chapter THIRTEEN
It was almost noon and Laney was preparing to leave for lunch. She logged off her computer and locked her file cabinets. She normally waited until one p.m. before taking her lunch break, but she was famished today.
She opened her cosmetic compact to check her image--the puffiness beneath her eyes was still there—and refreshed her foundation, not wanting to look as bad as she felt. She was a mess. She hadn"t been able to stop crying. Danny had been kind enough to hold her last night until she had fallen asleep. As painful as it was to admit, she needed to be held by a man.
She longed to feel protected and cared for and it did not matter that the arms that held her didn"t belong to Nick. When she closed her eyes she dreamt that they did. Last night"s dinner with the Zelmans had been brutal.
Sitting next to Nick pretending that everything was wonderful between them was absolute torture. And the worst of it was she felt completely alone. Nick had gotten what he wanted from her. Rob had gotten what he wanted from her. And Laney Parks was once again alone in her misery.
How did she manage to get into these situations?
Needing to get away from the office, Laney quickly pushed away from her desk and took the elevator to the lobby. The fog of depression began to clear as she made her way to the front doors. As she was passing the receptionist"s desk, a familiar face caught her attention.
“Cooper?”
Cooper Wright turned around. His lips curved into that same lazy smile that had charmed her the first time she"d met him. Though he had a slight cut along his lower lip, his smile was as appealing as ever.
“Laney.” He kissed her cheek. “You look wonderful. You still have that Caribbean glow.”
She gave a weak smile. “Thank you, Cooper. Are you here to see Nick?”
“Actually,” he laughed, “I"m here to see you.”
She frowned. “I don"t understand.”
He grinned. “Then let me clarify my intentions. I would like to take you out.”
She laughed. “You"re joking, right?” He did not smile. “What about Heidi? Wouldn"t she have a problem with you being here?”
“Laney, you should be an authority on my relationship with Heidi.
There was never anything romantic between us. It was just ….”
“Business?” She shook her head, finding the similarities between him and Nick disturbing.
He immediately realized he had upset her. “I didn"t mean it like that, Laney. I"m sorry if I ….”
“Cooper, I"m flattered by the invitation but I"m off the clock now. I"m not going to be used by you to get back at Nick. I am no longer involved in this feud between you two.”
“I"m not here for business reasons, Laney.” He lifted her chin up to force her to look at him. He had sincere silver eyes. “I asked you a question when we were on the cruise and you promised you would think about it. I came here to get my answer.”
She remained leery of him. “I"m still thinking about it.”
“Great.” He smiled brightly. “We can weigh the pros and cons over lunch.
I"ll offer the cons, I"ve got a list a mile long.”
She laughed. It felt good to be humored.
“That"s a good sign.” He took her hand and guided her to the lobby doors.
“F*ck Nick and the Zelmans. Have lunch with me, Laney.”
She considered her options. Having lunch with the handsome Cooper Wright was a lot more interesting than crying in her car.
She smiled up at him. “Where are we going?”
* * * *
“I can"t tell you how happy I was when you returned my call.” Kim leaned forward. “I owe you an apology for what happened in Florida.
You"ve always been honest with me about what you could handle. I should have never pushed you.”
Nick patted her hand. “Let"s not talk about it, Kim. It"s in the past.”
He had no idea why he had agreed to this. Kim had left a dozen messages for him to call her and although she was the furthest thing from his mind, he had agreed to meet her for dinner. He needed to get out of the house. Honoring his agreement with Laney, he had been working from home for the last three days. In the past, he had preferred to work out of his home office but something had changed. He didn"t feel the same sense of freedom he once felt and was instead a prisoner to his home. He worked and ate in the same room and it was beginning to drive him crazy. Hating the tediousness his life had suddenly acquired, he had agreed to see Kim.
It was a mistake.
She was just as he remembered her, pretty and neat. She was what Cooper referred to as „his type", so why did everything about her annoy him tonight? She had clearly gone to great pains to look pleasing to him this evening, wearing a pale green cocktail dress that flattered her wheat-gold hair. Her slender long legs looked great in spiked high heels. Even her posture was correct. Everything about Kimberly was pretty and neat. So why wasn"t it enough?
“You forgive me?” Her red lips split into a provocative grin.
“It"s water under the bridge, Kim.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” She leaned closer, offering him a better look at her perky breasts. Her hand traveled up his thigh to fondle his groin. “But I plan to make it up to you.”
He smiled down at her. “Exactly what did you have in mind?”
“I"d rather show you.” She kissed his cheek. “Can we skip dessert?”
His heart wasn"t in it, but his body was. Besides, he had to find a way out from under the spell Laney had cast over him. “I"ll arrange for the check.”
She giggled. “I need to go to the ladies room. I"ll meet you in the foyer.”
He watched her cross the room. A few men gave her an approving nod. He imagined that any of them would be happy to take a woman like Kim home. She was eye-catching--and it was high time he indulged himself with options. Laney wasn"t the only woman in the world. After paying for their meal, Nick headed for the foyer. Just as he turned the corner, he ran into the last person he wanted to see.
“Coop?”
“Sinclair. Nice to see you.”
Both men grudgingly shook hands.
Cooper Wright smirked. “We have to stop doing this.”
“I agree.”
“Calling it an early night?”
Nick shrugged. “What are you doing here?”
“I"m on a date.” Cooper looked past Nick"s shoulder and smiled.
“Ah, here she is.” He held out his hand and pulled her into his side. “I believe you two are already acquainted.”
Laney"s shock was obvious. Her smile vanished. She stared at Nick.
Their eyes met for a nerve-racking moment before she dropped her gaze to the floor. Nick was stunned. Seeing Laney rendered him speechless. She looked amazing and happy, that is, before she saw him. He went rigid with anger. Seeing Cooper"s arm wrapped possessively around her waist was too appalling for words. How could she allow him to touch her like that? Was she dating him?
Repulsed by the possibilities, he looked away. He couldn"t bear to look at her. He turned to Cooper, his lazy smile infuriating him and had to force himself to remain calm. “You"re right, Coop. We have to stop doing this.”
Nick"s tone snubbed Cooper. He tensed. “I"d hate for this to end like it did the last time we saw each other, Sinclair.”
Nick whistled. “It wasn"t all bad, was it?”
Cooper smirked. “Your eye looks better.”
Nick stepped forward. “Your lip doesn"t.”
Laney"s head popped up. “You two were in a fight?”
Cooper immediately focused on comforting her. “A little scuffle really.”
Nick noticed Cooper patting Laney"s hip. He balled his fist and was ready to lunge at him.
“Nick!”
Wheat-colored hair and long arms were suddenly wrapped around his neck.
“Sorry that took so long. There was a line in the ladies room.” Kim didn"t seem to notice she had nudged Laney out of her way in her effort to get to him.
“Are we going to your place or mine?”
Nick gave an uncomfortable cough. He saw Laney"s gaze slither up Kim"s slender form, her stare lingering on the arm looped around his neck, a look of undisguised revulsion covering her features. She looked to be a heartbeat way from bolting from the building.
She squeezed Cooper"s hand. “Is our table ready?”
Cooper patted her hip. “Let"s see.” He nodded to Nick. “See you around, Sinclair.”
Nick focused on Laney. Kim"s untimely arrival was damaging and he knew it. He could feel Laney"s resentment, could see the revulsion on her face. He had to explain.
“Laney ….”
She silenced him by handing him a tissue. “You have lipstick on your cheek.”
Nick stared after her as Cooper led her away. It was hard to watch Cooper hold her hand. He wondered just how acquainted they were. How many other allowances had Laney given him?
Kim watched the couple move through the crowd. “Was that Cooper Wright?” She shrugged and smiled at Nick. “They make a cute couple. Are you ready to leave?”
* * * *
Laney sat patiently through dinner. Cooper was both charming and comical but she struggled to concentrate, her mind kept drifting to Nick and his date. She imagined that while she was here having dinner with Cooper, Nick was having sex with that woman. It felt like that first night on the boat, but this was worse. She and Nick had a past now. They had created a bond. This was much worse than simple betrayal. His treachery devastated her. Cooper was sweet and attentive to her every need. He made her smile and conversation flowed easily. She liked him and envisioned that if things had worked out differently they might have been lovers. But there was Nick and as much as she hated to admit it, there would always be Nick. Cooper was a constant reminder she had failed to make Nick care for her. The drive to her apartment was a quiet one. Cooper helped her out of the car and walked her to her door.
“Thank you for tonight, Cooper. I had a great time.”
“No, you didn"t.” He looked at her closely. “I"m not just a pretty face, Laney. I know what"s going on.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “I wish I could give you what you want.” She shook her head. “It just isn"t that simple.”
“Because of Nick.”
“Yes.” She looked down at her hands. “Because of Nick.” She laughed inwardly at her own stupidity in thinking Nick could ever be serious about her. To think he could care about her as much as she cared about him. How naïve could she be?
“Do you love him?”
She couldn"t look at him.
“Does he know?”
“No.” She looked up into his pale eyes. “And he can"t ever know. He doesn"t like attachments.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I"m not quite sure what"s wrong with me. There are times when I hate him, but when I look at him I feel … different.”
“Nick"s an a*shole, Laney.”
She laughed. “Yes, he is.” She whipped away her tears. “But he"s my a*shole. And whether I like it or not I belong to him.”
“You deserve better, Laney.” He pulled her into his arms. “You deserve me.”
He pressed his lips against hers, opened his mouth and his tongue swept forward, drawing her tongue to mate with his. He pulled her closer, deepening his kiss, savoring the taste of her. What began as a moan, turned into a cry. Laney pushed away from him. Tears streamed down her face.
She buried her face in her hands, too embarrassed to look at him. “I can"t.
I"m sorry. I just can"t.”
He looked frustrated but he pulled her back into his arms, this time holding her gently to him. “It"s okay.” He rubbed her back. “No pressure.”
“You should leave.”
He looked down at her and stared into her eyes for a long time before he nodded. “You"ll call me if you need me?”
She managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Cooper.”
She watched Cooper drive away. A few minutes later Danny appeared. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears. “Goodness, Laney, I take my eyes off you for one minute and you go and get your heart broken.”
She hugged him. “Were you watching me from your window?”
“Of course. Who was he?”
“Cooper Wright.”
“Single?”
“Yes.”
“Straight?”
“Yes.”
“Damn.”
“I saw Nick.”
“And?”
“He was with another woman.”
He gave a dramatic sigh. “Let"s go inside. You can tell me all about it over a gallon of ice cream.”
She smiled. “That sounds good.”
“Goodness, girl, didn"t you just finish eating? We need to talk about your new eating habits.”
* * * *
A week had passed and Nick was still furious with Laney for going out with Cooper. She knew how he felt about Cooper touching her. More importantly, Cooper knew how he felt about him touching Laney. The more he obsessed over it, the angrier he became. Nick swore the next time he saw the guy he was going to bury his fist in his face. He cursed them both to hell. F*ck Laney for her hypocrisy. And f*ck Cooper for … being Cooper.
Nick was in the middle of a grueling workout in his private gym when he was informed he had a guest waiting in his living room. Who would be calling on him at this time? It was nearly ten o"clock at night. He walked into the front living area and froze.
“Zelman?” He could not hide his surprise. “It"s a pleasure to see you.
Please make yourself comfortable.” Nick led him into his study.
“May I offer you a drink?”
“Bourbon, please.” He smirked when Nick handed him his glass.
“You look like you could use one, as well.”
“I apologize for my shock. I wasn"t expecting to see you so soon.”
“Understood.” He looked around the richly decorated room.
“Where"s Laney?”
“She"s upstairs--asleep.” He added that bit of information to prevent Zelman from requesting to see her. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
“Business.” William Zelman settled himself on a large leather sofa.
“May I?”
“Of course.”
William patted his knee with his left hand. “I never leave home without it.”
“I"m sorry?”
“My ring.” Zelman waved his hand in the air, letting the light flicker off his gold band. “Where"s yours?”
Nick looked down at his naked hand with dread.
Zelman huffed. “You must have a very understanding wife. Vivian would Never let me take mine off.” He shrugged. “But I love her so I wouldn"t ever want to.” He cleared his throat. “I"ve done a lot of thinking lately, Sinclair. Do you remember that football game on the boat? I specifically remember the competitive nature you and Cooper Wright had toward each other. I know I said I was considering splitting the accounts between you two and letting your work choose the victor, but the more I thought about that game the more apparent it became to me that the two of you could never play as a team. You were both born to take charge and it would be unfair to ask you to share the success my account could bring to your companies. Therefore I had to make a decision.” He sipped his drink.
“I want Sinclair Corp to represent Zelman Productions.”
Nick nodded, too relieved by the news to speak.
“I want you to know my final decision had nothing to do with your abilities as a businessman, rather, I liked your relationship with Laney.
You two really care about each other and I admire that. It doesn"t even matter that you"re not really married.”
The room started to cave in on Nick. He had to force himself to breathe.
“Sir, I assure you ….”
“Save the speech, Sinclair. I know you"re not married to Laney Parks.
Neither is Cooper married to Heidi Peterson.”
“How long have you known?”
“The night of Ritchie Benson"s party, I had you and Cooper researched. You"d be surprised what you can learn about a person from the Internet.” His eyes gleamed. “You don"t get where I am without knowing who you"re dealing with, Sinclair. In fact, I was seriously giving your firm consideration for a bid before speaking to you party. I planned to give it further thought once I returned from my anniversary trip. “But you and Wright provided an interesting opportunity, not to mention an entertaining one. You provided me a chance to observe you. Watching you compete for my attention was the more enjoyable part. I figured if you were both willing to stoop as low as to pretend to be married, I could at least amuse myself.
Though I was annoyed at first from the deception as well as the intrusion on the time with my wife, I had to admire your determination.”
“I"m sorry, sir, but if you know all this why are you offering me the account?”
“Because you were most genuine. During the trip, I watched you and Laney experience many ups and downs. Truth be told, there were times I thought she was going to kill you, but you held it together and I think you gained a true understanding, if not an appreciation, for marriage.”
William Zelman smiled. “Cooper Wright is a good man and I would venture to say a worthy adversary for you. I can"t promise I won"t use his services in the future, but he has a lot to learn about marriage. Matrimony is more than having a pretty lady on your arm. It"s about fighting through your differences and loving each other despite them. Cooper and Heidi didn"t argue once during the trip. Perhaps they were too preoccupied with you and Laney.”
He laughed. “Yes, I noticed the way Heidi eyed you and I also noticed how Cooper watched Laney and how upset you were because of it. I think ego was the reason at first, but eventually you really became protective of her and she for you.” He sipped his bourbon. “At any rate, I really enjoyed you two and Vivian adores you, as well.
Which reminds me, she doesn"t know the truth about you and Laney.
It would have ruined the trip for her.” He smiled. “I"ll tell her soon enough.
Meanwhile, I think you are a good choice for my company. I know you"ll do an excellent job. I don"t have to lecture you about the harm of your deception. I believe you"ve already learned your lesson. At any rate, I don"t think you"ll be pretending to be a married man again.”
“No, sir.”
“As I thought.” He stood to stretch. “I have to be on my way. Vi hates when I come home late.” He made his way to the door. “A word of advice, Sinclair.”
“Yes?”
“We both know Laney"s not upstairs asleep. My guess is she"s across town sleeping in her own bed. Don"t be a complete idiot. If you care for her, go after her,” he looked Nick over, “before someone else does.”
“I"ll consider it, sir.”
“Good night, Sinclair.”
“Good night, sir.”