Gage sat back in his chair, his face closing. “Idealism won’t keep a roof over your head or food on the table. Sometimes chasing dreams isn’t enough.”
“I disagree. We should all be lucky enough to pursue our dreams.” She had to believe that. Otherwise, her father’s life and death were pointless.
Damn her mother. What possible purpose did it serve for Jacqui to refuse to discuss that final conversation with Kirk? Lauren fisted her hands. Enough waiting already. As soon as she got home she was going to corner her mother and make her talk.
“I’d prefer not to have to worry about where my next meal is coming from.”
“Like you did when you were a child?”
“Yes. But I prefer not to dwell on the past. It’s over and can’t be changed.” He covered her hand on the table. “Let’s get out of here.”
The deep rumble of Gage’s voice and the sensual promise flickering to life in his eyes quickened her heartbeat and sent heat coursing through her. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that if they left now, they were going back to the B and B and straight to bed. If she chose to delay and question him further, she’d kill the mood.
Not an option she wanted to take. For someone who’d easily gone without sex for more than a year, she seemed determined to make up for lost time. She was so eager to get back to the B and B and into Gage’s arms she could probably run the entire distance back to the Upper Haight neighborhood.
But stellar sex wasn’t everything. Watching Gage unwind today had made it very clear she had one more thing to do before she left Knoxville.
Someone needed to tackle the challenge of teaching him how to live before it was too late, and she was the perfect candidate. She’d been lucky enough to have a father to teach her that life was about the journey and not only the destination. There had to be more to life than just work—a concept Gage had missed if his experiences on the motorcycle and as a tourist were any indication.
The moment Gage left the boardroom late Monday morning Lauren reached for the backpack she’d tucked under the table.
They’d been hard at work for hours with Gage pushing her to test her abilities at every turn. While Gage had his wrap-up chat with the CEO she needed to get online and make her airplane payment before they packed up and headed for the airport. She hadn’t done it before today because she’d needed to wait for her HAMC paycheck to clear before transferring funds, and her intention of taking care of business first thing this morning…
A chuckle rumbled from deep inside her. Well, Gage had had other plans. In the end they’d had to rush not to be late.
She closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of her chair while the computer booted up. The memory of how he’d monopolized her time flowed through her body like warm oil, tightening her n**ples and creating a pool of desire in her belly.
She was exhausted and exhilarated, and she almost hated that this trip was ending. Life and the Hightowers would intrude once she and Gage touched down in Knoxville. How long would their relationship last before Trent found out and fired her?
Grimacing, she straightened, logged on to her computer and pulled up her account to transfer funds from her checking to her loan account.
Balance Due: $0.00
She frowned at the screen. That wasn’t right. She still owed almost two hundred thousand dollars. She clicked on her account history. The page claimed her debt had been paid in full on Friday.
No way.
The finance company must have a software glitch or something. But she wasn’t going to risk her airplane or her credit rating by skipping a payment and waiting for them to discover their error. She dug her cell phone out of her bag and dialed customer service. A recording greeted her. She hated automated machines, but typed in her account number followed by her security password when prompted. A robotic voice told her to wait for the next available operator.
She checked her watch and tried to block out the annoying elevator music pouring into her ear. Gage would be back soon and he’d be ready to leave.
“This is Rena. How can I help you today, Ms. Lynch?” a pleasant voice said.
Lauren sat up. “Hi, Rena. I’m trying to make a payment online, but there seems to be a problem with your Web page. It says my account balance is zero.”
The tap of computer keys carried through the phone. “That is correct.”
Lauren’s heart skipped into high gear. “It can’t be. I still owe your company money. A lot of money.”
“No, ma’am. Your account was paid in full on Friday by certified check. Our offices will mail you the pertinent paperwork within five business days, and you can follow up with the FAA to change the ownership registry. Can I assist you with anything else today, Ms. Lynch?”
“But…that’s impossible. I don’t have that kind of money. Nobody I know has that kind…of…money.” The words sputtered off.
Jacqui.
Her mother had to be behind this. Tension snarled in Lauren’s belly and anger stiffened her spine. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to be polite. It wasn’t the customer service rep’s fault that Jacqui was trying to absolve her guilt over years of ignoring her daughter with cash.
“Thank you for your help, Rena.”
Lauren disconnected then immediately dialed Jacqui’s cell phone. The phone rang enough times that she thought her mother was going to ignore her call again. Thanks to caller ID, Jacqui would know if the person calling was someone she wanted to talk to. And apparently, she didn’t want to talk to her daughter.
Lauren was debating whether to leave yet another voice mail message when she heard, “Hello, Lauren.”
How could Jacqui sound so calm? “Jacqui, did you pay off my loan?”
Silent seconds ticked past. “I wanted to help.”
Anger and frustration swelled inside Lauren. Her hand clenched the phone tighter. “We’ve had this discussion before, and I made my feelings clear. I don’t want your charity.”
“But, darling—”
“I’m not your darling, Jacqui. I’m not even your daughter. Not in the way that counts. You gave me away. Save your money for your other children. Your real children.”
She hated the anger and pain in her voice. She’d thought she’d come to terms with the knowledge of her mother’s preference for her other children. Obviously not.
“Lauren, you are as much my child as they are, and they already have more than they need. You, on the other hand, are struggling to make ends meet. Your father would want me to help.”
The arrow hit its target. Her father had loved this woman enough to accept whatever crumbs of affection Jacqui threw his way. Lauren didn’t share that love. In fact, she realized, sometimes she almost hated Jacqui for causing her father so much pain.
“My father taught me to work for whatever I wanted and not to expect or accept handouts. I’ll get a new loan as soon as I get home and pay you back.”
“I won’t accept your money.”
Frustrated, Lauren stood and paced to the far side of the room. Why did all the Hightowers think people could be bought? Is that what being raised rich did to a person? If so, she was glad she’d missed out.
“Damn it, Jacqui, we’ve had this conversation too many times to count. You missed your chance to be my mother.”
“And I regret that every single day. I’m sorry I let you go, Lauren.”
Too little. Too late. “You know what I want from you, and I’m getting really tired of your stalling tactics. If you won’t give me what I need, then I’m going back to Daytona and we’re done.”
A sound made her turn. Gage stood in the open doorway, his eyes narrowed. How much had he overheard? If he found out what Jacqui had done, he’d believe the worst of Lauren—the way her half siblings did. All of them would be convinced Lauren had weaseled the money out of their mother.
Lauren’s stomach churned. She had to repay the loan. But could she even qualify for new financing with Falcon’s current financial condition?
“We’ll continue this conversation when I get back from San Francisco. I expect you to be in town and available,” she told her mother and disconnected.
If you won’t give me what I need then I’m going back to Daytona and we’re done.
To Gage the angry words sounded like a threat. With whom had Lauren been arguing and why? And why did it bother him that she was already planning to walk away from what they had when a short-term affair had been the agenda all along? Just because they’d had two days of fantastic sex didn’t mean he’d break his firm rule against permanent relationships.
His ex-wife and his mother had both bailed when they hadn’t gotten their way, proving money was more important and more reliable than love. They’d cured him of ever wanting to try a permanent relationship again. But he had to thank them for the valuable lessons they’d taught him. Take what you want from a relationship and walk away.
He’d based his career on that rule. He took on a company’s problems, fixed them, then moved on without a long-term commitment or a stake in the outcome. That meant there were no expectations or disappointments if those involved failed to implement his strategies.
Lauren smiled at him as she crossed the room and closed her laptop, but the curve of her lips looked strained, and her eyes lacked their usual sparkle. “All done with the CEO?”
“Yes. Problem?” He inclined his head to indicate the cell phone she held in a white-knuckle grip.
She lowered her gaze and shoved her phone into her bag. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
The emotional wall she’d initially kept between them had returned. He didn’t like it. An unfamiliar urgency to fix whatever had upset her and get them back on a comfortable footing surged inside him like water pressure building behind a dam. “We need to eat before taking off.”
“I’ll order your lunch to be delivered to the plane. That’ll get us in the air faster.” Tension made her movements sharp and stiff as she packed away her computer.
“You’ll eat with me.”
She looked ready to argue then sighed. “All right.”
“In a hurry to get home?”
She slung her bag’s strap over her shoulder. “It’s a long flight, and we were up early. I’d rather not be too late getting back. Not to mention I’m eager to get my hands on Trent’s jet again. That baby’s a sweet ride. Can I help you pack your files?”
His hunger for her rekindled at the memory of waking before the alarm went off to make love to her, and then doing so again during their shared shower. Technicolor images of wet bodies, steamed glass shower doors and Lauren braced against the wall in the stall filled his brain. He blinked to clear his head, but neither the pictures nor the heat vanished.
Alarm sirens rang in his subconscious. He hadn’t wanted a woman this incessantly in a very, very long time.
“I have it.” He swiftly gathered his belongings, surreptitiously keeping an eye on Lauren. She shifted on her feet and stared off into space, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. “Let’s go.”