“Let me tell you upstairs.”
* * *
John closed the door behind them, and for once this did not lead to a passionate kiss. Which was good, because she would have had to slap him. “Is there something wrong?”
Her heart beat so fast she could barely think. “It’s Don’s return. He didn’t declare any gambling winnings.”
He frowned. “He certainly should have.”
She swallowed. “The company records detail substantial winnings. You can see them for yourself in your own files.”
“I’m sure there’s some explanation.”
She drew in an unsteady breath. “I’m telling you first because I promised I would.” Though now she was having second thoughts about it. Did he really deserve it if he’d only flirted with her for his own protection? “But I have to tell my boss at Creighton Waterman, and I have to tell the BIA.”
“Give me some time to figure out what’s going on. I’ll talk to Don.”
“I can’t. I’m paid to do a job here. I have to report what I found and I’ve already done something wrong by telling you first.” On top of all the other things I’ve done wrong in your bed.
“He must have forgotten to report the winnings. Don has more money than he knows what to do with. I told you about the Maserati.”
“There may well be a reasonable explanation, but I’m here to look for discrepancies and I found one. You admitted yourself that he gambles, and I’ve heard the same from other employees.” She lifted her chin and defied him to argue with her.
“He makes no secret of it.”
“Yet he didn’t mention it on his tax return.”
John drew in a long breath, swelling his broad chest. For a split second she ached to hug him, but instead she held herself stiffly at bay. He frowned. “Don’s a key employee here. Something like this could really damage the casino’s reputation. You know the kind of scrutiny we’re under. I can’t afford the bad publicity.”
“If you don’t want bad publicity perhaps you should be more careful about how you conduct yourself. Seducing the accountant who’s sent to inspect your accounts probably isn’t too smart, for a start.” She braced for his response, glad she’d been bold enough to say it.
“That took me by surprise as much as you.”
“Oh, really. That’s not what I overheard downstairs.”
He frowned. “You overheard Don? He was just kidding around.”
“And you didn’t contradict him.”
His expression softened. “I didn’t want to dignify his innuendo with a response. He really has no idea what happened between us.”
She swallowed. “Good. As you can imagine I would appreciate it if you didn’t discuss our indiscretions with anyone.”
“Of course not. I never would.” He held out his hand, but she stayed rigid.
“Everything that happened between us was a mistake and I regret it. Now I have a responsibility to report my findings to the people who hired me.”
He took in a long slow breath, his expression grim. “The BIA is going to come down on us all like a ton of bricks.”
“I have to do my job.”
“I can see that.” His jaw was set. She wondered for a tense moment if he’d attempt to flirt and cajole her out of making her report. He didn’t. He watched her silently for what felt like an eternity.
She realized at last how utterly vulnerable she was. Her future, her career lay in this man’s hands. He could end it, and ruin her reputation, in a single phone call if he chose.
“I understand.” His words were cool, controlled. His eyes didn’t plead with her, but the emotion she saw in them reminded her of the tender moments they’d shared.
At least she’d thought at the time they were tender moments.
“I’m going to call my contact now.” She picked up her bag, burning with the desire to get out of here as fast as possible and never come back. He opened the door and stepped aside. Heat and tension flashed between them as she passed him.
Or maybe that was only in her imagination.
She heard the door click shut behind her after she passed through it, and her heart almost broke as she realized this would be the very last time she’d ever see John.
* * *
John pressed his body against the door, partly to stop himself from jerking it back open and striding after Constance. It was no use trying to argue with her. Her mind was made up and she was going to report what she found.
Could Don really have been stupid enough to fail to report his gambling activities?
He already knew the answer in his gut. He also knew how enthusiastically the circling media vultures would eat up the story.
And he couldn’t even call Don, or a lawyer, because in doing so he’d have to reveal that Constance gave him privileged information. He wouldn’t betray her confidence. She’d done him a big favor by telling him what she’d found. More so when she now suspected that he’d seduced her as a means to an end. He’d wanted to argue with her and try to convince her that his feelings for her came from the heart but there was no way she’d believe him now. She’d assume he was trying to butter her up and convince her to conceal her findings, which would only make her more suspicious and angry.
He cursed and banged his fist on the door. Why did life have to get so complicated? Everything was going smoothly until Constance Allen came along. His once-wild uncle had seemed to be settling into the life of a prosperous and trustworthy executive. Everyone in the tribe was getting along well, which was no easy feat when you brought people from all over the country to a small town in the sticks. And business was booming.
Now the harsh spotlight would fall on them once again. John knew as well as anyone that if someone was looking for a reason to make the Nissequot disappear, they could try to use this as a starting point and keep the tribe tied up in legal wrangling until the moon turned blue. That was much the same strategy that had been used by the powers that be to whittle away the tribe’s land and population in the first place.
His number-one priority was to make sure that didn’t happen. His second priority would be to forget all about Constance Allen. Her findings threatened to tear the fabric of the tribe. If anyone found out he’d been intimate with her while she was looking for dirt on them, it would undermine their trust in him. Don already suspected that they’d had an affair. John certainly hadn’t confirmed his uncle’s suspicions, but maybe by simply ignoring Don’s snide comments, he’d tacitly admitted something. He’d have to manage Don carefully—never an easy feat—to make sure he didn’t decide to throw hints to the press and make this ugly situation into a hot scandalous mess that could bring them all down.
He growled in frustration. Just this morning life had looked so rosy and promising. He’d missed having Constance in his bed last night due to preexisting plans with an old friend, but he’d consoled himself with the prospect of having her there for many years to come.
Not anymore. It had literally never crossed his mind that she would find something amiss. He knew the books of this casino way better than he knew the backs of his hands, and he’d vouch for them with his life. The financial affairs of the tribal members were also his concern, and he’d been pretty confident about them, too.
But Don? Apparently the smoke the media was fanning had come from a fire somewhere, and who knew what else that slippery old devil might be up to. His hand itched to pick up his phone and call his uncle, but he held the urge in check. He owed Constance that much.
But no more.
* * *
Tears blurred Constance’s eyes by the time she hurried across the parking lot to her car. She climbed in and slammed the door, started the ignition with trembling fingers, and pulled out of the parking lot as fast as she could. She felt like a traitor here, which was ridiculous since she had no personal allegiance to the New Dawn casino. She shouldn’t have any personal feelings for its founder, either.
The problem was that she did. Hearing that he’d
discussed seducing her with his uncle should kill them stone dead. Was she a fool to believe John’s denial? She wanted to believe him. And she remembered only too well how wonderful she’d felt with John’s arms around her. How she’d come alive in his bed, letting herself explore a sensual and passionate side she’d never dared admit to before.
It would be very hard to just bury all those feelings again, even if the relationship had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong man.
She needed to call the BIA as soon as possible, just in case John did succumb to the temptation to warn his uncle. She couldn’t afford to have word get out that she’d spoken to him about her findings. Nicola Moore had told her to get in touch at any time of the day or night if she had something important to report. She pulled into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant and dialed Nicola Moore’s cell number.
When Nicola answered, Constance got right to the point. “I’m sorry to call you on the weekend, but I’ve found a discrepancy.” She kept her voice as calm as she could. “It might be nothing—” she swallowed “—but I’ve done all the research I can reasonably do into the situation from my end.”
She told Moore about Don’s reported gambling and its absence from his tax return. She’d only looked at one year, but she knew that this probably wasn’t an isolated issue. From here on out it would be a matter for the IRS to investigate further. Her work was done, and she should feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in it, yet somehow she felt just the opposite.
“Good work. This will give us a foothold for further investigation.”
“I didn’t find any irregularities in the financials for the casino itself, just for this one executive.” She wanted to limit the damage she’d cause to the New Dawn’s reputation. Not that it should be any of her business.
“We’ve had our eye on Don Fairweather for some time. It’s hard to understand why John Fairweather lets him play a substantial role in the company when he has a shady past.”
“He’s not directly involved in the financial operations at all. He books the bands and handles PR.” Constance heard herself speaking quickly, defending John’s choice to employ his uncle, and cursed herself for standing up for him. Obviously, she still cared about him. She’d let herself believe that he had real feelings for her, and now she felt foolish for being so gullible. She couldn’t get away fast enough. She knew that John felt strongly about including all members of the family—and by extension the Nissequot tribe—and managing them appropriately. She also knew he couldn’t control their personal choices.
“So I’m done here, right? It would be really awkward for me to hang around after making these accusations.” She realized that didn’t sound professional. In reality it had been awkward all along to have people know she was there looking for trouble. But she truly couldn’t stand it if she had to see John again now that she knew the truth about his involvement with her.
“Yes, we’ll have our legal team take it from here. Just forward all the relevant paperwork to me and I’ll be in touch if I need anything further. Good work.”
Heart heavy, Constance gathered her belongings from her hotel room and immediately began the long, lonely drive back to Ohio. Back to her former life of quiet work in her gray office and quiet evenings at home with her parents.
No kisses waited for her. No strong arms. No fiery passion to bring her body to life.
The worst part was that somehow her mind—or her body—couldn’t accept that it was all over. She kept waiting for the phone to ring. For John to say that he’d known all along she was there for a reason, that it didn’t make any difference that she’d done her job, even if it meant his family member would get in trouble.
Part of her still believed that what they’d shared was real. They’d had such great conversations, and experienced so much intimacy. Surely even if he’d started out to soften her up for business reasons, it had developed into something more. Or was it all in her head?
They hadn’t even said goodbye. The last thing he’d said to her was, “I understand.” But did he?
Would he have preferred for her to lie to her boss? To lie to the BIA? Then his little plan would have really paid off. She would have proved that she’d really loved him. Lucky thing she was not the kind of person who would ever do that. If she had nothing else left, at least she had her integrity, and of that she was fiercely proud.
* * *
At the office that Monday, her boss, Lucinda Waldron, was all smiles. “Well done, Constance. This was a tough assignment and once again you’ve proven yourself to be one of our rising stars. And it’s a real bonus that you don’t have a family to worry about. It’s hard to find an employee who doesn’t mind spending some time away from home. I have an interesting assignment coming up in Omaha that I think you’d be perfect for. I should know more details in a day or two.”
“Great.” She managed a smile. Omaha? And why not? As her boss pointed out, she had no life and no obligations. Not even a pet to worry about. They could ship her all over the country to ferret through companies’ books and no one would even care except her parents, who would have to do their own dishes after dinner.
In her office she looked through her in-box with a heavy heart. All the employee expense reports for the last three months were in there. She was chosen to go through them, as she was considered the most trustworthy and least indulgent employee. Lynn had told her that just the idea that Constance Allen would be checking their expenses kept people from putting frivolous items on there.
Great.
“I’ve found the perfect man for you.” Lynn peeped around her door.
“Shh! Someone will hear you.” She didn’t want to chat about men and dating. The whole thing seemed like a really bad idea. Obviously her judgment was questionable at best and who knew what might happen if she started putting herself in the way of available men so soon after John.
“It’s not a crime to date, you know. Do you remember Lance from corporate?”
“I’d never date a coworker.” And mostly she remembered Lance’s receding chin. Which wasn’t fair, really, as he had always been perfectly nice to her.
“You won’t have to. He offered his resignation. He’s going to KPMG.”
“Which likely means he’ll be moving to a different city. Long distance would never work.”
“Why not? Better than not dating at all. Besides, you could always move.”
“Leave Cleveland? What would my parents do?”
“I’m sure they’d survive.”
“I’m not attracted to him.”
“You barely know him. You have to give someone a chance. You might have amazing chemistry.”
She looked right at Lynn. “Are you attracted to him?”
Lynn bit her lip and thought for a moment. “No. But I figured you’d want someone stable and quiet and...”
“Boring? What if I want someone wild and dangerous and exciting?” She leaned back in her chair. “What if I want someone totally different from me, who can help shake me out of my dull and rigid existence and make me look at the world with fresh eyes?”
Lynn stared at her. “Do you?”
She adjusted her glasses. “I don’t want to date anyone.” There was no way she could even consider looking at another man while John’s handsome face hovered in her consciousness. And while his betrayal echoed in her heart. She still could hardly believe their whole affair had been planned from the start. “I have too many other things going on.”
“Like reorganizing your bookshelf?”
“There’s a church fund-raiser to plan.”
“There’s always a church fund-raiser to plan. I’m not going to let you waste your life anymore. It’s time you burst out of your shell.” Lynn winked and walked away.
Constance sank back in her chair. If only Lynn knew that she’d already left her shell and would never be happy in it again.
Ten
John walked into Don’s rather lavish office and thr
ew the newspapers down on his desk. “See what you’ve done?” Stories about the tax evasion had leaked to the press—or been planted.
“It’s a load of bull.”
“So you didn’t gamble and win that money?” He crossed his arms and waited for a response.
“I don’t remember.”
“That won’t cut it.”
“It’s worked for some American presidents I could name.”
“Well, you aren’t one, and you aren’t senile either, so you’d better hire a lawyer and figure out what the two of you are going to say. The New Dawn is not going under the bus with you, Don. You know how I feel about following the rules. We’re under way more scrutiny than the average business and I don’t condone any activity that could even be seen as bending the rules.”
“Sometimes you need to redefine a rule.”
“Now is not one of those times. Since you aren’t denying that you’ve gambled and failed to declare it, I have no choice but to terminate your position.”
Don rose to his feet, frowning. “Are you kicking me out of the tribe, too?”
“This is business, Don, purely business. You’ll always be family, but I can’t have you working at the New Dawn while you’re under investigation for breaking the law.”
“Is it a paid leave of absence?”
John clenched his hand into a fist. “Is this my hand or is it a deadly weapon?”
“All right, all right. I can’t believe you’re just kicking me out. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?”
“If you were declaring your innocence, I might feel differently, but you’re not. I trusted you, Don. You’ve been my confidant and right-hand man at almost every phase of this project. I can’t believe you’d risk it all to save yourself a few pennies you can well afford to part with.”
“I’ll pay whatever I owe.”
“You know it won’t be as easy as that. They’re going to dig into your papers going back years.”
His uncle’s face darkened. “That won’t be good. I told you I didn’t want you to give her my returns.”
“You didn’t tell me it’s because they were fraudulent.”
A HIGH STAKES SEDUCTION Page 14