Drawing The Line (Mistaken Identity Series)

by Sylvia Hubbard

  Her thoughts went back to the last night they were together and as they orgasm simultaneously. He had ordered her to open her eyes and look at him. Their breathing had become one, as ecstasy washed over her like waves hitting the beach with a thunderstorm behind them.

  She didn't know how she maintained eye contact with him, as her mind took her far, far away to a place only pleasure abounded and she was flying like a bird high in the heavens. Andrew didn't stop and Shane hadn't wanted him to. They loved like there was no tomorrow - and every touch, kiss, and stroke mattered at that moment.

  A loud horn behind her honked viciously. Shane jerked back to reality and took off at the green light staring her in the face. When she arrived at the office, she took several deep breaths to control her libido. She parked her vehicle near the back hidden from the street. It was easier to get out when she would be ready to leave since the vehicle was already turned around.

  When she knew she could make it at least through the door, she went inside the office. The lights were low and she could hear no one there.

  Going to the office she shared with Andrew, she heard his voice and the lights were and the door was open.

  He paused a moment on his phone conversation as she walked in, but continued talking not even greeting her in any kind of way, yet watched as she went around her cubicle and sat down.

  It was as if last night had not happened at all.

  She gripped her desk for a moment trying to force herself to think clearly. He was going to pretend like they hadn’t shared a powerful emotional moment. Just like Paul had told her he would.

  She listened with half an ear to the conversation he was having hearing no change in his voice and nothing evident to tell her he had been affected by her entrance.

  ‘What did you expect? He already made it clear what he did was only for Paul.’ She should feel the same, but it was difficult to feel that way when Andrew was so formidable.

  Not to mention, in less than two years, she would be his wife.

  Shane pretended to get to work, but her ears were tuned into what else was going on in the office. She was aware the moment he stood up from his desk and quietly came over to her. Every step he took, her heart rate accelerated.

  It had taken five of his long casual strides to make it over to the other side of the office and lean against the cubicle wall, which she knew would crumple under his weight if he were putting all his weight on it.

  "You know you didn't have to come into work," he said, folding his arms over his chest in authority.

  "Paul mentioned it, but I wanted to get in some work," she said.

  He shrugged with nonchalance. "Suit yourself, but if you think you're going to win brownie points with the boss, it doesn't work that way."

  Shane frowned and leaned back in her seat. A million seductive sentences popped in her mind about them and she had to practically bite her tongue to keep from saying them too timid to see where it could all lead. 'Draw the line,' she ordered herself. "I wasn't trying to win brownie points, Andrew. I was merely trying to get some work done."

  His eyes were piercing her as if he had expected her to do something else.

  Keeping her composure and strength, she continued to act as if his proximity wasn’t doing a dozy to her equilibrium. She pretended the screen on her computer was much more attractive to look at than the gorgeous man standing next to her desk.

  "You know the meeting with the Bellini's was canceled until after Christmas?" he asked to be sure, being very businesslike.

  To look up at him with indifference took a great deal of effort on her part. Every bit of her conscious wanted to scream at him, ‘We just made love less than twenty-four hours ago. I know how you taste, how you kiss and how you feel all over!’ But Shane briefly bit her tongue and made it look like she had to really think hard to remember about whatever he wanted to be speaking about. "Yes, I know this," she said. "I received the email on my PDA, but I still want to come into work despite your presence. Why is that so hard to believe, Andrew?"

  He straightened himself and cocked his head a little. "It's just hard to believe someone wants to work as hard as I do."

  "Don’t you think I have to if I plan on being a bigger success than you?" she teased arrogantly. Humor was her last saving grace to hide from the emotional turmoil going on inside of her. The fact that he could act with his usual acidity wasn’t supposed to affect her as much as it was doing.

  He didn't take her levity well. With a curt nod, he walked away just as Troy walked in the room. Even though she couldn't see the door of the office behind her cubicle, she could tell it was Troy just by the flair of his shirt waving in the air and his hurried footsteps.

  Andrew and Troy said a few words about his schedule for the day.

  "Unlike some people who can't get enough of work, Troy," Andrew muttered loud enough for Shane to hear. "You can just go home to your father. He told me not to work you too hard today."

  "I would like to stay and work," Troy insisted.

  "No, Troy. I have to go out to do some things for your father. Let him know I'll be coming over later with an update to the information he wants," Andrew said with a resolution that didn't brook a refusal from Troy.

  Shane decided to keep her knowledge of Troy's animosity toward her to herself. Andrew didn't need to know that her own brother, even though he was a half-brother, couldn't stand her. She was not going to play devil's advocate especially since Paul said that the two were friends. If Andrew didn't see what a seedy little bastard Troy really was than she was not going to sit there and gossip.

  Smiling to herself at her new attitude, she knew she would have to stop hanging around Andrew. His language was starting to invade her thoughts.

  "What will you be doing for my father?" Troy inquired casually, but even Shane could hear the stress in his voice.

  "Just some political handiwork he wanted to me do for him," Andrew said, going back to his desk.

  Shane was now listening intently to their conversation, wondering why the senator and Andrew were keeping Troy out of the Tyrex loop.

  Troy persisted in knowing, "Isn't that why he has assistants and staff?"

  "Yes, but he asked me to do this for him personally. Why are you getting so defensive?"

  Angrily, Troy spat, "Because the last time you kept me out the loop, I found out that my sister was right here in this office.”

  The room was quiet. Obviously, Troy didn't know she was there and she didn't say anything to make her presence known at this time.

  Andrew didn't say anything either. Instead, he said carefully in a stern tone, "I think you need to watch your tone, Troy."

  "I think I have a right to know what's going on and why you and my father sit all huddled up all the time lately. Ever since she came, it's as if the two of you have this bond."

  "You mean Ms. Keaton and me?"

  "Hell no. I'm not talking about the bitch, I'm talking about you and my old man!"

  Andrew snorted. "You aren't still harboring jealousy over me after all these years?" he asked incredulously.

  "You don't think I should be a little resentful to my father, because he pays more attention to you than he does to his only son."

  "Troy, please don't make me go there with you. Your father set terms for you. You choose to take another road. He provided you with the best of everything and you still decided to do what the fuck you wanted to do."

  Even Shane was sitting on pins and needles as Andrew's irritation with Troy grew to anger. She could hear Troy's shallow breathing and wanted to look around the cubicles corner to see how far her brother stood from Andrew.

  "Well, why don't I continue to do whatever I fucking please, since you have Ms. Keaton here, my services are no longer needed."

  "Do whatever you feel like. You took the position to try to win your Daddy over, but he wasn't fooled."

  "Did you tell him that?" Troy shouted.

  Andrew paused for a moment, but not because he was s
cared of Troy's temper. If anything, Troy should be the one fearing for his life, because it would only take two seconds for Andrew to get over the desk and punch the cowardly snot right in the face. Andrew was still trying not to do so after Troy had called Shane a bitch. Whether Troy was aware of Shane’s presence or not, that didn't mean her brother could just insult her whenever he pleased.

  Troy shrieked out his question again on the brink of insanity, but Andrew kept his cool only showing annoyance at Troy by narrowing his eyes.

  "I didn't tell the senator anything. He already knew you just took the position to find out his business. Did you really think I would know all your father's assets?" Andrew pierced hard green eyes at Troy, leaning forward really wanting to break something off in Troy's ass. "And if I did know, would you think I would allow myself to release that information to you?"

  "But-" Troy started to protest.

  "But nothing, Troy. Just because we've been friends the association has only been through your father and I've only respected you because you are his only son, but do really you think I'm going to sit by and let you stupidly use me while you try to rob your father blind? What the hell kind of fool do you think I am?"

  Shane couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rachel had been telling a lie when she told Shane that Troy and Andrew were good friends.

  Shane should have known this was a lie because Andrew couldn't have friends. He was just to mean and ornery.

  "But you hired me?" Troy stated cockily. "You didn't know what I was after in the beginning."

  "That's where you're wrong, Troy. I knew from the beginning the lying lazy cheater you really were, but I have always lived by the rule of keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

  Shane had to wonder did Andrew consider her an enemy. Was that his goal in life in order to never become close to anyone? By keeping all his enemies in arms reach, he would never be fooled by anyone, but then he would never trust anyone either.

  Yet Paul wasn't his enemy. Paul was probably Andrew's only friend. Andrew lived a very sad and lonely life, Shane realized. Never knowing, never trusting anyone could drive a man insane.

  Maybe Andrew wasn't too far from it.

  Shane covered her mouth from the giggle that wanted to escape. If Andrew did not divulge her whereabouts to Troy, he obviously didn't want her brother to know she was there.

  "I'll show you what kind of fool you are. I'll show you all," Troy sneered and stormed out of the room.

  Andrew followed him out to make sure Troy made it out the office and into his car. Andrew locked the front door for safety reasons feeling ill at ease about Troy's threat.

  He pulled out his cell phone and called the senator to inform him of what had just happened. Shane was standing on the side of her cubicle wall, looking at him with a peculiar frown on her face.

  When Andrew disconnected from the senator, he asked, "What's that look for?"

  "Did you really want me to hear that?" she asked.

  "Some of it," he admitted. "I wanted you to be aware that he had ill feelings for you. I knew it would come out sooner or later, and I thought it best that you know who your enemies are."

  With a rude snort, she questioned, "Should I count you on that list as well?"

  Andrew didn't answer her question. Instead, he went over to his desk, gathered his things and went back to the doorway. "I'll lock the door behind me on the way out. There is an extra set of keys to the office in the top drawer. Use them to make sure you lock up everything."

  Shane wondered did he know if he had asked her to go upstairs to join him, she would have accepted? Did this lout even care about anything other than Paul?

  Did he even know she was still very much attracted to him?!

  Keeping her cool, she nodded to his orders. "What about my question? Are you my enemy, Andrew?"

  Without hesitation, he said, "That's a determination you need to make on your own, Shane."

  "What if I need to hear it from you?"

  "My feelings?" he snorted in disgust, cutting her a belittling eye. "Is that what you're waiting for Shane because if you are, then you're going to be waiting a long time? Didn't Paul tell you not to get your hopes up on me?"

  "He made me aware of your nature, Andrew, and I knew you weren't the emotional type. You can't be. Not after all you've been through."

  He narrowed his eyes at her with a nondescript look on his face. "Don't analyze me, Shane. You won't get your answers there. What you and I have done was only for Paul."

  "So all that concerns me personally is all for Paul?" she asked to be sure.

  "Only for Paul. Like I told you before, my personal life is too fucked up to involve others."

  Shane wouldn't press the matter. She knew there was more to Andrew than what he allowed people to see. He was a complex man, who didn't understand himself, but Shane would know him just as well as Paul did and then she would show Andrew Watkins just exactly how things should be.

  With that in mind, she said, "You're living a sad life, Andrew. You will never know real satisfaction, fulfillment, and unconditional love. And with that you will never know true meaning of life no matter what your material success is."

  He didn't stop glaring at her until she went back around to hide behind her cubicle. Andrew walked out very bothered by her words.

  Chapter 31

  Shane stayed at the office until about seven. She spoke with her father for a long while as she worked on finishing up the research and reports. It felt as if she had always had him in her life because he knew a lot about what had gone on in her life even though he hadn’t been around.

  “I would like you to be careful when it comes to the Meadows, Shane. Now that you’ve given them the money that could be the start of something else,” he warned.

  The warning Sadie had said to her earlier came to mind, but she obstinately pushed it away and let him know about the Troy situation; first telling him about the parking lot incident.

  He was aware of the argument between Andrew and Troy, but assured her not to worry about anything.

  "Troy talks a lot of spoiled brat crap, but he never goes through with anything. I've assured Andrew of this as well," Senator Payne said.

  "Why don't I feel assured?" Shane said.

  The senator chuckled. "Funny, Andrew said the same thing, but my son is a weak sniveling bastard. That's from being spoiled to death by his mother and her folks. He has a back bone like a water snake and he couldn't do shit if he wanted to."

  "I always believed people with greed and deceit in their hearts, sir, are capable of moving mountains when angered enough. Troy sounded angry enough to push that mountain on innocent people. How close are you to getting the evidence you need on Tyrex?"

  "Close enough to smell their fear," he said. "But I don't want you to worry. Andrew has gone to the site to make sure the site is secure. I don't even want you to know what we're planning."

  "I don't think I want to know," she said with a little bit of relief, yet still on edge.

  "What about your friend who helped you with forensics? Is it possible for you to refer him to me? I would like to sit down and speak to him."

  Shane told her father she would relay the information to Jeremiah knowing her friend would be honored to hear from the senator. They spoke a little bit more about odds and ends before he turned the subject to Andrew for some strange reason.

  "Has he made any indication about his feelings towards your engagement to his brother?" he asked.

  "No, he's been pretty quiet about the engagement."

  "And he hasn't confronted you or even said anything concerning his opinion of you as his proposed sister in law?"

  She wondered where this conversation was trying to head. "No sir, why do you ask?"

  "Because I saw the way he looks at you when you didn't know he was watching."

  "I think you're reading too much into it, sir. Mr. Watkins couldn’t care less about me. He just wants his brother to be happy," she surmise
d.

  "I've known him for a long time and I've never seen him look at any woman like that before?"

  Shane forced a chortle through her teeth. "Mr. Watkins has his own personal problems to sort through before he can think of anyone else in his life. I don't intend to cause any ruckus between the two of them by pursuing the idea that there is more to him. I don't want to know more about him other than the fact that he is my boss."

  The firmness in her voice let her father know that was the end of that subject.

  ***

  When she arrived at Paul's home, she was left a note by him letting her know there was a stylist coming over later to prep her hair for tomorrow and there was a box waiting for her in their room.

  Shane liked how he called it their room. She didn't mind sharing with Paul and it was a pity she didn't have more family to share her happy news with. Paul had asked her if there anyone she would like to personally invite to the party but there was no one in particular she wanted to have there. Jeremiah wouldn't feel comfortable under Andrew's constant gaze and she didn't trust Evan enough. She didn’t think Sadie would feel comfortable with her past around professionals, plus the senator was due to drop in and Shane wasn’t sure if she could contain herself. Sadie would be sure to guess that the senator was her father and Shane wasn’t sure if Sadie could keep a secret.

  Opening the box on the bed, she gasped at the most beautiful deep crème dress she had ever seen. Perfect for her size, the dress reminded her of something she would dream about wearing for a beautiful night of dancing and romance. There were shoes and accessories to match.

  Her cell phone rung. “Hello?”

  “Hi, this is Michelle, from Uniquity. Is this Shane? You left a message for me to call you?”

  She remembered her placing the call before she knew everything that was going on between Paul and Andrew. “Yes, I do remember calling you, but my questions have been answered.”