Barbara Dunlop - Seduction And The Ceo

“Nothing. It’s crap.”

“She’s a bad writer?”

“No. She’s a fine writer. But she held back. She had a ton of stuff on me.” He flipped through the pages again. “She didn’t use any of it.”

“Then why did she try to pull it?”

“I asked her,” Jared admitted, flashing back to that moment, remembering her expression, remembering the emotional body slam of seeing her again, his desire to attack Seth and to chase after Melissa.

“Bro?” Royce prompted.

Jared cleared his throat. “She said it was the same reason Gramps did what he did.”

Royce’s hand came down on the steering wheel. “All this, and the woman’s talking in riddles?”

Jared rolled it over in his mind. “Why did Gramps do what he did?”

“To protect Dad.”

“Why?”

“Because he was his son.”

“And…”

The brothers looked at each other, sharing an instant of comprehension. Gramps had protected Jared’s father because he loved him.

“Holy crap,” said Royce.

“ Not what I needed to know,” said Jared.

“Do you care?” Royce pressed.

Jared swore out loud. “She lied to me. She duped me. She invaded the hell out of my privacy.” He slammed the pages onto his lap.

“Yet you love her, anyway,” Royce guessed.

Jared clamped his jaw shut. Did he love Melissa? How could he love an illusion? He didn’t even know which parts were her and which were the lie.

“And she loves you,” Royce continued. He slowed for a stoplight, gearing the car down.

“I need a drink.”

The woman was a damn fine illusion. If even half of what he’d seen of her was real, it might be enough. Hell, it would be enough.

“What are you going to do?”

“Drink,” said Jared.

Royce laughed. “Since you’re not denying it and since you’re even considering her, I’d say you absolutely need a drink. You’ve got it very bad, big brother.”

“Why her? ”

“It doesn’t matter why her. It’s done.”

“Nothing’s done.” Jared certainly hadn’t made any decisions. He was barely wrapping his head around falling for Melissa.

“You forget, I watched you watch her,” said Royce. “You were never letting her go to Seattle.”

“She never was going to Seattle. It was all a lie.”

Royce shook his head and laughed. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Then he spun the steering wheel, yanked the hand brake and pivoted the car in a sharp u-turn.

“What are you doing?” Jared stabilized himself with the armrest.

“You do need a drink.” Royce screeched to a stop in front of the Hilliard House tavern’s valet parking. “If only to come to terms with the rest of your life.”

Melissa should have realized her brother Caleb would call in reinforcements. She’d found herself at his house Saturday morning, looking for emotional support. Caleb was the most sympathetic of her brothers, and she’d really needed a shoulder to cry on.

Within an hour, Ben and Sheila had arrived, their baby and two-year-old in tow. Then Eddy showed up, without the new girlfriend, demonstrating how seriously he was taking the situation. He was quick to envelop Melissa in a protective hug, and she had to battle a fresh round of tears.

Soon all her siblings and her nieces and nephews filled Caleb’s big house with love and support. The jumble of their conversations and chaos of the children provided a buffer between Melissa and her raw emotions.

She’d told herself she couldn’t be in love with Jared. Maybe it was infatuation. Maybe it was lust. She hadn’t known him long enough for it to be real love.

But then she’d remember his voice, his smile, his jokes, his passion and the way she’d felt in his arms. What if it was real love? How was she going to get over it?

She swallowed, smiling as one of her nephews handed her a sticky wooden block, forcing her thoughts to the present.

The doors and windows of Caleb’s house were wide open to the afternoon breeze. Some of her brothers were shooting hoops in the driveway while Adam cranked up the grill on the back deck and distributed bottles of imported beer. His wife, Renee, was calling out orders from the kitchen.

Melissa and her sister-in-law Sheila were corralling toddlers on the living-room floor, amid a jumble of blocks, action figures and miniature cars.

“Mellie?” Caleb’s voice interrupted the game.

Melissa glanced up.

Her brother’s brow was furrowed with concern, and she quickly saw the reason why.

Jared stood in the foyer, his suit and tie contrasting with the casual T-shirt and jeans Caleb wore.

She scrambled to her feet, drinking in his appearance, wishing she wasn’t so pathetically glad to see him as she crammed her messy hair behind her ears. She hoped her eyes weren’t red. She hoped he couldn’t read how lonely she’d been the past few days. She’d fallen asleep each night with his image in her mind, longing to feel his strong arms wrapped around her.

She’d second-guessed herself a million times. What if she’d come clean right off? What if she’d told him who she was? Maybe he’d have thrown her off the ranch. But maybe he’d have given her an interview. And maybe, just maybe, they’d have had a chance to get to know each other without a lie between them.

She’d tried not to love him. She really had. But it was a hopeless proposition. And seeing him again told her that she’d be weeks, months, maybe even years getting over her feelings.

She heard a rustle from the kitchen and turned to see the rest of her brothers file in. They moved behind her, and Caleb joined them. As if it was choreographed, their muscular arms crossed over their chests and they pinned their gazes on Jared.

To his credit, Jared looked levelly back. “I see you didn’t lie about your brothers.”

The five Warner men straightened their spines and squared their shoulders. The toddlers’ coos and burbles were at odds with the tension in the room.

“How did you find me?” Melissa managed to ask, searching Jared’s expression, trying to figure out what reason he could possibly have for tracking her down. Had he somehow read an advance copy of the article? Had he hated it? Did he want her to change it?

“Your personnel file,” Jared surprised her by answering. “Caleb is your emergency contact.”

“How did you-”

“You’re not fired, Melissa.” He took a step forward. “I want you to know that up front.”

She felt her brothers close ranks behind her.

“Oh, yes, I am,” she responded, struggling to keep her voice from shaking. Seth had been crystal clear on that point.

Jared shook his head. “Ryder International bought Windy City Bizz. Nobody is firing you for anything.”

Melissa peered at him, trying to make sense of his words.

“It was the best way I could think of to kill the story,” he explained.

The babies played on in the background, while Renee and Sheila moved in beside their husbands.

Melissa subconsciously moved closer to Jared. “You bought the Bizz? ”

“Yes.”

That was insane.

“You paid, what? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep my story out of the press?”

“I hadn’t read the story when I bought the magazine.” He offered a wry half smile. “Had I known it was so innocuous…”

“I did try to tell you,” she pointed out.

“I know.” His expression softened, and he moved closer still. “But you knew…” He glanced around at her family members, then peered at her to make sure she understood his code. “You know?”

She did, and she nodded. “I never would have used it.”

“You lied. And I couldn’t tell-”