“No. I knew him years ago. There’s a difference. Clearly.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry. So your divorce… It was already happening?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
His words immediately returned the stiffness to her spine. She snapped straight and frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean what I said. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ever?”
“Well, certainly not right after you asked me if I walked out on my sick wife.”
“Luke, that’s not fair. Only an idiot wouldn’t have asked you after hearing that story.”
“Fine. But that doesn’t mean I’m in the mood to talk about my feelings right now. Got it?” He spun on his heel and started back the way they’d come.
“Hey!” she called, her footsteps quick behind him. “What was I supposed to think? I didn’t even know you’d been married!”
His steps slowed to a stop. Tessa caught up with him and met his gaze. “I don’t know what you were supposed to think, Tessa. But I do know, for example, that there’s something going on with you and your family. You and Jamie are hiding something from Eric. Something you feel guilty about. But I didn’t immediately think, ‘Oh, maybe they’re embezzling money from the company.’”
“What?” she gasped.
“You see, I like you, so I give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“I did the same for you.”
“Oh? So why did you make a point of putting yourself in front of Simone tonight?”
Tessa blinked and took a nervous step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really? Because it seemed like you were making damn sure she saw your hand on my arm, making a point that you had the right to touch me.”
Pink floated up her neck, then her jaw. By the time it reached her cheeks, Luke was resenting just how pretty she looked when she felt guilty.
“So even though you’d already asked about Simone, you weren’t quite sure you believed me.”
“I’m a woman,” she whispered. “And there are some men who’ll lie about anything.”
“You think I don’t know that? Ninety percent of my job is dealing with men like that. So I get a little sensitive about being lumped in with them. And your brother is a…” Luke took a deep breath. “He’s protective of you. I get that. But I already told him that story wasn’t true.”
“So what is true?”
He raised one eyebrow and stared her down. “How about you tell me what’s going on with your family? Then I’ll tell you about mine.”
Her jaw stiffened. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
“That’s what I thought.” His anger was losing its energy, and now Luke just felt tired. The breeze picked up on a hard gust, and the bare branches swayed around them, sliding together with eerie sounds. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk you back to your car.”
“But—” she stammered behind him, but Luke was moving on. He knew he could just say, “No big deal,” and let it go. He could take her out to dinner again, maybe spend the night at her house. Or his.
She was a nice girl, after all. And she was right; it was only reasonable that she would be on guard against someone trying to take advantage of her. He’d be disappointed in her if she wasn’t. But he was telling her the truth, even if he’d left out a few grisly details. And right now he just felt…raw. Maybe it was unfair to Tessa, but she had made him think of refuge. And now that refuge was gone.
Yeah, it wasn’t her responsibility to carry his baggage, but that was just another good reason to walk away.
It only took seconds to reach the parking lot since they’d abandoned any pretense of a pleasant stroll. “I’m sorry,” he said, pausing for only seconds at her car. “I’ve had a bad day, and I’m sorry you had to find out about my marriage that way, but… Our lives are too damn complicated individually, so let’s just leave it at that.”
She took her keys out of her pocket and unlocked her car. “We’ll see.” Her clipped words radiated anger, but he couldn’t help that.
“Bye, Tessa,” he said. She slid into her car without a response, and when she drove off, a little German barmaid bobblehead nodded wildly from her back window.
Good God Almighty, the woman made him smile even when he was breaking it off with her. But this time, the smile edged more toward a grimace, and he was frowning by the time he walked back into the station. There was nothing left to do but work.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
WHAT A TERRIBLE Tuesday. Truly awful. Worthy of a Monday status, really.
Tessa had way too much to do. She had to call the Kendall Group to find out when Roland Kendall was back in town. Then she had to ask the Donovan Brothers attorney about what it would take to revise the contract if she wanted to change the deal. Lastly, she wanted to call Monica just to check in and see how the conversation had gone with her father. Plus there was all her regular work at the brewery.
So what was she doing sitting in her car in the parking lot of an erotic boutique? Oh, she’d been in the White Orchid before, but she’d never gone in with the express purpose of finding a way to seduce a man. A man who was pissed. A man who’d stared her down as if he didn’t feel a thing for her.
Anger had kept her safe as she’d driven away. It had even sustained her long enough for her to stomp into her house and slam the door. But then she’d had a whole night to think. Then another night. Then a third and fourth. All that time alone had let her remember how weary Luke had sounded the first time she’d asked about Simone. Weary and sad. And just plain done. Now she understood why. Because it wasn’t the only lie he was living under.
Tessa knew she hadn’t been wrong to ask about the divorce, but she could understand why he’d shut down. Her brothers had taught her a little bit about men, after all, and she knew that their thick skins could be a defense mechanism. They weren’t as tough as they wanted the world to believe.
And despite Jamie’s assertions, Tessa truly believed what Luke had said about his divorce. She didn’t want to be one of those women who believed anything a man said. But she also didn’t want to be one of those women who didn’t trust her gut. Her gut said not to let it end like this. Her gut said that she should buy some hot lingerie, show up at his door and get him back into bed, quick. Actually, maybe that message was coming from a different body part.
“Whatever,” she murmured as she got out of the car and walked into the shop. Happy music and the scent of lilac floated over her as the door closed behind her.
“Hello!” a girl called from behind the counter. Her sculpted bob was glossy black and gorgeous, and her shirtwaist dress was more housewife than sex-toy peddler. Tessa gave her a wave and started to browse.
The toys were in the back room, but if everything worked out well, Tessa wouldn’t be needing any toys. So she wandered through the clothing racks, trying to spot something that would rock Luke’s world.
She petted a cute red cheerleader skirt for a minute, but decided it might hit a little too close to the old virginity issue for Luke. Considering how he’d reacted to that, he probably wasn’t into the cheerleader thing. Then again, he was a man. But it was best saved for another time. She moved on to a gorgeous white lace bustier, but white wasn’t going to flatter her skin tone. But again…he was a man. Skin tone didn’t really play into it.
Hmm. She held it up to her body, trying to picture herself. It was hot, but it felt a little too contrived. If she was going to wear a lace bustier, she’d have to go all out with big hair and painted fingernails and gallons of makeup. Then Luke would probably arrest her for solicitation.
She put the bustier down and headed for a corner of the store with slightly more muted colors. Suddenly she found herself in a dream world of silks and satins that felt magical under her fingertips. “Wow,” she breathed, picking up a little camisole to look at the price tag. She squeaked and put it back down, then picked it up again. The label was something in French
that she couldn’t pronounce, but the pale pink silk felt almost weightless as she dragged it over her palm. The matching panties were beautifully cut, but maybe a little too modest for seduction, but Tessa couldn’t resist taking the camisole to the fitting room, anyway. Maybe she’d buy this just for herself, and get something more revealing for tonight.
But when she took off her shirt and bra and slipped the camisole over her head, Tessa gasped in shock. Yes, the material was expensive and delicate and pretty. It was also erotically thin.
A shiver ran through her and her nipples peaked, and she could see the clear outline of them through the fabric. She could even see the darkness of her areolas. Suddenly she wasn’t worried about how modest the bottoms might be. They were the same fabric and they wouldn’t leave anything to the imagination. Screw the cost. She was buying the whole set.
She hurried over to the cash register with a big smile on her face. “Oh, my God,” the salesclerk said. “Aren’t those gorgeous? You’ve got great taste.”
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“It’s a new line our manager brought in a couple of months ago. She’s expanding the next order, so be sure to come in again in a few weeks.”
“I will.”
The girl wrapped up each piece in tissue paper, then looked up in surprise. “Oh, there she is now! That’s Beth. She’s the store manager.”
Tessa turned to see a striking woman walking into the store. She was backlit by the sun for a moment, but that didn’t take away from her long legs and curvy hips. This was a woman who didn’t wear a size six and knew how to make that a compliment. Then the door closed behind her, and the woman’s face came into view. Tessa frowned.
“Hi, Beth!” the salesclerk called. “We were just admiring the new collection. Everybody loves it.”
When her eyes locked on Tessa’s face, the woman stumbled a little, then caught herself and cleared her throat.
Beth. The name didn’t strike a chord, but Tessa was sure she’d seen her somewhere. She held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Tessa Donovan. Have we met before?”
“No!” the woman yelped.
Tessa dropped her hand in surprise.
“I mean… No. I’m sorry. I’m Beth Cantrell.” She grabbed Tessa’s hand and pumped it twice. “Thank you for coming into the store, Ms. Donovan.”
“Oh, no problem,” Tessa said, but she was talking to empty space. Beth Cantrell had already skirted around her and rushed toward the back room.
“Will this be cash or credit?” the girl behind the counter asked. Tessa handed the girl her credit card and frowned at the back room, wondering what had just happened. Weird.
And then something even weirder happened. Her phone rang, and the screen read “Kendall Group.”
“Oh, God,” she breathed. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.” She answered the phone calmly, but her hand shook as she signed the credit slip.
“Ms. Donovan?” an unfamiliar voice said. “This is Graham Kendall.”
“Who?” she asked in surprise.
“I’m Monica Kendall’s brother. I was hoping we could get together for lunch today. Or maybe dinner?”
“Um…” Her brain spun at a million miles an hour. Graham Kendall. Monica’s brother. Roland’s son. “I’m sorry. Of course, I’d love to have lunch with you, but what did you want to talk about?” She waved a thank-you at the clerk, then grabbed her bag and rushed out of the store as if he could see where she was over the phone line. Not appropriate.
“Assuming my father refuses to budge on the High West issue—and I think we both know he won’t—I might have an opportunity for you.”
She thought fast, trying to figure out where Graham stood in his father’s company. She couldn’t place him. “All right. Sure. I’d love to have lunch with you.”
He named a popular high-end place in Boulder and they agreed to meet at twelve. That would only give her two hours in the office before she had to duck out again. She’d wait to call Roland Kendall until after she met with his son. Then she’d get out of the brewery by seven, go home to shower and change and finagle her way back into Luke’s arms.
Maybe this didn’t have to be an awful day, after all.
THIS TIME, SHE’D remembered to bring a change of clothing to the brewery in case she ended up driving down to the Kendall Group offices again, so she felt completely confident when she walked into the restaurant wearing a sable-brown skirt and heels. It was nice to be seen without a logo attached to her breast as if she’d sold it for advertising space.
And for a moment, when she saw the man who stood as she approached the table, Tessa was glad she felt attractive. He was tall and handsome, and he offered a wide, white smile as she reached to shake his hand.
“Tessa, I’m Graham Kendall. It’s a pleasure.”
She shook his hand and took a seat, noticing he’d already ordered a bottle of wine and poured her a glass. Despite that she worked at a brewery, she wasn’t actually up for a half a bottle of wine in the middle of the afternoon, but the gesture was nice.
In fact, everything about him was nice. He was handsome and perfectly groomed. Their small talk was polite and natural. But something about her first impression was inching away as the minutes passed. His smile was just a touch too wide, and though his skin was buffed and tanned, a slight gray tinge rode beneath it. Yeah, she’d take Luke with his slightly rumpled hair and worried scowls any day.
But dating material or not, this guy might have something she needed. “So,” she ventured after they ordered their meals. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I heard my sister might have screwed over your deal with High West. So to speak.”
She cringed. “I’m still hoping your father will reconsider.”
“If there’s one thing both my sister and I can assure you of, it’s that my father isn’t big on reconsidering.”
“Maybe not, but he wasn’t inclined to go with Donovan Brothers at first. He changed his mind about that. I don’t see why he can’t change his mind about this.”
“I think it might be because your brother had sex with his daughter.”
Yes, now his smile was definitely too wide. Tessa took a sip from her wine and tried to let the awkward moment pass. “Well, if you don’t think he’ll budge, what is it you wanted to meet about?”
“I’m not sure if you’re familiar with all of the Kendall Group holdings, but in addition to some other duties, I’m president of Kendall Flight, which was my father’s first foray into air travel. We lease and rent private luxury aircraft. We also offer what is essentially a time-share system that allows people to own partial shares of a private aircraft.”
“How does that work?”
“Each individual investor purchases a share of the jet’s flight time. Customers can get all the benefits of owning a private jet, without having to pay for the time that it’d normally be sitting in a hangar. Kendall Flight was one of the first companies in the U.S. to offer it.”
“I’ve never heard of that. It’s fascinating. How do you think our brewery could fit in?”
“Well, we cater to the needs of our clients, so we couldn’t offer to carry Donovan Brothers beer exclusively, you understand. If a customer wants Corona, they get Corona.”
“Of course.”
“But we could certainly discuss the details of offering your product as part of our jet catering service.”
Tessa felt her eyes widen. This might actually be a great idea. It might not offer quite the exposure of an exclusive deal with a nationwide, public airline, but it would get their beer into the hands of a wider audience. “How many customers do you serve annually?”
“We log sixty thousand passengers every year.”
“Really?”
“Of course, each flight offers only the menu requested by the lessee, so I can’t control which customers would place orders. But I can send you some numbers on other alcoholic beverages we offer.”
“Absolutely. I’m
intrigued.”
“Wonderful,” he said with another wolfish smile. This guy was a salesman through and through. “And I’d love to offer a tour of our facilities.”
She couldn’t tell if that was a come-on or a sincere offer, so she smiled noncommittally.
“There is one more opportunity I could offer…”
The waitress was already at the table with lunch, and Graham Kendall leaned back to give her space, but he kept his smile aimed in Tessa’s direction. She grew worried that his next “opportunity” would involve becoming his mistress. Or buying a used car. Roland Kendall might be lacking in charm and smoothness, but Tessa was beginning to think she knew exactly where all the excess had landed.
She took a bite of her pasta and waited for the rest of the sales pitch. It didn’t take long.
“Kendall Flight is sponsoring a big charity golf event. This is our second year and it’s become my pet project. I’ve taken it upon myself to organize the cosponsors.”
“Oh,” she said, trying—and failing—to keep the wariness out of her voice. “We already sponsor a lot of local events. It’s one of our main promotional vehicles, actually.”
“Ah, but this won’t be a local event. It’s a golf tour nament at a world-class resort in Palm Springs. California,” he added, as if she wouldn’t recognize the place.
“But we haven’t pushed into California yet. It’s a pretty crowded microbrew market. I’m not sure what benefit we’d achieve with promotion outside our market.”
His smile oozed toward condescension. “Well, obviously this would be a great jumping-off point. If you reached the silver level of sponsorship, we’d serve your beer exclusively. But more than that…this isn’t a local 10K or a volleyball tournament. These are business owners, influential people. And assuming you or one of your brothers was there to make new friends and rub shoulders… There’s no telling what kind of deals you could open up.”
Huh. Tessa was a bit dumbfounded to find herself influenced by his pitch. It actually might be a wonderful opportunity. But it was obviously going to be an expensive one. Silver-level expensive.
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