Double-Cross My Heart (41 page)

Standing in front of her desk, the phone held to her ear, she listened to his cell phone ring, her eagerness and impatience mounting.

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

She frowned as she suddenly registered an echoing cell phone ringing behind her.

As Alex walked across Eden’s outer office, ignoring her secretary’s startled expression, he glanced down at his ringing cell phone, seeing her office number displayed there.

Stopping in her open doorway, he found her standing in front of her desk, her back to the door, the phone pressed to her ear.

“I love you,” he said, answering his phone. “I’ve loved you from the first.”

Eden turned around and looked at him, her face registering surprise.

“Hello,” she answered automatically. Then, her eyes widening, “You what?”

“I realized fifteen minutes ago,” Alex said, still speaking into the cell phone, “that when I was here this morning, urging you to stay true to yourself, I didn’t say the most important thing I meant to say.”

She set the phone receiver back in the cradle. “You said a lot of really important things this morning.”

“Here,” he said, holding out the candy bar. “I thought you might need this.”

Eden smiled, taking the Payday he held out to her.

Standing there in her slim-skirted suit, a softness coming into her eyes, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. If she hadn’t yet figured out what scheming for this job was doing to her, then he’d have to give her some more time. Everyone had their own path to self-discovery, he’d heard.

“I forgot,” he said, coming to a stop a foot in front of her, “to tell you that I love you like crazy no matter who you work for or how stupid and devious I had be to meet you in the first place. Will you marry me?”

Eden looked at him for a long moment with no reaction other than a leaping kind of glow in her eyes. She then walked around him and closed her office door. “Well, let’s see. That’s an interesting proposition. Especially since you think I’ve sold my soul to the devil and signed on the dotted line this morning.”

He shrugged, saying with a rueful smile, “I haven’t given up complete hope for your soul. You may have hocked it a little, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be loved and supported. Every marriage has its challenges.”

Leaning back against her desk, she said, “You love me even though I’ve lied to you, pretended to have feelings for you and made love with you while I was scheming behind your back—despite all that?”

The phone on Eden’s desk rang, but she didn’t turn to answer it, continuing with her questions, “Despite the nasty things I said that night in your office?”

“Hell, if you can forgive me for setting you up—“

“Just to be clear,” she said, “you did stage that mugging?”

“Yes,” he acknowledged, saying hastily, “It was crazy—“

“But effective.”

“I told the guy not to lay a finger on you. I made sure he had no weapon and I was right there to break it up—“

“To ‘rescue’ me,” she said.

Alex said nothing, his gaze locked with hers. Then he said softly, “I was an ass. No question. But let’s talk about rescuing each other. Over the last few weeks you’ve asked me why I’ve never tried to create a company, to actually run one, only de-construct them. Well, I’ve decided to meet the challenge. I’m a guy who knows how to take a risk, try new things.”

“What are you going to try?”

“I’m looking at buying one of several companies that show promise—“

“Not in the cosmetics field, I hope,” she said with irony, not giving any sign of hearing the phone ring again.

“No,” he confirmed, smiling as he stood in front of her. “One manufactures dental supplies. Not a really glamorous industry, but necessary and helpful. And I happen to believe that you didn’t just ‘pretend’ to have feelings for me.”

Eden looked at him, conflict in her eyes. Her voice low, she said, “I tried not to care about you at all.”

“Well,” he said softly, “I made no effort to keep from falling in love with you. I saw your photo in the initial reports on Michele Cosmetics…and I fell into infatuation with you. It was just a spontaneous thing for me to be the one to make contact with you. I sure as hell didn’t want my investigator oiling up to you. If anyone was going to manipulate you, it was going to be me. Then I met you and fell in love.”

A smile curled her lips. “Well, what more could a girl want?”

With an answering grin, Alex said, “I don’t know. That’s what I’ve been asking myself these last few days and long, sleepless nights.”

He paused, saying in an soft voice, “I don’t usually sleep well, you know, but without you—“

Eden looked down, her hands braced against the desk behind her.

“Since I’ve gotten to know the woman you are,” he said, “and I’ve fallen further in love with you. Regardless of the path you’re taking in your work. I love you.”

Raising her face to meet his gaze, she said, “I love you, too. I’ve tried not to, tried to keep my head in control and not care—“

Taking her in his arms, Alex silenced her words, his mouth settling over hers. She returned his kiss, her arms lifting to encircle his neck.

Moments later, Eden’s head resting on his shoulder, he said, “Marry me?”

“Wow,” she said sniffling back the moisture from the tears in her eyes, “aren’t you going to ask me if I’ve redeemed my soul?”

“What?” He set her back a little so he could look into her eyes. “Redeemed your— You didn’t go through with it?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head, a tremulous smile on her lips. “About four o’clock this morning, I decided it wasn’t worth it. I’m not cut out for corporate treachery. If that’s what the job requires—“

“Thank God.” Snatching her close, Alex wrapped his arms around her, relieved and happy she’d come to the right decision.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you this morning.”

“I don’t care,” he said. “I just want you healthy and happy and with me. Never mind that I’ve spent the last three hours agonizing.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, laughing through her tears.

A knock sounded on the door behind them.

“Come in,” Eden called out, not moving out of his arms.

The door opened and the secretary from the outer office regarded them with raised eyebrows. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Klineman would like a word with you, Eden.”

Sol Klineman strolled in then. “Morning, Holt. Good to see you’re putting your time to better use than trying to steal this company away.”

“Much better use,” Alex agreed, grinning at the older man as Eden quickly pulled away, a flush in her cheeks.

“Mr. Klineman,” she said, flustered.

“Well, you left the boardroom in quite an uproar,” he said conversationally.

Eden didn’t say anything, casting a glance at Alex.

“But that’s all right,” Sol went on. “This place has needed some shaking up. If you’ll reconsider your resignation, the board would like to offer you the chief executive officer position.”

“What?” Eden gasped, shock on her face.

“Yes,” the older man said. “We’ve strongly encouraged Michele to resign and she’s complied with our wishes. So there’s a power-vacuum and we think you’re the best woman for the job.”

“That’s—that’s amazing and wonderful,” she managed to say.

“So you’re still interested?”

“Very.”

“Good.” Sol turned toward the door with a smile. “Call me and we’ll set up a meeting to firm up the particulars—that means the money. I’ll go now and let you get on with your…other interests.”

“Thank you,” she said as the door closed behind him. Turning to Alex, she said, “Oh, my God.”

Smiling at her, he pulled her back into his arms. “Now, about that marriage proposal….”