Affair with the Rebel Heiress (2010) (6 page)

The only thing she'd wanted more than siblings was a real mother. Her grandmother had done her best. She'd loved her and cared for her, sure. But she hadn't done the things other mothers had done--or rather the things Kitty had imagined other mothers did. She'd never climbed onto the jungle gym at the park. She'd never built forts out of old sheets draped over the furniture. She'd never crawled into Kitty's bed to cuddle her and chase away the monsters.

Those were things Kitty's childhood had lacked. But they were experiences she could give to her child.
She could lavish this child with love. She could become the kind of mother she'd always wanted for herself. She could create the family she'd craved for so long.

What about Ford? What kind of father would he be? She bet he'd be the kind of dad who coached Little League and charmed all the teachers into rounding up his kids' grades. He'd spend too much on birthday presents, and...

Whoa. Where had all that come from? Wondering what kind of father Ford would make was the last thing she should be worrying about. It was a completely absurd exercise. Like wondering whether or not the tooth fairy was ticklish. Ford was Mr. Not-Willing-to-Be-Whipped.

There was no way he'd be interested in coaching Little League. This morning, he'd given her the perfect opportunity to tell him about the baby, but she'd balked. She hadn't exactly lied, but she hadn't told him the truth, either. And she suspected it had less to do with her mental defenses than it did with the possibility that she already knew how he'd react.

Ford wasn't looking for long term. Not with her. Not with a child. When he found out the truth, he would cut and run.

At least, dear God, she hoped he would. She could only pray he wouldn't do something noble like offer to
marry
her.

She'd been a burden all her life. For once in her life, she wanted to pull her own weight.

Yes, being pregnant now was inconvenient, what with everything that was going on at Biedermann's.
But it didn't have to be a bad thing. Not at all. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. She could be a good mother. She could do this. This was one dream that would not be snatched away from her.

True, she'd probably never be able to run Biedermann's the way she'd dreamed of. But being a failure as a CEO didn't mean she'd also be a failure as a mother. After all, her father had been a fantastic CEO, but a less than stellar parent. That was proof enough, if she needed it, that the two jobs didn't require the same skills. It came down to this: she'd have to be a good parent, because she was likely to be the only parent her child ever knew.

Whenever he and Jonathon traveled together, they got a hotel suite. The combined living space always made it easier to have teleconferences with Matt and to work late in the evenings. It was an arrangement that had worked well. And Jonathon certainly didn't care that Ford was returning to the hotel, having obviously been out all night. And had he slept with any other woman, Ford would have kept his mouth shut.

But Kitty was not any other woman. This morning she'd seemed fine. But the truth was, he had no idea what she was really feeling. He couldn't dismiss the possibility that he'd screwed things up. And if he had blown this deal because he couldn't stop thinking with a certain male part, then Jonathon deserved to know the truth.

"I made a mistake," he admitted as soon as he walked into the hotel suite.

Jonathan didn't even bother looking up from his laptop. A fruit plate and a bowl of oatmeal sat untouched beside his computer. "That's never a good announcement at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. But you're a big boy. I'm sure you can handle it."

"I slept with Kitty."

Jonathon's head snapped up. "Kitty Biedermann?"

"It was stupid, I know," he admitted.

A pot of coffee and a couple of cups sat untouched on the room service tray, so he poured himself a cup. He looked up to see Jonathon with a bemused half smile on his face.

"We just got here. That's fast, even for you." When Ford didn't answer, Jonathon's smile morphed into a contemplative squint. "That's not it, is it? You knew her already."

"I did. We met in Texas about two months ago." He took a sip of the coffee, relishing the heat as it burned its way down his throat. A stiff drink was what he really wanted for a conversation like this. Scalding hot coffee wasn't a bad second, though.

Jonathon studied him for a long moment, absently popping a grape in his mouth as he did. "You were the one who wanted to buy out Biedermann's."

Ford shook his head. "Biedermann's was on your list."

Jonathan stabbed a bite of cantaloupe. "Technically, that was the NYSE's list. I just referenced it when I was looking for another company to buy. There were seven or eight other companies on that list. You were the one who did all that research on Biedermann's."
Jonathon paused, chewing slowly as he watched Ford. "Unless you weren't researching the company at all. You were researching her, weren't you?"

"Look. I made a mistake. It wouldn't be the first." Ford took another drink of his coffee, wishing again it was something stronger. "I asked Wendy to find out what she could about Kitty Biedermann. She was overly enthusiastic. I didn't even know Biedermann's was on the list until you'd done most of the work."

"You should have said something then."

"I didn't think it would be a big deal. Neither of us was looking for a long-term relationship. I knew what happened in Texas was just a one-night stand and it would never happen again."

Jonathon quirked an eyebrow. "Which explains perfectly why you just slept with her a second time."

"It's not a big deal."

"So you keep saying. Are we going to have a problem with the acquisition?"

Ford thought back to Kitty's attitude. Last night she'd been passionate and demanding. This morning she'd been coolly reserved. "I don't think so," he said honestly. "She's devoted to Biedermann's. She'll do the right thing for the company. As for me, she's not emotionally involved. She's just not the boil-a-bunny type."

"How well do you know her?" Jonathon asked.

"Well enough to know that..." Then he noticed that Jonathon leaned over his laptop as he spoke, typing rapidly. Ford just rolled his eyes. "You're looking her up on Google, aren't you?" In answer,
Jonathon just shrugged. "After all the information about her that Wendy dug up, you think you're going to find something on the Internet that we didn't already know?"

Jonathon shrugged. "It never hurts."

Annoyed, Ford continued speaking. "I know her well enough to know she's not going to back out of a business deal for personal reasons."

Jonathon tapped his fingers across the mouse pad while he waited for the slow hotel wireless connection to load the results page. "I hope you're right. Kitty owns nearly sixty percent of the company. If we don't have her on board, the deal will never go through, regardless of whether or not we can convince anyone else."

"I know that." His tone was a little sharper than he'd intended.

Jonathon raised his hands in a gesture of defense. "Just reminding you." He clicked on a page, then sat back, waiting for it to load. "If she backs out now, we've wasted a decent chunk of change. And I don't like wasting time, either."

"She's not going to back out. Selling Biedermann's to us is going to make her a lot of money. That's all the incentive she needs. She's been rich all her life and we're going to make her richer. There's nothing else we need to know."

But by then Jonathon had leaned forward to read whatever Pandora's box Google had pulled up. He let out a low whistle.

"What?" Ford demanded.

"You might want to read what Suzy Snark has to say before you say anything else that'll get you in trouble."

Tension seized Ford's stomach. "Who?"

"Suzy Snark. She's a gossip blogger here in New York. Talks about Kitty every once in a while." He looked up at Ford. "You didn't really read that report from Wendy, did you? Suzy Snark was mentioned multiple times."

The tension that had started in his gut seeped through the rest of his body, leaving him frozen on the spot. He should just cross the room and take the damn laptop from Jonathan, but no matter what orders his brain issued, his feet weren't following them.

Finally he said, "Stop being so damn cryptic and just tell me what the damn thing says."

"Trust me, you're going to want to read this yourself."

He took the laptop from Jonathan and sat back down on the sofa, only vaguely aware of Jonathan walking away to give him privacy. As he read, his tension coalesced into cold, hard anger.

A few minutes later, Jonathan returned, holding out a shot of Scotch from the hotel's courtesy bar. Ford carefully set the laptop on the coffee table before accepting the drink. He took several long drinks, then realized his knuckles were turning white from gripping the glass too tightly.

Finally he stood and headed for the door with grim determination, almost too angry to speak.

"Where are you going?" Jonathan asked.

"To find Kitty."

B
y the time Monday morning rolled around, Kitty felt marginally more prepared to face Ford. After he left her apartment Saturday morning, she'd decided she simply couldn't face him again so soon. So she'd abandoned the familiarity of her apartment for a hotel not far from Biedermann's offices. She'd spent the weekend with her phone turned off, huddled under the blanket watching an
I Love Lucy
marathon and ordering room service. She'd bawled when Little Ricky was born and then found herself unable to stop crying. Poor Lucy always tried to do the right thing, but always made a mess of things. Sometimes her own life felt like an episode of
I Love Lucy
, but without the laugh track or the comforting presence of Ethel Mertz.

Maybe this mess would seem more bearable if her own pratfalls could be cushioned by the unconditional love of her own Ricky Ricardo. Maybe if Ford...

No, she stopped herself. She couldn't think like that. He wasn't hers. He never had been and he certainly wouldn't be now that she was keeping this secret from him.

Maybe, she justified to herself, one lie of omission deserved another. In Texas, he hadn't told her that he was a business tycoon whose company was worth billions. So Saturday morning, she didn't tell him the whole truth, either.

But of course, she hadn't outright lied. After all, he truly didn't need to worry that she'd gotten pregnant then. By the time they'd had sex, she was already two months pregnant.

All of her rationalizations almost made her feel better. Until Monday morning rolled around and she found Marty pacing in her office. With his tie loosened and his hair tousled, he looked as bedraggled as she felt.

She dropped her handbag on the chair by the door and shrugged out of her coat before tossing it carelessly on top. "Honestly, Marty, have you even been home? You look as if you slept here."

Marty knew her as well as anyone did. Keeping the truth from him would be quite the challenge. Today was a day to channel her inner bitch if there ever was one.

He ignored her comment. "Where have you been all weekend? I've been trying to reach you since Saturday. We all have."

Kitty's stomach tightened. This didn't sound good. "I went away for the weekend." Another lie. Sort of.

What could she possibly have done wrong now? She hadn't even been here. Running his fingers through his hair again, Marty asked, "Have you been online this morning?"

She faked a yawn to cover any panic that might have crossed her face. "You know I can't stand staring at a computer screen before coffee. Speaking of which, could you be a dear and get--"

"No, Kitty. Not this morning." He rounded her desk and popped open her laptop. "Come have a look."

By the time she reached it, the Suzy Snark blog was loading onto the screen. At the top of the page was a picture of her and Ford climbing out of the cab in front of The Pierre Hotel. Whatever nasty comment Kitty had been about to make was swallowed by her dread.

She stared blankly at the screen, her eyes unable to focus on the jumble of words on the screen. After a second, she realized Marty was looking at her expectantly.

"Well," he said.

She dropped petulantly into her office chair. "Why should I care what some gossipmonger has to say?"

"You should care because it affects your business."

"I sincerely doubt it."

"Are you even going to read it?"

You bet your booty she was. But not now, with Marty looming over her, watching the painful process. "Maybe later. After coffee."

Marty twisted the laptop to face him and began reading aloud. "Christmas has come early for those of us who love juicy gossip--"

"Honestly, Marty," she interrupted. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes." His tone was unexpectedly firm. "You need to read this before anyone from FMJ shows up."

She mimicked his tone. "Fine. Then be a dear and get me that mocha latte and I'll be done reading it by the time you get back."

As soon as he was gone, she leaned forward and began the laborious process of reading.

Kitty felt bile rise in her throat as she sat back in her chair. Oh, dear lord.

Before she even began to ponder the issue, Marty reappeared. The mocha latte he set down in front of her did nothing to settle her stomach. His stony expression did little to quell her fears.

"I got a decaf. Just in case she's right." He must have read her answer in her expression, because he propped his hip on the edge of her desk and muttered a curse. "How did she find out?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Guess."

But she couldn't guess. She'd known herself for less than seventy-two hours. How had Suzy-stinkin'-Snark found out about it?

"I bought a pregnancy test," she said aloud. "Someone must have seen me do it."

Marty sighed. "And if it was someone who reads the blog and recognized you, they would have contacted Suzy right away."

Marty's obvious annoyance rankled. "Why are you acting all put out over this? This is my private life she's exploiting."

"And it affects our business. Why were you out with Ford anyway? Did you think making a conquest of him
would make this buyout any easier on you? Do you really think FMJ is going to want to do business with you when you act like this?"

She could only stammer in response. For years she'd put up with Marty's passive-aggressive kowtowing, and now--the one time she could have really used him in her corner--he was turning on her?

Kitty was saved from having to formulate a defense when Ford appeared at the door.

"Oh, goody," she muttered. "Because I wasn't feeling beleaguered enough."

Ford swept into the room with all the subtly of a tsunami, and he brought flotsam and jetsam in his wake. Jonathon and Casey followed him.

"I assume you've both seen it."

Kitty opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, he turned to her assistant. "We're going to have to make a preemptive strike. We'll schedule a press conference. But not for this afternoon. We want to appear proactive, but we don't want to lend credence to the blog by appearing to be reacting to it. So announce the press conference, but schedule it for a few days out. Wednesday maybe. Jonathon, why don't you and Marty get started on that? Casey, you can--"

Fear propelled her to her feet. "A press conference?" She tried to scoff convincingly. "Over a piddling gossip blog? Isn't that overreacting?"

Ford turned the weight of his gaze on her. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Not at all. FMJ's acquisition of Biedermann's hasn't been officially announced yet. It doesn't look good that the news was leaked."

Right. The acquisition. The news of her pregnancy had overshadowed everything else. She'd forgotten that the blog even mentioned the buyout.

"But," she protested. "It was leaked to a
gossip
blog. One that no one is likely to read. And it's even less likely that anyone who does would care about business."

"This blog may have a wider readership than you think. We all read it within a few hours. We have to assume others have, too. If we work fast, we can minimize the damage."

"Why should we respond at all? We certainly don't want people thinking that whatever this woman posts online is true."

Marty's gaze had been ping-ponging back and forth between them. Ford narrowed his gaze at the other man, giving him a why-are-you-still-here look. Before Marty could respond to the unspoken question. Jonathon ushered both Casey and Marty out with such practiced ease, she couldn't help wondering if he and Ford had orchestrated the move.

"Wow," she murmured. "I'm impressed. Normally it's impossible to get Marty out of my office when he's got a bone to pick." She gestured between Ford and the door through which Jonathon had just vanished. "Did you guys plan out that two-pronged approach? Not that I mind. If we have to talk about that blog, I'd much rather do it without an audience."

"Damn right we have to talk about that blog. Was she right? Are you pregnant?"

"Does it matter?" Kitty countered smoothly.

Her lack of denial was all the confirmation he needed. Ford gritted his teeth against the questions he wanted to throw at her. As prickly as she was, it wouldn't take much to push her into a full-fledged argument.

"I'd prefer a quiet wedding, but I'll leave that up to you. We should--"

She spun to face him. "We're not getting married."

"Of course, we're getting married." A hard note crept into his voice. "I'm not going to desert my family."

For a long moment, she seemed to be considering him. Then she patted her belly with exaggerated care. "Well, lucky for you, this baby and I aren't your family."

Kitty stood there, one hand propped on her hip, chin up, all defiant bravado.

"You're saying it's not mine?"

"I'm not
saying
it isn't yours. It
isn't
yours."

"But you are pregnant?"

Her chin inched up a notch. "What I am is none of your business. Not your burden. Not your problem."

"You couldn't be more than a couple of months pregnant," he pointed out.

"What's your point?"

"The timing is perfect for me to be the father."

She quirked an eyebrow, her expression full of arrogance. "What, you think I came back from Texas so satisfied that I couldn't even imagine being with another man?"

"I suppose I would like to think that. But the truth is, you're not the type to sleep around."

"Oh, really?" she asked, her voice brimming with challenge. "And you're such an expert on me? How long have you known me, Ford, really? A week? It's less than that, isn't it? The truth is, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

If she was lying, she did a damn good job of it. There wasn't so much as a sputter of doubt in her eyes to give her away.

He waited for the surge of relief. Pregnant or not, she was letting him off the hook. All he had to do was take her at her word and walk away.

He studied her standing there, taking in the defiant bump of her chin, the blazing independence in her eyes. She was dressed in slim-legged pants and a fuzzy sweater that made her look touchable. But that was the only hint of softness about her, otherwise she was all hard angles and bristly defenses.

Kitty was pregnant. There was a baby growing inside her belly. A tiny life. Maybe his. Maybe not.

But his gut said it was his. Every possessive, primitive cell in his body screamed that her child must be his.

Of course, that didn't mean it
was
.

"You're right," he said finally. "I don't know you well, but I'm a good judge of character. I know you well enough to know you're capable of lying to get what you want. The only thing I don't know is what it is you want."

She squared her shoulders and met his gaze. "What I want is to save Biedermann's. If FMJ can do that, then we'll have a deal. If not, I'll find someone else who can."

"Are you sure you don't want Marty here?" Ford asked as he sat down at the conference table. "He is your CFO."

"I'm sure." They were working late, trying to get all the details of the acquisition hammered out before the press conference later in the week. Thanks to Suzy Snark, they needed to work much faster than they might have otherwise. Instead of sitting herself, she stood near the windows, staring out at the cityscape below. Marty made her so damn nervous. She'd asked Ford to set up this meeting between him, her and Jonathon precisely because she couldn't ask the kinds of questions she needed to with Marty in the room.

Of course, Jonathon made her nervous, too, with his steady gaze and his brilliant head for numbers. He was exactly the kind of person who made her feel twitchy with fear. But Jonathon couldn't be avoided. She no longer trusted herself to be alone with Ford.

Which was why she waited until Jonathon had settled into a chair at the conference table before speaking.

"If I'm going to hand my family's company over to your tender care--" Kitty stressed the words
tender care
, letting them hear her doubts that their management of Biedermann's was likely to be either tender or careful "--then I need assurances that you actually have a plan in place."

Jonathon cleared his throat. "If you've read the proposal we sent, you'll see your compensation package is--"

Ford interrupted him. "I don't believe it's her compensation package she's worried about."

She looked over her shoulder, surprised by his comment. He sat at the table, leaning back in his chair, one ankle propped up on the opposite knee. The posture was relaxed, but there was an intensity to his gaze that made her breath catch in her chest.

"Yes." She forced fresh air into her lungs. "Exactly."

Now, Ford sat forward, steepling his hands on the table before him. "Unless I'm mistaken, Kitty is the rare CEO who is less worried about what she's going to get out of this settlement than how the company is going to be treated." He pinned her with a stare that she felt all the way to her bones. "Am I right?"

In that instant, the intensity of his gaze laid her bare. All the artifice, all her defenses, the image she'd worked her whole life to build and maintain seemed to vanish like a whiff of smoke, leaving her with the disconcerting feeling that he could see straight through to her very soul.