‘Got it. How old is Henry?’
‘Eight and just the most wonderful kid. A dream, really, by any parent’s standards. He’s my mini-me.’
Dash smiled at her. ‘That’s the most animated I’ve ever seen you. You love him.’
She nodded. ‘I do. It’s weird because I never wanted kids but when I imagine my life now, being without – ‘She broke off, horrified to find herself choking up. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She felt his hand, so warm and dry, covering hers.
‘Hey…’
She brushed away a tear that escaped. ‘Sorry. Just tired.’
‘Tired and emotional. Isn’t that what we say when one of our acts is heading to rehab?’ His grin told her he was kidding and she smiled, grateful for his effort to break the tension.
‘Excuse, Mr. Hamilton, none of my acts have ever needed to go to rehab.’
‘There’s always time. I saw Pete have two beers earlier.’
‘Scandalous.’
Regretfully, she saw they were at the airport now and as Dash pulled up to the drop-off point, she turned to thank him again.
‘I told you, no problem.’ His smile was gentle, his eyes locked onto hers. A thrill ran through her and a pulse bet between her legs.
‘Dash?’
‘Yes?’
‘You don’t have plans in Tacoma tonight, do you?’
His smile split his face. ‘Not one.’ His humour was so infectious she couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Well, I appreciate it. I’ll see you in a couple of days.’ She got out of the car but leaned back in when he called her name.
‘Say hi to Henry for me.’
She smiled. ‘I will, thanks again.’
At the terminal door, she turned to see him still at the curb, watching her. She waved as he did then watched as he drove away. Her feelings in turmoil, she walked into the airport and went to catch her flight.
Two and a half hours later, she let herself into her apartment to be met by a very worried looking Maura.
‘She knocked…and I couldn’t think how to refuse her. I’m sorry, I let her in.’
Emily looked past her into the living room and her heart sank. Henry sat beside his mother, awkward and uncomfortable, as she hugged him with one hand. As Emily walked into the room, Paige looked up and flashed one of her perfect Hollywood smiles.
‘Hey, little sis, surprised to see me?’
Dash drove back into the city still smiling. Emily Moore was unlike the women he usually had to deal with, both in business and in private - well, he admitted, how he treated her was different. No posturing, no alpha-male behavior. He found he didn’t want to be anything but be his true self with her. Despite their different views on how to market The 9th & Pine, he found her so comfortable to be with, so easy and natural.
And, God, she was beautiful. Her smile – when she smiled – was infectious, joyous and she looked five years younger than her twenty-four. Dash found himself wanting to have grown up with her, the girl next door – he was sure they would have been best friends. Despite her consummate professionalism, he saw that, underneath, was a woman who hadn’t had nearly the fun she should have had.
Tonight, in the car, it had taken all his self-control from pulling the car over and taking her in his arms. Any other woman he would have done. But he had gained far more than a kiss when, because he’d restrained his normal bluff, she’d opened up to him.
At home in his penthouse, he looked out over the city. To be here, at his young age, was still miraculous to him. After Sam had died, and Roman and Tom had come to him, he’d been amazed at how much faith they had put in him. He had been working at a Manhattan PR firm under the tutelage of one of the most feared and respected PR mavens in the fashion business and had already made quite a name for himself due to his outgoing personality and his eye for future trends.
Yes, that time was responsible for making his name, but it was when he joined Quartet, that his career took off into the stratosphere.
Tom had laid out his vision for the company. Saying that he wanted it to be progressive and embrace the changes in the music business in a way that their rivals still tried to avoid.
‘Those kids that are illegally downloading the music still go to the gigs, still spend hard earned money on the bands’ merchandize. If we championed singers who could actually sing, bands who could actually play instead of spending millions on plasticizing a generation of girls who should still be playing with their Malibu Barbie’s instead of wearing false lashes and singing about giving head…. well, you get the picture.’
Dash did get it and he’d steered Quartet’s artists on paths that snaked between traditional marketing and original, genre specific plans.
So why had he fought Emily so hard when she insisted on marketing The 9th & Pine for their talents alone? When they had such rich qualities to exploit – Bay’s beauty, Kym’s famous parents, Pete’s immense size and presence? He had no clue except he loved arguing with her, see those dark hazel eyes flash with annoyance, the pink flush in her cheeks deepen to that delicious scarlet. He wanted to keep that connection between them, the back and forth, needed it because if they had fallen silent for even a second, he would have grabbed her and kissed her so hard her head would have spun.
God, he wanted her, couldn’t stop thinking about her but for all his reputation for being an ‘eager puppy’ something told him this time, he needed to be patient. Play the long game.
He drained his beer and headed to bed. Soon, he thought, if I play this right, I won’t be alone.
Emily Moore was worth waiting for.
Emily closed Henry’s bedroom door then went to face her sister. She hadn’t wanted a confrontation in front of the child so, after Maura left, she’d ordered pizza and they’d eaten as Paige held forth, telling them stories from the road. Henry kept looking between the two of them and Emily could see the conflict in his eyes. Some of Paige’s stories were made to impress him and Emily could see they did have an effect but then he would look at Emily apologetically as if by being interested in what his mother was telling him, he was somehow betraying Emily. It broke her heart.
Now she busied herself, clearing up as Paige watched her. ‘You know, you could sit down and talk to me.’
Emily’s fists flexed. ‘What is it you want me to say, Paige? You come back, Henry goes to live with you and then you decide you need to express yourself again? Same old story.’
Paige sighed. ‘Not this time, Ems. I’m tired, I’m sore and I want my family back. Not just Henry but you too. You used to idolize me now it’s as if you can’t stand to be in the same room.’
Emily laughed hollowly. ‘So you need your ego stroked, is that it? Didn’t you get enough of that from your adoring fans?’
Paige rocked back from the anger in her sister’s voice. ‘If that’s how you see me…’
‘I don’t know how I see you, Paige, I don’t who you are anymore. The sister I knew would never have abandoned her child.’
Emily felt sorry as soon as the words came out, the resentment she’d been holding back for four years. Paige’s eyes filled with tears and she looked away from her sister, reaching to grab her glass of wine. Emily wanted to apologize but stopped herself. It was better they sorted this out once and for all. She did sit down opposite her, though, grabbing her own wine glass and curling her legs up under herself. She wished Maura was still here, or even Dash…wait, what? She checked herself. Why would Dash Hamilton being here be of any help? She didn’t know, she just…
‘I do love him, you know,’ Paige interrupted her thoughts. ‘I wouldn’t change my decision to have him, it was just…I wasn’t ready to give up my life, my career. It all happened so quickly.’
Emily stayed silent, digging her fingernails into her palms to stop from snapping at her sister. She just studied her – the dyed jet black hair, the thick eyeliner that would look ridiculous on Emily but seemed to work on Paige. The kohl-rimmed eyes were weary, though, Emily
realized, and her sister’s whole demeanor was riddled with exhaustion.
‘What is it you think is going to happen now?’ she asked, keeping her tone even. Paige drained her wine glass.
‘I’m having my people looking out for houses here, gated communities, safe places for Henry to live and play. Somewhere he can invite his friends over, somewhere for him to play sports.’
Emily smothered a grin. ‘You really have no idea what Henry likes, do you?’
Paige’s eyes flash with annoyance. ‘Perhaps because neither of you tells me! When I call all I get is that Henry is doing well in school and that he’s healthy.’
‘Perhaps if you asked about him rather than telling us about how your life is so wonderful,’ Emily snapped back. Paige sighed.
‘We’re not getting anywhere here.’
‘No. You can’t just swan back into Henry’s life and turn it upside down. I won’t permit it.’
‘You won’t permit it? I’m his mother.’
‘And a piss-poor job you did of it,’ Emily’s temper had finally burst through now. ‘In case you forgot, I am his legal guardian and there is no way I’m letting you rip him from the life we’ve built. He is happy.’
‘With the babysitter? How often are you late home, Ems? How often do you go to Seattle and leave him in the care of your assistant?’
Emily stood up. ‘You need to go now, Paige, before we say things we can’t take back.’
Paige got up, grabbing her leather jacket and heading for the front door. Before she left, she turned and met her sister’s gaze, her expression hard.
‘I want my son back, Emily, and I will do anything to make that happen.’
Emily met her gaze defiantly. ‘I will fight you every step of the way, Paige.’
Her sister slammed the door and Emily cursed, knowing the sound would have woken Henry. When she went to check on his, however, it was obvious he hadn’t been asleep at all, that he had heard every word. His little face was pinched and white, his body curled up in a tight know.
‘Come here, you little fraggle,’ Emily said gently and he crawled into her arms. ‘I’m sorry if we upset you. Sisters fighting.’
‘What did Mommy want?’ He looked at her and she could see he already knew, that he just wanted confirmation.
‘She wants you to live with her again. But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, I want you to know that you can live here with me forever if you want.’
Henry didn’t say anything but she felt his body shaking and to her horror, tears started to dribble down his face.
‘Hey, hey, hey…’ She rocked him gently,’ there’s nothing for you to worry about, Henry, I promise. Whatever she and I fight about isn’t your fault.’
‘I hate her,’ Henry mumbled, his face buried in her shoulder and she felt her heart crack.
‘Don’t say that, pumpkin, you don’t mean it. Whatever she and I fight about, we both really, really love you, you know?’
It took another hour before she could get the exhausted child to fall asleep and by that time, she could barely keep her own eyes open. She changed into her bedtime shorts and t-shirt and fell onto her bed. For a moment she just lay there, the sultry Californian evening still warm but a soothing breeze floating into the room, and closed her eyes.
Then her cell phone bleeped and she groaned. Not now, not tonight. But when she looked at the message, a smile crept across her face and her whole body relaxed.
Hope you got home okay, Ems. Can’t wait for Friday when we can resume our battle. Sleep tight, warrior. D.
Kym Clayton moved the last of her boxes out to her car and then took one last look around the small apartment she had shared with Stuart Lawson. She’d still been in the hospital, recovering from the beating he’d dealt to her, when he’d vanished from Seattle. Something had happened between him and Bay but Bay wouldn’t tell her what, just that Stu was gone and wasn’t ever coming back.
But she’d seen the cuts and bruises on Bay’s face and body and fear had gripped her. What had her friend done to protect her? She tried to get the truth from Tom but his love and loyalty for Bay prevented him from saying too much. ‘It was bad but it’s over,’ was all she had gotten out of him.
Now, Quartet had advanced her enough to move somewhere else, somewhere far away from the memory and she was glad, feeling a weight lift from her. She felt optimistic in a way she hadn’t for a long time. Since her hospitalization, her relationship with her parents had improved too, although her dad’s mutterings of ‘I told you about that sonofabitch’ didn’t go unnoticed.
‘Hey,’ Kym started as Bay appeared behind her. She grinned at her friend. ‘Thought you could do with some help.’
Kym, laughing, rolled her eyes. ‘And just as I’d finished packing. Exquisite timing.’
Bay grinned. ‘Hey, look, you still have to move in, I can help out there.’
Kym locked the door the apartment and posted the keys through the letter box. Bay watched her. ‘Gonna miss the place?’
‘Not even one little bit. Come on, let’s go see my new palace.’
Her new apartment overlooked Elliott Bay and was twice the size of her old one. Bay whistled. ‘Very, very nice.’
‘Says the woman living in a gazillion dollar houseboat on Lake Washington.’
Bay conceded the point but added, ‘It’s not mine, though.’
‘I think Tom would say different. That man would walk over razorblades for you.’
‘Which is why I’m careful not to take advantage. The sisterhood would kill me.’
Kym winced. ‘Dude, let the man spoil you, you deserve it.’
Bay grinned. ‘He does – I get to climb all over that beautiful body of his. That’s all I want. Everything else is just stuff.’
Kym laughed and hugged her friend. ‘I’m so happy for you, I really am. You two are perfect together.’
They flopped down onto the plastic covered couch and surveyed the boxes they had just lugged from the car. ‘Yeuch,’ Kym said and Bay laughed.
‘So, what about you, Kymmy? Anyone on your radar?’
Kym shook her head. ‘God, no. I just want to be alone for a long, long time. Chill out, make music with my besties, earn some decent money and not worry about men.’
Bay high-fived her. ‘I’ll buy you a Rabbit,’ she promised straight-faced and Kym laughed.
‘Girl, what makes you think I haven’t already got a drawer full of vibrators?’
Bay considered. ‘I’ll buy you a new Rabbit.’
‘That’s better. But not the neon one.’
‘God, is that a thing? Why?’
They both giggled and then Kym sighed, looking at her friend. ‘Are you ever going to tell me what happened to make Stu disappear?’
Bay’s expression became closed. ‘You don’t need to know, Kym, trust me. He’s gone.’
Kym hesitated and then asked the question she’d been dying to ask. ‘Did he hurt you?’
Bay half-smiled and took Kym’s hand. ‘Not as much as he hurt you. Seriously, Kym, it’s over. You have nothing to worry about.’
She leaned over and kissed her friend’s cheek. ‘Come on, doofus, let’s get this place looking like a home.’
Emily felt ridiculously school-girly and shy when she knew she was going to see Dash again the following Friday. They had texted back and forth constantly over the previous forty-eight hours, ideas for the band, joking, flirting and as she showered on Friday morning, she couldn’t help closing her eyes and imagining that her hands, running all over her soapy wet body were his hands, sweeping over her curves, teasing her nipples, slipping between her legs.
Emily gave a small moan at the thought of it then started guiltily as a knock at the door brought her out of her daydream.
‘Auntie Em?’
Emily cranked the water off and got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. She opened the door to see Henry, still in his pj’s, looking very forlorn. His cheeks were flaming.
‘What’s up, sport?’
‘Don’t feel well.’
Emily slid a hand onto his forehead. ‘Jeez, kid, you’re burning up. Come on, back to bed.’
She took his temperature and winced. One-hundred-one. ‘Where does it hurt, Henry?’
‘Tummy and head.’
Damn. She tucked him back into bed and fetch him some aspirin. ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll call the principal. Just rest.’
She called the school then hurriedly got herself dressed. As she tugged her shirt on, she called Dash.
‘Aww, jeez, poor kid,’ Dash said when she explained the situation, ‘Of course, you must stay there but I have a suggestion. Why don’t I come to you? We can work between nursing duties and if you need medicine or anything, I can be your errand boy.’
Emily smiled. Here was a billionaire businessman offering to fetch and carry for her. So weird. So…Dash. ‘Don’t you have better things to do? Conquer the world, satisfy your harem?’
His laugh was deep and warm. ‘No way, I want to be your slave boy. Also, I kind of want to hang out with Henry, see if he can tell me your secrets.’
‘Seriously – ‘
‘Seriously. I can be on a plane and with you in a couple of hours. What do you say?’
She meant to turn him down, she really did. Instead, incredulous, she heard herself agreeing.
‘Good,’ he said in a voice that made her stomach warm and her sex pulse with desire. ‘See you soon, beautiful.’
Two hours later she opened the front door to find him waiting, a huge grin on his face, dressed in a Thor shirt and jeans, his arms full of brown paper sacks.
‘I come bearing gifts. Twizzlers, aspirin and books for Henry, contracts, soda and, um, more Twizzlers because I like them. Also Nerds because you’re a nerd.’
Emily laughed, utterly charmed, and waved him in. ‘You shall pass,’ she intoned, trying her best Gandalf impersonation.
Montgomery Billionaire Series Page 52