Less Than Three: A Romantic Comedy

by Maggie Dallen

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, the grin tugging his lips belying his words.

  She spun around to face the side table where her coffee cup sat waiting. Her back to him, she let out a sigh. She tried not to jerk away when his hands came to her shoulders, gently sooothing the tension between her shoulder blades.

  The feel of his hands made it impossible to remember what she was so angry about. How could anyone be angry when muscles were being turned to putty? The temperature in the room seemed to go up by twenty degrees as his hands moved along her back and arms, working their delicious magic.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, Lace.” His breath was warm against her cheek. It took everything in her power not to turn her head to the side and let her lips find his. She could forget all of her troubles with one kiss from this man.

  But that would not solve anything. She moved slightly away from him and he dropped his hands.

  “Look, Lace, I know we’re in a difficult spot, but once this election is over—”

  At that, she spun around. So quickly he took a step from her in surprise. “When the election is over, what? We’ll get together and live happily ever after?”

  Alex was staring at her in surprise, but she barreled on.

  “Do you think Jess will just step aside and let you go?”

  Alex reached for her again, trying to pull her into his arms. “Jess has no hold over me. I want you. I only want to be with you.”

  Lacey felt tears stinging her eyes. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. It meant everything—and nothing. It didn’t solve anything.

  “And I want you,” she said, all of the fight drained from her voice. His eyes lit up for one moment before she continued. “And you’re right, she doesn’t have a hold on you. And that’s great. But she’s got a hold on me.”

  Alex looked like he’d slapped across the face. “Did she say something to you? Did she threaten you?”

  Lacey sighed and turned from the caring, kind man who just wanted to make everything better. There were some things not even a Greek god could fix. “She made it pretty clear that if you pick me, she’ll spread the word that we’ve been having an affair this whole time.”

  “But we’ll tell them—”

  “It won’t matter, Alex. Ackland has a strict policy about workplace romances, and it would be my word against hers.” He looked like he was about to argue and she held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t you see? I’m starting to make a name for myself in this company. And even if they don’t fire me right away, the rumors would be out there. People would talk.”

  “I know, I get that. But what we have—”

  “What we have is attraction. We have amazing chemistry, and for all we know that’s all we have. I’ve known you for what, not even two weeks? What we have is not worth giving up my future and everything I’ve been working toward.”

  He looked stunned and for a moment, Lacey wished she could take back every word.

  “I’d never ask you to give up everything for me.” His words were nearly her undoing. But then she was caught up in another wave of bitter anger at her situation. It would be easier to cut all ties now, she told herself.

  “No, you wouldn’t. But that’s what I’d be doing if I saw this thing through.” She waved her arms between the two of them. “And you wouldn’t be risking anything. It’s not fair.”

  He shook his head, clearly at a loss for words. Good. Maybe she could get out of here without crying.

  “I can’t give it all up for you. I won’t. It’s not worth it.” Her parting words seemed to echo in the conference room as she hurried toward the door. She couldn’t risk looking back.

  Alex sat at the hotel bar for hours that night. He nursed drink after drink, hoping to see a curly haired blonde walk in to join him. He’d tried calling and had sent her more texts than he could count. He’d even gone to her room and knocked on the door, waiting with one ear pressed against the door like the desperate lovestruck fool that he was. But if she was there, she kept perfectly quiet until he left.

  He should have some pride. She had walked away and made it clear that she didn’t want him to follow. She’d all but told him she didn’t care about him.

  Not enough, at least. Not enough to take a chance on them.

  Not enough to risk everything. For the hundredth time that day, Alex cursed himself for the hypocrite he was. Who was he kidding? Would he give up everything for her? If the tables were turned, would he turn away from his family’s company and from the career of a lifetime to give their relationship a fair shot?

  Yes. The answer came simply enough. Until he really thought about—thought about the opportunities that he’d miss out on, the chances he’d lose out on to make a difference in his life and the lives of his employees. Suddenly the answer wasn’t nearly so simple.

  So who was he to judge Lacey’s reaction? She worked hard and had been given a shot to make a name for herself. And he was asking her to give that up for him.

  It’s not worth it.

  He winced at the memory of her parting words and took another gulp from his glass. Maybe she was right.

  Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe they were star-crossed lovers doomed to live apart for the rest of their days. He groaned as he drained the rest of his drink.

  Or maybe he was a hopeless romantic and was more inebriated than he’d thought.

  His glass hit the bar with a loud thunk that had the bartender and several patrons looking his way. He tipped his glass in acknowledgment and they looked away.

  Tomorrow would be his last official day working with Lacey. He had one day to talk with her and laugh with her before it was all over. Then they’d go to Jess’s party where he’d pretend to talk to his friends and colleagues when in reality he would spend every second looking at her and trying to catch glimpses of whatever conversation she was having. With someone else.

  The thought was infuriating. He wanted to be her date. He wanted to wrap his arm around her for all the world to see and spend every moment listening to her gorgeous laugh and watching every emotion under the sun cross over her expressive, adorable face.

  This time he ignored the bar patrons’ stares as he set his glass down with more force than necessary. He would have her, dammit. Maybe it was the whiskey, but Alex felt a surge of determination unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

  If there was one thing that Lacey had taught him these past two weeks it was that he was a fighter. That he needed to stand up for what he wanted and fight for it. And goddammit, he wanted Lacey. He wanted her in his life more than he’d ever wanted anything. Being with her was better than flying, better than traveling the world…hell, it was far better than running a company.

  He would fight for her. He didn’t have a solution yet but he would find one. There was no way in hell he’d let an ex-girlfriend dictate who he would or would not see. Who did she think she was, anyway? He knew Jess, and he knew how ruthless and stubborn she could be when she wanted something. But he also knew how determined he could be when there was something he wanted.

  Jess didn’t stand a chance.

  But what if Lacey doesn’t want you to fight for her? The voice in his head was unwelcome and he scowled into his glass, vaguely aware of the wary looks he was getting from the bartender.

  He shoved the errant thought to the side. He would just have to convince her that he was worth taking a chance on. That they were worth it. He would just have to convince her to believe in him.

  He was already convincing the board and his employees to take a chance on him, why not add one brilliant and sweet consultant to the list?

  When he paid his tab and headed toward his room that night, he was a man on a mission. He would convince Lacey that they were worth a shot and he would do anything necessary to fight for her. He would move heaven and earth to protect her from his ex. And he would gladly go to hell and back to keep her in his life.

  Tomorrow, he vowed to himself as he flung himself onto his neatly made bed. T
omorrow he would talk to her and he would fix everything.

  But that conversation would have to wait. Lacey was in a no-nonsense mood when he arrived in the conference room the next morning, slightly the worse for the wear if her appraising look was anything to go by.

  “Lace, we need to talk,” he started, but he was cut off by Lacey’s hand in his face. She was waving for him to head to the front of the room, where a stack of note cards sat. He groaned aloud at the sight of the video camera in the rear of the room, its little red light flashing a warning that she was already recording.

  “Lace,” he tried again, but the weary look she flashed him was nearly his undoing. And that’s when he noticed how pale she looked and how puffy her eyes were. She looked as though she hadn’t slept a wink. Her red-rimmed eyes made his heart ache. She’d been crying.

  “Not now, okay?” she said, her voice little more than a whisper.

  If she had screamed and yelled, it would not have been nearly as effective. That pitiful plea was more than he could bear.

  “We have one more day, and we need to take advantage of every moment,” she said. He opened his mouth to protest but she made a gesture for him to begin.

  Alex looked at the card on top and opened his mouth to begin. “Ladies and gentlemen of the board—”

  He was cut off by a distraught looking Dawn who rushed into the room. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  Alex pushed himself away from the counter, dread filling his gut. “What is it, Dawn? What’s wrong?”

  Dawn’s eyes were filled with tears, but she still had the calm exterior of a truly experienced corporate assistant. “It’s your grandfather. He was taken to the hospital. He collapsed on his way to work this morning.”

  Alex straightened and moved into action. Years of active service in the military had trained him how to function efficiently in crisis mode. “Dawn, call for a car to pick me up out front and take me to the hospital. Don’t alert the rest of the staff until I say so. Understood?”

  Dawn gave a short nod and turned to do as she was told.

  He heard Lacey running to keep pace beside him as he headed toward the elevator banks. “Hold on, I’m coming with you.”

  They rode to the hospital in silence. Alex stared out the window and watched the buildings go by. He could not lose his grandfather now. Not yet. It felt like yesterday that his father passed away; he couldn’t bear to lose anyone else he loved. And despite all their problems, he did love his grandfather. He just hoped he had time to tell him.

  He needed his grandfather. The company needed his grandfather. There was no way he could run the company on his own. Not yet.

  He found himself saying a silent prayer as they veered through traffic. When Lacey’s hand reached over and covered his, he grasped it and held on tight, thanking whoever was in charge for bringing her into his life. He held on tight, and he planned on never letting go.

  Chapter Eleven

  LACEY HATED HOSPITALS. But then, who didn’t?

  The clock on the waiting room wall said she’d been there for an hour, but it felt like years. She’d had nothing but time. Time to think about every cruel and dishonest word she’d said to Alex the day before. Time to remember the look on his face when she’d told him he wasn’t worth it. Time to tear up over the sheer panic that had filled his eyes when Dawn told them his grandfather had been rushed to the hospital.

  He’d covered it up quickly enough and had turned into the efficient leader that he was, but Lacey had seen it. She’d seen the scared little boy underneath.

  Lacey said another silent prayer for Lawrence Newsom, Sr. She wasn’t overly fond of the old man but she would give anything if Alex could go a little while longer without losing someone else that he loved.

  Including her. Lacey got up from the waiting room couch and paced the narrow room. He hadn’t told her he loved her. But he did. She knew it just like she knew that she loved him. The connection between them had never just been physical, despite everything she’d said.

  She loved him. That revelation had kept her up half the night, tossing and turning. Love. She’d always thought that when she fell in love for the first time, it would be easy. Maybe she’d watched too many romantic comedies growing up, but she’d always assumed that she’d meet some cute guy, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after.

  The fact that she might sleep with a relative stranger find out he was her client, fall head over heels and then be forced to choose between him and her career? That thought had never even crossed her mind.

  She sat up straight when Alex walked into the room looking weary and exhausted.

  Her heart ached at the sight. When she walked toward him he opened his arms, and Lacey stepped into them without thinking. His solid warmth beneath her cheek was heaven.

  He dropped his head so his face was buried in her hair. “Thank you for being here.”

  “Of course. Where else would I be?”

  She held him tight as though she could physically give him her strength. “How is he?”

  Lacey could feel him sigh. “Not good. The cancer spread and he’s worse than he’d let on.”

  “Was he awake when you went in there?”

  “Yeah.” Even his laugh sounded tired. “He was barely conscious, but all he wanted to talk about was business. He’s terrified that his collapse will weaken my bid for the presidency.”

  Lacey moved to look up at him. “Do you think that’s true?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m sure a lot of my supporters on the board have been under the assumption that my grandfather would be the puppet master pulling my strings if I took over. Knowing that he’s—” Alex cleared his throat. “Knowing that he’s—they may have a change of heart once they realize he won’t be running the show much longer.”

  Lacey looked him in the eye. When she saw the pain there, she couldn’t help but reach out a hand to stroke his cheek. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’ve worked so hard; you’ll win this on your own merit.”

  She could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “I hope you’re right. Lace, this means so much to him.”

  “What about you? Is this what you want?” It was the second time she’d posed the question, and she had a feeling she was the only one who ever bothered to ask. She studied his face as he contemplated it. For a moment, she wondered what she would do if he said he no longer wanted this.

  What would she do? Would she try to convince him that he did so that she could look good in the eyes of her company? It didn’t even warrant consideration. No, of course she wouldn’t. If Alex decided to walk away from his grandfather, his family’s company and the Wingates, she would help him pack and cheer him on as he got into the cockpit where he clearly felt at home.

  Even though it would mean she had failed—at least in the eyes of her employers at Ackland. She would rather he be happy. That was her choice. She chose him.

  The realization was like a lightbulb going off. In one split second an unbearable weight lifted from her chest and despite everything—the smell of the hospital, the weary sadness in Alex’s face, the looming board meeting—she was unbelievably and overwhelmingly happy.

  She’d made her decision. She chose this man.

  Alex’s voice brought her back to the present. “I want this,” he said. He spoke with a conviction that was undeniable and she felt a swell of pride. “I want this for me and for my father and for him.” He jerked his head toward the wing where his grandfather was sleeping.

  “Why do you want it?” she pushed.

  “Because I want to see my family’s vision become a reality. I want to see all of our employees prosper, and I want to be a part of it. I was born and raised within that company, and I know where its future lies.”

  Lacey beamed up at him. “Bravo. My pupil is now the master.”

  He laughed, but she hurried on. “I’m serious. If you talk like that at the board meeting, there’s no way you won’t win. They
need to see how much you want this and how much you care.”

  He lifted a brow as he studied her. “You certainly have a lot of confidence in me. Funny, I didn’t think you cared.”

  One corner of his mouth was lifted in a smile, but it wasn’t hard to read the hurt that lie beneath his teasing words.

  “Alex, I—”

  He held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t. It’s okay; I get it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she finished. She looked up into the green eyes she knew so well and let him see what she was truly feeling. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I didn’t mean what I said.”

  He was studying her and whatever he saw must have convinced him because a grin spread across his face and he pulled her into his arms.

  She rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

  He held her away just far enough so he could meet her gaze. “I never expected you to give up everything for me. You know that, right?”

  Lacey nodded.

  “We’ll figure out a way to be together that doesn’t put your career at risk,” he continued. “I promise we’ll find a way.”

  For a moment, Lacey believed him. If there was anyone who knew how to get his way, it was this charming Greek god standing before her. But she had to say it anyways, she had to let him know what he meant to her.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said. At his confused look, she reached a hand out to lightly stroke his cheek. “I choose you.”

  It felt so good to say the words out loud. But the intensity in his eyes was nearly her undoing. The tender, awed look of love returned.

  He shook his head, “No one is asking you to choose.”

  Lacey smiled up at him. “I know, but I thought you should know. I pick you.”

  “You’ve worked so hard; I would never—” Now it was her turn to cut him off. She stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his lips.