Tempted By Scandal

Two

Teresa St. Claire’s heart hammered at the thought of what was only ten or fifteen minutes away, but she took several deep breaths and reminded herself that this was exactly what she’d worked so hard for. Meeting with billionaire businessman Matt Richmond would be intimidating for anyone—few people in the world had as much money and influence as he did—but he was also her client. Her client. Her dreams were coming true. She was here to plan Richmond Industries’ fifth-anniversary extravaganza. She was here to make Matt Richmond happy, and she would rock it so hard he’d never hire another event planner in his entire life.

The young man running the valet stand rushed to Teresa’s door and opened it. He flashed a warm smile, and her nerves settled. “Checking in, miss?” he asked.

She left the keys in the ignition and eased out of the car. “I am. Just for the night right now, but you’ll see a lot of me over the next five weeks.” She held out her hand. “Teresa St. Claire. Limitless Events. I’m planning the Richmond retreat.”

“I’m Michael.” He cocked his head to the side, face full of surprise. Perhaps he wasn’t accustomed to guests introducing themselves, but Teresa made a habit of knowing everyone by name. That’s how you got things done. Plus, he reminded Teresa of her younger brother, Joshua, whom she missed terribly and hadn’t seen in months. “I’ll have the bellman take your suitcase up to your room. Let me know if you need anything at all, Ms. St. Claire.”

“Nice to meet you, Michael. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” Teresa hooked her navy leather Fendi bag on her arm, straightened her black peplum jacket and marched into The Opulence. The lobby was stunning, but Teresa was already brainstorming ideas to make it better for the retreat. It was an automatic shift in thinking. Her training with Mariella Santiago-Marshall at MSM Event Planning in Santa Barbara had served her well. Mr. Richmond and his guests would be taking over the entire resort and Teresa wanted them to step into an event they would talk about for years. That was how she’d cement Limitless Events’ spot on the map. Billionaires, business moguls and celebrities from all over the world would know her name.

Teresa stopped at the front desk, and the clerk led her through the lobby, past the bar and down a hall to a meeting room. The space was modest but stately, with a gleaming wood conference table for six and a seating area with beautifully upholstered chairs poised in front of a wide picture window. She wandered over to admire the view of Centennial Falls. Sitting in a front-row seat was the ideal place to meet with Mr. Richmond so she could paint the picture of his perfect event. Mariella Santiago-Marshall had taught her that—tell the client a story, let them imagine their guests stepping into a world unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. That’s how you made memories, and memories were how you made lifelong clients.

She was about to sit in one of the chairs when her cellphone rang with a call from her assistant, Corinne Donovan. “Hey,” Teresa answered. “I only have a minute. Matt Richmond should be here soon.”

“Did you not get my messages?”

“No. What messages?”

“I left you three voice mails.”

“There’s a dead zone between Seattle and The Opulence. I’m sure I lost cell service. What’s wrong? You sound frazzled.”

“A man has been calling the office for you. He won’t tell me his name. He kept asking for your cell number and I didn’t want to give it to him, but then he said it was urgent so I finally just did. He said it’s life or death.”

Goose bumps raced over Teresa’s skin. “Is he going to call me?” Before Corinne could answer, Teresa heard the beep telling her that she had a call on the other line. “This must be him. I’d better take this.”

“Call me when you get a chance. I’m worried.”

So am I. “I’ll fill you in when I can.” Teresa ended the call and answered again. “Hello?”

“Ms. St. Claire.” Despite Corinne’s report of this being a life-or-death situation, the man’s voice was careful and measured, as if he had all the time in the world.

“This is Teresa. Who’s calling?”

“I’m a messenger. I’m calling about Joshua.”

Teresa’s blood ran cold. By design, very few people knew about her younger brother. “What about him?” She hated that defensive tone in her voice, but it came out by pure instinct. She would do anything to protect Joshua.

“Your brother has a habit of getting into trouble, doesn’t he?”

Teresa wasn’t going to answer that question. Yes, Joshua had gotten himself into quite a mess a few years ago in Las Vegas, but she’d gotten all of that cleared up via The Fixer, a longtime associate of Mariella Santiago-Marshall’s husband, Harrison. The Fixer did exactly what his moniker suggested—he made problems go away. “What do you want?”

“Joshua owes some very important people and he’s not going to be able to weasel his way out of it.”

“Owes what?”

“With interest, seven million dollars. Payable now.”

Teresa’s heart nearly stopped. What could Joshua have done that would get him into that deep a hole? “Joshua doesn’t have that kind of money.”

“Which is why I went to the person who cares most about keeping him alive.”

Teresa’s stomach lurched. “That’s preposterous. I don’t have that kind of money, either.”

“Hunter Price invested in your company. He’s a wealthy man. Surely he gave you something to put away.”

It truly terrified her that this man knew these details of her life. Her agreement with Hunter had been nothing but discreet. Yes, he had invested in Limitless, but those funds had gone right into the business, for office space, staffing and outfitting the entire operation. “I don’t have seven million dollars.”

“Then come up with it.”

“How, exactly?”

“Not my problem. Just keep in mind that Joshua is running out of time.”

“Don’t you dare hurt him.”

The man laughed, a sickening sound that told her he was no stranger to harming people. Teresa couldn’t believe this nightmare was happening again. A cocktail of anger and guilt mixed inside her. She’d always been Joshua’s protector. She’d practically been his mother. Their own mother, Talisa, was scattered and overwhelmed by the world, although it was hard even now to blame her. She’d done her best as a single mom. Nothing had been right after Teresa and Joshua’s father, Nigel, died.

“I’m a reasonable man. I won’t hurt him right away,” the man continued. “First, I air Joshua’s dirty laundry. See how badly that hurts your business. You work with some very wealthy, important people. I’m sure they’d love to learn what your little brother did in Vegas. Your brother that you practically raised. The brother you’re supposed to be guiding through life.”

Teresa swallowed hard. Her eyes darted to the window, but the sight of the millions of gallons of water rushing over the rocky drop of Centennial Falls was no longer beautiful. It made her even queasier. None of this was fair. She’d worked hard to help Joshua on track. She’d only needed to see him in jail once before she’d become fully committed to keeping him out.

But the truth was that since she’d started Limitless and moved back to Seattle, she’d been laser-focused on her career. She hadn’t been keeping close tabs on Joshua. Every time they’d spoken, Joshua assured her he was doing fine. Now she knew he wasn’t exactly keeping his nose clean. She should’ve been paying closer attention.

“I’m sure your clients will be especially surprised to find out what his big sister did to make it go away.”

Teresa’s pulse pounded. She quickly glanced at the meeting-room door. No sign of Matt Richmond and that was a good thing. Still, she did not want to risk him walking in while she was having this conversation. Her nerves were too frayed. “Look. I’m going to need time to figure this out. I don’t have that kind of cash available.” If nothing else, she needed to verify that this was actually true. A big part of her wanted to give Joshua the benefit of the doubt. “I need your number so I can get back to you. The call came through as ‘unknown.’”

“That’s not how this works. You should know that by now. I’ll be in touch.” The line went dead.

A tall, broad figure stepped into her peripheral vision. Oh, God. Matt Richmond. She took a deep breath, smiled and rose from her seat, only to be confronted by an image plucked from her past, a man she’d only dreamed of running into. Liam Christopher.

For a moment, she and Liam stared at each other. He was even easier on the eyes now than the last time she’d seen him. Six years ago? Seven? His square jaw and the dark scruff along it suited him so well. His green eyes were as piercing as ever. Right now, they were almost too intense.

“What are you doing here?” His voice boomed in the small space.

He must not recognize her. That was the only reason his voice would be dripping with contempt. She stepped closer and offered her hand. “Liam. Hi. Teresa St. Claire. We’ve met a few times. Your father was my mentor when I was in business school.”

He looked at her hand as if he couldn’t be any more repulsed by the idea of touching her. “You think I don’t know who you are? As if I could forget. Tell me what you’re doing here.”

She didn’t understand the anger in his voice, but her first instinct was to tell him everything he wanted to know. Perhaps that would calm him down so she could figure out why he was so agitated. “I’m waiting for Matt Richmond. He and I have a meeting scheduled to take place in this room. I’m surprised to see you, but you two are close friends, aren’t you?”

“What do you want with Matt?”

Now her patience was wearing thin. There were too many unpleasant things coming out of Liam’s stunning mouth. “I’m sorry, but did I miss something? I haven’t seen you in six years? Seven? And you march into my meeting all angry?”

“Your meeting? I have a meeting with Matt. And I can guarantee you that whatever it is that you think you’re going to be talking to him about, I’ll be putting a quick end to it.”

Nobody messed with her and her business. She was not going to lose this event, especially not when she might have to come up with an exorbitant sum of money to save her brother again. “I don’t know why Mr. Richmond double-booked himself, but he’s not here, so we’re both going to have to wait. Perhaps you can take this time to tell me why you’re so upset with me.” She pulled back a chair from the conference table and offered it. “Here. Have a seat. Let’s talk.”

Liam shook his head, his jaw visibly tighter. “Stop playing games.”

Teresa felt her own anger about to eclipse Liam’s. “Games? I’m playing games? How about you tell me why you’re so mad at me.”

Liam shook his head again, this time slowly and steadily. It felt as if his eyes might bore a hole right through her. “You know what you did. You ruined my father’s life.”

* * *

Liam Christopher had imagined many times what he might say to Teresa St. Claire if he ever ran into her, but he’d failed to take into account just how badly his temper would flare. He normally played things exceptionally close to the vest, but evidently all bets were off with Teresa.

“Ruined his life? Your father was my mentor.” Her pleading tone only made her that much more unlikable. “I’ve always cared deeply about him. He helped me get my start in business. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play coy with me. It’s insulting.” Tension spread across his shoulders and back like a sickness. Although it had been seven years since he last saw Teresa, he would never forget her. Not because she was beautiful, although she was regrettably gorgeous—tall and willowy with long blond hair and striking blue eyes. She was apparently the sort of woman his father had a weakness for. Teresa St. Claire had convinced his father to stray outside his marriage. She was the reason his parents split. She was the reason his mother’s heart had been irrevocably shattered.

“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Teresa was either in denial or the type of person who would willingly lie to make herself look good. He had no patience for either. He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Where was Matt? Liam wanted nothing more than to let his best friend know whom he was about to meet with so he could have Teresa escorted from the building and, hopefully, his life.

“What are you and Mr. Richmond meeting about today?” she asked.

“Not that I owe you an explanation, but we’re announcing a partnership during his retreat.”

“Maybe that’s why Matt double-booked his time. I’m organizing the entire event. Perhaps he wanted us to discuss the details.”

This was not happening. “You can wager as many guesses as you want, but it’s not going to matter. Matt and I have been best friends since college. We are each other’s closest confidants. You won’t be organizing anything I’m involved with. And I also won’t let you take advantage of my best friend.”

Teresa visibly winced. A part of him was glad he could get to her like this, but he took no real pleasure in making threats. He only knew that he could not work with Teresa. His partnership with Matt’s company on the Sasha artificial-intelligence project had been years and millions of dollars in the making. Plus, he had to let Matt know whom he was dealing with.

“Is there some sort of jealousy here? Are you upset that your father helped me all those years ago? I realize he went above and beyond what most mentors might do, but we were very close. He believed in me.”

Jealousy? Teresa had a real talent for twisting things back on other people. “Jealous is the last thing I am. More like disgusted.” Liam turned his back to Teresa and spotted Matt making his way down the hall. Liam met him at the doorway. “We have to talk about her.”

“Mr. Richmond, whatever he’s about to say, I can explain.” Teresa was right behind Liam, craning her neck over his shoulder to get a glimpse of Matt. The desperation in her voice reeked of false drama. There was no explaining away what she’d done, and she knew it.

“Matt, you trust me, right?” Liam asked.

“Of course.” Matt looked beyond bewildered, which wasn’t an expression Liam had seen many times on his friend’s face. Matt was the calm and collected guy with his finger on the pulse of everything. It was impossible to catch him by surprise, which was part of the reason Matt and Liam had hit it off the very first day they met. They both prided themselves on being unflappable. They simply pulled it off in very different ways.

Liam glanced over at Teresa. Her vivid blue eyes were wide, darting back and forth between Matt and him. It would have been so easy to cut her off at the knees, but Liam wasn’t going to let her off the hook so easy. She could try to explain herself to Matt. “Whatever you’ve hired her to do, whatever business arrangement you two have, you’ll do yourself a favor if you end it right here. She can’t be trusted.”

“Mr. Richmond, I have no earthly idea what Liam is talking about. And whatever he may think of me, I assure you that has no bearing on my abilities as an event planner.”

Matt shook his head, still seeming confused. He turned to Liam. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

“She and I have a history. Or more specifically, she and my father. But I think you should have her explain it.” Every dirty detail.

Matt sighed and pulled Liam aside. “Look, she and I are weeks into planning the retreat. I’d rather not throw all of that work away. This event is already taking on a life of its own. Give me a chance to meet with her and I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

Liam knew Matt had a point. Letting business and personal matters intermingle was never a good idea. Matt was a stickler for keeping the two things separate. Liam was as well, but he was apparently having a weak moment. Maybe he simply needed to go outside and clear his head. “Yeah. Of course.” Liam turned to look at Teresa one more time. He expected to see her gloating, but she looked worried. Good. Let her suffer at least a few repercussions. With nothing left to say, he stalked out into the hall.

He headed for the bar just beyond the lobby. It had a large balcony overlooking the falls. He looked forward to a shot of autumn air to clear his head, but every step away from his altercation with Teresa left him feeling more foolish, and that in turn only made him more angry. He knew he shouldn’t let his emotions get to him, but the matter of Teresa was a complicated one.

The night Liam had first met Teresa, he couldn’t have been any more entranced and enchanted. His father had asked him to dinner at the house, the Christopher family estate on the west side of Mercer Island. His father hadn’t made note of the occasion, only saying that he had a promising student in the class he was teaching at the University of Washington, his alma mater. Liam hadn’t wanted to attend the dinner. He was twenty-five by then, fully independent and making a name for himself within the family company. Plus, he knew exactly what was going to happen at dinner that night. His father would start to drink too much and would begin regaling their esteemed guest with tales of business conquests and billions made. Liam and his mother, Catherine, would exchange pained smiles and endure it. Liam didn’t begrudge his father his success. He only disliked his obsession with it. Nothing was ever enough.

Much to Liam’s surprise, that night’s dinner guest was a breath of fresh air. Yes, his father was being a bit of a boastful blowhard during the meal. But Teresa St. Claire was as charming and beautiful a woman as Liam had ever seen. She was smart as a whip, with a wit that made him laugh more than once. She had a broad range of interests, was keenly focused on business and was nothing but eager to take on the world. No wonder his father was so enamored of her. Liam was as well. In fact, he’d never encountered a woman quite like her—an unparalleled beauty, sexy and enticing, but wholly enthralled with the business world. By the time dessert was served, Liam was convinced that meeting Teresa was fate. She was his perfect woman. At the end of the night, he walked her out to her car and made his move.

“It was so nice to meet you,” she’d said, offering her hand.

Liam could hardly think straight when her skin touched his—there was an unmistakable zap of electricity between them. He’d gazed down into her deep blue eyes, made even more complex and intriguing in the soft evening light. “I really enjoyed meeting you. I’d love to see you again. Would you like to have dinner next week? Just the two of us? There’s an amazing new seafood place downtown. The St. James?”

Surprise crossed Teresa’s face. “Oh. Wow. That does sound nice.” She’d looked away, untucking her hair from behind her ear, almost as if she was trying to hide from him. “But my life is crazy right now. I’m working two jobs and going to school. I’m surprised I even had time to come tonight.” Her eyes fell on the house and her expression changed to one of longing. Liam had never regarded his childhood home with the awe and wonder she did in that moment. In many ways, the house had seemed like a prison when he was growing up. But Teresa saw it differently. He could see it on her face—she aspired to a life like the one his family had. She thought it was perfect. If only she knew the truth. “Your father has been so generous with his time and advice. I’m so thankful for his help.” She turned back to him. “And I’m so glad we had a chance to meet. Perhaps we can get a drink sometime. When my life has calmed down a bit.”

Liam hadn’t needed more explanation than that. He’d been turned down very few times, but he knew the brush-off when he heard it. “Of course. I understand.” Liam had his own craziness, working for the Christopher Corporation and trying to carve out a place for himself while living in the shadow of his dad. It would have been nice to have had a distraction as beautiful as Teresa St. Claire. Maybe even a relationship. There was a huge part of Liam that longed for a connection with a woman, in the same way Teresa seemed to long for a big, fancy house. Apparently she was not his dream woman. “Have a good night.”

During the weeks that followed, Teresa regularly disproved her assertion that her life was too crazy for something as trivial as a dinner out. His mother had reported Teresa’s regular visits to the house. She and his father were often shuttered away in his home study, and his mother, who was deeply suspicious of most people, would spend endless amounts of time speculating about what they were doing. “It’s been hours, Liam. What could possibly be so important?”

If only his mother had known what torture it was for him to hear these things. He wanted Teresa, badly, and she only had time for the one man who’d never had time for him—his father. “Mom, I don’t know. I’m sure it has something to do with the class she’s taking.”

“I think there’s something else going on. I think he’s having an affair with her.”

That leap had made Liam sick to his stomach. His father had many personal shortcomings, but to Liam’s knowledge, he’d never cheated on his mother. She’d clearly never suspected it. If she had, Liam would have heard about it. His mother told him everything. “I’m sure that’s not what’s going on. I’m sure it’s all perfectly innocent.” Only Liam wasn’t so sure anymore, either. This all seemed so peculiar.

Then one night, his mother had called, frantic. “She’s here again. I can’t take it, darling. I just can’t do it. Your father is throwing this affair in my face.”

“Mom, he’s not having an affair.” Liam had said it with zero conviction.

“Please come to the house. I want you to see them together. I need to know that you really believe that. If you tell me there’s nothing going on, I’ll believe you. You’re so good at reading people. Much better than me.”

The idea of seeing Teresa again brought up a complicated mix of emotions. Liam was still hurt by her declining his dinner invitation. His ego wouldn’t have been so bruised if she wasn’t spending a great deal of time with his dad. “It’s late and I have a big day tomorrow.”

“Exactly, Liam. It’s late. Why would she still be here? Please come over and tell me I’m not crazy. I can hear music and laughing.”

Liam’s heart was filled with dread, but he couldn’t say no to his mother. Her paranoid tendencies were purely a product of his father’s detachment. “Okay. I can be there in thirty minutes.” He’d hopped in the car and raced over, hoping to hell Teresa would just be gone by the time he arrived. Unfortunately, he was not so lucky.

“They’re still in the study,” his mother muttered when Liam reached the door. Her breath smelled of vodka. “The door is open a tiny bit. Will you look and see what they’re doing?”

Liam had no patience for this cloak-and-dagger routine. If the door was cracked, nothing was going on. His dad might be foolish, but he wasn’t stupid. “I’m putting an end to this right now.” Liam marched down the hall and raised his hand to knock on the door frame. But then he caught a glimpse of Teresa through the narrow sliver of open door. She was sitting on the edge of his father’s desk, her legs crossed, a tight black skirt riding up to nearly midthigh. His father brought her a drink. Teresa toasted his father, saying she was so glad she’d found him. They smiled at each other with such adoration that Liam felt sick. They clinked their glasses and each took a sip, then Teresa hopped off the desk, gripped Linus’s shoulders and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

Liam couldn’t watch anymore. He slunk away without saying a thing.

“Well?” his mother asked, waiting in the foyer.

“It’s nothing.” Liam hated to lie to his mother, but he needed time to think. He knew how she would react if he confirmed her suspicions. There would be chaos. And Liam couldn’t afford that with his dad at that time. He was about to propose the company undertake a risky project that would eventually become the Sasha technology. He needed his dad on his side. “They’re talking about stuff for his class. She must need some extra help.”

“You’re sure?”

Liam nodded, telling himself that he would find a way to confront his dad about Teresa. As soon as the Sasha project was approved. “I’m sure.” He’d leaned down and kissed his mom on the cheek. “Get some sleep. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Seven years later, that night was still so vivid in Liam’s memory, and having seen Teresa only brought up the disappointment he’d had with himself over not telling his mom the truth. He walked up to The Opulence’s bar and flagged the bartender. Early afternoon, and it was quiet, with just a couple sitting at one of the tables. “Club soda with lime, please.” He craved something harder, but that would have to wait. He and Matt needed to have a long talk about Teresa.

“Coming up,” the bartender said.

Liam took a seat at the bar. Dark thoughts and questions continued to tumble around in his head. And then it dawned on him—if Matt was so eager to give Teresa St. Claire a free pass simply because she’d worked for weeks on planning the retreat, maybe Liam needed to do some digging into her life. After all, Liam knew very little about her, and where there was one misdeed, there were often many. Maybe Liam needed to give Matt more reason to fire her.