by Cat Schield
“For now, I need to be here.”
But she had to wonder how much longer before he took off on another adventure? Would he last much past Thanksgiving? Elizabeth scrutinized his frown and tense body language. She’d better prepare herself to say goodbye.
* * *
Roark was hanging by his fingertips thirty feet off the gym floor when his cell phone began to ring. This better be the call he’d been waiting for. Swinging his leg up, he slipped his toe into a hold and freed his right hand to tap the Bluetooth headset.
“Roark.”
“I found someone who can help us find Mas.”
Not the call he was waiting for, but just as good. “Where?”
“Cairo.”
Not only was Roark searching for any word on Darius, he was tracking the thief who’d stolen the Gold Heart statue documents. “How long ago?”
“Two hours. Keeps a girlfriend in Agouza.”
“Keep an eye on him, I’ll be there in twelve hours.”
Roark disconnected the call as soon as his feet hit the ground. He’d rappelled down the rock wall during the brief conversation and gathered up his duffel as soon as he’d packed away his gear.
On the street he hailed a taxi and dialed Vance. “I have some business in Cairo to take care of. Can you and Charlie escort Elizabeth to the gala tonight?” This evening’s function benefited the local food pantry.
“Charlie and I will take care of your fiancée, but are you sure that leaving town is a good idea right now?”
“It’s the perfect time. With all the suspicion surrounding the Gold Heart statue, I have to retrieve the documents that prove it’s authentic and not the one missing from Rayas.”
“And Elizabeth will be okay that you’re not going to spend Thanksgiving with her?”
Roark shied away from the true answer. “This isn’t a real engagement, remember?” The words didn’t reflect well on his character, Roark decided. On this anniversary of her family’s tragic accident, Elizabeth was counting on him to be there for her. She hadn’t come right out and said so, but he’d noticed how much comfort she took in his presence. And wasn’t that exactly what he’d hoped to avoid when he’d chosen Elizabeth to become his pretend fiancée?
“I remember,” Vance said. “It’s just that after seeing you two together I thought…”
“You thought what?” Roark interrupted, taking his bad mood out on his brother. “It’s all an act.”
“Well, it’s a damned good one.” Vance paused a second. “In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you had real feelings for Elizabeth.”
“You don’t know better. This is all for Waverly’s. As soon as Rothschild’s takeover threat is dealt with, I’m heading back to Dubai and Elizabeth will get on with her life.”
Vance’s words ate at Roark as he went to his loft to grab the bag he always kept packed for just such quick escapes before heading to a downtown Manhattan heliport. He’d already contacted a man who owed him a favor. To avoid being stopped by the FBI, he was hitching a ride on the businessman’s Gulfstream to Amsterdam. From there he’d hop a commercial flight to Cairo.
Traffic slowed the taxi. Roark made use of the time to dial Elizabeth’s cell. It went straight to voice mail. She didn’t deserve to hear about his trip in a message. He disconnected the call. She was probably meeting with her boss. When she’d left his loft this morning, her mind had been far from her perfunctory goodbye kiss. Already they were behaving like a couple that had been together for years, taking each other for granted.
Yet, they’d only known each other three weeks.
Guilt nudged him, but he shoved it aside. Elizabeth knew what she was getting into when she’d agreed to help him out. He wasn’t the sort who stayed put and enjoyed being domesticated. He craved the thrill of the chase. Wanted no one and nothing to pin him down.
Sure, this elaborate hoax to save Waverly’s was a little unusual for him. But he wasn’t doing it because he intended to stick around and get involved with the day-to-day running of Waverly’s. That was Ann’s responsibility.
Roark slipped his phone into a side pocket of his duffel and headed to the waiting helicopter that would take him to Long Island MacArthur Airport. The chopper ride would be too noisy for another try at calling Elizabeth. He would just have to wait.
The private plane was taxiing toward the runway when he finally made contact.
“That was a long meeting with Josie,” he said. “How’d it go?”
“Much as I expected. She’s determined the only way she’ll make me a partner is if I convince Sonya Fremont to let us plan her event. What if I can’t do that?”
“You could quit. Start your own business.”
A long pause greeted his words. “Starting from scratch would take more time and money than I have.”
“You have thirteen thousand dollars.”
“You know what I’m going to use that money for.”
They’d been around and around on the subject of her upcoming motherhood. In Roark’s opinion she was too young to tie herself down with a child. “I’m sure there’s at least one investor in Manhattan that believes in you and would be happy to lend you some start-up capital.”
“I’m not taking any more of your money. Besides, I’m going to start the in vitro treatments as soon as Thanksgiving is over. I want to be a mom more than I want to be an entrepreneur. What I need is the security I will get from becoming Josie’s partner.” A thread of frustration ran through her voice. “But enough about my unproductive morning. Are you calling to tell me what time you’ll pick me up tonight?”
“I’m calling to let you know that I’m not going to make it to the gala tonight, but I want you to go. I’ve already spoken with Vance. He will escort you.”
“I’m not going if you can’t.”
“If you don’t go you’ll miss the chance to meet Sonya and speak with her in person about her gala.” Over the past several days, she’d grown more melancholy as the anniversary of her sister’s death approached. Leaving her alone on the holiday ate at him, but he needed to get those documents back.
“Very well. Why aren’t you able to make it tonight?”
“I have a lead on the thief that stole the Gold Heart documents.”
“You’re leaving town?” Her voice cracked.
“I’m on a plane right now.”
Silence greeted him.
“Elizabeth, you know I have to get the provenance paperwork back or the statue’s only worth will be the gold it’s composed of.”
“Of course, I understand. When will you be back?”
“A few days. No more than a week.”
“You’ll miss Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t. Roark heard a whiff of disappointment. They both knew it didn’t belong there. Which is why she’d worked so hard to sound neutral.
“I hope you still intend to celebrate with Vance and Charlie.”
“I’ll make some excuse.”
“They will be expecting you.”
“They’re expecting you and your fiancée.” She let her point sink in for a second before saying, “Looks like there’s an emergency with the Chapwell party. Stay safe.”
She disconnected the call before he could reply. The jet raced down the runway, the momentum pushing him deep into his seat. They took to the air and Roark’s stomach gave a familiar lurch. Land fell away as the plane climbed.
Unable to shake the sensation that what he was leaving behind was as important as what he intended to retrieve, he shut his eyes, but what played through his mind wasn’t the mission ahead, but the night before. Elizabeth naked above him, her full breasts offered up for his possession as she rode him into a storm of pleasure so acute it had shaken him to his core.
With a silent curse he jerked his attention back to the present.
“Can I get you something?” A twentysomething brunette dressed
in a crisp white blouse and black skirt smiled at him.
What he wanted was whiskey to burn away whatever this emotion was that ate at him, but eleven o’clock in the morning was too early for alcohol.
“Coffee. Black.”
Might as well be fully awake to appreciate the waves of guilt rolling over him. For the second time in his life, he’d run from the most important woman in his life to pursue his own agenda. He hoped this time it wouldn’t end as badly as the last.
Nine
The Waldorf-Astoria Starlight Roof accommodated six hundred and the room was half full when Elizabeth arrived on Vance’s left arm, feeling distinctly like the third wheel she was. As kind as Charlie and Vance had been to her in Roark’s absence, they were so obviously a newlywed couple that it was almost painful for her to be in their company.
After collecting their table assignments in the foyer, the trio posed for a photo. Elizabeth stepped aside, insisting that Vance and his wife should take one without her, and headed into the venue eager to gather ideas for future events of her own. Although she’d been expecting to be impressed, the room’s eighteen-foot ceilings and tall windows draped in black and ivory gave her a momentary pang of envy. What would it be like to plan an event for a room like this?
Fifty tables of eight had been arranged in the long, narrow room. At the center of each table a thirty-inch pedestal arrangement of red roses and white delphinium offered a splash of color in the otherwise monochrome surroundings.
Elizabeth scouted where she’d be sitting before approaching the open bar at the far end of the room. She ordered a white wine and stood in relative privacy away from the guests streaming into the center of the room. The table where she and the Waverly’s would be sitting was near the podium. The food pantry was one of Ann Richardson’s favorite charities and her work was being honored tonight.
Her heart began to pound as she spied Sonya Fremont enter the room. The woman had been in possession of Elizabeth’s proposal for over ten days. As far as she knew no decision had been made on an event planner. Her future hinged on her ability to convince Sonya that she was the perfect person to handle the event.
Setting the wine down, Elizabeth started across the room in Sonya’s direction. When she drew within ten feet, doubts closed in. What was she doing? Her only credibility at these sorts of functions came from standing beside Roark. Without him she might as well be invisible.
“Mrs. Fremont?” Where she found the courage to follow through on her initial impulse, Elizabeth would never know. “My name is Elizabeth Minerva. I’m—”
“Roark Black’s fiancée.” A dimple appeared beside Sonya’s mouth as the petite blonde woman extended her hand. “The clever girl who tamed the city’s most intriguing adventurer.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say tame.” Elizabeth warmed beneath the woman’s approval and relaxed. “I’m here and he’s on a plane, heading to…” Had Roark told her where he was headed? She’d been so damned mad when he’d announced that he wasn’t going to make it tonight, she couldn’t recall if he’d said. She certainly hadn’t asked. “Actually I have no idea where he’s off to.”
Sonya laughed. “Oh, dear, you’ve lost track of him already?” She linked her arm through Elizabeth’s and turned toward the bar. “Not to worry. Roark is the sort of man who needs a long leash.”
The notion of Roark putting up with any sort of leash amused Elizabeth to no end. “You sound like you know him pretty well.”
“My husband has followed his career for some time. I think he secretly wishes he’d run off on his own adventures when he was young instead of becoming an investment banker.”
While Sonya flirted with the attractive bartender, Elizabeth retrieved her white wine and wondered how to broach the subject of the proposal. The room was three-quarters full and before too much longer everyone would begin to make their way to their tables. Her window would be lost.
“I suppose you’re wondering if I’ve chosen the event planner for the gala.”
Instead of groaning, Elizabeth applied a rueful smile to her lips. “Was I so obvious?”
“I figured it was high on your list when you approached me.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.”
Sonya flashed her a wicked grin. “I’m rarely nice. But I’m sure you know that. How is my old friend, Josie?” The very deliberate slur on the word “friend” took a sledgehammer to Elizabeth’s optimism.
“She’s fine.”
“Still the same manipulative bitch she always was?”
“I…” Elizabeth felt the event slipping through her fingers with each question. She stood with one foot on either side of an ever-widening crevasse. “She hasn’t changed much in the three years I’ve worked for her.”
Sonya’s laugh rang out. “You, my dear, should have been a diplomat. I like you very much. If you weren’t working for my worst enemy I would hire you in a second.”
“Please reconsider. I would do an incredible job for you.”
“Did my old friend tell you what happened between us?”
Elizabeth’s heart sank. There was bad blood between her boss and one of New York’s most influential socialites? “No.”
“Twenty years ago we were best friends. Two weeks before my wedding, she slept with my fiancé.”
Elizabeth sucked in a shocked breath. Now she understood. Her boss had set her up to fail and since that was the case, Elizabeth had nothing to lose. “Please don’t believe for a second that I’m unsympathetic to how much that hurt you, but keep in mind that for the last twelve years she has been supporting an unpublished writer who has yet to propose to her while you are obviously very happy with a husband who adores you and can afford to keep you in Alexander McQueen and Dolce & Gabbana.”
Sonya sipped her wine and regarded Elizabeth over the rim. “Are you always this straight-speaking?”
“Some clients like hearing the truth.”
“Do they now?”
Neither the socialite’s neutral tone nor her intent expression gave Elizabeth any idea how her bluntness had been received. “Others need their hand held and their reality sugar-coated.”
“And you think I’m the former.”
“I do.”
“If I hire you can I expect more such truth from you?”
Elizabeth’s head swam. She was so close to her goal that it was hard to hold her breath and talk at the same time. “I’m afraid so.”
“Never be afraid of who you are.” Sonya’s head canted to the side as she studied Elizabeth. “I like you. I’d like to hire you, but I’ve sworn never to put a single coin in that woman’s pocket.”
“I understand.” This is why Josie had made Sonya’s event the basis for her partnership. It was never going to happen. She’d been destined to fail from the start.
“Call me if you ever wise up and leave Josie’s employ. I think we could make beautiful parties together.”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
Leaving Sonya to work the room, Elizabeth pulled out her phone and typed a quick text. It wasn’t until she’d sent the message that she realized her first impulse had been to share the results of the encounter with Roark.
With her mood further dampened, Elizabeth made her way back to the Waverly table. She was the last to arrive.
Ann Richardson broke off her conversation as Elizabeth approached. “Where’s Roark?”
Six pairs of eyes awaited her answer. Only two pairs held any sympathy: Vance and Charlie. The weight of her fake engagement sat heavily on Elizabeth’s shoulders. Irritation fired. How dare Roark abandon her at such a crucial time. What was she supposed to tell people when she had no idea what had prompted him to take off the way he had?
“He had an errand to run.” The excuse sounded lame.
Ann narrowed her eyes. “What sort of an errand?”
“Hello, sorry I’m late.” Wearing a bright smile, Sabeen appeared at Elizabeth’s side in a strapless gown of cobalt-blue.
“Roark called and told me to be your date tonight.”
Given the tenor of their last conversation, Elizabeth wasn’t sure whether or not to believe Sabeen. Roark had to know that having the young woman at her side during the dinner would increase Elizabeth’s discomfort rather than ease it. But if Roark hadn’t mentioned the gala, why else would Sabeen show up?
“That was thoughtful of him,” Elizabeth murmured.
“And where is Roark?” Ann Richardson wasn’t going to be satisfied until she had answers.
The look Sabeen shot Elizabeth was filled with triumph. “Didn’t Elizabeth tell you? He’s heading to Cairo.”
Was that true? Roark hadn’t shared his destination during their brief phone call. Of course, she hadn’t asked any questions.
“He left the country?” Angry color flared in Ann’s cheeks. “Without telling anyone? When is he coming back?”
“I believe a week,” Elizabeth said.
Sabeen’s lips curved in a feline smile. “He told me he planned to be back by Sunday.”
Violent impulses stirred in Elizabeth as Vance and Charlie shared a sympathetic look. She neither needed nor deserved their pity. She and Roark weren’t engaged, it was all a pretense. They’d known each other less than a month. It made perfect sense that he’d share more with Sabeen, a woman he’d known for ten years.
So, why did she feel so betrayed?
“And did he also tell you why he was in Cairo?” Ann gave Sabeen her full attention, dismissing Elizabeth in a way that made her grind her teeth.
All the problems with the Gold Heart statue had created tension between Ann and Roark. Elizabeth’s resentment of Roark’s abandonment grew as she took the backlash on her chin. More than anything she wanted to run away from this party and consume a quart of ice cream in her apartment, but she’d lose even more face if she did. Instead, she took her seat beside Vance and composed her features.
Roark’s brother leaned over and muttered, “Roark didn’t invite Sabeen to this party.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He would never have done that to you. She took it upon herself to humiliate you like this.”
