Luxury Model Wife (12 page)

Looking back, he realized he should have punched Jimmy’s lights out. He’d never been second best.

“Layla could have any man she wanted, and when she set her sights on Jimmy, nothing could stand in her way—including me.

“I think Layla pictured herself leading the next generation in the Van Orr Dynasty with James Van Orr Jr. and a trio of kids in tow. But Jimmy was on the fast track to an unstoppable career and couldn’t devote the time to Layla she thought she deserved. She was a therapist at the hospital, and though her job was demanding, she went home at five o’clock every night, unless there was an emergency—something Jimmy couldn’t do.”

Steve let out a groan as he stretched his muscles. He glanced over at the women and offered the fifth of whiskey. They nodded, and so he passed the bottle around. Victoria added splashes of the amber liquid to her glass and Beverly dropped in more ice, yawned, and covered her mouth. The warm, heady effect of the alcohol had mellowed the mood inside his office. The palpable tension that had filled the room diffused.

“You were right about the whiskey, boss,” Beverly said. “This beats chamomile tea any day.” She lifted her glass in another toast. “Now keep talking. I never knew all this stuff about you. I like seeing your humble side. It’s a rare treat for us mortals.”

Steve smirked at her, and the muscles in his neck and shoulders relaxed. Beverly had a knack for keeping him straight.

The weight of his past mistakes lifted as he continued to speak. It felt good to clear the air. “It didn’t take long for Layla to resent Jimmy’s heavy schedule. You’d think because she was on the hospital’s medical staff she’d be more understanding of the grueling treadmill he was on. But I guess that a spoiled, beautiful woman like Layla was used to getting exactly what she wanted, when she wanted. If Jimmy couldn’t devote the time to her she needed, she knew I would.”

He cleared the embarrassment from his throat. “I was all too happy to pick up his slack and take another chance with her. I thought she’d end things with him and come back to me. I was too blind to see she was just using me to make him jealous.”

He glanced at Victoria to test her reaction. It was humiliating to talk about how love struck and stupid he’d been.

She met his eyes and he was relieved to find compassion there. “Is Layla the woman you married?” Victoria asked.

Her voice had turned soft and husky with the alcohol, and Steve’s body responded to the sound. His heartbeat quickened and a pulse formed low in his belly. Victoria was ten times the woman Layla had been and he hated subjecting her to his pathetic story. But it was important she know the truth. He couldn’t move forward without reconciling his past.

Beverly spoke again, her tone indignant. “Good grief, man, you were infatuated. So what? We all did wild, crazy things in school.” She turned toward Victoria. “Right, Vic?”

Steve relaxed when Victoria smiled. “I won’t tell unless you pry it out of me.”

Beverly lifted her brow. “Sounds like a challenge.”

“Mmm, maybe.” Victoria sipped her drink again with a twinkle in her eyes. She tapped the edge of a polished nail against her glass. “Let’s hear the rest.”

The surest way to a man’s heart was to listen to him, and Victoria’s ability to do that made her seem even more beautiful, if that were possible.

Steve settled back in his chair and felt the muscles in his neck and shoulders give a little. He might as well tell the whole story. Maybe that would release the guilt he’d carried too long.

“During summer break Layla and I drove to Las Vegas. We spent hours in the casinos, and even more time getting high, drunk as sailors, and rolling around in bed. Finally, we did what everyone who’s stoned and sex-crazed does in that town. We got married in that Elvis wedding chapel downtown.” He winced with the admission he’d never told another soul.

Beverly cackled and the sound filled the room. “Ah, boss, that’s priceless.” She tapped the rim of her glass to Victoria’s. “He’s given us blackmail fodder.” Her eyes seemed out of focus as she licked her lips. “But don’t worry; your secret’s safe with us.” Beverly leaned back in her chair, gave Victoria an exaggerated wink, and signaled for Steve to continue.

“Very funny.” Steve scraped a hand over his chin. He needed a shave.

“The novelty of being a newlywed didn’t last more than a couple of hours for Layla. As soon as the pot wore off and reality hit, she pitched a fit. She sulked for a while, refused to let me talk to her or touch her, and finally demanded I drive her home. We returned to town where Layla promptly filed for an annulment and ran crying to Jimmy. She begged him to take her back—said she loved him and not me—and that her elopement was just a bid for attention. But Jimmy refused to have anything to do with either of us after that.”

He cleared his throat and took another gulp of his drink. “What Layla learned too late was that jealousy wasn’t Jimmy’s only weakness. His fatal flaw is pride. He had—has—an inability to forgive. He tries sometimes, but in the end, his stubbornness wins out.”

Steve shook his head at the memory of what happened next. “Though I apologized over and over, Jimmy moved out of our apartment and refused to speak to me or Layla again. Some days I can’t blame him for being angry. Other times I wish he’d see the part he played in our falling out. But he saves face by laying all the blame on me.” Love triangles almost always ended in disaster.

“Once, I wanted to be like him. But all that changed after Layla. I joined the military, then the family business, and it’s been a damn good life. Still, I’m sorry for what happened with Jimmy and Layla.”

“So that explains why Jimmy wanted me to hire Pinnacle Antiques Auctions,” Victoria said.

Steve looked up. “Right. He hates my guts. Turns out he really loved Layla. Planned to ask her to marry him. Who knew? I thought he was just playing her. I’d seen him toy with other women.” He shook his head. “After all these years it’s hard to tell anymore who played whom.”

He finished his drink and set the glass down on the desk. “Well, Victoria, since you’ve heard the official story of my sordid life, I guess all that’s left is for you to decide whether you want to continue your relationship with me.” He meant
personal
relationship, but added, “Carlson’s.”

The silence between them felt ominous until Victoria set her empty glass on his desk. “Beverly’s right. We all did dumb things when we were younger. And Jimmy is as stubborn as any man I’ve ever known.” She eyed him curiously. “Did you ever think he only wanted Layla because she was with you?”

Steve had considered that, but he didn’t want to believe the worst of Jimmy at the time. When he really thought about it, though, the girls they’d both dated usually went out with Steve first. Maybe Jimmy’s attraction to Layla was part of a long-standing pattern of jealousy and competition Steve had never acknowledged.

It hadn’t occurred to him when they were younger that he might have something Jimmy wanted.

Victoria’s tone turned pensive. “My late husband continued his relationship with your family even after your friendship with Jimmy ended. I can see how that must have bothered him. Lydia’s death and James’s marriage to me might have been too much to bear.”

Steve nodded. “James said as much to me and my dad. Though Jimmy’s devotion to his father prevented him from trying to form a wedge between you.”

“And now I’m forcing him to watch while I do business with his former best friend. The man he believes deceived him.”

“Layla all over again.” The words tasted bitter.

Victoria sighed. “There must be a way to settle all this.”

Steve agreed, though he couldn’t think how. “Do you want to cancel your arrangement with Carlson’s? I’ll understand if you want to nullify our agreement.” He knew he had no right to hold her. “Maybe it would be better for you to call Pinnacle Antiques Auction and—”

“And what?” Victoria snapped. “Do business with that horrible man who threatened us? I’ll never give him one cent of James’s money.”

Beverly chimed in. “We need you to manage the shop. Having you around has been a godsend.”

Steve nodded. “She’s right.”

Beverly squeezed Victoria’s shoulder. “You’re one of us now.”

Victoria smiled and patted Beverly’s hand. “I have to admit, I like the sound of that.”

The women stood and moved toward the door. Steve put their glasses away to wash later.

Before Victoria turned the doorknob, Beverly stopped her. “Hey, Vic. What was that dumb thing you did in college?”

“I’d like to know, too,” Steve said, coming up behind them.

Victoria shrugged a shoulder. “It wasn’t stupid, exactly. Reckless, maybe.”

“Now I’m really curious,” Beverly chided. “I can’t imagine you being reckless about anything. Did you have a wild affair with a professor? Get caught smoking weed? Lead a protest?” She wagged a hand. “Give.”

“Nothing like that,” Victoria replied. “But…if you really want to know…I took boxing lessons.”

“
Okaaaay
,” Beverly replied. She was clearly hoping for something juicier.

Steve couldn’t imagine Victoria with a bruised, swollen face and wondered why she’d subject herself to that kind of punishment. Still, he knew the sport attracted more women than it used to. “Why boxing?”

Victoria took an audible breath and blew it out. “I wanted to learn how to kill a man.”

“Wait a minute.” Steve cupped Victoria’s elbow to delay her before she and Beverly exited his office.

Just then, the phone rang in the shop. “I’ll get it,” Beverly said. She flashed Victoria a knowing smile.

When Beverly was out of sight, Steve pulled Victoria to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Are we good?”

“Of course. I won’t hold your past against you, if you don’t hold mine against me.”

“Deal.” His hands drifted up and down her sides, sending tingles through her. “What you said…about wanting to kill a man. Want to talk about it?”

Victoria tipped her forehead against his chest. “My dad.” She leaned back. “Let’s not go into it now. I think we’ve had enough confessions for one day.”

Steve kissed her lightly on the lips. “Whenever you’re ready.”

She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck to kiss him again.

His eyes flashed with desire as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply. He dragged his lips to her cheekbone and then to her ear to nibble the edge.

Victoria’s pulse jumped and her stomach fluttered like a kid in high school. She’d never known elation like this. Steve made her feel reckless, like she was free falling through clouds.

“Do you own a pair of western boots?” he asked when they broke the kiss.

“What?” She blinked at the unexpected question. After the serious discussion they’d had, and the delicious kisses they’d shared,
boots
would have never crossed her mind. She burst out laughing. “You’re joking, right? This is
eastern
Pennsylvania. To reach land even remotely pointing west we’d have to drive for hours.”

“True. And if we kept driving, we’d reach Indiana, where most of my father’s family lives.”

Victoria grinned. “I’m a Buckeye. You’re a Hoosier?”

“By blood. Though I don’t see my dad’s folks often.”

No wonder Steve was such a good-looking, All-American guy. They grew men right in the Corn Belt. Most of the time, anyway. “Why did your father move to Pennsylvania?”

“My grandfather got a job at the steel mill in Coatesville when my dad was a kid. The work was tough but the wages were higher than those he could earn back home. He and my grandmother liked Pennsylvania and decided to stay.”

“They must have missed their family terribly.” Victoria knew a lot about coming and going…and longing.

Steve nodded. “My dad and I went out there a few months ago to see his aunts and uncles. I bought a very cool pair of hand-tooled boots from a local craftsman. I want to show them off to you.”

“Isn’t
cool
and western boots an oxymoron?”

“Smart-ass.” He grabbed the plump center of her butt and squeezed.

Victoria swatted his hand. “Why would I need boots?”

“So we can go country dancing Saturday night. I’d love to two-step with you.” He took her hands and spun her around. “You’re a member of a
country
club, aren’t you? I figure you’ve done lots of
country
dancing.”

He dipped her quickly and righted her again before she could catch her breath. Victoria laughed as she pictured herself wearing a cowgirl hat and leather boots on a sawdust-strewn wooden floor. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Why, yes ma’am, I most certainly am,” he replied in an imitation Midwestern drawl.

“And why would I want to do that?” She egged him on.

“Because I’m the best two-stepper this side of Chester County, and I’ve got a hankering for you.”

His expression turned serious and he looked straight into Victoria’s eyes. He dropped the fake accent and his voice deepened. “Go out with me.”

He drew her against him again and held her tight, saying nothing as her heart beat against his breastbone.

“I guess I could go to the mall,” she murmured against his neck. He smelled like damp, crushed cotton stirred with citrus aftershave. The scents made her want to yank off his shirt and put her mouth on him until he begged for mercy.

Steve looked down at her as they stepped apart. “Wear the boots for a day or two to break them in. I’ll pick you up Saturday night at nine o’ clock.”

“I volunteer at the women’s shelter on Saturday. Guess I’ll show the boots off to the kids while I get used to the feel. That should be good for a few laughs.”

“You’ll be the prettiest woman on the dance floor,” he said, stroking her face.

“And the one most remembered for falling on her butt.”

“I won’t let that happen. I think you’ll be surprised at how mainstream the country scene has become, and how much fun we’ll have.”

A knock on the door interrupted their banter.

“Beverly’s back,” he stage-whispered with a grin.

Beverly stepped inside and then screeched to a halt. “Whoa.” She glanced from Victoria to Steve and her brow lifted. “Am I interrupting something?”