by Emery, Lynn
“There’s more to Miss Rideau’s report,” Noel said. He had to work hard to keep irritation from his voice. “Could you give us a summary of your recommendations?” Lyrissa cleared her throat. She looked at the yellow legal pad in front of her. “As Mr. Rohas has pointed out, there’s no question that the collection is valuable. However, an accurate appraisal is essential. Of course, prices can go up at an auction.”
Noel watched as she gave a concise summary of her findings and recommendations. She spoke with confidence and authority. He noticed every move she made, remembering the taste of her skin. Her words faded to a pleasant buzz. Or was it his libido turned way up? “Finally, I talked to Professor Pat Smith, and—”
“I didn’t know we’d paid for two experts,” Julie interrupted. She glanced around at the board members.
“You didn’t. Dr. Smith is my dissertation advisor and mentor. She has a national reputation for her expertise in African-American art preservation.”
Vic clapped her hands excitedly. “Of course! She was the driving force behind that slave ship exhibition. Lyrissa can use university resources since she’s a student. Brilliant, darlin’.”
“I considered that when I asked Lyrissa to complete her report.” Noel smiled at Vic and Lyrissa in turn. “And it’s made all the difference.” Noel gazed at her. She looked beautiful beneath the starched, buttoned-down veneer. Yet she did not return his glance.
“Thank you. In conclusion, I suggest an auction. Certain pieces may bring much higher bids alone.”
Aline sniffed. “I’m still concerned about how this will look for the family.”
“Some of the finest families in the country, even the world, have sold art they owned. Their reputations were even enhanced.” Lyrissa looked around the room. “The pieces you have clearly show that your family not only had the money to acquire the best, but the good taste to choose well.”
“She’s right about that,” Uncle Laurence said, and stuck out his chest.
“I say we compare all proposals,” Cousin Harold put in.
“Agreed,” Miss Georgina said before Carlton could speak.
When the others followed her lead, Carlton sat back with a resigned frown. Julie began a presentation on rental properties. Noel studied Lyrissa’s face, hoping to find some clue to what she was thinking. She still stared down at her notes. He could tell she didn’t really see them, though. There was something in her large brown eyes but he couldn’t read it. Suddenly the meeting seemed to have dragged on longer than necessary.
“Noel, I think you have an update on the Insurance Commission?” Julie said.
Her tone sliced through to him like a butcher knife. Noel adjusted his shirt collar as the others looked at him. His aunt wore a frown. Richard gazed at him with one heavy eyebrow raised.
“Let’s take a break. We’ve been in here for over two hours now,” Noel pointed out.
“Bless you, child,” Vic said passionately.
“I agree. My rear end is numb,” Uncle Laurence said. “Fifteen minutes, folks. Let’s come back in by eleven. Order lunch from Semolina’s, Eddie.”
Eddie nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The young woman wrote furiously as Uncle Laurence and the others gave her their orders while they walked. Then, the board members once more clumped together in groups to drink coffee. Noel knew he should stay to get a feel for their mood. Yet the sight of Lyrissa leaving drove him through the door after her. She walked quickly in the direction of the elevators.
“Lyrissa, wait a minute,” Noel called out.
She stopped but did not turn around immediately. When she did, her expression was impassive. “Yes?”
“I want to be with you tonight,” he said simply.
“I’m busy. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Lyrissa replied promptly.
“Which is it and why?” Noel stared at her hard. He could feel a distance between them that had nothing to do with space.
Lyrissa took a deep breath and let it out. “Different galaxies,” she whispered.
“This is the age of space travel.” Noel took her by the elbow and drew her closer.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Noel held on. “Tonight is as good a time as any.” “Don’t make a scene. People are watching us.” Lyrissa looked in all directions.
He let go and spoke in a normal tone. “Fine, then come to my office. We can discuss it in detail.”
“Of course, Mr. St. Denis,” she said in a crisp, businesslike voice.
They both turned to find his Aunt Aline, Carlton, Julie, and Augustin looking at them. Carlton wore an expression of curiosity. Aunt Aline clearly disapproved. Julie’s eyes flashed lightning bolts of rage.
“This is certainly an interesting day.” Augustin’s black coffee eyes twinkled at them both.
Noel gazed back at them coolly. “I’ll be back in five minutes.” He led Lyrissa away.
Chapter 14
“Well!” Aunt Aline scraped Lyrissa with a head-to-toe examination.
“The meeting will start again soon, Noel,” Julie said in a controlled tone. “We need you back in here now.”
Noel kept walking. “I’ve got time. Excuse us.”
Noel guided Lyrissa ahead of him with a hand firmly planted against her lower back. At that moment he did not care what they thought. Approval or disapproval from his relatives meant nothing. What worried him was the sound of “goodbye” in Lyrissa’s voice. Once the door closed, Lyrissa spun around to confront him. She tossed her purse and portfolio down onto a nearby chair.
“Now you’ve done it!” she burst out.
Noel found her pouting mouth irresistible. He leaned closer. “Done what?”
“You know what.” Lyrissa pushed him away.
He shrugged and folded his arms. “Blame yourself. All you had to do was say you’d see me tonight.”
Lyrissa frowned at him. “You’re such an arrogant, spoiled brat. Used to having your way, aren’t you?”
“So you don’t want to be with me?” Noel cocked his head to one side.
Lyrissa waved her arms in the air. “That’s not the point.”
“That’s the only point I’m interested in right now, Ms. Rideau,” he teased. His expression turned serious. “Forget them.”
“Right. I’ll have one huge knife in my back before I leave here.” Lyrissa eyed him steadily. “Julie is—”
“There is nothing between Julie and me.”
“Not that I care.” Lyrissa straightened her blouse.
“I’d be crazy with jealousy if I saw you with another man.” Noel said the words so easily it stunned him.
“Think you know it all, don’t you?” Lyrissa said in a small voice. She looked into his eyes like a woman under a spell.
“Maybe I do.” He planted three small kisses on her forehead.
“And how do you plan to break this news flash?” Lyrissa breathed in short gasps.
“Straight and to the point.”
Noel did not want to think about anyone else at the moment. He lost himself in the scent on her skin. Lyrissa met him more than halfway. She closed her eyes as he kissed her face again and again. They swayed to an internal rhythm only they felt. Lyrissa planted both her palms on his chest.
“You don’t need the hassle right now. Your family is close to fighting another civil war.”
Much as Noel hated to admit it, he knew she was right. He sighed deeply. “Okay, I’ll give you that one.”
Lyrissa backed up from him. “So we shouldn’t see each other for a while.”
“No way!” Noel said with force.
Lyrissa waved at him. “Keep your voice down.”
“No games. If you don’t want to be with me, then say so.” He clenched both fists to fight off the pain.
“I didn’t say that.” She didn’t meet his gaze.
He found hope in her cautious admission. She was holding back. It only made him want her more. Before he could speak, a firm knock sounded at th
e door. His assistant opened it slowly and peeked in with wide eyes.
Eddie glanced from him to Lyrissa. “Mr. Laurence says the meeting is about to resume.”
“I’ll be there in a few seconds,” Noel replied without looking around.
“O-kay,” the woman replied with an impish grin and withdrew quickly.
“You’d better go,” Lyrissa said.
“I’ll call you at home tonight.”
Lyrissa paused for a moment before answering. “All right.”
“You’ll be there around eight?” Noel wanted to hear her say she’d wait for him, that there was no one else.
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
He exhaled. Only then did he realize he’d been holding his breath as he waited for her response. “Eight o’clock, don’t forget.” He kissed her as insurance.
“Go, before Julie sends in a swat team to rescue you from my clutches.” Her eyes sparkled with humor.
Noel groaned with frustration. “I have to see you no matter what.”
“We’ll talk about it when you call,” she said.
“Lyrissa—”
She picked up her briefcase and made a wide circle around him to the door. “Take care of business first.”
Noel watched her walk away and enjoyed the sexy sway of her hips. He couldn’t help but stare.
“Son, I sympathize. Lord knows I do,” Richard said over his shoulder. “But we’ve got work ahead of us. Carlton and Willie have been scheming.”
Noel took out his handkerchief and patted his face. “On my way.”
“Can you focus?”
“Of course.”
Noel talked to his father as they went down the hall. The men spoke in low confidential voices. As they entered the conference room, Richard made one last comment, and then patted Noel’s shoulder. They took their seats. The board members sat around the table again. Noel allowed Carlton to review where they’d left off. He felt energized. Lyrissa would be waiting for him at the end of the day. Not even Carlton could dampen his mood now. For another two hours the others squirmed and sighed. The rest of the meeting seemed to slip by with not one complaint from him.
“Maybe we should throw another dinner party.” Richard pursed his lips in an obvious attempt to keep from laughing.
Mrs. St. Denis scowled. “Your sense of humor could use improvement.”
“Really, Dad,” Noel said. He squinted at his father. “And you didn’t help one bit at the meeting.”
“Let’s not forget Augustin’s contributions. And my daughter should have gotten more spankings as a child.” Miss Georgina’s scowl deepened.
Lyrissa tried to remain invisible. She’d been invited to give details on a possible auction. They were in the study at Mrs. St. Denis’s home the day after the meeting. Richard sat with easy grace in a wingback chair. Mrs. St. Denis was on a chintz settee, while Noel sat behind the massive desk that dominated the room.
She gazed at each of them in turn. Noel had his father’s handsome profile. There were differences, though. Richard seemed always ready to toss out a joke. He wore a smile that was charming at first glance but seemed fake upon closer examination. Noel had a resolute set to his jaw that reminded Lyrissa of a portrait of his grandfather. It was strange to see two generations so much alike, yet so different. Noel’s expression was grave. The board meeting had been inconclusive.
“I tried my best to explain why we need to act.” Noel tapped a Cartier pen.
His grandmother rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. “Please don’t do that. My nerves are on edge as it is.”
Noel put down the pen. “We need to raise capital. I looked at the latest income statement.”
“Things are not getting better, I guess,” Richard said.
“How bad is it?” Mrs. St. Denis looked at Noel.
“We could be in trouble with the insurance commission. Our reserves are low.” Noel shook his head and sighed.
“A quick infusion of cash would be just the ticket,” Richard said softly and looked at Lyrissa.
“You mean, a quick art sale,” she said. Her heart sank. Thank God they didn’t know about “The Stroll.” Not yet, at least.
“Yes, dear,” Mrs. St. Denis said with a nod. “Noel?”
“Would it be enough though?” Noel glanced at Lyrissa.
“You have two small paintings by Degas and a Henry Osawa Tanner, three Elizabeth Catlett sculptures, and a Clementine Hunter. An auction could easily bring close to a million dollars. The Degas paintings aren’t from the best period in his career but are still valuable.” Lyrissa wore a blank expression to mask her disapproval.
“Tidy change,” Richard quipped with a grin.
“Certainly. Now the only problem is to pry them out of our loving kinfolk’s hands.” Mrs. St. Denis rubbed her temples again.
“Who has them?” Richard asked.
Lyrissa spoke even before Noel could finish flipping through her report to find the list. “Helene Auguillard Rohas owns—”
“No, she does not! None of them owns any of the pieces!” Mrs. St. Denis broke in angrily. “The collection is in my control.”
“Excuse me, she has possession of the Tanner,” Lyrissa replied.
“Jordan and Roberta have the Degas paintings,” Noel said. “We’ll need dynamite to blast it free from Jordan’s greedy grip.”
“Roberta chose poorly in marriage, for the third time,” Mrs. St. Denis said in an acid tone.
Richard turned to Lyrissa and spoke in a confidential voice. “Roberta is my second cousin’s youngest. She married a self-made man who bought his way into certain circles.”
“Except for the right ones?” Lyrissa gazed at him.
“Money can’t buy everything, darlin’. We’re civilized, of course. Always polite, but...” Richard let a careless shrug finish his sentence.
His words rang in her ears. Where did that leave her? She didn’t have money or the right last name. Noel met her gaze when she looked across at him.
“It has nothing to do with his family tree. He’s rude and likes to step on people,” Noel said, as though reading her mind.
“And those are his good points,” Mrs. St. Denis put in. “They’re not the only ones we have to worry about.”
Richard’s good-humored playboy expression vanished. “Let’s stop playing around with them. It’s common knowledge we own those paintings. Kick ass and take them.”
“You sound like your father for once,” his mother said.
“I have my moments.” Richard grinned back. “But I’m serious. No sense pretending we can avoid bad feelings.”
“You’re right. Noel, I know you want to approach this differently, but I don’t see how we can,” Mrs. St. Denis said.
“Not after Carlton’s little behind-the-scenes campaign,” Richard added. “But Willie probably did most of the talking. Hell, nobody pays half attention to Carlton.”
“The last thing we need is our own family feud,” Noel said.
Richard shrugged again. “It’s been festering for years. It was bound to burst sometime.”
They went on to discuss the best strategy. Lyrissa timed out their voices and became wrapped up in her own planning. The family fight that loomed would be to her ad-vantage. All their attention would be on the two paintings in question. Which meant she could bide her time for the moment.
Miss Georgina rose. “Thank you, Ms. Rideau. You’ve been such a help in all this. I’m going to have coffee. Any-one else?”
“Yes.” Richard stood.
“None for me,” Noel said.
“Me either. Thanks.” Lyrissa smiled politely.
Mrs. St. Denis headed down the hall. “Rosalie, I hope you have some of that strong coffee freshly made. I’m going to need it.”
Richard hung back. He stared at Lyrissa. “I have a feeling we’ll get to know you and your family.”
“What are you talking about?” Noel asked.
“I’m an old hand at reading people
, especially when it comes to romance. I’ve made it something of a hobby.” “More like a full-time occupation,” Noel said.
“The fact is—” Richard raised a forefinger.
“Don’t form opinions out of thin air, Mr. St. Denis,” Lyrissa cut him off sharply.
“I apologize, Miss Rideau. My mouth moved faster than my good sense again.” He made a courtly bow and left with one last glance at Noel.
Lyrissa hid the fear that clutched at her heart. Her mind spun wildly as she thought of how to deal with this latest threat. She couldn’t afford to have them digging into her life just yet. Then there was Noel. Lyrissa had become her own worst enemy. Mama Grace and Aunt Claire looked forward to a moment of triumph. Their idea of a happy ending would be her tragedy. She’d fallen in love with Mr. Wrong.
“He wasn’t being mean, Lyrissa. You just have to get to know Dad.” Noel reached out for her.
Lyrissa nimbly moved away as though she hadn’t seen his hand. “Not here.”
“Fine. Come to my apartment tonight,” he said.
The enticing scent of Aramis cologne made her light-headed with desire. Her breast ached at the memory of how he’d teased her nipples with his tongue. She clenched her fists to fight off the fire it started. Noel seemed to sense her vulnerability. Lyrissa backed farther away to avoid the temptation of his full lips coming closer to hers.
“I’d better go. I have a meeting with my advisor. Goodbye.”
“I’ll call you,” he said.
Lyrissa waved as she walked quickly through the double doors and to safety. If she looked into his eyes again her act would crumble.
The next day, Lyrissa sat in her office at the gallery. She tried to concentrate on work, but the memory of her phone conversation with Noel made it tough. The sound of his sultry voice kept coming back to her. Mr. Taylor walked toward her studying a glossy catalogue. He glanced at her briefly before looking down at the pictures again.
“Mrs. St. Denis called,” Mr. Taylor said. “She’s anxious for us to finish.”
Lyrissa frowned. “Really?”
“I assured her that you were being very thorough and would take good care of the famous collection as though each piece were your own.”