Bind

by Sierra Cartwright

“He wants the appearances. Shit, Lara.”

  Erin understood. Over the years, they’d shared their frustrations. Erin knew her better than anyone else did.

  “I was hoping you’d cracked his shell, that he wanted to have a real marriage.”

  “No. He was clear that there’s no love involved. But he wants me to move in.”

  “This is kind of like putting your life in limbo, isn’t it? You can’t date anyone else, and you have to be with a man who doesn’t love you but acts like he does.”

  “That’s a good way to explain it.”

  “Well, crap. So you’re thinking about BHI and nothing else.”

  “And it will be good for Donovan Worldwide. Connor will buy the communications division, at a more than fair price. And the patents.”

  “You know, Lara, you’ve made a lot of choices in your life because they were the best for your dad. Maybe you should start making ones that are the best for you. There’s a whole world out there. You don’t have to do this. Don’t set yourself up to be miserable.”

  “On the other hand, it’s only for a few years,” Lara replied, serving as her own devil’s advocate. “Fewer years than college.”

  “But no spring breaks,” Erin quipped.

  “It’s not like I’ve been dating much anyway.”

  “So? That doesn’t mean you should put your life on hold. This didn’t work out the way I envisioned it,” she said. “I’m not happy.”

  Lara agreed with that. Then she saw Connor coming in her direction. “I need to go.”

  “I’ll see you at my mom’s later. Oh, by the way, did you know your mother called my mother? This is getting really weird.”

  “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

  “It’s your fault?”

  “Not intentionally.” She paced beneath some shade trees as she explained about the Friday Afternoon Soirée and the fact her mother was spearheading membership growth.

  “If she gets Mom out of the house and ripped-ass drunk, that would be great.”

  “I’m not even sure how to say this, but they’re planning to invite men to future events.”

  “Even better.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. Mom needs to stop hanging around the house. The more incentive, the better. Before she gets a yippy dog and a Prada to put it in.”

  “Ouch,” Lara said.

  “Yes,” Erin said unapologetically. “I was talking about your mother’s pampered princess.”

  Lara was pretty sure princesses weren’t treated as well as Diva. To be fair, Erin didn’t dislike all small dogs, just Diva. She’d babysat the animal one time when the regular nanny had been unavailable. Erin had shown up to pick her up, and Diva had bitten her toe. After sending her sincere apologies to Erin through Lara, Helene had taken Diva to the veterinarian to make sure her teeth hadn’t been injured.

  They said goodbye, and she ended the call.

  “I thought my sister was going to keep you into the next century. I read three newspapers and responded to six hundred emails.”

  “Six hundred?”

  “At least.”

  “Was that another joke, Mr. Donovan?”

  “I don’t joke, Ms. Bertrand.”

  “Um-hmm,” she replied.

  They walked home and got ready for the drive across town. Last night, she’d taken off the necklace and put it on top of her dresser. It was a pretty piece, more expensive than it should have been. She considered wearing it again since it would look nice with the dress she’d brought. But to him, it had meaning that she didn’t want to encourage.

  She met him near the door.

  Even casual, he managed to look professional and…delicious. She couldn’t think of another word for it.

  He wore a white shirt and lightweight blazer. He’d added a blue tie shot with pinstripes several shades lighter. He smelled of spice–laced mint, and he hadn’t shaved. The combination said urban sophistication, and it was all she could do not to run her fingers in his hair and ask him to take her back to bed.

  Before they left the loft, he grabbed three bottles of champagne from the pantry. “For the mimosas,” he explained.

  “My kind of party.”

  “I figured it was.”

  Once they were on the road, she asked, “What should I expect from your family?”

  “That everyone will be polite. You’ll meet my grandparents, my Aunt Kathryn and my Mom. You already know Nathan, and we already talked about Erin. There will be lots of food. And plenty of mimosas.”

  “Your grandmother’s name is Libby. Libby Sykes, if I remember?” In Texas, the Sykes name was legend and connected to the Texas Revolution.

  “That’s correct.”

  “And it was a great romance, like he wasn’t good enough for her, but Grandma Libby wouldn’t be dissuaded. Erin told me the story, but it was years ago.”

  “I wouldn’t call it a big romance, but that doesn’t mean Erin wouldn’t,” he said dryly. “They met at a church dance when he was home on leave from the army. He was a lieutenant at the time. Rumor has it, she asked him to dance. They continued to see each other whenever he came home. He left the military when he was a captain.”

  “I thought you called him the Colonel?”

  “It’s a nickname, not a title.” He changed lanes to go around a slow-moving truck.

  “But he worked hard and proved himself in the business or something?”

  “He took over one of the shipping divisions. Once he’d doubled its worth, he was allowed to propose to my grandmother”—he shrugged—“I’m guessing it was during that time he earned the title of Colonel. I can imagine how disciplined he was, what a hard-ass.”

  That part, at least, the man had passed down.

  “My great-grandfather’s wedding gift was one of the divisions of the company the Colonel had built. Because of his own sense of pride, he renamed it Donovan, US. Over time, it’s grown. About ten years ago, he renamed it Donovan Worldwide. Humble beginnings, but my grandfather’s devotion and sense of obligation have made it what it is.”

  “I think you’re underestimating your own contribution.”

  He shrugged. “I have had a good example to follow.”

  She was beginning to see a pattern with the Donovans and their easy humility.

  They had to park down the street, and just before they entered the house, Erin opened the door and yanked her inside the house and into a big hug.

  “I think you needed that,” Erin said.

  No matter what, she’d always been able to count on her friend.

  The party was better than she expected. Angela, Connor’s mother, was a wonderful hostess, even though the gathering was in her honor. She’d assigned each person to bring something, and it was a feast. Nathan had brought quiches from the local delicatessen, Erin had brought fresh-cut watermelon and honeydew, Kathryn had brought dozens of croissants from a local bakery.

  Lara felt no more uncomfortable than she was at any business meeting. And it helped her to think about it in those terms.

  No one asked about the contract details or wedding arrangements.

  Erin mentioned that she’d decided to invest her own money into a friend’s corset shop in Kemah.

  “I’m not surprised,” Nathan replied.

  “We’re planning to open for the Fourth of July weekend.”

  “Then spend September through May wondering how to pay the rent?” he replied.

  Erin shook her head. “You’re forgetting Christmas. And all kinds of different events. Street festivals, that kind of thing.”

  “If you have a good online presence, that will help, too,” Lara added. “Custom orders.”

  “Who knew those things would come back in style?” Libby shook her head. “I remember celebrating their demise.”

  “I’ll come to your grand opening,” Aunt Kathryn promised.

  “It’s your trust fund,” Nathan replied.

  The conversation ended, and the family worked toge
ther to clean the table, put away the leftovers and load the dishwasher.

  She wandered over to Erin, who mixed them each a strong mimosa. “I was hoping to celebrate your engagement, but we can just as easily use it to forget your sorrows.”

  “It’s not all that bad.”

  “Call me anytime. Unlike you, I remember to keep chicks before dicks.”

  “The dick in question is your brother. You realize that, right?”

  Erin rolled her eyes. “And the chick is my best friend. If you need to complain about Conn, I’ll listen.”

  They clinked their glasses together.

  “I’d like a moment of your time, young lady,” the Colonel said as he joined them.

  “Granddaddy,” Erin warned.

  “I won’t bite her,” he said, thumping his cane on the floor.

  “It’s okay,” Lara said with a smile that encompassed both of them. “If you do, I’ll bite back.”

  “Spunk,” he said. “I like that.”

  “I’ll be with Grandmother, but I’m telling Connor you’ve stolen Lara away.”

  “There’s a quiet place on the patio,” the Colonel said.

  She took her mimosa with her and followed the older gentleman outside.

  “Family means a lot to you,” he said without preamble as he lowered himself into a chair. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be doing this. I understand why you went to Connor.”

  She glanced back inside the house. Connor was still sitting with his mother, but he was looking back at her.

  “Connor told me you will be working out an ending date to the marriage. I don’t necessarily support that. But as long as that’s confidential, it can work. But I want you to hear my thoughts with no polite bullshit. Marriage should be forever.”

  “I agree with you, in theory. As you know, this is more of a business arrangement.”

  “Things have a way of becoming more complicated. Unexpected consequences.” He, too, looked through the window, back inside the house. His gaze fixed on Connor’s mother, his own daughter-in-law.

  She wondered if he was talking about his own regrets, the way he’d influenced past events. Suddenly she saw the Colonel as a more complex man. He’d lost a son, and because of his own health issues, Connor had been forced into a prominent role at Donovan Worldwide.

  “Time can’t go backward.”

  “I think I understand what you’re saying.” And more, she had greater respect for what Connor had said yesterday. Love could be a messy thing. The after-effects of Jeffrey’s love for Stormy continued to ripple through the generations.

  Before she could say anything else, the patio door opened, and she saw Connor walking toward them.

  “Ready to go?” he asked, standing behind her and squeezing her shoulders. “We still have to see your mother.”

  Lara said her goodbyes to the Colonel then she and Connor went inside to give their farewells to the rest of the family.

  “He’s gruff, but well-meaning,” Connor’s grandmother said. “There’s a softie under that bluster. A man who cares, someone as flawed as the rest of us.”

  Lara hugged the older lady then allowed Connor to guide her outside.

  Once they were alone, he pinned her against the side of the car and allowed his gaze to flow over her body. “No nicks or bruises?” he asked.

  “Everyone was very polite.”

  “Good. Any nicks or bruises will come from me,” he replied.

  Just that fast, he’d created simmering tension between them. She swallowed deeply.

  “Open your mouth for me.”

  When she didn’t immediately comply, he added, “Now, Lara.”

  Instead of looking away, she did as he instructed.

  He grabbed her hands and raised them high, pinning her wrists to the top of the car in a powerful grip.

  She was lost.

  His kiss consumed her. He demanded everything she had to offer, then he asked for more.

  With only the slightest hesitation, she gave it, pressing herself against him, opening her mouth wider. He tasted of determination. He consumed her.

  Connor inserted a thigh between her legs and she rode him, seeking, rubbing, grinding.

  With his free hand, he brought her more fully against him. Right here, she was close to coming.

  As quickly as he’d fanned the burn, he pulled back, ending the kiss and releasing her wrists.

  “That’s a hint of what’s to come later,” he said.

  She still couldn’t think when he helped her inside the car. “That was in public,” she said when they were on the road again.

  “Yeah. And I made sure there were no kids outside and no one was watching. I’ll always protect you.”

  To busy herself, she dug a lipstick out of her purse and flipped down the visor for its mirror.

  “Keep it up. Just makes me want to kiss you again.”

  Her bigger concern was that she wanted it, too.

  “Where are we meeting your mother?” he asked when they were exiting the neighborhood.

  “I figured we’d go by her house.” She programmed the address into the GPS.

  “She knows I’m with you?”

  “Yes. And she’s dying to know why.”

  “Anything I need to know about your mother? Does she still go by Bertrand?”

  “She does. Dad told her to change it back to her maiden name. Until then she was going to. But because Dad didn’t want an ex-Mrs. Bertrand out there, she decided to keep it. That about sums up her personality. Other than that, she has a dog that thinks it’s royalty. Fair warning, it bit Erin.”

  “This is my lucky weekend.” He looked at her. “What kind of dog?”

  “Pomeranian.”

  “I have no idea what that is.”

  “Purse dog. But she’s really adorable.”

  “Other than the biting thing,” he added.

  “She has little teeth.”

  “Anything else?”

  “That about covers it.”

  “Except for the part about the DNA connection to you.”

  She smiled. “There is that.”

  Helene met them at the door, holding Diva in her arms. The dog was wearing a pretty ribbon that was the same hot pink color as her mother’s dress.

  “You both look beautiful,” Lara said.

  “Diva went to the spa yesterday.”

  Of course the dog had been to a spa, rather than the groomer.

  “Come in, come in.”

  Connor closed the door behind them, and Lara kissed her mother’s cheek. Diva moved in to add her own kiss. “See? She’s sweet,” Lara said to Connor.

  “I assume you’re Connor Donovan,” Helene said, rather than waiting for an introduction.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bertrand.” He extended his hand.

  Not to be ignored, Diva put out her paw.

  Lara was surprised to notice that he didn’t hesitate. Instead, he stroked behind the dog’s ears.

  “What a good girl!” Helene approved.

  Diva turned her head toward his hand. Lara sympathized with the pooch. She was afraid her response was much the same when he dug his hands into her hair.

  “Since it’s cool enough and not too windy, let’s sit outside.” Helene led the way through the house and out onto her porch.

  A pitcher of lemonade sat in the middle of a table, along with three glasses.

  “Fresh squeezed?”

  “Your favorite,” Helene replied.

  Once Helene set Diva on the slate, the animal wound herself in and out of their legs, yipping and all but dancing in circles.

  “Oh, Diva, darling. You’ll wear yourself out.” Obviously not having any of that, Helene picked up the pooch and held her close.

  Lara poured everyone a glass of lemonade, and her mother wasted no time with pleasantries.

  “So what’s this about a wedding?”

  Suddenly Lara wished she’d smuggled in one of the mimosas.

  “I spoke with An
gela Donovan yesterday,” Helene continued. “She said the two of you are getting married. One might have thought my daughter would have mentioned it herself. At least in passing.”

  Before she could answer, Connor touched her leg.

  “My fault entirely,” he said. “I wanted to tell you in person. It’s been everything Lara could do to keep it secret.”

  “How about we skip the bullshit, shall we?”

  Lara’s mouth fell open.

  “This is a scheme you two concocted to get Connor a seat on BHI’s board, isn’t it?”

  “Actually—”

  “You’re not a good fibber, Lara, so don’t even try.”

  “Mother!”

  “Well, that solves one of our three sticking points,” Connor said. “Lara said she’d never be able to keep it from you. Something about DNA. We’re hoping you’ll be agreeable and work as an ally on the board.”

  She smiled and readjusted Diva’s bow. “And have the chance to help drag BHI into the twenty-first century? Tell me what you want from me.”

  Lara hadn’t been sure what her mother’s reaction was going to be to the wedding, but other than being slightly miffed that she had not been the first to know, she was rather accepting. Excited, even.

  They discussed strategy, and it had been years since Lara had seen her mother so animated. She promised to personally contact the board members and ensure they were in BHI’s meeting room at five o’clock on Tuesday afternoon.

  “What about Pernell?” Connor asked.

  “Oh, he won’t have any choice.” She grinned. “I won’t let him know about it until after everything is all arranged. Manipulation is my favorite pastime.”

  Connor evidently noticed Lara’s lack of feedback.

  “Lara?” he prompted.

  Even though this was exactly what she wanted, and still believed necessary, part of her couldn’t help but think it seemed as if they were plotting a coup. “I wish we didn’t have to do this.”

  He touched her leg in reassurance. “Doubts?”

  “Not really. More like…” She trailed off.

  “You can either fight for BHI, Lara,” her mother said, “or you know it will become a shadow of its potential. I support you, either way. You know that. I’d be just as happy if I was supporting your position to leave. But under the current structure, BHI cannot thrive. Something has to change. You’ve been working there long enough to have realized that.”