She might as well have slapped him. His eyes darkened and narrowed. “Get in the car,” he said.
She might not have wanted to touch him or anything that belonged to him, but she was willing to make an exception when it came to his car. She picked her wet and muddy coat off the ground and followed his instructions, stepping into the warm vehicle.
He got inside and slammed the door. When he pulled the car back on the road, he said, “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
Trapped in a car, she was helpless to escape his masculine power and deep, stirring sexuality. She couldn’t look at him without seeing the lips that had made her forget her name, the hands that had caressed her so tenderly. She could almost feel herself once again falling under his spell.
“I need your account information,” he continued, “so that I can transfer the stock back to you.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Then I need your account information so that I can pay you for it.”
Now she was getting it. He was afraid of a lawsuit, afraid that she would make a big stink at the company and drag down his net worth. Well, he needn’t have worried. She had told him once that she was not a hysterical woman and she had meant it. She planned on walking away with whatever dignity she had left.
“Look, Lessa, talk to me. We need to communicate if we’re to work together.”
“We’re not going to be working together, Rick. I’m a minority shareholder. There’s no way I’m going to keep my position on the board.”
“I’m giving you my support, Lessa. No one can do a damn thing about it.”
“You mean, whether they like it or not, I’ll stay on as chairman?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t want to work someplace like this, Rick. How would I justify my position? The president’s mistress? Former mistress.”
“So take back your stock. You’ll be the principal stockholder once again.”
“I don’t want it back. It was a deal, Rick. Fair and square.”
“You can’t leave Lawrence Enterprises, Lessa. You said yourself that it’s meant to be. It was what your father wanted. And the work you did on the Antigua/Florida deal was very good. You took charge of it and brought it all together without my help. I need someone like that.”
“I’m resigning, Rick. It’s my Christmas present to the board.”
He hesitated. “Lessa, I bought Mara del Ray. It can be yours. To remake, do whatever you want.”
So he had bought it after all. “You were smart to buy it. It’s a good investment. You’ll see.”
“Lessa, think about this. You’ve wanted to be at the helm of Lawrence for years. Don’t let your anger toward me get in the way of your dreams.”
It was tempting, but she couldn’t stay. She couldn’t bear the idea of working side by side with Rick, knowing that he didn’t care about her. That he never would.
“I thought you weren’t a quitter,” Rick said.
How dare he insinuate that she was giving up, admitting defeat? It was taking every ounce of courage for her to leave the company she had fought so hard for. “I have no choice. I realize now that although this company still uses my father’s name, it’s not his anymore. And it hasn’t been for a very long time. It’s your company, Rick. You worked for it. You deserve it.”
“Don’t do this, Lessa,” he said, pulling in front of the building where the meeting was being held. “You can’t walk away from something that you love.”
“Thought I loved. But I was wrong.” As she looked at him, she felt a stab of sadness. She was no longer talking about the company, but him.
“I’m not going to let you do this,” he said, parking the car. “I’m not going to let you walk away like this. What will it take?”
“Why do you care, Rick?”
“Because I…I care about you,” he said, taking her hands in his.
The words hung in the air. She wanted to believe him so badly. He slid next to her and pressed his lips against her, gently covering her mouth. She could feel herself letting go, her defenses melting away. She wanted to believe him. And she did. But it wasn’t enough.
No matter what they did or how hard they tried, they could never be partners at Lawrence Enterprises. Despite the fact that she had given it her all and had played the match of a lifetime, she had lost, and one thing she knew was how to accept defeat gracefully. There would be only one victor in this match. She pulled away from Rick and stepped out of the car. As she walked toward the inn, she felt as if her heart were breaking.
I will miss you, Rick Parker, she said in her mind. I will miss you.
Fourteen
That night, Rick did something he had not done in a long time. He went home. At least thirty people were crammed into his parent’s small house and the result was bedlam. A fire was burning in the fireplace, an oversize tree was stuffed in the corner of the living room, torn pieces of wrapping paper were scattered about and presents were piled all over the place. Most of the children had escaped downstairs, but every now and then the door to the basement would fly open and a child would burst into the room, excitedly talking about Santa Claus. But Rick did not partake in any festivities. He stood off by himself, his mind focused on Lessa. Only hours ago, he had watched Lessa give away the company she loved. Up until the final moment, he had been sure that she would come to her senses and change her mind.
“I’m glad you’re home,” his sister, Susan, said, walking up to him. “I’ve forgotten how much fun you are.” He knew she was teasing but he was in no mood.
She sighed and motioned for their brother, Russell, to join them. “Rick is in trouble.”
“I’m not in trouble,” he said. “I just don’t like watching someone throw their career away.”
“What did you expect?” Susan asked, “That she would go back to work as usual? You just swindled her out of her company. She doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
“So let her hate me. But giving away the company just hurts herself.”
“For one,” his sister said, “she hurt more than herself. She hurt you.” She sighed deeply. “But I doubt that she realizes that. I’m sure she’s convinced you care little for her.”
“I tried to talk her out of this.”
“I’m sure she felt as if she had little choice. She didn’t exactly throw anything away. You took it. And by the time you changed your mind, it was too late. I understand completely why she did what she did. How can she go back to Lawrence Enterprises knowing that she will have to see you every day? It’s just too hard.”
“What happened after the board meeting?” his brother asked.
“She rode back to the city with one of the assistants.” Rick had attempted to talk to her, but she had escaped immediately after her resignation. He had sat there, helpless to stop her as she’d walked out of his life.
“I can’t believe you threw away a perfectly good opportunity to improve your serve. I bet she would’ve given you some lessons,” Russell teased, swinging a pretend racket. “Oh well, you’re back at the helm of your company, and that’s what’s important, right?”
“I’m going to resign,” Rick announced suddenly. His brother and sister grew quiet and exchanged worried glances. He knew it seemed sudden, but he had never felt so clearheaded in his life. The truth of the matter was that the company he’d fought so long and hard for no longer mattered to him. He had paid too high a price.
“Does Lessa know that?” Russell asked.
“I don’t think it would make a damn bit of difference. She doesn’t want to be with me.”
“She was upset,” his sister chimed in. “What did you expect?”
“I told her I cared about her. I don’t just toss that out there.”
“You care about her? What’s that supposed to mean? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that you love her.”