Come Home Again (The Donovans)

by Nana Malone

  Jake blinked rapidly, then cleared his throat. “Oh yeah. Today. You’re booked for tomorrow morning.”

  Today? His stomach twisted. He’d never imagined something like that. Never in his wildest dreams. You’ll get caught. He drowned out the doubting voice. “That’s amazing. Delilah did a great job.”

  Jake frowned slightly. “Yeah. She’s really starting to pull her weight.”

  Nate’s hands curled into fists. “She’s been great so far. A true professional making me feel comfortable.”

  The other man shifted from foot to foot. “Yeah, she’s not bad. With a little seasoning, she could be great.”

  Nate narrowed his gaze. “I don’t know. I think she’s seasoned just enough. She got me the Today Show, didn’t she?” The water in the shower turned off, and Nate wanted to bite his tongue, but he had to get Jake the hell out of here. “Well, thanks for stopping by. I need to get ready to go into the office.”

  Jake shifted from foot to foot for a moment. “Of course. And congratulations again.”

  Nate groaned with relief the moment Delilah’s boss was out the door. Especially as she called from the bedroom. “Nate, who was it?”

  “Oh, you know, just Jake, letting me know you got me the Today Show.”

  She froze. “Jake...was here?”

  He nodded. “It’s okay. I got rid of him.”

  She sank down on the bed. “I know, but what happens next time?”

  “We’ll deal with it. Nothing bad is going to happen.” He just hoped that was the truth.

  ###

  She’d done it. She’d actually done it. Scored Today.

  Holy Hell. Now Jake had to take her seriously. Though first she had to get into the office and determine how much trouble she was in. He couldn’t have known she was the mystery woman in the shower. But they’d almost been caught before. Jake might be a pain in the ass, but her boss was no idiot.

  “I have to get into the office.”

  Nate nodded as he leaned into the doorframe. “Yeah, you should, but I do want to say thank you for getting me Today. I don’t know how you pulled it off, but it’s awesome.”

  She chewed her lip. “It’s not too much? You don’t feel overexposed? I know that was a concern for you from the beginning.”

  “No. It’s something I have to do. You’re right. I’ll deal with any blowback. Besides, I’m tired of hiding.”

  She smiled at him sheepishly. “I’m glad to hear that because I’m working on the post Coder’s Day media coverage. I’ve promised my first born child, but I think I can make it pretty big. I’m thinking things will be a little crazy the night of Coder’s Day so maybe the night of the vote. Will that work?”

  Nate stilled then seemed to ponder for a moment before he spoke. “I’m in.”

  Her smile was slow. “So it’s that easy?”

  He kissed her briefly. “Sure is.”

  “So all I had to do to get you to do some press was ask nicely?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” He stepped forward, his gaze intent on hers.

  She knew that look. “Oh, no you don’t.” She scooted back farther on the bed. “You start that, and I’ll be late for work.”

  His eyebrow quirked. “Have you ever been late for anything in your life?”

  “No, and I don’t want to start now. I still have to get home and get fresh clothes first. We don’t have time for this.”

  He hesitated for a moment. “Well next time bring a change of clothes. Or we can even stay at yours.”

  Hers? Like him in her house. She swallowed deliberately. “You want to come to my place?” she squeaked.

  He licked his bottom lip and her brain went fuzzy. “Of course I want to see your place. It’s part of you. And I want to see every part of you.”

  Oh. Wow. Yeah, she was in a lot of trouble if he kept looking at her like that. And saying things like that to her. She nodded. “Okay. Next time, we’ll go to my place.”

  “How about, we leave together? I’ll come with you to yours, and then I’ll drop you off at work.”

  So tempting, but so dangerous. “Someone might see us.”

  He sighed. “No one will see us. Besides, Jake isn’t going to fire you. I’ll make sure of it. He’s desperate to keep the Synth Games business.”

  Easy for him to say. He was a CEO. “Look. Come over tomorrow night after the interview. After I’ve had time to clean and put away all my cat memorabilia that will scare you away.”

  He cocked his head. “I like cats.”

  She laughed. “You’re crazy.”

  He stalked toward her, then snagged the hem of the towel. “In fact, there’s one kitty cat in particular I’m dying to meet.” He brushed his fingers over her sex, and she gasped. “Have I mentioned how crazy you drive me?”

  Delilah laughed. “Says the man tormenting me with his fingers.”

  He shook his head. “I can't get you out of my head. You were the first thing I thought about this morning. You have a way of distracting me.”

  She wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust the words. Don't you dare fall for that. He will hurt you when he leaves. Enjoy him now and don’t get attached.

  Nate kissed his way down her body, leaving a trail of heat and desire. When his mouth found her center, Delilah's weakened legs fell apart and she clutched the sheets. With three long strokes of his tongue she was on the edge. Nate Williams was her own private Kryptonite. A drug she would never get out of her system. She'd seriously underestimated her feelings for him.

  With an expert tongue he teased and stroked and drove her to the edge again and again, but never let her go. He avoided direct pressure on her clit. Circling it, but never giving her the one touch she needed to take her over.

  He moaned as he lapped at her as if he wanted to do nothing else for the rest of his life except kneel in front of her and worship her body. “You taste so good, Lila. Sweet.” He drew back slightly and pinned her with his hot gaze, a slow sexy smile spreading over his face. “If you let me, I would do nothing but taste you.” His voice was almost pleading, reverent.

  When he returned that skilled tongue of his to her slick folds, he applied strong hard laps over her clit, never letting up, even as she panted and called out his name. As Delilah's orgasm slammed into her, she knew it was already too late. She was completely in love with Nate Williams.

  Chapter 24

  The Today Show. The freaking Today Show. Nate didn’t know how Delilah had pulled something like this off. The whole experience bordered on the surreal. From the makeup stylists to the cameras and anchormen. Fifteen years ago, he never would have pictured something like this for himself. Hell, he hadn't been able to see beyond finding his next meal and avoiding an ass beating. But Delilah had changed all that.

  Even when he'd run away from his past, she'd been a constant driver. He'd wanted to be the person she saw when she looked at him. He'd never believed until this moment. He knew he was smart enough and capable enough. And he also knew he'd been given a hell of a chance. All thanks to her. Everything about today had been orchestrated to present him in the best light. Even the questions he'd been asked. They hadn’t probed his past too deeply.

  “So what makes you qualified to run Synth Games? I mean, you came out of nowhere. No one had even heard of you until Chase Manning named you as interim CEO.”

  Because I've worked my ass off for it. “Look, I'm the first to tell you, I don’t have the same pedigree.” Wasn't that the understatement of the century? “I've consulted for the past several years, building up my own company. I’ve worked with Chase for years. We understand each other, and he knows I'll do what's best for his company while I'm at the helm.”

  The announcer grasped onto that comment. “Speaking of pedigree, where did you come from? Way out of left field.”

  Beyond the cameras, he saw Delilah. She smiled at him and nodded encouragingly. They'd gone through the answers he should give. Give enough info, but be vague enough to protect his anonymity. “My neighbo
rhood growing up wasn’t the best. I spent more time on the street than hitting the books.” That much was true at least. “But I had a mentor who literally saved my life. Got me into computers. Turns out I had an aptitude for it. College came next, and that’s where I met Chase.” Again, the truth. “The rest is history.”

  Satisfied, the anchor moved on to the next question. “You’ve run your own successful consulting company for some time, but you've preferred to keep your profile low. You don't normally do interviews and you stay in the background. What made you decide to step into the forefront?”

  Again Delilah gave him silent encouragement. And as he navigated through the answer she'd schooled him into, he started to relax and have fun. He talked about his passion for helping young kids learn and keeping them off the streets and talked about Coder’s Day. Everything went according to plan, until the very last question.

  “Thank you for being here with us, Mr. Williams. Your long-ago mentor must be extremely proud of the man you've become.”

  It was a simple enough question, but his mind kept going back to the look of concern on John Donovan’s face as he’d left with Delilah the other night. All night, Nate hadn’t had a moment to apologize properly. Not a single moment to talk just to them, one on one. He still hadn't apologized properly for running out on them.

  He stumbled though the question with something noncommittal, then it was over. From her post, Delilah beamed at him. But Nate's stomach clenched. Were the Donovans proud of him? Delilah was showing him a glimpse of how life could be. And against his better judgment, he wanted to believe it. But before he could, he needed to clear out some of his cobwebs first.

  ###

  Nate told himself it didn’t matter that he’d manipulated his way into an invite. This block in Chelsea was lined by other recent condo developments as well as a row of restaurants and boutiques. Delilah’s building was a little older than the rest, but had an old brownstone feeling to it. He liked it; it suited her. And he was pleased that her neighborhood was safe. He didn’t quite know what he’d pictured, but it hadn’t been this. This was far better.

  After his morning jaunt on Today, the day had been a blurry haze of meetings and reviewing code and checking in on the applicants for Coder’s Day. He’d been looking forward to this moment all day.

  The doorman let him into Delilah’s building, and he tried to quell the humming buzz of energy as he tapped his foot impatiently on the foyer’s bamboo floor while he waited for the elevator. Why was he nervous? She’d already seen the worst of him, and she was still here. She’d met him at his lowest point, and she still cared about him.

  Because you love her you moron. He shoved the thought aside. Because Trent is still a problem. He impatiently punched the elevator call button. Because, if your brother had his way, he’d tell the whole world about you. Nate shuddered.

  When the elevator doors opened, he bit back bile. He needed to calm down. It had been a weird day. That was all. The hairs standing on the back of his neck were not an indicator of bad shit to come. Just anticipation. “Calm the fuck down,” he mumbled to himself.

  Delilah opened the door with a wide smile. “Is it totally weird that you’re here?”

  “Not weird at all. In fact, I’m told it happens all the time. When you’re seeing someone, you tend to see where they live. Unless, of course, they have a second family or something.”

  She laughed. “You caught me. I sent the husband and kids away so your paths wouldn’t cross.”

  “I hope your husband knows I’m terrible at sharing so he’s never going to get to touch you again.”

  “I already told him. He was starting to ask questions about where I was staying every night.”

  He pulled her close, wanting to quell the nervous energy. He kissed her softly, and he could feel her smile in response. In no time at all, the kiss turned from sweet to sinful, and she pressed her body into his. As her body arched into his, her Jaws ringtone started blaring. She glared at her phone, but reached for it. “I'm sorry. Hold that thought. It's Willow. She knows you’re coming over tonight, so she wouldn’t call unless it’s a dire emergency.”

  He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted, needed, to hold onto her. His fingers dug into her hips briefly, and he growled, “You’re killing me, Delilah.”

  “I know. I'm sorry.” She kissed his chin.

  Fine. If she as going to work, then he might as well check his messages. He followed her into her apartment and discreetly took in his surroundings. Unlike his place, she had photos and personal items everywhere. There wasn’t a surface without some picture of one of the Donovans. And there was color. So much color. Whether it was the throw on her couch, the frames on the walls, the pillows in the corner, or the decorations on the shelves, everything had a pop of color. Vibrant, like her.

  As she whispered rapidly into her phone, he dragged out his phone.

  A text from Lach: Dude, have you seen the news?

  Sickening dread curled into his gut and died. What the hell had happened? He also had one waiting voicemail. Chase’s voice was harsh. “What the fuck, are you up to over there, Nate? I thought I asked you to look after my company, not screw your image consultant. Call me back as soon as you get this.”

  Before he could even process what was going on, Delilah turned on the television even as she clutched her phone. “Willow, we have to pull everything you have on this reporter and her source. I'll do the damage control I can from here.”

  He worked to force the words out past his constricting throat. “Lila? What's wrong? Chase called from rehab, and I've got some weird text from Lach.”

  She put on CNN and opened her laptop. “There’s a story on you. It's not good.”

  Nate stood very still, willing all the noise to stop so he could hear her carefully. “What?”

  “Everything, Nate. They’ve got some information on you as a kid, your past. How you ended up with my family and then left. Everything.” Her eyes shifted away. “They're saying that you left because there was some inappropriate relationship between us. That we rekindled it here.”

  He stood rooted to the same spot. In less than thirty seconds, he felt like he'd been frozen from the inside and would shatter at any second. “Delilah. I—”

  The look she gave him was hard. “Look at me, Nate. I'll handle this. But it's ugly. We have to draft a statement to help diffuse any word or thought that you aren’t in charge of that company. The Today Show profile should counter some of this negative shit, but it’s a total shit show. I need to talk to Jake.”

  He heard the words, but it was as if she spoke to him underwater. He couldn’t move. They'd found him out. Someone had discovered the real him, and now they were exploiting it. Everything he'd worked so hard to protect was over.

  Chapter 25

  “Delilah, your lack of professionalism has cost this firm its reputation. Did you really think no one would find out? We have rules for a reason. I thought you were above this kind of thing. You’ve always acted with the utmost tact and discretion, but now you have jeopardized that.”

  Delilah stared over Jake’s shoulder as he yelled. She didn’t dare slide her glance over to Michael. If she did, violence would be on the menu. Then there’d be jail time, and she really was too cute for prison orange. So she stared at that ugly ass, pop art piece over his shoulder.

  And on and on he went, lambasting her character and the work she'd been doing. And the level of engagement. Oh, and of course, she could kiss any hopes of partnership goodbye at this point. Finally, he stopped to drag in a breath. When he asked if she had anything to say for herself, a myriad of things ran through her head.

  But she still had an assignment to finish, and she at least owed Nate that much. But after she was done, she was kissing this place goodbye. Nate had been right—she didn’t love working here. She had no life, and consistently they asked her to do things she thought were morally reprehensible. Like working with the likes of Michael Ross.

 
She crossed and uncrossed her legs. She wasn’t going to deny the truthful allegations about her and Nate. She’d made the decision to be with him. It might have been a chemistry thing to start, but she’d fallen for him. She cared about him. She wasn’t going to lie about the nature of their relationship. But she wasn’t going to make it the focal point either. “I should have managed the situation better. I should have made it clear that Nate and I knew each other. But what they are saying about his past, with me, that’s not the truth. I will resolve it. I’ve already got Willow on it, and I’ve get feelers out to a few people who owe me some favors to counter—”

  Jake laughed. “You're kidding, right? I'm assigning another consultant to finish out the job with Synth Games. You are not to see Nate Williams again.”

  She cocked her head. She was pretty sure her face fully registered the Oh Hell No that reverberated in her skull. They could control who her clients were, but they couldn’t tell her who to see. “You know, Jake, I find it interesting that you're the one who told me to practically spread my legs for that asshole over there, but you want to pretend I did something wrong here? Yes, Nate is a client, and I’m uniquely geared to work with him. Not to mention, I’ve already done all the legwork. We have a history. “

  Jake shook as his face turned beet red. “I know. It's all over the fucking paper.”

  Delilah cringed. She knew she was raising her voice, but she didn’t care right now. What were they going to do, fire her? “I don’t know where they got their information, but what’s being said, that’s not the truth about Nate. He's a good man, and maybe I stepped over the line, but you are overstepping here. Pull me off the assignment. Assign me every D-lister who ever wanted to be on Dancing with the Celebrities for the rest of the foreseeable future. I don’t care. But you will not treat me like a child. Did you ever stop to think that this is about him?” She pointed at Michael. “Because I turned him down and told him I’d rather sleep alone for the rest of my natural life than screw him? Come on. This whole thing is about him and his colossal temper tantrum.”