Golden Chances

by Rebecca Hagan Lee

  “I know,” Reese told him. “That’s why I didn’t wake you when I brought her in. I thought she’d be a lot safer if you didn’t know she was here.”

  “What about her reputation? She was here yesterday. I saw her in line with the other women.”

  “I saw her, too, when I was standing in the doorway talking to you. She disappeared in the crowd.”

  “But you found her at the British embassy? And brought her here?” David speculated.

  “No, of course not,” Reese replied, then seeing David’s puzzled face, he began to elaborate. “I rescued her last night. She was walking to the train station when she was accosted by a thief. He knocked her to the ground and snatched her purse. I happen to see it on my way to the embassy. I jumped out to give chase.”

  “So you brought her back here before you left for the bar?” David asked, wondering how he had missed them.

  “I took her to dinner first. She hadn’t eaten all day. She was hungry and had no money. She missed the last train to Richmond and it was either bring her here or have her sleep on a bench at the train station.”

  “I’m surprised she allowed you to bring her here,” David said.

  “She didn’t have a choice. She fell asleep in the carriage after dinner.”

  “You could have awakened her,” David pointed out.

  “Not this one.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, she’s a southern lady,” Reese replied, “and I don’t have a signed contract in my hands. Yet.”

  “Then you talked to her about the job?”

  Reese nodded.

  “And she agreed?”

  “She says she needs the job, but I get the feeling she doesn’t really understand what I want her to do.”

  “How could she not understand? The ad was pretty clear.”

  Reese stood up and began to pace. “Who knows what goes on in the mind of a lady?”

  “I thought you did.”

  Reese turned to look at his cousin. “What ever gave you that idea?”

  “You did,” David said quietly. “You’ve always been such a ladies’ man.”

  “I don’t deal with ladies, David. I deal with prostitutes, tarts, whores, and the occasional neglected mistress. I don’t deal with ladies anymore.”

  “Then, damn it, Reese, why advertise for one? Why not let one of your tarts have your child?”

  “Because, dammit, my son is going to have a heritage he can be proud of. He’s going to be respected.”

  “Then marry someone and do this the right way.”

  “Out of the question,” Reese said.

  “There are plenty of nice women—”

  “Yes, there are,” Reese agreed, “but not for us. We’re mixed bloods, David, and while we’re proud of our heritage, most nice women are horrified.”

  “All women aren’t like Boston society debutantes.”

  “Only the proper ladies,” Reese sneered.

  “I never realized your experience at Harvard had made you so bitter,” David said thoughtfully as he refilled Reese’s cup with coffee.

  “I’m not bitter,” Reese told him. “I’m realistic.”

  “You think this plan of yours is realistic?” David asked.

  “Of course it is,” Reese said. “With enough money you can buy just about anyone or anything.” Reese broke off at the light tap on the door. He walked to the door and pulled it open.

  Faith stood in the hallway clutching his robe tightly against her.

  “Come in and have some coffee.” Reese’s voice was a soft, rumbling purr. “You must be freezing.” He frowned at the sight of her bare toes curling against the cold floor. He should have remembered to leave a pair of socks on the foot of the bed along with his bathrobe.

  “I don’t want to intrude on your conversation,” Faith said.

  “It’s no intrusion,” David assured her, “We were just passing the time while we wait for the breakfast tray.”

  Faith’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve ordered breakfast?”

  Reese smiled. “There should be enough for a small army. Will that be sufficient?”

  Faith’s cheeks colored with embarrassment. “Don’t go to any trouble on my account. You bought my dinner last night. You’re not under any obligation to purchase my breakfast.” She looked at the floor to keep from meeting his gaze.

  “My cousin was teasing.” David stepped into the breach. “I apologize if he embarrassed or offended you. Reese is always ill-tempered before breakfast.”

  “I’m not offended,” Faith admitted. “And I would appreciate breakfast.”

  “Then it’s settled,” David pronounced. “Think nothing of it. Come in and join us in the wait. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m David Alexander, Reese’s attorney, business partner, friend, and first cousin.” He offered Faith his hand as Reese ushered her into the room, then closed the door behind them.

  “I’m Faith Collins,” Faith said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alexander, but I really shouldn’t intrude on your breakfast.” She headed for the safety of the bedroom.

  “Nonsense.” Reese took her elbow and led her to the sofa. “Sit down, Mrs. Collins, you aren’t intruding.”

  “But I’m not properly dressed,” she protested.

  “You look fine. Besides, it’s early. You don’t have to be completely dressed to eat breakfast.” He flashed his wickedly handsome smile once again.

  Faith wanted to point out the impropriety of dining alone with two men, but found herself unable to utter the necessary words. Something about Reese Jordan’s devastating smile affected her sensibilities. Her logical protests vanished. She smiled back at him as she graciously accepted the cup of coffee he placed in her hand. “Thank you, Mr. Jordan.”

  “You’re very welcome, Mrs. Collins.” The teasing light in his dark eyes matched the warmth of his smile. Reese looked as if he might elaborate, but the single, sharp rap on the door interrupted him. “That must be breakfast.”

  “I’ll get the door.” David walked to the door to admit the waiter.

  “Mr. Alexander, I must speak to Mr. Jordan about the impropriety of this situation immediately.” Howard Clegg, manager of the Madison Hotel, pushed his way past David and into the Presidential Suite. The waiter, pushing a cart laden with breakfast, followed in Clegg’s wake as a small crowd of curious women filled the doorway.

  “I knew something unsavory was going on up here!” The hotel manager crowed triumphantly. “I knew it as soon as the night clerk reported seeing you, Mr. Jordan”—he pointed his index finger at Reese’s nose—“carrying this…this…woman up here late last night.” Clegg spat out his last sentence and directed his accusing finger at Faith.

  Faith gasped aloud and stepped back to avoid Mr. Clegg’s pointing finger and the malicious gleam in his tiny eyes. David made a move in Faith’s direction as the meddlesome group of onlookers pushed farther into the room, but his cousin was quicker. Reese stepped between Faith and the hotel manager, using his body to shield her from the accusatory faces of the crowd.

  Reese Jordan stared disdainfully down at the thin, insistent finger jabbing him in the chest, then looked the loathsome little ferret behind it in the eye.

  “I suggest you remove your finger from my chest before I take the liberty of removing it for you.” Reese spoke quietly, smoothly, as if he had casually suggested opening a window or hanging up a hat, but that deliberately soft voice carried a definite warning.

  “Are you threatening me, sir?” Howard Clegg’s face reddened and his voice rose in pitch, but he was wise enough or wary enough, to remove his finger from the middle of Reese’s broad chest.

  “I assure you, Mr. Clegg, that I would never threaten you,” Reese said as he made a show of polishing the onyx stud in the center of his shirt.

  Clegg smiled and straightened his shoulders to make himself appear taller.

  “I will, however, warn you against making further accusations or maligning the lady’s cha
racter,” Reese continued softly, watching as the expression on the hotel manager’s face changed from exultation to fury.

  “Why, you—” Clegg stepped forward, but was brought up short by David Alexander’s firm grasp on his arm. “You can’t waltz in here under the guise of business and proceed to hire these…these…soiled doves…these…whores!” He flung out his arm to indicate the crowd of women.

  “Who’re you callin’ whores, mister?” came a shout from the angry women.

  “Gentlemen! Ladies!” David stepped in to soothe the tempers of the antagonists and prevent a full-blown brawl. “Calm yourselves.”

  “Calm ourselves?” another woman shouted. “How can we be calm when that little weasel stands there bold as brass and calls us whores?”

  Yeah,” agreed the woman standing closest to Reese and Faith, “we ain’t the whores around here. She is. He’s the one tryin’ out the candidates and she’s the one that let him. Look at her standing there in nothing more than a dressing gown. A man’s dressing gown.” She eyed Faith jealously as she spat her vile insults in Reese’s direction.

  “Ladies.” Reese spoke through clenched teeth. “You misunderstand the situation. Mrs. Collins is the woman I selected yesterday for the job. She has graciously accepted the position.”

  “I’ll bet,” sneered someone in the group.

  “You didn’t select her yesterday,” someone else accused. “I was in line way ahead of her and I didn’t even get to talk to Mr. Alexander. You might’ve done some selecting, but you didn’t do it yesterday afternoon.”

  The woman standing closest to Reese stepped around him and grabbed Faith by the lapels of the velvet robe. “You might say she slept her way into this job ahead of time.”

  “Well, since sleepin’ with the boss is the job, who can blame the tart for usin’ her talent to get it?” The accusation hung in the air before a series of malicious chuckles filled the room.

  Faith gazed with contempt and pity at the woman holding onto her, then grasped the woman’s wrists and pushed them away.

  The women turned their attention to Faith, waiting for the explosion, but Faith Collins surprised them. She turned with great dignity and walked away from the crowd and into the bedroom. They tensed, waiting for the slam of the door, but again she surprised by quietly closing it behind her.

  “Out!” Reese’s shout echoed through the stillness. “All of you—out! Except you.” Suspending the hotel manager’s retreat with a dark, angry stare, Reese uttered a soft promise. “I’ll deal with on a personal level later. David, will you show Mr. Clegg to his office and keep him there?” Reese issued his orders, then followed Faith’s path to the bedroom door, his long legs rapidly closing the distance.

  Chapter Five

  Reese tapped at the door. Silence answered him. Turning the doorknob, he opened the door and stepped inside. The sight of Faith Collins standing beside the bed stopped him in his tracks.

  She was wearing only a threadbare, cotton chemise and pantalets as she struggled with the long laces of her corset. His brown velvet robe lay in a puddle around her bare feet. She turned as he entered.

  Reese’s heart thumped hard in his chest. He drew in a breath. She was crying. She didn’t utter a sound, but huge tears fell from her gray eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The pain and the humiliation in those tears was so evident, Reese could almost smell the salt and taste the bitterness.

  Faith looked away in embarrassment and resumed her fumbling efforts with her corset strings. Reese moved behind her and took the laces from her hands. She sucked in her breath as he approached her and shivered when he grazed the sensitive flesh of her inner arm with his fingers as he gathered the stray laces. Pulling her corset closed, he began to tie the strings.

  He lingered at her back after he finished tying her undergarment. The scent of French-milled soap, the kind supplied by the hotel, and the tangy salt of tears assailed his nostrils. Moving his hands from the laces at her back, Reese caressed her upper arms. Long strands of ebony hair escaped from her hastily arranged bun and clung to the nape of her neck. He experienced an unexpected, unwanted urge to nuzzle the strands of hair aside and plant his lips in their place.

  Bowing her head to look down at the floor, Faith exposed the slim column of her neck. Her movement was almost Reese’s undoing. He reacted instinctively, bending his head to press his lips against her neck. But her voice, husky and thick with tears, stopped him.

  “I’m terribly sorry for the scandal I’ve caused.”

  Reese turned her around to face him, but kept his hands on her bare shoulders. “You haven’t caused a scandal—yet.” He smiled down into her solemn eyes.

  “I fell asleep in your carriage,” Faith protested.

  “Falling asleep in my vehicle isn’t a crime, nor did it cause a scandal.”

  “How can I explain this situation?” Faith wanted to know. “You heard those women out there. They think that I—”

  “Who gives a damn what they think?” Reese demanded. “You know what happened and what didn’t happen. We both do.”

  “But you can’t possibly hire someone with a damaged reputation.”

  So, that was the problem, Reese thought. She was worried about losing the job. “Do you want this job?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Enough to forget about those women out there and others like them?” Reese needed to know before he made his choice because he wasn’t about to cosset her all the way to Wyoming.

  “But the scandal…” Faith began.

  “Honey,” Reese said bluntly, “if you take this job, you’re going to cause a hell of a scandal, and you won’t be able to do a thing about it.” He watched her intently as she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue before she opened her mouth to speak. “If you agree to my terms of employment, there’s going to be plenty of talk, whether we like it or not, and there will be a scandal, too. Are you woman enough to face it, Faith Collins, or will you run away, back to Richmond? Because, whether I like it or not, you seem to be the best woman for this job.” He bent his head and captured her lips.

  It began as an angry kiss, something Reese couldn’t prevent, but it turned into something more. Fire erupted throughout Reese’s body as he took her lips and felt her sway against him. He pulled her closer as he deepened his kiss, tangling his hands in her hair before running them up and down the curve of her spine. The stiff boning of her corset frustrated him, but he continued his avid exploration of her back until he reached the end of her cotton cage. Cupping his hands around the curve of her derriere, Reese pulled her up against his groin and groaned in sublime agony.

  Faith was overwhelmed by her response to his kiss. She placed her arms around his neck and parted her lips to allow his silken tongue to slip through and sample the warm recesses of her mouth. She was surrounded by his arms, his mouth, his hard, masculine body and the taste and touch and smell of him. She melted against him, enjoying the coffee-flavored taste of his kiss and the hot, tangy scent that permeated the air around them. She breathed in that scent and nuzzled closer to its source. Reese groaned again. Faith pulled her mouth away from his, gasping for breath. Her senses swam, her knees threatened to give way at any moment. She tilted her head back as Reese brushed his lips against her closed eyelids before trailing them down her neck to place, hot, wet kisses against the tattered lace covering the swells of her breasts. He dipped his tongue into the crevice between the soft mounds and tasted the tart droplets beading her flesh. Faith gasped in reaction, tightening her grip around his neck when her legs abruptly refused to support her weight.

  The sound of her sigh and the slamming of a door somewhere outside the bedroom brought Reese to his senses. He opened his eyes and found himself confronted by the loveliness framed by her tight corset. He raised his head and grinding his teeth against the agony in loins, he forced his arms to relax their hold on her.

  “Faith.”

  Faith smiled up at him, the deep gray of her eyes, soft a
nd luminous. “Hmm?”

  “We’re about to cause that scandal,” Reese said.

  His words sobered her instantly. She practically bolted out of his arms and across the room. “I’m sorry.”

  Reese quirked an eyebrow. “Not as sorry as I am.” He walked to the armoire, removed her black dress, and handed it to her, then turned his back while she slipped it on.

  “You can turn around now,” Faith told him, when she had her dress in place and had fastened the numerous jet buttons on the bodice. “Thank you,” she said, her voice wavering.

  “Don’t thank me! Hell, I doubt very much if I’m doing you a favor by offering you this job.” He paced the confines of the bedroom, impatiently raking his fingers through his hair. “I know for a fact, I’m not doing myself one.”

  “I’m a grown woman, Mr. Jordan, and I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Reese mused aloud.

  “Of course, I understand,” Faith said. “You explained the position to me last night.”

  “I lied.”

  “You what?”

  “I lied,” Reese repeated. “I lied to you by omitting a few pertinent facts.”

  “I don’t believe it.” Faith shook her head. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I did,” he affirmed. “Faith, exactly what do you think you’ll be expected to do if you decide to take the job?”

  “I’m to do as the ad in the paper says. I’m to be a sort of governess to your baby. I’m to provide for your child.” Faith walked to her where her cloak lay across a chair and removed a battered newspaper. It was folded to the page containing Reese’s advertisement. She looked him in the eye as she placed it in his hand. “See for yourself.”

  Reese shook his head in disbelief as he read the ad in the Richmond newspaper. The irony of the situation struck him like a blow. He smiled, grimly. The best laid plans…

  “Faith,” he said, “I’m not looking for a governess. I’m looking for a mother. I don’t want you to provide for my child. I want you to provide the child. To conceive him, carry him, deliver him, give him to me, and walk away. Forever.”

  Faith’s knees weakened again. She sat down abruptly on the edge of the bed. “I don’t believe it.”

  Reese crossed to the desk in the corner of the bedroom and removed a copy of the original Washington newspaper ad from the top drawer. He looked her in the eye as he placed it in her hand.