A Calculated Seduction

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Maude called me this morning and told me Dulcy wasn’t home. We figured she was here.”

  He flushed at the calculated look the older woman was giving him. “She’s here, but we’ve had a bit of a lover’s spat. I’m trying to make up with her.” There. Maybe that would get rid of them.

  “Calling your lover a thief is more than a little lover’s spat, Ethan,” Dulcy said.

  He whipped around and realized she must have listened to most of the conversation from the irritated look on her face. She had dressed in her clothes. Even though they were rumpled, she was beautiful. And angry. She was very, very angry. Her hair still held the ‘just out of bed mussed’ look, her lips were still swollen from his kisses.

  Would she believe him if he told her she was beautiful when she was angry? Her eyes still sparked with fury and pain. Not a chance.

  “Ethan,” Bill said, “what’s this about?”

  “It’s about some missing money at the company and how your nephew thinks I stole it. My lover, Pete Anderson, and I embezzled the money.”

  Both Bill and Maude’s eyes widened as they looked from Dulcy to him and back to Dulcy. Maude, ever the mothering type, rushed to Dulcy’s side and pulled her into an embrace. Bill, shoved his hands in his pockets, fumbled with his change. Then pulled one hand out and fiddled with his ear lobe. Ethan’s senses jumped. That was a sure sign Bill had something to say, but he didn’t know how to say it.

  “Spit it out, Bill.”

  He finally lifted his eyes from the ground. They shone with regret and apology.

  “I’m so sorry, Ethan. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “I told you it wouldn’t work,” Maude said.

  “Yes, you did, but I knew...I just thought—”

  “Bill, what are you talking about?” Ethan asked.

  “There was no embezzling.”

  Of all the things Bill could have said, that was one Ethan never would have guessed. No embezzling, but...

  “I saw the transfers, they were from Dulcy’s computer.”

  Bill shook his head. “No. I did them.”

  “But—”

  “No, Ethan. Don’t you remember that morning when I was in the office fiddling with Dulcy’s computer? I did it.”

  “You embezzled from yourself? That makes no sense. Why would you do that?”

  “Because he wanted you to come and take over the company and didn’t know how to get you here,” Dulcy said.

  Her betrayal chilled his blood. “So you knew about this all along?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course I didn’t.”

  “Really, then how did you know he wanted me here for that reason?”

  “Any idiot could figure that out, Ethan. You’re the only family he has left. You wouldn’t come all the other times, so he concocted this whole thing to get you here. Right, Bill?”

  Her voice softened when she asked his uncle the question. You’ d think she’ d show him some gentleness. She really had no reason to be mad at him. All he’d done is accuse her of stealing from the company.

  He glanced at his uncle. His lips twitched. “Yeah. See what I mean, Ethan? Smart as a whip.”

  “What I don’t understand is why he thought I was embezzling or did you set it up that way?”

  “Well...part of that was my fault,” Maude said, and everyone’s attention shifted to the woman. “After discussing it with Bill, I thought Ethan would be perfect for you, Dulcy.”

  Dulcy sighed and Ethan found himself watching her chest. He could remember how her breasts looked, bathed in the moonlight, as he slid his fingers across her soft skin taking a nipple in his mouth...

  He immediately pulled his thoughts away from the memory as soon as he felt his jeans tighten.

  “Well, you were wrong in that respect. Could you give me a ride home, Maude?”

  “We’re not through discussing this, Dulcy.” There was no way she was walking out the door.

  “Yes, we are. In fact, we’re just plain through.” She turned away from him and walked to the front door. With each step, the pain in his chest increased. If he didn’t know better, he’d think his heart was breaking.

  “Maude, why don’t you take Dulcy home in my car?” Bill handed the keys to Maude. “I’ll stay here with Ethan.”

  Maude nodded and followed Dulcy out the door.

  “I don’t need a babysitter,” Ethan said, thinking he needed a drink. He walked to his bar and then remembered it wasn’t even nine in the morning.

  “No, but you need advice. Any man who’s thinking about taking a drink this early in the morning needs help.”

  “So now that you’ve botched up my life, you want to help me fix it?” Ethan collapsed on the sofa. Every bone in his body ached like he was Methuselah. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was so tired.

  The couch dipped next to him and he knew Bill sat down.

  “Now, Ethan, you can blame me for a few things, but your own stupidity is not my fault.”

  He opened his eyes, anger surging through him. “My stupidity? Why didn’t you just ask me to come here and run the company? I would have.”

  “Hell, boy, I don’t need you to do that.” Bill chuckled. “Although, you have given me a lot more time on the golf course with Maude. No, I wanted you to come live here, permanently, and I knew the only way I could get you to do that would be to get you to work for the company.”

  “No problems with your memory?”

  He had the good grace to blush. “No.”

  Ethan grunted and crossed his arms. “Why involve Anderson and Dulcy?”

  “Now, I didn’t push Anderson on you. You did that on your own. Probably because you were jealous.” Ethan looked away and Bill chuckled again. “I can’t believe you thought Pete was after Dulcy. ”

  “You knew he’s gay.”

  “Yeah, know his dad. Idiot. Won’t talk to his own son because he’s gay. But I’m lucky I got him to work for me. He doesn’t really need to work, but he wants to keep busy. He was wise with his money, invested in the right stocks, then got out before the market crashed. Of course, now, if he finds out about this, I might lose him.”

  Silence descended and Ethan wondered what Dulcy was doing at the moment. Probably crying her eyes out.

  “Sorry about the mix-up. I just thought you would get to know Dulcy and you would never suspect her.”

  Ethan studied his uncle for a moment and sighed. “You’re not the only one who’s sorry, Bill.”

  * * * *

  After a quick stop by the office, Dulcy begged off any company with Maude. Happy to finally be home, she stripped off her clothes and decided she needed a good hot shower. As the water pounded her muscles, Dulcy sighed. Since leaving Ethan’s house, she’d felt, well, numb. No feeling whatsoever. After the initial anger had faded, her whole body felt as if someone had given her a giant shot of Novocain. When Jason had dumped her all those years ago, she’d been hurt. He’d been her first. Her first boyfriend, first lover. But she didn’t love him. She leaned her head back and wet her hair. No, she had loved Jason. But it had been the first love kind of love. The type that hurt when it ended, but rarely bruised your heart. With Ethan, her whole body felt beaten.

  The pain she’d avoided welled up and almost choked her. She closed her eyes as if to ward off the inevitable, but tears seeped out. Each breath she took hurt. Never in her life, even when her mother, then her father died, had she hurt so badly. She leaned her back against the tiled wall and then slowly slid down. The water sluiced down on her as she sat and cried. There was no going back to her fantasy now.

  * * * *He rushed down the hall to his office early Monday morning. He’d wanted to arrive before Dulcy and he figured he had since her car wasn’t in the parking lot downstairs.

  He unlocked the door, reminding himself of the speech he’d prepared for Dulcy. He had an explanation. It was solid, it made sense, and she had to take him back, didn’t she?

  Her desk was neat,
as usual. He hurried to his office, unlocked his door and flipped the light switch. He set his briefcase down beside his desk and dropped his keys into his pocket when he noticed the letter sitting on his desk.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ethan grabbed the letter and quickly read the contents. Disbelief held his sense hostage. Then pain so sharp, it twisted his heart. His breath tangled in his throat. Dulcy had resigned. She’d walked out on him. Instead of trying to make amends, work it out, she ran away, frightened.

  Maybe, just maybe, it was a threat. He practically ran to her office and noticed things he didn’t before. All her personal items had been removed from her area. No pictures, no little knickknacks. Hell, she’d even taken the plants.

  Slowly, he walked back into his office with a weary sigh. Nothing. He had nothing left for him here. Without her, he might as well head back to Houston. The thought of his cold apartment caused him to think twice. It was barely furnished and he smiled, thinking of the colors Dulcy would add to brighten it up. He couldn’t see going back there by himself. He really couldn’t envision his life without her.

  “Bad weekend, boss?”

  He looked up and there stood Pete Anderson.

  “From the look on your face, you read her resignation.”

  Without an invitation, he stepped into Ethan’s office and settled into a chair.

  “You knew and you didn’t think to call and tell me?” Ethan asked.

  “Hey, you thought I was stealing from Bill. You think I should help you?”

  Ethan sighed and looked out the window. “I didn’t know what to think. The woman had me running in so many different directions...”

  Anderson chuckled. “Yeah, and she had no idea what power she held over you. Still doesn’t. She’s that naïve.”

  Ethan slanted him a look. “You know it wasn’t just the investigation. ”

  “Yeah. Good Lord, you practically staked your claim by looking at her.” He crossed his arms and studied Ethan. “I talked to her last night when she called to give me the heads up about the investigation. She was crying. And hurt. So, what’cha going to do about it?”

  “What can I do? The woman wants nothing to do with me.” Pathetic. He sounded absolutely pathetic.

  “So, you’re just going to let her go. Let her have her own life, meet another man, have babies with him.”

  Images of Dulcy with another man, in his arms, in his bed, filled his mind. Jealousy and possessiveness almost choked him.

  “Ahh, so you’re not as cool as you pretend to be about this,” Anderson said, a smile curving his lips.

  “What the hell do you want from me, Anderson?”

  “I want Dulcy happy.”

  “Why? Why is her happiness so important?”

  “Boy, you are self-centered.”

  Remembering Dulcy’s accusations the morning before, he frowned. “So, you’ve had a chat with Dulcy?”

  He nodded.

  “How’s she doing?”

  It was Anderson’s turn to sigh. “What do you think? You broke her heart. Now, you have to fix it.”

  “How?”

  “You figure it out. You are the shark I’ve seen lurking around the office the last few months, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Don’t you have a job to do?”

  “Listen, the woman adores you. Not at the moment, but she really does love you. She fell so fast for you. I don’t think she had time to contemplate what she was getting into. That was a good thing. Dulcy’s been careful since Jason dumped her. She lost all that reserve she had with other men when you showed up. Clear sign she was in love with you.” He stood and walked to the door. “I have a feeling you’re as much in love with her as she is with you. Don’t let your damn pride get in the way.”

  “In love?” Ethan’s world tilted. Love Dulcy? Lust, desire, burning passion. All of this he associated with little Dulcinea Menendez. All thoughts slipped away and realigned. Never in his life had he had the burning need to possess, to protect a woman. And never had he ignored his better judgment. Every thought, every fiber of his being had been concentrated on one thing— Dulcy .

  The force of his thoughts struck him like a thunderbolt. He was in love with her. That’s why the thought of living without her, of trying to get on with his life hurt. He sat in his chair, his mind whirling. He’d failed to make her happy, to keep her by his side.

  “You look like you just got hit by a ton of bricks, boss.”

  He glanced at Anderson wondering when the hell had that happened? When had she crept into his heart? When had living without her become something he couldn’t think about without his stomach turning queasy and his hands sweating?

  Anderson laughed. “You didn’t know? How could you not know you love the woman?”

  Irritated and uncomfortable, he stood and began to pace behind his desk. “How was I supposed to know?”

  “Let me ask you this. Is she the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night?”

  The tone of Anderson’s voice made Ethan stop and study the younger man. “You sound like you know what you’re talking about. ”

  He smiled, his brown eyes lit with amusement. “Yeah, I do and it’s pretty special when you find that one person you want more than anything else in the world. You’re very lucky she’s the one for you, boss. She’s the sweetest, most loving woman I’ve ever met. Now all you have to do is convince her you’re the one for her.”

  He turned to leave. “Anderson.”

  He glanced back over his shoulder at Ethan.

  “Thanks. For everything.”

  “Just make her happy.” And then he left Ethan alone with his thoughts.

  There had to be something he could do. Determination swelled through him. He picked up the phone and started to make his plans.

  * * * *

  Dulcy spent most of Monday looking through the want ads and avoiding the phone. Bill, her stepmother, even both of her sisters had called, but nothing from Ethan. Of course, she hadn’t expected the worm to call. A man as arrogant as Ethan would never lower himself to apologize to her. In his own warped mind, he’d probably convinced himself he’d been in the right. Making love to one dowdy secretary didn’t really ensure a gate pass to hell. It should, especially since she’d spent a night having the best sex of her life.

  She sighed. If only she had her trust fund. She could set up her charity and not have to worry about unemployment, or the rent, or the phone bill.

  The doorbell rang. For a moment, she seriously thought of ignoring it.

  “Dulcy. Open up this door right this minute,” yelled Clarice. Sparky, the demon Chihuahua, yipped his agreement.

  Slowly, as if trying to avoid the gallows, she walked to the door. She peeked through the peephole and sure enough, there stood Clarice, dressed to the hilt in a pink silk suit. Sparky wore his matching pink collar.

  Dulcy opened the door.

  “Really, Dulcy, I’ve been calling all morning. I can’t believe you haven’t answered your phone today.” She brushed past Dulcy, set Sparky down on the floor and turned. Dulcy quietly shut the door and studied Clarice.

  How could the woman look that perfect at this time in the morning? There was not a hair out of place, and her makeup was perfect. Clarice removed her sunglasses, concern darkening her blue eyes.

  Then she did something Dulcy never would have expected. She threw her arms wide. “Come here, honey.”

  Dulcy hesitated for just a second, then practically ran into her arms. Clarice surrounded her with motherly warmth, and Dulcy hugged with every fiber of strength she had. Unheeded, tears rose to the surface, all the pain seeped out.

  “Oh, sweetie. You just go right ahead. Let it all out. ” She patted Dulcy’s back and cooed. “Men are pigs.”

  For several minutes, nothing but the sound of her crying filled the tiny apartment. When she finally cried herself out, she pulled back from Clarice’s shoulder, but not out of her embrace.


  “Feel better?” Clarice asked. Dulcy nodded. “Well, you come sit over here.” She guided her to the couch. Sparky jumped into Dulcy’s lap. “Sparky and I brought you some things needed at a time like this.”

  She picked up her pink bag and pulled out a massive bag of chocolate, some strawberries, a couple of champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne.

  After getting the things ready, she settled next to Dulcy. They ate in silence, other than commenting on the food and drink.

  “You know, I really lucked out with both my husbands. Victor and your father were part of a dying breed. Men of their ilk are hard to find these days. You know your father proposed to me in one of those little horse drawn carriages in Fort Worth.”

  “Really?” Dulcy couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. She thought of her father and his business suits, his constant scheduling, his lack of humor.

  Clarice chuckled. “Oh, yes. Your father was a romantic. ”

  “I never would have guessed.”

  Clarice tsked. “You forget so easily. Remember when Jason escorted you to the prom?”

  “Of course.” The memory of that night washed over her. Jason dressed in black, Dulcy wearing one of the ugliest dresses on record. Her father, too choked up to speak.

  “Yes, he was stodgy,” she said with a smile. “But he knew how to treat a woman. And I don’t mean with presents, although he was very good with that. Unfortunately, sweet good men are hard to find. All my daughters seem to find it hard to find them.”

  She stared at Clarice, completely dumfounded by the title of daughter bestowed upon her.

  “Why are you staring at me that way?”

  “You called me your daughter.” She couldn’t keep the wonder out of her voice.

  “Well, of course you’re my daughter.” She slid her arm around Dulcy’s shoulders and pulled her closer. Dulcy placed her head on Clarice’s shoulder. “I know we’re really hard to take, the three of us, but it doesn’t mean we don’t love you. I think the girls are a little intimidated by you, to tell you the truth.”

  “Intimidated by me?” She raised her head and looked at Clarice. “Me, frumpy Dulcy? Why would they be intimidated by me? They have looks, poise, hell they know how to match clothes.”