by Lydia Rowan
When Amanda finished speaking, she fixed her gaze on her computer, the conversation over. Lottie was torn. She didn’t appreciate being dismissed, but Amanda was only doing as she’d no doubt been instructed. Should she press, use her status as his wife to demand Amanda find him? But doing so raised an emotional risk. What if she pressed and Elah refused to see her? That thought terrified her and made the decision for her.
She turned and left.
••••
“Enter,” Elah responded to the knock at his door.
Amanda entered and deposited a set of documents on his conference table. “A courier dropped these off. I believe you were expecting them.”
“Yes. Thank you, Amanda,” he said and turned back to his computer, but Amanda stayed rooted to her spot.
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes. Y-you had a visitor a little earlier.”
Elah glanced at her, interest piqued.
“Who?”
“A woman, um, your wife, Mrs. Avakian.”
“And where is she now?” he asked, feeling his temper rising.
“Well, you have a long-standing policy that I should turn away anyone who’s not on the calendar, and she’s not…I mean…” Amanda trailed off and flushed bright red.
“And at no point did you consider letting me know she was here?” he asked, not bothering to hide his growing anger.
In truth, he should have been happy Amanda had turned her away. It was hard enough to keep his distance as it was, and each moment he spent with Charlotte only brought him closer to the result he suspected was inevitable but that he still fought with all his being. He wasn’t happy, though. Rather, he was outraged that Amanda’s meddling had deprived him of a chance to see Charlotte. And that he’d now be left to wonder why she’d sought him out, that he’d spend hours that could be used for work pretending that he and Charlotte were a normal husband and wife, that she’d come to see him just because she missed him.
Amanda shook her head tightly, her poise remaining but her regret clear.
“I hired you because you’re supposed to be the best, but apparently that’s not the case. Security will escort you out.”
The woman looked on the verge of tears, like she wanted to plead, but instead she gathered herself and said, “Thank you for the opportunity. It’s been a pleasure, sir.”
It was unfortunate Amanda had to go, but she’d proven she couldn’t be trusted, and he couldn’t rely on someone he couldn’t trust. After she left, Elah sat at his desk, his focus entirely shot. As he’d expected, he was preoccupied with why she’d come today. Maybe, as outrageous as it seemed, she had just missed him. The thought pleased him immensely, and he decided there was no choice but to find out.
••••
Lottie had retreated to the backyard when she’d come home, her emotions still scattershot from the conversation with Amanda. The garden always calmed her, so she pulled some of the dried leaves off the small potted orange tree and then the rose bushes, the scent of the flowers reminding her so strongly of him as she lost herself in the motions.
“I’m rubbing off on you, I see.” Elah’s deep voice had a hint of amusement.
Her heart soared at the sound; she was unreasonably happy to have him here, so happy, in fact, that she didn’t ask why he’d come home early. It didn’t matter, she realized, so long as he was here. She watched as he removed his jacket and shirt and toed off his shoes. He kneeled beside her and began working on the patch that she was churning. They worked in silence for a few moments, the calm that the activity had usually given her over the weeks clashing with the deep desire that he sparked in her. The flex and tug of his biceps and pecs as he worked, the stark outline of the muscles of his forearms as he churned the soil with his strong hands, had her on edge as she pictured those hands working her body with the same calm command with which he worked the dirt. Her throat had dried and she had no doubt that her face didn’t hide how much she wanted him, but there was no outward indication that he noticed.
“Came to visit today?” he asked as he continued to work the dirt, not pausing to look at her.
Strands of his wheat-brown hair had fallen over his forehead and into his eyes, giving him an untidy look that was so incongruous with the cool control he usually portrayed. Before she stopped to think, she pulled off her gloves and reached over to brush the hair back. He stopped working and glanced at her, his eyes so dark, so unreadable, but rather than cold and hard, they were warm and soft, and Lottie chose to believe that softness was, at least in part, a reflection of affection for her.
“I missed you,” she said, her voice raw, the vulnerability clear in every syllable.
“I’m sorry. Amanda’s been taken care of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sending you away was a very stupid thing to do. I can’t have stupid people working for me.”
“I didn’t want—I mean, I don’t want her to lose her job because of me.”
He stroked his thumb across the back of her hand, uncaring of the dirt on his, and she was comforted by the touch. “She lost it because of herself. But if it would make you feel better, I’ll give her an excellent reference. She’ll land on her feet.”
“It would. Thank you.”
Lottie thought for a moment, feeling a kinship with the woman. She knew what it was like to crave Elah’s attention, to be rejected and frozen out by him. She wondered if he had any idea.
“Amanda wants you,” she said, a statement and not a question.
“A lot of women want me.”
A chuckle bubbled up and out. “So modest,” she said as she again brushed the hair away from his forehead.
He shrugged and his eyes took on a thoughtful quality. “No, just honest. We often want what we can’t have. And besides, Amanda doesn’t want me. None of them do. They want my money or my name or the thrill of being with someone as ‘bad’ as I am. Or maybe they just want to fuck me.”
“Or all of the above,” she said around her snickers.
“Sure.”
“And what do you want?”
She captured his gaze with hers, letting her longing and desire shine through. He exhaled deeply, and his eyes took on a sharpness that almost took her breath away. Then he leaned forward and swiped her top lip, then her bottom, with his tongue, the contact making her open her lips on a breath. He didn’t give her a moment to recover; instead he put his hands on her waist and pressed his lips to hers, swooped his tongue into her mouth and pushed his body against hers. He’d kissed her harder, more passionately, but this moment was a claiming, each sure, thorough stroke of his tongue, each second that the weight of his body lay against hers making her his.
He moved closer, pushing her lower body against his as he laid her down in the soft dirt. Pulling back from the kiss, he stared down at her, the light of the sun haloing him in an ethereal glow. And then he was on top of her, hands roaming over her body as his mouth captured hers, then moved to her neck, her collarbone.
“I’m here, Elah. I’m yours. Take me,” she said on a moan.
He froze and then again pulled back to look at her. He held her gaze for a long moment, his chest heaving with his breaths, his hard cock pressed at the juncture of her thighs. In two heartbeats, he could have their pants off and be inside her, giving her what he knew they both wanted. A second passed, another, and then he stood and walked into the house.
Chapter Twelve
A busy morning of phone calls helped keep Lottie from obsessing over the previous night, the sting of his rejection contrasting with the need that had her practically climbing the walls, no doubt enough to drive her crazy if she let it. After their little encounter in the garden, Elah had gone into his study and reappeared a couple hours later, mask firmly in place. A nice, normal dinner and then off to bed, though she noted that he lay with his back turned to her, something that was out of the ordinary. He’d been gone when she awoke, and she’d been a little relieved. As she’d lai
n next to him, doubt had begun to creep in. The passion that she’d caught in his gaze had felt real, but she had to wonder. Maybe his refusal was something else, some fault he’d found in her, in her body. But that couldn’t be it. She was no Amanda, but he’d responded to her, so it had to be something beyond his nobility that held him back. The situation was so confusing.
The problem wouldn’t be solved this afternoon, so she headed out of her office and to the lobby area to find Isis. She smiled as Lottie approached and gestured at a fax she held in her hands.
“Look, Lottie! We got a huge donation this morning. I mean big. It’s enough to fund us for at least a year. Can you believe it?”
The unadulterated joy in her friend’s eyes was infectious, and Lottie found herself smiling as well. She looked over the fax.
“Does it say who it’s from?”
“Nope. Says it’s anonymous, but I don’t think it’ll take two guesses to figure out who.” Isis waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“You think?” Lottie said.
“I think,” Isis responded. “Is this an indication of your state of marital bliss?”
“Are you digging for gossip, Isis?”
“Heck no! I’m outright asking. How’s it going?” Isis’s eyes sparkled with interest and mirth.
“We’re getting along well. And that’s all that I can—”
A shadow moving across the plate-glass front of the office caught Lottie’s eye. It looked like a dark-suited man, tall, broad, Elah-like. Was he…?
He was. Into the office walked Elah and behind him followed another man, slighter, shorter, and less broad but formidable in his own right. Isis turned at the sound of visitors, her gaze focusing unerringly on Elah’s companion. The expression that crossed her face was one Lottie had never seen, a mix of pain, elation, and outright anger, a look that was mirrored in Elah’s companion’s face. Without explanation, Isis turned on her heel and walked toward the back entrance, moving as fast as her feet would take her, which was pretty freakin’ fast. Elah looked at his companion but the other man was staring at the spot Isis had just occupied, his features twisted in shock. For a split second, he looked as if he’d follow her, but then he seemed to think better of it.
“I’m Roland Hart. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Mrs. Avakian,” the other man said when he recovered.
Lottie shook the man’s outstretched hand, and when they’d finished, he turned toward Elah.
“I’ll wait in the car,” he said, and then he turned to leave, moving only slightly slower than Isis had.
She and Elah were now alone, and that ever-present arc of awareness floated between them.
“There’s a story there,” she said, her attempt to break the heavy moment.
“Clearly. Maybe they’ll tell us one day.”
She nodded, feeling odd at him being here. Elah had never been in one of her personal spaces, and it was a strange, but not unpleasant, experience. The space felt smaller with him in it, but right, and it made her wonder if the chemistry they had in the bedroom, the easy rapport that they had within the walls of his home could grow beyond those spaces and out into other aspects of their lives.
“Repaying my impromptu visit with one of your own?”
“I remembered I hadn’t checked this place out and wanted to take a look for myself.”
“Oh, so you’re checking in on me.”
He leveled a serious gaze at her. “I wanted to make sure you’re safe,” he said, his words almost earnest, the tone revealing that he really did care.
“Well, thank you.”
It seemed the only thing to say. She could rail against his invasion, against the idea of him keeping tabs, but the sincerity of his words and his concern made those thoughts seem silly. He cared, and he was showing it the best way he knew how. She wouldn’t fault him for that.
“Thanks for the donation.”
“That was anonymous.”
“Oh, right. Well, never mind.”
They chuckled and stood staring at each for another moment.
“I have a meeting, but it was…nice to see you,” he said.
Lottie, going with her gut instinct, wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into an embrace. His arms hung limply at his sides at first, but then he returned the embrace, holding her close and planting a gentle kiss on her ear.
“See you tonight,” she said as she pulled back.
He nodded, a smile lighting his gaze, and then he turned and left the way he’d entered.
Lottie’s body tingled where they’d touched, and she couldn’t wipe the silly grin off her face. It wasn’t a declaration of love, but she was acutely aware of what Elah’s visit meant and the happiness that the knowledge gave her had her practically floating the rest of the day.
A few hours later, a knock on her office door’s frame had her looking up, that stubborn grin still tugging at her features. Isis was still out, as were the other volunteers, so Lottie prepared to greet this new visitor.
And then tried to control her grimace when she realized it was Greg. It was unfair, but Greg reminded her of everything that Elah’s visit, and the time they’d spent together alone, made her forget, and she wasn’t ready to go back to reality just yet.
“Lottie, how are you? How are things?”
Greg’s ingratiating tone was annoying, but she smiled anyway. “I’m fine, Greg. Just fine.”
“And you and Avakian getting along?” he asked, his gaze holding hers.
“Fine,” she said again, voice more tight than she’d intended, giving away something she hadn’t intended.
Greg noticed because he perked up immediately. “You almost look like you like the guy. I assume that feeling is mutual?”
She said nothing, just kept that tight smile on her face.
“Good.” Greg nodded, apparently satisfied. “The councilman would have my ass if I said this in front of him, but between you and me, this is a great approach. One I would have suggested myself if it wouldn’t have been indelicate.”
“What are you talking about, Greg?” she asked, though his implication was clear.
“I’m just saying, there’s no need to be adversarial, at least until we have our ducks in a row. So it’s smart, getting close to him, making him like you. You really are a charming young lady”—he said it like some great chasm separated them, when in reality they were basically the same age—“and if you can use some of that charm to keep him in line, that’s just great.”
He smiled like a teacher pleased by the initiative of a star pupil, and Lottie swallowed the scoff of derision that almost escaped. Instead, she began shuffling the papers on her desk. “I’m a little bit busy, Greg, and need to make a couple of calls. Did you need something specific?”
He made a show of looking at his watch; Greg could never tolerate dismissal, so he made keeping this impromptu and unwanted meeting to a minimum his idea. Lottie didn’t care so long as he left soon.
“Yeah, I gotta head out, too, busy day. So we’re still working on a way to take care of this little problem. Avakian runs a tight ship and no one is leaking. But,” he said, retrieving a folder from his satchel, “it would really help if you could aid these documents in finding their way into his files. A briefcase, maybe. Does he have an office at home? Do you have access to his workplace?”
“Greg, you want me to plant papers in Elah’s office?” Charlotte said incredulously. “How exactly does that help Daddy? And wouldn’t it be as dishonest as you say he is?”
“Fire with fire, Lottie. And we need any leverage we can get.”
He extended his arm, holding the papers in front of her. When she didn’t grab them, his eyes went hard.
“Look, whatever you have going on with him is none of my business. But think about your father. He needs you.”
He pushed the papers at her, and on instinct, she grabbed them.
“Whatever, Greg,” she said, shoving the folder into her soft leather bag; she’d read them
later and decide whether to toss them or show them to Elah, but at the moment, getting rid of Greg was her primary concern. “I really need to wrap up.”
After staring at her for a heartbeat, two, he smiled that oily smile she was coming to dislike greatly.
“Thanks, Lottie. See you around,” he called over his shoulder before he turned and left.
When he was gone, Charlotte let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Maybe Elah was influencing her. She’d always found Greg trying, but this level of discomfort was a new development. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a snatch of pink fabric streaking across her open office door.
“Are you trying to sneak out of here, Isis Goodloe?” she called, thoughts of Greg and his stupid papers leaving her mind.
The pink blur slowed and Isis walked in, a grin on her face.
“For the record, I was sneaking in,” she said as she sat in the chair opposite Charlotte.
“Any explanation for that hasty exit?”
Isis flashed a quick smile and shrugged.
“I had to do, um, something,” she said, the words more a question than a statement.
“Ah, the mythical something.”
“Yes.” Isis nodded. “Something.”
“And would it be too big a leap to say that you know Roland Hart?”
Her friend’s smile dropped completely, and she leaned back in her chair, clearly lost in thought.
“I used to,” Isis said wistfully. “In another lifetime.”
Isis’s gaze met Lottie’s, and Lottie was struck by the emotion in her friend’s eyes. Isis was a pillar of strength, and Lottie didn’t think she’d ever seen the other woman display a tenth of the vulnerability that now shone in her eyes.
“Want to share that story?”
Isis smiled again, and then said, “Maybe one day.”
Lottie nodded.
After a moment, Isis said, “So the mister looked quite happy to see you this morning. I take it that means you two are getting along.”