He felt her shiver, saw the way her gaze warmed when he talked about later.
And hoped like hell later came a lot sooner.
“Would you like to come to the Salon with me for a little while? I need some time to unwind.”
Two hours later, Tyler felt like a pull toy that’d had its string yanked a few too many times.
Vasser’s presence at the reception had put him on edge.
Considering the events of the past week, he felt justified in feeling unsettled. But the only way he knew how to bring himself back into balance involved methods he wasn’t sure Kate would be comfortable with.
But he was sure as hell going to ask.
With a slight smile and a nod, Kate agreed. They took the elevator in silence to the fourth floor.
He could tell she knew something was bothering him, but so far she hadn’t pushed.
Growing up with his mom, never knowing what kind of mood she’d be in, had taught him to always expect the unexpected. He’d managed to hold it together most days, but there were some he couldn’t. It hadn’t been until he’d been older that he’d found a way to cope.
And a woman who allowed him to use her to cope.
Damn, that made him sound like a total asshole.
But Mia had understood, he thought as he opened the door to the Salon and ushered Kate inside. Mia had known about his innermost fears. The ones he’d been able to conquer with her help.
You mean with her submission.
“Would you like another drink?”
“I could do with some water.” Kate’s voice sounded a little rough, a little deeper than normal. “I don’t think I’ve made as much small talk in the past year as I did tonight.”
At the bar, he shot her a glance over his shoulder as he put ice in a glass then poured water into it. “I have to say, I think you might have turned a few people into investors who might not have been. You’re extremely compelling.”
“When I believe in something, I have no problem promoting it. And Greg’s idea for the documentary is impressive. I really like the way he wants to use the proceeds to fund the foundation to get more arts education into schools. It’s something that’s sorely lacking.”
He should’ve known she’d find Greg’s proposal worthwhile. And he would have if he didn’t have all this other shit clogging his brain.
Christ, how self-absorbed was he?
Since he’d already had enough alcohol, he got a 7UP for himself and then returned to Kate, sitting by the fireplace on the love seat. Since the fireplace burned actual wood, he squatted down to light a match to the kindling and paper already set beneath the logs and watched until he was sure it’d caught.
When he looked up, he found her watching him, an intent expression on her face.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you? If you don’t want me to know then say that. But don’t lie and tell me nothing’s wrong.”
Her straightforward approach made his lips curve in a slight smile as he sat next to her on the love seat. He didn’t reach for her and drag her onto his lap like he wanted. Instead, he turned so he could rest his back against the armrest and look directly at her.
“My father is considering selling his shares in the GoldenStar chain to Vasser’s company. The deal would include the original hotel my grandfather built here in the city. Dad told me if Jared or I don’t take over his seat on the board, he has no reason to keep it. I thought he was beyond playing these games.”
And there was the fury he couldn’t keep contained. It rose up like bile, threatening to choke him.
“Maybe he wants to retire.” Kate’s eyes had narrowed, watching him closely. “I’ve never heard you mention any cousins or aunts or uncles. Isn’t there anyone else to take over?”
“No. My parents were only children. No cousins, no aunts, no uncles.”
“So you and Jared are his only heirs?”
When she put it like that, he saw how it looked from her side. That Glen Golden wasn’t really manipulating his sons into doing what he wanted. That this could be the only logical solution to a problem that didn’t have an easy answer.
But his father was only in his midfifties. He still had at least ten years to go before he even thought about retirement.
But Mom’s health hasn’t been great lately, has it?
“Yeah, we are,” he answered. “And my mom’s had some complications with her medication recently.”
Or was there something else going on that neither of his parents wanted to tell them? Either way, Glen Golden was playing an angle. He had to be. There’s no way he would have ever sold the chain out of the family.
“Is her condition life-threatening?”
Kate’s quiet question had his spine straightening, but he didn’t hear avarice in her voice. Many women in Philadelphia society would love to get their greedy nails into whatever gossip they could uncover and spread through their circles. Some women prided themselves on how much pain they could cause.
Kate’s tone held genuine compassion.
“It depends on the day.” He took a deep breath and allowed her into one of his deepest-held secrets. “She’s bipolar. Has been as long as I can remember. Growing up, it’d get so bad, she’d be confined to her bedroom for weeks. Then she’d go months without an episode. And then she’d break again and be out of touch for a month.”
“I’m sorry.” Two simple words, but they eased something inside him. “But she’s doing well now?”
“As far as I know. Which is why this move of my dad’s seems like a ploy. He’s always wanted me to take over the chairmanship. Hell, I was groomed for it for years. And then Jared came up with the idea for Haven and we knew this is what we wanted to do.”
“But you don’t want to lose your grandfather’s legacy, do you?”
“Granddad left Jared and I enough money to build this place. We own the majority of the stock, although we do have a few investors. But no one can take it away from us. It’s ours. Still . . .”
He’d never considered that his dad would sell the chain. It’d never even occurred to him.
“You don’t want to see the chain get sold off, but you have your life, your own properties.”
“The spa is a huge undertaking. I don’t even think Jared knows how big. In this economy, we could lose every cent we stick into it.”
“Or it could be a huge success as people begin to spend again. You and Jared made a success of this hotel in one of the worst economic climates. I have no doubt you can do the same with the spa.”
His lips curved in an unexpected smile. He never really thought of Kate as having an optimistic streak. Her snarky attitude had led him to believe she was a pessimist.
And yet, here she was, trying to lift his spirits.
And making his cock stiff.
“Do you want to be chairman of the board, Tyler?”
He thought about his answer for several seconds, not really sure he wanted to talk business right now. He wanted to strip her naked, bend her over the double-sided, black leather horse in the far corner of the room, and fuck her until he couldn’t think straight.
But that wasn’t all he wanted to do with her.
He wanted to talk to her, have her listen to what he said, and hear her opinions. He and Jed had way too much history with their father to see this situation clearly. And as much as he appreciated Greg’s advice, his opinion would be colored by his knowledge of the situation.
The horse wasn’t going anywhere and they still had hours before daylight.
“It was all I wanted as a teenager. It was why I got straight As in high school and college so I could go to Wharton.”