View Park, page 15
Looking at her mother’s indignant stare, Leigh knew now wasn’t the time to tell her about Richard. She had to be smart and give her mother what she wanted. To have the clinic up and running and fully operational to serve its much-needed patients was worth a few dates with a society brat. After a while, she could tell her mother about Richard and let her know this young man, whoever he was, just didn’t do it for her.
Leigh noticed her mother look toward the door to the dining room and wave someone over. She looked behind her noticing an attractive elderly woman walking toward them, her hand in that of an even more attractive young man.
“It would be boring for me to give you a bio,” Janet said, “so I invited him to lunch.”
CHAPTER 8
In the back room of Essentials II, Avery was trying to pull herself together even though she was shaking all over. Essentials II was all she had left and she didn’t believe she would have it much longer. She heard the words the insurance agent said over and over again but was having a hard time believing them. Craig had made it so that she lost everything no matter what happened to him.
She had to be strong even though it felt like the devil and all his demons were conspiring to bring her down to hell with them. She would lose everything now, but she was young and had the will to start again. With the grace of God, five years from now she would be even more successful than she had been before all this mess started. That’s how it worked, wasn’t it? Place all your faith in God and He will provide. He would show her the way.
She repeated the scripture that came to mind every time she thought she couldn’t take it. II Corinthians 12:9: My grace is sufficient. Grace: Underserved Kindness. It would be enough to get her through all of this, and as long as she didn’t lose faith, she would be rewarded. Honestly, all she really wanted was to get through this without slitting her wrists.
“Avery!” Calabra rushed in, struggling to close the door behind her. “I told him you don’t want to see him.”
She was pushed aside as Carter entered with an intimidating frown on his face. Avery watched him struggling against the petite woman and if she had been feeling better, she thought she might have enjoyed this.
“I’m calling the police!” Calabra yelled after Carter won the door fight.
“It’s okay,” Avery said. “Go on back to work.”
“Your first day back?” he asked, waiting for a response that didn’t come. “If you don’t want to talk to me, why did you let me in?”
“What you’re doing could be considered stalking, Carter.”
“I just want to talk to you.” He’d done more pride-swallowing in his pursuit of her than ever in his life. “I know Alex has been filling your head with…”
“I make my own decisions.”
“I don’t want to argue with you, Avery. I just want to talk.” He leaned against the side of the desk, looking down at her. “I just want to apologize.”
“There’s nothing you can apologize for.” She was trying to look into his compelling eyes with some dignity.
“I’m to blame for some of this,” he said.
“You’re to blame for all of it.” She didn’t take any pleasure in the hurt look on his face even though she wanted to.
“I accept that, but you have to understand I would have never done this if I knew Craig was sick. He never gave me—”
“Save it,” she interrupted. “I know everything you told the police about how you blackmailed Craig.”
Carter scratched at his chin, wanting to say she was making it sound worse than it really was, but that was a waste. He had let his animosity toward her erase his conscience.
“I had nothing to do with that bombing. I told Craig our business was over. That’s when he tried to blackmail me.”
“I would be happy to hear you got a taste of your own medicine, but the only problem with that is that I ended up paying for it.” Avery was only holding herself together because of a need to make him understand. “When you tempted him with the answer to all of his problems, there was no turning back. He thought he was saved and when that was ripped from him it made him all the more desperate. You set this in motion with the first call you made to him.”
Carter wanted to say If only I had known, but that was the point. That was why you didn’t do these things, because you don’t know. “What else have the police told you?”
“The only reason they haven’t arrested you is your last name. Your father.”
Carter nodded, unable to protest. He knew it was the truth, but it wouldn’t last long. He resisted his father’s advice to hire a criminal lawyer because more than what that might do for him, he thought of what that would look like to Avery.
“Carter, I’ve spoken to you like you wanted. So please go.”
“Not before I tell you something. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I won’t really believe it until I hear myself say it to you.” He stepped only inches from where she was sitting.
“Then this is for you,” she said. “Not me. Everything is for you.”
“Avery, shut up.”
She looked up at him ready to cuss him out, but a sense ran over her and it scared her half to death.
“I care about you,” he said. “I thought at first it was pity and guilt that I felt because of what I’ve caused, but it’s not. It’s…”
Avery backed out of her chair and jumped away from the desk like he was a roach coming out of the dark. She backed into the wall to get as far away from his confused stare as possible.
“How could you do this to me?”
“What? I—”
“How could you lay this on me right now?” She didn’t believe this man was even capable of really caring about anyone other than himself. “With everything you’ve already done to me, you want me to believe you care about me? What are you trying to do, seduce me into not suing you and your father?”
“I don’t expect you to believe it now.” He backed away. “I just wanted to say it before I do what it takes to make you believe it. I’m doing everything I can to find Craig. I’ll find him and you’ll know the truth.”
“The truth is you still tried to steal my company and now you want me to—”
Unable to hold on any longer, Avery fell to her knees crying. She hadn’t thought she could feel worse, but this fake admission of affection from Carter pulled at something inside of her; it was really the last straw. She pulled away when Carter rushed to her.
“Get away from me!” she yelled. “You’ve got everything now. Every shred of dignity I’ve ever had. I’m gonna lose everything and I don’t care about how you feel or what happens to Craig.”
“You’ll rebuild,” he said. “I’ll help you. Until then, this store is—”
“There’s not going to be any rebuilding and this store isn’t gonna be doing anything for much longer. I don’t have any insurance. Craig cancelled the policy three months ago. He forged my signature to cancel it and was pocketing the payments.”
Carter blinked at the unexpected turn, but he didn’t let it cloud him for more than a moment. Kneeling down on the floor, he came face-to-face with Avery’s tortured inner child. “He’ll pay for this, Avery. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” she stressed. “And don’t act like this isn’t what you wanted; me losing everything for turning you down.”
“All I want is to find Craig and make him pay for what he did. Whatever that costs me, I’m willing to accept.”
The desperate anger on his face and the strain in his voice made Avery want to believe he was telling her the truth, but she hated him as much as anyone right now.
“You’re strong enough to handle this,” he said.
She shrugged, too far beyond embarrassed. “God never gives you more than you can bear.”
“Unless you die of something.” He found a small victory in the smile that briefly flirted on her face. “You can count on me, Avery.”
Maybe I can,” she said, “but I can’t return these feelings you say you have for me. I love Alex.”
Not for long. Carter wasn’t accepting defeat here, but getting her away from Alex wasn’t more important than finding Craig and getting Avery back on track. He wanted to hold her, his ego convincing him he could make any woman feel better with his charm and comfort. Avery was much more than any woman and he wasn’t going to let any feelings she had for Alex get in his way.
“Wait out here,” Haley ordered her bodyguard as she and Sean headed into the library. “I want to be alone with him.”
Sean could see from the look on the bodyguard’s face that he was happy to get rid of Haley. Sean didn’t like the way she talked to him—or anyone for that matter—but he hadn’t seen her in three days and nothing else mattered. She was all over him the second the door closed behind them. Sean tried to reach the leather sofa a few feet away, but Haley dragged him to the floor. She was kissing on his neck, unbuttoning his shirt. He told her to slow down, only because he knew she wouldn’t listen. Any nervous tension he felt from being in Steven’s home evaporated the second he got his hands on her. Frantically, he slid them under her thin silk tank and up her stomach. She had large, firm breasts and her skin was as soft as satin.
“Shouldn’t we be in your—” He stopped as she slapped her hand over his mouth. It kind of hurt, but anything she did right now was okay.
“My bedroom?” Haley was disappointed. He wasn’t learning what she wanted quickly enough. He should be desperate enough to have her by now to know better. She bit his earlobe before whispering into his ear. “My parents have sex in their bedroom, Sean. This is much more exciting.”
He leaned back looking around the massive room filled with oversized, leather-bound books and antique furniture. Every piece in the room cost more than his yearly salary. “Haley, we can’t do this here.”
Haley leaned on her knees looking down at him. This was starting to get on her nerves. Any other man would be ready to sell his mother after waiting this long. “You were telling me on the phone how much you wanted to see me, so do you want to do this or not?”
“You have no idea,” he answered, “but not in your parents’ house.”
“This is my house, too.” She pushed him to the ground and straddled him. “And no one rejects me.”
“I’m not rejecting you.” He didn’t resist when she started unbuttoning his jeans. “I thought our first time would be in a more—”
“What are we, virgins?” She was starting to cool down a bit. “I need to work off my nervous energy, Sean. Is it going to be you or someone else?”
Sean’s hands fell away from her hips as he felt himself go limp.
Haley rolled her eyes. He looked like a normal, red-blooded American male and when he touched her he made her feel great, but she couldn’t get it. How could he resist her?
“I’m not interested in being your stress relief.” He would accept being anything for her. Still, a man had to stand on his principles. “And I’m sure as hell not interested in being one of your either/ors.”
“Why are you so damn sensitive? You’re a man, aren’t you?”
“You’re really blowing me away here.” He laid his hands on her thighs and squeezed. “Your mother is here, isn’t she? And she knows I’m here, so we won’t get very far without getting caught.”
Haley eyes lit up. “Isn’t that the whole point?”
“You’re not taking this seriously,” he said. “We’re not just a man and woman having sex. I’m the lead detective on a case where you’re the victim and only witness. We can’t get caught doing anything.”
“You’re really serious, aren’t you?” Haley was at least glad there was a reason. She liked Sean more than she was willing to admit to herself, but she didn’t wait for anyone.
“I’m trying to maintain some professionalism here.” Sean was already breaking too many rules to sleep through the night. “When things calm down, we can go—”
“Things aren’t ever going to calm down. That asshole is free and he’s gonna keep me locked up in this prison till I die!”
“I’ve already told you that’s not true.”
“All you do is tell me things. Why don’t you deliver on any of it? Like now for instance.”
Sean knew Haley wouldn’t understand. Like her father, she was used to getting whatever she wanted when she wanted it. They were both driving him crazy.
“It’s hard when you do it right. It takes longer.”
“Then do it wrong,” she ordered. “My father knows—”
“Please don’t tell me that.” Sean was worried because Steven had already insinuated he was going to handle things from his end if Sean didn’t get on it quick.
Balancing on her hands, she lowered down on him. “I’m serious. I know exactly what he looks like now. Give me another chance to ID him.”
“That’s not legal,” he said.
“You’d rather he kill me?” she asked.
“Stop it, Haley.”
“Carly was over today,” she said. “Remember her from the club? She said that since they let him go, he knows I can’t identify him. So maybe he doesn’t care about me anymore.”
“Would you stake your life on Carly?” he asked. “Besides, I told you not to talk to people about this case. The less people know, the better.”
“I can’t go anywhere. I can’t talk to anybody. You have to understand how much anxiety this is causing me. If you did, you’d know how much I need you right now.”
She was undoing the top buttons to her shorts when the door to the library flung open.
Janet’s mouth hit the floor at what she saw. “What are you doing?”
When Sean got that Haley had no intention of moving, he took it upon himself to lift her off of him. “Mrs. Chase…” Looking at Haley, he could see this was exactly what she had wanted. She was bored and entertained herself by using, shocking, and offending. “I’m sorry. This is—”
“Don’t apologize,” Haley said. “She’s seen this before.”
Sean looked at her, feeling the sting of her words. Why in God’s name did he want this woman?
“You might want to zip your pants up before you leave.” Janet had too much to deal with today to let Haley’s exploits with this boy get to her. Haley would be done with him soon enough.
“He’s not leaving,” Haley said. “He’s staying for lunch.”
“I haven’t set the table for him,” Janet stated.
“It’s okay.” Sean really wanted to leave.
“Leigh’s guest is here, so please pull yourself together and join us.” She never took her eyes off him as he zipped back up, tucking his shirt in. He was completely humiliated and that would satisfy her for now.
Standing in the doorway, Leigh felt awful. Leo had been a great lunch guest, but all she wanted was for him to leave. It was a shame, he was an attractive brother. Dark and handsome with jet black eyes and strong features, not to mention all the charm a well-bred boy should have. He was a stockbroker, and Leigh had no love for that, but it didn’t matter. She was falling in love with Richard and every time she looked at Leo, Richard was all she thought of.
She laughed at Leo’s jokes and agreed to go with him to a party at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday. He was extremely flattering and complimenting, but it was all for nothing. She was lying to him by making him think she was interested, lying to her mother for making her think she was giving this a try, and lying to Richard by not telling him what she was doing. She reminded herself time and time again that this was for the clinic, but she never bought into the idea that the end justifies the means.
“Leigh?”
She blinked, realizing she’d been lost in her thoughts while he was talking to her. “I’m so sorry, Leo.”
He smiled, showing perfect white teeth. “I was just saying that you and your mother are so much alike.”
“How do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Perfect, I guess.”
“Nobody’s perfect, but thanks anyway. We really enjoyed having you.”
“I’m really looking forward to Saturday night.” He leaned against the entryway. “I think we’ve really hit it…”
Leigh was distracted by the phone ringing. She wondered if it was Richard and if her mother would answer.
“Thanks again for coming by.” She started closing the door very slowly. “I guess I’ll see you Saturday?”
He nodded, looking as if he wanted to stay longer but stepped away anyway.
Just as Leigh rushed to the phone, it stopped ringing. Picking it up, she listened quietly for the sound of her mother’s voice, but only heard Maya.
“Is that you, Leigh?” she asked.
“Yes, I thought…”
“Hi.” It was Richard.
“Thank you, Maya.” She leaned against the sofa waiting for Maya to hang up. “Hey, sexy, you on a break?”
“I’m off rounds, actually. Neo, the guy I subbed for last week, is making it up to me. How you doing?”
“Okay.” For a liar, she was doing just fine.
“The construction guys are coming to the clinic for repairs tomorrow,” he said. “Your mother really came through for us.”
“Yes, she did. It took a lot, but she has come around.”
“I want to come over and thank her myself. I don’t think flowers were enough.”
Especially since Leigh intercepted the flowers before they got to her. “She’s not here right now.”
“Then tomorrow, because I…we all really owe her.”
“Want to meet me somewhere?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
There was a short pause before he said, “How about Trinity? A drink and then maybe a movie?”
“Sounds perfect.” Leigh stood up when Janet walked into the room.
Janet sighed impatiently as she held up her watch, but Leigh lowered the phone a bit and shooed her mother away.
