Enticing Interlude (Tempest #2) (28 page)

“No,” I told her softly. “No one’s taking Carter or anything else of mine from me.” I transferred my gaze to Richard. “You and I both know that your threat’s an empty one. You seem to forget that I was underage when I had Carter. If you try anything of the sort, I’ll immediately file statutory rape charges against you. I wonder how that will play out in family court?”

Richard visibly paled beneath his tan.

I marveled how I had once allowed him to rule me, to victimize me. Well, I wasn’t intimidated by him any longer. And now with one extermination out of the way, it
was time to turn my attention to the other vermin in the room.

I could see the fear in her beady eyes as they met mine. She had good reason to be afraid. I was wide awake, finally, and I spit her poison right back at her.

“You shouldn’t have done this. But then that’s what you do. Destroy things. Like taking a little girl’s heart and surgically carving it from her chest. My admiration and love could so easily have been yours. All it would’ve taken was one kind word, but you didn’t have even that to spare did you? Not even after my father died.” My chin went up. “Well, what goes around, comes around, you heartless cow. You played your cards, now I’ll lay out mine. I promise you this, when Trigg and I are done with you, you won’t even mop floors at this company.”

I rolled the pen back to her. “I
suggest
you sign the paperwork we’ve given you. If I were you, which I thank God I’m not, I’d brush off my old acting resume’. You’ve run my father’s company into the ground long enough. I’m taking it back at midnight tonight. My first order of business in the morning will be to petition the board for your immediate dismissal. After this little blackmailing stunt of yours, I’m thinking you better grab a hold of that golden parachute of yours and pray that it opens when you jump.” I stood and put my hands on the table leaning toward her. “Because lady, you are going down with or without it.”

I kicked back my chair, my body vibrating with fury. I stormed to the doors and ripped them open. As soon as I stepped through, I saw Justin standing there.

He took one look at my face and both his brows lifted, disappearing into his tumbled hair. “Gave it to her that hard, huh?”

“Yeah.” I smiled triumphantly. “Bitch had it coming.”

Orlando sun glinting off the crystal clear chlorinated water, I squinted as I splashed Carter. Grinning, he gave it right back to me, his platinum hair plastered to his head, white zinc sunscreen spread across his cheeks like war paint. After a power brunch with Trigg, we still had a couple of hours to kill before we had to be at the airport. Since no one felt much like sleeping, I’d suggested a trip to the hotel pool to burn off our pent up energy.

“Stay here in the shallow end,” I instructed. “I want to talk to your mom for a bit, ok Champ?”

“Ok.” Expressive eyes like his mom’s revealed his continued concern. I could relate as I still had quite a few of my own.

I swam across the width of the pool and pulled myself out, crossing to where Bridget lay sprawled out on a lounger. To the outside observer, we probably appeared to be just an ordinary family enjoying our vacation in Florida, but we were far from that. It had been a gut wrenching, anything but typical visit to the Sunshine State.

Bridget was wearing that same racer back swimsuit, the one that deemphasized her jaw dropping figure. I made a mental note to find her a new one when we got back home. Her hair up in a ponytail, she lifted her sunglasses and placed them up on her head as I approached. Her pinched expression turned to one of mock disapproval when I playfully shook out my wet hair over her.

“Justin,” she complained, blinking her blues at me.

“You look hot.” I winked.

I grinned. “Scoot over.” She shimmied to the side, making room for me. I allowed myself a moment to enjoy the view before I got down to the matter at hand.

“Where did you go before brunch anyway?” she asked glancing at the bruises on my knuckles, a small crease appearing between her brows.

“Nowhere important.” I’d never tell. I didn’t want to mess with her badass mojo. She’d taken care of things all on her own in that conference room, and I was so proud of her. But on the other hand there was no fucking way I was going to let that bastard get away without letting him know exactly where I stood in a way he’d not soon forget. “What happens next?”

“Hmm.” She frowned. I think she probably had it figured out, but she let it go and answered my question. “Even though Evelyn has no legal leg to stand on, that doesn’t mean she won’t decide to draw things out just to make things unpleasant for me. We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.”

I nodded. “And Richard?”

“His personal attorney contacted Maurice right before brunch… surprisingly.” She lifted a brow. “He’s agreed to sign all of his parental rights away. It seems he’s more afraid of going to jail than he is of my stepmother.”

“What about you and Carter?” I’m sure my expression revealed that this was what was really worrying me. “Are you staying in Vancouver?”

“I don’t know.” Three words. Not the ones I really wanted to hear. My stomach knotted tighter, especially when I realized her eyes were troubled, too. She reached for my hand, and even though she’d been sitting on the pool deck out in the tropical sun for an hour, her hand was colder than mine. “I don’t want to uproot Carter again. Not till things are definite. It could take months for everything to play out.” She glanced down at our joined hands. “I’m actually hoping it takes a while. That way Carter can finish out the school year in Vancouver, and I can stay with you.” She peered up at me. “At least until you go on the tour.” A tear trickled out of her eye and slid down her cheek. She turned her head and swiped it away.

I pulled her onto my lap, and framed her pretty face, my eyes searching and cataloguing every beloved feature. “That’s what I want, too.” I kissed her hard to tell her just that, but made it quick. Carter was still in the pool. It wasn’t safe to get distracted. “We’ll talk tonight. When we get home. After Carter’s in bed, we’ll work it all out.”

“But how, Justin?” Her lip trembled. “You’ll be on tour before long, and I’ll have to come back here sooner or later. Maybe,” she bit her lip, “Maybe it’s best if…”

“No,” I cut her off. “Fuck, no.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “When are you going to stop letting things derail us?” I slid my hands down her arms, captured hers, and brought them to my chest, trapping them there. “This is a long term plan. I don’t want anyone else. Ever. Can you honestly tell me you feel differently?”

She shook her head, unshed tears balancing on the ends of her lashes.

“Then nothing’s coming between us. I won’t allow it.”

I stared at him while he slept, his airline seat reclined beside mine, his long auburn lashes casting crescent shadows on his cheeks. His hair lay across his brow. His lips, those delicious lips, were slightly parted, and his breath was slow and even.

I loved him so much it hurt, like a gnawing hollowness deep inside my chest that only he had the power to fill. I was scared though, uneasy and on edge. He’d spoken so confidently at the pool.

I won’t allow it.

I’d been through too much in my life to believe it could be that easy. Some things just couldn’t be controlled. I’d eventually have to leave Vancouver. He’d have to stay. With his father’s illness, there was no other way. A cross country relationship with a rock star, three thousand miles separating us. It might be over between us sooner than I feared.

Suddenly, we hit a pocket of turbulence, and the plane jumped. Tray tables and dishes rattled. Carter shifted restlessly. He was on his side, his head lying on a pillow in my lap, his legs over Justin. I stroked his hair and he relaxed, snuggling in closer to me, arms tightening around on my waist.

If only I could just as easily calm the turmoil that raged inside of me. Tears burned in my throat. I should be on top of the world. My monetary concerns were over. I would soon be at the helm of my father’s company.
My company
. But I’d grown up with plenty, and I’d also done without. I knew well that money didn’t make you happy. Good people, friendships, and relationships could though, and love.

And I loved him. Recklessly so.

I continued to stare at him even as the plane started its descent. I pressed my lips together in an effort to hold my frayed emotions together. My eyes remained dry. I refused to give into bittersweet tears. I couldn’t change the way things were. I would just have to fill my heart up with enough memories to last me for later. Just to be practical. Just in case it didn’t work out. Just in case the bad times came again. Reality, I knew, had a crappy way of yanking the rug from beneath your feet.