Mills & Boon Introduces: What Lies Beneath / Soldier, Father, Husband? / The Seven-Day Target. Soraya Lane
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would definitely cool her ardor. “Yes, Mother mentioned he was going to see you. How is he?”
“Good. We were going over the finer details of our product collaboration. It should be ready to launch in the spring.”
“What are you two doing, exactly?”
“We’re working on e-reader technology. His people have managed to create a touch screen so light, thin and cheap that before long, everyone will have one. We’re hoping to even give them away with long-term e-subscriptions to the paper.”
“Is your paper having trouble?”
“No, we’re still performing well, but a lot of other papers aren’t. It’s all about the internet these days. I added online subscriptions a few years back, but I think e-readers are really the next big thing in the publishing industry. I want the Observer and Dempsey Corp. at the front of the surge. To take my company to the next level as a top-tier performer. It’s what I’ve fought for years to do.”
Cynthia nodded, although she had no real idea what it was all about. She loved the feel of a book in her hand, and it would take time before she would be willing to give that up to a gadget. But it sounded promising for the two companies. A big boost in the industry. Maybe if he climbed that peak, he’d be willing to sit back for a while and enjoy the view for once. She doubted it, though.
“Is that why we were getting married?”
Will paused, his glass in midair. “It’s not why I proposed to you, no.”
“But it’s why you stuck around even though I was difficult.”
“We both had our reasons for getting married, even if they were misguided.”
“I would think that it was just good business, working together. Why do you have to marry me to seal the deal?”
“It’s not like that,” Will insisted. “My proposal had nothing to do with your father’s company. That all came later. Just an incentive to stick things out when you became—to use your word—difficult. Your father prefers to work with family. When I broke off our engagement, I did it knowing that this project could be dead in the water the minute he found out.”
“If this second try doesn’t work out between us, will it hurt your company?”
“No, it won’t hurt us. But it won’t help either.”
“I could talk to him. I mean, I’m the reason we broke up. He shouldn’t penalize you and your employees because of something I did.”
“That’s a very sweet offer, but I don’t think I’m in need of any of your heroics just yet.”
Will reached across the table to take her hand into his own. The warmth of him enveloped her and radiated up her arm like sinking into a hot bath. His thumb stroked across her knuckles in slow circles, sending the tiny hairs on the back of her neck to attention. She wanted to close her eyes and lose herself in the sensation of his touch, but his gaze had her pinned in her seat.
“What makes you think this second try won’t work?” he asked with a devilish smile that almost convinced her it would.
Almost.
Five
“You kissed her?”
Alex’s disbelieving shout no doubt cut through the walls of Will’s office and into the hallways of the Observer headquarters.
“Keep it down, will you? I deliberately employ some very nosy people around here, and not all of them are journalists. My admin is at the top of the gossip food chain.”
Will got up from his desk and pushed his office door closed, flipping the lock to prevent interruptions.
“What’s the gossip in you kissing your fiancée?”
“Well, for a start, she isn’t my fiancée anymore.”
Alex sat down in Will’s guest chair. “Yes, but only I know about the breakup. Last time we talked you seemed pretty certain you were out of there once she was back on her feet. What changed?”
Will sat down at his desk and leaned back, weaving his fingers behind his head. “Nothing. And everything.”
“I knew it. I knew when I saw that grin on your face at dinner that she’d gotten to you.”
Will wasn’t sure he liked the implication of that, but he had a hard time denying that she’d gotten under his skin. “I’ve never been this preoccupied with a woman before.”
“So you’re staying?”
“No. Yes. For the time being. Even if she woke up tomorrow with the temperament of a pit bull, I’m riding this out until she’s recovered. We’ve agreed to start fresh and see what happens, but I still have reservations. This just spells long-term disaster.”
“Then why did you kiss her?”
Will sighed. “Because I wanted to. And I haven’t really wanted to kiss her in a long time. There is suddenly this chemistry between us. This electricity whenever I’m close to her. It’s nothing like we ever had before. It’s as though I’m with a completely different woman. A brand new relationship with someone who’s soft and sweet and gentle. I mean, she giggles, Alex.”
A blond brow shot up, curious. “Cynthia giggled?”
“More than once. At first, she was sort of lost, trying to feel her way around, but now that she’s got her bearings, she’s full of excitement and joy. It’s like she’s got a new lease on life. I like being around her. I’m happy when she’s happy. I bought her a damn sewing machine.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I thought she’d like it, and I was right. She’s cleared out her office of advertising junk and has been merrily plugging away at making clothes.”
“Is that what she’s going to do now?”
“I guess. She can’t exactly go back to the ad agency and fake it. I encouraged her to do what inspired her, and this is the direction she took. It makes her happy.”
Alex nodded. “Which makes you happy. So what’s the big deal, then?”
“It’s all wrong!” Will shouted, slamming his fist into his desk. Hitting something let out some of the aggression he had pent up inside. His gut was a swirling mix of untapped sexual energy, confusion and frustration with no outlet. “She’s sucking me back in when all I wanted was to get out. It almost makes me wonder if she’s doing it on purpose. When I broke it off, she was insistent that we could work things out. Cynthia didn’t want the embarrassment of calling off the engagement. She wouldn’t even take off her ring because she said we’d talk when she got home. What if she’s trying to trick me into staying by faking this whole thing?”
“You mean pretending she has amnesia?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her. I couldn’t trust her then, and I’m still not sure I can trust her now. All she did was lie to me for more than a year.”
“She nearly died in a plane crash. Not even Cynthia could premeditate a plan like that.”
Will frowned at Alex, his argument instantly deflating because he knew his friend was right. He was being paranoid. Letting his past distrust of Cynthia cloud his judgment. Of course she couldn’t have set this up, but somehow it was easier to be suspicious of her than to let himself trust her. “Ah, hell. What a mess I’ve made of things.”
Alex stood and went over to the small bar where Will kept his stash of water, soda and Scotch. “Want a drink?” he asked.
“No, help yourself,” Will said.
Alex poured himself a few fingers of Scotch and walked over to the large picture window that overlooked the vast concrete sea of New York City.