CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cordelia woke as the first rays of the sun shone over her bed. Even as a little girl, she’d been up with the sun. She loved listening to the first bird calls, loved getting her hands in the soil when it was still damp with dew, loved breathing in the sweet air, loved knowing she had a brand-new day in which to explore and appreciate the beauty all around her.
Rarely, however, had she needed a fresh morning start more than today. The past week seemed like one big blur to her now. Of emotion. Of pain. Of unexpected pleasure.
And through it all, woven into nearly every moment, was Alec.
Despite the morning chill, she went hot all over at the memory of his kisses, of his hands on her, of how masterfully—how wonderfully—he’d taken her into pleasure. Sharper, sweeter pleasure than she’d ever known. She’d barely come down from the high when she’d wanted to beg him to do it again, to love her with more than just his hands, his mouth.
She threw back the covers, hoping that bare feet on the cold hardwood floor would bring her back to earth. Back to reality.
One where she and Alec were never going to be more than just friends.
Yes, they’d crossed a line past friendship yesterday. And there was no denying that they wanted each other. But she understood that what he’d done had been, first and foremost, to give her a breather, and a release, from her roiling emotions over her birth father.
It was time now to be strong enough to stand on her own again. She would put in a good day’s work in her garden center and then she would call the investment/donation team Alec had recommended to ask them to help her make sense of the new—and awesome—responsibility she’d been handed by Gordon and his money.
She also planned to call her parents tonight and finally tell them what had happened. She was sure they would understand why she’d needed to get her head around things first. Now that things might actually go back to normal soon, she wanted them to weigh in on where the money should go, especially regarding which educational foundations could benefit the most from a large influx of funds.
Her regular routine—a shower and a bowl of granola—helped make her feel more settled. She planned to spend a quiet hour in her garden with a steaming cup of coffee in hand, before heading across her property to put up the OPEN sign in the front window of the garden center.
She had just stepped out the front door and into her garden when she abruptly realized she wasn’t alone. A dozen photographers were standing just outside the garden gate, and they were all trying to get her attention at once.
“How does it feel to become a billionaire overnight, Cordelia?”
“What are you gonna do with all the money?”
“Did you really not have any idea that Gordon Whitley was your father?”
Shock had the cup of coffee sliding from her fingers to crash and splash on the flagstones at her feet. She stood there unable to do any more than blink in confusion at the flashbulbs going off all around her like a massive disco ball.
How could these strangers have found out about everything?
Suddenly, a deep voice broke through. “Get the hell away from the house. You’re trespassing on private property.” The flashbulbs stopped momentarily as all eyes turned to Alec, resplendent—and fierce—in a dark suit, his eyes blazing. “My lawyers will have all of your asses if you’re not gone in sixty seconds.”
Cordelia could hardly believe it, but in less than a minute, they were all gone. All the cameras, all the people who had been shouting questions at her as though they knew her. As though they didn’t care who they hurt as long as they got their story.
“Cordelia.” Alec’s eyes were gentle as he turned to face her, but she could see how upset he was. How angry. “Let’s head back inside.” He put his arm around her and soon had her sitting on her love seat with her cold hands wrapped around a fresh cup of coffee. “That’s what the press does—they ambush you. But it won’t happen again. I promise you that.” His phone was buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out, sent a text, then slid it back into his pocket and put his hands on either side of her face. “What did they say to you? I could hear them yelling, but not their questions.”
Staring into his eyes grounded her better than anything else could have. “They were asking about Gordon. Asking if I knew about him all along. Asking what I was going to do with all my money.” She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. “I haven’t told anyone about Gordon, only your sister, and I know she wouldn’t have said anything to the press. So how could they possibly know so much?”
Alec’s expression was grim. And furious. “Page Six. There was an anonymous tip about you and Gordon. Reporters were waiting outside my apartment this morning too. That’s how I knew I needed to get over here ASAP.”
“Thank you,” she said, hugely grateful that he’d thought to protect her. Again. “Who could have tipped them off?”
It hit her a beat before he said, “Mona.” He looked like he wanted to tear the supermodel apart with his bare hands. “My guess is she must have had someone who owed her a favor in one of our attorneys’ offices. Or who wanted to get into her bed through any means necessary.”
“She really meant it when she said she wanted to destroy me.” Cordelia had no idea how Alec worked with people like Mona and kept his sanity.
“She’s going to regret it,” he said, dark promise in his voice. “I’ll make sure she does.”
“No. That’s exactly what she wants. To pull you into her game. And to believe she shoved me down with this. Neither of us will give her that satisfaction.” Now that the initial shock had worn off, Cordelia managed to give him a small smile as she added, “Even after knowing how low she’s capable of going, I’d stand up to her again.”
“I know you would.” He put his hand on her cheek, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.
She knew it wouldn’t erase what had happened with Mona and the press—and that it would be a further complication their friendship didn’t need, especially now—but Cordelia couldn’t help but crave his kiss. Could barely keep from begging him to put his mouth and his hands on her again.
When she looked into his eyes, she swore she saw the same heat and longing tangled up inside of him that she felt in herself. But instead of closing the final distance and kissing the breath from her, he shifted back in his seat. “I’d hoped you’d have more time to deal with your inheritance privately, but now that the cat’s out of the bag, we’re going to have to make a solid game plan. Right away.”
He’d barely finished speaking when someone knocked on her front door. “If it’s another journalist or photographer…” Alec’s expression was menacing as he got up to answer it.
She put a hand on his arm. “I’ve got it.” The past week had been nutso, but she’d always taken charge of her own life. It was long past time to take charge of it again. She steeled herself for a confrontation as she opened the door. But the two people standing on her front step were definitely not strangers.
“Mom? Dad?” She’d never been so happy to see their faces. Or felt so guilty. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was going to call you and tell you everything today. I swear it.”
Fortunately, they seemed anything but angry as they pulled her close. “Oh, honey,” her mother said, “we’re just so worried about you and how you’re doing.”
Tears came then, now that she knew she was safe in her mother’s arms. “I should have told you everything before now. I wanted to, but—” Cordelia stopped short as she realized Suzanne Sullivan and her boyfriend were standing behind her parents. “Suzanne. Roman.” She wiped her tears away, not at all surprised that Alec’s sister had come to help. Though she’d known Alec only a short time, she could see already that this was how the Sullivans operated. As a team. “Please come inside. Alec is here. He got rid of the press who were swarming just outside my picket fence.”
“I’m glad he was able to get here so quickly.” Suzanne gave her a hug. “We knew that if his place was overrun with press, then yours would be too. Roman is great at dealing with journalists and photographers who won’t take go away for an answer.”
“If it’s all right with you,” Roman said, “I’d like to stay outside and keep watch in case anyone decides to sneak back onto your property to get a scoop.”
“It’s more than all right with me,” Cordelia said. “You’re a godsend, Roman. But at least come in and get a cup of coffee first.”
“I’m fine for now,” he said, already heading back toward the gate.
She appreciated his determination to scare off trespassing photographers more than she could say. Appreciated Alec and his sister both being here so much, in fact, that her throat was tight with emotion. Especially now that she was finally about to share everything with her parents.
Amy and Walter Langley looked more than a little shell-shocked, not only by the news, but also by all of the Sullivans rallying around Cordelia in support. She was trying to figure out where to start her explanations when another knock came at the door.
“Cordelia,” the handsome man with the glasses said, “I’m Harry, Alec’s brother. We met briefly at Gordon’s service.”
Another man standing beside him smiled and said, “And I’m Drake, Alec’s youngest brother. We also met at the service.”
The beautiful, and very famous, woman beside him smiled warmly at Cordelia. “I’m Rosa, Drake’s other half.”
“Please, come in.” Cordelia’s cottage wasn’t large to begin with, and now every seat in her living room plus her kitchen chairs would be taken. She’d never been happier to host a crowd, though. Having Alec on her side was a huge relief. His whole family felt like a miracle. “I’ll brew more coffee.”
“We don’t want to put you out,” Harry said. “We just wanted to see if there’s anything we can do to help.”
Harry Sullivan was sweet, just like Alec. And yet she could immediately see how different they were. Everything about Alec spoke of business prowess and power. Though Harry was also big and broad and extremely good-looking, he seemed to be a gentle soul who lived more inside his head. Suzanne struck Cordelia as a mixture of both brothers. As for Drake? Cordelia knew only that his girlfriend had been one of the most famous reality-TV stars in the world.
It hit Cordelia that she didn’t know much at all about Alec’s siblings—not their jobs, or even their birth order, apart from the fact that he was the oldest. She felt more than a little ashamed of herself for not having asked Alec to tell her about them, especially when his family was so important to him. And so close that each of them had dropped everything to come to her aid, simply because they loved their big brother and he was her friend.
She was comforted to know how well supported Alec was by those who loved him. He believed his parents were the only ones who had shaped him. But how could he not see that his siblings had a hand just as big, if not bigger, in making him the man he was today?
Alec handed mugs of coffee to her parents. “I’m Alec Sullivan, Gordon Whitley’s friend and business partner.”
“We’re so sorry about his passing, Alec.” Cordelia’s mother held out her hand. “I’m Amy, Cordelia’s mother.”
Her husband shook Alec’s hand next. “I’m Walter, her dad.”
“Mom, Dad.” Cordelia took their hands in hers as her parents sat on the love seat and she took the ottoman facing them. “I found out about Gordon last week from his trust attorney. They told me he was my birth father, that he had passed away the day before, and that he had given me his half of S&W Aviation. I couldn’t believe it—couldn’t believe any of it was real. Not just the money, but—” She paused to steady her voice. “The fact that he’d been so close. All this time. And he knew who I was. Knew I was here all along.”
“Honey,” her father said, “if we’d had any idea who your birth father was, we would have told you.”
“I know you would. But for whatever reason, he didn’t want any of us to know. I wasn’t okay with that at first, but I’m getting closer to it every day. Alec has helped. A lot.” She scooted over on the ottoman, and their silent code was already good enough that he understood it was an invitation for him to come and sit beside her as she continued. “Alec was nice enough to buy Gordon’s half of the company from me, and he’s also connecting me with advisors who will help me figure out where to invest and donate the purchase money. I never thought I’d have the responsibility for so much. Or the chance to do so much good with it.”
“We’ll help too,” her mother said, “any way we can.”
But there was more Cordelia needed to tell them. “I went to Gordon’s funeral. Saturday night.”
“Oh, honey.” Her mom looked more distraught than ever. “You shouldn’t have had to do that alone.”
“I wasn’t alone.” Cordelia looked at Alec again, sitting beside her, ready to do whatever it took to protect her, the same way he’d helped her over and over again during the past week. “Alec was there.” She smiled at his siblings. “And his family was there to support me too.” She turned guilty eyes to her parents. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know in time so you could be there too.”
“No more apologies.” Her father was firm. “This has all been a huge shock, and of course you needed time to process it all. We know you’re the woman we raised you to be. The strong, resourceful, intelligent woman Gordon wanted his daughter to become. If anyone can deal with a surprise like this, it’s you.”
“I love you, Dad.” She threw her arms around him, and around her mother too.
When they finally let each other go, Alec was no longer beside her. Instead, he had his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up, and he was cracking eggs in the kitchen. She wasn’t hungry, but she didn’t tell him that food could wait, or not to bother making breakfast. Not when she understood that cooking was his way of thinking things through. And that it made him happy.
“Looks like Alec is making all of us breakfast.” And despite the mess still waiting for her with the press—she seriously doubted they were going to back down until she gave them answers to their probing questions—she smiled as she told her parents, “You’re in for a treat. He’s the best cook in the world.”
* * *
Before they dove into strategy, Alec knew it would do both Cordelia and her parents some good to relax over a hot breakfast for a few minutes. And, truthfully, he was glad to have something to do with his hands, to fry eggs and sausage with herbs from her windowsill plants. Otherwise, he was going to dash out into the parking lot and start throwing punches at any lurking photographers or journalists.
Cordelia’s little kitchen table by the window was too small for everyone to gather around, so Alec’s siblings and Cordelia’s parents ate from plates on their laps instead. He made sure her plate was full, as well, knowing she’d need the calories to burn through what promised to be a long day ahead.
He also took a loaded plate out to Roman, who informed him that several photographers had indeed come waltzing onto her property in the past half hour. Of course, Suzanne’s bodyguard boyfriend had quickly dispensed with them. Alec might still be wrapping his head around the fact that his sister and Roman were a couple—he wasn’t sure anyone would ever be good enough for his little sister—but it helped a great deal knowing that Roman was one of the best men he’d ever met.
On the way back inside, Alec checked his phone and saw that among the calls from his employees, clients, and journalists, his father had also called several times. Alec shoved the phone back into his pocket. Everyone, including his father, would have to wait until he’d helped put Cordelia’s concerns to rest.
Thankfully, her parents were unconditionally there for her. What’s more, the way the couple still held hands after who knew how many years of marriage told Alec a lot about why Cordelia believed in forever. Who wouldn’t believe in love with role models like these? If they’d been his parents, he probably would have been looking forward to happily ever after too.
“Cordelia says you’re both teachers.” He’d never been interested in meeting the families of the women he dated. But Cordelia wasn’t anything like those women. She was a friend. One he planned on keeping. “Which grades do you teach?” He ignored the phone buzzing in his pocket—another incoming call from his father.
“I teach eleventh-grade math and physics at the high school,” her father said.
“I’m the art teacher for the district, so I roam among the schools during the week,” her mother replied, before adding, “You’ve got to tell me how you made the eggs so light and fluffy. They’re the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Add a little milk and barely whisk it before it hits the pan.” He nodded over at Harry. “My brother is a teacher too.”
Harry swallowed the bite of sausage he’d speared, then told them, “Medieval history and warfare.”
“You must teach at the university level?” Cordelia’s mother asked.
Harry nodded, smiling to put them at ease. “Columbia.”
“Medieval history at Columbia.” Cordelia’s father cocked his head. “Wait a minute.” He looked at Alec. “Your surname is Sullivan.” Then back to Harry. “You’re Harrison Sullivan, aren’t you?” He looked more than a little awed. “I’ve read everything you’ve written—more than once, in fact.”
A beat later, her mother’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God. Your father is William Sullivan.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m so sorry. That was terribly rude.”
“Everyone has that reaction,” Suzanne said with a warm smile. “You don’t need to apologize for it.”
“I’m just such a huge fan of his work.” Cordelia’s mother’s eyes went even wider at a second realization. “And you’re Drake Sullivan.” She almost looked more stunned by this than by learning that Gordon had been Cordelia’s father. “Years ago, I saw one of your paintings in a gallery. I was tempted to remortgage our house for it.”
Alec made a mental note to find out which painting it was and buy it for Cordelia’s mother. If it had already sold, he’d ask Drake to paint something similar. Alec had no doubt that Gordon would have wanted to thank Amy and Walter for doing such a wonderful job as parents to Cordelia. He’d been right to trust them with her life and happiness. They’d given her all that and more.
For the first time, Alec found himself wondering if that could be part of the reason why Gordon hadn’t made himself known to Cordelia. Had he been worried that her parents would feel overshadowed by him and his success, even though they’d done all the truly important work of raising and loving Cordelia? Had Gordon thought they might resent him for sweeping in with his big bank account and fancy life?
Both Harry and Drake looked slightly embarrassed by the praise they’d been given, so Alec decided to turn the spotlight on Suzanne. “Suz here, she’s a computer genius who puts both of those yahoos—” He gestured to his brothers. “—to shame.”
She rolled her eyes. “Says the billionaire aviation mogul.”
“What an amazing group you all are,” Cordelia’s mother said. “Your father must be so proud of all of you.”
An awkward silence landed. Hard enough that Cordelia jumped into the fray. “Actually, they’re throwing a surprise birthday party for him here soon. In the barn. Alec is going to cook a farm-to-table dinner.”
“You are?” Harry raised an eyebrow in Alec’s direction.
“We worked it out on Sunday morning,” Suzanne confirmed. “I meant to text you and Drake about it, but the emergency coding session I got pulled into after I left Alec’s house scrambled my brain.”
“You’re going to cook a big dinner for Dad’s birthday?” Drake looked as though he couldn’t believe it.
Alec wasn’t about to explain that Cordelia had all but cornered him into doing it. His siblings probably thought that because she surrounded herself with flowers and looked so sweet, so gentle, that she couldn’t outmaneuver a guy like him. They were wrong.
“It’s no big deal,” Alec told them, even though they all knew that it was. His phone buzzed again with the ring tone he’d given to his father, as if to reinforce the point.
Cordelia stood and gathered up plates to take to the sink. “Since you’re all here now, why don’t I give you a tour of the gardens and the barn? That way you can start thinking about how you want to set things up for the party.”
Alec stopped her with his hands on the stack of plates she was holding. He knew she was dying to get out to her garden and that it would do her a world of good to lose herself in blooms for a while. But they couldn’t ignore the bomb that had dropped onto Page Six this morning, courtesy of Mona.
“I can help out with your customers while you show everyone around,” he offered. “But before you leave to do that, we need to figure out a plan. Roman is doing a great job of holding back the press this morning, but you need a strategy mapped out beyond that.”
“I’m just going to tell everyone the truth.” Cordelia took the plates from his hands and put them in the sink. “That I didn’t know Gordon was my birth father until last week and that I intend to donate the money he willed me to a number of charities.”
All Alec wanted was to see her smile. Funny how quickly that had become his top goal, before he’d even realized it had happened. But he couldn’t sugarcoat things. “It’s not that easy, Cordelia.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re now rich enough to be a target for every fortune hunter on the planet. And for a gossip mill that will make sure to dig up every little thing in your past in the hopes that there’s a juicy story there.”
“I promise you, there’s nothing juicy in my past. Nothing at all.”
Obviously, she didn’t know about the extra bit of juice Mona had sprinkled over her life while she was sleeping. He hadn’t had a chance to tell her before everyone showed up. “They think we’re together.”
“Together?” She looked confused for a moment before her eyes went wide. “You and me? Why would anyone think—” She broke off with a groan. “Because that’s what I told Mona.”
He saw her flush at the memory of how she’d kissed him to prove her point. A kiss that had rocked him to his core, just the way taking her over the edge in the bedroom of the plane had only made him want her more. He’d stayed up half the night fighting the urge to go to her.
“Who’s Mona?” her father asked.
“One of Alec’s customers,” Cordelia told him.
“Former customers,” Alec clarified.
“I met Mona yesterday on one of Alec’s planes,” Cordelia explained. “She was behaving horribly toward him, so…” She flushed an even deeper rose, so beautiful that Alec nearly lost his breath from nothing more than looking at her. “I made it seem like he and I were dating.”
Alec’s siblings eyed each other at her admission. He knew what they were thinking, what they were hoping—that he was falling for Cordelia. But they knew better than anyone that it wouldn’t matter if he was. She deserved a hell of a lot more than he could give her.
“Mona is a nasty piece of work,” Suzanne said. “I’m sorry you’re going through all this today, Cordelia, but I’m glad someone finally put her in her place.”
“I didn’t think my little white lie would have these ramifications,” Cordelia said. “We’ve got to let people know we’re not together, Alec.”
“I disagree.” He ignored the satisfied nods his siblings were giving each other, as if they were all but picturing him at the altar with Cordelia saying I do. He shoved away the part of him that took surprising pleasure in a vivid picture of Cordelia in a long white dress, her eyes locked to his as she told him she’d love him forever. “If people think you and I are dating,” he explained, “they’re far less likely to hassle you for your money and what they think you can do for them.”
“But you didn’t ask for any of this,” Cordelia protested. “You shouldn’t have to cancel dates or explain things to someone you’re actually dating, just to protect me. Plus, you’ve already done so much for me.”
“Alec is right.” Harry’s voice had always been one of reason, and Alec was glad he was jumping in with his opinion. “And so are you, Cordelia. Tell the truth about Gordon in one short press conference—and also let Alec have your back if the vultures try to swoop. I believe he’s right in saying that they will.”
She frowned, clearly torn. “I hate the thought of making you lie for me, Alec.” She looked at his siblings. “And all of you will have to lie too.”
“Don’t worry, you won’t be stuck with me forever.” Everyone knew Alec Sullivan didn’t do forever—in a real relationship or a fake one.
He couldn’t quite read her expression as she said, “I would never ask you for forever, Alec.” Nor did he want to read the ache that spread through his chest at her words. Along with a sense of loss that made no sense whatsoever.
“Cordelia.” Her mother looked nervous. “I wish we knew what advice to give you, but we don’t know anything about the press and photographers and people coming after you for your money.”
“We do.” Drake lent his voice to the discussion. “We’ve had to deal with situations like this our whole lives, especially Alec as the oldest.”
“I have too,” Rosa said, finally chiming in. “I agree that telling the truth is usually the best option. But sometimes…” A hint of pain flashed across her face. “If one little lie will help, Cordelia, then you shouldn’t feel bad about telling it. Especially when you have the Sullivans behind you.” She beamed at Drake and his siblings. “When they say they have your back, they mean it.”
“Fine,” Cordelia said, putting her hands up, “you all win.”
Though Alec was always ready, always willing, to come to his siblings’ aid, he’d never thought to ask them to come to his. Without their doing just that today, however, he would never have been able to convince Cordelia to pretend to be his girlfriend.
Cordelia pinned him with a very serious look. “But only if you swear you’re okay with playing my boyfriend.”
He didn’t have to think it over, didn’t have to fight with himself over his reply. The only thing he had to fight was his grin. “It will be my pleasure, Cordelia.” There was no other woman he would have done this for. But he couldn’t imagine not doing it for her.
Nothing had gone back to normal on Monday morning the way they’d thought it would. But he couldn’t deny that a part of him wasn’t sorry about it, if only for the excuse it now gave him to stick by Cordelia’s side. Not for forever. For long enough, he hoped, to settle her world back to rights, as much as it could.
So he’d pretend to be her boyfriend, while simultaneously not allowing himself to cross any more lines than they already had on the airplane. He’d already made a silent promise to Gordon to respect Cordelia to the highest degree. And now that he’d met her parents, and knew for sure just what good people they were, now that he’d seen for himself that she was the most important person in their world, Alec knew without a shadow of a doubt that Cordelia deserved the happiest ending possible.
She wouldn’t find that ending with him. But once he’d helped her clean up the complications Gordon had dropped in her lap, she would be ready to find it with someone else.
The thought of Cordelia in another man’s arms was brutal. Beyond brutal.
But it would be far worse to lead her down the path to a broken heart.