Pandora's Box (previously Worth the Wait, a Zebra print best seller) (7 page)

“Is something wrong?” Damian asked.

“I’m a little tired.”

He placed his hand on her forehead and then down along her cheek. She leaned into him, enjoying the contact and the warmth of his body. “You’re burning up. You need a doctor.”

“I just need a couple of aspirin and some sleep.”

“We should go,” Erik said.

“You don’t have to.” Her soft protest was barely audible. She didn’t make a second offer when he stood up to leave.

“Damian?” Erik called out

“I’ll leave after she takes the aspirin.”

** * *

As the door closed behind Erik, she dragged herself to her feet, refusing help from Damian. She stumbled into the kitchen and removed the aspirin from the cabinet. The childproof cap gave her a struggle. He took the bottle from her hands and opened it for her.

“I really think you should go to the emergency room and see a doctor.” He handed her two tablets and poured a glass of water from the tap.

“It’s nothing.”

“Your temperature is way above normal.”

“Thank you, Dr. Westfield, for your professional opinion.” She swallowed the water and poured another glass. “If it doesn’t pass by tomorrow, I’ll go to the school infirmary.”

“You should go now, before it gets worse.”

“I don’t want to go now. I want to sleep.”

“Are you afraid of hospitals?”

She shook her head.

“Then what is the problem? You’re risking your health.”

“Leave me alone, please.” She splashed cool water on her face and rested her elbows on the counter.

He handed her a paper towel from the rack. “No, I won’t leave you alone. Tell me what the problem is.”

A combination of exhaustion and anger apparently unleashed her temper. “See if you can grasp this concept. I can’t afford an emergency room visit. If I wait until tomorrow, the infirmary is free.”

“I’ll pay.”

“Over my dead body. And that is the only way you’ll get me there. I’ll survive until tomorrow.”

She would risk her health of the sake of her pride. How could he deal with that? “Why are you so damned stubborn?”

“If you feel the need to help, why don’t you pull out the sofa for me.” That she asked for anything at all was a testament to how sick she felt. She was barely holding herself up under her own steam.

Damian removed the cushions and opened the bed. He returned to the kitchen and scooped her up in his arms.

“I can walk,” she protested feebly.

“Yeah, right. And you’re not sick either,” he indulged her sarcastically. He placed her on the bed and pulled a blanket over her. She curled up inside and held it against her shivering body.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pushed a strand of hair off her damp cheek. She reached up and took his hand. Instead of pushing him away as he expected, she laced her fingers through his and tugged him onto the mattress with her. He stretched out beside her and eased his arm across her waist, drawing her trembling body closer. She snuggled against him, seeming to relax from the warmth he provided.

“Mm. Nice,” she murmured against his chest.

Yes, it was, he agreed. He only wished she was letting out those soft sighs when she was fully conscious. He didn’t understand the chemistry going on between them. He only knew that she was different from any other woman he had met and he was drawn to her in a way he’d never felt before.

For the first time since they’d met, she looked at peace. What would it take to make her this comfortable, this affectionate with him all the time? He would do whatever it took. She mystified him, but he knew one thing for sure. He wanted her in his arms, and for more than one night.

CHAPTER
FIVE

On Friday morning Damian returned to his office to find a stack of messages from Monica. He’d been in the Bahamas on business for most of the week, sparing himself the unholy wrath of his mother. He had no desire to see her today, but he and Erik had promised to take her to dinner.

While away, he had spent more time thinking about Charlie than he had about business. The woman was an intriguing paradox—streetwise yet innocent; a realist who longed to dream. He wanted to see her again. She made him feel, and it had been a long time since anyone had touched him that way.

First, he had to get through the evening with his mother. Instead of returning the messages, he held off a confrontation until he got to her house. As he walked in the door, he was summoned into the living room.

“How have you been, Mother?” Ignoring her impatient huff, he added, “I see you’ve been rearranging the paintings.”

“I don’t have time for small talk. Why haven’t you returned my calls?”

“I was away on business. I do have a company to run.”

She offered him a drink, which he refused. “So. Did you take care of everything?”

“Take care of what?”

“Don’t do this now. You know what I mean. Did you make sure that girl stays away from Erik?”

He slipped into the wing-back chair and braced himself for battle. “No. Erik is old enough to choose his own friends. And his own wife for that matter.”

Monica let out a horrified gasp. “You can’t possibly mean he plans to marry that woman. I won’t allow it.”

“You won’t allow it?” Damian repeated. “You can’t stop him from doing anything. But I wasn’t referring to Charlotte.”

“Well, thank God for that. It would be indecent.” Relief punctuated her words.

“I don’t know what you think you’ve got against her, but I find her very decent.”

Monica stood over him and scowled. “Not you, too! Don’t you see what she’s doing? She’s going to start playing you and Erik against each other, and she won’t be happy until she’s ruined you both.”

“And why would she want to do that?”

“You men are all such fools. You’re blinded by a pretty face and a seductive body. Wake up and see her for what she is. A social-climbing parasite who’s after your money.”

“That’s a rather harsh opinion of someone you’d never met before last week. Or had you?” What was he missing? What secret was guarded so fiercely that he came up against a granite wall every time he searched for answers?

She sighed and lowered her head. “You don’t understand. Just trust me on this one and get that tramp out of Erik’s life. And your own as well.”

A loud crash echoed through the room. Both Damian and Monica jumped to their feet and turned quickly. A beautiful porcelain vase was in pieces, and Erik stood in the doorway looking like a man bent on more destruction.

“What’s the matter with you, Erik?” Monica cried out “That was a gift from your father. How could you be so careless?”

“My father liked things shattered. He was a master at it,” Erik replied.

“You were just a child when he died. You don’t remember what a gentle, caring man he was.”

Eric snorted. “He was a selfish man who didn’t care about anything but his art.”

Damian took a step toward his brother. “Easy, Erik. Peter was a good father.”

“Oh, right. A paragon of virtue.” Erik raised his head and glared coldly. “Ask Mother why she’s so afraid I might be involved with Charlie. Go on, ask her.”

Damian looked toward his mother’s constricted face. “What’s going on?”

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” she murmured, but her words held no conviction. Her breathing was low and heavy, as if her worst fear were about to be realized.

Tension blanketed the room like a winter fog. The icy chill sent a shiver down his spine.

“It would be more than indecent to get involved with Charlie,” Erik agreed. “It would be incest.”

Damian shook his head, unsure he understood the implication of his brother’s words. “What?”

“She’s Peter’s daughter,” Erik said.

“Is that want she told you?” Monica had found her voice again. “She’s lying. She only came to you with that story because your father left you a wealthy man. Don’t you see that?”

His bitter laugh echoed through the room. “She didn’t come looking for me. I went looking for her.”

Damian didn’t want to believe what he was hearing, but he didn’t doubt it was true. That would explain so many things about Erik and Charlie’s unusual relationship. “How long have you known about her?”

“About two years ago I came across some journals of Father’s in the attic. He wrote lengthy passages about the daughter he never once found the guts to visit.”

Damian loosened his tie in the suddenly stuffy room. “How did you find her?”

“It doesn’t matter how I found her, only that I did. She might not be related to either one of you, but she is my half-sister and I have no intention of losing her again.”

Damian turned to his mother. “You knew about her, didn’t you?” To his shock, there was a quaver in his voice. He thought he knew his mother and the kind of woman she was, but this was more than he could accept. “You knew, and you let Peter put her in an orphanage?”

Monica glowered at her elder son. “She was nothing to me.”

Erik groaned. “No one means anything to you! Peter Lawson was an obsession, and you never gave a damn about anyone else. What really scares you is that Charlie might come forward and destroy the myth you created. The gifted artist, the loving husband and father who died so young. You couldn’t stand it if your friends found out what a selfish bastard he really was.”

Monica’s face turned a ghastly shade of red and her eyes burned with rage. “I won’t allow you to talk about your father like that. Get out of my house.”

“I’m leaving,” Erik said. “And don’t worry. I won’t be back.”

“Don’t you see,” Monica sneered. “This is just what she wants. To tear this family apart.”

“No, she doesn’t. She never wanted any part of this family. And I’m not really sure I blame her,” Erik said angrily and stormed out the door.

Monica poured herself a glass of mineral water. When she turned back, her face was once again composed. “Do you honestly think I should have taken in Peter’s little brat?”

“Why not, Mother? Didn’t it occur to you that he did the same thing for me? Peter treated me like a son at the expense of his own daughter and I don’t know how to deal with that right now.”

Damian felt physically ill. He walked out of the house and got into his car, driving with no destination in mind. Finally, he understood the secret of this Pandora’s box. The golden tapestry of his sheltered world began to unravel and he felt as if he’d lost a piece of his soul. How was he supposed to go on with business as usual? How could he ever enjoy anything in his privileged life again when he knew that Charlie was living on the edge? And how the hell could he ever make up for all the pain she had suffered because of his family?

* * * *

Charlie glanced wearily at the clock behind the bar. Ten more minutes until her break. This was her first night back to work after her bout with the flu. The school nurse had advised her to stay in bed a few more days, but she couldn’t afford to miss work. Every muscle in her body ached. As exhausted as she felt, she was thankful for the busy night in the bar. Most of the graduating seniors were leaving farewell tips. She slid a ten-dollar bill into her jeans pocket and went to deliver another round of drinks across the room.

She put the glasses on the table and pulled the tray across her chest. A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump. “Watch it, buster,” she snapped and turned to swat the hand away.

Damian caught her swing midair. His green-eyed gaze sparked with humor at the near assault. His fingers felt soothing against her wrist as he gently stroked her pulse point with his thumb. The small gesture caused erotic sensations throughout her body. Damn! She was in serious trouble if he could bring her body to life in the middle of a crowded bar.

“What are you doing here? Erik went up north this weekend.”

He grinned. “That must mean I came to see you. What time do you go on break?” He half yelled to be heard above the loud music blaring from the jukebox.

Her eyes widened. She hadn’t thought she would hear from him again. “Why did you want to see me?”

“May we use the office?”

“Sure.” Charlie put the tray back on the bar and led Damian to the back room. She slipped into the chair behind the desk. “What did you want to talk about?”

Damian sat in the seat opposite her. He reached into his jacket pocket for an envelope and handed it to her. “This is for you.”

She took the envelope. The upper left corner was embossed with the Risk Management logo of Damian’s company. Inside were three plastic cards. “What’s this?”

“A hospitalization plan, a prescription plan, and a dental plan. They’re for you.”

“I don’t understand. I can’t pay for an insurance plan right now.”

“It won’t cost you anything. I added you to the family policy.”

She sighed and placed the cards back in the envelope. “Aside from the fact that this is insurance fraud, I can’t accept this from you.”