Brooke heard the doubt in her voice. Brooke knew herself that RJ changed girlfriends like most men changed ringtones. She should be grateful for the wake-up call.
She and Lily chatted innocuously about a recent music festival, and Brooke prepared the rest of the salad, then they heard Alan’s house tour coming toward the kitchen house.
“Stunning plasterwork in the archways.” Alan’s confident voice boomed outside the doorway. “She must have hired craftsmen from Italy.”
“She did.” Kara accompanied him into the room. “Only the best for Grandma Kincaid. Do you ladies need some help with the food?”
“It’s all ready.” Lily smiled. “Perhaps you could both help us carry it into the dining room?”
The long mahogany table gleamed under its load of antique porcelain and sterling silver flatware. Obviously someone was polishing and dusting in Elizabeth Kincaid’s absence. Not that she would clean things herself even if she was here.
Alan picked up one of the crystal glasses and peered underneath. “I knew it. Penrose Waterford. The original Waterford crystal.” He beamed at the gathered group, taking their chairs. “It’s a privilege to be surrounded by such treasures.”
“It’s fun to meet someone who appreciates them so much,” said Laurel. “We tend to take everything for granted since we’ve seen all these things since we were babies.” Little Flynn had picked up a scrolled silver spoon and raised it, ready to bang it down on the burnished wood surface before his father caught his hand with a laugh. “See! No appreciation for the finer things.”
Alan laughed, showing even white teeth. “Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, lucky little devil. And surrounded by such a warm and loving family, too.” He beamed at the gathered crowd.
Brooke shrank into her chair. He seemed perfectly comfortable here. She felt they were all watching her, wondering what would happen when RJ dumped her. RJ made such a handsome head of the family, carving the big roast and passing plates around. She helped herself to minted potatoes and steamed asparagus and raised her glass in a toast to the family and the fervent hope that Elizabeth Kincaid would be at next Sunday’s gathering.
“What I want to know,” said Matthew, “is who gave the police the information that led to Mom’s arrest. They won’t even say what the information is. The investigator RJ hired says someone saw Mom in the building, but the police aren’t confirming.”
Brooke’s fingers tightened around her glass of white wine. She put it down carefully.
“Damn, but I wish I was there that night.” RJ looked up. “I went out to a dinner across town and left around six, so I didn’t see a thing.”
Brooke swallowed, and stared at her asparagus. She’d been there until shortly after seven, finishing a report and PowerPoint presentation for one of RJ’s upcoming meetings. That’s when she’d joined Elizabeth Kincaid on the elevator and exited the building with her. Had RJ’s mother been so upset because she’d found Reginald dead…or worse…killed him? No, no she couldn’t believe it of her. Maybe she should just say something right now. She hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking to the police, but sitting here in silence felt terrible. Perhaps she could just—
“If an employee told the police they saw Mom, they should be fired,” RJ spoke loudly.
Brooke’s knife rattled against her plate, and she cleared her throat and busied herself cutting some meat. Speaking up right now was not a good idea. She’d definitely have to tell RJ alone, not surprise him in front of his family. If only she could pluck up the courage.
“Be fair, RJ,” Laurel said. “If they were just speaking the truth they’ve committed no crime. Mom did say she was there that night, bringing Dad’s dinner.”
“No way. It’s a police investigation and they should have pled the fifth. It’s a simple matter of company loyalty.”
“Maybe they had no idea what was going on?” Lily peered at RJ over her glass of sparkling water.
“Hardly. The police were crawling all over the office for weeks investigating the murder. No one could have thought they were simply making casual conversation. Someone out there is responsible for our mother being behind bars right now, with a bunch of real hard cases and nut jobs, and that’s not something I can forgive.”
Brooke’s breathing had become so shallow she started to feel faint. RJ would surely find out it was her who spoke to the police. Part of her wanted to confess right now and get it over with. Have them all shout at her and blame her and throw her out of the house. She silently twisted her napkin in her lap.
No, apparently she was too weak to speak up and face the music. And worst of all, she couldn’t bear to hurt RJ.
And there was her job. And the rent to pay. And her dream of buying her little condo. She should probably start looking for another job, since they’d fire her for sure once they found out and it was bound to happen sooner or later.
“Brooke, are you okay? You look pale?” Kara turned to her.
“Sure, fine!” Her voice came out loud and forced. “Delicious dinner.” Her lame comment echoed down the table.
“Marvelous.” Alan smiled and lifted his knife. “Quite the most succulent roast I’ve had this year. My congratulations to the chef.”
Lily smiled. “Mom taught me everything I know. She’s an amazing entertainer. Speaking of which, Laurel, she wanted to know how your wedding plans are coming along. Did you choose the dress yet?”
Laurel looked slightly startled. “Choose a dress? I can’t possibly get married until Mom is out of…that place.”
“She wants us to forge ahead with all our plans so she can leap right back into life once this ordeal is over. She and I spent ages poring over menu ideas for my wedding. And she thinks I should go for the Vera Wang dress I showed you.”
Laurel bit her lip. “I don’t know. It just seems wrong to think about dresses and cakes and reception venues at a time like this.” She turned to Eli. “Don’t you think?”
“Absolutely.” He patted her hand. “No need to rush. We have the rest of our lives together.”
“I agree with Mom and think you’re being silly. Come on, Eli. Don’t you think Mom would be cheered up by pictures of your lovely bride in sixty or seventy different fabulous gowns?” Eli shrugged in response to Kara’s question. “I tell you, I’m more excited about this wedding than the bride or groom. If they didn’t have a party planner in the family, there probably wouldn’t ever be a wedding.
“I think everyone needs a party planner in the family. Come on, I’m up to three weddings right now, Lily and Daniel, Matt and Susannah, Laurel and Eli—who’s next?”
Brooke felt a sudden raw flush of irrational hope in her chest. Why not her and RJ?
Well, there were any number of reasons why not. RJ didn’t say anything and she forced herself not to look at him. Lily’s warning reverberated in her mind.
“Alan, how about you? Have you got a blushing bride hidden somewhere?”
“Not yet, I’m afraid.” He smiled around the table. “I’m still waiting for that perfect lady to enter my life.” Brooke noticed his eyes skip right past her as he shone his klieg-light charm on the gathered group. He probably wasn’t interested in her since she wasn’t a member of the mighty Kincaid family. She was just a nobody who happened to be there. “And who knows, it could happen any day now.” He let his blue eyes fall to rest on Kara, and Brooke watched the slight suggestive lift of his eyebrow.
“That’s the spirit.” Kara smiled. Then she clapped her hand over Eli’s. “I still think you should be pushing your bride to make some decisions. One couple I helped recently had been engaged for sixteen years. They hadn’t planned it that way, they just never got around to setting the date.”
“Maybe they just weren’t all that crazy about each other.” RJ topped up the glasses of those s
eated on either side of him. “When people realize that they really like each other, things happen fast.” His bright gaze settled on Brooke, who couldn’t stop a smile rushing to her lips.
“Maybe you’ll be next then, RJ?” Kara looked at him with an arch smile.
RJ laughed. “Or maybe you will, Kara?”
Brooke deflated as suddenly as she’d filled with hope. Which was absolutely ridiculous after two measly weeks of dating. You’d think she’d never been in a relationship before.
“Since I’m not even seeing anyone right now, I’m not entirely sure how that could happen.” Kara took the bottle from him and refilled the next two glasses down the table. “But I suppose you never know what life is going to bring.”
“Truer words were never said.” Alan beamed around the room. “I never imagined I’d find myself in the midst of such a charming family. I’m honored to be here and delighted to find that I truly feel at home among you.”
Brooke wished she could say the same. But, kind as they were, she still felt like an outsider. The kind of outsider who was responsible for putting their beloved mother behind bars. And when they found out, she’d be on the outside for good.
Eight
“I guess Alan’s not so bad after all.” RJ piloted his Porsche back to his apartment. Brooke sat beside him, looking gorgeous in a green dress that gracefully hugged her curves.
“He’s certainly making an effort.” Brooke seemed a little tense, her pretty mouth tight and her lovely green eyes darting around a lot. He’d be sure to release all that tension with a nice, soothing massage when they got home. His fingers tingled with anticipation at the prospect.
“Was it overwhelming being surrounded by Kincaids?”
“Everyone in your family is lovely. They couldn’t have been nicer.”
“Still, there are a lot of us. And more all the time, it seems. The clan keeps growing.” He beamed. He loved the way she’d pitched in with Sunday dinner and he could tell she’d made a positive impression on his sisters. “You fit right in.” There weren’t many women as intelligent and fun as his sisters, but he’d managed to find one. That she was gorgeous, too? Icing on the cake.
“Thanks. I’ve had practice, being in the company so long, I knew half of you already.”
“But socializing is different. For one thing you look a lot hotter in that dress than in your power suits.” How could he not have noticed how breathtakingly beautiful she was until recently? He must have been blind. He took the briefest of red-light opportunities to admire the way her dress draped over her slender thighs, and saw her smile out of the corner of his eye.
“Thanks.”
“I can’t wait to peel it off you.”
“You won’t have to wait long.”
He pulled into the parking garage under his building and they hurried upstairs, laughing at their own eagerness. Every glance, every touch that passed between them only ratcheted the tension higher. RJ’s muscles ached to wrap themselves around Brooke again. He’d made an effort not to paw her in front of the family, as he didn’t want to embarrass her. He could tell she still felt a little shy and awkward, probably because she was used to having a much more formal relationship with all of them.
In the elevator, RJ seized the opportunity to steal a greedy kiss. Brooke’s mouth tasted like honey and flowers, and her skin was smooth silk under his fingers. How could he have worked with her for five years and never realized such a delicious and inviting woman was right under his nose?
So much for being sensible and keeping work and play separate for five years. If it hadn’t been for that one crazy whisky-fueled night he could have missed out on becoming intimate with the most appealing woman he’d ever met.
They tore into the apartment, flushed and breathless. Brooke fumbled with the buttons on his shirt while he unwrapped the complicated sash around her waist. Her nipples poked eagerly through the delicate fabric of her bra when he unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor.
He circled her waist and held her against his chest. Brooke let out a shuddering sigh. He could tell she’d been anxious today, maybe nervous about making the right impression on his large family. Now they were alone again her reserve melted away, leaving her warm and eager in his arms.
Their kisses had a dimension he’d never experienced before. Something more than taste and touch, a thrilling quality that never failed to surprise him. Her mouth fit his so well, he could kiss her for hours and not notice the time passing.
Brooke’s hand covered his erection through the pants they’d not yet managed to shed, and he released a little groan of his own.
“I feel like a teenager when you’re around.” He breathed in her ear and nibbled the nape of her neck. “I had a hard time keeping my hands off you today.”
“Lucky thing you don’t have to anymore.” She stroked the hard length of him, then unzipped his pants and took him firmly in her hand. RJ arched his back at the sensation.
“I think we’d better get horizontal.”
Brooke squeezed again, making him breathe harder.
“Horizontal is so…predictable.” She spoke quietly. He cracked open his eyes to see her mischievous grin.
“Brooke, you never fail to surprise me.” They shrugged off his pants and he lifted her onto the back of the broad leather sofa, which was just wide enough to hold her gorgeous ass while he held her steady.
It drove him crazy to see how wet and ready she was. He entered her slowly, and enjoyed her sweet moan of pleasure. Her breasts bounced gently against his chest as he rocked back and forth. He loved the feel of her hands on his back, clinging for balance as he moved with her. When she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him deeper, he thought he’d explode right there and then, but he pulled himself back from the brink and teased her lips with licks and kisses.
“Oh, RJ.” His name on her sigh heightened his arousal. He sensed her climax growing close. Her nails dug into his skin and she moved with increasing speed and passion, legs still wrapped firmly around him. When she finally let go, he felt the force of serious relief ripping through him, and they almost toppled backwards onto the sofa together until he managed to right them.
Still in the same position, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, where they settled on the bed. Brooke’s eyes were closed, her lashes long and thick against her rosy cheeks. Her hair splayed over the pillow and her lips were red and slightly parted.
“What a vision,” he murmured.
Her eyes opened a little, a sliver of jade green glory, and he saw the spark of a smile in them. Brooke’s smile did something really odd to his chest. In fact he was currently experiencing a host of unfamiliar sensations. Is this what love felt like?
He settled next to her onto the pillow. Brooke had already drifted off into a sweet sleep, and he was almost ready to do the same until he realized he’d better go remove the condom.
Which was when he realized he hadn’t used one.
Brooke woke up to the first rays of lazy sunshine peeking around the heavy curtains. She’d slept like a corpse. The anxiety of the family dinner knocked her right out. Or maybe her brain was hiding from the ugly reality of the truths she had to reveal. She turned to find RJ, but his side of the bed was empty.
When she glanced at the clock it was only 6:30. Early for him to be up already.
“RJ?” How odd. He didn’t seem to be in the bathroom, and the bedroom door was closed. She tried to settle her head back on the pillow, but found she couldn’t relax. She climbed out of bed and pulled her robe from the wardrobe, then stepped out into the living room.
Still no RJ.
The kitchen was empty, and so was the spare bedroom. The door to his office was closed. Not exactly an early riser, RJ usually rolled out of bed at the last minute whe
n it was time to head to work. She’d never known him to work in his study in the morning. Maybe something was going on with his mother’s case?
That now-familiar knot of fear reappeared in her stomach. Had he realized it was her who spoke to the police?
“RJ, are you in there?”
She heard a rustle, and the sound of a chair being pulled back, then the door flung open. RJ’s face was dark, his eyebrows lowered.
Immediately Brooke felt the blood creeping from her body. He knew. “I’m sorry, I never meant to—”
“Don’t blame yourself. I screwed up, Brooke.”
“What?” She was confused.
RJ shoved a hand through already disordered hair. “I’ve been taking responsibility for birth control, so it’s my fault I forgot to use a condom.”
Brooke’s mouth fell open. She’d been so excited and aroused it never crossed her mind. “I didn’t even think of it.”
“You could be pregnant.”
The words hung in the air for a moment. Her hand flew to her belly as if life was already taking shape in there. Which it might be.
“I can’t believe I was so stupid.” RJ’s tone made it clear there was nothing positive about the possibility.
Brooke shrank back into the living room slightly. For an odd, irrational second, she’d welcomed the idea of RJ’s baby. Now she could plainly see he was horrified by the possibility of having a child with her. “It was my fault, too. I should have said something.”
“It’s not your fault. I’ve taken care of it every time, so you could reasonably expect me to continue.” He hesitated. “I don’t suppose you’re on the pill or anything, are you?”
She swallowed. “No. I should have gone to the doctor for something, but everything happened so fast....” Their whirlwind romance had seemed above prosaic matters like birth control. And the sad fact was she hadn’t had a relationship in so long that she hadn’t thought about contraception in ages. She had an old diaphragm buried somewhere in her bathroom cupboards, but it probably didn’t even fit anymore.
Behind Boardroom Doors Page 11
