“What do you want to do?” he asked in a tone that registered defeat.
Kate’s smile revealed small dimples, which softened her high cheekbones.
Julia rose to her feet. “I’m going to leave you two alone to work out the details. I have a call to make, but I trust Kate can take the lead on this. I’ll just go and use your office, Michael.” Before Michael or Kate could refuse, she hurried out of the room.
Michael looked away from the door as it swung shut, and turned back to Kate, who was reaching for her tablet.
She pushed her long, golden blonde hair off her shoulders and onto her back, wishing that she could concentrate. She opened an app that housed her notes, trying to ignore the way her hairs stood on end knowing he was behind her.
“Did you tell Julia that we’ve already met?”
Startled, Kate slowly turned toward him. “I’m so sorry about your shirt. You should let me pay for it.”
“Did you know who I was last night?” he asked with a deep voice.
She swept a hand to the nape of her neck. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” His eyes narrowed on her, and he took a step closer.
“I . . .” Could she tell him she had been completely tongue-tied by meeting him in person? “Honestly, I didn’t think you would remember me, and then I was in a hurry, so I kind of rushed out when your friend showed up.” Her poker face was failing her.
“You thought I would forget you?”
His words sent shivers dancing up her spine, and she could have sworn she had a heart palpitation. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip.
“If we’re going to work together, I would strongly suggest you not do that,” he murmured, staring at her mouth as his smoldering blue eyes turned a shade darker.
She allowed his words to hang in the air for a moment, free of gravity, as she contemplated the appropriate response.
Was he attracted to her, or was it a game he was playing to unnerve her? She decided to ignore his comment and maintain professionalism. “Mr. Maddox, how would you feel about an auction?”
“Please, call me Michael.” He stepped away from her and walked over to make himself a cup of coffee from the single-serving brewer. “Want one?”
“No, but thank you.”
He turned toward her after a moment, holding his coffee in one hand and placing his other in his pants pocket. He looked out the wall of windows. “An auction might be a good idea, but how will we get enough items for the auction in a week?”
Kate turned away from him and bent down to reach into her bag. “I’m sure you have a few things you could auction, and I have some connections. I’ll make some calls.” Her cheeks reddened when she caught his eyes focused in the direction of her ass. She exhaled and attempted to concentrate. “Open to page forty-nine,” she instructed, tossing a magazine in his direction.
He cocked his head at her and raised his brows.
She mentally berated herself as she watched Michael open the magazine after setting his—thank God—full cup of coffee down on Julia’s desk.
“Why do you have this?” His tan face darkened a touch as he looked down at the article, which proclaimed him sexiest businessman in Manhattan. He shook his head and chucked the magazine on the desk.
“I do my research on clients. I need to know their likes and dislikes.”
“You clearly know my dislikes well enough to throw them in my face. Literally.” He was growing edgy. She was losing him.
“Here’s the part of my plan that you’ll hate.” She drew in a nervous breath and closed the distance between the two of them until she was standing a few feet away. “I think you could earn top dollar . . . and ensure a hundred percent attendance, maybe even increase the number of invites.”
“And how would we go about that?”
“I’m talking about auctioning a date with you. People would come to see the elusive Michael Maddox put himself up for auction, and women would pay.” Stay confident. “I know this sounds crazy, but you have to think about the purpose—the long-term goal. Think of the money this could bring to your cause,” she implored, looking up at him as he stared back at her, his face unreadable. She watched as he reached for his coffee, his white shirt straining over the pull of his taut muscles.
“You’re right, it does sound crazy. Next idea.” His jaw was firm, his face resolute. He took a seat behind his sister’s desk, set the coffee in front of him, and rubbed his temples.
She stepped in front of the desk and crossed her arms. “Remember, this is for the veterans. Can you please swallow your pride for one night?” At that moment, gone was the timid woman she had been last night. Gone were her checklists and schedules. She was standing her ground and, even if he was about to toss her out, it felt good.
He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and clasped his hands on the desk. “If you did your research, you would know that I’m a private guy.”
Without thinking, she replied, “If you’re so private, then why do you get into relationships with models?” Of course, maybe the magazines had him wrong.
He stood back up and walked with slow movements before stopping a foot shy of her. “I don’t do relationships, Miss Adams,” he said while angling his head and narrowing his eyes at her.
A flash of heat shot through her and straight to her groin. So, the tabloids are right. Maybe she needed to rethink her doubts about Roswell and Area 51, in that case.
“I’m not asking you to marry someone. Just go on one date. One dinner.” She found herself walking back toward the table where she had stacked her belongings. Maybe she should go. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to work with him, after all. But what about Julia? What about her own business that could flourish tenfold with the Maddox’s as clients?
No, she had to convince him.
“Mr. Maddox—Michael—I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be pushy. I know this is a strange request for a man of your, um, stature, but I’m certain it will be the best way to maximize attendance while simultaneously increasing the money raised for your business venture.” She bit her lip and waited for a response.
His eyes softened a bit as his gaze drifted to her mouth. “Hm. Maybe.”
“Really?” She pressed a hand to his firm chest, and her eyes widened when she realized what she’d done.
His jaw tightened as he placed his hand over hers. “In what world does maybe mean yes?”
She exhaled, pulled her hand free from his, and took a large step back. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I was excited.”
She cleared her throat, waiting for him to speak, but he remained silent. “Michael, I promise everything will be perfect. Tasteful and sophisticated.”
He blew out a breath. “I’ve lost my damn mind.” He shook his head. “Fine,” he said with obvious hesitation.
“Great.” She clapped her hands together and tried to will away the embarrassment from her unprofessional touching moments ago. “I was also wondering if you could ask one of the models or celebrities you know to be auctioned off as well. We need to cater to the men attending the event, too.”
“I can make a few calls. It’s short notice, but I’m sure I can find someone.” He began tugging at his tie, as though it were strangling him.
“Thank you.”
He nodded at her, but it was clear the whole idea of the auction pained him. “I have a meeting,” he said while retrieving the coffee he’d set on Julia’s desk. “I should get going.”
“Thank you again for this opportunity.” She turned toward him in haste, almost knocking the coffee onto his shirt. “Oh, God. I am dangerous, huh?”
“Yes. Yes, you are,” he responded with a husky voice.
“The location is perfect,” Kate said to Julia as they exited the hotel. “Now we just need everything else.”
Julia handed her car ticket to the valet and turned toward Kate. “I still can’t get over how you handled my brother this morning. I wish I had it on camera to watch ove
r and over again. How you got him to not only agree to the event but become a part of the auction is beyond me,” she said, pulling her thick, black hair up into a loose bun.
“I guess he realized that he needed to put the needs of his foundation ahead of his own desires.”
“Any ideas on what we can auction? Aside from my brother?” Her lips quirked at the corners into a grin.
“I’m sure Michael has some artwork he could donate. Does he have season passes to any sporting events?”
“I can definitely access art, but I think I can even do you one better on the sports tickets. Michael and I are friends with a few of the Giants. Perhaps we can offer tickets and dinner with the players.”
“Wow. That might fetch an even higher price than Michael.” Kate laughed and followed Julia toward the red Ferrari that pulled up to the curb.
Julia tipped the valet before getting behind the wheel. “Looks like we’ll need to work all weekend.” She shifted gears and joined the traffic. “But there’s no reason why we shouldn’t go out and celebrate. How about drinks tomorrow night? You like to dance? There’s a place I go to all the time.”
Kate wondered if it was the club where she had met Michael last night. “That sounds good. I have somewhere I need to go tomorrow after work, but I’d love to go out and dance later.” At least this time she wouldn’t be alone.
“Great.”
“Thank you for this opportunity. I believe in what you guys are doing with this foundation.” Kate took in a deep breath and glanced out the window. “I’m always so nervous about my brother’s safety. Every time he reports for another tour of duty, I feel sick.”
“I can totally relate.”
“My stepmom stopped functioning when my little brother joined the Army.”
“Is that why she turned the company over to you?”
Kate nodded. “Basically.” An image of her father fluttered to her mind, and she remembered she still needed to call him back. But what would she say? She didn’t feel like arguing with him about a potential move to Charlotte.
“Well, I’ll see you in the morning.” Julia pulled up in front of Kate’s hotel.
“Have a good night.” Kate got out of the car and headed to her room, eager to change into her jogging clothes. On a glorious day like today, the serene streets of Charlotte would be a pleasant change from the Upper East Side in Manhattan. And perhaps her run would help free her from the stress that had seeped into her body over the last week.
Her feet hit the pavement ten minutes later, and she found herself running faster than normal. Adrenaline burned through her as her fists pumped at her sides.
An hour later, Kate came to the conclusion that she was losing her mind, though.
Her skin prickled with concern as she rounded the next corner of the street. She slowed down to a walking pace before stopping outright.
Was someone watching her?
Of course, the idea was crazy.
But she had a strange, gut-wrenching feeling that she wasn’t safe.
She looked around the street, but everyone seemed normal.
Her heartbeat elevated a notch as her phone vibrated against her arm. She unstrapped it and looked down at the text.
No words—just an image.
An image of her standing on the street looking around. Looking scared.
Her pulse climaxed as her jaw edged open.
What the hell? She gulped back the fear that trickled through her body. She spun around in circles, knowing that now she looked crazy.
But there was nothing for her to see. No one across the street looked like they had just snapped a photo of her.
It had to be a joke, right? Or was someone trying to scare her into leaving Charlotte? Maybe one of the dismissed event planners had discovered she was hired and was jealous? Her number wasn’t hard to access. It was her business cell phone, the same one she used as her personal line.
She forced herself to believe her theory was credible and that she wasn’t in danger. And she decided she wouldn’t feed into whatever sick pleasure her mystery texter might get out of watching her look scared.
She tucked her phone back into the music case and strapped it to her arm. She refused to let some idiot rile her any further, and so she took off with an easy paced jog.
And she kept running—running until the fear melted away.
Chapter Four
Kate tried to act normal around Julia as they worked, to mask the nervous energy that weighed her down. She was pretty sure that Julia hadn’t noticed a thing. Should’ve been an actress.
“This is going to be doable.” Julia looked up from her tablet. She shook her head, seeming a little amazed. “So, what do we have, officially?”
Kate opened her notepad. “Ten pieces of art. Box tickets to the Giants. Dinner with two Giant’s players. And your sailboat . . . but I still don’t think you should give that away.” Kate looked up at Julia.
Julia shrugged. “I can always buy a new one.”
Rich people. God bless them.
“So, do you have a boyfriend?”
Well, so much for keeping it professional. “I, uh, don’t have time to date. Every time I try the whole relationship thing, it doesn’t seem to last.” Kate perched her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. She thought of the string of disasters that had plagued her after she’d signed up for an online matchmaker site a year ago. She hadn’t had sex or been on a date in fourteen long months. At what point does one reclaim their V-card?
But Kate kept telling herself that this was what she wanted—her new plan was to focus on her business and avoid men for a while.
“Was there anyone who ever really got to you?” Julia asked. She was clearly more open than her brother. Well, from what Kate knew about him, anyway. He was notoriously tightlipped. And didn’t that seem to add appeal for some women? The ones who were in it for the chase, to make the unattainable man theirs. Kate didn’t have the time or energy for that kind of mess.
But Michael Maddox wasn’t exactly the typical rich playboy. He wasn’t entitled. He was generous, but not for the sake of exposure. He was from humble origins, he’d served their country, he was a do-gooder and a genius beyond compare . . . but still totally off limits. Even if he wasn’t an infamous player, he was still her client. She needed to get the damn man out of her head.
She never dated clients, regardless of their numerous attempts. And now she just wasn’t dating anyone period. Her lack of a sex life had to explain why she was lusting after Michael and visualizing him in a tux—she was trying to tell herself that, at least.
She wondered how she’d survive another week without her body blushing every time he was around.
Julia snapped her fingers in front of Kate. “You okay? Hey, did I make you think about some guy?” She smirked.
Kate contemplated an appropriate response but didn’t have to come up with one. Instead, her phone rang. She reached into her purse and fished it out. She looked down at the screen and sighed. She still hadn’t spoken with her dad. A twinge of guilt poked at her stomach as she slid the phone back in her bag.
“Not going to answer?”
“Just my dad. I’ll call him later.” Kate fidgeted with her notepad and pen and attempted to refocus, but she found herself unable to slide the mask back on.
It was getting harder to silence the pain that was seeping into her body.
Today wasn’t just any normal day, after all.
“You’re here.”
Kate looked up at the cab driver and then out the window to the graveyard. “Could you wait here? I won’t be long.” She lifted the long-stemmed, red roses from her lap and opened the door.
“Sure,” he replied, turning up the volume so that Sinatra’s croon belted in her ears.
Kate exited the cab and began to wander through the maze of gravestones. “Where are you?”
Her breath caught in her throat when she finally found it.
Surprise flickered a
cross her face at the sight of fresh white tulips nuzzled against the headstone.
Who visited you? Her eyebrows pinched together as she leaned down and rested the roses alongside the tulips.
“Hi, Mom.” She traced her fingers over the name Elizabeth and kissed her fingers before bringing them back to touch the cool, arched rock.
She studied the second date on the headstone. September 9th.
Today. The day her mom had given birth to her.
“I love you, Mom,” she whispered.
“You look fantastic.” Kate slid into a circular booth in the VIP area of the club. It was a different nightclub than the one Kate had visited a few nights earlier.
Julia smoothed a hand over her short, black sequined dress, and smiled. “It’s my go-to. I love your dress, though. Super-hot. Glad my brother’s not here to see you in that. He has a weakness for gorgeous women, as you have probably heard.”
Kate almost choked on her Cosmo. “So, um, did Michael find a woman to auction off at the fundraiser?” Hm. That kind of sounds weird to say.
Julia reached for her drink. “Yeah. Thank God we found someone on such short notice. You ever heard of Jamie Landon?”
“She’s a model, right?” Kate wondered if she was one of the women on Michael’s laundry list of sultry New York models.
Julia nodded. “I hate her. Horrible bitch. Probably dated Michael, too.” She shrugged. “Should get a good price, though, which is all that matters.”
“I’m surprised he goes by Michael, even by you,” Kate found herself saying.
“He was always Mike when he was in the military, and I think it’s too hard for him to go by that name now. He’s different since he came home. A lot of people come back different.” Julia stared into her drink and paused. “I—I lost someone close to me, because of that. He didn’t die in the military—he died because he couldn’t handle being out of the military. He wound up drinking and died in a car wreck. I was only in college when it happened. Michael was still in the Marines. I think his death was what inspired Michael’s project. He wanted to set up a program that would help veterans find balance in the world as civilians.”
The Hidden Truths Series Box Set Page 3
