Two Rivals, One Bed, page 13
Victor prided himself on being a gentleman. A man of his word. He was disciplined, and had kept company with some of the world’s most beautiful women. Yet at the moment, it took every ounce of strength that he possessed and some that he pulled from the ethers to follow Maeve’s wishes and keep his hands off her. Did she have any idea how she looked in the firelight? How her mocha skin glowed in a way he wanted to lick it, and how her aroused nipples and desire-darkened eyes told him that her body hadn’t agreed with anything she’d said? He looked over at the box Chef Kai had prepared and had had delivered and walked over just to distract himself.
He began lifting the lids off culinary snack masterpieces, from fresh lemon dill hummus to a white truffle/smoked, cheddar/maple bacon popcorn tin trio. “Well, at least we won’t go hungry.”
“Or cold,” Maeve replied. She walked over to where housekeeping had placed extra blankets and a quilt.
“Just my luck that the generator isn’t working.”
“Or mine.” At Maeve’s chagrined expression, he chucked and added, “Just kidding.”
Maeve stopped to look at him. “This isn’t funny. My phone is less than fifty percent charged. Even with satellite, don’t you think you might need your cell before we can get down the mountain?”
“Yes, but I’m not worried about access. It’s self-charging.”
“You have a self-charging cell phone?”
Victor had the humility to look a bit embarrassed. “A new technology that’s been out for a while eliminates the need for chargers or batteries in most electronic devices.”
“Why haven’t I heard of it?”
“As you can imagine, there are companies out there not too thrilled at the prospect of being potentially put out of business.”
Maeve nodded at the phone in his hand. “Is that it?”
Victor nodded.
“Mind if I check it out?” When he appeared to hesitate, Maeve added, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to go into your text messages or emails and uncover the scores of naked women photos you’ve probably received.”
“Well, in that case...” He handed her his phone.
Maeve made a big deal of examining it, turning it over in her hand. Victor played along, although the only energy in the room that had his attention was the sexual vibe flowing between them. To him, there was no way that she could not feel it, too. When she gave back his phone, he encircled her wrist.
“Come on. Let’s sit down, enjoy our wine and the fireplace.”
“I should probably keep my distance.”
“Why? To try and prevent the inevitable from happening, and no, I’m not saying that because of my ego. It’s because whatever differences that might exist between us, when it comes to intimacy, we’re on the same page. I’ve never felt with any other woman the way I do with you. Us, together, is like magic. Tell me you feel differently.”
Her voice came out in a whisper. “I can’t.”
He gently removed the phone from her hand and set it on the table, turned her around and began massaging her neck.
“You’re tight.”
“You think? Since arriving here, it’s been one frustration after another.”
He leaned forward, pushed her hair aside to kiss her neck, then placed his mouth close to her ear. “Let me help take care of that.”
“Dammit, Victor.” Maeve turned around, her look wary. “This is impossible.”
“I know. But it’s what we both want, and the perfect way to ward off the chill as the temperature drops.”
“We’re talking practicalities now?”
“An added benefit of lovemaking.”
Maeve relaxed her shoulders, offered a brief smile. “One more time, that’s it. What happens here, stays here. Once back in Chicago, I want your word that other than the case you will leave me alone.”
“Okay.”
“You promise?”
“I’ll try.”
“Victor...”
He kissed her lightly, inhaling her fragrance. “I’ll do my best to honor your wishes. That’s the only type of promise I can keep.”
Victor turned and began walking away.
“Where are you going?”
“Did you get a look at that tub? The hot water will work wonders on those tight muscles.”
He felt no need to inform her about his strong, hard organ and how he’d soon be using it to remove any remaining kinks. Instead, he reached for their wineglasses and led them to the bedroom. He invited Maeve to relax while he got the bath ready. Once the tub began filling with steamy water, he poured in a liberal amount of bath salts and bubble bath from the gift box. Then he returned to the bedroom, undressed Maeve, slowly, deliberately, before picking her up, carrying her into the bath and placing her chilled naked body into a tub of bubbles. Maeve sighed, reached for a bath pillow and laid her head against the rim.
“Be right back.” Victor retrieved the candles and after relighting them, placed them strategically around the tub. He quickly shed his clothes and joined her in the water. Reaching for a loofah, he rubbed it all over Maeve’s body before using his hands to do the same. Later, in bed, there wasn’t an inch of her that he didn’t touch. He covered her chilled skin with a sheet, then scooted below it to dip his tongue into her heat. He sucked and licked and nibbled. She did the same, taking his sex into her mouth and driving him crazy. The sex was unhurried, thorough, satisfying. Outside, the snow continued to fall. In the bedroom, nothing but heat.
The next morning, with penis hard and body ready, Victor rolled over and reached for Maeve. Instead of the smooth flesh he imagined, his hand brushed cold rumpled sheets. Not exactly the wake-up he’d expected. He flopped on his back, expecting at any moment to hear the toilet flush and watch Maeve return to their love lair in all her naked glory. He stroked himself, smiling as he remembered how last night unfolded—how the outside temps dropped and the room got colder, and the ways they kept their bodies warm. Damn, he was ready for another round.
“Maeve!” He paused, listened, then sat up against the headboard. “Baby, where are you?”
Throwing back the covers, Victor climbed out of bed and sauntered naked into the living space. He was sure his bobbing member leading the charge would be enough to convince Maeve to stop whatever she was doing and rejoin him in bed.
Except... Where is she?
“Maeve?”
He walked into the bathroom. Remnants of Maeve having showered were there—opened toiletries on the counter, wet towels on the floor. Back in the living space, he walked its perimeter, though every inch of the luxurious area could be seen from the main room. It was several minutes before he noticed something he hadn’t seen since last night. Lights. The electricity was back on. Only now he noticed Maeve’s computer plugged in and turned on, along with the Keurig machine’s blinking light. Now feeling like he was on a reconnaissance mission, Victor retrieved his jeans and sweater and dressed quickly. He returned to the bedroom where last night Maeve’s phone had been charging. The charger station was empty. She had her phone. He picked his up from the nightstand beside the bed. He had just tapped her contact number when he heard the door open.
“Where have you been?” The combination of concern, exasperation and sexual frustration made the question come out harsher than he’d intended.
Maeve seemed undeterred, and even through the haze of sexual frustration, he realized she looked as bright as sunshine and fresh as a daisy. A band held a headful of bouncy curls away from her freshly scrubbed face. Her eyes were fairly sparkling and focused. She breezed by him on her way to the table as though he were barely in the room. And where had she gotten the new clothes?
He took a breath and joined her at the table, speaking again but this time with a calm voice. “I was worried about you.”
“Sorry.”
“Where were you?”
“Down at the business center.”
“You were working?” She nodded. “On the case?”
“On this.” She pulled a brief report from a folder and slid it across the table. “The facts to be presented to the judge next week.”
“Why you want the case delayed.”
“Why the case should be dismissed.”
He looked up, got ready to speak, but considered the smug look on her face and decided it best to check out her findings. After reading the first paragraph, his stomach sank. Following the second one, he stood up and walked over to the window. The snow was still falling, covering last night’s white blanket with a fresh coat, much as it appeared his client had covered up a major theft from his own grandmother. The thought didn’t make Victor disappointed at potentially losing a case. It made him angry. He thought of his own grandmother and the close relationship they’d shared before she died. He thought of all the older women of his childhood, the village that helped raise him, especially after his parents separated.
He walked back to the table and sat down. “Hubert is connected to the Stone Mountain Trust.”
“The second signer along with Daphne, his mother. My team is still trying to maneuver past the legal barriers to obtain more concise financial records, but there is a definite tie between that trust and a bank account Hubert set up in Las Vegas, which is connected to an offshore account. Of course, the identity of that account holder will never be uncovered, but we’re fairly confident that a source we’ve recently located will help us put enough pieces of the puzzle together to make Hubert reconsider his lawsuit.”
“Who’s this source?”
Maeve sighed and for the first time since seeing her that morning, saw a dimming of the twinkle in her eye.
“His name is Louis Guitterez, a former employee who was obviously in cahoots with your client. He left rather abruptly a couple years ago and moved out of state. A PI located him just last night.”
“And he admitted to taking part in a crime?”
“When initially questioned, I’m told he clammed right up. But the threat of federal charges of embezzlement, money laundering and the illegal transfer of funds, not to mention the possibility of a long prison sentence, worked to loosen his tongue.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“He admits to working with Hubert while at the company and handling transactions that were questionable at best. He’s agreed to being deposed without being subpoenaed but wants his own lawyer present.”
“That’s understandable.”
“This storm will most likely prevent a personal meeting but we’re hoping a virtual one can be set up as early as Tuesday.”
Victor sat back, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “This is crazy.”
“Tell me about it. What a difference a day makes, huh?”
He reached for his phone. “Excuse me a moment.”
“What are you getting ready to do?”
“Order room service. Then go to work. Looks like I need to set up a virtual conference of my own.”
Victor ordered breakfast, then took a hot shower, still reeling from the turn of events. He should have been paying more attention to what her findings potentially meant for his client. But all he could think of was that once the case got dismissed, he and Maeve would no longer be opposing counsel. He’d be free to pursue her in a more serious manner and that’s exactly what he intended to do.
Nineteen
Maeve couldn’t believe the past twenty-four hours. How one moment she’d been arguing with Victor about winning the case, the next making mind-blowing love to the same man, and then, after seeing the blinking light on her cell-phone charger and realizing the electricity had come back on, picking up her phone and reading messages that immediately changed the trajectory of her day. Maybe her life. Her plans had changed from climbing back into bed with Victor for a leisurely sex-filled morning to coming out of the bathroom showered and dressed, her mind alert and fully in professional mode.
Shortly after contacting Raymond, Maeve carefully read the detailed report of his findings. She’d set up a conference call, then formulated a report outlining what Louis had told her. She’d gone downstairs to the hotel’s small business center, where she’d printed out a formal copy of it for Victor and scheduled a second digital copy be sent via email to Judge Keller. Instead of requesting a delay, the email asked that the case be dismissed outright. Now, while waiting for all the players to gather and the video chat to start, Maeve half-heartedly munched on a croissant, looked around the room and finally allowed a brief recap of all that happened, and an honest assessment of how to proceed.
In the wee hours of the morning, while listening to the soft, satisfied slumber of her lover, Maeve had pondered her predicament. She was a woman in love (yeah, lust, too, but this feeling went way deeper than sex) with no idea of her next move. On one hand, the choice appeared simple. Date Victor secretly until the Duberry case was solved and a reasonable amount of time had gone by. Talk him into leaving his native Costa Rican paradise and join her in America. Ease him gently into Point du Sable society. Get her brothers to like him, so her currently distrusting family—and rightfully so—could get past his representation of a client against them. Lose her fear of giving over her heart. You know. Simple stuff. And then they could be together.
On the other hand, and there always had to be that other hand, the whole idea of a relationship with Victor was absurd. They lived on different continents. Maeve’s roots in Point du Sable ran deep, as did Victor’s in Costa Rica. Then there was that whole playboy lifestyle he’d admittedly led. Maeve’s heart had already been shattered once in her life. She’d worked hard to get past Lionel and his betrayal, but deep down some of the fear invoked by her ex-fiancé’s past actions still lingered. Victor was like fireworks. Fun, exciting, but what happened when the sparks died out? Did he move on and try to set someone else ablaze? Maeve didn’t know whether the combustible possibility was worth the risk, or whether it would be better to choose someone like Matthias, a more predictable and steady flame.
“Good morning, sister.”
Desmond’s voice startled Maeve out of her reverie.
“Man, you were a million miles away. Already preparing for your next big case?”
“Something like that.”
Desmond’s comment had Maeve reaching for her cell phone. She tried for outward calm but inside her heart was racing.
“Hang on a minute, Des, I need to send this off to my assistant real quick.”
She texted Victor.
Wherever you are, don’t come back yet. On video conference. Family involved.
“Where are you?” Desmond asked.
“Stuck in the mountains. Mom didn’t tell you?”
“Yeah, she told me. But I’m asking you.”
“Still at the hotel. Snow is falling again, but it isn’t as heavy as yesterday. If it stops this afternoon as predicted, the hotel believes the road crews will be able to do their thing and allow us to come down the mountain tomorrow.”
“Us?”
Crap! Maeve remained silent amid Desmond’s narrowing eyes.
“Mom said you went there for a meeting.”
“That’s right.”
“Who with?”
“What’s it to you?” Maeve jokingly asked, belatedly realizing she should have had a story ready.
“Because that’s a long way to travel for a business meeting, that’s why.”
Jake entered behind Desmond and bopped his older brother on the head. “Mind your business.”
For his timing, Maeve could have kissed him.
“Now,” Jake continued, sitting next to Desmond. “Who in the hell did you sneak off with?”
“Unlike you, brother, every hotel visit isn’t a booty call.”
“Where’s Victor?” Desmond asked.
“Good question,” Maeve responded without missing a beat. “Wherever that is, he’ll be receiving a copy of the motion to dismiss I’m preparing for Judge Keller.”
“Desmond said you had good news. Who’s the thief?”
“You didn’t read the email I sent?”
“Why do that when I was coming on here?”
Raymond entered the call. He was in an office conference room. The forensic accountant and two other team members sat near him. “Good morning, everyone.”
“You’re in the office?” Maeve couldn’t believe it.
“I’m a native Chicagoan,” Raymond replied as though that explained everything.
“I’m a New Yorker,” the forensic accountant, Sebastian, added.
“I’m trying for a promotion,” noted the newest team member.
Everyone laughed and the meeting got underway. For the next forty-five minutes, Maeve was able to do what she hadn’t done in twenty-four hours, not think about how Victor had claimed her—body and soul.
* * *
Victor sat in an unused office on the hotel’s second floor, sipping coffee as he casually chatted with the twins, Adele and Agnes, waiting for their brother, Hubert III, to join the video call. He’d specifically chosen video over audio in order to see Hubert’s physical reaction when he shared the news delivered by the Eddington Enterprise accountants and was thankful that for the sake of this conversation, the hotel’s power had been restored.
“When was the last time you visited DC?” Adele asked, after sharing that Costa Rica was one of her favorite vacation destinations. She was the chattier of the two. Agnes was quiet, more cautious and reserved.
“Last year. I was invited by a friend to attend a party held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.”
