“I realize you’re angry,” he murmured. “I thought this could be the beginning of a healing process. For both of us.”
“What’s in it for you?” My brain was fried. I knocked back the rest of the Prosecco in one gulp.
“Your trust.” He grasped my hand again.
His admission left me speechless. I couldn’t wrap my mind around this version of the man who’d made my life a living hell for two years. Well, not two whole years. He was rather charming and fun in the beginning. Oh my God, STOP IT. I was so confused. I wanted to believe he was truly sorry. I didn’t know why, exactly. Sitting with him, studying his expressions and demeanor, I had no reason to doubt the validity of anything he’d said. I wished I knew his motive. He always had one.
“Excuse me, Mr. Greyson?”
A petite, brunette woman stood next to our table. Nathan eyed her with mild interest. I snapped my hand away, aware our uninvited guest had seen it.
“Sorry to interrupt your dinner. I’m Rachel Jameson with—”
“I know who you are,” he cut her off. “Feel free to call my public relations department if you’re looking for an interview.”
“Oh, actually, that’s not why I’m here.” Rachel smiled widely, unaffected by Nathan’s curt manner. “I wanted to talk to your date.” She fixed an inquisitive stare on me, her chocolate eyes gleaming.
I knew who she was, too; a blogger for Orlando’s society pages. Dressed to kill in a fitted orchid maxi dress, she exuded the unflustered confidence a tabloid reporter needed to possess. Rachel was well known around the city and had stirred the pot on numerous occasions with her exposés. More succinctly put, she’d base most of her writings on assumption rather than fact.
“What do you want to talk to me about?” I tried to employ an impassive expression. Not sure if I succeeded. She’d referred to me as Nathan’s ‘date’ for a reaction. I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.
“I don’t want to intrude on your evening, Miss Meyers. Give me a call when you’re not busy.” Passing me her business card, she flashed a cunning smile. “Enjoy the rest of your date.”
I was beyond suspicious. She’d referred to this dinner as a ‘date’ twice. I broke out into a cold sweat. Nathan’s cell phone rang loudly, rattling my already shaky nerves. Excusing himself, he left the table to take the call.
Reaching for my own phone, an unsettled feeling crept into my bones. I scrolled through a few emails. There wasn’t anything from Alastair. It was late in Glasgow. He was probably asleep, although he’d been known to work well into the night. I sent him a quick text.
8:50pm Miss you xx
8:51pm Ditto, love x
My heart ached to be near him. What I wouldn’t give to go home and find him sprawled across my mattress.
8:53pm Remember, don’t pack anything when you fly here.
8:54pm Nothing?
8:55pm No. I’ll have everything you need. And maybe a surprise or two. x
Smiling, I put the phone away. The server came by to take our order but Nathan was still off on his phone call. I ordered yellowtail snapper for myself and a rib-eye steak for him. It was his favorite and I assumed he’d want it anyway. He didn’t return to the table until our entrées arrived.
“I’m afraid I have to cut this short. Sorry we didn’t get to talk much business.” Nathan paid for the meal as promised and escorted me to the valet. “Thanks for dinner, Lia. I’ll give you a call next week.”
His brusque manner surprised me a bit. What is it with these guys and their mysterious phone calls?
“Sure. Whenever you want to tell me what this big exclusive thing is, I’ll be waiting.” I cast him a cool glance, wondering if there even was a story.
* * *
A large white envelope rested against my door. I eyed it suspiciously before picking it up. My name was written clearly in block letters across the front but there was no address. I turned it to see if there was anything written on the back. Nothing. I turned it over again, noticing how light it was. A cold chill ran down my spine. I unlocked the door and walked inside my apartment.
I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking as I opened it. Oh my God.
A stack of eight-by-ten photos fell to the floor. Dropping to my knees, I sifted through them. There were photos of me at the grocery store, walking into work and going to the gym. The last one made me shudder. The perfectly framed photo of me standing with Alastair in the private lot at the beach sent me over the edge. I clasped my hands to my mouth and screamed. Trembling, I threw the photos, scattering them across the living room. Yanking my phone out of my bag I dialed the first number that popped into my mind.
“Hello?”
“You son of a bitch. How dare you.”
“Lia? What are you tal—”
“Fuck you, Nathan. Don’t play innocent with me. Whatever your plan was for tonight just blew up in your face.”
Tremors shook every nerve in my body. I paced the room like a caged lion.
“You’re upset. What happened?”
“If you think for one minute I’m going to allow this to continue, you are sorely mistaken. I don’t care who your father is, I’m getting a restraining order.”
Muffled voices filled the background. I strained to hear what they were saying.
“I swear to you. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m at my parents’ house. Let me come over—”
“The photos, Nathan,” I shouted. “The envelope of photos that was waiting for me at my door. Who do you have following me this time?”
“Nobody,” he answered quietly.
Rage shook me to the core. I hated him. I hated his lies.
“I don’t believe you.”
A long, exasperated sigh cascaded through the phone. “You’re going to have to trust me on this one. I don’t have anyone following you. All the things I told you at dinner were true. I want this to be a time for us to heal. Why would I do something like this? I have my faults but I’m not that arrogant.”
Tears bullied their way out of my eyes, rolling fast down my cheeks. He sounded so goddam sincere. I couldn’t think straight.
“Lia, let me come over. Let me help you.”
“No.” I ended the call.
CHAPTER TWO
I navigated the streets of downtown Orlando in a fog. The loud blast of a truck’s horn jolted my attention. I swerved sharply, avoiding a collision. Sitting at the red light, I shook from fear and anger. By the time I arrived at Stephanie’s condo I needed a stiff drink.
She opened the front door as I trudged up the walkway.
“Jesus Christ, Lia.” She ran out, grabbing the overnight bag from my hands. “Were you followed here? Are you alright?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come inside. I already have wine poured.”
Smiling a bit, I followed her into the kitchen. The table was set for a romantic dinner for two. Raising my brows, I glanced at my best friend. Her jet-black hair, which she was letting grow out, sat perfectly arranged in a low bun. She looked fresh off the pages of Vogue in her lime green tank dress.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Um, well.” She blushed. “Sorta. But don’t worry about it. This is more important.”
“You had a date?” I sat down and took a sip of wine. “Stephanie Ann Tempe, are you keeping secrets from me?”
She rolled her eyes, sitting down. “Not really. He’s just some guy I met last week. We’ve gone out a couple times. Nothing to get all excited about.”
“Last week? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were busy with Alastair. I didn’t want to intrude.”
“For crying out loud. Telling me about a date isn’t intruding. Stop being ridiculous.”
“It’s not important.” She waved her hand. “What are you going to do about Nathan?”
I took a long sip from the glass. Dealing with Nathan wasn’t my main concern. Telling Alastair about this weighed heavily on my min
d.
“I think— I’m not sure if he’s the one behind it.”
“Are you nuts? This is his dirty work. I have no doubt.” Her ice blue eyes flashed with determination and anger. She despised him almost as much as I did.
“That’s the thing. It does reek of him but it’s too perfectly arranged. I mean, really. Is he cocky enough to invite me to dinner under the false pretense that he has some big juicy gossip about someone only to scare the shit out of me by leaving an envelope filled with pictures at my doorstep? He’s an asshole but he’s not that twisted.”
While Stephanie droned on about Nathan’s ability to manipulate various situations, I thought back to the birthday party I went to at Sydney’s. I thought I’d seen something flash in the sunlight. A car windshield? A camera lens? My head pounded.
“Have you told Alastair yet?”
I snapped out of my reverie and looked up.
“No. It’s, like, three in the morning over there. I’m not waking him up.”
“You have to tell him.”
I bristled at her tone. Honestly, one minute she’s warning me about him and the next she’s pushing me to run to him for help.
“I will, I will. Relax.”
“Before you go see him this weekend.”
“What are you, my mother?”
“I’m only trying to help.”
“Really? Then mind your own business for once, please. I’m not a defenseless animal who needs rescuing.”
We stared at one another for a minute, tension billowing through the kitchen. Sometimes being her friend tested my patience. I knew her concern came from a good place and I appreciated it, my only problem was she didn’t know when to back off.
“Fine.” She sighed. “You can stay here as long as you want. Have you thought about going to the police?”
“Yeah. I just don’t know what they can do. There wasn’t a threatening note or anything. A pile of pictures in an unmarked envelope doesn’t exactly scream mortal danger.”
Stephanie pursed her lips. “You were followed. I think you should at least file a complaint or something. That way it’s on record and if something else happens they’ll know this is a recurring problem.”
Rubbing my temples, I nodded. Working in the news enabled me to establish good contacts at the police department. I knew who to call if I decided to go down that road. Exhaustion creaked through my body.
“I’m beat. Thanks for letting me stay here.”
Stephanie circled the table and hugged me. Even though I had a flesh and blood sister, she was as close to me as Dayna. We could fight like cats and dogs or have disagreements but our bond remained unbreakable. I could always turn to her, no matter the circumstance.
“The guest bedroom is all made up,” she said, squeezing me tight. “Seriously. You can stay here as long as you need.”
That was as close to an apology as I was going to get for the time being.
Once I snuggled under the blankets, I reached for my phone. I wanted to call Alastair but I didn’t want to worry him. He’d probably flip out and fly back here. His little quirk about always needing to know if I was safe was no joke. Telling him wasn’t an option until I knew all the facts. He didn’t need added pressure, especially with everything he was dealing with at work.
And then there was Nathan. What am I going to do about him? Anxiety churned through my body. I tossed and turned forever before finally falling asleep.
The next day was uncomfortable to say the least. I was jumpy and paranoid. I nearly suffered a panic attack in the afternoon walking to the bathroom at work when I heard footsteps behind me.
“Hey, Lia.”
I spun around, my heart beating a mile a minute. Katie Vitale, our morning show reporter, stood next to Edit Bay One. Her eyes widened at my blatant display of fear.
“Didn’t mean to startle you. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. My mind is just littered with a zillion things.”
She grinned, tossing her strawberry-blonde hair over her left shoulder. “Ugh, I know the feeling. They’re having me cover the Malone trial starting tomorrow. I’d rather stay on the motel explosion.”
“I think we’ve milked that one for all it’s worth.”
“Well,” she huffed, “I guess. Hey, are you going to be around this weekend?”
“Nope. I’ll be out of town.”
Folding her arms, Katie sized me up with a shrewd glance. “Visiting the competition?”
Her slightly sarcastic tone irked me. Not everyone at my station was dazzled by that fact I was dating our biggest rival’s newly minted CEO. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I’m visiting my boyfriend, yes.”
“Must be nice to get all this time off. I asked to use a vacation day next Monday so I could go to Panama City for the weekend. I was told I’m needed in the area just in case something new breaks in the motel story, which you so succinctly described as being ‘milked.’ Obviously, Bruce sees it differently. But you get to flitter off to Scotland. You have Singleton wrapped around your finger, don’t you?”
Funny how a few snotty words from someone could turn me from being paranoid to exasperated in less than ten seconds. I clenched my fists in an effort to control whatever response was about to be unleashed.
“I’m not taking any time off, not that it’s any of your business. I switched my schedule with Louise.”
Giving me her best whatever stare, Katie turned on her heel and sauntered down the hallway. This wasn’t the first time she’d voiced her opinions on my love life. When I dated Nathan she’d made it clear I’d landed the biggest catch since Kate nabbed Will and I should marry him immediately. Sometimes working in a newsroom was like being in high school.
I spent the remainder of the afternoon reordering stories in the rundown and editing scripts. Sydney and I chatted about her upcoming cookout bash at the lake house. She and her husband, Ray, have been throwing this late summer party for as long as I’d lived in Orlando. Aside from the massive fireworks display at Lake Eola on the Fourth of July, the Makeeda family soirée was the biggest event of the season.
By the time I settled into the control room for the broadcast, I’d managed to push aside my annoyance over Katie and my trepidations over the photos.
I decided to stay with Stephanie one more night and headed home on Thursday. Everything looked exactly as I’d left it. Pictures were still scattered across the living room floor. I shoved them back in the envelope and tossed it on the kitchen table.
I peeked out the window. There were still another couple hours of good sunlight. A long, hard jog would be beneficial. I changed and drove out to Cranes Roost Park. Drowning out the world with music, I ran around the lake until my legs begged for mercy and the July humidity saturated my lungs. Running in this sweltering heat drained me but I loved the escape. At no other time did I feel more alive than when I ran. Once I arrived back home, I filled the tub and soaked my sore muscles. Exhausted, I collapsed into bed.
* * *
“Hello?” I mumbled into the pillow. I think the phone was at my ear. The ringing finally stopped. Squinting at the clock on my nightstand I learned it was barely five in the morning.
“Did I wake you, kitten?”
Blood sang through my veins as I heard Alastair’s velvety English accent through the phone. I smiled. “You’re five hours ahead of me. You know you did.”
His low, throaty laugh curled my toes. I half expected to turn and see him lying next to me.
“Sorry. I wanted to hear your voice. I don’t like waking up alone.”
“I know the feeling,” I said, sliding my hand along the cool sheets where his body should have been. “Are you working from home today?”
“No. The office. I’m in between meetings. I have about seven minutes to give you my undivided attention.”
I laughed, stretching my legs. “Well, well Mr. CEO. A whole seven minutes? How do you plan to spend this time?”
“Enjoying the sound of your vo
ice,” he answered, lowering his tone. “I like hearing you first thing in the morning.”
I closed my eyes, amazed at how quickly my heart was beating. Goose bumps rippled across my skin. The effect he had on me transcended an ocean and several time zones.
“Are you trying to seduce me over the phone?”
“Only if you want me to. Although I’d need more than,” he paused, “six minutes.”
“I doubt that,” I muttered, kicking off the blankets. My internal body temperature was off the charts. Another one of his deep, sexy laughs quickened my pulse.
“Patience, love.”
“I’m barely awake. You’re a tease with a gorgeous accent who knows how to push my buttons. Thin ice, Holden, thin ice.”
“I should wake you up early more often. Which buttons am I pushing, exactly?”
Christ. I could almost see the smile on his lips. Shifting on the mattress, I curled up on my side. The pillow he’d used still smelled like him. I inhaled deeply, wishing I could wrap myself around him.
“Patience, chief.”
“Fair enough.”
I squeezed the phone. Hearing his voice unhinged me a bit. I wanted to tell him what happened this week. More than anything I wanted to feel him next to me. Steeling myself against the unwelcome onslaught of emotion, I took a deep breath.
“You’re awfully quiet. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just a little tired seeing as someone thought it would be funny to wake me up at the crack of dawn.”
There was a long pause.
“You’re sure there’s nothing else bothering you?”
I hated lying to him.
“Only that I miss you like crazy.”
He sighed heavily. “I can’t wait until you get here. I have a few things planned for you.”
“Oh?” I sat up, leaning against the headboard. “What things?”
“A lesson, of sorts.”
My erratic pulse skipped a few beats. “What type of lesson?”
“Something I’ve been wanting to teach you. A curiosity of mine, really. I’ll ease you into it, until you get a feel for what you’re doing. Then, I want to see you take control and show me what you can do.”
Unravel Me Page 2
