Curvaceous Heart (19 page)

“Well, it would be just the type of thing you’d try to pull on me.
A way of getting back at me and your mother.
Besides, I had someone try and tell me that you were out with a blimp of a woman who could have almost been old enough to be your mother.”

Shit. This was certainly not going to make things easy when Sue arrived.

“When are you going to learn that I don’t fall for stick insect women?” He needed to get something across to his father before things got out of hand. “I know you like women who look like fashion models, but I don’t.

“That’s just because you want to get back at me for interfering in your life. You know a woman like
Victoria
would be an ideal wife for
you,
and the children…”

“Dad, enough.
We had this discussion already. I am not about to put up with you telling me who I should and shouldn’t date. I’m not interested in a woman who I can’t relax
with,
enjoy their company, their heart, mind, and soul. The
type
of women you try to team me up with are little more than pretty faces and empty hearts.”

“Now that isn’t exactly fair. Some of them are very nice women. I’d have loved to see you married to -- oh what was her name. You went to school with her.”

“Lynne? Shit Dad, I’m the wrong gender for Lynne. She’s a die-hard lesbian.”

“Now if you’d made a move when you had the chance then maybe she wouldn’t be.”

“Dad, it doesn’t work that way. You can’t change how someone’s wired inside. It wouldn’t have mattered if I’d dropped down on my knees and asked her to marry me every day for a year, Lynne is a lesbian. She’s happily married to her partner now of three years and nothing’s going to change that.”

Why today, why now?

Because his father wanted to push things when it suited him.
Some things didn’t change.

“So were they right, the woman you were out with is on the robust side?”

“She’s a wonderful woman who I have a lot of respect towards. I enjoyed my evenings out with her.” If it had been anyone else other than his dad there would have been an argument.

A sharp rap on the office door commanded the attention of both men in the room.

“Come in,” Alan called out.

“Mr. Martin and, err, Mr. Martin, you asked me to escort Miss Night up the minute she arrived.”
Steph
pushed the door open enough to let Sue in.

“Thank you,
Steph
. And Sue, please come in.” Relief settled around his heart. Good, she hadn’t let him down. Odd, for the most part he’d had no doubts, except for the ones his father had brought to life.

Sue nodded, the small lines around her eyes tight as she whispered
a thanks
to
Steph
and walked into the room.

“You need to talk to me, Alan?”

“Yes, but first I’d like to introduce you to my Dad. Mr. Neil Martin.
My father.”

Sue faltered, the color draining from her face only to flush back into both her cheeks.
“Nice to meet you at last, Mr. Martin.”

“My friends call me Neil. Mr. Martin was my father and he’s been dead a good ten years now.”

Sue ducked her head slightly. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.
Now, please, as my son said, sit down. You’re not on trial here.”

She shot a quick look between the two men then hurried to the chair.

Great, his father had her terrified. She’d never talk to him again. Where was the strong woman he’d seen only the day before? Of course, she was meeting his father, who was also her employer; no wonder she was nervous.

“I must say I’m surprised. When my son told me the woman he had been out with last night could also help us with our little issue I hadn’t expected -- even after the rumors I didn’t think he’d go that far and go out with…”

“Dad, if you don’t mind.” Shit. Sue’s jaw had clenched, her gaze narrowed, and there was a distinct glint in her gaze. “Sue, please excuse him. He’s not been quite right since I turned down his last idea of whom I should date.”

“Alan!”

“Are you going to let me talk to Sue, or are you going to find something else to make her feel uncomfortable?” He raised one eyebrow and fixed his father with a cool glare. “I asked her to come here to help us, not to deal with any shielded insults.”

Neil frowned, his jaw tightening even as he spoke. “I’m sorry; she just caught me off guard. I had a different image in mind from what little you’d told me about her.”

“I’m guessing you thought he’d be dating something young and slim.” Sue’s shoulders tensed.

Even from across the desk Alan could feel the ice in her words.

“Something
like
that, but I’m learning that my son isn’t exactly predictable.”

“Well, once we’re done here I’ll take myself back to work and away from your son so you can hook him up with something a little more to your liking.” Her knuckles turned white as she spoke.

“Dad, Sue, can we deal with that side of things later? I did ask you here for some help, not to run the gauntlet from my Dad. And he doesn’t decide who I go out with or who I fall in love with. So Dad, please, shut it.
Unless you have something constructive to add to the conversation.”
He turned back to look at Sue, hoping she would hear the truth in his words. “Sue, I didn’t ask you out last night to strike out at my Dad, or because I needed your help. I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I like the way you look. Shit, I more than like it. And if proving it to you means not finding out who’s behind the leaks in my company and letting the entire thing crash down around my ears, then so be it.”

Both Sue and Neil eyeballed him.

“No, I’m not out of my mind. I’m just not prepared to be told who I can and can’t date any longer, either directly by you setting me up, Dad, or indirectly by you insulting the woman I love.”

There it was.
The L word.

“Did you just say you loved me?” Sue fixed him with a panic-stricken look.
“In front of your dad?
Alan, what on earth are you thinking about?”

“Yes, I did. And if you’re not ready to hear the word in public then we can deal with that later, but the point remains the same. I need your help, but I won’t let my father, or anyone else, insult you.”

“I wasn’t insulting her.” Neil’s voice rose and rapidly approached a shout.

“Yes, you were. You might not think you were, but I could see it, and it was obvious Sue felt the sting in your words. Now drop it, Dad.”

Sue sucked in her bottom lip, trembling, as her gaze flicked from one man to the next. Damn, he didn’t like seeing her like this.
Vulnerable.
That was the only word his mind would link to what was going on. It took everything he had not to step around the desk and wrap his arms tightly about her.

Strength and vulnerability all in one woman…how could he be this lucky?

“Sue, if you want to leave, if you don’t want to help us, I’ll understand it.” Sure, it would mean he’d have to call Dexter about the problems and call everything off on the deal, but it was better than letting his dad get away with treating Sue like that.

How many years had he dealt with his father trying to force situations?
Either by direct orders or subtle manipulation?
It ended.
Now.
Even if it meant walking out of the business and never looking back.

“I’m sorry, Miss Night.” Neil spoke softly, a slight shake in his voice that Alan had never heard there before. “My son’s right. Perhaps I’ve let a few blind spots get in the way of things. A couple of years ago I would have thought before opening my mouth, but I’m afraid the subject of dating has become something of a sore spot between Alan and
myself
. You got the brunt of that and it wasn’t fair of me.”

Chapter Nineteen

“Alan, I want to say something to your dad, but after we get this issue sorted out. The one you called me here for.” Sue took a deep breath and tried to turn her attention away from the older man. How could someone be so cruel, and with no cause? Didn’t he understand just how his words count lance into the heart of a woman?

Shit, she knew better than that. There would always be someone ready to call her a fatty, obese, wide load, tubby, or something like that. There’d always be a newcomer who looked at her and never bothered to look beyond her body and some stupid ideal of what all women were supposed to look like according to a new fashion craze, or diet potion to sell.

“That’s fine by me.” His gaze narrowed for a moment, but that was it.

Good, whatever she wanted to say he wouldn’t stop her. It might mean what was between them would come to an end, but if that was the case, so be it.

What was between them?

He’d said the word
love
. Had he meant it? Or was it something he’d just said to throw his father off guard?

“Hey, what if I don’t want to sit here and listen to what your girlfriend of the moment wants to say to me?”

“Then I’ll walk out with her. It’s your choice, Dad.”

A slight smile threatened to creep out of hiding. Good, he was ready to stand up for her. She wasn’t sure if that was because of how he felt towards her, or because he was pissed at his dad. There was no real way of telling right now.

“So, what is it you want me to do?”

“I know this is asking a little much, but I think I know who it is that Bill has been talking to here, and I want to call him into the office to see if you recognize him.”

“And what if he recognizes me?”

“Then, knowing Charlie, then he’ll say something. Don’t
worry,
I won’t let him do anything to you, Sue.”

She wasn’t so worried about that. “Say I can identify him, what then?”

“I call the police and have him arrested.”

“On what charges?
I mean is he actually doing anything illegal?”

“That we’ll have to leave to the police to decide upon.
But I can call the police and have him escorted from the building if he doesn’t agree to leave of his own volition. However, what he’s done does come under the abuse of the Net. He’s disclosed information without permission, despite the signed confidentiality agreement we have all of our employees sign and the way he’s spoken about women on the Net, naming them, giving personal information. That might be covered by the
antiharassment
laws.”

Could it work that way? She wasn’t a solicitor and had no clue about that side of things, but the chance to bring them down, to put a stop to all of this, was something she had to follow through.

“So, you’re willing to try?” Alan smiled, that same heart-stopping glint in his eyes that she had seen a dozen times over in the past couple of days, but this time something snapped inside. “I know it’s asking a lot of you, but…”

“Yes. For what little it might be worth, yes, I am” How could she deny him when all she wanted to do was step around the desk and into his arms? It didn’t matter that his father was there as well. Or that the older man didn’t approve of her.

All right, so she wanted to do a little bit more than hug him. He did deserve a good spanking after the way he’d thrown her in at the deep end with his dad.

He gestured to one of the chairs then reached for the phone. “Then let’s get this over and done with. I’ll call him in and…”

“Wait, I want to say something first. Or rather ask you something.”

One eyebrow shot up. “And what’s that?”

“Remember the promise you made?” She met his gaze, trying to keep her breathing steady.

“Yes, I do.”

“I’m calling that in now.”

“Hold on a minute, I don’t think this is the time or the place for whatever is going on between the two of you.” Neil spoke up. “We’ve more important things to cope with.”

“Dad, keep out of this, please.” Alan didn’t even look at his father. “Sue is important to me.”

She glanced at the older man, then back to Alan. What if he didn’t care for her, if it had all been nothing more than a way of getting her in bed? No, she knew he wasn’t like that. She had to get her irrational fears under control. “I need to know something. I understand that this isn’t really the right time to ask, but I don’t think there will ever be a right time.”

“You can ask me anything, Sue.
No matter what.
I made the promise. I’ll keep it.”

Sue took a slow, deep breath and looked him directly in the eyes. “Do you love me? Truly love me? They weren’t just words you used to get what you wanted, or to shock your father? I need to know if you want, no, if you need me in your life.”

“I knew it; she’s trying to trap you into a marriage,” Neil spluttered.

“Dad, please be quiet.”

Her limbs trembled, heart racing as it threatened to pound free of her chest. Her palms felt sweaty. If he said no, then she knew it was just a fling, something they could both enjoy then move on when the time was right.

Which would be shortly after the
blogger
ring had been dealt with as far as she was concerned.
It was one thing to enjoy his touch, but she cared for him, loved him, and the idea of him not returning those feelings….

Then she’d turn around, walk away and give up her interest in learning to be a dominant. It didn’t matter that she’d finally realized she needed that, without Alan in her life it would be pointless.

“Yes, I do.”

“Alan, you don’t have to tell her that.”

Had she heard him correctly?

“Dad, you taught me not to lie, not about things like this.” Alan shrugged, his gaze never leaving her face. “And I do love her. I think I have since the moment she walked into the office a couple of days ago.”

“But you’ve only known her for what, forty-eight hours?”

“And how long had you known Mum before you proposed?”

“That’s not the same thing!” The older man stood up. “Things were different then, we knew what we wanted and didn’t need to wait. She works for you, for us, and what do you know about her? You can’t say it’s anything like what happened between your mother and
I
.”