Mistletoe Maneuvers (11 page)

L
essa arrived home shortly after lunch. She had given herself less than a half hour to get ready for the wedding and throw some items into a bag on the off-chance they ended up staying over. It was a time squeeze, but she had no choice. Her aunt had a lunch date and Lessa wanted to arrive home after she was gone so that she could postpone the confrontation she knew was coming. After all, she would have to confess her love affair to her aunt. She couldn't keep something that big a secret.

Unfortunately for her, Gran's lunch date had been postponed and she was still there when Lessa got home. As Lessa hurried to get ready, her aunt took a seat on the bed and wasted no time starting her interrogation.

“Well?” Gran asked impatiently. “I want details.”

“The party was a bust. I certainly tried, but it doesn't seem to do much good.” She pulled her blue
dress over her head and said, “Sometimes I think I'm fighting a losing battle. I don't think anyone will ever see me as anything more than Howard Lawrence's daughter.”

“You have to prove yourself.”

“I haven't done a very good job so far. A board member accused me in front of everyone of destroying the company and I almost took him out. Nothing like punching an old man I could've blown over by whistling.”

“Fire him,” her aunt said defiantly, crossing her arms.

“I can't go around firing people. That's not going to solve anything. I think it was a mistake to fire Rick.”

“I'm sure you do.” Her aunt shook her head as she continued, grumbling, “You arrive home all disheveled at two in the morning. I wasn't born yesterday, you know.”

“All right, here's what happened,” Lessa said resignedly, taking a seat next to her. Whether she liked it or not, her aunt deserved an explanation. “During the party, Rick found out about my proposal to buy Mara del Ray. He was pretty upset so I volunteered to go over it with him.”

“At his place?”

“We couldn't come here, you were sleeping. And the party was still going on at the office.”

“So you went to his place.”

“And…one thing led to another.”

“You're not a virgin anymore?” her aunt asked calmly.

“Gran, I'm twenty-six years old. I haven't been a virgin for a long time.”

“Tommy Winston?” her aunt said with a grin.

“Tommy Winston? No! I was in seventh grade when I dated him. We didn't even really date.” In reality, she'd lost her virginity when she was in college, at the ripe old
age of twenty-one, with Kevin Blane. He had been a popular fraternity boy with whom she'd had little emotional attachment. She had endured the whole thing with a let's-get-it-over-with attitude. They had slept together exactly twice.

“So now Rick wants to take you home to meet his family?” Gran asked. “Sounds serious.”

“It's not like that. It only makes sense. I want him to see this property before sunset.”

“And you couldn't take separate flights and meet him there?”

Gran had a point. “But there's only one corporate jet,” Lessa said.

“So? You take the corporate jet and make him fly commercial.”

“We need to go over everything first.”

“I thought you did that last night.”

“We discussed selling Antigua last night.”

Her aunt raised her hands as if admitting defeat.

Lessa sighed. “It's no relationship, Gran. I don't think he's capable. And I know I'm not.”

“You don't know that at all. You've never been tested. That's the problem. I always thought you were picky, just waiting for the right guy. Not the wrong one.”

“I'm sorry, Gran. I know this seems strange. I spent all that time plotting revenge and thinking about how I was going to get rid of him. I hated him.”

“There's a fine line between love and hate.”

“I never thought this would happen. But I'm going to try and keep it all in perspective. I have to. I could be working with him for a very long time and I can't afford to be jealous or distracted.”

“How in the world do you plan on preventing that?”

“I just can't allow it. That's all there is to it.”

“I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Lessa, but how do you know that Rick didn't do this just to confuse you?”

“You think he slept with me just to bring me pain?”

“It's a possibility. It's also a possibility that it meant nothing to him.”

“I don't think he did it out of spite, Gran. I know how I must sound, but he really isn't a bad person. Underneath it all, I think he's sweet and sensitive.”

“I hope you're right, Lessa. I really do.”

“I'm a big girl, Gran. I can take care of myself.”

“You're going to have to if you insist on playing with pirates.”

 

Normally, he would've been relieved to wake up and discover that his lover from the previous evening was gone. But not this time. It had only made him crave her more.

How had that happened? After all, Lessa was opinionated, stubborn and one of the most frustrating women he had ever encountered. But the truth of the matter was that underneath her bravado was warmth and tenderness. She had made him feel things he'd never thought possible again.

And so, when the opportunity had presented itself, he could not deny his mind or body the pleasure. But he would have to. As much as he was tempted to pursue their relationship, he had to agree with her. They would put the previous evening behind them. This was the only solution. After all, he was on the verge of win
ning back his company and firing her. As much as he might wish otherwise, Lessa did not belong at Lawrence Enterprises. She was resented and distrusted. The board would never again allow her any independence.

Although she was certain to be furious with him when she discovered that she had lost the company, in the end, he had no doubt she would be happier. She could take the money he paid her for her shares and start her own company. She would move on with her life, as he would with his.

But before then, he was going to introduce her to his entire family.

He must be crazy. After all, only a crazy man would do something so ridiculous. But it only made sense, right? They needed to go over their briefs before the meeting. They could do that on the plane.

Yeah, right.

The truth of the matter was that, like or not, he cared about Lessa. And, although they had promised each other that it was a single night, he was already longing for the moment when he could touch her again, when he could make love to her once more. He was not willing or able to go back to business as usual.

“Hello, Rick,” Lessa said as she opened the door to her apartment. She looked beautiful. Her long hair was swept up, away from her face. She was wearing a blue dress that alluded to the beautiful curves underneath. “Come on in,” she said, motioning for him to follow.

He glanced around nervously. “Where's your aunt?”

“She's not here. She went out to lunch with some friends.”

He entered and shut the door. In the foyer, he looked
at the wall of pictures. They were old family photos featuring Lessa and her father. At the top was a picture of Howard with his arm around a woman who looked very similar to Lessa.

“That was my mother,” Lessa said. “That was taken at El Vitro, their first property.”

“Your mother was beautiful,” he said. “She looks a lot like you.”

“Thanks.” She pointed out another picture. “There they are with me outside of my father's office. That was the day he incorporated Lawrence Enterprises.”

From the pictures, Rick could almost feel his deceased boss giving him the evil eye.

Lessa put on her coat and grabbed an overnight case from beside the door. “Ready.”

“Are you planning on staying a while?” he joked, nodding toward her bag.

“No,” she said quickly, embarrassed that he might think she was plotting to get him alone. “After our last trip, I wasn't leaving anything to chance. I prefer my own swimsuit, thank you very much.”

“I thought that other one looked kind of nice.”

“Thanks,” she said uncomfortably, ushering him out the door and down the hall.

They didn't speak until they were seated in his car. She asked, “So do you like the guy your sister's marrying?”

“Sure,” he said with a shrug.

“You don't seem that happy about it.”

Not happy about it? The truth of the matter was that his sister had suffered a nasty divorce that had been finalized only months before she'd met her new fiancé. Rick thought she was a fool to open herself up to more
pain, but she was determined to be with her new love. And he gave her credit. “It's her business.”

“Not a very romantic thing to say on the way to the wedding.”

“Maybe not. But it's practical. She's been married before. You wouldn't know it though. She's going all out for this.”

“She hasn't given up on love.”

“Or maybe she'd just a glutton for punishment. She should've learned her lesson the first time.”

“Does she seem happy?”

“That's how most relationships begin, don't they?” There were exceptions, of course, like his and Lessa's. They had begun as unhappily as most marriages end. What did that say for them?

They rode the rest of the way in silence, talking only when necessary. When they got to the chapel, Rick ushered Lessa past his stunned family, not stopping to introduce her. When he went back into the lobby, his sister said, “
You
brought someone? You actually brought a girlfriend to a family event?”

As a groomsman, Rick was required to work the crowd, seating people on either side of the church. Every now and then, he found himself glancing back toward Lessa. She seemed to be totally relaxed, busying herself by making conversation with the elderly woman next to her.

After the ceremony, Rick barely had time to say hello to Lessa before being whisked into the family photo session.

“I'll meet you at the reception,” Lessa said.

An hour later, Rick and the rest of the wedding party
finally made their way across the street to the reception. As the bride and groom made their grand entrance. Rick scanned the room, looking for Lessa, but it soon became clear she wasn't there. He finally found her in the hall, helping an elderly woman out of the ladies room.

“This is Rick,” Lessa said, introducing him to the woman.

“Oh, your wife has been so sweet to help me,” she said. “I don't know what I would've done without her. My daughter was late and—”

“Here I am, Mom,” a woman said, hurrying into the hall. She thanked Lessa profusely as she took hold of her mother's arm and helped her the rest of the way.

“Wife?” Rick asked when they were out of earshot.

“It was a misunderstanding. She knew I came here with you and she just made an assumption. I didn't see any reason to correct her.”

“Look,” he said, “I just have to stay for a little bit longer—”

“And who is this?”

Rick turned to see his parents were standing behind them.

“This is Lessa Lawrence,” he replied.

His mother smiled and held out her hand. “How nice to meet you, Lessa.”

“Lawrence,” said his father, shaking her hand. “Any relationship to Howard Lawrence?”

“I'm his daughter.”

“You're the one,” his mother said, then looked at Rick. It was obvious by his mother's confusion that the only thing she had heard about Lessa was that she was a pain in the neck. Lessa smiled sweetly.

Rick felt the need to explain. “Lessa and I have a meeting later on. It makes sense to bring her here.”

“I see,” his father said. “Well, welcome, Lessa. It's very nice to meet you. You're so much younger and prettier than I imagined. Rick, you didn't do her justice.” His father winked. “He told me you were pretty but he didn't say you were a knockout.”

Her heart did a little flip as Rick winced. Rick had told them she was pretty?

As his parents walked away, Rick looked at his watch. “I think it's time to go.”

“Don't be silly,” she said with a smile. “We haven't even eaten yet. Besides, you don't have to entertain me. I'm perfectly fine by myself. Go be with your family.”

A woman in a red bridesmaid dress came barreling their way. “Rick? Rick Parker! How have you been? I'm Jane Turner, remember?”

Rick shot the woman a grin that Lessa recognized immediately. Rick had no idea who the woman was.

“Would you dance with me?” she asked.

He glanced at Lessa, looking for help.

“Oh,” the woman said, her face dropping. “Is this your date? I'm sorry. I thought your sister said you were coming alone.”

“I'm not his date,” Lessa said quickly. She turned to Rick. “Go ahead. Take your time. I'm fine.”

Giving her a pained look, he walked to the dance floor with Jane Turner. Lessa went to the ladies' room and found Rick's newly married sister in there alone, struggling with her dress.

“Let me help,” Lessa offered.

“You're Rick's date,” Susan said with a smile. “I'm
so glad he brought you. How long have you two been seeing each other?”

“Actually, we're not really seeing each other. We work together. We have a meeting later today and it made sense to go directly from here.” Before his sister could say anything, Lessa added, “I'm so glad I could be here, though. It was a lovely wedding.”

“You're not seeing each other?” his sister asked suspiciously.

“Not technically.”

His sister laughed. “Technically, huh? I saw the way he was looking at you. He appears quite smitten.”

“We've only spent a couple of days together.”

“So? I only met my husband three months ago. My mother married my father only six weeks after meeting him. Fast courtships are a family tradition. When Rick was engaged before, he proposed after only…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at Lessa. “You did know he was engaged before, right?”