Authors: Linn Young
Attraction (8 page)
had ordered the dish one or two times, and knew how it would taste. It would be very tender, the
meat dense as most raw fish are, the taste buttery with a slight sweetness to it. If Heron had not
forced her to meet during her sleep hours, but after she had her full eight hours, she might have
ordered the yellowtail, as well. It would have been perfect for her as a meal as it was for him, as
they were engaged in a rather savage tearing of each other’s metaphoric flesh.
Heron put down his utensils and wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin. “I think you
have a pretty good idea of the position that my family holds in society. That makes us quite
visible to the public eye, and our private lives are often invaded upon and scrutinized. That is
why it is important that people in my position, and in my family’s position, have to be careful of
what we do and what we say. Now, I’m afraid your sister will soon be joining me in that rather
insular life.” He paused, waiting for a reaction.
Riley continued to remain silence and merely gave him a mocking disingenuous look by
widening her light gray hazel eyes, which made his narrow slightly with unspoken threat.
“Now that Roberta is marrying into my life, I’m afraid not only her actions but the
actions of her friends and family will be placed in the open season for the public. With that in
mind, I hope you don’t mind when I say that it would be in Roberta’s interest, as well those of
her new family, and yours, if you discontinue the sex club.”
Riley smiled. “No, I don’t mind you making that suggestion.”
“Then you’ll quit the sex club?”
The smile stayed on her face. “No, I won’t. But thanks for the suggestion.”
Heron’s face became hard, his dark eyes dangerously cold and threatening. “I don’t think
you fully appreciate the delicate position that your sister will be in once she’s married to me.
And, believe me, I will do everything in my power to protect my family and our name, and that
means protecting my future wife, as well. I don’t think you understand what you’re up against,
Ms. Calderon.”
“Well, since it’s open season, I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Tell me, Mr. Wait, did
you happen to talk this over with my sister?”
Riley thought she detected him shifting slightly in his seat.
“No, I didn’t. I was hoping to keep this strictly between the two of us.”
“Ah, an excellent way to start your future together with Roberta, making pacts with a
member of her family behind her back.”
“I had hoped you’d be more understanding, Ms. Calderon. about the position you might
be putting your sister in. How do you think our friends and relatives are going to view my wife’s
sister running an establishment that caters to sordid sexual proclivities?”
“If they’re interested, I can send them brochures on the club.”
“Don’t you think she might be made a laughing stock because of what you do?”
“Well, now, that’s where you come in, Mr. Wait. You see, that’s how a marriage works.
When the world rains down rejection and disapproval on a person, she, at least knows that her
husband will be there to stand by her, through thick and thin, ‘til death do you part, and all that
sort of thing. I hope that my sister knows that no matter what anyone else thinks, that you will
always love her, and accept her for who she is or who she has for a family. If you don’t know
that by now, well, maybe you need to brush up on this concept of unconditional love before you
exchange vows with Roberta.”
Heron set his fork and knife on his empty plate and pushed it aside. Out of nowhere,
Francois appeared and took their empty plates away.
Heron said mildly, “That’s all well and good. But no matter how much Roberta and I love
each other, we still have to live in the real world.”
“Well, of course. That’s why they came up with the phrase true love conquers all.”
Heron regarded her for a moment. “I’m starting to get the idea that you question my love
for your sister.”
Riley’s eyes widened with shock, then she lowered them. She cursed herself for letting
her mouth run away with her. She had not meant to reveal so much to him. It was all because she
hadn’t been able to resist the battle for one upmanship with him.
“Whatever my opinion is, it hardly has anything to do with you and Robbie.”
Heron considered her words and then decided that he couldn’t let it go at that just yet.
“That might be true with some sisters. But I think with Roberta, it isn’t, because she values your
opinion the most of out of anyone, even more than her parents. As much as I dislike being in this
position, I really can’t ignore what you think of me, can I?”
“You’re severely mistaken if you are getting the idea that I have any undue influence
over how Robbie lives her life.”
“Then let’s pretend my interest in this is mostly out of curiosity, shall we? And, since I
suspect that you’ve been dying to tell me where I can stick it from the time Roberta first
introduced us, why don’t you consider this as your one and only chance to tell me what you
really think of me.”
“And if I do, then you’ll marry my sister, and live happily ever after?”
“Yes. We’ll only let this one time be the chance for the door to be opened between us for
complete honesty. After that, when we both walk away from this lunch, we’ll consider that door
to be closed forever and never to be revisited ever again.”
Riley was about to tell him that, as far as she was concerned, he could keep the door
closed, and he and Roberta would get married in two months with her opinion kept to herself,
and she would continue with her own life, and no one would be the worse or wiser. But then she
saw the challenge on his face, and the way he stared at her with such cool self-assurance and
superiority. And it was that sense of superiority of his that she was coming to recognize that
caught at her craw, and she was seized, once again, with the urge to see if she could bring him
down a peg or too.
Riley folded her arm on the table in front of her and leaned closer to him over her arms.
“Alright. Remember, you asked for it. You’re right. I do have my doubts about you and my
sister.”
Heron’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. “And why’s that?”
“I don’t think you’re good enough for Robbie.”
That wiped out the hard coolness from his face as he pulled back from shock. Whatever
he had been expecting from Riley, it wasn’t that. To give himself time to regain his composure,
Heron lifted his glass and drank the water. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’ve knocked me a little.
I’ve never heard a person tell me that.”
“I know. Most people would say it’s the other way around, wouldn’t they? Why, just
because you’re rich and powerful? So, what?”
“Funny, I would think a woman’s family would be relieved to know that her new
husband will be able to take care of her for the rest of her life.”
Riley clicked her tongue. “I don’t care that my sister is going to be sitting pretty for the
rest of her life. What I care about is whether or not she’s going to be happy once she marries a
man.”
“And you don’t think I can make her happy? Why?”
“I don’t think you can love Robbie the way she deserves to be loved.”
Anger was starting to slip through Heron’s cool composure, his lips beginning to thin, his
dark eyes hardening and flattening. “And why do think I’m incapable of loving your sister?”
“I don’t think you really appreciate her for who she is. I don’t really think you know who
Robbie really is. I know you appreciate her for her beauty, her intelligence, unpretentiousness,
her humble background, and that those attributes in your mind make her socially suitable as a
wife. But I don’t think you see the other things that make Robbie who Robbie is, such as her
don’t think you realize just how much of a small town girl she is at heart, that she likes the
simple things, and lives rather a simple life. I think a man who can make Robbie happy is a man
who sees all that and can appreciate her and love her for it.”
Heron took out his wallet and put his credit card on the tab. “You’re mistaken, Ms.
Calderon. I do understand all that about your sister. That’s why I fell in love with her, because
not only is she beautiful and successful, but she is also very kind and generous. What you don’t
understand is that your sister is marrying into a very wealthy and prominent family. There are
certain things that are expected of us, things that are demanded of us, such as, appearances, as
much as we loath it. And I think your sister understands that more than you do, and that she can’t
just flaunt at society. Roberta is much more accepting of societal mores than you are. Don’t you
think you might be mentally and emotionally supplanting your values onto hers?”
Riley bowed her head. “Very clever. I take it then that that the door is now closed.” She
stood up and gathered her purse and pashmina. “I want to thank you, Mr. Wait, for the lunch. I
must admit, I rather didn’t enjoy myself when I didn’t expect to at all. So, I’ll take my leave,
now, if you don’t mind. Please tell my sister that I said hello and give my love to her.”
As she walked away, her head held proudly, her back ramrod straight, Heron watched
her, unwillingly, as he felt his anger rise up inside him all over again. He realized that he had
never felt the gripping need to throttle a woman until now.
CHAPTER FOUR
In the later days, Riley regretted airing her doubts to Heron about his match with Roberta.
The regret was not due to her doubting that she believed in what she had said to him, but that the
desire to bring his supercilious self down a peg or two was what prompted her to speak so freely
to him. She scolded herself that that didn’t give her a pass to talk about her sister’s future to her
fiancée on the side. Plus, the marriage was not anything that she could something about. And she
had already been resigned to the marriage long before that day she met him for lunch.
Riley really regretted her words to Heron when she got a call from Roberta.
“How could you, Riley?” Roberta accused her, the hurt clear in her voice. “How could
say such mean things to Heron, my fiancée?”
“How could I say what things to Heron?” Riley asked carefully.
“Heron told me about the lunch he had with you, and he told me what you said to him,
that you didn’t believe that he loved me.”
“I did not say it that way. And, you know what, I am now disappointed in him. I thought
he would be at least a gentleman enough to keep quiet about things to himself. But I guess he’s
not even gentleman.”
“Don’t you change the subject, Riley. How can you do that to me and the man I love?
How can you try to tear us apart?”
“I wasn’t trying to tear you apart. I swear. He’s just twisting my words. He got it all
wrong.”
“Then why do you believe that Heron doesn’t love me?”
“I don’t believe that. I do believe he loves you.”
Riley blew out a breath, walking around in her robe in her kitchen, trying to think up a
fast track way out of this pickle, all the while cursing Heron. She wouldn’t put it past him if he
had deliberately set her up like this.
“Look, honey, Heron called me up out of the blue in the middle of the morning, when I
was sound asleep, and said that he wanted to meet me for lunch. I could hardly refuse him,
because he’s my soon-to-be brother-in-law, now could I? I was exhausted, because I had a bad
night the night before, and then worked until four o’clock in the morning on the books. So, I
wasn’t thinking too clearly when I met up with him. I don’t even know half the things I said to
him. I guess I was just taking my frustration and my exhaustion out on Heron, and I’m sorry for
doing that. As soon as I left the restaurant, I really regretted what I said. I didn’t mean it. I know
Heron loves you and I know you love him. You two are going to be so happy together.”
There was silence from the other end.
“So, what you said to Heron isn’t really how you feel?” Roberta asked cautiously.
Riley blew out another breath and took in some air, and then said brightly. “Yes, that’s
what I’m saying. I think you two will be very happy and go around being stupidly in love for the
rest of your life.” She winced, almost choking on her words.
“Thank you, Riley. I’m sorry I got upset. I didn’t know what to think when Heron told
me that. I couldn’t bear the thought that you, of all people, wouldn’t support me in this
marriage.”
“No, no, darling. Please put that out of your mind, because…Guess what, I’m throwing
you a bachelorette party at my club,” Riley decided on the spot.
Robert gasped, as if scandalized, then she giggled. “Are you going to have a stripper?”
“I’m not only going to have one stripper, but a bunch of them. And we’ll mix it with a
pleasure party, so that you can get all these toys and ideas on how to turn your husband on during
your honeymoon. So, start putting a list together of the women you want to invite.”
“Oh, this will be so much fun. Oh, wait, Heron will probably disapprove.”
Riley bit down on her tongue, almost blurting out to Roberta to tell Heron to go to hell.
“So, what, honey. Look, he’s probably going to have a bachelor party thrown for him that
will be wilder than anything I throw for you. And, hell, this is your last night as a single woman.
You deserve at least one last night of wild abandonment.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I do deserve to rev it up for one last time, don’t I? Go ahead, Riley,
you go ahead and throw the wildest party for me that you can. I’ll talk to you later. Love you. –
Oh, by the way, you’re invited to a family dinner at Heron’s parent’s on Saturday. Mom and
Dad, too.”
Riley stifled a groan. “Uh…”
“You can’t get out of it, Riley. This is important, because it’ll be the first time you and
Mom and Dad get to meet his parents and his sister.”
“Heron has a sister?” Riley asked irrelevantly.
“I’ll expect you there. So does Mom. It’s at seven o’clock. I’ll call you tomorrow with
the directions.”
The Waits lived in one of the mansions on the hills of the San Francisco, behind a large,
gated landscape that employed two full-time gardeners. Riley, as ordered, arrived in front of the
large white, three story establishment. Her parents had arrived separately, having taken the Waits
offer of making a weekend of the city by staying at the St. Frances Hotel, which the family