Expecting His Secret Heir(3)

She smiled. "Wow. That's really great. Going from maintenance to head of security is a big jump."

He knew he shouldn't, but he said it anyway. "I'm not head of security  for the mill. I handle security details for the entire family and all of  their interests. I run my own security firm." Bragging did not come  easily to him. Not that he'd ever had much to brag about. But somehow it  felt good to rub his success in Sadie's face.

He wasn't the same man she'd met then-recently returned from combat in  the Middle East, fighting the nightmares while maintaining a strong  facade for the women in his family he'd spent a lifetime supporting.

Then one night he'd let her in, and he wished she'd never seen that side of him.                       
       
           



       

"Until we can get a good look inside and evaluate the damage, the mill  is a huge security risk. So the Blackstones have asked me to oversee  this initial part of the investigation."

"I heard it was a bomb."

He nodded. Yep. A bomb set off by a crazy man.

"Any suspects?"

It was a natural question. Simple curiosity. So why did his muscles tense when she asked?

"Yes, but that information is not being released to the public."

The words came out in a more formal tone than he would have normally  used, but it was all for the best. Keeping their distance meant keeping  himself sane. Instead of leaning in to see if her hair smelled the same  as it did before.

He did not need to know that.

He eyed the bright waves dancing around her shoulders. He definitely didn't need to know.

"So it would be better to stay away from there right now." And away from  me, so all these emotions will respond to my control. "Wait until we  can guarantee it's safe."

"In the parking lot?"

"Right." He didn't care if she wasn't buying it. A man had to do...

Suddenly realizing he'd accomplished nothing but torturing himself  during this visit, he stalked back to the door. Unfortunately, she  followed, until she was within arm's reach. He was too far away from the  door to escape.

It all flooded back-all the memories he'd struggled to hold at bay since  that first moment he'd seen her again at the mill. The way his heart  pounded when she laughed. The way her soft voice soothed his nerves as  she told him a story. The way his body rose to meet the demands of hers.

So many things he couldn't force himself to forget.

But he could force himself to walk away this time. "I'll be seeing you, Sadie," he said, as casually as he could.

She pulled the door open and smiled. "Definitely."

Something about her tone, that confident edge, ruffled him, pushed him  to throw her off balance. He couldn't stop himself. He stopped in front  of her, bending in low to place his mouth near her ear. He sucked in a  deep breath. "So..." he said, letting the word stretch, "aren't you  gonna tell me why you really left?"

Her gasp left him satisfied...for now.





Two

Sadie's entire body instantly snapped to attention. She might not have  moved, but every nerve ending was now awake and focused on the man  before her.

She hadn't thought he'd directly address her leaving. Indeed, he'd  seemed to do everything but ask the all-important question: Why? She'd  thought she was prepared. Her flippant answer rattled around in her  brain for a moment, but she couldn't force it out.

Instead she stared up into his brooding dark eyes and lost her breath.  She'd known she would hurt him, leaving like that. He'd never tell her  so, but she couldn't help but wonder if it were true from his somber  gaze.

His body seemed to sway a little closer, and her mouth watered at the  thought of his lips on hers once more. Then the trill of her phone broke  the moment of silence.

Suddenly he was back to arm's length, leaving her to wonder if she'd imagined that moment. Wished it into being.

His eyes grew wider, reminding her that her phone was still ringing. She  ignored both him and the phone. Her mother called late in the evening,  when her duties for the day were done. Only one person would be calling  her at this time of day, and she wasn't about to speak to him in front  of Zach.

Her heart pounded. She licked her lips, trying to think of something to say.

Instead of waiting for an answer, Zach gave a quick smirk and then  walked out the door without another word. She waited until he was down  the stairs and out of sight before pushing the door closed. Then she  dissolved against it like melting sugar.

Tears welled, along with the wish that things didn't have to be this  way. She quickly brushed both away. Her life had been one long lesson in  dealing with reality, not dreaming of fairy tales.

At least he hadn't forgotten her.

Forcing herself to her feet, she crossed to the sitting area and picked  her phone up off the low table. The very name she expected flashed  across the screen. She sucked in a deep, bracing breath, then touched  the screen to call him back.

"I'm listening."

She hated when he answered the phone like that. The part of her that  rebelled against what she had to do forced her to hold her words just a  minute longer than necessary, garnering some petty satisfaction from  making him wait.

"What do you need, Victor?" she asked.

"Ah, Adams. Where were you?"

The impersonal use of her last name grated on her nerves, but she was, after all, simply a servant. "Away from my phone."                       
       
           



       

"Don't get uppity with me, Adams. Just because you're hundreds of miles away from Texas doesn't mean you're off the leash."

Right. Remind her of the dog she was-that would make her work harder.  But it was an apt description-she was a hunting dog. Sent to search for  and fetch exactly what her owner wanted.

"I apologize," she said, hoping he couldn't tell her teeth were gritted.  "But I didn't think you wanted me to answer the phone and give you an  update in front of Zachary."

"Very good, Adams. I knew I could trust your judgment."

As if it had been all his idea. If Victor Beddingfield had an original  idea ever in his life, she'd be shocked. Of course, this little  expedition was his idea-and here she was. But the idea wasn't original  to him. His father had tried it first.

"So you've already made contact? Good girl."

Yep, she was definitely a dog to him. "I have, but he's not happy about it."

"You simply have to make him like it. You know how to do that...don't you?"

She wished to goodness Victor had never found out the truth about her  last visit to Black Hills. Not that he cared about her choice to deceive  his father, telling him that Zachary couldn't possibly be the son he  sought. The longer Zach had been out of his life, the more of their  father's money Victor could spend. Still, the knowledge had given him a  weapon to use against her-but not the biggest one.

"This might take some time." Although, even if she had all the time in  the world, Zach would probably never forgive her-then or now.

"Well, we don't have time, remember?" he said, his voice deepening in a  way she perceived as a threat. "I need money. Now. And I'm sure you do,  too-or rather, your sister does."

Not really. Amber didn't worry about that sort of thing. The hospital  treated her cancer, that was all she knew. It was all Sadie wanted her  sister to know. The practical aspect-bills, scheduling, medical  decisions-all of that was handled by Sadie. Some days, it was enough to  make her feel like she was drowning, but she did it anyway. It kept her  sister alive, for now. It allowed her mother to be at her sister's side  for however much longer they had her. That was all that mattered. Still,  the reminder struck home.

But Victor wasn't done. "So get me the dirt I need to disinherit him, and we will all be in a much better position. Got it?"

How could she not? "I understand. I'll do my best."

"Good girl."

One of these days, Sadie's teeth were going to be worn to a nub, just  from the irritation of listening to this guy. "He's not giving me much  to work with," she said, consciously relaxing her jaw.

"Then get creative," Victor said. Without another word, he disconnected the call.

Get creative.

Sadie sighed. Easy for him to say. Victor had always had someone to do  the dirty work for him. Her role in his father's household made her a  convenient option. Her role in his father's investigation of his older  son five years ago told Victor she wasn't just convenient, but  experienced.

Now he wanted the investigation into Zach reopened so he could discredit the man who didn't know he was Victor's older brother.

Time for Sadie to earn her keep.

Plopping down onto the couch, she stared at her computer screen. Get  creative. How? She couldn't think of any way to get around Zach's  present uncooperative state. She needed to get close to him, learn  everything she could about him. But he wanted her nowhere near him.