Home Sweet Love

by Ava Miles

  Rajan nodded. “Yes. Mine?”

  “Yep. We won’t even ask Darren how he’s feeling since we know.”

  “I’m thinking of bringing back tarring and feathering,” Darren said, rubbing his forehead. “Especially if we have to bid Rajan in Gopal’s place.”

  “I won’t have it!” Evan barked out. “Not after seeing the kind of filth he’d have to work with. He’s a genius, and they don’t deserve him.”

  Rajan’s face rippled with shock. “Thank you for that, Evan, but I’ve told you both I am happy to serve the greater good of Quid-Atch.”

  “GreenSolutions and this bid are not the greater good of Quid-Atch,” Evan said, raising his voice with each word. “I did not create this company to work like this. Jesus, no wonder your head exploded, Chase.”

  “That was my concussion, Evan, but let’s not quibble. It’s always been like this. We have some great partners, ones who do a good job for us and honor our agreements, but issues like Douglas or Gopal are a dime a dozen.” He wasn’t going to mention any of the assholes they worked with after they won the government contracts. Evan was acting volatile enough.

  “But people like Maurie and Douglas threaten our competitive edge, and they suck up the wellness and happiness of the people I care about. That’s you, Chase, and Rajan and Darren.”

  “We know what we’re dealing with,” Chase said. It sickened him to think about it, but he’d been dealing with situations like this one for nearly a decade. It was the part that made everything seem worthless. “This will pass. We’ll put forward the best bid possible and keep doing what we do.”

  “No, we don’t,” Evan said, his voice more emphatic than usual. “We won’t have to go through this if we offer something no one else can sell.”

  Jesus, Boy Wonder was spinning tales all over. “One invention won’t keep the company afloat, Evan,” Chase told him. “We sell technical expertise and services to our country and our allies around the world. You don’t get revolutionary ideas fast enough to bring in the capital we need to remain solvent.”

  “I’ve gone through our past financials,” Evan said, shocking him. “When I do invent something new, the invention raises our corporate finances by thirty percent.”

  “In the past, yes,” Chase said cautiously. “But we’ve expanded. We might reach a net gain of twenty-five percent with MAL-77, but I’m not betting the farm on it.”

  “What if we start working in a field that few companies are working in. One that’s vital to the world’s market?”

  “What field?”

  The smile Evan gave made him sit up a little straighter in his chair.

  “Alternate energy.”

  Rajan’s eyes turned feverish, and Darren leaned forward in his seat.

  “All right,” Chase said. “You have our attention. Do you want to walk us through what you’re thinking?”

  Evan glanced at his watch. “I’d love to. Let me grab my co-presenter.”

  That had Chase standing up. He had more than an idea? “Evan—”

  “Trust me, Chase,” Evan told him. “And you can trust our mystery guest too.”

  He opened the door, and in walked J.T. Merriam. Chase sat back down, partly out of shock, as the two men shook hands. Evan introduced Rajan and Darren to him and then J.T. walked over and gave Chase a firm handshake, looking him square in the eye.

  “It’s good to see you again,” J.T. said.

  “I can’t say it’s not a surprise to see you,” Chase said, cocking a brow at Evan. “I thought you two met in Denver about some property.”

  “We did,” Evan said, “but J.T. had this other idea he’d been tugging on and thought it might interest me.”

  Chase didn’t appreciate hearing Evan had been making plans behind his back for the better part of a month with a man he barely knew. “I heard you resigned from your position at Merriam Oil & Gas and were planning on building an art museum in your spare time.”

  J.T. flashed him a genuine smile. “You’re well informed.”

  “It seems a little odd to me that you might be an advocate of alternate energy, being a Merriam and all.” Chase crossed his arms. “Your family swims in oil and gas.”

  J.T. nodded. “True, but it’s a dwindling pool. It’s not a renewable energy source, and the cost keeps rising. It’s time to look for new energy solutions, ones more efficient, cleaner, and less political than the current ones. Evan thinks he can help with that.”

  Time to get down to brass tacks, Chase thought. “And what are you planning on offering to this effort, J.T.?”

  The man held out his arms. “What I have in abundance. Money. Loads of it.”

  “J.T. wants to invest five hundred million dollars into this new venture, Chase.” Evan put his hand on J.T.’s shoulder. “I would run the R&D. Rajan would be my right arm. There would be no government contracting. We would be like Apple. We would sell our products on the open market.”

  Holy shit, he was talking about closing down Quid-Atch, the company Chase had spent every waking moment striving to grow for the past ten years. “And what products would that be?” he asked cautiously, glancing at Darren, whose eyes had narrowed considerably.

  “How about renewable batteries for homes as well as energy solutions for cities around the world? Smaller, more practical and affordable solutions using solar and wind power?”

  Chase fought Evan’s excitement. This vision would be a huge sea change. It was just like Evan to forget he already helmed another fully operational company with layer upon layer of responsibility. One that couldn’t just be left by the wayside or transformed into whatever vision he’d formed overnight.

  Evan unbuttoned his jacket. “All we need is a man with an incredible reputation, experience with making start-ups successful, and tested sales ability. This is going to happen in Dare Valley, by the way. J.T. thinks his great-great grandfather, Emmits Merriam, would want to have the company here, where he began to share his larger vision of the world through the university. That works for me since I’ve also made my home here.”

  Chase found he was holding his breath. Was Evan talking about creating a brand new company or altering Quid-Atch’s corporate mission? “And do you have someone in mind for this position?”

  Evan put his arm around J.T. and gave Chase a conspiratorial grin.

  “You.”

  Chapter 33

  When Caroline received Moira’s texted request to help her deal with her makeup, she turned to give Andy and Danny the news.

  “Moira needs help painting her face,” she said as the young boy zoomed around the room making airplane sounds. “I’ll be back in a while. Can you wait a little longer on the pizza?”

  “Sure,” Andy said, picking up a few of Danny’s toys scattered in the corner. “Lucy might appreciate a little more time to touch up her photos. She’s been working nonstop to meet her deadline. I was surprised she wanted to leave her cave to meet Chase last night.”

  “I know Moira was grateful,” Caroline said.

  Everyone had been on pins and needles about Lucy taking off to Lebanon for a week to take photos for a calendar about Syrian refugees. The trip had been heartbreaking, according to Lucy, but well worth it.

  “Maybe you want family time, given how much Lucy has been working,” Caroline said.

  Danny let his toy fall to his side and gave her a puzzled look. “You’re our family, Aunt Caroline.”

  Andy kissed her on the cheek. “Yes, she is. She’s slow sometimes. Go help Moira. I’ll feed the munchkin a snack if I need to.”

  “Great! See you later.”

  She dashed to her car and drove to Moira’s house. There was a red Ferrari FF parked out front. Must be Evan. Only he would drive a car like that around Dare Valley.

  Knocking on the door, she waited for her sister to answer.

  “Hi,” Moira said, opening it and welcoming her with a hug.

  “You’re all dressed and made up,” Caroline said in a dry tone. “You look
beautiful, in fact. I’m glad you took my advice on the navy dress, but am I missing something here? This hardly seems like a fashion SOS.”

  Moira put her hands on her shoulders and led her into the house. “Yes. Don’t be mad. He’s very persuasive, and I like him. Okay, I’ve gotta run. Have fun.”

  “What?” Caroline asked as she watched her sister grab her clutch and run out of the room. “Moira!”

  “Hey, beautiful,” she heard a familiar voice say.

  She spun around to see J.T. standing in the doorway to the den. She felt a little light-headed suddenly, not only from the shock of seeing him, but also because he was wearing an Armani tuxedo. Glory, that man was gorgeous. “Oh my God! You’re here! Why are you here?”

  His smile was so wide that a dimple appeared in his right cheek. “I was in Dare Valley last minute and couldn’t pass up the chance to see you. Thought it might be fun to surprise you. Moira thankfully agreed to help. How are you?”

  “Ah…good. Fine. What…” She was babbling.

  “I really need to greet you the Italian way,” he said, taking one step toward her. Two.

  Her heart crested to aerobic levels, and when she caught a whiff of his musky cologne, she had to firm up the weakness in her knees.

  The smile faded from his face. He put his hands on her shoulders and simply looked down at her. “I missed you.” Then he slowly kissed first her right cheek and then her left.

  He surprised her by pulling her to him instead of stepping away. When he wrapped his arms around her, she found herself clutching him back. “I missed you too.”

  He traced her spine with a finger, sending a frisson of desire racing through her. “I’m glad. I wondered if this was a dumb idea—showing up last minute for the fundraiser so I could see you.”

  Leaning back to see his face, she was captivated by the intensity she saw there. “You used the fundraiser as an excuse to see me? I’m…” What the hell was she? “Flattered.”

  “You should be,” he said grinning. “Even Trev assured me this move couldn’t be construed wrong.”

  The full weight of his words settled over her, but instead of inflaming her fast-beating heart, it calmed it. “You couldn’t wait until after I saw the other paintings?”

  He shook his head. “No. I realized something a few months ago—the knowledge came at a price, but it’s changed my life. You don’t wait on joy. And Caroline, for me, you are pure joy.”

  Warmth exploded in her chest. “That’s…I’m…”

  “If you say you’re flattered one more time…” He cupped her face. “Caroline.”

  “What?” she asked, settling closer to his body.

  “Nothing. Just Caroline. I’m going to kiss you. Last chance to divert me.”

  She couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Divert you? I can’t imagine anyone doing that.”

  His face grew serious. “You could. I mean it. Once I kiss you, I’m going to want to be with you. Today I set even more plans into motion to bring me stateside again. Which I will tell you about later, if that’s okay. I still want your help on the art front and with a whole bunch of other things, but mostly, I just want you.”

  Her throat thickened, and she touched his face. They had details to work out, certainly, but although she was a detail-oriented person, she was content, for once, to let the details wait.

  “Caroline Hale, where have you been all my life?”

  He kissed her slowly at first, gently. Pressing his hand against the small of her back, he made her aware of how much he wanted her. Heat fanned out from the place he touched until she felt engulfed in a blissful fire. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, and she opened her mouth to heaven.

  When he finally leaned back, he was smiling. “Well…that was better than even my over-active imagination could conjure up.”

  He’d been thinking about kissing her too? “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Wrapping both arms around her, he rocked them in place. “Interested in being my date tonight?”

  She linked her arms around his neck. “I’d love to, but your spontaneity has its limits. I don’t have a suitable dress.”

  He made a raspberry sound with his mouth. “Is that your only concern? Give me some credit. My spontaneity has no limits. Come with me.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest as he drew her into Moira’s dining room. She stopped short at the sight of a large golden dress box wrapped up with a giant red bow. “You didn’t. You couldn’t.”

  “I did,” he said, picking up the box and holding it out to her. “Let’s consider this repayment for the dress I threw mud on.”

  “How long have you really been planning on this?” She raised the top of the box and set it aside. “Are you sure you know my size?”

  “I’ve been thinking about this for a few weeks—since Rome. I called your sister earlier to ask her where you were before I left Denver. And please give me some fashion credit. I told you Rome has given me a taste for fashion. I know something about sizes.”

  She parted the white tissue paper and gasped. The white strapless dress was dotted with gold crystals, and the fashion designer label boggled her mind. “Oh, my God! It’s beautiful! J.T., I’m…”

  “Flattered?”

  “Speechless,” she said, carefully drawing the dress out of the box and holding against her body. Sure enough, it looked like a perfect fit. “You’re…”

  “Crazy?” he asked, grinning.

  “Wonderful,” she said with a sigh. “But yes, this is a little crazy.”

  He kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I told you before. Welcome to my world.”

  Right now she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be.

  Chapter 34

  Everyone seemed to be enjoying the fundraiser so far. Evan was holding court in one corner with a group of people she recognized as a combination of corporate executives and what Gary had called “mad inventor types.” One of the guests had won the Fields Medal, another the Nobel Prize in Physics.

  She felt totally intimidated—not her normal.

  Perhaps it was because her mind was elsewhere. Chase seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. He hadn’t responded to any of her texts. Granted, she’d known he was in meetings with Evan and a few other people, but she’d thought she’d hear something. And Evan was here, wasn’t he?

  Looking around, Moira spotted Caroline walking into the ballroom with J.T. Holy crap, she looked gorgeous. Almost regal. And her dress… J.T. had been so endearing, enlisting her help in surprising Caroline. Her intuition had told her that her sister would be overjoyed, so she’d gone along with the ruse. J.T.’s arm was around her sister’s waist, and there was no mistaking the attraction between them. Then he made her laugh, and happiness radiated from both of them.

  “Is that our sister?”

  She turned to see Natalie carrying a tray of champagne. “What are you doing out here, serving?”

  “Chef T said he saw Caroline walk in with some good-looking guy when he was coming back through the lobby from checking a shipment. I had to see for myself. Take a glass of champagne. You look stiff.”

  A glass of bubbly sounded divine about now. “Nat, that’s J.T. Merriam.”

  “Shut up. That’s the mud slinger? Seriously, some people have all the luck in the genetic lottery.”

  She started laughing. “Reformed mud slinger.”

  They both watched them for a moment, then Nat whistled and said, “She’s in deep with him. And he, her. Rome really must have been a weekend.”

  “I’m happy she’s happy,” Moira said.

  “Why didn’t I know she was his date tonight? I thought she was supposed to be having pizza with Andy and company.”

  “She thought so too,” Moira said with a grin. “J.T. wanted to surprise her. He came in last minute.”

  “Where did she get the dress?” Natalie asked.

  Moira spotted Chase coming into the ballroom with a man she didn’t recognize. She took a s
tep toward him before registering what she was doing. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

  “And people are starting to wonder why I’m not serving,” Natalie said, transferring her tray to her other hand. “We’ll pick this up later.”

  “Sounds good,” she said, already walking away

  As Moira drew closer to Chase, anxiety rippled through her. There were hard grooves around his face indicating tension. She was so used to seeing him smiling, she realized. He caught sight of her approaching.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

  She placed her hand on his good arm and met his eyes. “You okay?”

  He glanced at his companion. “Today hasn’t gone like I expected. Have you met Rajan Singh, Vice President of Research and Development at Quid-Atch? Rajan, this is Moira Hale, Director of Artemis, and the orchestrator of tonight’s amazing fundraiser.”

  Gosh, he was smooth. She’d rarely seen this side of him. Even though his sling was slightly visible under his tuxedo jacket, he radiated power. Chase Parker, global entrepreneur, was in the house. And he’d never seemed more distant from her.

  Turning to Rajan, she extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You work with Evan a great deal, from what I understand.”

  He nodded. “And Chase. The fundraiser seems to be going great. Congratulations.”

  “So far. Evan told me to keep an eye on a few people known to consume a little too much bubbly,” she joked.

  “Is my name on the list?” Rajan asked with a charming smile.

  Chase chuckled. “You wish, Rajan. But tonight I might need to add my own name to that list. God, I need a drink.”

  The defeat in his voice pulled at her heart. What had happened? “Why don’t you come with me, Chase? I’ll find you a special bourbon.”

  He touched her arm, but then his gaze shifted to a point over her shoulder and he instantly tensed. She turned to see why.

  “Chase!” Maurie called.

  She felt him remove his hand from her immediately. While she understood he was trying to look powerful in front of the man he considered a competitor, it was hard not to feel slighted.