by Katie Dowe
Anita looked a little anxious as she stared up at her handsome brother. “He is a good husband, Adam. Please do not threaten him again.”
“I won’t as long as he treats you right,” he told her smoothly. His head lifted and his eyes narrowed as he saw the woman who had handed her stole to one of the maids and was heading their way. His eyes wandered over her lush body and smooth blonde hair. He had not seen her in a while and he had to admit that he liked what he saw. Bianca Weatherly was a friend of the family because her father and mother ran in the same circle they did. She was far from being an idle rich girl and was one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the state. She had beauty and brains and he liked that in a woman. He kissed his sister on the forehead absently before releasing her.
“Adam.” The woman’s cultured voice reached out to her as she stretched her hands out for his. “How are you, darling?”
“Better now after seeing you.” He lifted one slender white hand to his lips. “How are you?”
“I have not seen you in ages,” she told him laughingly. He was about to respond when his eyes went towards the open doorway. His silver eyes narrowed as he took in the woman poised at the entrance. He realized that the conversation had stopped and realized that it was due to her entrance. Amber was wearing a dark blue, sarong-type dress that left one alluring shoulder bare. The bodice hugged her breasts and drifted towards her long slender legs, stopping way above her knees. Her hair was brushed severely back from her exquisite face and flowed past one shoulder in a fat curl. Long dangling silver earrings were at her lobes and bangles jangled at her wrists. He dropped Barbara’s hand and asked to be excused as he walked swiftly to meet her. “You are late,” he told her softly as he took her hand.
Chapter 4
“I had no idea that there was a time constraint.” Her brows arched as she looked up at him. “I see your grandfather and father looking at me as if they would like nothing better than to ask the maid or the butler to throw me out. Please introduce us.”
He laughed down at her and slid her hand into the crook of his arm. “With pleasure.”
Both men saw them coming over to them and braced for the confrontation. The room was filling with the people who had been invited for the dinner party and both were also aware that Amber Gardner had not been on the invitation list. She would never have been included!
“We don’t want a scene,” Abe Whitmore reminded his son as the couple came over to them.
“I am sure you have already guessed that this is Amber Gardner,” Adam said smoothly, subtly ignoring the tense looks on the two men’s faces or the banked fury in their eyes. He was sure that it was inbred civility that was keeping them from ordering Amber out of their home! “Darling, meet my father and grandfather.”
Amber held out one slender hand to his father which was taken before quickly released and then offered her hand to his grandfather who clasped it and then released it.
“You never told us you were bringing a guest, Adam.” His father’s voice was cold as he stared at his son. “We do not have an extra place setting.”
“That’s okay,” Amber said airily. “I can sit in the kitchen or on Adam’s lap, I have no preference.”
Even Adam was shocked at her comment and he had to bite back a laugh at the derisive look on the two men’s faces.
“I am sure we can find a place at the table so you don’t have to sit on my lap as delightful as that sounds, darling,” he said with a wicked grin as he looked down at her. “We will talk later,” he added, looking at both men. “We need to mingle.”
“I am not sure this was such a good idea,” Amber muttered as they walked away.
“You mean after you suggested that you are going to sit on my lap?” he teased her.
“I can feel daggers in my back.”
“I am sure you have made things worse,” he agreed. Adam’s eyes drifted over to where Bianca was standing with a glass of champagne in her hand and talking to some acquaintances of theirs. He remembered that he had cut short their greeting as soon as he had seen Amber. With that in his mind, he guided Amber over to where they were standing and made the introductions.
Throughout the rest of the evening, he made sure that Amber was entertained as he turned his attention to Bianca. His interest was piqued and as they were seated next to each other, he could talk to her and explore their interests. His father and grandfather studiously ignored Amber, pretending that she was not seated around the vast table in the dining room. Amber on the other hand was getting a lot of interest from Jared McKenzie, a plastic surgeon famous for working on celebrities. He seemed to be captivated by her and Adam found his attention straying to his best friend every few minutes as her laughter sounded around the table. She looked different from the other women gathered there with their discreetly expensive look and subtle jewelry. She did not come from money, but her unusual beauty called attention to her and made one stop to take it in.
“She is quite an interesting woman, isn’t she?” Bianca asked him softly. He turned to look at the woman next to him and his expression turned indulgent and lazily seductive.
“You are interesting.” he told her, his eyes hooded. “Are you involved with anyone?”
She laughed softly, her breath quickening as she looked at him. “Why, Adam Whitmore! Are you flirting with me?”
“Maybe.” His eyes wandered over her alabaster skin and the gleaming blonde hair. “Are you?”
“No.” One slender hand moved and reached out to touch his sleeve. “Why?”
“I was thinking we could go out to dinner over the weekend.”
“Will I be just another diversion?”
His thick eyebrows lifted at that. “A diversion?’
“The papers refer to the women you go out with as that! Diversions! I am not the kind of woman who puts herself through that, Adam. You are handsome and used to getting any woman you want, and I do not want to be clumped in with the rest of your diversions.”
He stared at her with a thoughtful expression on his face, his eyes studying hers. “I assure you that you won’t be a diversion.” His lips tilted into a smile. Before she could respond, his head lifted to look over at where Amber was laughing at something Jared had said to her. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the man who had his hand on top of Amber’s.
“Your friend seems to be making quite an impression on Jared,” Bianca commented. “Jared is recently single and it seems like he has found a replacement for Cynthia.”
Adam’s eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at them. “Amber is no one’s replacement,” he said tersely.
She touched him on the arm and forced him to look at her. “Who is she to you?”
“What?”
“You told me that she is your friend, but she seems to be more than that.”
“She is,” he answered tersely. “She is my best friend.”
Bianca frowned a little bit as she turned her head to look at the beautiful girl. “Is she going to be a problem to us?”
“What do you mean?” Adam asked her frowningly.
“The other women you were involved with were just passing through, Adam. They were there and available and you were bored so you used what they had to give you and when the time came you had no qualms about letting them go, no regrets. You have been friends with this woman for-”
“Many years,” he filled in the blank.
Bianca’s eyebrows rose as she sent a glance towards Amber before looking back at the man sitting next to her. “You were never sexually involved with her?”
“No!” he said tersely.
Bianca’s expression became thoughtful. “Why not?”
He frowned at her for a moment and then looked over at Amber. Jared was using a napkin to dab at the side of her mouth and he felt the inexplicable pull of annoyance at what the man was doing and the fact that Amber was not stopping him. She seemed to be enjoying the attention! “It’s not like that between us,” he said as he dragged his gaze
away from the couple. The dinner was almost over and as was the ritual at the Whitmore’s home, they would then adjoin to the vast living room to indulge in excellent port for the men and expensive wine for the ladies where conversations would lead to business and what was happening in society.
“I see,” Bianca murmured. She did not say anything else to him about it because she did not want to fully examine the strangeness of that relationship. She had watched the two of them together and had seen the easy camaraderie they shared. Adam was almost protective where the woman was concerned and seemed to think that he was supposed to save her from whatever it was that she needed saving from. They had a familiarity about them that spoke of years of friendship and a bond that Bianca was sure that he never shared with anyone else. She was uneasy about going into a relationship with a man who was not only notoriously known for discarding women and who had been with more women than she could count, but she was incredibly attracted to him! His father and grandfather had made it clear that they approved of the match between them and had also made it clear that she would be have to be the one to make the moves because if it was made known that they were the ones pushing the match, Adam would run as far away from her as possible even if he was interested. She had listened and had told them that she was interested enough to try where others had failed. She was interested enough to put her heart on the line and go after the most elusive and the most handsome man she had ever seen! Her eyes strayed over to Amber and saw when the woman looked over at Adam. As if they were connected in spirit, Adam lifted his head and looked at her, their eyes meeting and holding, his smile coming immediately as he looked at her. Bianca felt the wariness coming to the fore as she stared at them. He had told her they were just friends, but something was nagging at her and making her wonder if there was something else altogether!
*****
“I see you have found an admirer,” Adam said lightly as he took her hand and drew her away from the group of people she had been standing with. He had seen her glance at her watch and knew she was planning on leaving soon.
Amber turned to face him and automatically straightened his herringbone tie, her fingers smoothing down the lapel of his custom made Italian suit. She lifted her eyes to look up at him and smiled mischievously. “We both did. She is quite a looker.”
“She is.” He stared at her for a moment. “Jared McKenzie is a player.”
Amber laughed at that. “And I suppose you are a saint?”
He grinned at her wryly. “I don’t want to see you hurt, Amber.”
“I appreciate you trying to look out for me, darling, but you know I can take care of myself.”
“He is a friend of the family and I would hate to see that become obsolete.” There was steel in his voice which touched at Amber’s heart.
She angled her head to stare up at him. “Tell Bianca to take care of you. I am quite handy with my nails.”
He laughed at that and the tenseness in his body dissipated. “I am sure you are.” He bent to kiss her forehead. “I invited her out to dinner on Saturday.”
“And dessert at your apartment after?” she guessed.
“Maybe.” His eyes wandered over her exquisite face. He had the insane urge to ask her to stay longer. He was supposed to be talking to Bianca or any of the number of people in the room, but he had always preferred talking to her. “Are you planning on leaving now?”
She nodded. “I think my work here is done.”
“Is Jared going back home with you?”
She looked up at him quizzically. “We are not there yet, darling.”
“Good.” He tilted her chin and bending his dark head he kissed her lightly on the lips. “I will see you tomorrow.”
They were quite unaware that they were being watched and analyzed. Father and son Whitmore watched them with something akin to blazing animosity and worried about the closeness they saw between them and Bianca felt as if a knife was turning inside her heart. They looked like a couple! No matter what they told themselves about being just friends, it was more than that and she could see that! Her hands clenched into fists as she wondered if this going to be worth her time, but as she tore her eyes away from them, she caught the eyes of Adam’s father and saw the resolute expression and she realized that he was thinking the same thing she was as well. There was also something else in his expression and she recognized that as well. There was no way a match between his son and Amber would ever happen and they were depending on her to make sure of it!
*****
Adam stood against the floor to ceiling window staring out at the landscape and the view from the boardroom. He had come in for the meeting and had listened to the various reports. Whitmore Conglomerate had originated from oil more than a hundred years ago and had branched out into investments like real estate and a few shipping companies as well as several other things. Their reach stretched all the way to Europe as well as owning an island in the Mediterranean! A chateau in Paris and several apartments over Europe were just a part of their fabulous wealth. They employed thousands of people all over the world and Adam had been groomed to take over ever since he was a little boy. His education was impeccable and aside from the MBA he had from college, he was also fluent in three languages. Beneath the veneer of indolent sophistication and living up to his reputation as a playboy, he was as smart as a whip and did his part to make sure the operation was running smoothly. He met with investors all over the world and balanced business with pleasure. He took the pleasure wherever he went, whether it be on the oceangoing yacht that belonged to them and that was outfitted like a five star hotel or one of the many apartments that belonged to them, he made sure he had fun but it was all empty. The only time he felt happy and not have to put on an act was when he was with Amber. She kept him grounded because she was not overwhelmed by his looks or his wealth. She gave him sound advice and was not afraid of hurting his feelings. She was the only constant thing in his life and he appreciated it. He frowned slightly as he remembered the double date a few days ago. It had been Bianca’s idea to invite Amber and Jared to have dinner with them and he had reluctantly agreed. They had arrived before the other couple and he had known exactly when Amber had made her appearance. He had looked up and felt his breath catch as he looked at the woman coming toward them wearing a figure-hugging, sequined romper which would have looked ridiculous on anyone else but her. Her long dark hair had been twisted in a loose knot on top of her head and earrings as big as bracelets had been in her lobes. The romper barely covered her long legs and drew attention to the perfection of them. He had gotten to his feet automatically and had reached out to pull her into his arms, ignoring the man next to her. “You are practically naked,” he had told her teasingly as he tilted her chin up.
“I am not,” she had told him with a wicked grin. “I even have underwear on.”
“It does not look like it.”
They had both forgotten their dates and Bianca had been the one to remind them that they were there.
“Hi, Jared,” she had said softly, forcing them to move away from each other. The evening had been pleasant enough except that he had hated the way Jared kept touching her!
He turned around as he heard movements behind him. “Father.” He inclined his head briefly as the man came into the room. “Am I in for another lecture?” Adam went over to the cabinet and poured himself some scotch.
“No.” Abraham took his seat on one of the chairs and stared at his son. “You are the sole heir to-”
“Spare me the reminders, Father,” Adam said wearily. “I am sick and tired of being told what my responsibilities are. I play my part in all this, I go where I am told, and I do what the hell needs to be done. I am actually good at my job as it is. I know every aspect of the business and even though it appears that I am taking the Whitmore’s wealth for granted, I am not. I am also not the idle rich playboy the press makes me out to be.”
“I know,” his father told him in a cordial voice, which had Adam starin
g at him for a moment. “Your reputation as a playboy overshadows your role as a very important part of the Whitmore’s heritage. You have a way of changing that.”
“By getting married?” Adam guessed sardonically as he sipped the scotch.
“And providing heirs.”
“I am sure you already have someone in mind.”
“Actually, I am leaving that up to you.”
Adam’s thick dark brows lifted. “That’s a first.”
“I am not your enemy, Adam,” his father told him slowly. “Your grandfather is hanging on to life by sheer force of will to see the next generation of Whitmores.”
“Anita is married.”
“Your sister’s children will not be direct heirs. That is on you.”
“I am not going to get married just so you and Grandfather have this notion to see the extension of the Whitmore line.”
“I wish I could issue an ultimatum.”
Adam laughed at that. “I am sure you do.” He finished his drink and placed his glass on the table. “I am actually seeing someone you approve of.”
“Bianca.”
Adam inclined his head. “I actually like her.”
*****
“Do you like him?” Adam asked her curiously as he watched her place a swatch of fabric over the mannequin. He had had lunch with Bianca before heading over to Amber’s. He had stopped on the way to change into faded denims and a thin grey t-shirt that stretched across his muscled shoulders and chest tautly.
“Who?” Amber looked over at him frowningly.
