SO NOW SHE needed his help.
R. J. Davet shifted in his chair and looked down for the third time at the email message waiting for him on his laptop. Even if she hadn’t signed the message, he would have known whom it was from. Brief and to the point, apologetic yet demanding at the same time. All the characteristics of the woman he had known better than anyone else on earth. He almost laughed at the thought. He had known her intimately once. And it had cost him.
Outside his hotel window, the crowded street in London’s East End bustled with activity. Delivery trucks skirted around the road. Morning commuters rushed to work, and cafés were filling with caffeine-hungry customers.
A silver tea tray with steaming scones sat untouched on the antique table next to him. He was oblivious to all of it. His appointment with the investors in a few minutes, the importance of this trip, the weeks of preparation. He couldn’t bring himself to think of any of that now. After all this time, and all the pretenses, she was asking for his help.
A fleeting impulse to ignore the request entered his mind. After all, she hadn’t indicated it was urgent. Every self-preserving instinct told him to pretend he’d never received it.
But that thought was gone in a second. He would go to her. Of course he would. Even with the little information the message provided, he couldn’t ignore a plea from her. Besides, the past was behind them now. There was no reason he couldn’t assist her professionally. He was the best. Arrogance or immodesty had nothing to do with it. He knew his strengths and he knew his shortcomings. He knew his reputation within the field had compelled celebrity and politician alike to seek out his expertise, even this early in his business. He’d worked his butt off since leaving college.
Now his skills were being sought by the one woman who could have had that and a lot more at her disposal. The bitter tang of memory formed an unpleasant taste in his mouth before he swallowed it.
Rubbing his eyes, he stood and read the email once more.
R.J.
It’s been a while. I find myself in the unexpected position of requiring your assistance. Only you have the background. Let’s discuss at your earliest convenience.
She’d included a small icon of a dancing couple at the end: What do you say, Princess? Shall we dance?
He leaned forward to reply to her and stopped himself. There was no reason they couldn’t interact like the true professionals they were, but there was also no reason to be hasty either. He wasn’t going to jump the instant she snapped her fingers. No doubt that’s what she expected. Surprise for her, he’d changed.
He powered off the laptop and packed it into his briefcase, making sure hard copies of the financial spreadsheets were there. He had a lot to do in the few short hours before his flight back to the States. He didn’t need a distraction like her just now.
His estranged wife would get his answer soon enough.
* * *
“He’s here, you know.”
Angeline Scott jumped at the announcement, then tried to calm herself before turning away from the window. She leveled a gaze at her assistant, who was also her dearest friend.
“He’s here,” Shanna repeated. “R.J. just signed in downstairs. He’s on his way up.”
Angeline managed a nod in acknowledgement. She couldn’t go through with this.
“Shan, I think we should just forget this whole thing. I’m not even going to tell him why I asked him here. I’ve changed my mind.”
“Are you going to ask your father, then? For the money?”
Angeline gave her friend the side eye for that question. “You know that’s out of the question. I refuse.”
Shanna rewarded her with a look of pride. “That would only be a temporary fix anyway.”
“But to ask R.J. to do this...” Angeline let herself trail off.
“We really have no choice, do we?”
“I guess not. But I know him. He’s going to look at me like I have two heads, pop a hand on his hip—” she fisted her hand and set it on her hip in demonstration. “And then he’s going to laugh. Then he’ll become angry because he’ll think it’s a joke. At his expense. That’s exactly what will happen.” She blew a stray strand of hair off her forehead, then added, “Not necessarily in that order.”
“Then why did you ask him in the first place?”
“Because he’s the only one who really qualifies, isn’t he?”
“True. Technically he’s still your husband.”
Angel sighed. Yes, R.J. was still her husband. In name only. The only reason being that they had never gotten around to finalizing their divorce. And now, after close to three years apart, she had to demean herself by asking him to pretend they’d never split up at all.
Shanna smiled at her. “Go straighten yourself out, Angel. Your cheeks are flushed. It’s just not becoming on someone with your olive skin tone. And those curls.” She held a hand up in frustration to the mass of unruly hair Angeline knew was spilling out of her loose bun. “We can do this. Just pull yourself together. It’s the only way.”
Angeline plunked herself into the wide leather chair behind her. Shanna was right, of course. They had gone through every other feasible option.
“Fine,” she said, then looked up in defiance. “But I refuse to straighten myself out.”
Shanna stole a quick glance into the outer room. “Looks like you don’t have time for it anyway. Our fella just walked in.”
Angeline gripped the armrests on the chair and tried to assume a perfect poker face. Her heart was in her throat, and adrenaline coursed through her veins like a river during a storm. But she was certain none of it showed. R. J. Davet might turn her insides to lava, but she knew how to mask emotion well.
Shanna gave her a reassuring wink and went to show him in.
Angeline took advantage of the time to try to calm her nerves. She was a mature businesswoman now. Not a foolish young college student. She’d graduated top of her class, even with the distraction that was R. J. Davet.
He wouldn’t affect her the way he used to. She was much wiser with a good head on her shoulders. She was over her once all-consuming attraction to him. She was over him.
Angeline stood up to greet him, feeling much more certain of herself. It was ridiculous to think he could still hurt her.
But then he walked in. And it hurt just to look at him.
She managed to curve her lips into a smile. “Hello, R.J. Long time, no see.” She cringed as soon as she said it. Nothing like dazzling him with witty conversation.
He didn’t say anything for a long moment, merely looked at her. Just for an instant, the hurt fell away and she was staring into hypnotic, deep chocolate eyes that were so familiar. There was nothing between them, there was nothing around them. As if sensing her thoughts, his expression suddenly became aloof and guarded.
“Hello, Angel.” He smiled when he said it, but his eyes remained distant.
He made his way toward her with the same confident gait she remembered. Except now there was so much more polish. In a dark Italian-cut suit, he had the elusive manner that only self-made successful people have. He looked like the powerhouse he’d always wanted to be, had always talked about becoming. He looked like the man he had left her to become.
She checked the impulse to step back as he approached, afraid of her reaction. His wavy black hair reflected almost navy where the light hit it. The strong set of his jaw lent a hardened austerity to his face.
Her dreams had not done him justice.
She cleared her throat. “So, I hear your business is doing well. You’re trying to expand Davet Corporate Security into Europe, aren’t you?”
“That’s the intent, yes.” His voice rang clear with impatience.
“I can’t believe all you’ve accomplished in the short time since college.”
He gave a slight nod in her direction. “Likewise.”
Angeline felt herself shiver. R.J. wasn’t interested in small talk. “It must have been a surprise to hear from me after all this time,” she said in a lower voice.
“Getting your message was a few notches higher than surprise. Closer to shock, actually.”
She tried not to bristle at the hostility in his voice.
R.J. shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “Let’s cut to the chase here, shall we? We’re both busy people. You didn’t call me to play catch-up. What can I do for the reigning tea queen of the Western Hemisphere? I imagine you have some type of corporate security concern. Were your systems hacked or something? Is that it?”
Regret washed through her. He was obviously not thrilled about being here. While he couldn’t wait to leave, she was aching inside at seeing him again. Yep, she was a fool one hundred times over. “Not exactly. Please, have a seat.” She motioned him to the red brocade chair across from her desk and waited for him to sit down.
Swallowing past the lump of apprehension in her throat, she began, “I’d like to discuss a business proposition with you. An alliance, so to speak.”
She saw the curiosity flash in his eyes before he managed to suppress it. “What type of an alliance would the head of a thriving tea retail and distribution business form with the CEO of a corporate security firm?”
“I need your help. But not in the way you think.”
He lifted a brow in question. “I’m listening.”
Angeline walked over to the large window overlooking metro Boston. Past the traffic, the Charles River gleamed like liquid gemstone as the sun reflected off the water. Her back to him, she could feel the intensity of his gaze and imagined his eyes roaming over her. The way his hands had not so long ago. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Somehow she managed to find her voice again. “I’m in some trouble and it could affect other people. A lot of other people.”
He was up and behind her in an instant. She recognized the poignantly familiar scent. That same distinctive cologne coupled with the aroma that was purely male and purely his. She tried to still the shaking in her hands and clasped them together in front of her. Heavens, this meeting was playing havoc on her senses. Pure attraction. Attraction that in the end hadn’t been enough to keep them together. But the flames of desire apparently still burned strong.
For her anyway.
“Angeline,” she heard him say. “Are you in some kind of danger?”
She took a moment to answer. Technically she wasn’t. But in every other sense she was. Without warning, a firm set of hands gripped her by the shoulders and turned her around.
“Answer me.”
“N-no, I’m not in any danger,” she managed to stutter while fighting the urge to lean into the strong, masculine chest that was so close.
He dropped his hands. Disappointment pummeled her. He clearly wasn’t as interested in touching her as he had been once.
Better to get this over with. “It’s the business, R.J. The TeaLC chain. I’m worried that if I don’t expand soon, we may not survive.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “But I thought your business was flaring.”
“It’s also very costly. The distribution end brings in a good amount, but the retail chains aren’t terribly profitable. Plus, I have some very expensive overhead. I need a sales spurt, soon.” She took a deep breath. “And I think I just may have come up with a way to achieve some growth.”
“But?”
“But it won’t be easy.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Go on.”
Here it was, the tough part. She braced herself for the certain embarrassment and decided to just blurt it out. “We never signed the papers to finalize our divorce.”
A dark shadow flashed in his eyes. “Is that what all this is about? You want to take care of the divorce finally?”
“No! No, that’s not it at all.” This was even harder than she would have imagined. “Actually, it’s kind of the exact opposite.”
Silence. He searched her face for clarification.
“I need to act like I’m happily married. Just for one night. I need you to pretend we’re still a fully married couple who never separated.” Oh, man, she was making a complete and utter mess of this whole proposal. But there was no way to back out now.
She lifted her palms in appeal. “It wouldn’t be for long. I realize what I’m asking and—”
He cut her off with a quick raise of his hand. “Let me get this straight. You have to act like you’re still happily married to grow your business.”
Before she could answer, he turned around and walked toward the center of the large room.
She stepped toward him, afraid he was going to leave without hearing her out. She’d gone too far to back out now. As difficult as this was, she had to see it through.
“R.J., wait. Can I just explain?”
He didn’t answer. Angeline rubbed her arms to calm herself. He was so angry he couldn’t even speak!
And then he turned around, looked into her eyes and broke into laughter.
* * *
She really was too much.
R.J. didn’t know if he was laughing more from amusement or the unsettling experience of seeing her again. This had to be some kind of joke.
He didn’t feel much like laughing, though, when she lifted those deep brown eyes up to his. She looked like a wounded doe.
His breath caught in his throat. “Wait a minute. You’re serious.”
“I wouldn’t have asked you to come all the way out here if I wasn’t serious.”
“I think I’m missing something here.”
“This isn’t some attempt at a reconciliation. I know things are over between us.”
“You’re right about that.”
She flinched. “I just need you to do some convincing acting for a day or so.”
“You want me to pretend we’re still completely together? That I’m still your husband in every way.” He’d done everything he could for the past three years to try to forget what that was like. “What kind of game are you playing?”
“It’s not a game, it’s a business proposition,” she said in a firm, official voice.
A what? He had to try to calm down. No one else could ever get him so riled up. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated his gaze on her face.
He wouldn’t have believed she could have become more attractive. The girlish, soft qualities had been replaced with the maturity of a beautiful woman. Breeding and class were etched in every inch of her. It had thrown him off so many years ago, the passion that lay beneath her proper demeanor. Just thinking about it now was throwing him off again. Three years hadn’t made enough of a difference, apparently.
“Maybe we better start from the beginning.”
“It shouldn’t take more than a day or so of your time,” she began, becoming animated.
He lifted his hand to stop her. “Before we get too far with this scheme, suppose you fill me in on the details. What happened? Last I heard, you’d grown the business tremendously since you started it.” She’d done an impressive job, too. Angeline had moved quickly on the sudden popularity of tea and had become a leading distributor in no time. She was one of the youngest successful CEOs in the United States. Like him.
“It all stemmed from such a terrific idea.”
Her tongue darted to lick her lips, and he lost his concentration for a moment. Her dark features were drawn tight. Slight dark circles shadowed her eyes. Even so, her regal grace never left her. It was that quality that had knocked him senseless when they’d met freshman year at university. He’d fallen hard for the contradictory mix of private school breeding and wanton boldness. Not to mention the drop-dead body that had turned his gut to fire every time he’d laid eyes on her.
“What idea?” he asked, turning back to the conversation.
“I thought there would be some opportunity for growth given the big wave in the herbal tea market. Lots of people swear by the healing benefits of some of the herbs and plants found in tisanes. I thought we’d stress that to set us apart from the competition.”
“What has that got to do with being married?”
“Well, I started doing some research. It led me to a variety of plants. It’s mainly grown along the Black Sea, on a small island nation called Mondolavia.”
“I’ve heard of it.”
“I traveled there with Shanna to check it out, and true enough, the stuff is invigorating. They’ve been drinking it in that part of the world for years. Anyone who’s tried it insists it’s like a magical potion. And it tastes great. Like nothing we can compare to in this hemisphere. If TeaLC was the first chain to bring it here, it would put us in a whole other category. This could be the start of a whole new product assimilation. And we’d be the one to start it all.”
“So far, so good.”
She nodded with excitement, clearly taken with the idea. “We were all ready to arrange for the supplier to start shipping. Even drew up a contract for exclusive distribution rights for the next several years.”
“That’s fantastic. I still don’t see why you’d have to be married.”
She shut her eyes tightly and let out a deep breath. “That area is a completely different part of the world. The plants are all grown and processed by a very traditional Mondol family. Mila and Tavov Bay have been married for decades. They’re very particular about how their product is being sold and positioned. And they don’t believe it’s good to do business with a single woman. They’d much rather deal with a so-called stable, family operation.”
Now he understood. “And you figured you had a way to accommodate them.” He didn’t care that his voice was thick with sarcasm. All this time had gone by without a word from her. But suddenly she was reaching out. And for what? A business deal.
She cleared her throat. “We didn’t start that way. Shanna and I initially tried to protest. But it didn’t look like they were willing to hear any arguments. Then things just seemed to spiral.” She leaned back on the edge of the desk. “Next thing we knew, I was talking about my ‘silent partner’ husband.”
“I see.”
“Except for the silent partner part, it’s not technically a lie.”
“Is that how you see it?”
“We didn’t mean to be deceptive or anything. You have to believe that. I just mentioned that I had gotten married young and was about to explain that it hadn’t made me a better businesswoman. But they just latched on to the married part and asked why I hadn’t said so before. I just found myself not denying it.”
He was having trouble coming up with an adequate response. This was the last thing he’d been expecting when he finally heard from her again.
“It started as a language issue,” she continued, near to pleading. “Though they’re fluent, their English is a bit broken. Then we just had to go with it.” She stepped toward him and touched his arm, her eyes imploring him to understand. “It’s just that we’d gotten so far. And then it just seemed to steamroll. I found myself telling them all about your accomplishments, that you’ve built your own computer security services company.”
Her gaze dropped to where she’d touched him, and R.J. expected to see sparks from the contact. She removed her hand and stepped back.
“And it almost worked,” she added. “They said they would be glad to do business with us. But not before they came to the States to check out the operation. And to meet the husband they’d heard so much about.”
He’d heard enough. For such a smart, savvy businesswoman, Angeline had somehow put herself in an utterly ridiculous position. And had managed to take him along with her. “What in heaven’s name were you thinking?” Perhaps he was being a bit too forceful, but what she’d just told him was so profoundly absurd. “I’ve heard of adapting to the global marketplace, but what you did is borderline slapstick.”
“Listen, I’m not proud of it, but I did what I thought I had to do.” A hard glint appeared in her eyes.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “That sounds like condemnation.”
“More like characterization.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. I do know that I’ve done a darn good job with this company. Don’t you think I should fight for it if that’s what I have to do?”
He rubbed a palm over his face. She was a fighter. They both were. That part he understood. He’d fought hard for everything he’d wanted. Except once. But then he’d had no choice.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. This was getting them nowhere. “Angel, you don’t need to convince me on that score. Ever since I started hearing about your success I’ve known this was the perfect outlet for your abilities. I just don’t understand how you plan to pull this off.”
“Well, it’s quite simple. You just have to pose as my husband for the day or so that they’re up here.” She flashed him a smile that nearly crumpled his knees.
“You’re the only one who’s ever had any kind of practice in the role.”
And practice they had. Long, steamy nights had often turned into languid, satisfying mornings. He cursed himself as his body started to respond to the memories.
She went on. “A few weeks after they leave, I’m scheduled to go back to their orchards to sign the deal. Right before the harvest. By then they’ll have realized how mutually beneficial the partnership is. And in return for your assistance, I help you expand Davet Computer Security Services to Europe. I read somewhere you were trying to find overseas clients. I present you as our security firm and help convince all our European partners to consider hiring you. And you have your expansion.”
He was about to tell her his latest trip had done just that. That he’d left London just last week with a deal to become the leading provider for a major British jewelry chain. Something stopped the words from forming on his tongue. It would be the simplest way to end this nonsense idea of hers. So why didn’t he just tell her she couldn’t help him?
Because he couldn’t deny the fact that a lot of this was indirectly his fault. Angeline’s current state of financial shortage and her lack of resources were in large part due to him and their marriage.
But he just couldn’t do what she was proposing. His soul would not be able to take such a pretense. He would help her, but he’d find another way.
Angel continued to smile. Man, it was hard to deny her anything when she looked at him like that. But this was too much, he just couldn’t go through with something like this.
“Angel. I’m sorry. I just can’t. What you’re suggesting, it’s just too far-fetched. Too much of a charade. Too much could go wrong.”
She lifted her palms in appeal. “But—”
“Angel, no. I’m sorry.”
She looked down at the floor. All the light seemed to have gone out of her. “Then I’m sorry to have wasted your time. I see now what a mistake it was to try to involve you.”
R.J. cursed silently. Nothing like a good dose of guilt to start out the day. He found himself selfishly replacing it with anger. “How could you even consider it, Angel? The two of us acting like a real couple?”
She looked up, a wealth of emotion in her eyes. Anger? “R.J. This isn’t about you and me.”
“It isn’t?”
“It’s a business deal. Nothing more.”
He tried not to flinch at that. “A deal where we have to pretend we’re still devoted to each other and together in every sense.”
“Just for one lousy night. I’m not asking for eternity.”
He rubbed a hand down his face in an effort to calm down.
“Listen, I’m sorry. But it’s just too ridiculous. The idea of us acting married again.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor once again. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
“How about we set aside some time? You, me and Shanna. We’ll put our heads together and come up with a plan.” Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand in his. Her skin was soft, silky. Experience reminded him she felt that way all over. He quickly let go.
Angeline sighed. “I’m afraid there’s no more time for that. It took you a bit longer to get back to me than I thought.”
She wasn’t looking at him. He had to strain to hear her. “The supplier will be here in less than a day. If you won’t do it, I’ll have to come up with something else. And fast.”
Like another man to play the part maybe? That thought had his gut tightening. Of course there had to be other men in her life. She was probably just too embarrassed to approach someone she cared about with something like this. Maybe she would even rush the divorce now so that she could go to someone else with her plea.
He knew what her response to his next question was going to be before he even asked it. “Let me put some money in the company, then. Consider it an investment. Or even a loan if you’d prefer.”
As he’d guessed, she started to shake her head before all the words even left his mouth. “I can’t let you do that. I know you’re trying to grow as well and need those funds for your own firm.”
He was about to protest when she stopped him. “And anyway, that would only be a temporary fix. This deal would actually make TeaLC profitable for years to come. We’d become sole retailer in the United States for a revolutionary beverage.”
She was right. No amount of money he could extend would make up for the loss of that kind of opportunity. “Angel, I’ll come up with something.”
Her eyes softened, but she didn’t reply. Instead, she opened the door and leaned into the outside foyer. “Shanna, would you mind seeing R.J. out, please?”
Turning back to face him, she gave him a tight smile. “Thanks for coming, R.J. It was nice seeing you again. Sorry to have wasted your time.” She stepped aside to let him out of her office. And out of her life once more.