“I was going to ask you about that.” Shell turned her attention to the oil painting. “That’s incredible.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Kristen turned in her swivel chair so she could admire it too. “She’s so talented.”

  “So Matt’s blue blood,” Shell said, raising an eyebrow. “Nicely done, Miss Beck.”

  “I couldn’t care less about that,” Kristen said. “Matt feels the same way. He’s never been interested in cashing in on his family’s name. He wanted to make it on his own, and he has.”

  Shell studied Kristen carefully. “It sounds like things are getting serious.”

  Kristen felt the urge to squirm but knew that would only make her look uneasy. She had no reason to feel awkward about her relationship with Matt. They were single, consenting adults. What happened, or didn’t happen, between them was their business and no one else’s. “They may be. Only time will tell, I guess.” Straightening a file containing notes and the contract the Bradburys had signed, Kristen said, “Now, my friend, we need to get down to work.”

  Chapter Ten

  Matt hung up the phone after a brief conversation with his mother and then dialed Kristen. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said as soon as she picked up. “You snuck out on me this morning.” They’d spent last night at his place for the third night that week, and he could get used to having her there when he woke up. Hell, he wouldn’t mind if she became a permanent fixture.

  “Sorry about that,” she said. “I told you I had an early meeting.”

  “Yeah, but you could have waited until I got out of the shower.” He kicked his feet up on his desk and loosened his tie. He didn’t know what it was about the silky smoothness of her voice that made him want to shed all of his clothes.

  “I knew if I did, you’d have tried to lure me back to bed,” she said, laughing.

  “Would I have been successful?” He grinned. If anyone walked into his office, they’d think he was a lovesick fool, but he was coming to terms with his lot in life. Less than a month into their relationship, and Kristen Beck already had him right where he hoped she wanted him: crazy in love with her.

  “You know you would have. That’s why I couldn’t take the chance.”

  “You’re no fun,” he said, pouting.

  “Hmmm, that’s not what you said last night.”

  He groaned. “Stop, I still have to get through the rest of the day, and that visual sure as hell won’t make it easy.”

  “Works both ways.”

  “Listen, my mother just called. She wanted to know if we could come by for dinner tonight.” A long pause prompted him to ask, “You don’t have anything on the schedule tonight, do you?”

  “Uh, no.”

  He could tell she wasn’t thrilled with the idea, though he couldn’t say why. She’d been working with his mother to plan the party, and Nancy couldn’t sing Kristen’s praises enough. “Is there a problem?”

  “Who’s going to be there?”

  “Just my father and brother. Why?” Kristen was a people person, so why did the prospect of meeting his family intimidate her? Unless… she saw it as a sign they were taking their relationship to a level she wasn’t ready for?

  “I just… uh…”

  “Spit it out, Kris.”

  Matt was being short with her, but he couldn’t help it. He was ready to take out a front page ad letting the world know he was in love with an incredible woman, yet she was hesitant about meeting two of the most important people in his life. Okay, one of the most important. The jury was still out on his kid brother.

  “I don’t know if we’re ready for this.”

  So he was right to be concerned. She was questioning their relationship. Damn. Putting his feet down and pushing away from the desk, he jumped up and paced. “You mind telling me why you’re having these doubts? I thought things were going great.”

  “They are,” she said quickly. “But in my experience, things often go downhill after meeting the family. Expectations build, and pressure mounts…” She sighed. “I think we’re in a good place right now. I don’t want to risk ruining that by rushing it.”

  She sounded logical and he may have backed off if not for the fact that she was tossing him into the same category as the loser who broke her heart. “Is that what happened with Robert?” He barely got the words out between clenched teeth. “You met his family, and he started pressuring you for a commitment you weren’t ready to make?” When she didn’t answer, he knew he hit his mark. “You honestly think I’ll do the same?”

  “No, but—”

  “Listen, I just got out of a lousy marriage. I sure as hell have no interest in making that mistake again.” He knew he was speaking from disappointment and hurt feelings. He did want to get married again someday, and he couldn’t think of a better candidate than Kristen.

  “Really?” she asked, sounding annoyed. “Then why are we wasting each other’s time if we don’t have a future together? Is this all fun and games to you?”

  He’d walked right into that one. “Of course not.”

  “But that’s what you said, isn’t it? You don’t intend to make the mistake of getting married again?”

  “Someday, maybe someday.” He stilled his heavy footsteps. He looked at the framed photo of her on his credenza. “I’m in love with you.” It wasn’t the first time he’d said it, but he’d never said it with more conviction. No way was he going to mess things up.

  She hesitated. “I love you too.”

  “Then what the hell are we arguing about? Let’s just go to dinner and have a good time. It doesn’t have to mean anything. My mother’s a great cook. We’ll have a nice meal, good conversation, a few laughs, and then we’ll go back to my place and…” He didn’t have to fill in the blanks. They knew exactly what they would be doing when they went back to his place. “Sound like a plan?”

  Matt didn’t want to push her into something she wasn’t ready for, but it was important to him to introduce Kristen to the man he most admired. The only girl he’d ever wanted to bring home more was the younger version of Kristen who stole his heart at a table in a crowded library. Fate was giving him a second chance since he was finally the man he’d always wanted to be.

  “What time do you want to pick me up?”

  She didn’t sound enthusiastic, but at least she’d agreed to go. That would have to be enough to satisfy Matt. “Six o’clock work for you?”

  “I’ll make it work.”

  “Thanks, Kris,” he said gently, hoping to undo some of the damage from earlier. “This means a lot to me.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fun. Like you said, no pressure. Just a nice dinner with your family.”

  He knew she wasn’t convinced, but at least she was making the effort for him. That had to count for something. “Bye, baby.”

  “See you at six.”

  ***

  Six o’clock came too soon for Kristen, but she couldn’t back out without doing irreparable damage to her relationship with Matt. As fearful as she was about moving too fast and ruining everything, she was more troubled by the prospect of losing him because she wasn’t willing to meet him halfway.

  She looked at her reflection in her full-length bedroom mirror with a critical eye. If Nancy was any indication, Matt’s family wouldn’t be formal or stuffy, so she’d opted for black jeans, silver ballerina flats, and a black cotton cowl-neck tank top. She grabbed a lightweight pink and black sweater from the closet, just in case the evening air was brisk when they left the house or the Hudsons opted to eat outside.

  Kristen had texted Matt before she left the office to let him know he could pick her up at home. She’d wanted to change out of her work clothes and pick up a bouquet of flowers for the hostess. She thought of a bottle of wine, but Nancy seemed like the kind of woman who would appreciate a colorful array of fresh blooms more. She’d picked the ones she was drawn to, a mix of brightly colored roses in a heavily patterned squat vase. She figured the expensive gesture was the least she could do to thank Nancy for all of her help.

  As Matt had promised, his mom was the ideal person to help her plan High Rollers’ anniversary party. She was creative and fun, and her instincts about what Matt and his partners would want were always spot on. Kristen couldn’t have pulled the event off without her, especially with her packed schedule and an assistant who’d been M.I.A for weeks.

  Kristen suspected Shell hadn’t met anyone to help fill the long and lonely days in Florida and had gotten tired of shopping, tanning, and trips to the spa. No matter what brought her home, Kristen was grateful. Shell loved to attend their events, which freed Kristen up to spend her evenings with Matt. She might even think about giving Shell a raise if it meant she was free to spend more time with Matt. As much as she’d never wanted to be dependent on a man, she couldn’t deny that Matt was becoming an addiction she wasn’t sure she could live without.

  She must have been frowning when she opened the door because Matt’s smile fell.

  He asked, “Hey, what’s wrong?” before reaching for her.

  “Nothing.” She plastered on a smile. “I was just thinking about something else. Sorry.” She tipped her head up to receive his delicious kiss, and before long, her mind was somewhere else entirely… like wondering how long it would take to drag him into her bedroom.

  “That’s more like it.” His hands roamed her body as though he had the right. Which of course he did.

  “Hmmm…” She let her head fall to one side as he explored her neck with his tongue, zeroing in on the spot that reduced her to Silly Putty. “Keep that up, and you’ll have to call your mother and tell her we’ll be late.” Not that she would mind. Letting Matt finish what he’d started would definitely be worth the embarrassment of showing up fashionably late.

  Chuckling, he said, “As much as I’d love to, I’m not interested in a quickie. I’d much rather finish this later, when we have all the time in the world.”

  Kristen couldn’t argue with his reasoning, but it irked her that he left her all hot and bothered. That must have showed on her face because he had the gall to grin when he caught a glimpse of her expression.

  “Don’t worry, beautiful. I promise to make the wait worth it.”

  “You better,” she said, snagging her keys from the hall table. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before I change my mind and decide to hold you hostage in my bedroom instead.”

  He laughed, slipped an arm around her waist, and pulled her back against him. “Don’t think you’re the only one suffering, lady. Getting through this dinner will be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a hell of a long time.”

  ***

  Matt watched Kristen charm his father and brother the same way she had Nancy. They were all clearly smitten with her, just as he knew they would be. His father talked to her about golf, telling her more than she probably ever wanted to know about the game. Matt had to give her credit for listening intently and pretending to be fascinated by his story about scoring a hole in one at a charity tournament last year.

  “So, Kristen, Ma tells me you’re an event planner,” Paul said, sipping his merlot. He watched his older brother intently before zeroing in on Kristen. “That must be fun.”

  Matt knew Paul was trying to get a rise out of him by flirting with Kristen. He’d been doing it all night, but surprisingly, it hadn’t bothered Matt a bit. Kristen would never be interested in Paul, a man who was content to live off his trust fund instead of developing his own identity.

  “It can be,” Kristen said, nursing her second glass of wine. “It can also be a lot of hard work, and very stressful, depending on the client.” Patting Matt’s thigh under the table, she smiled at him, probably to let him know that she was immune to his brother. “I just wish everyone was as easy to work with as Matt.”

  Rolling his eyes, Paul said, “Yeah, my big brother, the saint.”

  Paul resented Matt’s success, his large circle of real friends, I.Q., education, business acumen… The list went on, but Matt couldn’t feel sorry for a guy who’d been given the same opportunities he had and squandered every one. Paul surrounded himself with people as shallow as he was. Women dated him for his money and the flashy cars that seemed interchangeable. Matt didn’t know if his brother had ever been in love because Paul was too insecure to confide in him or admit to anyone, especially his rival, that he had no direction or purpose in his life.

  “I don’t know that I’d call him a saint.” Kristen laughed to ease the tension that had fallen like a blanket over the table. “He has his moments, just like the rest of us. But I’m sure you all know that.”

  Matt admired Kristen for trying to diffuse the situation, but he would love nothing more than to put Paul in his place, once and for all.

  “Yeah, Matt puts on a real good show when he’s trying to impress someone.” Paul smirked. “But those of us who’ve known him his whole life know the real story behind one of the city’s most eligible bachelors. Isn’t that right, Matt?”

  Matt knew what his brother was getting at: his relationship with Robin. That was the last thing he wanted to discuss, but he couldn’t trust Paul to let it go. Tossing his napkin on the table, Matt stood. “I’d like a word with you outside, little brother. Excuse us.” He tossed an apologetic look Kristen’s way. “This won’t take long.”

  “But I was just about to bring out the coffee,” Nancy said, darting a glance at her husband. She clearly wanted him to try to stop his sons from going at it yet again. “I made your favorite for dessert, Matthew.” She narrowed her eyes at him to let him know she wasn’t pleased. As if her use of his full name wasn’t enough to tip him off. “Surely you and your brother could have this conversation some other time.”

  “No, I think Matt’s right, Ma.” Paul tossed his napkin on the table as he stood. “It’s time for us to clear the air.”

  “Need I remind y’all that we have company?” Hunter asked, staring down both of his sons.

  “This won’t take long,” Matt repeated, ignoring his parents’ subtle warnings not to let their little chat get out of hand. It wouldn’t be the first time he and his brother had come to blows, but Matt wouldn’t disrespect Kristen by showing her just how dysfunctional his relationship with Paul was.

  Paul followed Matt through the kitchen and out to the patio. They walked in silence to the pool area where they knew they would have a little privacy.

  Matt said, “What the hell was that in there?”

  “What?” he asked, lifting his hands, palms up.

  “Don’t act innocent with me. You start off flirting with her. When that didn’t work, you thought you could make me look bad by bringing up that mess with Robin.” Matt paced. If he didn’t work out some of his frustration, his brother just might end up sputtering and cursing as he made his way out of the deep end.

  “I didn’t say a word about your wife.”

  “Ex-wife,” Matt reminded him sharply. “Robin is my ex-wife.”

  “Whatever. I didn’t even mention her.”

  “But you were going to.”

  A slow smile spread across Paul’s face. “No, I wasn’t.” Paul stroked his chin as he said, “But when you thought I was going to go there, you couldn’t get me out of the house fast enough. That leads me to believe you’re keeping secrets from your new girlfriend.” When Matt muttered a curse, Paul’s grin widened. “So I’m right. You haven’t told her the whole story. Why is that?”

  Because he feared Kristen would convict him without even trying to understand his side of the story. Eventually he would have to tell her what ended his marriage, but he wanted them to be on firmer ground, to be more invested in their relationship. He wouldn’t mind seeing his ring on her finger before he filled her in on the whole sordid mess. His past was the past. It had no bearing on the way he felt about her or their future, but he had a feeling Kristen wouldn’t see it that way.

  “Let’s just say it’s too soon.” Matt hoped Paul would back off if he told him the truth. “Look, I really care about this girl. She’s important to me, and I don’t want to blow it by scaring her off with—”

  “The truth?”

  Matt had never confided in his brother what happened the night he asked Robin for a divorce, but his ex-wife hadn’t been shy about sharing the whole story with anyone who would listen. Matt had always suspected the two had a relationship that crossed the line, but he couldn’t prove it and didn’t even care enough to try anymore.

  “Are you talking about Robin’s version of the truth or mine?” Matt gave him a level stare. “Because they’re very different.” Paul had never even cared enough to ask Matt about what happened. He took Robin’s word.

  “I wouldn’t expect you to own up to what you did.” Paul glared at him with a lifetime of jealousy and contempt in his eyes. “You’d never admit to being at fault. You’re perfect. The guy who never makes mistakes.”

  “I’ve made plenty of mistakes. Starting with Robin.”

  “Hell, you two were perfect for each other.”

  Paul’s powerful legs were planted wide apart, as though he was poised to strike. But Matt wasn’t worried. He would be ready for him. “How so?”

  “She was a shallow, selfish bitch, and you’ve always thought you were the center of the whole goddamn universe.” His voice rose with his sweeping arm gesture. “You’re the one everyone thought would do great things, the one granddaddy wanted to take over the company. He never even asked me. I guess he didn’t think I could handle it. Boy Genius was the only one smart enough to fill his big ol’ shoes.”

  “Don’t blame me because your life hasn’t turned out the way you wanted it to, little brother.” Matt wasn’t the type to rub salt in someone’s wounds, but Paul’s “poor me” routine was getting old.

  “Like I ever had a chance, having to walk in your shadow.”

  The hatred in Paul’s eyes hurt more than Matt thought it would. He’d chalked it up to sibling rivalry and petty jealousy, but he saw it was more than that. Paul resented the life Matt had built for himself, even more so because he had an incredible woman to share it with.