She had already made it out of the dark, seedy restaurant into the blaring sunlight by the time that he caught up with her. Throwing on her shades, she stepped to the edge of the curve and tried to hail a taxi, but Sully was behind her. Unable to control himself, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him from behind.
“Give me a minute to explain,” he begged into her ear. His deep baritone was dripping with pure, unadulterated need.
Her voice was pitched high. “What is there to explain? You’ve totally lost your damned mind,” she said, trying to push away from the smell of expensive cologne and luscious feel of his rock hard body. Her iron-like exterior was starting to crumble, and she had to get away from him before she turned to complete mush.
But Sully’s hand clenched her waist tighter. “I won’t let you go until you’ve at least given me an opportunity to explain myself.”
She looked down at his arm around her, his Rolex gleaming in the sunlight, his fingers just above her navel and felt light-headed. Why did he have to feel so good? Why did he have to smell like heaven? Why did she have to be here right now dealing with this?
Sully could no longer resist. He nuzzled his face down into the side of her hair and took a deep breath. “Charlie, I’m begging you. Please.”
Warm familiar feelings started to rise up inside of her instantly. Suddenly, she felt like seven years had simply disappeared and they were picking up where they had left off. No! This couldn’t happen.
“Take your arm from around me,” she said on baited breath.
“No,” Sully said with a growl. “Not until you’ve heard me out.”
Charlie gave in. “Fine. I’ll hear you out. Just…stop,” she said, stepping forward as she felt him release her, though she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted that either.
Sully ran a hand through his hair and realized that he had become all hot and bothered on the corner of Lennox Avenue. The world began to move again as people walked around the pair. He raised his hands. “Do you want to go back inside or do you want to go to my hotel to talk.”
“Oh, no,” Charlie said with a huff. “I’m not going to your hotel.”
“Because you think that we won’t be able to…” His eyes sparkled.
Charlie cut him off. “Because of the way it looks. You just brokered a gift of two million dollars for your best friend to the organization that employees me. I’m not going to have the headlines accusing me of quid pro quo.”
He had to admit that when she put it that way, it did sound bad. Still, he could not give up. “Well, what common ground can we go to?” he asked with more determination in his voice.
Charlie bit her lip and thought hard, realizing that Sully wouldn’t just leave her alone as she had first hoped. “How about…my office?”
Sully rolled his eyes. It definitely was not what he had in mind, but he’d talk to her anyway that he could. “Fine.” Raising his arm, he hailed the driver of a black Lincoln town car. Quickly, it pulled up beside them on the curb and a driver popped out. Sully stopped the man with a wave of his hand. “I’ll get the door.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said, quickly getting back inside.
“You’re a spoiled little rich kid. You know that?” she said as he opened the door for her.
“Can you please insult me from inside the car?” Sully asked, clenching his jaw. She knew that he hated when people accused him of that, and it was just like her to say it now.
Quietly, she ducked into the car and allowed him to close the door.
***
The 51st floor of Gustavo office building was completely empty when Sully and Charlie arrived. Stopping at the marble receptionist desk to look through a few pieces of mail left behind on the counter, Charlie watched Sully look around at the beautiful artwork displayed on the wall. He had always had a true appreciation for the arts, specifically the post-impressionist era. And these paintings helped soothed him now, gave him calm before the storm. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed a bit, grateful for the small blessing.
Covertly, she followed him out of the corner of her eye as he made his way around the oval shaped common area with his hands in his pockets and his eyes committing every painting to memory.
“Impressive,” he finally said, turning back to her. “As much money as we’ve donated in the past and as much as I talk about the organization, I’ve never been to your headquarters. It’s very eclectic.”
“Same thing I thought,” Charlie said, raising her brows. “My office is this way. We can talk in there or in the conference room.”
Sully thought the conference room was far too informal. “Your office is fine,” he said, following her through the dark hallway. She hit the lights on the side and the elaborate corridor lit up. There were even more paintings for him to ogle at as he walked. He did so appreciatively.
Walking a few feet behind her, he watched her body sway with every step. Over the years, she had put on a few pounds in places that made his blood boil with desire. Small waist, wide hips, thick thighs that he bet were firm, large calves, small ankles, and he was certain that she had kept her beautiful feet up over the years. He realized as he took her in like the paintings that he had just feasted upon, that he still wanted her, not just in a sexual manner but deep in companionship.
Charlie pushed the door open and held it for him to move past her. “Want something to drink?” she asked as he sat down in the seat across from her oak credenza.
“No, I’m fine. Just…” he pointed at the chair beside him. “Come sit down with me, will you?” His voice was light now, persuasive but smooth.
Charlie closed the door behind her and slowly walked over to the seat. She had tried to process what he had said in the restaurant on the ride over, but it was impossible. His request was so bazaar, so out of character until she was left baffled.
When she sat down, he turned his seat towards her and cleared his throat. A nervous smile preceded his shaky intro and for the first time in their existence, Charlie saw uncertainty in his eyes. “First of all, thanks for even given me the chance to explain myself. You didn’t have to do this,” he said, leaning towards her in his chair.
“Sully, let’s get down to it, okay…” Charlie took a deep breath. “What would make you even think of me for something like this?”
“Oh, I didn’t come to this decision to ask you something so unorthodox lightly. You have to know that. It’s been a long road to reach this point. I’ve done a lot of research and gone over a lot of scenarios. They all just lead me right back here.”
Still Charlie said nothing.
“Let me just start at the beginning, okay. A few years ago, I realized that all of my brothers and sisters had a family of their own. They had accomplished at least the first part of their life goals and had what they wanted. Now a few have gone through divorce like Mikey and May, but they don’t regret it because of the kids. And Amber and Will are still very much an item. That’s why they are so happy with life, but me…I don’t know. I have accomplished so much, but the one thing that I haven’t been able to satisfy is the need for a family. It haunts me.”
“What about adoption?” she asked with a frown. That made a lot more sense than what he was proposing.
“For some people, that is enough, but for me, I want to see my eyes, my lips, my chin…” He held tighter to her hand. “I want a child of my own.”
“And you don’t have a girlfriend who would do that for you?”
“Dane is the playboy. Not me anymore. I gave that title up a while back. And there is no girlfriend. I haven’t had the time or energy lately.”
“Why? You were so good at it,” Charlie said, releasing the ice in her veins.
Sully felt the chill, so he tried to warm up more to her. “I know that I hurt you, and I’m so sorry about that.”
Her eyes bucked to keep from tearing up. The reality of what was happening was like a heavy weight on her chest. The one man whom she’d adored, the one man whom sh
e’d learned to loathe, was here now begging her forgiveness and all she could do was try to breathe. Still, she had to fight to get the words out. Her voice cracked.
“You’re sorry? You broke my heart into a thousand pieces, and you come back seven years later, throw some money on the table and politely ask me to be the mother of your children. And on top of that you’re sorry. Well, why didn’t you say so earlier, because that just makes everything okay?” Her eyes narrowed on him. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, giving away her now frantic state. “Please tell me that this is a joke, Sully.”
“This is no joke,” Sully stuttered. “You’ll never know how sorry that I am. I’ve regretted us since the day that you left. I tried to reach you, but your mother wouldn’t give me a number. She hates me, by the way. You changed your email. You moved. You shut me out completely after graduation like I didn’t exist. It took a year for me to even find out where you were and when I did, I realized that you just would not give me another chance.”
“Damn right,” she lied.
“But it never stopped me from loving you.” His voice ached.
“It was a short-term relationship, Sully.” Another lie.
“It had long-lasting effects, Charlie. Why do you think that I’m here? I love you.” That was the truth for him, the only truth that he had held on to for many years.
There was no response to that for her. She felt like a magnet was pulling them together at the moment. All she wanted to do was crash into him. But she had to fight it. Alex was a good man, and Sully…well Sully was a good liar.
Still the tears ran down the sides of her face as the words left his mouth. God in heaven knew that she had waited, dreamt, pleaded for those words for so long, and now that they had finally come, it was too late. And because it was too late, she had to block it. Throw him off from knowing how deep to her core he had just gone. Her mind raced to find something that would break the mood, keep her from losing her wits.
“How do I know that you won’t give my eggs to someone else?” she asked, blinking away more pain.
“I wouldn’t dare,” he said offended. “This is about me creating a family, not anyone else. Charlie, you know me better than that. I’m being a hundred percent with you, right now.”
She knew that, and she wished that she could be a hundred percent with him but it would cost her everything. Biting her lip, she tried to stay on the subject at hand and not on old feelings. “And you would be raising this child alone?” She wiped her eyes quickly.
“That’s the whole point. I want my own family.”
“You’ll have a nurse?” She sniffled a little.
“I’ll have a wet nurse and a nanny. I’ll have tons of resources.” He tried to wipe her face, but she quickly coiled away from him.
“If you don’t have time for the baby, why make one?” she continued to interrogate him.
“I’ll have all the time in the world. My father passed away about a month ago. I’ll have my inheritance soon, and I plan to resign from the DLC at the end of this year. The baby will have my full, undivided attention,” he promised.
She sank further in her chair. “Oh my goodness, Sully. I didn’t know about your father. I’m so sorry,” she said, hurting for him. His mother had left him so early until all he had ever known was his father, now he was stripped of that. No wonder he felt so alone.
Sully nodded. “It’s okay. Look, I wouldn’t ask you this if I wasn’t sure that this was not what I wanted or with whom I wanted.”
Charlie took a deep breath of his cologne and nearly gave in right there. She had to admit that she wanted him – every inch of him-but sanity crept in again, reminding her that beyond his irresistible exterior there was a pretty selfish human being lurking below.
“I don’t think that there is a question of if you want me to do this. The question that I now have is do I want to do this.” She sat back up and looked him directly in his eyes. “And as much as I want to make you happy, there is nothing about this…arrangement…that seems beneficial to me or that helps me have closure.” Finding her strength, she slapped her hands on her jeans and heaved a sigh.
“Haven’t you ever had a dream, Charlie? This is my one and only dream now. I want a family.” He pleaded again, more than he had ever pleaded with a woman. He was two seconds from getting on his knees.
“I believe that. And I want you to have one too. I just don’t want to go through some painful process that I would have to explain to my fiancé so you can see this dream come to fruition. It’s not fair. It’s not logical for me.”
“It’s pretty painless. You’ll go under, they will extract the eggs from your ovaries and then you’ll go home,” he said, not giving up. “No one will know.”
“And then what, Sully? Huh? What happens then?”
“Angela or Diane will carry the child. The IVF process is tried and true. And isn’t that what Sophie’s Choice is partly about, supporting the entire woman including her reproductive choices whether they be pro-choice or pro-life?” Without any other options, he brought her job into it.
“I don’t know if this falls under either.” She sat back in her chair. “Sully, I really want to help you but…”
“Don’t say no. I can see that face. You’re preparing to curl your lips into a No. Don’t do that. Just think about it for a couple of days…please. I’ll be here in the city for about a week. If you change your mind, then please stop by the doctor’s office.” He reached in his back pocket, pulled out his black wallet and found the crisp white card. “His name is Sean Berg. I’ve told him all about you.”
Charlie took the card and shook her head. “Sully…”
“Don’t say no.” He willed her with his sultry eyes. “Just sleep on it.”
“There isn’t much to sleep on…” she said with decisiveness.
As she was about to turn him down completely, there was a sudden, urgent knock at her door. They both looked up surprised. No one knew that she was here. Then again, if she wasn’t at home, she was always here.
Charlie stood up and wiped her face clean of any evidence. “Yes,” she called out, hoping that it wasn’t Alex. “Who is it?”
“Charlene, it’s me, Frank,” her assistant said, turning the knob. “May I come in?”
“Yes,” she said as his head peeked inside. He nodded at Sully and then waved at Charlene. “May I please speak with you in private?”
“Sure,” Charlie said frowning. “Sully, I will be right back,” she said following Frank out. “What is going on?” she asked as she closed the door. Her voice was in a high-pitched whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been here for like two hours. I was in the copy room preparing the paperwork for the Withersby gift. I got a call from one of the board members. But that’s not what I wanted to bother you about. I just got a call from the Fire Department. They tried to reach you but your cell phone is off. And your office phone is directed to my line.”
Charlie cut him off. “What happened?” she asked, suddenly more of a nervous wreck, if that was possible.
“Alex has been in an accident. He was on a call and fell through a flaming ceiling. He’s at the hospital.” He passed her a piece of paper with the directions on it.
“Oh my God!” Charlie screamed before she could help herself. Bursting back through her office door, she grabbed her purse and coat.
“Is everything okay?” Sully asked, standing up.
Her eyes were awash with new tears. “No. Alex has been injured on duty,” she said, running back out of the door.
Sully followed behind her. “Take my car,” he said, leaning against the door. “It’s waiting out front!”
“Thanks!” Charlie said, forgetting all about their conversation.
He watched her disappear quickly down the hall and then heard her quickly get into the elevator. Taking a deep breath, he looked over and noticed that Frank was staring at him with a clever grin.
“What?” Sully asked, running
a hand through his hair.
“Nothing at all, sir,” Frank said quickly.
“Where you eavesdropping?” Sully asked, narrowing his eyes on the man.
“There is no need, sir. She’ll tell me everything on Monday,” Frank said, raising his brows and turning on his heels to head back to his office. “I’ll call a cab for you.”
75
The Contingency Plan
Chapter 4
It was near seven a.m. two days later by the time that Alex was moved from ICU to a room of his own. Having regained consciousness, he was ecstatic to find the first person that he laid eyes on to be his one and only Charlie. She gazed down at him with warmness and stroked the side of his caramel face with her index finger. A single tear fell from her eyes onto his lips as she tried to speak.
“Hey you,” she said, smiling.
“Hey yourself,” he moaned, looking down to realize that his leg was in a cast.
“Where am I?” he asked, finally feeling pain shoot through his body. His throat still hurt from the tubes that had been recently removed, but he refused to stay quiet.
“You’re at Jacobi Medical Center,” Charlie said, looking over to the station chief, who was finally rustling awake from his short nap.
“What happened?” Alex asked, trying to remember what had led him there.
“You went up to the attic to save a little girl in a house fire and the two of you got trapped. The boards fell on you, and you fell through the attic down into the second story of the house where more debris fell on top of you.” Charlie tried not to cry at the thought of nearly losing him so abruptly.
“And the girl?” Alex asked, completely unconcerned with himself for the moment.
The chief stood up and pulled at the belt of his pants. “Alex, it’s best that you just focus on getting better. You took a hell of a lick in there. We almost lost you.”
“What happened to the girl?” Alex asked again, this time with more baritone in his voice.
The chief looked down, showing the balding top of his nearly all grey head. “She didn’t make it, son, but it was nothing that you could have done about that.”
The Contingency Plan (The Lonely Heart Series) Page 6