“Good morning, Ms. Avery. This is Justin Cartwright. I have an appointment with Mr. Gray this afternoon at three.”

  “Yes.”

  “I apologize for the short notice, but I had to leave town last night for a family emergency. My mother has been hospitalized. Is it possible for me to reschedule?”

  “Certainly, Mr. Cartwright. Hold on just one moment while I check the schedule. I have an availability next Tuesday at eleven or Friday at ten.”

  “I’d like the Friday appointment, please.” That would give him time to make sure his mother was home and on the mend.

  “I’ll make sure to let Mr. Gray know about the change. I hope everything turns out well.”

  “Thank you.” He ended the call and pocketed the phone. He had to get this system finished.

  When he returned, his father was awake. He gave him a rough hug. “How you doing, Dad?”

  “Back is stiff from trying to sleep in that thing,” he said, pointing to the chair, “but I’m fine.”

  “Justin, Jocelyn told me you were supposed to meet with a company today. Why did you cancel that appointment?”

  Justin shot Jocelyn a look. “Mom, the meeting can wait. I needed to be sure you’re okay.”

  She frowned. “Honey, you could have waited until after that meeting to come down here. Tell him, Jessie.”

  His dad raised his palms. “Now, Ruby, ain’t no use in trying to keep these kids away. You knew they would be down here the moment I called.” He placed a hand on Justin’s shoulder. “This isn’t going to ruin your chances with the company, is it?”

  “No, sir. I just got off the phone and rescheduled the appointment for next Friday. So don’t worry. I’ve already made the slides for the presentation, as well as a demonstration of the system.”

  “I know you’re going to do great,” his mother said. “I’m so proud of you, all of you.”

  Justin sensed she was about to get emotional. “Mom, you should probably get some rest. You want to go home sooner, right? I’ll take everybody to get some breakfast, and we’ll be back in a little while.”

  “Oh, okay. I am a little tired.” She yawned.

  He and his sisters kissed her and stood back to wait for their father.

  “I’m going to have Justin run me by the house to shower and change clothes. Don’t you give these nurses any problems while I’m gone.” His father placed a lingering kiss on his mother’s lips, and the two shared a look of genuine adoration.

  Although he was used to seeing his parents’ expressions of love, this time Justin’s thoughts went to Siobhan, shocking him and causing his heart rate to speed up. Love, as it pertained to him and a woman together, had never been used in the same sentence. Love? He sucked in a deep breath. He needed to slow down.

  “Justin? What’s wrong with you?”

  His dad’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Huh? What did you say, Dad?”

  “What’s the matter with you? You’re standing there spacing out with this weird look on your face.”

  “Nothing. You ready?” His father studied Justin for a long moment then headed to the door. Jocelyn and Yvonne smiled at Justin, and he pointed to the door.

  Instead of going to a restaurant, they went back to their parents’ house, where Jocelyn and Yvonne prepared breakfast. Fatigue caught up with all of them, and instead of going back to the hospital right away, they decided to take a nap.

  Justin woke up three hours later, and it took a second to remember where he was. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat for a few minutes to get his bearings. When his head cleared, he trekked to the kitchen for a glass of water. Not hearing anything, he assumed that no one else had awakened. He sat at the kitchen table and pulled out his phone to call Siobhan.

  “Hey, baby,” he said in response to her greeting.

  “How’s your mom?”

  “She’s okay. She’s had the flu for a couple of weeks and now has an ear infection. She said she got light-headed before passing out. They’re going to keep her for a day or two.”

  “I’m glad to hear it’s not something more serious.”

  “Me, too.”

  “How long are you planning to stay?”

  “I don’t know. Through the weekend for sure, but probably early next week.”

  “Oh. That long.”

  “Yeah.” He didn’t know how he was going to take being away from Siobhan for a week. Lately, it had been hard getting through two days without seeing her. “How’s your day going?” he asked to distract himself from the path his mind was heading down.

  “Not too bad.”

  “Glad to hear it. Well, I’d better go. We’re going back to the hospital. I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay. I’ll be thinking about you.”

  “I’ll be thinking about you, too, sweetheart.”

  How was he going to tell her that he needed some space, some time to focus on his work without distractions?

  * * *

  “Well?” Cynthia asked when Siobhan hung up the phone.

  Siobhan stared at her two friends across the table. “Justin’s mom has the flu and an ear infection.”

  “I’m not asking about that. You two seem quite serious.”

  “I didn’t plan for this to happen.”

  “Are you falling in love with him?” Kendra asked.

  “I think so,” she answered.

  “Don’t sound so sad about it, Siobhan. Falling in love is a beautiful thing. Just look at me and Cynthia or your parents.”

  “Yeah, but my judgment when it comes to men has been less than great.” Except for Justin.

  “Girl, that’s a bunch of bull. You had one really bad relationship. Granted, it was a doozy, but it was only one. I wasn’t going to say anything, but this has gone on for far too long.”

  “What do you mean, Kendra?”

  “Malcolm, Arthur...and don’t think we didn’t know about that guy in college. Everybody’s had something terrible happen or had their hearts broken, and they wallow in it for a while, then move on. But you’ve been punishing yourself for sixteen years for stuff that wasn’t your fault, and you think by controlling everything around you and working hard enough, it will somehow atone for some crazy perceived mistake. The only problem is, you didn’t mess up. You are not responsible for other people’s choices.”

  “Exactly,” Cynthia said. “And I know you’re already trying to find some lame excuse to break up with Justin.”

  “No, I’m not,” she argued.

  “Mmm-hmm. Okay, so have you told him your real name?”

  “No,” Siobhan confessed on a ragged sigh. “I was going to.”

  Kendra pinned her with an angry stare. “When? When you’re signing the marriage certificate and he just happens to glance over at your driver’s license?”

  “No. I’m going to tell him when he comes back.” She hadn’t planned to wait so long to disclose her identity. “Truthfully, I hadn’t expected to be in the relationship long enough for it to matter. Can we please just drop this and eat?”

  Cynthia’s gaze softened. “We don’t mean to upset you, but we haven’t seen you so relaxed and happy in years. Being with Justin is good for you.”

  Siobhan couldn’t deny that Justin brought out a side in her that she didn’t often reveal. With him, she never had to worry about tempering her speech or being on guard waiting for him to ask about her family’s business.

  Somehow she forced down the rest of her soup, promised to call her friends and went back to her office.

  While sitting, she closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to come home to Justin every night—to see his sexy smile, to hear him say he loved her, to taste his tender kisses, to feel him sliding in and out of her as he made love to her. But life never worked out like that for her.

  “Knock, knock.”

  Siobhan’s eyes snapped open. “Come in.”

  Morgan entered with a sullen expression and dropped down in the nearest chair. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Sure. What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “This case.” She threw up her hands. “I’ve seen some of the pictures, and it doesn’t look good.”

  “But you know things aren’t always how they look sometimes. Morgan, it’s only been a week.”

  “I know, but what if I lose? I don’t know why Daddy gave this case to me,” she grumbled. “There are two other lawyers who have years of experience, and he gives the hardest case in the company’s history to somebody who’s been out of law school two years.”

  “Obviously he believes you’re the best one for the job. You’re tenacious and confident, you don’t back down and you have a big heart. Maybe it’s the combination of all those things—being able to push hard when necessary, but also knowing when a soft touch is needed.”

  “I guess. But I don’t like losing.”

  Siobhan chuckled. “Who says you’re going to lose?”

  “You haven’t seen the reports and the pictures. They’re going to be saying all these terrible things about us.”

  “Morgan, you can’t worry about things you have no control over.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Siobhan went still. She sat up abruptly and smiled tensely. “Hang in there, sis. You’ll do fine. Dad did the same thing to Brandon and me. For some reason he has this baptism-by-fire thing going when it comes to us.”

  Morgan released a deep sigh. “At least I know now that I’m not the only one.”

  “Nope. Like I said before, you should think of this as your proving ground for when you get that first sports client. You’re going to have to face down some tough old men.”

  “Please, that’s no big deal. I know football.”

  She shook her head. “Ain’t that the truth.” Poor Malcolm had suffered with his sister’s sideline coaching from the first time he picked up a football at age eight, and it continued to this day. He was probably the only NFL player with a private coach. “Speaking of football, is Malcolm back from Belize?”

  “He’ll be back Monday.” Morgan stood. “Thanks for the pep talk. By the way, that’s some good advice. You know...not worrying about things you can’t control... Too bad you don’t listen to yourself.” She winked. “See you later.”

  Siobhan stared at the space Morgan had vacated. She was getting it from all sides today. Siobhan had tried to let go, but recalling her father teasingly saying before they left that day, Make sure Malcolm doesn’t try any of those daredevil tricks, and seeing her parents’ expressions after the accident, she couldn’t help but blame herself. And dealing with the drama that came with her relationships... Didn’t they understand life was so much easier when she set the rules and called the shots? Letting go meant opening up and possibly getting hurt, and with what she felt for Justin, this time would be worse. “I can’t do this right now,” she muttered.

  She flipped open a file, and for the next few hours, she maintained a steady work flow and responded to several media questions from the contact log they had set up.

  Hours later, she heard her cell chime, letting her know she’d missed a call. She groaned. Please don’t let this be somebody else wanting to tell me what to do. She snatched it up and pressed the button without looking at the display.

  “Hey, Siobhan. Still at the hospital and may not get home until late. Been thinking about us, and want to talk when I get back. Will try to call, but I have a big project to finish. Later, beautiful.”

  She’d been thinking about them and wanted to talk to him, too. He needed to know who she was. It would be up to him to decide whether to walk away.

  Chapter 16

  Justin shifted in his seat and adjusted the temperature. They had been on the road for three hours and still had a ways to go. “It is ten o’clock on a Tuesday night. Why are all these cars out?” His mother had come home on Friday, but Yvonne had to get back to work and left on Saturday. He’d stayed around to help his parents until he was sure his mother wouldn’t relapse.

  “Maybe they’re all workaholics like you,” Jocelyn joked.

  “Ha-ha.” As of late, he hadn’t worked enough. “Are you going to be able to catch up on your lectures?”

  “Yes. Alana took notes and emailed them to me already. I’m glad my first class isn’t until noon tomorrow. Otherwise I’d fall flat on my face.”

  “You can stay at the house tonight if you want. Actually, I’d feel better if you did. I don’t want you driving back to campus this late.”

  “I had planned to anyway. I don’t feel like driving.”

  It took another hour to make it home. Jocelyn said good-night and went straight to her room.

  Justin took a quick shower and drove over to Siobhan’s house. He’d originally intended to go tomorrow, but he had to talk to her tonight. He spent the entire ride rehearsing in his mind what he would say. He still wanted to see her, but needed a few weeks to complete his project. They could do an occasional dinner and he’d call, but their time together would be limited. A churning started in his stomach at that thought. He had missed her like crazy this past week and had contemplated at least twice driving back just to spend a few hours with her.

  The closer he got to her house, the more excited he became, and by the time he parked and walked up to her porch, his body vibrated with sexual tension.

  Justin took a couple of calming breaths and rang her doorbell.

  * * *

  Siobhan heard her doorbell, glanced over at the clock and frowned. It was almost midnight. Then her heart started to pound, and her mind conjured up all kinds of bad scenarios. She jumped off the bed, grabbed her robe off the chair and rushed toward the front. She flipped on the porch light, saw Justin and hurriedly opened the door. She took his hand. “Justin, come in. Is everything okay? Your mom... Is she all right?”

  Justin backed her into the house and shut the door. “She’s fine, but I’m not.” He crushed her against him and inhaled her startled gasp in a passionate kiss. He immediately tangled his tongue with hers, stripped off the robe, lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the nearest piece of furniture.

  She felt the cool solid wood on her bare thighs, and it took her a minute to realize it was the end table. He moved between her legs and slid her panties to the side. His skilled fingers parted her folds and stroked and teased her until she was wet and trembling.

  “Do you know how much I missed you?” he rasped out between kisses.

  “I missed you, too.” She unzipped his pants and he sprang, hot and thick, into her hands. Siobhan wrapped her hand around his hard shaft and whispered, “Show me how much you missed me.”

  That was all it took. “I hope you know what you’re asking for.” Justin nearly ripped her tank in half, and her breasts bounced free. The flimsy material hit the floor, followed by her shorts and panties.

  He pushed her breasts together, captured her erect nipples between his lips and scraped his teeth gently over the sensitive peaks, and she cried out.

  He took a condom out of his wallet and stepped out of his pants and briefs in one smooth action. Justin tossed the wallet on the floor, tore open the package and sheathed himself.

  The wicked gleam in his eyes turned her on even more, and she whimpered. He nudged her thighs apart and drove deep, filling her completely and lifting her hips to meet his rapid thrusts. Sensations unlike anything Siobhan had ever experienced overtook her body, and she screamed his name. He spread her legs wider and hammered into her, demanding she give him everything. Her head thrashed back and forth, and she gripped the edge of the table as spasms of delight rocketed through her and she surrendered to a shuddering release.

  Justin threw back his head and exploded with a harsh groan. “I missed you, baby.”

  Siobhan laughed tiredly. “I guess so.”

  “I’m not done yet. I have a week to make up for.” He swept her into his arms and strode down the hall to her bedroom.

  * * *

  A few hours later, Justin silently rose from the bed and left Siobhan sleeping. So much for his little speech. The moment she had opened the door, all his good intentions flew right out the window. Seeing her tonight confirmed what his heart had been telling him—he was falling in love with her. He pulled on his pants and went out to his car to get his iPad. Working helped him think, and he had a lot to consider. He started to go back to the bedroom, but changed his mind because he would be too tempted to climb into bed with her. He stretched out on the sofa in the family room and opened his program. Now what? Siobhan had been adamant about not wanting a committed relationship and retreated every time he tried to get close. But he would give her time—he wanted her to fall right with him. Giving her up was not an option.

  “Hey. What are you doing in here?”

  Justin glanced up. “Hey. I didn’t want to wake you.” He set the iPad on the table and pulled her down onto his lap. He nuzzled her neck, inhaled her sweet, citrus fragrance and let the emotions he felt fill his heart.

  “You said you wanted to talk when you came back.”

  “I did,” he said slowly.

  Siobhan angled her head to stare in his eyes. “What is it?”

  “I want more than just a fling.” He felt her stiffen and gently caressed her shoulders and arms. “Yes, I told you in the beginning that I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and I wasn’t. But my heart had other ideas. You are a remarkable woman, Siobhan, and I want only you.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  He placed his hand on her heart. “Tell me what’s here.”

  “I’m afraid of what I feel for you.”