Nor would his Dominant leanings overwhelm her as they might some women. Underneath all her girliness was a formidable woman who was willing to surrender—but only as long as she deemed him worthy. And he wanted to spend his life showing her he was worth her trust and love.
Which meant no more secrets. There was one more hurdle to clear before he came clean with the woman he loved. He’d do it before he brought her home. God willing, she’d understand.
* * * *
They dined at a popular seafood restaurant in Midtown. Pam wore the black cocktail dress Jared had bought her—wanting to keep the violet frock for their special weekend. She preened under his admiring looks, feeling happy, loved, and beautiful all at once. It was an unfamiliar but heady feeling.
As usual, they had plenty to talk about during the meal. Jared spoke of hiring new employees—she had no idea his company was growing so fast—and the increasing role they played in everyday operations. This recent development, he promised, would lessen his own workload. He also mentioned his father, who had made overtures of reconciliation in recent weeks.
“It’s a start,” Jared said. “Anything beats estrangement.”
“That bad, huh?” Pam asked.
Jared nodded. “Yes. When I visited this past Christmas, I stayed at a hotel. That really pissed off Mother. She accused me of being unreasonable and called me an obstinate jackass.”
Pam peered at him over her water glass, and Jared laughed at her arch look.
“Okay, true enough. I’m just like the old man that way. As far as I was concerned, breaking bread under his roof was enough of a sacrifice.” He paused for a moment. “If you recall, I was very preoccupied when I arrived back in New York.”
“Yes. Preoccupied and
early
,” she reminded him.
Jared nodded again, this time with regret. “We argued again, right in the middle of Christmas dinner. He made some cutting remark, and I lost my temper, accusing him of being a crappy father for not supporting my decision to leave the service.”
“Oh God, Jared.”
He sighed. “I know. It was pretty bad. My brothers and sister were really upset. It ruined everything.” He took a drink of wine before adding, “My mother cried like I’ve never seen before. My father and I tried to comfort her, but she wasn’t having any of it. She called us both selfish bastards and locked herself in the bedroom.”
So much for Jared having the perfect family life. “That’s almost two months now. Have you contacted her since?”
“Of course. I’ve long since apologized and we talk at least once a week.”
She hesitated before asking, “And your father?”
Jared didn’t seem annoyed at her question. “I spoke with him several days ago. It was brief but…civilized.” He put down his knife and fork. “You know, talking like this makes me realize how little I’ve shared with you.” He picked up his utensils and continued. “I have an idea.”
Pam smiled. “Uh-oh. Do tell.”
He regarded her with a warmth that made her insides quiver. “Mother is having a spring luncheon in the garden in April. Everyone will be there. I’d like to bring you with me.”
Surprised delight battled with trepidation. “Of course,” she agreed, although the thought of meeting his family terrified her a little.
He looked relieved. “Good. It’s time you met them.”
Suddenly uneasy, Pam picked at her salad.
Jared’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
Pam bit her lip, unsure of how to open the topic. “Uh, Jared? Do you think your family will like me?”
His frown only unnerved her more. “Of course they will. Why wouldn’t they?”
“Well…” she began, her eyes fixed on her plate.
“Out with it.”
She looked up, a little rattled by his no-nonsense tone. “I-I never asked before,” she stuttered, watching as his frown deepened. “I wasn’t really sure, but I’ve wondered. Although it doesn’t really matter, you know,” she babbled.
Great. Now he was scowling. Might as well go for it before she lost her nerve altogether. “Are your parents wealthy?”
He looked more surprised than offended at her question. “Is that it?” he asked. At her tentative nod, he shrugged. “Well, then. It depends on what you consider wealthy.”
Now it was her turn to glare. “Like rich. As in the opposite of poor. Trust funds. Country clubs. Stuff like that.”
Jared snorted at her sarcasm. “I’m not trying to be coy. In our circle of friends, we aren’t anything special.” At her annoyed huff, he clarified. “Okay. Call them rich if you like. Do they have money? Yes. Did I grow up privileged? Yes.”
“Well, thanks for sharing,” she responded. “
Finally.
”
“What do you want me to do? Brag? Hardly. I didn’t do anything to deserve it. I just got lucky in the lottery of life.” He chewed a piece of oyster and swallowed. “It’s what you do with that gift that really matters.”
“True,” she admitted. She lifted her glass. “Here’s to Aunt Chloe, the bearer of gifts.”
“Amen,” Jared affirmed.
They spent the rest of the evening discussing more agreeable topics. After dinner, when Jared was busy collecting their things from the coatroom, a familiar voice rang out to Pam in greeting.
“Pamela! How are you?” Mr. Danforth approached her, his customary smile-grimace in place.
“Hello, Mr. Danforth,” she replied, feeling a bit flustered.
“Hi, Pamela,” greeted another well-known voice. She froze and turned. Brian Shuttleworth.
Oh, shit.
“Brian,” she responded, her chest tightening. “How are you?”
“Great…” he began.
A presence behind her caught both men’s attention. A genuine smile lit up Danforth’s face. Not Brian’s, though. Within seconds, his florid complexion turned a pasty white.
“Jared!” Danforth boomed, looking positively elated. “Nice to see you again.”
Now standing beside her, Jared reached out and shook Danforth’s hand.
Pam looked up into Jared’s face, confused. “You two know each other?” she asked. What the hell was going on?
“Why, yes,” Danforth confirmed. He peered at Jared. “I guess you forgot to mention it, son.” He turned to Pam with an inquisitive look. Something in her face seemed to rattle his composure a bit, but he recovered quickly. “So, Jared. May I introduce you to Brian Shuttleworth? He’s the man who will be handling your company account in the future.”
Pam looked to Danforth, then to Brian, and finally, Jared. “Account?” she echoed. “What account?”
Jared turned a grim face to her boss. “Mr. Danforth, Pam and I must be going. It’s good to see you again.”
Danforth gave him a knowing look. “Time for some serious explaining, young man. Next time, be quick about it. Procrastination never pays off.”
Jared nodded. “Yes, Mr. Danforth, although it was more about pacing than procrastination.”
Danforth’s brows furrowed with sympathy. “Unfortunate timing to be sure.”
“Indeed.” Jared’s attention turned to Brian, who had edged away from Pam after he showed up. “Shuttleworth. I wish to apologize for my inexcusable behavior the other evening. You were caught in the middle, and I overreacted.”
Looking surprised and more than a little relieved, Brian shook his proffered hand. “Accepted. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Marlowe.”
“It’s Jared. And the feeling is mutual. Mr. Danforth believes that you’re the best man to replace him, and I trust his judgment.”
This time, Danforth was the one who looked perplexed. “You two have met already? I had no idea.”
Brian grasped Danforth’s arm in desperation. “I’ll fill you in over a much-needed scotch. My treat.” Steering a protesting Danforth away, he called over his shoulder, “Take care, the both of you. Good luck.”
Jared couldn’t get out fast enough. Once ensconced in his car in the overlit parking garage, he turned to Pam. “Let me explain.”
Pam whirled on him in outrage. “Explain what? That you have an account at the law firm I work at? One you deliberately concealed from me? When did you open it?”
“Shortly before I met you.”
“And you didn’t tell me because…?”
Jared rubbed his face in consternation. “If you recall, we were dating for a couple of weeks before you mentioned the name of your firm. By then, I knew we were beginning to get attached…”
“So?” she snapped.
He paused as if collecting his thoughts. “At first, I worried there might be a conflict of interest,” he explained. “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to get you in trouble. Nor did I want you to dump me to avoid getting canned. So I did nothing for several more weeks.”
“And?”
He continued. “We were in a serious relationship at that point and I needed to take action. I finally called Danforth, who assured me you had no access to my account. He said you worked exclusively with the junior attorneys.”
Pam persisted. “So why didn’t you tell me once you found out it was okay for us to date?”
“I was still concerned,” he confessed. “I figured though your job was safe, you’d be pissed at me after finding out I had an account there all the while.”
“Of course I’m pissed. Remember our discussion about lies of omission? That’s exactly what you’re guilty of, Jared!”
“You’re right. And I’ve found being secretive has a nasty way of backfiring. Once the secret is revealed, no matter how minor, it always looks so much worse once it’s uncovered.” He waved his hand. “Like now. Having an account with Danforth, Dobbs, and Shuttleworth is not the main issue anymore. Concealing it from you is. And the time lapse only made the issue worse.”
Pam’s head swam. “I just can’t believe you hid it from me all this time.”
Jared’s voice was filled with remorse. “I truly am sorry. I know I should’ve discussed this matter with you immediately. The whole thing has just snowballed.”
Pam stared at him, feeling as if she were talking to a stranger. “There’s something else going on here,” she asserted. All of a sudden, it dawned on her. “Danforth wouldn’t waste his time on some piddling account.” She turned on him again, furious. “How big is Marlowe Security?”
“Big enough,” he admitted. “Not so much when I first approached him, but large enough so I needed legal advice. But now it has expanded. In the past couple of months, company growth has been exponential. Although there’s no excuse for my recent neglect, this has been a really busy time for me.”
Anger gripped her. “Now I get it. At first, you were worried our relationship might cause trouble for my career. When the issue was cleared up, you stayed quiet because I’d find out you were a liar.”
He winced at her cold words, but she continued. “Then later, when your company grew, you didn’t want me to discover just how much.” Pam took a deep breath. “You showed me your little suite of offices a couple of months after we met. They’ve expanded, correct?”
His guilty expression answered her question before he spoke. “Yes.”
“Significantly, I’m sure. And of course, you failed to update me. What did you think? That I’m some gold-digging bitch ready to sink her claws into your growing fortune?”
“No,” he said, his voice a growl. “I didn’t want you to spurn me for turning into one of those men you’ve been taught to despise.”
“What kind of people are we talking about here?” Pam shook her head in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Jared seized her by the shoulders. “The corporate elite. To coin one of your choice phrases, the ones who beat down the little people.” His grip tightened. “I grew up among the very people you detest. The wealthy, the moneyed crowd you love ripping to shreds at every possible opportunity.”
The words cut deep. She was not that kind of person. “How can you say such a thing? It’s not true!”
“Yes, it is.” His eyes bored into hers. “Even worse, I’m a former soldier, a military man with a taste for high-tech security. Remember the time your mom gave the little speech about the military-industrial complex? It was directed at me.”
She remembered it well. She had done nothing while her mother baited Jared all evening.
“I don’t hate anyone,” she protested, her voice quivering. “You are so wrong.” Was he?
He stared at her as if she were delusional. “Really? How many times have you made cutting remarks about the rich, the privileged, be they celebrities or people you know? I can’t tell you how many times I cringed when you made nasty comments about the people you work with, Danforth included.”
“I was just venting,” she said defensively.
“C’mon. Own up to it.”
She shot up in her seat. “Don’t you try turning the tables on me. You’re the one who lied!”
“Yes,” he said, nodding. “I’ve hidden much from you. Being a Dominant. My family issues. The tragedy with Brady and Amina. My doubts about my military career. My family’s wealth. Remember, though, I’ve disclosed much to you in the last several days. I’ve come clean.”
“Not about everything,” she reminded him “Not about your account and your business.”
Jared snorted in disgust. “Jesus. Give a man a break. What would be the point in confessing all the other things if not the rest? I had every intention of telling you all.”
“You should have trusted me. I’m not some pathetic weakling who can’t handle the truth.” A sudden thought seized her. “I just realized something. Danforth knew about us all along.” Tense moments ticked by as she processed this fact. “Wait a minute. Is
that
why I got the promotion?” Her voice had risen an octave.
“Goddamn it. Stop it now.” He cupped her cheek, trying to soothe her. “You worked for it. You earned it. That has nothing to do with me.”
“I hope it’s the truth,” she whispered. “If not…” She let the words hang in the air, unspoken.
Jared faced her, his mouth drawn in a grim line. “Another thing, just so you know I have no problem telling you the entire truth.” He squared his shoulders. “You know Danforth, Dobbs, and Shuttleworth have offices in the Washington, DC, area, where my parents now reside. Danforth knows my family well. That’s another reason why he handled my account before assigning it to Shuttleworth. He and my father used to play golf together before Danforth relocated to New York. They still do, every now and then.”
“Fuck,” muttered Pam. It was too much. “Please take me home.”