I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know, Rick. With you, it’s never ‘just’ dinner. There’s always a catch.”
“I promise. Hand on heart. Just dinner and reminiscing about the good old times. Because there were good times, weren’t there?”
I bit my bottom lip, not sure what to say.
“If nothing else, it’ll be a chance for both of us to let our hair down after a long day’s work. Because if I know Andrew Clifton, they’ll want to get their money’s worth out of us every moment we’re there. We’re already booked in for early morning meetings and it’ll be nonstop. You deserve a night out while we find our feet. If you want to turn it into a strategy meeting, that’s fine. We can brainstorm our options. But if you prefer, and I know it’s what I prefer, we can ban talking shop and just have a relaxing night out. I know the perfect little place. I’ve worked for Andrew Clifton before and I got to know all the best restaurants and bars. It’s quiet, intimate, the ideal location for two professional people to have a professional dinner and be professional at all times.”
That was it. I couldn’t help but laugh at how he deadpanned his proposal. Rick always did know how to get to me.
“That’s the Rebecca I remember.” For once, his smile seemed genuine. “So do we have a date?”
“It’s a date. Now can I get some sleep?”
“Sure.”
I pulled my mask back over my eyes and settled back in my seat, but there was no way I was going to be able to relax anytime soon. What was I thinking, agreeing to go out with Rick?
There was bound to be a catch. There always was.
Five
When you’ve traveled for business as much as I have, one hotel blurs into another, and this one was no different. Still, the bed was comfortable enough for a power nap before I showered and went down to reception to meet with Rick to brief him for the day’s meetings.
He was already down there waiting for me in one of the lobby chairs, and he didn’t bother to get up as he looked me up and down.
“You know, you look better every time I see you.”
I ignored him. Today was not the time to worry about his borderline sexual harassment. We had an important meeting to prep for.
“I’ve booked us a conference room. Let’s go there and I can outline my thoughts for how we need to approach the case.”
Rick followed me through to the room I’d arranged, and I was conscious of his gaze on my backside as he admired my curves.
“Right.” I started laying my notes out on the table. “I’ve been going over the case with a fine-tooth comb and I’m struggling to find a loophole anywhere that we can exploit. Any ideas?”
“Just one.” Rick pulled out a document from his portfolio. “There’s an agreement here that Joe Clark, the former employee signed, that covers originality. It turns out that it could well be Clark’s liability after all.”
“Well, we knew that.” I huffed impatiently. “That’s not the issue. With his threats of going public, I think Andrew Clifton are better off paying him off and using this agreement as leverage to minimize the amount they have to pay. Who knows what kind of damage he could cause?”
“Ah, but paying him off will be taken as a sign of guilt. The industry will pounce on that like a pack of wolves.”
Rick and I argued back and forth, unable to come to an agreement on the best way to advise the client. This was not looking good.
“Okay, well, we need to make a move.” The clock was ticking and we had a client meeting to get to. “At the end of the day, I’m the senior lawyer here, so we’re going to follow my lead. We advise them to settle. That way we can be out of here tonight and back in New York by tomorrow. All right?”
“I still think you’re making a mistake.” Rick shook his head.
“Yes, well, it’s my mistake to make. The buck stops with me, and having looked at all the angles, I think this is the best way to go.”
I held up a hand to silence Rick as he opened his mouth to argue. “We don’t have time for this, Rick. We need to be in a cab, and five minutes ago.”
“You’re the boss.”
I tried not to let the tinge of sarcasm in his voice get to me. Rick always knew how to press my buttons, and it must be killing him to have me be in charge.
I decided that I could be the bigger person here. After all, when we met with Andrew Clifton, they would see that my advice was the only way to go.
#
“No, no, no, no, no.” Charles Daily, the CEO of Andrew Clifton, bashed his fist against the table to emphasize his point, as if there could be any doubt about his feelings. “Under no circumstances are we going to pay that little slime ball a single cent. It’s his fault we’re in this mess and I want to launch a countersuit against him so that he pays up what he owes us.”
“But Charles—”
“There is no but. It’s not happening. So what else have you got for me?”
I slumped back in my seat as Rick saw an opportunity. “There is another option. It’s a bit left field, but it might just work.”
“Go on.”
“Rehire Joe.”
“What?” Charles and I spoke in unison as Rick sat there, smug as ever.
“Hear me out. Better the devil you know, right?”
“Perhaps.” Charles nodded, intrigued by what Rick had to say for himself.
“So you get him back on board and you present a united front. You flat out deny any attempt at plagiarism. In fact, you turn the tables and claim that you were the ones who were copied. Then, once you’ve created a PR nightmare for Lou Crosby, you approach him quietly and offer to settle and the whole thing goes away. Crosby is a small writer. He’s never had any real success with any of his work, and he certainly can’t afford the resources Caesar and Krause bring to the table. I’m sure that once you’ve offered him more than he could make on his own in five years, he’ll be happy to disappear, and you can move forward without the blemish of a lost court case on your record.”
A slow smile spread across Charles’ face. “I like the way you think, Rick.”
“I can’t take all the credit. Rebecca is my boss, after all.”
It was hard to keep a surprised expression off my face as Charles turned to me. “Why didn’t you just pitch this to me in the first place, then?”
“Well, I… I…”
“Rebecca likes to try the simplest approach first. After all, you are the client. We’re just your advisors.” Once again, Rick decided to jump in. I could have killed him. It was classic Rick, seeming to be supporting me while he was actually undermining my authority.
“Indeed.” I tried to salvage what was left of my dignity. “Well, if you’re happy with that tactic, all that’s left is for you to decide whether you want us to draw up an offer for Joe. Obviously it still means that you’ll be paying something as far as salary is concerned, and we’d recommend a financial incentive on top of that, and I know that you didn’t want to pay him anything.”
“Ah, but the joys of having Joe in house is that we can make his life miserable here, and then when he leaves, his career will be in tatters. Believe me, Rebecca, I know just how to deal with people like Mr. Clark.”
Privately, I thought that was the last thing Charles should be doing, given that one of the problems that had brought us here was Joe’s threat to expose just that kind of attitude, but I could tell by the light in Charles’ eye that he was too fired up with possibilities to listen, so I decided to leave that conversation for another day.
“All right, then. We’ll get on with putting together a proposal for Joe Clark and we’ll reconvene tomorrow for you to sign off on it.”
“Great.” Charles stood up to shake our hands goodbye. “Devon promised me he was sending over his best, and it seems that he kept his word. I look forward to putting this whole mess behind us.”
“That went better than expected.” Rick turned to me as soon as we were out of Charles’ office.
“Are you kiddi
ng me?” I said, trying to keep a lid on my temper until we were well out of earshot. “You made me look like an idiot in there, and you’ve set him on a course that’ll only cause him more problems further down the road.”
“We can sort that out when it comes to it.” Rick shook his head. “Come on, Rebecca, that was a victory. Lighten up. I promised you dinner tonight, and we can make it into a celebration that we’ll be heading back to New York sooner than we thought. Let’s go back to the hotel and freshen up and I’ll make sure you have a good time tonight. You can order the most expensive items on the menu if it’ll make you feel better.”
I laughed despite myself. Rick was notoriously tight-fisted when it came to money, so if he was offering to pay, he must be in a good mood. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Rick grinned. “So I’ll see you at seven in the lobby, then?”
“Seven it is.”
Six
Deciding what to wear to go out with Rick was surprisingly difficult. Dress up and it might give him the wrong idea; dress down and I’d never hear the end of it because he’d know that I was doing it deliberately so as not to encourage him.
At last, I decided on a simple, red, sleeveless jersey dress with a polo neck. No cleavage for him to leer at, but it was figure-hugging enough that he couldn’t complain that I hadn’t made an effort. Putting on matching red lipstick, I was happy with what I saw in the mirror. Let Rick get a taste of what he walked away from. I didn’t care. He was never getting me back.
I grabbed my clutch and made my way down to the lobby, where Rick was waiting for me. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me walking toward him, taking his time to look me up and down. “Wow, Rebecca. You always did know how to make an entrance. You’ve got every man in the room wishing he was the one taking you out. I’m one lucky guy.”
“You’re not that lucky. This is just dinner, remember? We go out, we eat, we come back to our respective rooms.”
“Oh, Rebecca. You’re breaking my heart.” Rick put a hand to his chest as if I’d just shot him, but he grinned that cocky grin I knew all too well, and I knew that he thought that he was going to be able to talk me around. He was in for a big disappointment.
The restaurant he took me to was a little Italian place not far from our hotel. He pulled out my chair for me and made sure I was comfortably settled before going around to sit opposite me. “My, my. Somebody’s developed manners since we last went out for dinner.”
Rick had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I told you, Rebecca. I’ve changed. I’m not the man I used to be. That’s why I’m so glad you agreed to come out with me. It gives me the chance to prove it away from the pressures of work.”
“I’m glad you’ve changed, Rick. Really, I am. But it doesn’t really make any difference to me. I’m with Devon and I’m happy. I just hope that you can find someone who makes you just as happy.”
“Really? There was me thinking you’d want me to be miserable for the rest of my life, you know, fart every time I’m about to say something to a client or turn into an irresistible magnet for mosquitoes.”
I laughed. “I must admit that there was a time when I would have wanted to see you rot in hell, but I’ve moved on. Besides, if you’re happy with someone else, then you’ll stop bothering me, so either way, I win.”
Rick looked at me appraisingly. “I’ll never stop wanting you, Rebecca.”
His words threw me. Fortunately, the moment was interrupted by the arrival of our waiter, so I busied myself with the menu, pretending to take my time with my order, even though I knew exactly what I wanted—and it wasn’t Rick.
Soon the waiter returned with our wine and poured us both a glass. Rick raised his to me in a toast. “To us. To renewed friendships and a brighter future.”
“A brighter future.” I couldn’t bring myself to talk about “us.” There was no us and there never would be again.
When the food arrived, it looked amazing and my first mouthful tasted divine. “Oh my God, that’s incredible.”
“I told you this place was amazing.” Rick grinned, but this time, his usual smugness seemed to be lacking. He seemed genuinely happy to see me enjoy the food. “Now, Rebecca. Fill me in. What’s been happening in your life over the past few years?”
“Well, after you so cruelly abandoned me…” I looked at him with contempt, unable to resist getting in a dig, but all Rick did was shrug, looking apologetic. “So you really want to know?”
“I really want to know.”
“All right. Well, I graduated law school the year after you did and managed to pick up an internship in a small local firm. After that, I moved on to a bigger firm in San Francisco and slowly worked my way up the ranks. I developed a reputation for being able to discover inventive solutions to difficult problems, which is why they sent me in to woo Douglas Leeson, and when I won that account, Caesar and Krause offered me a job so they could get both me and Doug on their books.”
“So the rumors of you sleeping your way to the top are just that?”
I stopped dead in my tracks, my fork halfway up to my mouth. “What did you just say?”
“There are those in the office who say that you only got the job because you’re Devon’s girlfriend.”
“Oh.” Relief flooded through me as I realized that Rick wasn’t referring to my affair with Miles, my former boss. Although I knew that I’d been promoted due to sheer hard work and tenacity, it was also true that Miles had sent me in to get Doug’s business because he thought that I’d be able to seduce him—in every sense of the word. I hated to think what Rick would make of that. “They would say that, wouldn’t they? Nothing like a bit of jealousy to fuel the gossip mills. Besides, I didn’t start to see Devon until after they offered me the job. Like I said, I got the job because I won Douglas Leeson’s account and showed just how good a lawyer I am. Caesar and Krause offered me a pay rise and a promotion, so I went for it. Getting Devon was a bonus, but not the reason I took the job.”
“I thought so. The Rebecca I knew would never get involved with someone just to promote their career. You were never that cold-hearted.”
I said nothing, toying with the final few morsels left on my plate.
“I’ve upset you. I’m sorry.” Rick reached over and put his hand on top of mine. “Look at me, Rebecca.”
I shook my head.
“Come on. Look at me.”
I lifted my gaze and saw Rick watching in me, a soft expression on his face. “I just keep messing up with you, don’t I? Would you believe me if I said that I don’t mean to?”
“I don’t know, Rick.”
“I know what you need.” He gestured for one of the waiters. “Bring us one of your famous chocolate sundaes, with two spoons.”
“Oh no, Rick. I can’t.” I patted my waistline.
“Yes, you can. It’s just one night, Rebecca, and trust me. You need to taste this. They make the ice cream themselves, all on site. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted.”
I consoled myself with the thought that he’d asked for two spoons, so I could leave him to finish most of it, but when they brought out the sundae, my eyes widened. It was simply enormous! There was no way the two of us were going to be able to finish it.
“Here.” Rick took his spoon, scooped up a generous portion, and put it in front of my mouth.
Reluctantly, I closed my eyes and let him feed me the desert.
My eyes sprang open. “Oh. My God.”
“I told you! Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Whoever made this is an absolute genius.” All thoughts of calorie counting went out of the window as I picked up my spoon and started digging.
Maybe it was the wine we’d had with our meal, but a mischievous mood came over me and I dropped my inhibitions, flirtatiously taking my time to lick dessert off my spoon, giving him a suggestive look as I did so. I had no intention of sleeping with him, so perhaps it was cruel of me to give him a hint of what he’d been missing. I smiled
smugly at the way his eyes attentively followed the sweep of my tongue, and I knew I was having the desired affect. He wanted me. Too bad I didn’t want him back.
At the same time, as well as wanting to get revenge on Rick, there was a large part of me that was really pissed with Devon. Pissed that he’d pressured me to move in when I wasn’t ready and pissed that he’d shipped me off to the other side of the country with my ex-husband, knowing full well that I didn’t like working with him.
After Rick paid the bill, he put his arm around me as we went outside to find a cab. I didn’t push him away, and when we climbed into a taxi, I snuggled up against him, resting my head against his shoulder.
“Thanks for this evening, Rebecca. I wasn’t sure if you’d come out with me, but I’m so glad you did.”
“Me too.”
He put his hand under my chin and turned my head to face him. “I was an idiot letting you slip through my fingers. I’ve missed out on so much time with you.”
He leaned forward to kiss me, and I let him.
Seven
I woke up the next morning alone in the bed at my hotel. I groaned, as I remembered that kiss in the cab. What was I thinking? I must have had more wine than I realized.
I couldn’t believe I’d let Rick get that close to me. I vowed that I would never let him take advantage of me again, but on the other hand I’d sworn something like that before.
Rolling out of bed, I picked up my cell to see if Devon had called or contacted me in anyway. Nothing.
I was starting to get annoyed by his non-communication. I’d have thought that he’d at least want to know what was going on with the case, but he hadn’t bothered to get in touch with me, not even to acknowledge the brief update I’d emailed yesterday. I hadn’t thought that he was the kind to hold a grudge just because I hadn’t jumped at the chance to move in with him.
Guess I didn’t know Devon as well as I thought.
My cell phone beeped. “Speak of the devil!” I smiled as I picked up my phone, expecting to find a text from Devon, but I was disappointed to see that it was only Rick checking in.
The Red Eye (The Red Eye Erotic Romance Series Book 2) Page 3
