Tough didn’t begin to describe what it had been. Ainsley had made his life a living hell. She’d resented David and being married. She had been young and beautiful, and she wanted to be out in the world.
“The day I graduated from college, Ainsley had me served with divorce papers,” he said flatly. “She’d hired one of the best lawyers in the city. My lawyer had been recommended by a friend. He wasn’t in the same league. Ainsley got everything. I fought for custody of David, which turned out not to be a problem. Not only did she not want to see her son, she wanted compensation for the pain and suffering of having to have a child in the first place. She claimed she’d wanted to have an abortion and that I’d talked her out of it. She even had notes from a clinic visit she’d made while she’d been pregnant.”
Katie frowned. “I don’t understand. Had she wanted an abortion?”
“I don’t know. She never said anything to me. In the same breath she told me she was pregnant, she announced we were getting married. I’d been raised to believe a man took his responsibilities seriously, so I never thought otherwise.”
He rested his elbows on his knees. “Let’s just say Ainsley got her pound of flesh and then some. I was to come into the lump sum of my trust fund when I turned twenty-five. She got all of that and didn’t have to pay child support. When it was over her lawyer took me aside. He slapped me on the back and told me next time I needed to get a better lawyer. At that moment I vowed to be a better lawyer.”
Katie looked stunned. Zach knew it wasn’t a pretty story, but every word of it was true.
“So Ainsley simply disappeared from your life?”
“She showed up to collect her checks, but once she had all the money she was due, she disappeared. I heard she moved back East. I don’t care where she is.”
“Why do you keep her pictures out?”
“They matter to David. I packed them away once, but he asked me to let them stay. He has trouble remembering her and the photos help.”
Katie had never had a child, so she was unable to comprehend the depth of Zach’s feeling for David. Still, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that this man loved his son with every fiber of his being. His intensity, his steadfastness, not only made her quiver on the inside, they confirmed her belief that Mia had made a good choice. David Stryker had an amazing role model guiding him through life.
Now that she’d heard Zach’s history, she understood his concerns for the engagement. She approved of his concern, even if she didn’t appreciate his tactics.
“Did you tell me this to explain your position or to win me to your side?” she asked.
“Both.”
“Because threatening me didn’t work? Now you’re going for the heart?”
“Am I getting close?”
“No, but I have extreme respect for your skill level in court. Can you see the other attorneys trembling or do they hide it?”
He grinned. “They try to act cool.”
Katie leaned back in the sofa. “So if you’re so smart, why did you tip your hand with me?”
“I told you, I wanted to see if you would call my bluff.”
“If I’d caved in, you would have accepted the victory.”
“Of course. And solved the wedding problem.”
Katie didn’t appreciate her sister’s engagement being referred to as “the wedding problem,” but she knew what Zach meant.
“Have you considered that I could rally the entire family to my side?” she asked.
“It crossed my mind, but I’m not worried.”
“Why?”
He smiled slyly. “You can’t risk your grandmothers and mother resenting me. What if the wedding goes through? I’ll be a part of the family. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for screwing up that relationship.”
Her mouth dropped open. She closed it with a conscious thought, but that didn’t stop her from being stunned. “How did you figure that out?”
“Men get over things. Women remember forever.”
He was right, she thought, still amazed. About all of it. Her first instinct had been to call home and let everyone know what he was planning. But she’d reconsidered when she’d realized her mother and grandmothers would hate Zach from that moment on.
He was good. Maybe too good. She was out of her league with him in more ways than one. He was also annoying, what with always being one step ahead of her.
Zach stood up suddenly and held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll buy you a drink and we’ll talk about your plans for the party.”
It took her a second to decide if she wanted to switch gears. But what was the point in arguing? “Actually you’re supposed to tell me that everyone loved my ideas, that they think I’m so incredibly brilliant that they might have to pay me more, and they’re waiting breathlessly for the event to occur.”
“How’d you guess?”
After telling herself not to do anything stupid, Katie placed her hand in his.
Despite having braced herself for the impact, she still felt it all the way down to her toes. Her heart rate quadrupled, her skin flushed, and rational thought fled. She might not trust him, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t chemistry between them.
Zach led her back into the kitchen. He released her hand, which allowed her to catch her breath and try to remember what it felt like to be an adult. While he cleared the table, she pulled the paperwork out of her briefcase.
The good news was that alternating between being annoyed by Zach and being turned on by him kept her from being nervous about planning the party.
“What will you have?” he asked, opening a cupboard and revealing several bottles of liquor.
“I’m driving, so I’ll pass, but please have something yourself. If you pour me ice water in a pretty glass, we can pretend I’m drinking hard stuff.”
“You got it.”
They sat down at the table. Katie spread out her various folders, then turned her attention to Zach. They were close enough that she could see the tiny lines by the outside corners of his eyes and the various shades that made up his deep blue irises. He was handsome, and he smelled good. A potent combination.
“So talk,” she told him. “Tell me the truth—I can handle it.”
He took a sip of the single malt scotch he’d poured for himself. “They love your ideas. John’s pregnant wife thinks everything is, and I quote, ’Too precious for words.’ That’s a good thing,” he added. “She also wants you to call her. She has the names of a couple of jewelry designers who would be happy to come up with some original designs for various prizes.”
“Great. I hadn’t been worried exactly, but I’ll admit to being relieved now.”
“I had every confidence.”
She blinked at him. Was it her imagination, or had he just shifted closer to her?
“I’ll, ah, call the hotel in the morning and finalize the contract. Menus will be next. Do we want to schedule a tasting for everyone?”
“No, thanks. I trust your judgment. And I don’t want to have a heated conversation about flowers, napkin colors, or table placement.” He leaned toward her. “You’re the expert. Dazzle me.”
“You got it,” she said. “I’ll line things up, make some selections, and then run everything by you. While I’ll agree to skip the massive tasting, there are some things I’m going to want you to try.”
“I’m open to that.”
His low and seductive voice made her think of tangled sheets, champagne, and chocolate. Was there a more enticing combination? Throw in a good-looking man…preferably dressed in nothing, with an eager-to-please attitude, and an evening couldn’t get much more perfect.
Just not her evening.
“So if threats and heartfelt stories aren’t going to work, you’ll try seduction?” she asked.
He looked amused rather than embarrassed. “Will it work?”
“Not on me.”
“Too bad.”
A lesser man would have been rattled by being shot out of the water, she thought. But not Zach. Figures.
“Okay, then.” She began to pack up her briefcase. “That’s all I need for now. I’ll just get out of your hair so you can have the rest of your evening to do whatever it is you do.”
She half expected him to invite her to stay, and when he didn’t, she tried to be relieved rather than disappointed. She was about fifty percent successful.
Zach collected her coat, then held it out for her. As she slipped into it, she said, “I know you’re worried about Mia and David, but I wish you’d relax. I thought a lot about what you said, about young marriages failing and I know it happens, but not to everyone. I come from a long line of people who get it right.”
“I’m a worried father,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes and making her want to throw herself at him. “I can’t help it.”
“You’re a good father, too,” she said instead. “Trust that and trust your son. If that doesn’t work, remind yourself that Marcelli marriages never fall apart. I promise.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
“I won’t be. You can—”
He cut her off with a kiss. Katie supposed she should have seen it coming, but she hadn’t. One second they’d been talking, and the next she was in his arms, and his mouth had claimed hers.
The brush of his firm lips sent her senses into a tail-spin. Heat surrounded her, as did need and passion. He didn’t deepen the kiss, which only made her want more, and when he stepped away, she found it impossible to speak.
He picked up her briefcase and put his arm around her, then led the way to the front door. By the time they reached it, she’d regained the power of speech.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“I wanted to. Should I apologize?”
“Would you mean it?”
“No.”
She tried to work up some righteous indignation, but she tingled too much. “Zach, we have a business relationship.”
“You’re irresistible.”
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
Pathetically, she wanted him to be telling the truth. Right. Because she was exactly Zach’s type. Not.
“You can’t use sex to get what you want from me,” she told him.
“What can I use it for?”
She ignored him, grabbed her suitcase, and stalked out of the house.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he called after her.
“Go to hell.”
He laughed. “I had a good time, too, Katie.”
She fumed all the way to the car. When she was inside, she put the key in the ignition. The man made her insane.
She couldn’t wait to see him again.
Seed pearls multiplied in the night. At least that was Katie’s conclusion Tuesday morning when she dumped out bags of them onto the dining room table at the hacienda. Along with the seed pearls were tiny beads and stacks of lace appliqués.
Four pairs of eyes turned accusingly from her to Mia. The eighteen-year-old shrugged.
“So the dress has a lot of lace. It’s gonna be beautiful.”
Grandma Tessa fingered the stack of lace, then glared at her granddaughter. “We’ll be beading for months. My fingers will fall off.”
Mia remained uncowed. “I’m your favorite. You love me. You want my dress to be beautiful.”
Grandma Tessa smiled. “You girls are all my favorite, but yes, I do want you to have the most beautiful dress ever. Who needs fingers, right?”
Mia laughed and hugged her. “I knew you’d understand.”
Francesca wasn’t so easily swayed. “How will we get the blood out?”