by Day Leclaire
“I’m serious, Kurt. Something has to be done about them.”
“What do you suggest, honey?” He shoved a hand through hair a shade paler than Francesca’s own honey-blond. “I’ve called Juliet Bloom’s rep every day since the showing. She’s polite, but refuses to commit.”
“Because of those damn Dantes!”
Francesca stiffened at hearing her worst fears confirmed. “What have the Dantes got to do with Juliet Bloom?” As if she didn’t know.
Tina swung around, only too happy to explain. “Surprise, surprise, they’ve approached her, too.” She slammed her hands down on her desk. “They sell wedding rings, for God’s sake, not jewelry sets. But because it’s the Dante name, Bloom is listening.”
Francesca’s heart sank. Oh, God. He’d done it. Somehow he’d used her slip of the tongue to wrestle the Bloom account away from the Fontaines. “When…when did this happen?”
“We’re not sure. Bloom’s been cagey ever since the show. Promising, but never quite committing. Then this morning we found out why.”
Francesca closed her eyes to hide the guilt she knew must be readily apparent. This was all her fault. She should have been up front with the Fontaines from the start. She never should have allowed Sev to convince her to continue their affair, despite the hint of blackmail behind his insistence. But she’d wanted him, wanted him desperately. And so she’d caved when she should have held firm. If TH went under, she’d be the one responsible and they’d never forgive her. Hell, she’d never forgive herself.
“What are you going to do?” she finally asked.
Tina resumed her pacing. “What can we do? We’re running out of time.” She didn’t need to add that a good portion of Timeless Heirlooms’ future hung on the actress agreeing to be their spokeswoman and wear Francesca’s creations in her next picture.
Kurt glanced at Francesca. “Severo Dante called,” he murmured in an aside. “He told us he was behind the delay and upped his offer for Timeless.”
Tina glared in frustration. “I don’t care what that SOB offers. I’m not selling.” Her anger crumbled to panic and she barreled straight into Kurt’s arms. “We’re in this together, right? United we stand and all that? Because I couldn’t do this without you. This place would fall apart if it weren’t for you.”
His arms tightened around his wife. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure something out.”
Tears stung Francesca’s eyes at the open display of affection. If only…She shook her head, refusing to allow her thoughts to go there. It wouldn’t serve any purpose other than to drive her crazy with futile longing. Kurt could never be her father. And Sev would never be anything more than her temporary lover.
After all, it didn’t matter that she couldn’t claim Kurt as her father, she decided then and there, or reveal her connection to him. She refused to do anything that might damage the Fontaines’ marriage. And finding out that Kurt had not only indulged in an affair in the early years of their marriage, but also that a child had resulted from that affair would do more than damage it. Knowing Tina, it could very well destroy thirty years of wedded bliss. Francesca could barely handle the guilt of her part in bringing down TH. It would destroy her if she ruined Kurt and Tina’s marriage, on top of everything else.
Just being this close to her father filled Francesca with more joy than she thought possible. After all the lonely years in foster care, all the years of working every spare minute of every day to hone her craft, she’d settle for whatever she could get. She refused to bemoan her current circumstances. While her connection to family would remain tenuous at best, as long as she worked at Timeless Heirlooms and it remained afloat, she could pursue a career she loved with all her heart and soul. Even better, she could remain in her father’s orbit, even if she never became one of his inner circle.
And if that meant helping them beat Sev at his own game, so be it. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked. “Is there some way of convincing Juliet Bloom to go with TH?”
Kurt looked at her over Tina’s head. “Put out some feelers among your associates. See if you can find out who this new designer is.”
She froze. “I’m sorry. What new designer?”
Tina pulled free of Kurt’s embrace. “That’s right. We didn’t tell her the best part. Wait until you hear this one.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Dantes has convinced Bloom’s people that they have some hot new designer on the hook who can give Dame Juliet exactly what she wants.”
Oh, no. Oh, please don’t let it be who she thought it was. “Who? Who’s their new designer?”
“We have no idea. We haven’t heard so much as a whisper of a rumor.”
“That’s where you come in,” Kurt added. “We’d appreciate it if you’d keep your ear to the ground. See what some of the other designers are saying. It has to be someone they’ve acquired very recently, since this Bloom deal’s only been around for the last few weeks.”
“Maybe we should go downstairs and count heads,” Tina muttered. “See if any of our designers are missing. It would be just like him to snitch one of them right from under our noses.”
Francesca closed her eyes, her world tilting. Aware that the Fontaines waited for her response, she swallowed, struggling to speak around a throat gone bone-dry. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
Not that it would take much effort. In fact, it wouldn’t take much more than a single visit. How many times had Sev offered her a job, each proposition more lucrative than the last? Suddenly, it all made sense. Sev knew that TH was in hot negotiation with some big name. He’d been frank about that almost from the start. Chances were excellent he also knew which designer had piqued that person’s interest…had undoubtedly known from the night they first met. If he stole—seduced—her away from TH, he’d gain the ultimate prize. He’d land a highly lucrative account with Bloom—now that he’d romanced the actress’s name out of her—and he’d take away the Fontaines’ best chance at revitalizing the company Dantes wanted to purchase. If she didn’t miss her guess, Sev planned to use her to accomplish both those goals.
Overhead the storm clouds broke.
Francesca didn’t give the assistant seated at a desk outside Sev’s door a chance to stop her. She simply swept past the stunning blonde and barged straight into his office. Four men sat sprawled on couches and chairs in an informal sitting area at the far end of the enormous room. She recognized them from the photos that decorated the console in Sev’s den, as well as the walls of his apartment.
Sharp light, scrubbed clean from the recent storm, streamed from the floor-to-ceiling windows and haloed the twins, Marco and Lazz, who sat opposite each other like a pair of striking bookends. She pegged Marco by his wide grin and appreciative gaze, not to mention the sexual sizzle he gave off with every exhalation. Lazz regarded her with a cool, analytical stare, everything about him suggesting a man who kept his emotions under tight control. And then there was Nicolò, the youngest at twenty-nine, but according to Sev, the most dangerous of the bunch. Had he been the one to suggest her as a creative solution for taking over Timeless Heirlooms? Finally, her attention switched to Sev.
He knew why she’d come. She saw the knowledge settle across a face she’d covered with sweet kisses just a few hours earlier. He jerked his head toward the door and his brothers stood en masse. Before Nic left, he handed Sev a file folder with her name prominently displayed across the cover.
Sev lobbed the opening volley. “I have one question before you say anything. Have you signed a formal contract yet with Timeless Heirlooms, or are you still on probation?”
She couldn’t believe his nerve. “That’s none of your business,” she retorted, stung.
“Answer me, Francesca.” His quiet tone gentled the implacable demand. “Have you signed with them?”
“I intend to, just as soon as I tell you what I think of you.”
He simply nodded, but she caught a hint of relief that came and went in his expression. “Would
you care to sit?”
“I prefer to do this standing.” Her hands curled into fists. “You used me. You used me to try and take over TH. I’m here to tell you that you’ve failed. And I’m also here to tell you that I think you’re despicable.”
“Let’s set the record straight on several points.” He stood, tossing the folder Nic had given him to one side. “When we first met—hell, when we first made love—I had no idea who you were. Maybe if I’d answered my cell when Marco phoned that night, I would have. But if you recall, I was a little preoccupied and he didn’t get through to me until the next morning.”
She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. “I’m not buying it. You could have discovered my identity before you ever arrived at the showing.”
“It would have been possible, I suppose. But the fact is, I didn’t.” He stalked closer. “Next point. The Fontaines and I were already negotiating the sale of Timeless Heirlooms before you and I ever met. Tina knew I intended to buy them out, either when she eventually sold out to me, or after she was forced to declare bankruptcy. That hasn’t changed.”
“But you hadn’t counted on the success of the showing.”
“No.”
“Or that they might acquire Juliet Bloom as their spokeswoman. Or that she would use their collection in her next film.”
“Correction. Your collection. And Juliet Bloom has postponed her decision.” He paused a beat. “Indefinitely.”
Undisguised fury ripped through Francesca. “Because you told her that you had a collection as good as TH’s. That you had the perfect designer for her. Me.” He didn’t deny it and desolation battled with anger. “You thought you could hire me away from the Fontaines and steal the Bloom account so they’d be forced to sell to you.”
“Yes.”
The simple confirmation cut deep. “You’re not even going to deny it?” Please deny it!
“Why should I? It’s true. If you’d accepted my job offer that’s exactly how it would have gone down.” For the first time, she saw a businessman instead of her lover. “That’s how it’s still going down.”
She shook her head. “Not a chance in hell. Do you think I’d ever agree to work for you after this? That I’ll ever sleep with you again?”
“One has nothing to do with the other. One is business, the other personal.” He shrugged. “The two are mutually exclusive.”
Her chin wobbled precariously. Didn’t he get it? “One has everything to do with the other. I’ve lived a lifetime of betrayal in one form or another. I can’t…” She ground to a halt, correcting herself. “I won’t be with a man I can’t trust.”
“Francesca, I didn’t seduce you in order to tempt you away from Timeless.”
“You actually expect me to believe that?”
“It’s the truth. I made you a legitimate job offer for two reasons. First, you’d be an incredible asset to Dantes. You’re the best designer I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot.”
“And second?” Not that she needed him to spell it out. She already knew.
“Second, having you leave TH makes them more vulnerable to a Dantes’ takeover.”
Did he really think she’d find his reasoning appropriate? That A plus B equaled acceptable in her book? He had a lot to learn. “Maybe if you only wanted me because of my talent, I could somehow justify it. Somehow. But that’s not the case. You want to take down Timeless Heirlooms and you want to use me to do it. I can’t allow that. I can’t allow you to do anything that threatens Tina and Kurt.”
“Because Kurt’s your father.”
The breath escaped her lungs in a heady rush and her vision blurred. One minute she stood staring at Sev in utter betrayal and the next he pressed her into one of the nearby chairs. He disappeared from her line of sight for a moment, then returned with glass in hand.
“It’s just water, though I have something stronger if you prefer.”
She shook her head without speaking and downed the water in a desperate gulp. “How…?”
“Nicolò hired a private investigator.” Sev cupped the curve of her cheek and for a brief, insane moment she relaxed into his touch. The instant she realized what she’d done, she jerked back and his hand fell away. “Before we met at Le Premier I arranged to have each designer investigated. Marco and I attended the showing in order to collect names. By the time Nic called the next morning, the P.I. had matters well underway.”
“You’re going to blackmail me now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes. Oh, God. He made it seem so simple. So obvious and acceptable. “You’re a total bastard, you know that?”
“When it comes to taking care of my family, you’re right.” She could literally feel the change come over him as he shifted from lover to adversary. “I’d rather you come to us of your own free will. But I’ll do whatever necessary to restore Dantes.”
She looked at him, searching his face for some sign of the man she’d taken to her bed. If he still existed—if he ever existed—he was lost to her now. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded. “You don’t need TH. Dantes will still be a success without it.”
“Their business is failing.” She hated the compassion gleaming in his burnished gold eyes. Hated him all the more for being right. “Bloom might revitalize it for a short time, but Tina is too capricious to keep the business going for longer than a few years. She hired three designers, two of whom are worse than mediocre. The fact that she also hired you is more dumb luck than true discernment. The only reason the company hasn’t gone under before this is thanks to Kurt’s business acumen.”
“So now you’re the hero? You’re going to rescue Timeless Heirlooms?”
He gathered himself, exuding an uncompromising determination that had long been a hallmark of the Dante legend. “Timeless Heirlooms belonged to us. Because of my father’s own capriciousness, I had no choice but to sell it off. Now I’m in a position to right that wrong. Do you expect me to walk away without recovering what I lost?” Regret colored his words. “That isn’t going to happen and you know it.”
“Because you feel responsible for Dantes’ fall from grace.”
“Because I am responsible. You know why I feel that way.”
She remembered the night he’d explained it to her, and how sympathetic she’d felt. Not anymore. Not when he demonstrated such ruthless disregard in order to achieve his goal. “So, you’ll do anything to return the company to its former glory. No matter who gets hurt. No matter who gets in your way or who you have to steamroll over.” She wasn’t asking, but acknowledging fact.
“No one has to get hurt. The Fontaines will be in a far better position if they sell out to us now than if I’m forced to collect the broken pieces after their fall.”
“Very generous of you, I’m sure.”
For the first time, a spark of anger flared to life in his eyes. “It’s time to negotiate, Francesca. Will you come to work at Dantes of your own volition?”
“What happens if I refuse? Will you tell Tina that I’m Kurt’s daughter?”
For the first time he didn’t give her a straight answer. “I don’t want to do it that way.”
“But you will if you think there’s no other option. You will because you know that the news will devastate Tina, since she and Kurt were married at the time of my conception. Knowing how volatile she is, she’ll throw him out. And even if they eventually reconcile—which they will since they truly love each other—the damage will have been done. Their neglect will hand you TH.”
“That’s Nic’s assessment of the situation, yes.”
“It’s a rotten thing to do, Sev.”
Pain sliced across his face. “I’ve been forced to make far more difficult decisions, decisions that have had disastrous impact on people’s lives.” His voice dropped, landed in some dark, desolate place that echoed through his words. “I’ve had no choice. There was no one else to make those decisions. And I don’t doubt there’ll be other occasi
ons when I’m forced to make still more.”
She could see the truth in his eyes, see that he’d made an uncomfortable home for himself between that proverbial rock and a hard place. She could also sympathize with him, up to a point. Because from now on she’d have to make difficult decisions as well, to stand on her own without Sev at her back. Well, she’d been there before. She’d lived most of her life with no one beside her when times grew tough. She could do it again. She needed to be strong, to refortify the barriers she’d created years ago to hide her vulnerability and weakness. And she would. There wasn’t any other choice.
“If I agree to work with you, I have one request.” She didn’t allow herself to consider that her statement as good as conceded defeat.
“Name it.”
“The Fontaines are to receive full price for TH. I want it in my contract. I won’t lift a finger to help Dantes otherwise.”
He gave it a moment’s reflection. “In that case I want an exclusive two-year contract with you with an additional two-year non-compete clause. If you walk away without meeting the terms of your contract, I won’t allow you to work for anyone else in the industry in any capacity, whatsoever, for two full years.”
Suddenly she found herself right there with him, a hard place boring into her back, a boulder slamming her from the front. “That seems a bit harsh.”
“I have an investment to protect. I have no intention of buying out TH only to have you walk away from Dantes and help the Fontaines start up a competing business.”
It hadn’t occurred to her to do any such thing. But now that he mentioned it, it would serve him right if she’d planned to do precisely that. “Very well. I agree.”
He held out his hand. “Welcome to Dantes.”
Francesca realized her mistake the instant she put her hand in his. The Inferno reared its ugly head, darting from his hand to hers and setting her blood on fire. It didn’t seep into her bones, but burned inward, branding her more deeply and completely than she thought possible.