Soliman, Wendy - The Name of the Game (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (11 page)

“Is Eve so depraved that she’d allow that to happen?”

“Trust me, he’d only have to flatter her a bit, tell her how despicable I am to neglect her, and she’d be putty in his hands.”

“Oh, Matt!” Ashley’s heart literally melted. She no longer doubted the validity of his story. Matt would never make up anything so perverted. “You’ve not exactly had it easy, have you?”

“Perhaps not,” he conceded, his eyes alight with love as he reached across the distance that separated them and finally touched her. He picked up her hand and bestowed lingering kisses on the inside of her wrist. “But I found you, didn’t I? You’re the love of my life, Ashley, and everything that’s happened has been worth it, so long as I can have you at the end of it all.”

Ashley’s insides were reduced to jelly. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth before? Why have we had to live with this agony for the past weeks?”

“I wanted to protect you. There’s still more involved, and I didn’t think it was fair to involve you.”

“To do with the business?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m already involved.”

“I know, but even so—”

“What made you decide to tell me now?”

“Apart from Charlie making a play for you?” he asked with a mordant smile.

“Apart from that.”

“I went to Lingfield after the dinner last night. Mum was still up, and I found myself telling her everything.”

Ashley’s spirits soared. “What, about us?”

“Yes. She said she’d sensed there was someone who’d been making me happy for the past year or so and that she was glad. She never liked Eve, you see, right from the start. She was the only one who could see through her, and she advised me not to marry her, even though she was carrying my child.”

“Then why did you?”

“The problem was that Dad adored her. He was a stickler for protocol, and the consequences for his health would have been severe if I hadn’t done the right thing.”

“So you’ve spent your entire adult life doing what others wanted you to do?” She sighed. “Poor Matt.”

“Until now.”

“No, Matt,” she said, sighing. “Even now Charlie’s got you running round in circles.”

Matt curled his upper lip. “He might think that he has, but I still have a few tricks on my own up my sleeve.”

“Good.”

“Mum said that if I loved and trusted you so much then you deserved to know the truth. She said that if you truly loved me in return then you’d cope with all our nasty little family secrets.” He caressed her with his gaze. “After meeting you today, she was convinced that you’d understand.”

“Meeting
me
?” Ashley frowned. “Today?”

“Yes.” Matt smiled. “At the dressage. Congratulations, by the way. I gather you did really well.”

“The dressage? What do you…oh, of course, the lady who spoke to me? I knew there was something familiar about her eyes. She’s your mother?”

“Yes, and she likes you.” Matt grinned. “A lot. She’s a great believer in first impressions, and apart from anything else, she thinks you’re a superb horsewoman. That would have influenced her opinion if she was in any doubt, but apparently she took to you at once.”

Ashley smiled in spite of herself. “So we have her to thank for all this.”

“Indeed we do.”

“What other problems do you have then? You may as well tell me it all.”

“They concern the amalgamation. Independent auditors will assess the value of the business on both companies’ books and shareholding in the new business will be apportioned accordingly.” Ashley nodded. She knew that very well. “As things stand, we hold approximately five to ten percent more business than Stevenson’s, and so we’d have overall control of the new company. Giles Yardley is close to retirement age. He has no interest in being CEO of the amalgamated company.”

“So you would be?”

“Only if we’re the controlling partner. If not, it would be one of the Stevenson’s directors. Philip, perhaps. I’m not sure, but it would probably be him. He’s Giles’s protégée. Anyway, my plan was to establish the new enterprise and, after about a year, move aside for someone else. I would then sell my shares, get out, and set up somewhere with you, doing something I really want to for the first time in my adult life.” He paused. “With horses, perhaps.”

“You never told me that,” she said cautiously, a flutter of excitement causing her voice to wobble.

“I didn’t want to tempt fate.” He grimaced. “With good reason, as it turns out.”

“Those suspicious death claims?”

“Right.” He thumped his thigh in frustration. “Three of them in three months. Something isn’t right, but I just can’t figure it out.”

“Can’t you do a bit of digging? Talk to the actuaries, see if there’s a pattern?”

“No, because I have a feeling that the pot’s being stirred from within. Besides, if Charlie got wind of what I was doing, he’d think I’d lost the plot, dabbling in mundane death claims.”

“It’s hardly losing the plot if the business is being mismanaged. You
are
its CEO.”

“You don’t know Charlie.”

“No, but I’m starting to understand the way he works.”

“If things carry on the way they’re going at such a crucial point in the negotiations, it’ll swing the balance in favour of Stevenson’s.”

“Who’d want to do that?”

“That’s the question I’ve been grappling with for the past few weeks.”

“That’s why you’ve been up and down to Southampton so much recently? That’s where the claims are settled.”

“Exactly. I thought at first that Stevenson’s might have bribed someone senior in claims settlements, but there are too many safeguards in place for that to be possible.”

“Set up to avoid any rogue underwriters doing what’s apparently happened anyway.” Ashley frowned. “Unless it really is just a coincidence.”

“I doubt that.” Matt rubbed his jaw. “I’ve been trying for this last week to push ahead with the audit and get the agreement signed before these disputed claims queer our pitch.”

“No luck?”

“No, these things proceed at the pace the lawyers set. There’s no getting round that. It’s the name of the game.” He sighed. “Trust me, I know.”

“If you and Charlie are at loggerheads, could he be behind the claims debacle?”

“Yes, I suppose he could, but why would he want to weaken his own position? Unless he’s done a deal with someone at Stevenson’s, of course.”

“Philip Roker?”

“No.” Matt shook his head emphatically. “Phil’s honourable. He wouldn’t.”

“I know he’s your friend, but I thought he was creepy.”

Matt laughed. “He comes across that way, but really, he’s one of the good guys. As for Charlie, perhaps he’s somehow negotiated a high-ranking position on the new board when Stevenson’s get the upper hand. He might even finish up as CEO if Giles retires and doesn’t nominate Philip as his successor.”

“He’d have a high-ranking position on the board if Interactive have the upper hand.”

“Yes, but this way I’d have to leave in disgrace and he’d finish up outsmarting me once and for all, which is all he’s ever really wanted to do. He’d be willing to sacrifice everything for that.”

“I can’t begin to imagine living for so long with so much pent-up resentment. He needs professional help.” Ashley pondered for a moment. “It does make sense though, him being behind the bogus claims, if you look at it from his warped point of view. But how’s he doing it?”

“That’s just the problem.” Matt spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “I don’t know, and what’s more I don’t know how to find out, or how to stop it, without highlighting the problem and making Stevenson’s aware of it.”

“No wonder you’ve been so fraught.” She reached out to touch his arm. “You should have told me before now. I might be able to help.”

“I wanted to, I was about to, but then Eve sprung the baby business on me. Believe it or not, I’ve only known about it myself for three weeks. I haven’t had time to get over the shock, much less share it with you.”

“How could she keep it secret for so long?”

“Well, she didn’t show at first. Then I was away with the boys, and she obviously avoided telling me until she had no choice.”

“What are we going to do now?”

A suggestive smile, somnolent and sexy, was his only answer.

“Matt?” She tried for a quelling glance, which had no discernible effect, other than to produce a sybaritic chuckle.

“Dare I hope the
we
part of that question means you believe me?”

“Yes, Matt,” she said quietly, “I believe you.”

“Thank God for that! If you hadn’t, then I don’t think I could have—” His smile was a sinful challenge. “Then, in that case, there’s only one thing we can possibly do. Come here!”

He reached for her hand and pulled her onto his knee. His kiss was slow, sensuous, and extremely exacting. Spangles of pleasure cascaded through her body as his hands drifted beneath her T-shirt and expertly caressed her breasts.

Ashley emptied her mind of everything and simply lost herself in the intensity of the moment. She knew from delicious past experience that it would be the work of a moment for him to bring her to a pinnacle of desperate need. Once he did, he’d tease her by backing off again, forcing her to wait.

“I really did think,” he said, burying his face in her neck, “that you wouldn’t take me back, even if you did believe me.” His voice sounded frantic. “I didn’t think you’d want to get mired in all the familial mess, which is partly why I delayed telling you. If that had happened, I—”

“Shush!” She ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him as though he was Callie’s age. “It’s okay. You’re stuck with me. Get used to it.”

“I was so frightened, Ash. I really thought I’d lost you.”

And then he cried.

Ashley was at a loss to know what to do. Matt was always so strong, always in control. She’d never seen him show any form of weakness before. She hesitated for a prolonged second then acted on impulse. Kneeling in front of him, she wrapped her arms round his neck, pulled his head toward her shoulder, and simply let him sob.

“It’s all right,” she said, stroking his back, choked with emotion and close to tears herself. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He lifted his head and captured her gaze. “I can’t do it without you, baby. I didn’t realize how much I needed you until you weren’t there.”

“I guess I know that now.”

He regained his composure, stood up, and pulled her to her feet. “Come on,” he said.

Hand in hand, they went to her bedroom. As soon as they were inside the room, he closed his arms around her, holding her so tight that she could hardly breathe. But she didn’t complain. She needed to feel…well, needed. Matt had never before been so open about his feelings for her. She didn’t doubt that everything he’d just told her was true, even the extraordinary circumstances leading up to Eve’s pregnancy.

Especially that.

His lips claimed hers in a searing kiss of deep intensity. It wasn’t enough. She struggled out of his arms, pulled her top over her head, and then started on his, yanking it free from the waistband of his jeans.