“So? You take the corporate jet and make him fly commercial.”
“We need to go over everything first.”
“I thought you did that last night.”
“We discussed selling Antigua last night.”
Her aunt raised her hands as if admitting defeat.
Lessa sighed. “It’s no relationship, Gran. I don’t think he’s capable. And I know I’m not.”
“You don’t know that at all. You’ve never been tested. That’s the problem. I always thought you were picky, just waiting for the right guy. Not the wrong one.”
“I’m sorry, Gran. I know this seems strange. I spent all that time plotting revenge and thinking about how I was going to get rid of him. I hated him.”
“There’s a fine line between love and hate.”
“I never thought this would happen. But I’m going to try and keep it all in perspective. I have to. I could be working with him for a very long time and I can’t afford to be jealous or distracted.”
“How in the world do you plan on preventing that?”
“I just can’t allow it. That’s all there is to it.”
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Lessa, but how do you know that Rick didn’t do this just to confuse you?”
“You think he slept with me just to bring me pain?”
“It’s a possibility. It’s also a possibility that it meant nothing to him.”
“I don’t think he did it out of spite, Gran. I know how I must sound, but he really isn’t a bad person. Underneath it all, I think he’s sweet and sensitive.”
“I hope you’re right, Lessa. I really do.”
“I’m a big girl, Gran. I can take care of myself.”
“You’re going to have to if you insist on playing with pirates.”
Normally, he would’ve been relieved to wake up and discover that his lover from the previous evening was gone. But not this time. It had only made him crave her more.
How had that happened? After all, Lessa was opinionated, stubborn and one of the most frustrating women he had ever encountered. But the truth of the matter was that underneath her bravado was warmth and tenderness. She had made him feel things he’d never thought possible again.
And so, when the opportunity had presented itself, he could not deny his mind or body the pleasure. But he would have to. As much as he was tempted to pursue their relationship, he had to agree with her. They would put the previous evening behind them. This was the only solution. After all, he was on the verge of winning back his company and firing her. As much as he might wish otherwise, Lessa did not belong at Lawrence Enterprises. She was resented and distrusted. The board would never again allow her any independence.
Although she was certain to be furious with him when she discovered that she had lost the company, in the end, he had no doubt she would be happier. She could take the money he paid her for her shares and start her own company. She would move on with her life, as he would with his.
But before then, he was going to introduce her to his entire family.
He must be crazy. After all, only a crazy man would do something so ridiculous. But it only made sense, right? They needed to go over their briefs before the meeting. They could do that on the plane.
Yeah, right.
The truth of the matter was that, like or not, he cared about Lessa. And, although they had promised each other that it was a single night, he was already longing for the moment when he could touch her again, when he could make love to her once more. He was not willing or able to go back to business as usual.
“Hello, Rick,” Lessa said as she opened the door to her apartment. She looked beautiful. Her long hair was swept up, away from her face. She was wearing a blue dress that alluded to the beautiful curves underneath. “Come on in,” she said, motioning for him to follow.
He glanced around nervously. “Where’s your aunt?”
“She’s not here. She went out to lunch with some friends.”
He entered and shut the door. In the foyer, he looked at the wall of pictures. They were old family photos featuring Lessa and her father. At the top was a picture of Howard with his arm around a woman who looked very similar to Lessa.
“That was my mother,” Lessa said. “That was taken at El Vitro, their first property.”
“Your mother was beautiful,” he said. “She looks a lot like you.”
“Thanks.” She pointed out another picture. “There they are with me outside of my father’s office. That was the day he incorporated Lawrence Enterprises.”
From the pictures, Rick could almost feel his deceased boss giving him the evil eye.
Lessa put on her coat and grabbed an overnight case from beside the door. “Ready.”
“Are you planning on staying a while?” he joked, nodding toward her bag.
“No,” she said quickly, embarrassed that he might think she was plotting to get him alone. “After our last trip, I wasn’t leaving anything to chance. I prefer my own swimsuit, thank you very much.”
“I thought that other one looked kind of nice.”
“Thanks,” she said uncomfortably, ushering him out the door and down the hall.
They didn’t speak until they were seated in his car. She asked, “So do you like the guy your sister’s marrying?”
“Sure,” he said with a shrug.
“You don’t seem that happy about it.”
Not happy about it? The truth of the matter was that his sister had suffered a nasty divorce that had been finalized only months before she’d met her new fiancé. Rick thought she was a fool to open herself up to more pain, but she was determined to be with her new love. And he gave her credit. “It’s her business.”
“Not a very romantic thing to say on the way to the wedding.”
“Maybe not. But it’s practical. She’s been married before. You wouldn’t know it though. She’s going all out for this.”
“She hasn’t given up on love.”
“Or maybe she’d just a glutton for punishment. She should’ve learned her lesson the first time.”
“Does she seem happy?”
“That’s how most relationships begin, don’t they?” There were exceptions, of course, like his and Lessa’s. They had begun as unhappily as most marriages end. What did that say for them?
They rode the rest of the way in silence, talking only when necessary. When they got to the chapel, Rick ushered Lessa past his stunned family, not stopping to introduce her. When he went back into the lobby, his sister said, “You brought someone? You actually brought a girlfriend to a family event?”
As a groomsman, Rick was required to work the crowd, seating people on either side of the church. Every now and then, he found himself glancing back toward Lessa. She seemed to be totally relaxed, busying herself by making conversation with the elderly woman next to her.
After the ceremony, Rick barely had time to say hello to Lessa before being whisked into the family photo session.
“I’ll meet you at the reception,” Lessa said.
An hour later, Rick and the rest of the wedding party finally made their way across the street to the reception. As the bride and groom made their grand entrance. Rick scanned the room, looking for Lessa, but it soon became clear she wasn’t there. He finally found her in the hall, helping an elderly woman out of the ladies room.
“This is Rick,” Lessa said, introducing him to the woman.
“Oh, your wife has been so sweet to help me,” she said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without her. My daughter was late and-”
“Here I am, Mom,” a woman said, hurrying into the hall. She thanked Lessa profusely as she took hold of her mother’s arm and helped her the rest of the way.
“Wife?” Rick asked when they were out of earshot.
“It was a misunderstanding. She knew I came here with you and she just made an assumption. I didn’t see any reason to correct her.”
“Look,” he said, “I just have to stay for a little bit longer-”
“And who is this?”