by Tawny Taylor
The man was shit. It turned Kyler’s stomach having to be even this close to Matt Becker. And God help the company if this kind of asshole was going to be VP. The missing money, which Becker had almost pinned on him, was the half of it.
“So, I’d like to know, how are you going to cover your ass, Becker?”
Becker waved a hand at the waiter and ordered his dinner and an expensive bottle of wine, speaking perfect Italian. “I’ll manage.”
Interesting. Becker wasn’t exactly what he’d call cultured. Nor was he Italian. There was more to the slimeball than Kyler knew. Much more.
The waiter turned to Kyler.
Kyler shook his head. “Niente, grazie.” He didn’t exactly have a stomach for trenette alle vongole or fegato alla veneziana tonight. “If I resign on Monday, you’ll forget everything you know about the office manager.”
After a long moment and several swallows of wine, Becker smiled. “I could be…convinced…”
The bastard was looking for more? Fuck that.
Disgusted, Kyler stood. Leaning over the asshole, he whispered, “Two can play this game, you fucking piece of shit. You want to make an innocent woman’s life hell by dragging all her skeletons out of her closet, then I can do the same. Your closet isn’t exactly uninhabited, is it?”
Something flashed in Becker’s eyes. Fear, perhaps?
If things didn’t go his way tonight, he’d get in touch with the detective again, see if he could dig up more details about this guy. He was hiding something.
Dammit, if he’d had more time, this conversation might have gone very differently. In fact, it might not have gone at all. Instead, he might have been talking to the police right now, giving a statement.
Eyes narrowed, Becker set down his wine glass. “How about you sit down and we talk about this?”
“Last chance.” Kyler sat, crossed his arms over his chest. “Give me the proof I came for, tell me you’re going to forget you’ve ever heard or read anything about the office manager, or I’ll take what I have and go to the police.”
“If you had anything, you wouldn’t be talking to me right now. Giving up your job.”
Kyler shrugged. “Maybe I was tired of playing the sales and marketing game?”
“I don’t buy that. So, the question I want answered is why would you give up your job for the secretary? She’s nobody.”
No, that was just it. She wasn’t nobody. Not to him. But admitting that would only make things harder for her. “Yeah, she is nobody. Like I said, I’m not giving up anything for her. What do you care, anyway? By Monday, I’ll have my resignation handed in to the Board of Directors and by Tuesday, they’ll be interviewing new applicants for my job. We both know who’s on the top of their short list for the position. So, what’ll it be? Vice president? Or state’s ward?”
Becker thought about what he’d said, reached into his jacket and pulled out a manila envelope. “How do I know you won’t take this and forget about our deal?”
“Because I’m not the double-crossing shit that you are. I actually keep my promises.” He swept up the envelope, crammed it into his pocket and left the restaurant as fast as he could.
That was one conversation that left him feeling sick. It would be a long time before he’d be able to enjoy another Italian meal without his stomach lurching into his throat. A damn long time.
When he returned home, he called Elena. She didn’t answer, so he left a short message, saying that things had gone well, and he hoped she had a good week at work.
Even though the situation had more or less been handled, he spent the next few days pacing his house, feeling caged-in and twitchy, restless. What was that bastard Becker trying to hide? The detective was still working on some things.
Stacy called to check on him a few times. He didn’t answer, just let the voicemail pick up. She left a couple of messages, saying she was worried about him, hoped he was doing okay and letting him know that she’d heard through the rumor mill that he’d quit and Becker had been named VP. Would he please call her?
He didn’t.
Instead, he spent his nights tossing and turning, thinking about a certain pretty little office manager. And he spent his days sitting in front of his computer, staring at his resumé and trying to decide what to do about a job.
It would be a piece of cake calling his old man and taking a job at Pierce Holdings. But Kyler knew he’d never be satisfied if he did that. For one thing, he hated investing.
No, he needed to find another job on his own. Something he could feel proud of. If he had to, he’d start at the bottom, roll up his sleeves, and sweat his way to the top, just like he had before. Yes, that was exactly what he’d do. In fact, maybe he’d go apply with his former employer’s biggest competitor, AVR Manufacturing. Wouldn’t it be convenient if they had an opening in their sales department? Hell, he might even like a job in Quality Control. He wasn’t above getting his hands dirty.
Finally, he had a plan in place, a sense of purpose.
He printed out a handful of copies of his resumé and hit the pavement. Only after he had found himself a new job did he let himself think about Elena again. It had been almost a month since he’d last seen her. Instead of easing up over time, his feelings for her had only intensified. He wanted to know how her brother was doing. How Becker was treating her at work. If she had anyone to shovel the snow off her car after the first big snowstorm of the season. And if she would have anyone to spend Thanksgiving with. Somehow, he had to make things right. If she’d let him.
God only knew he didn’t deserve a second chance, but that was exactly what he wanted—the opportunity to start over.
It took him another week to convince himself to ask her.
Despite the fact that it was only twenty degrees outside, his hands were damp with sweat as he drove to her place, a cute little bungalow in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Her car sat in the driveway. He hurried up the un-shoveled front walk and rang the doorbell. A blistering north wind whipped through his hair.
Finally, the door opened.
Kyler dragged in a long, deep breath. He knew he wouldn’t stop thinking about this woman, no matter how long it was before he saw her again. This was it. His chance. He would kick his own ass if he fucked it up…again.
* * * * *
“W-well, hello Kyler,” Elena stammered, so stunned to see him, she could have been blown over if he sneezed. What was he doing here?
Standing on her front porch, he looked at her long and hard for a few minutes, and she felt her face flaming again, like it had the night he’d blackmailed her. “I‘ve been thinking about what happened between us.” He tipped his head, his expression guarded. “I want to start over again. I’d like to get to know you better.”
“I—I…” Oh, God! Was he asking her on a date? He was, wasn’t he? She leaned against the door for support. It had been over a month since she’d left his house. Every night, she’d lain in bed, wondering how he was, what he was doing, if he ever thought about her. And every morning—as insane as it was—she secretly hoped she’d see him again. They lived on opposite sides of town. An accidental meeting was about as likely as being struck by lightning or winning the lottery, but in some ways she’d always been a hopeless romantic. She’d looked for him everywhere—gas station, party store, delicatessen.
Even this hopeless romantic hadn’t imagined he would come to her house and ask her out.
“Oh hell.” He shook his head and backed away from the door. “This was a bad idea.” He started to turn around.
Stop him! “N-no.” She lurched forward and grabbed the first piece of his anatomy that came into reach, his elbow. Awkwardly, she gave it a tug. “Sorry. I was just caught by surprise. I mean, it’s been a long time, and I didn’t hear from you. I thought…”
“Let me take you out tomorrow. On a real date.”
“Tomorrow? Sunday?”
“Sure. I feel like such a shit for how I treated you. That’s not me.”
>
She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to believe what was happening. This was what she’d hoped for. But could she really trust him? “Okay, sure. One date. But that’s all I’m agreeing to for now.”
For just the briefest of moments, that thick veneer he’d been wearing since she’d opened the door cracked and a flurry of emotions played over his features. “Hang on to your hat, sweetheart. Tomorrow, you’re in for the night of your life. I’m taking you on the date of your dreams.” He left her with a twinkle in his eye and a promise that she wouldn’t be sorry for giving him another chance. “By the way, what size dress do you wear?” he asked, just before strolling back to his car.
She couldn’t wait to see what he had planned.
* * * * *
Kyler put his car into park, cut off the engine and fisted his keys. He’d known that sooner or later he’d have to have a heart-to-heart with Stacy. He’d avoided it for too long. After all, he didn’t really have a solid reason for giving her the silent treatment. Sure, she’d given him some false information, back during that thing with Becker. But despite paying the detective good money, he had never discovered anything proving it was intentional. If anything, he figured she’d been used by Becker. Who knew what that bastard had been thinking?
The bottom line was they’d been friends for too long to hold a misjudgment against her. She might have believed the wrong person’s lies, but she had been, after all, trying to protect him. He headed up her front walk to her porch steps, eyeballing the car in the driveway, which, coincidentally, looked a lot like the Lincoln his former employer had leased for him.
Could be Becker’s. Or it could belong to someone else. It wasn’t as if all black Lincoln Town cars ever built were leased by TK Technologies.
He knocked.
She answered the door wearing a robe, her Domme platforms, some heavy makeup, and a blush. “Oh, Kyler. Hi.” She didn’t invite him in. In fact, she shuffled out and pulled the door shut behind her.
“Hey, I’m sorry if I’ve come at a bad time. I owe you an apology for not returning your calls.”
She glanced over her shoulder before giving him a flat smile. “It’s okay. I was just worried. You know how I can be.”
He’d never seen Stacy act this nervous before. It wasn’t like he didn’t know she had a social life. Hell, they’d gone on double dates together. And occasionally played in the same dungeons. She was a Domme, he a Dom. Their social circles tended to overlap. “Sure, I know how you can be. I’ll get going. We’ll talk later.” He started down the steps
“How are you? Have you found another job?” she called after him.
He turned again, catching her tugging on her robe to cover what looked like a strip of black leather. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was playing in her dungeon with someone. And for some reason, she didn’t want him to know who that someone was.
The question was why? He’d never been a jealous friend. They’d never kept secrets from each other. There was never any reason to.
He forced a smile he didn’t feel. “I sure did. Thanks. And thanks for looking out for me, you know, with that Becker thing.”
Something flashed in her eyes, but he couldn’t read what that something was. “I’m relieved to hear you landed on your feet. And you’re welcome. I couldn’t sit by and watch Matt scheme against you and not say something. It just stinks that you ended up losing your job instead of him.”
“I didn’t lose my job. I quit.”
“That’s right. You quit.” She nodded, pushing the door open and backing inside. “I’ll call you later, okay? Maybe we can have lunch next week.”
“Sure. Lunch.” He walked to his car, checking the Town Car’s license plate number as he passed. Yep, it was his former leased car, which should have been turned over to the new VP of Sales and Marketing upon his promotion.
Matt Becker.
Kyler got in his own car and drove around the blocks a few times. After about fifteen minutes, he turned back down her street.
The Lincoln was gone.
What the hell was Becker doing at Stacy’s house?
* * * * *
Oh my God. The dress. It was gorgeous. Black, long, elegant and slinky, it skimmed over Elena’s curves just right. Not too tight. Not too loose. The straps—if they could be called that—were chains of sparkling clear stones. Backless, the dress boasted several more chains of glittering jewels. They draped across her skin, tickling her as she moved.
She felt beautiful wearing this dress.
And there was more. Three boxes—two jewelry boxes and a shoebox—had also been delivered today. Inside the two jewelry boxes she found a gorgeous choker made of white gold and more clear stones and a pair of dangly earrings to match. And in the shoebox she found a pair of genuine Manolo Blahnik shoes. She’d never even seen a pair of Manolos in person, only on television.
Was this a dream?
Elena did some last minute fine tuning of her hair and makeup, brushed her teeth, swished some mouthwash in her mouth until her tongue was burning, and then slipped her feet into the shoes. They were a little higher than she was used to. At least that was the excuse she told herself as she wobbled down the hall and answered the door.
Kyler stood on her front porch, holding a bouquet of roses. And oh my God, did he look hot in that crisp black suit. He beamed the instant their gazes connected.
This was like a scene out of a movie or something. So unbelievably romantic, over the top.
“You look amazing.” He took her hand as he stepped through the front door.
She was blushing like crazy. Her cheeks were about to melt. Or at least, her makeup was going to melt and slide off her face. Wouldn’t that be attractive? “You do too.”
“Ready for a great adventure?” He handed her the flowers.
They were the most beautiful, aromatic roses she’d ever seen. She inhaled their scent. “Adventure?” A little zip-zappy thrill charged through her body as she wobbled back to the kitchen for a vase. “Sure.”
This was way too good to be true. When was she going to wake up?
As she filled the cut crystal vase and arranged the flowers, Kyler wandered from the kitchen. She found him standing next to the door, holding yet another large gift box. “Another present? Oh God, Kyler. I don’t know if I can accept it.”
Okay, so maybe it was over-compensation on his part—the dress, jewelry, shoes, flowers, and now yet another gift—but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t appreciating the effort he was making. No man had ever treated her this way.
“This is vintage. I hope you like it.” He lifted the box’s lid, pulling out a full-length white fur coat. It was gorgeous. Soft. Luxurious. Real.
“Oh my God. Kyler?” she said as he helped her into it.
“I didn’t want you to be cold.” He led her outside to a waiting limo. The vehicle’s inside was dark and cozy. She sat down and Kyler sat next to her. He stretched an arm out, resting it behind her shoulders, and she found herself leaning toward him, wanting to be closer. During the ride, they talked about insignificant things, typical first date stuff. Their education, hobbies, friends.
About a half-hour later, the car stopped in front of a gorgeous old building of some kind. Elena leaned forward to read the sign as the driver opened the door. Maplewood Country Club. Looked very elegant and exclusive.
They were led through a gorgeous lobby to a cozy room that housed a few tables, a fireplace, and nobody but them. The table in front of the fireplace was set for two. Kyler helped Elena into a chair and then sat next to her.
“Pinch me, will you?” she asked, lifting a glass of water. “This is unbelievable.”
Kyler’s eyes glittered as he looked around. “You like? I’ve been a member here since I was old enough to crawl. Never reserved a room like this before. This place has a very nice dining room for the members, but I wanted tonight to be special. Just you and me.”
“Again, just pinch me.”
“I might. Later.” His smile turned wicked.
“Is that a promise?” With him like this, so charming and attentive and romantic, it was easy to forget about all the crap he’d done to her. Ninety-nine percent of her believed this was the real Kyler—the genuinely nice man with eyes that twinkled with laughter and a smile that made her heart skip beats. But there was that one percent that wouldn’t allow her to believe this was real, that he honest-to-God liked her, wanted to get closer.
They enjoyed some easy conversation during the meal, and lots of glances across the table. By dessert, she was not only totally stuffed but also much more at ease.
His expression turned just a little serious as he pushed the empty dessert plate away and stretched his arms. “Now that we’ve eaten, I want to talk to you about some serious issues.”
Oh boy, was this the end of the fantasy? She tried to look cheerful, but her stomach took a dive. So did her mood. And yet, a small part of her was relieved. Hopefully, they’d finally talk about that day at his house. Finally, she’d have some answers. “Sure.”
“First, about that day, why I snapped…”
“Hey, we were both confused and stressed. You apologized already. And I see you’re trying to make up for it.”
His expression darkened. “Nothing will make up for the way I treated you. There’s no excuse. But I want to at least tell you what happened.”
“Okay.” Her insides felt like they were being stretched uber tight. It was hard to breathe, and her head felt a little swimmy, but she concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths and listened.
“You know Stacy Beautfort? From work?”
“Sure.” She knew Stacy, although not very well. Stacy was secretary to the company’s CFO, while Elena was the office manager for the sales department. They worked in the same five-story building but on different floors.
“She was the one who called me that day and told me about you and Becker. Some of what she said was true, and some wasn’t.”
“You believed her?”
“Sure. She is—correction, was—an old friend of mine, and I didn’t think she had any reason to lie to me.” He sighed, dragged his fingers through his hair. “I kept wanting to believe you. But she was calling, telling me something so different. It didn’t help that you weren’t willing to tell me the truth, although I completely understand why you couldn’t. Keeping your mouth closed only made you look guiltier.”