by Cadence Vonn
When she turned to leave he moved into her path and glared at her.
“Here, I couldn’t wait to explain what you saw, but I needn’t have worried. You had your own secret date with some man old enough to be your father.” He spat the words at her. Good God, she laughed at him. She had played him. Using him as her own diversion until she met up with the bastard.
He pushed past her. A bottle of scotch waited for him, and he’d drink until all thoughts were seared from his brain.
The words, “He is my father,” penetrated his anger, and he whirled around. Tess was almost out the door. He ran after her, grabbed her arm and pulled her off to the side.
He crushed her to his body. She tilted her face up, and the light from the chandeliers reflected off tears that threatened to fall over her dark lashes. She attempted to dislodge his arms, but he held her tight.
“You have no right to do this, Maximilian. Let me go.” Tess’s voice rose an octave through her sobs. People turned toward them, curious about the exchange.
“You’re making a scene. And I have every right. You’re mine, and I love you. I want to talk.” He loosened his hold, and she stepped out of his arms, her back stiff. A fighter’s glare locked him in place as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
He ran his hands through his hair and let out a whoosh of air to calm his nerves. “I’m sorry. Can we go somewhere and talk?” He held up his hands in surrender.
“I don’t think we have anything to say to each other. You led me to believe you loved me and that nothing would happen between you and Holly. But you knew if you showed affection toward her we were finished. Not only did you escort her out of here this evening, but you lied to me about when you would arrive in New York. If that doesn’t make me the other woman, I don’t know what does.”
“Please,” he said in a low voice. He glanced around at all the people watching them. “Come up to my room and let me explain.”
“Why? So you can seduce me? I’m not immune to your charms, Maximilian. I ache to be in your arms. I love you, but from now on you and I will remain mere acquaintances. Good night.”
She turned to leave, and he said, “You’re all I think about. I won’t stop trying to see you. You know how much you mean to me. I love you.”
She turned back. “You knew the rules when we started this affair. Nothing has changed. My dreams died when you allowed Holly to act like a lover.” She stifled another sob. “I need to go and meet Christopher.”
“He’s drunk with some guy. I doubt he’ll be happy to see you at the moment. Please come up to my room and talk. Holly and my mother surprised me today. They’re staying at the Waldorf. I told you I wasn’t going to be in New York until Saturday because if I saw you tonight, I wouldn’t want to do any business tomorrow. And looking at you now, I was right. I love you when you wear blue—or nothing at all, for that matter.” He heard her huff, and an inkling of hope made him smile. He caressed up her arm. He needed the contact as an assurance she wouldn’t disappear.
“I can’t come up to your room, Max. My father is staying in this hotel, and I don’t want to deal with his inquisition if he sees me here. We can go somewhere else to talk, but I’m not sure what else there is to say. Were you celebrating something special?”
Max looked around at the people still staring at them. He took Tess’s arm and led her out to the taxi stand before she changed her mind. “Do you have any place in mind where we can go?” he asked once they sat in the back of the cab. She gave the driver the address of a small café near her apartment.
When they were underway, creeping along the busy streets, Maximilian said, “You didn’t tell me your father was here in New York.” He played with her hand, trying to coax her into smiling at him.
“He arrived this morning. We’re not on the best of terms, and I met him for dinner. It turned out he brought his new director with him to meet me. He had every intention of fixing me up with the man. Nothing like a marriage to solidify a business deal.”
Max flinched. “I see. What’s your father’s name? I’m not familiar with a Medici in the business world.”
“Medici is my mother’s maiden name. I never use my father’s name.”
Max waited for her to continue but realized she wasn’t going to tell him. “I didn’t catch his name.”
She huffed. “Spencer Staffordshire.”
Max stiffened. “You’re the daughter of Sir Spencer Staffordshire?”
“Do you want to get out of the cab?”
“No. No. I just can’t fathom why you didn’t tell me.”
“It’s not important.” She shrugged.
“But it is. Don’t you see…”
Tess’s glare halted his words. “Be careful, Max. If you’re about to tell me we could be together because of my father’s name, I’ll personally push you out of this cab. If I’m not good enough for you as a Medici, then my father’s name shouldn’t make any difference.”
“It has never been about you being good enough. My mother couldn’t possibly object if your name is Staffordshire.”
“Fuck your mother, Maximilian. If you truly wanted to be with me for more than sex, you’d have told her to back off, and we would be dating. Instead, we have these clandestine meetings like two people committing adultery. Do you want to know the truth? My father wouldn’t approve of you, but I don’t give a damn.” She leaned forward and told the driver, “Pull in here.”
He swerved and parked along the curve in front of the Waldorf Astoria.
“If you care for me, Max, you’ll walk inside and tell your mother about us and put an end to all this sneaking around.” She stared at him. Willed him to open the door. Her shoulders sagged. He didn’t budge.
She yanked open the door to her side of the cab and got out. “Goodbye, Maximilian.” She slammed the door before tears streamed down her face. Another taxi pulled in behind them, and she quickly hopped in. The lights of the hotel disappeared, and she whispered to the driver. “Did the other cab follow?”
“No, miss.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked. The heart necklace turned into a heavy burden as she caressed its surface. How could she take care of his heart when he didn’t care about hers? She’d promised to give him time, but no amount of time would erase the hurt crushing her as the distance between them become more than mere city blocks. She snorted. Max had been an illusion, his words of love spoken in the heat of passion. Maximilian controlled the man she loved.
When Tess entered her mother’s apartment, she found Chris sitting close to Julian on the couch. He stood and hugged her, rubbed her back, and walked her over to sit between them. “You look horrible. What happened?”
“I bumped into Max. It’s over.” Tess sobbed into her hands. “He chose to be Maximilian instead of my Max. Oh God, I’ve made such a mess of my life. She wiped her nose on the handkerchief Julian held out to her.
“How about a drink? It seems to have helped Julian and me.” Christopher went to get up, but Tess stopped him.
“No, thanks. You and Julian enjoy the rest of the night. I want to go to bed and not wake for a few days. If I don’t see you in the morning before you go out, I’ll talk to you this weekend.” She gave both guys a kiss on the cheek and dragged her body back to her bedroom. She plopped down on the bed and checked her phone for any messages. Nothing. What did she expect? She turned off the sound and stripped off her dress, leaving it in a pile on the floor. The cool sheets made her shiver. No amount of blankets would make her feel warm. Only Max holding her in his arms would take away the chilled feeling in her soul.
The next morning, Tess forced her body to move. She stepped into the shower, and let the hot water soothe her nerves. Why had she backed Maximilian into a corner? He’d asked for time and patience. The thought of Holly hanging on to him for everyone to see gnawed at her. Maybe he would call her today, and they could meet here at the apartment to talk—and more. The idea rejuvenated her, and she jumped out of
the shower. She made the bed and dressed in a cool cotton sundress. The dark cloud hanging over her head lightened a touch.
Once in the kitchen, second thoughts about making up with Max made her stop and close her eyes to steady her breathing. A useless dream. It might give them a few hours or days, but Millicent would see to the inevitable permanent break-up. Maximilian’s relationship with Holly became quite obvious to the world last night. No amount of talking would lessen the fact that she, Tess Staffordshire, would be the other woman.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Good morning, Chris. Where are you?”
“Julian and I got an early start heading out to the beach. Are you all right?”
“I’ll be okay. Not much I can do at the moment.”
“Sit down, sweetie, I have something to tell you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Maximilian called me a few minutes ago. He’s frantic. His mother announced his engagement to Holly in today’s paper.”
Dead silence.
“Tess, are you still there?”
She struggled to breathe. “I’m still here,” she managed to say. The room closed in around her, and she tried not to pass out from the invisible punch to her gut. “If he calls you again, tell him you can’t reach me. I’ll be in touch.” She hung up on Chris and turned her phone off. It took her only a few minutes to pack her things. Escape! screamed in her brain. She left a note for Chris and Julian. Don’t worry about me. I need time and space.
The sooner she put distance between her and everything that reminded her of Max, the better. She’d head to England. The country seemed the best option to eliminate the sensation of suffocating. On the train ride back to Boston she booked a one-way flight to London. For all its touting in poems and romance novels, love caused more pain than indifference did. Maybe her father had a point about marrying for security. Love broke hearts and devoured souls.
Chapter Thirteen
Maximilian paced in front of his desk. No one had seen Tess in over a month. He gave up leaving messages on her phone after the umpteenth one. Christopher heard from her once, telling him she was okay but for now wouldn’t be back to Boston.
He ran his hand through his hair. His mother’s announcement had blindsided him. In Tess’s eyes, he must’ve looked like the ass he felt. He endured all the congratulations sent his way from friends and colleagues. One more day of pretending and he’d be free. He’d called a meeting with the board. The paper in his coat pocket would come as a shock to everyone but Christopher.
His cousin. Maximilian released a soft snort and shook his head. Who would have thought they would become allies, but even more—friends. Now Christopher was his lifeline to Tess. Knowing she was okay helped him make all the difficult decisions. He dialed Christopher’s number.
“Hi. Have you heard anything else?”
“Maximilian, you’ll be the first to hear when I hear. She needs time, and right now not being in Boston is best. When you break your engagement, there can’t be any finger-pointing and claims that she came between you and Holly. Are you going to break it off before the engagement party next weekend?”
“I have a meeting with the board tomorrow. After that, I’m sure Holly will no longer want to be engaged to me. No matter. I’ll end the engagement if she doesn’t.”
“Won’t your mother be at the board meeting?”
“Yes. She thinks I called the meeting to discuss my pending marriage. As if I need their approval.” Maximilian grunted.
“Good luck. Let me know how it goes.”
“Sure. Call if you hear from Tess. Try to persuade her to call me. I need to hear her voice.” Maximilian got quiet, his voice uncharacteristically low. “Christopher, am I giving up everything only to discover she no longer loves me?”
“Don’t sound so defeated. Once you’re free, I’m sure she’ll be more than willing to see you again. You need to understand her situation. Once she’s labeled ‘the other woman,’ people would always point and whisper that she broke up your relationship with Holly. It wasn’t so bad when your relationship appeared to be only an occasional outing, but after the engagement announcement Tess couldn’t very well stay here.”
“I know. I worry about her finding someone else to comfort her.”
“I miss her, too. Call if you need anything. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow.”
The next day Maximilian inspected his reflection in his mirror. A grim frown accentuated the lines on his forehead. His meticulous black suit and dark maroon tie made him look like an undertaker.
He took a deep breath and left his apartment. It would be the first thing he gave up. The company subsidized the cost, and he wouldn’t waste his precious savings on an expensive space to live because of its view.
Tess’s smile popped into his mind while he waited for the elevator. He didn’t think she’d care where they lived. He certainly wouldn’t with her in his arms. Maybe they would hole up at his cabin for a month or two.
He strode through the company headquarters, focused on the next half hour. He nodded at Anna. She stopped him and whispered, “Sir Spencer Staffordshire insisted on speaking with you as soon as you arrived. He’s waiting for you in your office.”
Maximilian tensed.
Tess’s father? Had something happened to Tess? He flexed his fingers, straightened his back, and entered his office. The formidable man stood at the window and cast an imposing shadow across the floor. When he turned, his blue-eyed gaze flashed his disdain.
Maximilian reached out to shake the man’s hand and pulled back when Tess’s father ignored his offer.
“I’ll get right to the point, Mr. Westfield. I’m here about my daughter, Teresa.”
“Tess? God, she’s all right, isn’t she? She hasn’t been injured?”
Sir Spencer’s shoulders lost some of their rigidness. “Tess is in England and extremely unhappy. If I could get away with it, I would call you out to duel with pistols. But that would hurt her further when I killed you.”
Maximilian let out a harsh laugh. “I would make it easy for you and stand still so you wouldn’t miss. I’ve been so worried about her. She’s all I think about, and I’ve been terrified that I might have lost any hope of regaining her love.”
“Do you love her?”
“Heart and soul. So much so I’m meeting with my board in ten minutes to tender my resignation.”
Sir Spencer nodded his approval. “It takes courage to give up everything for someone you love. She finally told me what happened. Although I have no doubt I could’ve found her a better match, she insists the only man she’ll ever love is you. She has her mother’s dramatic streak. I decided I needed to know your intentions before I made the decision to destroy you.”
“When I return from my meeting, you can do your worst, sir I don’t want to be late. If you’d like to wait here for a few minutes, you can continue to kill me later, although it will be like beating a dead carcass.”
“Give me a moment. I have an offer to make to you.”
“Anna,” Maximilian called his assistant.
“Yes, sir,” she said as she entered.
“Please send my apologies to the board. I’ll be a few minutes late to the meeting.” She left, and Maximilian turned to Tess’s father. “You have less than five minutes before my mother comes storming in here.”
Max mulled over Sir Spencer’s offer as they strode down the hall to the conference room.
His mother almost barreled into them as she rounded the corner in a simmering rage. “What is the meaning of the delay?” she questioned.
Max didn’t miss her quizzical glance at the man by his side, but he opted not to introduce them. Let it be a surprise. “The board members are waiting for us. Why don’t we take this into the conference room.” He didn’t bother to wait for her reaction. He moved past her and led the way into the large space.
His mother plopped down in her chair. Other times her glare would have been a warning. However, t
oday he controlled his destiny. He pointed for Sir Spencer to sit in the empty chair. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today. I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called this meeting.”
His mother interrupted. “I’ve already briefed them about your upcoming wedding.”
He glared at her, and she crossed her arms over her chest and sat back. “I have no intention of marrying Holly, or any other woman you choose. I’m in love with Tess Medici and I plan on proposing to her.”
“You do that, and I’ll see you’re fired.” Millicent leaned forward, her face contorted in a snarl.
“We can discuss that in a moment.” Max studied the members’ expressions. He couldn’t tell if they found his announcement or his mother’s declaration, troubling. He took a steady breath and said, “I’d like to introduce Sir Spencer Staffordshire.”
The murmur amongst the members grew louder. Many of them acknowledged the man, now standing by his side, with a nod of their heads. “He’s here to make a generous offer to purchase Westfield Industries.”
“Over my dead body.” His mother stood and shrieked.
“It’s an offer you should consider.”
“Do you think I’ve spent my life putting up with cheating Westfield men, to sell out and give up control of the company. You’re a fucking loser who’ll no longer run this company. You’re fired.”
“Don’t lump me in with my father. And there’s no need to fire me. I called this meeting to tender my resignation.” He pulled a letter out of the file he gripped in his hand. He slid it in front of the chairman of the board. “If I were you, I’d consider Sir Spencer’s offer to purchase the company. His number is on the bottom of my letter. It won’t be on the table long.”
The two men left the room, his mother’s cursing could be heard throughout the upper floor of the building. His smile widened. Free.
****
Tess relished the sweat and her aching arm muscles. For the last month, she worked with her father’s new stallion, Galahad. It helped her focus on something other than Max. Long hours of lunging and then schooling Galahad each day kept her depression at bay.
