Chapter Five
For the first time in her life, Lily Harris felt uncomfortable in her own home. Partly because it wasn’t hers anymore, but mostly because Jake Tolliver stalked the halls. As he had every right to since he owned them.
She set the bowl of soup on the tray Emmaline had placed on her nightstand and pulled her knees to her chest. She’d thought her life had been turned upside down when her father was diagnosed, and then again when he confessed his indiscretions. But this, his asking a man she didn’t trust to marry her, was completely…insane.
Her gaze drifted to her bookshelf. While earning a degree in English literature, she’d collected more than her share of historical novels. Even in Regency England, this would be odd. No doubt, Jane Austen would have had fun spinning it around.
The thought lifted her spirits a little. She’d missed her first week of classes, but getting back to school and returning to work on her thesis would make her feel normal. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t help her get a job or find an apartment. She didn’t even know how she’d afford tuition this term.
There was a soft knock on her bedroom door, and then the handle turned and Jake came in. Lily looked down to make sure her duvet covered as much of her pink nightgown as possible before addressing him.
“If having access to my room is a condition of my staying here, I’ll leave now.”
“Don’t make empty threats. We both know you won’t leave tonight. It’s late. I’m staying here, too, unless you object.”
“Can I stop you?”
“Would you want to?” He sat on her bed, right where her feet would be if she stretched her legs out. He nodded toward the tray. “I’m glad you ate something. You’ve lost too much weight in the last few weeks.”
“For a man with so much experience with women, you should know better than to discuss their weight.” Though the women she’d seen him with had no worries about that. He was lucky one of them hadn’t speared him with a pointy hip.
“You will take care of yourself.”
“How is it you can make food sound like a threat?” She rested her chin on her knees. “Is there anything I can take with me when I go?”
“I’d rather you didn’t. You belong in this house.” His hand covered her foot. Even beneath the duvet, she could feel the heat of him.
She pulled her feet closer. “I think you should go.”
“What is it you think I’m going to do to you? Is your objection to me really so weak that me touching you could turn everything in a different direction?” He reached for her again, this time holding her ankle through the blanket. “If it would make this easier on you, I could seduce you.”
“Yes, I’m sure you could.” She sat up straighter, her cheeks burning. “I’ve seen your list of references. I’m sure it impresses your fashionista girlfriend.”
He actually laughed. “Dee Gibson is none of your concern, unless you’re looking for a designer for your wedding dress.”
The audacity of the man. She closed her jaw, which had dropped open, and swallowed the urge to scream. “Even if I needed a wedding dress, which I don’t, I wouldn’t have your girlfriend design it.”
“You’re the one who keeps bringing her up. Should I be flattered you’re so interested in my personal life?”
“I’d have to be blind not to see it.”
“If it bothers you, remember this will all be old news tomorrow. What is being said about your father should teach you not to believe everything you read. Dee is my friend, and there are women who have something to gain by having their name connected with mine, being seen with me.”
“How kind of you to pimp yourself out.”
Derision and sympathy mingled in his glare. “You don’t understand how the world works.”
She might not be the most worldly person, but she knew women. They tripped over themselves to get to him because of who he was, yes. But it was more than the money and the handsome face. It was the vibrant power of him, the startling magnetism he kept under wraps. She’d missed the full effect before tonight, always avoiding being alone with him. Realization rolled across her mind like fog. She was wary of him, not because of his brutal business acumen, but because of his ability to scatter her emotions at will.
“Careful how you look at me.” His grip on her ankle tightened. “I might be encouraged.”
“Can’t you go?”
“And leave you all alone in your white bedroom? It looks like I thought it would. It suits you.”
He took everything to mean something. She’d decorated the bedroom in white when she was twenty and tired of the pink frills of her youth. It had nothing to do with virginity. She’d seen it in a design magazine and copied it.
“I’m surprised you don’t sleep in white.” His finger traced the collar of her nightgown.
“Sorry I didn’t live up to your image of me. I’m not the Barbie ideal you have in your mind.”
“I know you better than you think. Your father thought he was doing the right thing by keeping you so protected, but you’ve become so wary, you haven’t lived, and you’ve been too sheltered to learn how.”
She didn’t want to hear about another thing her father had done wrong. Up until a few weeks ago, it had been the two of them against the world. Or so she’d thought. They weren’t as close as she’d imagined, or she wouldn’t be so shocked by what her father’s illness had uncovered. She’d devoted her life to being the best daughter she could possibly be in order to help ease the ache of losing her mother, and it hadn’t helped him at all. She knew her father had doted on her for the same reasons. It seemed their best intentions had only wound up hurting the other.
Lily closed eyes heavy with unshed tears and took a deep breath before opening them again. “I can’t talk about him with you anymore. I’m trying to hold on to an image of the man I knew, not the one I’ve had to meet lately.” She stared up at him, wishing he’d show her some mercy and go.
Jake nodded, his thumb circling her ankle. “He knew you’d be happy with me.”
“You can’t make me happy. I’ll never forget that you took everything my father worked for. Besides, you don’t want happiness. You want people to envy you.”
He raised his other hand and traced his finger down her tear-stained cheek. “Actions speak louder than words. I’ve waited this long for you. I’ll wait a little longer for you to realize all I am offering.”
Lily turned her head, but he lifted his steady hands to frame her face and hold her still. “I’ll give you anything you could ever wish for, angel. I’ll make you happy. All you have to do is let me.”
Jake leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. A small voice inside told her to fight him, to run screaming out of the room. But she was too tired to fight, and another part of her wanted to know what she was struggling against.
He didn’t press or force, just kissed her gently as if the kiss were all he wanted. The touch was sizzling and exciting, yet wonderfully comforting. Trickles of sensation flared hotly through her body, a fire she knew he could easily stoke into a blaze.
Instead, he pulled back, staring into her eyes as his fingertips traced her forehead, eyebrows, cheeks. He leaned his head against hers, his warm hands still framing her face.
“Sleep well, angel. I won’t let anything hurt you.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and then left her.
Alone.
…
Lily peeked out the dining room windows, seeing Jake already dressed for the day in his perfectly tailored suit. She stepped back, sleepiness washing over her again. She wasn’t physically tired, just emotionally exhausted. But she couldn’t let fatigue keep her from speaking to Jake before he left for the day. She wanted to know when he was coming back, and she needed to put her plan in motion. In the past, she’d avoided him as much as possible, but now she sought him out with equal determination.
Before drifting off last night, she’d considered all he’d said. She needed a job, but as loathe as she was to admit he was right, finding one that would work around her school schedule might put her in a compromising position. She was already on a slippery slope with him, and better to dance with the devil you know.
Breakfast was laid out in the dining room as it had been every morning for her father. Lily made herself a cup of coffee and hoped the caffeine would jumpstart her brain. To talk Jake into letting her work at Tolliver-Harris, she’d need to have her wits about her.
Jake entered the room, the warm scent of his cologne reaching out to her when he came to fix his own coffee. “I’m glad you’re awake. I wanted to see you before I went back into town.” His dark eyes surveyed her from head to toe, his lips quirking in a grin of approval that made her want to shiver. “I’ll issue an announcement today about retaining ownership of the business, and then everything should die down.”
“So I can come and go as I need to?”
“I think you should stay in until you are stronger. You’ve been wearing yourself out taking care of your father. If there’s anything you need, I am sure Emmaline will be happy to get it for you.”
“And you accuse my father of being overprotective.” Lily shook her head. She needed to put some boundaries in place before he truly did take over her life completely. “Classes started last week, so I need to get back to school. Plus, I need to find a job.”
“I’ll take care of whatever you need. I’ll have a card issued for your expenses.”
Her temperature rose. “I don’t think so. I’m not interested in being a kept woman. Besides, I have tuition to pay.”
“I can—”
Lily held up a hand to stop him. “I won’t take your money.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Why should you struggle when I can afford to provide for you? You’re making things so much more difficult than they need to be.”
“You seem to have something wrong with your hearing. I will not take your money. I don’t want to be any more indebted to you than I already am. If we can’t agree on that, I need to leave.” She set down her mug with a thud. It wasn’t a bluff. Pride was all she had left.
She wanted to go, but that would accomplish nothing. She still hadn’t told him about her plan, and if she left now, she’d just have to make something to eat later. She grabbed a banana from the table and peeled it. As she put it in her mouth, she wondered if she should be eating something so blatantly phallic with Jake in the room. But then, maybe it would unsettle him the way he unnerved her.
“Are you sure you want to go back to the university?” Jake stared at her, his expression unreadable.
Lily swallowed. “Positive. I’m nearly finished with my master’s, and then I can teach while I work on my doctorate.” She’d have her degree already if she’d applied herself. Only three classes and a completed thesis stood in her way. She hoped to manage them all this term.
Jake merely nodded. “Then why are you looking for a job? I worked while I was in school because I had to. You don’t. It’s harder than you think.”
“I’m not afraid of hard work.”
“You don’t even know what it is.” He gestured to the ornately decorated dining room. “You live in this privileged world or in your books. What is it you think you can do for work? I’ve warned you about asking people for favors.”
“Maybe I should ask you then.” She pressed her hands against her legs to keep them from shaking. If he said no, she’d have to rethink everything, including school. “Surely there’s something I can do at Tolliver-Harris to keep me out of harm’s way?”
“Like what? It’s an architecture firm, not a book club.”
“You know, in order for you to get where you are, someone had to give you a chance. That’s all I am asking for. If I can’t make myself useful, then—”
“Then you’ll marry me and stop this nonsense.” A smug smile set upon his face. Threatening determination and overwhelming masculinity combined in his eyes to send a chill through her. He was terrifying and tempting all at once.
Lily fought back the urge to quiver, knowing she was under the scrutiny of his narrowed, probing gaze. “I want you to give me a real chance. This isn’t a trap you can bait and set. I want to know the business that meant so much to my father.”
Jake came to stand next to her, his cocksure grin widening. “You count on people underestimating you, don’t you?” He tilted her chin, sliding his warm palm against her cheek. “Everyone thinks you’re just a pretty face, a beautiful decoration. I see you, Lily. I think you’re getting in over your head here, but I’ll make the deal if you will.”
She pressed her fingernails into her palm to tamp down the anxiety. She’d overplayed her hand. But really, what choice did she have? What else did she have to bargain with? She had to succeed, because anything else would destroy her.
“If you want to learn the business, I’ll make sure you have every opportunity. But it’s not as easy as you think. We can start you out slowly, but I won’t let you answer phones and claim you learned about what the firm meant to your father.” He rubbed his thumb against her cheek as if he were sweet-talking her instead of issuing ultimatums. “You’ll learn every aspect of the company. If it’s too much, you’re free to throw in the towel at any point and focus on your thesis. And me.”
Lily swallowed past the lump in her throat. This had been her idea, hadn’t it? Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure. “It’ll take a while to understand how things work.”
“We’ll know before year end. Besides, it’ll be best if we marry before New Year’s.”
She blinked. “I didn’t say I’d marry you.”
“Once you’ve had some time to think about it, you’ll see it my way.”
“I won’t,” she barely managed to whisper. She knew that to play this game she’d at least have to agree to the terms, even if she’d rather die than follow through.
“Don’t be stubborn for sport.”
“You can’t have me.”
His gaze slid over her body like a caress. “We both know that’s not true. Tell me, do we have a deal? You can try and learn what Tolliver-Harris does, or you can plan a wedding. I know what I’d rather you do.”
She lifted her chin, wanting to brush his hand free but not wanting to let him know he’d unnerved her. “I’ll learn the business by the end of the year. And then I’ll be free.”
“You’re not some caged bird. Go ahead and take some time to come to terms with wanting what you want. I have been waiting a long time, a few months more will be worth it when we ring in the New Year as man and wife.” He leaned down, surprising her with a fleeting brush of his lips against hers. “I haven’t lost a deal in over a decade.”
He turned to go, and Lily wanted nothing more than for him to finally leave her alone. But she didn’t want any more surprises from him.
“Jake, will you be back tonight?”
He turned back in the doorway, a genuine smile on his face. “No, angel. I’ll stay at the penthouse during the week. The house is yours.”
She watched him walk away, wondering if she’d made a bargain with the most charming devil she’d ever known.
…
“Lily, can you see the front gate from where you are?” Jake turned his leather desk chair so he could look out the windows of his office, taking in the view of the rooftops in the waning light of the day.
“From my bedroom window, why?”
A vision of Lily’s bedroom hit him like a punch in the gut. Leaving her alone last night had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He wanted so badly to kiss her, to truly kiss her, but he couldn’t trust himself with more than a fleeting press of lips. He had to do this right. If he allowed himself more, there would be no turning back, and having her regret being with him would destroy his chances.
“Where did everyone go?” Her voice faded, losing the annoyed edge she worked so hard at.
“The guards should still be there.”
“Yes, but the cars beyond the gate are gone.”
“I held a press conference this afternoon. Life should be back to boring as usual soon. Still, you should try not to pick up the paper or watch the news for a while.”
“Why? Is there something else?”
“More of the same, but nothing you need to deal with. It will go away soon.” He’d done all he could, more than he’d hoped, but there were still women excited to be in the paper, former friends angry about the money they’d lost, bored gossipmongers masquerading as journalists who thought nothing of dreaming up lascivious scenarios. “Focus on the man you knew, not the one who can’t explain himself now.”
“I’m trying.” The tremor in her voice cut him to the quick.
His voice softened. “Do you need me to stay at the house with you?”
“No, you said you were staying in town.”
He sighed with a combination of exasperation and relief. “I am, for now. Once we’re married, I’ll change my schedule so I’ll be home every night.”
“Not to worry. I’m sure to win our deal, and you’ll be able to keep up your frantic pace.” Her silky voice held a challenge.
“You didn’t seem so averse to the idea last night.” His deep tone simmered with barely checked passion.
She drew in a sharp breath. “It won’t happen again.”
“You don’t sound so sure. Are you thinking about it right now?”
“Please stop.” Her voice shook slightly. It was hard to spar with her when he couldn’t see her face to know if she was all right or putting on an act.
“Lily, you have to be strong. If people see your weaknesses, they’ll take advantage of them.”
“Is that why you don’t show any?”
Thank goodness she couldn’t see his smile. If she only knew. “No, I don’t have any. Makes it much easier to strike bargains with pretty girls.”
“Ha. I’ll be fine as long as you’ll be fair.”
“I’m always fair.”
She scoffed. “Your ruthlessness is legendary.”
“All the more reason why I’ll be supervising your training personally. You’ll learn who I am for yourself, rather than relying on what you read in the papers or overhear at society events.”
“You don’t have time to babysit me. Besides, I’ll be in one of the departments, billing or something.”
“No, if you want to learn your father’s business, you’ll learn each part of it. And then you’ll find out how the different parts work together. Be glad you’re learning about a single architectural firm. If you’d wanted to study my business, it would take much longer than three months.”
“Jake Tolliver, the great and powerful.”
“That power has come in handy recently.”
“I never asked for you to do anything.” He could almost hear her mind downshifting into its well-bred, polite mode. “It’s all been your choice. I am grateful, but—”
“Not grateful enough to marry beneath you.”
She sighed. “I never said that. My idea of marriage and yours are very different.”
“Your idea comes from those ancient novels you study. Mine is current and realistic. You’ll eventually see things my way.”
“If marrying you is current and realistic, may I never learn anything beyond the idealistic and old-fashioned. There is more to life than money and social standing. Maybe someday you’ll learn that.”
The click of the phone call ending echoed in his ear. He hated that she’d hung up on him, but he couldn’t help but be relieved that her chutzpah showed she was ready to start living again. Her beauty blinded most everyone to the intelligence and strength that carried her through life. He wanted her to know the power she held, to see herself the way he saw her. Then she’d trust herself, and what she felt for him. She was beautiful on the inside and out.