The Weekend Proposition (13 page)

“It’s in yours too.” She wiped the tears from her face. “You gave it up.”

“I make a better CEO than I would a musician. I thrive off boardrooms and negations. It’s who I am.”

“It’s who you became.” She propped herself up on her elbow. “Spencer, you could still pursue your music. I heard you play. That song you wrote tonight came from your heart.”

“I told you, I had a lot of encouragement. I was able to play that way because of you.” He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her to his lips. “You’ve found a way into my heart.”

That’s exactly where I want to be.

“I think you’re a remarkable man. I just want you to know I believe in you. If you wanted to follow your music I’d be right there with you.”

“You’re the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.” He hugged her. “I’m content in my professional life.”

“There’s more than your professional life to consider.”

“I believe that’s true.” The amusement in his voice was as evident as the satisfaction on his face. “It’s a new concept for me.”

“What is it?”

“A week ago I wouldn’t have thought there was more than Spencer Cannon, the CEO, but now I realize just how much I’ve been missing. I need to process it all.”

“I’ll help you.”

“I certainly hope so.” He kissed the top of her head and held her close.

She settled back down and cuddled into his side. She closed her eyes and thought about the possibilities. Could she dare dream to have something more than this weekend with him?

Chapter 11

Spencer headed down to the breakfast room to grab some coffee and muffins while Coda showered. As much as he wanted to join her they had to head back to New York. The weekend was over and so was their agreement. He felt awkward about giving her the balance of the money. He owed it to her, but after the last couple of days he’d spent with her it didn’t seem right to pay her. Still, a contract was a contract. He’d already given her one check and he needed to complete the proposal. He was a man of his word. Once he did that they could move past how they had come together and start a future together.

“Spencer.” Pierce made his way over to him.

Wonderful.

“Pierce, what can I do for you?” He wasn’t in the mood for this.

“You’ve been rather scarce this weekend. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to speak with you.”

“The art department is in the office today. They’ll have the new layouts in the morning. Don’t worry, the Bradford account will go through.”

“I’m certain you’ll figure out a way to make that work, but that isn’t what I wanted to speak to you about.” Pierce sipped his large to-go cup of coffee. “A situation has been brought to my attention.”

“Please, if this is about Ava, I don’t want to discuss her.”

“You’ve made your position very clear, but it has come to my attention that the woman you allowed to accompany you here works for the agency. You brought the damn cleaning woman, boy. Have you no sense?”

“How did you know who Coda was?”

“My granddaughter is very determined when she wants to be. She’s humiliated, and I can’t blame her.”

“Look, my personal life is none of your business. Ava shouldn’t feel disgraced in the least. We broke up months ago.”

“You brought that woman to embarrass my Ava. A cleaning woman? Really, Spencer, what were you thinking?”

“Coda is much more than a cleaning woman.” His anger increased each time Pierce referred to Coda as if she were insignificant. “She’s a talented, witty, intelligent woman with a bright future. She knows more about our business than your Ava ever cared to learn. If you want to help your granddaughter, tell her to leave me alone. She needs to stay out of my personal life.”

“When you graduated college, you told me you saw a future with her. Were you lying to make sure I voted yes on you becoming CEO?”

“Of course not,” he said. “I did like Ava. I tried to make it work, but she was never going to be right for me. I’m not right for her.” He understood that better than he ever had, thanks to Coda. Before her he never would have thought it was possible to find his match. “We’re worlds apart, Pierce.” Spencer hated to have to explain any of this to him, but eventually he would have to listen. “We weren’t going to work. Don’t you see it was better for us not to have gone any further than we did? Think of the shambles we would have created it we had gotten a divorce. Where would the company be then?”

“My granddaughter loves you. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“She’s in love with the idea of me. Please, don’t encourage her anymore. She needs to move on. I have.”

“I can see that. I saw the way you looked at Coda when you played the piano last night. Anyone with eyes could see how taken you are with that girl. I just hope you know what you’re doing. She doesn’t come from our world. Can she handle the man you are when you’re the CEO? I’ve seen you, Spencer. I know that’s why you’re perfect for this job. You won’t let anything or anyone interfere. That can be hard for a woman to accept.”

“I can keep my job separate from my personal life.” Spencer glanced at his watch. “Don’t worry about the company. I have everything under control. I always do.”

“I pushed Ava in your direction because I knew she would understand your work ethic. As long as she had pretty things and expensive toys she’d let you be. I thought it was a good match for both of you. I was wrong, and I apologize.”

“I appreciate that.” Spencer nodded. “I have to get going. I have a call I need to take in the car on the drive back. I want to be packed and ready to leave soon.”

“That’s my boy.” Pierce patted his back. “The Bradfords will be at the agency tomorrow morning. Let’s make sure the ink is dry before they leave.”

“It will be.”

If Spencer could deal with this account by tomorrow, maybe he could convince Coda to take a few days and go away with him. Just the two of them. No contracts or negotiations. Perhaps she’d let him help her find a job too. She’d never allow him to step in on her behalf at Cannon and Carrington, and he respected that, but he had other contacts in the industry. He could help her find something, even if it wasn’t at his agency.

* * * *

Coda rested her head on Spencer’s shoulder as they drove home. So many things had changed since the ride to the wedding. When he picked her up from the boutique on Wednesday afternoon she never imagined things would go down the way they had.

“I was thinking,” Spencer said. “I never take any time off.”

“You just had a long weekend.” She cuddled closer to him. “Are you getting lazy?”

“Hardly.” The way he played with the ends of her hair relaxed her. “I may have been away from the office, but I really didn’t stop working.”

“No, you didn’t.” She felt bad for him. He carried such a heavy burden when it came to the agency. She saw the way Jack and Pierce rode him every chance they got. They depended on Spencer to fix everything. “Do you want to take a vacation? Can you?”

“The last time I was away for pleasure was the month after my college graduation. I went to Italy with a few friends. It was a wonderful trip.”

“That was almost eight years ago.”

“I started working full-time at the agency that summer. My grandfather taught me everything I needed to know about every aspect of the business. I put everything I had into becoming CEO, and when they finally gave me the job a few years ago, the learning didn’t stop. Before long I found myself putting in twelve hour days. I’ve landed eight national accounts in two years. That was unprecedented for us.”

“You deserve a vacation.” She closed her eyes and imagined sitting on an exotic beach with him—just the two of them. “Where would you go?”

“Anywhere you want.”

“What?” She looked up at him. “You want me to pick your vacation destination for you? I’ve been to New Jersey and Connecticut. I’m not very worldly.”

“If you could pick any place in the world, where would you go?”

The world? How about the United States?

“I don’t know. There are so many places I want to see.”

Coda had pictures and links saved on her computer. She’d listened to stories every year while in college about her friends who had gone to Mexico or Florida on spring break. She’d always wanted to go with them, but she’d never had the money. She’d hoped she could go to California after graduation for a week with some friends, but her internship at Sage had been unpaid. The hours she’d spent interning forced her to take a leave from the diner for a few months. That put a strain on their household income.

“I want to take you away.” He continued to play with her hair. “I need a break and I want get to know you better.”

“When?”

“I have to secure this account but then I’d like to go. Maybe in a week?”

“I thought you didn’t do anything on impulse.”

“A week ago that was true, but then I met you.”

“I have two jobs.” She bit her lip. “I don’t think I could go on such short notice.”

“Maybe I could help you find a new job. One that you could use your education for.”

“I go on interviews. I’ll find something eventually.” She’d only been out of school five months. She’d land a job in her field soon.

“I’m sure you will but I know people. I understand if you don’t want to work at Cannon and Carrington.”

That’s my dream.

“Let me help you.”

“You don’t even know if I’m any good.” She laughed.

“I know you’re good.” He shot her his signature grin. The one that made her want to drop to her knees and take care of him.

“You’re so dirty.” She shoved his arm.

“You like it when I’m dirty.” He pulled her to him and nipped at her bottom lip. “And rough.”

“Hmm.” She closed her eyes and let him take control of the kiss. Before long his tongue explored her mouth and his hands played with the hem of her shirt.

“Let me take you away,” he mumbled against her mouth. “Let me show you things you’ve only dreamed of.”

“You already have.”

When Andrew pulled up in front of Coda’s house and stopped the car, her heart sped up. Somehow she’d managed to put the inevitable out of her head. The weekend was over but the conditions had changed, hadn’t they? He wanted to take her on vacation. Maybe he’d want to pursue something with her now that they were back in New York. Only one way to find out.

Ask him.

“Hey.” She turned in his arms. “I was wondering if—” She stopped when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a check.

“What were you wondering?” He stroked her cheek. “Did you pick a place? Where would you like to go?”

“What’s that?”

“This?” He waved the check in front of her. “It’s the other half of the money I owe you.”

“Oh.” Her smile faded.

“Don’t look so disappointed. It was part of the agreement. This is yours.” He handed it to her. “You earned it.”

“Right, I guess I did.” She removed her arms from him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” She took the check, feeling much more awkward than she had when she’d accepted the first payment. A few days ago their arrangement had been a business transaction, but now things were different. At least she thought they were. “We had a deal.”

“I wanted to give it to you earlier, but we had a hectic morning and then it didn’t feel right to bring it up during the car ride home.”

“Maybe there’s a reason it didn’t feel right.” She opened the door and climbed out of the car.

Andrew quickly got out but Spencer halted him with his hand. “Give us a minute, please.”

“Sure.” Andrew got back in the car.

“Dakota, wait.” He followed her up the porch steps that led to her apartment. “What’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before turning to face him. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. I can see it in your expression. I hurt you and I didn’t mean to do that. What was I supposed to do? Forget about our agreement? Say nothing?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “We did a good job of forgetting about it the past two days. I guess I thought… Never mind.”

“What did you think?”

“I’m not sure.” She hadn’t realized she’d feel so cheap. “I thought I meant more to you than the money. I guess I was wrong.”

“What I feel for you has nothing to do with that money. We discussed this.” He paced the small porch, getting more agitated with each step. “I told you sex would complicate things.”

“You weren’t complaining when you took me to bed.”

Her defense mechanisms were up. Instincts always kicked in when she felt the need to protect herself. Her mother had been burned by her father. Coda knew how her mom felt about men. She’d grown up learning not to trust them. Spencer was different. He had to be.

“Why are you doing this? I thought we had separated the two.” He looked confused.

“Is it so easy for you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. I made a deal with you. I don’t take my contracts lightly. I’m a businessman. That’s what I do.”

“I’m more than some proposal.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” He yelled. “You fucking told me some nights you don’t have enough to eat. Do you think that sat well with me? Did you think I would ever let that happen again?”

“I’m not your responsibility. I’m not one of those charity auction recipients you seem to be so fond of.” She allowed her pride to get in the way. When he’d approached her with this proposition it seemed like a means to an end. Now that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“I don’t see you as a charity case.” He softened his tone. “I thought you understood.”

“You did a few days ago.” She tried to hold back the tears. On Tuesday it was easy for her to take his money. She didn’t know him. She wouldn’t dare hope to know a man like him. Now, standing on her stoop in Brooklyn, she realized just how foolish she had been. They were miles apart. He would go back to the penthouse and she would be a waitress and a cleaning woman.

“I upheld my end of the bargain. I had hoped we’d be able to move past that but—”

“Dakota.” Her mother stepped out onto the porch. “Is everything okay? I heard yelling.”