The Red Eye 3 (The Red Eye Erotic Romance Series) (11 page)

There was a knock at the door. Jennie opened it, a concerned expression on her face. “Rebecca, there’s a couple of security guards here to see you. They say that they’re here to see you out. What do you want me to do?”

“It’s all right, Jennie. Let them in. I never wanted to work here anyway.”

Two large, burly security guards pushed their way past her and stood menacingly in front of my desk.

“Ms. Bevan. You need to leave with us now. I’m sure you don’t want any fuss, so we’d advise you to come with us and we’ll escort you out with as much discretion as possible.”

“Escort you out? Don’t you know who this is? Rebecca is the head of this department. You can’t treat her like this.”

“It’s all right, Jennie.” I waved her off sadly. “I’m not your boss anymore. I don’t even work here now. Thank you for your support and friendship in the brief time we’ve known each other, and wish Angela the best of luck from me. I’ve no doubt that she’ll make an excellent department head.”

I got up and walked over to the security guards. One walked in front of me, one behind, as they took me over to the elevator and then out through the lobby.

Staff members stopped and stared as they saw me leaving under guard, but I held my head high. I was past caring what people thought of me. The irony was that I’d only come back to the office to help preserve Grayson’s precious reputation.

I was surprised that Devon had spoken to his dad so soon. Even on the red eye, I didn’t think that he’d have had time, but then maybe he’d called from the airport. I’d never thought that he’d confide in Grayson about his love life, but then I’d never known about Cindy either. Maybe I hadn’t known Devon half as well as I thought I did.

As I climbed into a cab, I reflected that I was glad I hadn’t unpacked my things. Looked like I was leaving town after all.

I looked out of the window of the plane, not taking in the landscape below.

The pilot’s voice came over the loudspeakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be arriving in New Orleans. We hope you enjoy your time in this beautiful city, whether you’re here for business or pleasure, and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing our airline.”

There was no reason for my choosing to come to New Orleans except for the fact that I’d never been there and had always wanted to. I had heard all the wild tourist stories, but I had done my fair share of research and discovered there was so much more to the lush jewel of the bayou than just Mardi Gras revelers and parades. I couldn’t wait to see the unique architecture and meet the interesting people.

I hadn’t decided what I was going to do for work. Maybe I could offer my services to a women’s shelter or something. The one thing I did know was that I’d had enough of corporate law, and I had no intention of getting sucked back into a world designed to make the rich richer while the poor struggled more and more. I wasn’t cut out for it. I wasn’t cutthroat enough.

As my luggage came around the carousel, I reached forward to get it, just as the man next to me went to pick up his bag, making us bump heads.

“Oh my goodness me. Are you all right, ma’am?”

His concern was evident as he unthinkingly reached out a hand to touch the place on my forehead where we’d connected. I grinned and pulled back from his friendly touch.

“I’m fine. It was my fault anyway. I should have looked where I was going.” I glanced down, reaching for my bag again.

“No, no, it was mine. I was so caught up in trying to grab my bag before they whisked it away again, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“So we’re both to blame, which means no harm, no foul.” I tucked my hair behind my head to give him my full attention, since he was being so polite.

“I guess so.” He smiled at me, his smile shining brightly in stark contrast to his tanned skin and unusually brilliant green eyes. “Tell you what. Why don’t you let me treat you to coffee as a sorry?”

“You don’t owe me a sorry. We bumped into each other, remember? It wasn’t your fault.” I smiled, slightly perturbed. I wasn’t used to people being so nice about such things. I crossed my arms and shrugged. “It’s really no problem.”

“Yes, well, I still feel bad that a woman as beautiful as yourself should start her visit to my home town with a head injury. I feel obligated to make it up to you. That’s how we are down here. It would be my pleasure.”

“Honestly, there really isn’t any need.”

“Please?” There was something about the way he looked at me that melted my reserve. I didn’t know anyone in New Orleans. Maybe a cup of coffee with a friendly stranger was just what I needed.

“All right,” I found myself saying. “Just one coffee.”

That one coffee turned into drinks and then dinner. Steve turned out to be surprisingly easy to talk to, and I found myself telling him the whole sorry saga, from how I’d first met Devon—it seemed to be a habit of mine, meeting men at airports—through to Rick starting work at Caesar and Krause and us being sent away on a case, finally culminating in Devon and my messy split.

“You couldn’t really have made a bigger mess of your relationship if you’d tried, could you?” Steve shook his head in disbelief. “And I thought that
I
was the master of messy breakups. You put me to shame, Rebecca!”

I laughed, despite myself. “I know. And the stupid thing is that now that I look back, I really think that Devon could have forgiven me anything, if I’d just been honest with him.”

“I think you’re right.” Steve nodded. “It’s pretty obvious that you and Rick had unfinished business, but from what you’ve told me, that one last time together finally closed the door on that chapter in your life. Unless you think you might sleep with him again?”

“Oooh no.” I shook my head vehemently. “Not even if he were the last man on earth.”

“So you’re free.”

“But I don’t want to be.” I sighed. “I want to be with Devon. I want his ring on my finger. I want his children. I want to spend the rest of my life growing old with him.”

“So tell him that.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“He wouldn’t listen.”

“Are you so sure?”

I bit my lip. “No,” I finally admitted. “I mean, he was so mad when he left my hotel room the other night.
So
mad. But I know what he’s like. Once his temper’s blown over, he talks things through.”

“Right. So talk
this
through.”

“But this is bigger than any of our problems. I slept with another man and then I lied to him about it.”

“You lied to him because you were trying to protect him. He can’t blame you for that.”

“Yeah, well, I would if I were him.”

“Call him. Just call him. It’s got to be worth one last try, hasn’t it? If you love him as much as you say you do. I know that if I’d met the love of my life, I wouldn’t let anything get in my way. I’d fight to the death to be with them.”

I drummed my fingers on the table while I considered what he’d said. “All right.” I pulled my cell out of my bag. “I’ll call him. But if he doesn’t answer, I’m taking that as a sign. I don’t care if it’s because he was in the rest room and didn’t hear his cell. If he doesn’t take my call, then it’s clear that we really are over and I need to move on. Do you know if anyone needs a shepherd round here?”

“A shepherd?”

“Forget it. Private joke.”

I switched on my phone, my heart pounding as I waited for it to boot up. At last it was on, and I was stunned to see that there had been twelve missed calls, all from Devon.

“He’s been trying to call me!”

“See. I told you so. It’s not over between you two.” Steve sat back smugly, folding his arms.

My hand trembling, I pressed the button to get through to Devon. The phone barely rang and he answered.

“Devon?”

“Rebecca! Where are you? I’ve been trying to call you.”

“I…” I chewed my lip. Did I really want him to know where I was? I’d come here to get away from him and his family. “I’m in New Orleans.”

“New Orleans? What are you doing there?”

“It was the first flight out of Boston.”

“Oh, Rebecca.” I could imagine Devon running his hand through his hair in frustration. “I’ve been going out of my mind with worry. I tried to call you at the office, but they said you’d left. They wouldn’t give me any details.”

“Yeah, well, you can ask your dad for those. He fired me. Said that it was due to my leaking details of the reason for my transfer. I thought you’d told him about our argument.”

“Are you kidding? I never tell Dad anything about my personal life.”

“You didn’t tell him?” My mind raced, going over the possibilities, but there was only one name that came to mind.

“Jennie. My secretary. She was the one I went to the strip club with. She must have planned it right from the start, taking me out, getting me drunk so that I’d be more talkative. She probably chose the strip joint deliberately as well, hoping that I’d get caught in a compromising situation. And I did. I got called up onto the stage for a lap dance.”

“You did? You didn’t mention that before.”

“I know.” I sighed. “Look, Devon, I’ve been an idiot. More than an idiot.”

“I’m not going to argue with that.”

“But whatever happens, I want you to know that I’m never going to lie to you again. I’m going to be completely honest and upfront with you. No more secrets. But I don’t want to be without you, so whatever you need me to do, just say the word. If you tell me that you never want to see me again, that’s fine too. It’ll break my heart, but I want you to be happy, and if that means you marry someone else, then so be it.”

“Rebecca?”

“What?”

“Stop talking.”

I did as I was told.

“I’ve done some thinking, and it’s not as though I’m completely innocent in all this. I sent you away with Rick, knowing the two of you had history. I set you up, and although I trusted you, I underestimated Rick. The guy’s a total douchebag, and I’m making sure that he’s transferred as far away from New York as possible.”

“Might I suggest Boston? I can think of a fair few people who’d
love
to welcome him down there…” I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I thought of Jennie meeting her match in Rick. If she thought that she’d played me, she hadn’t seen anything yet.

“So when are you coming home?”

Home. That one little word brought so much joy with it.

“I don’t know. When’s the next flight to New York?”

By the time I hung up, my face was aching from smiling.

“I told you!” crowed Steve. “All you two needed to do was to talk it out. It was obvious to anyone that the pair of you are made for each other. I hope the pair of you will be very happy together. All I ask is that you invite me to the wedding.”

“You and Julia are both invited. She’s a very lucky woman.”

“And Devon’s a very lucky man.”

“Do you, Devon Marshall Curtis Caesar, take this woman, Rebecca Mary Bevan, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Rebecca Mary Bevan, take this man, Devon Marshall Curtis Caesar, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“Those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. You may now kiss the bride.”

Devon lifted up my veil, as I lifted my face to kiss him. Cameras clicked from all angles as the carefully selected journalists did their best to get the perfect shot.

“Hello, Mrs. Caesar.” Devon leaned his forehead against mine.

“Hello, Mr. Caesar.”

We turned to look out at the congregation, a sea of smiling faces cheering and clapping. I couldn’t believe it. This moment was finally here. We’d made it down the aisle, despite everything, and now I was Mrs. Devon Caesar.

My parents were sitting on the left, Mom in tears, just like I knew she would be. In contrast, Grayson’s face was inscrutable. Ever since I’d come back from New Orleans, he’d done his level best to avoid any contact with me, which suited me just fine. I’d faced him at his worst and it still hadn’t been enough.

Surprisingly, Ida Caesar looked happy for once in her life. I’d never thought I’d see her smile, let alone applaud my marrying into the family, but it turned out that once I’d agreed to let her oversee the wedding arrangements, she’d warmed to me and had told me quite a few interesting bits of information about the Caesars. It turned out that Grayson wasn’t exactly innocent when it came to cheating. On partners, with other men’s wives, and other foul things. The fact would never cease to amuse me.

I’d insisted that Steve and his wife Julia sit just behind the family, and he and I exchanged a smile and a nod. We’d stayed in touch since I’d left New Orleans, and there was no way I was breaking my promise to invite him to the wedding. If it hadn’t been for him, I would never have returned Devon’s calls.

We made our way out of the church, a hail of rose petals raining down on us every step of the way. As I stopped at the top of the stairs leading out, a wave of dizziness washed over me.

“Are you all right?” Devon felt me sway.

“I’m fine. They say that the first trimester is the worst for tiredness. Don’t tell anyone, but I had to get them to let the dress out again. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be as big as a whale!”

“Are you sure you want to go to the reception? You could go and have a lie down for a while first. Nobody would mind.”

“
I’d
mind.” I tutted and tapped the end of his nose. “Honestly, Mr. Caesar. This is my wedding day. I don’t care how tired I am at the end of it. I’m going to savor every single moment.”

“I care how tired you are.” Devon leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “I’ve got plans for you later.”

I giggled as Devon took my hand and led me down the stairs.

“All right, folks. Rebecca’s going to toss the bouquet now. All the single women line up over here. Let’s see who’s going to be the next lucky lady.”

A gaggle of women congregated at the foot of the stairs. I didn’t know who half of them were. Devon was right. It had been a lot easier to just let Ida handle the guest list. Once I’d given her the details of the few people I insisted be invited, she’d made sure that all the society movers and shakers were included on the guest list. A Caesar wedding was as much an opportunity to do business as it was a celebration of love, and that was something I’d had to come to terms with. It was all part and parcel of joining the Caesar clan.