The CEO Buys in (Wager of Hearts #1) (33 page)

He braced his arms on the counter and let water drip from his hair into the sink as memories of the day before came spinning back into his brain. Chloe looking scared but determined as she told him they’d have to break off their relationship. Chloe looking angry as she challenged him about the damned bet. Ed and Ben hammering at him in the Rolls about what he’d done to upset Chloe. Gavin telling him he had it bad and then ordering another bottle of scotch. Over it all a dark, colorless blanket of pain and loss.

He submerged his head in the sink again and held it under until he had to come up for air. Grabbing a towel, he headed for his dressing room. He dressed in gray slacks and a black tee, combed his damp hair into some order, and made his way down to the study, every step seeming to jar his teeth in his jaw.

He found his father standing in front of one of the bookcases, scanning the spines of the books. The general was wearing civilian clothes—a white polo shirt and crisply pressed khaki trousers, which made him seem unfamiliar. As Nathan crossed the room, the general turned. “I see you still have Jordan’s
Campaigns of General Nathan Bedford Forrest
.”

“You gave it to me,” Nathan said, holding out his hand to his father. “My apologies for my greeting. I wasn’t expecting company this morning.”

The general gripped his son’s hand, making Nathan feel as though the bones of his fingers were grinding together.

“I needed to return something to its rightful owner,” his father said. He went to the big desk and picked up the sword case, carrying it to where Nathan was holding himself upright by leaning on the back of a leather wing chair. His father held out the case with both hands.

“I told you to keep it,” Nathan said. “I broke the family tradition.”

The general took a deep breath. “I know I made you feel that way, and it was wrong. You’ve brought honor and glory to the family name in a way that’s different from my way. But that doesn’t make it less than my way. In fact, you’ve already accomplished much more than I have in my lifetime.”

“That’s not true, sir.” Nathan’s clouded brain was having a hard time processing his father’s words.

“I don’t regret how I raised you, because it’s made you the man you are, and I’m damned proud of that,” the general continued. “I do regret the distance between us. I’d like to change it.” He offered the sword case again. “Even if you can’t see your way to closing that gap, I want you to have the family sword in your keeping.”

Nathan released the chair and took the sword case, holding it in both hands as the general had while he stared down at it. It felt like a ceremony of some sort, this passing of the sword. He lifted his gaze to his father’s, realizing suddenly that it was like looking at his own eyes in a mirror. “I’m honored, sir.”

The general gripped Nathan’s shoulder. “You’ve earned it, and that’s the greatest honor of all.”

Nathan took the case back to the desk and set it down as he focused on what his father had said about closing the distance between them. He turned back to the general. “Why now?”

“May I?” his father asked, pointing to one of the chairs.

Nathan nodded and took a seat opposite his father. He didn’t know if he wanted to hear this or not.

The general clasped his hands on his knees. “As much as I love Angel, I refused to marry her because of you.”

Nathan rocked back in the chair. “What did I have to do with you and Angel?”

His father looked up at him from under his eyebrows. “I was afraid it would cause a permanent rift between us, one that could never be repaired. I had always hoped . . .” He shook his head. “Then Angel told me she was pregnant. Once I got over the shock, I realized what a selfish fool I was. I proposed on the spot.”

The general clenched and unclenched his hands a couple of times before he continued. “She turned me down flat. Said she wasn’t going to have a shotgun wedding with a reluctant groom. I had a hell of a time convincing her I wasn’t marrying her just because she was having our child.”

Nathan felt an unwilling spike of sympathy for his father.

“When she agreed to marry me, there was only one thing missing from my happiness.” The general stopped to clear his throat. “That was you, son. I realized I had to get over my infernal pride and make the first move. And the second one,” he said, nodding to the sword. “If I need to make a third, fourth, and fifth move, I will, because you deserve that from me.”

“Your first move was the wedding invitation.”

His father nodded.

“You make it sound like a game of chess. Or a Nathan Forrest campaign.” Nathan wasn’t sure he liked that.

The general sighed. “That’s just the way I know how to describe it. I’m a soldier, so I talk like one.” He skewered Nathan with his so-familiar eyes. “It doesn’t make me mean it less when I say I love you. I don’t deserve it, but I’m asking for a second chance with you.”

Nathan thrust himself out of his chair, wincing as his head pounded. He stood on braced legs with his hands shoved in his pockets. This was territory he hadn’t expected to cross. He met his father’s gaze, trying to read what was behind it. He caught the movement of his father’s fists, clenching and unclenching again. The general’s posture was rigid in a way that went beyond his military training. He was waiting for Nathan to reject him, but he was prepared to accept that and try again and again.

Nathan thought of all the angry things he’d wanted to say to his father, all the accusations of making his childhood hell and every one of his achievements seem worthless. Even worse, blaming his father for driving his mother to suicide. He realized his father would sit there and let him spew ugliness at him, maybe even agree with what he said.

“I give you credit for courage, Dad,” Nathan said.

All the tension went out of his father. “Thank you,” he said with more gratitude that Nathan’s statement warranted.

“For saying you have courage? You’ve already proven that in combat.”

“For calling me Dad.”

Nathan hadn’t realized he’d said it. It must have been because he’d gotten lost in the past, so it had spilled out unconsciously.

His father stood and held out his hand. Nathan put his in it and they pulled each other in for a short, powerful embrace. He could feel his father’s strength the way he had as a child.

As they separated, his father said, “You’re a generous man, son. You could have dragged me over the coals about what I did to you and your mother.”

“I figure your pride was already taking a severe hit. I wasn’t going to pile on.”

“My pride?” His father made a sound of disgust. “Let me tell you something about that. You should take pride in your work and pride in keeping your barracks neat and pride in service to your country and your fellow man. But when it comes to people, pride is nothing but a high, wide wall you build between yourself and the ones you love.”

Nathan knew about that wall, because he had built one just as sturdy. It wouldn’t be easy to get around it to meet his father halfway.

The general cleared his throat. “Angel and I were hoping to stop back here on our return trip. Maybe we could have dinner with you, Ed, and Ben, and that nice young lady you brought to the wedding. Chloe, wasn’t it?”

An image of the dinner table with all those people sitting around it rose up in Nathan’s mind. It sparkled with laughter, warmth, and love because Chloe was part of it.

At that moment, Nathan understood three things. First, he wanted Chloe at that dinner more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. Second, he had to tear down the wall he’d put up to protect his pride. Third, he was willing to make as many moves as it took to get her back.

“Dad, you’re a genius. It
is
possible to fall in love in two weeks.”

“You’re confused, son. You’re the brilliant one in this family.”

Nathan shook his head gingerly. “Right now, I’m less confused than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Chloe wanted to put her head down on her new desk at Trainor Electronics and wail. Ever since Nathan had walked out of the hospital lounge, she’d been fighting her way through a storm of emotions that had left her both keyed up and wrung out.

Relief had come first when Ben had told her that Grandmillie’s heart issue was an arrhythmia that was easily treatable. After he’d given her the news, she’d collapsed into a chair in the hospital lounge and sobbed.

But once that worry was removed, guilt, loss, and pain had swept in to drop a weight on her chest that made it hard to draw in a full breath.

She’d flinched at Ben’s bafflement when she told him not to call the cardiac specialist he wanted to refer Grandmillie to. Ed had looked puzzled and then concerned when he returned with gourmet sandwiches and Nathan wasn’t there to share them. Grandmillie kept giving her searching looks as Chloe dealt with doctors, nurses, and various other personnel at the hospital. By Saturday evening, she’d fallen asleep in the lounge chair in Grandmillie’s room, awakening only when a nurse tucked a blanket around her.

On Sunday Grandmillie had been released from the hospital, so Chloe had busied herself with making her comfortable in her bedroom until her grandmother had commanded her to stop fussing. Then she’d pried the truth out of Chloe and stroked her hair while Chloe sobbed into the blankets on Grandmillie’s bed. The only thing she hadn’t shared with her grandmother was the mysterious bet.

“You fell in love with him, didn’t you, child?” Grandmillie had said gently.

Chloe had started to protest, to say she just felt guilty about hurting him, but her grandmother’s question forced her to admit the truth. Her heart had paid no attention to the warnings she’d given herself about his money and his power and his genius. She’d found the man behind all those intimidating trappings, and she wanted to love him for the rest of her life.

Chloe slumped down in her chair as despair swamped her all over again. She couldn’t afford all this wallowing. She had to focus on work. Her new boss had e-mailed her a boatload of reports and memos to read so she’d be up to speed on the project she’d been assigned to. Opening the first file, she made herself concentrate. Her brain was clicking away, absorbing the ins and outs of the product’s development, until she reached the end of the report, where a series of people had made comments. There was Nathan’s name attached to an astute suggestion about renaming the product to avoid comparison with a competitor. The phrasing and tone were so distinctive that she could hear his voice saying the words. The same voice that had whispered hot, sexy suggestions in her ear as he moved inside her.

She put her hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to wrench itself from her throat. She needed to get out of there to pull herself together. Grabbing her handbag, she headed for the ladies’ room in the hallway. As she passed the elevator, the doors slid open and Nathan stepped out the elevator, wearing one of his perfectly cut suits, his hair waving just down to the collar, his head turned as he spoke with the woman beside him.

Every molecule in Chloe’s body leaped with sheer happiness at the sight of him. Her heart hadn’t gotten the memo that she was no longer allowed to love Nathan. Then her brain sent a wave of misery rolling over her, nearly knocking her to her knees.

Chloe didn’t care what anyone thought. She stumbled to the bathroom, slamming open the door and dodging into the first open stall. Latching it closed, she leaned against the stainless-steel wall and let the tears flow silently down her cheeks.

She couldn’t do this. Seeing Nathan was like showing a starving woman a perfect chocolate éclair and then telling her she couldn’t touch it.

She scrabbled in her bag for her cell phone. Before she speed-dialed Judith’s number, she stuck her head out of the stall to make sure no one else was in the room.

“Hey, Chloe, what’s up?” Her friend’s familiar voice steadied her.

“I’m really sorry, but I can’t continue at Trainor Electronics.” She took a deep breath and fumbled for a reason. “I feel like I’m here under false pretenses.”

“You mean because you’re involved with the big boss?”

“
Was
involved with him. We broke up on Saturday. I just saw him for the first time since then.”

She heard Judith blow out a breath before she said, “Well, you predicted it would end. I told you the job has no probation period, so he can’t fire you as revenge. My advice is for you to tough it out until you get over him. Time heals all wounds, and the great salary and benefits will help the process along. And I’m not saying this because of my fee.”

Chloe rested her forehead against the cool metal wall. “Judith, I did something stupid. I fell in love with him.”

“Oh, damn. I was afraid of that.”

“I hurt him, Judith. I did the same thing all the other women did. Used him for what he could give me.”

“That’s garbage and you know it.”

“It feels like that to me. And he believes it.” Chloe felt her decision come into focus. “I’m sorry, but I have to resign.”

Judith’s sigh sounded in Chloe’s ear. “Okay, sweetie. Can you at least tell Roberta in HR that it’s a family issue? It’s almost true.”

“Of course. I’ll make it clear you were shocked and disappointed by my decision. I don’t want to damage your relationship with Trainor Electronics.”

“I know you don’t. You’re too nice for this whole mess. And I’ll keep working to get you placed, so don’t worry about that.”

Chloe thanked Judith and hung up. She felt a curious sense of lightness. Guilt about the way she’d gotten the job had been weighing on her.

She marched out of the stall to touch up her makeup before taking the elevator to the HR floor. Once Roberta got over her astonishment, she was surprisingly sympathetic, saying she understood the issues of having elderly relatives. Chloe wished she didn’t have to leave a company where the employees were treated so well. It proved that corporations weren’t all heartless.

Chloe walked out of the HR office and headed back to the elevator. She reached for the “Down” button and then drew her hand back.

She wanted to see Nathan one more time. To tell him she’d been wrong to take the job. She didn’t expect him to want her back, but she hoped he would think better of her. If he ever thought of her again. The contempt in his eyes on Saturday indicated he might dismiss her from his mind as not worth the trouble.

She stretched her hand out again, hesitated a moment, and pushed the “Up” button.

Chloe stood in front of the desk where it had all started. It seemed incredible that in just two weeks she’d experienced so many highs and lows.

As she waited to find out if Nathan would see her, she remembered the first time they’d made love, and Nathan’s words as he’d walked away from her in the hospital. Maybe this was a bad idea.

“Mr. Trainor is available now,” Janice said. She was a pleasant-looking fortyish woman, with short brown hair and a slight midwestern twang. She gave Chloe a smile. “I hear you did a great job when I was sick.”

“Thanks.” Chloe couldn’t manage any more conversation because flutters of nerves were tightening her throat. She shifted her grip on her handbag and strode past Janice to pull open the big door into Nathan’s office, bracing herself for whatever he might sling at her.

His desk was unoccupied, so she turned toward the windows. He was standing with his back to them. She could see the breadth of his shoulders, the length of his legs, and the way he had his hands thrust into his trousers pockets, but his face was in shadow. Not helpful.

She closed the door, walked halfway across the carpeted floor, and stopped, holding her bag in front of her body with both hands.

“How’s your first day of work going?” Nathan asked.

His mundane question threw her off balance. “I, um—it’s not.”

He moved forward a step and waved to a chair. “Tell me about it.”

She ignored the invitation to sit. “I came to tell you that I’ve resigned.”

“Is Phil that hard to work for?”

“No, of course not.” What was going on here? “I resigned because what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have accepted the job, knowing that we were . . . involved. My only excuse is that I feel responsible for Grandmillie.”

“I understand that.”

Chloe flung her arms out. “Why are you being so polite? You hated me on Saturday. And I deserved it.”

His shoulders lifted and fell on an expelled breath. “Not hated, but you struck a serious blow.”

“I don’t blame you for anything you said. I acted like the worst kind of opportunist.”

He took another step forward. “Look, neither one of us behaved well. I engineered the job here for my own convenience. If my motives had been as altruistic as I claimed, I would have found you a position at another company. So let’s say we both could have done better and leave it at that.”

“Oh. All right.” She’d expected—maybe even wanted—more emotion from him. This calm, rational conversation was depressing. Their relationship hadn’t been deep enough for her presence to bother him a mere forty-eight hours after it ended. Well, that proved what everyone had told her all along, and it made her want to curl up in a ball and weep. “Fine. I just wanted you to know.” She half turned.

“Chloe.” She pivoted back, a stupid little flame of hope coming to life in her heart. “My father came to see me yesterday. He brought back the sword.”

The flame flickered out. “I thought you told him to keep it.”

“I did.” Nathan took another step in her direction. “You were right about the wedding invitation. He wanted a second chance.”

“Are you giving it to him?” Chloe held her breath for his answer.

He didn’t answer her directly. “He told me pride is a wall that separates you from the people you love. He said that he was willing to make the first move and the second move and as many more moves as it took until I agreed to give him that chance.” He kept walking toward her as he spoke.

Her heart turned a somersault in her chest. “How many moves did it take?”

He stopped several feet away from her. “Two.” She could see his face now, but it was unreadable.

“I’m glad.” She’d wanted that for Nathan and his father. She decided to ask one daring question. “So you believe in second chances?”

“For some people.”

Chloe could barely breathe. “Which ones?”

His gray eyes were focused on her face. “The ones I love.”

She swallowed her pride because she couldn’t help herself. “Am I one of those people?”

Nathan closed the distance between them, coming so close that she could see shadows under his eyes and a dusting of stubble that showed he hadn’t shaved. He looked down at her and uttered one word. “Yes.”

And then she was locked in his arms, her mouth against his as she wrapped her fists around his lapels to pull them closer together. He kissed her with a desperation that echoed her own, his embrace so intense it made her struggle to breathe.

He lifted his head a fraction of an inch away from hers. “Tell me I’m one of those people for you, Chloe.”

“I love you, Nathan. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to. Everyone told me not to, but I couldn’t stop it.”

He smiled in a way that made her knees go weak. “I’m irresistible.”

“To me.” She pulled his head down to give him her kind of kiss, one that held an apology and a promise.

When she ended the kiss, he shifted his hands to her shoulders, holding her away from him. “You’ve brought so many good things back into my life, darling. I have so little to offer in return.”

That last statement struck Chloe as funny. “I don’t mean to be materialistic, but you’ve offered me a lot of things. Jewelry from Tiffany’s, clothes from Saks Fifth Avenue, airplane rides, dinners at gourmet restaurants.”

“And you’ve thrown most of them back in my face,” he pointed out.

“You still don’t get it. All I want you to offer is yourself.”

He released her and held his arms out from his sides. “That’s what I’m doing. All I am is yours.”

“That’s a heck of a lot,” Chloe said, her heart squeezing with overwhelming joy as she threw herself against him so he closed his open arms around her. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him again.

“I need to explain the bet,” he said, his voice serious.

A tremor of apprehension shook her. “Do I want to hear this?”

“I’m not sure, but you deserve to know.” He led her to the couch and sat her down beside him in an echo of their scene in the hospital lounge. Not the image she wanted right now.

He swiveled to look at her. “Remember Teresa?”

Chloe nodded. “She had great shoes.”

Nathan smiled briefly. “The night before you came to work for me, I found out she lied to me about our first meeting. I’d thought she might be different from the other women who just wanted something from me, but—” He shrugged. “I met Gavin and Luke that night. We got drunk together and made the wager you heard us talking about.”

Nathan took both her hands in his warm, strong grip before he continued. “We each had one year to find a woman who chose us for ourselves and not our money or power or fame. If we failed, we had to forfeit something very important to us. But if we won, we won a lot more than just the bet.”