Chapter 1
“You give all your time and resources to this man, so, where is he?”
Yeah, where is he?
Kelly regarded her friend across the elegant dining table. She thought about the man she’d been dating for the last eight months and considered taking their relationship to the next level. The next level meaning something more than just sex. A ring perhaps? True, he spent more time at the office than he did with her, and his overnight visits were rare. Maybe they should move in together.
Robert’s image was important to him. He flaunted his Saks four-thousand-dollar suits the way a woman would gush over a couture gown. But he wasn’t all flash and pomp. There were days when he would be sweet, considerate, and thoughtful. She could fall in love with him if he promised her forever. Given time. All she’d ever wanted was someone to love her. Someone to stick around.
“Kelly. You’re doing it again.”
She blinked. “Doing what?”
“Wandering off somewhere without me. Snap out of it,” Sandi said, snapping her fingers. “What’s got you so distracted?”
“It’s nothing. Really.”
“No. Something’s on your mind.”
Her best friend knew her better than she knew herself. And Sandi had an annoying habit of pointing it out.
“Just because we’ve been friends forever—”
“Don’t change the subject. Spill.” Sandi lifted her wineglass and leaned back in her chair as if she were settling in for a long story.
The popular Heritage had been in the Richmond Magazine as best restaurant of the year and it was a favorite of Robert’s. When he cancelled their date, Kelly decided to call her friend. Of course, Sandi had jumped at the chance for a meal at the posh restaurant, especially when Kelly offered to pick up the bill. She took a sip of wine, then drew a breath, ready to share what was on her mind.
“You know Robert backed out of our date at the last minute.”
“Thanks for reminding me I’m second to your lover, which I take offense to, by the way.”
“He’s not just my lover. We are . . .” What were they? Boyfriend and girlfriend seemed so high-school. He hadn’t given her a ring, so she couldn’t say she was his fiancée.
“You were saying?” With a smirk on her face, Sandi dangled the wine goblet barely gripped within her fingers.
Kelly held up her left hand, imagining a diamond on her third finger.
“Kelly,” Sandi gasped. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Are you expecting a ring? Is Robert about to pop the question? With his wallet, he can afford a sizable rock. Two carats at least.”
“I don’t care about the size of my diamond.”
Sandi sat up in her chair so fast her wine sloshed in her glass. “Then you are expecting a ring.”
“Not expecting.” Kelly drew out the word. “More like . . .”
“Hoping?” Sandi supplied.
“We’ve been together for eight months. I think it’s time we talked about our future.”
“Your future with him?”
“Of course, with him.”
“I don’t mean to be the cloud on your sunny day, but do you really want to get married?”
“You know I do. I want a family and children.”
“What’s the rush?”
Kelly didn’t like being on the defensive, and Sandi’s question made her uncomfortable. “There’s no rush. I’ve thought about this. I just want to—”
Sandi leaned forward. “I know you’ve spent most of your life alone. Staff in a household does not count.”
As a child, Kelly had relied on the staff for companionship. “I used to think my parents forgot they even had a daughter.”
“Why are you considering this now? Why don’t you give it some time?”
“Why wait?” Kelly brushed over the question as if the duration of their relationship didn’t matter. Abruptly, her eyes narrowed. “I know what you’re thinking. Of course, my parents’ neglect hurt. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life by myself. Robert and I—”
“Oh my God!” Sandi said in a harsh whisper and slapped her hand over Kelly’s wrist. The powerful grip startled her. When she glanced at her friend, she found Sandi’s attention firmly fixed somewhere over Kelly’s left shoulder. The expression on her friend’s face had her already racing pulse pick up a few beats.
“What’s wrong?”
“That rotten son-of-a-bitch.”
“Who?” Kelly made to turn her head in the direction of Sandi’s gaze.
“Don’t look!” Sandi tightened her grip. “Don’t turn around.”
Kelly froze. “What’s wrong with you? Who is it?” she hissed.
Sandi’s eyes flashed with shock and anger. “Don’t look until we have a plan. Just listen, and for God’s sake, do not turn around.”
To hell with that. Kelly swung, scanning the left side of the room until her gaze landed on Robert. With another woman.
“I told you not to turn around.” Sandi’s harsh whisper grabbed Kelly’s attention.
She seethed. “No wonder he sounded so anxious on the phone.”
Sandi took a gulp of wine, her eyes narrowing while she spied on the couple. “Have you ever seen her before? Oh, God. Don’t turn around again.”
Kelly braced her hands on the edge of the table, her fingers cramped with tension. The woman’s face clearly in her mind, she forced herself to remain still. “No. I’m sure I haven’t.”
“Who do you think she is?”
“I don’t know, but I’m damn well going to find out.”
“Kelly, don’t go over there half-cocked.”
“Half-cocked? I’ll go fully loaded.” She threw her napkin on the table, ready to leap from her chair when Sandi grabbed her arm again.
“Don’t. You’ll embarrass yourself if you’re not prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
“Think a minute. Once you’ve composed yourself, just waltz over there and say ‘Hi’. If he squirms, you’ve got him. If you act like a crazy woman and he’s having dinner with his sister or something—”
“He doesn’t have a sister. I know that grin. It’s the one he uses when he thinks he’s going to get lucky.”
Kelly nearly lurched from her chair, trying to remember to stay calm, her adrenaline driving her forward. He’d canceled their date because something important had come up. Something he couldn’t get out of. Heat filled her chest and raced through her veins making the hair stand on the back of her neck. Sandi was right. She shouldn’t make a scene. But who thought rationally when she found her man with another woman?
Kelly drew a deep breath. She gathered her composure, pondering Robert’s face when she confronted him. She stood beside the table for long excruciating seconds before he noticed her presence.
Robert glanced up, obviously expecting a waitress. His eyes filled with disbelief. His astonishment quickly changed to anger. A piece of her heart splintered when the smile on his face turned formidable.
“Hello, Robert.” Thank God her voice sounded normal.
She was no stranger to his moods. His tense body reminded her of a caged lion ready to spring. The truth hit her like a Mack Truck. Guilt. Robert had lied to her. It was written all over his face. She turned to the woman sitting across from him.
“Hello,” she said with a degree of courteous formality. “I’m Kelly.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Robert stand.
“Excuse me, Miss, uh, Kelly.”
Miss. Had he forgotten her name? Squirm, you bastard.
“I’m having a private dinner,” he said. “Maybe we can talk in my office. Would you call me tomorrow?”
Without taking her eyes from the woman who’d been silent the entire time, Kelly replied, “I’d be happy to call you tomorrow, Robert. If you introduce me to your companion and tell me who the hell she is.”
The woman flushed and her eyes darted to Robert. “Yes. I’d like an introduction as well.”
Robert grasped Kelly’s arm and she immediately shook it loose, which caused her to stagger back a step. So much for being levelheaded.
“Kelly.” His voice cracked like thunder. “Please leave.” It wasn’t a request. He was furious. The veins in his neck stood out. What the hell was he so angry about? He was the one two-timing her. Shame and anger took over her common sense.
“Not until you tell me why you cancelled our date and I find you here with her.” Kelly’s voice grew louder until she practically shouted. On the last word, she flung out one hand and pointed an accusing finger directly to the woman dining with him.
The woman’s faced reddened, in anger or embarrassment, Kelly couldn’t tell.
“I’m his wife. Who are you?”
~ ~ ~
Kelly’s hands shook as she viciously ripped the paper in half and then in half again. She tore the bits off one at a time, imagining they were arms and legs. His arms. His legs. Fury churned her insides as she crushed the fragments into a ball and squeezed, wishing it was his neck. Killing was too good for that seedy, double-crossing, adulterous bastard.
Robert’s betrayal remained fresh in her mind. Green eyes imploring his innocence, lips pleading for her to believe him—lies. All lies.
“Kelly? When did you get here?”
She froze. Her chest heaved, her breathing sounded harsh to her ears. Lost in her own little world in a dark corner of her friend’s kitchen, she hadn’t heard Dennis enter. Guess he figured out by now she’d used his hidden key. She wondered how long he’d been standing there.
“Kelly,” Dennis said softly. “What’s wrong?”
She inhaled a deep breath and slowly released it, her shoulders drooped with fatigue. When she’d fled the restaurant, all she could think about was running. Dennis had been her first thought, her safe haven. She’d given no consideration to the time or distance, only that she needed her best friend.
Focusing on the crumpled ball in her hands, she threw the paper into the bin and released the foot-pedal on the trashcan. Her insides still churned.
“The son-of-a-bitch is married!” Raw and exposed, she admitted the hard, cold facts. She’d been duped. Used. A willing accomplice in something she never would have been a part of if the bastard had been honest. She whirled around.
Dennis. The only trustworthy man in a world full of deceitful men. He studied her for some moments before he spoke.
“You drove in the shape you’re in? You should have called me. I don’t like the idea of you being on the road for hours when you’re upset. You better come sit down.”
“I don’t feel like sitting.” She wanted to scream and yell and beat her chest like a Viking warrior. Following Dennis’s direction meant she had to be rational. She felt anything but. When she’d caught her boyfriend with another woman, she thought he’d been cheating. Then the horrible moment dawned when she realized she’d stumbled upon him and his wife.
His wife.
“I want to do something,” she blurted, desperate to block out the embarrassing scene.
“All right. What do you want to do?” He sounded indifferent, although he looked at her as if she was an escapee from a mental institution and he was assessing his next move.
“Don’t analyze me, Dennis. I want to hit something. Scream. Yell. Ooooh . . .” She fisted her hands and blew out a jagged breath. She’d already tried counting to ten. By the time she hit three, she’d been ready to erupt like a volcano. Even now she paced like a caged tiger.
“So, you just jumped in a car and drove to Charlotte.”
Was he asking or making a point? Of course she drove here. Where else would she go when her world was crumbling at her feet?
“I needed to get away. It’s the first place I thought of.” Kelly shoved her hair out of her face, thinking of the long hours in a car where she’d been on autopilot. Her only conscious thought? Keep the vehicle between the white lines and head for the North Carolina state line. She raised her gaze to meet his. Dennis opened his arms. With a choked sigh, she ran and fell into them.
He hugged her tight. “It’s been entirely too long. What? Six? Eight months?”
“Yeah. Too long.” His comfort was just what she needed right now, but she wouldn’t cry. She was too mad to cry. A big strong chest and solid arms to hold her, that’s what she desired.
The last time she’d been held in a man’s arms—
Robert. She jolted back.
“My God, Kel. You’re wound as tight as a coiled spring.”
“Damn him.”
“Who?”
“Robert.” Just saying his name caused her temper to flare again. Every time she thought of her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend being married, she wanted to take a gun and shoot his balls off so he’d never be able to take advantage of another woman.
“You’re doing it again.”
“What?” she asked.
“Looking at me like I’m scum.”
“Oh, hell. This isn’t directed at you.” Kelly shook her thoughts away and gave Dennis a wobbly smile. “You know you’re my best friend in the whole world.”
“Driving from Virginia, showing up at my place late at night . . . Sounds like I’m your only friend.”
She punched him.
“That’s better.”
Kelly took a step back. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at nothing in particular. “He’s married. I can’t believe I let myself be used like that.”
“Want to tell me what happened?”
“Hmm, later,” she said as she shoved a stray curl behind one ear. “I hope you don’t mind a surprise visit. I didn’t exactly have time to call.”
“You have the equipment for a hands-free phone in your car. Somewhere in the three hours it took to get here, you’d think you could have found a moment.”
“I had other things on my mind.”
“So it would seem.”
“Is it okay I’m here?”
“You know you’re welcome anytime. I’m glad to see you, too. C ‘mere.” He gathered her into his arms again. He held her for several moments, his hands rubbing the tension from her back. “I’ve missed you.”
She’d been in a tizzy for hours and absorbed his welcoming strength. Dennis was the one man she could count on, even if he did leave a string of broken hearts behind him. Finally, her muscles relaxed and she released a sigh.
“Feeling better?”
“You know you can make any girl feel better . . . Casanova.”
Dennis laughed like he always did when she called him by that nickname. She’d given him the title in high school because of his reputation with the girls. His exploits on campus only made him more of a womanizer. Six feet of finely chiseled man with rich blond hair, green devil-may-care eyes, and being the star of the football team, girls pursued him by the dozens.
Six years after college, he still had the body of an athlete. And judging from their phone conversations, he still merited the label.
“I’ll make some coffee.” He removed his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. “Or would you rather have a beer?”
“I’m already wired. A glass of wine would be nice.” Kelly pulled out a chair and sat at the table. With her elbows propped on the edge, she held her head in her hands. How could she have been such a fool?
“Did I hear you correctly? You’re the last person in the world who’d get mixed up with a married man.”
Her fingers tightened, squeezing her scalp. She had morals. She’d never knowingly date a married man. She flung her hair out of her face and turned to him. “I feel so stupid. I really didn’t know.”
He removed a bottle from the wine rack and two goblets from the cupboard. “How did you find out?”
“Do you really want to hear this?”
“Since you’re here, I doubt I have a choice,” he said as he twisted off the cork.
“You did ask.” He shrugged without comment, so she went on. “I know you don’t like gibbering females. Look at it this way, at least I’m not crying.”
“If you were crying, I’d have to go after this guy.” Dennis placed a finger under her chin and searched her eyes. “I still might.” He slid one glass to her and kept one for himself, then sat down on the chair next to her. “I’m used to your long-winded stories.”
“Long winded—”
“Constant chatter, relentless prattle— Ouch!” He rubbed his arm where she’d punched him.
“I barely hit you.”
“You still pack a wallop.”
“Which I’m sure you barely felt.” She took a sip of wine and ran her tongue over her bottom lip, appreciating the strong berry flavor. “I can see you still work out.” Even in his dress shirt, Kelly noticed his tight stomach and the ripple of muscle on his arms.
“I joined a boxing club.”
“A boxing club?”
“I starred in the sport at college. Last year, I found a club here. It’s a great way to stay in shape.”
She tilted her head and looked at him under her lashes. “You take the risk of marring your pretty-boy face?”
He gave her a playful wink. “Haven’t heard that in quite a while.”
“No one calls you Pretty Boy anymore?” For a while, his friends called him ‘Baby Face’. He’d always looked younger than his age, and before he grew some fuzz, his face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Not now. Kelly could see a shadow from where he’d probably shaved that morning.
“What do you think of the scruffy look?” He rubbed the side of one jaw. Perhaps he’d had the same thought. “A couple days growth of beard seems to be popular these days.”
Business tycoon or surfer buff, the man was drop-dead gorgeous, and his blond hair only made his brown eyes more attractive. “You? Not shave? Hide that pretty-boy face?”
Dennis gave her an annoying glare. “You just made my decision.”
Kelly laughed, glad that she’d driven to Charlotte. She so needed to joke with her friend right now. “I didn’t know how you had the time for boxing while you were in college.” At his raised brow, she continued. “From what I heard, you had a revolving door with a parade of girls to your dorm and barely had time for classes.”
A corner of his mouth lifted as he sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. And there it was. The heartbreaker smile that had felled many a female.
“I dare to say Casanova still lives,” she said and sipped her wine. Funny how the two of them had never hooked up. Somehow, they had remained the best of friends. “I don’t want to cramp your style, but would you let me hang out at your place for a while?”
“Contrary to what you may think, I don’t have a string of women lined up outside my door. You can stay as long as you like.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you take vacation or put in for a leave of absence?” Heat filled her cheeks and his eyes narrowed.
“I, uh, I just got in my car and drove straight here.”
He settled back in his chair and lifted his glass to his lips. “Pack a bag?”
“Not sure you could call it that.” She thought back to the restaurant and the shock of Robert’s betrayal, seeing the stunned expression on his wife’s face, suffering the humiliation of a public scene.
“Kelly?”
She wrenched her mind back to the present. “I grabbed a few things.” She didn’t remember much about her bolt home. Somehow, she’d managed to drive her car back to her apartment with tears blurring her vision. Not from the devastation of Robert’s infidelity, but the humiliation of airing their affair in public. Kelly made a mad dash about her apartment, grabbing things she’d been totally unaware of. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to flee. To safety. To Dennis.
She glanced up to find his gaze boring into hers. His brow arched to his hairline, causing his forehead to crease. Dennis had a way of loosening her tongue with his imperious scrutiny. At the moment, she felt too raw, too much like a fool, to let her runaway tongue render her more exposed.
“It’s not like I loved the guy or anything.” But she had considered accepting a ring. She hated being made a fool and she wasn’t about to hang around her apartment. Robert would have shown up at some point, or he could have been right behind her. Ditching his wife.
Affair.
Her heart clenched at the word. Family was a number one priority. She hated thinking she’d had any part in hurting a family.
But then, Robert had done the hurting. He’d been the one to cheat on his partner. And he’d used her. Kelly’s anger flared again. The bite of remembrance made her stronger. She refused to fall apart.
“Are you hiding?” Dennis’s voice dropped lower, intimating a suspicious tone.
“What do you mean?”
“I can understand the need to get away. But, running this far? It’s not like I live next door. I assume you plan to stay longer than a weekend.”
“I didn’t think.”
“Of course not. However, I’m glad you came.” His eyes narrowed, probing hers. “Is there a reason you need to hide from this guy?”
“He didn’t abuse me if that’s what you’re asking.” If Dennis thought she’d been abused or was in danger, he’d go charging off with a vengeance. “Although, the last time I saw him, he looked ready to kill.”
“What do you mean?” She noted the tightening muscles in Dennis’s arms.
Her hand clenched and her wine threatened to spill as she clanked the glass on the table. “Come on, Dennis. Wouldn’t you be pissed if your girlfriend just exposed your affair to your wife?”
“I don’t have a wife. And I’d never have an affair if I did have one. That’s not the issue.”
“I know what you mean.” She stared into the burgundy liquid in her glass. No answers hiding there. “I just don’t want to see him ever again. For now, I need a change of scenery. If I disappear, he’ll get the message.”
“I’ll give him my own message.” He roughly shoved his chair back and stood.
Kelly jumped up, grabbing Dennis’s arm before he could get away. “There’s no need. I’m not worried. I didn’t get my heart broken or anything like that. I’m irritated. You taught me to use my head and check guys out.” She glanced toward the window. “I missed this one.”
Dennis bent into her line of vision, studying her face. “Hmmm. You don’t look exactly shattered. At least you absorbed a few things I said. But if that asshole bothers you—”
“Are you going to let me stay here or not?”
“Need you ask? I don’t have anything planned for the weekend, but if I did, it wouldn’t matter. Glad you’re here, even if a fiasco did bring you to my door. You’ll be staying for a while, so tomorrow I’ll go to the office and clear my schedule for next week. We can use that time to get your mind off your troubles. And if that cheating bastard comes nosing around—”
“He won’t.”
“Let him. He’ll get more than he bargained for.”
“My hero,” she said with a dramatic sigh.
“Come on. I’ll get your bag and you can take a shower.”
“It’s the blue Mustang convertible.”
“You got a new car?” Dennis gave a whistle. “Nice ride. How fast does that baby go?”
“I’ll let you see for yourself in the morning, when you go get me donuts for breakfast.”
~ ~ ~
Craig directed his SUV into a parking space and wondered why Dennis preferred the high-rise apartments closer to town. His buddy liked living lavishly and had more than likely chosen this particular building due to his prestigious lifestyle.
Craig put the car into ‘park’ as he took in his surroundings. He worked in a fast-paced, high-profile world, too, but he loved the idea of a home in the middle of the mountains, with lots of space. And lots of quiet. Things that were unobtainable in his corporate world.
One of these days his life might slow down. Maybe he’d take that long vacation he’d promised himself. For now, he’d settle for the weekend. Needing a break from endless pressing matters at the Charleston office, he’d jumped in his truck and hit the road. Lucky for him his business dealings were on the East Coast this week.
Delegation. His mother constantly reminded him being the owner and CEO meant he should delegate. Still, he had a hard time relinquishing control. With companies scattered around the US, he recognized the significance of keeping abreast of each one and made a point to be seen at each location. He spent more time traveling than he did behind a desk. So, he traveled in comfort. But he loved driving through the mountains in a pickup, with crisp air blowing in an open window.
With the hassle of the last few days, he’d forced himself to take a breather. At first, he’d thought about his cabin in the mountains. Secluded, but lonely. His second thought had been his good buddy Dennis who always let him crash at his place. Although, a weekend with his college roommate would be anything but relaxing.
He climbed out of his new Tundra and spotted his buddy’s wheels two spaces over. Good, he’s home.
Craig headed inside and stopped at the elevator, thinking of the apartments on the twentieth floor. He’d hit the road at six a.m. and missed his normal five-mile-run workout. A guy needed to stay in shape. He headed for the stairwell.
At the top of the twentieth floor, his pulse thrummed vigorously but his breathing remained steady. Anxious to see his friend, he stepped to the door and leaned on the doorbell. After a few minutes, he rang again. When no one answered, he knocked. A little late in the day for Dennis to still be in bed. Craig tried the door. It opened.
He stepped inside, glancing about the room. “Dennis? Hey, buddy.” Just as Craig closed the door, he heard a noise he recognized. The shower.
In college, the guys were constantly playing pranks on one another. Dennis had been the biggest prankster on campus. Now, he was about to get some of his own back.
Craig scrounged around the kitchen and found a bucket. Whistling, he opened the freezer door then grabbed the ice container and dumped ice cubes into the bucket, running cold water over the ice. While he slipped down the hallway and stepped into the master bedroom, he held in a chuckle and swallowed to keep laughter from tumbling out. Carefully, he eased the bathroom door open.
Fog filled the room and steam floated to the ceiling above the shower door. The sound of running water covered any noise he might make. He could barely make out an image through the textured glass door. The tile wall was high, but being tall himself, he had no problem reaching over the top. With an evil grin, he dumped the ice water.
A high-pitched, feminine scream shattered his ears. His shoulders tensed as a laugh died in his throat. The shower door flew open, banging against his elbows, and a naked woman leaped from inside. Mesmerized, he devoured her voluptuous form. Blond hair hung in thick strands plastered to her shoulders and clung to her firm breasts. Her nipples puckered from the cool air outside the steamy shower, or the ice he’d just dumped on her head. His eyes scanned curves of slick, gleaming skin with riveting beads of water trickling over plush hills and valleys. Her waist dipped to a flat stomach, drawing his gaze to the triangle between her legs. Yep. A natural blonde.
“Damn you, Dennis!” The lovely goddess squealed while flipping her hair out of her face.
Craig’s gaze locked on amber-gold eyes. They stared at each other in shocked silence. He couldn’t help but gape at the enchanting creature. Long moments passed before he could find his voice.
“I’m sorry . . . I thought . . . Dennis . . . Hell.” Craig tried to gather his thoughts but found them scattered all over the place with a hot naked woman standing there. He backed out of the room and slammed the door. But not before he’d taken another quick peek.
The door behind him, he dropped his head back against the wood and closed his eyes. Who the hell was that stunning creature?
He huffed out a breath, got his bearings, and made his way to the living room. Glancing around, he searched for signs to confirm he’d landed in the correct apartment. Everything he recognized assured him this was Dennis’s place. Craig realized he still held an empty bucket. He strode to the kitchen and tossed it into the sink.
Damn. Where the hell was Dennis? He should have been the one in the shower. Craig balled his fists and braced his arms on the counter.
When had his buddy allowed a woman to move in? Things must be serious if Dennis asked his lady-love to share his meticulously ordered space. The guy’s house could be featured in a home magazine the way he fussed. Everything had to be in its place.
The image of the naked woman flashed in Craig’s mind. He silently groaned. A woman with a body like that . . . he couldn’t blame Dennis for wanting her by his side.
Craig brushed a hand over his face as if to scrub her erotic image away. He’d seen the woman in all her naked glory. Of course he’d looked. Feasted, like a man starving for his next taste of temptation. Hell. He was a full-blooded American male. And he had a bulge in his pants to prove it. But, shit. Dennis’s girlfriend.
He’ll kill me.
How was he supposed to know a woman bathed in the shower instead of Dennis? His car was in the parking lot. The door was unlocked. He’d never mentioned anyone special. Like an exquisite goddess with dazzling beads of water glistening all over her curvaceous body.
Craig groaned.
Now what was he to do? There were unspoken lines friends did not cross. Putting moves on your best friend’s girl had to be one of them.