Truly Madly Deeply Boxed Set (37 page)

He cleared his throat

She blinked and her eyes met his. Amusement etched his features. A wide smile told her she’d been caught. She raised her hands to her flaming cheeks.

The safest move would be to get him out of her apartment. Once he left, he’d be out of her life. And she refused to analyze her feelings on
that
subject just yet.

She walked past him and headed toward the door. His footsteps sounded behind her. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned.

“I can take a hint, however subtle.”

She turned toward him. “Good. Then no hard feelings and good night.”

“Get some rest and try not to dwell on anything too upsetting.” He grasped her hand in his, entwined their fingers and caressed her palm with his thumb.

What should have been a casual gesture heated her senses. A flicker of warmth began deep inside and radiated throughout her body. Through sheer force of will, she didn’t pull away.

He brushed her knuckles with his lips. “ ’Night Carly. Sleep tight.”

He might as well have said
dream of me
, since she doubted she’d do anything else. “ ’Night, Mike.”

She shut the door behind him, knowing in her heart that it was for the last time.

* * *

Mike knew he was taking unfair advantage. He knew Carly wanted to be alone. Yet he sensed deep pain beneath the surface, hurt that went way beyond a broken engagement. And he believed that pain could be traced back in time. Although he couldn’t be the man in her future—he had too many scars of his own and a lifestyle she couldn’t understand or accept—he wanted to be the one to help her heal and move on.

He’d deal with his own pain of losing her later, when he’d pulled his life together and was back wandering the globe on assignment. He knocked and let himself into her father’s office. Roger Wexler rose from his desk. “Good to see you, Mike.”

“I appreciate you fitting me in, Mr. Wexler.” He shook the older man’s hand.

“Roger. And it’s no problem. What can I do for you?” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk and waited for Mike to sit before lowering himself back into his own seat.

“Carly mentioned she was going on vacation. The beach sounds like a good place to recuperate.” Mike was acting on a hunch, but he had no other leads.

Roger nodded and leaned forward on his elbows. “Sure is. We’ve spent a month at that beach house every summer for the past twelve years or so.” The man’s eyes narrowed, his curiosity evident. “Why?”

Mike wondered how much to reveal. Gazing into the older man’s eyes, he opted for the truth. Too much in the way of lies had passed between this man and Mike’s family. “One reason is a photo layout I’m doing for a local paper. I need a place to stay while I research the area and take some pictures.”

“And the other reason?”

Mike cleared his throat. “Your daughter.” Uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, he pushed himself up from his chair. He paced the plush office, admiring the view and the furnishings.

Despite the fact that this man was a lawyer, his office held a warmth that surprised him. The place reminded Mike of Carly. She obviously had more in common with her father than he’d realized. More than she wanted to admit

“I see,” Roger said.

Did he? Did the older man understand how Mike felt about his daughter, or did he put him in the same category as his brother? Mike shoved a hand beneath his blazer, into the back pocket of his jeans.

“Mr. Wexler...” Mike paused. How did one overcome the sins of one’s brother? And did he have that right considering his intentions were good but not long-term?

Roger rose and met him in the center of the large room. “I’m not going to judge you based on Peter. And in case he didn’t tell you, I’m not going to judge his work based on his action toward Carly.”

“I haven’t spoken to Pete.” Mike had left the apartment early each morning and returned late at night. Until he’d come to terms with what his brother had become, he wasn’t ready to deal with him. At least not yet.

“Well, I was all set to toss him the hell out. Until Carly begged me not to mix business with her personal life.”

Mike should have been surprised, but he wasn’t. Carly was too sweet for her own good. He met Roger’s assessing stare. Brown eyes, the same warm eyes he’d looked into last night stared back at him.

“He’ll have to work hard to keep his partnership. And right or wrong, I’ll be watching him. One slip and I’ll do everything in my power to have his partnership revoked.”

The older man let out a sigh, one that seemed old and overdue in years. “Whatever else I may have done, I do love my daughter.”

“I believe that, sir.”

Roger nodded. “Back to you. You went after her last night. Is she okay?”

He obviously hadn’t heard anything personal from Carly. The thought saddened Mike. And something in Roger’s tone caught Mike’s attention. Called to him, in fact. He’d bet the question hadn’t been an easy one for the older man to ask.

“As well as can be expected,” Mike said. “She’s hurt. Feels betrayed.” He shook his head.

“She’s known too much of that.”

“I wouldn’t know, sir.” Mike thought the older man deserved to know that Carly had kept family secrets buried.

Her father walked over to a group of framed photos on his desk. Picking up one in a small silver frame, he frowned. “Too damn much,” he muttered.

Mike didn’t know what else to say. Asking for an explanation felt like prying. Although he now realized the person who hadn’t put Carly’s needs first was her father.

“May I?” Mike reached out a hand.

Roger nodded. Enclosed in the small frame was a family photo of a younger Carly and her parents. Mike placed her age somewhere in her early teens.

Since he hadn’t come from a typical family unit, family dynamics was unfamiliar terrain. But his years as a photographer had taught him to judge a picture by the body language of the subjects. Against the backdrop of a beach house and the ocean behind it, Roger stood, his hands at his sides. His wife leaned away from him, one hand around his waist, the other on her daughter’s shoulder. Carly smiled for the camera, but her expressive eyes betrayed an inner unhappiness. This photo displayed the family Mike had seen at dinner the other night. Had things once been different?

“Nice,” he said, handing the picture back to the older man.

Roger shook his head. “Some things in life you can’t undo,” he murmured, obviously caught in another time. He cleared his throat. “Well. You said you need a place to stay in the Hamptons.”

Bingo
. “Yes. I figured you’re familiar with the area. Hotel, motel, whatever. Nothing fancy.”

In silence, Roger studied him through narrowed eyes. Finally he spoke. “Okay.” He walked over to his desk, pulled a sheet of paper from a Lucite tray before grabbing a pen and beginning to scribble. “Here’s a list of decently priced hotels and motels near the beach.”

Grateful, Mike reached across the desk and accepted the paper, fingering it between his thumb and forefinger. “I appreciate it.”

“Good. There’s something you can do for me in return.”

“Name it.”

“Don’t hurt my daughter.” Rounding the corner of the desk, Roger eased himself into his chair.

Uneasy, Mike shifted his stance. “We’re friends and I think she could use one right about now.” Mike didn’t want the older man misinterpreting his long-term intentions toward Carly. He was only around to help her through a rough patch in her life, not to be a part of it later on. His gut twisted painfully.

“I think you’re right. And she won’t take comfort from me or her mother. I’m glad someone else cares enough to give it to her.”

After he and Roger talked a little longer and the older man had given him additional beach information, Mike rose from his seat. He shook Roger’s hand and walked into the hall.

He paused, debating the merits of speaking with his brother. His own anger hadn’t yet subsided. Any discussion would only widen the rift between them. He’d deal with Pete before he left the States, but not now.

As he headed for the bank of elevators, the burden of Roger’s words weighed heavily. The older man trusted him despite the actions of his brother. He trusted him with his only daughter.

But Mike couldn’t live up to that trust. Not completely. Because though Mike wanted to be with Carly, to help her through the rough times, he knew he couldn’t, wouldn’t be there for the long haul.

C
arly let herself in to the meticulously clean beach house. Nothing had changed since her parents first bought the place over ten years ago. The white cabinets and Wedgwood blue trim gave the illusion of a cheerful home. Growing up, knowing the farce her parents lived, Carly had found this room depressing.

Not so today. The house hadn’t changed. Had she? Since the purpose of this vacation was self-discovery, she was about to find out. She’d taken care of ending her engagement, returning gifts and notifying friends and family before arriving, enabling her to come with an upbeat attitude. The airy kitchen, skylights and bright decor genuinely pleased her. The ringing of the phone brought her out of her musings.

Her mother’s voice greeted her. “I just wanted to make sure you got there okay.”

“I’m fine, Mom. I just walked in a little while ago.”

The phone call shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. A while had passed since she’d turned to her mother for anything. Only now did Carly realize that her mother hadn’t stopped trying. Carly had stopped accepting anything from Anne. Another thing she’d have to try and resolve on this solitary trip.

“I’m sure. I’m fine. Yes, he offered to pay for all the wedding expenses, but I broke things off and I want to cover my share.” She and Peter had conversed via answering machine and somehow managed to undo all the arrangements.

As her mother spoke, Carly got yet another glimpse into Anne Wexler’s way of dealing with life: grin and bear it. “Yes, I know people are talking at Dad’s office. I assumed they would. Gossip’s gossip. But I really don’t care and you shouldn’t either. Would you prefer I’d have gone through with it and been miserable for the rest of my life?”
Like you?

“I’m sorry, Mom. Really. Can we just drop the whole thing? I appreciate you checking on me and I’ll call you in a few days.”

The doorbell rang. “Got to run. Talk to you soon. ‘Bye.”

Only after she’d hung up did Carly realize that her head had begun to pound. “Be right there,” she called toward the front door.

She grabbed for two aspirin in her bag and a glass of water before answering the door. Just because her mother had opted to continue in her marriage didn’t mean Carly wanted to deal with things the same way. Her entire life she’d walked a fine line, fearful of repeating both of her parents’ mistakes— her father’s search for more love and passion and her mother’s blasé acceptance of all obstacles thrown in her way. Because her father’s errors were so much more damaging, she’d unbelievably come within weeks of turning into a replica of her mother.

She was still petrified of becoming her father’s daughter—the last interlude with Mike proved she was on the brink—but still, at some point she’d lost track of Carly and what
she
wanted out of life. And that was something else she’d have to look into. With her seniors’ graduation behind her and the whole summer ahead of her, she could focus on herself.

The doorbell rang again. She headed into the hall. A door led to a small entryway and landing where a long staircase connected the upstairs and downstairs portions of the house. She swung the door open wide.

“Can I borrow a cup of sugar? I’m all out.”

“Oh, no.”

Mike grinned. “Yup. So how about that sugar, Sugar?”

“Couldn’t you think of something more original?” she asked.

“Avon calling?” He advanced two steps.

Carly forced herself to remain in place. Any retreat would give him too much information about how much he affected her. Like he needed anything more than her overly enthusiastic response the last time they were together, she thought, her cheeks burning at the memory.

She shook her head. “Try again.”

“How about this?” He took another two steps forward and met her lips with his in a scorching kiss. His mouth moved over hers with such skill and perfection, she was surprised her legs still supported her. All she could do was reach for his shoulders and hold on.

The kiss was all she’d dreamed about and everything she’d missed. It was also too short. He freed her with an agonized groan, but his golden eyes still glittered with desire.

She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and exhaled. A frustrated sigh escaped instead. Apparently her plans for solitude and self-learning were about to be drastically altered. “What are you doing here?” she asked. Forget about how he’d found her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Mike shrugged and walked past her into the foyer.

“Well?”

“I’ve got two answers to that. Work and you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Explain the work part.”

Once in the kitchen, he turned a chair around and straddled it with his legs. Muscular legs, she noted before shifting her gaze to his face. She chose a chair opposite him.

“I’m doing a layout for a special on summer vacation spots,” he said.

“Right. The man who loves travel and danger suddenly chooses the Hamptons. Hoping to expose the ever-present beach pickpockets?”

“Watch the sarcasm,” he said with a grin.

“Then try the truth.” She stood and walked to the refrigerator. She pulled out a can of soda and popped the top. “Cola?” She offered the can to him, hating the ingrained politeness that governed her actions. She wanted to toss him out before she could succumb again. The good girl in her didn’t know how.

He shook his head.

She downed a large sip of soda herself.

“I’m here to work. And to see you,” he said.

The bubbles burned her throat, causing her eyes to water.

“To make sure you have a friend if you need one, or a shoulder to cry on if it comes to that.”

She coughed, wiping tears from her eyes. Damn his sense of chivalry, anyway. It made turning him away that much more difficult. “Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but there’s no need.” She slammed the soda can on the table for emphasis. The liquid popped up, splashing over the oak surface. She shot him a frustrated glance and grabbed for a towel to wipe up the mess.