The Tycoon's Socialite Bride (Entangled Indulgence)
Page 18
She almost felt sorry for him. He stared down at his feet, his chest rising and falling. She hoped he would listen to her and prayed that he wouldn’t. Then he straightened and she saw his set jaw and narrowed eyes. Gaze swinging between her and the women, he shrugged.
“I don’t think I could fully explain to you how it felt not to be able to take care of my mother. I blamed it all on David Holcombe. I made decisions and amassed this empire all with the thought of getting my hands on the hotel. The funny thing is I never thought beyond that point. Would it remain a hotel? Would I tear it down? I just focused everything on getting it.”
Pamela could feel his words knitting the tears in her heart, but she forced herself to remain where she was.
His gaze was steady and clear. “I realize that by living in the past I was destroying my present and the chance of a future. With you.”
His eyes were powerful magnets, drawing her into their field, rendering her incapable of looking away.
“None of this matters. You broke your word and gave David the shelter’s building. I can never trust you again.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” He took a step toward her, but Robyn and the others held their ground. He fell back, holding his hands up, palms out. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” he repeated. “I didn’t give Holcombe the building.”
“I don’t understand. How did you buy the hotel without giving away the shelter?”
“I didn’t. I withdrew my offer.”
She closed her eyes. “No. You wouldn’t. You wanted—”
“I thought I did, but I only wanted what it represented. Power, security, acceptance. I’ve had those for years and I still wasn’t happy. That’s when I realized being with you is what’s made me truly happy.”
“Then you still own this building?”
“No, you do.” He extended a rolled-up piece of paper tied with a red bow.
Robyn took it from him and handed it to Pamela. The words blurred on the page and she had to read the document twice before its meaning became clear.
“It’s a deed. Pearson Enterprises conveyed the building to me…for one dollar.”
“I’m a businessman. I couldn’t give it away for free.”
She couldn’t breathe. Shock, confusion, excitement, and hope all warred for dominance.
“Does that mean we get to stay?” Robyn asked. Pamela looked at them and nodded, tears running down her face.
The women looked at each other, glanced at her, then at Marcus, and took several steps back.
Marcus covered the distance between them and took her in his arms, squeezing her so tightly, she had trouble breathing. But she didn’t care. He was here, he hadn’t given the building to Holcombe, and he loved her. That’s all that mattered.
“Nothing is as important to me as you are. I love you, Pamela. I’ll never forgive myself for any minute when you didn’t know that, when I let you believe a building meant more to me than your happiness. But if you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
His words were tiny bites of bliss, feeding her heart love and joy.
“I love you so much. It killed me when I thought of you signing those papers. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
“I would have been back. I hadn’t given up.”
“Really?”
He nodded and smoothed her hair back from her face. “I know a good thing when I see it. It’s what I do.”
“I remember reading that about you on Google.”
He laughed. “Well, I know how much you value tradition. Let’s start a new one: Pearsons love forever.”
She thought she’d never stop smiling. “I’m game if you are.”
He lowered his head and her eyes fluttered close. When his lips settled on hers, she poured all the love she felt into the kiss, secure that she could trust him with her heart.
Chapter Nineteen
Pamela hurried down the hallway, adjusting the straps on her dress.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into that.”
“What?” Marcus asked, striding beside her.
“We have a house full of guests and I let you con me into sneaking off for a quickie.”
He laughed. “You know you enjoyed it.”
“That’s not the point. What if something had gone wrong? They wouldn’t have been able to find either one of us for the past ten minutes.”
“Don’t worry. I put Shelly in charge while we left. You don’t doubt her capabilities, do you?”
“Of course not,” she said. She stopped before the double doors and turned to look at him. “How do I look?”
“Gorgeous, as usual,” he said, leaning forward to give her a quick peck that evolved into a long, slow kiss that burned through her insides. She felt herself melting into him. She pushed him away.
“No, not again,” she laughed, smoothing a hand down her dress.
“You can’t blame me for trying.”
She reached up and wiped a smear of lip gloss from his bottom lip.
“Now we’re ready.”
They opened the doors and entered the small ballroom of the Harrington Estate.
She’d spent the past year fund-raising and establishing the Phoenix Foundation. She’d finally taken the step and expanded the services she provided to the women at the G Street Women’s Shelter. Through her foundation, women from the DC metro area who needed help gaining independence had a place to turn to for career counseling, child care, and back-to-school options.
Some of the women she’d worked with at the shelter applied for positions with her foundation, having the unique perspective of being on both sides of the situation. Tonight was the culmination of months of hard work and the grand announcement of the venture.
She felt a touch on her elbow. She turned and accepted a hug from Carter.
“You look happy.”
“I am happy.”
“You’ve done an amazing job with your new foundation.”
“It took a little time getting here, but I guess things happen the way they’re supposed to.”
“You should stitch that on a pillow and send it to David Holcombe.” He frowned, the action prompting twin grooves to furrow between his brows. “Can he receive gifts in the big house?”
The economy of the past few years affected everyone, especially those in the hospitality business. David Holcombe failed to adjust his lifestyle, leaving insufficient funds to meet his obligations—most importantly, his federal income taxes.
He’d run out of extensions to file and had defaulted on numerous payment plans, leaving the government intent on collecting the hefty bill. With the failed sale and no other sizable liquid assets, the government imposed a lien on all of Holcombe’s property, including the hotel. After the government seizure, Marcus was approached to make an offer. He refused, with her full support.
The tingling began at the base of her neck. Unable to suppress a smile, she searched the room until her eyes met his. Even with half a room between them, her body responded to the hunger blazing in his gaze.
“Why don’t you two go find one of the many rooms in this castle?”
Pamela laughed. Heat stained her cheeks.
“Don’t be jealous, Carter. You can have what we have. It only requires you to date a woman for more than a week.”
He cringed in mock horror, his eyes comically wide. “Commitment is not for me. Too serious. Besides, if I get desperate, I’ll find my own socialite to negotiate with.” He winked and grabbed a flute of champagne off a passing tray. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Pamela watched him strike up a conversation with a tall blonde across the room.
Marcus appeared by her side and gave her a quick kiss.
“What did Carter want?”
She nodded at the scene across the room. “What does he usually want?”
Marcus laughed. “What other choice does he have? I’ve got the best woman in the ro
om.”
She smiled softly, rewarding him with another kiss.
“Pammie!”
She turned, offering both Alice and the Senator a brief hug and kiss.
“Pearson,” her father said, nodding at the younger man.
“Senator.” Marcus bent over and gave the other woman a kiss on the cheek. “How are you, Alice?”
“We’re wonderful, thank you.”
Her father cleared his throat and surveyed the gathering. “This is an incredible turnout. You’re shining a light on a serious issue. When I was on the Hill this week, I got numerous requests for information about your new foundation. I gave the list to Alice.”
“Thanks, but I’m not the only one involved. I’ve had help from lots of people, including this guy,” she said, twining her fingers with Marcus’s. “He’s been very supportive.”
Her father met her eyes. “If there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to call.”
“Allowing us to hold the gala here was extremely generous,” she said.
“I wanted to do something to show you how proud I am of you, Pammie.”
He hadn’t used her childhood nickname since before her mother died.
“Thanks, Daddy.” She saw Alice squeeze his arm and she sent a grateful smile in the other woman’s direction.
“I see the Andersons over there. Shall we, Alice?”
That might be all she would ever get from her father. And she was okay with that. Learning to love and accept herself liberated her from needing to earn his affection. Plus, she had all the love she would ever need from the man at her side.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For saying no to me. For finding me. For marrying me. For loving me.”
He touched her face tenderly. “Thank you for pulling me kicking and screaming from the past to live here in the present with you. I love you,” he said. “And I always will.”
He sealed his vow with a kiss
Acknowledgements
A big thank-you to my husband and children for going on this journey with me, even when it meant they were afraid to approach my office and dinner was late or weird.
I want to thank my agent Nalini Akolekar of Spencerhill Associates for believing in my stories and understanding what I write before I did.
Thank you to my editors Rochelle French and Lewis Pollak for making my story shine in ways I never thought possible. I’ve read similar sentiments before, but never believed it until I went through the process. Thank you to Liz Pelletier and Entangled Publishing for giving me my first contract, way sooner than I’d ever hoped to dream.
Thanks to Virginia Romance Writers for introducing me to the world of romance writers where I could be with other people like me, and to my critique group, the SCADR ladies, without whose support, ideas, feedback, and encouragement I wouldn’t be having this moment. Alleyne, Michelle, Heather, and Judy, you ladies rock!
Thank you to Sharon, Petra, Ashley, Leigh, Annette, and Nell, the ladies of the LaLa running crew, who helped me manage my stress, even as I was cursing them for adding on another mile.
I want to thank my father for nurturing my love of the written word and my mother for sharing my love of romance novels.
Thanks to Alan Dranitzke for his help with the specifics of real estate transactions.
And because he deserves it, I want to thank my husband again. He is the best man I’ve ever known.
About the Author
Tracey wrote her first romance novel at the age of eleven. It was called “The Healing Power of Love.” Even then, she knew the theme that would work for her. Unfortunately, though her parents encouraged her love of reading, there was no sympathy in their household for a young girl who wanted to be a writer.
With a detour through college and law school—where she met her husband on the very first day—she’s made her way back to writing. She lives in Virginia with said husband and three kids. For info on her upcoming releases, check out her website (traceylivesay.com). If you want to chat about TV, movies, and/or purses, you can find her on Facebook (TraceyLivesayAuthor) and Twitter (@tlivesay).
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