet you in your office.”

  He glared at us for a beat before he exited, leaving us alone once again. I gripped Eden’s warm hand, feeling like a giant holding a tiny leaf. “Don’t go yet.”

  “I need to get back.”

  “You came here to ask me something, didn’t you?”

  She rubbed at her forearm. “When do you officially become my boss?”

  “We’ll be slowly combining offices in the next few weeks. We have to decide who will stay and who will be let go before then.”

  “I see.”

  “You’re staying. I’m going deal with my father. You’ll head up your own team, I swear it.” I brushed her ink-black hair away from her face.

  “I wanted to set some ground rules for when we’re in the same office.”

  “I didn’t think of ground rules yet,” I said. “I assumed we’d use our previous set.”

  “You would think that, wouldn’t you? Your father owns the damn company, Jameson, and while I’m successful, my mom and I own nothing aside from our apartments. There are no guarantees for me. I’ve worked for everything I have, so it would occur to me before it ever crossed your mind. I’m sure your company has a no-fraternization rule, because Pryce & Leigh sure does. Your father barged in here, for Christ’s sake! While I don’t know exactly what he saw, I won’t let it happen again! We have to act professional. And, frankly, whatever this is”—she pointed to space between us—“I won’t let it ruin my career.”