Maureen Child - Seductive Revenge

She’d let herself believe that the partnership she felt with him at work could extend to the personal, too. But even when they were alone together, at their most intimate, Isabelle had felt Wes pulling back. And the harder she tried to reach him, the more elusive he became. Finally, she’d had to realize that he wouldn’t change. Would never be able to love her as she loved him and that waiting and hoping would slowly wear her heart away like waves against rock, until there was nothing left.

Now, he was back. Pushing himself into her life whether she liked it or not. Refusing to go away. It seemed, she thought, that Wes would always do the opposite of what she wanted him to.

All around her, the sidewalk and parking lot was alive with people. Parents soothing toddlers, folks starting cars, rushing off to the rest of their days. But all she could see was Wes.

She headed toward him. “What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to see her school.” He pushed away from what was probably a rental. “Wanted to see you.”

Just five years ago, those words would have turned her heart inside out. Now, she was worried. Why did he want to see her? Before she could find out, someone called her name.

“Isabelle!” She turned and smiled tightly at the woman hurrying toward her.

“Hi, Kim. What’s up?” From the corner of her eye, Isabelle saw Wes approaching. Kim’s reaction was instantaneous and completely predictable. The woman’s eyes widened in appreciation, and a soft, speculative curve lifted her mouth.

Typical.

“What can I do for you?” Isabelle asked, drawing the woman’s attention back to her.

“Oh. Right.” She smiled at Wes again as he walked up to stand beside Isabelle. “Sorry. I just wanted to remind you that you volunteered to provide refreshments for the girls’ dance recital next week.”

“Sure. Thanks for the reminder,” Isabelle said, “I’ve been so…busy, I’d forgotten.”

“I don’t blame you for being…busy,” Kim said, shifting her gaze to Wes again. “Hello. I’m Kim Roberts.”

He took her hand in his. “Wes Jackson.”

She never took her eyes from his as she said, “Isabelle, you’ve been keeping this gorgeous man all to yourself? Selfish.”

Kim was doing everything but drooling, and Isabelle had to squelch a flash of irritation. Just like the old days, she told herself. Even when Isabelle was standing right beside him, women would coo and practically purr at him, completely ignoring Isabelle’s presence.

“Wes is an old…friend of mine from Texas,” she said and scowled when he smiled at her explanation. “He’s here visiting.”

“Well,” Kim said, her smile brightening enough that she looked like an actress in a toothpaste commercial, “maybe we could get together while you’re in town. I’d love to show you around.”

“Thanks,” Wes said, “but I think Isabelle’s got that covered.” He turned his back on Kim and asked Isabelle, “Are you ready to go?”

“What? Oh. Yes.” Surprised that he had turned down Kim’s oh-so-generous offer, Isabelle looked up at him and wondered, not for the first time, what he was thinking. He tugged at her arm and she’d actually started walking with him until she realized he was escorting her to his car. Then she stopped. “My car’s here.”

“We’ll come back for it later.” He helped her into the oversize Suburban, then closed the door.

Kim was staring after them, a look of shock on her features. It had probably been years since a man had shown such a lack of interest in her. Sadly, Isabelle knew that Kim would only react to his response as a challenge. She liked Kim, but the woman was always on the prowl for her next ex-husband.

“She’s interested in you, you know,” Isabelle said as Wes drove through the parking lot and out onto the street.

He snorted. “That type’s interested in everything male.”

“That was rude,” Isabelle muttered. “True, but rude. Anyway, where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” he said, aiming the car for Main Street. “Why don’t you tell me? What do you usually do after dropping Caroline at school?”

Frowning, she half turned in her seat to look at him. Even his profile looked hard, implacable. Why was it she liked that about him even as it drove her crazy? Okay, fine, he was here to see Caroline. But why was he spending time with her? “What’s this about, Wes? Do you plan to just follow me around town?”

He shrugged. “Would you rather we go back to your place and talk?”

“No.” Being alone with him wasn’t a good idea. Even knowing better, she might be tempted to—nope.

“There you go. So where are we headed?”

She sighed. The man was nothing if not determined. Rather than argue with him, she surrendered. “Business supply store,” she said. “I need a new laser printer and some other supplies.”

One eyebrow winged up. “Still working? What do you do now?”

“What I always did. I design toys, only now I freelance,” she said, turning her face to look out the window at Swan Hollow as it flashed past.

“For who?”

She thought about not telling him, but the minute she considered it, she let it go. The man could find out the truth easily enough if he did a little digging online. So really, it was pointless to try to keep it a secret even though she didn’t love the idea of allowing him even deeper into her life.

“Myself,” she said, keeping her gaze focused out the side window so she didn’t have to look at him.

“Right,” he said wryly, “because rich people can work, too.”

She whipped her head around to glare at him. “Why is it when you have your own company that’s okay, but when I do, I’m a rich dilettante just killing time?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” She took a breath and let it out again. “Besides, my life is not your business.”

“If that life concerns Caro, then you’re wrong. It is.”

“Where is this coming from?” She squirmed in her seat and wished she were on her feet so she could pace off the nervous energy pulsing inside her. “You never wanted kids, so why are you so fixated on involving yourself with Caro?”

“Because she’s mine,” he said and stepped on the brake for a red light. Turning to meet her eyes, he said, “I protect what’s mine.”

“So it’s just a pride thing?” she asked, trying to read his features, his eyes, hoping she’d see something that would reassure her. That would let her know they’d find a way to work all this out. But as usual, Wes hid what he was thinking, feeling, locking it all down behind an impenetrable wall.

“You hid my daughter from me, Belle. That’s not a pride thing, that’s a damn fact.”

His eyes flashed, a muscle in his jaw flexed and his hands fisted on the steering wheel. Staring into those intense eyes of his, Isabelle knew that he would be a formidable enemy. But was that really what they’d come to? Were they so obviously on opposite sides of this one issue that there would be no way to reach some kind of accord?

He couldn’t use his money against her, because she had plenty of her own. But she couldn’t use hers against him for the same reason—there, at least, they were on equal ground.

But what would a court say, she suddenly wondered. If he got a lawyer and sued for custody, would the judge punish her for keeping Caroline from him for years? Would he order her daughter turned over to her father? A way to make up to him for all the time he’d lost with Caro? God, that thought opened up a hole inside her.

“I did what I thought was the best thing for me,” she said softly. “For Caroline.”

“Well,” he snapped as the light turned green and he stepped on the gas again, “you were wrong.”