Bind (24 page)

They clinked their glasses together.

“I’d like a moment of your time, young lady,” the Colonel said as he joined them.

“Granddaddy,” Erin warned.

“I won’t bite her,” he said, thumping his cane on the floor.

“It’s okay,” Lara said with a smile that encompassed both of them. “If you do, I’ll bite back.”

“Spunk,” he said. “I like that.”

“I’ll be with Grandmother, but I’m telling Connor you’ve stolen Lara away.”

“There’s a quiet place on the patio,” the Colonel said.

She took her mimosa with her and followed the older gentleman outside.

“Family means a lot to you,” he said without preamble as he lowered himself into a chair. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be doing this. I understand why you went to Connor.”

She glanced back inside the house. Connor was still sitting with his mother, but he was looking back at her.

“Connor told me you will be working out an ending date to the marriage. I don’t necessarily support that. But as long as that’s confidential, it can work. But I want you to hear my thoughts with no polite bullshit. Marriage should be forever.”

“I agree with you, in theory. As you know, this is more of a business arrangement.”

“Things have a way of becoming more complicated. Unexpected consequences.” He, too, looked through the window, back inside the house. His gaze fixed on Connor’s mother, his own daughter-in-law.

She wondered if he was talking about his own regrets, the way he’d influenced past events. Suddenly she saw the Colonel as a more complex man. He’d lost a son, and because of his own health issues, Connor had been forced into a prominent role at Donovan Worldwide.

“Time can’t go backward.”

“I think I understand what you’re saying.” And more, she had greater respect for what Connor had said yesterday. Love could be a messy thing. The after-effects of Jeffrey’s love for Stormy continued to ripple through the generations.

Before she could say anything else, the patio door opened, and she saw Connor walking toward them.

“Ready to go?” he asked, standing behind her and squeezing her shoulders. “We still have to see your mother.”

Lara said her goodbyes to the Colonel then she and Connor went inside to give their farewells to the rest of the family.

“He’s gruff, but well-meaning,” Connor’s grandmother said. “There’s a softie under that bluster. A man who cares, someone as flawed as the rest of us.”

Lara hugged the older lady then allowed Connor to guide her outside.

Once they were alone, he pinned her against the side of the car and allowed his gaze to flow over her body. “No nicks or bruises?” he asked.

“Everyone was very polite.”

“Good. Any nicks or bruises will come from me,” he replied.

Just that fast, he’d created simmering tension between them. She swallowed deeply.

“Open your mouth for me.”

When she didn’t immediately comply, he added, “Now, Lara.”

Instead of looking away, she did as he instructed.

He grabbed her hands and raised them high, pinning her wrists to the top of the car in a powerful grip.

She was lost.

His kiss consumed her. He demanded everything she had to offer, then he asked for more.

With only the slightest hesitation, she gave it, pressing herself against him, opening her mouth wider. He tasted of determination. He consumed her.

Connor inserted a thigh between her legs and she rode him, seeking, rubbing, grinding.

With his free hand, he brought her more fully against him. Right here, she was close to coming.

As quickly as he’d fanned the burn, he pulled back, ending the kiss and releasing her wrists.

“That’s a hint of what’s to come later,” he said.

She still couldn’t think when he helped her inside the car. “That was in public,” she said when they were on the road again.

“Yeah. And I made sure there were no kids outside and no one was watching. I’ll always protect you.”

To busy herself, she dug a lipstick out of her purse and flipped down the visor for its mirror.

“Keep it up. Just makes me want to kiss you again.”

Her bigger concern was that she wanted it, too.

“Where are we meeting your mother?” he asked when they were exiting the neighborhood.

“I figured we’d go by her house.” She programmed the address into the GPS.

“She knows I’m with you?”

“Yes. And she’s dying to know why.”

“Anything I need to know about your mother? Does she still go by Bertrand?”

“She does. Dad told her to change it back to her maiden name. Until then she was going to. But because Dad didn’t want an ex-Mrs. Bertrand out there, she decided to keep it. That about sums up her personality. Other than that, she has a dog that thinks it’s royalty. Fair warning, it bit Erin.”

“This is my lucky weekend.” He looked at her. “What kind of dog?”

“Pomeranian.”

“I have no idea what that is.”

“Purse dog. But she’s really adorable.”

“Other than the biting thing,” he added.

“She has little teeth.”

“Anything else?”

“That about covers it.”

“Except for the part about the DNA connection to you.”

She smiled. “There is that.”

Helene met them at the door, holding Diva in her arms. The dog was wearing a pretty ribbon that was the same hot pink color as her mother’s dress.

“You both look beautiful,” Lara said.

“Diva went to the spa yesterday.”

Of course the dog had been to a spa, rather than the groomer.

“Come in, come in.”

Connor closed the door behind them, and Lara kissed her mother’s cheek. Diva moved in to add her own kiss. “See? She’s sweet,” Lara said to Connor.

“I assume you’re Connor Donovan,” Helene said, rather than waiting for an introduction.

“Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bertrand.” He extended his hand.

Not to be ignored, Diva put out her paw.

Lara was surprised to notice that he didn’t hesitate. Instead, he stroked behind the dog’s ears.

“What a good girl!” Helene approved.

Diva turned her head toward his hand. Lara sympathized with the pooch. She was afraid her response was much the same when he dug his hands into her hair.

“Since it’s cool enough and not too windy, let’s sit outside.” Helene led the way through the house and out onto her porch.

A pitcher of lemonade sat in the middle of a table, along with three glasses.

“Fresh squeezed?”

“Your favorite,” Helene replied.

Once Helene set Diva on the slate, the animal wound herself in and out of their legs, yipping and all but dancing in circles.

“Oh, Diva, darling. You’ll wear yourself out.” Obviously not having any of that, Helene picked up the pooch and held her close.

Lara poured everyone a glass of lemonade, and her mother wasted no time with pleasantries.

“So what’s this about a wedding?”

Suddenly Lara wished she’d smuggled in one of the mimosas.

“I spoke with Angela Donovan yesterday,” Helene continued. “She said the two of you are getting married. One might have thought my daughter would have mentioned it herself. At least in passing.”

Before she could answer, Connor touched her leg.

“My fault entirely,” he said. “I wanted to tell you in person. It’s been everything Lara could do to keep it secret.”

“How about we skip the bullshit, shall we?”

Lara’s mouth fell open.

“This is a scheme you two concocted to get Connor a seat on BHI’s board, isn’t it?”

“Actually—”

“You’re not a good fibber, Lara, so don’t even try.”

“Mother!”

“Well, that solves one of our three sticking points,” Connor said. “Lara said she’d never be able to keep it from you. Something about DNA. We’re hoping you’ll be agreeable and work as an ally on the board.”

She smiled and readjusted Diva’s bow. “And have the chance to help drag BHI into the twenty-first century? Tell me what you want from me.”

Lara hadn’t been sure what her mother’s reaction was going to be to the wedding, but other than being slightly miffed that she had not been the first to know, she was rather accepting. Excited, even.

They discussed strategy, and it had been years since Lara had seen her mother so animated. She promised to personally contact the board members and ensure they were in BHI’s meeting room at five o’clock on Tuesday afternoon.

“What about Pernell?” Connor asked.

“Oh, he won’t have any choice.” She grinned. “I won’t let him know about it until after everything is all arranged. Manipulation is my favorite pastime.”

Connor evidently noticed Lara’s lack of feedback.

“Lara?” he prompted.

Even though this was exactly what she wanted, and still believed necessary, part of her couldn’t help but think it seemed as if they were plotting a coup. “I wish we didn’t have to do this.”

He touched her leg in reassurance. “Doubts?”

“Not really. More like…” She trailed off.

“You can either fight for BHI, Lara,” her mother said, “or you know it will become a shadow of its potential. I support you, either way. You know that. I’d be just as happy if I was supporting your position to leave. But under the current structure, BHI cannot thrive. Something has to change. You’ve been working there long enough to have realized that.”

Lara picked up a spoon and stirred her drink. “It’s the right thing.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s easy,” Connor said.

She drank in reassurance from his strength. “I’m not sure I realized just how difficult it would be.”

“You can rely on me,” he reminded her.

When the conversation was wrapping up, Helene lifted her lemonade glass in a toast. “I really do hope you two find happiness.”

“It’s more complicated than that, Mom,” Lara said.

“Again, Lara. You’re a terrible fibber. I’ve seen the way Connor looks at you. And when you spoke about him the other day…”

“Go on,” Connor encouraged.

“Enough,” Lara warned her mother.

Helene relented with a small smile. “I imagine you’ll just handle the wedding privately?”

“If we work out the rest of the sticking points,” Lara clarified. “And I’ll still want to see a copy of your original proposal to my father,” she said to Connor.

“I’d like a copy, too.”

He nodded.

A few minutes later, she and Connor left.

“Until now, I hadn’t really believed that whole DNA thing,” he admitted when they were driving.

“Even when I was at college. She knew if I’d stayed out too late. Guarantee my phone would ring before seven a.m.”

He grinned. “And you have confidence that we can have this all pulled together by Tuesday afternoon?”

“She’s good,” Lara said. “She’ll use whatever means she needs to get people to the meeting.” There was a reason she’d been the Mom of the Year at all of Lara’s schools. The woman knew how to get people involved, and she knew how to fundraise. She was an absolute social maven. “If nothing else, she’ll intrigue them. Or bribe them with chocolate chip cookies.”

Conversation moved from strategy on to the proposal he’d prepared for her father. It was low, like her father had said, but it was far from offensive. And it was a good starting point. The BHI board had deserved to hear it. At the very least, she, as Pernell’s daughter and CFO, should have been informed of the offer.

“You told your mother about meeting me,” he prompted after that.

“If you want details, you can forget it. None. Zero. Your ego’s big enough,” she said.

“So you told her something that would feed my ego?”

She rolled her eyes. “My lips are sealed. Nothing is escaping.”

“When you bumped into me after I’d seen your dad, I was thinking of having you on your knees.”

Her breath tangled in her chest.

“I’m glad it was mutual. Let’s get back to my place.”

She shifted. “I was planning to spend the night at home tonight. I don’t have work clothes, and I need my car.”

“I’m not done with you yet. There’s plenty of the afternoon left, and we still have some details to discuss before tomorrow. It’s your call, Lara. Tell me to take you home, or ask me to beat you.”

There was seduction in his gaze, and she was helpless to resist him.

* * * *

Connor poured her a glass of wine. He enjoyed having her here, and already it was natural. She’d come in and put her purse on the coatrack then slipped off her heels while he’d hung his blazer from one of the hooks. He’d loosened his tie and unfastened the top button on his shirt.

She’d followed him into the kitchen and pulled the merlot from the refrigerator. It was a small step, but teamwork nonetheless. Whether she knew it or not, he was wearing down her defenses. The woman was going to be his wife on Friday, if not before. He’d have her moved in by Wednesday or Thursday. In a little over a week, he’d have a legitimate place on BHI’s board. Within six months, Donovan Worldwide would have acquired BHI Communications and its patents. “We’ve had a number of successes today,” he said. “And hopefully more to come.” He offered her a glass.

“Thank you,” she said as she accepted it.

“What do you say we order a pizza for dinner?”

“I’d say that sounds rather mundane.”

“We need to eat.”

“Pepperoni.”

“Anchovies,” he countered.

“What? No. Eww.” She shook her head. “No.”

He couldn’t keep his grin confined.

“You were joking? You?”

“Sausage,” he said, relenting.

“Half and half?”

“See? We do know how to negotiate.”

“Yeah, you hijack the deal with anchovies. You get anything you want after that.”

He ordered while she carried her wineglass into the living room. As usual, she sat in the chair, something he intended to change.

After he’d hung up, he walked into the living room and grabbed the remote control to select an easy-listening station.

He closed the blinds then said, “Show me how you masturbate.”

“Right now?”

“The pizza will be here in forty-five minutes. Do you need longer?” He removed the stack of magazines that had been on top of the coffee table. “After you take off your clothes, get on here.”