Authors: Nadia Lee
He kissed her head and ran his thumb over her smooth cheek. “We’re all right,” he said.
She let out a soft sigh and melted against him. “I’m glad.” Then she laughed. “You sure know how to make a point.”
* * *
Natalie had a secret smile all day. She had no idea what had prompted such sudden passion from Alex, but she didn’t care. His ardor, plus the added spice of knowing they could have been caught in the act, had been almost too much to bear. She’d had to wait a full twenty minutes after he left before she felt composed enough to exit the conference room.
It felt odd walking around the office without any panties on, though. She didn’t do commando, and every time she sat, it made her feel self-conscious.
She uploaded the NSA bid information to the server storage space registered under her name. Ethan was the only other person who could access it.
Danielle came into Natalie’s office and placed a manila folder bursting with documents next to her laptop. “Here’s the contract you asked for.”
“Thanks.” Natalie frowned. Danielle looked pale and withdrawn. “Are you okay?”
“Well…I have cramps, and I’m out of Advil.” She placed a hand over her stomach. “Maybe I’ll go pick up a bottle.”
Natalie rose from her seat. “I’ve got some in my purse.” She dug through her bag and handed Danielle a couple of pills. “Is that enough?”
“Yeah, thanks. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t normally have cramps this bad.”
“If you don’t feel better after about an hour or so, why don’t you head home early?”
“Well…maybe that’s… Well, I have a lot of work to do.”
“It’s okay. Really.”
She nodded. “Thanks, Natalie.”
“By the way, love your new hair. It looks really good on you,” Natalie said. The cut was stylish and framed Danielle’s face delicately. It came very close to making her look cute.
“Oh. Thank you. The stylist said I really should cut it differently, and I wasn’t sure. It looks a little…I don’t know. Kind of dramatic?”
“No, it looks really good. Like a whole new you.”
“Really? Thanks.” Danielle smiled and walked out gingerly.
Natalie played with the painkiller bottle lid, watching her assistant leave. Suddenly, she stopped. Although she was pretty sure she wasn’t pregnant, she hadn’t shown any symptoms of PMS. But then, her periods had always been irregular. It was about time she got the early pregnancy test kit she’d seen in one of magazine ads. It could supposedly tell you six days before a missed period, and she wanted to make sure there hadn’t been any unintended consequences to Alex’s condom breaking back at the cabin. Not to mention what had happened that morning.
Natalie shook her head, amazed at her own behavior. Louise had drilled into both her and Belle that—whatever else happened in their private lives—getting pregnant was simply Not An Option before marriage. This morning had been the first time she had ever given in to the heat of the moment. She knew it said a lot about what she was feeling for Alex, but the depth of the change in her was still a little shocking.
At five o’clock sharp, she left the office. Danielle’s cubicle was empty, but most of the other staff was still working. Natalie drove to the closest drugstore, a CVS in the Tysons I shopping center. Thankfully, the mall wasn’t too crowded. She just wanted to get in and out.
She grabbed a pregnancy test kit and was walking toward the register when she saw Emily.
Of all the luck.
The older woman’s eyes dropped to the box Natalie held, and an eyebrow went up.
“Emily, I really don’t have time to talk.” She brushed past her godmother, wishing that she’d gone to a different drugstore.
Emily followed her to the cashier, hovering as Natalie paid. Finally, she sighed. “I can’t let you make the same mistake I made. Come on. Let’s talk.”
Oh no. They weren’t going to discuss betraying Alex again. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
“Yes, we do. I promise you’ll never view Alex Damon the same way again.”
Looking at the determination on Emily’s face, Natalie knew she had no choice. She wasn’t going to be able to get rid of her godmother without listening to whatever she had to say.
NATALIE AND EMILY sat inside Natalie’s car in silence. Emily smelled of a nervous tension not even Chanel No. 5 and the right pedigree could disguise. Natalie stared straight ahead at the concrete wall less than a foot from the front bumper of her Audi.
“You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?” Emily said finally.
“Emily, you asked me to compromise my principles for you on Saturday. You attempted to blackmail and bribe me. I don’t know how I can make this easy for you.”
The older woman let out a short laugh. “Fair enough.” She leaned back and stared out at the thick columns supporting the parking garage ceiling. “I don’t want—” She sighed. “I can’t lose Rodale International.”
Natalie glanced at her godmother. “If this is for Charlie—”
“Oh, it would be nice to say that it’s for him. That would at least give a veneer of motherly concern and altruism to the whole sordid business. But no. It’s for me.”
Natalie was seeing a whole new side of her godmother. Rodale International had provided Emily with a lifestyle most people would envy, but to go this far…
“James owes me this much.”
Natalie was momentarily at a loss. “James?”
“James Damon. Alex’s father. I was his secretary way back when I decided to rebel against my family. He said he was in love with me, you know.”
Emily and…Alex’s
father?
The older woman’s eyes were focused on something far away. “I believed him. He could be very persuasive when the mood struck him.” She turned to Natalie. “Did you know he was married when we met?”
Natalie shook her head.
“He told me he didn’t love his wife. Said he was going to divorce her. I believed that too. I was such a naïve fool back then.” The corners of her lips twisted down, giving Emily’s face cruel lines. “In the end, he didn’t leave his wife, of course. Even though I was pregnant with his child, she too was expecting. I hated him for it. I could’ve killed him. I was not going to be any man’s
mistress
.” Her eyes flickered. “That’s when I met Charles. I didn’t love him, but he had the right drive, a hunger to succeed. I did everything in my power to ruin James, to take from him what he’d promised me.” She laughed, but the sound held no humor. “I destroyed his family, you know. His wife couldn’t bear it that he lost everything. I knew she never really loved him. She never loved him, and he chose
her.
I was glad when he finally broke. He had it coming.” She paused. “I drank champagne the day she divorced him.”
Natalie felt sick. “What happened to the child? The one you had with James Damon? Did you… Did you give it up for adoption?”
“No.” Emily’s lips turned flat. “The child has always lived with me. As a matter of fact, he now heads Rodale International.”
“Oh my God.”
“So now you know.” The intensity of Emily’s gaze belied her years. “Do you still think we should lose our company to Alex? Charlie doesn’t know what he’s dealing with. I have to help him.”
“You’re denying Charlie his half-brother.”
“Don’t call him that! If I could, I would ruin him too. He’s
her
son.”
Emily’s eyes were hard as diamonds, her mouth as thin as the edge of a razor. Natalie felt like vomiting. This venom…this old, festered wound wasn’t something she’d ever suspected Emily carried under her benevolent, society-matron exterior. Now Natalie understood why Alex hadn’t wanted her to see the Rodales again. But did he know that Charlie was his half-brother?
Natalie came to a decision. “If you don’t tell him, I will.”
“Tell who?”
“Alex. And Charlie too.”
Emily looked at her. “What are you trying to accomplish? Do you think that once they know the truth, they’ll just smile and become friends? Silly girl.” She reached down and straightened the crease in her slacks. “Whatever you’re trying to do will be futile anyway. Charlie won’t believe you because I’ll deny it to my last breath. As for Alex, he hates me. Probably doesn’t think much of Charlie, either, given his feelings for you. My advice is to worry about yourself instead.”
“Myself?”
“Of course. If you really are pregnant, you’ll have to find some sort of solution quickly. You don’t actually believe that Alex is going to take care of you and your baby, do you? Perhaps even make an honest woman out of you?” Emily laughed. “My dear girl, the apple never does fall far from the tree. James abandoned me, and Alex will do exactly the same thing to you if you give him the chance.”
“I think you should go, Emily.”
“Don’t forget that you’re not alone.” Emily reached out, but Natalie shrank away. Emily’s eyes turned angry, then quickly cooled. “I know what it’s like to be cast aside by the person you’ve given your heart to.” Emily opened the car door and got out. “You know how to reach me.”
* * *
Natalie collapsed on her couch. She didn’t remember the drive home. Everything had been a blur until she found herself in her condo. One thing kept going through her mind:
How could Emily have been so cruel?
She dug into her purse and searched until she pulled out the home pregnancy test, then went into the bathroom and used it. She had to blink several times before she could focus on the rectangular section where lines were supposed to appear.
Negative.
She stood, one hand on her forehead. Was she relieved? Disappointed? Her thoughts were jumbled like a jigsaw puzzle.
Matto meowed, and Natalie picked him up, absently scratching behind his ears. She thought about telling Alex about Charlie. Or should she tell Charlie first?
But would Charlie believe her if Emily denied everything? For that matter, would Alex? There wasn’t much physical resemblance between the two men.
There was another possibility as well. Emily could have made the story up to compel Natalie to help the Rodales. The older woman truly believed that Rodale International belonged to her family. And Natalie was starting to wonder how far Emily would go to protect what was hers.
* * *
“This confirms it all,” Ethan said, entering Alex’s office.
It was late in the evening. The entire floor was empty except for the two of them and an old janitor puttering around the cubicles. The rush-hour traffic was waning outside the windows.
Alex looked up from the email he’d been reading. His stomach knotted. Did Ethan actually have something concrete?
“Natalie left work earlier than usual. She met Emily Rodale and talked to her for about fifteen minutes.”
Alex waved his hand dismissively. “That could’ve been anything. Did your PI get anything specific?”
“That’s the thing. They met at a mall but went to Natalie’s car to talk. It’s like they didn’t want anyone to hear their conversation.”
“That still doesn’t prove anything. Natalie’s known Emily forever.”
“There’s more.” Ethan took a deep breath, his eyes full of sympathy. “I have a contact in the NSA. The Rodale bid… They undercut the number I gave Natalie by just enough to win the project.”
“It still—”
“And the scope of the work is exactly the same as the specs I gave her.”
Alex’s hands tightened into fists. “Are you sure? Can you trust this NSA person?” He shook his head. “It could’ve been a coincidence.”
“Alex, come on! This is the third time Rodale’s been able to send in bids like thi—”
“Shut up,” Alex said softly.
“I’m sorry.”
“
Shut up!
”
Ethan nodded and left.
Alex felt sick. He couldn’t believe Natalie was the mole. Even though Ethan had warned him, he’d rejected the idea.
The weather outside the window was overcast, the city lights reflecting off low, pewter clouds. Alex watched them as they slid slowly to the west. He wished Ethan weren’t so good at his job.
Now Alex had no choice. He had to deal with the situation, and no matter what move he played, he was going to lose.
LATE THAT NIGHT, Natalie opened her condo door in her bathrobe and was shocked when she found Alex on the other side. He looked awful and reeked of alcohol. He waved at her, swaying slightly, and gave her a lopsided grin.
She took his arm, helping him inside. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not enough.” He fell onto the couch. His head rolled and rested against the back. “You look good, Natalie.”
She stood in front of him and crossed her arms. “Thank you,” she said dryly. “Is everything all right?”
He laughed. “You tell me.”
She sighed. Whatever had prompted him to get wasted like this, there was obviously no point in talking right now. “I think you should sleep it off. Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” He gave her an exaggerated frown. “I don’t feel too sleepy.”
“You can go to sleep, or I’ll call you a cab. I don’t approve of drunkenness.”
“Oh, I forgot. The Rodales would never get drunk, huh?”
An internal alarm went off. Had he found out that Charlie was his half-brother? Or was it something else?
“Cat got your tongue?” A nasty little smile twisted his lips. “Got anything to tell me?”
She fidgeted under his gaze. Finally, she blurted out, “I’m not pregnant.”
It took a while to penetrate. “Well! That certainly is a relief. Nothing to bind us now.”
She blinked furiously as tears suddenly stung her eyes. He couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he did.
He shrugged and muttered, “Probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”
Her insides grew cold. “Why are you doing this, Alex?”
“Don’t you know?”
“I don’t like playing games.”
“Games?” He rose, his eyes growing alert and sharp. He reached out, framed her face roughly with his big, warm hands. “I hate you so much it
hurts
,” he said between clenched teeth.
Natalie couldn’t breathe. It was as if she’d suddenly been transported into a nightmare.
“What did Emily promise you? Is Charlie going to marry you for betraying me? Gonna get yourself a big piece of that Rodale pie?”