Investigating Christmas

Mathieu Garmeaux, based in Paris, had died two weeks ago, the victim of a traffic accident just a few blocks from his apartment.

Dear God. Lucy dropped her head into her hands and flexed her fingertips hard into her scalp, tugging on her hair as the dates lined up in her mind. She’d been with Mr. Kathrein in Paris at the time. In light of the kidnapping it seemed far more likely that the journalist’s motorcycle had lost the fight with a panel truck on purpose. If Kathrein had had Garmeaux killed, what wouldn’t he do to gain control of the documents?

A shudder racked her shoulders as she brought up an airline website and booked the next available flight to San Francisco. Gwen and Jackson were counting on her and, like Mr. Kathrein, she would do anything to save her family. Oh, she hated having even that much in common with the wretched old man. Air travel and returning to Rush Grayson’s territory were small costs compared to the priceless value of the people who mattered most to her.

Her ticket booked, she tried not to think of anything but the next step and failed miserably. Knowing she’d be facing the man who’d broken her heart last year had her agonizing over every item of clothing as she packed. Circumstances aside, deceiving Rush went against her nature. Though he’d hurt her, she’d never wanted to hurt him. Saving Gwen and Jackson meant damaging the Gray Box reputation, and that left a sour taste in her mouth.

“Can’t be helped,” she said aloud. Zipping her luggage closed, she called for the car and driver to take her to the airport. As the estate faded into the distance behind the car, Lucy’s thoughts bounced from past to present and leapfrogged into the near and distant future.

Starting with a business introduction and a surprising mutual respect, she and Rush had developed a friendship that had become so much more. Chills raced along her skin at the memories she couldn’t suppress. She’d been foolish enough to fall in love and he’d been smart enough to adhere to his personal boundaries.

Despite the knowledge that their business interests and efforts had served them both well, she didn’t entertain any illusion that he’d be particularly happy to see her on a personal level. What Kathrein required of her would push the mutual professional respect across a bed of hot coals.

If by some miracle she succeeded in her task, her foolish heart’s persistent, feathery hope to someday reconcile with Rush would be blown out of reach forever.

Chapter Two

San Francisco, California

Wednesday, December 16, 11:45 a.m.

Rush Grayson returned to his new company headquarters in the Financial District absolutely frustrated. He’d walked out on the morning meeting after more than an hour of zero progress. Time was precious and he refused to waste it. If the prospective client didn’t experience an attitude adjustment soon, they could find a different security solution for their data. It wouldn’t be as effective as the system he’d designed, but that wasn’t his problem.

He’d learned the hard way to walk away and let go. His desire to help others didn’t mean they wanted his help. He had to remember Gray Box was no longer at the point where one contract would make or break the company.

He took the express elevator up to the executive office suite and the stress fell away when the doors parted and he entered his domain. His journey to the top hadn’t always been pretty, but he’d made sure the gorgeous view he enjoyed now rewarded him every day.

“Good morning, Melva.” He paused at the receptionist’s desk to pick up his messages. With a little more life experience than Rush or any of the other executives on the floor, the woman had been a godsend, keeping them all grounded with the discreet, calm professionalism he wanted to project to clients and competitors alike.

“How was the meeting?” she asked, peering at him over her bold, red cheaters.

“I lost patience and walked out.” He shrugged. “How has the day been treating you?”

“Glorious, thank you.” She flicked a hand at the stunning, panoramic views of San Francisco beyond the glass walls surrounding the space. “Your messages.” She slid a stack of small paper squares across the marble counter.

Rush grinned. Although everything within Gray Box systems was completely electronic now, she insisted on backing up phone message emails with her old-school habit. He loved it.

“You have a visitor waiting in your office.” Melva’s practiced smile turned warm, almost affectionate.

The expression stopped Rush short. Melva had used that particular soft smile with only one person and that person was now rusticating in France, working for a musty old man with almost as much money as Rush. He turned slowly toward his office suite, which occupied one full corner of the floor, noticing the brunette seated in the waiting area near his assistant’s desk.

“Where is Trisha?”

Melva’s lips flatlined with disapproval at the mention of his assistant’s name. She’d never warmed to his current girlfriend. It didn’t help that since he and Trisha had been involved personally, he had yet to find a more suitable place for her within the company. “It appears she is away from her desk,” Melva stated.

His gaze swept over the other glass-walled offices and conference rooms. “I can see that.” Just as he could see the long, glossy sweep of his unexpected guest’s hair falling straight and sleek well past her shoulders. His pulse kicked, though he knew it couldn’t be the woman he most wanted to see. Despite Melva’s warmth, he knew that very special brunette was in France. Still, his body moved automatically, propelling him closer as if hope alone would change the stark reality.

He wanted to stride on into his office like a consummate professional, giving his assistant room to do her job and make introductions, but Trisha wasn’t anywhere on the floor. He could go back downstairs and catch the private elevator that opened into the hallway behind his posh office. That would create an entrance worthy of the primary developer and top dog at Gray Box.

Or he could stop being ridiculous and get on with his day. Hadn’t he been lamenting time wasters a few minutes ago? Irritated with himself, he strode forward to meet his guest.

The familiar vanilla-laced scent stopped him as effectively as a brick wall. His heart slammed against his ribs when she looked up and he saw those big brown eyes full of nerves.

“Lucy?” He had to be hallucinating. She’d left him a year ago, effectively disappearing overnight. One day here—and his—and the next, he been left holding a note that she’d moved to Chicago with no plans to return. He folded his arms over his chest, not giving a damn about defensive posture. She didn’t look capable of rendering destruction, but he knew better. “This is...” The multiple ways to finish that sentence became a logjam in his head.

“A surprise, I’m sure,” she finished for him, coming to her feet.

He had to back up a step to stay out of her personal space and to keep his hands to himself.

“My apologies for dropping in unannounced, Rush.” Her smile flashed and disappeared from one second to the next. “I just got back in town. Can you spare a few minutes?”

Hearing her say his name brought back images and memories best left until later. “For you, always.” He caught the subtle twist of her lips and winced. His time and attention had been the one sore spot during their relationship. They were both busy professionals and he couldn’t always insist that global markets and prestigious clients wait while he wrapped up a date.

Things were different now, calmer and more predictable since he’d achieved his goal and positioned his company at the forefront of the electronic information security industry. Calmer, but not nearly done, he thought, as part of his brain slid back to the wasted morning meeting.

Recognizing the doubt about his availability in Lucy’s eyes, he pulled his attention back to the present. Bending over Trisha’s keyboard, he sent his secretary a text alert to clear his calendar for the afternoon. “There.” He stood tall, smiling at Lucy. “I’m all yours for the rest of the day.” The idea of it cascaded over him in a wave of effervescent anticipation. Only Lucy had ever had this effect on him. He held open his office door, encouraging her to enter ahead of him. The soft fabric of the smart evergreen dress she wore swirled at her knees, and he enjoyed the distraction for a moment.

When the door closed behind him, he flipped the switch that turned the clear glass panes of his office opaque, giving them privacy from anyone else on the floor. “What do you need?”

“Oh, my,” she breathed. “Your view of the bay is stunning.” Lucy turned a slow circle in the middle of his office, a bittersweet smile wobbling on her lips as she took it all in. “The world at your feet, right?”

“I saved the best view for myself,” he confessed.

“As you should.” Her smile blossomed, a little less wistful. She cleared her throat. “The building, the new offices...it’s all amazing, Rush. Congratulations. You deserve it.”

“You think so?” Pride swelled up at her praise before he could battle it back. He’d never reconciled the way she’d constantly encouraged him with the fact that she’d walked away without a single word of warning. Never one to leap without looking, her sudden departure from him as well as the city had completely baffled him.

She nodded, interlocking her fingers at her waist. He remembered that little habit showing up whenever her self-control was about to snap. What was going on?

He shrugged out of his sport coat and hooked it on a sleek stainless coat tree near the door. “Why don’t we sit down,” he suggested briskly. He considered rounding his desk, emphasizing his position and power in the room. Instead, he moved toward the long, elegant leather couch. How many days had he envisioned her right here beside him with a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine after a long day?

Lucy chose a chair on the other side of the art deco glass coffee table and that spark of hope that this might be a personal visit withered.

He catalogued every nuance and change as she settled into the chair. Fit as ever, her sense of style still radiated elegance and class. Yes, her hair had grown longer over the past year. And the warmth in her big brown eyes was tempered with something he couldn’t pinpoint. She’d done her eyes with subtle color, framed by those thick, dark lashes, and she’d swept soft gloss over her rosy lips. He didn’t care for the tense lines bracketing her lovely mouth. What had happened to her since she’d left him?

He’d kept tabs on her, always in search of a way to bring her back home to California. Not finding the right combination of timing and opportunity, he’d been forced to admit defeat and move on. He hadn’t managed to forget her, even after sinking all his energy into a year of aggressive corporate growth and dodging the grasping pursuit of equally aggressive, gold-digging women.

He waited, offered her coffee and water. She graciously refused, but didn’t seem willing to explain what had brought her here. “I heard about your brother-in-law,” he said, breaking the silence. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” she replied, her gaze drifting past him to the view of the bay.

“How is Gwen holding up?”

“Better day by day.” Lucy’s big brown eyes shimmered with tears until she blinked them away. “I think.” White teeth momentarily nipped at her full lower lip. “Moving to France helped all of us.”

That caught him off guard. “I didn’t realize she went with you.”

Lucy nodded. “Her son, Jackson, is eight months old. It’s amazing watching him grow.”

The worry in her eyes launched an internal battle as his need to shield himself battled against his need to comfort her. “Strong name.” As he’d hoped, the words brought out her smile. She’d often lamented her name was a hurdle in the corporate world.

God, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, stunned and delighted to have her in his office. Terrified he’d drop his heart into her hands and she’d reject the gift again. His palms itched to touch her, to hold her fine-boned hand in his again. How many nights had he tossed and turned, wishing for one more touch of her lips, gentle as rose petals, against his skin? Her chest lifted on a deep inhale and sent his mind on a sensual, inappropriate detour.

“I know you’re busy,” she began, “so I’ll be brief. I could use a job, Rush. If you can find a place for me.”

He knew the perfect place for her, though it had nothing to do with the professional answer she was seeking. Sitting forward, he propped his elbows on his knees. She knew him too well to bother hiding his excitement about bringing her on board. “A job here, with me?”

“With Gray Box.” Her lips pursed. “France has been a great experience. Beyond beautiful, but—”

“We have plenty of wine country here,” he interrupted. A voice in his head roared at him to shut up. He was an idiot to think she reminisced over their weekend adventures the way he did. He’d heard how quickly she’d replaced him with a new man in Chicago.

Her lips curled into another distant smile and she smoothed her hands over her dress. “California is home,” she finished.

“I’m glad to hear you’ve come to your senses,” he teased.

Her serious brown gaze didn’t share his humor. “Do you have any openings?”

He glanced past her, had to assume Trisha’s desk remained empty on the other side of the privacy-frosted glass. “I could use a personal assistant,” he said, making the decision as he spoke.

“You’re well aware I have an MBA. Maybe I can be of more use in—”

“Your current post is what, precisely?” Her gaze turned sharp with a hint of temper and he knew he had her just where he wanted her. Well, professionally anyway.

“Yes, my current title is personal assistant,” she allowed. She crossed her legs at the ankle, distracting him again with far more intimate memories. “When I took the post with Dieter Kathrein everyone involved knew I was overqualified.”

“I can assure you as my personal assistant you’ll have more challenges.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Lucy tilted her head toward the desk on the other side of his office. “What about your current assistant?”

“She’s not the dedicated PA I need,” he countered. “Trisha manages my calendar and answers the phone right now, but it’s a stopgap measure. She doesn’t have your business acumen and I don’t have time for her to develop it.” The ease of his admission didn’t surprise him. He’d always been able to talk with Lucy about anything.

Her dark eyebrows arched and her lips parted for a moment, then she clamped her mouth shut. “I see. Tell me more.”

“We’ve been searching for a better fit for her within the company,” he added. “What were your duties with Kathrein?”

She shook her head, her gaze dropping to her hands. “Beyond telling you I managed his calendar, the rest of my responsibilities are confidential.”

“Right. Of course.” He waved that off as unimportant and quickly outlined his professional expectations. A savvy, analytical mind like Lucy’s could help him keep Gray Box at the top and develop new ideas and market applications. She would be the perfect liaison between him and clients who waffled around wasting his time, too. “What do you think?”

“Salary and benefits?”

“Name it, whatever you need. I’ll make sure it’s all written into the contract.” He twisted, pointed out a building across the street. “You can even have the corporate suite at the hotel until you find a place to live.”

“That’s very generous. Thank you.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes as she accepted the ridiculous offer.

“You’re worried about me, aren’t you?” He sat back, stretched his arms across the back of the couch. “About our history?”

“No,” she said, her denial a little weak. “I came to you as a colleague and friend. We both have new interests, now. You can reassure Trisha or whomever you’re seeing that I won’t interfere with your personal life.”

He didn’t appreciate that promise or the vague reprimand. Lucy had been his only “interest” for over a year. She still was, if he was brutally honest about it. The women who’d followed her had floated through his life without any real substance or impact. Contrary to rumors, he didn’t date in the traditional sense of connecting to someone. Trisha was the latest in a line of women willing to spend time as his public companion in exchange for his opening a few professional doors for her.

“I won’t lie, Lucy. I’ve missed you. If you want to reconnect personally, I’m all for it.”

Her eyes went wide. “Rush.”

He flared his hands, let them fall. “Call it full disclosure. When it comes to you and me, the ball is in your court. If you’re here for purely professional reasons, I respect that.”

“I am.” She swallowed. “Thank you for the job. You won’t regret it.”

He already did. Lucy Gaines had been everything he’d wanted from a woman in both his personal and professional worlds. Smart and kind, lovely and compassionate, they’d shared interests from wine country to stock market trends to pitching in with local charities.

“Let’s get out of here.” If they stayed in this office, he’d be tempted to unload every stray business idea he’d wanted to discuss with her over the past year. Not only would that border on employee abuse, it would leave him wide open and vulnerable. He wanted her, he intended to have her, but only when he knew she’d stick around. Standing, he urged her to her feet as well. “I’ll show you what’s changed since you left.” Reflexively he checked his watch.

“Only everything,” she said with a short laugh. “Don’t wreck your entire day for me. I’m sure Melva can fill me in and give me instructions about the hotel suite.”

He picked up on the edge creeping into her voice. How could he convince her he wanted to give her every minute today? “Melva is absolutely capable,” he agreed. “We can skip the full tour if you’re tired from the trip.” He wasn’t sure why he was pressing her, only that he wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight. She was everything he remembered and more, but he got the feeling she was hiding something about her time with Kathrein. He didn’t stand a chance of figuring it out if he left her alone.

“I feel fine, Rush,” she said, her smile tight. “We’ve agreed to terms. You don’t have to entertain me.”

“Ouch.” He laid a hand over his heart, feigning pain. “I’m going to play tour guide anyway. There’s no one better than me to bring you back up to speed, on Gray Box specifically and the Bay Area in general.”

She shook her head, but not before he noticed the little lift at the corner of her mouth. His arrogance had often amused her. He switched off the privacy glass and caught sight of Trisha at Melva’s reception desk. An even better reason to leave the office behind for the afternoon, he decided. While he’d been honest about searching for a better post for Trisha, he hadn’t focused on the issue. Now he had an excellent reason to move forward on that adjustment immediately.

“You know,” he said, turning his back on the rest of the executive floor, “I should start the tour right here.” He gestured toward the door in the opposite wall, tucked behind a floor-to-ceiling display case filled with books and myriad industry awards. “My indispensable PA should know my secret escape route.” He led her out of the office and into a narrow service hallway. “Private bathroom,” he said, pointing out another door. “There’s a bedroom as well.”

“A bedroom? Good grief, Rush. It’s a wonder you haven’t been sued for harassment.”

Well, that stung. The gossip rags and paparazzi greatly exaggerated his personal exploits whenever he chose to spend time around town with models or actresses. “It’s not a space I share,” he replied through clenched teeth. When and why had her opinion of him plummeted so drastically? “You know how things go during research or a product launch, or—”

“When you’re closing a major deal,” she finished for him. “I remember.”

He swallowed the urge to point out if he wasn’t constantly focused on building up the business, Gray Box wouldn’t be such a convenient fallback option for her. Except a woman with Lucy’s skills and credentials could name her salary and benefits, and choose from numerous offers. Knowing that, knowing how talented she was, it was tough to accept she’d returned to him without any intent to rekindle their personal relationship. He couldn’t decide if his decision to hire her made him an easy mark, sentimental or selfish. Time would tell.

“This is my private elevator.” He reached out and punched the button. “Most of the time I use the public one or the express, but occasionally this is necessary.”

One side of her mouth curled in a half smile. “You pulled out all the stops here,” she said.

If she’d seen his heart on his sleeve as he eagerly shared this with her, she didn’t give him any reaction. “The office isn’t just about the show of power, though it helps.” The doors parted and he ushered her inside. Her fragrance, the dark sensual notes smoothed with a whisper of vanilla, filled the small space. He hoped the scent lingered a while so he could breathe her in at will. He punched the button for three floors down, pulling himself together. That spark they’d once shared seemed to be missing now and it wasn’t her problem that he hadn’t been able to get over her.

“This must make it easier to avoid distractions,” she murmured.

“Exactly.” So she remembered how people cornered him in elevators, pitching ideas and résumés.

“As your PA, is it my job to fend them off now?” Her gaze narrowed and she pretended to glare at potential intruders lurking in the corners.

“No.” He laughed a little and then reconsidered. Though she stood several inches shorter, even in the heels, she could be formidable. “Well, maybe.”

The doors parted and he escorted her to the human resources department. After making introductions, the department manager sat down with both of them, drawing up the details they’d agreed upon for Lucy’s employment. Once the legalities were out of the way, Rush insisted on taking her down to the waterfront for a late lunch.

“You don’t have to convince me to stay,” she repeated when they were seated at a table with a stunning view. “I’ve signed the contract.”

“This is my new favorite place,” he said. He’d wanted to bring her here since it opened. “The food is better than the view.”

She tilted her head, clearly surprised by his gushing endorsement. When her gaze followed his to the bay, he heard her sigh a little. “I didn’t expect to miss it so much.”

He was determined to bridge the gap, to earn the trust of the one woman he’d always been able to confide in. “What really brings you back here?”

Her eyes went wide and her chin dropped a little. “I was homesick.”

He wasn’t accepting that anymore. “A year ago it appeared Chicago was home,” he countered. He paused while they gave the waitress their drink order. “Then you moved the family to France.” What had happened over there?

She studied him a long moment. “Are you having second thoughts already?”

“No way.” He shrugged. “I’m the luckiest CEO in the city. You could write your own ticket anywhere.” In the back of his mind, he couldn’t make it all add up. Better just to ask. “I’d like to know why me and why now?” He couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed him to leap out in front of her and fight off an invisible enemy.

He’d be an idiot if he hadn’t already considered and discarded the idea of corporate espionage. Lucy didn’t play unethical games. While following her career meant he had a basic knowledge of Kathrein’s business interests, the older man hadn’t shown any intention of seriously competing with Gray Box.

“Kathrein didn’t send me here to spy on you.” Her words proved how well they knew each other. “If he had made such a suggestion, I would have refused.”

“I know.” He recognized the steel in her gaze, respected it. He could take her “homesick” answer at face value or ruin lunch with an argument. Taking the high road, he turned the conversation to other topics. He would wait her out. They were too alike, had been too close, for her to keep any secrets from him for long.