Wild Suspicions (Romantic Suspense) (2 page)

“
Teterboro? Oh Parker, there’s no way, not at this time of day especially.” The traffic would be awful, no matter how great the limo. Liddie tried to estimate the time it would take. A one-way trip on the train would take about an hour. Multiply that by two and her disappointment was confirmed. There was no way. It had always been her plan to move closer to work someday, but there was so much to consider.

New York was exciting, and when she put on a suit and
slipped into heels each morning, she felt uniformed to fit in. Living here, though, would mean giving up too much. While the city could provide a richer social life, it was much cheaper to live in Jersey, where she’d found a beautiful condominium only minutes from Sunset Shores.

“
There’s no way, Parker. I’m sorry. There’s not enough time.” She tried to get across how hugely disappointed she was. Would he ever ask again? “I want to go, I really do, but I don’t see how.” It was crushing her to say it, but it would be worse to accept the invitation and then leave him waiting at the airport. Liddie didn’t want to be the reason why he’d miss an important corporate meeting. She’d met Parker’s father a few times and he was not one to tolerate excuses. Not even from his son.

Parker
sighed and reached into the pocket of his Yves Saint Laurent suit. The two-button jacket was custom fit to hug every feature of an athletic body. A few more strands of the dusty blonde hair fell to join the other atop a perplexed brow.

“
Oh, relax, Liddie.” He half-sat on her desk. “I knew there would be no time for you to pack.” Without taking his eyes off her face, Parker pulled a card from his pants pocket. “So I got you this.”

The color and design of the platinum corporate card was unmistakable
, and as Liddie reached for it an unfamiliar detail caught her eye. This particular card had her name embossed above that of the corporation.

“
Mine?” She had always used Parker’s corporate card to do his personal shopping and pick up random office supplies.

Parker
tossed it on the desk, got up and walked toward the door of his office. “Enough talk, damn it. Go shopping and meet me at the plane.” He pointed at his watch. “We’re taking off at three, so use a driver and don’t forget your laptop.”

Liddie
quickly got up and stuffed the credit card into her purse. “But, Parker?” She stopped herself from asking again. He wasn’t going to tell her no matter how often she asked. It was part of the surprise. She clicked off the laptop, grabbed the power cord and tucked it into its case. “How do I know what to buy? Is it warm or cold? Rainy or dry?”

Parker paused before entering
his office. “Good questions.” His face wrinkled in thought. “Pick up some sneakers, jeans, some shorts, a light rain jacket. Things like that. It’ll be hot. Don’t forget to buy a suitcase to put it all in. A nice one with wheels. I don’t want to be carrying shopping bags around.” He almost disappeared into the office and then stopped. “And get pretty stuff, Liddie, not all work stuff. Some dinner dresses, shoes and lingerie.” The tip of four fingers tapped playfully at the doorframe. “There won’t be a lot of work, and I want this to be special for both of us.” He smiled coyly. “Okay?”

Liddie felt
a line of goose bumps travel up her back. “How much should I spend?” she asked playfully, “You know, on lingerie and all?”

Parker placed his right hand over his heart.
“On lingerie? Break the bank. Just leave a little of the twenty grand for the other stuff as well. That should get you a toothbrush and decent wardrobe.”

The figure stunned Liddie
. It wasn’t that he was spending such a sum – he did that often. This time, though, it was for her. While there was no way she’d spend anywhere near that much, it didn’t matter. Parker never took back gifts. The card and its credit limit was now hers.

Parker closed his office door
, leaving Liddie a moment alone to regroup before leaving.

There was no doubt about it
. Parker Maxon had finally made his move. She’d almost given up on him. A distant tingle traveled up Liddie’s inner thigh to tease at her small-town morals. Parker Maxon, handsome heir to the Maxon paper fortune, was finally following through on his workday flirtations.

And
Liddie was not about to let the opportunity pass.

Parker collapsed into the soft, black leather of his executive office chair wondering if he’d just made a major blunder. His father had warned him about bringing outsiders into the family business, yet he’d gone ahead and done it anyway.

“
Stick with the strippers and whores,” he’d warned, with the gruff voice of a man who’d smoked most of his life.

F
or quite some time, Parker complied, and if they hadn’t had the conversation last year about the future of the Maxon family fortune, he might have continued to appease his father.

Could taking Liddie on this trip be a major flub?
Perhaps. That, however, was for Parker and not his father to decide. It was his choice as to who would assist in perpetuating the family legacy, and Parker was betting on Liddie.

He swiveled and
kicked back, hoisting two long legs onto a desk that cost twice his pretty assistant’s annual salary. First, and foremost, Liddie had been hired for her skills and intelligence. She easily understood the paperwork of import/export and he needed those skills to get the work done properly. Did it hurt that she was good looking to boot? Not in his mind. Hell, that only clinched the deal.

“
Keep out of her pants,” his father had demanded immediately after seeing the wavy haired brunette. She’d accompanied Parker to one of the meetings held at the headquarter offices two blocks away. “Your insatiable libido is not worth losing everything I’ve earned all these years.”

Everything that he
had earned. The repeated claim poked at Parker, but since it wasn’t a request his father made often, he promised he’d keep Liddie out of his bed. And for three years he did. But Liddie was like a carrot, and he, the donkey. Every day she dangled about the office in those high heels and taut skirts, unaware of how enticing her every movement could be. It made him all the more hungry to bite.

To
make matters worse, she couldn’t resist the urge to flirt back, filling many of his weekdays with blushes and fun.

He wiggled uncomfortably in the chair and checked his watch. The plane couldn
’t leave soon enough. The thought of getting her alone in the wild, away from the office and into his element, made him shiver with anticipation.

To hell with
his father. He’d get over it.

Thoughts of leather straps and ripped panties gripped his imagination.
The lovely Liddie was in for an exciting trip. He had little doubt that, with a bit of coaxing, she’d release the inhibitions exhibited in the office and provide him with some unexpected pleasures as well.

Parker
grinned at the thought of conquering his cutesy assistant. Whether his father approved of it or not, their time had come.

As for the business, Parker was sure he could keep her
at bay. If not, well, that’s what lawyers were for.

Liddie collapsed into the
back of a Maxon limousine. Parker had given her two and a half hours, and they were running late – by at least ten minutes.

She
’d already called Sunset Shores to check on Aunt Sandy. Mr. Ames, the balding administrator who once challenged Liddie on the necessity of her aunt’s weekly manicure and pedicure appointments, confirmed that he’d spoken with Parker. He wouldn’t divulge how much Parker had paid the facility, only that Sunset Shores was very appreciative and would take exceptional care of her aunt. Liddie tried to speak with her, but was told that it wasn’t one of her better days. Immediate thoughts of cancelling the trip were brushed aside when she was able to speak with Aunt Sandy’s regular nurse, Karen.

“
It’s not that she doesn’t want to talk to you,” explained Karen. “She’s watching a children’s television show and doesn’t want to focus on anything, except this little boy and his funny dog.” She giggled sweetly. “I can assure you she’s doing well.”

Information like that used to
cause a collapse into tears. A juvenile television program meant more to her aunt than she did. In time though, Liddie came to realize that if she didn’t adopt a change in perspective, no day would be a good one – not for Liddie or Aunt Sandy. If her aunt, she decided, was feeling fine and enjoying the day, it was a great day.

That was all she cared about now. Liddie knew
who her aunt was and will always be. No horrible disease could take away those memories or that love. Not ever.

She
sat in silence as the car moved through the Holland Tunnel. A line of lights from above illuminated an endless gray wall.

What
am I doing?

She asked the question three times. T
he only answer that came to mind was in the form of a memory. It was a few months ago, when Parker confided in her about his family.

“
Did you know my father is on his fifth wife?” He’d asked as Liddie sat on the huge black sofa in his office. She’d been searching through boxes of papers Parker had piled in a corner. He’d tossed an original vendor agreement somewhere and Maxon Sr. was livid when it couldn’t be found. Liddie’s task was to find it – yesterday.

“
Five wives?” she asked, more focused on the job than the private information. “That’s quite a few nuptials for one man. Do you have a lot of siblings?”

Parker was sitting with his feet up on the desk. A common position
when he actually made it into the office.

“
No brothers or sisters. After me, Father made sure there’d never be another.”

“
You’re an only child?” A little surprising, but Liddie didn’t want to pry. As it turned out, she didn’t have to.

“
The only child of a man who hates children.”

Liddie watched him
stretch back to study the high ceiling. “Yet,” he continued, “He won custody. Isn’t that strange? I was his, and all this was mine, from the day I was born.” He sighed. “The sole child. The sole son. The sole heir.”

“
What about your mother?” The stress of having his father angry with him was apparent. Liddie didn’t want to make matters worse, and yet she sensed that he wanted her to know more.

Parker breathed deep and sat up to place his hands on the desk and look at her. His face appeared weary
, and Liddie was touched by it.

“
I’ve only met my mother six times.”

“
No!” Liddie dropped a pile of papers she’d been holding. “I can’t believe that’s what she wanted.”

Parker touched his nose with an index finger.
“Bingo! That’s what I thought, until my fourteenth birthday. She sent me a card with a little note that said, basically, ‘Have a nice life.’”

“
Oh Parker. I’m so sorry.” Liddie didn’t know what else to say. “There must have been a reason.” She wanted to say more, like maybe his father had pushed his mother away. That wouldn’t be fair, though. While Liddie didn’t like the man, she had no idea of the circumstances.

Her boss shrugged, got up and sat on the sofa beside her.
“She was a whore. Simple as that.” Parker kicked the box closest to him and grabbed a pile of papers.

Liddie bristled at the use of the word.
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far.”

“
Difficult for you to believe that a woman could be like that, isn’t it?”

“
Yes, it is.” Liddie immediately thought of Aunt Sandy, and how the single woman had taken in her four-year-old niece immediately after Liddie’s mother died of pancreatic cancer. It had only been two years after losing her father to heart disease. Her aunt had been so patient and understanding with her, working over the years to tell her stories about both parents, so Liddie would always feel close to them. No. Aunt Sandy wasn’t a biological mom, but most definitely, she was a natural one.

“
Do you wish to have children one day?”

Liddie wasn
’t expecting the question. A flush of warmth rose from chest to cheek and she quickly looked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that encircled Parker’s desk. Buildings and blue sky filled them like a panoramic photograph. “I would very much like to be a mom one day,” she replied honestly. “Not a lot of kids, you understand, but one or two would be nice.” She hesitated for a second, then asked “And you?”

“
Of course,” Parker laughed. “I need an heir. Can’t leave all this money to strangers.” He threw a batch of papers across the floor. “Somebody’s got to inherit this boring batch of paper crap.”

“
Parker!” Liddie dropped to her knees to pick up the pages. “Don’t make this job more difficult than it has to be.” She stretched to grab the farthest first. “All of this should have been given to me a month ago. It’s two days worth of filing.”

Parker dropped to the floor
beside her, grabbing pages and tossing them back into the box. “I bet we’d have cute kids.” He rolled onto his back and watched her. “Your beautiful brown eyes, wavy hair.” He reached out to touch her arm. “Good skin, too.” He nodded appreciatively. “We’d make a few beauties.”

Liddie laughed and pulled at her blouse
. The room was warming up. “You’re teasing me, Parker. Cut it out.” She tossed a crumbled office receipt at him, sat back on the sofa and pulled at another box. There were contracts sitting on top, and she immediately hoped that this box might hold their “golden ticket.”

Parker remained on the floor,
laughing. “I love teasing you, Liddie. I could do it full time. Maybe you and I should…”

“
Found it!” Liddie waved the stapled pages and blurted out the pronouncement before realizing what she might have interrupted. Parker jumped up, thanked her with a quick hug, and ran out to personally deliver the papers to his father.

Crisis diverted.

For Parker, that is. For Liddie, it provoked months of wondering why she couldn’t have kept her mouth shut and held on to that contract for a few more moments.

At least
until he’d finished his thought.

The hazy light of an overcast New Jersey sky pulled Liddie from the memory. She didn’t have to wonder any longer. Or did she?

Even as he
’d made his intentions clear, Liddie had her doubts.

Perhaps, she decided, it was the anxiety of leav
ing with no prior preparation. Parker told her to buy enough clothes for two weeks. That was a significant amount of time to be away. Did anything have to be shut off, picked up or put away? Liddie quickly scribbled a list of items and called Melody Sanchez, a neighbor close to her own age, who’d become a good friend.

“
You’re going with him?” Melody squealed after Liddie filled her in on the trip. “Oh my gosh, Liddie, how exciting. I’m so happy for you.”

“
You don’t think I’m crazy?”

Melody laughed.
“We should all be so crazy. Seriously, Liddie, you two have been dancing around each other for a few years now. It’s about time, don’t you think?”

Liddie glanced up toward the driver. It was one of those long limos with the partition between
seats, but she couldn’t be sure if he could hear the conversation. She lowered her voice. “He went into my desk and took my passport without permission. Do you think that’s odd?”

Melody took a moment.
“I guess, but rich guys are different than we are. They think they own everything. A desk doesn’t bother me so much. I mean it’s not like it was your purse. If he’d gone into your purse,” she let out a little grunt, “now that would piss me off.”

Liddie laughed.
“I agree. That wouldn’t be acceptable. And he did apologize.”

“
Drop it and move on,” Melody advised. “It’s not anything I would dwell on.”

Melody and her husband had only moved in a year
before, but the two became fast friends after meeting at the homeowners’ association barbecue. They had two boys – ages three and seven, who never failed to make Liddie laugh. Paul, Melody’s husband, had tried to set Liddie up with several of his friends, but none of them clicked. Most were engineers from his company, who preferred computers and football to travel and fiction.

“
The whole trip is so unexpected. I feel a little funny about it.”

“
Stop worrying,” ordered Melody. “I’ll take care of the mail and everything else. I can even stop by Sunset Shores and check on your aunt every few days. You enjoy yourself, Liddie. You deserve this, and I’m so happy for you.” She let out another little screech of excitement. “A private plane, how exciting! Promise to take pictures.”

Liddie hadn
’t even thought about a camera, but Parker usually carried one. Besides, she had her phone. It wasn't the best, but it would do in a pinch. The call ended with Melody wishing her well.

In the five minutes
to spare before arriving at the airport Liddie managed to touch up her makeup and tidy her hair.

The house was fine. Her aunt was fine. There was nothing left to worry about
.

Liddie arrived at the airport before Parker. That pleased her. Better she be early and he late than the other way around.

The driver parked near three
huge, waxed-to-perfection planes, all marked with the Maxon logo – a black, upper case M with a red, lower case x overlapping it on the lower right. You’d think Liddie had seen the logo everywhere, but it actually wasn’t used much on the paperwork she handled. Parker once explained that the company owned so many subsidiaries, that it was necessary to juggle multiple corporate identities. At one point, she’d counted at least thirty-four different entities in the database she maintained.

Joe, the
limo driver, got out and opened the left passenger door for her. A bubble of anxiety popped within Liddie. She pulled at her skirt and nervously slid out of the car. Something fell to the ground. Her cell phone. She quickly reached for it before the driver had a chance.

“
Should I wait here?” Parker was nowhere in sight.

Joe
shook his head. “Not necessary, miss.” He pointed toward one of the planes. “You can go ahead if you like. The pilots should be over there somewhere. I’ll get your things and put them on board, don’t worry about that.”

Liddie nodded and turned toward the plane. She breathed deep
and double-checked her skirt and blouse. As much as she’d wanted to change into flats, she decided to wait until officially off the clock. The simple beige trench coat she’d bought should suffice for the trip. It was short and smart, with a cinnamon-colored piping. It also had a wide belt that she now pulled tight around the waist. Parker said it would be warm; but even so, many places got cool at night. Liddie wanted to be prepared for anything.

It was surprising, how much she
’d been able to grab on the shopping spree. Thanks to Joe, she was able to run in and out of several stores while he circled the city blocks. Even with the huge credit-card balance she couldn’t help but check prices, often passing up the ridiculously expensive clothes for the ones more reasonably priced.

There
were, however, a few items she did pay more for. Underwear, lingerie and two designer cocktail dresses accounted for most of the money spent. One dress was all black with a full silk skirt and strapless bodice, the other a tight-fitting navy blue and black sheath. Both were short. They’d taken the longest time to pick out because she had to try them on. Perhaps she shouldn’t have gotten two short dresses; maybe the longer burgundy dress with the sparkly shrug would have been better.

A
nother bout of self-doubt created a twitch in Liddie’s neck. She breathed deep. Parker wouldn’t appreciate a nervous nature. He was confident and adventurous. If she wanted to capture his heart and keep his interest, Liddie would have to be that way as well. No more angst about the wardrobe.

“
Which plane, Joe?” Liddie turned to look at the driver, who pointed her toward the second one. It was sleek and shiny. Somewhere she’d seen memos regarding the type of planes the company used, but she couldn’t recall the manufacturer or model. Looking around the airport, though, the Maxon planes dwarfed most of the others. The Maxon family empire did everything in a big way.