Читать книгу The Perfect Man - Carla Fredd - Страница 7

Renee sat with her back straight and her hands resting in her lap. After years of Saturday morning etiquette and decorum classes, she was well aware of the calm and relaxed image she projected. She’d learned two important lessons from all those years of misery in classes where she just didn’t fit in with the other girls: straight and erect posture and what she called her “game” face. Social etiquette didn’t make sense to her. There were too many rules and too many exceptions to the rules. But learning to hide her emotions behind the game face had gotten her through the countless social events her parents forced her to attend. It had helped her hide her pain and saved her pride when her parents left her at school during the holidays. This time it wasn’t just her pride at stake. Chris Foster had to accept her offer. He was her last hope.

She kept her expression calm and serene. But her stomach felt as if she’d swallowed a box of rocks. She needed his help and she hated feeling so dependent on him. If she could have found a private detective willing to find the necklace without telling her aunt Gert, she would have done everything she could to avoid coming in direct contact with Chris Foster again. The man made her nervous. He was too suave, too sexy, too charming.

To be perfectly honest, it wasn’t his charm that made her nervous. It was the fact that Chris Foster was drop-dead gorgeous. Impossibly long, black eyelashes framed his golden-brown eyes. The combination was all the more disturbing now that she had his complete attention. It was as if he was searching for answers in her expression and he had all the time in the world to find them. She wanted to look away and break the connection his look had forged between them. But she couldn’t afford to back away—not if she wanted to find the necklace.

“All right,” he said, breaking the silence in the conference room. “We’ll work together, but under my terms.”

She silently sighed in relief then tilted her head to the side. The relief she felt warred with suspicion. “What terms?” She needed him, but she’d learned from her mistake with Marc to not totally trust the Foster men.

He rested his arms on the table and leaned forward.

Everything in her wanted to draw closer to him. Renee blinked. Startled by her reaction, she drew back and willed her heart rate to return somewhere close to normal. Years ago, she’d helped her friend, Karen Smithstone, gather research for her thesis on sexual chemistry. Until now, Renee had never experienced the strong sexual attraction described in Karen’s paper. This was just great. Why did he have to produce pheromones that made her body ache? She didn’t care how attracted she was to him. The only thing that mattered was getting the necklace back.

“First,” he said, his voice firm, “we’ll work together, but what I say goes. If I feel the situation is too dangerous for you, you’re out and you’re staying out.”

“If you think the situation is dangerous then I’ll let you handle it, but you can forget the other. This is a partnership, not a dictatorship.”

“Dictatorship,” he said and raised his brows. “Call it whatever you want. You don’t know anything about finding stolen jewelry. Your inexperience could get us both in a tight situation or worse.”

He had a point. “Fine. Teach me what I need to know, but don’t expect me to blindly follow you. This necklace is too important for me to leave it entirely in someone else’s hands.”

“Even if the hands are more capable than yours?”

“If you’re as good as I’ve heard, then there won’t be any reason for you to worry about me. Oh, and another thing, I don’t want Aunt Gert to know the necklace is missing. She’s an old lady and I don’t want Marc’s actions to cause her pain.”

He studied her and silence grew between them. Her stomach tightened with fear. She knew she was pushing her luck with him, but had she gone too far?

“If she gave Marc permission to take the necklace then I’ll need to talk to her.”

“Talk to her all you want, but just don’t let her know the necklace is gone.”

“I won’t say anything to her. For now.”

She felt a tinge of uneasiness. He’d qualified his statement, but she had a feeling that he would balk if she pushed him again. She’d take it because she really didn’t have a choice.

“Then we have a deal.” Renee held out her hand.

He grasped it. Heat seemed to smolder where their hands met. His grip was strong without being too overpowering. Unlike Marc’s hands, which were fairly smooth, his hands were firm and callused. Unwilling desire sparked inside of her. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in years. She raised her gaze to his and the heat spread quickly throughout her body. This was crazy, she thought and pulled her hand away. She didn’t know what it was about Chris that made her feel this way, but she couldn’t afford to think of him as anything but the man who was helping her find Aunt Gert’s necklace. As handsome as he was, he was the very last man she should trust.

“Deal,” he said.

It took everything within her not to sag in the chair like a Raggedy Ann doll. She’d been so afraid that he’d refuse to help her and then she’d be forced to admit to Aunt Gert that she’d brought a thief into her life.

“Great. I’ll get Terrell to draw up the contract so that we can get started.” For the first time in weeks, she felt as if she was finally going to get this situation straightened out.

“You don’t have to do that. I give you my word that I’ll look for the necklace.”

“No offense, but your brother has made me question everything people have told me. I’m taking no one’s word for anything. I insist on a contract between us.”

His expression went from relaxed to angry. She’d always considered brown eyes as warm, but icy fury filled his golden-brown eyes. “I’m not Marc, Mrs. Foster.” His voice was sharp and cold. “Send me the contract.” He rose to his feet.

There was no mistaking his anger. “Too bad you’re angry. You’ll have to get over it. This is very important to me and it’s urgent that the necklace is found quickly. I’m not taking any more chances and certainly not with you.”

He looked at her coldly and picked up the photo of the necklace. “I’ll get this back to you.”

“Keep it.” She bit the words off.

He slid the photo into an envelope and walked to the door. He turned toward her. “I’ll be in touch.” He opened the door and started to walk out.

“Not so fast.” She stood and walked around the table. He turned toward her and held open the door.

“I expect you to call me tomorrow.” She raised her chin at his frown and plowed on. “I also expect you to call me whenever you find something new. You’re going to have to work in Birmingham some of the time. I have an excellent computer network in my home. I want you to work there.”

He looked at her as if she’d turned into the Wicked Witch of the West. “I’ll call you. Soon.” His tone was cold, but his gaze even colder. He gave her a curt nod and walked out.

When the door closed, she finally let down her guard and her shoulders slumped under the weight and worry that had gripped her since learning the necklace was gone. She walked slowly to her chair and sat down. She’d gotten what she’d wanted in this meeting. She’d won the battle, but she wasn’t sure she’d win the war if Chris Foster was involved. She leaned back in the chair. Now that he was gone, she realized how tense she’d been. If he made her feel this way in an office, how was she going to feel when he came to her home? Renee tightened her lips. She’d deal with it. Like she’d dealt with every unpleasant thing she’d had to deal with since Marc’s death.

The door opened again and Terrell walked inside. “So do I need to draw up a contract?”

“Yes,” she said and sat up straight.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

She looked at her friend and lawyer. “This is what I have to do. I don’t really have a choice if I want to find the necklace before Aunt Gert finds out it’s gone.”

“You should tell her about Marc. She’ll understand. This isn’t your fault.”

But it was. If she hadn’t married Marc, none of this would have happened. There was no way she was going to tell her what happened. Her great-aunt was the only family who cared for her and she wasn’t about to lose her. She couldn’t bear it if Aunt Gert treated her like her parents treated her. Renee wouldn’t take that chance.

“I brought Marc into her life. I’ve got to make this right.”

“You aren’t responsible for Marc’s actions. He’s responsible.”

She shook her head. “Let’s agree to disagree.”

Terrell raised one side of his mouth. “In other words, shut up and leave you alone.”

Renee shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Terrell understood her. She considered him and his sister, Karen, to be her only friends. But even with them, she never really completely let down her guard to be herself. People never wanted to see the real Renee. They only wanted to see the preconceived image, and that image couldn’t be hurt.

“Hey,” Terrell said. “Dad’s cooking out in two weeks and Mom said to tell you to come over around six and bring Miss Gert.”

“Okay, but I’ll have to check with Aunt Gert. She’s usually busy on the weekends.”

He shook his head. “I thought people slowed down when they got older.”

“Try explaining that to Aunt Gert.”

Renee called Alex when she arrived home. She’d been so busy contacting the jewelry stores in Birmingham trying to locate the necklace that she hadn’t thought to ask Alex or Danielle if they had it.

Alex was the youngest of the three women Marc had married. Because of her wealth and past party-girl lifestyle, she hadn’t taken Alex seriously when they’d first met. That had changed. She’d learned over the last few weeks that Alex had a generous heart and a fine business mind.

Alex and Chris’s friend, Hunter Smith, had worked together to recover the millions Marc had embezzled from Alex’s family business.

“Renee, I’m so glad you called. I was going to call you and Danielle tonight,” Alex said.

“Well, you can tell us now. Hang on. I’m going to add Danielle.” Danielle owned half of a large shipping company that her brother and his best friend, Tristan Adams, started before her brother’s death in Iraq. She’d been married to Marc the longest and was a former model.

“Hello, everyone,” Danielle said.

“I’m so excited. I’ve got good news,” Alex said.

“Well, tell us,” Renee said, needing some good news today.

“Hunter and I are getting married.”

“That’s wonderful,” Danielle said.

“Congratulations. I’m so glad everything worked out,” Renee said.

She and Danielle could see that Hunter had deep feelings for Alex when they were all on the yacht. They’d encouraged Alex to take a chance and to not let what happened with Marc stop her from finding love with Hunter.

“Oh, thank you. Little Sweetie and I are so happy and I want both of you to come to my wedding,” Alex said.

Renee smiled. Little Sweetie was Alex’s pampered Chihuahua whom she’d brought with her to Marc’s funeral.

“When are you getting married?” Danielle asked.

“We’re having a small ceremony on the yacht in two weeks,” Alex said.

“Two weeks?” Renee asked, surprised.

“I know it’s short notice but there’s no reason to wait,” Alex said.

“I’ll be there,” Danielle said.

“So will I, Alex,” Renee added.

“Oh, good. Having the two of you there will mean a lot to me,” Alex said. “Oh, but, Renee, you called me. What did you want to talk to us about?”

“I wanted to know if Marc gave you diamond jewelry other than your wedding ring,” Renee asked and waited anxiously for their response.

“No,” Danielle said.

“Me, either. Why?” Alex asked.

“I’m trying to find a piece of jewelry and I wondered if Marc had given it to you, but I guess he didn’t,” Renee replied. It had been worth a try.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said. Renee could hear the sadness in her voice.

“Don’t worry about it, Alex. You’ve got a wedding to plan. What do you wear to a wedding on a yacht?” Renee asked. She didn’t want bad news to spoil Alex’s announcement. She would tell them about Aunt Gert’s necklace after the wedding.

They yielded to Danielle, who’d been a fashion model and agreed to wear a nice dress before they ended the call.

Later that evening she’d placed two chocolate cakes on wire racks to cool when her cell phone rang. She wiped her hands on the vintage apron and removed the phone from the pocket of her skirt. She looked at the number on the screen and steadied herself.

“Hi, Aunt Gert. How was your day?” Aunt Gert and five of her friends had hired a van and a driver to take them to the casinos in Mississippi. She’d told her great-aunt that Marc had a younger brother and she was meeting with him about Marc’s estate. It was mostly the truth and would explain the time she’d have to spend with Chris Foster.

“Never mind about that. Tell me, how did your meeting with Marc’s brother go today?” Aunt Gert asked, her voice brimming with curiosity.

So much for stalling, she thought. She’d been expecting the question all evening. Aunt Gert had to be the nosiest person in the world. The older she got the more personal and blunt her questions became. She’d tried to get her to tone down her questions, but Aunt Gert had said to her, “I’m too darn old to be beating around the bush. If I want to know something I’m just going to ask.”

“It went fine. Both of us want to settle Marc’s estate as quickly as possible.” Okay, Chris wanted to settle the estate quickly and she wanted the necklace.

“So are you okay financially? Marc didn’t leave you in debt like Mrs. Hutton’s husband left her?”

“Oh, no, ma’am. There are just a couple of loose ends to finalize.”

“What kind of loose ends, and did you find out why Marc never told you he had a brother?”

Leave it to her aunt to get straight to the point. She wished she could tell her the truth and remove the weight of Marc’s betrayal from her shoulders. But she couldn’t. She was too afraid she’d lose the one person who hadn’t let her down, who hadn’t left her. “I don’t think they were close. He’s Marc’s younger brother.”

“They must have been close at some point for Marc to make him the executor.”

“I guess so.” Renee sighed. “At this point, I just want this whole thing over with.”

“I know you do, sweet girl.” Her tone softened. “You know if you need me, I’ll come back.”

“No. Don’t cut your trip short. I have got everything under control.”

“You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

“I’m not. Terrell is doing a great job of representing my best interests.”

“I’m sure he is. I’ll be back home next week. If there’s anything you want me to do just let me know.”

“I will, Aunt Gert.”

“Hmm. No you won’t. I’ll have to invite myself to do something, then you won’t have a choice but to let me help.”

Renee laughed. “I promise to let you help me.”

“See that you do. Love you much, Renee. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Good night.” Renee hit the off button and put the phone back in her pocket. She’d gotten off easy tonight. Usually Aunt Gert was focused when it came to asking questions and she had a lot of questions about Marc. Questions Renee couldn’t answer without risking Aunt Gert’s love. She didn’t know what it was about her that made her parents not love her. She’d spent years trying to be the kind of daughter they would love and in the end nothing she did made a difference. Aunt Gert loved the image she presented to the world and Renee had worked hard to never reveal her true self because no one loved the real Renee.

Gertrude Mitchell placed the cell phone on the nightstand and frowned.

“How’s Renee?”

Gert looked at the man she’d loved for most of her life. He lay back against the mound of extra pillows he always requested when they were together. He looked nothing like the bold young man she’d fallen in love with in New York. The doctors in Switzerland had done an excellent job of transforming gangster Ike “Big Ike” Henderson into now-retired businessman Dean Benson. They’d given him a new face, but the eyes were the same. Gert laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying the scent that was truly his own.

“Something’s bothering her and she’s trying hard to pretend everything is okay.”

“Is something going on with Marc’s estate?” He ran his hand along her shoulder.

“I don’t know if it’s Marc’s estate or Marc.” She placed her hand on his chest, indulging in the cool feel of the black silk robe. “Whatever it is, I’m going to make sure she doesn’t face this alone. You can best believe her selfish, no-good parents aren’t going to help her.”

He kissed her brow. “She’s lucky that she has you.”

“Yes, she is, and I’m lucky to have her. She deserves to be happy.”

“Wasn’t she happy with Marc?”

“I don’t think so. I know this business with the estate isn’t making her happy.”

“We’ll find a way to help her get through this.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed being held in his arms. They didn’t have much time left to spend together. He had an early-morning flight to his home in Switzerland tomorrow. “You will come to the dance in a few weeks, won’t you?”

He tightened his arms around her. “I’ll be at the dance. I want to see you wearing the necklace again.”

“I’ll wear it just for you.” Gert smiled and kissed his chin. She’d ask Renee to get the necklace from her safe deposit box before the dance. Her thoughts returned to her conversation with Renee.

Gert smiled and kissed his chin. One way or another she would find out what was bothering Renee.