[Cardello Ruth] For Love or Legacy(Bookos.org) (12 page)

Opening it revealed a 24-carat emerald-cut diamond in a raised platinum setting. Elegant, and wildly expensive. It was exactly the kind of ring you‘d expect a Corisi to want. Nicole‘s heart sank. She took it out of the velvet box and turned it slowly between her fingers.

Not me at all.

―You don‘t like it,‖ Stephan stated flatly.

Nicole grimaced. ―It‘s fine.‖

He said gruffly, ―You can take it back and get something you want.‖

What she wanted was not something she was going to find in a jewelry case at Tiffany‘s.

His choice of ring for her made it painfully obvious that he did not know her. She slid the large diamond on her left finger. ―It‘s beautiful, Stephan, and it‘s only for a short time anyway.

Thank you.‖

He let out a harsh breath. ―Most women would love that ring.‖

Nicole bristled, ―I said it was beautiful.‖

His frustration was growing. ―I spent thirty…actually
thirty-five
million dollars on you today. Thirty-five million dollars. Do you know any other women who can say they‘ve had that kind of day? And you don‘t look happy. I thought you‘d be grateful.‖

―I am. I cooked-‖ Sudden comprehension hit her. ―Do you mean grateful? Or
grateful?”

He put both hands up in mock defense. ―I…‖

She jabbed one finger into his chest and said, ―Let‘s get a few points straight right now. This is a business arrangement. Your help bought you the rights to one conversion patent. That‘s it.

And although you did spend a lot of money today, you‘ll get it all back in a few weeks.‖ She waved her left ring finger in front of his face. ―Along with this. I hope you kept the receipt. I meant what I said last night.
I don’t know if I like you.
You‘re rude. You‘re arrogant. Just because you‘re gorgeous, doesn‘t mean every woman wants to have sex with you. Women want more than hot suggestions whispered into their ears. They want conversation. They want…‖ His amused expression halted her tirade. Hands on her hips, she said, ―What? What are you thinking? Just say it.‖

A devil of mischief sparkled in those beautiful blue eyes. ―No, go on. I‘m listening.‖ When she didn‘t, he prompted, ―You were telling me what women want.‖

She shook her head and said, ―I‘m serious.‖

He smiled.

―You‘re an ass,‖ she said.

His smile widened, but he stepped closer. ―But I‘m a gorgeous ass.‖

She threw an oven mitt at him when he reached for her. ―Don‘t touch me.‖

He didn‘t, but he continued to stand so close to her that her body began to betray her. She licked her suddenly dry lips. He leaned an inch closer. ―So, no whispering ideas into your ear?

No touching? Just conversation? That‘s what you want?‖ His lips were so close she could almost taste him.

She gulped, ―Yes.‖

―Because you want to sleep, every night, all alone in your little twin-bed?‖

No.
―Yes,‖ she forced the words out, trying to ignore how her skin tingled with anticipation of his touch—how her body was clenching, moistening, preparing for what she was refusing.

―Do you know what I want?‖ he asked, his voice practically purring.

Oh, God.

He stepped back and said, ―Pizza, because I don‘t think I can eat that chicken. Do you mind ordering some while I make a few phone calls?‖ He sauntered over to pick up his jacket again and added, ―I‘ll be in the living room, since I don‘t have an office anymore. Then we can eat and
talk
.‖ He emphasized the last word and her scowl gained a deep laugh from him. ―Unless you have another suggestion?‖

Not one that didn‘t include smacking that smug look off his face.

He swung the jacket over one shoulder and headed for the door. ―Oh, and ask them to put the ham and pineapple on only half. Fruit doesn‘t belong on pizza.‖

As soon as he was out of sight, Nicole plopped down onto one of the chairs.

He remembered my favorite toppings.

Would she ever figure him out?

For the next few days, Stephan and Nicole talked. They met at the small table in his kitchen each morning at seven thirty. His cook made them both light fare and coffee. He asked her about her plans for the day and then shared his. They took the elevator down to the lobby together, awkwardly parting with a wave that seemed to amuse him.

They met again for dinner in his ultra modern dining room. At first they had contained their conversations to work anecdotes, but as the rapport between them became more comfortable, their topics expanded. Nicole shared with Stephan her concern over meeting some resistance as she took over the CEO position at Corisi Ltd. She hadn‘t expected to have to defend herself to the same people who would have been fired had she not fought for them. Stephan listened to all of her concerns and then suggested some ways to unruffle their feathers. His suggestions worked, which increased the fragile trust that was building between them.

Mid-way through one evening meal, Nicole said, ―Your mother called. The party for your new nephew is on Saturday.‖

―What did you say?‖

―I said we would go.‖

―I wish you‘d talked to me about this first.‖

A sickening realization. ―You don‘t want me around your family.‖

―Nicole…‖

―Don‘t
Nicole
me. Say what you mean. Do you think they won‘t like me? Your mother actually asked me to go early so she could teach me some recipes.‖

―My family loves you and that‘s the problem.‖

―I already told you that when the time comes…‖

He ran a frustrated hand through his blond hair, ―Don‘t you get it? Every time you talk to them it‘s a lie. They don‘t know that none of this is real. I‘m not going to let you hurt my family more than you…‖

Nicole stood up and threw her napkin on the table. ―Finish that sentence, Stephan. No, wait, I‘ll finish it for you. You won‘t let me hurt them more than I already have. You still blame me for what Dominic did to your father. I thought we were becoming friends if nothing else. I thought you understood that I would have done anything for your family if I could have.‖ An angry tear ran down her cheek. ―You don‘t want me around your family? You tell them. You explain why I didn‘t want to go to a party to celebrate a baby that I helped come into this world.‖

With that, Nicole crossed through the living room and slammed the door of her bedroom.

Stephan slammed a fist down onto the table.

Great. Now she’s crying.

That woman was impossible.

This was supposed to be entertaining and temporary, a way to finally get her out of his system. He wasn‘t supposed to rush through a shower each morning, just so he‘d have a few more minutes of her company before he went off to work. In the middle of meetings, his thoughts shouldn‘t fill with images of her, and what she was doing at her own company that day.

And never had he imagined that he would leave unfinished projects on his desk just so he could be home in time to have dinner with her.

He was following after her, hanging on her every word like some besotted fool—but was that enough for her?

No.

She wanted everything.

When had he completely lost control of this situation?

He didn‘t want her around his family, and he was right to protect them from her. The more time they spent with her, the more they would be hurt when she left.

At the end of the day, she was still a Corisi.

He knew that, but the scene from the meeting with her lawyer haunted him. There had been real fear in her voice and he didn‘t want to acknowledge it, because it implied something that was becoming difficult to ignore.

Nicole was not like her brother.

She couldn‘t be and still inspire the kind of loyalty the men at her father‘s company had shown her. The woman he‘d tried to define her as would not have delivered his cousin‘s baby, and she wouldn‘t have won over his family.

Indecision and regret were not luxuries he normally allowed himself, but the questions kept coming. What if he was wrong? And what was it about being with Nicole that made it difficult for him to look at himself in the mirror?

She couldn‘t be as genuine and caring as she pretended to be, because if she was—then he was an ass. A complete and unsalvageable ass.

Now was not the time to start second-guessing all of his decisions. He‘d set himself on a course from which there was no turning back. By now, Dominic‘s software was the digital equivalent of swiss cheese. All Stephan had to do was wait, and everything would fall into place. When his servers proved worthless, Dominic would crumble beneath a deadly financial hit, allowing Stephan to step in and not only take back his family‘s island, but also profit immeasurably as China turned to him for a solution.

Everything he had been working for was finally within his grasp.

He wasn‘t going to apologize to Nicole, but nor was he going to block her from seeing his family this time.

This one time.

After that, the less they were together, the better it would be for all of them.

On Friday morning, Nicole wondered if saying yes to Maddy had been such a good idea.

Stephan was out of the office for the day, dealing with some distribution issue in Connecticut, so Maddy had asked Nicole to swing by his office for her, and pick up some tickets she‘d left there.

―No need to bother Stephan,‖ she‘d said. Maddy remembered exactly where she‘d left them.

The temp secretary guarding Stephan‘s office had hesitated to admit Nicole, but one flash of the enormous emerald-cut diamond on her left finger had changed her mind.

This feels wrong.

She hadn‘t paid much attention to his desk during her last visit, but it was an impressive piece of furniture. High-tech beyond what even her father had owned. Glass and gray metal with an embedded touch screen. It no doubt had other features whose functions would only be apparent when activated.
Nice.

The files on Stephan‘s computer were likely encrypted, but the metal drawers beneath the desk opened easily. Maddy had asked Stephan to hold onto her tickets to an upcoming art show.

The top drawer revealed nothing of importance.

While rifling through the middle drawer, Nicole found something that made her legs give way beneath her, dropping her into Stephan‘s chair. It was a photo of her and Stephan, taken by a roving park photographer the day of their one and only date. She‘d forgotten this picture even existed. His hair was longer, his dress was casual. They were looking at each other and smiling like the future was theirs.

She
hadn’t
imagined his feelings for her; they were evident in the way he was looking at her in the photo. No matter what had come later, his feelings had been real for her that day.

Beneath that picture was an invitation to a fundraiser in California. One week from that day.

Scribbled across the formal invite was a personal note in masculine writing.
We're taking bets on
if this is the year you'll break down and come. Kayla says you should get your butt out here
before our kids start having kids. Mark.

There was a small photo attached with a paperclip. Stephan's old west coast friends. They sounded sincere and successful, not at all how his father had described them. Not the outrageously successful level that her family fought for, but the comfortable middle class, two car, one boat, family vacation kind of comfortable.

And they looked happy. So much happier than she could ever remember being.

Nicole stuffed both photos and the invitation in her purse. There were no tickets in any of Stephan‘s drawers.
Maddy must have wanted me to find the photos.
Why would Stephan keep a
photo of our date in his desk?

Was it possible that he still had feelings for her?

Did she dare let herself believe?

With Stephan‘s grudging permission, Nicole went early on Saturday to help Katrine and Elise cook. She was wrapped in an apron, elbow deep in ―gravy‖ when Maddy entered the kitchen with her new baby in her arms.

The food was temporarily forgotten.

―Nicole!‖ Maddy exclaimed and handed Joseph to her mother so she could give Nicole a hug. The Andrades were quickly breaking down Nicole‘s personal-space inhibitions. Nicole returned the tight hug.

The four women took a few moments to coo over the little one in their presence.

―Did you go to Stephan‘s office for me?‖ Maddy asked. Instantly, Katrine and Elise spun to look at Nicole.

Like they knew. Like they knew everything. Nicole nodded slowly, unsure of what to say.

Katrine asked, ―Did you find the photo?‖

Nicole went beet red. ―You know about the photo? Do you know…‖

Elise laughed, ―Nicole, we know about the whole thing. My daughter can‘t keep a secret.

Not even her own. Do you have it with you?‖

Nicole dug the picture out of her purse and shared it with the group.

Katrine shook her head sadly, ―That‘s probably the last time I saw that expression on Stephan‘s face. He used to be so happy. He still smiles, but not from the heart. Not like this.‖

Elise took the photo and studied it. ―Maddy, usually I tell you how wrong you are when you interfere, but look at their faces. I see why you had to do something.‖

Maddy shrugged while admitting, ―I thought so, but now I don‘t know. They both look miserable today.‖

Nicole said, ―You know that I‘m still here, right?‖

Maddy smiled sheepishly. ―Sorry. But you do. I thought you‘d be halfway to a real proposal by now.‖

Reaching behind her to untie her apron, Nicole slipped it over her head and off. ―Even if what we felt that day was real, how could it survive what came afterwards? How could anything?‖

―You still love my son. It‘ll work out,‖ Katrine assured her.

Nicole shook head and tears thickened her voice. ―No, I loved the man who thought he could save the world one silly documentary at a time. I loved how good and honest he was. And I loved who I was when he looked at me. He doesn‘t look at me like that anymore. He doesn‘t even want me around you after today.‖