Luscious Sins (Bend to My Will #7) (3 page)

Jacob had made headway. Sam was considering the possibilities, so he forged ahead. “What about that phony wine scam some years back?” he said. “I know you bailed him out of it. But I’m sure you don’t deny that Dan’s actions were criminal, well beyond
intentionally destructive
. He could have been prosecuted for what he did.”

That hit home, and Sam frowned. “I thought we had all put that behind us.” He shook his head. “The bottom line is that you don’t think Daniel learned anything from that experience. He hasn’t changed his ways.”

“That’s what I’m saying. And if you don’t rein him in, your stepson is going to be the cause of untold damage. Your financial position could go from tenuous to completely unviable. And the destruction won’t end with your company.”

When Sam didn’t respond, Jacob continued, “I also think that Daniel is getting information from someone inside my company. Do you know who it is?”

“Corporate espionage?” Sam stiffened. “I wouldn’t resort to such underhanded tactics.”

“So you don’t know of anyone?”

“Absolutely not. And if I did, I’d put a stop to it. Vico is one of my oldest friends. You have to know that I wouldn’t play dirty.”

“
You
wouldn’t, but your stepson
would
,” Jacob said, “and I think you know it. Recently, there has been too much going on with Daniel that doesn’t make sense. He’s arrogant and overly confident. I have a hunch that there is an insider, and I intend to discover who it is.”

“I’m telling you we don’t have inside information.”

“And I’m telling
you
that Daniel has no conscience. He would establish such a setup, without telling you, and have no qualms about it.”

Sam didn’t respond, but he looked furious. Jacob wasn’t sure if he had irritated him with his directness, or whether his rage was directed at his stepson. He’d said what needed to be said. It was time to go, and let Sam Williamson dig into the matter.

The man was sharp, and had been in business a long time. He might not admit company flaws or reveal his family’s inner workings. But he wouldn’t ignore a threat to his business, and Jacob had made it abundantly clear that his pain-in-the-butt stepson had that very potential.

Chapter 3

Vivienne had always loved her birthday. As a child, her mother had given her a party every year, and she’d invited all her friends. One year she had a huge piñata that her father hung from a tree, but she was unable to crack it open. A neighbor had everyone move back, and swung at it with a baseball bat. It had burst apart, spilling colorfully wrapped candy all over the lawn.

There were party games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, one that her mother said she played as a child. There was a karaoke contest one year, and another time a pool party. One of the highlights was Vivienne’s favorite cake that her mother baked, just for her. All her friends thought it was yucky, but she didn’t care. Cherry chip was her favorite.

Now a grown woman, Vivienne didn’t find that birthdays had the same pizzazz, but she still loved them. As she dressed to go out to dinner with Jacob to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday, she reflected on years past. She couldn’t be a child forever, nor did she want to. But she hoped her birthday would be memorable.

Jacob was picking her up in a limo to take her to their favorite French restaurant. She wore a gold bandage dress that hugged every curve. Likely he would mention that it was too sexy, but it was her birthday. She wanted it to be special, and picked the dress that was most stunning. She’d even bought gold, shimmery high heels to match it.

After spending extra time on her hair, Vivienne put the finishing touches on her makeup, including a bit of gold glitter over her cheekbones. The tiny gold chain around her neck sparkled, making her smile. Too bad Lana wasn’t there to see her all dressed up, but she was out with Trace.

She already had a birthday lunch planned with her friend for next week, and her father had called earlier in the day. He would have liked to see her, but was sending a gift. “You don’t have to, Dad. I’ll see you soon enough.” But he wouldn’t hear of it. It was his baby girl’s birthday, so it was special.

Jacob arrived wearing a designer suit. The gray-blue color matched his eyes, and the dark blue tie was striking. Buff and handsome, he looked absolutely edible. Earlier in the day, he’d had roses delivered with a card that said:
Happy birthday, baby
.

Jacob’s gaze roamed over her body. “That dress is…”

“Don’t say it…sexy…I know.” Vivienne looked into his eyes. “That’s the whole point.”

Jacob smiled. “I was going to say stunning.”

Vivienne giggled. “I’ll go with stunning.”

Jacob took her arm and they headed for the limo. From the back seat, Vivienne watched the city roll by, excited about their cozy celebration. But the driver took a turn she didn’t expect. “Isn’t he going to the restaurant?”

“It’s a different route.”

Vivienne furrowed her brow, but didn’t say more. They’d arrive shortly, so it didn’t matter. However, the driver pulled in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. “I think he made a mistake.”

“Let’s get out for a minute. I have to do something in here.” Jacob got out and opened the door for her.

To avoid slipping on the polished marble floors, Vivienne walked carefully across the lobby. Jacob kept his arm around her waist, which was reassuring. In the elevator bay the doors opened, and they stepped inside.

“What do you have to do here?” Vivienne said, getting suspicious, but he didn’t seem to hear her.

Jacob texted on his phone, ignoring her. Vivienne was getting irritated. It was her birthday, after all. This was rude. But she bit her tongue. Then the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into a darkened room. “What the…?”

Then blinding lights lit up a huge ballroom, decorated with streamers and tons of brightly colored balloons. “Happy birthday, Vivie!” the crowed dressed in cocktail wear shouted. It only took a split second for her to realize what was going on.

“Lana!” Her friend was the first one to step forward, with Trace right beside her.

Music played and everyone seemed to talk at once. Suddenly, the quiet room was a flurry of activity. “Happy birthday, Vivie.” Her friend Lana was only the first, as others came up right behind her to say the same. A photographer Jacob must have hired took pictures.

Trace gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. “It’s going to be a great night, birthday girl.”

Jacob kept his hand on her back, making sure not to lose her in the swirl of partygoers. Vivienne looked up at him. “You planned all of this…for me?”

“I sure did.” Jacob’s blue eyes shone. “I had a lot of help, though.”

“I’m so surprised. Of all the birthdays I’ve had, I haven’t had a surprise party before.” Vivienne stretched up on her toes to kiss Jacob. “This is just so…cool.”

The live band continued to play, while Vivienne sipped a glass of champagne and made the rounds to greet her friends. It appeared that Jacob had invited everyone he could think of, including Luke and Michele.

“Luke, I haven’t seen you dressed up before.”

Luke gave her a shy look, clearly more comfortable in the warehouse than at a dressy party. “I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Vivie,” he said.

“Thank you, Luke. Go have some fun.” Vivienne looked around at the tables laden with appetizers, then toward the open bar. “Grab something to drink.”

Michele gave her a hug. “What a dress, Vivie. That’s a show-stopper.”

“And I thought I was just going out to dinner with Jacob.”

“You really know how to dress up, woman.” Michele grinned.

“I like more formal wear,” Vivienne said. “I would have enjoyed living in the 1920s when it was common to dress for dinner, and everything was so elegant. I prefer it, don’t you?”

“I have to say I haven’t tried it much, but it’s already growing on me.” Michele kissed her cheek. “I have to go find my date. He’s getting drinks for us.”

Across the room, Vivienne spotted another friend. She glanced up at Jacob, who said, “I think he’s trying to get your attention.” Then he took her hand and walked over to Alfred.

“Alfred, I’m so glad you could make it,” Vivienne said.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Alfred looked as dapper as ever in a well-tailored suit, white shirt, and silver tie. He opened his arms and Vivienne gave him a big hug. Amazingly, Jacob didn’t object.

Before Vivienne could get another sentence out, a shout went up. She looked toward the back of the room, where a curtain rose to reveal a huge video screen. “What’s that?” she said to Jacob.

“You’ll see.” Jacob guided her to a table, right in front of the small stage. “My parents were disappointed that they couldn’t attend. They’ve sent a gift, but they also want to wish you well.”

Vico and Sophia appeared on the screen, their images five feet high, and for a few moments the room was quiet. “Happy birthday, Vivie,” they said in unison. Vico had his arm around his wife. “We are still in the south of France,” Sophia said, “but Jacob had this great idea that we could talk by videoconference.”

“Hi, Vico. Hi, Sophia. This is so amazing! I wish you could be here. Jacob has gone all out.”

“I’m not surprised.” Sophia smiled. “Have a good time tonight. We’ll be thinking of you.”

“Thank you so much. I’ll tell you all about it when you get back, and we have tons of pictures.”

“Okay, I look forward to it.”

When the call ended, Vivienne said, “Wow, Jacob. I didn’t expect anything like that.”

Jacob looked extremely pleased. “And that’s not all. There’s a late arrival.”

Vivienne turned to see her father walk into the room—all dressed up, no less. “Dad.” Jacob followed her to greet him.

“Vivie.” Her dad wrapped his arms around her. “I would have been here sooner, but the flight was delayed.”

“You flew all this way for my birthday?”

“Jacob sent the jet to get me.” Her dad grinned. “That is one sweet ride.”

Jacob laughed, and then Vivienne did too. “Oh, my…what’s next? I am so happy that you’re here, Dad.”

“Your mother really wanted to come, but she’s not quite up to it yet,” her father said.

“Of course not. It’s good that she didn’t try.”

“But she wants to talk to you,” Jacob said, and held out a mobile phone with a big screen. Irene was there, smiling.

Vivienne was glad to see her. “Mom…you look great.”

“I dressed up for your party,” Irene said. “At least we can see each other this way. Jacob wanted to put me up on a huge movie-sized screen, but I couldn’t possibly do that. I hope this is okay.”

“Yes, it’s more than okay.”

“And your dad brought the gifts, so you have a great time tonight, honey. Jacob is quite a guy to do all of this for you.”

“I’ll say. I love you, Mom.”

Vivienne was so happy she thought she’d burst. “I need another glass of champagne,” she said, just as a caterer walked by. Jacob scooped off a full glass and handed it to her.

Vivienne had quite a while to enjoy the music and visit with her guests before dinner. It gave her a chance to relax and take it all in. When the meal was finally served, she was pleased to see that it was white Georgia shrimp, grits, and fried green tomatoes with collard greens. Despite the international cuisine that Jacob had introduced her to, a Southern-style meal suited her, especially for this occasion.

On one table was a huge birthday cake with white frosting, pink roses, and twenty-five candles. When everyone was done eating, Vivienne was asked to cut the cake. Using a silver cake knife, she cut into it, and slipped the first piece onto a crystal plate.

With big eyes, she looked at Jacob. “It’s cherry chip…my favorite.” He just grinned back. “Lana told you, didn’t she?”

The guests laughed, seemingly in on the surprise. Lana stood up and came over. “Here, Vivie, let me help cut the cake.”

“You know how to bake a cherry chip cake?” Vivienne was astounded. She hadn’t seen Lana bake before.

“No, not me. Your mom gave us the original recipe, then Jacob had the restaurant pastry chefs make it.” Lana cut another piece and the servers began delivering them to the tables. Trace came over to assist with the cutting.

Without waiting, Vivienne forked off a bite. “Mmm, it’s as good as I remember.”

While the cake was the center of attention, Vivienne went back to sit beside Jacob. She took another bite of cake, and he sampled his. “Any other surprises?”

“Oh, maybe one or two,” Jacob said, with a mouthful of cake.

Coffee or drink refills were served, then Jacob texted something on his phone and the stage lights went on. Lana had disappeared, so Vivienne couldn’t ask her what was up. She looked at Jacob, but he just pointed toward the stage.

The curtain rose to reveal a small dance troupe with Lana in the front. She wore a red sequined dress, as did the others, and behind the group was a backdrop that looked like an ocean liner. “Good evening, everyone,” Lana said, with a curtsy. “We’d like to do a performance in honor of Vivienne’s birthday.”

Orchestra music started playing, and the group performed a tune from the show
Anything Goes
. Dressed for the period, Lana sang the lead for the song “Take Me Back To Manhattan.” It was delightful, and Lana’s beautiful voice did credit to the fun-spirited song.

Vivienne enjoyed it thoroughly, and without a break, the group sang a couple more songs. When the curtain lowered, the crowd erupted in applause. “That was so great. I loved it!”

“I’m glad,” Jacob said. “I considered trying to hire the actual stage performers. But when Lana offered, well, I just thought you’d like that much better.”

“It was the best.” Vivienne kissed Jacob, hardly knowing how to tell him how special the evening had been.

Lana reappeared, still in the sparkly red dress. She glided across the room to Vivienne.

“You were awesome,” Vivienne said, hugging her friend. “Thank you so much.” Into the birthday spirit, she said, “Let’s open the presents.”

A server brought the gifts to Vivienne’s table, and she opened them one by one. She was amazed how everyone seemed to know what she wanted, when she didn’t even know. Smiling, she tore the paper off each one, thoroughly delighted, and thanked the giver profusely.

Then there was one left. It was from Jacob. “I hope you like it,” he said.

Vivienne opened the gold wrapping paper and held the royal-blue velvet box in her hand. Jacob waited patiently, with all eyes on them. She lifted the top and saw the loveliest bracelet she could imagine.

Holding it up to the light she said, “Oh, Jacob…it’s so beautiful.”

“Try it on, baby.”

It was a pearl and diamond cuff bracelet, very classy. Vivienne slipped it over her hand, onto her wrist, and held it up. “Thank you, Jacob,” she said, with tears in her eyes. Then she leaned over and kissed him, long and hard. The crowd cheered and clapped.

The party lasted until well past midnight. When Vivienne got back in the limo with Jacob, she leaned against his shoulder, a little wiped out in the aftermath of all the excitement. With her hand on his thigh, she admired the shimmer of the diamonds on her bracelet.

Jacob had his arm around her. “Happy birthday, baby.”

Vivienne looked into his eyes, and it struck her how much he really cared. It wasn’t the elaborate party, or the diamond bracelet. He’d flown her father in for the party, made the effort to get her favorite kind of cake, and been thoughtful enough to plan the private performance of the Broadway songs.