Kitabı oku: «The By Request Collection», sayfa 20
For a big tough guy he was so damned sweet sometimes.
She swallowed her fear, and her pride, and said, “I know we agreed on our friends-with-benefits arrangement, but everything feels different now. I feel different. But before I get in any deeper I need to know if you feel the same way. If you think we have a future together. I know it’s only been a few weeks, and I don’t want to rush you—”
“Yes.”
She blinked. “Yes?”
“Yes,” he said, still holding her hand, and the affection in his eyes was so nakedly honest her heart shifted in her chest. “I see us having a future together. I want us to be together. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Gracie. Hard as I tried to forget you, I never could. You’re a part of me. I know there’s bad feelings, and it will take time, but not being with you isn’t an option anymore. We can just take it one day at a time.”
She was so relieved, and so happy that she’d had the courage to ask.
“I can do that,” she said. Hell, in the past she had waited two years for their relationship to bloom into something more than friendship.
“I do have one more question,” she said. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
“I was kind of hoping someone would invite me to Nora and Reid’s wedding,” he said with a grin.
His smile warmed her from the inside out. “Would you be my date?”
“I would love to,” he said, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, then letting go. “But right now I have to eat and get to work.”
“This early?” she said, feeling disappointed. She had been hoping they might have a little time to fool around before he left.
“My day is booked solid. How about you?”
The truth was, she had more work than she could handle. They were obviously both workaholics, but she was sure they could make that work. “I’ll probably shower and get to the office early, too.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“I have to go to work.”
“And you will, but I’m sending a car for you. It will take you to and from work, or anywhere else you need to go. I don’t want you going anywhere alone. Understand?”
“You don’t think that’s excessive?”
“Not at all. A threat is a threat.”
“But if there’s nothing on the flash drive—”
“This is not negotiable,” he said firmly. “We’re not taking any chances.”
“Maybe I should take a look at that flash drive again and see if there’s something you missed. I know that campaign like the back of my hand.”
“Actually I was going to take them with me to work. I want to make a few inquiries and take another look at them. Besides, if the senator really is determined to get them, his ‘associate’ will never get past my building security. They’ll be safest there.”
“Should I maybe call the police? Like you said, a threat is a threat.”
“They’re going to want proof. I hate to say it, but it’s your word against a state senator’s, and you might not be taken seriously. He has connections. It might only make the situation worse.”
Roman was probably right. Dax was extremely well liked. And well connected. “It’s just so frustrating that he can get away with that. That he can threaten and bully me with no consequences. I did so much for him. I really believed in him. I feel so betrayed, and so stupid for not seeing who he really is.”
“You could only see what he let you see. He’s a politician, and sadly most of them will say or do anything to appeal to the base and get elected. And they’ll do anything to avoid a scandal. This is why I stay away from clients with political motivations.”
“I’m sorry you had to be dragged into this. I’m pretty sure this will be the last time I venture into the political realm.”
Roman got up and put his plate in the sink, then shrugged into his blazer. “What time should I have the car pick you up?”
“You know, I could have one of my dad’s limos take me where I need to go.”
“Is his driver trained to kill a man with his bare hands?”
Boy, he really was serious about keeping her safe. “Um...well...”
“I didn’t think so. So don’t bother arguing, it will be a waste of time.”
“How long do I have to live like this?”
“Hopefully not long. Let me make some calls today, and do some digging. I’ll update you when I get home tonight. In the meantime I want you to talk to the security detail at your office. Let them know that there could be a problem, but don’t go into any detail.”
“What should I tell him exactly?”
“Just tell him that you’ve gotten threatening phone calls, and he needs to watch for anything suspicious.”
“Okay,” she said, the whole situation still feeling so surreal. Like something she would see on one of those true-crime shows.
“I have to go, but I’ll call you later. And call me if you need anything.”
She rose from her seat to kiss him goodbye. “I will, I promise. And thank you for everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” He kissed her gently and stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I will move heaven and earth to keep you safe.”
She smiled up at him. “I know. And I should be ready to leave by eight.”
“I’ll make sure the car is here by then. And be careful.”
“I will. Have a good day.” She almost said I love you. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it in. One day at a time, take it slow, no pressure.
Now that she knew where she stood, and that they were headed in the right direction, that was good enough for her. She trusted Roman with her life, and now she trusted him with her heart.
Twelve
As soon as Roman was in his car he called Agent Crosswell and left a message. The guilt of having to lie to Gracie was eating him alive. He loved her, he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life and this deception was killing him. But he couldn’t risk her getting hurt or, almost as bad, going down as an accomplice. He’d come so close to telling her the truth, but he just couldn’t. Hell, for all he knew the FBI could have his place bugged. It wasn’t unheard of. And if this thing was going to end, he had to turn the flash drive over to them. He had no other choice. But before he did, before he would even take them to the FBI building, he and Agent Crosswell were going to sit down and talk, and put together some sort of deal to protect Gracie from any form of legal retribution or liability.
There was no doubt in Roman’s mind that the senator had committed fraud, and Roman would not let Gracie get sucked into what had the potential to be an epic scandal. That was the last thing she needed. As a key player in the senator’s campaign she would definitely feel some backlash. There was no way to avoid that. And at some point she would probably have to testify at trial, unless the senator took a deal. But Roman doubted he would. He was too arrogant to believe he would ever be found guilty. But this house of cards he’d built was about to come down.
Roman would insist that it be made clear, unequivocally and with no question, that Gracie was in no way involved in the senator’s illegal dealings. Because it was often people in her position who went down as the fall guy. And the senator was just the sort of man to throw someone else under the bus to save his own ass and not think twice about it.
The more he learned about the man, the more troubling the situation became. Roman knew that Dax must have friends in high places, but he had learned the misconduct was further reaching than even he’d imagined. And as badly as he wanted to see the senator go down, his main priority was making sure Gracie walked away unscathed.
If Gracie wasn’t given full immunity, the FBI would never see that flash drive.
When he got to work he made the car arrangements for Gracie, hiring a fully armed driver whom he spoke to personally. Knowing there would be someone to watch her back took his stress level down considerably. Then, at 8:30 a.m., Agent Crosswell called him back.
“We need to have a meeting,” Roman told him.
“You have what I want?” he asked.
“We talk first.”
There was a long pause, as if the agent were thinking it through, then he said, “Fair enough. One o’clock, my office.”
“I’ll be there,” Roman said. The flash drive was already locked away in his office safe, and wouldn’t be coming back out until he had everything that he needed from the FBI. And as soon as he was able, he would come clean with Gracie and hope she understood why he had to lie to her. That he was doing it to protect her. Because this time he had no doubt in his mind of her innocence. That he’d believed she could be guilty of anything seven years ago still haunted him. He’d betrayed her, and though he had moved on, the guilt had never completely gone away. But he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her if that was what it took. And he hoped that she could eventually forgive him. Until then he wasn’t going to push. Like he told Gracie, one day at a time.
The meeting with the FBI went well, and Crosswell agreed to a deal giving Gracie full immunity. Roman also insisted that her name be kept out of this for as long as humanly possible. Still, he knew that there would be no way to completely avoid the fallout. They made arrangements for an agent to pick the flash drive up at his office later that afternoon, and of course he showed up right on time, dressed as a delivery man. Handing them over, knowing he was deceiving Gracie, was one of the hardest things Roman had ever had to do. But he just kept reminding himself that he was doing it for her safety. Because when this blew open, it wasn’t just Dax who would be going down. Some very prominent officials would be shoved into the spotlight, not to mention local authorities and their mob connections. But if the FBI was going to make their case, he hoped they would do it soon, because as long as Dax suspected her of having that flash drive she would be in danger. Hell, even if she turned them over to him, and he suspected her of knowing the truth, he might do something drastic to silence her. Something that would surely look like an accident. Roman had seen it before. And he knew that the longer he had to lie to Gracie, the worse the damage would be when the truth came out.
Roman had a hell of a time concentrating the rest of the afternoon. He must have texted Mark, Gracie’s driver/bodyguard, a dozen times to check up on them.
Mark, an ex-marine, finally had enough, and late in the afternoon, sent him a terse text:
Relax boss, I’ve got it.
Roman didn’t make it home until almost eight, and the limo was still in the driveway, which alarmed him. The security system at his home was top-of-the-line, so he hadn’t asked or expected Mark to stick around after she was home for the night, but when he walked into the house they were sitting at the kitchen table eating pizza. Gracie had a beer, and Mark, ever the professional, was drinking a bottle of soda. She had exchanged her work clothes for a pair of leggings and an oversize sweatshirt. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked just like she had back in college.
As soon as she saw him, Gracie smiled and stood to greet him. “Sorry we started without you, but I was starving.”
He walked over to her and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She tasted like tomato sauce and beer. “Did you have a good day?”
Hell no, not even close. “I had a busy day.”
She shrugged and said, “I guess busy is good. I was just telling Mark that my new purse line is doing fantastic. They’re flying off the shelves. We’re going to make record profits this quarter.”
“That’s great,” he said with a smile, wishing he could share her enthusiasm.
Mark finished his soda and stood. “I’m going to head out. What time tomorrow, ma’am?”
“Gracie,” she said. “And let’s say seven thirty if that’s okay. I have an early meeting to prepare for.”
“I’ll be here.”
“A word?” Roman asked Mark, who nodded. “I’ll be right back,” Roman said to Gracie over his shoulder as he left.
When they were outside, Mark said, “I hope you don’t mind that I stayed. She offered pizza and I was hungry.”
“I don’t mind, I just saw the limo still here and thought the worst. So there was no trouble today? No sign of anyone following you?”
Mark shook his head. “Nothing. And I have to say, that’s one hell of a great girl you’ve got there.”
Roman couldn’t suppress a smile. “She is.”
“When you told me who she was I expected her to be snooty or arrogant. I was wrong. I told her that my eight-year-old daughter is really into fashion and she offered to give her a tour of her offices. I didn’t expect that.”
Roman had learned over time that people were just people. Heiress or not, Gracie was still a good person who cared deeply for others. “She is something special,” he said. And he had to go in there and lie to her face. Because she was going to ask him about the Dax situation, and he had no information to give her.
“Hang on to that one,” Mark said, opening the driver’s side door.
He was trying. When he went back inside Gracie was clearing their plates from the table.
“Are you hungry?”
“I had a bite to eat at the office.” The truth was he hadn’t eaten all day. Not only did he have no appetite, but when he thought about lying to her he wanted to barf.
“Did you make any progress on those files?” she asked, putting the plates in the dishwasher.
Shit.
“I didn’t,” he said, which technically wasn’t a lie. “But I put some feelers out and I’m waiting to hear from a few people.”
Again, technically not a lie.
“Tonight I’d really just like to crash on the couch and watch TV.”
“Sounds good,” she said. “But first, can we talk about something?”
He had no idea what she wanted to talk about, but still his heart dropped. “Of course. What’s up?”
“Roman,” she said, walking over to him, tilting her chin up so she could look him in the eye. “There’s something I have to say to you. Something I’ve wanted to say for a while now, but I... I just had to be sure.”
“Okay,” he said, heart in his throat, expecting the worst.
She cradled his face in her soft hands and looked him in the eye. “I forgive you.”
A knife plunged through his heart couldn’t have stung more, and though he was happy and relieved to hear the words, they were bittersweet. And he couldn’t stop himself from what he said next. He took her hands and held them tight, looked deeply into her eyes and told her, “I love you, Gracie.”
With misty eyes she smiled and said, “I love you, too,” twisting the knife that much deeper.
He wrapped his arms around her, wishing he never had to let go again.
He had the love of his life back. He was finally right where he wanted to be. And now, due to circumstances completely out of his control, there was a pretty good chance that he could lose it all.
* * *
Gracie and Roman never did watch TV that night. They never even made it to the couch. They fell into bed together instead, and made love way past their bedtime. The way they had pretty much every night since.
In the following week Mark became a familiar fixture in her life. She hated that the driver had to be there, and as far as she knew there had been no nefarious activity, but if Roman thought it was necessary, she wasn’t going to argue. But he hadn’t made any headway to speak of on the files and she was getting impatient. If she didn’t know better she might think he was stalling, but that ended tomorrow. She was going to ask him to bring the flash drive home so she could look at what was on it.
Home. That was an entirely new concept for her. When Roman gave her the all clear, would she be able to go back to her place? Would she be happy not seeing him every day, waking up to his smile and his messy hair? Would she feel alone without him to cuddle up to in bed? She had been at his place only a week yet somehow it felt like a lifetime.
And what if he asked her to stay? She’d been back to her place twice with Mark to pick up a few things. Well, more than a few actually. All of her makeup, hair products and toiletries were in Roman’s bathroom. Half her wardrobe was hanging in the closet in the spare bedroom. Other than her furniture, she was practically moved in already. And it couldn’t have felt more natural or more comfortable.
That didn’t ease her nerves the day of her sister’s wedding. This would be their first outing as a couple, and her entire family would be there. She thought her sisters would be okay; it was her mother and Sutton she was worried about. She wanted her sister’s wedding to be perfect.
“I need help,” Roman said, stepping into the bathroom, where she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup before she slipped into her gown.
He was dressed in his tux, and he looked so hot and sexy, she almost asked him to take it back off again. But they were already running late. They were supposed to be at Sutton’s estate in less than an hour.
Roman held his bow tie out to her. “I’ve always sucked at these,” he said, tugging at his collar. “I hate these damned monkey suits.”
She tied a perfect knot, then stepped back to look at him. Perfect, other than the slightly rumpled hair. But that was just Roman. And it was getting long enough that he was due for a trim. She was so used to his hair that way, that when she saw photos of him with a military cut he was barely recognizable.
But still hot as hell.
“You look good,” she said as he gave his collar another tug.
“Are you almost ready?” he asked her.
“Almost.” She stepped over to the mirror and grabbed a bottle of hair spray, giving her updo another light misting. “Could you help me into my gown?”
Because the guest list was mostly family and good friends, she’d chosen to wear one of her own designs, a floor-length off-the-shoulder beaded dress the exact same color as her eyes. And it weighed a ton.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked.
“Zip me please.” She pulled the dress down off the hanger and stepped into it. It took effort to get it up over her bosom and she knew that by the end of the night, lugging around the extra weight was going to wear on her.
He fastened the zipper and she turned to the mirror to see the final effect. Not half bad.
“You look beautiful,” Roman said, stepping up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and nibbled her shoulder. “Taste pretty good, too.”
“And you smell delicious.”
“Looking like you do, you might upstage the bride.”
Not a chance. Having designed Nora’s dress herself, Gracie knew her sister would be a knockout.
She turned in his arms and kissed him softly, so he didn’t end up wearing more of her lipstick than she was. “I think I’m ready.”
The way she was feeling right now, with so much happiness deep in her heart, she could take on the world.
Thirteen
By the time Gracie and Roman put on their coats and got into the limo her father had sent to fetch them, they were really late. It was windy and cold and lake-effect snow had begun to fall, making the surface roads slippery, adding more time to their drive.
When they finally made it to her father’s estate the limo pulled up to the front steps and a valet opened the door.
They stepped into the foyer, which was a wonderland of draped pink and white tulle and a mix of pink and white blooms. In the foyer alone there had to be thousands of flowers, so she could only imagine how the rest of the house looked.
“Wow,” Roman said under his breath. “That is a lot of pink.”
She elbowed him playfully.
Her mother was the first person Gracie saw as she slipped out of her coat and handed it to an attendant.
Celeste saw them and eyed Roman coolly.
“So,” Roman said. “She’s clearly not happy to see me.”
Gracie had wondered how she would take the news of her and Roman’s reunion. Now she knew: not very well. “Give me a few minutes alone with her,” Gracie said.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“Not just yet. I need to pace myself.”
“So, no more than four?” he teased.
She laughed. “Well, maybe five.”
She crossed the foyer and Roman headed for the bar in the great room. Her mother opened her arms and gave Gracie a warm hug and an air-kiss. Celeste had always been beautiful, tall and lithe and graceful. But tonight she looked positively radiant.
“Mom, you look great!”
“I feel great,” she said. “You look beautiful. Is the dress one of yours? It’s lovely.”
“It’s mine. Have you seen Nora yet?”
“I was up there earlier for pictures. And Gracie, you’ve outdone yourself this time with her dress. It’s absolutely stunning. And Eve’s dress, oh my goodness. That’s beautiful, too. Have I ever told you how talented you are, and how proud I am of you?”
“A time or two,” Gracie said with a smile. Her mother had always been one of her biggest supporters. She’d raised her to be independent and think for herself. In part, Gracie guessed, because Celeste’s parents had made most of her decisions for her. Like marrying Sutton.
“How was your trip?” Gracie asked.
Her mother lit up like a firefly. “Exactly what I needed.”
“You look very happy.”
With a coy smile, she said, “I have reason to be.”
Could it be...? “Mom, did you meet someone?”
Her smile gave it away. “He’s Italian. And ten years younger than me. And the sex?” She fanned her face and Gracie resisted the urge to put her fingers in her ears and sing, la la la la la. But she was so pleased to see her mother happy she didn’t care. At sixty, Celeste was still young and vigorous.
Though her parents never had a great marriage, her mother had still taken the divorce and, more recently, the news of Carson’s paternity hard. There was so much residual bitterness. Gracie had worried that being here would bring all of that hurt and turmoil back up to the surface on what should be a happy occasion.
“Your father doesn’t look well at all,” her mother commented. “It’s obvious he hasn’t much time left.”
“I know,” Gracie said, her heart aching a little at the thought of losing him. He wasn’t a great man, but he had been a good father. It broke her heart to know that he wouldn’t be there for her wedding, or to see his grandchildren if she had any. That was something she and Roman needed to talk about eventually. And speaking of... “So I guess you probably heard about me and Roman.”
At the mention of his name, her mother’s smile faded. “You know how I feel about him. About the hell that he put you through.”
“I know, but I’ve forgiven him for that and we’ve moved forward.” It had felt so good to say the words, to finally let go of the past and start fresh.
Her mother’s lips dipped into a frown. “I don’t trust him.”
“But I do, and that’s all that matters.”
“You’ll have to give me time to get used to this. Don’t expect me to immediately welcome him with open arms just because you do.”
The truth was, Gracie didn’t really care what her mother or anyone else thought, because it wasn’t their decision, or their business.
“I should probably go say hello to Daddy,” she told her mother. “We’ll talk more later.”
“Of course,” Celeste said, looking a little hurt. But Gracie was so happy and she didn’t want anything to spoil her day.
As she walked through the house she saw so many familiar faces. Though a Thanksgiving wedding was a little unconventional, everyone from the guest list seemed to be there. Carson and Georgia stood chatting with Gina Chamberlain, and Graham was at the bar with Roman. She had heard Brooks would not be attending, though out of courtesy he had been invited. Eve and Nash, as maid of honor and best man, were likely upstairs getting ready. But there were countless other friends and extended family, all of whom she would get to eventually, but as Nora had told her, she was a guest at this wedding. She would leave the formal greetings to the wedding party. This being her second marriage, Nora had chosen to keep it small and intimate. But Nora being Nora, she fretted over leaving her sister out. Gracie had been in the wedding party at Nora’s first wedding, though. She just wanted her sister to do what made her happy.
After the ceremony in the arboretum, a sit-down turkey feast would be served in the ballroom, which hadn’t been used in Grace couldn’t remember how long, and there would be music and dancing afterward. When she was a child they used to have elaborate holiday celebrations with all of their friends and family, but as she and her sisters got older, and their parents’ marriage got rockier, the parties had been few and far between.
She found her father sitting in his wheelchair, nurse at the ready, amidst a group of business associates.
When he saw her approaching, he smiled. Despite her mother’s observation, Gracie thought he looked pretty good today. He wasn’t so pale, and he still looked dashing in a tux.
He shooed away the men and waved her closer.
“Princess, you look beautiful,” he said as she leaned down to kiss his cheek.
“And you look handsome as usual.”
“You know, after so many years of wearing a suit I actually miss my robe and slippers,” he joked, and it was so nice to see him in good spirits. She’d been so busy at work lately she hadn’t had much time to visit with him. She needed to make more of an effort.
“Are you still planning to walk Nora down the aisle?”
He nodded, a look of determination on his face. “If it kills me.”
“Daddy, don’t say that.”
“I’m kidding. I’ll be fine. I’m feeling good today.”
She could see it, and she was so relieved. She had worried that he might be too ill to even attend. But he was tough, although much softer around the edges now and much more sentimental.
“Are you still at Roman’s?” he asked her. The last time she’d seen her father she explained the entire situation, not sure if he would even remember the conversation. But apparently he had.
“I am. Until he thinks it’s safe for me to go home.”
“I never liked Dax,” he said, frowning. “I never trusted him.”
“I still can’t believe I was so wrong about him. I feel so stupid.”
“Don’t,” her father said, taking her hand. His felt cold and frail. “You see the good in people. It’s your gift.”
Some gift. In this instance it could have gotten her seriously hurt. Or possibly even killed.
For a fleeting second she thought about Roman, and how she had trusted him, too. But that was different.
Wasn’t it?
A bell rang, alerting everyone that it was time to move to the arboretum for the ceremony. Nash appeared to wheel Sutton to the spot where he would meet Nora.
Roman stepped up beside Gracie and offered his arm, smiling so sweetly and looking so handsome she couldn’t doubt him. She just needed to let it go and let herself be happy.
She took his arm and they found seats in the arboretum in the family section up near the front. A few minutes later Reid took his place beside the reverend, looking dashing in his tux and so happy. And maybe a little nervous, too. Nash stood beside him. Soft music played as Eve walked down the aisle, followed by Nash’s niece, Phoebe, who sprinkled pink and white rose petals over the satin runner while her twin brother, Jude, watched anxiously from his mother’s lap. Declan was next, looking adorable and debonair in his tux, carrying the pink pillow with the rings.
When the wedding march began everyone stood and turned, and when her sister appeared, Gracie’s breath caught. In cream silk, with her pale complexion, Nora looked like a living porcelain statue. Her dress was simple but elegant and fit her perfectly. Gracie couldn’t help but give herself a pat on the back.
“You’ve outdone yourself,” Roman said softly, making her smile.
Sutton moved slowly, bracing himself against his daughter, but held his head high. And when he gave her away to Reid Gracie could swear there were tears in his eyes.
The ceremony was short but heartfelt, and when Declan got restless and wanted Mommy, Nora and Reid held him together as they spoke their vows. And when they kissed, he kissed them, too. It was probably the sweetest thing that Gracie had ever seen. They were truly a family united by love, and for a moment Grace wanted that so badly for herself it almost hurt. That would be her and Roman someday. Getting married, having a family. Growing old together. She knew it beyond a shadow of doubt.
* * *
The reception afterward truly was a feast, but the guilt chewing a hole in Roman’s gut made it almost impossible to eat. He found himself wishing there was a family dog he could slip his dinner to, the way he had when he was a kid. When Gracie asked him if something was wrong, he told her the whiskey he’d drunk earlier had upset his stomach. Her look of sympathy, and her offer to go find him an antacid, nearly did him in.
He would drink himself into a stupor if he thought it would help, but he’d never been one to use alcohol as a crutch. He knew too many soldiers who turned to drinking to deal with their PTSD and he refused to go there. But at times like this it was tempting.
After dinner they mingled, but Roman noticed that Sutton, back in his wheelchair, didn’t look so good. Maybe a little bit of Grace was rubbing off on Roman. He could hardly believe he had sympathy for the man, considering what a son of a bitch he’d always been. Sitting alone with his nurse at his side, Sutton looked so old and frail and sullen. He was too weak to even dance with Nora. And Roman felt compelled to do something.
What the hell.
Roman walked over to Sutton, nudged his nurse aside and said, “You look like you need a breather.”
The relief was clear on Sutton’s face. “My suite,” he said, so Roman pushed him there, and strangely enough no one seemed to notice or care. The shark was gone, reduced to nothing more than...a goldfish. A sick, helpless old man. But Roman knew that he would never be forgotten. He’d made his mark on the world, and no one could ever take that from him. But clearly he was ready to throw in the towel. Ready to let someone take over his legacy. He had groomed Eve to be the shark that he’d once been, but with her softer side, she would rule the family business with compassion and heart. And she would never have to live with the regret that was so obvious in Sutton’s expression. He’d lived large and fast, and burned out before his time. Roman hoped that if nothing else, Sutton’s children had learned from his mistakes.
