Besotted

by Madison Michael

  The men teased each other fondly but they were right about Randall. He was a changed man in the last few years. He had been hard drinking and wild until Sloane Huyler finally looked his way. Since their marriage he had been just as much fun as ever, but seriously committed to his family. With the recent birth of his first daughter he was never far from home. At the mention of her, he pulled out recent pictures like the doting papa he was.

  “Look at you,” Tyler observed his lifelong friends. “All three of you married, one of you with a baby, another with one on the way. Three years ago, who would have believed we’d be sitting here like this now? Wyatt, you were engaged to Sloane back then.”

  “Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about so be careful,” Randall threatened gently.

  “Alex, you were dating a different model every night,” Tyler continued as if Randall had never spoken. “Randall, you were partying all the time. And look at you now.”

  “No complaints from me,” Alex admitted freely. “But you, Tyler, have failed to progress, haven’t you? Fifteen years ago you were in love with Regan but unwilling to do anything about it and here we are today and you are still in love with Regan and unwilling to do anything about it.”

  “Yeah, what the hell is up with that?” Randall queried.

  “Why do you think I suggested him for the job, assholes?” Wyatt pressed his friends. “I’m not stupid. Until now I never saw a threat to Tyler ending up with my sister.”

  “Except you,” Alex interjected.

  “Yeah, except me,” Wyatt agreed with a proud, big-brother grin. “But I have mellowed over time. When we were kids, it was different. I had to protect Regan’s reputation and maidenly virtue. I knew this guy,” he jerked his thumb in Tyler’s direction. “I couldn’t let him be alone with my little sister. It’s different now. He can have her if he can catch her. That would be better than her marrying Brandon and moving away.”

  Marry Brandon? Where had that come from? Tyler grabbed his drink and gulped whiskey, choking down the fiery liquid. She couldn’t marry Brandon. Regan belonged with him and only him. Tyler’s head swam, he couldn’t think of a solution.

  “What’s wrong with Brandon?” Alex pierced Wyatt with a hard stare. “Remember you are talking about Charlotte’s good friend.”

  “Nothing as far as I can tell. Not a god damn thing.” Tyler grumbled.

  “Well, he’s not you, for starters,” Wyatt answered, looking over at Tyler.

  “Since Regan was old enough to take care of herself, I haven’t seen her date anyone that was a threat to our boy Tyler here,” Randall patted Tyler on the back. “He’ll prevail when he’s ready.”

  “She’s barely dated anyone but our boy Tyler,” Alex corrected.

  “Until now. I think this is different. Brandon Hockney could give you a serious run for your money, Ty.” The men sat stunned by Wyatt’s words, letting them sink in.

  “You need to step up to the plate, man. It’s long past time,” Alex said finally.

  “Thanks for the concern, AJ, but he can have her. If they love each other, then I am just happy for Regan.” Tyler said the words but he didn’t mean them.

  “That’s total bullshit and you know it,” Randall hissed. “You are completely in love with Regan Howe and you have been since you were eighteen years old.”

  “Oh way before that. I think Ty has loved her since we were seven or eight."

  “On the nose as always, AJ. He has loved her since she brought him a frog from the pond. She won his heart forever with a frog,” Wyatt shared.

  “Enough. First of all I am sitting right here, so stop talking about me like I’m not. Second, I am not the man for Regan.” Tyler felt the words burn his lips. He may not be the man for her under the circumstances, but she was still – always – the woman for him.

  “And why not?”

  “She’s in love with the senator, that’s why not.” Tell them.

  “She’s in love with you, dimwit, but you won’t do anything about it. Is the poor woman supposed to wait forever?” Tyler’s composure slipped as Alex hit an already raw nerve.

  “It’s not going to happen so just drop it,” Tyler shouted, exasperated. When heads turned, he took a deep breath, lowered his voice and said, “Look, I missed my chance with Regan and now we both understand it’s too late for us. She has moved on.”

  "If you believe that, then great. You and Ree won't have any problem working together." Wyatt came full circle. "I'll let her know that you said yes."

  “You do that,” Tyler responded, a combination of belligerence and resignation mingling in his voice.

  “Just one more thing though. Personally, I think Regan needs help fending off her senator, She is looking for an excuse to stay in Chicago and LHRE. You should have heard her at dinner Sunday. I never saw a woman feeling more pressure to marry a man she didn’t love.”

  “Marriage? You didn’t tell me she was marrying him.” Tyler's shock was palpable.

  “Ah, I see I finally have your attention,” Wyatt responded. “Not yet, but he is hinting broadly and leaning hard on her to move in with him. Hence the need for someone to manage the business here. You can still stop her, Ty. I believe she would welcome the assistance, especially coming from you.”

  Tyler’s phone buzzed again, just as he was about to respond to Wyatt. He clutched the phone, swigged the last of his expensive scotch without relish and said a brusque good night to his friends. It would do no good to share. They might be temporary help, but he could not drag his friends into his problems. Not with these thugs leaning on him.

  “Something is going on,” Tyler heard Randall say as he moved out of earshot. He hesitated as he answered the phone. “Hang on.”

  He stood like a statue listening to his friends’ replies.

  “And I think it is time we got to the bottom of it. We have been patient long enough.”

  “Too long,” Wyatt agreed. “I have done my part to throw them together. Now, what are you two going to do? Let’s make this happen before my sister does something we’ll all regret.”

  If only they could do something, Tyler dreamed. Then he returned to the waiting phone call, his voice impatient. “I’m here. Now what?”

  Chapter Eight

  Regan

  “Is this awkward for you?” Regan asked politely, indicating an arm chair in the enormous conference room. “I want you to be comfortable.”

  “No, it’s fine Ree. I am completely fine with this. I think it’s a great idea.” Tyler stood politely until Regan took her seat at the head of the large table. Was he being serious or sarcastic? Regan couldn’t tell. He took a seat to her left, his back to the wall of windows facing the corridor, where curious employees kept strolling by and peeking into the room.

  “It’s just that the last time we talked on the phone…” she hoped she could get him to open up.

  “That was nothing, Regan. I felt bad catching you so late, and while you were on a date too. I didn’t like interrupting anything.”

  “We went through this already, Tyler. I was not on a date and you didn’t interrupt. You were so chilly on the phone that night; I didn’t know what to think. You were all, ‘are we going or aren’t we’. It was so brusque. I wasn’t sure you would be comfortable with this whole plan.”

  She wasn't being completely honest. Tyler had offered to talk that night, his usual supportive self. She had refused. Why couldn’t she admit that and come right out and ask if he was jealous?

  “I am good with it. I am pleased with it. I am looking forward to working with you and your team, to mentoring Ethan and getting out from under Wyatt for a while.”

  “You are just trading one brother for another,” Regan pointed out.

  “Yes, but I get a sister in the bargain, too.” Regan blushed and Tyler looked out at the Chicago skyline, breaking the brief connection that flared between them. “It seems a great deal has changed since that conversation, Regan. Let’s just put the past behind us. I cal
led because we made plans for the Rita Hayworth Alzheimer’s fundraiser. Let’s ignore the rest.”

  The rest. That would be the interrogation he conducted about who she was with, where they had gone, what they had talked about. She had played down everything, never mentioned Brandon’s suggestion that she move East, but the fact that he was here now meant that he knew all the pertinent information.

  Regan pivoted back to business, where she felt safe and in control. “Yes, well, in that case, I thought we could discuss timing, responsibilities, concerns from the Board of Directors, salary and the like, before you meet with the LHRE team this afternoon. And, of course, I want to answer any questions or concerns you might have about your role.”

  “That sounds perfect, Regan, and I want to be sure we discuss potential conflicts of interest. That will be important here and at Lyons Tech.”

  “Yes, that is on my list too,” Regan smiled at him and tapped the paper in front of her with an elegant Mont Blanc pen. “Coffee?”

  “That would be great,” Tyler thanked her and she punched a number into the intercom, requesting a pot of coffee for the two of them. While they were waiting, she noticed him staring at the view. The offices at LHRE had the best view in the building, top floor looking over the river at the Wrigley Building to the North, all the way up Wacker Drive to the lake looking East.

  “Get used to it,” she gestured at the windows. “Your office is right next door.” Feeling her mouth grow dry at the words, she added “I will be down the hall, right next to you, in case you need me for anything.”

  “When you are in town, of course.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  It was torture. Regan questioned again how she would survive this. It would be different is she could read his mind, or if he would just reveal what he was thinking and feeling. Regan wondered if he was feeling anything. He acted like he didn’t care, so she would learn not to care either. Regan reminded herself that she was going to Washington to fall in love with Brandon.

  Brandon, he felt like a stranger since she’d been home. He had quickly been pushed to the background where she didn’t have to worry about the relationship or the future.. Now that Tyler was coming on board, her last excuse for dragging her feet was disappearing.

  The coffee arrived, cutting Regan off from her counterproductive thoughts. She leaned forward in her chair and poured for them both from the expensive porcelain set. She unconsciously added just a touch of cream to his cup, exactly the way he liked it. He noticed, raising an eyebrow and causing her to rattle his cup in its saucer.

  Regan admonished herself. Get it together. Just stay focused on business. “Let’s start with division of responsibilities,” Regan spoke in a cool, professional tone as she poured her own cup. “Knowing who is accountable for what will be critical to our successful working relationship.”

  Almost three hours later, she and Tyler had agreed on how they would divide their CEO role for the next twelve months, what he was authorized to determine on his own and when to seek her counsel. They had arrived at a more than generous salary and benefits package and determined how interactions between Lyons Howe and Lyons Tech would be handled. Pending transactions for buildings and developments, the financial status of the company, outstanding loans and commitments and even certain personnel issues were reviewed in detail.

  “That was easier than I expected,” she admitted with relief, sitting back in her chair and rolling her head to release the tension in her neck.

  “Well, we approach problem solving the same way, Ree. We always have. It helps that we see eye to eye on so much.”

  “It doesn’t hurt that you’re quick to pick things up.”

  “Thank you for that,” Tyler nodded, acknowledging the compliment.

  “We also deal well together, don’t we?” Regan continued. “We could always read each others thoughts.” Regan almost laughed out loud. She sure as hell couldn’t read his thoughts these days.

  Regan was proud of herself. She had been organized, effective and professional throughout the long meeting and she was determined to stay that way now that they were finished. She had been careful not to be overly friendly or condescending, although Tyler called her boss and ma’am throughout the conversation. She suspected he was just baiting her. She was emotionally drained from the experience, but she conceded that she was leaving the company in very capable hands.

  “I just need to keep things all business,” Regan repeated to herself as she had all morning. Hell, she had been reiterating those words since the appointment had been scheduled.

  Tyler didn’t seem to be having any trouble with their roles, so she reminded herself to get over it. He would be terrific at the job, she would be out of town in DC two or three weeks each month. She could rely on him to run things capably and keep their interactions to a minimum. They would have no trouble working together.

  The only issue, Regan admitted, was that she didn't want minimal contact. She wanted Tyler. No, she reminded herself, she wanted Brandon. Brandon would make her happy, and he loved her.

  “Ms. Howe,” Regan’s assistant, Donna, knocked gently at the door, “your reservation is for 12:15 and it’s noon now. Also, Ms. Roche called to say she can’t join you.”

  “Would you ask Ethan instead, please?” Regan asked.

  “Afraid to be alone with me?” Tyler taunted.

  He should only know. “Don’t be silly. We’ve been alone the last three hours. No. Of course not,” Regan babbled before shutting her mouth sharply, stopping herself from protesting further.

  “Mr. Howe is at a client location, Ms. Howe,” Donna stood in the conference room doorway, “Should I try to reach him there?”

  “No, just let the restaurant know we will only be two for lunch,” Regan thanked the assistant. “Can you just grab my coat?”

  “I have it, Ms. Howe, “ Donna moved to pass it to Regan when Tyler reached to take it. Flashing him a slow burning and highly flirtatious smile, Donna was reluctant to exit the conference room.

  “Thank you, Donna,” Regan repeated, pointedly. The assistant made a hasty retreat after one last glance in Tyler’s direction.

  Tyler showed no response to the obvious come on, helping Regan into her Burberry trench, his hands lingering briefly on her shoulders.

  A chill shivered through Regan where Tyler’s hands had whispered along her skin. A sensuous warmth followed behind it.

  “Where are you taking me, boss?” Tyler queried. Boss. Tyler was determined to keep their roles front and center. Tyler’s words brought her back the business at hand, and her body returned to room temperature. If she asked him to stop calling her boss, she knew he would just do it more.

  “I made reservations at Catch 35 so we wouldn’t have far to walk. Okay with you?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  They were being so careful with each other, friendly but not warm, cordial but aloof. Regan hated it, but it was safe, and frankly, she wasn’t sure of the best way to move to anything more familiar, at least not comfortably. Then there was the ‘boss’ and ‘ma’am’ thing, keeping that wall between them.

  Five minutes later, Tyler solved the problem for her in his usual, forthright manner.

  “Is this strictly business now, or can we just be friends for an hour?” he asked once they were seated in a cozy booth, quiet despite the full tables and soaring ceiling. “It would be nice to just be us for while.”

  “We are us, Tyler, but I know what you mean. We will have to find a balance between our business personas and our friendship. I would like to just be us, too. Tyler leaned forward, elbows on the table, about to be very casual, so Regan added “at least during lunch.” There, she thought with satisfaction as he sat upright again, that will keep him on his toes.

  But Tyler lounged back in the chair after a moment, completely relaxed. “So first, give me the lowdown. How did your father take the idea of letting me fill this position? Did it give him a coronary?”

  “Do
n’t even joke about a coronary.” Regan paled at the thought. “Actually, he was better about this than he was about letting me run LHRE.”

  “That’s not saying much.”

  “He is so conservative. I think he is happy to have a man back in charge. It’s hard to forgive his chauvinism, but I know I can’t change him. Of course, this little move of mine just reinforces his antiquated thinking. If I run to DC for a man, it confirms his prejudice. I helped set the advancement of women back a generation.”

  “So are you moving for sure?”

  “Oh no, nothing is for sure yet, but I am leaving the option open. It’s tempting now that I have been approached about another job, a government appointment. It would certainly sweeten the deal.” Regan saw Tyler lean forward, ready to ask a million questions and headed him off. “ It is way too premature to discuss that though.”

  “Tease,” Tyler responded, his voice dropping low. Regan fidgeted with the napkin in her lap. The situation was fraught with possibilities. Tyler’s double entendres didn’t help, and she didn’t want to discuss DC with Tyler of all people.

  “So,” she quickly returned to the earlier topic, “my father feels like you are family. He’s confident that when the time comes, you will step aside for Ethan or return the reins to me without an argument.” Return the reins to me? Why had she said that? She shouldn’t have reminded him that option existed. “We know you will give it your all, despite the temporary status.”

  “And of course I am a man.”

  “Yes, you are a man.” The words were barely out of Regan’s mouth before a blush stole into her cheeks. It was the understatement of the day to say that Tyler was a man. He was all man.

  Tyler was walking temptation, with his beautiful brown eyes, deep set and penetrating. She loved the way his dark hair mostly behaved, but always stuck up after he ran his hands through it.

  The man was a brilliant lawyer, a hard-driving hockey player with a sharp brain and a rock solid body. He wasn’t overly tall but he had a several inches on Regan. He was broad-shouldered and narrow hipped. She loved his stride, the way his long arms and legs swung easily, reminding her more of a dancer than an athlete. He could sit still for long periods of time, giving nothing away, a real asset when he was in negotiations. He never fidgeted, always appearing in control – which he usually was.