Tamed by You (19 page)

"Yes."

He frowned. "Yes, you know I know, or yes, you love me?"

"Yes, I love you," she said softly, feeling the wonder of it flow through her and settle warm and radiant in her heart.

He blinked as though stunned, but then he lowered his mouth and kissed her, an all-consuming, binding kind of kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew herself into him.

This was where she was meant to be. Forever.

He nuzzled her cheek and kissed her jaw. "I've always been a loner, but not anymore. And I won't let anyone take that away. Not even your mother."

She nodded. "I was such an idiot."

"J
ust remember that whe
n
I
screw up."

"
D
eal."
She kissed him. "Speaking of my mother—"

He groaned.

"No, you're right. She's not going to get in our way." She cradled his face in her hand. "But I love her, and I don't want to hurt her."

"I understand."

She knew he did. "So I want to talk to her. Right now."

He studied her. Then he took her hand. "I'll take you."

Her heart full, she smiled. "Good. Then maybe we can go back to your place."

"Deal," he said with a grin, and he sealed it with a kiss.

She'd been so determined to set her mom straight—all the way up to the moment she stood in front of her own door.

Ethan kissed the back of her neck. "I'm right behind you."

"You wouldn't happen to know CPR, would you?"

"Valentine"
—
he held her securely
—
"she's going to be fine."

She nodded, but she wasn't sure she believed it. "Do you mind staying out here? I feel like I should be a big girl and stand up for myself."

"I'll be right here." He brushed her cheek.

Bolstered, she smiled at him, girded her loins, and let herself into her apartment.

Her mother was sitting on the cushions on the living room floor, hunched over her phone. She stared at it with a single-minded focus Valentine had never seen her give any sort of device.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

"There you are, sweetheart." Her mom tapped at the screen of her phone, not looking up. "Did you have a good time with your friends?"

"Yes." She took her jacket off, wondering what held her mother's attention. "How are you feeling?"

"Perfect." Her mother waved to the cushion. "For Heaven's sake, stop hovering, Valentine. Sit."

Shrugging, she hiked up her skirt and sat cross-legged. "Mom—"

"I have something I need to say to you, Valentine." Her mother set her phone aside and looked her in the eye. It was her getting-down-to-business look.

Oddly, it was reassuring. Valentine nodded. "I have something I need to say, too."

"Let me say my piece first." Her mother pointed at her phone. "I downloaded your program."

Valentine froze. Of all the things she expected her mom to say, that wasn't even on the list. "I—"

Venus held her hand up. "I have to say this, Valentine. You should have told me you made it public, but I can understand why you didn't."

"You can?" If she hadn't been sitting on the floor, she'd have fallen.

"Your father says I'm a drama queen. I used to disagree, but maybe he's right, just a little." She speared Valentine with a look. "You'll never repeat that to him."

"No, I won't," she said, not sure where this was going.

"But I'm also determined, as we've all seen the past few weeks," she said with a deprecating smile. "You get that determination from me."

"I'm determined?"

"If you weren't, you wouldn't have created this amazing program despite what I've said about it."

She blinked. "Excuse me? Did you say amazing?"

"You know it's amazing, Valentine. It's one of the top sellers in the store."

"Yes, but how do you know that?"

"I have friends who are more technologically savvy than I am." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "It's not easy for me to admit when I'm wrong, but I was very wrong in this instance. I've been trying to push you down my path, but you have your own to find."

Valentine gaped. Then she shook her head. "Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?"

"Your mother finally woke up." Venus smiled ruefully. "Thanks to your sister. Isabella told me what's been going on."

"Do you feel okay? Faint? Any pangs?"

"Pangs of conscience. I've been a bad mother."

"No." She crawled to her mom and put an arm around her shoulders. "You've been a great mom."

"I've been blind to both of you." She lifted her chin. "But that's going to change. You're fired, Valentine."

She recoiled. "What?"

Her mom nodded, her expression resolute. "I've hired Isabella to take your place. Quite frankly, you're the worst matchmaker I've ever seen."

She gawked at her mother and then burst into laughter.

Venus began to chuckle, too. "Really, Valentine, I have no idea how you come up with some of those questions."

"It's an art."

"What's an art is your program." Her mom pointed at her phone. "I bought it and have been using it. It's impressive. It's more than impressive. Where did you learn to do that?"

She shrugged. "I just learned."

"It's a gift. I have no idea why you've been bothering playing at matchmaking." Her expression became sheepish. "Actually, I do know, and I'm sorry I pushed so hard. But that's done, and you're going to be free to create."

"What about your heart?"

"My heart is fine. I took the stress test the doctor wanted. He referred me to someone up here."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? I'd have gone with you."

"I was afraid. The doctor here thinks my episodes are panic attacks." She frowned. "I've been miserable so I've made everyone around me miserable, too."

"I still don't understand why you finally went and took that test."

"You've looked so sad this week, I realized it was my fault. I put that look of defeat on your face." Venus’s eyes filled with tears. "I've hated myself all week. As much as I dreaded finding out something was actually wrong with my heart, like there had been with my mom's, I decided I had to go in. Isabella helped me with that epiphany."

Valentine frowned. "What did she say that I hadn't?"

"She pointed out that you cared enough about Ethan to risk everything. Isn't that what love is about? But she also said that you'd do anything for me, and that I was being selfish. It didn't really sink in until earlier this week, when you were staring out the window looking heartbroken. I'd put that expression on your face. I was at fault, and I hated that."

There was a soft knock at the door, and then Ethan poked his head in. He took in the scene, relaxing probably because there was no blood splattered on the walls. "Everything okay in here?"

Valentine looked at her mom, gauging her state.

Venus's face became a cool mask, and she pointed at Ethan. "Come sit," she ordered.

He glanced at Valentine, but he strode confidently to join them. "We haven't met officially, Mrs. Jones. I'm Ethan Hunter, and I plan on marrying your daughter."

For the second time in a matter of minutes, Valentine felt bowled over. "What are you doing? You'll kill her."

"Don't be silly." Her mother waved her hand. "I'm fine."

Ethan frowned. "You're mine, Valentine. I don't want any doubt about that."

She looked at her mom. "How's your heart? You hanging in there?"

"Really, Valentine, stop fretting." Venus looked between the two of them, nodding. "I was worried my meddling had tampered with your relationship. Isabella made me realize that I was being blind, but I see now, and you two are perfect for each other."

Ethan took Valentine’s hand. "We are."

Venus gave Ethan a hard look. "I expect grandchildren. I know Isabella's already delivered, but don't think you're getting out of it."

"We'll get on it." Grinning, he stood and helped Valentine stand. "Right now."

Valentine felt her face flush. "
Ethan
."

"Really, sweetheart." Her mother shook her head. "I'm a matchmaker. I know what happens when you find your love."

Ethan kissed her temple. "As I hear it, you live happily ever after."

Venus smiled wide. "Yes. Yes, you do."

Chapter Twenty-Two

After her dinner with Ethan Hunter, Sophie had a renewed surge of hope, which lasted until she got home and tried calling Tony. It went directly to voicemail, the message saying he was unavailable for an undetermined period of time.

She lay awake all night, wondering what that meant and how she could find him. By dawn, she'd decided to search his office for information on where he'd gone. As she went through his desk, she assured herself he'd thank her for this one day.

She hoped.

By mid-morning, she sat slumped in his executive's chair, defeated. She hadn't found any sort of travel notes, calendar schedules, or itineraries. The only piece of information lay on the desk in front of her, in Tony's bold scrawl.

His sister's address.

Sophie stared at Daniela's address. What were the chances that the pastry chef knew anything about her and Tony?

Pretty good actually. She sighed and let her eyes close. Tony and his sister were very close, close enough that if he were leaving town, Daniela would know why.

The question was, could Sophie convince Daniela to reveal her brother's location?

She stood. "No way to know unless I try."

A bath (to relax), makeup (war paint), and a demure but stunning outfit (fortification), and she called a cab to take her to the Mandarin Oriental.

It was afternoon by the time she arrived at the hotel. As she walked through the lobby, her stomach began to jitter with nerves, the same way it did on the first day of shooting a new movie.

Breathing, she focused herself and walked in like she owned the world.

An attendant by the elevator stopped her with a polite smile. "Can I help you, miss?"

She knew he was asking her if she had the right to be there, so she took her sunglasses off and gave him her famous Sophie Martineau smile. "I'm going to see Daniela Rossi in the penthouse."

He blinked once and then scrambled to call the elevator for her. "Of course. I'll swipe you upstairs."

"Thank you." As much of a hassle as it was to be famous, sometimes it was really helpful.

The man was very discreet in his gawking, but given the high caliber of the hotel, it went without saying. He held open the elevator when it arrived and ran his card inside.

She tapped her foot all the way to the top, running over her lines. The doors slid open, revealing the suite, and she stepped out right into a living room full of women.

Three pairs of eyes gaped at her in stunned silence.

Sophie froze, her lines gone. She felt like Sarah Martin again, awkward and uncertain of her place.

Daniela stood up, her gaze cool but curious. "This is unexpected."

She told herself to be Sophie, but Daniela's eyes were so much like Tony's that she just wilted with missing him. "I need help," she said with more honesty than she'd given anyone in longer than she could remember.

Daniela crossed her arms. "This is about Tony."

"Yes."

"Why should I help you, especially after what you did?"

She winced. "I was hoping you didn't know about that."

"You're out of luck there."

"You're Sophie Martineau," the blonde sitting in the living room suddenly said.

Daniela rolled her eyes. "Lola Carmichael, novelist, meet Sophie Martineau, actress."

The blonde stood up. She was beautiful in a natural way, with a wave of hair in a ponytail and dressed casually in jeans and a cotton shirt. She held her hand out in greeting, her gaze open and inquisitive. "You rocked in
Endless Sunshine
. You were robbed of an Oscar. Romantic comedies never get the appreciation they deserve."

Sophie smiled, grateful to the woman for making her feel relaxed. "Thank you."

"And this is Eve Byrnes," Daniela said, gesturing to the other woman. "She owns Grounds for Thought, the cafe in Laurel Heights."

Sophie turned to the other woman, who also had an open, friendly face. "I hate you for your scones."

Eve grinned. "I appreciate the hate."

"So." Daniela put her hands on her hips and stared Sophie down.

"Give it up, Daniela." Lola flopped back on the couch, propping her feet on the table in front of her. "Cut the tough act already. Like we all haven't stood where Sophie's standing now."

Sophie looked down at her feet. "Where am I standing?"

"In Screw-Up Alley," Lola replied with a knowing smile. "Eating crow."

"Is it that obvious?"

Eve shrugged. "Daniela mentioned why her brother left town."

"The only question here is whether Daniela is going to find you worthy enough for her brother." Lola yanked Daniela onto the couch next to her. "So now you can convince her."

Daniela pointed a finger at Sophie. "I've been around enough people in show business to know when it's an act."

"This is no act." She took a deep breath. "I could make all sorts of excuses for how I treated Tony, but it only comes down to one thing. I didn't realize what sort of opportunity was in front of me until it was too late. But I won't make that mistake twice."

Daniela arched her brow. "That's it? That's your persuasive argument?"

"Daniela," Eve chided.

"Well, how can I believe that she's not going to hurt him again? He's never run away from a woman before. You can't blame me for being defensive."

Sophie perked up. "He hasn't?"

"He doesn't get involved with women so seriously. He's been living with her," Daniela stabbed a finger in her direction, "for way over a month."

"But we haven't been
living
together." Unfortunately.

The pastry chef threw her hands in the air. "How should I know what's been going on or not? No one tells me anything."