Seduction on the CEO's Terms Read online

  Lust, Carlino, he told himself.

  That’s all it was.

  He could deal with it.

  He refused to admit it was anything more.

  Six

  Ali spent Friday night floating on air. She’d had a dickens of a time restraining herself when Joe had approached her at the office about the bike tour. She’d wanted to jump for joy, but instead she’d kept a reasonable sense of decorum. She sensed that when Joe gave her the diamond bracelet it was his way of getting out of their deal, yet he’d surprised her with the offer.

  Excited, Ali picked up the phone and dialed Rena’s number. She had to share the news with someone. When Rena picked up, Ali greeted her in a rushed voice. “It’s Ali. Guess what? I’m going out with Joe tomorrow!”

  “Oh, Ali. That’s wonderful. So is our little plan working?”

  Ali’s joy ebbed a little, reminded of the deception that she’d engaged in with Joe. If there was any other way to get Joe’s attention she would have tried it, but she couldn’t look this gift horse in the mouth. “Apparently so. I’m so happy now that I could throw a party.”

  “You already did, for me. And it was perfect, Ali. So tell me all about this date.”

  Ali told her about the bike tour and then relayed the events of the past week and remarked that Rena had been right. Joe seemed to notice the more demure, subdued Ali more. At least, they’d been interacting on a personal level now.

  Ali would do anything within her power to have her love returned by Joe, yet as she spoke with Rena, a thought wiggled into her subconscious that she wanted Joe to love her for herself—the woman she truly was.

  Rena’s bright voice broke into her thoughts. “I can’t wait to see you in glasses, Ali. Nice touch.”

  “You’d hardly recognize me, Rena.”

  “You’re beautiful with or without glasses, Ali. With or without flashy clothes. Joe will come to see this. Right now, you’re giving him a very loud wake-up call.”

  Ali immediately felt better. Rena was right again. She’d needed to change things up a little to get Joe to look at her as more than his devoted assistant. Who’d have thunk she’d needed a reverse makeover to achieve her goals.

  Yet, Joe wasn’t like most men. And that’s what she loved about him.

  “I guess you’re right, Rena. I hadn’t really thought about it that way. I’m glad I called you. I was about to burst outta my seams.”

  Rena chuckled. “Hey, you’re giving an old pregnant lady a thrill.”

  “Glad to help. Now, if only I could get some sleep tonight.”

  “Look who’s talking about not sleeping. What if you had twenty pounds of extra baby weight around your middle and no way to get comfortable.”

  “I wish,” Ali said with longing.

  Rena’s tone sobered a minute. “You’ll get there, Ali.”

  “Will I?”

  “Remember what I said about being patient.”

  “I’m trying. But with every beat of my heart I want to jump Joe’s bones and tell him how I feel.”

  Rena laughed. “Your time will come. Have faith.”

  “I do.”

  After Ali finished her conversation with Rena, she felt much better. She poured herself a glass of milk and grabbed an organic oatmeal cookie Royce had brought over the other day.

  She sat down on her sofa, propped her feet up and clicked on the television remote. She found her favorite cooking show, munched on the cookie and sipped milk, settling in for a relaxing evening.

  Not five minutes into The Rachel Ray Show, breaking news flashed on the screen. Images of a yacht off the Florida waters appeared, and the newscaster’s somber tone alerted Ali immediately—she recognized the yacht. She leaned forward and turned up the volume on the television.

  “While Senator Rodney Holcomb and his family vacationed off the coast of Florida on his yacht, Harold Holcomb, the senator’s younger brother, had what is alleged to be a heart attack. The senator acted quickly administering CPR, but it is unknown whether his attempts helped to save his brother’s life. Harold Holcomb was airlifted to West Palm Beach Memorial Hospital, along with his wife. The senator will be making a statement in the morning….”

  Ali bounded up from the sofa and reached for her phone, dialing her mother’s number. Thoughts of their last conversation ran through her head.

  We’re fighting all the time.

  He’s so strong-willed. He never gives in.

  Her mother married a powerful man, a man who was accustomed to making all the decisions. Justine wouldn’t let him get away with bulldozing her. She needed to have a say-so in their lives. Originally, according to her mother, it was what Harold liked best about her. She’d always challenged him.

  And what had Ali told her mother to do?

  Take a vacation. Get away from their routine and daily life. Take a cruise and talk things out.

  Apparently, that’s what they’d been doing, trying to work out their differences, perhaps.

  Her mother’s cell phone rang and rang. Ali’s nerves went raw. After the sixth ring, finally someone picked up. “Mom, Mom, is that you? Are you okay?”

  “This is Judy Holcomb. Is this Ali?”

  It was the senator’s wife. “Yes, it’s me, Judy. Where’s my mother?” Ali couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice.

  “We’re in West Palm Beach Memorial Hospital. Your mom’s in with Harry. She’s pretty shaken up.”

  “And what about Harold? The news report said he had a heart attack.”

  “Yes, they’ve confirmed it now. They are running tests.”

  “I’m so sorry. Mom must be beside herself.”

  “Well, yes. I won’t lie to you. She’s quite upset. It was a shock to all of us. We were having such a nice time after dinner. Harold and your mother were walking on deck, and she came running for help, crying that Harry had collapsed. We assumed it was a heart attack, and Rodney gave him CPR. We don’t yet know the damage, if any, to his heart.”

  “Oh, I pray he’ll be all right. Thankfully your husband acted quickly.”

  “That’s what the doctors are saying. He may have saved Harry’s life.”

  “I should be there,” Ali said, thinking aloud.

  Judy didn’t hesitate to reply. “Ali, I’ve never seen your mother so frightened and nervous. I tried my best to calm her down. Perhaps you should come.”

  “I’ll take the red-eye. Please tell my mom that I’m on my way.”

  “I will. I know she needs you, Ali,” Judy said. “She’s trying to be so brave, but having you here would really help.”

  “I should be there early in the morning.”

  “I’ll tell her you’re coming. I think it’s going to be a long night.”

  For both of us, Ali thought. She hung up and made reservations at Sacramento International Airport. Then she packed an overnight bag. If she left right now, she’d have just enough time to make her flight.

  Ali waited until she checked in for her flight before calling Joe. She’d almost forgotten about him and their weekend plans. She couldn’t imagine having Joe show up at her door in the morning and realize he’d been stood up. It was either that or calling him at midnight.

  He answered on the third ring. “Hello,” he grumbled, his voice raspy. It was clear that she’d woken him up. “Sorry to call so late, Joe.”

  “Ali?”

  “Yes, it’s Ali. I’m at the airport. My stepfather had a heart attack. I’m on my way now to be with him and my mom.”

  “Oh,” he said, his voice sounding more alert now. “Sorry to hear that.” He seemed a little confused.

  “I’ll be in Florida this weekend. Just wanted you to know in advance so you could cancel the bike tour for tomorrow. I’m sorry. I was really looking forward to it.”

  “Yeah, I was, too,” he said. “But that can be rescheduled. You need to be with your family now, Ali.”

  Ali’s heart surged. She didn’t have much family, and she hadn’t had a great childhoo
d, but she loved her mother, even with her flaws. And she knew that she needed to be by Justine’s side now. “I hope to be back by Monday.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I can manage at the office without you for a few days,” he said, and then added, “barely. Take the time you need.”

  Ali smiled for the first time since she’d seen that newscast on television tonight, and her mood lightened a bit. “Thank you, Joe.”

  “Have a good flight. I’ll see you when you get back.”

  “Okay.”

  Ali hung up the phone, and her good mood immediately vanished. Oh, how she wished Joe were here, lending comfort and holding her, telling her it was going to be all right. How she longed to hear him say he loved her. The bike tour would have been a means for them to get closer, to spend time together outside of work.

  Then a distressing thought struck. Could this be an omen of some kind? Maybe the deception and her plans to entice Joe into noticing her were backfiring. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. After all, she was forcing every situation with Joe, and that’s not how she normally operated.

  Ali shoved those plaguing thoughts aside when she boarded the plane. She dozed during the flight, and before she knew it, she had arrived in West Palm Beach.

  At precisely 9:00 a.m. Ali walked into the hospital, eager now to see her mother and praying that Harold had held on during the night.

  “Ali!” Her mother dashed across the waiting room when she spotted her, tears flowing down her cheeks. Ali feared the worst.

  When her mother reached her, she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I am, too, Mom. How’s Harold?”

  Justine began crying again, and Ali walked her over to a bench seat and guided her down. Ali sat next to her and offered her a tissue. “He’s holding on. I’m to blame for this. His heart attack is all my fault, Ali.”

  Ali’s mother broke down, crying so hard, Ali had to hold her as if she were a baby. She cradled her in her arms and held her, rocking her back and forth. “No, Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s not.”

  “We were always arguing,” she said between sobs. “I wouldn’t give in.”

  “But that means he wouldn’t give in either, right?”

  “Right, but what if I caused this? What if…he dies? Oh, Ali. I couldn’t live with myself.”

  Now was not the time for blame, and Ali understood that. “Let’s hope he survives this, Mom. Then you both will have to change your ways. But let’s not think about that. Let’s focus our energy on Harold getting better.”

  “I just wanted him to slow down,” her mother said quietly, her voice drifting. “We’re not getting any younger, and I wanted him to stop working so much. He needed a vacation. We both did. It was the best advice, Ali. I finally got him to go on that cruise and we were having—” she stopped to take a breath and dab at her eyes with the tissue “—we were having such a lovely time. We hadn’t argued once on the yacht. Then all of a sudden, he collapsed, right there on the deck, and I thought he’d died.”

  “You got him help quickly. The senator might have saved his life.”

  Justine looked at her with soulful eyes. “I’ve been praying so hard for him, Ali. Lord, I love him so much.”

  Ali had never seen her mother react this way. Justine had always been indulged. Her husbands had spoiled her, and she’d relished their attention and gifts. In some ways, her mother had been selfish and self-indulgent.

  But Justine Holcomb was a different woman now. Ali saw the truth in her eyes and heard the sincerity in her tone. Her mother had finally and fully fallen in love.

  Ali’s heart ached thinking her mom might lose Harold now, after she’d found the right man to share her life with. It had taken her five tries to do it and all those years of searching. Ali was convinced that her mother would fall apart if she lost her husband.

  Though Ali would never want to walk in her shoes, she believed her mother was ultimately a good person. She refused to believe any of the hushed rumors that Justine was a gold digger.

  She shuddered at the thought. It was such an ugly label.

  “Mom, let’s go grab a cup of coffee. I’m operating on a few hours’ sleep.”

  Her mom nodded and they rose, Justine taking one quick look at the critical care room where Harold rested.

  “C’mon, Mom. He’s not alone. And I bet you’ve been in there all night with him. Let’s get you some breakfast.”

  On Saturday, Joe rose early and swam his usual one hundred laps in the pool. He ate a breakfast of cooked oats, toast, eggs and orange juice on the patio then showered and dressed. Glancing at his watch, seeing the time approach when he would have been picking up Ali for their bike tour, disappointment registered.

  He admitted how much he’d been looking forward to spending the day with her. He wondered how she was faring, taking the red-eye and flying across the continent in the middle of the night, not knowing what she’d find when she arrived. He realized he didn’t really know much about Ali’s family life. He’d never asked. Had she been close to her stepfather? How would she handle it if the worst happened?

  Joe hoped, for Ali’s sake, that she wouldn’t have to deal with any loss. Having lost his mother and father, he knew firsthand about grieving and heartache.

  He didn’t want Ali to go through that alone.

  Joe drove to the office and finished up some work he’d had to do. “Busy work,” he muttered, staring at his computer screen after he’d accomplished his goal in thirty minutes.

  He felt at loose ends today with thoughts of Ali never far from his mind. But Joe was resolute, if anything. His vow to keep his distance and not get involved with her was imperative to his sense of well-being. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He’d glanced at the phone a half dozen times since walking into his office, tempted to call her.

  But wouldn’t she read something more into that than he intended?

  When his phone rang, Joe’s heart sped up. He grabbed his iPhone and quickly saw Tony’s image pop up on the screen. He felt a measure of disappointment and almost laughed aloud at how ridiculous that was. Had he really thought Ali would call him? She’d barely been gone twelve hours.

  “Grapes to grow,” he answered.

  Tony chuckled. “Wine to flow.”

  And Nick’s line was always “Cash to blow.” Typical of Nick, Joe thought. He shook his head. “I don’t know why I said that.”

  “It’s been years. Reminds me of high school.”

  “Yeah, the old man didn’t appreciate our little jingle,” Joe mused.

  “He was more bark than bite. I’d catch him with a grin, when he thought I couldn’t see him.”

  Joe surmised that people tended to remember the good about a person after they were gone, choosing to forget the bad.

  “I thought I’d be speaking into your voice mail. Rena said you had a hot date with Ali today.”

  “Nothing hot about it, Tony. Unless you call a bike tour around Napa a big deal. Ali had an emergency last night. She flew to Florida.”

  “What kind of emergency?”

  “Her stepfather had a heart attack.”

  “That’s rough. How’s he doing today?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her.”

  “You haven’t called her?”

  Joe inhaled sharply. “No.”

  Tony was silent for a few seconds. “Okay. So what are you doing today? Don’t tell me you’re at the office.”

  “Okay, I won’t.”

  “Joe, you can’t spend all your time there. Give yourself a break.”

  “Just clearing up some last-minute things.” Joe didn’t know why he had to defend his efficiency, yet both of his brothers taunted him about it, until they needed his help with something. Then, they praised his abilities and work ethic.

  “Rena and I are coming into town for lunch. Why don’t you join us?”

  “Yes, join us,” he heard Rena
call into the phone.

  “There,” Tony said. “You can’t very well refuse a pregnant lady.”

  “Well, in that case, sure. I’ll have lunch with you.”

  “My wife’s got a craving for Italian food. Meet us in a half hour at the Cordial Contessa,” Tony said.

  “I’ll be there,” he said.

  Thirty minutes later, Joe strode into the quiet, dimly lit restaurant and found his brother nuzzling Rena’s neck at a table set for three. “Maybe I should bow out gracefully and let you two get a room.”

  Rena chuckled and lifted her arms up in welcome. “Come here, Joe, and give your sister-in-law a hug.”

  After giving her a gentle embrace, he kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you, Rena.” Then he turned to shake Tony’s hand.

  “I’m glad we dragged you outta that pit,” his brother teased.

  “You mean, the pit with state-of-the-art technology that keeps a roof over all of our heads?”

  “The very one,” Tony replied. “What brought you into the office today?”

  “I’m finishing up a weekly accounting, that’s all. Crunching numbers.”

  “What else is new.” Tony looked at Rena and winked. “You need to get a life, Joe.”

  “I have a life. A good life. And I’m trying to keep it that way.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I’ve been following current buying trends and working up graphs. Even in today’s lackluster economy, people are still drinking wine—to drown out their troubles, maybe. But sales are holding strong.”

  “That is good news,” Rena said. “I’m happy to say that Purple Fields is holding its own, too.” Rena glanced at the menu. “I’m famished. It all looks so good. Today, I’m going to eat for two and not feel guilty about it.”

  They gave their orders to the waiter, and the meal was delivered shortly after. They sat in silence for the most part, gobbling down their meals. The veal scallopini was the best Joe had ever had.

  “Mmm,” Rena said after finishing off her meal. She leaned back and patted her stomach. “So good.”

  “My pasta primavera was perfect,” Tony said. “This place is giving Alberto’s a run for the money.”