“Looking for more about the Corisi/Dartley whirlwind romance? We have an exclusive interview with the bride-to-be's sister.” The promo from a Boston news station played on the phone Jake Walton had propped on a table in his room-sized closet as he was getting dressed one morning.
Jake paused briefly from looping his carefully chosen, blue, silk tie in a full Windsor. Most men were aware of one or two ways to knot a tie, but Jake knew over eighty methods to perform that simple function and how each conveyed a subtle, yet different message. Information was power, even when applied to the details.
The video clip his business partner, Dominic Corisi, had sent his phone a few moments earlier was not welcome information, but since the actual interview had yet to air there was time to squash it. Having a network of security in a variety of cities had paid off again.
This was an unfortunate distraction for Dominic at the very time when he most needed to regain his focus. Luckily the situation could easily be rectified with a few phone calls and would hopefully be quickly forgotten by the public.
No doubt, Dominic’s next step would be to call him, perpetuating the cycle they had fallen into years ago-Dominic made a mess and always expected Jake to clean it up. Jake didn’t deny that there was a certain pleasure to be found in bringing order to the chaos his business partner often left in his wake. Normally something like this interview would be categorized as a minor nuisance. Dominic was famous for being volatile, impulsive, and often the subject of legal inquires, certainly not a man who feared bad press, but with Corisi Enterprises having invested so much into one contract with China, the stakes were insanely high.
Jake resumed knotting his tie as he watched the rest of the video clip.
“Listen as Lil Dartley spills her true feelings about having billionaire and computer tycoon Dominic Corisi kidnap her sister. Hear her confess something that is sure to rock the Corisi camp. Think you know the whole story? You don’t know this. Don’t miss our exclusive phone interview-tonight at seven.”
Surely Dominic hadn’t been careless enough to share the one piece of information that could topple Corisi Enterprises? If so, no amount of money could stifle her interview.
Was Lil making a grab for her five minutes of fame, or something more insidious? She was a young, single mother of twenty-five. It wasn’t unimaginable that she’d think the world owed her something since her sister had hit the proverbial jackpot by snagging a billionaire.
Normally the exposure of human flaw did not elicit more than annoyance from Jake, but it was oddly disappointing to find it so soon in Dominic’s new family-Lil in particular. Not that her character, or lack of, should matter one way or another to Jake. She was, and always should have been, off limits.
A memory from the first time he’d met her came back to him with disconcerting clarity. His body tightened and warmed as if she were once again standing before him, defiantly flipping her cascade of dark brown curls over one shoulder and waving her other hand back and forth as if underlying her words.
“You lied to me,” she’d accused. And waited, practically tapping a foot in displeasure. The details of the bowling alley she’d dragged him to that night had faded away, but the fullness of her pouting mouth remained painfully easy to recall.
“You asked me if I liked to bowl, not if I knew how.” A hint of self-satisfaction had spilled into his tone and it’d bothered him. Knocking over a set of pins with a spinning projectile was a simple process of aiming for a “pocket,” the space between the front pin and the one angled behind it to the right. Not a difficult feat if you understood angles and velocity. So why had he puffed up with pride over this achievement?
Lil.
His realization that he wanted to impress her had been the most unsettling part of the evening. There had been far too much going on with Corisi Enterprises to waste time on what the little sister of Dominic’s latest fling thought of him. He’d scowled down at her, more in response to his own thoughts than to her words.
Money shaped how most people interacted with him, but it wasn’t something that he’d given much reflection to until he’d met Lil. Her displeasure with the reason for his visit had initially outweighed whatever most women found attractive about him. She hadn’t asked him to join her that night because she wanted to spend more time with him.
No, she’d taken him outside of what she’d considered his comfort zone with a less than noble goal, but she’d failed. “Disappointed that I don’t look ridiculous?” he’d asked.
She’d rested a hand on one jean clad hip, looking him up and down, smirking as she’d noted the clash between his Dayang suit and his colorful, rented bowling shoes; a perusal that had sent his blood rushing to places he thought he’d gained control of by his late teens. “Oh, you still do, don’t worry.”
More than the way her yellow t-shirt had clung to her small but tempting endowments, or how her jeans had been tight in all the right places-what had driven his blood pressure higher had been the bold challenge in her eyes. He’d never been the type of man who reached out, grabbed with passion, and took. But that night, he’d wanted to be.
Instead, he’d adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. “Then I suggest you beat my score or risk the same fate.”
She’d continued to assess him, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t get you. I mean, aren’t you Dominic’s second in command?”
The memory of that comment elicited the same tight smile it had the first time he’d heard it. “Something like that.”
“Don’t you mind babysitting me?”
Her question had highlighted the heart of the problem.
He should.
His business partner was having a very public breakdown in the middle of one of the most important business deals in the history of their company. He should have accompanied Dominic to China and ensured that his current altered state of mind didn’t leave him open to manipulation.
Instead he’d allowed Dominic to sidetrack him with a trip to Boston.
A trip that should have ended after he’d ascertained Lil’s safety from the security detail that Dominic had sent to watch her. However, something had happened when she’d opened the door of her house, baby on one hip, long rebellious tendrils framing her naturally beautiful face. He’d felt the floor sway beneath his usually steady feet.
Her growing irritation with him as he’d explained who he was had taken him by surprise; as had her blatant desire for him to leave. He wasn’t accustomed to women dismissing him quite so easily. Feeling a bit like he was peddling something door to door, he’d almost failed to gain entry to her house.
And he’d enjoyed every moment of it.
Her irritation had returned with force at the bowling alley, but had softened to include a semi-apology. “Sorry, I shouldn’t take my bad mood out on you, but I am perfectly capable of surviving a few days without my sister. Wasn’t the nanny enough? How much supervision does she think I need?” When he’d opened his mouth to say something, she’d said, “Don’t answer that. It was a rhetorical question.”
He must not have hidden his amusement well because her eyes had narrowed in the most adorable, piqued expression. “Laugh away but I just lost all sympathy for you. You’re going down.”
Her comment had found its target. His breath had quickened in response as he’d met her audaciously bold, amber glare. “I never lose.”
She’d leaned closer as if testing something.
He’d sucked his breath in surprise.
Placing a hand on one of his shoulders, she’d stretched up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Neither do I.” Her hand trailed halfway down his buttoned shirt as she turned away.
He’d stood immobile, watching the seductive sway of her hips as she sauntered over to retrieve her ball. Just before she’d released it, she’d looked over her shoulder at him, catching the guilty shift of his attention from her amazing ass to the sass in those brown eyes. Her wink had almost been his undoing.
His body had surged and craved.
Strike.
Triumphantly, she’d brushed by him, touching him only with her fresh scent. Normally he would have said that he had little preference regarding female perfumes, but that evening he’d discovered the lack of one to be strikingly attractive, sending his thoughts in wild directions-some that had included how the waxed lane would feel beneath their bare skin.
With what could only have been described as a saucy smile, she’d said, “Your turn.”
He’d chosen his next ball at random.
Thrown it without thought.
Barely registered that it had left most of the pins standing.
Just as his second had.
Her chuckle had removed his last shred of restraint.
Closing the distance between them, he’d placed a hand on either side of her face and tasted her smiling lips. Just a brief touch, a flick of a tongue, nothing that should have overshadowed his usual distaste for public displays of affection. Such banal behavior was never necessary, but to his surprise he’d found it, oh, so pleasurable.
Her humor had melted beneath the heat of their connection and her tongue had begun a teasing dance of its own. He’d stopped hearing the blaring background music, stopped listening to the inner voice that warned him that he was losing control. He’d kissed her until her arms had curled around his neck, until her back had arched to press her closer to him, and until her breathing had become as hot and ragged as his.
Eventually the hoots of encouragement and echoing catcalls from players in other lanes had registered and Jake had ended the kiss. Heart pounding in his chest, he’d mentally scrambled to regain his decorum, but his body had continued to betray him by not releasing her.
Achieving his level of power and success so quickly meant that he spent most of his time in boardrooms with people almost twice his age. Around Lil, he’d felt impulsive and younger. Leaning in for one final taste of her lips, he’d whispered against them, “Your turn,” and had chuckled at how quickly her bemusement had been replaced by ire.
She’d spun away, picked up her ball, and presented him with her tempting ass and an over-the-shoulder smirk before strutting to the lane.
Game on.
Back in his New York townhouse, Jake adjusted his already straight tie, and donned a charcoal, Brioni pin-striped jacket. Not many would get his subtle clothing humor, but recently he’d purchased a few of the suits that were famous for their James Bond affiliation. As he smoothed the perfectly tailored shoulders, he dismissed Lil as the reason he’d decided to walk on the wilder side of business attire.
After all, nothing had actually happened that night.
A call from the security detail he’d sent to China with Dominic had swiftly ended whatever had been building between Lil and him. Someone had been meeting with the Chinese Minister of Commerce while Dominic had returned to the states for the reading of his father’s will, news that threatened a contract they’d considered a done deal. Jake had flown to Beijing immediately after unceremoniously depositing Lil on her doorstep.
Ideally, that would have been the last he’d seen of Lil.
Then her call had come, begging him to help her find her sister. He’d flown her to Isola Santos. The sexual tension had been fast and furious between them, especially when they’d met up in the kitchen that first night, but he had wisely turned down her flirtatious offer to explore what was between them. With his business partner and his finances potentially out of control, his personal life needed to remain in order.
Sex could wait until after the present crisis had been resolved.
Not that his love-sick business partner would agree.
Dominic’s obsession with Abby Dartley could not have come at a worse time; he was going to lose everything if he didn’t wake up soon. Jake had invested too much time into their company to idly sit back and watch Dominic piss it away.
Jake’s cell phone rang. Speak of the devil.
“Jake, I need you up in Boston,” Dominic said with an abruptness that was somewhat comforting.
“Dominic, I was just thinking about you.” And Boston.
“Did you see the video I sent you?” Dominic asked with complete disregard to niceties and continued on without waiting for Jake’s response. “Abby called her sister, but she’s not picking up her phone. Fly up there and see what’s going on.”
“No,” Jake said and surprised himself with his conviction on the matter. “This is an easy fix. I’ll have Duhamel make a few calls.”
Slowly, with comical emphasis, Dominic said, “You just said no. You never say no.”
“That’s because you don’t normally ask me to do something that is a complete waste of my time. I’ve got a couple leads on programmers. I intend to meet with one this afternoon.” Programmers who could hopefully do what none of the ones he’d spoken to thus far had proven successful at – remove the virus Stephan Andrade’s hacker had uploaded to their server.
“I need you up in Boston more.”
Jake took a deep breath. “Dominic, do you understand that you could lose everything if we don’t do something fast?”
Dominic countered, “I am working on it.”
Balancing his phone on one shoulder, he tied one of his dress shoes impatiently and scoffed, “I’d like nothing more than to believe that.”
“When have I ever lost a deal?”
“Burundi, Guinea, Andorra, Chile…” The list was endless.
“We closed on every one of those.”
“By the skin of our teeth.” And because I have become adept at justifying your outrageous antics.
“Suddenly you’re afraid of a challenge?”
“This is different, Dom. You’ve got too much riding on this one deal. Don’t tie me up with nonsense when the clock is ticking against us.”
For just a moment, Jake thought Dominic was about to concede that Jake was right.
Dominic said, “I’ve opened a dialogue with two people who have the skills we need and they will be at my house this weekend. If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you finalize the details.”
Jake stopped, suddenly alert. “Who? Who did you find?”
Dominic hedged. “We shouldn’t talk about this on the phone.”
Finally, something that made sense. “Right. Where do you want to meet?”
“I need you in Boston for this Lil thing first.”
An uncomfortable vision of Lil’s taunting smile surfaced, distracting Jake for a moment before he forced himself to refocus on the issue at hand. His irritation with himself was evident in his tone when he said, “Why don’t you go?”
“Abby made me promise not to get involved. She wants Lil to work this out on her own.”
“And sending me doesn’t count?”
A serious tone filled Dominic’s voice. “She’s not safe, Jake. Lil is not prepared for all the media attention she is getting or how that has made her a potential target. She thinks she can handle it, but you know that she and her baby are vulnerable to everything from manipulation to outright kidnapping. I can’t believe you’re not already on this. This interview is just the tip of an iceberg of potential problems.”
It was never a good sign when Jake had to concede that Dominic had a point.
Jake didn’t want to think about Lil being vulnerable. He didn’t want to think about her at all, but now that Dominic had brought up the possibility of Lil being in danger he had to acknowledge the reality of the threat.
“Have you explained this to Abby?”
Dominic groaned. “I tried. Dartley women are stubborn. I sent a nanny, Lil sent her back. I had security watching her house 24/7, Lil threatened to call the police if they stayed. I even bought that girl a damned penthouse in downtown Boston, in a very secure building, but she won’t budge. She said she doesn’t want or need my money. She won’t even use the driver I sent.”
Oh, Dominic.
“That’s a lot of involvement for a man who promised to stay out of it.”
“That’s what Abby said.”
“The only thing you didn’t do was drag her down to New York against her will.” Jake pocketed his wallet. How a man like Dominic stayed out of jail was often a mystery to Jake, but it was that unpredictable element about him that made him so successful in business.
“Trust me, I thought about it.”
“Dominic-”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything rash. That’s why I’m sending you. Consider this a…”
“Don’t say it, Dom. Don’t even go there. I’ve spent the last week flying all over the country trying to save your ass. Your favor account has been depleted.”
“I’m not sure I like the new you, Jake.” Dominic growled.
Jake headed down the stairs to get his morning cup of black coffee. “I’m not the one who changed, Dom. You need to get your head back in the game before you lose everything.”
And I need to stay focused.
Which meant going to see Lil was out of the question.
Not a man who could be accused of playing fair, Dominic added, “Don’t force me to bring out the big guns over this.”
“You wouldn’t,” Jake said with annoyance, and put his coffee mug down, untouched.
“I will if you leave me no other choice.”
That was also how Dominic won-with a long history of following through with his threats. It was never a case of if he would do it, but rather a question of whether or not you could handle a particular consequence of denying him.
Often, it was simply easier to work around him instead of against him.
Once Lil was safely deposited in her new, highly secure abode and the interview was a non-issue, Jake would try to reason with Dominic again. “Fine, and I’ll handle the interview while I’m there. Duhamel can arrange the details of the move. I’ll get Lil in the penthouse by tonight but after that, I’m not promising anything. I can’t make her stay there.”
“You can talk anyone into anything.”
Not true. I’ve been trying to talk you back from crazy for over a month.
Dominic added, “Oh, one more thing. See that she comes down to New York on Friday. This is an important weekend for us.”
Seriously?
Jake leaned against the kitchen counter. “Dom, are they worth this? This family that you’re so attached to? Do you really think they’re going to stick around if you’re a mail clerk next year?”
“Yes,” he said in a tone that took Jake aback. “Yes, I do.”
“I sure hope you’re right, Dom, because I don’t know if we’re going to make our deadline.”
“I’ve got a plan, Jake. Don’t worry.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that claim.
He hoped it was true this time. “I’ll be back by Wednesday and then we’ll talk about who you’ve lined up. I should prep before I meet with them,” Jake said.
Dominic said, “Don’t worry, you know them.”
“I do?” Jake didn’t think he’d left one computer-savvy acquaintance off his list.
Dominic said, “I’m counting on it. Call me if you hit a snag in Boston.”
And you’ll do what? “I won’t.”
“Oh, and try to make it sound like it was your idea to go.”
That request did not even warrant a reply.
Jake shook his head at the phone and hung up.
How the mighty Dominic had fallen.
Jake packed an overnight bag and made arrangements for his luxury helicopter. He’d chosen this particular New York building as his home because the generous roof had allowed him to install a private landing pad. Sure, a jet would have gotten him to Boston faster, but he liked the increased landing opportunities that helicopters offered. His could fly six people with the same quiet comfort of a limo directly to one of his buildings without the hassle of dealing with traffic. A helicopter with that level of sound insulation and refinement cost more than many private jets, but it was one of the few luxuries Jake found pleasure in owning.
Once in the city, he usually rented a private car and drove himself. He preferred less pomp and circumstance and found the constant presence of someone, especially those attempting to anticipate his every need, extremely tiring.
For that reason, his house staff came on Mondays and Thursdays while he was at work. They cleaned his home, stocked his shelves, and left a few premade meals that he could microwave if he didn’t wish to order out. The only evidence of the staff’s existence was the constant availability of everything he required.
Nice and neat.
Just the way he liked his life.
Lil peered out the window by pulling down one blind just enough to see through it and groaned. A flock of press had descended on her small house in the suburbs of Boston almost immediately after the promo of her tell-all interview had televised. They had been there all day.
She glanced down at the baby who was still happily playing on her back in the middle of a small blanket, kicking at the toys that hung from an arch above her. “Colby, what am I going to do?”
The only way the news station could have an interview from her was if the woman who had called yesterday claiming to be her sister’s new personal assistant had lied. That possibility was unacceptable because it would mean that her entire practice session on how to field questions from the press had been recorded. It would also mean that a host of things she would never have shared, if not for the jovial tone of the fake interview, were about to be made public.
She didn’t need this today.
Having already completed the final assignments for two of her three remaining college courses, this week was supposed to revolve around studying for tomorrow’s final exam in integrated office systems. One more class and she’d have an Administrative Assistant degree. Not her ideal job, but one that would bring in a stable income.
If I don’t fail my final course. Or, make myself unemployable with stunts like this. She’d gotten several calls regarding her resume since she’d blanketed the local area with it. Would this TV fiasco ruin her chances? It certainly wasn’t going to improve them.
Her cell phone showed three missed calls from Abby.
Colby rolled into a seated position and gurgled up at her mother.
“You’re right, Colby. Mommy’s just too proud to ask her for help. Auntie Abby would fix this, just like she’s always fixed everything and the worst part is that she wouldn’t even be angry with me. She expects me to do shit like this. Hell, why shouldn’t she? This is what I do.”
Sucking on one fist, Lil’s daughter met her eyes with the concern of a child who only knows that her mother isn’t happy but doesn’t know why.
Lil continued on as if her daughter could understand. “How could I have done this?”
From the moment she’d received the news that she was carrying a new life within her, something in her had shifted. One incredibly painful weekend of self-reflection had birthed some difficult resolutions. No more letting Abby support her, clean up after her, save her from the consequences of her actions. No more lamenting on what she thought her life should have been.
It was time to grow up.
Although she’d always stood up for her beliefs and done what she’d thought was the right thing, where had it gotten her?
A long string of dead-end jobs.
A future that was as bleak as her bank account.
Not a life you bring a baby into.
So, Lil had enrolled in college courses and resolved to stop compulsively speaking her mind-at least where her employers were concerned. Too bad she hadn’t kept her thoughts to herself when Abby had asked her opinion of Dominic. Of course, there was no way she could have known how wildly in love her sister would fall or how much of an effect that relationship would have on her own life.
Dominic seemed to have good intentions and it wasn’t that his offers of financial assistance weren’t tempting, but any proximity to him was a bit like inviting a tornado into your yard-he didn’t understand boundaries and without meaning to he could destroy everything you’ve worked for.
If Abby was overprotective, Dominic was downright smothering.
At first, he hadn’t accepted her declaration that what she really wanted from the both of them was the freedom to stand on her own two feet. After a few verbal scuffles, things had calmed and Lil had started to feel that Abby and Dominic finally understood.
I just want time to prove to myself that I’m not a complete screw up.
And I was doing fine…until this morning.
Lil groaned.
Mothers don’t embarrass themselves in the news.
Mothers were supposed to be steadfast and responsible.
At least, that was the type of mother Lil remembered having when she was younger and it was the kind of mother Abby had become to her when their parents had died in a car crash when Lil was thirteen.
Abby would never have spoken to that woman without double-checking her credentials. She wouldn’t have let her bruised ego get the better of her and spouted those comments about Jake. She definitely wouldn’t be hiding in her house hoping this would all magically go away.
Outside of Dominic, Abby was as impulsive as the sunset.
And I’m about as reliable as the weatherman.
Poor Colby, you chose the wrong womb.
Instead of cheering her, the joke brought unexpected tears of frustration to Lil’s eyes. It doesn’t have to be like that anymore. A person can change if they want to badly enough. “I’m going to be a good mother to you, Colby. I promise you that. I’m going to be someone you can be proud of.” It was hard to feel bad for herself when her daughter held up two drool covered hands in a silent request to be picked up. Lil cuddled her baby into her neck and shook her head sadly. “Right after this one last screw up.”
In her moment of need, she reached for the impossible.
I wish you were here, Mom. I don’t know if I can do this without you. What if I can’t be the person I’m trying to be? What if Colby pays the price because I can’t get my shit together?
There was no chill to the room, no apparition or voice from beyond, but for just a moment Lil felt her mother with her and a tear escaped down her cheek. Her young daughter patted it away with a coo.
You’re right, Mom. It’s going to be okay because I will make it okay. I’m a strong, independent woman and I don’t need anyone to solve my problems for me.
The news station had tricked her into giving an interview. That had to be illegal. She needed a lawyer. One of her high school friends had just passed the bar. Maybe he could write up something that would force the station to pull the tape.
With Colby on one hip, Lil dialed the number of a woman she loved like family. “Mrs. Lawson, is Aaron home?”
“Lil! I was going to call you, but I figured your phone must be ringing off the wall. Are you okay? I saw the news.”
An explanation gushed out of her. “I didn’t give the interview. Well, I did, but I didn’t mean to. Some woman called and pretended to be Abby’s assistant and I fell for it. She told me that Abby had asked her to prep me for potential questions from the press.”
“Oh, honey. I figured it was something like that. You must be a wreck. What did Abby say?”
“I haven’t actually spoken to her about it yet.” Lil had been trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to avoid Abby since the night on the island when she’d made a complete fool out of herself by confusing Jake’s light flirtation with something more serious. If she never saw him again, it would be too soon. She didn’t want to tell Abby about that humiliating night any more than she wanted to explain her latest folly.
Mrs. Lawson clucked her disapproval, but only said, “Well, Aaron is home, but he’s sleeping. What do you need?”
Lil chewed her bottom lip before asking, “Do you think he could write up something that threatens the station with legal action if they go forward with airing it? I’m hoping if I get it there this morning they will pull the interview.”
“Of course he can! I’ll go wake him up. This will be good for him. He’s been applying for jobs since he graduated, but you know him-he won’t accept a position that requires he relocates. I love that boy, but he worries about me too much. It’s not healthy. He’s starting to get depressed. If he doesn’t find something soon, he’s going to have to start up his lawn business again or he won’t be able to pay his college loans. Maybe someone will notice him through this and offer him something local.”
“I hope so! Thanks. Tell him I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. I’m just going to change and pack Colby up.” Lil began to mentally review the outfits in her closet. Luckily she’d purchased a navy jacket and skirt for her interviews. Wasn’t navy the choice of those who wanted to be taken seriously?
I hope it’s the color that says, “I mean it, I’ll sue you.”
Mrs. Lawson said, “I’m sorry you’re going through this, Lil, but it’ll be nice to see you. What if I make you lunch? Just like the old days?”
“I won’t be able to stay. I’ve got to get to the station early if I’m going to stop this from happening.”
“I’ll brown bag it for you.”
“You don’t have to go to any trouble.”
Mrs. Lawson was insistent. “No trouble, Lil. Aaron wouldn’t have made it out of high school without you. If you won’t marry him and make me happy, the least you can do is let me feed you.”
“You know we don’t feel like that about each other.”
The older woman sighed. “I know, but a mother can dream.”
No, they can’t, Lil wanted to say. Mothers have to put their dreams aside and start making responsible decisions.
Mrs. Lawson knew Lil well enough to sense her real distress. She made a sympathetic sound and said, “It’ll work out, Lil. You just get yourself together and come on over early. You’ve got a big day head of you.”
Lil agreed, hung up and carried Colby to the bedroom with her. She tied her hair up in what she hoped was a serious looking bun. Her confidence increased as she layered on the armor of her business attire.
A stranger stared back at her in the mirror. What did people say? “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” In this case, she was dressing for the person she wanted to be. If the shoes were too tight and the skirt felt restrictive, well it was something she was determined to learn to love.
She gathered Colby’s supplies.
Bottles. Check. Diapers and wipes. Check. Puff snacks. Check.
A big day.
She slung a diaper bag over her shoulder and secured Colby into her portable car seat.
That’s one way to describe it. All I have to do is get by the reporters, get the letter and convince a station manager that pulling an interview and receiving flack for doing it will be preferable to whatever litigation Aaron chooses to threaten them with.
Completely do-able.
As long as the day doesn’t hold any more surprises.