Tender Kisses (19 page)

“Do you really have to ask?” He shook his head. “You don't get it, Siobhan, do you? None of this matters if I can't have you. I can always find another backer, but I'll never find another you. See you around.”

Justin turned and walked off. Seeing her again magnified the pain spreading through his chest. His business he could do without, but he could not live without Siobhan.

* * *

Siobhan entered her father's office and stopped short. Her father and Brandon were engaged in a heated discussion. “What's going on?”

They both looked her way, but it was Brandon who answered. “We just lost the biggest deal in the history of this company, that's what.”

Her father waved him off. “We haven't lost anything.”

Brandon slammed his hand on the desk. “Dad, did you not hear what the man said? He's withdrawing from the deal. Do you realize that's potentially millions of dollars going somewhere else?”

She could barely breathe.
Millions?
Justin had given up all this money. “Why?” she choked out.

“He has some asinine belief that if he does this, it'll prove to you that he wasn't after your name or money,” Brandon said.

“That's enough, Brandon,” her father cut in. “Go back to your office and cool down. I need to talk to your sister.”

Brandon stomped past her and slammed the door behind him, causing Siobhan to jump.

“Have a seat, honey.”

Siobhan sat in one of the visitor chairs, and her father took the other one.

“You want to tell me what's going on?”

“Justin probably already told you.”

“He told me his side. Now I want to hear yours.”

She swiped at the tears, and her father reached in his pocket and wiped them with his handkerchief, just like he used to do when she was little. She started at the beginning and told him everything that had happened up to the previous night.

He folded his arms and angled his head thoughtfully. “Well, you both made some mistakes. You should've never deceived him in the first place, and he should have come clean.”

“I know, but you don't understand, Daddy.”

“I think I do. I want you to listen to me, and listen good. I know that Arthur fellow hurt you pretty badly, but it's more than that. Sweetheart, you've been holding on to that guilt over Malcolm's accident for too long. Let it go. No one holds you responsible for your brother's antics. You were just a child yourself. We accepted long ago that we just needed to make sure we kept up the medical insurance and let him be.” He shook his head. “I'm so sorry, baby girl. Had I known it was this bad, I would've said something years ago.” He grasped her hands. “Let it go. We're very proud of you, always have been. I love you, so much.”

“I love you, Daddy.” Despite her best efforts, Siobhan broke down and sobbed, releasing decades of hurts and years of trying to be worthy of their love, when she'd had it all along.

He wrapped her in his protective arms and whispered that everything would be all right. He held her until the last tear had dried. “Now, Justin is a good man. I haven't seen too many young men with his integrity. He listened to your reasoning for lying about your name, and you owe him the same courtesy. It's only fair, and we taught you five to always choose what's right.”

Siobhan hugged her father again. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“You can thank me by living your life. It's been a long day. Now go home and get some rest. I'm going down to your brother's office and see if I can pull him off the ceiling.”

She laughed.

“That boy is too intense. If he doesn't calm down, he's going to have a heart attack.”

“Good luck.” She kissed him on the cheek, went to her office, locked up and went home.

Siobhan had a lot to think about, and getting Justin back topped her list.

Chapter 19

S
iobhan read Brandon's text and rolled her eyes. She typed back:
U do not need to stop by on ur way home. I'm fine. Just taking the day off.
First Morgan had called, and now Brandon was sending her messages. True, she had never taken a day off, but after yesterday, she was emotionally and physically drained and needed some time to regroup. It felt good to still be in her pajamas at eleven. She had been able to sleep for a few hours, but realized she wouldn't truly rest until she had a chance to talk to Justin.

She picked up the phone to call him and then put it down again. What she had to say could only be done face-to-face, but she didn't have his address. Siobhan tapped the phone against her chin and tried to recall the directions to his house. An idea came to her, one she probably shouldn't even think about, but hey, she was desperate. She tapped the button on her phone.

“Gray Home Safety, this is Gloria Avery. How can I help you?”

“Hi, Ms. Avery. This is Siobhan. I'm off-site today and planned to stop by Mr. Cartwright's house to drop off some information. However, I left his address in my office. Would you mind looking it up for me?” Siobhan held her breath, praying the woman wouldn't ask any questions.

“Certainly, Siobhan. Hold on while I get it.”

“Thank you,” she said, exhaling. She jotted down the address Ms. Avery gave her, thanked the woman and promptly ended the call. Too bad getting up the nerve to see Justin wouldn't be as easy.

She started toward her bedroom to get dressed, and the doorbell rang. “Good grief.” Must be either Khalil or Malcolm. Sometimes she wished she were an only child. “This is really getting old, guys,” she said, opening the door.

“I beg your pardon.”

Siobhan gasped in surprise. “Mom. Sorry—I thought you were Malcolm or Khalil. Come in.” She closed the door and led her mother to the family room. “Do you want some coffee or tea?”

“No, baby. I came to see how you're doing. Your dad told me you had a rough day yesterday.”

She should have known her father would tell his wife. They shared everything, and after thirty-six years of marriage, they still dated. “I'm okay.”

Her mother patted the space on the sofa next to her. “Come and sit.” When Siobhan sat, her mother said, “You're so much like me when I was younger it's frightening—always trying to shoulder everybody's burdens and thinking you have to do everything yourself.” She smiled softly.

“I don't remember you being that way.”

“Because your father helped me to see that, although I was capable, I didn't have to do it all. But I'm not going to lecture you anymore. Your dad most likely did enough for the both of us,” she added with a chuckle. “I just wanted to see for myself how you're doing.”

Siobhan hugged her mom. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too. So, what's going on with this nice young man I heard so much about? Any progress?”

She laughed. “I knew it. That's the real reason you came over here.”

“Well?”

“I haven't talked to him. I was just about to get dressed and go over.”

“Without calling?”

“Um...yes.”

“That's my girl.”

“Mom?”

“What? I don't advocate for women to chase after men, but since you've already got him, it won't hurt to remind him why he chose you in the first place.” Her mother smoothed down her cropped salt-and-pepper layers.

Siobhan's mouth dropped. She had never seen this side of her mother.

“You don't stay happily married all these years without a little spice,” she added with a wink.

“Daddy had no idea what he was getting himself into when he met you, huh?”

“Honey, he still doesn't.”

This had to be the most enlightening conversation she'd ever had with her mother. She couldn't wait to tell Morgan. “The three of us are going to have to schedule a mother-daughter day soon.”

Her mom rose gracefully to her feet. “Let me know when. I can work around yours and Morgan's schedules.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, and invite Justin to the family dinner on Sunday.”

“I'm not sure we'll be able to straighten things out.”

She smiled knowingly. “You will. Are you expecting someone?” her mom asked when the bell rang.

“No, but Morgan called and Brandon sent texts. My guess is it's Khalil or Malcolm.” As she'd suspected, Khalil stood on the porch wearing athletic pants and an Under Armour shirt. He had clearly come from the gym. “Good morning. I'm fine.”

“Morning. Brandon called and asked me to check on you. Hey, Mom, I didn't expect to see you,” he said when their mother appeared in the doorway. He kissed her cheek.

“Good morning, son. Kiss your sister and tell her you'll see her later. She has some business to attend to.”

Khalil divided his gaze between their mother and Siobhan. He kissed his sister. “Um, okay. I guess I'll see you later.”

Hooking her arm in his, her mother said to him, “Since you have all this time on your hands, you can take your mother out to lunch.”

Siobhan stifled a laugh and gave him a little wave.

He waved back and called over his shoulder, “I guess I'm going to lunch with Mom.”

“Have fun,” Siobhan said.

Her mother smiled. “Oh, we will. I want to find out if he's any closer to settling down than the last time I asked.”

This time Siobhan couldn't hold back her laughter, especially when she saw the look of horror on her brother's face. She closed the door.
I love my family.

The short conversation with her mother had helped tremendously. It was time to reclaim her man.

* * *

Siobhan checked her makeup one last time in the rearview mirror and got out of the car. She scanned the front of Justin's house. In the light of day, it was even more elegant, from the neatly manicured lawn and various annuals that lined the edges, to the stone siding accents and solid wood double doors. Gathering her courage, she rang the bell. After what seemed like forever, she heard the locks disengage.

“Siobhan, hey.”

She stared at him. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days. “May I come in?”

Justin stepped back and gestured for her to step inside. He closed the door and moved past her toward the family room. “Have a seat.”

She expected him to say something, anything, but he just sat silently across from her. “I'm sorry for dropping by unexpectedly, but I didn't want to take a chance of you not answering my calls.”

“I don't recall giving you my address.”

Siobhan hesitated a beat. “I...um...got it from the files.”

“You're resourceful, if nothing else.”

“Only when it's important.”

“And is it?”

He was determined to make this difficult. “I'm sorry, Justin, for everything, and I don't want you to give up your dreams.”

“I don't believe this.” Justin leaped to his feet. “Are you the company representative who's supposed to convince me not to opt out of an opportunity of a lifetime?” he tossed out bitterly.

“No! You worked hard to get where you are and deserve the deal, and no one sent me.”

“Is that the only reason you're here?”

She shook her head. “I came to apologize for all the terrible things I said to you and to hear the truth.”

He sat back down, braced his forearms on his knees and bowed his head. “You really want to know the truth?”

“Yes.”

“I said you looked familiar that first night, but I honestly didn't recognize you from your photo on the website. It wasn't until you told me who you were that I put two and two together.” He lifted his head. “It was your eyes that stayed in my memory.” Justin got up and paced. “I opened my mouth to tell you I had scheduled a meeting with your father. Then you mentioned what happened with your ex and all those other guys. He'd already hurt you, and I was afraid you'd think the same of me.”

Siobhan came to her feet. “I don't know what to say except I messed up. From the start, I expected you to be like the other men in my past, so I responded in kind.” She reached up and cupped his face in her hand. “You are nothing like those men, Justin Cartwright. You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. Can you forgive me?”

“That goes two ways.”

She nodded. “Are you really going to cancel the contract? I mean, I know you'll be successful if you strike out on your own or go with another company.”

Justin rested his hands on her hips. “In a perfect world, I'd have both the partnership with Gray's and you. But if I had to choose, you would win, hands down. Sweetheart, without you, my success means nothing.”

“Then let me be part of your perfect world, Justin.”

His eyes lit up. “Are you saying...?”

“I'm saying
I love you
, Justin, and I want to be with you.”

He pulled her into a crushing embrace. “Baby, you don't know how much I wanted to hear you say that.” He placed butterfly kisses all over her face, lips and neck. “I love you, Siobhan.”

Siobhan closed her eyes and basked in the love he so freely gave. She now understood what her mom meant. In his arms, she didn't have to be strong or in control. “What do we do now?”

He lifted his head and smiled. “We enjoy the ride.”

Her lips parted, but before she could utter a word, Justin seized her mouth in a kiss so blatantly erotic she felt as if she might drown. She arched into him, wanting to feel every inch of his hard body against hers.

With a husky groan, he deepened the kiss and devoured her mouth until they were both trembling. “Siobhan.”

“I want to ride,” she said, reaching on tiptoe to kiss him again and grasping the solid bulge that had been pressed into her moments ago.

Justin groaned again and grasped her wrist. “We still need to talk.”

Siobhan moaned in protest.

His low rumble vibrated through her. “I promise we'll finish what we've started.” He took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. Sitting next to her, he said, “I don't want us to have this kind of misunderstanding again, Siobhan. We need to make a pact to always be honest with each other.”

“I agree. No more secrets. I had a long talk with my father yesterday, and I'm finally letting go of all the baggage I've been carrying.”

“That's good. I know you're a strong woman and can handle whatever comes your way, but it's okay to let someone help you out every now and again.”

Siobhan recalled her mother's words and chuckled.

“What?”

“My mom stopped by this morning and said something similar.”

“And moms are never wrong.”

“No, they aren't.” She paused. “So, um, are we done talking?”

Justin shook his head and laughed. “We're done, baby.”

“Ooh, goodie.” She jumped up from the sofa and went to get her purse.

“What are you doing?”

She retrieved a bottle and waved it in the air. “I brought my own dessert this time.”

He threw back his head and roared.

“First one to the bedroom gets to be on top,” she said and took off down the hallway.

Justin entered the room seconds after Siobhan, a shocked look on his face. “I think I'm going to like seeing this side of you, Ms. Gray.”

“You ain't seen nothing yet, baby,” she said confidently. Her mother said to remind him why he'd chosen her in the first place. She planned to do that and show him why she would be the only woman he'd ever need.

* * *

Justin strode down the hallway toward Nolan Gray's office at ten fifty Friday morning.

“Good morning, Mr. Cartwright,” Ms. Avery said when he reached her desk.

“Good morning, Ms. Avery. I have an eleven o'clock appointment with Mr. Gray.”

She gestured to a chair. “Have a seat, and I'll let him know you're here.”

“Thank you.” While waiting, he thought about his afternoon with Siobhan yesterday. The things they did with that bottle of honey, and the way she teased and tormented him had him contemplating buying some stock in the product. He grew hard all over again remembering the way she dragged her tongue across his chest, over his stomach and down to his...

“Mr. Gray will see you now.”

The sound of the secretary's voice cut into his lustful musings. His eyes snapped open, and a rush of heat stung his cheeks.

“Are you all right, sir?” she asked with concern.

“Yes.” He smiled tightly and willed his erection to go down. Justin took a couple of deep breaths, stood and quickly fastened his suit jacket.

She escorted him into the office. “Can I bring you some coffee?”

“No, thank you. I'm fine.”

“Very good.” She left and closed the door behind her.

“Ah, right on time,” Mr. Gray said, standing and extending his hand.

“You don't look at all surprised to see me,” Justin said.

“I'm not. Have a seat. All the documents are here and ready to be signed.”

He hesitantly lowered himself into the chair, slightly taken aback by the man's bold statement.

“Do you have any questions before we begin?”

Justin wanted to ask whether Mr. Whitcomb or Brandon would be joining them today, but answered, “No.”

“Excellent. Let's get started.”

They went over every aspect of the twenty-seven-page document, from ownership, exclusivity and licensing, to fees and payments, presales and customer support.

“We'll need you to come into the office to work with our software team. You can set your own hours. Our marketing team will be available to help you, as well.”

“Is there a particular person in Marketing who I'll be working with?”

A smile played around Mr. Gray's lips. “I have a feeling you'll have access to as many people in the department as you'd like.”