Prodigal Son (8 page)

“Vance?” he asked.

“I thought so. He’d been married before, so he was cautious. I liked that wariness. It made sense to me. I could tell he liked me a lot, but he wanted to take things slowly and I respected that, too. In hindsight, I was an idiot.”

“In hindsight, we all are.”

“Maybe. But I was a bigger idiot. He talked about how his first wife had been obsessed with how much money he made. She wanted the best, the biggest, the newest. I decided not to be like her, so I didn’t ask for anything. It took me a while to figure out that had been his plan all along.”

Jack didn’t like the sound of that. “He set you up?”

“I think so.” She sighed. “Yes, he did. It’s hard for me to say that because it makes my choice even more crazy. He’s a cardiologist in a big, successful practice. When we talked about getting married, he was concerned about losing that. I wanted to reassure him.”

Jack grimaced. “Prenuptial?”

“Oh, yeah. I was sensible. I read the whole thing. But I didn’t bother to get a lawyer. Why spend the money? Later, I realized he’d played me. He’d made a joke that his first wife was so stupid that she wouldn’t have been able to get past the first page. But that I was really smart and would understand it all.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if it was ego or my need to prove I wasn’t her. Either way, I did read it, but I didn’t get a lawyer to and I missed all the subtleties.”

Jack practiced criminal law, but he’d heard enough horror stories from co-workers practicing family law that he could guess the outcome.

“It wasn’t what you thought.”

“Not even close. Not only couldn’t I touch his practice or any income from it, but everything of mine was community property. I got nothing of his and he got half of mine. The only bright spot is I didn’t have a whole lot to take half of.”

He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I learned an important lesson. My mother used to tell me the trick was to marry a rich man and keep him. I think the real trick is to not need a man at all.”

“Speaking on behalf of my gender, we’re not all jerks.”

“I know.” She squeezed his fingers. “I blame myself as much as Vance. There were warning signs. I didn’t pay much attention to them.”

While he knew intellectually that she was right—that she did have to take some responsibility—his gut reaction was to hunt down Vance and beat the crap out of him. Talk about a low-life bastard.

“Want me to have someone look over the settlement and see if anything was missed?” he asked, suspecting she wouldn’t appreciate the offer of physical violence.

“Thanks, but I’m okay. I’m doing my best to put my past behind me. It’s been hard. Not because I’m so crazy about Vance, but because I tried to be so careful and he made a fool out of me in so many ways.”

“Which makes you naturally wary,” he said.

“Oh, yeah. Between him and my father, I’m now convinced any man I meet is out to screw me, and not in a sexual way.” She grabbed another chicken wing.

“Ah, isn’t this where you say present company excluded?” he asked.

She looked at him. “I want to. You’re a great guy, Jack. I know that.”

“But?”

“You’re still a rich, powerful man. I’m having a little trouble letting go of that fact.”

“I see your point. Here we sit, you thinking if you trust a guy he’ll take off and dump on you in the process. I’m convinced anyone I care about will leave. We’re not exactly a normal couple.”

She grinned. “I like to think there is no normal.”

“Do you believe that?”

“Sometimes. I know that I can’t be afraid forever. I’m trying to get myself back.” She tugged on the front of her blouse. “Dressing like this, for example. Vance hated my bohemian ways. He kept telling me I had to grow up.”

Jack frowned. “Your free spirit is one of your best qualities. I’m sorry he didn’t see that.”

“Me, too. But there it is. He liked me to dress a certain way, that sort of thing.”

“Controlling?”

She shrugged. “He was a cardiologist. He had an image.”

“I know lawyers like that. It gets bad for their wives after they make partner. Suddenly what was great before isn’t good enough anymore. I don’t get it.”

“That’s because you’re reasonable. Not everyone is.” She released his hand and leaned back in her chair. “Now that you know the basic story of my pathetic divorce, I hope you’ll understand why I’m becoming the queen of mixed messages where you’re concerned. I know my past doesn’t excuse my actions. I don’t expect it to. I just hope you’ll understand and accept my apology.”

He stared at her. Until that second he’d never considered there was a reason for her behavior that had nothing to do with him.

“What?” she asked. “You have the strangest look on your face.”

He shook his head. “I was just thinking that you being cautious around me was about you, not me. On the heels of that I realized I can’t separate myself from who I am. I come from a wealthy family, I have a challenging, professional career. I am, on the surface, a walking, breathing manifestation of everything you’re not looking for.”

“Exactly.”

At least she was being honest, he thought grimly. “A lot for us to overcome,” he said, going for a light tone of voice. “I guess I should stop trying so hard.”

She winced. “I feel really horrible. You’ve been nothing but nice to me. And before, in grad school, I loved us being close. You were terrific. I know in my head that you’d never hurt me.”

“It’s the rest of you that can’t be convinced,” he said.

“Yeah. But I’ve also decided it would be a good thing for me to face my fears.”

While he liked the sound of that, he wasn’t sure why she should bother. “You don’t have to.”

“It’s the mature thing to do and I like to think of myself as mature. I want us to be friends.”

Great. So much for making progress. “We
are
friends.”

“I’m glad. I really love my job and I don’t want to blow this opportunity.”

“You won’t,” he told her.

“I hope not. It’s just that…” She pressed her lips together and looked at him.

In any other woman, he would swear he was being given an invitation. But with Samantha? He wasn’t sure. Better to stay on the safe side of the road.

“Remember that time we were studying in the park and that woman’s dog got away from her?” he asked. “She was running around calling for him and you said we had to help.”

She grinned. “Yes. And you told me that a dog would never come to strangers so I said we had to tempt it with food. So we went to that butcher and bought bones.”

He’d felt like an idiot, he thought, but he’d been with Samantha so he hadn’t cared.

“There we were, running around, calling for a dog and throwing bones around. Every stray in a three-mile radius started following us.”

“It was sad,” she said. “I felt so badly for those dogs.”

“You felt badly? You’re the one who insisted we find a rescue place for them. Then it was my car we crammed them into. Of course you hadn’t realized that dogs like to mark what they think of as new territory.”

She winced. “I felt really horrible about the smell, but the dogs got adopted. So that’s something.”

“Unfortunately none of the new owners was willing to buy my smelly car.”

He’d been forced to get rid of it for practically nothing. Still, it had been worth it, he thought, remembering how happy she’d been about the dogs.

She leaned close. “Doesn’t taking the moral high ground ease some of the financial sting?”

“Not as much as you’d think,” he said, finding his gaze riveted on her mouth.

Dumb idea, he told himself. On a scale of one to ten, ten being somewhere between stupid and idiotic, this was a twelve.

But there was something about the way she smiled and the light in her eyes. Something that spoke of promise and desire.

Hadn’t he always been an idiot where she was concerned?

He shifted toward her and lightly touched her cheek with his fingers. He thought that if he gave her plenty of warning, she would have time to bolt before he kissed her.

But she didn’t. Instead she parted her lips slightly and drew in a quick breath.

He took that as a yes and kissed her.

He moved slowly, only touching her mouth with the lightest of brushes. He kept his hands to himself, or at least didn’t do more than rest one on her shoulder and the other on her arm. He waited for her to kiss back.

And waited. One heartbeat. Two. Then slowly, almost tentatively, her lips moved on his. She pressed a little harder, then touched his bottom lip with the very tip of her tongue.

It was as if she’d just taken a blowtorch to his bloodstream. Heat and need exploded and he was instantly hard. He’d heard that it took longer for a man to get aroused as he got older. Apparently he hadn’t crossed that threshold yet.

But as much as he wanted to pull her close, to rub his hands all over her until she was wet and weak and begging him to take her, as much as he wanted to take off her clothes and run his tongue over every inch of her, he did nothing. He sat there letting her take control of their kiss. Let her set the pace.

When she touched the tip of her tongue to his lip again, he tilted his head and parted for her. She slipped into his mouth and traced the inside of his lower lip.

Everything got hotter, harder and more intense. The need to take control, to claim her, threatened to overwhelm him, but he was determined not to screw up again. She’d made it clear that he pushed all her buttons, so it made sense to go slowly.

But when she circled his tongue with hers and sighed, it took every bit of self-control he had not to reach for her. Instead he mentally ground his teeth in frustration. He kissed her back, but slowly, without letting her know how deep the passion flowed. And when she withdrew slightly, he straightened, as if he were unaffected by what they’d just done.

She ducked her head and smiled. “That was nice.”

“Yes, it was.”

She glanced at him from under her lashes. “I’m a complete adult and I accept responsibility for what just happened.”

Was that her way of saying she wasn’t going to back off and run this time?

“And?” he asked, knowing there had to be a punch line.

“No
and.
Just that. And me saying thanks for being patient.”

“My pleasure.” Although pleasure didn’t exactly describe his painful state of arousal. He reached for another chicken wing and bit into it. In time, the need would fade to a manageable level. His erection would cease to throb with each beat of his heart and the temperature in his body would slowly cool. But until then, life was hell.

“You’re going to have to go to a few Cubs games when the season starts,” he said.

She laughed. “You’re deliberately changing the subject.”

“You noticed.”

She smiled. “This is in an effort to erase the tension here and keep me from feeling awkward.”

“Something like that.” Some of his motivation was selfish. Thinking about baseball was a time-honored way to keep from thinking about sex.

Her smiled widened. “Okay. Then tell me everything you know about the Cubs.”

* * *

“At least the news isn’t getting worse,” David said.

“Not exactly the sign of forward progress I would like,” Jack said. “But it beats the hell out of our string of bad news. You’ve been working hard to get us favorable play in the press.”

“It’s my job.”

Jack leaned back on the sofa in his uncle’s office. “Helen came to see me last week. She wanted to talk about how I was doing. It was almost as if…”

David raised his eyebrows but didn’t speak.

Jack shook his head. “It was almost as if she was worried about me.”

“Is that impossible to believe?”

“Yes. Why would she care?”

“Why wouldn’t she? You don’t know anything about Helen.”

“Do you?”

“Not really. George and I haven’t been exactly tight these past few years. But I’ve spoken with her, spent a few dinners with her. She seems reasonable and intelligent. You might want to take the time to get to know her.”

“That’s what Samantha says. She’s a serious advocate.”

David smiled.

Jack narrowed his gaze. “What?”

His uncle’s smile turned into a grin. “There’s something about the way you say her name. So things are progressing.”

“No and no. We’re getting along. She works for me. That’s it.”

“Like I believe that.”

“It’s true. She is just getting over a divorce. I’m not interested in getting involved in that process.”

“Have you considered the fact that you already are?”

Was he? Jack thought about the weekend, when he and Samantha had spent so much time together. Hearing about her past and her marriage made a lot of things more clear to him. But that didn’t mean he was interested in her. Not in any way but sexually.

“I’m not involved,” he told David.

His uncle nodded. “Keep telling yourself that. Eventually it will be true.”

Chapter Eight

T
he company had gone all out for the advertisers’ party. As this was the first one Samantha had attended, she didn’t know if the stunning decorations, incredible view and fabulous food were normal or if this party was a little bit extra-special in an effort to soothe their accounts.

Either way, she was excited to be there and felt just like Cinderella at the ball. For once, she’d left her loose and comfy clothes behind and had instead worn a formfitting strapless gown in dark apple-green.

The shimmering fabric very nearly matched the color of her eyes. She’d gone simple in the jewelry department, wearing vintage paste earrings that looked like amazing diamonds. The antique settings made them look like the genuine article. Last, she’d spent nearly two hours on her hair, curling it on big rollers and then drying it. But the effort had been worth it. Her normally tight, natural curls were now loose and sexy. She’d pinned up the sides and left the back to cascade over her shoulder blades.

She felt good and knew she looked her best. The question was had she done enough to dazzle Jack?

“Not that I care,” she murmured as she made her way to the bar for the glass of white wine she would hold on to for most of the evening. She refused to define herself by a man.

Not that she was. Wanting to knock Jack’s socks off had nothing to do with definition and everything to do with the fire she’d seen in his eyes last weekend when they’d kissed.

She saw David and moved toward him. It was early and most of the guests hadn’t arrived.

“You look beautiful,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you. Great place. I love the view.”

From one set of floor-to-ceiling windows was the lake and from the other were the lights of the city.

“We have a lot on the line,” David told her. “Are you rethinking your decision to take this job? This isn’t Hanson Media Group’s most shining moment.”

“Jack asked me that as well. I meant what I said then. I’m excited about the opportunity to create something wonderful.”

“I’ve seen the preliminary designs on the website. They’re great. And I’ve been over the security you want to put in place. It could be called obsessive.”

She laughed. “I’m sure I’ll hear worse before the launch. The point is to make this a safe destination for children. I’m willing to do everything possible to make that happen. Even if it means driving the IT guys a little crazy.”

David grinned. “Good for you. Next week let’s set up a meeting to talk about publicity for the launch. I’ve already reserved some space in a couple of kid magazines and there will be a few Saturday morning cartoon spots.”

Samantha stared at him. “Television advertising?” She knew how much it cost.

“Jack said you were going to be the one to save the company. So he told me to think big.”

She doubted Jack had ever said she would save the company but she knew the website expansion could go a long way to boosting the bottom line. Still, she was surprised and pleased to find out how much he was supporting her.

“I’ll call you,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas for the advertising.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

She laughed. “I have ideas for pretty much everything.”

“That’s what Jack said.”

There was something in David’s voice that made her wonder what else Jack had been saying about her. Not that she would ask.

Several clients walked into the ballroom. David excused himself and went over to greet them. Samantha followed more slowly, wanting to give him a moment to talk before she moved close and introduced herself.

She’d done plenty of industry parties. They had a simple formula for success. She had to make sure she spoke with everyone, was charming and friendly and remembered their names. Then, during the second half of the evening, she needed to circulate, chatting about anything and finding subtle ways to talk up the company. She’d also learned to pay attention to anyone who seemed to be on his or her own. Being lonely at a party was never a good idea. Taking a little time to be a friend and then introduce the shy person to others went a long way to making the evening a success.

David spoke with the group of eight men and women. She waited for a lull in the conversation then moved in closer.

David smiled at her. “This is Samantha Edwards, one of our newest and brightest additions to Hanson Media Group. Samantha is working on an incredible expansion of our Internet site for kids.”

One of the women raised her eyebrows. “Do I want my children spending more time looking at a screen?”

Samantha smiled. “Isn’t technology so much a part of our kids’ lives now?”

The woman nodded.

“It’s a real problem,” Samantha told her. “One I’ve been working on. My goal isn’t to trap them inside for more hours, but to make their computer time more efficient, fun and safe, all the while making sure their homework gets done and their parents are happy.”

“That’s a big order,” one of the men said. “Can you do it?”

She nodded. “Absolutely. Let me tell you how in two minutes or less.”

She launched into the pitch she’d spent the last week perfecting, then stayed long enough to answer a few questions. When the group had moved away to sample the buffet, David took her by the elbow.

“Well done,” he said.

“I believe in being prepared.”

“Good. Let’s go over here. I have some more people I want you to meet.”

* * *

About an hour later, Samantha felt a distinct tingling on the back of her neck. Careful to continue to pay attention to the conversation, she casually looked around to find the source of her hyperawareness.

It didn’t take her long to locate Jack standing by the window with two older men.

At the sight of him, she felt her blood surge a little faster. Her skin seemed to heat as her toes curled.

He looked pretty amazing in his tailored tux, but then he had the James Bond sort of good looks that were made for formal wear. The stark white of his shirt contrasted with his black tie.

Yummy, she thought, instantly recalling the kiss they’d shared and how her body had reacted to his nearness. Despite the fears left over from her previous marriage and her general wariness of men like Jack, she found herself wanting a repeat of their make-out session along with the time and privacy to take things further.

She forced her attention back on the conversation and away from Jack. After a few minutes, the tingle increased, then she felt a warm hand on the small of her back.

“Having a good time?” he asked everyone, even as he continued to touch her.

“Great party,” Melinda Myers, the president of the largest string of car dealerships in the Midwest said. “Your father would be very proud, Jack.”

Samantha guessed she was the only one who felt him stiffen slightly.

“Thank you,” he said graciously. “Despite everything that has happened recently, I wanted to keep the family tradition going. Your business has been very important to us.”

Melinda smiled. “Hanson Media Group has been a good partner for me. I don’t want that to change.”

“Nor do I,” he told her.

Melinda nodded at Samantha. “I’ve been hearing great things about the new site for kids. Impressive. Samantha was just telling me about her plans and some innovative ways for my company to be a part of it.”

“I hope you take her up on her offer,” Jack said.

Melinda smiled coyly. “Of course I will. I know a good deal when I hear one. That’s how I got to where I am now.”

Samantha did her best to pay attention to the banter but it was difficult with Jack’s fingers pressing against her skin. Heat radiated out from him, feeling hot enough to burn.

Warmth spread out in all directions, making her breasts swell and her thighs melt. She wanted to blame her reaction on the liquor, but she’d yet to take more than a sip of her wine. Her next best excuse was that she hadn’t had much to eat that day.

A tall older man approached and asked Melinda to dance. Several other people excused themselves, leaving Samantha and Jack standing together beside the dance floor.

“So what do you think?” he asked, his dark eyes locking with hers.

She assumed he meant about the party and not her awareness of him. “The night is a hit,” she said. “I had wondered how our advertisers would react to all the recent bad news, but they’re taking it in stride. A lot of that is you.” She grimaced. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. They see you as a capable replacement for your father.”

“Nice to know they think I can do as well as a man who defrauded investors.”

She touched his arm. “They don’t mean it that way.”

“I know.” He set down his glass on a nearby tray. “Want to dance?”

She would never have thought he was the type to be comfortable on the dance floor and, to be honest, the thought of being that close to him was two parts thrilling and one part pure torture. Still, she’d never been able to resist things that were bad for her.

She set down her wine. “Absolutely.”

He took her hand and led her to the edge of the parquet dance floor, then drew her into his arms. She went easily, finding the sense of being against him and swaying to music almost familiar. Had they done this before? In grad school? She didn’t remember a specific time when they’d—

“You’re frowning,” he said. “I’ll admit my moves are pretty basic, but I didn’t think they were frown-inducing.”

“What? Oh. Sorry. I was trying to remember if we’d ever danced together before.”

“We haven’t.”

“You sound so sure of yourself.”

“I am. I would have remembered.”

Which meant what? But rather than pursue the question, she drew in a deep breath and consciously relaxed into the rhythm of the music.

The slow song allowed them to sway together, touching from shoulder to thigh. He clasped one of her hands while her other rested on his shoulder.

“Did I mention you look stunning?” he asked, his voice a low murmur in her ear.

“No, and because of that, I think you should have to say it at least twice.”

“You look stunning. The dress is nearly as beautiful as the woman wearing it.”

Ooh, talk about smooth. He certainly was a man who knew his way around a compliment. “I don’t get much chance to dress up these days. It’s fun for a change.”

“And worth the wait.”

The song ended, leaving her feeling as if she wanted more. A lot more. But this was a work-related party and she still had rounds to make, as did Jack.

“I’m off to dazzle,” she said. “Thanks for the dance.”

“You’re welcome.”

He held her gaze a second longer than necessary, and in that heartbeat of time, she felt her body flush with need. All the tingles and whispers and little touches combined into an unexpected wave of sexual desire.

Then Jack turned and disappeared into the crowd.

She stared after him, trying to remember the last time she’d felt safe enough to want a man. She’d spent the last two years of her marriage simply going through the motions of intimacy because it had been expected, but she hadn’t enjoyed herself. She’d been too hurt and broken to let herself feel anything.

Had time begun to heal her wounds or was her reaction specifically about Jack? She knew what it was like to make love with him. The memory of their single night together had been burned into her brain. She remembered everything from the way he’d kissed her to the feel of him inside of her. He’d coaxed more orgasms from her that night than she’d had in the previous year.

Funny how a month ago she would have sworn she would never be interested in getting physical with a guy again in her life. But suddenly there were possibilities. Maybe not with anyone else, but certainly with Jack.

* * *

Jack didn’t bother counting the number of times he was compared with his father and told he was nearly as great as the old man had been. He couldn’t believe so many people could know about his father’s mismanaging of the company and still call him a good man.

By eleven, he was tired and ready to be done with the party. But there were more advertisers to schmooze and more hands to shake. It came with the job.

Helen walked over and offered him a glass of scotch. “How are you holding up?” she asked.

She looked beautiful in a fitted gown that showed off perfect curves. Her blond hair had been piled on her head, giving her a regal air. He didn’t doubt there were plenty of men willing to take her home for the night, or as long as they could get.

Had she done that? She was substantially younger than his father. Had she taken lovers to keep herself satisfied?

Then he pushed the thought away. Why was he once again assuming the worst about her? He’d lived in the city and traveled in similar social circles as his father and Helen. There’d never been a whisper of gossip about either of them.

“Not my idea of a good time,” he said. “What about you?”

She glanced around the crowd and shrugged. “Last year I came with George. I can’t stop thinking about that and I keep expecting to turn around and see him. It’s difficult.”

She took a sip of her drink. As she shifted and the light spilled across her face, he could’ve sworn he saw tears in her eyes.

He did swear, silently, calling himself several choice names for his earlier thoughts. “You really loved him.”

“Stop sounding so surprised when you say that,” she told him. “Of course I loved him. I’m very intelligent and very capable. I didn’t need to marry someone to get what I wanted from life. I could have done that on my own.”

He wanted to ask why his father. What qualities had the old man shown her that he’d managed to keep from his sons?

“They’re saying good things about you,” she said. “They’re happy you’re in charge.”

“So that sharp clanging sound I hear is the door closing on my freedom?”

“I don’t know,” she told him. “No one wants you to keep a job you hate.”

“Except the board of directors.”

“It’s not their job to be compassionate. I suspect, over time, they would come to see that an unhappy president wouldn’t be best for Hanson Media Group.”

“I don’t think I have that much time.”