She wasn’t about to argue, not when he’d accepted her suggestion so willingly.
Miles looked around them. “It seems a shame to have to leave all this.”
“What, screaming kids, tired parents and too much cotton candy?”
“Well, when you put it that way?” He smiled and grabbed her hand, lifting it to his lips, where he pressed a kiss against her knuckles.
Chloe felt it all the way to the center of her body. The sounds around them almost faded completely away as her every cell focused solely on this man and his gentle touch. A pang of regret shafted through her as she reminded herself that this was all supposed to be fake. That she was seeking retribution and the peace it would hopefully bring her mother—not for her own gratification and, while she would have loved to have remained connected to him this way forever, she forced herself to pull free of his touch.
“Come on then, let’s go. The sooner you call your brother, the sooner we can be on the road—or, as the case may be, in the air.”
They made their way back to where Miles had parked his car and then drove to her house. He called his brother using the Bluetooth feature in his car. Once they arrived at Chloe’s place, she went to her bedroom to phone her mother, while Miles called his assistant from the living room.
Loretta Fitzgerald answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Momma, how are you?” she asked brightly.
“Oh, you know. The usual. Yesterday would have been your dad’s and my wedding anniversary. Those milestones are always tough.”
Chloe felt a burning shame fill her. How could she have forgotten such an important date? Since her father’s death, her mom had marked every milestone without him. Not with joy or happy memories, however. Most likely her mom had barely moved from her bed or opened her drapes. Her depression was mostly managed well, but anniversaries were particularly hard for her. If there was ever a day when her mom had needed her, it had been yesterday. And where had Chloe been? Wrapped up in Miles Wingate.
But then again, she rationalized, maybe knowing that her daughter was stepping up her goal of revenge against the Wingate family would make her mom feel as if they were finally getting closer to gaining closure on the Wingate family’s responsibility behind her father’s death.
“Momma, I’m sorry. I genuinely forgot.”
“Oh, it’s okay, hon. I know you can’t buoy me along every day. You have your life to live.”
It wasn’t even as if her mom was being passive-aggressive. She honestly expected nothing in her life because she’d schooled herself to believe that if she expected nothing, she’d never be disappointed again.
“We both have our lives to live, Momma. And I have news. You know how we’ve often talked about making the Wingates pay for what they did to Daddy? Well, I met Miles Wingate the other day and, surprisingly, we’ve quickly become quite close.”
“Oh, honey. I hope you know what you’re doing. They might smile and look nice on the outside, but deep down they’re like a viper’s nest.”
“I’m being careful,” Chloe reassured her with the fingers of one hand firmly crossed. “Really careful, I promise. I won’t get hurt. But I need to tell you that I’m going to be away for a few days. I’m going back to Texas, with Miles.”
“Are you sure that’s wise? Someone might recognize you. In fact, I’m surprised Miles didn’t recognize you. We did mingle with the family on occasion back then.”
“Not often enough for any memory of me to stick, I’m sure. And I’m all grown-up now. Nothing like the scrawny tomboy who was more interested in riding horses and climbing trees than in petit fours and lemonade on the veranda.”
“You still miss your pony, don’t you?” her mom said softly.
Chloe felt the all-too-familiar clutch in her chest when she thought about Trigger. He’d been one of the first things she’d truly loved that they’d had to let go after her father’s death.
“I’ve moved on, Momma,” Chloe lied. “And we’ll both be able to move on once I’ve exposed their father for his part in Daddy’s death.”
“Well, if you’re sure you’re doing the right thing...”
Loretta didn’t sound sure at all that her daughter was doing the right thing but, Chloe noted, she didn’t tell her not to stay the course, either.
“I definitely am, Momma. We’ve discussed this. You know Daddy deserved better.”
“I do, honey.” A more positive note began to creep into Loretta’s voice. “And he’d be so proud of you, too. It won’t be easy going back. So many memories.”
“Well, less for me than for you, I’m sure, Momma. And don’t worry, I’ll do you both proud. I promise.” Chloe could hear Miles moving about in the living room and hastened to end the call. “Look, would you be able to clear my mailbox and water my plants while I’m away? I’ll call you when I can, okay? Keep your fingers crossed for me.”
“Sure I will. It’ll do me good to have a reason to leave the house, and I’ll keep everything crossed for you, Chloe. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Momma. Talk later.”
She ended the call and quickly repacked her case, ensuring that she put in a few items that would do in case they had to attend any formal events, including the dress she’d worn last night to dinner. Under her mother’s tutelage, she’d developed an eye for what best suited her figure, and shopping in charity stores nearest the more expensive suburbs of Chicago had given her some lovely pieces for special occasions.
“Chloe, I don’t want to rush you, but we really need to get going,” Miles called out from the living room.
“It’s okay. I’m just about done.”
She swept a few more toiletries into the bag and zipped it shut before wheeling it out of her room. She studied Miles’s face. Lines of strain had become apparent at the corners of his eyes, and his mouth, which she’d been accustomed to seeing curved into a smile, was a straight line.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
His features softened as she approached him.
“Sure, at least it will be once I’m back with my family.”
His words felt like bullets to her heart. Family. At least he had one, which was more than she and her mother could say. She’d been worried that she was making the right decision to follow through on her plan for payback, but this had just sealed the deal. As much as she was deeply attracted to him, she needed to remind herself that it was purely physical and the magnetic pull between them was merely a means to an end.
Miles and the rest of his brothers and sisters took their position in life and their wealth for granted. Wealth that was created, in part, on the backbone of her father’s hard work. After her father’s business had begun to suffer financial hardship due to a client going bankrupt and not settling their accounts with him, Trent Wingate had offered his support. But the support had never been forthcoming. Instead, the man had simply sat back and waited until he could swoop in and take over her father’s business completely at a steal of a price, thereby driving him to his death.
Her daddy had thought Trent Wingate was a good man—someone he could count on—but his judgment had been fatally wrong. Chloe uttered a silent vow that she would not forget just how callous and cruel the Wingates could be. They needed a mirror brought before them to see how their choices and behaviors affected others. She would be that mirror, and maybe, just maybe, her momma would start to smile again.
Seven
Chloe settled into the wide leather seat in the private jet and stretched out her legs.
“Comfortable?” Miles asked as he secured his seat belt.
“You know this is going to spoil me for regular travel anywhere, don’t you?” she said archly.
“All part of my nefarious plan,” he answered, wiggling his eyebrows like an old-time villain in a black-and-white movie reel.
She laughed. “Well
, I have to say that so far I like the sound of your nefarious plan.”
He took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Good.” Then he sighed, and his expression became more serious. “I’m glad you’re with me. I haven’t been home since my father’s funeral two years ago.”
“Do you miss him?”
“He certainly was a force in my life. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but he was my father.”
Which told her everything and nothing all at the same time and gave her the perfect opportunity to do a little digging.
“Tell me about your family. You are so lucky to have brothers and sisters. And your mother, too, she’s still alive?”
“Yeah, my mom’s still alive and kicking. She was devoted to my father and nursed him for as long as she was able.” A shadow crossed his face. “She took Dad’s death hard. They’d been together since my dad was about twenty-two and it was her that helped him focus his energy on starting up Wingate Refineries. After Dad passed away, Uncle Keith, who is a family friend, took her on a tour of Europe, but now she’s involved in the family business again.
“Not so sure Uncle Keith is thrilled with that. From what I hear from my siblings, he seems to expect more than friendship from Mom and wants more of her attention. He and Dad were rivals for Mom’s affections back in the day. Dad won and he and Uncle Keith remained friends. Since Dad’s death he’s been a constant support to her but now she’s back on her feet, she doesn’t need him as much, I guess.”
“She sounds formidable.”
Miles chuckled. “Not sure she’d like that description, to be honest.”
“Well, I’m intimidated already,” Chloe said with a smile to soften her words.
She fought back a yawn.
“Hey, the flight is going to be about two and a half hours, once we reach cruising altitude. Why don’t you put your seat back and have a bit of a sleep?” Miles suggested.
Chloe felt a blush of heat bloom through her body at the memory of exactly why she was so tired.
“Sounds like a plan. In fact, I may not even reach cruising altitude before I nod off. Must be something to do with the engine noise singing me to sleep.”
Miles’s lips curved into a smile. “Or something to do with last night.”
“A lot to do with last night, I suspect,” Chloe admitted aloud. “And if I’m to look anything near respectable when I meet your family, I’ll definitely need that nap.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Miles said, dropping a kiss on her lips as he unclipped his seat belt when the pilot notified them that it was now safe to move around the aircraft. “I’m going forward to have a word with Sam, the pilot.”
“Friend of yours?”
“We went to high school together.”
“Well, don’t distract him from flying the plane, okay?”
Miles laughed. “Duly noted.”
* * *
When he came back to sit by Chloe, she was fast asleep. He’d noticed the shadows under her eyes this morning, but the sparkle in her eyes had offset that. He couldn’t believe how much he enjoyed being with this woman, or how quickly they’d fallen into sync with one another. It had surprised him on so many levels. His business was security. He was a naturally cautious person. And yet, with Chloe, he hadn’t felt his usual need to hold back or to run a standard background check like he usually did whenever he considered letting someone into his life.
He settled back in the seat and fastened his seat belt before leaning his chair back and closing his eyes. Being here, next to Chloe, felt right in a world that he knew—for his family, at least—was fast descending into chaos. He’d need his wits about him, going home. But he also knew he needed the quiet strength of the woman beside him to get through it.
When the plane landed in Royal, Texas and taxied to the administration building of the Wingate family’s private airport, Miles could see his twin brothers standing on the tarmac, waiting for him. He felt that familiar tug of belonging to something far greater than just himself. The Wingates were a force to be reckoned with, not just in Texas but worldwide, too. But, to Miles, they were his family, and family trumped all things no matter how much he’d tried to distance himself from it.
To be a Wingate meant meeting very high expectations, and he knew his brothers were heartsick about the incident at the plane factory. He only hoped that he could do something effective when it came to studying the necessary data to find out where the security breach had come from.
Miles leaned over and woke Chloe with a kiss on her cheek.
“We’re here.”
“Oh, already? I feel like I only just closed my eyes. Heavens, I must look a sight. Do I need to freshen up before we get off the plane?”
He let his eyes drift over her face and he shook his head. “No, you look beautiful.”
A hint of color tinged her cheeks. “Thank you. You’re good for a girl’s ego.”
“I don’t believe in lying and deception. I wouldn’t tell you that you were beautiful if I didn’t believe it.”
Her gaze skittered away from his, as if his words had made her uncomfortable, and she caught her lower lip between her teeth. The action sent a bolt of lust straight to his groin as he remembered biting that same lip only hours ago and remembered, even more vividly, exactly how she’d tasted.
Chloe reached for her tote and gave him an apologetic grin.
“I’m going to need a minute to two, at least.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll head on out to my brothers.” He gestured out the window. “They’re obviously eager to see me.”
“Oh, of course. And I really will only be a couple of minutes, I promise.”
He kissed her again and watched as she got out of her seat and went to the compact bathroom near the rear of the plane. Then, he squared his shoulders and headed out the door.
Sutton, the younger of the twins by only a few minutes, came forward and clasped his hand before dragging him into a tightly held man-hug.
“Miles, good to see you. Thanks for coming. We’ve missed you.” Then he released his younger brother and stepped back.
“Yeah, I missed you guys, too.”
“But not enough to come home more frequently,” Sebastian said, coming forward and hugging Miles, also.
“What can I say? All work and no play makes me a very dull boy,” Miles countered.
He’d had to face his own demons about his lack of contact with the family since their father’s death, but he wasn’t about to hash all that out right now.
Sutton issued a low whistle. “Miles, it looks as though you’ve made some time for play if the lovely lady coming off the plane is any indication. You didn’t mention you were bringing company.”
Miles turned around and watched Chloe as she donned an oversize pair of sunglasses and slowly walked across the tarmac toward them.
“To be honest, you didn’t really give me time to tell you anything. We can stay at the Bellamy if it’s going to be a problem.”
“Hell, no.” Sebastian said quickly. “Mom would never forgive us if we drove you away before you even got to say hi. Besides, she’ll be intrigued you brought a girl home to meet her. It’s a first for you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Sutton chimed in. “And since Beth and Cam have hooked up, Mom’s got ideas about all of us settling down.”
Miles laughed and turned away from his brothers so he could slide an arm around Chloe’s waist and draw her to his side.
“Chloe, I’d like you to meet my brothers. Don’t feel bad if you can’t tell them apart. Each one is likely to be masquerading as the other at some stage of our stay anyway.”
“Now, now, Miles. Don’t go giving your guest the wrong impression,” Sebastian said as he stepped forward and offered Chloe his hand. “I’m Sebastian. The good-looking one.”
Chloe laughed, obviously ch
armed by his brother’s foolishness. “And you must be Sutton?” she said as she shook hands with the other twin.
“Obviously Miles has been talking about us,” Sutton drawled as he delivered a killer smile to Chloe. “Don’t believe everything he tells you.”
Miles felt a prickle of unease tug at the back of his mind. He didn’t recall ever telling Chloe his brothers’ names, and that was the kind of detail he didn’t normally forget. But then again, nothing about his life had been normal since he’d literally bumped into her on Wednesday morning. Besides, it wasn’t as if his family wasn’t in the news from time to time. He decided to ignore the niggle of doubt and, once their luggage was removed from the plane, they all walked together to the large SUV waiting outside the airstrip to take them home.
Home.
It was quite a concept to most people but for Miles it left his shoulders tense and his mind full of memories of disappointing his father and hearing in no uncertain terms that unless he toed the family line he’d be written off as a failure. What Trent had never understood was that Miles was possibly more like him than any of his other children—strong-minded and determined to succeed on his own merits. Where they differed was that Miles was not prepared to succeed at any cost—even at the expense of others—and that, unfortunately, had been what had driven the permanent wedge between the two of them.
And, despite the warm welcome he’d received, Miles still sensed the invisible gulf between himself and his brothers. They, too, had been unhappy when he’d struck out on his own after finishing college. Not to say that the twins had agreed with their father 100 percent, either, but their methods had been to effect change from the inside. This being made easier, of course, after their father’s first stroke, which had given them more of the necessary control to keep Wingate Enterprises at the top of its game. But now the company’s position on the ladder was under grave threat.
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