"I don't know." She paused. "What about you and your company? I don't want to be the cause of—"
He'd heard her mention his authority the first time, but it pleased him to hear her ask the question again. She wasn't just worried about herself. "So, you do care." He smiled.
"I'm serious," she responded.
"Me, too." He wanted to get up and hold her to reassure her that everything would be okay. Besides, the way she pressed her back against that door, again, she would never allow him to touch her. Not here.
"I just really think," she lowered her voice, "we need to be discreet."
"What does that mean?" He knew he must've interpreted her wrong. "Are you agreeing to dinner, or a proper return of my shirt?" There was not anything proper about how he wanted the shirt returned.
The smile that slid across her face was meant to entice him, and it did. "Jaxon be serious." She turned to leave, but paused and looked over her shoulder. "I'll return the shirt after I have it dry-cleaned."
His office was large. Big enough to carve into two smaller ones. But, he'd insisted that his desk be placed along the huge window opposite his office door. During particularly sunny days, it was a pain. But, as he watched Darling stroll down the hallway, he was thankful. The perfect view. The sway of her hips threw his imagination into hyper-drive. The tightening of his pants pinched at his groin. He reached beneath his desk to shift the weight and hopefully, find a little relief. A voice startled him and he straightened, quickly.
"Mr. Slater, may I come in?" She waited just on the other side of the door's threshold.
"Barbara," he acknowledged her, and then glanced at the files on his desk. "I really need to finish reviewing these."
"It won't take long," she said.
There was no way she'd missed Darling strolling out of his office and she'd probably watched him as he'd ogled Darling's ass. The woman was smart, or she wouldn't have picked such an easy target like Rodney. "Come in."
She reached for the door to close it.
"Please leave it open." All he needed was for her to be able to point to any time they spent alone to indicate him in any future lawsuits she may have planned.
She frowned at the statement, but pushed the door back open. "Sir, Rodney just informed me that he's leaving for vacation."
"Yes for a few weeks. A little rest and relaxation with his wife."
Her back straightened a little at the mention of Rodney's wife. "If I have a concern about my department, am I allowed to escalate it to your attention?"
"Again, I'd prefer you take it through Darling."
A quick twitch of her mouth indicated her annoyance at the mention of Darling's name. "But, what if my concern is her?"
"Do you have an issue?" He leaned back into the leather of his oversized desk chair.
"No, not really, but what if I did?"
"Barbara, if an issue of that sort arises while Rodney is out, you can bring it to my attention."
"Thank you." Smiling she turned to leave. "Thank you so much."
CHAPTER TEN
"Excuse me." The words were accompanied by a tap on Darling's shoulder.
Darling turned to stare into the green eyes of a well-coiffed older woman who stood just a few inches taller than her.
"I've been wandering around lost." She smiled. "It's been so long since I've been here. Can you help me find Jaxon Slater's office?
"Yes, ma'am." Darling glanced down the hallway in front of her. "I'm headed that way myself. I can walk with you."
"Great." The woman extended a hand. "I'm Elaine Slater."
Darling nearly passed out. Jaxon's mother?
She was perfectly groomed from her stylishly tailored skirt suit to her flawless silver hair. Not one strand out of place.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Darling Crawford."
"Darling. Oh, yes. I've heard a lot about you." She grinned warmly. "My son thinks very highly of you."
The fact that Jaxon and his mom had discussed her filled her with something. A feeling that surprised her, but she welcomed it. The feeling of joy. "I hope they were all good things." Something inside of her nagged because she wanted to ask more details but instead, she smiled at the compliment.
The woman's reassuring smile pleased Darling.
"All great things," his mother said.
Darling knocked lightly on Jaxon's door. At his response, she pushed it open and walked in after his mother.
"Surprise, honey," his mother said.
"Mom." A warm smile lit up his face. He came around his desk and met her at the door with a big bear hug.
The man that Darling had come to know vanished. For once, there were no barriers as she watched him take his mother's hand and lead her to a nearby chair. Before his mother asked, he pulled a bottle of water from his office fridge and poured half into a cup then placed the bottle on the table beside her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, taking the chair next to her. "Why didn't you call? I could've met you at the airport."
The barrage of questions ended when his mother threw up a hand to halt them. "That's why I said surprise." Warm genuine laughter bubbled through her whole body.
He scanned the space around her. "Where are your bags?"
"Melanie picked me up." She drank from the glass he'd placed beside her. "We thought we could treat you to lunch."
Briefly, his eyes darted to Darling. "Mom—"
"Knock, knock," said one of the most beautiful statuesque blondes Darling had ever seen in her life. If she hadn't graced Vogue in the past, they'd missed the opportunity to sell millions of copies to drooling college frat boys and impressionable girls who would want to look just like her.
The guarded Jaxon that Darling knew from meetings and office luncheons reappeared. Darling wandered if anyone else noticed. Or, maybe she saw what she wanted to see. Darling stood as tall as her stubby legs would allow and let her right hand slide down the length of her consignment store black skirt. The feel of the fabric was cheap beneath her touch, she knew it would not compare to the suit the model wore. The fit could only have been achieved by the hands of a master tailor. Definitely not off the rack, and no way it came from a previously worn rack. Darling wanted to turn and bolt from the room.
"Melanie, come in." Jaxon shook her hand. "It's good to see you again." He nodded at Darling. "This is my Director of Meeting Planning and Events, Darling Crawford." The smile he offered the beautiful woman was warm, friendly.
Although it didn't compare to the smile offered Darling when she'd dressed at his hotel room the other day, it still angered her. Melanie didn't have to hide how she felt or what she wanted from Jaxon. All Darling could do was hide what she wanted because she couldn't give him what Melanie could give him. Melanie would fit better in his future than she ever would. And from the smile on his mother's face, Melanie was who she wanted for him, too.
She'd never accept me.
"Thank you." She smiled at him, and then at Darling. "It's good to see you, too." She glanced between Darling and Jaxon. "Are we interrupting anything?" Melanie waited patiently for someone to respond.
Darling felt as if everyone in the room expected her to answer. "No," Darling said at last. "I needed to give Mr. Slater these reports." She sat the files she'd been clutching against her chest on the table. "But, we can review them later."
"Great," his mother said. "We made reservations for the restaurant I love at The Peabody."
Jaxon rested his hand on top of the pile of reports Darling had placed on the table. "Ladies, I have so much to finish."
The office began to feel a little small. Darling didn't think she belonged in the room with the model and the millionaires. She began to take a few steps backwards toward the door. "Don't worry about the reports Mr. Slater. We can look at everything later."
The closer Darling moved toward the door, the more Jaxon closed the distance between them. Only inches away from her, he paused and glanced at the other women in the room before f
ocusing on her. "Are you sure?" He paused. "Can you handle this without me?"
"Definitely." She nodded at his mother and the model. "Please go."
Now.
Yes, now before her head exploded from pretending to be okay with sending Jaxon off with a woman she couldn't compete against in any way.
"Thank you, Darling," his mom interjected. "Then, it's settled." She stood and pulled a little at the hem of her skirt. "Let's go and enjoy ourselves."
Arm and arm with his mother, Jaxon and Melanie disappeared around the corner out of her sight. God, she wanted to cry, but there wasn't any reason. He was doing exactly what he should be doing.
Barbara popped up as she walked out of the office. "That was a beautiful woman. She's probably Memphis royalty. You know…the best education and old money." The smile she flashed was too big. The heifer was happy to see Jaxon with another woman.
Barbara never failed to know exactly how to make her feel like crap. "It's really none of my business," Darling replied.
"Sure, it is." She turned to walk away. "Can't have Mr. Slater splitting his time and interests."
She swore she heard the tramp laugh as she walked away.
Jaxon sat across the table from his well-intentioned mother and Melanie surrounded by the historic beauty of The Peabody, but his mind was miles away. The moment Melanie walked into his office…Darling had tried to make herself disappear. He needed to see her and let her know that everything would be okay. Shit. What was he thinking? He didn't have anything to apologize for. She'd told him to go, and no matter how much he pushed, she refused to act on what she felt. He didn't even know what he wanted to do himself.
As he sat across from the beautiful woman, he had to admit her attractiveness would intimidate most women and men. With the platforms she wore, she stood shoulder to shoulder with him and her hair held the perfect shades of honey and wheat. And, even in a suit, her body was hard for a man to resist. But, Darling, all five feet of her turned him on more than any woman he'd ever met, including this one.
"Jaxon, how much longer do you think you'll be in town?" Melanie asked.
As long as it takes, to determine what was happening with Darling, him, and his company. "Maybe a month."
She smiled and with a toss of her head flipped her golden hair over her shoulder. "That's great. We'll have plenty of time to explore." She smiled. "Memphis, that is."
"I don't know how much free time I'll have." He pushed away from the prime rib sandwich in front of him and leaned back in his seat. "One of my senior directors is taking a little time off." That was true enough.
"Oh, why?" asked his mother. She removed the tomato from her sandwich and placed it on the side of her plate.
He'd seen her do that same thing a million times before. "Mom, why don't you send it back?"
She smiled. "There's no reason to cause anyone any extra trouble when I can simply pull it off myself."
Jaxon couldn't help but smile. His mother never complained about anything. He got back to his mother's earlier question. "My senior director has a lot of personal business to take care of. A little time off will do him good."
"Well, hopefully, the young lady, Darling, will be able to help you keep everything going," his mother said.
"I think so." He thought for a second. "A lot of work needs to be done."
"How long has she been working with you?" Melanie asked between bites of grilled eggplant.
"Not very long. My senior director hired her. She has a lot of experience, and we both think she'll be able to help us revamp our meetings program."
Melanie stopped eating. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in her."
He had more than confidence in her. He was falling in love with her. "Yes."
Dinner had been painless enough, but his mother never gave up that easily. If she thought she had a "good" woman for him, she kept insisting. For every memorable night he'd had, there'd been almost as many disasters. "Mom, I don't think Melanie and I are right for each other."
They'd walked Melanie to the exit and waited with her while the valet returned with her car. He'd convinced his mother to have a cocktail in the lobby before heading to their rooms. Sitting beneath the iconic chandeliers of The Peabody, Jaxon remembered past visits he and his mother had made. The times they'd stood at the historic fountain watching the famous ducks walk down the red carpet and climb into the water. The brunches they'd shared. He couldn't figure out how the years had passed so quickly.
As his mother sat sipping from her wine glass, he noticed her hair was a little more silver, and there were a few more fine lines gracing her forehead.
What would he do with the rest of his life? Who would he spend those years with? Would he ever give her the grandchildren she wanted?
"Son, you haven't even given her a chance," she said with an edge of concern to her voice.
There was no reason to go into detail about the impossible situation between him and Darling. "Please. I promise you I can handle my own love life."
"Can you?" She stretched out her legs and relaxed into the oversized leather chair. "If I wait on you to find someone, I'll never have any grandchildren."
He put his cocktail on the table next to him. Sliding forward in his chair, he stared into his mother's worried eyes. There was so much to share with her, but first, he needed her to know. "Mom, I don't know what kind of father I would be—"
"Son, you would be a great father because you're a great man." Her eyes glistened. "I was afraid you would feel this way. I didn't want you to doubt yourself because of us."
"I know, but you can't pick my wife for me because you want grandkids."
"Of course, I want grandkids. I'm not trying to—I don't want you to never know what it's like to feel the love and happiness that grows in my heart every time I look into your eyes."
He reached across the small table, and placed his hand on top of hers. "Mom, I've been thinking a lot about a family, lately."
The sadness in her eyes drained away.
"But, you have to let me do this my own way."
Silently, his mother stared for a long while. "You've found someone. Well, tell me who is she?" She leaned forward and covered his hand with her other. "Do I know her family?"
"No, you don't know her family." Hell, he didn't know her family. "It's complicated."
"Complicated? How?" The frown lines etched in her forehead deepened.
No matter his age, she would never stop worrying about him. "It's nothing you can help me with. I have to do it myself."
"Well, if that Darling doesn't know how you feel…it's her loss." She released his hand and leaned back into her chair.
He blinked in response to his mother's words and knowledge. "What? How did you know?" Since his childhood, she'd always been able to tell him what he was thinking before he knew. She knew who he was attracted to in high school, or which of his friends he was fighting with. And it didn't change in college. She had mom radar that never allowed him to hide.
"Son, I know you." She laughed warmly. "I knew there had to be some reason you weren't trying to leave Memphis. The minute Melanie entered your office you changed and so did Darling."
He wanted to deny it, but it was nice to talk about it with someone. "I don't know what to do." That was the problem in a nutshell.
"Have you told her?" His mother lifted her glass of wine to her nose, and inhaled the bouquet.
"No." He sighed and fell back against his chair. "When we first met, she didn't work for us. Then she disappeared for a few months. And then there's Rodney and Barbara." The more he listened to himself, the more he understood why Darling pulled away at every opportunity. If he didn't know what he wanted, why should she trust him?
She nodded. "So, the job is the problem?"
"It's complicated. She's going through a nasty divorce."
"No, son, it's not complicated at all." She sipped her cocktail. "When your father left, life changed. But, like an idiot, I kept waiting. For some
reason, I thought he might come back. I wanted the nightmare to end, but it didn't. Then, one day, you were a man—no longer a boy, and I was old and alone."
His mother's words cut right through him. He'd always known of her pain, but she'd never voiced it. "Mom—"
"No, it's okay. The reason, I'm telling you this is because I know the way I lived my life affected the way you live yours. That's why I play matchmaker." She laughed. "I guess I'm trying to make up for all those years of nothing."
There it was. His mother blamed herself for his fucked up life, but that wasn't on her. It wasn't even on his father. It was on him. He'd checked out a long time ago and until he met Darling, he hadn't cared. Sex without strings had kept his head on straight and his heart his own. "Mom, you were dealing with your own pain."
"Yes, but I never should've stopped being a mother to my son."
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You didn't."
She patted his hand closest to her with her own. "Yes, I did. But, I promise, I won't ever do it again."
He knew his mother wouldn't break a promise she made to him. But, nothing she'd done had scarred him. It was his own fear of hurting a woman the way his father had her, as well as, the slim chance that someone might hurt him. "I don't know what to do, but I can't stop thinking about her."
"Son, a divorce can be difficult for a woman. People who've never been through it can't really understand what I mean. Right now, aside from a broken heart, she's letting go of the dream she had with her ex-husband. Family. Children. Whatever her dream was." His mother's gaze drifted off into the distance before she refocused on him. "She probably doesn't trust men and isn't sure if it's worth it to go through it all again."
"I know she cares for me, but she's scared." He closed his eyes and listened to the pianist. The soloist's soft sad music bounced through the empty halls of The Peabody. "What if I can't be a good man to her?" If he could confess his fears to his mother and to himself, maybe he could proclaim his feelings to Darling.
"I was scared. I didn't want to feel that way again, ever. As a mom, I didn't want anyone to hurt my son. What if you would've lost not only your father, but a step-father? I couldn't do it." She paused. "Can you be her friend and expect nothing?"
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