Seduced by Second Chances

by Reese Ryan

  “Yes, thank you.” Gideon waited for the man to leave, closing the door behind him.

  Gideon clicked the link in the email. It took him to a video of Jessie performing at a small club, seated at a piano.

  She was stunning. Who knew that she’d turn into such a beautiful, confident young woman and a rising artist?

  Jessie had such a powerful voice and a unique sound, even back when he’d known her. Geneva had teased Jessie about her incessant singing and starry-eyed dreams, but Gideon had loved to hear her sing. He’d told her that one day she’d be famous. And he’d been right.

  When the performance ended, he listened to it twice more. Despite following Jessie’s career, he’d decided against reaching out to her. After the way they’d left things, he doubted Jessie would welcome seeing him again. And he didn’t need the heartbreak of falling for another Humphrey sister.

  It was safer to admire Jessie from a distance.

  Which was a shame, because he’d love to see her again.

  Two

  Teresa St. Claire had spent most of the week hiding out in her office. Once she arrived in the morning, she’d only peeked her head out when it had been absolutely necessary.

  Yes, she was the boss. But she felt like the screwup employee who’d put the entire company in jeopardy.

  Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the ugly headline that had been running for the past week.

  Mogul’s Torrid Affair with Father’s Mistress Ends after Her Surprise Inheritance Revealed.

  She’d been pegged as a home-wrecking gold digger who’d had an affair with the late Linus Christopher and now had her sights set on his heir Liam. The ugly rumors, complete with uncomplimentary videos and photos, lit up the airwaves and seemed to follow her everywhere online.

  Teresa had been hounded by gossip columnists and bloggers. Even a woman she’d always considered a reputable reporter had shown up at her home, inquiring about the nature of Teresa’s relationship with both Christopher men.

  The effect the rumors were having on her business was bad enough. But the additional tension it had created between her and Liam was unbearable. She could only imagine the embarrassment the rumors were causing him.

  Teresa wiped away warm tears when she recalled the expression on Liam’s face when he’d confronted her about the rumors. He’d even had the audacity to imply that she might’ve been behind them. Still, her brain was flooded with the warmth and passion that had been growing steadily between them, despite his constant mistrust of her.

  She sighed. The outer office was uncharacteristically quiet. Other than calls from gossip reporters, the phones barely rang. Her employees spoke in hushed tones with their heads together rather than with the jovial, energetic nature she was accustomed to.

  At this rate, the doors of Limitless Events would be shuttered for good in a few weeks, and it would be her fault.

  A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts.

  Teresa sat ramrod straight in the chair behind her desk. “Come in.”

  Corinne, her personal assistant, stepped inside. The woman dragged a hand through her headful of red corkscrew curls with an exasperated frown.

  “We’ve had another cancellation, haven’t we?” Teresa practically held her breath. That made three this week already. Not to mention the three or four clients who’d gotten nervous about having her plan their parties. It had been all she could do to calm them down so they wouldn’t jump ship. But she realized that any one of them might change their minds at any time.

  Corinne nodded. “Maggie Ellington called to say that she’s sorry, but she just can’t take a chance that the scandal won’t have died down by the time of her daughter’s wedding.”

  “That’s understandable.” Teresa tried to sound unaffected by the latest news. “She wants to make sure her daughter and son-in-law are the center of attention, not me.”

  “You mean she wants to make sure that she’s the center of attention, and she won’t be upstaged by anyone. Not even the bride.” Corinne folded her arms.

  “True.” Teresa laughed and gave her assistant a reassuring smile. “But we’d both do the same if we were in her shoes. I can’t blame her. In fact, I don’t blame any of them for canceling.”

  “Well, I do.” Corinne dropped into the chair in front of Teresa’s desk. “They’re all a bunch of hypocrites. Most of them have done more scandalous things on an average Tuesday than you’re being accused of. Not to mention that the whole story is just a crock of—”

  “I get it, Corinne.” Teresa held up a hand to calm her assistant.

  Corinne was fiercely loyal and feisty as hell. She knew how to get things done and she wasn’t easily deterred. It made her an invaluable assistant. But it also meant that this situation wasn’t sitting well with her.

  “That may be true.” Teresa shrugged. “But we can’t force them to work with us.”

  “So what do we do in the meantime? The phones are barely ringing. If clients keep jumping ship...” Corinne’s cheeks flushed.

  “We won’t let it get to that,” Teresa said firmly. “I’m trying to drum up business with some new clients. The kind who don’t run scared at the first hint of scandal.”

  “Reality stars?” Corinne asked, then rolled her eyes when Teresa confirmed with the nod of her head. “God, they’re the worst.” She heaved a sigh. “But hey, I get it. We have to do what we have to do. For now.”

  “The other key element of weathering this storm is that we hold on to as many current clients as we can. Keep reassuring them that this has all been a big misunderstanding and it’ll blow over soon. Speaking of holding on to the clients we have now, have you heard from Matt Richmond?”

  Limitless Events had planned an elaborate business retreat on behalf of Matt Richmond—the incredibly handsome and fabulously wealthy CEO of Richmond Industries—at The Opulence last week. The hotel was extravagant and luxurious, the food was going to be delectable, and the guest list was to include the rich and powerful. The event was the talk of the town, but for all the wrong reasons.

  Torrential rains caused a mudslide that had knocked out the power and damaged the hotel before the retreat could take place. Matt Richmond’s event should’ve been Limitless Event’s pièce de résistance. Instead, it descended into a chaotic catastrophe for the dozen or so guests who’d arrived early. Though she obviously didn’t control the weather, Teresa felt responsible for the calamitous party.

  Thankfully, Matt Richmond hadn’t blamed her for the disastrous nonevent. Undeterred by the incredible fail, he’d been determined to reschedule the retreat. Yet he hadn’t called, as he’d promised, to initiate the planning.

  Had he not returned her calls because of the scandal hitting the airwaves? Or had Liam, Matt’s best friend, discouraged him from working with her?

  “I haven’t heard from him and whenever I’ve called, his assistant can’t get a hold of him.” Corinne shrugged apologetically. “Maybe we should call Nadia. After all, she does work for you.”

  “As an independent contractor,” Teresa clarified. “And I don’t like the idea of leveraging her marriage to Matt. That isn’t why I asked her to work with me.”

  “Then maybe I should visit his office.”

  “No...don’t.” Teresa waved off the suggestion. She could imagine Corinne’s friendly visit to Matt going wrong six ways to Sunday. “I’ll try him again later. How is the search for a new venue going?”

  Corinne’s frown deepened and she blew a puff of air between her plump lips. “Not well. Not if Richmond is determined to schedule the retreat anytime soon. The venues with openings in the next couple of months don’t meet our standards of elegance and luxury.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Teresa heaved a sigh. “I know it’s a tall order, but keep trying. Ask our top choices to call us first, in the event of a cancellation.”


  “Will do.” Corinne popped up from her seat, her red curls bouncing. “Anything else, chief?”

  “No.” Teresa riffled through papers on her desk, knocking over a small four-by-six photo of her and her brother, Joshua, on a trip to Mexico together a few years ago. She picked up the photo. “Have you heard from my brother? He left me several messages when my phone went dead last week, but I haven’t been able to contact him since then.”

  “I haven’t taken any calls from him.” Worry lined Corinne’s forehead. “Should I try to raise him for you?”

  “No, you have enough on your plate.” Teresa set the photo back in place. “It’s probably just Joshua being Joshua. I’ve left him several messages. He’ll resurface when he’s ready.”

  Corinne nodded, closing the door behind her.

  Teresa relaxed in the comfy leather executive chair she’d splurged on when they’d opened the office. Now she only hoped she wouldn’t be forced to shutter her doors and sell it along with everything else.

  She was trying hard to keep it together, but it was a lot to ask when her entire world was imploding. The ill-fated weekend extravaganza, the false rumors, her brother’s disappearance. But the thing that made her heart ache was Liam’s rejection.

  Amid the craziness of bad weather and a tree falling through the hotel that had nearly taken her out were moments that had taken her breath away. Her cheeks flushed and her entire body filled with heat whenever she thought of their steamy encounter in that spa room. And her heart stirred when she recalled the worry in his eyes when he’d rescued her from beneath that tree and tended to her ankle.

  Without thought, Teresa rotated her ankle, still a little sore.

  She’d been grateful he’d confided in her that night, explaining to her why he had such difficulty trusting people. But after all they’d been through and the moments they’d shared...how could he still not trust her?

  Her desk phone rang and she picked it up. “Yes?”

  “I tried Richmond’s office again. His assistant was out and he answered,” Corinne said triumphantly. “I have him on the line now.”

  Teresa smoothed a hand down her pant leg. “Thank you, Corinne. Please put him through.”

  “Hello, Matt, I know you’re busy, so I’ll only take a moment of your time,” Teresa said cheerfully. “Last week, you indicated that you’d like to reschedule the retreat as soon as possible. I wanted to touch base so we can move forward with the plans.”

  There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Teresa’s pulse raced.

  Oh no. He’s going to cancel, too.

  “When will The Opulence be available again?” he asked finally. “I know Shane Adams has people working around the clock, but...”

  “Not anytime soon, I’m afraid. And once they do reopen, they’re booked solid for several months. Would you like to wait until then?”

  “No. It’s for our fifth anniversary, so I’d like to keep the event as close to the anniversary date as possible. I realize not all of the people who were originally invited will be available if we reschedule with such a short timeline. So we’ll need to expand the guest list based on how many from the original list will be able to attend.”

  “Just have your assistant pass those additional names on to Corinne and we’ll take care of the rest.”

  “So then you have a venue in mind?” His tone was doubtful.

  “Not yet,” she admitted. “But my staff is working tirelessly to find a venue that’s available on short notice and meets our standards and yours. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have a few good options.”

  “And what about a headliner? Would Jessie Humphrey be willing to perform at the rescheduled event?”

  Embroiled in a scandal and bleeding clients, Teresa hadn’t considered whether Jessie would be willing to fly across the country again for the rescheduled event. Not to mention that she might have a conflict in her schedule.

  “I’ll do my very best to book her. Same deal?”

  “Yes. I’ll look forward to hearing from you once you’ve worked the details out.”

  Her phone pinged with a text message.

  “I just sent you the two weekends that are most ideal for this event.”

  Teresa strained the panic from her voice. Both options were only a few weeks away. “I’ll get right on it.”

  “Anything else?” he asked.

  Teresa gripped the receiver tightly and nibbled her lower lip. She wanted desperately to ask Matt how his best friend was holding up under the glare of the rumors and innuendo about them. But this was business. Besides, she didn’t want to drag Matt into this.

  “No, but I wanted to say thank you for not giving up on my company or me despite everything that’s happened. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome, Teresa,” Matt said after a long pause. “Call me when you’ve got a venue and Jessie has confirmed.”

  Teresa hung up, grateful she still had Matt Richmond’s confidence. She was more determined than ever to reward it.

  “You can’t just walk in there.” She could hear Corinne’s voice through the closed door.

  Suddenly the door opened. Liam stood glaring at her.

  “It’s all right, Corinne.” Teresa held up a hand. “I’ll take it from here.”

  Corinne narrowed her eyes at him, then walked off in a huff.

  “Have a seat.” She gestured toward the chair when he closed the door behind him.

  “I won’t be staying long. I just came to remind you that, according to my father’s will, your presence is required at Christopher Corporation’s board meeting.” He folded his arms.

  His icy glare chilled her. He regarded her as if she were an untrustworthy stranger.

  Had he forgotten that he’d shared his deepest vulnerabilities with her just a week ago? Brought her incredible pleasure on several occasions before that? Rescued her when she’d needed him desperately? They should be working together to clear their names, currently being dragged through the mud.

  But the hardened look that distorted Liam’s handsome face indicated that it would be a wasted argument. He was back to treating her as his enemy.

  “In light of the rumors swirling about us, I didn’t think you’d want me there.” She raked her manicured fingernails through her shoulder-length blond hair.

  “Pity my father’s will didn’t make allowances for bad press,” he said dryly.

  She folded her arms on the desk in front of her rather than raising the single digit that would best convey how she felt. “My assistant has access to my calendar. On your way out, stop by her desk and make an appointment.”

  Three

  Liam’s face and ears burned with heat in response to Teresa’s brush-off. She’d summarily dismissed him and had returned her attention to the sheet of paper on her desk.

  He clenched his jaw as he surveyed her. She was beautiful in a royal-blue silk blouse and white linen pantsuit. Teresa looked hurt and angry. She obviously just wanted him to be gone.

  Liam couldn’t blame her.

  He’d blown into her office, behaving like an ass. But he was furious with her for putting his family and business in this position. Again. And he was furious with himself because he still wanted her...desperately. Despite everything that had happened. Despite the rumors swirling around about them. Despite the fact that he wasn’t sure he could trust her.

  Shit.

  He must seriously be out of his mind because he wanted to trust her. And he cared for her. But he wouldn’t allow anyone to make a fool of him. And there was still a strong possibility that was Teresa’s endgame.

  So why did he feel such a strong pull toward her? And why did he want her more than he’d ever wanted any woman?

  Teresa insisted that her relationship with his late father had been strictly that of a mentor and h
is mentee. But the man he’d known his entire life would never have given a quarter of his company to anyone out of the mere goodness of his heart. Hell, he’d often wondered if Linus Christopher had possessed even an ounce of selflessness.

  Was he really supposed to believe that the man who couldn’t be bothered to show his own son warmth and compassion would’ve left this woman 25 percent of the company’s shares unless there’d been something more to their relationship than either one of them had been willing to admit?

  Teresa leaned back in her chair, narrowing her blue eyes at him. “Are you going to stand there all day brooding? This is my place of business. I have work to do.”

  Liam sighed. “Look, I know I came off like a complete ass just now. I’m sorry. But you need to face the fact that if you want to liquidate that stock, you’ll need to comply with the stipulations of my father’s will. That means we have to work together, and you need to be at the meeting this afternoon.”

  Teresa checked her calendar begrudgingly. “Fine. What time should I be there?”

  “Actually, my car service is waiting. I thought we could ride over together so I could bring you up to speed on the meeting.” Liam gestured toward the door.

  “The sooner we leave, the sooner I can get back here.” She pursed her lips in a sensual pout that made him want to take her in his arms and kiss her.

  His hands balled into fists at his side.

  She’s the enemy. Why can’t you remember that?

  “It’s best if we aren’t seen leaving the building together,” he mused aloud, more to himself than her.

  “Then why are you here in my place of business? Or didn’t you notice the stalkerazzi parked across the street?”

  Liam straightened his tie. “I came in through the back entrance.”

  “Well, you can leave the same way you came in.”

  The hurt in her eyes and the pained tone of her voice made him feel as awful as his father. The last thing he wanted was to mimic Linus Christopher’s cruelty. After his talk with Teresa, he’d thought a lot about his relationship with his father. And his relationship with her.