“Yes. You’ll tell her tonight?”
“I don’t know yet.” I weighed my options. “I might like to present her with proof in case she has trouble believing it.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard to get.” Eric curled his hand around the steering wheel. “According to the bouncer I talked to, he’s there three or four nights a week. Are you thinking about sending a private investigator in there to get some pictures or video for you?”
I took my phone out of my pocket and unlocked the screen before bringing up my contacts and handing it to Eric. “Give me the name of this place, then I’ll figure out how I want to handle it.”
Eric looked hesitant as he took the phone. “I don’t want her to get hurt any more than she has to. Maybe seeing evidence would be too much for her.”
I thought Eric was overestimating the depth of Maura’s feelings for her fiancé. I didn’t think she’d be very devastated. In fact, I believed a part of her would be relieved to be rid of him so she could pursue her attraction to me, but I played along for his benefit. “I can assure you I’ll be sensitive to her feelings. I don’t want to hurt her either.”
Eric’s fingers flew across the screen before he handed the phone back to me. “Okay, I’ll trust you to take care of this then.” He reached for the door handle before turning back to me. “Thanks, Blaise. This is a real load off my mind.”
“Believe me, it’s my pleasure.”
Chapter Two
Maura opened the door to her loft promptly at seven, looking stunning in a black cocktail dress that crossed over the front, covering her scar.
I wanted to tell her she didn’t have to hide anything from me. I thought she was perfect exactly as she was. But instead of embarrassing her, I handed her the oversized bouquet of white roses. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you.” She looked at the flowers. “They’re beautiful, but you really shouldn’t have.”
“I think they’ll be our thing,” I said, running a finger down her cheek. I stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. “White roses. Don’t they represent purity and innocence?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I can’t imagine you’d associate me with purity and innocence after what happened in New York.”
I liked that she could talk openly about our night together, even smile about it. “There were so many more things I wanted to do with you, to you.” I crowded her against the wall in the narrow entrance. “But you were so pure, so innocent, I was afraid you’d be offended if I suggested them.”
Her breath hitched as my lips grazed her neck. “Blaise… I…” She held up her hand, pressing her palm into my chest. “I should put these in water.”
She needed a reprieve, and I was willing to give her one, for now. I had no doubt how this evening would end.
I followed her into the kitchen and sat on a bar stool at the breakfast bar. “Nice place you have here.”
She reached for a crystal vase for the flowers. “Thanks, I like it.”
I looked around, taking in the comfortable furnishings and accessories. Her furniture was traditional, with a warm, neutral palette. The couches and chairs were soft and inviting with oversized cushions and ottomans. I would have expected a loft to look more contemporary, but every piece seemed tailor-made for the space. “Did you decorate it yourself?”
“I did,” she said, smiling as she filled the vase with water. “It took a while because I was picky, but I wanted just the right pieces, so I didn’t rush it.”
“Would you consider helping me out with a decorating project?” I’d take any excuse to spend more time with her. Besides, if things went as planned, she’d be spending a lot more time at my penthouse.
She laughed. “You can’t be serious. I’m sure you have renowned interior designers on speed dial. Why would you need my help?”
I watched her smell the roses, and the act made me smile. She still appreciated the simple things in life. Maura wasn’t like so many of the women I’d dated. They were impressed by the things I could buy them, but she just seemed to appreciate spending time with me, even though she wasn’t ready to admit it to me or herself.
She caught me watching her. “What?”
I grinned. “I was just thinking you’re cute.”
“Cute?” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not what a woman wants to hear, Blaise. Gorgeous, sexy, alluring, and intriguing are all good, but cute…?” She wrinkled her nose. “Not so much.”
I stared at her for so long, she finally shifted from one foot to the other. “You hypnotize me. When I’m with you, I can’t think about anything else. Just you.”
She shook her head as she tried to hide the blush stealing over her cheeks. Turning her back, she carried the roses over to the small dining area and set them on the table. “You’re good, I’ll give you that.”
She thought I was feeding her a line, but I wasn’t. When I was with her, and even when I wasn’t, there was no room in my head for other thoughts. She consumed me. “You’re making it difficult for me to concentrate on my work,” I admitted. “I’ll be in the middle of an important meeting and your beautiful face will pop into my mind, and I can’t get my head back in the game.”
“You’re such a liar,” she said, rolling her eyes.
I froze at her choice of words. She was right; I was a liar. I’d lied to her about everything, and if the truth ever came out, she would never forgive me. But wasn’t that what I wanted, for the truth to come out so I could clear my name and reunite with my family before it was too late? My parents weren’t getting any younger. I couldn’t let them go to their graves believing their son was a fugitive.
“I’m sorry,” she said when I didn’t respond. “I shouldn’t have said that. I was just teasing.”
“I know you were.” I beckoned her with one finger. “Come here.” Opening my legs, I made room for her to step between them. “I’m glad you agreed to go out with me tonight. I really needed to spend time with you.” Locking my hands around her waist, I breathed in her scent. It was delicious—light and fresh with just the right mix of spice.
“It’s not like you gave me much choice.”
I met her eyes. I didn’t blink or breathe. I just recalled every amazing moment we’d spent together in our previous life. I heard her laughter as I tickled her into submission. I felt the warmth of her lips on mine when she woke me. I remembered her hand in mine, her head on my shoulder, and most importantly, I remembered the way I felt the first time she told me she loved me.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
“Once in a lifetime, if we’re lucky, we meet someone who changes us.”
She wrapped her hands around my biceps. “I don’t think we should be—”
“Meeting you changed me.” I focused on her lips, waiting for her protest, but it didn’t come. “I had a plan.” I considered all of my plans, those realized and those in the works. “I’d build my business, make a name for myself, make a lot of money, earn respect, and then maybe find someone to share it with.”
“It seems you’ve accomplished most of your goals,” she said, looking uneasy.
“Most, but not all.”
Truthfully, the idea of marriage and kids was a notion I hadn’t given much thought to. Family was an abstract concept, and monogamy was for other people. Love was for the weak. But I felt something for her, something dangerously familiar. My feelings for her had destroyed me once. Could I really risk loving her again? Having her in my life and sharing my bed was one thing, but giving her my heart, giving her that kind of power over me? Was I crazy to even consider it?
“Perhaps we could talk about this over dinner,” she suggested, stepping out of my arms. “Did you make a reservation?”
I followed her to the foyer, my eyes traveling to the small desk where she kept her mail. Her laptop and wireless printer were also set up there. That was when I saw it: a picture of us. A reporter must have taken it the night of the anniversary party and posted it online.
I picked up the print-out, staring at the image. We were engrossed in conversation, and the way I was looking at her… my stomach turned. I knew that look. It was the same way I’d looked at her before. My coworkers used to joke that I looked like a lovesick puppy whenever she was around, and I suspected they were right. That photo proved that nothing had changed.
She turned to me, her eyes traveling to the image in my hand. “Oh, I guess I forgot—”
“Why did you print this?” I asked. “Why did you want this?”
“I don’t know.” She reached for it, but I held it just out of her grasp. “I thought it would be a good promotional piece, I guess. It would prove that someone like you had trusted me with—”
“You’re lying.” I tossed her words back at her, and I could tell they’d stung her as much as they had me. “You printed this because you wanted to remember that night, or because you couldn’t forget it any more than I could.”
“You’re reading too much into this,” she said, reaching for the picture.
I grabbed her shoulders. “Why are you so determined to live in denial? Why can’t you take a chance and have faith that you might wind up a hell of a lot happier than you are right now?”
“Smart women don’t put their faith in men like you,” she said, pushing my hands away.
“Ah, so smart women put their trust in men like your fiancé, is that it?”
It would destroy her when I dropped the bomb later, especially if I forced her to admit how trustworthy she believed he was. She would curse herself for being a fool, and she’d be even more humiliated because I knew. If I were smart, I’d back off, but her assumptions about me hurt. I was the one who’d been faithful to her. He was the one who’d cheated.
“Yes.” She picked up a small purse from a hook by the door. “That’s exactly why I intend to marry him. So whatever plans you have of seducing me tonight, you can forget it. It’s not going to work.”
By the end of the night, she’d be sobbing in my arms, cursing her own stupidity. But I wouldn’t take any pleasure in knowing I was right. I didn’t want to see her hurt, not even if it meant I could look like the hero who’d saved her from a miserable marriage. I waited in silence as she locked the door, then I led her to the parking lot. I didn’t try touching her again. I knew she wouldn’t appreciate it. This was her town, her people, and most knew she was engaged to the illustrious district attorney. We were supposed to have a business dinner, so I had to play along, at least for now.
She stopped short, a gasp slipping past her lips. “Oh my God. Is that your car?”
I couldn’t help but smile at her reaction to the new yellow Ferrari I’d purchased that afternoon. Handing her the keys, I asked, “You wanna take it for a spin?”
“But…” She looked from me to the keys. “Why would you buy a car? Why not just use a limo service or rent a car?”
“Because I intend to spend a lot more time here now that I have reason to.”
Her breath hitched as her hand curled around the keys. “You have reason to?”
“Your father and I reached a deal on the buildings.”
“My office building? My apartment building?” Her words came out in a high-pitched screech before she reined herself in. “You can’t be serious.”
“Deadly serious.” I turned into her, using my body to block her from the wind that was kicking up dust and debris. “I told you, I get what I want, Maura. I want you.”
She closed her eyes before looking at me. “This is crazy. You’re only interested in me because you can’t have me. The novelty will wear off, and you’ll be stuck with buildings you don’t really want. You can’t spend millions of dollars on real estate on a whim. It doesn’t make any sense. You’re not being rational.”
She had no idea how many hours I’d spent thinking about her, especially when I was lying on a cot in a jail cell. Memories of her had made me smile even though they were tainted with the knowledge that she believed I could hurt her. My best memories were the times I’d spent with her. She was the first and only woman I’d ever loved, and even though I had believed I could keep a safe distance from her emotionally, it was proving difficult.
“I can afford to spend millions on a whim,” I argued. “Besides, these buildings are a good investment. The return is good. I know what I’m doing.”
Shaking her head and looking rueful, she said, “I know you do. You didn’t get where you are being stupid or impulsive. It just doesn’t make any sense. I can’t figure out why you’re doing all this.”
I was dying to touch her, to pull her close and immerse myself in her. But I couldn’t. Not yet. “I’m doing it because I want to. Because I can.” I smiled. “That’s one of the fun things about being obscenely wealthy.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll have to take your word for that.”
I wanted to tell her that everything I had could be hers one day, but I bit my tongue. Where the hell had that thought come from? I wasn’t really considering a future with her, was I?
Walking to the car, I opened the driver’s door for her, gesturing for her to climb in.
“Are you sure?” she asked, looking apprehensive. “I’ve never driven a car like this.”
The girl I remembered loved speed. I used to tease her about having a lead foot as she’d race us down a country road, the wind whipping through our hair and the bumps jostling us. We laughed as she made us feel we could take flight. I had a collection of exotic cars now, most of them designed for speed, and I knew my passion for them stemmed from my memories of her. She used to tell me that behind the wheel she felt free with the exhilaration of knowing she could go anywhere and do anything.
“I’m positive.” I rounded the car and eased into the passenger’s seat. “I’m going to leave this car here. I’ll give you a set of keys. It’ll be parked in the underground parking garage. You can drive it whenever you want so long as you promise to take good care of her for me.”
Her mouth dropped as she started the car. “You’re crazy. You can’t just leave a car like this.”
“Sure, I can.” She would have the time of her life driving it, and I wanted to give her as much pleasure as my money could buy.
“But… but…”
I pressed my index finger to her lips. “No buts, angel. You’re not going to change my mind about this.”
I smiled as she pulled into traffic. She was hesitant at first, but it didn’t take long for her to find her groove. Watching her shift gears and manipulate the powerful automobile as if she’d been doing it all her life was one of the sexiest things I’d seen in a long time. Shifting to relieve the sudden bulge in my pants, I cleared my throat.