This Winter Night Page 10

Adam stood alone, fuming. A screw loose, indeed. He would show them exactly how it felt to go up against someone who was as determined to succeed at whatever they set their mind on as he was. Lauren had been the one to begin divorce proceedings. He had asked her, begged her—and he was not the sort of man to beg—to forgive his infidelity and continue their marriage. But she said that she had lived for a long time with the suspicion that he was cheating on her and now that she had proof she could not go on fooling herself. It was over. From that point on, what could he do but put on an act and tell her that she’d never supported him anyway? If she had been the wife he needed her to be he wouldn’t have sought solace elsewhere. That had torn her up. He still remembered the hurtful expression in her eyes. He couldn’t back down then though. He told her a man of his standing deserved a trophy wife. She was getting a little long in the tooth.

  He’d in essence bitten off his nose to spite his face. He’d made a mistake. Now that he was engaged to the trophy-wife-to-be, he’d tried to be satisfied. But Riley was right. He did want Lauren back. That old saying, you don’t miss the water until the well runs dry, was true.

  The baiting of Riley was simply a way to strengthen his resolve to win Lauren back. He was fired up now. He’d prove to Riley that he wasn’t a man to be counted out.

  Chapter 9

  Colton tried to shake off the madness that had ensued in the hallway as he strode back into the ballroom. His eyes went directly to his table where his mother and Lauren seemed to be deep in conversation. They were leaning toward one another, their heads nearly touching. The warm feeling he got from knowing how much his mother and Lauren enjoyed each other’s company almost dispelled the seed of doubt his confrontation with Adam Eckhart had planted in him.

  Could Lauren still have feelings for Eckhart? He was at war with his conscience. On one hand he wanted to be completely honest with Lauren and tell her exactly what had transpired a few minutes ago. On the other, he didn’t want to ruin her evening by telling her about Eckhart’s lunacy. So he decided he’d tell her later.

  His mother smiled up at him when he joined them. “Colton, did you know that both Lauren’s mother and I attended Shaw University? Now, I’ve got to go look in my old yearbooks and see if I can find a Virginia Beck. Beck’s her maiden name.”

  Sitting down on Lauren’s left Colton said, “No, I didn’t. You two might have known one another.”

  Veronica frowned. “Seems like I would remember a Virginia, but I don’t.”

  Lauren smiled at Colton. She looked into his eyes and seemed, to him, to detect that something was amiss. Or maybe it was his guilt at deciding not to tell her about his encounter with Eckhart until later that was niggling at him.

  A look of askance crossed her face. “Is something wrong?” she said, her tone soft but urgent.

  Ever since Lauren had seen Adam again she’d had this sense of foreboding lying just below the surface, trying its best to rear its ugly head.

  “No, no,” Colton assured her and rubbed her arm comfortingly. He leaned toward her, kissed her cheek and whispered, “It’s almost midnight.”

  Around them, couples were returning to their tables from the dance floor. Tradition at the Black and White Ball dictated that at the stroke of midnight, champagne would flow like water and everyone would toast the New Year in.

  Waitstaff entered the ballroom pushing trolleys laden with bottles of the bubbly spirits. On stage the host was counting down the seconds. “Ten, nine, eight, seven,” he intoned.

  Promptly at the midnight hour the sound of corks popping filled the ballroom. “Happy New Year!” everyone exclaimed with joy. Those who had them blew paper horns. Silver and gold confetti rained on them.

  At Colton and Lauren’s table, champagne glasses were filled and everyone offered toasts to one another. Colton looked into Lauren’s eyes and said, his voice husky, “I hope this year will be the best you’ve ever had.”

  “It will be with you in it,” Lauren said, smiling happily.

  They gently touched their glasses together, took sips of champagne and put their glasses on the table.

  Colton leaned in, his gaze on her mouth. “Our first kiss of the year,” he said, his voice rife with longing.

  “Make it a good one,” she whispered back as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her mouth.

  They got lost in one another. The rest of the world receded as if there was only the two of them, high on the euphoria that new love causes. When they parted and peered into each other’s eyes both of them knew something vital had changed between them.

  “Colton,” Veronica said.

  To Colton her voice sounded far away. Then, he came back to the present and realized that hadn’t been the first time she’d tried to get his attention.

  He smiled at his mother. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  “I was saying,” Veronica said with a laugh, “that I’m going home.” She rose and the rest of the family got to their feet also. Everyone had varying amounts of confetti in their hair and on their clothing and was picking it off themselves. “I hate this stuff,” Veronica complained.

  She looked around for her nephew, but Decker was nowhere in sight. She sighed. “When Decker gets back,” she said to Colton and Lauren, “tell him as an escort, he sucks.”

  Then she hugged Lauren and Colton. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  She left with Jade and Manu, with Manu giving Colton a thumbs-up on the way out.

  Colton and Lauren were left at the table alone. The other Riley Construction staff and their dates were on the dance floor. For many, the party really got started after midnight.

  Lauren smiled at Colton. “Going home sounds good to me.”

  Colton was about to say something when her cell phone started making its distinct text message buzzing sound that reminded her of a tiny chainsaw. She laughed thinking it was probably one of her sisters texting to say Happy New Year.

  “Excuse me,” she said to Colton as she slipped her hand into her clutch and got her cell phone. Quickly pressing a couple buttons she frowned and murmured, “Oh, no, no, it can’t be.”

  When tears sprang to her eyes and she thrust the cell phone at Colton as if she wanted it far away from her, Colton’s first impulse was to comfort her. He pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest as he read what was on the cell phone’s screen. The message consisted of only four words. I still love you. And it was from Adam Eckhart.

  “Please erase it,” Lauren said as she clung to him.

  Colton did as she asked. Then pressed the phone back into her hand. “It’s gone, sweetheart.” He pulled her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

  Lauren wiped the tears away with the pad of her thumb as they made their way across the ballroom to the exit. “Why doesn’t he just leave me alone?” she wondered aloud as Colton made sure her wrap was securely around her before they ventured out into the chilly night.

  “Sweetheart, we need to talk,” he said, “but not here. Let’s wait until we’re in the car on the way to your place.”

  She nodded numbly, sniffing. “I hate him so much,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

  Colton was in a pensive mood for the first few minutes as they drove along the streets of downtown Raleigh. Traffic was light at the moment since most revelers were already where they wanted to be.

  Why had Lauren reacted with tears when she’d gotten Eckhart’s text message? Why not with derision, or laughter, calling him a nut or a sap to send such an idiotic admission of love to his ex-wife? There were many ways she could have reacted, but tears? Tears were connected to emotions. She apparently still felt something for him.

  “Lauren, on my way back from the restroom I ran into Eckhart and against my better judgment I let him draw me into an argument.”

/>   Lauren turned in her seat so that she could see his face while he spoke. “What did you argue about?”

  “You,” Colton said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to go into detail because some things were said that were inflammatory, things I don’t want to have to repeat. But the gist of it was he’s angry with me for dating you and he threatened to do everything in his power to get you back.”

  Lauren gave a great sigh of relief. “So he threw down the gauntlet,” she said with a short laugh, “challenged you to a duel at dawn and attempted to make a gentleman’s bet on who would come out on top?”

  Colton looked at her, amazed by her change of attitude. “What brought back the Lauren with backbone? A minute ago you were crying.”

  “That was before I knew that this was just another one of his games,” she explained. “I got emotional when I got the text because I thought he was genuinely still in love with me and he was going to make an effort to get back in my life. That part terrified me, but it’s not unheard of for a divorced couple to reconcile. Not that I had any intention of doing so. But I remember the love I used to have for him, too, and occasionally it tries to break through to the surface. Those are the times I suffer and wonder what I did wrong to make him cheat on me.”

  “A cheater is a cheater no matter the provocation,” Colton said. “I sincerely believe that. You didn’t do anything for him to cheat on you.”

  She smiled at him. “I know that now but for months after I had filed for divorce I wavered between righteous indignation and feeling that maybe I should take some blame for his actions, too. Anyway, I no longer believe I did anything for him to go looking for a mistress.”

  “So, why do you think he’s playing games with you and he’s not sincere about still being in love with you?”

  “It’s that old rivalry thing again,” Lauren said calmly. “You have something he believes is rightfully his. Me. If he hadn’t approached you tonight and said all those things you’re avoiding telling me because you think my feelings will be hurt, I would have taken that text message seriously.” She sighed again and ran her hand over his muscular thigh. “Let him try his best. There’s only one man I’m interested in and I’m touching him right now. And as soon as I get him home I’m going to be touching him all over.”

  Colton let out a soft sigh of his own. The sound of her sexy voice and the feel of her hand on his thigh aroused him. He was glad he’d come straight to her and told her about his conversation with Eckhart. Now that their cards were on the table there was nothing left that could come between them. In a few minutes not even their clothes would be separating them. He would see to that as soon as they walked through the door of her apartment. He pressed down a little harder on the accelerator of the Lexus.

  * * *

  She had him flat on his back on the thick rug atop the hardwood floor of the living room. They hadn’t made it to the bedroom before they’d begun ripping their clothes off. The lamps on the end tables were dimmed and the room was quiet except for their heavy breaths.

  Their naked bodies in two shades of brown, his dark cinnamon, hers more caramel, were joined in a timeless dance. Lauren’s head was thrown back in ecstasy, her full breasts shaking with each thrust. Colton gave her every inch of him. She reveled in it and her body asked for more.

  Unable to keep her orgasm at bay any longer, Lauren’s thrusts increased in frequency and the climax claimed her at the same moment as Colton came with a ferocity that made him want to howl. He controlled it and groaned loudly instead.

  Lauren moaned languidly and lay on his chest, her vaginal walls quivering around his shaft with her release. She peered into his eyes, her own dreamy. A smile turned up the corners of her generous mouth. “Now, that’s how Cinderella should end her night at the ball.”

  Colton smiled and hugged her tightly. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

  * * *

  Two weeks later, Lauren attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new children’s hospital. It was a Monday morning and the January air was cold, the wind brisk and the sunshine bright.

  Lauren sat on the platform that had been erected for the occasion, waiting to get up and say a few words after the director of the hospital introduced her as the architect. Local news stations were covering the event and there were perhaps two hundred people sitting on folding chairs in the cleared field that was the site for the hospital.

  Adam sat on the opposite side of the podium at which the hospital’s director was delivering his welcome speech. Lauren had made the mistake of making eye contact with Adam on one occasion but he’d looked so hopeful she had refused to look at him again. Since the night of the ball he had sent multiple text messages. None of which she’d responded to.

  After the groundbreaking ceremony, the media briefly interviewed both Lauren and Adam. She finished first and beat a hasty retreat. He caught up with her on the street where she’d parked the Range Rover.

  “Lauren, Lauren,” he cried, running across the street, car horns blaring at him.

  He was wearing a dark blue suit with a black overcoat. His goatee looked freshly trimmed. Lauren stood with her back to the driver’s side door of the Range Rover, her eyes narrowed.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” she warned as he stopped in front of her and opened his mouth to speak.

  Adam clamped his mouth shut and took a deep breath. Then he gave a hopeless shrug and started talking. “Well, I’ve got something to say to you. I’m forty years old and I’m still immature. Instead of appreciating you when we were together I did nothing but find fault with you, which is something I now realize I did because I was so in awe of you. There was nothing wrong with you. Instead, there was something wrong with my values. Money and position were the only things I cared about and I thought that you didn’t fit into my plans. I accused you of not supporting me. It was I who didn’t support you. I can see that now.”

  “Hold on a minute,” Lauren told him as she opened her car door, leaned inside and ejected a CD from the CD player. She put the CD back in its case and handed it to Adam. “Listen to track four,” she told him.

  A few minutes later after he’d watched her drive away and walked back to his SUV Adam put the CD in his CD player and jumped to track four. “I don’t believe a word you say...” Ben Harper sang.

  Smiling, Adam relaxed on the car seat. He had to give it to her. She had style.

  * * *

  Lauren looked at Adam in her rearview mirror. She remembered when his charm didn’t seem in the least bit smarmy to her. She’d eaten it up. She’d been thrilled that he was interested in her at all. When they’d met he was already a successful builder and because of his success and his attractiveness to women, he was considered one of the best catches in Raleigh. In spite of objections from her parents who after meeting him later told her in private that he was not to be trusted, she had given him her heart. Thinking of her parents reminded her that she was taking Colton to Sunday dinner at her parents’ house this weekend. She wondered what they would say about him in private after meeting him.

  * * *

  “I’m nervous about meeting your dad,” Colton admitted on the drive to Lauren’s parents’ home on the outskirts of Raleigh.

  Lauren tried to laugh it off. “You’re not the first guy who’s been nervous about meeting the general. But I’m going to let you in on a secret—he’s not the one to look out for. That would be Momma. Daddy’s easygoing. All he cares about on a Sunday afternoon is the amount of time he gets in front of the TV watching football. He’s devoted to North Carolina State and you follow that team, too, so you already have one thing in common. With Momma, no man is good enough for her daughters, period. Even if she likes you you’re still not good enough. So, I suggest you relax and be yourself.”

  “And your sisters?” he asked.

 
“Don’t worry about my sisters. They think you’re perfect for me. They’re very smart girls, my sisters.”

  When they pulled into the driveway, Virginia was standing in the doorway, a warm smile on her face. “Colton, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally.” She shook his hand and led him into the family room with Lauren bringing up the rear.

  The large family room was furnished in comfortable leather seating. The décor was more suited to a man’s tastes with dark brown being the dominant color. Colton was introduced to Lauren’s father who got up and shook his hand. Fonzi was a couple inches taller than he was, but Colton had broader shoulders and he was more muscular. “Good to meet you, Colton,” said Fonzi. “Let me introduce you to my father-in-law, Benjamin Beck.”

  Benjamin Beck was small and wiry with solid white wavy hair that he wore long and tied back with a strip of leather. His dark brown skin was weathered from the outdoors and his jeans and plaid shirt were a bit frayed but clean. He was a man without pretension, and Colton liked him instantly.

  Benjamin firmly shook his hand. “I knew your father. He was a good man.”

  Colton smiled. “Thank you, sir. It’s good to meet you. Lauren tells me you own a hunting lodge. I’d love to see it someday.”

  Benjamin laughed shortly. “Oh, there’s not much to it. Just plain old logs, the bare bones, I’m afraid. The people who stay at the lodge are looking to get back to nature.”

  “Well, I like the outdoors,” said Colton. “I’m not a hunter but I fish and enjoy outdoor sports.”

  “Then we ought to go fishing sometime,” Benjamin said. He smiled at Lauren as if to say, “I like this one.”

  “Daddy, before you all start planning a fishing trip let me introduce Colton to the rest of the family,” Lauren cut in sweetly.

  Colton had already met Desiree since she had accompanied Lauren to his father’s funeral and come with her to the house afterward. But he had yet to meet Meghan and Amina. He saw a resemblance to Lauren in each of them. Their eyes were almond-shaped like hers. They also had Lauren’s honey-brown skin tone. They were all attractive women and apparently enjoyed exercising because they were physically fit and healthy-looking. Knowing what Lauren had told him about their father teaching them to shoot and signing them up for karate classes at the age of seven, he could see his influence on them.