by Linda Verji
“That’s great to hear.” Mark nodded approvingly.
“What will you guys do about the conditioner?” Toni asked. “Are you taking it off the market for good?”
“No, we can’t take it off.” Sharon shook her head. “It was our best seller. Eve suggested that we recall all the bottles that are out there. Anyone who brings back a bottle will be given a full refund plus a free bottle of a newly formulated cleansing conditioner. If we use our influencers and media connections, we can sell the new conditioner as an even better replacement.”
Carter frowned. “Won’t that cost you money?”
“It will.” Sharon nodded. “But it’s an investment we have to make if we want to gain back public confidence.”
“Do you have the money?” Mark looked just as concerned as Carter. “Rumor has it that your bank has frozen La Belle’s credit line until the company completely stabilizes.”
“Banks aren’t the only way to get money.” Sharon grinned. “I already have an investor lined up. You know Lewis Wick, right?”
Mark’s eyes widened in surprise. “Of course I know Lewis Wick.”
Carter was just as surprised. “You guys got Wick to invest in the company?”
“Lewis Wick is that rich guy, right?” Toni asked. Her question was directed at Eve.
Eve smiled. “Rich is an understatement.”
“He’s appeared several times in Forbes’s list of the world’s richest people.” Carter met his mother’s eyes. “I thought he was just into tech stuff. When did he start investing in cosmetics?”
Lewis Wick was a technology entrepreneur and investor. He’d started off by selling code for a video game he’d created while still in middle school then gone ahead to create other companies that had earned him billions. The Wellings might be rich but they had nothing on Wick.
“I actually had no idea that he’d be interested in La Belle until his people approached me,” Sharon said. “Apparently, he’s looking to diversify his portfolio.”
“If Wick is involved, then I’m sure that La Belle will be back on its feet in no time.” Mark grinned. “Everything he touches turns to gold.”
Carter smiled too. La Belle would be just fine. His mother and Eve would make sure of that.
Mark and Toni left a few hours later. After saying goodnight to Sharon, Carter and Eve headed to their bedroom. There was no denying the anticipation that coursed through Carter as he waited for his wife to come to bed. When she came out from the walk-in closet, she was wearing a simple gray tank-top over gray sleep-shorts. Still, she was a delectable sight. The top molded over her breasts like a second skin and the shorts ended mid-thigh revealing a tantalizing length of leg. His sex rose in anticipation.
To keep himself from pouncing on her immediately, he commented, “I noticed that you didn’t say anything when we were talking about Charlie and whether the company should go after him too.”
“What’s to say?” Eve slipped into bed beside him. “Your mother has already made her decision.”
“But what’s your opinion?” Carter pressed. It was almost as if they’d been doing this for a long time because she easily came into his arms when he drew her in. He asked, “Do you agree with my mom that he’s already had enough punishment?”
Eve was quiet for a long time before she said, “In a way.”
“In a way?” Carter arched his eyebrows as he looked down at her. “What does that mean?”
“I think-” Her hand came up to settle on his bare chest. “That Charlie has been punished more than he deserves.”
The feeling of her fingers on his skin was electrifying and Carter had to suck in a breath before he could speak again. Even then, his voice was raspy as he asked, “More than he deserves? He risked our clients’ health just to save a few pennies. He almost destroyed La Belle. And you think he’s being punished too much?”
Eve shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Why?” Carter asked. When Eve didn’t say anything and just kept playing with the hairs on his chest, he hypothesized, “Is this because you feel sorry for him? You two have worked together for five years so it’s understandable.”
She still didn’t say anything.
He sighed on the inside. Honestly, her silence was frustrating. Though their physical relationship had changed, emotionally, it still felt like they were in the same place. She was still a closed book, hiding her thoughts from him. And he hated it. However, he also knew that it would take more time to crack her shell open. She’d already given up ground just so they could sleep together. Hopefully, she’d open her heart to him soon.
But damn, the waiting was killing him.
“I can understand why you’d feel sorry for him,” Carter continued despite Eve’s non-answer. “He seemed like a good guy, a stand-up guy. I was fooled too.”
“Mm,” Eve mumbled.
He assumed that that meant she agreed with him. He added, “It’s so hard to read people these days. Everyone’s putting on a mask.”
She snorted. “Ain’t that the truth!”
Her snort left him with the impression that she wasn’t talking about Charlie.
However, before he could ask more questions, she said, “Could you put off your light?”
“Sure.” He immediately turned to put off the lamp on his nightstand plunging the room into darkness.
“Goodnight,” Eve whispered.
But he wasn’t ready for goodnight. He tipped her chin then dropped his head until he could caress her lush bottom lip with his tongue. She responded immediately, parting her lips to meet him in a sweet kiss that heightened the heat already searing through him. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer then turning to his back so that she was on top of him. As they kissed, his hands skimmed her back then followed its slope down to her plump bottom. He cupped her softness.
When he squeezed her ass, Eve tore her lips from his. Panting, she said, “Carter, we can’t.”
“Please…” He lifted his head slightly so that he could find her lips again. His mouth only touched hers briefly before she pulled away again.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she murmured. “It’s just that… It’s just…” Her words faded into silence.
“It’s just what?” he prodded, but she didn’t answer. Eager to get to the bottom of the issue, he set her back on the bed then reached over and turned on the light again. When he could see her face again, he pressed, “It’s just what?”
Eve’s gaze lowered as her teeth worried her bottom lip. It almost seemed like she was embarrassed.
Now concerned, Carter tipped her chin so that she was forced to look at him. “What’s the matter?”
She swallowed then said, “I’m on my period.”
“Oh!” Carter’s heart immediately plunged to the pit of his belly. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. Periods were a normal part of being in a relationship with a woman. But damn it, he’d been looking forward to having her tonight. It had been almost two weeks. Why today?
Though on the inside, he was mourning and stamping his feet like a toddler, he forced a smile as he drew her back into his arms. “That’s okay. We can wait then.”
Eve made a face. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He punctuated his words with a kiss. After another kiss, he moved to turn off the lights again.
He’d been so turned on that getting rid of his erection was almost impossible. To make matters worse, he was holding her which meant that he could feel every inch of the luscious woman he couldn’t have. Also, she smelled amazing; like citrus, cookies and woman rolled into a delicious bundle. His body aching with ravenous hunger, he drew in a deep breath. This sucked!
It took him a while to figure out that her being on her period meant that she wasn’t pregnant. That sent fresh disappointment through him because he’d been looking forward to adding a baby to their family. However, for now, finally being a real couple was enough. Being parents could wait.
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THE FOLLOWING DAY, Eve received a call from her father asking her to stop by the house after work. As soon as she drove into the estate, she noted that only her father’s car was in the driveway. Eve smiled in relief.
“Hi, Torchie!” Mark greeted her with a smile when she walked into the living room. He was watching a cooking show on TV. “Did you come directly here from work?”
“Yeah.” She bent to kiss his cheek. “Mom’s not around?”
“No.” He shook his head. “She’s teaching an evening class.”
“Oh! That’s a pity.” Eve forced herself to look disappointed as she took a seat. “I wanted to see her.”
“You might get to.” Mark turned his wrist to check the time on his watch. “The class ends in thirty.”
Well, then I better get out of here fast. Eve changed the topic. “What did you need to see me for?”
“Right to business?” His eyes twinkling with amusement, he teased, “You can’t even ask your old man how he’s been?”
She snorted. “I saw you just yesterday, Dad.”
“Yeah, but we barely talked.” The amusement faded from his eyes and he became more serious. “Why don’t you ever talk when all of us are together?”
“What do you mean?” Eve asked even though she knew what he was talking about. “I always talk.”
“No, you don’t… not like you used to.” Her father’s eyes were uncomfortably piercing as he studied her. “Baby, I know that you hate when I ask you this, but are you happy with Carter?”
“Yes.” She lowered her gaze to her lap. “He’s a good man.”
“I know that he’s a good man,” Mark said, “but that doesn’t mean he’s good for you. You’ve changed since you married him. You’ve become more closed off. At first I thought it was because of Daniel, but it’s been five years since that rat left. It has to be something else. Is it Carter?”
“No, it’s not Carter,” she denied. Meeting her father’s eyes, she added, “He’s good to me.”
“Then who is it?” Mark tilted his head to watch her closely as he proposed, “Sharon?”
“No,” Eve quickly answered… maybe a little too quickly. To back up her lie, she added, “She’s good to me too.”
Her father’s eyes narrowed, almost as if he didn’t quite believe her. But instead of pushing further, he said, “The reason I called you here was to discuss what’s going on at La Belle.”
“Oh!” Eve was surprised by the direction of the conversation. Other than for a few offhand comments or questions, she and her father had never really talked about La Belle. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know the truth!”
Eve’s heart jumped to her throat. Did he know something?
Her father continued, “Was everything that Sharon told us last night true?”
Eve had to swallow hard to ease the sudden tension that had taken hold of her throat before she spoke. Instead of answering his question, she asked, “Why do you ask?”
“The streets are talking.” Sitting back in his seat, he explained, “People around me say that Charlie Mitchell might not be the real culprit. It could actually be Sharon.”
Of course Eve had known that some people wouldn’t believe Sharon’s story about Charlie. The success of the rest of Eve’s plan depended on those skeptics. However, she hadn’t imagined that her father would end up being one of those skeptics.
She asked, “I thought you trusted Sharon?”
“I do. But she’s always been a little… what’s the word?” Frowning, Mark scratched the back of his neck. “I just can’t put my finger on it. There’s always been something off about her to me. She’s a little too perfect. I’ve always felt that there was more to her than what she presents. I don’t know… maybe it’s just my imagination.”
No, Dad. It’s not your imagination, Eve wanted to scream. But she held back and instead asked, “What about Mom?”
“Your mother?” Mark snorted. “You know how she is. Sharon can do no wrong in her eyes, which is why I haven’t even brought this up with her.” His attention turned back to Eve. “Everything Sharon said is true, right? This was all because of that Charlie or whatever his name is, right?”
Eve didn’t want to lie to her father, but she couldn’t tell him the truth either. So she hedged, “I’m not involved with that side of the business so I can’t tell you for sure if it’s the truth or not.”
“Hasn’t Sharon told you anything?”
Eve shook her head. “No.”
Mark thought over it for a moment then sat up straighter. “I need you to find out for yourself if what she says is the truth.”
Eve’s mouth fell open as surprise widened her eyes. “You want me to find out?”
“Yes.” Mark nodded. “If Sharon is being dishonest in any way, then I want you to resign.”
Fresh shock pulsed through Eve. Never in a million years had she expected her father to suggest that she resign from La Belle. Her parents were always so friendly with Sharon that she’d expected them to take the woman’s side no matter what. Eve watched her father, trying to figure out where all this was coming from.
A moment later, the answer came to her. “Is this because you’re the mayor?” Disappointment already roiling through her, she added, “You don’t want any of this coming back to you, right?”
“Of course not! What kind of person do you think I am?” Mark looked genuinely appalled at the implications in her words. “I would never use you as a pawn for my political career… a career which by the way is about to end.”
“What do you mean it’s about to end?” Her voice rose with her surprise, “I thought you wanted to try out for governor next?”
“No, I’m done with all this.” Mark made a sour face. “Eight years is enough for me.”
The reason Eve’s scheme had taken so long to mature was because she was taking her father’s political career into consideration and she didn’t want to mess it up. His being out of politics would make things a lot easier. However, that didn’t mean that she was happy about it. He loved serving people.
She reminded him, “But you love being a mayor and helping people.”
“I do.” He nodded. “But you and your mother come first to me. Eight years of keeping you in the public eye is already too much. I want you guys to finally live without being conscious of all the eyes that are watching you.”
It was true that his political career had influenced many of her choices, but she’d never begrudged him for it. “Mom and I have never complained.”
“But I know you don’t like it.” Mark sighed. “To be honest, this is something I’ve been thinking about for quite a while. I’ve always been afraid that you were staying with Carter because of me. That you were afraid to divorce him because of me!”
“Dad!” Eve protested. “That’s not the reason I stayed with him. I stayed with him because I love him.”
Even as she said those words, she realized that they were partly true. She loved Carter. Even though her reasons for staying with him were devious, she truly loved him.
“But you don’t seem happy. And I hate that.” Her father met her eyes. “I want you to be able to do whatever you want without worrying about who your father is. If that means walking out on Carter and the rest of his family, then that’s okay with me.” He smiled, but sadness shone behind that smile. “I want you to be happy again, Torchie.”
I want you to be happy again. His words echoed over and over again in her thoughts as she drove home. I want you to be happy again. Tears slipped down her cheeks and clouded her gaze, forcing her to slow down so she could wipe them away. I want you to be happy again.
It wasn’t strange that her father wanted her to be happy. He loved her just as much as she loved him, which made this situation all the more painful. She wished that she could reveal to him Sharon’s true colors. She wished that she could tell him all the things that that woman had done to her. But she couldn’t.
Because that would mean revealing the truth about why she’d let Sharon do all those things to her. That truth would hurt him too much.
Her heart ached for him.
With that ache came a bitterness that fortified her thirst for vengeance. Sharon needed to be stopped no matter the cost. Even if Carter was the cost!
CHAPTER 11
Lewis Wick was an intimidating man. Everything about the fifty-three-year-old mogul said ‘leave your bullshit at the door’; from his dark hair that was slicked back perfectly to the hard eyes and unsmiling lips, from the perfectly knotted navy tie to the perfect lines of his navy suit.
Even his private office matched his personality. The space was dauntingly large and furnished with dark, grand furniture and burgundy drapes that gave it a somber air. This wasn’t a place where one came to laugh. It was all about business.
“There is no way I’m giving you all that money for just five percent.” Wick’s piercing gaze was on Sharon as he added, “Your valuation is off.”
Sharon protested, “This is the valuation we got just…” Her eyes swept to Eve as if to ask for the clarification.
“… Three months ago,” Eve finished for her just as Henry Mullins, La Belle’s Chief Financial Officer, chimed in with the same information.
Sharon hadn’t been kidding when she’d said that Wick was interested in investing with La Belle. He’d invited her to his office to negotiate the deal, and she’d brought Eve and Henry as her back up.
“Three months ago?” Wick’s eyebrows went up and a sardonic smile lifted one side of his lips. “A lot has changed since three months ago. La Belle isn’t the same company it was then.”
“I’ll admit that we’ve slipped a bit,” Sharon said, “but not as much as you think and we’re already getting back up.”
“Regardless of how much or little the slip was, the fact is there was a slip, and your valuation does not reflect it. It needs a haircut,” Wick countered. “You can’t expect me to pay all that money just for those little crumbs. Give me something I can chew.”
“Okay, you say eight percent is too little…” Sharon sat back in her seat. “Then how much equity do you want?”