Perfect Partners (14 page)

Copeland's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “I thought after last night you might have figured it out for yourself.”

“I'm afraid not.” She'd had a lot of other things on her mind last night, Letty thought wryly.

“I told you Joel Blackstone was the kind that was always looking for the easy way. Fifteen years ago that bastard—”

Letty held up a palm to silence him. “Please watch your language when you refer to my employee.”

Victor scowled. “Fifteen years ago Joel Blackstone decided he could cushion his life real nice by marrying my daughter, Diana.”

Letty stared at him, her heart sinking. “I see.”

Victor nodded sadly. “Yes, sir, thought he'd set himself up real nice. Thought if he was my son-in-law I'd just naturally turn Copeland Marine over to him, and he could sit back and prop his feet up on my desk for the rest of his natural life.”

Letty decided to put her coffee mug down before it slipped from her trembling fingers. But her voice was very steady when she spoke. “I take it you did not approve of the marriage?”

“Hell, Blackstone knew I'd never approve of Diana throwin' herself away on a no-good troublemaker like him. So he seduced her.” Victor's eyes flashed with old anger, and the color in his jowls darkened. “The s.o.b. dared to put his hands on my daughter. Sorry, Letty, but that's what he was. Probably thought that if he got her pregnant, I'd agree to let him marry her. I caught 'em together red-handed, myself.”

“Then what happened?” Letty asked carefully.

Copeland shrugged and gave her a wry grimace. “I did what any father would have done in those circumstances. Told him if he ever touched my girl again, I'd get my gun and I'd use it. Told him to get out of town. He left a couple of days later.”

“Just like that?”

Copeland sighed heavily. “No, it wasn't quite that simple. The next day he came by my office at the yard. Made some threats. Tried to take me apart. I had a couple of the men toss him out. Then he left town. I haven't seen him since. Until last night, that is.”

“It must have been quite a shock to find out he was the one who had set up Copeland Marine for a takeover.”

“Hell of a shock, Letty. Hell of a shock.” Victor gave her an odd look. “You want to know the real pisser?”

“What's that?”

“After Diana married that namby-pamby Escott three years ago, I started wondering if I'd made a mistake runnin' Blackstone off fifteen years back. At least Blackstone had balls. Gotta give him that.”

Letty stopped in front of the small brick building she had passed earlier on her way to the café. The name Echo Cove Public Library was chiseled in stone over the entrance. She went up the steps and opened the door.

Inside she instantly felt at home. There was something very civilized about a library, she thought, even a tiny small-town library such as this. Since the days of ancient Alexandria libraries had stood for all the best that mankind could achieve.

The very existence of libraries held out hope for the future of the human race, as far as Letty was concerned. If people had enough sense to collect and store information and make it available to everyone, perhaps they would someday have enough sense to use that wisdom to stop wars and find a cure for cancer.

Being a corporate president was interesting work, but Letty knew that a part of her would always be a librarian.

“Can I help you?” The pleasant middle-aged woman behind the circulation desk asked when Letty approached.

“Do you keep your local newspaper on file?”

“Of course. We send the copies out to be microfilmed every six months. What dates do you want to see?”

“I just want to browse,” Letty said, not wanting to give out too much information.

“Certainly.” The woman came out from behind the desk and led the way toward a single microfilm reader machine housed in a corner. “The film is stored by year in those drawers. Help yourself.”

“Thank you.” Letty opened one of the drawers.

The librarian cleared her throat discreetly. “You're Ms. Thornquist, aren't you? You're here in town with Joel Blackstone?”

Letty arched her brows. “Word travels fast.”

The librarian grinned ruefully. “You know small towns. I'm Angie Taylor. My husband and I were having dinner in the Sea Grill last night when you arrived. I have to say it was a rare sight to see someone walk out on Victor Copeland. He was not pleased, I can tell you.”

“It was an awkward moment for all of us,” Letty murmured.

“I don't know about that. Joel Blackstone looked pleased with himself. But, then, it's no secret he hates Copeland. Look, I know this isn't any of my business, but my husband works down at the yard and we've lived in this town most of our lives. Is it true Copeland's in trouble financially?”

“I'm afraid I really can't discuss it, Mrs. Taylor.”

Angie sighed morosely. “I was afraid of that.” She shook her head. “All of us in that restaurant knew there was trouble brewing when we realized Joel Blackstone was in town. There's only one reason he would come back to Echo Cove, and that's to get revenge on Victor Copeland.”

“Did you know Joel well?” Letty asked carefully.

“No, I don't think anyone ever knew Joel well. He was always a very private person, even when he was a teenager. I started working here in the library when he was in high school.”

“Did he come in here often?” Letty asked.

Angie nodded. “He spent a lot of time in here after his mother died. His father started drinking after her death. He couldn't handle his sorrow. Her death was hard on Joel, too. He was left to cope with his grief on his own. He went to work in the Copeland yard that summer. Worked every hour he could and buried himself in books the rest of the time.”

Letty pictured a lonely young man trying to lose his pain in books here in this room. She understood completely. Books had been her secret refuge all her life. “I imagine this library was very important to him.”

“I think so. He certainly spent enough time here.” Angie smiled ruefully. “I don't imagine the town will be able to keep this place open for long if Copeland Marine goes under. Be a real shame to close this library. Joel wasn't the only kid who ever needed it.”

Half an hour later Letty found what she was looking for on the microfilm. There was not much to the story. Just a few short paragraphs stating that one Harold Blackstone, known as Hank, had been killed the previous evening in a car accident outside of town. He was survived by his son, Joel.

J
oel paced the motel room, feeling like a caged lion. Make that a caged gerbil, he thought. Nobody except an idiot with the brains of a gerbil would have gotten himself into this mess.

Firecrackers. He was losing control of all the damned firecrackers.

Every time he turned at the window and started back toward the far side of the room, he had to walk straight past the bed. The maid had not been in yet, and the sight of the rumpled sheets was making him crazy. It brought back memories of Letty lying there last night.

He altered his course to walk over to the bed. Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of the sheet and brought it up to his face. He inhaled deeply.

Hell, he could still smell her. He would never forget her unique scent as long as he lived. It was making him hard right now.

Christ, he had been a fool to let her go off alone to have breakfast with Copeland.

He dropped the sheet and stalked back to the window. There was no way he could have stopped her. She was the boss.

“
You're the boss. You tell me what you want, Letty
.”

“
Oh, my God. Joel, it feels so good. I can't believe it
.”

Her first real climax. He'd lay odds on it. And he'd been the one to give it to her. Joel hoped she would remember that.

She was so incredibly responsive. Joel had never had a woman react that way. Wild, gloriously wild. She was a hot, sweet treasure waiting to be opened up and explored and enjoyed. All she needed was a little experience with the right man.

All she needed was a little experience with him. Better yet, a lot of experience.

Next time, Joel promised himself, next time he was going to be deep inside her when he came. He had to know what it was like being inside when her whole body tightened and then gave itself up to such a shuddering release. He wanted to feel her nails in his skin and find out how tightly she could hold him.

Most of all he wanted to look into her eyes when he buried himself in her. He wanted her to know it would work like this only with him.

He hoped it would work only with him.

He prayed it would work only with him.

Fat chance. Letty was a very sensual woman. He had known that from the start.

He jerked his gaze away from the bed and looked down on the marina. It did not matter what Copeland said to her this morning. It did not matter how the bastard pleaded his case. It was too late to change anything. Letty had to realize that. Copeland Marine had to be liquidated. She could not justify pouring another penny into the failing boatyard.

The knock on the door had the galvanizing effect of a fire alarm.
She was back
. He whirled around and crossed the room in four long strides.

He yanked open the door. “It's about time you got back.” Then he realized who was standing on the other side of the door. “Diana. What the hell do you want?”

She looked up at him, uncertainty pooling in her dark eyes. “I wanted to talk to you, Joel. Don't you think you owe me that much?”

He forced himself to calm down. This was business. He had to control the raging frustration, had to make himself think and act coolly. “I don't believe I owe you a damn thing, Diana, but go ahead and talk, if that's what you want to do.” He glanced at his watch. “I've got a few minutes to spare.”

“You must really hate me,” she whispered.

He scowled. “I don't hate you.”

“I'm glad.”

She smiled at him with a wistful sadness that fifteen years ago would have shredded his heart. Christ, had he really been that stupid?

“Look, Diana…”

“Can I come in?” The sunlight gleamed on her ebony hair. The glossy black mane was parted in the middle and fell straight to her delicate jaw, where it curved gently inward. Fifteen years ago she had worn it in a feathery cut that had had an equally dramatic effect on her eyes. But this style was far more sophisticated, Joel decided. It suited her classic profile. Her black sweater and close-fitting black pants heightened the impact of her striking looks.

The prettiest girl in town. Just ask anyone.

“Yeah, sure. Come on in.” Joel scanned the sidewalk below as he stood aside. There was no sign of Letty returning from breakfast. “The maid hasn't been in yet. The place is a mess. You want to go downstairs?”

“I don't think we need an audience, do you, Joel? We had enough of one last night.”

He shrugged as he closed the door. “The show didn't last long, did it? My boss got me out of there when things turned nasty. She's kind of softhearted about some things.”

“A regular little guardian angel.” Diana walked slowly over to the window.

Joel saw her eyes slide across the bed. “Yeah. She calls it noblesse oblige.”

Diana ignored that cryptic comment. She halted and stood gazing out over the small harbor. “So you finally came back.”

“Don't worry, it'll be a short visit.”

“Just long enough to let us know that you're the one who engineered the destruction of Copeland Marine.”

“I didn't exactly engineer it, Diana. Your father had already started to sink it. I just gave him enough rope so that he could hang it and himself.”

“Very clever.” Diana blinked but not quickly enough to stop two crystalline tears from coursing down her high-boned cheeks. “You're going to destroy Daddy because he wouldn't let you have me all those years ago.”

“Diana, I really am not in the mood for a lot of drama, okay? I lost my taste for that kind of thing about fifteen years back. But while we're on the subject, let's try a little honesty. We both know it wasn't your father who kept us from getting married. It was you. I asked you to leave town with me. You refused.”

“Joel, I was nineteen and I was scared.”

“Sure you were scared. Scared to make your father mad by running off with me. Scared you'd lose the Copeland money. Scared you'd lose everything that went with being Victor Copeland's daughter in Echo Cove. Believe me, Diana, I understand exactly what you went through.”

“Oh, Joel, I'm so sorry. You'll never know how sorry I am.” She swung around, the tears spilling from her eyes in earnest now. “When I looked up and saw you last night in the restaurant, I thought I was seeing a ghost. It's as if you've been haunting me all these years and now you've come back.”

“Not from the grave,” he assured her.

“Joel, please don't torment me like this. I know you've come back because of me. Because of us. I know you want vengeance for what happened. But you have to understand why I couldn't run off with you fifteen years ago. I was too young to handle the situation between us. Too young to make such a serious decision. I was afraid. Surely you can make allowances for that?”

“Sure. Why not?” Joel dropped into the nearest chair and leaned back, legs spread. He wondered what lies Copeland was feeding to Letty at that moment. “You were a kid. I was only twenty-one myself, and I didn't have more than fifty bucks left from my last paycheck at Copeland Marine. Hardly enough to put you up for one night at the kind of hotel you expected, was it?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “You're so bitter. So angry. I can't blame you.” She started across the room.

Joel realized her intention about three seconds too late to get out of the chair. Before he could move, Diana was right in front of him. She threw herself down on her knees between his legs, grasped his thighs, and lifted an imploring face.

“Joel, please, listen to me. I want you to know that if I had it to do over again, I would have run off with you all those years ago. You have no idea how much I've regretted making the wrong decision.”

At that moment the connecting door between the two rooms opened without warning. Letty stood there, staring at the scene in front of her.

Joel looked up and saw her eyes widen in shock as she took in the sight of Diana on her knees between his spread legs. He knew what was going through Letty's mind just as surely as if she'd spoken aloud. She was remembering how she had walked in on her ex-fiancé and found him with a grad student between his legs.

“Jesus.” Joel shot to his feet as if he'd been burned. The sudden action tumbled Diana to one side.

“Joel, no, wait. You must listen to me.” Diana stretched out a hand in a beseeching gesture. “I'm begging you on my knees. I want you to understand.”

Joel reached down and yanked her unceremoniously to her feet. “Damn it, Diana, stop acting as if you're on a stage,” he snapped.

“Excuse me.” Letty's voice was ice. “I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to tell Joel that we've been invited to tour the Copeland Marine facilities this afternoon.”

Diana glanced at her and then apparently lost interest in the new arrival. She turned back to Joel. Her small hands doubled into fists. The tears pooling in her eyes started to fall.

“You were supposed to come back, Joel,” Diana whispered. She raised her clenched hands and struck his chest. “Damn you, you were supposed to come back and rescue me. I waited for you.”

She rushed past him to the door, jerked it open, and fled.

The sound of Diana's receding footsteps echoed in the sudden silence that filled the motel room.

Letty glanced at her watch. “I told Victor we'd be there at one-thirty. I hope that fits in with your busy schedule.” She stepped back into her own room and started to close the connecting door.

Joel leaped forward and shoved the door open again. “Damn it to hell, Letty, that was not what you think it was.”

“Your private life is no concern of mine, Joel.”

“Bull. After last night we both have a hell of a lot of interest in each other's private lives.”

“I'd rather not discuss last night,” she said primly.

“Yeah, I'll just bet you don't want to talk about it.” Joel strode forward, driving her back until she was trapped by the bed. He loomed over her, not touching her.

“Now, Joel…”

“You don't want to admit how good it was, do you? What's the matter, Letty? Can't you deal with the fact that it was me who made it good for you?
Me
, not that damned professor back at Vellacott? What's the matter? Did you think a man had to have a Ph.D. after his name in order to know how to make a woman like you have a climax?”

“Stop it, Joel. What are you yelling at me for? It's not my fault I walked into your room a minute ago and found Diana kneeling in front of you like some sort of acolyte.”

“Acolyte?” He stared at her.

“Yes, acolyte. A very admiring, very devoted acolyte. And it was quite obvious just what portion of your anatomy she found worthy of devotion and admiration.”

“Maybe you'd be interested in that portion of my anatomy, too, if you gave me a chance to get my jeans off,” Joel shot back before he could stop himself. He groaned and closed his eyes while he got a grip on his raging temper. “Damn. I can't believe this.”

“Neither can I. Would you please get out of my way, Joel?” Letty pushed at him.

Joel took a step back, freeing her. She sprang away from the bed and stood glowering at him, arms folded tightly beneath her breasts. He forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath. “Okay, okay, let's call a truce here and take it from the top. I'll go first and explain what you saw.”

“It doesn't need any explanations.”

“Yes,” Joel said grimly, “It does. Diana was staging a scene.”

“That much was obvious.”

“She came here for a little drama, and she got it. She always did like to be the center of attention. She's convinced herself that I set up Copeland Marine because of something that happened between us fifteen years ago.”

Letty studied a small painting on the wall just past Joel's shoulder. She rubbed her palms up and down her forearms. “Victor told me that you and Diana were lovers,” she murmured. “He told me everything.”

Joel watched her closely, eyes cold. “Everything?”

She nodded brusquely, her expressive face turning an embarrassed shade of scarlet. “Yes. Everything. How he found you and Diana together and how he ordered you never to see her again. He admitted he virtually ran you out of town.”

“Is that all he told you?” Joel asked.

“Not quite.” Her eyes, serious and questioning now, met his. “He said he realizes he may have made a mistake all those years ago. He wonders if you would have made him a better son-in-law than Keith Escott has. That should give you some satisfaction.”

“I don't give a damn how I compare with Escott.”

“Joel, I don't see any point in pursuing this conversation. We both know you're using my company to get your revenge against the Copelands.”

“
Your
company?” Hearing her say the words aloud was more than enough to trigger Joel's anger all over again.

“Yes. Whether you like it or not, Joel, Thornquist Gear belongs to me. One of these days you're going to have to accept that.”

“The hell with trying to explain things to you. You're right. There's no point in rehashing the past. Tell me what Copeland said at breakfast.”