But Matthew Bougard was well aware of every aspect of BE’s business. He was sharp and highly intelligent, which was how he’d taken a small financial company he’d founded right out of college and made it into one of the largest hedge fund corporations in the country. And thanks to a few recent deals, they could now even boast of going global.
His father remained quiet for a moment and then said, “I’m thinking about retiring, Virgil.”
Virgil sat up straight in his chair. “You really mean it this time?”
Matthew chuckled. “Yes. Leigh informed us on Friday that she and Chad are expecting a baby,” his father said, beaming heartily. “That means your mom and I will be grandparents.”
Virgil couldn’t help but smile. He knew how much being grandparents meant to them. His younger sister had married her childhood sweetheart a few years ago after they both finished medical school. Last year Leigh and Chad had opened a medical complex in Houston and were doing just great.
“I need to call Leigh and Chad to congratulate them. Congratulations to you and Mom, as well,” Virgil said.
“Thanks. I’d like to spend more time in the Keys as well as in Houston. Plus I promised your mom we’d do more international travel. She really enjoyed that Mediterranean cruise I took her on last year.”
His father leaned back in his chair and studied him. From the close scrutiny, Virgil got the feeling there was more to come regarding his father’s pending retirement. “My decision to retire depends on you, Virgil.”
Virgil lifted a brow. “How does your decision to retire depend on me?”
His father leaned forward and Virgil knew this would be one of those Matthew Bougard deeply serious moments. Virgil wasn’t sure if he was mentally prepared for it this early in the morning.
“You have a reputation, Virgil.”
He didn’t have to wonder what his father was alluding to. It was well-known around Charlotte and the surrounding areas that Virgil Matthew Bougard was an ardent womanizer. As far as he was concerned, he had no reason not to be if that was the lifestyle he chose. He wasn’t married, nor was he in an exclusive relationship with any woman. So in his defense he could do whatever the hell he wanted to do and with whomever he chose.
“I’m a thirty-five-year-old single man, Dad. There’s no reason I shouldn’t enjoy female company whenever I want it.”
“Well, there’s that incident with Whitney Hilton that won’t go away as much as I wish it would. Marv Hilton hasn’t forgotten about it.”
Virgil released a deep sigh. That had been almost two years ago. Why couldn’t the man get over it? Would that be the scandal that haunted him forever? Marv Hilton had been one of their biggest clients and Whitney was his twenty-five-year-old daughter. Her father had brought her along on one of his business trips to Hawaii when BE had held a meeting at the same time.
“She came to my hotel room. I didn’t go to hers.”
“I know but to Marv none of that matters. You slept with his daughter, and as her father, he was livid.”
Virgil recalled the man had been so livid that he’d dropped his account with Bougard Enterprises. Drawing in a deep breath, he could now admit when he’d gotten out of the shower and found Whitney naked and stretched out on his bed, he should have tossed her out of his room. But that option had quickly left his mind when she’d proceeded to give him one badass blow job. Her father had found out about the incident, which Virgil suspected had been intentional. Whitney wanted to get back at her father for forcing her into an engagement with some rich, old oil baron from Texas.
“That was almost two years ago, Dad.”
“Yes, but Marv Hilton still wants blood, especially since her fiancé called off the wedding. Marv blames you for that. He swears his daughter was a virgin up to that time and she was saving herself for her wedding. However, I’m sure you know better.”
Yes, Virgil definitely knew better since Whitney had boasted about her very active sex life that night. And the only thing she was saving was herself—from being forced into marrying a man old enough to be her father.
“You’ve done a great job running things in my absence, Virgil.” His father intruded into his thoughts. “And there’s no doubt in my mind the company would be in good hands if I were to retire. But we have to do something about cleaning up your image, especially if we want Paul Wyman’s business. He and I have talked. But he’s heard about you from Hilton, and Wyman has three daughters he’s concerned about.”
Virgil’s gaze narrowed. “You make me sound like someone who goes after anything in a skirt.”
“Well, that’s the impression that’s out there and Hilton is milking it for all it’s worth. Such an image could eventually hurt the company.”
Virgil stood, walked over to the window and stared out at downtown Charlotte. It was the second week in August and already the sun was beating down, guaranteeing it would be another hot day. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly turned around.
Knowing his father, Virgil was certain the old man had a plan, one he’d thought out thoroughly. That’s the way Matthew Bougard worked. If there was a problem, he came up with a solution. Virgil just hoped it was one he could go along with. “Okay, what do you suggest?”
“I think we should hire a good PR consultant, one who will come in and clean up your womanizing image.”
Virgil frowned. “Do you really think that’s necessary, Dad?”
“Yes. Hilton is claiming that you seduced his daughter. So I hope you can see the need to take proactive measures.”
Virgil walked back over to his desk and sat down. Like his father said, Marv Hilton was out for blood. His. Unfortunately the man ran in circles with people who were potential clients for Bougard Enterprises.
“Fine. Do what you think is best. If you think hiring a PR firm will work, let’s do it.”
“I figured you would understand, so for the past couple of weeks I’ve been checking out firms. The one I suggest using comes highly recommended.”
“Great,” he said drily. “What’s the name of the company?”
“Goshay PR and Image Consultants.”
Virgil was out of his seat in a flash. “That’s out of the question. You know Kara owns that business.”
“Yes.”
Virgil was fuming. “Then why on earth would you want to hire her?”
“Calm down, Virgil. The reason I’m hiring Kara’s company is because she’s the best. Anyone who could clean up Senator Jack Payne’s reputation after that scandal involving him and those women—and get him reelected—can surely clean up yours without a problem.”
Matthew stared hard at him, and continued, “Why are you so upset about it? Are you admitting you’ve only been lying to yourself these past four years and that you do still care for Kara?”
“No! I care nothing for her.” It had taken a long time for him to finally reach that point, but he had. At one time he’d thought it would be nearly impossible to ever get her out of his heart.
“Then working with her shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
“It will be a problem because I prefer not being anywhere near her.”
“Then maybe you need to ask yourself why.”
Virgil shook his head. “You don’t understand, Dad.”
“What I understand is, because of her lack of trust in you, you won’t forgive her and you’re still holding a grudge. But then so is Marv Hilton. That’s why Kara’s services are needed.”
Virgil didn’t say anything but walked back to the window to stare out. A few moments later he turned to his father. “I prefer we go with some other company, Dad.”
“Unless you can give me a good reason why Kara can’t do the job, Virgil, she’s in.”
Virgil drew in a deep breath. There was no need to tell his dad that Kara had been the only
woman he had ever loved. Both his parents knew that. But they didn’t know he had planned to propose to her the same week she had hurled her accusations against him.
“Level with me, Virgil. The last thing I need to worry about is you trying to seduce Kara. She’s getting hired to do a job. So if you think you still feel anything for her then—”
“Oh, I feel something for her all right,” Virgil said in an angry tone. “I feel so much dislike for her you can whip it into butter. So I honestly don’t see how I’ll be able to work with her.”
“For Bougard Enterprises it’s business, Virgil. For you, it sounds like a personal problem you need to work through. The way I see it, you could have sent Whitney Hilton from your room that night but you didn’t. Instead you chose to let her stay. It was your decision and with that decision came consequences this company has to deal with. I would love to retire and spend more time with your mother and my future grandchild, but I’ll hang around if I have to.”
Virgil definitely didn’t want that. As much as he loved his father and appreciated his wisdom and expertise, Virgil had gotten used to making the decisions. He was ready to handle things without the old man. If his father thought he needed an image adjustment, then fine. “You win, Dad. Go ahead and hire Kara’s company.”
Matthew stood. “It’s not about winning, Virgil. It’s about making the right moves to ensure that Bougard Enterprises will be around for a long time. I’ll have my administrative assistant call Kara to come in so we can discuss our plan with her.”
Virgil drew in a deep breath. He would have to put up with Kara...or die trying.
* * *
Kara hung up the phone with a shocked look on her face. Of all things... A call from Matthew Bougard’s administrative assistant saying he wanted to meet with her tomorrow to discuss a possible job offer.
She leaned back in her chair. Just what did Bougard Enterprises need? Considering her strained relationship with Virgil, which she figured Mr. Bougard had to know about, she was surprised he’d reached out to her company, despite its excellent reputation. She’d find out soon enough what Matthew Bougard wanted.
Will Virgil be at the meeting?
Tossing a paper clip on her desk, Kara thrust the question from her mind. Sure, he’d be there. And it was no big deal, she told herself. She recalled her last meeting with Virgil six months ago when she had apologized. She would always regret believing Marti’s lie and what doing so had cost her. She had not spoken to her sister since finding out the truth. As far as Kara was concerned, they didn’t have anything to say to each other. She loved Marti but Kara could never forget the day she’d arrived back in town early from a business trip. She’d gone to her sister’s office to invite her to lunch only to overhear Marti telling someone on the phone how she had lied to Kara. Marti had claimed she had seen Virgil having a romantic dinner with a woman and had followed them all the way to a hotel and watched them go inside.
When Kara had confronted her, she had admitted lying and said she had done it for Kara’s own good, as it would have been just a matter of time before Virgil hurt her. To Kara, that excuse was unacceptable.
The buzzing on her desk brought her thoughts back to the present. “Yes, Janice?”
“Your mother is on line one.”
Kara drew in a deep breath. Her mother was the last person she wanted to talk to. To Lydia Goshay’s way of thinking it was past time Kara forgave her sister.
“Tell my mother I’m in a meeting and I’ll call her back later.”
At the moment, Kara didn’t want to talk to anyone. All she wanted to do was to relax her mind for a minute. That call from Bougard Enterprises had definitely rattled her brain. Leaning back in her chair she closed her eyes and, it seemed of its own accord, her mind began reliving memories of that night five years ago when she and Virgil had met.
* * *
“May I have this dance?”
Kara’s heart began pounding the minute she turned to stare up into what had to be the most gorgeous pair of brown eyes she’d ever seen. Bedroom eyes. They were an indulgent chocolate hue that made one think of something totally sweet and clandestinely sinful.
Although they had never been formally introduced, she knew who he was. Virgil Bougard. He had a reputation around town that would make Casanova look like a choir boy. His name was often whispered on women’s lips followed by a salacious smile. She’d first heard about him in the locker room at her gym. Women claimed he was hot, both in and out of bed. They also claimed he was a man who got any woman he wanted. And she had a feeling that tonight for some reason she had caught his eye.
She’d seen him when he’d arrived and had watched how several women had put themselves in his path. It seemed he drew them to him like a magnet. But he hadn’t danced with anyone. His attention had seemed targeted on her.
For most of the night their gazes had been meeting and holding from across the room. Each time she could feel her blood rush through her veins. She had noticed how impeccably he was dressed and how tall he stood, an imposing figure against any other man in the room. Talk about sex appeal.
She wished she could say it was all due to his ultrahandsome looks, consisting of an angular face that boasted a firm jaw, full lips and high cheekbones. And when he’d smiled her stomach did a couple of flips, and then she saw the dimples in those cheeks.
And now that same man was standing right in front of her, asking her to dance. Although she wished otherwise, she could feel heat swirling through her. She felt an intense sexual connection between them and couldn’t understand how that could be. Although she knew better and was totally aware of his scandalous reputation around town, she was shamefully attracted to him.
“Dance?” she repeated.
The way his mouth curved in a teasing smile made more curling heat settle in the pit of her stomach. “Yes, dance. I would do just about anything to hold you in my arms.”
Kara couldn’t believe this stranger would be so audacious as to say that.
“Who are you?” she asked. She knew his identity but felt he should introduce himself nonetheless.
He gave her another smile. “Virgil. Virgil Bougard. And you’re...?”
“Kara Goshay.”
“Nice meeting you, Kara.” He paused a moment and then asked, “So...are we going to dance?”
She didn’t miss the desire smoldering in the depths of those bedroom eyes. The sight of it made her heart rate accelerate in her chest. “Yes, Virgil. I will dance with you.”
* * *
Kara slowly opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath. They had danced. More than once.
Believing Marti’s lie was something she would regret for the rest of her life. Because in doing so, she had lost the one man she would ever love.
Chapter 2
Virgil entered his home and tossed his jacket across a chair. At least his father’s visit hadn’t stopped him from sticking with his plan to leave work early. He needed to rest, relax and recover from too much partying this weekend at Tyson’s wedding. Now he had another reason for needing down time. Namely to get his mind prepared for tomorrow’s meeting with Kara.
She had done something no one had thought was possible, which was to literally bring him to his knees and show him there was a difference between love and lust. His womanizing ways had begun to morph into those of a man who wanted only one woman. Her. She had singlehandedly transformed his reckless heart into a thoughtful one.
That was then. This was now.
He was no longer a fool in love. And Kara was someone he could do without. He staunchly refused to give his heart to another woman, and he enjoyed his time as a single man who wore no female’s heart on his sleeve. He was a card-carrying member of the Guarded Hearts Club.
Over the years the club had seen its membership dwindle. Uriel had dropped
out when he married Ellie. A year later Xavier had married Farrah, followed by York marrying Darcy and then Winston tying the knot with Ainsley. The last one had been a shocker because no one had been a stronger advocate of bachelorhood than Winston. Hell, Winston even held the office of club president for a number of years. That left only him and Zion as lone members. As the president, he felt it was time they recruited new members.
Although the club started out exclusively for him and his godbrothers, that didn’t mean it had to stay that way. There had to be other single men who felt the same way they did. Men who enjoyed the single life and intended to never marry. Mercury and Gannon Steele headed the list. It wouldn’t be hard to convince them that bachelors needed to stick together and they needed to join the exclusive club. He’d heard the frustration in their voices this weekend at Tyson’s wedding. Mercury and Gannon figured it would only be a matter of time before their mother eyed one of them as the next possible groom.
And then there was Xavier’s friend Kurt. He would be another good candidate. And wasn’t it just last week that Quade Westmoreland, who was an in-law of those Steeles, mention something about newfound bachelor cousins living somewhere in Alaska? A semblance of a smile touched Virgil’s face. There was hope after all.
A frown replaced the smile when his thoughts shifted to Whitney Hilton. She had definitely been a mistake and one he was still paying for. It wasn’t as if Whitney had been an underage teenager. Hell, the woman had been twenty-five. An adult. A consenting adult. Hilton was disillusioned if he thought his daughter had been a virgin that night. Nevertheless, for one night of lust, he would pay by having to put up with Kara. That was something he didn’t look forward to doing.
As he headed for the kitchen to grab a cold beer out of the refrigerator, he couldn’t help allowing his mind to recall a time when Kara’s presence was the only thing he’d wanted.
And it had started with their first dance...
* * *
“So, Kara, tell me about yourself.”
Virgil couldn’t help looking into her eyes when he’d made the request. She was simply beautiful. Striking. Stunning. And the dress she was wearing showed off her body right down to every curve. He wanted to get to know her but there were other things he wanted to do to her, as well. Taste her. Touch her. But for now, dancing with her had to suffice.
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