Spencer wasn't a man with strong leadership skills, but he damned well knew how to follow my instructions. Which was why I'd hired him. And in all the years he'd worked for me, he'd never let me down, never failed to deliver. This had to be a mistake somehow… a miscommunication… But he'd missed more than one promised deadline on this deal. If only he'd pick up his goddamned phone…
I needed answers and I needed them now. I hit redial and got his voicemail again. I tossed the phone on the seat beside me and hit the gas harder. Blake would have the family and the entire board waiting when I got there. India was headed over to Spence's place right now…
I pushed the doubt from my mind, determined that before the day was over, we'd have all our answers. There was no fucking way in hell I'd let this deal slip away now. I'd fucking hand-carry the contract to Wyler if I had to. Mason had put so much on the line with this deal that the company was in a weakened position, at least until all the signatures were in place. Companies larger and more powerful than ours had been victims of corporate raiders in the past. And Mason was more vulnerable now than ever before…
I hit the gas a little harder, teeth clenched and jaw muscles working hard. Fifteen fucking years… And I'd been right there, so goddamned close, right on the edge of having it all. But now… it looked bad.
Fucking bad.
38
Libby
I slept until late in the afternoon, and woke only when Moki licked my face, her furry little body wriggling against mine. I rolled over to her sweet brown eyes… and the unmistakable stomach-turning smell of puppy pee.
"Oh… baby girl… It's outside for you…" I pulled on a robe from the closet and the clean male scent of my husband settled comfortingly over me. I shoved my feet into his slippers. ‘Come on, girl… Outside."
We headed downstairs and out into the wooded area by my studio. I sat down where I could keep an eye on the puppy and relax into the pleasure of just being here, in this beautiful place. A place I could truly call my home now, my very first real home… While the island had been wonderful, this was where I wanted to be…
I'd dreamed last night about the baby. The baby I'd expected to be carrying by now… She'd had Jack's dark blond hair, but my green eyes. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to keep the feeling of the dream. How it felt to hold her… the baby scent of her little head. I wanted to keep my eyes shut forever, so the feeling wouldn't slip away…the weight of her little body in my arms…
For just a second, it felt like there was something else to the dream, something… well, just more… and then the feeling slipped away, the memory gone. I opened my eyes and smiled as the puppy barked at a squirrel in the treetops. "Come here, Mokita… here, girl." She flew into my arms and I held her tight.
Only a few months ago, I'd wanted nothing except to hold up my end of a baby contract. Now, there was nothing I wanted more than to be a family with Jack. A real family. No matter what else was happening, I had to be able to give him that. The love between us felt so strong… and also so very new.
Although Jack had tried hard to reassure me the problems with the merger were temporary and easily resolved, his eyes had told me otherwise. He was worried now, more so than I'd ever seen him. I knew he loved me… and I hated feeling like I'd let him down. And right when the Warner deal had taken a threatening turn…
On impulse, I hugged Moki close and headed inside. I put her on the sofa and rummaged in my bag for my phone, hurrying so I wouldn't lose my courage. Ten minutes later, I had an appointment with Dr. Tiller for Monday. I hung up, nervous but excited. I had to feel like I was doing something… I would find out what to do, to increase my chances of conceiving. And find out if there was a problem causing my cycle to be late. The damned test had already told me it wasn't because I was pregnant…
I shoved my phone back into the bag. The yellow envelope Jack had given me brushed against the back of my hand.
Dorothy Jones. The words stared up at me. Plain black letters. Cold. Impersonal.
My mother…
All I ever knew was that she'd given me up. I had been only a few months old, nowhere near old enough to remember. My second foster mother, Angela, had told me it was my birth mother who'd given me the name Liberty. The perfect name for a child she had clearly wanted to be free of… And when I was six, Angela had also given me the locket I wore to this day. It had a wisp of pale hair inside that I'd always imagined was my mother's.
I'd gone through years where I'd held onto that locket every single night when I went to bed, whispering to it, as if it had the power to carry the words to my mother's ears. Those were the years I had imagined Real Mom as someone who loved me… and the mom I needed desperately to love back. But there were other times too, as I got older. It was as if the years had taken me farther and farther away from her, until eventually I just stopped believing. She felt like a stranger then, almost as if she'd only ever lived in my imagination…
I sat down, letting Moki jump up into my lap. She pushed her nose under my hand, demanding attention. With one hand, I stroked her soft, round little belly. With the other, I held the envelope with my mother's name. It might tell me nothing more than I already knew. But it made me tremble deep inside anyway. For the first time in so long, the typed letters had made her real again. A real woman, with a name and a life… The envelope might hold nothing more than the little I already knew…
But there was also the chance… that it could hold the explanation of my whole life.
39
Jack
"What the fuck do we know right now? Veronica, get me India on the phone. Blake... Get Dad and Ben in here. I want Wyler on speakerphone before you get back." I shot out orders as headed for the boardroom. Everyone was scrambling. They knew as well as I did what was at stake.
I hit the flashing button on the console. "Tell me you found him."
"He was at home, Jack," India sounded pissed. "Hungover as hell and probably still drunk. He smells like he's been this way for days. No fucking wonder he wasn't answering his calls."
"Get him here," I shot out. "I don't care if he's coughing up his liver, you just get his ass in here. I'll pay to have your car cleaned…"
"Damn right, you will." I heard a noise in the background and the disgust in her voice. "And I'm one step ahead of you. We'll be there in ten minutes."
I was still in my office when they arrived. Spencer was pale and disheveled, ugly stains ran the length of his shirt. He was leaning heavily on India's arm.
"Wait for us in the boardroom, India?” I asked her as gently as I could manage. "We need a moment."
She raised her eyebrows, but closed the door behind her. And louder than was necessary. I watched as Spencer winced.
"They're all waiting in the other room." I stood, tapping my fingertips on the wood of my desk. "I'm giving you a chance to tell me now. I haven't decided yet if you deserve it." I took a deep breath and let it out. "What the hell's going on, Spencer?"
"I didn't get to Wyler before he left the country, Jack. I fucking tried, but I was too late. He never signed it, boss. I'd already fucked up so much," he hiccupped and wiped his mouth. "He was going to sign. He'd told me… and you. I know it was wrong, but he was going to sign it anyway. I just didn't think…"
"You fucking forged a signature on a legal contract…?" My voice was quiet, but my heart was pounding in my chest. "You put my family's entire future on the line to cover for fucking up? I would have taken the contract to him myself, Spencer. There was no goddamned reason…"
"I'll admit it, Jack. I'll tell all of them what I did. I'll resign…
Fuck, you can fire me if you want to." He ran his hands through his stringy hair. "It all got away from me somehow… I lost control… But I'm ready to tell the truth. I need to get this off my chest…"
The phone on my desk buzzed. I picked it up and hit the button. It was India's voice. "They're all here, Jack. Ed's on speaker… But there's one more thing…"
"Tell
me."
"Your ex-wife is here, Jack. She just came in and sat down." I could hear the exasperation in her voice. "She says, as a stockholder, she's got the right."
"Goddamn it, Elaine, this isn't the fucking time or place for whatever demands you've got now."
I'd left India to babysit Spence as I pulled Elaine into the empty hall.
"This merger affects my interests as much as yours, Jack," she sniffed. "The divorce gave me forty percent of your holdings. It's my right."
It gave you fifty percent of my bank account, too, I thought.
"Besides, I wanted to be here for Spencer… as moral support." She picked at a long, pointy nail. "We're friends, Jack. And everyone needs someone… You certainly didn't waste any time."
Blake stuck his head into the hall. "We're ready." He looked from me to Elaine… then back to me.
I followed him in with Elaine on my heels. She sat down at the far end of the table. I didn't have the time to process what she'd just said. And she'd planned it that way. Her smile was serene. It was the way that she locked eyes with Spencer that struck me. That, and the look on his face when he saw her.
"Ed, thank you for this," I spoke to the room, but my words were sincere and directed only to him. "The board is here. Spencer too. Bill Jackson's listening in." I wanted to make it easier… the whole fucking mess was awkward enough. "There's been a mistake with the contract. The one we have here… I know you never had a chance to sign yourself." I turned to look at Spencer. "Mr. Pierson-Ellis and I have discussed this. I believe he has something he wants to say to everyone here."
Spencer stood unsteadily, grasping at the edge of the table for support. I'd have had some pity for the man, if what he'd done was in any way forgivable. But he'd betrayed everyone in the room. And it could have even cost us the company. For hell's sake, he'd put Warner in jeopardy as well.
"I… I… " He swallowed hard, his eyes darting around the room. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. It got out of control, is all." His eyes locked onto Elaine. "This wasn't how it was supposed to happen." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I signed it myself. I forged the signature.
It was just because we needed a little more time…" He looked down at his own hands, the words were coming out faster and faster. "I'll face whatever consequences you choose. It was my mistake. Only mine." He looked across the long table. "It was never supposed to be like this…"
40
Libby
"Come on, sweetie… up… up." I patted the bed, but her little legs were too short. I picked Moki up and put her in the middle of the bed. She had her favorite chew toy with her… a yellow rubber ducky. I squeezed it for her and she attacked, settling in to gnaw its orange beak. I smiled and leaned back against the headboard. For the last two hours, I'd carried the envelope with me everywhere. I tapped it against my thigh… held it up to the light… The paper was thick, expensive. I couldn't see a thing.
I would have called India… or even Vivian for advice. But more than anything, I wished Jack was with me. A year ago, I might have just thrown the envelope away, sure that I already knew the truth. That Mom didn't want me, and that I'd grown up strong enough not to need anyone. But now…
Jack's company was in jeopardy, and his whole family was pulling together. They'd welcomed me with warmth and kindness. With every passing day, I was learning more and more, how wonderful it felt to have Jack beside me. Safe, dependable… and loving. Moki crawled into my lap. For the first time, I was learning, not just how much I needed to be loved, but how much love I had to give. It was like a dance… a give and take that only found its balance somewhere in between us…
If I read the letter, there was no going back. Whatever it said would be part of me forever. Good or bad…
Or I could burn it. Toss it into the lake and watch it sink. I could pretend it hadn't ever even existed, and then nothing would change…
Moki barked, sharp and high, her tiny ears perked toward the drive. Jack's car was pulling up the drive and she bounded off the bed, heading down the stairs at a run to meet him. I sat up and smoothed my hair, thinking back on his promise for tonight. My husband had wanted to give me all the answers I'd never had before. He'd given me choices I'd never had before. He'd done it all because he loved me… because he wanted a life with me.
I smiled and listened to him downstairs as he lavished his love on our puppy. His voice was so warm, so kind. The voice of the very best man I'd ever known. I headed down the stairs, my heart full of love and my body tingled with anticipation… The decision had made itself.
And I went to greet my family.
"What happened?" I looked up into his velvety brown eyes as he wrapped his arms around me. "Did the merger go through?"
Jack scooped Moki's dinner into her bowl and closed her safely into the kitchen.
"Wyler faxed it back with his signature today. We're safe… Mason's safe." He touched his fingers to my lips. They were warm… rough… He led me over to the sheepskin throw by the fireplace and lit the fire. "I'm going to have to let Spencer go… He could have cost us everything… there isn't any other choice." He ran his hand behind my head, threading his fingers through my curls. He tugged slightly, tipping my head back. "You look more delicious than ever, sweetheart…" He kissed me right below my ear. "I think I need to find out for myself…"
"I've been waiting all day… and I think it's your turn," I teased, tugging at his belt. He was already huge, aching to be set free. I unzipped him. "I think there's someone here who didn't get any attention this morning…" His cock sprang free.
We had each other undressed in seconds. I ran my hands over him, his chest… his abs. He was all muscle, huge next to me. Then I kneeled down in front of him and felt his heat, his rock-hard length in my hands and I tasted him. His balls lifted and swelled. I took his whole head into my mouth.
"Oh, fuck," he gasped the words and his body swayed. "God, sweetheart… your mouth… so… fucking… good…" He caught my shoulders and rocked his hips. Each careful stroke made him longer, even harder. His head was at the very back of my throat. I swallowed hard, purposefully, and he gasped.
I ran my hands between his legs pulling him to me, unwilling to let him back away. He'd made me come in his mouth, I was determined to give him the same pure pleasure. I spread my hands to cup his ass and worked him with my tongue, sucking and swallowing. I could feel him getting close. I was dripping wet and it ran down the insides of my thighs. "I need to be inside you, sweetheart… I want to come in your sweet fucking pussy. Let me… Libby… let me…"
I would have sucked him off anyway, if my own body hadn't been screaming. But I let him go, shifting fast. I was on hands and knees, poised with my ass high, my knees spread apart. I let my nipples graze the furry rug beneath us and offered myself up to him. "Fuck me, Jack," I begged over my shoulder. "Come in me… hard…"
He was inside me with a single, powerful thrust. There was no time to adjust to his size, he was stroking me fast and hard, just like I needed. I was jolted with every move he made. He was churning my body, driving me hard, driving himself deep, pushing and pulling… giving and demanding… He leaned into my back and cupped my swinging breasts tight. Then he shifted his hips up higher over mine. The head of his cock was right in my sweet spot. Every thrust was an explosion of its own, like one long, unending orgasm that would never, ever end…
He came as my pussy clenched down on him. I bucked as he rode me. I could feel his seed hot down my thighs. And still he pumped into me. Neither of us could get enough. We didn't let go until we finally collapsed together. It was as if, by joining together we created something even more. Something bigger and more powerful than either of us alone. He wrapped me in his arms, resting his head on the pillow of my breast. I stroked his hair until we both dropped off to sleep.
"I love you, Libby. I wonder if you'll ever know how much…"
"I do know…" I turned in his arms to see the morning light on his face. "For the very first
time…" I tried to smooth his hair. He smiled and pulled me closer and kissed me long and slow. He took my hand and put it on his chest. His dark eyes were serious.
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about the letter, sweetheart. If you've read it… or if I never should have searched into your mother's past…" He shifted and my nipples rested against him. "Was it a mistake?"
I wrapped my leg around his, pulling his hips closer, and felt him begin to stiffen again. "Nothing's been a mistake," I whispered. I looked up at his beautiful face, full of love and the heat of desire. "I put it away, in the top of the closet. I almost read it… I wanted to… until I realized I already have everything I need. Right here, with you…" I kissed him, letting it deepen until I was aching again inside. "The past is gone. And we have a future to look forward to… a family of our own, someday."
He rolled over, trapping me deliciously underneath him, his eyes shining.
"I think I'm more than up to it, Mrs. Mason." He slipped his fingers down to tease my very ready clit. "And I promise to devote myself to the job… no matter how long it might take…"
41
Jack
All I wanted was to spend the day with Libby in my arms. But work didn't end with the merger's success. It was really all just beginning, and there was still Spencer to deal with. Bennett and Dad were working out the details of his severance package and I knew it would be generous, in spite of what he'd done. He'd given the company a hell of a lot of good years. I still had trouble believing his judgement had failed so badly.
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