by Nita Wick
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now was as good a time as any. “Haley?” he whispered.
“Hmm?”
“What are you hiding?” he asked, careful to be sure he only sounded curious, not accusatory.
She looked up at him, confusion in her drowsy gaze. “What?”
“Why won’t you tell me about what you did in New York, what your life was like, what kind of business you had? What are you hiding?”
She stiffened next to him. “I just…I don’t want to talk about it.”
He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I won’t judge you.”
She sighed. “I’ll tell you everything when I show you my house, okay?”
Confused, he searched her face for an explanation. “What does your house have to do with New York?”
“Nothing. And that’s why I want you to see it first. I’m not the same person I was in New York. I want you to see how I want to spend my future before I tell you about my past. I just…” She closed her eyes. When she looked at him again, they held a plea. “I don’t want you treat me differently. I think I like the woman you see in me. I don’t want that vision to change.”
“I like the woman I see, too.” He kissed her, a slow, sweet caress before he continued. “Nothing you tell me will change that, babe. But I hate having the secrets between us. I can handle anything but lies. A relationship is built on trust and honesty.”
Her eyes widened.
He hurried to clarify his statement. “Even when we’re taking that relationship one day at a time, Haley. We have to be honest with each other.”
She remained silent for a moment then nodded. “You’re right, but I…”
“What are you so ashamed of? Just tell me and—”
“I’m not ashamed!”
“No?”
“No,” she huffed. “I was respected, even admired. I have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just that I’ve changed so much. Or maybe I haven’t really changed at all. Maybe I was just pretending to be that woman everyone saw. Maybe that wasn’t really me.” Her heavy sigh blew across his chest. “You need to see my house—the place where I intend to start a new life and leave the old one behind. Then I’ll explain the rest. Okay? Can we go tomorrow when you get off work? I know you said you may have to work late, but it’s staying daylight longer now.”
He disliked waiting even that long, but relief spread through him with the realization that she wasn’t trying to put it off indefinitely. “Sure. I’ll tell them I have to leave at six whether we’re finished or not.” He’d take Haley to her house and keep her there until she told him everything—every last secret she had. There were limits to his patience, and he feared he was drawing painfully close.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Michael kissed her temple and breathed in the scent of her hair. How had she come to mean so much to him so quickly? He hadn’t lied to Meg. Haley was definitely the girl he’d been looking for. She was Ms. Right. Now he just had to make her realize it. And that wouldn’t happen until she let go of the past. She said she’d been respected and admired. If that were true, why couldn’t she tell him? Suspicion nudged the corners of his mind, but no solid answers presented themselves. He drifted off to sleep, determined to find those answers after work the next day.
* * * *
Monday morning arrived too soon. Haley awoke with Michael’s erection pressed against her hip and his hands kneading her breasts. He made love to her—not as slowly as she would have liked, but with great pleasure and satisfaction nonetheless.
He slipped from the bed even before his breathing had slowed to normal. “Sorry, babe. I hate to rush off like this, but I’ll be late if I don’t get going.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” She stretched and sat up, pulling the sheet up over her torso.
Michael pulled on his jeans and reached for his shirt. “Why don’t you come by the office for lunch today?”
Haley sucked in a deep breath. Walking into an architectural and design firm might not be such a good idea. By and large, people in Knoxville didn’t pay much attention to what happened in the big cities like New York or Los Angeles, but there were always a few people fascinated by celebrities and the upper echelons of society. And Haley had built quite a name for herself in the interior design world as well as the who’s who of New York. If they didn’t recognize her face, they’d know her name just as Michael had. She really needed to spill the beans to Michael before he found out by accident. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ll be busy and—”
“I won’t be so busy I can’t eat lunch.” He sat on the bed to put his shoes on. “In fact, you’d be doing me a big favor if you’d bring me a sandwich or something. I may not have time to go out. You wouldn’t let me starve. Would you?”
She bit her lip and stifled a groan. “All right. Anything in particular?”
He finished with his shoes and leaned over for a quick kiss. “Surprise me.”
* * * *
Haley stopped at a little deli not far from Michael’s office. She bought two different sandwiches—one with cold cuts and lots of toppings, the other a Philly steak and cheese. She’d let Michael choose the one he wanted, and she’d have the other.
She stood outside the quaint little building with the big sign reading Miller Engineering & Design and took a deep breath. With her hair in a ponytail, very little makeup, and the ultra casual jeans she wore, she doubted anyone would recognize her. Most of the pictures printed of her in the design magazines had her in sleek business attire or wearing a formal dress with her hair styled and makeup applied just so to provide a glamorous image. She was anything but glamorous today.
Reaching into the pocket of her cardigan sweater, she pulled out her cell phone, flipped it open, and pressed the buttons until she found Michael’s number. He answered immediately.
“Hey, babe.” His voice held a smile.
She recited the greeting she’d rehearsed. “I’m outside your office. Are you ready for lunch? It’s a nice day. Maybe we could eat at the little park down the street.” If she could avoid going into the office, there would be less to worry about.
“Better not. We’re getting nowhere on these designs, and since I’m leaving at six, I’d better eat while we work. Come on in. I’m in Carla’s office. Tell Sue at the front desk, and she’ll show you how to find me.”
Haley closed her eyes and fought to control her nervous jitters. “Okay. See you in a minute.” She closed the phone and slid it back into her pocket. With a deep, fortifying breath for courage, she pushed through the door and approached the desk.
The prim, silver-haired Sue welcomed Haley and gave her directions. “Turn down the hall on the right. Second door on the left.”
Haley thanked the woman and quickly found her way to the correct office. The door stood open, and Michael’s voice floated to her. “I don’t know. I still don’t think this is what he wants.”
A feminine voice answered. “Yeah, well, maybe if he’d actually tell us what he wants we could give it to him.”
Haley stepped into the room. “Hi.”
Michael’s smile accompanied by his dimple diminished the nervous jitters. “Hey, babe.” He crossed to her, brushed his lips across hers, and took the bag of sandwiches from her. “Carla,” he said as he put the bag on the table, “this is Haley, my girlfriend.”
Once again the title of girlfriend gave Haley pause, but the knee-jerk reaction lessened each time she heard him say it.
He slipped his arm around Haley’s waist and gave her a squeeze. “Haley, this is Carla, M.E.D.’s design team coordinator.”
Haley almost slumped against Michael in her relief. He hadn’t used her surname in the introduction. “It’s nice to meet you, Carla.”
“Hi, Haley.” Carla moved forward and held out her hand. Haley tossed her purse to the desk and took the hand the young woman offered.
A tall brunette wi
th brown eyes, Carla seemed to be a friendly, outgoing person. “Michael said you’d be bringing him something to eat.” After shaking Haley’s hand, she glanced at Michael. “I’m going to get my lunch from the fridge, and we can keep working while we eat. I’ll be right back.”
Once Carla was out of sight, Michael turned Haley in his arms and kissed her soundly. “It’s been hard to concentrate this morning. I keep thinking about you.”
Haley grinned. “Thinking about what I’d bring for lunch, I’ll bet.”
He chuckled. “My thoughts have been far more carnal in nature.” He grasped her hips and pulled her against him as he lowered his head for another kiss. His mouth lingered on hers, teasing and tasting.
Haley’s own thoughts scattered from the worry that she might be recognized. Her only conscious consideration became the need to touch Michael.
“Ahem.” Carla voice broke the spell.
Haley pulled out of Michael’s arms with her cheeks burning. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” Carla winked at Michael. “Just figured I’d let you know you had an audience.”
Feeling very warm, Haley removed her sweater and hung it on the back of a chair. “I brought two different sandwiches. Choose which one you want, and I’ll have the other.”
Carla slid behind her desk, removed the lid from a bowl, and poured salad dressing over the contents while Michael made his selection. She took a bite and stared at Haley for a moment with her head tilted to one side. “You look so familiar. Have we met before?”
Haley sucked in a steadying breath. “No. I don’t think so.”
With her brows knitted in confusion, Carla pursed her lips. “Maybe you just look like someone else.” She took another bite of her salad and let the topic drop.
Haley struggled to banish the panic threatening to engulf her as she watched Michael bite into the Philly steak and cheese he’d chosen. He’d pulled one of the chairs closer to Carla’s desk.
Michael looked up at her. “This is great, babe. Thank you. Now sit down and eat with us.”
Haley jerked, realizing she’d been frozen to the spot. She pulled the chair with her sweater closer to the desk and removed the wrapping from her sandwich. Before she could take a bite, Carla pointed at the drawings behind her. “I don’t get what he doesn’t like about it. He said he enjoys scuba diving and loves aquariums. He should like the colors and theme.”
Haley scanned the design proposal displayed along the office wall. The colors were fine, quite attractive really. The textures might be improved, varied a little more. The lighting and atmosphere appeared complementary, but there was something keeping the design from flowing as it should. The longer she looked at it, the less she liked it. Her gaze drifted to the plans framed on easels across the adjacent wall.
Haley stood and moved toward them to get a better look. Three sketches she knew to be the architect’s rendering of interior walls for the room stood next to the floor plans. She traced her fingers along the lines of one drawing. “Oh, Michael,” she whispered. “This is incredible.”
“Thank you. I think it’s some of the best work I’ve ever done.”
Haley stood with her back to him, but she didn’t turn around. She couldn’t take her eyes of the sketches. They were breathtaking. “Such strong, bold lines. So crisp and clean. They draw your eye from one point to the next with such fluidity.”
Carla spoke. “Yes, it’s been a pleasure to work on this project. At least it was until Maynor shot down three proposals. I don’t get it. How can he not like it?”
Haley swiveled toward the interior design drawings then looked back at the sketches Michael had made. “Because it’s all wrong.”
The room fell silent. Haley glanced toward the desk.
Two pair of eyes stared at her in surprise. They spoke at the same time.
“Why?” Michael questioned.
“What do you mean?” Carla stood and walked around the desk.
Haley pointed at the architectural floor plans. “The focal point of the room should be here. Not the center like you have it.” She stepped toward the colored drawings of the design proposal. “See? The way you have it, you’ve interrupted the flow of the lines, the very thing that makes this building so spectacular. Why on earth are you working against it?”
Carla’s hands rested on her hips. “I…I’m not sure what you mean. We were trying to enhance the lines.”
Haley shook her head. “No need. The lines speak for themselves. Think of it in terms of makeup. Sometimes less is better. Let me show you.”
Haley moved one of the drawings aside to reveal a large sketchpad. Choosing a dark gray piece of artist’s chalk, she quickly sketched the corner of the room. With a hurried glance she checked the floor plan to be sure her lines were accurate. She returned the gray chalk and grabbed a dark blue one. “Start here and work your way out. Use darker blues in this corner to give the illusion of deeper water and gradually lighten as you move to the outer edges.”
Haley changed chalk colors twice more and then reached for the gray again. She began drawing furniture. “Put the sitting area here.” Within seconds she had the outline of two chairs, a sofa, three tables and various sizes of plants drawn. “And the aquarium goes here. It should be at the focal point. Oh, and make the aquarium twice the size.” She drew a huge aquarium filling the corner of the room. “You’ll need more textures, too. You could use underwater coral and other sea creatures as a guide.” She chose a red-orange and dotted one of the chairs. “See the contrast?” Switching the orange out for a deep green, she colored in one of the plants. “The plants should be darker on the light end and—”
“Stop.” Michael voice held a warning.
She turned to him in surprise.
His eyes pinned her in a cold, humorless glare. He stood, the muscles in his clenched jaw working. “You’ve heard of her,” he growled in low, harsh tones.
With shaking hands, she returned the chalk to its holder. “Michael, I was going to tell you—”
“Right. Tonight or tomorrow. Eventually. Maybe you should have done it before you made of fool of me. Damn it, Haley!” he bellowed. “How could you lie to me about that? Why?”
Haley swallowed hard. “I just—”
“Did Keith and Sheila teach you how to lie like that?” His voice boomed, echoing off the walls. “Or did you teach them? Maybe you’re more like them than you want to admit.”
The blow couldn’t have been more effective if he’d actually hit her. His words knocked the breath out her. They hung heavy in the air.
“What the hell is going on in here?” An older man stood in the doorway, his features lined in disapproval. His gaze slid from Michael to Haley to Carla then darted back to Haley. “And why in God’s name is Haley Preston in this office?”
Michael spoke first. “I’m sorry, Ed. I—”
“Oh, no.” The man looked past Haley to the drawings behind her. “No. No. No! Damn it, Flannery. You know I can’t afford Haley Preston. What the hell were you thinking?”
Haley assumed the older man must be Ed Miller, owner of M.E.D. and Michael’s boss. She stepped forward. “It’s my fault.”
Michael grabbed her elbow. “I’ll take care of this. I apologize for the disruption.”
Mr. Miller blocked the door. “I want an explanation. Now.”
Haley nodded. “I’ll explain everything. May I speak to you privately?”
Michael’s grip tightened. “No, I’ll explain. Miss Preston—”
“I think I’d rather hear this from the lady. Go cool off, Flannery. Carla, Miss Preston and I need to borrow your office.” Mr. Miller crossed his arms and moved away from the door. He jerked his head toward its opening. “Out. Both of you.”
Michael leaned down and whispered in her ear. “This discussion is not over.” He followed Carla out of the room and threw one last angry glare back at Haley.
Haley sighed, her insides quaking.
“I’m disappointed in you, Miss Pre
ston. I would have expected—”
She held up her hand, “Please, Mr. Miller. I know how this must look. Let me explain.”
He nodded. “I’m all ears.” With his arms crossed, his scowl and defensive posture did nothing to calm Haley’s nerves.
“This…” She gestured toward the drawing she’d made. “Was just me getting carried away. I’m sorry. You see, Michael and I are dating.” Shaking her head, Haley sighed. “Well, we were dating. He’ll probably never speak to me again after this.”
She swallowed hard, forcing away the tears choking her throat and filling her eyes. “I came here to have lunch with him. They were having trouble with the design, and I was just trying to help.”
Mr. Miller grunted. “He should have known better than to let Haley Preston help with—”
“But that’s just it. Michael didn’t know who I was. I didn’t tell him.”
“Everyone in this business knows your name, Miss Preston. Are you telling me you’re dating, but he didn’t know your name?”
“I lied to him. A lie by omission. I didn’t tell him the truth.” She rubbed her forehead with a shaking hand. “I never told him I was an interior designer. And when he recognized my name, I played it off like it was just a coincidence. I didn’t…” Didn’t what? Want him to know? Trust him? “I’ve been keeping a low profile.”
His brows rose in surprise, or maybe it was disbelief. “Why?”
“I sold HLP. I…My personal life fell apart, and so did I.” She pointed at the drawings. “I couldn’t do that anymore. The ideas wouldn’t come. So I moved back here to start over. I needed a new life.” She took a deep breath. She’d been a coward. How could she explain that? “When I first met Michael a few weeks ago, I didn’t want him or anyone else to know who I was. He doesn’t even know he’s the one who designed my house.”
“Flannery did your home?” His eyes widened.
“Mr. Mulligan, my contractor, worked with your company and Michael.” Haley shoved a few loose strands of hair out of her face. “I had planned to take him out to see it tonight. I was going to tell him everything.” Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and she blinked to keep them from falling. “I guess it’s too late now.”
