by M. E. Brady
An hour later, Jenny was fast asleep. Katelyn soaked in the sight of her beautiful sleeping child, thinking, I was right. Moments like these were most memorable, watching Jenny as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber. She caught Jenny’s little smile every once in awhile and thought angels had to be speaking to her child; at least that was what her mother had always told her in the past and believing it lifted her spirits.
Katelyn stood there, enjoying her daughter, for a few more seconds before reaching for the switch to turn off the light. Someday, I will have to tell Jenny about her father and it seems as though that day is looming nearer and it’s a lot sooner than I expected. She heard the doorbell ring again and wondered who it could be this time. She was hoping that it wasn’t Adam. She couldn’t deal with him right now, and, whoever it was they weren’t leaving.
“Who is it?” she asked before opening the door.
“Well, it’s refreshing to know that you have some sense,” the voice said from the other side of the door. “I need to talk to you,” Gianfranco stated quietly but firmly.
Katelyn took in a deep discernible breath before opening the door for him and didn’t hesitate to tell him what she thought about his unannounced visit. “If I had any sense at all, I’d keep you locked out of my life permanently,” she added curtly. She was working the chain on the door when she remembered just what she was wearing but it was a little too late. She didn’t have time to be shy; the door was already ajar. She was in her nightgown and getting ready for bed when she’d heard the knock. She knew he noticed her state of undress right away and seemed to enjoy her discomfort. She politely told him she needed to change into something more appropriate and would be back shortly. Before he allowed her to step past him; he held up a bottle of wine and a bag chips and salsa he had in his hands. It was Mexican salsa and chips from her favorite restaurant. It was the only place that made the salsa hot enough for her. It didn’t neglect to register with her that he had remembered.
“I come bearing gifts. I know two weaknesses you have and one is very hot salsa.” He smiled teasingly, holding up the jar again. “I am your other weakness”…he said under his breath.
“You don’t want to send me away now, do you? I’ve never had to beg for anything in my life; I don’t think I would be very good at it,” he added knowingly.
Katelyn couldn’t help but be amused by his candor. “You win; you can stay for now but after we talk you’re out of here. Do we understand each other?” she asked nervously as she waited for a reply.
“I’ll agree on one condition…” he said as his eyes moved feverously down the length of her body. It was then that she became flushed from head to toe. “I would love to stay and admire the view, Irish, but you are killing me. I’m not sure I could stand here without touching you.” He patted her behind through the silky nightshirt and laughed as she strode annoyingly away. He disappeared into the kitchen but not before she had a chance to shout out what an arrogant, egotistical ass he was.
Katelyn glanced at her reflection in the floor length mirror in the hall on her way to her bedroom and saw what he had for the first time. She realized that her appearance left little to the imagination and with the lighting in the foyer she looked practically naked. She reached into her closet and hastily picked out a white wool sweater to throw over her head and added a pair of blue jeans to complete the toned-down, covered up look.
The table was already set when she joined him in the living room. He had dimmed the lights and added candles. The atmosphere was perfect but for what? Everything screamed of romance, down to the logs she saw burning in the fireplace. She shook her head slightly to dismiss the memories she was conjuring up, memories from another, happier time. She was becoming skittish by what was going on in her mind and she knew he was well aware of her feelings. Yet, he silently challenged her to put a stop to what was occurring between them because he knew better than anyone that she would never back away from this challenge.
“If you’re afraid, I can move all this to the kitchen,” he said, pointing to the food and the candles. “That is, if you would be more comfortable where it’s all lit up and less scary for you. It just seemed a waste not to enjoy the sound of the ocean while we talked,” he said as he pretended to gather the food to move the venue. He knew without looking in her direction that she had the courage to face him. But would this new, more mature Katelyn need more time to take the bait? She was one of the few people in his life who wasn’t afraid to confront him and he loved that about her.
“Don’t be ridiculous; what would I have to be frightened of?” she asked, assembling all her wits to take on the demon in the room.
“Indeed, you have nothing to be afraid of. I pride myself on being the perfect gentleman. I always control my baser instincts…at least around most women,” he added unmercifully as he smiled. The Katelyn he knew and loved was present just below the surface and begging to break free.
She laughed at his teasing out of sheer timid desperation. Her nervous laugh must have amused him because he was enjoying himself at her expense. For a long drawn out moment, they stared into each other’s eyes; each not knowing what to expect or want from the other. She had changed very little in the past seven years but those emerald eyes that told her story never changed. They spoke a language all their own. At this moment, they were reaching out to him but he didn’t dare touch her. This had to be her decision and she had to come to him, willingly.
She was a stubborn little minx back in the day and he had hated to leave her behind. At the time, he didn’t believe he had much of a choice. She was eighteen years old with a promising future ahead of her; one he had no right to deprive her of. He knew that, no matter what the cost to him, he would have to let her go and give her time to explore her dream. He wanted her to have all the things she craved; he didn’t want to be the one to hold her back. Of course that was then and this was now.
He moved closer to her drawn in by eyes that were willing him to do so. He brushed at the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes and wondered if she had missed him as much as he missed her. It was the connection between them that moved her to reach out and touch his face. At this moment, she invited him into her space. The wall they built between them shattered with just a tiny touch of her hand. No matter what happened now, he knew they were both fighting the same demon; neither had the power to control it. He only hoped that he could make her fear disappear as they answered the need that compelled them.
“I promise I’ll stop if that’s what you want. All you have to do is say the word,” he stated huskily. “You do trust me, don’t you?”
“What?” Katelyn asked, barely whispering, as she tried to inhale and make sense of what he was saying to her.
“You don’t trust me?” he questioned as though she offended him somehow. He didn’t need a response from her; it was written in the expression she wore on her face. “Don’t answer that. I’m not sure I want to hear the answer. I came here tonight with good intentions; I mean that. I came to talk about your employment. What made you quit your job at Glitz?” he asked attempting to change the mood in the room.
“I’m not sure what business it is of yours but if it’ll make you stop pestering me I’ll tell you. I’m sure you’ve already figured it out for yourself that Jack Taylor does not approve of me for his son. It’s unfortunate for me though that I’m employed by the man who believes I’m wrong for his son. It never occurred to him to ask how I felt about his son; when I said that my feelings for Adam were purely platonic, I don’t think he believed me.”
Gianfranco coughed and interrupted her train of thought before she could say another word. “I hear that Jack Taylor no longer owns any part of Glitz.” He reached over to the back of her neck and instantly she felt tension begin to disappear as he began to massage her there. “I heard somewhere that Glitz had recently been acquired in a hostile take-over,” he stated factually.
“Jack told me the same thing; but he didn’t tell
me that it was made public yet. If anything, he warned me against divulging that information,” she said in shock as she turned to look at him. “For some reason, I’m not surprised that you know about the takeover.” He had her turn her away from him again and she could feel his fingers kneading down either side of her neck softly and methodically.
“He warned me that he would see to it that Adam and I lost our jobs before he’d sit back and watch any relationship between us develop.” She felt his body tighten and his hands abruptly stall at her statement. The longer his fingers touched her neck, the more aware of him she became. “Did you say something?” she asked as she turned to face him.
“I said I agree with the old man,” he said. Here, is where you belong, he wanted to say out loud, but he only thought it. It was the coldness of his remark that Katelyn responded to so negatively. Again he was deciding what was best for her, as if he had the right to do so.
“I didn’t solicit your opinion nor do I want it. Jack’s reason for disapproving of my relationship with Adam had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jenny.” She flung his arms away and sighed in frustration. “He thought that Jenny was a liability to his family. He didn’t want my bastard child to inherit any part of the Taylor fortune or taint their good name. He was kind enough though to offer me a deal. He suggested that I allow Kevin and Sylvia to adopt Jenny. Do you believe that?” she asked as she began to shutter. She couldn’t stop the tears or the impulsive convulsing from the ultimate anger at Jack’s suggestion. Katelyn saw the look on Gianfranco’s face too. He looked totally and utterly disgusted as well and irritated by the man’s comments.
Gianfranco took her in his arms and listened intently as she described her meeting with Jack Taylor through her tears. He felt nothing but extreme loathing for both Taylor men. He had no respect for the elder of the two for all the pain he was causing Katelyn and only too happy to take his company from him.
As far as Adam was concerned, he saw him as a complete waste, a man without a purpose, a man with very little regard for women and one who had absolutely no business sense. He was glad that Katelyn had never had to learn that truth about Adam from him. He detested the man and his fetish for cruelty toward women. When the research came across his desk about Glitz he was shocked at the skeletons in Adam’s closet. The younger of the Taylor men was into some very kinky stuff. He was only too happy to protect and save Katelyn from that man.
Gianfranco continued to listen compassionately but he couldn’t help the jealousy he felt at the mention of Jenny’s father in their conversation, even if it was indirectly. It was this unknown man’s ghost that he would have to fight perpetually if he were to attempt to have a future with Katelyn.
The kiss they shared earlier in the afternoon and her reaction to him told him she wasn’t immune to him. He missed her and she felt right in his arms. Was he the only one who recognized that they belonged together? The question for him was whether what they felt for each other was enough to hold the ugly thoughts he was having of Jenny’s father at bay. He didn’t know if he could look at her beautiful little girl everyday and not be reminded of the man Katelyn betrayed him with. Every time he thought about how quickly she betrayed him, he cringed. How could he promise her and her child a future if he couldn’t let go of the past?
Gianfranco wondered for years how Katelyn could have thought so little of what they shared that she went so willingly and so quickly into the arms of another man. It nearly destroyed him to think that he had readied her body for someone else. Was she as compliant in the other man’s arms as she was and continued to be in mine?
“Are you listening to a word I’m saying?” she asked him as he looked lost in thought. “Gianfranco…” Katelyn repeated before he finally shook out of the trance he was in. What was he thinking about?
“I’m sorry, my mind keeps drifting.” Their eyes met and it wasn’t his imagination this time; he definitely saw her lips quivering, anxiously. She thought he had been ignoring her, that his thoughts were not about her. How wrong she would have been if she were able to read his mind. His thoughts were always of her. He wanted to take her in his arms and brand her, ruin her for any other man. It was taking all his might to keep himself focused and not to think about the man who might steal his future happiness from him. He wanted Katelyn and he wanted to erase any memory of him from her head, once and for all.
“Did you love him so much that you wanted to share a child with him, Katelyn?” he murmured.
“I told you before, I don’t love Adam.” She knew they weren’t talking about Adam anymore. He had meant Jenny’s biological father. A subject that was not open for discussion. He was getting too close to the truth and she wasn’t ready to deal with that truth herself, not yet. In her state of mind, the slightest slip would be all he needed to put two and two together. Gianfranco was a brilliant man and one mistake on her part and her secret would be revealed.
“As you well know, I meant Jenny’s father. Did you love him?” He watched carefully as Katelyn struggled with her answer. He could see the pain the subject caused her. It was written all over her beautiful face. She looked away to avoid eye contact or to avoid talking about him at all. He couldn’t decide which.
“I’d rather we not talk about him. But, for the record, I think you know me well enough to know that question does not require an answer. Let’s clean up and I’ll go get you another drink.” Katelyn wanted to change the subject and talk about something a little less threatening so she left the room. She could hear him moving around in the other room as she washed the salsa and chips bowl. It was obvious, from the way his voice carried, that he was now in the hall looking at the pictures hanging on the wall.
“Kevin tells me that you’re back in the states for good this time. What prompted you to change your mind?” she asked nervously. She knew he was studying the pictures and the faces in them. She knew as sure as she was breathing that her secret was at risk.
He followed her voice after glimpsing the photos hanging on the wall. There was something about the lack of certain photos that puzzled him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but something was just not right. He glanced over at them again and studied the various snapshots. There were many pictures of Katelyn with Jenny, along with pictures of her parents, some of Sylvia and Kevin and there was even some of himself and Jake and a few female friends but not one picture of the mystery man. He surmised that perhaps she might not want Jenny to know who her father was and might have put those aside.
“There’s not a lot to tell. I’ve been planning this move for years. I’ve been progressively transferring our main hub of GFB Enterprises to the States to make my eventual move here less hectic when the time was right. I’m finally at that point where the majority of my business can be handled directly from our home office based here in New York. I’ll still have to travel around the world but not nearly as often. I have excellent staff strategically placed in satellite offices all around the world who can handle things as they come up, just as well as I can myself,” Gianfranco stated.
“Sounds like you’ve been busy. If you’ve been planning this move for years, why haven’t I heard anything before now? I would think Kevin or Jake would have mentioned your return to me?” she asked as she joined him in the living room with fresh drinks. Katelyn placed a drink in his hand and waited for his answer.
He hesitated for a moment and then decided to be frank with her. “I postponed my own personal move because of you…” he answered softly. Her choking sound of disbelief made him laugh. “I’m serious; my company has been changing for years. I personally would have been back here in the States a long time ago but I delayed my return, which is why you hadn’t heard anything. I’m sure you’ve heard of us, GFB Enterprises? I’ve been known to dabble in many different interests. One of the vast holdings is in publication,” he said, knowing she would put the two together within minutes.
He was intrigued by her response. “I guess that look in your e
yes means you’re a little surprised?” A little surprised, isn’t the word. His company just took over Glitz magazine. The magazine she worked for. Was it a coincidence? Just five years ago, the same company had acquired Intrigue Magazine and made it into one of the hottest magazines on the open market. Perhaps, she was jumping to conclusions. Katelyn couldn’t understand how he had hidden behind such an obvious corporation for this long.
“I had no idea. I’m not even sure what to say in response,” she added, completely shocked.
“You could start by rescinding your notice of resignation to my magazine. I want you to stay. Please?” He moved past her and the scent of his cologne overwhelmed her. She remembered how he had searched for cologne that she could tolerate with her allergies. The smell of his cologne, one he eventually had a designer create, made specifically with her in mind, was still as titillating now as it was years ago. She was surprised that he still wore it. She tried to resist him but he was closer now and drawing circles on her wrists while bringing her hands forward until they rested against his chest. Her breathing was becoming irregular and labored from his touch.
“We shouldn’t be having this conversation. I don’t need you to protect me, Gianfranco,” she whispered, barely audible. She couldn’t let him do this to her as she fought to control her breathing. He couldn’t be allowed to see just how much she craved his touch, not if she knew what was good for her.
“You mentioned visiting Kevin. Are you still going?” he asked curiously.
She could tell he was up to something, but what? She simply nodded and waited for the next shoe to drop.
“Is Jenny going with you to see Kevin and Sylvia?” he asked.
“Of course, I don’t go anywhere without her. How could you ask such a silly question?” The devil himself was no match for Gianfranco Broccolini. It was his smile that affected her most. His smile was electrifying and when he smiled you were hauled into his world, a world in which you had little or no control. She felt that he was up to something; maybe it was paranoia but she couldn’t shake the possibility that he was putting things together in his head. He wanted a specific scenario and he was working to assure its execution.
