***
Elle shuffled into work barely able to function. Restless nights and one sexy man had weighed heavily on her mind the whole weekend. She’d desperately hoped for another invitation to The Den but strangely the weekend had been quiet. She’d even rented that carpet cleaner and hauled it up to her apartment and Garfield’s.
With the muggy heat, the carpet was just finally drying. It smelled better though, and that was a win for her.
At her cube she was startled to see Sally, a stack of folders in hand, going through her drawers.
The lack of manners had her jaw flapping for a few seconds before she could get something out. “Sally, what are you doing?”
Sally jumped at her voice and dropped one of the folders. “Elle. You scared me.”
Elle bent down to retrieve the folder and papers. She skimmed through the contents. Sally wasn’t supposed to have these. “Sally, those were supposed to go to Darren.”
Then the address caught her eye. That wasn’t Z Toyz address. “Wait a minute. Sally, where’d you get these.”
“Why, I got them from your drawers.”
“What?” Elle heart rate sped up as she reviewed the invoices. That was a P.O. Box, not Z Toyz, yet that was Fred’s signature. “Let me see the others.”
Sally handed them over; her eyes wide and innocent.
Elle skimmed the totals. “Sally, this is about how much is missing.”
Maxwell came up just then whistling. “What is missing?”
A few moments ago she’d worried how she’d deal with him, flush and hungry for just a glance. Now she cringed as she realized what this might look like.
Before she could say a word, Sally sidled up to Maxwell. “I wasn’t sure what to do, Mr. Stranton. I’d suspected, but Elle’s so sweet and all.”
Maxwell came to attention, his eyes narrowing on Sally. “Suspected what?”
Elle’s mind whirled as Sally turned to Maxwell and put on her best sultry look. “Well, you know how Elle kind of runs the place.”
Elle wanted to kill her. Even as she stood there, she knew this was about to come around to bite her and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Fred would do just about anything for her. So I put two and two together and figured she had to be the one that knew where the money had gone. I mean, she can approve and get Fred’s okay on just about anything.”
Elle watched Maxwell, her heart in her throat. Those eyes, so beautiful when aroused, were cold and merciless as he’d turned them on her. “Let me see the folders.”
Helpless to fight it, she handed the folders over. Taking a deep breath, she put on her most professional attitude. “Those are not my folders. Sally was here when I arrived, planting them in my desk drawers.”
Maxwell seemed not to listen as he looked over the papers and ruffled through the pages, all business. Sally snuck a mean grin at her that disappeared when he snapped the folders closed.
“Elle, come with me.”
Passing Sally, Elle wanted to slap her silly. How dare the woman try to accuse her of stealing? She’d set this right and then have the satisfaction of seeing Sally fired.
Down the hall and into the conference room, they walked. Every person in the office stopped talking to watch them. Office gossip spread fast. In the conference room, Maxwell slammed the door behind her and threw the documents down in front of Darren. “We found the missing invoices.”
Darren glanced up, saw the look on Maxwell’s face, and straightened from his stack of papers. “What is it?”
“Sally found those in Elle’s desk.”
Darren’s brows crinkled as he shuffled the papers. Twice he went through them. The third time he pulled out a calculator and began punching up numbers. “Those are the missing invoices all right, but there’s no way Z Toys would authorize this kind of stuff. They don’t sell bulk items like that.”
Elle reached down and grabbed the top most invoice. “300 Matchbox cards. 500 Pokemon. 5,000 Pokemon cards. 10 Bakugan? 1,000 Bakugan? Why would we buy other companies toys?”
Darren glanced at Maxwell and then at her. “Elle, these were found in your desk?”
“Files that Sally—”
Maxwell raised his hand and stopped her. “Sally found them in Elle’s drawers.”
Elle’s jaw dropped. Did he really imagine that she’d stolen them?
“I didn’t steal that money, Maxwell.”
Darren raised his hand, “She’s right, mate. There’s no way—”
Before Darren could finish, Fred walked in. “Good morning. I wanted to get an update on the release. Vermilcitude is the wave of the future and I’m hoping you fellows don’t hold it up any longer. The masses are waiting!”
Everything stopped as all three sets of eyes turned to Fred.
“Okay, well, maybe my timing is bad.” As he moved toward the door Maxwell snagged an invoice and shoved it under his nose.
“Is that your signature, Fred?”
Fred squinted at the paper. After several seconds, he gave up and pulled out his reading glasses. A smile lit his face like the fourth of July. “Yep, that’s my signature. Should look like all the others.”
Darren groaned as Maxwell tapped the top of it. “And you authorized shipment to that address?”
Fred took longer to answer that one, but after several seconds, he finally shook his head. “No. I don’t know that address. That’s my signature. I rely on Elle to make sure everything is filled out completely, I trust her work.”
Maxwell was pacing, fuming with rage.
Darren stepped in before Maxwell could haul Fred up by his necktie. “Fred, are you saying Elle would have had you sign these?”
Happy as a clam, he nodded and smiled at Elle.
Unable to cover her face or hide under a rock, Elle stood stoically and waited for Fred to leave. This was only going to get worse.
“So, not only were you stealing money from the company, probably reselling all of those products at drastically reduced prices, but you were seducing us the entire time, trying to keep us off the scent?”
Shocked, Elle gave up all pretense of professionalism as Maxwell stepped up to her, crowding her space.
“Is that what you were doing? Figured you’d snag the other Stranton while you were fleecing his brother.”
Fury started as a weak flame of terror in her stomach and built as he backed her into a wall.
Maxwell continued. “What? You couldn’t have my brother so you thought you’d have me instead? Twitch that sexy ass and flash those dimples. You’d have us eating out of your hand while you stole every penny.”
Anger, strong and relentless raged through her. Unable to stop herself, her hand came out of nowhere, slapping him hard across the jaw. “You think you know everything, huh? Why not ask Sally what she’s been doing late in the day cooped up with Fred in his office? Why not ask someone like Luke, or even your brother Zackary, what kind of person I am? Or hell, moron, go look at the security tapes. Whatever you decide, I quit. I don’t deserve to be treated like that by you or anyone else. My mama taught me better than that.”
Elle fled the room—the anger carrying her all the way to her desk where she grabbed her purse. Knowing she only had a few moments before she broke down, she took one last look around the cube that had been her life for the last three years.
It was empty except for an old picture of her dad. She snagged it and held it tenderly, remembering the dreams she’d had when she’d started.
Whatever they decided she was guilty of, she wasn’t sticking around to find out. She didn’t need her lover treating her like a criminal. Sooner or later they’d figure out it was Sally. But she wasn’t sure she could ever forgive him for thinking her capable of stealing from his brother or any company.
Darren came up behind her, his calm presence at her back. “He didn’t mean that, Elle.”
She turned and pushed him out of the way. “Yeah, he did,”
Before she could leave, he reac
hed out and touched her arm. “Elle, give him some time. He’ll figure it out. I know you’re innocent.”
“Thanks, Darren, but I won’t be treated like that. As much as it kills me, I have to walk away.” Elle shouldered her purse higher. “Just tell him...Tell him, we’re through. I don’t want anything from him. No, I can’t see you guys again.”
The last thing she saw was Darren standing at her cube, looking like he was lost for the first time ever.
Chapter Nineteen
She threw the last of her shoes into a bag and zipped it up. Tears had long since dried on her cheeks as she packed her few belongings and set them all outside the door of her apartment.
All that was left were the sad, stained recliners looking at the battered TV—A reminder of those bittersweet last days with her dad and the endless nights talking and laughing with Garfield while they argued over Family Feud or debated the news. The TV was silent now. She’d cancelled the cable last night. Her old movie posters were taken down and neatly rolled up in one of her bags.
Even the fridge was empty, its contents delivered in a care package to Garfield in the hopes he’d share them once in awhile with Miss Sutter.
The grimness of the last four years was over, it was time to move on. The diabolical events of the last few days had proved that to her.
She’d gone from unbelievable highs in the arms of Maxwell to suffering the worst defeat. He didn’t want her. Hell, he didn’t even believe her—he thought she’s stolen from his brother and used his interest in her to cover up her crime.
Fighting tears, she grabbed the last of her tissues and swiped at her eyes. She couldn’t think about it, if a promotion wasn’t getting her to Hollywood than she was just going to have to do it the hard way.
Broke and out of work, she’d use her last paycheck for a ticket. She’d land in LA without any money or even a job reference, but she couldn’t stay here any longer.
In one full swoop, Fred had destroyed her career and the one relationship she’d ever given serious thought to. No, that wasn’t right. Maxwell had ruined any possibility of a relationship—he hadn’t even given her a chance to defend herself. He’d assumed the worst.
Sopping up the tears that were now falling fast down her cheeks, she took one last look at the bare tan carpet she’d hated, the scarred wooden kitchen table, the peeling blue paint on the kitchen cabinets. Nothing had a memory that was worth keeping.
With a determined click, she shut the door and turned the key one last time.
Out on the landing, Garfield stood next to her bags, his face drawn and more haggard than she’d ever seen. “I wish you’d reconsider.”
“You know I can’t, Garfield. If I’m ever going to make it, it’s now or never.”
Garfield nodded, his clear blue eyes contemplating her. “Who’s going to make sure I eat dinner?”
Elle nearly broke down weeping. He was the one thing she’d miss about her apartment. He was the one thing worth remembering. She couldn’t take him though.
Sniffling, she tried to keep it light. “Oh, this will just finally give you time to make your move on Miss Sutter. I bet if you spent as much time with her as you do me, you’d never make it back to your apartment.”
Garfield chuckled. “Elle, no one could replace you. But if I have to, I might just try it.” Before she could say anything else, Garfield pulled an envelope from his pocket, pressing it into her hands. “This is for you.”
Elle tried to protest but he wouldn’t have it.
“Elle, I never told you this, but when your father died, he asked me to watch over you. You know, make sure you didn’t get lost in this big city.”
Elle froze in place. Garfield had never talked about her father, although he’d spent a lot of time with her dad when he was ill and she was at work. They’d been good friends. She could see her father saying something like that. Yeah, even from the grave, her dad would try to help her.
“Your dad put away something special when he first got sick,” Garfield’s hands trembled as he gripped her hands and forced them around the envelope. “Before he died, he asked me to give it to you if you ever set off to pursue your big dream.”
“Garfield...” Elle could barely breathe as she clasped the envelope.
“Your dad, he was a good man. He’d want you to be happy. I should have given it to you years ago.”
Garfield patted her hand. A single tear slid down his wrinkled cheek as he stepped away. “Please forgive an old man for keeping it so long. I just wanted to keep you around, but you deserve to be happy.”
Elle would have none of that. She reached over and gave him the biggest hug she could, telling him without words just how much his friendship and company had meant to her all these years.
A bit more fragile and slumped over than she’d ever remembered him. Garfield turned and walked back to his apartment.
With shaking hands, she looked at the envelope. In sloppy scrawl across the front it read, “To my dearest daughter Elle.”
Inside was a note and a series of hundred dollar bills.
Dearest Elle,
My time draws short and I have nothing much to say—words fail me. To say I love you doesn’t seem enough. It can never fully convey the emotions that rage inside me. Emotions that shout at me to protect you, to help you, and to be the father that I want to be, to see you grow into the beautiful woman you will be.
One day, you will be a wife. A mother. You’ll have beautiful children to raise.
Oh, how your mother and I wanted to be there for all those moments. But even now, I can’t raise a hand to write this letter and of course she’s long gone. So I must do the only thing I can—see to it that the one dream you want most comes true.
Enclosed you’ll find money from the insurance policy your mother had. She’d have wanted you to take it and go after that wild dream of yours in Hollywood or New York or wherever you want to go.
Remember, we’ve always been proud of you. You don’t deserve to live holed up in a decrepit apartment mourning your old dad. Get out and live. Love. Enjoy life.
I love you,
Dad
With trembling fingers, Elle folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope.
The money nearly fell to the ground as Elle tried to count it. With each flick of her finger, the amount multiplied.
Fifty thousand dollars.
It was more money than their house had been worth when they’d sold it to move to Nashville. More than enough money to have bought expensive treatments at the Mayo Clinic, which her dad had desperately needed.
Now it was too late for all of that.
It wasn’t too late for her though.
Fifty thousand—it sounded like the perfect start to a great career. All she needed to do was get there.
Chapter Twenty
It might have been Luke’s influence, but Darren had tracked her down.
Six months had passed. X Toyz was floundering—not because of the product, not because of management, because Maxwell couldn’t keep his head in the game.
Every day he struggled to get up and get things going, the way he’d left it with Elle ate at him, tearing him down. Celibacy and love didn’t sit well with him. No, he wouldn’t go there. He couldn’t believe in it. It wasn’t for him. Even Darren suggested he was suffering from it.
Damn, he’d screwed up. In a fit of pique irrationality, he’d ruined it with Elle before it had even begun. And now, like a whipped puppy, he was making his way back. His dominant side cringed at the image, but the truth was he couldn’t live without her.
At Sixth Street he turned left. There, in front of a small bungalow was Elle, a chocolate lab bounding around her heels as she tried to give it commands.
She’d managed a nicer part of L.A. Close to Hollywood but away from the seedier part of Garden Hills. The sun had certainly done her good. Her smooth skin glowed with a light tan and health.
He stood at the fence and watched. She noticed him rig
ht away, those blue eyes widening. She turned to the dog who ran in a wide circle around her.
Six months hadn’t changed her dramatically, the old form-fitting business suit was gone, replaced with a flowing summer dress. The look showed off her curves, left too much to the imagination. He didn’t like it. He wanted her in red leather and lace.
Maybe she’d let him dress her up to his own tastes.
The grassy yard was empty, just a few small trees. The shush of cars moving several blocks away broke the quiet as he watched Elle and her dog play. Not even the dog interrupted his time with Elle by barking. Smart dog.
The night surrounded them as the sun slowly began its descent. The sleepless nights without her disappeared as he smelled the sweet scent of vanilla. During those months away, he’d realized something startling. He wanted to dominate, wanted the toys and the sex but more than that, he wanted all of her—not just the few moments stolen here and there with her supplication and complete obedience at every turn.
Maxwell wanted the little spitfire that had slapped him in the office, the one that railed at him for his stupidity, the one that had pressed him to take chances and grab hold of something more.
He was pathetic.
The chocolate lab raced at top speed across the yard, darting around the small cones she’d placed as obstacles. Its coat shimmered as it twisted around and came to heel at her knee.
Responsive, exact—perfect.
The dog knew more about obedience than its master. But the challenge thrilled him. He couldn’t wait to get her under his fingers.
Enough, he wasn’t going to sit here and get a hard on imagining her voluptuous body when he could have the real thing. “Hello.”
Elle eyed him and bent down to remove the choke chain, letting the dog free to run and scramble around her ankles. The warmth he’d dreamed of was gone. In its place was anger and grief. “What do you want?”
Elle's Seduction Page 14
