Foolish Notions Read online

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “We have a problem,” Raymond said as everyone rushed to take their seats. He had called the meeting forty minutes ago and was anxious to begin.

  James sat at the head of the table looking at his board members, who quickly arranged themselves. His gaze fell onto Raymond as the man spoke in a hurried tone. Of course there was a problem, he thought. It was very rare that a meeting was called on such short notice. “What kind of problem?”

  Raymond took a seat and turned the floor over to George. “George will get us all up to speed.”

  George stood, and there was anxiety on his face and in his voice. “The Opposition Commission wasn’t notified of the merger.”

  The cup in James’s hand stopped in midair. His insides turned as still as the air in the room. “What?” This wasn’t just a problem, this was a major crisis. His eyes darted to Raymond. Raymond merely raised his hands in the air, indicating that he was just as baffled as anyone else.

  “The Opposition—” George began to repeat.

  “I heard what the hell you said.” James leaned forward suddenly. “The Commission must be notified of the merger before the actual implementation of the proposed merger.” He slammed his hand on the table causing everyone to jump. “That is the first goddamn step of any merger this size.” The words seeped from his mouth and spread through the room like venom.

  No one spoke. They all knew the gravity of the situation.

  “Who the hell was responsible for the notice?” James’s voice held authority.

  Brian spoke up. “That would be me.” He wasted no time explaining himself. “I was under the assumption that the combined assets weren’t over four hundred million. If they’re not over four hundred million, then no notification is required.” He swallowed visibly. “I caught the error this morning.”

  “When you work for me there are no goddamn assumptions. Got that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t ever assume again.” He ran his hand over his face as he thought about how he was going to fix the situation. They would have to act fast. “Have you already obtained a merger form?”

  Brian nodded and he raised from his chair to hand James the thick document. “It’s been completed. It’s ready to send.”

  James shook his head as he snapped the papers out of the other man’s hand. “We don’t have time to go through the proper channels. This merger is supposed to be closed in a few weeks. It will take the Commission that long to process the goddamn paperwork.” This merger would create a powerful bridge between the two companies and there was no way James was going to lose it because of an oversight.

  Raymond spoke up. “What do you suggest?”

  James took a breath. All eyes were on him. Like anything tossed at him, this, too, could be dealt with. Business boils down not to what you know, but whom you know. Knowing the right people was critical for success. James prayed they knew the right people. “Who do we know that works over at the Commission?”

  All the board members dropped their heads as they thought. This was not a good position to be in. Rumors had been flying that this was one of the biggest mergers of the year. A lot was at stake, and if the deal fell through it could be disastrous.

  “Rodger Cates is on the board over there.” Raymond said abruptly.

  “Call him. If he’s not available, then we find someone else.” He looked at each individual member. “No one is leaving this room until we find someone who can sign this off.” He tossed the merger form onto the center of the large table.

  * * * * *

  James flung open the door to his office and then slammed it shut. His hands found his hips and he began to pace. They had gotten through to Rodger and with any luck they would be free and clear by morning. He had cashed in every favor he had, but it was worth it. Nothing could go wrong with this merger.

  He was fuming inside and desperately trying to hang onto the restraint he had shown in the boardroom.

  He needed her. Right now more than anything he needed her.

  He picked up the phone in his office that connected directly to his secretary. “Shelly, if Rodger Cates calls please ring him through to my cell phone.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”

  “Yes, Mr. Taylor.”

  “I’ll be at lunch for about an hour.”

  “Lunch?”

  She didn’t have to sound so shocked. “Yes, it’s the meal that comes mid-afternoon. The one after breakfast and before dinner.”

  “I know when it is.” There was a hint of attitude in Shelly’s voice. “I just didn’t think you did. I haven’t seen you take one in a very long time.”

  He signed his signature to several pages. “I haven’t had a reason to take one.”

  “Care to share it with me?”

  It was so unlike Shelly to ask personal questions. He put the pen down and gathered the loose pages into a neat pile. “Maybe later. I just finished those signature pages you requested.”

  “I’ll get them before I leave. Enjoy your lunch, Mr. Taylor.” She paused. “Enjoy who you’re having it with even more.”

  “I plan to.” James hung up his phone and immediately called home.

  When Samantha answered the phone and heard James’s voice on the other end she said, “I was just thinking about you.”

  The only time she hadn’t been in his mind was when business pushed her from it. “Meet me for lunch.”

  “What’s the matter?” Samantha held the phone tighter and tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “I need to see you.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “I will be when I see you.”

  “Come home and I’ll fix something.”

  “No, I don’t trust myself with you at home.”

  She pressed her lips together. “That’s why I want you to come home.” She was shameless. She couldn’t get enough of him and she wasn’t about to hide it.

  James groaned into the phone. “Angel, you don’t know what you’re doing to me. Meet me at Simian’s Bistro in twenty minutes.”

  * * * * *

  James studied her as she moved through the small room toward their table. It was sweet torment watching her. He had chosen a table in the back purely for this purpose. His body tightened as he took her in. Her hair trailed behind her as it caught the breeze her stride created. The deep red shirt stretched perfectly over her breasts and gathered around her slender waist. Her smile was gentle and polite as she passed other patrons. Her eyes found his. The only way to describe her was sinuous.

  Everything in him began to calm.

  He stood when she reached the table. “Hi.” He took her hands in his and pulled her close so he could kiss her.

  When they broke away Samantha cupped the side of his face in her hand, her finger touched the crease between his brows. “You look worried.”

  “Some things came up at work. Nothing that I can’t take care of, though.”

  “You’re sure?”

  He nodded.

  “You feel safe here?” she asked, as James pulled out her chair. She waited for him to move around the table and take his seat. Sliding her foot out of her shoe she found his leg.

  He felt the tip of her toe glide over his calf muscle. “Nowhere is safe when it comes to you.”

  Her laugh was profound and meant only for him. “This is nice.” She looked around the room.

  “It’s good and quick. The guys come down here all the time.” He took a sip of the water the waitress had brought when he arrived. “How’s Mom?”

  “She was resting when I left.”

  “Was her night out too much for her?”

  Samantha shook her head. “She’s hasn’t stopped talking about it. Apparently, she was successful at canasta last night. She informed me that not only had she and her partner won, they had, and I’m quoting this, ‘kicked butt.’ ”

  James just shook his head and laughed.

  She smiled her thanks as th
e waitress handed her a menu and placed a glass of water before her. “We have one last visit today at three.”

  “What’s that for?”

  “So, the doctor can release her.” She gave him a heartfelt smile. “She’s done.”

  Her sincerity touched him deeply. Yes, she was done. She had made it. All three of them made it. He couldn’t think of a better time to give her the gift, so he handed her a wrapped box that was sitting on the floor next to his feet. He had been out getting the present when he had received word that an emergency meeting had been called.

  “What’s this?” She tucked her hair behind her ears.

  “Something I owe you.”

  “Well, you’ve definitely sparked my interest.” She slid the lace bow off the package. Lifting the lid she folded back the tissue paper. She caught sight of the beautiful lavender lace bra and panties and her eyes shot to James’s.

  “I figured the least I could do was replace what floated out to sea.” James enjoyed the way her eyes turned heavy with hunger, with the heated need that swept through her, which she didn’t try to hide. It was satisfying to see her look at him that way. It was also deeply satisfying to know that he was the only one who could produce such a reaction. She was his. No one could take her away ever again. He wouldn’t allow it.

  She leaned forward. “Thank you.” The kissed she placed against his lips conveyed what was to come. She pulled back and stared at him. “Perhaps tonight I’ll see if it fits.”

  “It’ll fit.” He smiled as the waitress approached the table to take their order. “Trust me, it’ll fit.”

  * * * * *

  James held Samantha close to him and smiled with great contentment. He was getting used to waking up next to her, seeing her as his eyes first opened, and reaching for her soft body in the middle of the night. He would get used to it but never take it for granted. He knew what it was like to have it all taken away and he would never risk it again.

  He kissed the top of her head and opened his eyes. It was early; the sun hadn’t risen yet, but the sky held an amazing glow that seemed to fit his mood. He tightened his arm, pulling her closer. “Are you awake?”

  “A little,” she mumbled, her lips brushing his skin.

  “I heard you murmuring in your sleep.” His hand found her hair. “What were you dreaming about?”

  Samantha nuzzled against him. “I’ll never tell.”

  “Is that so?” He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’m sure I can think of way to pry it out of you.”

  “I’m sure you could.”

  He was quiet for a long time and then he spoke. “I want you to stay here with me. Now that Mom’s treatment is over, I want you here permanently. What do you think?”

  Samantha stiffened momentarily and then relaxed when she tilted her head and kissed him deeply.

  James pushed the hair from her face and ran his fingers across her lips. “I like that,” he whispered. “How about doing that every morning for the rest of my life?”

  She kissed him again, this time lingering longer.

  James broke the kiss and studied her curiously. “Why aren’t you answering me?”

  “Make love to me.”

  When she moved on top of him and dipped her head next to his ear, he stopped her. “Samantha.”

  “Shh, don’t talk.”

  “Answer me.” When her head fell into the pillow next to his, he didn’t move. “What is it?”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can’t what?” She tried to roll away but he caught her. Holding her firmly in place with his legs he said. “What is it that you can’t do, Samantha?”

  “I can’t talk about this,” she said as she wiggled. “I can’t stay.”

  “Why?”

  She slid off the top of him, when he released her. “Because nothing has changed.”

  “Everything has changed.” He flung back the covers to expose their naked bodies. “You’re lying here next to me in my bed. Don’t tell me nothing has changed.” He was angry. “You just asked me to make love to you.” He took her by the chin. “Dammit Samantha, look at me.”

  “None of this matters. This is purely physical.”

  His expression turned dark and he didn’t speak.

  “All of this is wonderful but it is also temporary.”

  “Temporary?” The word sprang from his mouth. “I can’t believe what you’re saying. Nothing has ever been temporary with you.” When she did something she gave one hundred percent. When she gave her heart she gave it completely. It was all or nothing. They were both that way. “This isn’t a fling.”

  She reached for the sheet but James wasn’t giving it up.

  “Dammit, don’t try and cover up.” He shook his head, as he looked at her so beautifully naked on his bed. “Don’t do this.”

  “Don’t make it more than it is.” Samantha turned her eyes away. “It’s time for me to go. Marie is in remission,” she explained. “Her doctor said she’d be strong enough to move back home in a week or so. There will be no reason for me to stay.”

  “There’ll be me.” When she got out of bed he followed her. He watched her hastily collect her clothes, which were spread around the room. “Will you stop and talk to me?”

  She rolled the clothes in her hand into a ball and held them close. “This isn’t going to work. It can’t work.”

  “It’s working right now. It’s worked over the last few weeks. We are rebuilding what we had.”

  All she could do was shake her head.

  “I’m not going to hurt you again. I swear on my life I won’t ever hurt you.” He took her by the arms. He needed the contact that she was trying so desperately to take from him. “Say you believe me.” At that moment it seemed like the most important thing in the world for her to say yes to.

  “It’s too late.”

  His stomach tumbled. “You’re wrong.”

  “No, I’m not wrong, James. You can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to be hurt the way you hurt me.”

  “The hell I can’t. You hurt me too.”

  She suddenly pulled her arms free from his grip. “I hurt you?”

  This time when she moved from him, he made no attempt to pursue her. “You walked out on me. You left without even telling me where you were going.”

  “You didn’t have a right to know,” she flung back.

  “Bullshit! I had every right to know that you were safe, that you had found a place to live.”

  “You lost that right when you decided to be unfaithful.”

  James stood very still. Controlling his emotions had never been very hard for him; however, he was struggling right now. He bit his words back so they came out slow and restrained. “I had a right to know. I had the right to explain.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters,” she condemned him unemotionally.

  Everything matters, he thought. She matters. What they had shared, were sharing, mattered. Watching her face, he saw the same unmistakable pain he had seen the first night on the beach. It was raw and sensitive.

  “I don’t trust you.” Samantha held his eyes. “What do we have if we don’t have trust?” Her voice was harsh when she spoke. “We have sex. That’s all.”

  Her assertion tore painfully through him. James didn’t move. He couldn’t.

  The phone broke the defining silence that had lapsed between them. James moved to the nightstand, not taking his eyes off Samantha once. “Yes.” He listened to Raymond speak for several moments. Jesus H. Christ, could things get any worse? He could do nothing as he watched the woman he loved getting dressed at neck-breaking speed, so she could get as far away from him as possible, while he listened to the details of one of his biggest deals slowly come unraveled. “Why the hell wasn’t I notified? This shit doesn’t fall apart over night.”

  He paced in short fast steps.

  James spoke quickly when Raymond had finished. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes. I want the entire team on that godd
amn jet with me. And make sure Gregory is there, too. Call Shelly and have her cancel all my appointments. Also contact Al.” He ran a hand through his hair as he searched his mind for anything he might be forgetting. “I don’t want anyone in Europe to know we’re coming. If there’s a leak, you’re fired. Hell, if there’s a leak, we’ll all be fired,” he added abruptly. He turned the phone off and tossed it across the room.

  Completely dressed, Samantha flinched when the phone shattered as it made contact with the wall. The air sizzled with emotion and Samantha felt the weight of it pressing down on them. She moved farther away from him.

  “I need to go to Europe.” His voice was uneven as he spoke, found his clothes, and then quickly dressed.

  Samantha nodded slowly. “I’ll stay with your mom.”

  Why did she have to look at him that way? All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her close, yet from the looks of her, if he were to do that she would fight with everything she had to prevent it. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be. It could take about three days or possibly a week.”

  Samantha watched him walk into the closet, come back out, and then start grabbing items around the room and stuffing them into a small brown leather bag. “Take as long as you need.”

  “I’ll leave numbers,” he said as he zipped the carry-on shut. “I’ll have Shelly call with all the details in a few hours.” He felt like a little piece of him was being cut away. The awful void was ripping back open and there was nothing he could do about it.

  “We’ll be fine.”

  Their gazes locked momentarily. Neither one spoke, only stared. Samantha could hear her own heart pounding in her ears. James felt like he was slowly losing everything he had ever wanted—all over again.

  * * * * *

  “What do you want from him?” Marisa asked as she pushed the coffee aside and took Samantha by the hands. It had been twenty minutes since she had arrived and Samantha had filled her in on what had happened.

  Samantha sat at the table and stared blankly through the glass door at the ocean.

  “Sam, look at me and answer the question.”

  After a long moment Samantha looked at her friend. “Nothing.” Lifting her shoulders she added, “I don’t want anything from him.”