He took her arm as they exited the building. “You love what you do, don’t you? Even though you used to work with big animals at Blackwood Hollow?”
She nodded. “I do. Horses were always my favorite, but a general veterinarian practice is more practical for a mom with young children. Normal hours make a huge difference. And besides, this work is rewarding, too. Pet owners are wonderful people. It gives me a lot of personal satisfaction to make someone’s cat or dog well again. Or even the occasional ferret.”
Vaughn fell back a step and stared at her. “Seriously?”
Brie laughed. “Of course. I’ve dealt with boa constrictors, parrots...you name it.”
He took her arm again and steered her toward the restaurant where they had reservations. It was a quiet, out-of-the way French bistro. Definitely a special-occasion kind of restaurant. Not the kind of spot where construction workers dropped by on their lunch breaks.
Brie had never actually eaten here. When she walked inside and saw the upscale decor and elegant furnishings, her internal radar went off. Why was Vaughn taking her to lunch at such an unabashedly romantic venue?
He held her chair for her, his hand brushing her shoulder as she was seated. The fleeting touch sent shivers down her spine.
She picked up her menu and studied it intently, unable to meet his gaze. He watched her with a small smile that made her toes curl. Finally, she’d had enough. “What?” she demanded quietly, conscious of other diners nearby.
Vaughn lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. He was wearing a dark suit with a yellow tie and a pristine white shirt—hopefully not the one Danika had ruined.
“I like looking at you,” he said. “When we’re with our daughter, we tend to make her the focus of our attention, as it should be. And we’re always careful not to wake her. But I thought it would be nice to have a few minutes alone together away from the house.”
She chewed her lip, not trusting his casual amiability. The old Vaughn would never have wanted time alone in the midst of other people. He would have found a much more private spot for the two of them to get naked and slake their mutual need.
“I appreciate the invitation,” she said, her tone carefully noncommittal. “I only had a banana for breakfast.”
Immediately, Vaughn summoned their waiter. “The lady would like to order, please.”
Over the salad course, Brielle could contain her curiosity no longer. She lowered her voice and leaned toward him. “You might as well tell me what’s going on. I know you, Vaughn Blackwood. You’ve got something up your sleeve.”
He buttered a piece of crusty bread and handed it to her. “I have a request, I’ll admit. I thought you’d be more open to my proposal if you weren’t hungry.”
“Am I so predictable?” Though she was loath to admit it, Vaughn knew her, too. Which made it hard to hide her feelings and reactions from him.
“Don’t be grumpy, Brie. I have a surprise for you. If you’re willing.”
Her knees pressed together under the table, and her palms got sweaty. “I don’t like surprises.”
“I remember,” he said ruefully. “Canceling those tickets to the Fiji Islands at the last minute cost me a bundle.”
“You should have known better. There was no way I was going to simply run off to Vanua Levu with you for two weeks.”
“Too many rules, woman. Living a spontaneous life is more fun.”
“Sorry. The idea never held much appeal for me. Which is just as well, since it’s not an option anymore. Any shot I had at living a spontaneous life ended when Danika was born...at least for several years in the future. Small children thrive on familiar routines and boring schedules. You’re free, Vaughn. I’m not.”
He drained his wineglass and raised his hand for more. The quick frown that shadowed his face when she talked about not being free vanished quickly, but Brie had witnessed his discomfort with the topic.
Before the discussion could resume, a waiter returned with their perfectly cooked filet mignon and twice-baked potatoes. The food was stunningly good.
Brie dug in, happy to have a respite from the awkward conversation. “Danika is loving the childcare center at the club,” she said. “Thanks for suggesting it.”
Vaughn chewed and swallowed, then took a sip of wine. Brie knew she was in trouble when she fixated on the ripple of muscles in his tanned throat. She had a terrible urge to nibble his neck all the way to his beautiful mouth. And stay there.
Forcing herself to look away, she concentrated instead on finishing her meal. It was easier to eat than talk. No land mines in culinary excess. Silence was golden.
Her dining partner responded at last. “You’re welcome. I thought she would like the center. Kellan and Sophie and I have several friends who have already started families. For the couples where both parents work outside the home, it’s very comforting to know your child is in good hands. Or so I’m told.”
Brielle couldn’t wait any longer. Who knew how soon dessert would arrive? “Tell me,” she said, sitting back in her chair and dabbing her lips with a snowy-white linen napkin. “What’s the surprise?”
Vaughn reached across the table and took her hand. Brie was so startled she didn’t even take it back. His grasp was warm and firm. Perhaps she should pull free, but it was so much nicer to let the man take charge just this once.
“I want you to go to Dallas with me. Overnight.” His green eyes gleamed.
That last word was fraught with meaning. “Why?”
He grinned. “For fun. Or more accurately, for work and play. I have two meetings I need to be there for. One will include you. You’ll need to bring fancy clothes. Or I can take you shopping.”
That sounded delightful, but Vaughn’s pricey gifts always came with strings. “I have plenty of clothes,” she said wryly. “But it’s a moot point. I can’t leave town on a whim. I have a daughter and a medical practice.”
“I’ve got it all under control,” he said. “Tomorrow is Dr. Brody’s day to cover for you, remember? Even better, Sophie and Nigel have volunteered to keep Nika overnight. Sophie is thrilled.”
“But what about all the wedding festivities? Nigel’s whole family is arriving from England Sunday evening. We can’t ask them to babysit when they have so much going on. It’s too much.”
“It was my idea, but Sophie’s jumped on it. She’s sick to death of all the wedding details. She swears that focusing on keeping Danika for thirty-six hours will give her a much-needed break. We’ll be back to put our daughter to bed Saturday night. Sophie and Nigel will have time to catch their breath before all the revelry continues.”
“I can’t imagine Nigel Townshend changing Nika’s nappies, as they say.”
“You misjudge my future brother-in-law. I’ve watched them together. That poor bloke will do absolutely anything for my sister. He’s head-over-ass smitten with her.”
“I can’t decide if that makes you happy or if you think less of him for his devotion.”
“Of course I’m happy. She’s my sister.”
“But you would never be all gaga over a woman, would you, Vaughn?”
His gaze narrowed. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Brielle?”
She stared at him, torn in half a dozen directions. Trusting Sophie with Danika wasn’t a huge obstacle. Vaughn’s sister had a natural affinity for children. She used to babysit all the time as a teenager.
Even being away from Royal and the vet clinic wasn’t a problem. Vaughn was right. Brie had already planned to be off tomorrow. So why was she hesitating?
It all boiled down to one simple fact.
“You mean for this trip to include sex, right?”
He blinked, and his neck turned red. “I hadn’t planned on announcing it to the whole restaurant, but yes. Is that a deal breaker?”
He was ruffled. Brie liked that. A lot. �
��Yes, I’ll go,” she said. “And yes, we’ll have sex. Spontaneous trysts are romantic. Count me in.”
Ten
Miranda Dupree was desperately glad to be back in the Big Apple. She loved Royal. Always had. But now that half the town thought she was a scheming hussy, it wasn’t much fun anymore.
The three official Blackwood offspring were angry in varying degrees. As for Darius, the illegitimate son—he and Miranda had a good working relationship, necessary for the planned partnership between their businesses. But as he’d told her, he sided with his half siblings in his frustration over the whole tangle with Buck’s will. From an adult child’s perspective, she supposed it made sense. Their father had created an impossible situation and dragged Miranda into the middle of a mess, whether she liked it or not.
Worst of all, Buck’s convoluted plan meant that everyone viewed her as a villain without knowing the truth of what Buck wanted her to do with her inheritance. Sometimes, she wondered why she was putting up with it all. The fact that Buckley had made a huge bequest to her charity, Girl to the Nth Power, was the only thing that made the past few months at all palatable.
It was noon, and Miranda had already stopped in at the Girl Power offices. Things always got a little sloppy when she was out of town. Probably because she was a micromanager. She had tried to do better in that regard, thanks to urging from her therapist.
Girl to the Nth Power and Goddess Inc., her burgeoning health and lifestyle brand, were her babies. When she walked away from her marriage to Buckley Blackwood, she’d wanted to make her own way in the world. An airtight prenup gave her little choice.
Fortunately, wise investments on her part when she was still Mrs. Blackwood meant she had a safety net. She was proud of the life she had built in New York. But her therapist was right. The pace she kept these days was in danger of ruining her health and her happiness.
Both organizations needed capable, trustworthy CEOs at the helm full-time. Miranda needed and wanted to step back. It had been so long since she’d had a day off, she’d forgotten what it was like to go to the Hamptons for the weekend. Or simply to hole up in her three-thousand-square-foot apartment near Seventy-Sixth and Madison and do nothing but enjoy a bubble bath and a good book.
Unfortunately, that day off wasn’t coming any time soon. Until she discharged her responsibilities as Buckley’s heir, she had more work to do, not less.
Things were chugging right along at Goddess Inc., though the staff seemed startled to see her. Not a bad thing. Miranda believed in running a tight ship. She was strict but fair.
Unfortunately, the daily business of health and lifestyle centers seemed to be doing fine without her. Which meant she had to face the truth. The only reason she was still puttering around in her office with the view of Central Park was that she was afraid to face Kai Maddox.
“Kai.” She whispered the syllable out loud, trying to reduce its power.
Once upon a time, before she was married to Buck, Kai had been her whole world. With his scarred jaw from an old motorcycle accident and neatly inked tattoos covering his muscular biceps, he was the epitome of the bad boy who drew women like bees to honey.
Dark brown hair. Brown eyes. His olive complexion, courtesy of his Mexican roots, added to his moody charm. Though a scowl was his habitual expression, when he smiled... Oh, lordy. The man was gorgeous.
He was also a skilled hacker. Though he had come perilously close at one time to ending up on the wrong side of the law, he was now a widely respected cybersecurity expert.
Miranda was worried about Blackwood Bank. Since inheriting the business from Buck, she’d looked into the paperwork and noticed a few irregularities recently. Enough to make her realize that she needed Kai’s help. Her covert snooping had established that Kai was actually in New York this week, speaking to a high-profile meeting of police officers and detectives from all over the country about the kind of tech stuff that made Miranda’s head hurt.
Her plan was to show up unannounced at Kai’s hotel later tonight and ask for his help. She was hoping that enough time had passed for him to forget the fact that she had gone from his bed to Buckley’s.
In her defense, Kai had checked out on the relationship months before Miranda let herself be enticed by Buckley’s determined courtship. But the end result was still the same—she’d married Buck and left behind the life she’d known before. If Kai was holding on to any resentment over that, working with him would be...challenging.
To say Kai had issues was an understatement. The chip on his shoulder was large enough to start a hundred fires. Build a dozen ships. Maybe if Miranda had met him at a different time in his life...
The next hours passed with agonizing slowness. Even Madison Avenue shopping, one of her go-to stress relievers, didn’t do the trick. She bought a new outfit just for the heck of it, ignoring the huge wardrobe that filled a closet and a half in her apartment.
This meeting with Kai was important. The fire-engine red strapless dress fit her almost too well. Her ample breasts were in danger of spilling out. When she added black patent leather stilettos with tiny rhinestones on the heels, she couldn’t decide if the image she presented was bodacious bombshell or tacky tramp.
Either way, Kai was in for a shock.
In the cab heading across town, she found herself wishing she had downed a good stiff drink to give her courage.
It had been years since she and Kai had been face-to-face with each other. Would she be able to convince him to help her?
Thankfully, she had the advantage of surprise. Kai wasn’t the only one with street smarts. Miranda still knew guys from the old days. One of them, ironically named Digger, was a huge Yankees fan. Miranda had bought a couple of behind–home plate tickets yesterday for the season opener and offered them to Digger. All he had to do was hack into the hotel’s database and find a room number.
Digger loved it. He thought he was facilitating a lovers’ tryst. Or at least a booty call. Miranda didn’t care what Digger thought.
In the mirrored elevator, she checked her hair and makeup. With her fiery tresses, the dress probably clashed, but she had never let that bother her. The more wince-worthy realization was the way her cleavage looked, well...deep.
Kai had always been a boob man, by his own admission. Perhaps subconsciously Miranda had picked this dress for just that reason.
Her legs were wobbly when she stood in front of room 8902. It was a suite. Of course. The man had come up in the world. Way up.
She took a deep, decidedly unsteady breath and knocked. Kai answered immediately. His hair was ruffled as if he had been sprawled on the sofa watching TV to relax. That sounded like him.
But any relaxation faded when he saw her. His eyes flashed, and the permanent furrow in his brow deepened. “Oh, hell no,” he said.
When he tried to close the door in her face, she stuck a leg through the opening, risking amputation. “I need to speak with you,” she said. “About business.”
Perhaps the fact that her voice went all low and husky made her claim slightly unbelievable.
He shook his head in disbelief. “Only you, Miranda. I can’t believe you had the balls to come here after everything that has happened. Am I finally gonna get an apology from you?”
Her blood pressure shot to the stratosphere. “Me? Apologize? For what? For walking away from a relationship you’d already killed? You were the distant, angry one.” She stopped short and took a deep breath. “I’m here with legitimate business. Will you talk to me? Civilly?”
A spark flamed hot in those rich chocolate pupils. “I don’t do business with cheaters,” he said roughly. “There’s only one thing women like you are good for.”
“So you do remember that part?” she taunted. She ran a fingertip along his bottom lip, helpless to resist the feelings his nearness evoked.
“You’d better leave right now,” he sai
d, his gaze wild with strong emotion.
“Or what?”
He dragged her close against his body, tilted back her head and slammed his lips down on hers. As kisses went, it was world-class. Volcanoes erupted. Flash fires ignited. The earth’s orbit accelerated.
Miranda never would have believed such heat could remain between them after so many years. She went soft and limp in his embrace. Kai was anything but soft. She might have whimpered embarrassingly when he cupped a breast in one big palm and squeezed.
Ten seconds passed. Maybe thirty. Time became fluid. He tasted exactly the same. And for a brief, insane moment in time, she became the young, naive girl she had been when they first met.
He could have dragged her into the room and onto the bed and she might not have stopped him.
But he didn’t.
Kai broke the kiss abruptly and wiped his mouth. His face lost all expression, though muscles rippled in his throat, and his chest heaved. “The answer is no, Miranda. Not me. Not you. Business be damned. I wouldn’t cross the street for you. Not anymore.”
Then he set her gently into the hall, closed the door and turned the dead bolt. The loud snick snapped her out of a trance.
Humiliation and regret washed through her like the flu, churning her stomach and giving her a headache. There was nothing to do but retreat. She would have to find another way to protect Blackwood Bank. But how?
Kai had been her only real hope for someone she could trust to investigate without causing gossip about the bank.
Her spine stiffened, and she wiped her eyes, careful not to smear her mascara. He hadn’t heard the last of her. She hadn’t gotten where she was in the world by letting herself get pushed around. He would help her. Eventually.
Because she wasn’t going to give up on him. Not this time.
* * *
Brie strapped herself into the seat beside Vaughn and wondered if all mothers felt the same when going on a trip with their partner and leaving their child behind. Torn between love for their babies and the men they cared about. Husbands. Lovers. Fathers.
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