by Ravenna Tate
The décor in the apartment was a bit dark and brooding for her taste, but nothing was so outrageous she had the impression he threw away money. Rather, it exuded a taste for fine things and very comfortable surroundings, but not to the point of extravagance.
The main entrance boasted a curved ceiling, adorned with decorative gold tiles. To the right was another hallway that led to the kitchen, and behind that room were the staff quarters, back staircase, and the service entrance. To the left of the main entrance was a great room with a two-story ceiling and an entire wall of windows, overlooking the park.
Lynda wandered over to the grand piano in the corner and picked out a quick tune. “Do you play?”
He smiled. “I used to, but not so much these days. Obviously you do.”
“Not as often as I wish I could.”
“Well you can now. Every day if you want.”
Yes, she could. Although she’d need to leave a trail of breadcrumbs when she walked through this place the first few times or she’d never find her way back.
Next to the great room was the dining room, with seating for thirty people. Beyond that was a library. The smell reminded her of the library at Columbia, and Lynda was impressed with his collection of books. “Have you read them all?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m not in here very often.”
“You don’t play the piano anymore, you don’t read for pleasure—what do you do for fun?”
“I’ll show you. Follow me.”
He led her to the back of the apartment, near the staff quarters. Across from them was yet another hallway, and this one led to a full bath plus a workout room. Her jaw dropped. The city skyline was spread out below, viewed through three walls of windows.
“No one can see inside,” he said. “The glass is specially tinted. In fact, the entire apartment is like that. You could walk around in here naked with all the lights on, and even with a telescope, no one in the neighboring buildings would be able to see you.”
“I’ll have to remember that.” She walked slowly around the perimeter of the room, touching the free weights, the cardio machines, a squat rack, and other weight machines with which she was only vaguely familiar.
She stopped in front of two hanging bags and a rack filled with various gloves and pads. “You’re a boxer.”
“I do a lot of things to stay in shape, but this is my favorite.”
That explained his strength. “Did you ever do it professionally?”
“No. It’s strictly for working out and anger management.”
She forced a smile to her face. “Should I be worried?”
He looked at her as if she’d asked him whether he might consider poisoning her one day. “I’ve never hit a woman, and I never would. You have nothing to fear from me Lynda.”
“I’m sorry. I was only joking, although it probably didn’t come out that way.”
“Thank you for telling me it was a joke.”
They stared at each other for long moments. There were so many conflicting emotions running through her mind. She had made a rash decision this morning to proceed to Dean’s office on her own, and now realized how stupid it had been. Of course he would need to sign the papers as well. She had only been angry from the night before, but that was a childish response. They were two separate issues.
As for last night, she needed time to analyze her response before broaching the subject again. This morning’s escapade, she could take care of right now. “I won’t do that again.” She forced her gaze to stay on those dark, intense eyes. “I mean this morning. Going to Dean’s office without letting you know. It was pointless.”
He looked surprised for a second, then an apologetic expression graced his handsome face. “And I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to be quite so abrupt. I simply thought you should know where I stood, but I should have stayed with you. It was our wedding night.”
Lynda touched the row of boxing gloves again so she had something to hold onto. She was stunned by his words. “Thank you.” She hardly knew what to say. “You were honest about your feelings, and no one should ever have to apologize for that.”
“This is a huge adjustment for both of us.”
Finally! Something they could agree on. “Yes, it is.”
“I want us to communicate with each other, Lynda. Don’t be afraid to tell me anything.”
Was he talking about the little bit she’d confessed about her past, or something else? “I won’t be, but you know it works both ways.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I know.”
There was that edge to his voice again. She’d touched a nerve, but which one? Was there something lurking in his past that he hadn’t told her about? He had a lot of secrets. She imagined there were many things about Merrick Dalton’s life she knew nothing about.
They stood there, staring at each other, as the silence grew awkward for Lynda. Memories from last night crowded in, but she pushed them away. If she let herself think about that, her resolve not to let him have sex with her again would crumble. Why did he have to be so damn good-looking?”
“Would you like to see the rest of the apartment?”
“Yes. Good idea.” At least that would give them something to talk about.
He led her back to the main hallway. “You’ve seen all of the main floor. Off the kitchen is a screened-in balcony, but it’s the staff who mainly use it. They grow a few things out there like tomatoes and herbs.”
They went up the main staircase, which was as elaborate as any she’d seen, and she smiled at all the light in the hallway. An enormous skylight, inlaid with stained glass, spanned most of the length.
“Wow. That is gorgeous.”
“They’re scenes from the Caribbean, my favorite place on earth to visit.”
“I’ve never been there.”
He stopped walking. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. My father is the globe-traipser, not me.”
He watched for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. “Then we should go. We’ll make it a delayed honeymoon.”
She was too stunned to speak.
“Would you like to do that?”
“Yes. I’d love it.”
“Then it’s settled.” They began walking again while Lynda processed what he’d just said. Did he do this on purpose? This flip-flopping, heart-stopping rollercoaster shit?
He stopped before a set of double doors at the end. “This is my suite.” Inside, it was everything she’d expect it to be, and it smelled like him. The scent brought back memories from the night before, and this time it was more difficult to push them away.
How bizarre was this? She was in a marriage for no other reason than the company she’d transferred to him this morning. This apartment was big enough for half a dozen people to live in and never see each other if they so chose. She could do her designs, read until her eyes crossed, and work out as often as she wanted. He probably had instructed the staff to give her anything she wanted to eat, and she had a car plus a bodyguard at her disposal.
If she had grown up embracing all the trappings of this same life her father had offered, his apartment would be perfect. The ultimate luxury. But she had shied away from them on purpose. This wasn’t her. She had simple needs. And whether she wanted to admit it or not, last night her husband had touched a need she had long buried.
He’d awakened passion inside her once more, and Lynda wanted to explore that. She longed to find out whether it was possible one day to get beyond what had happened to her. She’d never seen anyone about it. Maybe she should? But then, she’d have to tell Merrick. She doubted she could have regular appointments with a psychologist and not have him find out.
A sudden urge to tell him everything was strong, so she distracted herself by walking around the room, pretending to look at each item. She barely saw them, except for the bed. It was impossible to ignore. Enormous, it dominated the center of the room. A canopy covered the top, and sheer drapes hung from the
four posters, tied around them in a provocative way.
Would he let her sleep in it with him?
“What do you think of my sanctuary?”
The pride in his voice was evident, but it almost made her laugh. It was only a bedroom, for heaven’s sake. “It’s an amazing room.”
“Thank you. When I’m home and working, I have an office up here, too. Let me show you where it is.” She followed him through a narrow hallway and into a large office with plenty of sunlight. “This also opens into the main hallway, and there’s a balcony out here.”
They walked onto it, and Lynda couldn’t stop staring out over the city. It was breathtaking. “Do you come out here a lot?”
“I like to come out here at night, mostly, when the sky is clear.”
She glanced up. Yes, that would be beautiful. Would they walk out here together one evening?
When they went back inside, he showed her where his bathroom was located, and she eyed the sunken tub. That would be fun. It had jets in it, and was surrounded by tiles that matched the scenes in the hallway ceiling. “It looks very relaxing.”
He shocked the hell out of her by stroking her hair. The gesture sent a shiver down her spine, and she almost moaned out loud. “It is. Why don’t you join me in there later?”
She swallowed hard as erotic images raced through her mind. “All right.” So much for refusing to have sex with him again. You’re an oak. Not.
“Good. Now let me show me your suite. If you don’t care for the decorating, you may change it to suit your tastes.”
And there was the rollercoaster ride of emotions again. Right on time.
She tried hard not to be disappointed. It’s not like he hadn’t told her last night who he was. He’d married her for the company, and now that he knew she’d have sex with him, it would be difficult to take it back off the table.
Lynda followed him down the hall, trying to think of a way to say what she’d decided last night. That it would be a cold day in hell before she’d fuck him again. But she knew she’d end up in that tub with him later, and she knew they’d have sex again. What bothered her more than anything was how much she wanted that.
Chapter Nine
Merrick sensed a subtle change in Lynda as soon as he showed her the suite he’d had his staff ready for her use. She told him she loved the colors, and he saw in her eyes she wasn’t lying, but something was bothering her. As soon as he’d made the suggestion she join him in the tub later, something had changed.
Was that it, then? She didn’t want to have sex with him again? He’d apologized for leaving her alone last night. Had she assumed they’d share a bedroom here? Was that what had upset her? That she had her own suite? Even Merrick’s ego wasn’t large enough to believe that an hour in bed with him could change the reason she’d married him, so it had to be something else.
“You can change the décor in here if you want to.” You already said that, genius!
“No, I love it. It’s very pretty and relaxing.”
He’d asked Todd what kinds of colors and fabrics Lynda preferred, and of course he had no idea, so Merrick had told his staff to choose something. The room had a feminine feel to it, but not too frilly. Apparently his staff knew more about Lynda and her tastes than he did.
“There’s a balcony outside this room as well.” He pointed toward an alcove. “I thought you could use that area as a home office if you want, so that’s where I had them put your computer.”
“Yes. It’s perfect.” She walked over to the desk and touched it. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
Her appreciative words held an undercurrent of sadness that Merrick didn’t understand. He thought they’d settled everything. She knew he didn’t do romance, and they each knew why they’d gone through with this marriage. What else was there to discuss?
“Are you hungry?” He was. Breakfast had been rushed, and she’d eaten hours ago.
“A little.”
He pointed toward the intercom on the wall. “These are in every room. I’ve had them label the buttons for you in this one. To reach the staff, all you have to do is push this one.”
She frowned slightly. “Aren’t you having lunch?”
“I’ll eat in my office, like I usually do. I work a lot, Lynda, even on weekends. You likely will want to unpack and set up your room.” The pile of luggage and other personal items had been left untouched by his staff, per his instructions.
She nodded slowly while she averted her gaze, but he caught the disappointment on her face. Clearly there was something else lurking under the surface, and although he was anxious to begin a more thorough background check on her, he didn’t like unresolved issues hanging over his head.
“Lynda, what’s bothering you? I thought we said we’d communicate with each other.”
“You’re right. We did agree to that. I think I’m just tired and recovering from yesterday. I’m sure I’ll be fine once I settle in here.”
Legit answer. Too bad it wasn’t the truth. But to press the issue with her would lead to nothing constructive, so he told her he’d be in his office all afternoon. “Let my staff know if you need anything. We’ll have dinner together, around six.”
“I’d like that.”
“It’s settled, then. I’ll see you later.”
As soon as he went into his office, Merrick called his staff and told them to make sure Lynda ate something for lunch. Then he ordered his own and sat down at his laptop. An hour later, after he’d picked at his food and searched every database he knew existed, he found nothing more on Lynda than he had the first time around.
Merrick pushed his chair back from the desk and sighed. He had no choice but to ask Alan for help. Alan Reissler was a retired detective who did work on the side for select people. Merrick’s association with him went back to the days of the original investigation into Theresa’s death.
Alan had been instrumental in helping Merrick track down the men who had killed her, as well as leading him to the knowledge that William Shaumberg had planned the hit. He had only used Alan sparingly during the past ten years, but now he needed his unique expertise. There weren’t many people Merrick would trust with a job like this.
He called him and left a message, then went to work on a project that he needed to finish. About an hour into the work, Chloe, his housekeeper, came in to clear the lunch tray, and Merrick asked her if Lynda had eaten anything.
“She asked for a chicken salad sandwich and fruit.”
“Did she finish it?”
“Yes.”
“What was she doing when you cleared her tray?”
“Still unpacking and putting things away. I asked if she needed help, but she said she was fine.”
“Thanks, Chloe.”
After Chloe left, Merrick returned to work. At least Lynda had eaten and was spending her time constructively. He didn’t want his new wife weeping in her room while he worked. He wanted her to be comfortable here. He certainly didn’t dislike her.
He thought he would when Todd had first told him that the company was Lynda’s in less than a year, and the only way Merrick could have it now was to marry her. But he found nothing about Lynda that he detested. Quite the opposite.
Merrick sat back in his chair again, replaying the conversation during the tour he’d given her. She had been admiring, but not overly enthusiastic. He knew she was used to lavish surroundings, but she had almost given him the impression it was too much for her taste. Then again, simply because she’d grown up with it didn’t mean she embraced everything about the lifestyle.
He returned to working on the project, and about fifteen minutes later his phone finally rang. It was Alan. “I have another job for you.”
“Tell me.”
“My new wife, Lynda Shelton, daughter of Todd, niece of Ted and Tom.”
“I heard about that. What the fuck is that all about, and why did no one know you were getting married?”
“Shelton Energy, that’s what it’s
about.”
“So she’s not knocked up?”
Merrick cringed. That rumor had already surfaced, and he hoped once more that Lynda was ready for the media shitstorm. “No, she’s not. Listen. I did a background check, but something isn’t right.” Merrick summarized what Lynda had told him last night about the boys at the party when she was an older teen, and then the man she’d dated for seven years.
“I want to know who these boys, how old she was, and how old they were.”
“How old is she now?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“If it happened when she was an older teen, like she said, the statute of limitations has already expired, even if it was non-consensual.”
Merrick didn’t want to think about that, but his mind had gone there, too, last night. “I still want to know.”
“Fine.”
“I also want to know who this guy is she met while at school, what he majored in, where they lived, everything about him. I especially want to know exactly in what way he betrayed her, and whether there are any pictures floating around out there that a nosy reporter might dig up. I need to know whether he has any current girlfriends, ex-girlfriends, a current wife, or ex-wives who might come forward now and try to blackmail us.”
Alan answered in monosyllables as he wrote down everything Merrick said.
“I don’t want any nasty surprises from her past popping up, Alan. I don’t care how sordid it is. I need to know about it.”
“Got it. Is there a time factor here?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but now that the world knows I’m married without anyone having a clue it was going to happen…” He didn’t need to finish the sentence.
“Yeah. Her past will come to you, Merrick. But I’ll do what I can as quickly as possible so you’re not blindsided.”
“Thanks.”
With that out of the way, Merrick was able to return to work, and when Chloe came to find him and told him dinner would be ready in about an hour, he was surprised the afternoon had passed so quickly.
