Stripped Down (22 page)

His heart stuttered, skipping a beat before taking up a hard-rock rhythm in his chest.
Bam, bam, bam, bam.
It was relentless, beating against his ribs until he was compelled to clear his throat and shift.

Sitting on Eric’s left, Whurly leaned over. “Reeves?”

“It’s fine,” he muttered.

“You’re young for health issues.” The old man leaned closer. “Prime age for matters of the heart, though.”

Eric glanced at him, surprised to see compassion on the man’s face.

“I’m a member of the board, Eric, not Satan’s right-hand man.” Settling back in his chair, he turned his attention to watch Cass, currently doing battle with Bradington.

Matters of the heart.
And wasn’t that exactly what this was? Even if it was a wounded heart. His mind raced, replaying conversations and quiet moments between them, searching for a time she could have used him or the knowledge he had provided. The harder he searched his memory, the more desperate he became to prove to himself she’d lied to him. Hell, he’d settled for her having misled him in any way. But there was nothing to find. Nothing stood out as deceitful. In fact, he’d kept most of the details of his day job from her, leaving no doubt whose was the bigger deceit.

His gaze shot to her profile, so pale under the fluorescent lighting. Jaw tight, her eyes flared at almost everything Bradington threw at her. They were really going at it, but Eric hardly heard a word they said. Days ago, he’d realized he needed to let go of some of his responsibilities and trust other people, to trust Cass. He’d taken a small step in that direction, but he hadn’t gone far enough, and that was why they were in this mess.

Bradington slammed a fist on the table and yanked Eric into the moment. Gwen, Cass and the older man were all standing now. The man leaned in, closing the gap between him and Cass until they were nearly nose to nose. Sweat dampened the hair at his temples. “You are, without a doubt, the most underhanded, deceiving person I’ve met, your father and his ilk included. You think you can come in here with your father’s name and interest in this project at your back and drive up the profits for your company by padding the numbers. We’ll not stand for it. You’ve no ethics, girl, and you’ve no hope of selling your little engineering venture as a class act. Word will get out that you’re on the take. That will be sufficient to see you to the same end your father should have found early on.” Spittle flew from his lips with the final declaration.

“You seem to have an issue with my father, Mr. Bradington. That shouldn’t translate to an issue with me or my firm.” Cass’s words were delivered softly with an undertone of sharp-edged steel. “I am not, and will never be, David Jameson.”

“You are the very image of him, from your arrogance to your low-cut business suit. You assume Sovereign’s board will simply roll over for you because you’re a pretty face. You use your body instead of your brains to sell your product. It’s despicable.”

Eric shot out of his chair, sending it careening into the wall with a crash loud enough to garner everyone’s attention.

“About damn time,” Mr. Whurly said under his breath.

Eric didn’t spare him a glance. “You,” he commanded, pointing at Gwen but looking at Bradington. “Sit.”

Gwen’s hands went to her hips and fire sparked in her eyes. “I’m not your—”

“Sit!” he roared.

Gwen took her seat, every movement slow and precise, and watched him from under a furrowed brow.

“And you,” he said, turning to Cass, “come here.” He pointed to his side.

She shook her head.

“Cass.” The warning was clear.

“I told you, I don’t appreciate being given orders and you
promised
—”

That her voice quavered now, here, in front of everyone, when he knew she’d fought through hell to keep her composure, ripped at his heart. “It got...complicated. Quickly. I didn’t expect that.”

“Me, either.” A harsh laugh sounded torn from her throat. “I didn’t even ask about your day job, Dal—Eric.” She looked down and took a deep breath before meeting his gaze head-on. “I never pressed because it didn’t occur to me you’d do anything of this magnitude.”

Her admission stung. “You thought I wasn’t capable?”

“No,” she answered quickly. “Not that. It was my own prejudice. I never looked beyond the man in my...” She swallowed audibly. “The man in my arms.” Shrugging, she crossed her arms under her breasts. “I’m not affiliated with my father, Eric. I didn’t bring that into your house.”

Bradington stood and crossed his arms. “You certainly don’t believe this utter tripe.”

“Sit. Down.” Eric glared at the man until he sat again. Then he looked back at Cass. “I know. I know this had, or has, nothing to do with your father. You were on my side, and I’m on yours.”

Seeing her reaction, understanding how strongly she felt about her family, how she’d wanted to distance herself and be her own person, make her own way and earn her own scars—he was sure she hadn’t betrayed him. He knew her; she was the person who had accepted him when even he hadn’t. And now? He was done hiding, he was done being ashamed. Yes, he knew her; she was his dream, and his future.

Now all he had to do was prove it to her.

* * *

C
ASS FORCED HER BREATHING
to slow down before she lifted her face to meet Eric’s gaze.

He held out his hand to her. “Come here, Cass.”

“I can’t.” It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go to him. She did. But she questioned whether or not her legs were going to hold her. Her knees were threatening to buckle, and, the longer she stood there, the more convinced she was they were going to let go. Then there was the matter of her pride. “You lied to me,” she said. “That doesn’t change, no matter what we wanted from each other.”

His eyes flared, his hunger for her shining bright. “And what do you want, Cass?”

It didn’t slip her notice he’d switched “wanted” to “want,” keeping it in the present tense. Her gaze flew around the room, lighting on the faces ping-ponging back and forth between them. “Here?” she squeaked. “You want to do this here?”

“No more secrets.”

“This room was built on secrets. Your downfall isn’t going to be on my shoulders.” She managed to take a step back.

“You’re right. But that’s about to change.” He glanced around the table, and Cass watched a variety of emotions play across is face. “Gentlemen, I’ve been moonlighting for a number of years.”

“Stop.” She didn’t want it to end this way, with him finally owning who he was and then watching her walk away. It was bad enough they were through, but to allow him to destroy himself like this? It was too much. “Eric, don’t.”

“It’s fine. I have an ethics clause in my contract, and if Bradington thinks, however erroneously, that you’re using your body for cash advantage, he should know I’m doing the same, without a doubt. And I’m not ashamed of it.”

She started to shake. He was there, at her side, in between heartbeats, folding her into his arms.

“Please, I don’t want you to be humiliated.” She closed her eyes against the angry tears. “And neither do I. You don’t need to tell them you used me.”

His arms tightened around her “Used...you...” He cleared his throat. “Care to explain how you came to that conclusion?”

“You knew I was a Jameson, didn’t you? You pursued me to keep my father off balance.”

His whole body stiffened. Hurt and anger radiated off him, a fine vibration she felt along his skin an instant before he let her go and stepped away. “I assure you I had no idea you were related to David Jameson, and I apologize if you believe that’s what the past six days were about, Ms. Wheeler.”

Ms. Wheeler.
It was over then. A very small part of Cass basked in the knowledge she’d been right, it had been too good to last. The rest of her wanted to weep.

Mr. Whurly rapped on the table, gaining everyone’s attention. “You’ll have to excuse me, Ms. Wheeler, because I’m not tracking most of this bizarre conversation. You and Mr. Reeves were involved, clearly. For how long?”

“I don’t understand how that is relevant, sir.” She locked her shaking knees, knowing what she was about to say would be a major setback to her company and her people. “I believe it’s in our mutual interests if Preservations withdraws its proposal and allows Sovereign Developments to pursue other avenues of environmental management.”

“Oh, nonsense,” the older man answered, waving her off.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Now, how long have you and Reeves been involved?”

“It’s really none of your concern,” she said, sure her cold delivery would shut him down.

He arched a brow, calm and unconcerned. “My investment firm has approximately thirty-five million dollars tied up in this project. I have the ability to fork out the nearly two million you need to manage runoff the way you’d like. I’d say that gives me a right to ask just about anything I want to know.”

“I withdrew my services.”

“Bullshit. You’re punishing Reeves. Now, I want an answer. How long have you two been involved?”

She jerked at the sharp tone and answered instinctively. “A week.”

“All this over a week?” Whurly shook his head. “You two must have something pretty powerful to warrant this much insanity so early in the relationship.”

“There’s no relationship,” Cass asserted. “Not anymore.”

“I’m going to call bullshit again, dear lady.” To Bradington, he snapped, “Get out, Davis. You’re off the project.”

“You’ve no right to dismiss me,” the other man declared piously.

“The hell I don’t. I’ll be taking your share of this daytime drama off your hands.”

“It’s not for sale.”

“It will be. Now leave.” Turning away from Bradington, Whurly—and every other board member—refocused on her. “What’s so broken it can’t be fixed so that you two can work together?” She looked at Eric, but Whurly snapped his fingers. “You’ll answer me.”

Cass’s ire snapped into place, one vertebra at a time as it climbed her spine until she was ramrod straight, her hands fisted at her sides. “And you’ll excuse me if I don’t respond as a ‘little lady’ should. I’ve spent a lifetime being bullied by your kind, Mr. Whurly. It takes more than a snap of your fingers to impress me.”

He chuckled before coughing into a handkerchief. “I knew I liked you.” Watery eyes that were still sharp and clear met her stare head-on. “So what’s so broken, Ms. Wheeler-Jameson?”

“Mr. Reeves deceived me, sir. I’ll tolerate a great deal, but betrayal isn’t on the list.”

“And what did he lie to you about?”

“His name,” she murmured. She might be through with Eric, but that didn’t mean she was going to out him in front of the board of directors as an exotic dancer.

“And who, then, is Mr. Reeves?” Whurly asked, glancing curiously over her shoulder where Eric still hovered, the heat of him burning into her back.

“That’s for him to disclose.”

“Mr. Reeves?”

“My middle name is Dalton. My mother’s maiden name was Chase. So the name I gave her was Dalton Chase. It’s all part of who I am, Cass. That wasn’t a lie,” Eric said quietly to her back. The words swept over her skin, the emotion in them twining with her own.

Whurly shifted in his seat so he could meet Eric’s eyes. “Why bother with an alias?”

Eric tugged at his collar and whipped his chin to the side, popping his neck. “It has to do with my second job.” He closed his eyes, let go of his collar and rose to his full height. Opening his eyes, he stared straight at Cass when he said, “I’m an exotic dancer at Beaux Hommes, Mr. Whurly. It’s my primary source of income as I fight like hell to get Sovereign Developments into the black.”

A couple of the board members pushed back in their chairs, crossing their arms over their chests and looking on with clear disdain.

“Bunch of ultraconservative idiots,” Whurly muttered, waving them off.

Among the roiling emotional stew brewing in her belly, pride simmered closest to the surface. He’d done it. Eric had truly owned who he was. She knew what it had cost him to put himself out there like that. And wasn’t that why she was hurt? Because she’d done the same, made herself vulnerable to him, and he’d promised not to use that against her? But how, exactly, had he used her? He’d never asked her for any information on her father, and she’d always gone by Wheeler. His deception had nothing to do with her, and if she held on to her sense of betrayal and closed herself off from his love, she would only allow her father to win. And Eric had shown her that that wasn’t who she was.

She
whirled toward him, and he automatically caught her. She planted her hands on his chest and stared up into the clearest green eyes she’d ever seen. He stared down at her, his gaze searching hers. He traced fingertips along her jaw.

“I had no idea you were Jameson’s daughter, Cass.”

“I don’t want to be,” she admitted.

“It changes nothing about who we are, particularly after hours, though I suppose family dinners could be uncomfortable.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. “But you don’t eat anyway. During the day?” He grinned full-on. “We’re going to have to navigate the pros and cons of working together. I’ll find the money and we’ll move forward. That or I’ll start looking for the next deal that will make Sovereign solvent.” His face grew solemn. “I’ll have to keep stripping until I can make it come together. But you come first, whatever it takes.”

“Oh, keep your clothes on, son.” Whurly stood and slapped him on the back. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone with your business savvy and sheer, unadulterated drive. I’ll talk to the partners at my firm and we’ll come up with the extra funds—even
after
we buy out Bradington.”

Another man rose. “I’ll agree to lending more money to the project. Any man willing to go to such degrees for the things he cares about is a man worth partnering with.”

A few of the other men nodded and they all stood and shook hands as they left the boardroom.

Eric turned back to her, eyes wide. “Tell me that just happened.”

“It just happened,” she said, laughing.

A small, distinctly feminine cough interrupted whatever Eric might have said next. Gwen looked him over appraisingly. “You’ve got balls, Reeves, I’ll give you that. But if you hurt her? I’ll saw those balls off with the tines of a spork and feed them to my Rottweiler, Diesel.”