by Ellen Lane
Either that or ask Jim to assign someone else to the article - and hell if I was doing that.
Tossing the pillow aside, I sat up ramrod straight on the edge of the bed and took a few deep, steadying breaths. I could do this. At the end of the day, and despite his extravagant lifestyle and very thorough brand of loving, Rhett Wilder was just another man.
And I could handle men - I’d been doing it all my life.
When my phone went off again, however, I winced. The last thing I needed right now was another text from Rhett to eat at my composure. When I lifted the device from the bedside table, however, I was surprised to see a message from Jim that consisted of a mere two words:
Call me.
I hesitated for only a minute before dialing his cell. Of course, Jim picked up on the first ring.
“Cecily, why haven’t you called me?” I stared at the phone for a moment, flummoxed. I had only submitted the first few pages of info from the first interview for editing the previous night - I’d planned on speaking with him once I was about halfway through the assignment - per usual. Jim, it seemed, had other ideas entirely.
“Well, we usually have a better idea of how a project is looking before we start talking about-”
“This is Rhett Wilder, Cece. I’m going to need weekly updates. I want to know everything.” I suppressed a groan. I should have known I wasn’t getting off so easily.
“I sent you everything I have last night.”
“And I’ve been looking over it. This material is seriously hot.” My eyes widened as Jim continued. “I love the way you’ve characterized him: All business up front and party behind the scenes.” I winced. I hadn’t exactly been trying to fall in line with the idea of Rhett that everyone already perpetuated - but the honest journalist in me hadn’t failed to report that the man was a notorious flirt. While I hadn’t added specific details, I mentioned that the entire first session seemed to be a test of restraint on both our parts.
But, of course, those were my personal notes. I didn’t expect Jim to bring them up. “Well, there’s still a lot more material to get down on paper,” I did my best to change the subject slightly. “I’m sure that by the time I’m finished we’ll have a more complete picture-”
“Oh, I like this picture.” Jim cut me off before I could finish. “It seems like there are still sparks flying between you two. In fact, Cece, I wanted to talk to you about changing the angle here a bit.”
Oh boy. There was no way this could be good.
“Changing it how?”
“This undercurrent of romance flowing between you? I want you to make it the primary focus of the article. A little ‘expose’, if you will. Of course, leave in some of the stuff about his business practices and such, but our readers are going to devour news of what Rhett Wilder is like in the sack.”
I almost choked on my own saliva. “Excuse me?”
“Come on, Cecily,” Jim returned, a slightly exasperated edge to his voice. “Anyone with eyes will be able to read through the lines. There’s heat between you and Wilder. Play it out. I’m not asking you to compromise anything...but if you can get me an insight into romance with the world’s foremost bachelor, I’m telling you now, that spot upstairs is as good as yours.”
It took me a moment to gather my thoughts as I tried to decide if this was crossing any lines. My boss was essentially asking me to fraternize with the subject of my interview. This was, of course, taking into account that what he said was painfully true. There were sparks between Rhett and me. In fact, said sparks had burst into a raging inferno the previous afternoon, and now I was dealing with the aftermath. Jim had to know that he was backing me into a corner. I didn’t have to do this. I could walk out on Rhett and the story with my dignity intact.
Or I could play into my boss’s hands and exploit the man who exploited me all too easily in a bid to make my dreams come true. Really, it was an easy choice...if not the most morally sound one.
I opened my mouth, hesitating for another split second before I finally answered. “Ok. I’ll do it.”
Jim made a sound that might have sounded more natural from a ten-year-old child and I did my best to bury my ire.
“That’s wonderful, Cece. I knew I could count on you. Now, I’ll be expecting your next set of notes in the next few days, and remember, the spicier the better!”
He was essentially asking me to whore myself out for our audience, and, like a damned fool, I agreed.
“Right, Jim.”
“Can’t wait to read the next batch, hon. Send it asap! Have fun.” With that, he hung up, and I had to wonder if the man delighted in manipulating his other employees as much as he did me. I glared at my phone as if the minute device was personally responsible for my plight before sinking to the floor beside the bed.
I told Jim that I would take the article in a romantic direction, but now that I was faced with the prospect of actually doing so, I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. So far, in my career, I’d managed not to fall into the dark, immoral pit that some of my coworkers had all but leapt for. People were so addicted to gossip that these days that rare stories were worth untold millions - as long as you didn’t mind exposing people in ways that could come back to bite you in the ass.
Writing this article would mean betraying Rhett’s trust, and I couldn’t, for a moment, pretend there wasn’t much about that didn’t rub me the wrong way about that particular scenario. Perhaps Rhett and I might not have worked out like we planned, but that didn’t give me license to smear him all over the media scene.
That said, this was the career opportunity of a lifetime. Jim was promising me that I’d be able to leave gossip columns behind if I did him this final favor - and that was no small thing. How long had I waited for something like this? How many mornings had I dragged myself into the office, wondering what the hell I was doing in a dead-end rag of a magazine when all I’d ever wanted was to report real news.
This was a chance to escape all that...but was I willing to pay the price.
I traipsed into the small kitchenette to make myself a cup of coffee. By the time it finished brewing and I’d doctored it to my liking, I came to a tentative decision. Even though I’d made an agreement with Jim, I didn’t have to turn the completed article in. I could send him notes, and do some writing for my own purposes. By the time I was done with all the interviews, I could then decide exactly what I’d do with the information.
Until then, I’d play both the earnest reporter and, somehow, the flirtatious old flame...and hope this didn’t just blow up in my face.
Chapter Eight
~ Rhett
“What?”
I did my best not to stare. Even clad casually in jeans and a loose blouse, Cece was quite the distraction. When Mona, my housekeeper, mentioned that she’d emerged from the guesthouse after sequestering herself there for almost two days, I jumped on the opportunity. That said, it wasn’t my aim to scare her off. I’d planned to drop in on my way to the office in Savannah and mention something she might be interested - and now I found myself doing my utmost not to stare at her gorgeous, full mouth and the rose-colored lipstick she wore.
“I mean,” I cleared my throat, remembering what we’d been discussing, “I have to stay in Atlanta for the next week or so for business, and I thought you might like to come to the penthouse there so we can continue your interviews.” And so I can keep you close.
I wasn’t idiotic enough to try to jump Cece’s bones again so soon after the liberties she’d allowed me a few days ago, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to press my luck - carefully, of course. As I had suspected, one time with Cecily could never be enough. I’d spent the last two nights tossing and turning, wishing she were beside me - where she belonged.
Not that I’d let her know that.
“Well, I... I could just wait for you here until you come back.” She suggested, color rising to her cheeks. Her face had been flushed just like that when I came up
from my feast between her legs. God, I could still taste her on my tongue.
“Aren’t you supposed to be documenting my daily life? How are you supposed to do that when we’re apart for weeks on end? This project does have a deadline, doesn’t it?” It was a dirty trick, playing into her sense of duty where work was concerned, but I wasn’t above tricks if it got me what I wanted.
And dear God, I wanted Cecily. Even more than I had before I knew what it was like to have her in my arms. It was uncanny, really. Every time I had ever craved a woman, tumbling into bed with her almost immediately slaked that hunger and I could move on. At the very most, I’d linger for a few weeks, knowing I’d grow bored but doing my best to at least play the gentleman...but being with Cece was entirely different. The moment we left the cabin, I wanted to return. Her hold on me was alarming...or, at least, it might have been, if a part of me hadn’t already admitted that she’d never lost her hold on me.
“I... guess you’re right.” Her lips curved upward in a forced smile. “Can’t get the goods if my subject is half a state away.”
“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll show you a good time.” I rounded the counter that separated us reflexively, needing the barrier gone. “We can’t be all work now, can we?”
For every step I took forward, she took one back. I should have quit while I was ahead, but I’d be damned if I could control my impulses when she was around. Eventually, however, there was nowhere for her to go. I hemmed her into the kitchen corner, my body scant inches from hers, and reached down to lift her chin with two fingers. It was time to address the elephant in the room. If she wasn’t going to do it then I sure as hell would. “Cece, about the other day-”
“Rhett, please.” She cut me off lowly, refusing to look me in the eye. “We don’t need to go there.”
As far as I was concerned, this wasn’t about needing. I wanted to go there with Cece - wanted to force her to confront what happened in the cabin and how effortlessly mind-blowing it had been for the both of us. “Don’t we?” I murmured, causing her gaze to finally shift to mine. “Nothing about what we did was wrong, Cece. In fact, I’d like-”
She refused to let me finish - though I supposed I couldn’t protest the way she went about achieving her goals. Rather than listening to my speech, she merely rose onto her toes to press her mouth to mine.
I was stunned for perhaps half a second. After all, considering the way she backpedaled, the last thing I expected was for Cece to suddenly give into me. After the initial shock faded though, I jerked her to me, deepening the kiss to taste her properly.
The afternoon in the mountains came rushing back and I was instantly, embarrassingly hard. If I had the wherewithal, I might have wondered just what it was about Cece that had me so entranced when no other woman seemed to have the same effect. I already knew her - at least, I had known her, so, shouldn’t that somehow shield me from the myriad of emotions that she triggered in me?
I supposed I merely had to accept that, with Cece, nothing really made any sense. I couldn’t quantify her, like I did factors in the business that I dealt with day to day - and in that particular moment, I didn’t really care to. I was more preoccupied with the soft press of her breasts against me and the breathy little sigh she emitted against my lips. Within an instant, I took hold of her hips to lift her onto the kitchen counter.
When her arms slid around my neck, I bit back a curse, nudging my way between her thighs. This woman was clearly going to be the death of me.
I’d only intended to stop in for a minute - to make sure that she came to Atlanta with me. Truth be told, if I lingered for very long in the kitchen I was going to be very late for a video conference I was supposed to be joining in the next ten minutes. But all of that ceased to matter when Cece’s tongue was sliding against mine. I might have very happily shucked her clothing from her and had my way with her on the counter - regardless of the fact that Mona was still on duty. I might have carried her to the living room and made such a mess of the couch that I had to buy a new one.
Unfortunately, before I could get to either of those options, the intercom buzzed, jogging both of us back to reality.
“Fuck.” This time, I didn’t mind letting the epithet slip. I met Cece’s gaze briefly and forced myself to swallow my questions. We still needed to talk - desperately, in fact; but, for now, it would have to wait. “That will be Tony. He’s here to go over some paperwork before the video conference.”
“Of course.” Despite the bold ardor of a few moments ago, Cece was suddenly shy, tucking her hair behind her ears as she slid demurely from the counter. “Whatever you need to take care of.”
If she had any idea how much I wanted to take care of her, she might have run for the hills - and I would have chased her all the way. “So, Atlanta, tomorrow?” I raked a hand through my hair, hoping my erection wasn’t as obvious as it felt. I was going to have a shit time explaining this to Tony.
“Yeah.” Her affirmative reply was accompanied by the slightest hint of a genuine smile, and the sight was enough to make my heart stutter in my chest. It seemed I wasn’t nearly so badly off as I might have imagined.
There was still time.
Unfortunately, there was less time than I might have liked in the days that followed. After the video conference went off without a hitch, I had to lead the company in a push to produce the materials needed for an immense series of orders overseas - and that meant leaving Cece to her own devices for a few days when we reached Atlanta.
Of course, I made sure to give her the grand tour of the penthouse - nothing so indulgent as her first trip to the manor (I’d learned my lesson where that was concerned), but I made sure she was comfortable in one of the spare bedrooms down the hall from mine. Somehow, I resisted the urge to spirit her away into the master suite and forget my business dealings, promising to return in a few days once things had gotten off the ground with production of materials.
Considering that I’d once crossed the country and left Cecily, you’d think that leaving her to get to the office across town would be nothing at all. The fact of the matter was that I couldn’t remember anything harder than leaving her in the foyer of the penthouse.
I adored how Cecily refused to doll up for anyone when she travelled. She didn’t really need to. Even without layers of makeup and a perfectly chosen dress she was one of the most gorgeous woman I’d ever had the privilege of laying eyes on, and I told her so before I slipped out the door. Cecily, being Cecily, merely blushed and spluttered and ushered me out of the house, citing that I was going to be late, but I had done my duty.
I made sure she was thinking about me all day - and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
After I left the penthouse, however, things were all business. Tony had come up from Savannah with me, and he was waiting for me at the office. When one was shipping tens of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment halfway across the world, there were certain legalities that had to be observed. Tony was there to make sure things went off without a hitch.
“I’d ask you if you’re ready to tackle this, but I already know the answer.”
I let him into the elevator first, rolling my eyes as I thumbed the button for the fortieth floor. “I’ve been working harder than you my whole life. This will be a walk in the park.”
“Ah, but you’ve never had the lovely Cecily Warner waiting for you back at home.”
I glared at him, jamming the elevator close button. I should have guessed he might mention Cece. He’d been giving me shit ever since I’d answered the door the previous day with a massive erection. “Cece’s not going anywhere. She hasn’t finished the interviews.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s why she’s sticking around.”
I scowled. Usually, I wouldn’t mind playing along with Tony’s sardonic sense of humor, but now wasn’t exactly the best time for me to have Cecily on the brain. It had been hard enough to leave her that morning. “Work first. If you want to rag me about my love life later, f
eel free.”
“Ooooh, he used the L word.” Tony grinned triumphantly as I swallowed a groan of exasperation. “Someone is in fucking deep.”
If the man wasn’t one of the best lawyers in the southeast, I might have pummeled him into a pulp.
Thankfully, processing the order went off without a hitch. Of course, even a smooth shipping process meant being in contact with clients every step of the way, visiting factories in Vermont and ensuring quality control, and seeing to it that the product had a personal escort to Asia. In three days, I got perhaps seven or eight hours of sleep, and by the time I finally received a call from an elated client, I was all but dead on my feet. When I dragged myself out of my office, Cynthia frowned deeply at my haggard appearance.
“With all due respect, Mr. Warner: Go home.”
I managed an exhausted smile. “I plan to - after I finish this last bit of paperwork.” To my recollection, I never had any problem buckling down to do what needed to be done. But knowing that Cecily was less than ten miles away - wondering what she was doing with herself in my absence - made it hard.
It being figurative and literal.
It was with great reluctance that I ultimately returned to my office, a massive cup of coffee in hand, to finish up the closing paperwork for the deal. Steeling myself for a last push, I sank down into my chair - just as my phone went off.
It was close to eleven at night - I was pretty sure that the only reason Cynthia was still in the office was to make sure I didn’t collapse in exhaustion. Like hell I was answering my phone.
When I paused to take a long swallow of my coffee half an hour later, however, I withdrew the device from my pocket to glance at the notifications.
And immediately stiffened.
Holy hell.
I did, indeed, have one missed call - and that call was from Jebediah Warner.
For almost a full minute, I was too shell-shocked to do anything more than stare down at the screen. I hadn’t heard from Jeb in over a decade. To my knowledge, he didn’t even have my number - not that it was terribly hard to find me if one tried hard enough. Or if Cece had given him my number.
