“Don’t be, baby. You can trust in me.” Seeing the tortured look on her face, he added, “Nothing’s going to change, sweetheart. We’ll just keep doing what we’ve been doing.” He pressed a gentle kiss on her lips and just held her.

  After a few minutes, Siobhan pointed to his iPad. “Were you playing a game?”

  “No.” Justin reached for the device. “It’s a home alert system I’m working on.”

  She sat up. “Really? Do you plan to bring it to market on your own?”

  “I hope to get the backing of a corporate investor with this one, but if not, I will.” He showed her how the program worked.

  “This is fantastic, and much better than anything I’ve seen. My father would love to talk to you.”

  “Your father?”

  She left his lap and paced in front of him, wringing her hands.

  “Siobhan?”

  “Um... I need to tell you something, and I hope you won’t be too angry with me.”

  He rose to his feet slowly. “What is it?” he asked with concern.

  “I should have told you before, but... I wasn’t... We weren’t...”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Baby, just tell me.”

  Holding his gaze, she said, “My name is Siobhan Gray.”

  It took a moment, and then understanding dawned. He dropped his hands and took a step back. “All this time,” he whispered in disbelief. Now he knew why she had looked familiar that first night. When researching the Grays, he’d seen a family picture. But in it, she was younger and her hair much longer, which was why he didn’t recognize her.

  “Justin, let me explain.” She reclaimed the distance and reached for him.

  He lifted his hands. “No. Why did you lie?” Justin was torn between wanting to hear her reasoning and leaving. His younger self would have stormed angrily out the door one second after she finished her sentence, but the older, and hopefully more mature, man in him demanded that he listen. Reining in his temper, he took a seat on the sofa and waited.

  “I had already planned to tell you my real last name when you came back because I...I want more, too.”

  Her admission deflated some of Justin’s fury.

  “Every time a man finds out who I am, they see me as an easy way to get into the company.”

  “That night at the gala?”

  She nodded. “Before you, there had been at least half a dozen men trying to hand me their business cards, promising me dinners and pitching their ideas. I thought you were after the same thing, so I used my mother’s maiden name.” Siobhan perched on the edge of the chair. “I was engaged two years ago.”

  His eyes widened. Engaged?

  “Turns out he was another one only interested in money. He stole money from my bank account and had plans to get his hands on my company shares as soon as we were married.”

  Justin sat, stunned. He didn’t know what to say.

  “Justin, please know that I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know. You were trying to protect yourself.”

  “So—”

  “This doesn’t change the way I feel, Siobhan. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little upset, but I understand.”

  “Thank you. I meant what I said about your alert system. My dad’s been looking for something innovative, and I think this is it. I can get you on his calendar, if you want.”

  “No, no, that’s okay. I can handle it.” She had given him the perfect opportunity to tell her about his upcoming meeting, but he feared she would assume he’d been stringing her along all this time for the same reason as countless other men.

  “Are you sure? I can probably get you in much sooner than if you schedule it yourself.”

  “I’m positive. I want the product to stand for itself without any special favors. Promise me you’ll let me do this on my own.”

  Siobhan smiled. “I promise. I can definitely say you aren’t after me because of my family.”

  Justin stood and pulled her to her feet. “No, I’m not. I fell for you before you told me who you were. Always remember that.”

  She leaned up and kissed him.

  “I’m leaving so you can get a few hours of sleep. You’re going to be exhausted.”

  She wrapped her arms around him. “You don’t have to go.”

  “Yes, I do. It’s almost four, and if I leave now, you can get about three hours in. I have the luxury of sleeping in, but you don’t.”

  And he needed some time to figure out a way to tell her that the company had been his target all along.

  * * *

  Justin should have been tired after being up all night, but he hadn’t been able to sleep after leaving Siobhan. And, with his brain racing as if it had a thousand open browsers, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on work, either. He went back to the conversation he’d had with Bobby about the Gray family, and a lot of things made sense now. She was the PR director he had mentioned who kept people at a distance. What she had told him regarding her ex and other men in her past, plus the incident with her brother, explained her tough personality.

  Another memory surfaced. The weekend they’d returned from Vegas, she had mentioned an emergency. Justin had been worried about her getting reprimanded, but he guessed being the boss, as well as the CEO’s daughter, negated that possibility. Against his better judgment, he googled any recent incidents during that time frame and found out that someone was bringing a lawsuit against the company for a faulty product. He clicked on the link to a video press conference and turned up the sound. Bobby had been right; the woman knew how to handle her business. Her statement was simple, clear and gave only the facts, delivering the message in her usual confident way.

  He rounded his desk and stretched out on the office sofa. Closing his eyes, Justin willed his mind blank. It worked for approximately five minutes. He let out a frustrated sigh. Why was it that the first time he was falling in love with a woman, things turned out to be so complicated?

  Justin had asked Siobhan not to do anything on his behalf, and he sincerely prayed she wouldn’t. If she decided to check the schedule or talk to her father’s secretary, she would see his name. He didn’t even want to imagine how upset she’d be.

  “You’re up early,” Jocelyn said with a yawn, coming into the office and propping a hip on the arm of the sofa.

  “Morning. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yep. Judging by the fact that you’re fully dressed at seven thirty in the morning, I’d say I’m the only one.”

  “Maybe I just decided to get up early.”

  She laughed. “First off, you’ve never been a morning person, and second, you smell like a woman. I recognize that fragrance.”

  “And?”

  She raised her hands in mock surrender. “Hey, what you do is your business. It’s just that there has never been a woman who’s kept you up all night. Must mean she’s pretty special.”

  “She is.”

  Jocelyn kissed Justin on the cheek and stood. “I’m happy for you. You want some breakfast before I leave?”

  “Nah, but thanks. I’m going for a run in a bit. I’ll fix something when I get back. What time are you leaving?”

  “Around nine. By then a lot of the commuter traffic should be gone.”

  “I might not be back when you leave, so text me when you get to the campus.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You are such a big brother.” She smiled and walked out.

  No matter how old his sisters were, he would probably never stop worrying about them. Justin lay there awhile longer, then made slow steps to his room to change into his running gear. He really didn’t feel like going today, but forced himself to get moving. With any luck, it would clear his mind enough so he could sleep.

  After completing his run an hour later, it took great effort to get his weary body to his room and resist collapsing on the bed. He was hot, sweaty and in desperate need of a shower, but his muscles felt as heavy as lead. He managed to stay upright long enough to wash up, then slept for four solid hours.

  Justin woke up well rested and with a much clearer head. His stomach growled, and he went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He found a note on the refrigerator from his sister.

  I left you a plate in the microwave. You can thank me later :) Joce

  He smiled, sent up a thank-you and reheated the pancakes and bacon.

  With his stomach full and his mind and body renewed, he was able to make good progress in regulating the temperature feature. While it now maintained the room temperature, it still didn’t register when a second one was introduced.

  His cell rang, interrupting his flow. Justin activated the speaker without glancing at the display. “Hello.”

  “Hey, sexy. Did you get some rest?”

  His head came up when he heard Siobhan’s voice. “What’s up, baby? I did sleep a little. What about you?”

  “Somewhere around three hours. I’m tired, but in a good way.”

  “You don’t plan on staying late today, do you?”

  “Not too late. My brother Brandon has been camping out at my office making sure I leave at a decent hour,” she added with a chuckle.

  “I’m glad he’s looking out for you.”

  “Of course you are...men. But it’s okay when he does it. I bet you used to do the same thing.”

  “I plead the Fifth.”

  “What else would you say?”

  He laughed. “I admit I did it a time or two when necessary.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m sure you called on necessity more times than not.”

  “So how’s your day going?” Justin asked, changing the subject.

  Siobhan burst out laughing. “Wow, real subtle. My day is fine. I was calling to see whether you were able to get on my dad’s schedule.”

  His smile faded. “I spoke with his secretary, and I’ll be meeting with him on Friday morning.” He wasn’t lying exactly because he had talked to the secretary, just not this morning.

  “Great! That’s a quick turnaround. Most times, it takes two or three weeks. He must have had a cancellation.”

  “Must have,” he murmured. “Will you be there?”

  “No. You’ll be meeting with my dad, his partner Mr. Whitcomb and Brandon.”

  “What does your brother do?”

  “He’s in charge of the home-safety division for now, but will take over as CEO when my dad retires.”

  “Home-safety division? The company has more than one division?” Justin frowned, trying to recall if he’d read anything about another facet of the company.

  “Technically, no, but my brother Khalil designed some fitness equipment for the disabled to put in his gym, and they thought it would be better to separate the two.”

  “Sounds like a wise decision. What are you going to be doing the rest of the week?”

  “Tonight, I’m sleeping.”

  “Does that mean you don’t want me to come over?”

  “I’d love for you to come over, but we never get any sleep when you do. I have another press conference tomorrow, so I can’t afford to fall asleep at the podium. But you can come by tomorrow night.”

  “Depending on how much I get done, I may have to take a rain check.”

  “I understand. But from what you showed me, it’s going to be fantastic. Even Brandon will be impressed.”

  “I thought your father had the final decision.”

  “He does, but he relies on Brandon to keep up with the changes in technology.”

  One more thing to add to his growing list of concerns.

  “Don’t worry. I know my brother well and he’s going to be all over this.”

  “You promised to—”

  “I know, I know. I’m not going to mention anything. As far as they’re concerned, I know nothing. What time is your meeting on Friday?”

  “Ten. Why?”

  “If you don’t have any other meetings scheduled or will be otherwise occupied, I wanted to have lunch.”

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  “Just text me when you’re done, and I’ll meet you outside my father’s office.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, with what you told me about those other guys, I don’t want him to think I’m after the same thing.”

  “He won’t, and I know differently.”

  “All right.”

  “Well, I’d better get back to work. Call me later?”

  “Definitely.” They said their goodbyes, and he cut the connection. Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. She said she knew differently, and he hoped like hell it didn’t change once she found out the truth.

  Chapter 17

  Friday morning, Justin arrived at the Gray Home Safety offices fifteen minutes early, filled with an unusual case of nervous tension. It had taken him the entire drive to realize the anxiety stemmed from his concerns about his and Siobhan’s relationship and not the presentation.

  “Mr. Cartwright?”

  He stood at the secretary’s approach. “Yes.”

  “They’re ready for you. If you’ll follow me, sir.”

  “Thank you.” She escorted him through an outer office and into a small conference area where Mr. Gray and a younger man, who Justin assumed was Brandon Gray, were standing. Mr. Whitcomb sat in a wheelchair.

  “Ah, good morning, Mr. Cartwright,” Mr. Gray said. “I’m glad we’ve finally got our schedules together.”

  Justin shook the proffered hand. “So am I, sir.”

  “How’s your mother? I hope it wasn’t anything serious.”

  “She’s fine, sir. Just a nasty bout of the flu. Thank you for asking.”

  Mr. Gray made the other introductions then said, “Let’s get started.”

  Justin set up the projector and began. “In-home safety for the aging population has become an increasing concern. Many seniors are reluctant to move out of their own homes and want to maintain their privacy and dignity. This causes a high level of stress for both the parents and the caregivers. The SmartInHome Sensor System offers an easy way to keep elderly relatives in their homes as long as possible, even with memory issues.” Justin detailed the different sensors for doors, keys, thermostat, kitchen appliances, bathroom and pillboxes. “Discreet sensors are placed around the home and send real-time data directly to your smartphone from a wireless hub.”

  “There are already a few of these systems on the market. I don’t hear anything different about yours,” Brandon interrupted, seemingly bored by the entire presentation. In contrast, both older men listened with rapt attention.

  “There are two very distinct and critical differences in my system. One, while the others can only give you the room temperature, mine goes a step further and allows you to track body temperature, as well. And two, because the data is routed through the hub, there’s no monthly subscription cost.” He had even done a comparative cost analysis.

  Brandon straightened in his seat. “Go on.”

  Justin smiled inwardly. “I can show you better than I can tell you.” He had worked for twenty-four hours straight and finally got the temperatures to regulate. By Brandon’s reaction, Justin was glad he’d solved the issue. He set up the demo, which had been calibrated for his body temperature, and placed sensors in the outer office. After instructing Brandon in its use, Justin went into the outer office, where he simulated several functions.

  Upon his return, Mr. Whitcomb said, “I think I can speak for us all when I say this is one of the most innovative products I’ve seen in a long while.” All three men wore huge grins.

  “Now, I don’t know what other companies you’re negotiating with, but I’m sure we can come up with something to make it worth your while to join the Gray Home Safety family,” Mr. Gray said.

  Justin maintained his cool exterior demeanor, but inside he wanted to shout for joy. He listened as Brandon outlined some of the contract particulars. Justin clarified some key points regarding retaining design ownership. Although eager to partner, he didn’t plan to hand over what he had worked so hard to build. Satisfied, he said, “I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to see me.”

  Mr. Gray stood. “Thank you for coming. Could you wait a few moments while we discuss the compensation package?”

  “Yes, sir.” Ms. Avery appeared as if on cue and escorted Justin into a waiting area stocked with coffee, tea and a variety of snacks.

  Thirty minutes later, they came back with an offer far above what Justin had expected.

  “Would you be able to provide us with an answer by next Wednesday?” Mr. Gray asked.

  “Yes, sir.” He thanked them once again and took his leave. He didn’t believe he would get a better offer, but had scheduled appointments with two other companies for the following Monday to explore all his options.

  Out near the secretary’s desk, he sent Siobhan a text. Less than two minutes later, she came toward him wearing a fitted black-and-tan blouse, a tan skirt that skimmed her curves and had a split in the front, and a pair of black pumps. It took everything in him not to throw her over his shoulder and find the nearest empty room. “Hey, baby.” He gave her a brief kiss.

  Siobhan smiled, and excitement shimmered in her eyes. “How did it go?”

  “It went pretty well, I think. We can talk about it at lunch.”

  “I have a last-minute meeting in an hour, so it’ll have to be quick. There’s a café on the ground floor.”

  “Works for me.” On the way out, Justin noticed Brandon had come out of his father’s office and followed their departure with a narrowed gaze.

  Over lunch he told Siobhan about the meeting.

  “Did Brandon say anything?”

  “He didn’t seem too interested initially, until I mentioned the room and person temperature differentiation function and the no monthly cost.”