Sweet Southern Betrayal (21 page)

She wasn’t part of the plan. She didn’t fit. He just needed time to figure how to make her fit.

Risa waved an arm around the suite, peering down at him with a confused look on her face. “I thought all of this was my present.”

“One of them. I never made any implied or express limitation on the number of gifts I have for you.”

“Oh my God. You
know
you turn me on when you lecture me in legalese.”

He pinched her ass, laughing when she yelped and loving it when her action brought her in closer contact with his body. “Smart-ass. Do you want it or not?”

“Of course.” She held out her hand. “Gimme.”

Teague sat up, crawling down to where his briefcase laid on the bench positioned at the foot of the bed. He made quick work of retrieving the manila envelope and moved back to where Risa waited.

“Happy birthday,” he said as he placed the envelope in her hand pressing a kiss to her lips, and settling in to watch her reaction.

“It’s not my birthday.”

Risa bent back the metal prongs on the envelope flap and reached in and pulled out the sheaf of documents contained inside. She made that cute scrunchy-nosed expression as she skimmed each piece, realization of what she was holding creeping over her face like sunrise. She’d read through half of the pile before she looked up and met his eyes.

She was almost crying again.

He hoped they were happy tears.

“Those are all the papers you need for a new life. A complete do-over.” He almost took the driver’s license, birth certificate, and all the other documents and threw them in the trash. But he wanted her to know she had options, and he wanted her to choose to be with him when he got the guts to ask her. “I have a set for Pepper, too. You can go anywhere you want, and Big Tony won’t find you.”

A single tear slid down her cheek and he was quick to brush it away.

“Did you pick out my name?”

He nodded. It had been a strangely sentimental choice, but it felt right.

“Jane Rochester,” she said.

“Your favorite character.” He dipped his head, suddenly embarrassed by his choice. “Her married name, of course. Jane Eyre was too noticeable.”

He was prepared for her to launch herself at him in a tight hug and he welcomed it, reveling in her sweet warmth. He rolled onto his back, cupping her neck with his hand and pulling her mouth down against his in a kiss that was more tender than carnal. He tasted her slowly, savoring every slide of her velvet tongue and sharp nip of her teeth as his body hardened against the soft skin of her belly.

“Thank you, Teague,” she whispered. “Now we both get what we want. Is making partner as good as you thought it would be?”

“I’m not a partner yet.”

“It’s a done deal and you know it. Stop stalling.”

He considered what she was asking and he had to admit what was bubbling below the surface of his skin. He played it cool, close to his chest, at the office with all the rest of the wolf pack. Just like predators in the wild, you never wanted to let on just how badly you wanted something because it might tip off the competition that there was a prize worth fighting for. But this was it, his moment to savor, and he could indulge with Risa, who he knew had his back. It was a good feeling.

“I’ve worked my ass off and it feels damn good to be here.”

“Good for you. A big office. Your own secretary. Exclusive memberships in the best clubs. Big bucks. What more could you want?”

She walked teasing fingers over his chest, sending a spark throughout his body. He closed his hand over hers, holding fast until she looked him in the eye, her own narrowed with her question. He knew firsthand that if you wanted something you had to make it happen—and he wanted Risa.

“You.”

“What?” Her voice was huskier than usual, the timbre giving away what her slamming pulse confirmed.

“You.” Teague rolled their bodies, shifting position until they lay pressed together, legs entwined, mouths within kissing distance. Risa’s palm pressed against his chest, keeping enough distance between them so that he could see every flicker of doubt and spark of hope in her eyes. “I’d have it all if I could have you.”

“You don’t mean that,” she whispered. “This thing between us is temporary.” She shook her head and gestured toward the envelope of documents on the bed. “You got me all the papers to start a new life.”

“They’re just papers. You can start over with me and keep your name.”

“What?”

“You said you wanted to start over.” He took a deep breath, just now realizing that he was holding it. He swallowed hard, pressing down his nerves. Damn, he hadn’t been this nervous since his first days in court. “Stay with me. Start over. Finish college. Start a new business.”

Something in her face shifted then from shock to the stubborn tilt of her chin he hated when it was leveled at him. Risa shoved a little harder against his body, climbing off the bed when he moved and walking across the suite to don one of the plush robes. She kept her back turned to him as she tied the belt and fussed with her hair.

“You want me to give up on Behind Closed Doors?”

“Risa, baby.” Teague slid out of bed, pulling on his boxer briefs. “You know your choice of company wouldn’t fly with the pod people or my political aspirations.”

“No way in—”

“Wait. You want to be a business owner. I’ll be able to help you with that dream. Just pick another one. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I don’t think you have
any
idea what you’re asking.” She tried to walk past him, but he reached out and snagged her arm. They couldn’t work this out if she walked away and shut down, an emotional response Risa had down to a science.

“Then explain it to me.”

“You want me to change who I am for these people who mean nothing to me. You want me to become someone else, to be—” She broke off in mid-sentence, her hands twisting the ends of the belt in a white-knuckle grip. Her face showed myriad emotions skittering so quickly he couldn’t get a read on even one.

“How is this any different than starting over with a new name? A new identity?”

“That’s a complete do-over. You’re asking me to only be half of myself. To pick and choose the parts you think are acceptable to those awful people.”

“Risa—”

“Do you love me?”

He was the one who suddenly felt as if his legs were going to give out. “I…” He swallowed hard, her question deserving an equally clear answer. “I don’t believe in that emotion. I like you. I enjoy being with you…”

“So why do you want to risk it all on a woman who needs to be fixed?”

“I
never
said you needed to be fixed.” His temper prickled the back of his neck. She was acting as though he was like the rest of the asses at his firm who looked down their noses at someone like Risa without ever getting to know her. “I know how hard it can be in this town if you’re different. I just want you to have everything you want and I want you here with me.”

“You want me?”

His heart did a little twist at the question. Risa—strong, confident, proud—was asking him for something more than he could probably give her. He pulled her close before she could retreat and took her mouth in a kiss of passion and all the heart he could ever give to anyone.

“I want you. In my home. In my bed. I want you in my life. We could be amazing together, unstoppable as partners.” He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her place against his body while he cupped her jaw with the other to force her to look him in the eye while he tried to explain what he was offering. “I care for you, so much. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I love you or that I ever could. That part of me is broken, if it ever worked to begin with. But I want to give you the life you deserve. I promise that I will be faithful and take care of you with every breath in my body.”

She stared him down, her green eyes dark and wary. He hated seeing the caution, especially with him, but Risa had learned her skepticism the hard way and it would be a difficult wall to overcome.

“Thank you.” She breathed out slowly, the deep exhale causing her entire body to shiver. He drew her closer, wrapping both arms around her until you couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. “Thank you for being honest with me. It’s more than I’m used to getting from people.”

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a let’s talk about this later.”

He wasn’t surprised by her answer. Teague knew she’d be hard to persuade with one five-minute conversation. But the seed was planted and he was a master of persuading people to come over to his way of thinking. He could be a patient man when he needed to be, and it was worth it. She was worth it. Risa was the woman for him, the one he could build a life with.

He’d known his plans included a wife, and now he knew who she was.

…

“Risa. Congratulations.”

She turned from her place at the bank of windows in the study at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leland Duff to observe the owner standing in the doorway. She’d escaped here, needing a break from the party taking place in the rest of the massive home. The house was lovely, not as beautiful as Elliott House, but Mrs. Duff had gone out of her way to create a warm, inviting home.

The announcement, made from the grand staircase, was as expected. Teague was a full partner, the youngest one in the history of Harrison & Duff, and he was destined for great things. They talked as if getting the keys to the White House was a mere formality.

And, if she believed him, he wanted to take her along for the ride.

“Mr. Duff. Why are you congratulating me?”

“Because behind every great man is the woman, or man, who put him there.” He laughed and winked at her over the rim of his whiskey glass. “Can’t forget same-sex partners in this day and age. I’ve had my sensitivity training.”

Risa couldn’t bring herself to laugh at his comment, but she made sure her lips quirked in something that resembled a smile. Leland Duff still made her skin crawl.

“Teague worked very hard and I’m proud of him.”

“As you should be.”

He strolled closer to her and she took an instinctive step back, frustrated to feel the bank of windows at her back and trapping her in the room. She was smarter than this. Too smart to allow a man to stand between her and the only exit.

“I should probably go and claim my superstar. We should be going.” Risa moved to walk around him, but he took a deliberate sidestep. She gripped her wineglass, ready to break it and use it if she needed to. Leland wasn’t just creepy; he was dangerous.

“There’s no rush.”

“Actually—”

“No. Stay.” He took a step forward, his hand reaching into his suit jacket pocket and withdrawing a folded set of papers. “I think we need to talk about your future with H&D.”

“I think you’ve got me mixed up with the other Elliott. You’re looking for the one with the brown hair, over six feet tall, has a penis.” She took two steps backward, unwilling to accept the papers he extended in her direction. “I don’t work here.”

Leland shook his head, his smile definitely more predatory than any Vegas sleazeball she’d had to deal with before. He extended his arm farther, making sure she took the papers from his grasp before he moved back a half step and gave her some space.

“That’s not how it works. We’re going to invest a lot of time and money in promoting Teague’s career at the firm and eventually in politics. It’s essential we make sure he’s got the whole package to win, and that includes his family.”

With shaking hands, Risa looked down at the papers, skimming over them but already knowing in her gut what they would contain. Their marriage license. A summary of her life prepared by an investigative firm—every scar, blemish, and life-changing event reduced to two pages. And the last page contained the one thing she’d known she couldn’t outrun forever, the mistake that should have been under seal but wasn’t. She’d been skeptical when the court-appointed lawyer explained it to her that day in court and now she was proven right.

“The last bit of information was the most surprising.” Leland strolled over to the bar set up in the corner of the room, reaching for a decanter and pouring himself a generous glassful. “Do you know how hard it is to get sealed juvenile records?”

She shook her head, making sure her expression remained blank. Leland knew he’d won; he was not a gracious man and let it ooze through every syllable and confident swagger, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her true reaction.

“I’m sure it cost you quite a bit of money. Was it worth it?”

“That all depends on you.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t speak asshole. You’ll have to spell it out for me.”

“I like you, Risa. I like your fire.” Leland walked toward her again and Risa wasn’t crazy enough to let him block the door again as she shifted her position in the room. She knew what he was about to say, the same thing every rich, powerful man thought he could say to a poor, trashy girl from the wrong side of the tracks. “This can go two ways. You can disappear when your annulment goes through or you can stick around and H&D can make this all go away.”