"Never too early to start training the future generations," Marcus said as he entered the room.
Donovan laughed. "That was my granddaddy's creed. My earliest memories are of Sam and I playing on the floor of the executive offices."
"And now you're passing it on … I never saw you as the kind who'd bring a kid to work."
Donovan hadn't, either. He still wasn't one hundred percent certain of himself as a father or in the father role. But being in the office energized him, raised his confidence. Here he made no missteps. Here he knew exactly what he was supposed to do and how to do it.
As opposed to at home with Cassidy, where he was stymied by his own desire for her. It was all he could do not to make love to his wife. He knew she needed time for her body to recover from giving birth, but he was constantly aroused when he was around her.
This morning he'd woken up with a hard-on and had started to caress her when Van had cried out, stopping Donovan from making love to his wife.
"Let's get on with this meeting. I'm not sure how long Van's going to sleep."
"Don't you have a nanny or something?"
"Not yet. Cassidy is still interviewing them." Donovan didn't see how that was Marcus's business. He had the right to have his son with him in the office.
Marcus raised one eyebrow and shook his head. "This is why I always keep things casual."
"Why?"
"Look at you," he said, gesturing to Van's car seat, which Donovan had positioned directly next to him. "Your attention is divided now."
Donovan didn't like the way that sounded and glanced protectively at Van. Van was the future … his future. And he wanted his son to know from the start that he loved and cherished him. It was important to Donovan that Van feel comfortable in the offices of Tolley-Patterson and not as if he had to compete for the right to be there. "Have a seat, Marcus."
"Yes, sir." Marcus sat down as the rest of the staff started filing in.
Donovan moved Van's car seat to the credenza that sat against one wall, close enough so he could see his son but far enough away that the meeting wouldn't disturb the baby.
He brought the meeting to order, but his mind was only half on business. The other part was on Van. The baby had simply been a tool to beating Sam to the final prize his grandfather had dangled in front of both cousins. But now, as he watched his boy sleeping, he realized that the baby was so much more to him. Everything.
Marcus had been right on the money when he'd said that Donovan had changed. How had that happened? It seemed as if he'd become a different man. How could a few short weeks change a man's life?
"Donovan?"
"Yes?"
"We were discussing the budget for the next quarter … Do you think we're going to need an increase in labor on the West Coast?"
Donovan pulled himself back into the meeting, pushing little Van to the side of his awareness, but it was hard. And as he tried to focus on the business at hand, he realized it wasn't just Van who was on his mind, but also Cassidy. He remembered her earlier kiss and how he'd gotten hard just from holding her. He could hardly think from wanting her.
He knew they still had a few more weeks before he could make proper love to her. And yet his body didn't seem to care. He wanted her. He needed to seal the bond of their new life together by thrusting into her sexy body and making them physically one.
He hardened thinking about the way her mouth had felt under his and her warm body had felt pressed against his side.
Was that why he was distracted? Because he hadn't been able to make love to his wife? He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, trying to release the tension he felt. But cold showers weren't working, and a quick massage wasn't getting the job done.
The only thing that would take care of his problems was Cassidy.
He suspected that this was what Marcus had been referring to. The need he felt to be with her every minute of the day. The way she was infiltrating this meeting without even being in the room with him.
The meeting adjourned thirty minutes later and Donovan picked up Van and went toward his office.
"Theo is waiting in your office," Karin said when he reached the outer office.
"Was he on my calendar for today?"
"No, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He said it was highly urgent, regarding the upcoming board meeting."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"A few messages, I left them on your voice mail. And Sam wants five minutes of your time to discuss Canada."
"I talked to him at home this morning. When did he call?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
"Very well. When Theo leaves I'll call him."
"Do you want me to keep Van while you meet with Theo?"
Donovan set the baby seat on the edge of Karin's desk and set the diaper bag next to it. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all. My kiddos are all teens now, I miss little ones."
He left Van with Karin and entered his office. There was a sculpture in the corner that his father had made for him when he'd gotten the promotion to executive vice president. The desk that he used had been his great-grandfather's.
"Afternoon, Uncle Theo."
Theo was currently serving as interim CEO until the next board meeting when either Sam or he would take over that position. Theo was a bit of a cold fish and had at one time wanted to be appointed CEO, but he had given up that aspiration when Granddaddy had announced that either Donovan or Sam would be his successor.
"I'm not here for chitchat, Donovan."
"Why are you here?" he asked as he took a seat in the leather executive chair. He saw the picture of himself, Cassidy and Donovan that Emma had taken of the three of them in the hospital. Cassidy looked radiant as she looked down at their son and Donovan's stomach knotted thinking about how happy she looked.
In that picture they looked perfect, like a couple who'd finally made their lives complete by bringing a child into the world. Only Donovan knew the truth-that their life together was based on a lie.
"The board isn't pleased with your engagement to Cassidy."
"Engagement?" he asked. Surely his mother had told the other members of the board by now that he and Cassidy were married. She'd never kept anything from the board before. And even though he'd told her he wouldn't be announcing the marriage yet, he hadn't specifically asked her to keep it quiet.
"Yes. We understand that you want to marry her for Van's sake, but we strongly recommend you end all relations with Cassidy Franzone and find a proper woman to marry."
Cassidy enjoyed her lunch with Emma and Paul, but seeing them together underscored the distance between her and Donovan. She knew there was something missing from their relationship.
"So how's motherhood?" Emma asked when Paul went to get the car and they were both alone.
"Good. Tiring, but good."
"How's marriage?"
"Um … "
"Not good? What's up?"
"Nothing really. It's just that I don't see Donovan at all. And when he is home, I'm exhausted."
"That's to be expected, given how suddenly you two married. What about at night in bed?"
She looked at her friend. Only the fact that Emma was the sister of her heart allowed her to even think of sharing.
"I'm usually asleep by the time he comes in, and if I'm not he just rolls over on his side."
"He might be afraid to touch you since you had Van. A lot of guys don't really know when it's okay to do that."
"This is Donovan we're talking about. He knows everything about … well, everything."
Emma pulled her compact and lipstick from her purse and touched up her lips. "I don't know what to say. Have you talked to him about it?"
"No." When she and Donovan had first started dating, he'd told her how much he loved her body, that her slim figure was one of the first things he'd noticed about her. Now she was afraid that her postpregnancy belly was a huge turnoff for him. As soon as her doctor had OK'd it, she started doing sit-ups like a Marine going through boot camp, but her stomach had a little saggy bit that remained.
"That's what I'd do."
"Would you really, Emma? You wouldn't just let things ride to kind of keep the peace?" Cassidy asked her friend.
"Are you kidding me? There is never peace between Paul and I. We're always on about something."