Chapter 8

“Where is he?” Nikki demanded as she marched into the assistant’s office.

“He is in there with-”

“No interruptions.”

“Mrs. Hadley, you cannot-”

“That’s right.” She snapped at his assistant, her eyes brimming over with fury. “I am Mrs. Hadley, and I am marching into that goddamned office, and no one is going to stop me.” Turning around, she pushed the doors open.

“Gentlemen,” Marcel rose gracefully to his feet. “I believe you already met my wife?”

“I need a few minutes with my husband.”

“She looks like she is about to make trouble for you, Marcel,” The eldest of the three joked as they rose and headed for the door.

“I asked your assistant so that we would not be interrupted.” She faced him, her chest heaving. He had left her in bed sleeping, and not only that, but he had also taken a call from her assistant about a meeting that had been moved up, an important meeting that he had hijacked.

“Is this the way you are going to play it? Those men are my clients-” She jabbed a finger into her chest. “Mine. I coached them, had to put up with their goddamned fickle ways, spent time wining and dining with those assholes, and ignored their sexist jokes at my expense. And now what? You are taking them over?”

She felt like exploding. After what they had shared last night and this morning, she could not believe he was doing this to her.

“It’s nothing personal.” He told her coolly. “You were overwrought yesterday and tuckered out from the aftermath. I decided to let you rest.”

Nikki thought she could not get any angrier, but she was wrong. “You decided to let me sleep?” She approached his desk and slapped her palms on the surface. Leaning forward until her face was inches from his, she spat. “You let me sleep? Because I was too overwrought to do my job?”

“Compose yourself,” he said coldly, his eyes glittering. “This is not a competition. You work for the firm, and if one person manages to close the deal, it is a win-win for all of us.”

“You son of a bitch-” His intercom sounded and cut her off. Before he could answer it, she jabbed the button. “What is it?”

“Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Wellington is insisting on-”

Nikki saw red. “Put her through.” Jerking the receiver up before he could intercept, she did not wait for the woman to say anything.

“Listen, you pathetic bitch. Stay away from my husband. You are married, and he no longer wants you. Stay the hell away from him, or you answer to me!” Slamming the phone down, she stalked out of the office, leaving him staring at her furiously.

*****

She had to get out of there. After the scene in his office, she had gone back to hers. She grabbed her pocketbook and suit jacket and told Marge she would be out for an hour.

“Will you be back for your eleven A.M.?”

“I will let you know.”

She had been driving around aimlessly before she decided to head on over to the nursing home. The doctors called to inform her that her mother was awake and responding to the treatment.

Sliding into the slot, she switched off the engine, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. The memory of the last time she had been here assailed her. He had come to find her and took over.

He had driven home with her and catered to her needs. They had ended up making magic, or so she thought. Last night and this morning had been so combustible that she had no words to explain it.

And this morning, she had jumped up at almost nine to find him gone. If Maggie had not phoned her, she would have slept longer. He had hijacked her damn account and told her it was not personal. She was so mad that she could not breathe. And on top of that, his mistress was calling him, insisting on talking to him as if that was her right.

Taking several deep breaths, she decided she was calm enough to go and see her mother.

*****

“I apologize.” Marcel dragged his fingers through his hair restlessly.

He had called Simone back after Nikki left, and she had begged him to meet her at their spot.’

It was a quaint little eatery a few miles from the firm and was owned by a friend. They were guaranteed the utmost discretion and were seated beneath a burgeoning cedar tree with overhanging branches and wrought iron chairs.

Nearby, the pleasant sound of water bubbling over rocks could be heard, vying with the chirping of birds. Simone had ordered the cold soup and sandwich, but neither was eating.

“She should be the one apologizing.” She retorted. “How could you let her speak to me like that?”

Marcel had wandered over to stand by the water, his hands shoved into his pockets. He had hurt Nikki. The expression on her exquisite face had been that of betrayal, and to compound the problem, he had told her that it was not personal. “I pissed her off.”

“And she took it out on me.”

“She took it out on both of us.” Turning around, he stared at the woman he had previously thought he wanted to marry. Somehow, the appeal was no longer there. He had seen his wife marching into his office with blood in her eyes.

Her emerald green knit skirt suit suited her flawless complexion and was one of the new outfits sent over from Romano’s. She had not bothered to do anything with her hair and had left the dark brown curls streaked with blonde tumbling around her face and down her back.

“I want this marriage to be over.”

Shaking his head, he gave Simone his attention. “Which one? Yours or mine?” he asked sardonically.

“Both. Darling-”

“We consummated the marriage,” he told her bluntly, watching the color drain from her face.

“You are lying.”

“She is my wife, Simone, for better or worse.”

“You were forced to marry her!”

“And that ship has sailed.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that we are well and truly married. Look-” Lifting a hand, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Your husband loves you-”

“I love you!”

“I don’t think so. What we had would not have gone anywhere, and right now, I suggest you stop calling me.”

“Because of her?” Simone demanded, the tears stark in her eyes.

“Yes, and because of all of us involved. You have a husband, and I have a wife; we must respect that.”

“You never did before. It never mattered to you that I was married.”

“You told me you were separated.” He closed his eyes briefly, sick of the conversation and the scene in his office. He was going to deal with Nikki on that one. She was his wife, but she was also a goddamned lawyer representing the firm.

She had no right to barge into his office and create a scene. His phone beeped just then. Tugging it out, he looked at the message. “I have to go.”

“Is that her?”

“No. I have a meeting that I am running late for. The tab is on me.” He told her briefly before walking away.

“Oh, Marcel,” Simone whispered, tearing the napkin into threads. “If you think I am going to make it this easy for you to walk away, then you are wrong.”

*****

“My dear.” James held his hands to take hers, pulling her in for a hug. “How is your mother?”

“She is holding her own. No better and no worse.” She kissed him on the jaw fondly and squeezed his hands. “You wanted to see me?”

“I understand you had an altercation with your husband?”

Nikki rolled her eyes as she took the seat he gestured to. “I guess nothing is kept secret in the firm.”

“You are newlyweds, so everyone is watching.” Leaning back in the chair, he eyed her for a minute. “Also, nothing is kept secret where my sons are concerned, especially Marcel and that woman.”

Nikki stared at him with a frown. “Why? What happened?”

“He went to see her, I guess, to apologize for your blow-up on her.”

“Where?” She asked huskily, feeling the pain burning inside her chest.

“It was a tearoom, their little spot when they were involved. Nothing happened. I think he went to say goodbye.”

“Oh, is that so?” Nikki wanted to tell him she could care less but would not be telling the truth. She snapped at the woman, and he ran to soothe her fragile senses. She hated the bitch. And she hated him for making her feel like a jealous fool.

He had spent the night worshiping her body and this morning had run ahead of her to steal her client and then had gone running to his damn mistress. She wished she could hate him. She wished she could tell him to get out of her life.

“My dear?”

“Yes?”

“I did not tell you to be hurtful. I just wanted to forewarn you.” He told her quietly. “You know I am rooting for you.”

“I know.” Forcing a smile, she rose gracefully. “And I am extremely grateful. I have a client-”

“Wendy and I would like you both over for dinner on Sunday.”

“If I have not managed to murder your son by that time, we will see you then.”

His smile was warm as he rose to accompany her to the doors. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her cheek. “You are going to be fine.”

*****

“I was on my way out. If it has to do with the Milford’s acquisition, I sent you an email saying that we decided to get an injunction-”

“It’s not about that. Why don’t you have a seat?” James waved a hand to the sofa beneath the fireplace. “Drink?”

“No.” Marcel shook his head.

“Do you have dinner plans with your wife?” James asked him mildly as he poured a finger of scotch and added two ice cubes.

“No. And I know you fully know what happened between us earlier.”

“As well as the fact that you went to see your mistress soon after.” James went to sit behind his desk.

Marcel’s eyes glinted, his body going rigid. “You had me followed?”

“Discreetly. As you know, we have the best security team on retainer from using them yourself a time or two.”

“I will not tolerate-”

“What I won’t tolerate is you seeing that woman in some tea shop tucked in the middle of nowhere. You are a married man, and that tramp is still married to a senior partner. I told your wife about the little rendezvous-”

“You did what?” Marcel rose, his expression thunderous. “What the hell for?”

“To let her know what she is up against. She is your wife-”

“One that you bought and paid for!”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Why?” Marcel gritted. “The doors are closed, and this is a goddamned soundproof office. You are constantly interfering in my life! I am not Matthew or Julia, who are prepared to be your puppet and content to let you pull their strings. I am a man-”

“One who cannot see what is in front of him! Nikki is beautiful, smart-”

“And your golden child,” Marcel added bitterly. “You think I don’t know what this is about, Dad? She is a tremendous asset to the firm. You did not give a crap about hurting Wellington’s feelings because I was seeing his wife.

You did not want another law firm to steal your ‘prize’ away, so you found a way to permanently tie her to the firm. You dangled money in front of her, and predictably, she jumped at it. I might be married to her, but it does not mean I will be used. I do what I damn well please, am I clear?”

“Are you done?”

“I am, and I am going home.” He turned to leave when his father’s voice stopped him.

“I am not denying that I treasure that young woman; she is an asset and incredibly good at what she does. But you are the fool who cannot see the hell before you.”

Marcel turned to give him a scornful glance. “And what is that? A wife any man would be proud to call his own. The future mother of my children? You ruined all that when you picked her out for me, and there is no changing any of it.” Without another word, he slammed out of the office.

Picking up the glass, James stared into it moodily, a grim expression on his face. He had a feeling he had just made matters worse.

*****

Nikki told herself she was not waiting for him and would not give him the satisfaction of calling to check on him. He was late. And he had not called to let her know he would be late. No matter what happened, she was his goddamned wife, and she deserved- Shaking her head, she slipped on a robe and went to stand by the window.

He was obviously with his mistress. He had gone running to her after their spat inside his office, and the hurt and pain that evoked was like a thorn digging into her heart. What the hell did he see in her? And why could he not realize she loved him after what they shared? That she was desperate to make it work between them?

She was about to go into the bathroom when she heard the sound of the alarm disengaging and saw on the camera that he was finally home. Heaving out breath, she quickly took off her robe and got back into bed. It would not do for him to think that she had been jealous or worried about him.

On a sudden inspiration, she grabbed a contract she had been going over earlier, and, turning on the lamp, she started poring over it. Her body tensed when she heard the doors being pushed open.

Ignoring her, he went straight into the bathroom. Her eyes flashed angrily at his callous behavior. He was the one coming in late, and she was being punished. Well, to hell with that.

As soon as he returned to the bedroom, she started, “Where the hell were you?”

He threw her a derisive look that made her even angrier. “Why darling, is that wifely concern I hear coming from you?”

“You could have offered the decency of a phone call-”“Like what? A loving husband?” He mocked. He had shed his clothing in the bathroom and only wore his underwear. “A besotted fool?”

“We live in the same house-”

“Yes, darling. We cohabitate. Is that the legal term for it?” He cocked his head to one side and allowed his gaze to wander over her lush flesh exposed by the vee cut of the emerald, green nightgown.

“I think it is, and you are ready for me. Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but I am simply not in the mood to be your stud tonight, and I don’t have the stomach for it.”

“What is up with you?”

“What’s up with me? I am stuck in this farce we call a marriage, and I hate it.”

Nikki felt as if he had driven a spike through her heart. Whatever his mistress said to him had caused him to become bitter, which had not been the case before.

“Marcel, what’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” He laughed harshly. “You got what you wanted, darling. Hell, you even seduced me and got me to consummate the marriage. So, like it or not, I am stuck until I find a legal way to get out of it. And I am a damn good lawyer, so believe me when I say that I will find a way out of this!”

Stalking from the room, he slammed the doors shut behind him, leaving her staring after him, her heart pounding painfully inside her chest.

*****

He slept in the adjoining suite, but he was kidding himself, thinking he could not get any sleep. He had wanted to hurt her, and he knew he succeeded in doing so.

But she was handy. After his father had admitted that he had manipulated the marriage for his reasons, he had seen red. He had ended up in a friend’s bar and sat there nursing a drink for two hours until Mike had gently but firmly told him to go home.

“Sort it out, brother. Staying here and staring into that glass will not solve the problem.”

The problem was that he was yearning for her. He was so angry with her, but his treacherous body was craving hers. He had taken one look at her lush curves, the nipples he could see through the thin material, and he had felt his penis rising - steadily surging to life.

But he refuses to run to her to assuage his incredible need. He would suffer here in silence and would not allow her to have any more power over him.

*****

Nikki contemplated finding him and demanding an explanation. But something kept her rooted to the spot. She had no right to do that. Yes, she was his wife, and yes, they had consummated the marriage, but there was still the fact that she had accepted his father’s offer.

She had married Marcel for money. And even though it was not money for herself, the fact remains that there had been an ulterior motive. One that was standing between them, one - Oh God! One that would always be standing between them like a boulder.She was in love with him, but he would not believe that.

Putting aside the contract, she climbed off the bed and wandered around the elegant, appointed bedroom. From any direction, she could see the high-rise buildings of the cities, the lights shining like large bulbs on a Christmas tree.

She had toured the place when she moved in and was fascinated by the astonishing beauty - the chic ultramodern designs, the wide-open spaces, the splash of colors on the walls, the thick lushness of the gold and tan carpet and the balcony - that was her favorite part of the entire building.

She walked over to the sliding glass doors and pushed them open to step out on the semicircular space with the sofas facing the wooded area, the trees with the leaves stirring in the slight breeze.

The air was clean, the moon lending its silver glow over everything in its path. Even up here, she could hear the trickle of water from the stream and the moonlight glinting on the water from the pool.

Pulling her robe tight around her naked body, she went to stand at the railing, her features taut with worry as she stared off into the darkness. She was married to a man who despised her, and the future looked bleak.

A man who was still hung up on his mistress. Folding her hands together, she contemplated her plight. She was strong. Her mother had taught her to be independent and to think for herself. She had always been blunt and, even as a child, had refused to allow anyone to walk over her.

The loss of her father and, following that, the mental state of her mother had thrown her for a curve, and she had almost lost herself. She was still struggling with it. She had had a very happy childhood and, as an only child, had enjoyed the adoration of her parents.

Her mother had been her best friend. She had been firm but gentle, and Nikki could tell anything, no matter how painful or embarrassing. The formerly strong woman was now lying in an expensive nursing home, locked in a world of her own because she had lost her husband, the love of her life.

And sometimes, it made Nikki resentful. Her father was dead, and she was here alive and needed her mother. It made her question whether or not her mother loved her. How could she lock herself away and not be strong enough to bounce back, even for her daughter?

“How could you not know how much I need you, Mom?” She whispered achingly. “How can you not feel it?”

Turning away from the railing, she went back inside, determined to get some sleep.